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Harvey Lowe’s Valuable Hands
March 7, 2014 By Steve Brown
Remember that amazing human being named Harvey Lowe that we told you about? Well, the Special Risks Bureau in the UK just published a hilarious infographic showing off all of the most expensively insured body parts in the world, combined, and of course Harvey made the list.
For those of you who don’t know, as part of a publicity stunt way back in the day, after Harvey was named the 1932 World YoYo Champion his sponsor company had his hands insured for £91,000. Which is supremely awesome.
Click to embiggen the image and see that while Harvey’s hands were insured by Lloyd’s of London for the lowest amount on this list, the combination of Gene Simmon’s KISS makeup, Rod Stewart’s hair, and a yoyo is quite possibly one of the best things we’ve ever seen on the internet.
Besides this, of course.
Filed Under: General News Tagged With: harvey lowe, insurance, special risks bureau
History Lesson – 1934 World YoYo Champion Harvey Lowe
February 4, 2013 By Steve Brown
Harvey Lowe – 1934 World YoYo Champion (photo courtesy The Windsor Star)
Joe Mitchell just posted this up on the YoYoRadio Facebook page, and it’s well worth a listen.
Who was Harvey Lowe? He was the world’s first yo-yo champion, winning the 1934 world title in London, where the Canadian born Lowe was chilling with Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Fats Waller, and Laurel and Hardy. He spent most of World War II in a concentration camp in China, came back to Canada and become a radio broadcaster. He also taught Julie Christie how to smoke opium for a movie role. To find out more about Harvey, listen to this interview we did with him back in 2005.
Click through to listen, or right-click to download!
http://www.mitchells.com/yoyoradio/mp3s/Lowe.mp3
Filed Under: Players Tagged With: featured, harvey lowe, world yoyo champion, YoYoRadio
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Leland Bardwell: The forgotten woman of Irish literature
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Posted March 23, 2015 24 Comments by Cathy746books
When I was doing online research for the compilation of my list of 100 Irish Novels by 100 Irish Writers for Reading Ireland Month, I was struck by the conspicuous absence of Leland Bardwell. An Irish Women Writers A-Z anthology published in 2005 didn’t mention her. Neither did Wikipedia’s list of Irish Female Writers. When the Irish Times recently featured women writers, again, Leland was nowhere to be seen. How has this poet, novelist, playwright and creator of musicals fallen between the cracks in the history of Irish writing?
Leland Bardwell
My father was a big Leland Bardwell fan (and Irish literature fan in general) and when I read her novel The House in my early 20s, I actually thought Leland was a man.
Born in India of Irish parents in 1922, Leland was brought to Ireland at the age of two where she spent a bleak childhood. In her memoir A Restless Life, she details the mental and physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother who favoured her elder sister Paloma. She longed to attend Trinity College but the money had been spent on her sister’s education and there was nothing left, her parents being unaware of how bright their youngest child was. Left to her own devices, she read and wrote stories from an early age. She escaped her restless existence in Ireland by falling pregnant while in a relationship with her cousin Christopher (who was not the father of the child) and using the ‘war effort’ as an excuse fled to London where she gave birth to the baby and gave it up for adoption.
Her love life continued to be tumoultous throughout her life. She met and married Michael Bardwell (brother-in-law of Kingsley Amis) and they had twins. She left Michael for his brother Brian, with whom she had a daughter before beginning an affair with another man who lived in the flat upstairs. All the while she continued to see her cousin Christopher on and off. It seems that her neglected childhood made it difficult for her to sustain relationships and she says in her autobiography ‘ I, always expecting to be the one to be hurt, never believed I could hurt others’.
In the late 50s she found herself at the centre of the Soho literary scene, with friends like Anthony Burgess and Francis Bacon. Patrick Kavanagh was her lodger and between famous wild drunken parties, she began to write in earnest. She moved back to Dublin with a new partner, Finton McLachlan and had three more children, living in relative poverty for the next ten years, scraping by writing reviews. She created another literary ‘salon’ around herself, with Paul Durcan amongst others in attendance and continued to write, but was not published until the end of her relationship with Finton in the 1970s.
Despite being published later in life, she has written 5 collections of poetry, 5 novels, a collection of short stories and several stage, radio and musical plays. She was one of the founder editors of the literary journal Cyphers and established the Irish Writer’s Co-operative with Desmond Hogan and Neil Jordan and has become an influential figure in the Irish literary world without receiving the accolades of her male counterparts.
Leland Bardwell with the late Dermot Healy
Now aged 93, Leland lives and works in Sligo and has fulfilled the literary promise that was stifled throughout her life by her sex, and consequently by her relationships and her domesticity. She is a woman who has lived by her own rules often at a time when that was not an easy or acceptable thing to do and she never let go of what she wanted to do. Leland Bardwell is a survivor. I, for one, would love to see her brought out of the shadows.
NO 683, MOTHER TO A STRANGER by LELAND BARDWELL
For Reading Ireland Month, I read Bardwell’s Mother to a Stranger – a tale of a woman whose son whom she gave up for adoption gets in touch after 30 years, with devastating consequences for her marriage. As Bardwell herself gave up a child for adoption, I was interested to see how she would deal with this issue. Nan McDonald, famous concert pianist, lives with her husband Jim, an archaeologist in a small town in Ireland. They have been living the good life – no children, self-sufficient and happy in their marriage. A letter from a solicitor arrives to say that Charles, the son Nan gave up for adoption 30 years previously , a son Jim didn’t know about, wants to meet.
As each of the three try to come to terms with their new relationships, their emotions and mental well being are tested to the limit. Bardwell has a great ability to convincingly portray the mind set of her characters and then explore how a personal crises lays them bare.
When faced with being a mother, Nan finds herself unable to play piano anymore, as if she is required to reconsider who and what she is. Jim cannot accept the presence of this son and his jealousy is almost sexual as he sees the live that he and Nan have made being dissembled in front of his eyes. When Nan, Jim and Charles the son, are confronted with the history of their emotional relationships, they can no longer see what defines them as the people they were and they are faced with the need to take apart the fabrications they have built around themselves to create a new cohesion in their lives.
Jim was overcome with a need to put back the clock – not just to last week, but to all those long years ago when everything they did was filled with anticipation…..But before that there’d been this….this thing
Where much Irish writing is lyrical, romantic, Bardwell writes about relationships with a refreshing honesty. Jim and Nan curse like troopers at each other and the breakdown of their relationship is realistically and bitterly portrayed – that gentle chipping away of confidence and trust delivered with stark clarity.
What she also captures perfectly is the nature of life in a small town, a town where you can live for years but still be considered a ‘blow-in’ and where life centres around the pub and the gossip and the news of local deaths.
‘Not many sick this weather?’ Matt queried
‘Francie McCarthy’s mother has the shingles’
‘That’s a terrible dose’
‘She must be a quare age’
‘Eighty-three’
‘Is she gone into the general?’
‘Is Francie upset?’ Nan asked.
‘Ah, you know Francie’
The sharply drawn local characters provide a warm and often surprisingly amusing back drop to the emotional drama being played out in their midst, yet Nan and Jim allow the shame and embarrassment of being the subject of town gossip to affect their relationship as much as anything else.
But Bardwell is particularly clear-eyed about motherhood and what it means to a woman’s sense of self. It is tempting to read a line like,
Yes. She had borne in her womb a beautiful…what? Viper? What if…She’d wondered once again what he would have been like if she’d kept him, living sordidly, in cheap lodgings, fucking with strangers
and not to wonder if Bardwell is imagining her own child she had given up for adoption. Nan begins to wonder if it is only in the creation of children that a relationship can be substantial and lasting and her inability to think of herself as a mother – a thing she had almost forgotten she was – only increases as Jim and Charles become friends.
This vibrant, earthy and often funny book smartly explores how fragile our sense of self can be and how secrets from the past can never fully be buried.
Read On: Book
Ireland Month Irish Literature The 746 girl on a bicycle irish women writer leland bardwel mother to a stranger patrick kavanagh paul durcan restless life sligo
dublinbookworm
I have honestly never heard of Leland Bardwell. She is now on my radar so thank you.
It’s odd how it can happen to someone who is quite prolific.
I suppose books come in and out of fashion. Taste is as important a determinant in what becomes a classic or definitive text as the skill of the writer. You can have two books by two writers, equally good and for whatever reason one will be called a classic and the other will be forgotten.
I can’t think if I have ever read a book about an adopted child who comes back looking for a biological parent. It would be so interesting to read about the consequences, although, only one take on them. I am thinking of all the possibilities of such a storyline. This book definitely sounds like a tear-jerker.
The story of the author’s life sounds enough like a good book!
I’d love to read her memoir too Naomi, she just seems like such an unconventional amazing woman!
Akylina
That’s a lovely post 🙂 It’s so sad that some people get so easily forgotten despite being terrific individuals. Bardwell seems like an intriguing person and her life surely was rowdy.
Indeed, rowdy is a great word for it! Let’s hope at 93 she still has that spirit!
madamebibilophile
I’ve never heard of her – how has this happened? Is there a particular one of her works you’d recommend as a starting point?
I’ve only read this one and The House, which is probably her most famous. I’ll be giving away a copy of The House tomorrow so you could start there!
Great – I will do – thanks!
Pingback: In the Media: 29th March 2015 | The Writes of Woman
Eamon Mag Uidhir
Two of Leland’s poetry collections have been republished in a single volume by Dedulus Press
http://www.dedaluspress.com/p/thems_your_mammys_pills
At the launch at the Irish Writers Centre in Dublin last night (27 April 2015) two of Leland’s sons read from the book and received a warm response from a packed audience. In the account of her life above, mention might be added of her very close friendship with Paddy Kavanagh’s widow Katherine. For many years they were like the fairy godmothers of Irish poetry, welcoming young poets to their table in Grogan’s, the quintessential Dublin literary pub, and helping them find their feet with sage advice and with introductions to the prominent figures on the literary landscape.
Thanks so much for sharing that Eamon, and what a great story about her friendship with Katherine Kavanagh!
Hi Cathy, I run a book club at the Liberties Press bookshop Liberties Upstairs, and we have been reading ‘A Restless Life’ this month. It’s a fascinating read, so we should have an interesting discussion next week. Liberties did a reprint of Girl on a Bicycle a few years ago which I will try to read soon. Thanks for the post!
I really want to read A Restless Life Chris, she seems like such an incredible woman living life on her own terms. I enoyed Mother to a Stranger and hope it won’t be the last I read of her.
maggiemae168
She taught me creative writing in Bull Alley. Amazing woman.
Wow. That’s very cool! Thanks for stopping by…
Adam Wyeth
Nice piece! Thought you might like to read my poetical account of reading her work. I also remember first reading a poem of hers in ‘Staying Alive’ which has always stayed with me, one of the few major anthologies that have credited her.
night I could not sleep
I came to read you in lamplight
poking out the rushes
of books festooned on my shelves
that I look upon as family.
But Leland, you were the least familiar
of kith and kin, given me
by your son, Nicholas in Dingle.
And so, Leland Bardwell,
I stretched out your pages like arms
and undressed you
with my eyes, my ears, my nose, my hands,
my mouth – watering inside –
devoured you! Night I could not sleep,
I came to you out of the rushes of bed sheets,
and held your slender spine
tenderly as the first time I found poetry
singing in me.
The lines of your life on Lower Leeson Street
opened and closed like doors
in my mind, and the sun and moon rose
Leland Bardwell, night I could not sleep
I came to raise the dead
weight of my head from its rushes of knots
and lay it on your lap
where your lyrics ran like fingers through my locks.
Night cannot contain
the strain of thoughts that fly between these walls –
so I have come
to settle them in words
plucking them
from the air, where all things come.
Such thoughts
I had while reading you Leland Bardwell,
night I could not sleep.
from Silent Music (Salmon Poetry)
http://www.adamwyeth.com/index-2.html
Fantastic Adam, thanks so much for sharing with me!
Leland was also great friends with the late Michael Hartnett, though it is characteristic of her work that no matter who she mixes with her own poetic approach remains unalloyed. The very last time I met Michael Hartnett was actually in Leland’s company, when I came across them having a very earnest discussion over lunchtime pints in the snug of the old Swallow pub at Queen Street bridge in Dublin (I had a flat on Arran Quay about fifty feet away). That would have been around 1978-9.
Fascinating Eamon, I love hearing so much more about her.
Dr. Deborah Coulter-Harris
I lived with Leland Bardwell in Dublin while visiting therein my early 20’s for a few years. She and I were great friends, even though there was a 30 year age difference. I also appeared in one of her plays, Tuesday. or It’s All Your Own Fault. She was a fun lady and introduced me to the world of the Dublin literati.
Fantastic! Thanks so much for visiting. She certainly sounds like a wonderful woman.
Pingback: ‘The House’ by Leland Bardwell **** (Reading Ireland Month) | theliterarysisters
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Google Wifi
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Access & Energy
Nextbit is treating Robin customers to an early preview of Android Nougat for NextbitOS
Edoardo Maggio
- Nov. 22nd 2016 11:35 am PT
@northead
Android Nougat has been out in the wild for some time now, but for third parties — especially the less resourceful ones — it can be hard to stay on track. About a year from the original announcement of Robin, however, Nextbit seems to be up to the task, and a preview of the software is now rolling out…
There’s actually good news on two sides: there’s a 7.0 update for both Nextbit’s version of the system (which the company says is a “solid beta”) and one made in collaboration with the team behind Paranoid Android.
To receive the former, you will only be required to be enrolled in Nextbit’s beta program — if you already are, you should see a notification update within the next 24 hours, and if you are not, you can sign up now simply by filling out this form.
But NextbitOS isn’t the only Nougat-releated treatment that Robin is receiving, as the firm’s collaboration with the developers over at Paranoid Android has had a double benefit: by helping each other, they speeded the process of getting Nougat up and running on Nextbit OS, and also allowed the PA team to get a very neat, Nougat-based, Robin-optimised version of their own ROM ready for prime time.
Well, not quite — the build seems not to have gone live yet, but we would expect it do so momentarily.
It goes without saying that it’s good to see software developers working together to deliver users the best possible experience — and, indeed, some much-appreciated choice. We certainly hope to see more of that.
paranoid android Android Nougat
Italian. Tech geek, video games, photography and music lover, comics-based movies enthusiast, and a sucker for good design. Amateur photographer (VSCO, 500px), writer and reporter for 9to5Google.
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Category Archives: Philadelphia Soul
“Deep Routes” is a weekly series that will look in-depth at AFL stats and present weekly updates to my AFL model. In my second post, I’ll take a look at the playoff picture and show the leaders in targets so far this season.
Baltimore will be headed to the playoffs after AC was knocked off at home by the Soul last week. The Valor are now a near lock to take the final playoff spot, as they will clinch this week with either a win against Baltimore or an Albany win against Columbus. I have Albany as a 15.5pt favorite and Washington as nearly a six point underdog on the road.
Playoff Matchups
With the playoff teams nearly set and only five total games left in the regular season, I thought I’d break down all four possible matchup combinations, from the least likely to the most likely based on my simulation. I’m going to mostly ignore seeding here, as the first round of the playoffs will be a pair of home & home games.
PHI/AC & ALB/BAL (0.6%)
This is Atlantic City’s only chance to crash the playoff party and they’ll need quite a bit of help. The Blackjacks are on a bye this week, but will need Columbus to pull off a big upset over Albany and Baltimore will have to beat Washington. If both Week 12 games work out for AC, they’ll still have a tough Week 13 slate. Obviously they’ll need a win over Baltimore, but before that they will also need Columbus to pull off a second consecutive upset (this time over the Valor) and Philly to earn another win over the Empire in the two Saturday games.
PHI/ALB & BAL/DC (2.9%)
In order to see a matchup of the league’s top two teams in round one, we’ll need the same Week 12 results as our first combination (Columbus & Baltimore both win). Week 13 would require another Soul upset over Albany and then an Atlantic City loss to Baltimore. Baltimore (8-4) would win the three-team tiebreaker over the Soul and Empire, vaulting them to the top seed and forcing the remaining two to play for the fourth and fifth times this season.
ALB/BAL & PHI/DC (31.2%)
There are a couple ways to end up with this set of matchups. The least likely involves the Soul snatching the top seed as Albany loses out and Washington and Baltimore both split their final two games.
The remaining possibilities here have the Empire as top seed and Washington scraping out the second or third seed. For that to happen, Washington must beat Baltimore this week. Washington will then need another win over Columbus or a Baltimore loss in Week 13, coupled with at least one Albany win in Week 12 or 13.
ALB/DC & PHI/BAL (65.3%)
The most likely combination of our four falls in line with the current standings and will hold just as long as Baltimore and Albany both win one of their last two and Washington loses one of their last two. This combination could be locked in as soon as this week with wins by Baltimore and Albany.
We could also see this setup if Albany drops their final two and either Washington wins out or Baltimore loses out. This would push the Soul to the top seed where they would face the Brigade.
One of the most useful fantasy football stats is targets. While the AFL does not aggregate these anywhere officially, they do exist in play-by-play logs. Here is what I found when I went digging:
One of the first things that jumped out to me is how Washington is using their receivers. Perhaps those who have watched more Valor games may already be aware of how much they favor Reggie Gray near the goal line. Gray has been in the league for nine years and has over 10,000 yards receiving, but I’m still a little surprised at how often they send it his way around the end zone at just 5’9/175 lbs. McNeil at 6’3 is a big target and leads the league in proportion of targets inside the 10.
Malachi Jones leads the league in catches, targets, and yards through the air, but has only 12 targets inside the 10 yard line on the season. Part of this is that Albany typically scores before they reach the 10 yard line. The Empire average just 4.2 passes inside the 10 per game, compared to AC who lead the league with 7.4 per game.
Jones is a big part of the Empire scoring early. His average touchdown catch this year is nearly 24 yards and he has already piled up 23 catches of 20+ yards. In Joe Hills’ 2016 season where he averaged 10/126/3.6, he hauled in only 28 such passes over 16 games. Jones skills as a deep threat are making him easily the league’s top wideout.
This entry was posted in Albany Empire, Atlantic City, Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Washington Valor on July 8, 2019 by AFLFanZone.
If you’ve been watching Arena Football for awhile, you understand that there have been plenty of high scoring games in the league’s history. Last week, I talked about the highest scoring game in AFL history, the bounty for video still holds strong by the way, and the Albany Empire and Atlantic City Blackjacks combined for 124 points.
This week, the Blackjacks continued their strong offensive output, dropping 70 points in the nation’s capital in a strong 70-21 win over the Washington Valor.
The last time an Arena Football team scored at least 60 points in back to back weeks was in 2017, when the Philadelphia Soul defeated the Cleveland Gladiators 69-67 on May 6 and then beat the Baltimore Brigade 61-56 on May 13.
The main reason for the fireworks in Atlantic City can be attributed to a Quarterback change. Randy Hippeard, a star AFL QB, had not quite performed up to his potential this season, with 1602 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions so far. While this sounds, and still is, very impressive, Hippeard tossed 61 touchdowns last season in Baltimore.
Insert Warren Smith. Smith was on the Washington Valor’s roster for the past two seasons after playing for the Spokane Shock in 2015. He was mostly used as a backup, but still had a combined 15 touchdowns and 677 yards in two seasons.
After a rough week eight relief effort against Philadelphia, going 16-for-31 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, Smith has impressed the past two weeks going a combined 46-for-62, with 538 yards, 12 touchdowns and just one interception.
Warren Smith has brought some excitement into the AC, but more importantly, he’s gotten the Blackjacks back into playoff contention. With just two games left, the Blackjacks could shock the league and make a deep run in their first season.
Soul Train Comin’ Through
The Philadelphia Soul have been a stalwart in the Arena Football League for the past 10 seasons. With their 54-43 win over the first place Empire, the Soul clinched the playoffs for the eighth straight season, and now have an outside shot at first place.
Washington needs just one win to clinch a playoff bid, while Atlantic City and Baltimore are battling for the last spot. You can read more in David Taylor’s Playoff Scenarios.
Z – Columbus Destroyers 1-9
Clinched Playoff Berth
Z = Eliminated from Playoff Contention
Week 10 Results:
Philadelphia 54 Albany 43
Atlantic City 70 Washington 41
Can’t Sink This Battleship
It’s been a rough season for the Columbus Destroyers, especially for their offense.
The Destroyers rank last in the AFL in touchdowns, points, and have scored just 32 points per game, currently 15th worst all time in Arena Football League history.
Quarterback play has struggled as well, with Columbus ranking last in passing yards , passing touchdowns and have thrown the most picks, 16, and have been sacked the most, 25 times.
This week was another tough week for the Destroyers offense, as they would trail 21-12 at halftime in Baltimore. The offense wouldn’t score again, falling to the Brigade 50-12.
The funny thing is, Columbus finished with more yards of offense than Baltimore, with 200 compared to just 145 for the Brigade. However, the swarming Baltimore defense forced six turnovers, returning a fumble and an interception for a touchdown, and a safety. The Brigade also had four sacks and on special teams, Joe Powell returned a kickoff 57 yards to the house.
The 12 points scored by Columbus is the 8th least amount of points scored by an away team in AFL history.
The Brigade defense now leads the AFL in forced and recovered fumbles, sacks and tackles for loss. They also rank second in interceptions. The Brigade still have some work to get into the playoffs, but this defense could help them make a run to the ArenaBowl.
League Lookback: The Lone Shutout in AFL History
Teams have done worse on offense than the Destroyers did this week.
The Denver Dynamite beat the Detroit Drive 15-14 in 1989. The Sacramento Attack lost 51-3 to the Charlotte Rage in 1992. Recently, in 2014, the New Orleans VooDoo lost 54-13 to the Jacksonville Sharks.
But only one team has been shut out in the entire history of the Arena Football League.
On June 13, 1992, the San Antonio Force fell to the Orlando Predators 50-0 in Orlando, Florida. In an 2012 article by Richard Oliver on mysanantonio.com, David Caldwell, the first ever draft pick in San Antonio history, said that the Force had a “full-contact, two-hour practice a day before the game…got dressed, got on the plane and our legs were dead.
The team apparently left for Orlando at 4 am local time the day of the game, were stuck in Atlanta for a layover, and made it to the arena in time for a pregame meal. By the way, this was also an expansion team against a Predators squad that would go 9-1 and make the ArenaBowl.
The Predators would take a 33-0 lead at halftime and never look back.
The closest a team has been to being shut out in the modern area of Arena Football was in 2007 when the New York Dragons scored a touchdown with 11:38 left in the game to avoid a shut out in a 60-7 loss to the Dallas Desperados in Week One.
We’ll probably never see another shut out in AFL history, but it is interesting to look back at the lone shut out and how the game has changed.
Game of the Week: Philadelphia at Atlantic City
The Arena Football League must be going out of town for Independence Day, as there is just one game this week.
Philadelphia is set as they clinched their playoff spot with a huge win over Albany. Atlantic City has found themselves back in the playoff race with just two games left.
Dan Raudabaugh has gotten back in his groove, and Warren Smith has become an interesting story late in the season.
With the two cities just 61 miles away from each other, playoff spots on the line, and two phenomenal quarterbacks, the fireworks show could continue Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall.
This entry was posted in Albany Empire, Atlantic City, Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Washington Valor and tagged Albany Empire, Atlantic City Blackjacks, Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Washington Valor on July 3, 2019 by AFLFanZone.
2019 AFL Playoff Scenarios, Version 2.0
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Photo by D. Taylor
After week 10, there are as many questions as there are answers for the 2019 Arena Football League Playoffs. Teams faltered. One team punched its ticket to the postseason, and a dark horse is rising in Atlantic City. According to the official AFL tiebreaker procedures, here is an updated look at the AFL playoff picture:
Albany Empire: (8-2)
Playoffs: Clinched. After being upset in Philadelphia over the weekend, Albany still is in control of its own destiny. The Empire is only one win away from clinching the number one seed in the playoffs. Albany has a bye week this weekend, giving head coach Rob Keefe an extra week to prepare for the 1-9 Columbus Destroyers.
Upcoming Games:
7/14 @ Columbus Destroyers
7/20 vs. Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul (6-4)
Playoffs: Clinched. The Soul rose to the challenge over the weekend, defeating Albany convincingly at the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia suddenly has an outside shot at the number one seed in the playoffs. The Soul needs to win out and need for Albany to lose to Columbus to clinch the number one seed.
7/6 @ Atlantic City
7/20 @ Albany
Baltimore Brigade (6-4)
Playoffs: Baltimore is so very close to the playoffs. An Atlantic City loss this weekend will put the Brigade in. However, Baltimore loses the tiebreaker to Atlantic in head-to-head, and loses the strength of schedule tiebreaker to Washington, so if the Brigade, Valor, and Blackjacks all end up with 6-6 records, Baltimore will be the odd team out. With games against both Washington and Atlantic City coming up, Baltimore could end up as high as the two seed, or could find themselves out of the playoffs.
7/13 vs. Washington
7/21@ Atlantic City
Washington Valor (5-5)
Playoffs: Washington still needs just one win to get into the postseason. The loss to Atlantic City was an eye-opening one, as Arvell Nelson was picked off multiple times. The loss also gives Atlantic City the head to head advantage based on total points scored, but Washington holds the strength of schedule tiebreaker at the moment. Valor oponents are a combined 57-43, while Atlantic City opponents are 51-48. Adding in the records of opponents over the next two weeks, however, makes things very interesting. Washington and Atlantic City’s opponents (including the record of teams in the next two unplayed games) is identical, 64-56.
7/13 @Baltimore
7/20 vs. Columbus
Atlantic City (4-6)
Playoffs: The Blackjacks put up huge numbers over the weekend, defeating Washington 70-41. Atlantic City can get into the playoffs in a few ways: One, win out. Finishing 6-6 and having Baltimore also finish 6-6 will get AC into the playoffs, due to Atlantic City owning the head to head tiebreaker advantage. Two, Finish 5-7 and have Washington also finish 5-7, which will depend on how some other games go, but Atlantic City could get in based on an identical win loss record of opposing teams in the strength of schedule category. This would put the tiebreaker down to point differential in head to head games, which would give Atlantic City an edge over Washington. Three, win out, and have Washington finish 5-7. Atlantic City plays Philadelphia in the only scheduled game over the weekend, meaning all eyes will be on the Blackjacks this weekend.
7/6 vs. Philadelphia
7/21 vs. Baltimore
Columbus (1-9)
Columbus is eliminated, but can still affect the playoffs in a significant manner. However, the Destroyers put up only 12 points last weekend, which won’t beat anyone. Columbus has a bye week this weekend. The season finale vs. Washington is the game with the highest stakes.
7/14 vs. Albany
7/20 @ Washington
With only two games to go for each team, so much is still up for grabs. That is just one of the things that makes the AFL so special. Each game is must-watch television for Arena fans, so make sure to tune in on ESPN 3!
This entry was posted in Albany Empire, Atlantic City, Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Washington Valor and tagged Albany Empire, Atlantic City Blackjacks, Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Washington Valor on July 1, 2019 by dtaylor51.
AFL Week 10 Preview and Picks!
Week 10 is here and things are heating up! The playoff teams could be set after this weekend, making making each game a must-win for one or both of the teams involved. Here is what is happening this week:
Albany comes into this contest on the heels of their highest scoring output this season. The Empire edged out Atlantic City 63-61. The Soul are also coming off of a big win, making this matchup even more interesting. If Philadelphia wins, the Soul clinch a playoff spot. If Albany wins, the Empire clinch the top seed in the playoffs. Much is at stake. In the previous matchup, Albany defeated Philadelphia at home, 57-48. In that matchup, WR Lonnie Outlaw recorded three touchdown receptions. Look for the Soul to target him again this weekend.
Player to Watch: WR BJ Bunn, Philadelphia Soul. Bunn has stepped in nicely for the injured Aaron Wascha. Bunn’s reception totals have increased in each of the past three weeks, and he topped 100 yards receiving in the win against Columbus.
Prediction: Albany wins in a shootout, 63-56.
Well hello to Mr. Warren Smith, Jr.! Smith stepped in for an injured Randy Hippeard last week and lit up the Empire defense. Smith went 24-34 with 329 yards and 7 touchdowns. If he can match that output this weekend, Atlantic City will defeat Washington. Speaking of Washington, the Valor need just one more win to clinch a playoff spot. With the log jam in the middle for spots 2-4, Washington can ill afford to lose to Atlantic City. Playoff seeding is also on the line, and the Valor are eager to sew up that second place spot. It will be a close game, especially since a loss will effectively end the playoff chances for Atlantic City. Expect a high energy game with so much on the line.
Player to Watch: QB Warren Smith, Jr. Atlantic City Blackjacks. Smith is the key to victory for Atlantic City. His incredible numbers last week make Atlantic City extremely unpredictable and dangerous for the rest of the season. After leading Atlantic City to its highest point total of the season last weekend, against the best team in the league no less, it would be criminal to not let Smith start again this week.
Prediction: Atlantic City turns the tables on Washington. Blackjacks 56, Valor 55.
Columbus has been eliminated from the playoffs, so the Destroyers get to play the role of spoiler for the rest of the season. Columbus plays Baltimore and Washington in two of the last three weeks. Wins over both of them would almost certainly impact the playoffs. A win for Baltimore sets up a nice playoff run for the Brigade. If Baltimore wins out, the Brigade will likely be the 2 seed in the playoffs. Needless to say, Baltimore is not looking past Columbus this weekend.
Player to Watch: WR Brandon Collins, Baltimore Brigade. Everyone is well aware of the touchdown streak for Joe Hills, but Collins is the leading receiver for the Brigade. Collins leads the team in yards per catch and in total yards. He trails Hills only in touchdowns.
Prediction: Columbus destroys the playoff party for Baltimore. Destroyers 44, Brigade 38.
This entry was posted in Albany Empire, Atlantic City, Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Washington Valor and tagged Albany Empire, Atlantic City Blackjacks, Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Washington Valor on June 27, 2019 by dtaylor51.
BattleStations Episode 18: One Game Seasons
Frank talks to Coach Sauk and previews the game against the Soul with AFLFanZone.com‘s David Taylor
This entry was posted in Baltimore Brigade, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, Podcasts and tagged Baltimore Brigade, BattleStations, Columbus Destroyers, Philadelphia Soul, podcast on June 21, 2019 by AFLFanZone.
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Are mixed-race kids a new thing in the Netherlands?
Chandra Frank
Mieke Weismann
No, actually it's been a central part of Dutch colonial history.
Image used in advertising campaigns for Loving.nl. Credit: Harmen de Jong
In June 2014 cultural centre de Balie in Amsterdam will be hosting an event titled ‘LovingDay.nl: (In)visibly Mixed’ on “mixed race” families and relationships (BTW, the Netherlands uncritically accepts this terminology, along with the assumption that certain people are “pure” and others are “mixed”, thereby reifying 19th century race theories).
Loving Day takes the end of anti-miscegenation laws in America in 1967 as its starting point to celebrate the growing number of mixed couples and children in the Netherlands. Mixed children are a growing phenomenon in the Netherlands (up from 30% to 37% from 2007 in Amsterdam) but oddly, the program claims, this growth is not visible in Dutch policy or imaging of the Dutch identity.
Being designated as “mixed race” ourselves, we don’t deny that there’s a lot to talk about, but we were mildly surprised to see that this program completely ignores the historical and socio-economical context of mixed race identities within Dutch colonial history. We say mildly, because it wouldn’t be the first time the Dutch conveniently forgot about their colonial adventures. There were clear strategies to instill and secure Dutch “purity” and a cultural sense of belonging in both South Africa and Indonesia. But of course, there were those “Others” that produced in both former colonies. Indos (people of mixed Indonesian European descent) have existed within the former Dutch-East Indies (and thus the Netherlands) for over 300 years, and the same can be said about the Coloured community in South Africa. Let’s not forget that there were and has been strong Dutch policy surrounding and creating these “mixed” identities beginning with the colonial period and existing well into the present.
The regulation of sexual relations was ingrained in the structure of the colonies and often also after periods of colonization. Many of us already know that in apartheid South Africa, sexual prohibitions were made very clear through the prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act (1949) and the Immorality Amendment Act (1950) that outlawed marriage and sex across the colour line. But back in the day, Dutch settlers eagerly married or fathered children with Khoisan women. As scholars such as Ann Stoler have pointed out (see here), the regulation of sexual relations was important to the development of the colonies itself. In South Africa we see that in the initial period of colonization “mixing” was tolerated and even condoned. Actually the sexual relations between European men and colonized women aided the long-term settlement of European men in the colonies. Again, as AIAC readers may know, “Coloured” South Africans descend from European settlers—as well as from Cape slaves, indigenous Khoisan population, and other black people; because of that, they are regarded as being “mixed race” and often seen as distinct from the historically dominant white minority and the African population. There is of course much more to say about the Coloured identity and its fluidity, but the influence of Dutch settlers cannot be denied.
In Indonesia, the VOC and Dutch colonial powers specifically created the Indos (or IndoEuropeans) as an acclimatized, cheap workforce that would be loyal to the Netherlands. Within the colony, Indos had special privileges above Indonesian natives and below Dutch colonials, which ultimately resulted in their expulsion from Indonesia once it gained its independence. Needless to say a people of mixed origin—who were brought up and told they were European and were above the local populace during colonial times, only to end up in Europe where they discovered that they were in fact not European—have some serious identity issues to work through. That is, before they completely disappear off the map of Dutch self-knowledge and history. As with silences inherent in other parts of Dutch history, the Indo, too, is expected to disappear from the present, now that colonial times have ended.
Obviously, South Africa and Indonesia weren’t the only colonial territories that the Dutch set foot on. There is a clear need for more research when it comes to similarities (as well as the differences) between the different colonies and the influence of the Dutch. In the same vein, current Dutch race and gender relations have been greatly shaped by colonial endeavors. It is odd enough that the Netherlands takes on the end of American anti-miscegenation laws as a means to celebrate people of mixed backgrounds within the Netherlands, but it becomes problematic when these issues are presented as something new and unpoliced, when the Dutch have had such strong colonial policies related to the creation of new ‘people’ for their own profit.
Furthermore, current Dutch policies banning and preventing new immigrants from bringing over spouses from their motherland will have an obvious effect on the increase in mixed race relationships and children in the Netherlands. Often the idealized idea of mixed race children with “cute light eyes and curly hair” dismisses the ambiguous feelings of cultural belonging that underlie mixed race identities. For instance, it is not uncommon for a white mother to be asked if she adopted her child. In addition, it is often not recognized how mixed race children are privileged over black children in the media and popular culture, which further enforces the idea that ‘lighter’ children have more status and privilege.
Too bad that Balie and LovingDay.nl programmers ignore these serious identity issues and prejudices faced by both mixed race couples and their offspring as well as Dutch colonial history and the role it has played in creating people like us. But as usual, the Dutch just like feeling good about themselves as liberal and tolerant—they are happy to “celebrate” but not deal with anything difficult.
In June 2014 cultural centre de Balie in Amsterdam will be hosting an event titled ‘LovingDay.nl: (In)visibly
William Shoki
Technological change is not simply a neutral and inevitable process—it is shaped and driven by existing social relations.
Quietly queer in Senegal
Loes Oudenhuijsen
How do queer women give shape to their queerness, navigating the simultaneous desires of same-sex intimacies, family life, societal expectations, and urban success?
Sunday Read
The twin legacies of Ray and Dora Philips
Chérif Keita
A long awaited recognition comes for the two American founders of social work in South Africa.
Football Is a Country
Yes We Can—Football and Nationalism
Abderrahim Bourkia
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and football’s peculiar hold on national identity.
What is universal about the Algerian national ‘Hirak’?
Ghazouane Arslane
The peaceful nature of the massive protests against Algeria’s undemocratic regime signals the universal reclamation of the people’s right to perform who they are and who they want to be.
All of them must go
Emily Suzanne Lever
The Hirak, how the current contemporary liberation movement is known, gives Algerians a renewed sense of purpose.
Instagram misreads a revolution
Sam Broadway
What social media activism gets wrong about the #SudanUprising: Sometimes it may be appropriate to leave the hashtags alone and say nothing.
The unseen archive of Idi Amin
Richard Vokes
Derek R. Peterson
Edgar Taylor
Nelson Abiti
A trove of unprinted photographs and other media from the Idi Amin years in Uganda is now available for public view giving us insight to the concerns of the regime and realities of living under his rule.
African Cup of Nations: A PR fiasco for Egyptian hosts
James M. Dorsey
Egypt got knocked out in the Round of 16, but the hosts have been hamstrung by multiple events, including the military’s control, besides its poor performance in the tournament.
Solidarity with Sudan begins at home
Suraiya Zubair Banu
A guide on how to support the uprising in Sudan.
Can women’s football be a game changer?
Queer identities, widely accepted on the pitch in women’s football, may be the way to challenge gender norms in some societies.
‘They’re our Black Stars. We have to support them’
Kuukuwa Manful
The last time Ghana’s men’s national football team won a tournament was thirty-seven years ago. The team is beginning to feel like yet another failing state institution.
Does the deal in Sudan represent an actual democratic transition?
Adrian Joseph
The power sharing agreement between Sudan’s military rulers and the opposition aside, at present there are two main possibilities for Sudan.
The problem of African countries’ memberships to multiple regional bodies? There’s no problem.
Is the world ready to support a Green New Deal for Africa?
Jordan G. Teicher
The Green New Deal is surely the United States’ most ambitious vision for climate justice to date. But the climate crisis is a global one and Africa is Ground Zero.
Democracy and the left in post-apartheid South Africa
Ben Turok
A veteran African National Congress stalwart and member of parliament speaks to Africa Is a Country about the party, South Africa’s Parliament and the dearth of left politics in South Africa.
Of election frauds and new leaderships
Bamba Ndiaye
Election meddling may have sullied the reputation of Senegal as a beacon of democracy in West Africa, but a popular opposition candidate is giving hope for a new wave of Pan-Africanism in the region.
Tuning surveillance software with African faces
Bulelani Jili
Is Africa following China into a techno-dystopian future?
Nostalgia for empire
In late July, all 160,000 members of Britain’s Conservative Party will vote for a new leader. The winner will be Britain’s next Prime Minister. The favorite is Boris Johnson, a Trump-like figure with a nostalgia for Empire.
From Mogadishu to Toronto
Alexander Dawson
The novel The Youth of God offers fresh perspectives on Somali assimilation and struggle in Canada’s largest city.
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Tag Archives: Wes Jackson
Great Lakes Biomimicry
Here is an article I wrote for The Observer at Case Western Reserve University.
BIOMIMICRY: Ancient Lessons for the Future
by Kayla Wiinitam’ikwe-DeVault
With talk of global warming and Earth’s nearing carrying capacity lingering behind every political issue, it’s no wonder that scientific and industrial leaders are focusing ever harder on sustainable practices. But cleaning up our act isn’t always the solution; in fact, as author Janine M. Benyus argues in her book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, the real problem lies within not what we’re doing but how we’re doing it.
Wes Jackson, a biomimic interviewed by Benyus who works on developing sustainable farming at the Land Institute in Kansas. Photo from Richard Harris (http://www.npr.org).
“The real survivors are the Earth inhabitants that have lived millions of years without consuming their ecological capital,” argues Benyus in the first chapter of her book. “We come not to learn about nature so that we might circumvent or control her, but to learn from nature, so that we might fit in.” Benyus’s excellent piece develops a strong argument for how humanity is aggressively destroying the natural balance of the planet, ignoring the sustainable lessons Earth showcases daily. One of Benyus’s many examples is green energy development. While we’ve been expending considerable time and money researching how to produce expensive photovoltaic cells, our complex photovoltaics are merely a less efficient reinvention of what nature has already perfected. Benyus argues that our expenditures would be better spent if we dismissed our 20%-efficient reinvention of the wheel and instead studied the biochemical processes of chloroplast cells in plants, which operate at a 95% efficiency rate within a smooth niche in the global ecosystem.
Janine Benyus delivering a speech on biomimicry. Photo by Mychelle Daniau (AFP).
Modeling after nature’s intricacy is the study that has been dubbed “biomimicry” and its horizons are rapidly expanding. Biomimicry delves far beyond studying photosynthesis; even farmers are beginning to turn to biomimicry to solve erosion and crop resistance problems while industries are seeking nature’s “patents” to mimic spider silk or abalone shell, materials strong enough to develop bulletproof vests and nearly invincible tanks for the armed forces. In this “Green Revolution”, researchers long to steer clear of petrochemicals and are turning to biomimicry to develop more sustainable materials. For example, understanding how mollusks build the bysuss that glue them inseparably yet flexibly to rocks may provide us with biodegradable solutions to sealants and adhesives of various applications.
The spinning process spiders use to generate high-strength silk fascinates researchers who are working to replicate it. Photo by Glen Peters (www.asknature.org).
“Nature has been solving problems and innovating solutions for over 3.8 billion years,” says Don Knechtges, the Managing Director of Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise and leader of various other entrepreneurial organizations. “By emulating nature, companies can tap into a tremendous pool of knowledge that they can use to enhance their bottom line with sustainable profits.” It’s now job of Knechtges and other biomimic converts to spread the word about how this new scientific approach might redefine our region and our planet.
Northeast Ohio is currently a hotbed for biomimicry thanks to Holly Harlan of Entrepreneurs for Sustainability. Harlan recognized the potential biomimicry has as a sustainable tool for growing the economy in Northeast Ohio. With Benyus’s assistance and additional assets from local universities, museums, parks, etc., biomimicry has begun to boom in the region over the last decade. Great Lakes Biomimicry, a startup organization located downtown, is actively advocating biomimicry in industry and university research. Thanks to the dedication of these local entrepreneurs, the University of Akron, in partnership with the Cleveland Institute of Art, currently holds the first and only PhD program in Biomimicry. In addition, the program is accompanied by a fellowship program to push students straight into industrial applications.
Getting industrial companies in Cleveland involved in biomimcry is a key first step to cleaning the city up sustainably. But it’s more than just nature that is benefiting. As Knechtges points out, by being an industry sponsor of a Fellow in the PhD program, companies are making history and bringing “passionate young talent from around the world” to Northeast Ohio to develop unique and sustainable solutions in their fields. These solutions not only allow companies to move away from petrochemicals and inefficient practices, but they garner the respect of environment-conscious consumers.
Research in biomimicry has been slowly infiltrating the interests of the faculty at Case Western, as evidenced by recent advances led by Dr. Shihao Hu in adhesives modeled from the sticky feet of geckos. “Biomimicry is in its infancy at CWRU; while many faculty perform nature-inspired research with an eye toward sustainability, it has not yet taken on the mantel of a formal discipline or program of study on campus,” explains Lisa Camp, Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives at Case. Camp works closely with GLBio and other regional initiatives, observing the interests of researchers on campus and monitoring research funds. “There will be a moment when faculty interest in biomimicry and regional needs collide,” she explains. “When that collision occurs, it will be incredibly powerful; CWRU researchers always bring a value-added component to community efforts.” Her admiration for GLBio comes from its passionate dedication to the field. She adds, “It was built for ethical reasons, not for profit.” When asked why biomimicry is so important to the startup, Carol Thaler, the outreach direction at GLBio, had an immediate response. “For me, learning from nature just makes so much sense,” says Thaler, her passion for biomimicry radiating. “I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say solving problems learning from nature will change the world.”
For more information, e-mail Carol Thaler at cthaler@glbiomimicry.org.
Tags: adhesive, agriculture, biomimicry, bysuss, Carol Thaler, carrying capacity, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, cobwebs, Don Knechtges, earth, ecosystem, engineering, entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, environment, environmentalism, evolution, gecko feet, GLBio, Great Lakes, Great Lakes Biomimicry, Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise, green, Holly Harlan, Innovation Inspired by Nature, Janine Benyus, Kansas, Land Institute, Lisa Camp, mussels, natural, nature, Northeast Ohio, Ohio, planet, prairies, research, Shihao Hu, spiders, startups, sustainability, sustainable practices, Wes Jackson
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IHAN OMAR Makes Light Of 9-11…Then Tries To Gain Sympathy…Rep Dan Crenshaw Makes Her Instantly Regret It
On Tuesday, former Navy Seal and U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tx), called out Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) for making light of 9-11 in her comments to members of CAIR (Council for Arabic Islamic Relations), at a March 23rd CAIR meeting in Los Angeles, California. CAIR is a group that’s been listed as a terror group by the UAE (United Arab Emirates).
Crenshaw tweeted: First Member of Congress to ever describe terrorists who killed thousands of Americans on 9/11 as “some people who did something”. Unbelievable.
First Member of Congress to ever describe terrorists who killed thousands of Americans on 9/11 as “some people who did something”.
Unbelievable. https://t.co/IKtoZWWmIT
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 9, 2019
This morning on Fox and Friends, the hosts discussed Omar’s outrageous remarks.
Brian Kilmeade on @IlhanMN's 9/11 comments: "You have to wonder if she's an American first." pic.twitter.com/2y63PTsQEh
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) April 10, 2019
Rep Ilhan Omar cleverly used a screenshot of a tweet by leftist, Bobby Lewis who works for the radical Media Matters. Lewis’ tweet quoted Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade’s response to Omar’s stunning comments. Omar also tweeted a screenshot of Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s remarks.
Omar, who is never shy about lambasting anyone who gets in her way, but has the ability to play the victim card with great skill, tweeted: This is dangerous incitement, given the death threats I face. I hope leaders of both parties will join me in condemning it. My love and commitment to our country and that of my colleagues should never be in question. We are ALL Americans!
This is dangerous incitement, given the death threats I face. I hope leaders of both parties will join me in condemning it.
My love and commitment to our country and that of my colleagues should never be in question. We are ALL Americans! pic.twitter.com/foTZMpiZKv
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) April 10, 2019
Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade, immediately responded to Omar’s tweet, as he clarified his position, saying: “I didn’t intend to question whether Rep. Omar is an American – I am questioning how any American, let alone a United States Congresswoman, could downplay the 9/11 attacks.”
I didn't intend to question whether Rep. Omar is an American – I am questioning how any American, let alone a United States Congresswoman, could downplay the 9/11 attacks.
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) April 10, 2019
Rep. Dan Crenshaw also clarified his remarks, saying:
1. I never called you un-American.
2. I did not incite any violence against you.
3. You described an act of terrorism on American soil that killed thousands of innocent lives as “some people did something.” It’s still unbelievable, as is your response here.
3. You described an act of terrorism on American soil that killed thousands of innocent lives as “some people did something.”
It’s still unbelievable, as is your response here. https://t.co/SsfWYepOS1
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) April 10, 2019
Jon Swain, a reporter for the leftist Guardian, attempted to provide cover for Ilhan Omar over her disgusting remarks. In his tweet, Swain claimed he was tweeting a video to prove that Omar’s remarks were taken out of context.
The Youtube video he shares in his tweet starts out by portraying an Omar who hates our President, as she vows to make it her mission to get under his skin.
Swain claims that Omar’s remarks about 9-11 were misrepresented and that she actually did “mention terrorists.” Omar did, in fact, talk about terrorists, the problem is, she talked about people who terrorize Muslims, bemoaning how Muslim are victims, and how President Trump is responsible for “hatred” against Muslims in America.
Omar spends most of her time talking to the CAIR crowd about how oppressed she and her fellow Muslims are in America. Omar tells her fellow Muslims that they need to, “Raise hell” and “Make people uncomfortable.” She tells them that for “far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen.”
It was immediately after her remarks about how Muslims are victims in America, that she made the “someone did something” remark about the terrorists who killed almost 3,000 innocent people in America on 9-11.
Swaine’s remarks were completely misleading. He either didn’t take the time to watch the entire video himself, or he thought that no one else would watch the video.
The full video of @IlhanMN's speech in California shows that she did mention terrorists – in the build-up to the very snippet now being used to attack her by some Republicans and Fox News https://t.co/LiNApfYVgK
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) April 10, 2019
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FILE - In this July 30, 2008, file photo, Jeffrey Epstein, center, appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla. Federal prosecutors, preparing for a bail fight Monday, July 15, 2019, say evidence against Epstein is growing “stronger by the day” after several more women contacted them in recent days to say he abused them when they were underage. (Uma Sanghvi/Palm Beach Post via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Financier Jeffrey Epstein will remain behind bars for now as a federal judge mulls whether to grant bail on charges he sexually abused underage girls. The judge said he needed more time to make a decision during a hearing Monday in New York. Federal prosecutors maintained the well-...
Patrick Gentry
The Latest: Feds say fake passport found in Epstein's safe
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the bail hearing for Jeffrey Epstein (all times local): ___ 11:10 a.m. Federal prosecutors say a search of Jeffrey Epstein's home safe turned up a bogus passport that listed a Saudi Arabia residence along with "piles of cash" and "dozens of diamonds." Assistant U.S...
In this courtroom artist's sketch, defendant Jeffrey Epstein, center, sits with attorneys Martin Weinberg, left, and Marc Fernich during his arraignment in New York federal court, Monday, July 8, 2019. Epstein pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking charges. The 66-year-old is accused of creating and maintaining a network that allowed him to sexually exploit and abuse dozens of underage girls from 2002 to 2005. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — A few cells away from drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman at a New York City jail, jet-setting financier Jeffrey Epstein sits accused of running a different kind of criminal network. There was the team of recruiters and enablers bringing Epstein dozens of underage girls to sexually...
Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch in Stanley, N.M. is shown Monday, July 8, 2019. Epstein is entangled in two legal fights that span the East Coast, challenging his underage sexual abuse victims in a Florida court hours after he was indicted on sex trafficking charges in a separate case in New York. (KRQE via AP)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — At the center of Jeffrey Epstein's secluded New Mexico ranch sits a sprawling residence the financier built decades ago — complete with plans for a 4,000-square-foot (372-square-meter) courtyard, a living room roughly the size of the average American home and a nearby...
Billionaire's New Mexico ranch linked to investigation
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico ranch owned by Jeffrey Epstein has become tied to an investigation by the state attorney general's office into the financier. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas' office has confirmed that it has interviewed possible victims of Epstein who visited the...
FILE - In this July 30, 2008, file photo, Jeffrey Epstein, center, appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla. At the center of Epstein's secluded New Mexico ranch sits a sprawling residence the financier built decades ago, complete with plans for a 4,000-square-foot (372-square-meter) courtyard, a living room roughly the size of the average American home and a nearby private airplane runway. Known as the Zorro Ranch, the high-desert property is now tied to an investigation that the state attorney general's office says it has opened into Epstein with plans to forward findings to federal authorities in New York. (Uma Sanghvi/Palm Beach Post via AP, File)
Prosecutors fear Epstein may influence witness, urge no bail
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors urged a judge Friday to keep financier Jeffrey Epstein behind bars until trial on sex trafficking charges involving underage girls, labeling him a "serial sexual predator" and saying he might try to influence witnesses after sending $350,000 recently to two...
Medhanie Tesfamariam Behre, an Eritrean man arrested and tried as a migrant smuggler, sits behind the bars during a trial inside the Ucciardone bunker hall in the Sicilian town of Palermo, Italy, Friday, July 12, 2019. A court in Palermo, Sicily, ruled on Friday that the wrong Eritrean man was arrested and tried as a migrant smuggling kingpin and ordered him released from jail, to the jubilation of international supporters who had championed for years the defendant’s claim of mistaken identity. (Igor Petty/ANSA via AP)
Italian court rules wrong Eritrean accused of trafficking
ROME (AP) — A court in Palermo, Sicily, ruled on Friday that the wrong Eritrean man was arrested and tried as a migrant smuggling kingpin and ordered him released from jail, to the jubilation of international supporters who had championed for years the defendant's claim of mistaken identity...
FILE - In this July 30, 2008 file photo, Jeffrey Epstein, center, appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla. The wealthy financier pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York on Monday, July 8, 2019, to sex trafficking charges following his arrest over the weekend. Epstein will have to remain behind bars until his bail hearing on July 15. (Uma Sanghvi/Palm Beach Post via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Financier Jeffrey Epstein's lawyers, seeking bail for their client, said Thursday that he had long lived with the fear that federal prosecutors might pursue sexual abuse charges against him again — and yet had never sought to flee the country. Epstein , 66, was arrested Saturday...
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta speaks during a media availability at the Department of Labor, Wednesday, July 10, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Acosta defends Epstein deal amid calls for his resignation
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trying to tamp down calls for his resignation, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta on Wednesday defended his handling of a sex trafficking case involving now-jailed financier Jeffrey Epstein, insisting he got the toughest deal he could at the time. In a nearly hour-long news conference,...
The Latest: Acosta: My relationship with Trump 'outstanding'
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on developments in the sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein (all times local): 2:55 p.m. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta says his role in a molestation case involving financier Jeffrey Epstein hasn't changed his relationship with President Donald Trump and White House...
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Track the intertwined real-life stories of three U.S. Marines – Robert Leckie, John Basilone, and Eugene Sledge – across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theater during World War II. A companion piece to the 2001 miniseries Band of Brothers.
Genre: Action, Action & Adventure, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows
After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady, to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
The Joker is aided in his Halloween quest to render modern technology useless and take over Gotham City by Solomon Grundy, Silver Banshee, Clayface and Scarecrow.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi
The city needs heroes. Darkness has settled over New York City as Shredder and his evil Foot Clan have an iron grip on everything from the police to the politicians. The future is grim until four unlikely outcast brothers rise from the sewers and discover their destiny as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles must work with fearless reporter April and her wise-cracking cameraman Vern Fenwick to save the city and unravel Shredder’s diabolical plan.
Anse Hatfield and Randall McCoy, close friends and comrades until near the end of the Civil War, return to their neighboring homes to increasing tensions, misunderstandings and resentments.
Genre: Drama, History, Romance, War, Western
Battle Los Angeles
The Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before.
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
After Sex
Sex is a background to examine intimacy and vulnerability. Looks at the complexity of modern day relationships told through eight separate couples. Through dialogue and compromising situations, the film takes us from the beginning of a relationship to the aftermath of one, and examines every stage in between seeing humor within the drama, heartache and confusion of it all.
Max Keeble’s Big Move
Max Keeble, the victim of his 7th grade class, plots revenge when he learns he’s moving; it backfires when he doesn’t move after all.
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Family
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Careers at AL DÍA
A Botched Attack in Brussels fuels Anxiety in Europe
Belgian soldier stand guard outside of the Brussels Central Station after a neutralized terrorist attack attempt, in Brussels, Belgium, 20 June 2017. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET
Two failed terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels this week have put Europeans and travelers on alert, as the summer season begins.
A Botched Attack in Brussels fuels Anxiety in...
By Andrea Rodés
London, Paris, and now Brussels... again. In the weeks before summer begins, Europe has been facing a wave of "small" terrorist attacks that have put the population and travelers on alert.
On Tuesday night, Belgian soldiers shot dead a suspected terrorist after he attempted an explosion at the central train station in the capital.
A "small explosion" took place shortly before 8:30 pm at Brussels Central and soldiers on regular duty at the station "neutralized" the suspect, the spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office, Eric van der Sypt, said, adding that no one else was hurt, as reported in EFE.
Authorities ordered an evacuation of the station and nearby Grand Place, the capital's main square. Citing police sources, RTBF public television reported that authorities were actively searching for two other suspects.
The suspect shouted "Allahu Akhbar" (Arabic for "God is great") prior to the blast, another eyewitness told the VRTNiuews network.
Brussels - considered the capital of the EU - has been on high alert for more than 18 months, since Belgian-based ISIS terrorists carried out attacks in Paris that killed 130 people in November 2015, then bombed Brussels airport and the city’s metro in March last year, killing 32 people, as reported in The Guardian.
The explosion in the Brussels station came one day after another failed attack in Paris. On Monday, an armed man was killed in Paris after he rammed a car loaded with weapons and explosives into a police convoy on the Champs-Élysées. No pedestrians were injured.
And on Saturday, a Welsh man attacked a London mosque with a van, killing one person, injuring 8. The anti-Muslim attacker, identified as Darren Osborne, was described to the NY Times as a troubled man, belligerent and aggressive man.
Given the anxiety that terrorist attacks may cause in travellers and tourists heading to Europe this year, the NY Times has published a set of advises to "stay calm".
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Utica ABSNBlogNursing InspirationBecome a NurseWhat Does It Take to Become a Registered Nurse? Start with These 6 Traits
Utica School of Nursing
Accelerated NursingBecome a Nurse
What Does It Take to Become a Registered Nurse? Start with These 6 Traits
If you’re considering a career in nursing, you’re probably asking yourself, “Do I have what it takes to become a registered nurse?”
It’s a valid question. Because you’ll be caring for patients facing all sorts of health challenges, a nursing career isn’t something to enter into lightly. It often takes a mix of qualities including compassion, empathy, attention to detail, integrity and more.
To be the best caregivers they can be, nurses must use these and other inherent traits in addition to the ones they learn along the way. Whether you have these traits before you enroll in the Utica College Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN), you’ll graduate with the kinds of qualities today’s health care employers are looking for when hiring new nurses.
We outline some of these characteristics below:
Nursing is an incredibly rewarding profession, but it also has its fair share of trying situations. Having what it takes to become a registered nurse involves developing a thick skin and remembering what motivated you to want to enter the field in the first place. Thinking about that reason throughout accelerated nursing school—and your shifts as a future nurse—can help you to stay motivated to persevere through the especially tough days.
“For the stress and the amount of time you have to put in, go into nursing because you love it and you’re interested about the field,” says Lester, ABSN Class of August 2017, who now works as a nurse in the cardiopulmonary ICU at Upstate Medical University.
The Utica College ABSN program compresses the same amount of nursing theory coursework, onsite lab experience and clinical rotations at top healthcare facilities you’d find with a traditional nursing program into 16 months. To be successful in our program, you’ll need to devote between 40 and 60 hours a week to your studies.
“Before starting accelerated nursing school, do your research and make sure nursing is 100% the career you want to do,” says Jessica, ABSN Class of December 2019. “It also doesn’t hurt to get some health care experience before you start classes. That experience always applies to a nursing program and can help you decide if nursing is for you or not.”
That same level of perseverance still applies on the job. In fact, sometimes working as a registered nurse can be even more intense than nursing school. Your patients will be counting on you to come to the job ready to care for them every day.
“You’re helping people’s lives. What if that is your family member in the bed? You want to give them the best care possible and not treat them like a number,” Lester says.
The most successful nursing students in our ABSN program maintain a rigid study schedule and prepare for labs and clinical rotations in advance. Many even treat their time in the program as a full-time job. The theory-based portion of our curriculum is online-based, but you have to remain self-disciplined to stay on top of instructors’ deadlines and exam schedules.
“Really think about if you are ready to be in an accelerated program and do the majority of your work online,” says Cody, ABSN Class of December 2019. “Some don’t realize that this means a lot of time-management, self-control, and organization because we’re doing something that others take double the amount of time to do.”
Honing your self-discipline in accelerated nursing school will take you far in your nursing career. Always putting your patients first — even when you have five minutes left in your shift or it’s time for your lunch break — epitomizes this trait.
Organizational Skills
Managing your time well goes a long way in nursing school, especially in an accelerated program like ours. Students who schedule study sessions for themselves and with their peers, have a dedicated study space at home and otherwise organize their lives, set themselves up for success not only in school but in their future nursing careers as well.
“You have to put in study hours every single day in the ABSN program,” Jessica says. “You definitely can’t leave anything to the last moment.”
Maintaining a structured schedule is also a significant part of being successful during clinical rotations and later in your nursing career. Your colleagues and patients depend on you to be on time to provide the best patient care possible. For example, from a time management perspective, you’re responsible for administering medications and performing patient assessments at specific times — someone’s life could depend on it!
The original definition of the word “courage” comes from the French word corage, meaning “heart and spirit.” You’ll need both attributes to become a successful nurse. Indeed, because of some of the harrowing situations, nurses may encounter, the profession is not for the faint of heart.
You’ll discover this quickly as you begin your nursing education, especially during your clinical rotations beginning your first semester. Embracing these experiences and facing these obstacles head-on will help you venture outside your comfort zone and grow into a successful nursing student.
All these characteristics will also help you as you pursue a successful nursing career. No one day on the job as a registered nurse is ever the same. Sometimes your job may involve comforting a sick or dying person, questioning a colleague’s recommendation, or attempting a new medical procedure.
Flexibility will get you far in just about any career path you pursue, but it’s especially important for nurses. Not only do you have to be ready to roll with the punches as soon as you step onto the floor for your shift, but you’ll also have to be flexible with working hours and responsibilities, too. Nurses are often required to work overtime, late or overnight shifts, and weekends.
You learn how to be flexible starting with the simulation lab portion of your nursing education in our ABSN program. During this element of our program, you’ll participate in a simulated clinical experience associated with a specific scenario that instructors can adapt on the fly as you progress through the simulation. We designed the experiences this way to help you prepare for the real-world interactions you’ll have with patients during clinical rotations and later in your nursing career.
“The condition of your patients may change. You can’t go into their room as a robot and accomplish a specific task,” says Wisdom, ABSN Class of December 2019. “All patients are different, so you have to be dynamic and flexible. You have to be ready for that.”
Do you think you have what it takes to become a registered nurse? The Utica College ABSN program can help you become a nurse in as few as 16 months! Call us or complete the form to have an admission representative call you to learn more.
One ABSN Grad’s 6 Steps to Become a Nurse Through Our Program
[Infographic] What is Nursing School Like? What to Expect First & Second Semester
[Infographic] What is Nursing School Like? What to Expect Third & Fourth Semester
View all in Accelerated Nursing
Don't Wait on Your Nursing Future
Our ABSN has three start dates a year, so you can begin nursing school whenever you're ready.
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Leica Store Los Angeles
8783 Beverly Blvd
West Hollywood 90048
info@leicastorela.com
Located in the heart of the West Hollywood Design District, Leica Store and Gallery Los Angeles boasts 8,000 sq. ft. of luxurious space dedicated to celebrate photography and all things Leica. The first floor Retail floor showcases the full range of Leica Camera and Sport Optics products, a Library of photography books, printing services, VIP lounge complete with a custom Miele coffee bar. Our Second floor features a beautiful fine art photography gallery presenting curated exhibitions that highlight the depth and breadth of Leica Photography. The second floor gallery also features the Martin Parr Library curated by the famed Magnum Photographer. The library houses a vast collection of rare first edition and signed photography books. Guests will also enjoy lounging on our spacious outdoor terrace overlooking the West Hollywood Design District.
General infos
Complimentary valet parking Monday through Friday.
The Leica Store LA in motion
Lenny Kravitz "Flash" Exhibition Opening
Leica Store and Gallery Los Angeles Opening Reception
Inside the Leica Store and Gallery Los Angeles
The Ivy - Restaurant
An LA landmark since its opening in 1983, The Ivy is the place to go for a great time in the City of Angels. From its star-studded crowd, to its jamming music, friendly wait-staff, killer cocktails and unbeatable food, this cozy, hip, neighborhood restaurant exemplifies the easy glamour and charm that California is all about.
113 N Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
http://www.theivyrestaurants.com
Sur - Restaurant and Bar
Since 2011, Sur has been featured in the Bravo series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. And now a docu-series follow Lisa, the best Real Housewife of Beverly Hills, as she oversees Jax, Stassi, Scheana, Tom, Kristen, Katie and the rest of the red-hot staff at her red-hot West Hollywood restaurant and lounge,
SUR.
606 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
http://www.surrestaurantandbar.com
Cecconi's West Hollywood - Restaurant
Cecconi's is a classic Italian restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as cicchetti (Italian tapas), seven days a week. We are located on the corner of Melrose Avenue and Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood.
8764 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles , 90069 United States
http://www.cecconiswesthollywood.com
Sofitel - Hotel
Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills invites you to discover our luxury hotel, blending Hollywood glamour with European elegance, to create a unique and magnifique accommodation.
http://www.sofitel-los-angeles.com/en
SLS - Hotel
A fête extraordinaire. Service standards you would expect from a Los Angeles luxury hotel with a serious injection of boutique style, creativity and fun. Fantastical interiors by Philippe Starck and culinary arts from the imagination of Chef José Andrés. Once you experience it, you know. This is SLS Beverly Hills.
465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048
http://slshotels.com/beverlyhills/
Four Seasons - Hotel
The Hotel's 285 guest rooms and luxury suites all feature step-out balconies with expansive views of the gardens, Los Angeles or Beverly Hills. Uniquely oriented towards the outdoors, our gardens, terraces and dining patios capture the best of al fresco living on Doheny Drive.
300 South Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, California 90048
http://www.fourseasons.com/losangeles/
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Business News / Tourism / Visit Mesa becomes 1st autism-certified destination marketing organization
Visit Mesa becomes 1st autism-certified destination marketing organization
Above: Marc Garcia, president and CEO of Visit Mesa, stands in front of a photo of his son, Mason Garcia, who has autism. Marc Garcia is encouraging businesses in Mesa’s hospitality community to follow Visit Mesa's lead in undergoing autism training. Visit Mesa recently became the country’s first-ever destination marketing organization designated as a “Certified Autism Center.” (Photo by Rick D'Elia) Business News | 17 Apr | AZ Business Magazine
Visit Mesa is the country’s first-ever destination marketing organization designated as a “Certified Autism Center” by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). This new distinction is a result of the organization’s staff and governing board of directors completing more than 100 hours of specialized training to help families and individuals with special needs prepare for their perfect vacation and enjoy the varied travel offerings that can be had in the East Valley city.
“Visit Mesa is thrilled to be a national leader in the visitor industry and invest in training to better serve individuals with autism,” said Marc Garcia, president & CEO of Visit Mesa. “As a parent of a child who was diagnosed on the spectrum, not only is this the right thing to do, it’s an effort we are very proud to ignite here in Mesa. We are already seeing the movement spread within our community since embarking on this campaign only a few months ago.”
The recognition enables Visit Mesa to tap into a market with 32 million annual travelers, according to IBCCES’ data. More than $262 billion is spent on autism-related services in the U.S. each year, according to IBCCES. Autism affects a significant number of people as ASD is at a 600 percent increase year after year, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Now that Visit Mesa has become the first-ever destination marketing organization designated as a “Certified Autism Center”, on April 16 it raised the bar even higher by requesting partner businesses in Mesa’s hospitality community follow their lead to undergo autism training. Guest-facing staff at Mesa businesses are actively being approached and will complete autism sensitivity and awareness training within the next six months. Example Visit Mesa partner businesses that have expressed interest early on or are currently enrolled in the certification process include several Mesa hotels, museums, and the many family attractions that serve ASD visitors such as Jake’s Unlimited.
Businesses will conduct training through IBCCES which includes training and knowledge assessment of common behaviors and sensory considerations associated with ASD.
“Visit Mesa and its Board of Directors believe certification will serve this growing, yet underserved community. It’s an unmatched opportunity for Mesa to elevate our national travel brand and our destination promise,” Garcia said.
Following Visit Mesa’s lead, the Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s entire staff and Board has also completed the IBCCES training. Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department is in the process of training approximately 500 employees and was one of the first organizations to commit to the training. When complete, Mesa Parks will represent one of the largest investors into the program.
“We are thrilled the Mesa Chamber of Commerce and Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department have wholeheartedly jumped into the training, indicating the depth of support in Mesa for individuals with autism,” Garcia said.
Participating businesses will be included in a variety of planned Visit Mesa destination marketing opportunities such as:
• National awareness campaign featuring new advertising themes promoting ASD travel
• Dedicated online presence on AutismTravel.com, a free online resource for parents
• Autism-Certified travel planning portal on the new VisitMesa.com website
• Featured location on the geo-caching app featuring Mesa and promoted to ASD travel community
For almost 20 years, IBCCES has been the industry leader in autism training for licensed healthcare professionals and educators around the globe. Florida-based IBCCES created training and certification programs after recognizing that many families with children who have special needs have limited travel options.
“We’re impressed with the dedication of the Visit Mesa staff and the entire community to better serve individuals on the autism spectrum. Organizations like Visit Mesa and its supporters are critical to accomplishing our mission of inclusivity for all families and they are a big part of this movement across the nation,” said Myron Pincomb, IBCCES Board Chairman.
TGen and HonorHealth contribute to Nature study
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Sites endangered as bulldozers alter course of Tigris River in Syria
31 December 2016 | Archaeo Feed
Archaeological sites are believed to be among affected areas due to Turkish heavy equipment bulldozing large areas of land by the Tigris River in North Syria’s territory near Ein Diwar village.
New finds at ancient Megarsus
Excavations at the ancient city of Magarsus, Adana province, south Turkey, unearthed an ancient theatre. The site was a religious centre of Mallus, one of the most important cities of the ancient Cilicia civilization, famous for its ancient temples.
Neolithic skeleton of a 16-year-old girl that died of tuberculosis found
A 4500-year-old skeleton dating to the Neolithic was found in in Weimar, Germany last year. Now, the analysis of the skeleton revealed some details about he 16-year-old girl, including that she died from tuberculosis.
Lechaion’s sunken harbour more important than thought
Finds from the survey in ancient Corinth’s harbour at Lechaion revealed that the town was far more important than historians previously realized. Underwater survey and excavations revealed the harbour covered 500000 square meters.
Europe Poland Polish Archaeologists
Site of a heavy siege mortar from WWI found
Team of explorers believe to have found the site of a Škoda M98 24 cm calibre siege mortar used in Przemyśl, south-eastern Poland, by the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I.
Illegal excavations, fake gold and treasure hunters in south-western Turkey
Four treasure hunters and over 350 plaster bars covered in gold paint were found in a cave in the southern province of Antalya, Turkey.
Excavations of a palace in Vietnamese Royal Citadel of Thang Long
Archaeologists revealed finds from the excavations in the area of the Kinh Thien Palace site in Thang Long Royal Citadel, in Hanoi, Vietnam.
New insight about the ancient Chaco Canyon population
Archaeologists found new evidence for long distance trade of the Chaco Canyon population living in the Southwest of U.S.A., including corn to feed the thousands of people inhabiting the area.
Excavations reveal clues on non-existent fortress
Archaeologists in Osaka, Japan, believe to have found clues about an non-existent Sanada Maru fortress built and used by warlord Sanada Nobushige during the Siege of Osaka (1614-1615).
Ancient doctor’s office found on Cyprus
Polish archaeologists, who excavated the ancient city of Nea Paphos on Cyprus, discovered the remains of a possible doctor’s office within a destroyed portico. The excavated area yielded bronze and iron surgical tools that are believed to be 2000 years old.
Viking and Bronze Age artefacts sent to museum by anonymous
The National Museum of Ireland recently received four items sent anonymously in letters without a post-mark addressed to the “History Museum”. The artefacts are dated to Bronze Age and Viking Age.
Peruvian embassy in Colombia receives pre-Hispanic artefacts
Eight Peruvian pre-Hispanic artefacts were returned by the Colombian government to Peruvian officials. The artefacts belong to the Nazca, Huari and Chimú pre-Incan cultures.
First Temple Period wall destroyed by heavy rainfall
heavy rains flooding Israel for last few days have also damaged an ancient stone wall near the gate to the ancient city of Tel Dan. The structure was dated to the First Temple period (ca. 957-586 BC).
Artefacts from 3000-year-old site found over 40 years ago restudied
40 years after archaeologists discovered burials containing casting molds for axes, razors, and other tools, the finds will be properly researched and published. The 3000-year-old finds from Legnica, south-western Poland, are said to be unique in Europe.
Search for Seljuk sultan’s tomb stopped after artefact smuggle revealed
An international project conducted in the ancient city of Merv in Turkmenistan was stopped. It was revealed that the reason was the smuggle of historical artefacts by the German archaeology team participating in the project.
Africa Egypt Near East
Jordan’s customs officers return hundreds of seized Egyptian artefacts
Jordan’s customs officers returned to Egypt 340 archaeological artefacts seized at Aqaba port. The artefacts are said to date to various eras.
Europe Poland
German MP 40 machine gun found by construction workers
Construction workers discovered remains of a German WW2 machine gun MP 40 at the city’s speedway stadium in Gdańsk, North Poland. The weapon’s chamber was preserved and a serial number was possible to be read.
World’s oldest mummies undergo modern investigation
Mummies of the Chinchorro people, dating 7400 years to the past, are scheduled for DNA analysis and computerized tomography scans. The 15 selected mummies of mostly children and unborn babies, were found on the Pacific coast of South America, at the edge of the Atacama desert.
Search for artefacts revealed by melting ice
Canadian archaeologists are surveying high alpine pastures in the Selwyn and Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories (Canada) in search for archaeological sites revealed by melting ice.
Unusual burial among finds at British Early Christian Era site
An individual buried with his knees on backwards was found during excavations in a field at Little Carlton, near Louth, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. This and other finds date to about 7th-8th century AD.
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Defense Dept. Plans Cas Review; Congress Seeks Upgrades Agreement
By DAVID F. BOND7 min
Tacit Rainbow Completes Fourth Successful Test Flight
New Cosmonaut Crew Launched to Mir; Station Expansion to Begin in October
HIGH-SPEED CIVIL TRANSPORT (2)
WHO’S WHERE (1)
WASHINGTON Action pending this month on three fronts will determine whether and how Defense Dept. plans to improve close air support and battlefield air interdiction forces move forward during the coming year. In separate developments that will help shape the modernization program:
WASHINGTON Air Force officials believe they have resolved the major problems in the Tacit Rainbow program, following the fourth consecutive successful test flight of the antiradar weapon. In the latest test, an AGM-136A Tacit Rainbow defense suppression weapon was launched from a Navy A-6E.
BAIKONUR COSMODROME The Soviet Union is preparing a major expansion of its Mir space station following the successful launch of a two-member cosmonaut crew here last week. Spacecraft commander Col. Alexander Viktorenko and engineer Alexander Serebrov were launched at 3:38 a. m. local time Sept. 6 on the Soyuz TM-8 transport spacecraft.
Japan Plans to Purchase 112 Aircraft Under $29-billion Defense Budget
TOKYO The Japanese Defense Agency anticipates purchasing 112 aircraft as part of its $28.95-billion fiscal 1990 budget request. The request, a 6.35% increase over 1989, accounts for 6.4% of Japan’s $467.53 billion (21.1 trillion yen) overall budget, which itself is an 11.4% increase over fiscal 1989.
Sdi Experiments Set for Launch in January
WASHINGTON The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization is preparing to launch two satellite experiments in January on board a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral. The LACE/RME mission—for Low-power Atmospheric Compensation Experiment and Relay Mirror Experiment— had been planned for launch in August, 1988.
Jaffe Group to Replace Gulfstream as Partner in Sa-30 Development
WASHINGTON The Jaffe Group has joined Swearingen Engineering and Technology Corp. in development of the SA-30 business jet following Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s withdrawal from the program. Gulfstream’s decision stemmed from delays in the first flight of the SA-30, which have prevented the company from verifying the aircraft’s projected performance.
By EDWARD H. PHILLIPS3 min
Low Mission Rate Planned for Soviet Energia Launcher
By JEFFREY M. LENOROVITZ3 min
Last Titan 34d, Transtage Launches Classified Military Spacecraft
By EDWARD H. KOLCUM3 min
Two Canadian Snowbirds Crash Into Lake Ontario
Two CT-114 Tutor jet training aircraft of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds demonstration team crashed into Lake Ontario during an air show on Sept. 3 in an accident that killed one pilot. The accident involved the team leader, who survived, and one of his wingmen, who died.
Photographs Reveal Relative Size of F-117 Compared with T-38
LOS ANGELES More details of the Air Force/Lockheed F-117A stealth attack aircraft design are visible in these photographs taken Aug. 24 during operations from the F-117 base near Tonopah, Nev. (AW&ST July 10, p. 22). The F-117 is believed to have a 42-ft. wingspan and be 63 ft. long, excluding the V-tail, dimensions that scale well with the Air Force/Northrop T-38 chase aircraft flying off its left wing.
By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM2 min
September 41989 September 181989
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take the train to tone town —
iOS 8.1.2 released, will keep your ringtones from vanishing
Minor update also includes non-specific "bug fixes."
Andrew Cunningham - Dec 9, 2014 7:23 pm UTC
Andrew Cunningham
Apple releases WatchKit developer tools alongside first iOS 8.2 beta
Apple posted iOS 8.1.2 this afternoon, the second patch for iOS 8.1 and the fifth for iOS 8 overall. The update is available for all devices running iOS 8, including the iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6, and 6 Plus; all iPads except the first-generation model; and the fifth-generation iPod Touch. Download the update over-the-air or through iTunes—the latter is the better option if your device doesn't have enough free space to install the update.
This one looks pretty minor—the only listed bug fix is for an issue that could cause ringtones purchased through iTunes to disappear from your device. They won't do that anymore, and visiting a "Restore Tones" page on your phone should restore them if you've been affected by the problem. Any other bugs that have been patched are apparently too minor to mention.
Apple is already working on iOS 8.2, the version of the OS that will apparently introduce support for the Apple Watch. We'd expect the final release of that software sometime early next year, either before or alongside the watch hardware itself. References to iOS 8.3 have also shown up in our site analytics, but we have no information on what that update includes.
Andrew Cunningham Andrew wrote and edited tech news and reviews at Ars Technica from 2012 to 2017, where he still occasionally freelances; he is currently a lead editor at Wirecutter. He also records a weekly book podcast called Overdue.
Twitter @AndrewWrites
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Law 2000 by Jan W. Baran
The election law primer for corporations
Author: Jan W. Baran
Publisher: Aba Professional Education
Category: Law
The newly revised and expanded Third Edition brings you authoritative, insight-rich explanations of major federal enactments over the past two years.
The Best in Business Law 2007 Publications
Publisher: American Bar Association
Commercial law 2016-07-19 by Jonathan H. Adler
Business and the Roberts Court
Author: Jonathan H. Adler
Category: Commercial law
In recent years, the Supreme Court appears to have taken a greater interest in "business" issues. Does this reflect a change in the Court's orientation, or is it the natural outcome of the appellate process? Is the Court "pro-business"? If so, in what ways do the Court's decisions support business interests and what does that mean for the law and the American public? Business and the Roberts Court provides the first critical analysis of the Court's business-related jurisprudence. In this volume, prominent academics examine the Roberts Court's handling of business-related cases, through a series of empirical and doctrinal analyses. Issues covered include securities law, antitrust, labor law, preemption, and environmental law, among others. Business law and regulatory cases touch on many important legal doctrines and can have far-reaching effects. Understanding the bases upon which the Supreme Court decides business-related cases is of tremendous importance to practitioners and academics. It can also further greater understanding of one of the nation's most important government institutions. These issues are of interest to academics, but also of practical importance to Supreme Court and business practitioners.
Law 2011 by George C. Christie
Philosopher Kings?
Author: George C. Christie
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
'Philosopher Kings' examines the attempts by courts to sort out conflicts involving freedom of expression, including religious expression on the one hand and rights to privacy and other important social values on the other.
Young Adult Nonfiction 2014-05-20 by Louise I. Gerdes
Author: Louise I. Gerdes
Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing LLC
Category: Young Adult Nonfiction
The passage of Citizens United by the Supreme Court in 2010 sparked a renewed debate about campaign spending by large political action committees, or Super PACs. Its ruling said that it is okay for corporations and labor unions to spend as much as they want in advertising and other methods to convince people to vote for or against a candidate. This book provides a wide range of opinions on the issue. Includes primary and secondary sources from a variety of perspectives; eyewitnesses, scientific journals, government officials, and many others.
Corporation law 1920 by
The National Corporation Reporter
Category: Corporation law
Science 2004 by Neal Avaliktos
The Election Process Revisited
Author: Neal Avaliktos
Publisher: Nova Publishers
Category: Science
Elections seem to be constantly being reformed be it electronic voting systems, soft money laws, internet voting ad nauseam. Reforms and changes are essential to both keep up with technology and to pretend that the playing field is level even though it is quite clear to seasoned observes that the so called reforms in most cases are only window dressing for preserving the overwhelming edge for incumbents and the super-wealthy. This new book presents detailed analyses of the latest reforms and laws. CONTENTS: Preface; Elections Reform: Overview and Issues (Kevin J. Coleman and Eric A. Fisher); Election Projections: First Amendment Issues (Henry Cohen); Election of the President and Vice-President by Congress: Contingent Election (Thomas H. Neale); Congressional Authority to Standardize National Election Procedures (Kenneth R. Thomas); Campaign Finance Reform: Constitutional Issues Raised by Disclosure Requirements (L. Paige Whitaker); Campaign Financing: Highlights and Chronology of Current Federal Law (Joseph E. Cantor); Campaign Finance Reform: A Legal Analysis of Issue and Express Advocacy (L. Paige Whitaker); Campaign Finance in the 2000 Federal Elections: Overview and Estimates
Business & Economics 2013 by Cornelis A. De Kluyver
A Primer on Corporate Governance
Author: Cornelis A. De Kluyver
Category: Business & Economics
This book is a primer on corporate governance for large, publicly held companies in the United States --the system that defines the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in a corporation, such as the board, managers, shareholders, and other stakeholders, and spells out the rules and procedures for making decisions on corporate affairs. As with any complex system, corporate governance functions best when all of its constituent elements work in harmony, when each performs its assigned role, with the right incentives, properly aligned interests and the right tools for the job. The turbulent history of corporate governance in recent years is testimony that this has not always been the case. The American system of corporate governance has been confronted with significant challenges in the last twenty-five years. Many of these challenges can be traced to the rapid, often unpredictable changes that have occurred in the global competitive environment which have fundamentally changed - domestically as well as abroad - the opportunities and risks American companies face every day. Others have their roots in broader societal shifts such as changes in attitude towards the value and role of free markets, a growing recognition of the importance of environmental concerns and a clamor for greater transparency and accountability in public as well as private organizations. At the same time, the corporate governance landscape itself continues to evolve. Shareholding has become concentrated through institutional intermediaries who exercise their fiduciary duties with a process of shareholder communications, resolutions and director elections. The composition of boards of directors continues to evolve as they pursue more independence, greater diversity, and stronger global representation. Newly adopted executive compensation reforms are focused on better aligning the interests and incentives of corporate management with those of long-term shareholders. Some of these changes have occurred organically, many more have been the result of outside forces, including landmark federal legislation, new state rules and codes, and interpretive judicial decisions. The bottom line is that the entire corporate governance process has been under evaluation. This is both healthy and essential for the future of our economy. It signals a widely shared belief - by corporate directors, shareholders, the markets generally and the regulatory community - that corporate governance matters. The importance of this recognition can hardly be overstated. As a wave of corporate scandals in the late nineties and the recent global financial crisis remind us, the efficacy of corporate decision making and our regulatory systems directly affect our well-being. Sound corporate governance not only pays by producing value for all stakeholders of the firm but also, even more importantly, it is the right thing to do--for investors, other stakeholders, and society at large. In other words, sound corporate governance is not just good business; it is also a moral imperative. A good number of the books written on corporate governance focus on legal issues - the rights and obligations of the various stakeholders under Federal and State laws - or take the perspective of individual or institutional external shareholders. This book is positioned differently; it approaches corporate governance from an executive perspective and is designed to help the reader become a more effective participant in the corporate governance system--as an executive dealing with a board, as a director, or as a representative of a company''s other numerous stakeholders. The book is organized in two parts. The first looks at corporate governance from a macro perspective. It begins with a description of the various components of the U.S. corporate governance system and a brief survey of its history. It then asks the fundamental question ''Who owns the corporation?'' to frame a discussion of different schools of thought about a corporation''s responsibilities to its shareholders and society at large. Next, we focus on the legal framework that defines a board''s basic responsibilities and obligations and look at current trends regarding board size, composition and structure. As part of this discussion we briefly review a number of major governance reforms adopted in recent years such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and recent SEC rule changes. The second part of the book focuses on the workings of the board itself and its principal challenges: CEO selection and succession planning, the board''s responsibilities in the areas of oversight, compliance and risk management, the board''s role in strategy development, the issue of CEO performance appraisal and executive compensation, a board''s challenges in dealing with external pressures, unexpected events and crises, and finally, a board''s most difficult challenge--managing itself.
1912 by Idaho
Primary and General Election Laws
Author: Idaho
Business & Economics 2011-05-10 by Chuck Collins
Economic Apartheid In America
Author: Chuck Collins
Publisher: The New Press
This updated edition of the widely touted Economic Apartheid in America looks at the causes and manifestations of wealth disparities in the United States, including tax policy in light of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and recent corporate scandals. Published with two leading organizations dedicated to addressing economic inequality, the book looks at recent changes in income and wealth distribution and examines the economic policies and shifts in power that have fueled the growing divide. Praised by Sojurners as “a clear blueprint on how to combat growing inequality,” Economic Apartheid in America provides “much-needed groundwork for more democratic discussion and participation in economic life” (Tikkun). With “a wealth of eye-opening data” (The Beacon) focusing on the decline of organized labor and civic institutions, the battle over global trade, and the growing inequality of income and wages, it argues that most Americans are shut out of the discussion of the rules governing their economic lives. Accessible and engaging and illustrated throughout with charts, graphs, and political cartoons, the book lays out a comprehensive plan for action.
Warped Passages
Smoke Encrypted Whispers
Wisdom of the Hidden Realms Oracle Cards
52 Little Parables From Ireland
Special Family Knits
Dark Star: A Novel (Night Soldiers Book 2)
Nerf: Ultimate Blaster Book
Every Heart a Doorway
India, Northwest
West Midlands Industrial Steam in Colour: Part 1
Tea Time with Terrorists
Advanced Schutzhund
Puzzle Projects for Woodworkers
M is for Autism
Maya Architecture: Temples in the Sky
Basic Glass Fusing
Cases in Intelligence Analysis
The Wolf Gift
Monsieur Notebook - Real Leather A5 Pink Plain
C Harmonica Book
Food Sake Tokyo
The Challenger Launch Decision
Sr-71 Blackbird
This is my New York
En el tiempo de las mariposas (Spanish Edition)
Hidden Paris
Bitten By Cupid (Argeneau Vampire)
Rest and Sleep
Big Shifts Ahead: Demographic Clarity For Business
Meine geheime Autobiographie
Living the Good Long Life
The Art of the Cheese Plate
Linux Cookbook
Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying
D Is for Digital
Diamond Girls, The
A History of Playing Cards
Boy In The Tower
Shadow Woman: A Novel
The Orphans' Nine Commandments
Paws and Effect (Magical Cats)
You're Him, Aren't You?
Heinemann Media Student Book with eBook
Fertility Farming
The Masnavi I Ma'navi of Rumi
Suzuki Violin School, Vol 10
Hydrangeas Journal (Diary, Notebook)
Crow Killer, New Edition
Alternative Narratives in Early Childhood
5 INGREDIENTS QU FOREIGN ONLY
Lightning 54fl
Live Foods Live Bodies
Tell My Horse
Drape Drape
City Walks with Kids: London*
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Mechanical Biological Treatment Process with AD Explained
The New Civil Engineer magazine has published (19 November edition 2009) a refreshingly down to earth description of the process which will soon start to mechanically and biologically treat a part of Manchester’s residual (black bag) Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). The following was stated by Peter Harvey in his role as the Business Director of Enpure (Process Engineering). Enpure is the encumbent EPC Contractor, in the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority’s huge city-wide PFI waste management contract.
This multi-billion contract was finally let around about last Easter after extended delays, and not least the problems caused by the credit crunch last Autumn. Under this Contract, Enpure is the EPC Contractor which will provide processing facilities for the PPP Consortium Laing Viridor to operate two MBT Facilities to be built at Reliance Street and Bredbury, under a £57 million Contract.
(In MBT there is always a choice to be made between composting to reduce the activity of the organic material before it goes to landfill, which is of dubious merit, or Anaerobic Digestion which does a better job but requires more investment and some risk of not repaying that investment. - Added by your Blogmaster)
"There are a number of ways that you can biologically treat that [smaller fraction], composting for example, or anaerobic digestion which can then create methane for electricity production. That particular approach [anaerobic digestion] is what we have on our two MBT projects," says Peter Harvey.
The process begins at the materials recovery facility (MRF) whereby black bag [mixed residual] waste (MSW) goes through a very coarse shredder that reduces waste to 250mm to 300mm pieces. At that point the waste is screened and material of less than 80mm (the organic fraction) goes off for anaerobic digestion.
But first it needs further separation. "If we didn't clean it up then grit, pieces of plastic and bits of rubble could cause blockages so we have a very sophisticated wet separation process called the hydro-pulper".
It is this pulper which has not been used before in the UK. It comes from German firm BTA International. "It is a vessel with a high speed impeller in the centre that will transfer any organic material, paper, cardboard, food and organic matter into a sludge, which we can then pass through a screen and into the digesters," says Phil Harvey.
Just under 5MW of electricity will be generated by the Reliance Street and Bredbury facilities to fuel the MBT process and feed back into the grid. "Between these two facilities there is enough to power 10,000 homes from the biogas alone.
As for the larger components, these are sorted for recycling in the case of metals and plastics, or for sending on as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) to Runcorn [for incineration].
The fraction above 80mm is then put through a density separation process so that we can eliminate any hardcore material from that size fraction.
Then there is metals removal. After this it is shredded to 30mm ready for RDF production.
We also have an air knife which blows off plastics into the RDF as well.
At Reliance Street the treatment process will handle 100,000t of waste per annum, but only 63,000t of this will go through the MBT plant. The rest, larger particles over 45mm, is sorted out and sent off for recycling.
"The only real difference between the two sites is the degree of sorting that happens before the wet preparation stage," says Peter Harvey.
Of course with plants handling so much waste material and especially the Anaerobic Digestion present, there has clearly and quite understandably been much concern about odours.
Because Reliance Street is right in the city it uses a sophisticated odour control process called regenerative thermal oxidation. The odour is collected via ducts and blown into the treatment system which uses heat in the presence of a catalyst to thermally oxidise the odorous compounds in the air. The heat from the treated air is captured using silicon tiles.
"Bredbury has a more conventional odour system, we operate the buildings under negative pressure so that if there are any leaks they go into the building rather than out and all that air is treated with biofilters," says Peter Harvey.
Labels: advantages of anaerobic digestion, composting, Laing Viridor, residual solid waste.enpure
Exciting Opportunities Arising from UK Government Low Carbon Strategy
The following is an extract from the Enviros Consulting September 2009 Briefing Note on the UK's Low Carbon Strategy:
The UK government has announced a number of financial drivers and measures to remove barriers to deployment of more renewables, as part of their low carbon strategy.
This rapidly growing industry will bring opportunities for many of our customers. Nonfinancial measures include a new planning PPS, measures to improve grid access and a new Office for Renewable Energy Deployment.
However the main drivers announced are the financial ones outlined below.
The Renewables Heat Incentive
- The Renewables Heat Incentive will deliver a staggering 72TWh/yr of heat by 2020 from biomass, solar, heat pumps and biomethane
- The policy to be in place from April 2011
- It will give guaranteed payments to those generating heat from renewables – domestic through to industrial scales
- We should expect a fixed rate paid on energy yield and cost of plant – not on CO2 emissions saved
UK Government will consult at the end of this year on scheme details and on fundamentals including levels of funding and how the levy to fund it will work
Installations from 15 July 2009 onwards will qualify for payments though there will be environmental standards and a qualification scheme for installers.
Measures to support electricity from renewables
The plans for financial support for renewable electricity has been presented in a separate consultation paper
Renewable Electricity Financial Incentives.
There are some detailed changes to the Renewables Obligation (ROC) regime that will impact larger generators and are designed to bolster confidence in this support mechanism.
However, perhaps the most significant announcement is of a new mechanism known as Feed in Tariffs (FIT).
As presented in the consultation paper FITs:
• Will give significant payments to small scale renewables – up to 5MW but with much higher payments for micro-renewables
• Will come into operation from April 2010 with consultation closing Oct 09 (though schemes built from 15 July 2009 will qualify)
• Will support delivery of up to 2% of our electricity by 2020
• Will pay the tariff for every unit of generation (whether used on site or not) aiming to give investors 5-8% internal rate of return (IRR)
• A FIT contract would be for 20 years, index linked and transferable from person to person
• Fix the price that will be paid for power exported at reasonable level (5p/kWh suggested)
• Will be paid by those supplying the site with electricity to the site of generation.
Payments proposed are much higher than anything seen in the UK so far.
For example a householder installing a retrofit domestic scale solar panel would get 36.5p/kWh for all the generation from the panel, would enjoy free electricity from it while using it and would get a suggested 5p/kWh for electricity exported (income tax free).
The Low Carbon Transport Strategy and the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy will give other opportunities to those sectors of the industry.
The transport strategy proposes that the proportion of biofuels being blended with petrol and diesel be increased to 10% by 2020 in line with the EU directive.
This is a huge increase in the amount of liquid biofuels required and could offer opportunities for farmers.
However, it is recognised that there are potentially negative food security and environmental issues associated with this policy and we can expect increasingly stringent controls on sourcing of liquid biofuels.
The transport strategy also outlines measures to reduce transport emissions by:
• Improving the efficiency of new vehicles (cars, vans and buses)
• Electrifying more of the rail network
• Facilitating the use of electric vehicles – including the offer of financial support to purchase them
• Encouraging more walking, cycling and low carbon travel habits • Working on international agreements on shipping and aviation.
The Low Carbon Industrial Strategy recognises the opportunities for UK industry and commerce. To maximise the opportunities, the government intends to remove barriers to making the changes and has announced £405 million of support:
• £120 million will be used to develop offshore wind
• £60 million to develop wave and tidal power
• £6 million to contract “60 or more” low carbon affordable homes
• £10 million increase, from £20 million to £30 million, for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and £25 million Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme • £4 million expansion of the Manufacturing Advisory Service
• £12 million for green chemicals/sustainable biotechnology
• £15 million nuclear advanced manufacturing research centre
• £150 million for UK Innovation Investment Fund -> £1billion in 10 years.
How Enviros can help
This is an exciting time for initiatives in the low carbon sector and with these recent papers, the Government’s direction and support is now clear.
With the ‘step change’ represented by these papers some projects that were not previously viable now may well be. Enviros have over 30 years of experience in this field so have the skills, knowledge and expertise needed to be able to support you as you work to make the ‘low carbon transition’ needed or capitalise on the opportunities presented, whether you are working in the public or the private sector.
Get your FREE copy of the full Low Carbon Strategy briefing document here.
Labels: expansion of renewables, Low Carbon Opportunities, Renewable Electricity Financial Incentives, renewables heat incentive, Renewables Obligation, UK Government Low Carbon Strategy
Scottish Government and Scottish Renewables Calls for UK Treasury to Release Millions to Invest in Renewable Energy
Support for access to renewables cash grows
Scottish Renewables have joined the Scottish Government in calling for the UK Treasury to release up to £174 million to invest in renewable energy.
The money is currently held by Ofgem under the Fossil Fuel Levy arrangements, which mean the Scottish Government is unable to access the cash without a corresponding reduction in its budget.
Finance Secretary John Swinney has argued for the fund to be made available as additional money over and above the Scottish budget since this administration came to office in 2007.
And today the cause will gain the support of Scottish Renewables, when Niall Stuart, chief executive of the green energy trade body, addresses a marine energy conference in Inverness.
Mr Swinney said:
"This is £174 million of Scotland's money that should be invested in developing renewable energy in Scotland right now.
"Instead, the unwillingness of the UK Treasury to change its position means it is sitting unused in an Ofgem bank account in London. Scottish Renewables are absolutely right to be calling on the Chancellor to release this money so that it is additional to the budget already at our disposal.
"I welcome their position and can assure them we speak as one on this issue. It simply makes no sense that, at a time when the parlous state of the UK's public finances is well documented, and when Scotland is facing a 500 million pounds cut in its budget next year, this money is withheld and only available if we accept a corresponding reduction in Scotland's budget.
"Scotland has a flourishing renewable energy sector that could benefit hugely from this additional money.
"This Government is doing all it can to help - but with access to this funding we could do even more. That would not only bring the clear benefits of developing cutting edge renewable technologies, but would also support green jobs and help stimulate a strong economic recovery."
The Fossil Fuel Levy (FFL) is used to compensate power companies for the higher costs involved in meeting the terms of contracts to purchase renewable electricity, awarded during the 1990s under the previous support mechanism, the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO).
Changes introduced in 2005, which allowed the proceeds from the sale of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) attributable to Scottish NFFO contracts to be used to meet the FFL costs have led to the development of a rapidly accumulating surplus in Ofgem's bank accounts (the Scotland and England/Wales accounts being held separately).
Scottish Ministers and officials have raised this matter with UK Government counterparts on a continuous basis since May 2007. Treasury rules on Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) mean that FFL surplus resources, if released to Scotland, would not be additional to Scotland's block grant. To enable FFL funds to be used for additional activity in Scotland would require the Treasury's agreement to increase Scottish DEL equivalent to the amount being drawn down from the FFL. The Treasury remains adamant that should Scottish Ministers choose to draw down this money, a corresponding reduction would be made in the Scottish block grant.
Full articles at the Scottish Government web site.
Labels: Scottish Government renewables call, Scottish Renewables UK Treasury Call
Waste Produces Gas for Cooking in Kenya Using Anaerobic Digestion
This item shows how anaerobic digestion can be such a power for good. It brightened my day and I hope it does the same for yours as well. It explains how biogas is being used to solve a number of problems simultaneously in Kenyan slums.
Harnessing Waste Produces Gas for Cooking in Kenya
By Cathy Majtenyi
From Voice of America News - 07 November 2009
The scourge of so-called "flying toilets" - where human waste is put into a plastic bag and tossed into the air, landing on roads or in gutters - has plagued the slums of Kenya's capital Nairobi for decades. But an innovative project in the slum of Kibera has dramatically cut down on the problem by converting human waste into gas that can be used to fuel cookers and other devices.
Roseline Amondi is cooking up a storm. Today's menu for the tiny restaurant she runs is githeri, a traditional dish consisting of beans and maize.
Amondi cooks every day in this community kitchen. She will then take the food back to her kiosk to sell to her customers. She says the community stove saves her a lot of money that she would otherwise spend on charcoal or wood.
"Before the gas started working, I was using almost 100 or 200 [shillings] per day for cooking any meal in the house, but right now, it is only 10 bob [shillings] per meal," she said. "It is very cheap. If I cook two different types of food, I may use only 30 shillings for the whole day. That is wonderful."
The gas that Amondi uses comes from an unlikely source, the community toilet. This is a rare sight in Kibera, where up to 200 people can share a single latrine in neighborhoods that have no electricity or running water.
The toilet and kitchen are run by a coalition of five community groups calling themselves TOSHA (Total Sanitation and Hygiene Access). "Tosha" also means "enough" in the national language Ki'Swahili.
Some 600 people a day use the toilets for a small fee.
The human waste is transported via pipes into an underground tank, where it is converted into bio-gas.
The gas is then piped up to the community kitchen, where members can use the stove for pennies per pot.
Groups often rent out the facility's top floor for meetings and functions. TOSHA earns some $400 each month renting out the facility, the community kitchen and use of the toilets.
Aidah Binale is a coordinator with Umande Trust, a development group that partnered with TOSHA to formulate the project.
She says it was difficult at first for community members to accept the gas.
"People will have the idea of, 'Ah, no, I can't cook from there, it is from [human] waste.' Right now we are still trying to capacity build, we are trying to tell them [there is] nothing wrong," she explained. "We get to have more visitors from different countries coming to visit us. We make sure that when they come to the office, we tell them, 'Let's go down there and have tea.' So when the community comes and sees us drinking tea, they are thinking, 'Ah, this is a foreigner taking tea. These people are taking tea, we can also cook.'"
Running water and sanitation facilities are virtually non-existent in slums like Kibera, where most people earn less than $1 a day. Human waste in plastic bags is often dumped on roads, alleys and gutters.
But locals say there has been a dramatic reduction in these so-called "flying toilets" since the bio-gas center was constructed two years ago.
Roseline Amondi is also secretary of TOSHA.
"At the time we were using flying toilets, there were so many diseases around us like cholera," she noted. "Once an outbreak of cholera occurs, we are the sufferer. Many of us died, some got into the hospitals. But right now, for the last three months, there was an outbreak [of cholera] within Nairobi, but we were safe because of the bio-center."
Project supporters say the TOSHA Bio-Gas Centre is a model for communities everywhere, especially those dealing with power shortages.
Paul Muchire, communication manager with Umande Trust.
"We have the problem of [supplying enough] energy. Poverty levels are going up. Sanitation is a problem in the developing world. We have the issue of pollution from the oil and diesel. There is need to go into other sources of energy, adapt other sources of energy that would be environmentally friendly," he said.
Muchire says there are about 10 bio-gas centers in Kibera under construction and that an engineer is looking at how the gas can be piped into peoples' homes.
Labels: biogas kenya, convert human waste into gas, flying toilets
Anaerobic Digestion Has Big Role in Zero Waste Britain Announcement
The path to Britain becoming a zero waste nation was announced last week by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn at a summit of Local Authorities and the waste industry.
Hilary Benn said:
"We need to rethink how we view and treat waste in the UK. Why do we send valuable items like aluminium and food waste to landfill when we can turn them into new cans and renewable energy? Why use more resources than we need to in manufacturing? We must now work together to build a zero waste nation - where we reduce the resources we use, reuse and recycle all that we can and only landfill things that have absolutely no other use.
"To do this all of us - government, local authorities, businesses and consumers - must do our bit. And we must make this moment the turning point on our journey to eliminate wasteful waste.”
During a morning visit to Earls Court, Mr Benn showed his support for an updated BSI sustainable event standard which is designed to ensure that the events industry considers the social, economic and environmental impacts of their events.
Mr Benn continued:
"Using new technologies will help us to re-use things, for example anaerobic digestion that creates energy from food and farm waste. And businesses can apply the technology at their fingertips to design innovative products that use less resources or contain recycled materials.
"In ten years time 75 per cent of household waste will either be recycled or used for energy, and over time this figure will increase even further. Aiming for zero waste is the way we have to think to get us to where we need to be."
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government John Denham added:
"If we continue to send recyclable or compostable waste to landfill we are missing a major opportunity to generate heat and energy and missing an opportunity to turn that waste into money. We can save planet whilst keeping money in resident’s pockets.
“I have recently set out ambitions for councils to play a bigger role in tackling climate change and thinking more creatively about waste is just one way to unlock that potential.”
Setting out how the UK can become a zero waste nation where people can do the right thing with their waste whether at work, home or on the move, Mr Benn said:
* England should more than halve the amount of waste going to landfill in the next 10 years – early next year we will consult on what recyclable and compostable items should be banned from landfill and how a ban will work.
* In ten years time 75 per cent of household waste will either be recycled or used for energy, and over time this figure will increase even further.
* Six new Zero Waste Places in parts of Shropshire, Dorchester, Brixton, Newham, Hoxton and Suffolk will be created to develop innovative ideas to cut waste in the home, workplace and community.
* A new Zero Waste Places Standard for Local Authorities will also recognise areas which are going above and beyond national waste targets while supporting them with small grants for further development.
* New research out today shows it is possible to divert 500,000 tonnes of household waste per year through re-using it.
* Later this month a new public campaign will be launched, aimed at encouraging people to rethink their approach to waste by reducing and reusing the waste they create as well continuing to recycle as much as they can.
* The Government expects Local Authorities to offer a full collection service for all recyclable items by 2020. This should include paper, card, cans, glass and plastic bottles, food and packaging. We will encourage Local Authorities in collecting food waste to make use of the technology and funding available to them to harness the power of energy from waste.
* Publication of our aims and actions for Commercial and Industrial Waste in England. This will help businesses to use resources more efficiently and encourage them to think about what they do with their waste as well as delivering benefits for the environment. Actions cover four areas: helping business; working with the waste management industry; plugging the data gap; and encouraging innovative approaches.
Labels: collecting food waste, local authority food waste collection, recycle, recycle all recyclable items, rethink waste, waste minimisation, Zero Waste UK Nation
Food Waste Recycling Company PDM Group Announces Council Talks
Food waste recycling company PDM Group has revealed that it is in talks with "a lot" of councils about the treatment of separately-collected food waste as it looks to secure the feedstock for its network of planned and existing biomass and anaerobic digestion facilities.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com last week (September 17), the company's commercial team manager, Suzanne McDermott, said that its current priority was making councils, food retailers and food producers aware of the energy potential of food waste.
The calorific value of food waste means it's absolutely perfect for producing energy
Suzanne McDermott, of PDM said:
"The calorific value of food waste means it's absolutely perfect for producing energy," she said, explaining that "we're telling local authorities, commercial food companies etc. that its worthwhile getting it source-segregated to get that energy out of it."
She added that PDM was now talking to "a lot of councils", noting that some local authorities were currently composting a "small proportion" of food waste alongside green waste.
However, Ms McDermott acknowledged that there would be a "cost implication" for councils that did decide to introduce source-segregated collections of food waste.
PDM has traditionally drawn the majority of its customer base from the commercial food and catering sectors, and in January 2009 it signed a 'long-term' contract to deal with all Sainsbury's food waste (see letsrecycle.com story).
Earlier this year, the Doncaster-based company also revealed that it had plans to invest £110 million in the energy generation side of its activities, including building a number of anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities (see letsrecycle.com story).
In June 2009, it set up a joint venture, known as ReFood UK, with German AD specialists SARIA Bio-Industries to establish the facilities, the first of which is expected to be up-and-running in Doncaster early next year.
Ms McDermott explained that "we have gone with the German model because it's solely for treating food waste," and added that "what's already in the UK is working well but it's mainly for agricultural purposes".
Outlining the company's exact plans with regards AD, she said that it aimed to develop "a further six AD plants over the next five years which map us out across the country", with each facility offering the capacity to treat up to 45,000 tonnes of food waste a year, producing 2MW of electricity.
PDM also has two biomass waste-to-energy facilities - in Widnes and Rushden - which use fluidised bed combined heat and power technology to treat meat industry residues, and a network of rendering facilities, and Ms McDermott explained that "whatever's closest becomes the first port of call" as the company looked to reduce the carbon impact of treating the waste.
With regards the outputs from the ReFood AD process, she acknowledged that "sometimes farmers might not want it, so the alternative is to put it straight into the CHP," explaining that "we always have to have a back-up, we have always got the alternative - we can send it to our rendering or energy plants."
PDM is currently in talks with farmers located near to the Doncaster site about using the digestate produced by the AD process, and the company has previously said that it will look to gain the PAS110 standard for the digestate when the facility is up-and-running
Labels: calorific value of food waste, Food Waste Recycling Company PDM, pdm green waste, PDM waste recycling
Monsal Obtains Planning Permission for their Food Waste Anaerobic Digestion Plant in March
This follows up on our recent post about Monsal to bring you an update from them, when planning permission is obtained in very quickly time.
Monsal in commenting on the success of the planning process said:
“Planning was achieved in record time for this project. It was the result of our co-operative and very detailed approach to the planning/permitting process. We support biowaste AD projects from concept through financial close and subsequent delivery having the largest specialist team in the UK in this area. We operated as an integrated team working with Local Generation and the regulatory authorities to ensure the project and technology complies with all relevant environmental standards. This avoided abortive work and ensures that the overall solution can be fast tracked into the construction phase with a guaranteed delivery cost.”
The biowaste to energy concept is now being widely applied for the conversion of commercial and household food waste to biogas. The Monsal technology platform is well established and has been operational on large food waste and household kitchen waste treatment and recycling plants for over 10 years in other countries in Europe.
Aidan Cumiskey Monsal’s Managing Director said:
“This is a great result for Local Generation and Cambridgeshire. Lifecrown are a forward thinking group and the plant will neatly integrate local biowaste recycling with on site renewable energy production and create additional employment in the Cambridgeshire/Peterborough area. Based on our latest technology the plant can treat a large variety of biowaste streams including kitchen and household food waste and convert them to renewable energy. This is our first major success with the food sector and we expect continued uptake as a “greening” of the UK food industry supply chain takes place in the coming years.”
Labels: monsal anaerobic digestion, monsal food waste AD, monsal renewable energy
AD Contractor Monsal Announces Food Waste Plant for Cambridgeshire, UK
The specialist UK Anaerobic Digestion Plant Contractor Monsal has now completed the planning phase for new food waste anaerobic digestion and renewable energy plant in Cambridgeshire.
Monsal have now completed the first phase of planning, pre-design, permitting and support services for an advanced food Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and renewable energy contract in March, Cambridgeshire. The project is for Local Generation Limited, a subsidiary of Lifecrown Investments Limited and will be located on land owned by Lifecrown and adjacent to Local Generations sister company Fenmarc Produce, a leading vegetable food packager and processor. Monsal expects to deliver the turnkey AD contract once permits are in place in late 2009 and the project will progress into the construction phase in early 2010.
Food waste from a range of food businesses and some potato waste from Fenmarc will be processed and recycled by the latest Monsal technology to provide a high grade compost and generate renewable energy from biogas. This will divert food waste from landfill and lower emissions of harmful greenhouse gases in the process.
The plant is expected to produce up to 2.5MW of electricity and heat from a combination of potato waste produced at the Fenmarc site and other locally sourced food waste, which currently goes to landfill. Local Generation intends to sell both the power and heat to local homes and businesses, including Fenmarc. In addition to these outputs, the plant will produce up to 12,000 tonnes a year of high quality soil conditioner suitable for improving local Fenland soils. The plant will create some 10 to 15 new jobs once operational and is the largest plant planned in the region.
The project will generate sufficient electricity to supply 1,500 homes, or approximately 6% of the total demand for March, including that from industry and commerce. By so doing Local Generation will help Fenland play a big part in meeting the UK target of 10% of power generated from renewable sources by 2010 and the EU target of 20% of all energy from renewables by 2020. A modern plant such as this can capture over 80% of the energy content of its fuel.
Mark Harrod, Chairman of Lifecrown said:
“The success of our group companies in Fenland for 40 years has been founded on the strategic location and the skills and work ethic of the local workforce. In making this further substantial investment I am confident that these factors will, once again, get us off to a flying start. This project addresses two of today’s most pressing problems; climate change and food waste management. By treating energy as a precious resource we can maximise value for all concerned.”
Monsal offer a complete turnkey service from consultation, planning, design, permitting with subsequent technology delivery once planning permission and permits are in place.
On receipt of planning approval for the March plant on 17th September, Local Generation director Nick Waterman said “We are delighted that Local Generation Limited has today been granted planning permission for its AD plant at Westry, March.
We are very excited at the prospect of contributing positively to the environment by reducing waste to landfill and lowering emissions of harmful greenhouse gases in the process. The UK Government wants businesses like ours to invest and create new jobs in green technologies as well as deliver sustainable solutions and that is exactly what we are going to do.
This is a great day for Local Generation and our team is looking forward to building the plant. We hope that people in March, Fenland and Cambridgeshire will be very proud to have one of the first AD plants in the UK operating in the region.”
Commenting on the success of the planning process:
Labels: Digestion Plant Contractor, Fenmarc Produce, food waste anaerobic digestion plant, Monsal, monsal anaerobic digestion
Maximising the Value of Sewage Sludge Biogas - Study Reports
The September 2009 edition of the Newsletter of UK Water Industry Research Limited, leads by reporting on their study into "Maximising the Value of Biogas". We thought that it contains some really interesting pointers to those involved in planning and running Anaerobic Digestion facilities, so we report on it in this posting.
Biogas has for some time been employed by the UK Water industry as a source of energy for combined heat and power plants.
The employment of biogas becomes more attractive as advances in technologies for biogas production, treatment and application, mixed with new financial inducements for various kinds of renewable energy progress. Optimisation of biogas production and use will also bring ecological benefits, including helping the water industry mitigate its global warming impacts.
The UKWIR project Maximising the value of Biogas, managed by Gordon Wheale, gives a clear appraisal of the technologies and the expenses concerned in maximising the earning potential of biogas produced from the digestion of sewage sludge.
It inspects the advantages stemming from biogas optimisation and possible 'regulatory blockers'.
At an UKWIR project dissemination workshop, representatives heard from James Newton of the contractor, Mott MacDonald, the technology needed for conversion of biogas to biomethane is well established and commercially available.
Conversion of biogas to biomethane makes accessable all of the applications of natural gas including injection into the nation's gas grid or use as an automobile fuel.
Such uses are well established in mainland Europe and a number of states around the world. While technically possible, there are not many examples of sewage biogas being converted to hydrogen ( for combustion or use in fuel cells ) as these are typically extremely expensive both in term of capital and operational costs.
With new developments in hydrogen technology, this will (they expect) become an enticing option in the future.
This research discovered that the use of biogas for CHP generation for on-site use would, usually, achieve the best worth for a water company. CHP is a mature technology with proved commercial benefits and the best systems can convert up to forty percent of the energy contained in biogas into electricity.
The utilization of biogas as a fuel for autos also achieves a comparatively high worth and, in some circumstances, higher than that achieved for biogas CHP. It also brings ecological benefits compared to standard fossil auto fuels.
Sensitivity of the values that can be derived for different biogas uses is found to be extremely variable arising from only minor changes in guesses. They found that in particular, the values of the renewable energy drivers available ( which in a few cases are still to be established by secondary regulation ) and the impact of the 'Carbon Reduction Commitment' gave big changes in value.
Also they are sensitive to site explicit factors. These include the supply of biogas for other uses, the leftover cost of existing investments in CHP assets and the distance to the local gas grid. So a site explicit survey should be carried out when thinking about alternative biogas applications.
The research for this report reveals that different biogas uses can have broadly similar values. Therefore , for many sites, optimizing biogas production may achieve larger financial and environmental advantages than changing the output use."
For further information get the September Edition of their Newsletter by using the link below:
http://www.ukwir.org/publishor/system/component_view.asp?logdocid=93032
Labels: Anaerobic Digestion facilities, Maximising the Value of Biogas, Sewage Sludge Biogas, Value of Biogas
Through Anaerobic Digestion Sewage Sludge Becomes Energy Provider not an Energy User
In an energy dependent world, sludge should be an energy provider not an energy user. Keith Panter of Ebcor argues in favour of projects where energy cost/benefit rather than disposal becomes the major project driver. He also promotes the raised AD conversion rates achieved by what he and Cambi describe as "advanced digestion with thermal hydrolysis".
The following article is based upon an article in Water and Wastewater Treatment August 2009 edition. In that article Keith Panter has highlighted the need for homespun energy as the UK finally passes from the age of UK energy sufficiency into dependency upon supplies from overseas, and not only that but dependency on supplies from nations which have been politically unstable in quite recent times.
He highlights the welcome fact that following a recent review of energy policy, Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water) has decided to reduce its reliance on energy intensive thermal drying of raw sludge at three Wastewater Treatment Plants in South Wales in favour of anaerobic digestion (AD) and power generation at Cardiff and Afan.
The energy these AD plants will generate is high compared with farm waste type AD plants, and the aim is to generate 5MW of green power by March 2011 to grandfather the value of the Renewable Obligation Order Credits (ROCs). Apparently a technical and commercial review of pre-treatment technologies for AD has led to the selection of Cambi as the THP provider. The operator is Kelda who and they were consulted as part of the decision.
What I find remarkable is that he informs us that when complete, eight Cambi plants in total then operating in the UK and Ireland will be treating sludge from the equivalent of a 6M population. That’s almost a tenth of the United Kingdom population!
So, it reinforces me in the view that already in a short period of 5 years since I started to write about Anaerobic Digestion in my www.anaerobic-digestion.com web site, Anaerobic digestion has progressed from a novelty seen as largely just a sludge treatment and farm waste disposal process, to a main stream renewable energy producer.
Of course, it has been the rapid development of economic driving forces (drivers) which have moved the agenda forward at such a pace, and in recent years government incentives such as ROCs that have given the final push to propel AD into the limelight.
Back in March 1999, the Economist magazine (UK, London) predicted that energy prices would remain stable for the foreseeable future. How wrong could they have been?
Water treatment professionals got closer to reality, Keith says, when in a straw poll at the 1999 European Biosolids conference they were asked what they thought, and predicted a doubling of energy prices within ten years.
In reality the wholesale price of natural gas that was about £6/MWh at that time rose to over £20/MWh in the time period.
Ebcor has clearly for 10 years and longer, been looking in depth at the process cost model for sludge drying. He also evidently demonstrated at that same conference 10 years ago that investment in raw sludge drying would be misplaced if the price of energy even only doubled.
He explains that it takes about 1 MWh of energy to evaporate 1 tonne of water - so in general at that high an energy cost it is much cheaper to haul water in un-dried sludge cake than to evaporate it in a dryer.
The same model has apparently shown that the magnitude of the carbon footprint is more or less related to process cost as most sludge process costs are primarily energy related. Ebcor concluded at the time that advanced digestion (such as using the Cambi process with thermal hydrolysis) would give the best whole life cost and the most flexibility and would safeguard utilities from future energy price hikes.
The non financial justification of raw sludge drying is the flexibility offered by producing a potential fuel. Keith points out that this surely applies if markets do not exist for biosolids products but in reality these markets have remained stable and in some cases improved as biosolids quality has improved.
The UK safe sludge matrix was developed about the same time and has been a big help in securing biosolids' place in agriculture.
So, there it is. Yet another Anaerobic Digestion expert is in effect demonstrating very clearly that the day for AD has arrived. Are you using Anaerobic Digestion, or still drying WWTW sludge?
Labels: advantages of anaerobic digestion, Anaerobic Digestion Sewage Sludge, Anaerobic digestion vs sludge drying
Selecting and Specifying Tanks for Anaerobic Digesters
OK, this is not the most riveting subject to most of us! The reason for blogging about this is that our web site www.anaerobic-digestion.com now has a page devoted to nothing but tanks for anaerobic digesters and biogas plants and includes a new detailed list of UK tank suppliers.
Tanks are available in several different sizes and materials being engineered and designed to be used inside anaerobic digesters and provide long life and leak free containment at digester operating temperatures and pressures.
Tanks that are intended for anaerobic digestion and feed storage are available formed from a wide selection of materials which are selected based primarily on properties of chemical resistance, strength, design life, erection speed and cost. The low initial cost option for the budget digester tank is typically said to be the sectional steel glass or epoxy coated circular steel type tank ( which also should include a zinc coating to the steel, before application of the glass ) seen generally in use as rural/farm digesters.
Digester plant designers do well to note that those that have been coming up with digesters for a long while for sewage sludge infrequently use steel tanks of any type, preferring instead the improved sturdiness and corrosion resistance of a well designed concrete tank.
Concrete also holds the extra benefit of being a good insulator reducing the necessity for insulation in cool climates.
For thermophilic digesters the tank insulation wants should be considered from an initial stage of tank design and selection. Polyethylene ( PE ), a light, chemically-resistant thermoplastic, and GRP ( Glass Reinforced Plastic ) and steel, are the most ordinarily used materials in digester plant subordinate tank applications.
All storage tanks should be supplied with overflow pipes of satisfactory capacity to safely carry off the best quantity of water sure to be discharged by the supply pipe in the event a malfunction of the pump control system fails to stop overfilling.
It is frequently suggested that it is a safe rule to make allowance for the overflow pipe 2 times the diameter or 4 times the sectional area of the supply pipe. Consideration must also be given during design and tank selection to the wants for bunding to reduce the chance of spillage to an acceptable level in the event of tank wall of base failure.
The wants for bunding are stated in the laws administered by the environmental regulator in each location ( Environment Agency in Britain and Wales ). Most tanks have to be installed on a concrete base or reinforced pavers. Never presume for any huge digester tank the ground bearing pressure will be sufficient to support the tank without settlement and damage to the tank base, always make sure that a structural engineer or otherwise suitably qualifies and experience pro assesses the ground bearing pressure at your site before installing the standard tank base. In some examples specially strengthened tank bases or rafts will be required, and at some poor ground bearing sites piling could be needed to support the tank base.
The tanks supplied for digestion plant use are usually needed to be warranted for a minimum of twenty years and the best can be recycled at the end of their useful life. For any guarantee to be defended the purchaser will have to make the proposed use and corrosion traits of the liquid held in any tank clear to the supplier / manufacturer, and go along with any regular inspection or other wants set in the terms of the warranty.
Labels: list of digester tanks, list of tank suppliers, tank supplier, Tanks for Anaerobic Digesters
Evidence of a Market Will Become End of "Waste" - EA Says
The Environment Agency (England and Wales) has now published a briefing note which makes it clear that it had changed its previous position that recovered material under the Quality Protocols scheme only ceases to be waste once it's been dispatched to the customer. It has decided that there shouldn't be any distinction made between processed material awaiting despatch and processed material which has already been despatched.
Vincent Brown, Head of Semple Fraser's expert legal team (website www.semplefraser.co.uk) has confirmed, as reported in the CIWM's journal for Waste and Resource Management Professionals published in July, that in law, there never was such a distinction.
The end of waste test needs only that you produce a marketable product that can be utilized in the same way as a normal ( ie, non-waste-derived ) product, with no worse environmental effects. Note the word "can" - not "is".
The legal test needs some evidence of a market to avoid sham production of claimed products that are simply stockpiled ( outside waste controls ) and never meant for consumption, but the method of physical delivery to the buyer wasn't needed.
And this approach is mirrored in Article six of the new Waste Framework Directive ( 2008 / 8 / EC ), which states that "certain mentioned waste shall cease to be waste when it has undergone a recovery operation and complies with express criteria to be developed" as to accord with the conditions, including that "a market or demand exists" for the substance or object.
The EA's new enlightened approach is to be welcomed and must come as very welcome news to many recyclers, as an indication of a more flexible and accommodating perspective to waste-derived products.
Labels: briefing note, End of "Waste", Environment Agency inconsistency, Evidence of a Market, legal test, Quality Protocols scheme, Semple Fraser
Major UK Water Company’s Invests in Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge
The following article is based on an extract of Wet News (November 2008) the original article is about work done by May Gurney to refurbish and improve the current Severn Trent Coalport, Newport and Monkmoor, anaerobic digesters which digest sewage sludge:
AS NEW energy and environmental directives come into action, the UK sewage treatment industry is increasingly under the spotlights.
Many examples of renewable energy projects by the gigantic water firms and their framework partners are reported to be on their way which will be almost guaranteed to draw much interest from politicians, rivals and the public. Combined heat and power (CHP) is at the forefront in the UK Water Industry, manufacturing heat and electricity from a single input source that might otherwise be burned off as waste.
Severn Trent Water and May Gurney completed an intensive project to install new anaerobic digestion technology on 3 of Severn Trent's sites. The water company has been working in cooperation with contractor May Gurney, a consultant in biogas optimisation, which has been carrying out these works since 2007.
Last summer when the article was writted it was getting near completion on the last site located at Coalport, Shropshire. The other 2 sites, at Newtown ( Powys ) and Monkmoor, Shrewsbury ( Shropshire ), were handed back this summer and are manufacturing biogas from their improved digester systems and using it to fuel CHP units.
The work at Newtown, Monkmoor and Coalport has enabled the sites to scale back their carbon footprints and produce green energy. Doing so will also prove very much a bargain as Severn Trent will become more self-sufficient and save heavily on external energy suppliers' ever growing costs.
At Coalport alone, the median daily sludge feed to the digesters is 129m3, which produces a mean of 2,640m3 of biogas each day - enough to power the on-site CHP units that generate electricity to run the site as well as the heat to operate the boilers and continue the digestion process.
The authors of the article see a huge future for biogas.
"For all the same environmental, legislative and commercial reasons that have inspired Severn Trent Water, others will certainly follow suit," and they are saying, much more positive things about Anaerobic Digestion, as follows:
"We are happy about the possibilities for expansion and development in this area. A complete industry is expanding round the re-emergence of anaerobic digestion, which enables waste material, eg food waste, to be used as a resource to provide replenish-able energy.”
"The giant increase in available volumes of biogas, rising oil costs, increasing demand for new renewable fuels and bio energy will excite investment in biogas utilization technologies which will see biogas refining to be used as auto fuels or injection into the nation's grid.”
"This latter opportunity will definitely not have escaped the notice of water firms. While sites with anaerobic digestion processes already benefit from self-sufficiency by manufacturing their own energy, we need only look to states like Sweden to see examples of how extra revenue can be generated by selling electricity and bio-methane and at the same time make a contribution to govt. climate change, waste management and wider environmental objectives."
In the field of renewable resources the authors say that Severn Trent is sure to be at the forefront as the industry moves in this direction. As the number 1 producer of renewable energy in the water sector, Severn Trent is progressing with its investment programme to further develop greener energy.
Having set itself the target of just about doubling self-generation from renewable resources to thirty percent of its total energy use by 2013, Severn Trent has clear plans to develop usage of existing technologies as well as introduce new and emerging technologies.
Severn Trent operates thirty CHP plants across its area using methane gas produced from the sewage treatment process. In 2005, this accounted for 51 percent of all clean energy derived from sewage gas in the United Kingdom and about 1.3% of all clean energy generated in the United Kingdom.
Current investment plans are reported to include schemes to increase the use of CHP plants across the region, install more water turbines in its dams, generate power from energy crops, and generate power from turbines at acceptable locations.
Furthemore, that investment is reported to be ongoing as a consequence of the success of the Monkmoor, Newtown and Coalport projects, the company has, we undertand, been in advanced talks with May Gurney about another 9 CHP projects.
More about May Gurney.
Labels: advantages of anaerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, CHP, Combined Heat and Power, UK Water Industry
Biogas Plant Gasholders and Managing CDM In-house
The following article is based on an extract of Wet News (November 2008 issue)the original article is about work done by May Gurney to refurbish and improve the current Severn Trent Coalport, anaerobic digester which digests sewage sludge.
I was particularly interested in the information about the biogas gas holder, which they also call a gas-bag due to its flexible construction. We are told that, the installation of a new, larger gas bag will add to efficiency of the site.
The new spherical gas holders are the most immediate visible sign of the state of the art solutions that have been implemented at the Severn Trent sites. These are golfing ball white spheres which are created from 2 polyester and PVC-based skins, the outer being inflated by air pressure and holds up the structure. The inner skin is postponed inside he outer skin and contains the biogas.
The wonderful thing about these new biogas holders is that they are made from materials which are immune to the corrosive nature of the unscrubbed biogas, which with its hydrogen sulphide content produces feeble sulphuric acid on contact with the water in the saturated gas. This would simply severely damage an unprotected steel container.
The writer informs us that there are apparent savings from a gas holder bag compared against a traditional rigid gas holder. A traditional steel gas holder also needs a significant civil structure which is full of water and contains what amounts to a steel bell, while a gas bag simply sits on a concrete base. The bag also needs less upkeep and isn't subject to freezing in winter. This produces a far smaller carbon footprint and a reduction in capital and operational spend.
The new gas holders are also in truth crucial pieces of process plant, instead of the mere storage vessels their name advocates. They maintain a consistent system pressure needed for the proper operation of engines, boilers and waste gas flare stacks. They also have level instruments that measure the height and volume of the inner gas bag to provide signals for process control, so they have to be simple, trustworthy and tough.
In-house Design Process and Safety
We are also told that further efficiencies and economies have been driven into the Severn Trent project thanks to the proven fact that May Gurney handled the complete design process in-house, from taking the outline design produced by Severn Trent's framework designer, thru to completion. While many main contractors might outsource the design part of such projects to an external consultant, May Gurney has its own expert team, so both reducing cost - making economies of scale and avoiding passing on fee-on-fee margins to the customer - and also reducing risk thanks to better control of safety in design risk assessments. Derek Shepherd is May Gurney's design chief, who is in charge of design coordination.
He explains the benefits of the full service approach : "By taking more control for Design Management upon themselves, and not passing it to a third party, they are hey believe particularly assured of coverage in all sides of the projects.
There's less risk, Derek points out, and by not having to confirm someone else's design we also save time without doubling up effort." Better still, the in-house design team have made a contribution to better environmental performance.
Derek Shepherd believes that, by having an independent and unbiased designer, they managed to identify all products, materials and providers based on performance and an overall design approach to the system. This was instead of it being based on any existing commercial relations.
Source: Wet News
Labels: 30MW biogas plant, biogas gas holder, Biogas Plant Gasholders, Coalport digester, Managing CDM, severn trent biogas, sewage sludge digester
Biomethane Best EU practices from the Karamel Newsletter
Biomethane: which are best practices in Europe?
From the collection of relevant feedstocks to end-uses of biomethane, what can be learnt from the main European experiences? Pierre Hirtzberger, project coordinator of BIOGASMAX, will provide responses at the European Conference on Biomethane Fuel, 7th-9th of September in Göteborg. Come and join this major event on biomethane fuel!
Germany: new legal tools on grid injection
The European Institute for Energy Research (EIFER), based in Karlsruhe, has entered in the « Biogasmax Circle of Friends ».
EIFER presented, 16th of June, to BIOGASMAX partners the legal framework regarding the grid injection of biomethane in Germany. Amongst the 4000 biogas plants running today in Germany, 20 plants inject biomethane into the natural gas grid (plus 20 sites in project).
Following the new legal framework adopted beginning of 2009, biomethane production plant should be increasing in the next few years. The new national energy policy has set up ambitious goals towards biomethane development: 6 billion m3 of biométhane in 2020 (6% of the national needs of gas), 10 billion m3 in 2030 (10% of the national needs of gas)..learn more ...
France/Czech Rep.: European Commission approves state aid to transport sector
Brussels, Belgium, 25th May 2009; The European Commission has announced not to raise any objections under the EC Treaty state aid rules to the financial support of the transport sector in France. The French approach particularly supports urban CNG buses and service trucks and also mentions biomethane. The Commission also decided positively on the Czech state aid request which supports projects for constructing and upgrading alternative refuelling stations for public transport operators.
The official decision by the Commission to authorize the French state aid programme was already made on 17th December 2008 (see attachment), but the original wording of the Commission's approval was not published until 25th May. Starting 1st January 2009, henceforward, the French state is able to financially support the French transport sector until end of December 2014.
Labels: Best EU practices, Biogasmax, biomethane, biomethane production
Financing Methods for UK Government Biogas Plants
I am frequently being asked to include more information in the blog and at the web site (www.anaerobic-digestion.com) about financing and contracting routes for the larger waste feedstock Anaerobic Digestion Plants. So here is some guidance based the Defra WIP compiled programme information a few years back.
Development of any Advanced Biological Treatment (ABT) Plant will involve capital expenditure of several million pounds. There are a number of potential funding sources for Local Authorities planning to develop such facilities, including:
Capital Grants: general grants may be available from national economic initiatives and EU structural funds;
Prudential Borrowing: the Local Government Act 2003 provides for a new 'prudential' system of capital finance controls;
PFI Credits and Private Sector Financing: under the Private Finance Initiative a waste authority can obtain an annual subsidy from central government through a Special Grant;
Other Private-Sector Financing: A contractor may be willing to enter a contract to provide a new facility and operate it. The contractor's charges for this may be expressed as gate fees; and
Existing sources of local authority funding:
for example National Non-Domestic Rate payments (distributed by central government), credit (borrowing) approvals, local tax raising powers (council tax), income from rents, fees, charges and asset sales (capital receipts). In practice there will be limited opportunity to take advantage of these.
Labels: abt contract, abt project finance, financing biological treatment plants.waste feedstock Anaerobic Digestion, PFI Credits
IBBK International Biogas Events September/October 2009
IBBK is offering two additional international events for people working in the biogas industry in September and October 2009:
1) INTERNATIONAL BIOGAS TRAINING COURSE (5-Days) taking place 28 September - 2 October 2009 traditionally at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany The course coves the following topics:
- process of biogas formation
- principles of designing biogas plants- applied technology
- safety issues
Please, see our leaflet (as of June 2009) and Registration PDF
http://www.biogas-training.com/course2009
2) INTERNATIONAL BIOGAS STUDY TOUR (4 Days)
23 - 26 September 2009, starting in Berlin and ending in the area of Cologne, Germany Participants will visit biogas plants and manufacturers in Germany.
Please, see our leaflet (as of June 2009) and Registration PDF:
http://www.biogas-training.com/studytour2009
We offer special rates for booking both events. The number of participants is limited - therefore we recommend an early registration.
For more details please follow the links above or visit our homepage www.biogas-centre.com and don't hesitate to contact us, if you have any further questions.
Labels: biogas events, BIOGAS TRAINING COURSE, IBBK International Biogas Events
UK Government Encourages Itself to Produce Renewable Energy in EA News Item
The Public sector has been urged to generate renewable energy to cut costs and emissions.
The Environment Agency and Partnerships for Renewables today urged public sector organisations in the UK to consider using their land and property to generate renewable energy, which has the potential to provide power for over 1.5 million households.
Councils and agencies could provide power for over 1.5 million households
In the midst of the recent focus on economic and political crises, the two organisations are using World Environment Day (5 June) to encourage the public sector to tackle the impending crisis of climate change and set an example to others by taking positive action.
The organisations have calculated that public sector organisations in the UK could generate up to some 3 gigawatts of power - enough to power all the households in Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool and Doncaster combined and save 3m tonnes of carbon dioxide per year - by installing renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and hydropower schemes on their land.
Public sector bodies own more than 10 per cent of the land in the UK including tens of thousands of buildings and over one million hectares of land. Despite this, only a tiny fraction of the total amount of green energy which the UK is capable of producing comes from renewable energy projects on public sector property.
Although many public sector bodies are already beginning to investigate how they can utilise their land to generate renewable energy, the Environment Agency and Partnerships for Renewables are calling for more organisations to install clean energy technologies to help reduce carbon emissions in addition to generating revenue from the sale of electricity and saving the taxpayer money.
Last year the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, and environmental groups highlighted the need for public sector bodies to take a lead role in the fight against climate change and promote green energy.
The Environment Agency is urging other public sector bodies to follow its example after its announcement in November 2008 to build up to 80 wind turbines on Environment Agency owned land across the country, developing around 200 megawatts of renewable energy capacity - enough to power 90,000 households and save around 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. In addition the turbines will generate up to £2.4 million of revenue every year - money that will be ploughed back into protecting and improving the environment, and adapting to climate change. Other organisations such as British Waterways have also announced similar plans.
The Environment Agency recently ranked as the top green UK public sector organisation in the annual Sunday Times Green List. 99 per cent of electricity used by the Environment Agency is from renewable sources and stringent targets are in place for reducing energy and water. Recycling facilities are available in the offices covering 20 different types of waste. The organisation’s green travel policies have led to a mileage reduction of some 8.9 million miles over the past two years alone and in three years, the Environment Agency has managed to reduce its overall carbon footprint by 14 per cent and water use by ten per cent.
Environment Agency Head of Climate Change and Sustainable Development Tony Grayling said:
"Investment in green technology such as wind turbines not only help cut carbon emissions and secure more home grown energy - they also make financial sense to those involved and ultimately save the taxpayer money.
"The pressures businesses and the public sector are facing may tempt them to cut corners and spend less attention on environmental improvement programmes, but it is now more important than ever before that we look to alternative sources of energy to meet our demands."
Stephen Ainger, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Renewables which was established by the Carbon Trust in 2006, said:
"By embracing and fulfilling its renewable energy potential the UK’s public sector has the opportunity to not only demonstrate strong leadership domestically, in the fight against climate change, it has the opportunity to set the standard for public sector organisations to follow globally. The role of the public sector organisations leading this movement, such as the Environment Agency and British Waterways, should not be underestimated".
Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director Andy Atkins said:
"The public sector has a key role to play in cutting emissions by harnessing the UK’s vast renewable energy potential. Developing green energy could create tens of thousands of new jobs, reduce our dependency of the tyranny of fossil fuels and give this country real influence in the global battle against climate change".
The vehicle for achieving this investment is Partnerships for Renewables which was set up by Carbon Trust Enterprises in 2006 to work in partnership with the public sector to develop, construct and operate renewable energy projects. By providing a one stop shop for the development of renewable energy projects focused on a project development process tailored to the specific needs of the public sector, Partnerships for Renewables provide a way for Public Sector Bodies to access the economic and environmental benefits associated with renewable energy and contribute towards the fight against climate change without diverting public sector resources away from frontline services.
Labels: Community Renewable Energy North West, promoting renewable energy, public sector renewable energy
Scottish Waste and Resources Conference 2009
Sponsored by WRAP and VALPAK
The Scottish Waste and Resources Conference will host the annual 2 day conference, exhibition and awards dinner on 6th and 7th October 2009.
As the title suggests, the partnership event is not exclusive to those working in the waste management industry. At this crucial time in our future development we must engage with the wider resources management sectors.
The conference programme for 2009 features the overall theme of Delivering Zero Waste in Scotland which will provide a pick and mix choice of sessions on key policy updates, new innovations and hearty debate amongst practical participative sessions.
Alongside the conference there is an indoor exhibition which will allow you to meet and discuss your requirements with waste/reprocessing companies and suppliers, providing the ideal networking opportunity.
The Scottish Waste & Resources Awards Dinner, sponsored by Ascot Environmental Ltd and Scotgen (Dumfries) Ltd, will take place on the last evening of the event, 7th October. The purpose of the Scottish Waste and Resources Awards is to acknowledge, reward and celebrate those organisations that have shown an outstanding contribution, through best practice and innovation, to the Scottish waste, recycling and resource management sectors. The 2008 dinner was attended by over 400 people including leading figures from local authorities, private sector organisations, professional bodies and regulators from across Scotland. Nominations for the awards are now open and application forms can be completed online at www.scotwaste.org.
Whether you have been before or not, the Scottish Waste & Resources Conference 2009 promises to be an event not to be missed and a one-stop shop for you, your organisation and your colleagues and one that will keep you ahead of the critical factors influencing our industry.
For priority information on the conference programme or more details on sponsorship opportunities, exhibition of the awards dinner then please contact the Operations Team on (01604) 620426 or email events@ciwm.co.uk .
Posted by Steve Last at 10:31 AM
Labels: Scottish Waste and Resources Conference
BioPower Generation Conference USA, Chicago, 8 - 9 July 2009
In a report published by Biomass Magazine it states that the U.S. Interior Department plans to invest $15 million in 55 biomass projects in 12 states. It goes on to say that “the projects have the potential to provide additional economic benefits to support local or regional employment through post-treatment use of biomass in wood products or power generation.”
Leading utilities, project developers, policy makers and investors plan to meet in Chicago on the 8 – 9 July for the 5th BioPower Generation Conference. Experts already confirmed include:
- Reed Wills, President, ADAGE
- Gary Evans, Chief Executive Officer, Green Hunter
- Leonard Fagan, Vice President, Engineering and Technology, American Renewables
- Andrew Singer, Senior Vice President, Constellation New Energy
- Ron Flax-Davidson, Vice President Business Development, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp
- Todd Alexander, Partner, Chadbourne & Parke
- Art Holland, Vice President, Utility and Risk Services, Pace
- William Johnson, Manager Biofuels Development, Alliant Energy
Click here to download the event brochure.
Ensure you quote BPGEM4 when booking.
Attendees will gain valuable insight into the biomass power generation opportunities in the U.S. and will hear best practice case studies from 10 project developers and utilities. Your questions will be answered at BioPower Generation USA including:
- What do recent policy developments mean for the biopower industry?
- What is the key potential for large scale biomass power production?
- What are the key criteria in developing a biopower portfolio?
- How can producers access financing in the current economic climate?
- What are the latest technologies to improve biopower efficiency?
- How can sustainable feedstock supplies be sourced?
- What are the latest developments in high yield energy crops?
- What criteria are necessary for efficient transmission & distribution?
- How can agricultural, forestry and paper sectors benefit?
Previous attendees include:
Alstom Power, Babcock & Brown, Biopower International, Bioverda Iberia, BP Alternative Energy, Camco Chemical, Carbon Trust, Ceres, CEZ, Chevron Technology Ventures, Contango Markets, Danish Energy Agency, Desmet Engineers & Contractors, Dong Energy, Drax Power, EBICo, EC Bioenergie, Ecofys, Econcern, Ecosecurities, EDF, Electrabel, Enel, EniPower, EnviTech Biogas, Eon Benelux, EOn UK, Essent Energy Trading, Fortum, GE Energy Financial Services, Harbert Power, Kfw Entwicklungsbank, KMW Energi, Mott MacDonald, MW Power, Nidera, Nord/LB, Norsk Vesk, Shell Global Solutions, RWE, UK Trade & Investment, Vattenfall, Veolia, Wärtsilä
Labels: Biomass Magazine, biomass projects, BioPower Generation Conference
New Web Site from Xergi Biogas Provides Insight Into AD Life Cycle Assessments
Xergi - The Biogas Plant Contractor, contacted me recently to announce their new web site. I like the site a great deal, and in particular I recommend their downloadable Life Cycle Assessment report which looks at the relative whole life environmental benefits of different Anaerobic Digestion feed stocks.
The report is titled:
Life Cycle Assessment of Biogas from Maize silage and from Manure - for transport and for heat and power production under displacement of natural gas based heat works and marginal electricity in northern Germany
Please note that the Life Cycle Assessment is being reviewed. The final Assessment will be issued after completion of review, we are told.
However, the report is published in its 2nd draft, dated June 21st 2007. The authors are Kathrine Anker Thyø and Henrik Wenzel of the German Institute for Product Development.
An extract from the summary follows, but there are a lot of data and other information in this free report, making it worth a visit to their web site at the link below, for anyone seeking to decide which are the greenest options for AD plant projects.
Biogas based on manure is not an alternative strongly correlated to the other bioenergy scenarios, because it does not include any utilization of agricultural land. However, since it provides the same services to society as the other scenarios, it still compares to them and should b included in the overall prioritisation of which type of bioenergy technology society should promote with subsidies and other incentives.
The conclusion of this comparison is unambiguous: biogas from manure implies by far the highest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of services provided to society. This being due to the fact that it implies CO2 reductions not only from the fossil fuel replacement by the generated biogas, but equally significantly from the reduce methane emissions from manure storage, reduced nitrous oxide emissions from soil application of the manure and improved plant availability of the nitrogen in the manure.
The brief and overall conclusions on manure based biogas can, thus, be expressed as:
- Biogas from manure stands out as having much higher reduction in greenhouse gas emissions than the other bioenergy types and equal savings in fossil fuels. As cost aspects point to the same direction, manure based biogas should have the highest priority of all the compared bioenergy types.
The other scenarios are strongly correlated by their competition for the same agricultural land. Based on the comparative approach, the LCA shows that environmentally and in terms of fossil fuel savings, energy crops should be prioritised for heat and power purposes either 1) through a preceding biogas generation or 2) by direct incineration or gasification, these pathways leading to almost equal CO2 reductions and fossil fuel savings. Energy crops converted directly into a transport fuel implies significantly lower CO2 reductions due to the energy losses in the conversion processes.
The brief and overall conclusions on maize based biogas can, thus, be expressed as:
Among the compared types of bioenergy requiring agricultural land and energy crops, biogas from maize silage and heat and power from willow imply the highest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the highest fossil fuel savings, environmentally and in terms of fossil fuel savings.
More here at the xergi.com web site..
Labels: Biogas Plant Contractor, fossil fuel savings, German Institute for Product Development., Life Cycle Assessment of Biogas, Xergibiogas
Swedish Co. Helps S Korea Convert Food Waste Into Biogas
By KELLY OLSEN
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean city of Ulsan lets water generated from processing food waste run off into the ocean, which can generate methane gas harmful to the environment.
Now, with the help of a Swedish company, it is going to start converting that waste water into biogas, a type of clean fuel that can be used as power to heat buildings and even power vehicles.
South Korea is looking for ways to increase the use of biogas and other clean energy alternatives amid a push by the government of President Lee Myung-bak to embark on a new development model that emphasizes so-called green growth.
Ulsan, a brawny industrial center of about 1 million people on the country's southeastern coast, saw biogas as an attractive way to deal with a burgeoning waste problem as well as coming tighter government regulations.
"Ulsan is running out of waste disposal sites to cover all the garbage that comes out from the city," municipal official Park In-muk said Thursday. "When garbage is processed into compost, it creates waste water," he said, which the city has been letting it flow into the ocean.
The dumping of waste water generated by the processing of leftover food into the sea, however, will be banned from 2013, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport, and Maritime affairs.
The Ministry of Environment, meanwhile, has increased its budget this year for waste energy, including biogas plants, by five times to 178 billion won ($143 million), according to ministry official Choi Byung-chul.
The government's impending ban on the practice spurred Ulsan, home to big corporations Hyundai Motor Corp. and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., helped push Ulsan to look for alternatives. It found a partner in Scandinavian Biogas Fuels AB.
The company is based in Sweden, which has been a pioneer in biogas development.
Scandinavian Biogas is investing about 10 million euros to upgrade a wastewater treatment plant in Ulsan and will soon start accepting food and other waste for processing into biogas, said Scandinavian Biogas President and CEO Thomas Davidsson.
"Producing biogas is a very effective way of taking care of the waste" as it can be used for heat, electricity and vehicle fuel, Davidsson said in an interview Wednesday. He was in Seoul to participate in the Seoul Climate Change Expo held in conjunction with the third C40 Large Cities Climate Summit.
Turning food waste into biogas can also contribute to efforts to stop global warming.
Read the rest of this article at The Associated Press.
Labels: korea anaerobic digestion plant, Large Cities Climate Summit, Scandinavian Biogas Fuels AB, Ulsan anaerobic digestion plant
UK Specification for Compost BSI PAS 100
Bsi Pas 100 Consultation 2009
The nationally recognised UK specification for compost, BSI PAS 100, is being reviewed to ensure that its contents - from product preparation to monitoring and traceability - are fully up-to-date and reflect recent changes in the fast-moving recycling industry.
For anyone that has not heard of the BSI Pas 100 specification let me just explain that the idea behind it (and it is a very successful one too) is that by providing a very high quality standard the market will be strengthened and sellers and users will gain confidence in waste industry compost products.
The idea has been working very well in my view. I believe that AD Composts are being included now for the first time.
If you have views on how this specification should be developed this is a chance to get involved in the development of this standard.
All comments must be in with WRAP before the close of consultation on 30th June 2009.
http://www.wrap.org.uk/composting/bsi_pas_100.html (Wrap consultation)
Labels: Bsi Pas 100 Consultation, BSI Pas 100 specification, WRAP BSI
Anaerobic Digestion Can Be Best Overall Including Being Cheapest Overall
I guess that if you are a long term subscriber this headline will not be a surprise, but it is good to report that others think so too! Read on and find out why.
Processing food waste using anaerobic digestion technology is not necessarily as expensive in relative terms as some councils may think, consultancy Eunomia has claimed.
Speaking at the AD In the City event held in the UK by BiogenGreenfinch last month, senior consultant, Dr Adrian Gibbs, said that using AD to process food waste collected separately could work out cheaper than processing commingled food and green waste together in an in vessel composting plant.
Dr Gibbs explained that a report by Eunomia had found that sending food waste to AD and green waste to windrow composting cost UK councils £9.50 in gate fees per household per year, whereas sending commingled green and food waste to IVC cost £10.80 per household. He also said that just collecting food waste alone and sending it to AD cost £5.50 per household over the same period.
Dr Gibbs admitted that average gate fees for AD facilities - around £55 per tonne - were higher than IVC - which, he quoted as £45 per tonne, but said that "overall AD is cheaper". He also claimed that separate food waste collections also worked out cheaper than mixed collections and said that the number of local authorities which were implementing separate collections had risen from 11 in 2007 to 54 in 2008.
He told the London borough council officers who attended the event, which was set up to explore ways to introduce more AD capacity in London, that - "AD is better than IVC, it's the way to go and it is the one I would watch."
Anaerobic digestion treats food waste in an oxygen-free environment and produces biogas - which can be converted into energy - and a nutrient rich digestate which can be used on farmland. It also has the potential to provide combined heat and power (CHP).
IVC treats green and/or food waste and sometimes card in an enclosed but oxygenated and aerated environment and produces compost. It does not generate energy.
A number of strengths and weaknesses were highlighted for both separate and mixed collection. The plus side to mixed collections included - only needing to use one vehicle, only one bin required and quick and cheap collections.
However, Dr Gibbs explained that the seasons significantly affected what was collected, with garden waste levels dropping significantly in the winter, meaning that feedstock was inconsistent. He also said that the waste had to be processed in an enclosed environment due to Animal By-Product Regulations and this ups the cost of green waste.
Dr Gibbs also pointed out that green waste and food wastes required different collection frequencies. In addition, not all homes have gardens and collecting green and food waste together prevented councils charging for green waste collection. He claimed that separate AD collection reduced net costs for councils and allowed local authorities to charge for garden waste. He added that there is a large quantity of food waste which could potentially be picked up.
Dr Gibbs said AD had a number of strengths, including -
* Internationally proven technology
* Anaerobic Digestion has strong government support in the form of ROCs, a Task Group and feed-in tariffs
* It is a carbon positive technology
* Valuable outputs - biogas and digestate - and
* Leaves green waste to go through the cheaper windrow process.
He said Anaerobic Digestion's only weakness was the lack of facilities in the UK, adding - "AD wins hands-down for organic waste."
Labels: AD, AD In the City, advantages of anaerobic digestion, Eunomia, full-scale AD facilities, overall AD is cheaper
US Environmental Power and Xergi Collaboration Extended
Environmental Power, the US a developer which is an owner and operator of clean energy production facilities, which currently through their facilities generates significant quantities of tradeable carbon offset credits, has announced a new deal with Swedish renewables/ anaerobic digestion company Xergi.
The company is dedicated to producing energy that is clean, reliable and secure. Energy that uses waste materials instead of precious resources. Energy that is cost-effective, and available today. Energy that transcends conventional notions of what is possible, and that is for example - anaerobic digestion and biogas.
In their press release they tell us:
Environmental Power Announces Investment by Technology Provider Xergi A/S and New Cooperation Agreement
TARRYTOWN, N.Y., April 28, 2009 – Environmental Power Corporation, a leader in the renewable bioenergy industry, today announced that Xergi A/S of Denmark has entered into a new technology and financial agreement with them better reflecting EPG’s build / own / operate business model.
Under the terms of the new agreement, EPG and its wholly owned subsidiary, Microgy, Inc., will continue to have exclusive licensing rights for Xergi’s anaerobic digester technology in North America, while reducing the license fees on Microgy’s current and future projects. In addition, EPG and Xergi will continue to collaborate on development and use of other technologies and techniques such as the use of micro-organisms and enzymes, which enhance the production of biogas from manure and other organic substrates.
“This investment and agreement demonstrate Xergi’s continued confidence in Environmental Power’s business model and its commitment to support the company’s growth in the renewable energy market in North America. Together with Xergi, they will continue our work on technological advancements that will increase energy production from existing feed stocks, while lowering capital and operating costs for large-scale renewable energy projects,” said Rich Kessel, President and CEO of Environmental Power.
“We look forward to developing innovative solutions that maximize renewable energy from agricultural and other waste organic feed stock.”
“Environmental Power and its subsidiary Microgy have established themselves as the leader in development and commercialization of RNG® projects in North America,” said Frank Rosager, President and CEO of Xergi.
“We look forward to learning more about how to produce the equivalent of Environmental Power’s RNG® product in Europe while supporting Environmental Power’s continued growth in North America. This is truly a mutually beneficial relationship.”
Labels: advantages of anaerobic digestion, environmental power, Microgy, renewable bioenergy industry, Xergibiogas
Croatia Goes Big on Biogas with Largest Anaerobic Digestion Plant
Croatia to build largest biogas production plant in Europe
VUKOVAR, May 14. (Hina). A cornerstone laying ceremony was held on Wednesday at Ovcara farm outside the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar for the construction of the future largest biogas production plant in Europe.
The 30 million EUR project has been initiated by the Vukovar-based "Bionergija" company, established by the local Vupik agribusiness and several Croatian and foreign entrepreneurs.
The future plant, which should be built by the end of 2010, is expected to produce 10 megawatts of electrical energy and 11 megawatts of thermal energy daily.
According to a consultant of the Bienergija company, about 700 tonnes of biomass should be ensured daily from agricultural crops on Vupik-owned arable land for the production in the biogas plant.
The factory is to employ some 200 people.
Croatia is expected to raise the biofuels' share in transport fuels to 5.75 percent by 2012 and to 20 percent by 2020, parliamentary deputy Petar Mlinaric said at the ceremony.
Labels: biogas croatia, biogas Vukovar, Bionergija, largest biogas production plant in Europe
Biogas is the New Racing Fuel with Biomethane Powered Sciroccos
Only last weekend a guy told me that he thought biogas was a "cranky" subject! Well, I think not, and what could be better than this announcement to show such people just how wrong they are!
Biogas-Powered VW Sciroccos Debut at STCC
Source: NGV Global
VW Scirocco has successful STCC debut
E.ON, a German producer of biogas and provider of biogas refuelling equipment, has partnered with Volkswagen Motorsport to enter two 100% biomethane powered Sciroccos in the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) for 2009.
The team celebrated a successful race debut for its season-opening event, held at Mantorp racetrack in Mjölby, on May 2nd, in what is reputedly the toughest racing event for standard cars in Sweden. In the first of the two races the best Scirocco was in the 11th position, in the second race in the 9th position -- in both races 16 seconds behind the winner after a 14 lap race at the 3.1 km long circuit.
With further work on the new VW cars the biogas team is confident of performance improvements throughout the nine event season, held across venues in Sweden with one race in Norway. "The purpose of our effort is to demonstrate the potential of biogas - the Swedish climate-smart fuel, " says Håkan Buskhe, CEO of E.ON, adding they want to show that biogas is like any other fuel -- only better.
The (almost) 280 hp, 4-cylinder, 1998 cc Scirocco reaches 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 240 km/h, with output of 310 Nm. The two vehicles were built by Volkswagen Motorsport in Hanover.
Driver Fredrik Ekblom, who has completed nine STCC seasons (three championships, three silver and a bronze), and Patrik Olsson, who has raced in the Volkswagen Polo Cup, are enthusiastic about their vehicles. Ekblom said, "For me, this is a significant challenge. After nine seasons, to start with a whole new racing concept with clean, green fuel feels new, fresh and incredibly exciting."
Labels: Biogas is the New Racing Fuel, biogas refuelling equipment, biogas STCC debut, Biogas-Powered VW Sciroccos, e.on, Volkswagen Motorsport
Using Biomass to Produce Electricity More Efficient than Transforming the Biomass into Biofuels
The following is part of a newsletter from Green Power Conferences publicising their forthcoming BioPower Generation USA conference, Chicago, USA, 8-9 July 2009.
It certainly got me thinking, as I had always assumed the opposite to be the case, and I would dearly like to be able to attend to find out more.
By the way if you are not already subscriber to their Newsletter, get over to their web site (link given below) subscribe and enter the competition for a free event pass.
According to a recent report in Science, using biomass to produce electricity is 80% more efficient than transforming the biomass into biofuels and twice as effective in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
Join leading utilities, project developers, policy makers and investors in Chicago on 8-9 July for BioPower Generation USA and learn new strategies to increase biomass power generation across the U.S.
Attendees will have the opportunity to quiz leading project developers and utility representatives as they present best practice case studies, including:
- GreenHunter
- American Renewables
- Constellation New Energy
- Alliant Energy
- Progress Energy
- NV Energy
- Intrinergy
- Central Hudson Gas & Electrical Corporation
- AgriPower
"As RPS and carbon legislation evolve, so will opportunities to develop more bio-power projects" says conference speaker William Johnson, Manager of Biofuels Development at Alliant Energy. William will address how biomass can be integrated into existing power plant structures and look at the challenges in handling, transportation and storage of biomass sources.
Register today and benefit from our early bird discount (Valid until the 15th May) and get entered for a free event pass. More at the Green Power Conferences web site here.
What are your views? - use the blog comment post below the blog!
Labels: biomass power generation, biomass to produce electricity, free event pass
Biogas Plant Plan - Cumbrian Farmers to Generate Own Energy
Cumbrian farmers to generate own energy through biogas plan
Farmers in Cumbria are teaming up to develop anaerobic digestion facilities to generate their own renewable energy from agricultural waste.
Community Renewable Energy North West (CoRE NW), a group based in Workington, plans to set up a number of co-operatives to develop the plants, which will produce electricity and heat from farmers' manure and silage.
The first plant is to be developed at Middle Farm in Silloth, in the north west of the county, and could secure planning permission next spring. A feasibility study is currently under way, with 10 farmers interested in getting involved.
Hopes are that the £3.5 million digester could be commissioned by the end of 2010, producing just under 1MW of power - around seven million kWh units a year, or enough electricity to supply about 2,000 homes.
Plans are to use heat produced by the facility in the farm's four large chicken sheds, as well as to the next-door cement block factory.
Social enterprise NRG NorthEast Renewables Group is to supply and install the digester, subject to planning permission, with technology expected to be supplied by German biogas company Biogas Hochreiter.
The project will see local farmers owning the new anaerobic digester along with CoRE NW itself, while NRG will be a minor stakeholder.
Core NW has set up an energy supply company (ESCo) to manage energy sales, with expectations that the facility could bring in £1.2 million a year, achieving payback in around six years. Profits from the project - around £100,000 a year - will go towards setting up three more anaerobic digestion plants in the area, as well as supporting other community renewable energy projects.
Research behind the project has suggested that farmers involved in an anaerobic digestion scheme could see an annual income of £20,000, along with up to £16,300 for supplying materials and dividends averaging £10,000 a year.
Anaerobic digestion involves bacterial feeding on organic material in large tanks, producing a methane-rich biogas that can be used to generate energy, as well as a residue that can be used as a fertiliser.
It is seen as a particularly attractive technology for north west Cumbria, since the region has a high density of dairy farms, which produce a considerable amount of manure and slurry, which is difficult to deal with under new legal controls.
CoRE NW said digestion plants could effectively double the profitability of dairy farmers.
Mike Pearson, who owns the farm where the first digester is being proposed, said: "We think this a great way forward for Cumbrian farmers. As well as increasing our income, it also means we reduce our usage of chemicals and produce renewable energy."
Initial work on the Middle Farm project was funded by West Cumbria social enterprise project The Hub, which is run by Lancashire-based industrial and provident society Co-operative and Mutual Solutions.
Feedstock for the plant is likely to inclure 20,000 tonnes of slurry, 10,000 tonnes of silage from currently unproductive land and 3,000 tonnes of chicken manure. Some 10,000 tonnes of food waste from Lakeland Creameries and other local sources could also be used in the plant.
Labels: Community Renewable Energy North West, Cumbrian biogas, Cumbrian farmers biogas, renewable energy from agricultural waste
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Tiger makes appearance at Ind. ...
India: Held captive, leopard falls ...
Tiger makes appearance at Ind. pottery store
By Robert Annis
Robert.Annis@Topics.com
CARMEL — A special visitor named J.B. visited Paint Pals Pottery & Arts Saturday, although he didn’t come to paint. He was more interested in devouring 15 pounds of raw chicken.
J.B., a 7-month-old, 120-pound tiger who lives at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, visited the Carmel pottery store, at 14550 Clay Terrace Blvd., to raise funds for the big cat sanctuary in Center Point, Ind.
Nearly 100 people — some from as far away as Villa Grove, Ill. — attended the event to get a closer look at the majestic young tiger cub. Jean Herrberg, the feline center’s assistant director, said J.B. would gain approximately 20 pounds a month until he reaches about 500 pounds.
Although it was his first time on display in a new setting, J.B. took all of the attention in stride. He passed the time by gnawing on chicken or “chuffing” — a friendly sound tigers make toward other tigers and select humans.
“He’s got a gentle nature,” Herrberg said. “He’s very friendly and curious.”
Garrett Raleigh, 10, and his parents Danny and Rhonda Raleigh, all of Westfield, have never been to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. After talking with friends and visiting J.B., the family plans to make a trip in the spring.
Dottie White of Indianapolis also was thrilled to see J.B. The tiger was named after her late husband, who was a long-time supporter of the center. It was the first time she’d met the “beautiful specimen” in person, she said.
Call staff writer Robert Annis at (317) 444-5572.
http://www.topics.com/articles/3/084028-8233-088.html
India: Held captive, leopard falls sick
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CLICK ON THE STORY LINK TO WATCH THIS AMAZING VIDEO! http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/10/panther-cubs-seen-in-mongolia/1 In this short ...
BCR October 5, 2010
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New Tech Taps Blockchain to Secure Student Data
By Sri Ravipati
Sony Corporation and Sony Global Education have finished developing a cloud-based platform built on IBM Blockchain that allows a secure exchange of educational data.
Blockchain technology records and keeps information safe by creating a decentralized record of data that can be confirmed and validated without relying on a single authority. IBM Blockchain underpins Sony’s new education platform, which harnesses IBM Cloud and The Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Fabric 1.0 blockchain framework.
"Blockchain technology has the potential to impact systems in a wide variety of industries, and the educational sphere is no exception when educational data is securely stored on the blockchain and shared among permissioned users,” said Masaaki Isozu, president of Sony Global Education, in a prepared statement.
Administrators at schools, colleges and universities can use the system to consolidate registration, attendance, grades, degrees, diplomas and other types of educational data from several schools, forming “digital transcripts” that track student progress. In addition, the digital transcripts can integrate with student information systems and learning management systems across multiple providers.
The system can also be utilized to securely disclose information to third-party providers — which are often susceptible to hackers attempting to get ahold of student data.
Find out how blockchain could allow students to own their credentials here.
Students can carry these digital transcripts with them to other educational institutions or prospective employers.
The company is currently working with several educational institutions, and plans to roll out the system sometime next year.
Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at sravipati@1105media.com.
Secrets to Making Videos with Impact
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Trucks, strong labour market combined for record January auto sales
Light truck sales, a strong labour market and the threat of higher interest rates later this year drove record-setting new-vehicle sales in January, analysts say.
Canadians bought so many new vehicles in January that it set the stage for 2.1 million in annual sales, Scotiabank says.
It was just one month, but automakers sold a record 117,785.
Light trucks powered sales, with volumes surging nine per cent above the same month a year earlier. The increase represents a further acceleration in light truck sales, up half a percentage point from the 8.5 per cent year-over-year increase reported during all of 2017.
Car sales declined three per cent below a year earlier, with 13 automakers reporting lower car sales last month.
Foreign automakers saw the biggest gains in light truck sales with their volumes surging 17 per cent.
For example, Toyota Tacoma sales were up 24.3 per cent to 1,018 units while the automaker’s Tundra sales rose 20.3 per cent to 711.
Meanwhile, Ford’s popular F series saw its sales drop 16.4 per cent while FCA’s Ram pickup fell 17 per cent.
Light trucks earned 73.2 per cent of the market, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
While there were warnings of lower levels of consumer confidence and uncertainties around the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement, auto sales "bucked that trend in a big way," GAC President David Adams said.
"The gains reflect a strong labor market, which advanced last year at the fastest pace of the past decade," Scotiabank analyst Carlos Gomes said, noting that job growth overpowers other economic variables for auto sales.
DesRosiers suspects increasing interest rates may have prompted more buyers to lock in a low interest rate in January.
The Bank of Canada raised its interest rate last month for the third time in seven months. It upped the key rate to 1.25 per cent. Banks followed suit.
DesRosiers says it's too early to predict where the market will end in 2018. Canadians last year purchased more than two million vehicles for the first time.
The Canadian Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Castle Douglas and Crocketford Ward
210 and 212 King Street and 32 St Andrew Street
A Category C Listed Building in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway
Latitude: 54.939 / 54°56'20"N
OS Grid: NX763621
Mapcode National: GBR 0CZB.G9
Mapcode Global: WH4W0.K4N0
Entry Name: 210 and 212 King Street and 32 St Andrew Street
Listing Date: 17 October 2005
Location: Castle Douglas
County: Dumfries and Galloway
Town: Castle Douglas
Electoral Ward: Castle Douglas and Crocketford
Traditional County: Kirkcudbrightshire
W F Valentine, 1934-5. 2-storey, roughly square-plan tenement building on corner site at heart of Castle Douglas with very prominent, tall 5-stage octagonal clock tower at corner surmounted by ogee dome supported on thin Doric columns. Coursed granite with polished red sandstone ashlar dressings. Base course, deep cornices over fascias and at eaves; parapet; bracketed eaves cornice to tower; long and short quoins and window margins; stone-mullioned windows to 1st floor flats.
FURTHER DETAILS: shops to NE and SE elevations with original plate glass shop fronts with leaded-light strips above, glazed timber doors and black and white tiled steps; tripartite window above to NE elevation; 2 bipartite windows above to SE elevation. Clock tower slightly recessed between shops at corner with half-glazed timber-panelled door at ground and narrow lights at various stages; octagonal clock faces with Roman numerals to top stage; leaded ogee dome supported on pairs of Doric columns; weather-vane finial.
Timber sash and case windows with plate glass to lower sashes and small-pane glazing to upper sashes. Rendered stacks with yellow clay cans. Slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles.
This building is prominently situated in the heart of Castle Douglas at the junction of two of the main roads into the town. Its height makes it a local landmark and it is particularly visible from both ends of King Street. The clock tower is badly proportioned, but the building has been little altered externally and still retains its original glazing and both 1930s shop fronts, which is unusual. It was built as a replacement for the old Town House's steeple, which had been destroyed in a fire. It does not, despite appearances, seem to have been intended as a public building, as Castle Douglas already had another Town Hall. A bronze plaque at the ground floor of the tower is inscribed: 'The clock in this tower is the gift of Henry J Hewat of Paterson, New Jersey, USA and Castle Douglas. 6th May 1935'.
William Forrest Valentine (1885-1957) was based in Kilmarnock, where he built the Masonic Lodge on London Road and a number of other buildings. He was also the architect of many Co-op buildings across Ayrshire.
Period Property Manual (New Ed)
Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
C 210 and 212 King Street and 32 St Andrew Street
C 11-15 (Odd Nos) St Andrews Street and King Street, the Douglas Arms Hotel
C 193 & 195 King Street, the Merrick Hotel
B St Andrew Street, Town Hall and Customs House
C Abercromby Road, St John the Evangelist, Rc Church, Presbytery and Retaining Walls
C 122-126 (Even Nos) Queen Street
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This Kid Burned Down His College Campus In An Attempt To Make A ‘Fancy’ Marriage Proposal To His Girlfriend
#Dumb
by Rebecca Martinson 5 years ago
Did you know that there’s a 50% chance that your girlfriend won’t give a shit about how you propose and only cares that you actually went and proposed in the first place? Well now you do, so if you ever get lucky enough to find a girl who’s willing to touch your wiener on a regular basis without you having to throw her a fat $50, make sure not to accidentally burn down your college campus in an attempt to impress her into marrying you.
That’s solid advice that you can apply to pretty much anything in life, really. I can’t think of a single situation where burning down your college campus would be a good idea, but unfortunately Dim Xiong Chien, 22, decided that doing so would be a great way to make his girlfriend say “Yes!” to his marriage proposal, and by “decided” I mean “He’s a big fucking idiot and did it on accident.”
Dim Xiong Chien, 22, had taken three large boxes of fireworks onto campus where he planned to set them off as he got down on one knee and popped the question to girlfriend Cong Yen, 22.
But when she forgot to turn up he set them off anyway hoping she would see them and go and see what was happening.
Pal Shin Tan, 21, said: “He had prepared this big event in secret and had told her to meet him by the sports ground for a romantic walk.
“She had no idea he was planning to propose though, and clearly forgot all about the walk.”
As firemen rushed to the scene to put out the three-metre high flames on the grass, gutted Chien went looking for forgetful Yen.
Via Mirror
I can perfectly imagine Chien wandering around in some sort of trance-like state searching for his girlfriend as a fire rages on directly behind him. And who sees fireworks and immediately runs towards them to see what’s going on? OBVIOUSLY someone is shooting off fireworks you idiot, there’s no mystery there. Did you think your girlfriend would sprint over to you because she thought there was a leprechaun with a pot of gold shooting off fireworks on campus? If that’s the case, then it looks like the two of you are almost dumb enough to be perfect together. Almost.
He said: “I was feeling a bit surprised that she hadn’t shown up, and was completely unaware that the fireworks had set the grass on fire.
“When I found her I said she had to come with me as there was something important I wanted to tell her and show her.
“But as we approached the sports hall we saw all these flames and firemen and I decided to postpone the proposal to another date.”
Realizing that proposing on the same day that you burned down half of your campus was probably the smartest move he made all year. It took firemen more than an hour to extinguish the fire at Liaoning Advertisement Vocation College, and Yen (girlfriend) stated that her parents won’t let her marry him because he’s clearly a moron. Sorry Chien, better luck next time.
[H/T Mirror, header image via Shutterstock]
TAGSCollegeDumbFireMarriageProposals
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Brooklynn's Court
Crisis Communication: An analysis of Jeanie Buss’s actions following Magic Johnson’s announcement
May 27, 2019 May 27, 2019 / brooklynnrl / Leave a comment
Magic Johnson shakes hands with a man at the Sports Museum of America in 2009. Photo Credit: Philipschwalb
One word: Yikes.
On April 9, 2019, Magic Johnson, a beloved Los Angeles Laker, announced in a press conference that he would be leaving his position as president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. This should be news, but it shouldn’t turn into a Kardashian episode, but Johnson made the announcement without alerting the Lakers organization prior. Talk about transparency.
Magic Johnson, yellow, posts up Clyde Drexler, black, in the 1980s. Photo Credit: Kip-koech
His comments opened a Pandora’s Box of controversy surrounding the Lakers ownership and who is actually in control of the organization.
This situation worsened when Lakers’ primary owner, Jeanie Buss, commented. Let’s look at how Jeanie Buss’s actions added to the PR-crisis.
Buss did not reassure fans of her abilities as a owner.
Jeanie Buss’s tweet in response to Johnson’s announcement. Photo Credit: Jeanie Buss
Instead of making it clear that she was unaware of Johnson’s leave, Buss posted loving message to Johnson on Twitter.
Johnson called Buss’s ownership abilities into question when he left the organization, and Buss’s lack of response does not help fans feel any sort of validation in her ownership ability.
Buss had others make the statement.
Many people have speculated that LeBron James has been making the Lakers’ ownership decisions. This rumor was not hushed when James commented about Johnson’s sudden announcement, calling it a distraction from the team that was still finishing its season.
Buss has not stopped communication with Johnson.
Buss posted with Johnson on May 2, 2019. Photo Credits: Jeanie Buss
While maintaining a relationship between the Lakers and Johnson is important, Buss should also be making it clear that Johnson is no longer involved in the Lakers’ operation.
Their relationship is also one-sided as Johnson has continued to make comments critiquing the Lakers’ ownership.
By continuing to share loving posts with Johnson, Buss presents also the argument that perhaps she still needs his leadership and guidance.
Buss did not provide stability for the organization.
Three days after Johnson left, the Lakers “mutually parted ways” with head coach Luke Walton. The one thing that the Lakers needed was stability, and Buss just continued to make others question her ability as a leader and drew further attention to the organization as a whole.
Additionally, there have been rumors that the Lakers will not hire a new president of basketball operations. Because of this job opening, there is more instability in the organization.
I need to take a breather. Ok. So, as a PR professional, what can you do to extinguish this fire? Well, I have a few recommendations:
Make the primary decision maker known.
The Lakers’ PR team needs to end this gossip by clarifying who is in control of the organization. Jeanie Buss should be the appointed lead, but even if she’s not, the organization needs to seem professional and organized.
Separate Johnson from decision makers.
By still portraying a perfect relationship with Johnson, Buss makes others think that she is sort of oblivious to the situation and calls into question her leadership abilities.
Prevent further damage.
Johnson is keeping this crisis in the news by continuing to make comments to the media. The Lakers need to come to an agreement with him to end these comments. By giving the situation some space, the media can hopefully calm down and move on.
Provide stability.
Hire well-known names and make fans feel comfortable with where the organization is headed. With all the trade rumors and leadership questions, it is important to make fans know that the organization is in good hands.
What do you think the Lakers’ PR team should do in response to this crisis? Let me know in the comments.
The Cincinnati Bengals & Endangered Species: A CSR Match Made in Heaven
Quarterback Andy Dalton steps back in the pocket during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Photo Credits: Football Schedule
I recently read an article on the New York Times called “Bengal Tigers May Not Survive Climate Change.”
Obviously, I was sad. Tigers are one of my favorite animals. In fact, I named my cat, Tiger, after one.
Then, I started thinking. What does this mean for organizations that have mascots that are animals currently on the endangered species list? A.K.A. The Cincinnati Bengals.
Photo of a Bengal tiger. Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons
I began to look at the Cincinnati Bengals community tab on its website and realized that currently the organization does not work to conserve the life of the species that its named after. It doesn’t even have an environmental CSR program. What an opportunity.
Climate change is a threat to the Bengal tiger population. A study recently found that up to 96 percent of tigers in the Sundarbans could be wiped out with an increase in sea level of 11 inches. No suitable habitats are predicted to exist for Bengal tigers in India, the tiger’s primary living habitat, by the year 2070, approximately 50 years from now.
The Cincinnati Bengals should come forward and partner with other organizations to save the tigers and to prevent climate change.
So, what would this program look like? Here are five different solutions:
1. Promote Going Green
A Cincinnati streetcar. Photo Credits: Travis Estell
Bet ya didn’t see that one coming? But, seriously. Encourage fans to take public transportation to the game. Do some sort of promotion for it with athletes to have fans see that anyone can take the bus– even NFL players.
Recently the Bengals’ stadium, Paul Brown Stadium, announced that it would be making strives to become more renewable. This program should be expanded and promoted to fans as a way to save the Bengals.
2. Build Partnerships
The Bengals should partner with an organization like the World Wildlife Fund which works to protect Bengal tigers. Nike currently has the rights for NFL uniforms; however, the three could partner and create a one-time Bengal uniform that’s proceeds go toward conservation efforts.
If Nike was not on board with this partnership, the Bengals could offer some sort of other merchandise that’s proceeds go toward organizations looking to save the tigers.
3. Educate Fans
The Bengals should implement an interactive fan booth at games that teaches fans about Bengal tigers and climate change. The booth could involve spinning a wheel, and the fan has to answer some sort of trivia. If answered correctly, the fan could win a small prize like a trading card.
By doing this, the Cincinnati Bengals will be able to educate future generations about healthy lifestyle patterns they can implement to save endangered species.
4. Donate to causes that prevent illegal hunting
Since donating to climate change research may be too political of an issue, the Cincinnati Bengals should donate to organizations that work to prevent animals from being illegally hunted.
Poaching also puts tigers in greater danger of extinction, but by donating to organizations like the International Anti-Poaching Foundation or the World Wildlife Fund, the Bengals can work to save its beloved mascot.
5. Prevent Food Waste
An inside look at Paul John Stadium. Photo Credits: Scott Beale
One-third of all food is wasted. This waste produces unnecessary carbon emissions. The Cincinnati Bengals should prioritize food waste by ensuring that the food prepared at games is only available if ordered. Although it may increase wait time, it will decrease unnecessary carbon emissions and improve the environment.
These are just a few of my personal pointers, but there is much more to be done. To learn more about how you can prevent climate change, click here and for more information about Bengal tiger conservation, click here.
Why Sabrina Ionescu’s Decision to stay at Oregon is telling of women’s sports
I met Ionescu with my best friend, who is also named Sabrina, at the Oregon Spring Game on April 20.
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of the University of Oregon’s star guard Sabrina Ionescu. She is the record holder for the most triple-doubles in a collegiate career for men or women, setting the record her sophomore year.
Needless to say, the basketball stud has done it all, including leading the Oregon women to its first Final Four birth and winning the John R. Wooden Award for the most outstanding collegiate women’s basketball player.
That’s why it was such a surprise when Ionescu chose to forgo the WNBA draft to return to college basketball for her senior year.
Ionescu celebrates Oregon’s first Final Four birth at the Moda Center on March 31, 2019, while I took photos.
Her letter for the Player’s Tribune highlighted how Ionescu feels as though she still has much to accomplish at Oregon, specifically a national championship.
However, from an outsider’s perspective, it’s clear that an unmentioned reason probably made Ionsecu want to return to college:
Women collegiate athletes experience more benefits and stardom than professional women athletes.
And, that’s messed up. The draw of money that exists for men to enter the draft does not exist for women. In fact, research shows that the average salary for a WNBA player in 2018 was $71,635 while the minimum salary for an NBA player is $838,464.
While sponsorships do exist for women to make some additional cash, they are not as lucrative as they are for men. Another blog investigated this and found that Maria Sharapova gets approximately $23 million from endorsement deals, leading all women, while Tiger Woods makes $65 million from endorsements, leading all men.
This is really bad, and I think Sabrina Ionescu wants to close this gap by bringing attention to these inequalities.
Ionescu calls out ESPN in a video during March Madness. Photo Credits: Ronald Clark
We have already seen Ionescu take on ESPN and its lack of coverage for women’s sports. Following ESPN’s coverage of the first triple-double of the NCAA tournament, Ionescu was quick to point out in an interview that she had already done it.
As a student at the University of Oregon, I have also seen Ionescu take a team that no one paid attention to and make them into a program that sells out its home games. She’s more than an athlete. She’s an activist.
Just in the last few weeks, Ionescu inspired a campaign to get women’s basketball jerseys for sale at the Duck Store. It has semi-succeeded as the Duck Store released a t-shirt version of Ionescu’s #20 jersey.
The Duck Store announced via Instagram that it would be selling Ionescu t-shirts. Photo Credits: Duck Store
Like many other women athletes, Ionescu has begun to speak up against gender inequality that she experiences. She joins Serena Williams, who spoke out against the gender stereotyping of women, the USA women’s soccer team that fought for equal pay and working conditions, the survivors of the Larry Nassar assaults and countless other women who have now decided that the time is up.
A significant change is coming in women’s sports. Women are beginning to stand up for equality and are forcing others to pay attention to their perspectives. I think its one of the many reasons Ionescu decided to stay at Oregon.
Ionescu knows that she has this platform at the University of Oregon, Nike’s pride and joy, and this platform may not exist for her at right now at the professional level.
Women around sports are finally voicing the injustices they have faced for many years. Now, it’s our turn to stand with them.
How to Apply Infographics in Sports
Infographics can even be used to appeal to different audiences. Check out this one in Spanish! Photo Credit: Mário Malhão
One thing that sports do not lack are statistics.
In fact, there are websites dedicated to keeping statistics for any sport imaginable, not to mention the reddit community that keeps the most rare and uncommon statistics for sporting events.
And fans love statistics. Fans want to see anything that makes it look like their team is going to win, which is why many athletic organizations have turned to infographics, visual representations of data, as a way to engage fans and inform them about potential opportunities.
But many organizations also do not use infographics to its full potential. With this in mind, here’s five ways that people can apply infographics to sports:
1. Enhance head-to-head matchups
An infographic of the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry. Photo Credit: Shane Keaney
Compare your team’s best players against the competitor. Show why you are going to beat them. If you are representing a sports broadcasting company, showcase why this matchup is going to be fun to watch. This will generate excitement around the matchup, especially if it is a rivalry.
2. Hype up your team
This infographic created by the MLB compares the 2018 Yankees to other all-time great teams. Photo Credits: MLB
Make an infographic highlighting your team’s successes this year on the road and at home. Use graphic design to show how the team ranks among the other teams in the league.
Take this infographic of the MLS trophy case for each team for example. This infographic excites fans for D.C. United as well as the LA Galaxy because it highlights the teams’ winning nature.
Similarly, the infographic, pictured left, showcases how close the Yankees were in 2018 to setting an MLB record.
Infographics like these make fans excited. After all, who doesn’t want to win a championship?
3. Highlight a specific player
A screenshot of the Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson infographic from 2015. Photo Credit: Lakers
Jordan Clarkson won All-Rookie team honors for the LA Lakers in 2015. The Lakers created an infographic that showcased his talent.
From highlighting his shooting range to graphing his season improvement in points and assists per game, the Lakers excited fans about Clarkson’s potential to become a Laker great by comparing him to other successful rookies from that season.
This can also be used to compare a particular athlete to a historic great. So, the MJ vs LeBron debate, maybe does have a solution (or it’s just MJ)?
4. Showcase improvement
A video infographic of Shawn Childs. Photo Credit: Christopher Scales
Players and teams change over the course of a season. Teams can show the impact of a
trade or a new signee through infographics. By comparing the team of old to the team of new, the organization can exemplify how this player, new offense or whatever other change has positively impacted the organization.
5. Recap a game
The San Jose Sharks shared this recap of its series against the Avalanche. Photo Credits: Sharks
Not only can infographics be used to hype up a future matchup, infographics can also be used to explain how or why a team won or lost a game.
By presenting information in a graphic form, things can make a lot more sense to viewers.
These are just a few of the many ways that infographics can be used to enhance sports.
And if you’re like me and you hate graphic design, websites like Canva and Visual.ly offer helpful templates to get you started. So you have no excuse now. Get to work.
Why the NFL needs to add programs that focus on brain injury awareness
May 10, 2019 May 13, 2019 / brooklynnrl / 1 Comment
NFL Players have an increased likelihood of having CTE. Photo Credits: Max Pixel
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE will change the way that football is played– if it is played at all– in the years to come.
Aaron Hernandez, pictured, was diagnosed with CTE after his death. Photo Credits: Jack Newton
A 2017 report studied the effects of CTE on the brains of 202 American football players. Of the 202 participants, 111 played in the NFL. Of the 111, only one brain did not show signs of CTE. One.
CTE, for those who don’t know, can have life-altering changes on the brain. It is caused by repeated blows to the head and results in personality changes, memory loss and behavioral changes.
Aaron Hernandez, a Super-Bowl-winning tight end for the New England Patriots, had “the most severe case of CTE ever discovered in a person his age,” according to the Washington Post. Hernandez died via suicide at age 27 while in jail for first-degree murder. There are speculations that CTE may have led him to commit the crime though we may never know the true motive.
Awareness of the Problem
Needless to say, the NFL is aware of this problem and of the research existing about CTE. The NFL released a statement in response to the 2017 report. The statement reiterated how many questions were left unanswered; however, it also highlighted the NFL’s want to prevent CTE by bringing attention to its $100 million donation made to support research in 2016.
Later in the year, the NFL gave an additional $35 million to brain injury research according to a report. Clearly, the NFL is well aware that brain trauma is an issue associated with football, and the organization wants to prevent it.
Rule Change
Last year, the NFL also changed the rule regarding helmet-to-helmet contact. Players now cannot lower their head to hit another player regardless of the circumstance. The NFL implemented this rule in order to lower the risk of concussions and brain related injuries.
Lack of Raising Awareness
While the NFL has made statements about its commitment to concussion research, the NFL does not offer any sort mention of brain trauma research in its corporate social responsibility webpage.
Although the NFL is involved with other social issues that are unfortunately prevalent such as relationship violence and preventing DUIs, the NFL does not want to bring awareness to the connection between CTE and the NFL.
Collisions leading to brain injuries also occur in soccer. Photo Credit: KeithJJ
Football is not the only sport that causes brain injuries. Studies have found that soccer also leads to chronic brain injuries. However, other leagues are doing more to raise awareness. The NWSL and the MLS hosted a joint weekend summit about brain awareness. The summit facilitated a conversation between researchers, athletes and medical staff so that athletes could be treated for their injuries in the best way possible.
It’s time the NFL does more to prevent brain injuries, and this could start by implementing a CSR program to teach healthy hitting habits to young football players. Children grow up seeing the most brutal hits getting replayed on TV and in highlight reels. This narrative needs to change.
By teaching kids healthy hitting patterns at a young age, years of potential brain trauma could be prevented. Money is not enough. Young athletes need activism to change their behaviors.
It’s time for the NFL to take the big hit and do something that will prevent these life-threatening injuries for generations to come.
Fans, Outbreaks and Measles– Oh My!
May 10, 2019 / brooklynnrl / Leave a comment
The Moda Center seats a lot of people– just check out the view from the 300 section.
Funny story. My mom had tickets for the Portland Trail Blazers’ game on January 11, 2019, but for only the second time in the 21 years that my family has been quarter-season ticket holders, she forgot.
It may have been a blessing as someone at the game ended up having measles, exposing the 20,000 fans in attendance to the potentially-deadly illness.
Let’s take a look at how the Trail Blazers handled this situation.
Blazers news releases from January 18 when the outbreak was announced to January 22. Photo credit: Trail Blazers
On its PR news website, the Trail Blazers stayed mum about the potential exposure. Although Multnomah County announced the potential exposure on January 18 in a press release, the Blazers chose not to release its own individual statement.
I find it surprising that the Blazers would fail to comment on this matter, because this is something that many families would be worried about. Children frequently attend Blazer games, and as an Oregonian, I can vouch that many parents are the kind of parents that want their children all-natural, aka no vaccinations.
Additionally, Multnomah County’s press release explicitly stated that the infected individual attended the Trail Blazers game. By naming the organization, I thought that they would surely release a statement, but it does not seem like they did.
On Instagram, the Blazers also neglected to tell fans about the exposure to measles.
Blazers’ Instagram posts from January 18- January 22. Again, there was no mention of the measles. Photo Credits: Trail Blazers
Here is a screen grab of the Blazers’ Instagram posts from January 18 when then outbreak was announced to January 20. None of these posts contain any information about the measles.
Again, this was surprising to me but not as surprising as the lack of press release.
From these investigations, one thing became very clear. The Trail Blazers said nothing about the measles outbreak.
So, who else close to the organization might have said something? I thought that the Moda Center and surrounding Rose Quarter area made the most sense.
The Moda Center and Rose Quarter also made no statement. Photo Credit: Moda Center
However, I was again surprised to find out that the arena itself made no statement about the measles outbreak on its news website.
Needless to say these discoveries left me a little alarmed. What else might the Blazers and the Rose Quarter be hiding? A large majority of the news articles on both of the websites are positive. Are organizations like this not willing to acknowledge some of the negative press?
Although the lack of a statement did not seem to affect attendance, I am not sure that saying nothing is the way to go if these events occur in the future. These outbreaks will likely continue to occur, just look at the measles outbreak from last week in Los Angeles.
Moving forward, I think that PR practitioners need to take steps to not only inform fans about potential exposures but also encourage fans to get immunizations. While the Blazers slipped by, this should not be the practiced response.
What do you think NBA teams and other professional sports teams should do in response to potential outbreaks? Are you ok with the Blazers’ response? Let me know in the comments below.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Live Tweeting
May 3, 2019 / brooklynnrl / Leave a comment
This is how I feel when I have to live tweet. Photo credits: jimgrant
Live tweeting may be one of the most stressful things that a PR practitioner can be asked to do. Whether for a group meeting, guest speaker or a sporting event, live tweeting involves particular skills that other PR practices do not require.
I have had to do my fair share of live tweeting as a sports volunteer for KWVA radio. While producing the broadcasts, I was also in charge of tweeting live updates of plays, scores and highlights. It wasn’t easy.
I’ve had successes and failures in live tweeting. Additionally, I have also seen the successes and failures of some professional teams while live tweeting.
Here is are my guidelines for live tweeting sporting events:
Do use images.
The Golden State Warriors tweeted a video of its first made bucket in the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday. Photo Credit: Warriors
People love seeing gifs, memes, videos, photos and any other sort of content.
These tweets generally get more impressions, too.
I mean, let’s think about it. Who doesn’t want to see their team doing sweet things on the court.
Don’t share unnecessary content.
Too many images or just too many posts in general tend to overwhelm someone’s feed. As a sports fan after my team has lost, the last thing I want to see is a million posts about the game. Only share when things are necessary if you want to have that good following-to-follower ratio. Also, don’t act like you don’t care about it. You do.
Do tweet at players and teams and use hashtags.
Oregon women’s basketball tweeted at Sabrina Ionescu during a game. Photo Credits: Oregon Women’s Basketball
Tweets generate more engagements when it uses hashtags. Use this to your advantage and tag opposing teams and players and by using hashtags to describe plays.
It’s fun to see teams tweet at on another and share a little smack talk.
However, this leads me to my next point:
Don’t be unprofessional.
The Blazers released an incorrect game score on April 21, 2019. This could have been prevented, but at least they apologized. Photo Credits: Trail Blazers
Do not say anything that you would not want someone from your organization to say. There is a thin line between being funny and being offensive, and you do not want anyone to have a negative view of your organization because of a tweet.
On this same note, make sure you spell everything right and have the score of the game correct. The last thing you need to do is stress out a fan because he or she believes that the team is losing when in fact the team is ahead.
Being professional is more than just tweeting good statements. It involves tweeting things that are correct. If your tweet is a few seconds late but has no errors, it’s worth it. And if you do mess up, take responsibility for it.
Do get creative.
The Sacramento Kings are known for its great use of Twitter. Photo Credits: Sacramento Kings
People don’t want to share, “The Lakers signed Lebron James.” They want to share, “A new King is in town. Welcome to the city of stars, Lebron.”
Give players nicknames. Use analogies. Think about different ways that you can describe the experience beyond, “Mike Trout hits a home run.” By doing this, you’re going to excite fans a different way. Just as people listen to lively radio and tv commentators, they look for these same qualities on social media.
Don’t say anything negative about your own team.
Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. I do not care about how bad that airball was. I do not want to hear about it from my own team. Do not talk about how someone choked at the free throw line. Loyal fans will be frustrated and do not want this content. Just like the player, put it behind you and move on.
Obviously, there are a ton of other rules to follow too. But, by doing these small things, your Twitter will at least be on the right track.
Unless the next NBA mascot is a Greenwasher, let’s cut it out.
Bernard James warms up for his game during NBA Green Week in 2013. Photo Credits: glenn.shelby
In 2010, the WNBA and the NBA announced its new corporate social responsibility initiative to go green– just like everyone else in the world.
And, it’s wonderful. Don’t get me wrong. We should all be taking steps to protect the environment and reduce plastic use, but we shouldn’t be doing it to be trendy and relevant. We should just do it, because it’s right.
But, if you are going to commit to a CSR cause, do it to its fullest potential. Do not do what the NBA/WNBA has done.
If it’s broken, you fix it.
Two Maverick players attend the Trees for Threes event in 2017. Photo Credit: Mavericks
Since its establishment, the website for NBA-Green, the platform that represents both the WNBA and the NBA’s commitment to the environment, has basically been untouched.
The last “NBA Green Week” update came from 2010 even though the campaign claims to still be running and is actively linked on the NBA Cares website. Photos picture retired players picking weeds and looking like they are still in their prime, emphasizing the outdated-nature of the website.
While it does show semi-recent actions taken by individual team such as the 2017 Trees for Threes campaign by the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA does not seem to enforce any league-wide changes.
The website emphasizes how the NBA/WNBA does not actually care about improving the environment. Instead, the website just confirms that the initiative was what it seemed– a bandwagon effort to hop on a popular trend.
Practice what you preach.
The WNBA/NBA Green campaign emphasizes initiatives like planting trees and saving electricity. The NBA does anything but conserve electricity with 82 game seasons (not including the playoffs). Also, how do trees play into the NBA which allows teams to print paper programs for each fan at home games?
While I understand that these are collectible items (I have 40+ of them), I’d be willing to download it online in order to preserve the environment. Teams should too.
Actually, make the change.
Hundreds of thunder sticks are given to fans every home game. Photo Credit: Shaheen Karolina
The WNBA/NBA allows for teams to freely give fans paper programs, thunder sticks and t-shirts. These are small things that if outlawed could add up to a very significant environmental impact. Recently, the Trail Blazers adopted biodegradable thunder sticks. The NBA could enforce these initiatives league-wide.
While some teams have taken initiative and have started to implement programs such as the San Fransisco Giants’ moment to eliminate all plastic straws and lids from its arena, a lot of teams still allow these plastics. If the league took a stance on any of these issues, it would be a simple fix with a major impact on the environment.
Focus on programs that align with your mission.
If you aren’t going to put the time into a campaign, just don’t do it. The NBA and WNBA have other CSR programs. The WNBA does work with breast cancer awareness, and the NBA has the NBA Fit campaign, which actually does feature current players.
Let the individual teams take stances on environmental issues if the league is not going to enforce any changes. Focus more on the issues that are relevant to your organization. It will seem more authentic and more people will care if it seems like the organization cares about the issue too.
How to Revitalize a Franchise following an injury to a star player
April 26, 2019 April 26, 2019 / brooklynnrl / Leave a comment
Damian Lillard hit the series-winning three against the Thunder on Tuesday night. Photo Credits: Sam Forencich
Ok. Maybe I am just hyped off Damian Lillard’s buzzer-beating three to win the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this team’s season was supposed to be over after Jusuf Nurkic’s gruesome leg injury.
I was at the game when Nurk got hurt, and although the Blazers won in a double-overtime thriller, the only thing I could think about was next season. So, how did the Trail Blazers use PR to make fans become reinvested in this season?
The Blazers shared positive messages about the injury.
Following the end of the Portland Trail Blazers’ game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 26, 2019, the Blazers posted this positive message on Instagram. Photo Credits: Trail Blazers
Having your shin pop through your leg is something that many people do not recover from. But, the Blazers never shared a message that would imply that the injury could be career-ending. Instead, they just shared positive messages that gave the fans hope the Blazers could return to its winning form.
The Blazers did not share updates about the injury.
The Blazers gave fans the latest injury update on March 26, 2019. Photo Credits: Trail Blazers
Instead of continuing to share new content about Nurkic’s healing process, the Blazers chose to share minimal content about Nurkic’s injury.
Following his surgery, the Blazers shared on Twitter that the surgery was successful, but other than that, its social media posts did not focus on Nurkic. Instead, posts focused on the active team.
The Blazers connected fans with Nurk.
A screenshot of the online portal to send messages to Nurkic. Photo Credits: Trail Blazers
The Blazers’ PR team implemented strategies to allow fans to connect with Nurkic following his injury. In fact, at the next home game following his injury, the Blazers created a 6-foot card and allowed fans to sign it.
Additionally, the team offered an online portal for fans not at the game to send personalized messages to Nurkic.
The Blazers included Nurkic on social.
Following a road trip, the Blazers shared a photo of the team with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum holding up a photo of Nurkic on it. Photo Credits: Trail Blazers
The PR team has made a point to find and share content that includes Nurkic.
Including Nurkic fills the void many fans felt with him off the court, and by seeing the team rally behind Nurkic following his injury, the fans began to rally behind the team.
Social media refocused on Enes Kanter.
The Blazers shared a tweet from Blazer reporter Casey Holdahl who dubbed Kanter as, “Turkish Delight.” Photo Credit: Trail Blazers
Instead of focusing on next season, the Trail Blazers’ PR team focused on its current players and got fans invested in the Blazers’ new center Enes Kanter.
By giving Kanter the nickname Turk, very similar to Nurkic’s nickname of Nurk, the Blazers’ PR team gave fans a little replacement until Nurkic can be healthy again.
The Blazers interacted with him on social media.
The Blazers retweeted Nurkic’s reaction to Lillard’s game-winning three. Photo Credit: Trail Blazers
When Nurkic tweeted about the Blazers’ games, the Trail Blazers’ Twitter account quickly retweeted and commented on his posts. By sharing Nurkic’s posts, the Blazers’ PR team showed that although he may not be on the court, Nurkic is an important piece to this team
Nurkic joined the team– and PR capitalized on it.
The Blazers were down by 15 points in the fourth quarter and then in walks Nurkic, rejoining the team for the first time since his injury. The crowd went wild and so did the team as the Blazers went on to beat the Thunder 118-115.
Nurkic waved to the crowd following the Trail Blazers win. Photo Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer (AP)
The crowd at the game cheered louder after seeing his face on the big screen, and PR made it a point to share his appearance on social media, exciting fans around the world about his return and about the possibility of a Blazers comeback.
It worked, and the Blazers stamped its ticket to the Western Conference Semifinals. Talk about a story.
So, although an injury to a star player may seem like the end of a season, with good PR, it could be just the beginning of an amazing run.
Five Ways the Women’s Sports Foundation Can Improve Engagement on Instagram
Donors and athletes of the Women’s Sports Foundation gather for a gala. Photo Credits: Women’s Sports Foundation
Let’s just get this out of the way. Women athletes are significantly under appreciated. They make less money and get less airtime but still work just as hard as male athletes.
The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) works to enforce Title IX and makes sure that discrimination against women and girls in any form is removed from sports. This nonprofit organization also works to ensure that all women have equal access to sports.
But, the WSF does not currently engage its donors on social media with its Instagram posts averaging about 150 likes while having over 13,600 followers. To me, this was alarming. I believe the WSF could do a better job at engaging and interacting with its audience by implementing the following strategies.
1. Get Verified
Instagram verification plays a key role in making organizations look official. Photo credit: Tech Crunch
Donors and interested individuals may be more likely to view your organization as legitimate if you have verification. By adding a simple check mark, the WSF seems like an organization that can be held accountable for making the best decisions with donors’ money.
2. Build Stronger Relationships With Its Athletes
Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix is one of the ambassadors for the Women’s Sports Foundation. Photo Credits: Getty
WSF’s website lists many female athlete partners like Allyson Felix, Natasha Hastings and Hope Solo among many others. However, these athletes are rarely posted about on its Instagram. Instead, WSF posts about other female athletes who are currently doing impressive things in sports.
While these posts are necessary, they do not encourage the athletes to promote WSF. By posting more content that involves its athletes, the WSF will likely see an increase in interaction as the athletes will be incentivized to post about the WSF.
3. Link in Bio
As of right now, the link in WSF’s Instagram bio does not lead to the main page of WSF’s website. Instead, it links to a specific news article on a section of WSF’s website called “The She Network.” WSF should change this link to the “About Us” section of its website so that interested individuals can learn more about the non-profit and be more inclined to donate.
4. Redesign its logo
As of April 25, 2019, this was the header of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Instagram. The logo currently does not even fit into the icon space. Photo Credit: Women’s Sports Foundation
The WSF logo currently looks like something that could have been made on Microsoft Word. It is just the words “Women’s Sports Foundation.” While it gets the point across, the logo should instead try to showcase some of the organization’s mission and purpose without just stating the name of the organization.
By having a symbol that represents the organization, much like the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s pink ribbon, the public will be able to associate the symbol with the organization. It will also look better on social media, because the username for its Instagram is already “womenssportsfoundation.”
5. Showcase Teamwork
An example of the content shared on its Instagram. Photo Credit: Women’s Sport Foundation
While the Instagram account showcases plenty of young girls, the girls are often pictured alone. WSF should post pictures of girls who are being supported by their families, coaches, teammates and professional athletes.
It’s cute, and it will make people want to donate, because they will see the impact that WSF and sports in general have on the young girls.
As a woman, I would love to see a non-profit like this begin to become a staple in the lives of young female athletes. When I was young, I would have loved the message that women can do anything in sports that men can do, and I am sure future generations could benefit from this, too.
Brooklynn Loiselle
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Weekly News Roundup – June 17, 2011
Aislinn Maestas | June 17, 2011
Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s National Wildlife Federation news:
National Wildlife Federation Announces New Ranger Rick Geocache Trails
June 17, 2011 – National Wildlife Federation is launching Ranger Rick’s Geocache Trails, a fun outdoor adventure for kids and their families. To establish trails in numerous communities throughout the country, National Wildlife Federation is looking for more parks, nature centers, and other outdoor recreational sites to serve as trail hosts in their area. Ranger Rick’s trails marry GPS-enabled treasure hunting, or geocaching, with a wildlife-themed game featuring Ranger Rick and his pals from the award-winning children’s magazine published by National Wildlife Federation.
Ranger Rick Joins Maryland First Lady Katie O’Malley for Great American Backyard Campout Event
June 16, 2011 – First Lady Katie O’Malley kicked-off the Great American Backyard Campout with help from the National Wildlife Federation and Maryland Park Service by pitching a tent with a group of local kids on the Government House lawn. “Camp under the stars” is one of ten outdoor activities that make up the Maryland Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights, introduced by Governor Martin O’Malley in 2009.
House Appropriations Committee Blocks Clean Water Protections
June 16, 2011 – The House Appropriations Committee recently blocked efforts to restore Clean Water Act protections for streams that supply drinking water to 117 million Americans and wetlands that provide flood protection and critical fish and wildlife habitat. The committee rejected an amendment by Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) that would have allowed the Army Corps of Engineers to revise guidance to its staff on this issue. By voting against this amendment, the Appropriations Committee is upholding a dangerous status quo of wetlands loss, stream impairment, and regulatory confusion.
National Wildlife Federation Tells Congress to Stop Playing with America’s Food and Energy Security
June 16, 2011 – Today, the House voted to slash over $1 billion in conservation and renewable energy funding from programs that help farmers, ranchers, and foresters across the country to protect soil, conserve water, enhance wildlife habitat, and help America meet its growing energy demands. The conservation programs that were cut directly benefit sportsmen and rural economies through the creation of hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreational opportunities.
National Wildlife Federation Applauds Senate Vote to End Ethanol Subsidies
June 16, 2011 – Recently, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to end more than $6 billion in ethanol subsidies. The move will save taxpayers money and protect wildlife and the environment. “The National Wildlife Federation praises today’s congressional action to end wasteful and damaging ethanol subsidies,” said Julie Sibbing, director of the agriculture program for the National Wildlife Federation.
Virginia Middle School Awarded Second Public Green Flag Award
June 15, 2011 – Just one week after America’s first public Green Flag was raised in Boston, the second followed some 460 miles to the south. Fairfax’s Lanier Middle School was awarded Virginia’s first Eco-Schools USA Green Flag—just the second American public school so honored—in a ceremony today, denoting exceptional achievement in ‘greening’ school grounds, operations and curricula.
Keystone XL Tar Sands Bill Clears House Subcommittee
June 15, 2011 – A subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation today that forces the Obama administration to make a decision on the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline by November. The bill is expected to pass the full committee next week and would likely get a floor vote next month.
National Wildlife Federation Brings Climate-Smart Conservation to the Great Lakes
June 15, 2011 – Climate change is bringing new challenges to the Great Lakes region and changing the way communities think about conservation. The National Wildlife Federation and EcoAdapt are working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to reduce the vulnerability of the Great Lakes area by developing methods to ensure that coastal planning and restoration projects are “climate-smart.”
High School Students Use their Talents to Raise Money for Wildlife
June 15, 2011 – Environmental Clubs from Grayslake North and Central High Schools in Grayslake, Illinois, celebrated Earth Week 2011 with a benefit talent show where all proceeds were used to adopt animals from the National Wildlife Federation’s Adopt An Animal program.
Sportsmen To Congress: Use Oil Spill Fines to Restore the Gulf
June 14, 2011 – Outdoor industry leaders from across the country are meeting with their members of Congress today, urging them to dedicate the Clean Water Act penalties from last summer’s oil spill towards restoring the Gulf.
NWF to Honor Lawrence Bender, Anderson Cooper, Alyssa Milano, and Howard Ruby
June 13, 2011 – As the National Wildlife Federation continues to celebrate its 75th anniversary this year, the organization will honor four individuals committed to protecting wildlife during its “Voices For Wildlife” gala, to be held at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on June 15.
Bighorn Sheep Victory in Payette National Forest
June 13, 2011 – It looks like America’s iconic bighorn sheep will be regaining their home on the range. In a landmark decision Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell approved a management plan to phase out domestic sheep grazing on 70,000 acres of bighorn habitat in Payette National Forest. This decision brings to a head a decades-old conflict between the sheep industry and conservationists.
And here are highlights from NWF in the News:
Huffington Post: Lawrence Bender tells Congress: Stop Denying An Inconvenient Truth
Great Lakes Echo: New York approves Great Lakes water rules; Wisconsin up next
WAMU 88.5: Fairfax School Wins International Honor For Sustainability
Michigan Public Radio: Climate change & Great Lakes restoration
For more, visit www.nwf.org/News
Conservation, Students and Nature | bighorn sheep, Clean Water Act, ethanol, Great American Backyard Campout, Great Lakes, Green Flag Eco-School, keystone xl, renewable energy, vanishing paradise, wildlife
Written by Aislinn Maestas
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IDO Appears to Have Wiped Out
By Derek Lowe 1 May, 2018
We have the answer to a question posed here earlier this month. That was after the Merck/Incyte failure of a combination of Keytruda and Incyte’s IDO (indole 2,3-dioxygenase) inhibitor. That mechanism was supposed to increase T-cell activity, but the trial showed it to have no effect on Keytruda’s efficacy at all. Earlier IDO trials had not gone well for other companies, but there had been hopes for this one.
Just as there were hopes for another inhibitor that Bristol-Myers Squibb had bought from Flexus (which is quite a tangled tale in itself). I wondered at the end of that last post if the Merck/Incyte failure meant that the BMS/Flexus effort was doomed as well – everyone who follows this area was wondering the same thing – but as some readers pointed out, the Flexus inhibitor did have a somewhat different mechanism of action, so there was at least a chance.
Scratch that. Yesterday, Andy Biotech noticed (and posted on Twitter) that the two Phase III trials had quietly been scrapped on clinicaltrials.gov. So I think we can say that (at least as currently configured) the excursion into IDO inhibitors has been a costly mistake. And remember, as is almost always the case in these things, that it didn’t look like it was going to be any such thing. IDO inhibition made sense in terms of what we knew about its biochemical pathway and the workings of T-cells, which is why you saw several companies taking a whack at it (Pfizer was in the area as well, and there are others whose preclinical programs you never even heard about). All in vain.
There’s a great big central problem of drug discovery for you: how do we go into the clinic (but avoid spending Phase III levels of money) to find these things out? Better yet, how do we avoid developing such things in the first place, if they’re going to do this to us? Billions of dollars, literal billions, are stacked up waiting for anyone who can start to begin to do such things. Just to pick on a recent hyped-up press release, could BenevolentAI’s “machine brain” have warned people off? Would anyone have believed them if they had? (I doubt that very much, for both questions).
No, the problem is that we’re doing things that no one has tried to do before, and we’re doing them on what is clearly incomplete information. And the only way to make it more complete is to. . .go ahead and do those things,apparently, and at great cost. Could you have warned everyone, in convincing fashion, not to chase IDO inhibitors? CB1 antagonists for obesity? Cathepsin K inhibitors? Anti-amyloid antibodies? Mixed PPAR ligands? CETP inhibitors? Substance P inhibitors? Gamma-secretase inhibitors? And I’m just picking ones off the top of my head that had multiple large research organizations working on them – there are plenty more where that came from, especially if you just bring in the targets that were disastrous for just one or two companies.
All of these looked like worthwhile ideas at one point, and uncounted sums of money were spent on them (money from sales of other drugs to other customers and directly from investors). All of it could have been put to better use, but could you have done better? Sent people into areas that were less likely to fail, or found out that these mechanisms had something wrong with them without all the time, effort, and money? Come on down and try it.
46 comments on “IDO Appears to Have Wiped Out”
When you give up hope (on science) faith carries you further, and then miracle happens. Fair to say that was the guiding principle herein.
Old says:
https://endpts.com/allergans-639m-vitae-buyout-is-a-bust-rd-writes-off-the-il-17-drug-as-a-complete-loss/
Also, waiting for the first Sitris bash…
anon3 says:
Sirtirs was a platform, and never even had a molecule in phase 1 (I think). Not really the same thing.
Philip Ahern says:
I wasn’t aware that targeting RORgt had gotten that far. There are some good reasons to think of it as an ideal target, but enough things to make you worry too. One of the phenotypes of RORgt knockouts is massive reductions in Th17 cells (not just IL-17, but everything else), but they also develop “spontaneous” lymphoma too.
Remember that pipeline blog about a review article that said that chemical synthesis and med chem are the rate limiting steps in drug discovery…
tlp says:
One of the authors is VP Drug Discovery for BenevolentAI menthioned just another day
checkout galectin inhibitors in combo w/ immuno
Alexander Yule says:
I’m assuming you’re referring to Galectin 3 inhibition?
Early days, but I seem to recall the interim Phase I combo data offering a hint of promise. There’s also interest in Galectin 9 which plays a role in TIM-3 (a negative immune checkpoint) mediated immunosuppression.
Magrinhopalido says:
I agree 95+% with the central thesis of the post. But it should be noted that Tamas Horvath (Yale) said very early in the game that the CB-1 receptor was a bad target for obesity due to its influence on dopamine signaling/anhedonia. And he was right. Anhedonia was dose-limiting for taranabant – a very strong effort from MRK.
There are probably other similar cases.
If you play the percentages, you are always going to come out ahead by saying “This target is crap!”. But there are also some instances where in vitro or animal data suggested that the target was indeed crap but drugs made it to market and helped people.
Derek Lowe says:
That’s quite true. And there are surely others where the early data were discouraging, the project was dropped, but something good would have come out of it had it been pursued. But we’ll never know!
The challenge is to not just sit there and say “That’s not going to work”, even though you’re right the great majority of the time. . .
Anonw says:
The most useless scientists r the ones who just say “that won’t work” to everything. We play long odds in research… most experiments fail (so to speak)
DrOcto says:
It’s the step after a failure that I find interesting.
You did something in the lab because you thought it might work. When it fails, the question ‘why didn’t it work?’ is the most important one you can ask. I frequently come up with 2-5 explanations for a given adverse result (e.g. poor reaction yield/purity). Then it’s just a case of designing the experiments that can corroborate/disprove each theory.
Michael T says:
highly active treatment. Improvement on that is difficult. While Phase II results were promising, oncologist’s use and understanding of PD1 inhibition has progressed over the last 3 Not so sure that IDO inhibition is useless for the following reasons.
1. Keytruda is a years, making the difficulty of add on therapy even more difficult.
2. There was significant risk of using an IDO inhibitor as an add on therapy without knowing if the tumor was over-expressing IDO, since pre-screaning was not part of the inclusion criteria. Likely, it was posited that non IDO over-expressing tumors might develop this as as escape from PD1 inhibition. This appears unlikely at this point.
3. While not ideal from both a commercial and clinical treatment view, a companion diagnostic to identify IDO over-expressing tumors would be helpful to identify patients who would most likely benefit from IDO inhibition therapy.
While not quite dead yet, the road to success is neither straight-forward or short.
I think one of the main issues related to the CB1 antagonist trainwreck, is that the drug developers asked the question “how do we make obese people eat less”, instead of asking “why do obese people eat too much for their own good, and why do they eat unhealthy food, even though they know it will end up killing them”.
I think they asked the wrong question because it was easier to answer. The latter question is disturbingly similar to questions about addictions in general (alcohol, benzos, opioids, tobacco, etc.), and it seems reasonable to assume, that like many cases of addictions, serious obesity is often preceded and promoted by psychological issues. And we all know how hard it is to cure those with drugs.
Exploitation of the IDO/TDO pathway might still turn out to be worth the effort (at least clinically, you can see the steam arising from evaporating commercial interest), but in the context of combination with conventional chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, rather than being hamstrung through combination with first wave immune checkpoint inhibitors with inherently low response rate.
Will be interesting to see if the earlier stage dominoes held by NewLink, Lilly and Kyowa Kirin will also join the tumble.
Jim Hartley says:
“You can see the steam rising from evaporating commercial interest.” Really excellent!
I thank you. A collective $1 billion in upfront payments alone makes for a fair volume of vapour.
“how do we go into the clinic (but avoid spending Phase III levels of money) to find these things out? Better yet, how do we avoid developing such things in the first place, if they’re going to do this to us?”
At the risk of stating the obvious, maybe it would be a good idea to try and find out (even) more about the relevant biology, before sending the stuff to the clinic? Doing more target discovery, fish out more enzymes/proteins from the cellular soup, try to find out what they are, what is their function, how is their synthesis/modification/breakdown is regulated, discover more biochemical feedback loops, etc. Basic research into cellular biology.
Magic 8-ball says:
Could BenevolentAI have saved the day for IDO? No – it would have tracked with current working knowledge and hypotheses of biological pathways and cellular function(s), which is clearly incomplete. A magic 8-ball would have done better in this case. “AI” can only work if you can cleanly codify the system and if there’s plenty of good, robust data – i.e. not biology, as the field currently stands. Unfortunately, the destiny of many first-in-class, novel MOA therapeutics remains a crap shoot.
Perhaps a better question to ask of BenevolentAI et al., is why IDO didn’t work, 20-20 hindsight of course. However, the AI answer or hypothesis would likely be unclear and would not be validated, but maybe interesting nonetheless.
In the case of IDO, were there any tangible clues from preclinical, Phase 1, or Phase 2, that there was an iceberg waiting at the end of the line?
Incyte pulls its collaborative pivotal combination studies:
http://www.incyte.com/ir/press-releases.aspx
It should not be possible for clinical trials to be “quietly scrapped.” If you get the go-ahead to put your drug into people, part of your obligation should be to publish those results no matter what the outcome. I can remember years of matrix metallo-proteinase research that repeatedly failed in the clinic due to musculo-skeletal rigidity — in the early days it was just whispers at conferences. Then, when I was at a big pharma, the FDA actually suggested that this might be something to explore as we brought our own MMP inhibitor forward — it had been observed in other trials that were not published but the FDA had seen. How many times have you speculated about why a trial was ended — liver tox? Was it on-target tox? Did they get coverage of the target? Nav1.7, too, had everything going for it as a target for pain, and yet it took years longer than it should have to realize that it was a bust. It should be part of the Grand Bargain made when entering clinical trials that the results, for better or worse, must be published in their entirety.
BiotechFanatic says:
The problem elegantly laid out by Derek is exacerbated by duplication of efforts as competitive pressures motivate pharma players to independently pursue identical targets – likely there is an element of fear-of-missing-out mixed in there and hence the total spend and effort expended on what ultimately turn out to be wasted efforts is duly amplified.
Alas “duplication” can be justifiable to the extent that an individual pharma may not have the right molecule, at the right dose, in the right indication, with the right clinical drug design etc.
Between these two factors, I find it hard to see a way out of the problem and predict continued duplication of efforts on MoAs that turn out not to work!
MrRogers says:
The larger shame is that those same resources could have been put into another target that might have worked. It’s like Exxon and BP drilling into the same reservoir. I sometimes wonder whether we wouldn’t be better off if the FDA were to auction off “leases” on specific target-indication combinations (probably at the phase I stage). Just like the mining and petroleum industry, the license could be traded. It could also be revoked for lack of progress (as in a mineral claim). If two leases were available on the same target, then companies could still compete with each other, but additional entrants would be prevented from coming in. You’d probably wind up with more careful target validation, you’d definitely save on patient adverse effects, and you might get real targets identified faster.
Interesting idea. Perhaps the PD1/PDL1 space could have done with that a year or so back. Do we have any good examples of targets which multiple different parties tried to exploit, but only one or a handful managed to do so successfully? If so this would suggest there is some benefit to allowing many/or effectively unlimited access to such “leases”. If not, or if this is rare, the argument becomes much stronger.
I’ve often wondered if companies could collaborate AFTER the collapse of a therapeutic hypothesis like this one in order to discover exactly what went wrong. Some good would at least emerge from the wreckage.
And it appears that the answer to the question: “Who pays for the failure?” is the American public in outrageous prices for those drugs that did not fail – given that other countries somehow manage not to pay those prices.
They are able to pay those prices because we pay the price we pay.
milkshake says:
the corollary of that is: why are the clinical trials so outrageously expensive? Those “non-profit” research hospitals sure charge outrageous fees. Phase one short study of a chemotherapy agent costs about 100k USD per enrolled patient. So 50 patients is about 5 mills. And they take the drug for only few weeks. Even just re-processing already acquired old clinical data into a format more agreeable to FDA cost my previous employer something like 30k per patient… Why nobody tries to make the cost of clinical trials cheaper, it disqualifies smaller companies starved of investment, they cannot get investors until they present clinical data, etc.
Paramus says:
Derek, I enjoy your blog and it has great information but I would love to see a post that explains your 3.18pm statement. Having lived in both the UK and US (12 years). High drug prices in the US are simply another symptom of a broken health care system where everybody gets rich at the expense of the patient. I doubt prices would come down if you stopped ‘subsidizing’ the rest of the world!
I’m not Derek, but I’ll give my perspective. Drug discovery is an expensive, risky business with long time horizons. To induce capital markets to invest in that business, a commensurate return must be available. Because of the way that European countries currently (don’t) pay for drugs, only a small fraction of the return necessary for the current level of drug discovery is available there. Instead, the lions share comes from the US. If the return available in the US were to decrease, discovery would decline and there would be fewer new drugs to buy. (And in that case there would be more pain, suffering, and premature death in the world.). Quite literally, Europeans can pay what they do because of what Americans pay.
2G says:
Why is it so expensive in the US (compared to EU)? In the US you get sued whenever somthing works not well and pharma (deepest pocket) has to pay ridiculous compensations (to the lawyers)…
I think it was discussed here quite many times that r&d expenditure is not the main factor for drug prices. C’mon, look at tecfidera. It’s all about alternatives costs. Each mega-expensive drug ‘saves’ money, just not patients’ money.
Biotechie says:
MrRogers is spot on. If drugmakers got the low returns that national health systems in Europe (or anywhere else in the world) are willing to pay for, then drug discovery and development would look very different. Innovative drugs just wouldn’t happen (at least the via the mechanism and via the entities that do it at the moment). The dirty little secret is that US taxpayers essentially subsidize drugs for the rest of the world. The US market is about the only market where manufacturers make the sizeable returns they need to encourage further investment (given the long timelines to market). Manufacturers look at the rest of the world as a write off. Places like India they hardly bother at all.
The second dirty secret is that it yes manufacturers are trying to get the charge the highest amount the market will bear, but it is all the middlemen (e.g., pharmacy benefit managers and wholesalers and insurers) in the healthcare system that really account for the price inflation.
The last dirty little secret is that drug prices (though unreasonably high in the US) are not the biggest factor in rising healthcare costs. It is hospitals, not drugs.
The Americans save the world yet again, really!
Kelvin says:
“No, the problem is that we’re doing things that no one has tried to do before”.
It seems the main problem is that we’re doing things that lots of people *have* tried to do before, and failed, but we’re not listening and think we know better. Hubris.
What was that definition of insanity again?
I’m looking forward to seeing more data from IDO inhibitors – a company like INCY is seeing their IDO drug valued by the market at tens of billions of dollars.
drsnowboard says:
Not any more…
Dominic Ryan says:
There are exceptions to all categories below, but I think the main view is correct.
What is pharma good at?
-finding a molecule (large or small) that modulates a target
-figuring out how to make it according to rules
-testing it
-getting it to patients
What is pharma less good at?
-peeling back basic biology
-connecting that biology to human pathologies
What does the success of what we are good at depend on?
-The second group
Where does the second group come from?
-Largely academic research
What is a pharma to do?
-Lock up as much of the second group as possible, before your competitor does!
-Sometimes at the expense of truly understanding it.
Why do academics do that?
-Bayh-Dole didn’t get it right. Universities have a vested interest in pushing early discoveries into IP as fast as possible. Companies have a vested interest in locking it up as fast as possible. All that happens despite not really knowing the whole story. Remember, you can file IP on junk. You can apparently get a patent issued that is later killed, likely because the bar was too low and USPTO over worked. The point is that IP is not a measure of scientific depth or even truth.
What’s to be done?
-Public research funding needs to do more to shore up translation, perhaps around fewer areas if dollars are spread too thin, but at the moment pharma is bleeding cash on long odd bets.
-The public is already paying for that in higher prices for health care, not just drugs. Industry needs to do more to explain that at all levels but perhaps especially the non-expert and non-government officials: the soccer dads and coal miner moms.
-Bayh-Dole needs to be amended to move the bar out on what constitutes progressable ‘discoveries’. I suspect even universities would agree. I think the number of tech transfer offices that make money is a small minority.
All true, but don”t forget the poor quality and reproducibility of so much biomedical research.
KS says:
Apparently no one on this blog has brought up the central question to IDO1 inhibition: Was there a robust clinical PK/PD relationship in drug exposure and inhibition of kynurenine production in tumors? I wonder if Incyte has this information on epacadostat and BMS as well, but they just haven’t shared.
Clinical trials are expensive because companies have no alternative (other than selling the drug as a nutritional supplement) and the FDA and politics have lead them to demand large and long drug trials, which have quickly diminishing return after a few dozen people. If we allowed faster trials with fewer people to start, we could lower the costs, as was common in the 1970’s when many drug trials took months to start and a year to complete. And lawyers have sued every drug company for everything that they can get away with.
The combination of politicians, lawyers, and bureaucrats have made it so difficult and costly to get a new drug approved that many companies have abandoned compounds that might have been better than what exists, but they don’t want to to take the risk of losing money, which is likely for any drug that is not a block buster. I took part in a tiny drug trial years ago for a new formulation of an existing, well known drug for a new use, and the FDA made every step a nightmare for both the patients and the small company. What should have taken a year was spread out for 10 years and the company eventually went broke, as the FDA dragged its feet.
I understand the need for safe and effective, but they often go far past that mark. Just like Avandia was dragged through the streets for being unsafe, when the final data on that is far from conclusive, but yet many people are still dying of diabetes daily, which is the risk of NOT having new drugs. I see more people die of not having any drug available for their issue than I do from having a drug that does not work well. Of course, generics are still widely used, as harder to sue them, and I would guess that 90% of all drug issues from them, but lawyers stay away as not as lucrative a lawsuit to sue a generic company.
With regard to IDO inhibitors, the issue is assuming that a single intervention will overcome tumor suppression. I think we were lucky with PD1 inhibitors. Tumors have a plethora of redundant defenses. Knocking out IDO and expecting cures is a bit like thinking you can grab the football just because you got past the first defensive linesman. Or maybe better, that you can grab the football when you’re sitting in the top tier of the stadium and was able to move to the next row down.
The IDO story is more than 20 years old. The in vitro study initially published by Munn was very solid. I am sure most of IDO inhibitors are potent in short term in vitro and in vivo mouse testing. However, the challenge for industry is how to translate these results into real benefits in a chronic treatment. Unlike small molecules that can induce acute responses, modifying an elastic immune system in a chronic way alway confront risks of desensitization.
Anne M Mills says:
One of the huge problems with all the existing IDO trials, in my opinion, is that they have failed to incorporate biomarker expression as a criterion for study inclusion. Having now studied this marker in a variety of cancers, I can tell you that most tumors are entirely negative or only focally positive. BUT, is a subset (roughly a third of triple-negative breast cancers, for instance, as well as plenty of MMR-deficient endometrial cancers and some NSCLC), which are beautifully positive. Often this positivty runs with PD-L1, making it a plausible mechanism for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 resistance in these patients. It’s a shame that these patients might never have the opportunity to benefit from these drugs because the trials were designed without consideration of tumor pathology. As we gain the ability to administer increasingly complex drug combinations, rational patient selection is going to be the name of the game for immunotherapy, not a blanket approach which is sure to result in lackluster results, wasted resources, unnecessary side-effects… and lost opportunity among the potential responders. Here are a couple of our recent studies on this topic: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41379-018-0061-3?WT.feed_name=subjects_oncology
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41379-018-0039-1?WT.feed_name=subjects_endometrial-cancer
colin j macdonald says:
Incyte/IMV phase 1/2 Ovarian The early results show best in world results ( 70% disease control ) How interesting might that be?
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Screening the anti infectivity potentials of native N- and C-lobes derived from the camel lactoferrin against hepatitis C virus
Elrashdy M Redwan1, 2Email author,
Esmail M EL-Fakharany2,
Vladimir N Uversky1, 3 and
Mustafa H Linjawi4
© Redwan et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
Published: 3 July 2014
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a worldwide health threat that still needs efficient protective vaccine and/or effective drug. The traditional medicine, such as camel milk, is heavily used by the large sector of HCV patients to control the infection due to the high cost of the available standard therapy. Camel milk contains lactoferrin, which plays an important and multifunctional role in innate immunity and specific host defense against microbial infection. Continuing the analysis of the effectiveness of camel lactoferrin against HCV, the current study aimed to separate and purify the native N- and C-lobes from the proteolytically cleaved camel lactoferrin (cLF) and to compare their in vitro activities against the HCV infection in Huh7.5 cells in order to determine the most active domain.
Lactoferrin and its digested N- and C-lobes were purified by Mono S 5/50 GL column and Superdex 200 5/150 column. The purified proteins were assessed through three venues: 1. To inhibit intracellular replication, HCV infected cells were treated with the proteins at different concentrations and time intervals; 2. The proteins were directly incubated with the viral particles (neutralization) and then such neutralized viruses were used to infect cells; 3. The cells were protected with proteins before exposure to the virus. The antiviral potentials of the cLf and its lobes were determined using three techniques: 1. RT-nested PCR, 2. Real-time PCR, and 3. Flow cytometry.
N- and C-lobes were purified in two consecutive steps; using Mono-S and Superdex 200 columns. The molecular mass of N- and C-lobes was about 40 kDa. cLF and its lobes could prevent HCV entry into Huh 7.5 cells with activity reached 100% through direct interaction with the virus. The inhibition of intracellular viral replication by N-lobe is 2-fold and 3-fold more effective than that of the cLF and C-lobe, respectively.
Generated native N- and C-lobes from camel lactoferrin demonstrated a range of noticeably different potentials against HCV cellular infectivity. The anti-HCV activities were sorted as N-lobe > cLf > C-lobe.
Camel lactoferrin
Proteolytic digestion
N- and C-lobes
Huh7.5 cells
Anti-HCV
The body fluids, organs and tissues of animals contain a number of natural antimicrobial agents that kill various microbes or inhibit their growth. One of these antimicrobial agents is lactoferrin (LF). LF is a multifunctional glycoprotein which found in milk and other secretions, and is known to play an active role in innate immunity. LF exerts its antimicrobial activity against various pathogens including fungi, bacteria, and viruses [1, 2]. Lactoferrin is a member of the transferrin family and consists of two homologous lobes (N- and C-lobes). The two lobes are connected by a short “hinge” peptide and each lobe has one iron-binding site [3, 4]. Each of the N- and C-lobes consists of about 345 amino acid residues and is made up of two domains N1, N2 and C1, C2, respectively. In addition to the iron binding ability, lactoferrin can bind to various kinds of cells [5], DNA [6], heparin and other glycosaminoglycans and lipopolysaccharides [7]. This ability to interact with different partners defines the multifunctional roles of LF which acts as an antibacterial [8] and antiviral agent [9], antioxidant, modulator of the immune and inflammatory responses [10, 11], growth factor [12], and iron binding protein [11]. Camel LF consists of 689 amino acid residues and contains 17 disulfide bridges and four predicted glycosylation sites, one in the N-lobe and three in the C-lobe. The pattern of disulfide bonds in cLF is identical to those found in human and mare LFs, but the locations of predicted glycosylation sites are entirely different in cLF. There is a 70% identity between the whole sequence of cLF and that of other lactoferrins, but the first 50 residues of the N-terminus show an identity of less than 40%. Some residues, such as Pro418, Leu423, Lys433, Gln561, Gly629, Lys637, Arg652, and Pro592 related to movement of domains in the protein are different in cLF from those found in other LFs, indicating the possibility of specific structural differences [13].
LF exerts its activity towards both enveloped and naked viruses, and this activity was due to either inhibition of virus-host interaction, e.g., hepatitis B virus [14], herpes simplex virus (HSV) [15], and human cytomegalovirus [16], or resulted from the direct interaction between lactoferrin and the viral particle, e.g., hepatitis C virus (HCV) [17–21], human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [22], and adenovirus [23]. HCV is an enveloped RNA virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family [24]. HCV infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease. In fact, more than 50% of individuals exposed to HCV develop a persistent infection associated with a chronic hepatitis, of which 7–16% will develop cirrhosis in the next 20 years following diagnosis [25]. HCV genotype 4 (HCV-4) is common in the Middle East and in Africa, where it is responsible for more than 80% of HCV infections. Although HCV-4 is the cause of approximately 20% of the 170 million cases of chronic hepatitis C in the world, it has not been the subject of comprehensive research [26]. In previous reports, we evaluated the anti-HCV potential of the full-length cLF and other camel milk proteins in hepatoma cell-lines [18, 19, 21]. Recent study was focused on the comparison of the anti-viral activities of recombinant versions of cLF (the full-length protein and its N-lobe) with the natural C-lobe, due to the fact that the recombinant C-lobe could not be properly expressed [20]. The goals of the current study were to enzymatically prepare, separate, and purify of the native N- and C-lobes from cLF, and then to screen the anti-infectivity potentials of these species in Huh 7.5 cells in comparison with that of full length cLF.
Lactoferrin purification
Camel milk was defatted and decaseinated as previously described by El-Fakharany et al., [19, 27, 28]. Skim milk was diluted with 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 and sample containing 40 mg protein was applied to a cation-exchange Mono S-5/50 GL column (5 × 50 mm) pre-equilibrated with 50 mM Tris HCl, pH 8.0. Then, the column was washed with the same equilibration buffer to remove impurities. The elution was carried out with 50 mM Tris HCl, pH 8.0 and NaCl gradient from 0.0 to 1.0 M at flow rate of 1.0 ml/min and the fraction size of 1.0 ml/fraction. The fractions were screened by SDS-PAGE and their cLF content were assayed by ELISA using monoclonal antibodies against hLF, then pooled and concentrated, then a sample containing 0.4 mg protein was applied to a size-exclusion Superdex 200-5/150 column (5 × 150 mm) pre-equilibrated with 50 mM Tris HCl, pH 8.0. Elution of cLF was carried out with the same equilibration buffer at a flow rate of 0.3 ml/min and the fraction size of 0.5 ml/fraction.
Proteolytic hydrolysis of camel lactoferrin
Iron-saturated lactoferrin was prepared by the procedure of Mazurier and Spik [29] and Khan et al. [13]. Then, the solution of iron-saturated protein was passed through a Sephadex G-25 column (PD-10 Desalting Columns) to remove the excess of ferric chloride. For hydrolysis of lactoferrin, the following enzymes were used: proteinase K (20 unit/mg), trypsin from bovine pancreas (14923 units/mg), pepsin from bovine pancreas (700 units/g), α-chymotrypsin from bovine pancreas (59.3 unit/mg) and papain (140 unit/mg). The enzymes were added to iron saturated cLF solution at a ratio 1:50. The hydrolysis reaction was performed at 37°C for 0.5 and 1 h, then the hydrolyzed mixtures were kept at -20°C.
Purification of N-lobe and C-lobe
The N- and C-lobes were purified after hydrolysis of cLF using proteinase k at a ratio 1:50 and incubated at 37°C for 1 h. The N- and C-lobes were separated by loading the digested cLF to a cation-exchange MonoS 5/50 GL column (5 × 50 mm) and eluted with 50 mM Tris HCl, pH 8.0 using a NaCl gradient from 0.0 to 1.0 M at flow rate of 0.7 ml/min. The isolated peaks were further purified on a gel filtration column of Superdex 200-5/150 in 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0). Identification of the purified N and C-lobes lactoferrin were confirmed by N-terminal amino acid sequencing.
Infected serum samples
For all infection experiments, we utilized PCR-HCV positive serum samples of genotype 4a from Egyptian patients from our out-clinics (after approval by the ethical committee of the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute) as described previously. The peripheral blood leukocytes from whole blood were obtained from health volunteers after introduce our ideas and experiments for them. A clear consent was obtained from each patient or volunteer (we will be using his or her blood samples in our in vitro experiments and we will publish the data without disclosing his/her name).
Cell culture, media and endotoxin determination
Huh7.5 derived cells permissive for the HCV entry were kindly donated by Prof. Charles Rice at the Rockefeller University (New York, NY 10065–7919, USA). Cell line preservation, culture media, and protocols for running the cultured cells were used as previously published [30–32]. The endotoxin content was checked to avoid its pyrogenic effects on the cell-culture system [33]. All purified proteins used were free of endotoxin (data not shown). Lactoferrin and its N- and C-lobes concentration were estimated with two methods [34, 35].
Cytotoxicity assay of cLF, N-, and C-lobes
Before treatment with cLF, N- or C-lobe, Huh 7.5 cells were incubated at 37°C for 2 days in a 96-well plate. The medium was refreshed with new supplemented medium containing 0.5 or 1.0 mg/ml of protein and cells were incubated for 4 days at 37°C and 5% CO2. Twenty μl of MTT solution (5 mg of MTT per 1 ml PBS) were added to each well and incubated at 37°C for 3-5 hours to allow the MTT to metabolize. Formazan crystals were dissolved by DMSO and quantified by measuring the absorbance of the solution at 595 nm. The relative cell viability (%) was calculated by (A) test/ (B) control × 100% [36–39].
Anti-HCV activity of cLF, N-, and C-lobes
To test the anti-HCV potential of cLF, N-, and C-lobes, we examined the protein - virus interactions with either the cells (protection activity) or viral particles (neutralization activity) or in infected cells (treatment). First, to examine protection activity, Huh 7.5 (1.0 × 105) cells were plated in 24-well plate and incubated for 24 h. The purified cLF, N-, or C-lobe were added to Huh 7.5 cells at concentration of 1.0 mg/ml, and then incubated for 60 min at 37°C. After removing unbound proteins by washing three times with 1 ml of PBS, 1 ml of medium containing 50 μl HCV-infected serum (5 × 106 copies/ml, HCV genotype 4) [40, 41] was added, and the cells were incubated at 37°C for 90 min. The cells were washed three times with PBS and cultured for 7 days at 37°C and 5% CO2. Second, to examine neutralization activity, 50 μl of HCV-infected serum were pre-incubated with the purified proteins in 1 ml media at 4°C for 60 min. Subsequently, the mixtures were added to the Huh 7.5 (1.0 × 105) cells cultured in the 24-well plates and incubated at 37°C for 90 min. Cells were then washed three times with PBS and further incubated for 7 days at 37°C and 5% CO2[21, 30]. Positive and negative control cultures were included. The cells were washed three times to eliminate debris and dead cells by using RPMI 1640 supplemented media, and then prepared for RT-PCR [19–21, 32].
Evaluation of the ability of cLF, N-, and C-lobe to treat the HCV infected Huh 7.5 cells
Huh 7.5 (1.0 × 105) cells were plated in a 24-well plate and cultured for 24 h at 37°C and 5% CO2, then infected with 50 μl of HCV-infected serum in 1 ml RPMI 1640 media. After incubation for 2 days, free HCV was removed by washing cells three times with culture media, and then the purified cLF, N-, or C-lobe proteins were added at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 mg/ml and the cells were incubated for 4 days at 37°C and 5% CO2. After washing the cells three times from debris and dead cells by PBS, viral components were traced by RT-PCR [19–21, 30].
RT nested PCR
Samples of RNA from Huh 7.5 cells were prepared and RT nested PCR, both were performed according to El-Fakharany et al. [19–21, 30, 39]. Synthesis of the cDNA and first PCR reaction were carried out in a single-step PCR reaction using Ready-To-Go RT-PCR beads (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech) in two stages as described below. First stage was conducted at 42°C for 45 min followed by 98°C for 10 min using 1CH forward primer and P2 reverse primer. Second stage protocol was as follows: 1 min at 94°C, 1 min at 55°C, and 1 min at 72°C for 35 cycles. The second round PCR (nested PCR) was performed using reverse primer D2 and forward primer F2 and the protocol was similar to the first round PCR reaction [19, 20, 30]. To control false detection of negative-strand HCV RNA and to known variations in PCR efficiency, specific control assays and rigorous standardization of the reaction were employed. A Rulc plasmid was included as internal control during the amplification process. The final amplified DNA samples were electrophoresed through 3% agarose gel and ethidium bromide was used to visualized 174 bp for HCV and 374 bp of Rluc.
Real time PCR
Briefly, HCV RNA was extracted from Huh 7.5 cells by INSTANT Virus RNA Kit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Amplification of HCV RNA in samples and standards was measured by RoboGene HCV RNA Quantification Kit using the Rotor-Gene real time PCR machine and the report was generated by Rotor-Gene Q Series Software 1.7 (Build 94) Copyright© 2008 Corbett Life Science, a QIAGEN. The relative activity (%) was calculated as [(A) count of positive control – (B) count of tested protein]/(A) count of positive control × 100% [39].
Intracellular tracing of HCV
Flow cytometric analysis was used to elucidate the antiviral activity of the cLF and its lobes against HCV. The cells were washed three times from debris and dead cells using RPMI 1640 media or 1.0× PBS. Intracellular labeling was performed by indirect immunofluorescence. Cells were centrifuged and cell pellets were washed twice with 1.0 × PBS containing 1% normal goat serum, cells were incubated with 4% paraformaldehyde for 10 min and 0.1% Triton X-100 in Tris HCl buffer pH 7.4 for 6 min. After washing three times with 1.0 × PBS, cells were incubated with monoclonal antibody (P26664, clone C7-50, Pierce-Thermoscientific) against HCV core (1:1,000) at room temperature for 1 h [42]. The cells were stained with fluorescein-conjugated goat anti-mouse (KPL, USA) incubated at 4°C for 30 min. After being washed, cells were suspended in 2 ml PBS and analyzed by Flow cytometry [18, 30].
Data were analyzed by Student’s t-test. All experiments were repeated three times and each value represents the average of three determinations. Data are shown as means ± SEM (the standard error of the mean) of three independent experiments. A P-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Camel lactoferrin purification
Camel lactoferrin was purified from skimmed milk by chromatography on a cation-exchange MonoS 5/50 GL column and eluted by 0.0-1.0 M NaCl gradient. The peak containing cLF (Figure 1A) was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and then titrated by ELISA (data not shown). The concentrated fractions were applied into a size-exclusion Superdex 200 5/150 column (Figure 1B). Single discrete band has been visualized on 12% SDS polyacrylamide gel of the protein and estimated to be 80 KDa as shown in Figure 2.
Camel lactoferrin purification by Mono S-5/50 GL. A typical elution profile of camel milk lactoferrin on a Mono S-5/50 GL column (A) pre-equilibrated with 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.0 at flow rate1.0 ml/min and fraction size of 1.0 ml/fraction and the fractions containing cLF were pooled, concentrated and then loaded on a Superdex 200-5/150 column (B).
SDS-PAGE of lactoferrin profile. 12% SDS-PAGE of camel lactoferrin during purification on Mono S-5/50 GL column (A) and Superdex 200-5/150 column (B).
Hydrolysis of camel lactoferrin
The results obtained indicated that the proteinase K hydrolyzes lactoferrin giving a clear band at 40 kDa synchronized with a band corresponding to a substantial quantity of low molecular mass peptides (<14 · 4 kDa) after 0.5 or 1 h from incubation of enzyme and substrate as shown in Figure 3. However, trypsin activity produced four major fragments of approximately 50, 45, 35 and 23 kDa, together with small molecular mass peptides after 0.5 h of incubation of the enzyme and lactoferrin. Three major fragments of approximately 45, 35 and 23 kDa, in addition to small molecular mass peptides after 1.0 h of incubation (Figure 3) have been produced by trypsin digestion. Pepsin-driven proteolysis produced three major fragments of approximately 49, 46 and 30 kDa besides the small molecular mass peptides after 0.5 and 1.0 h of incubation with lactoferrin (Figure 3). The above three enzymes have the ability to complete hydrolysis of camel lactoferrin after 0.5 and 1.0 h from the starting reaction at the 1:50 ratio. On the other hand, chymotrypsin and papain enzymes failed to hydrolyze camel lactoferrin completely after 0.5 h or 1.0 h of incubation with lactoferrin at the 1:50 ratio (Figure 3).
Non-reducing PAGE of mild hydrolysis lactoferrin. SDS-PAGE of camel lactoferrin under non-reducing condition after mild hydrolysis for 0.5 h (A) and 1.0 h (B): lactoferrin hydrolyzed by proteinase K (lane 1), lactoferrin hydrolyzed by trypsin (lane 2), lactoferrin hydrolyzed by pepsin (lane 3), lactoferrin hydrolyzed by chymotrypsin (lane 4) and lactoferrin hydrolyzed by papain (lane 5).
Separation and purification of N- and C-lobes
N- and C-lobes of cLF were purified from cLf proteinase K digestion reaction using a cation-exchange Mono S 5/50 GL column. The results showed that the native N-lobe was eluted at 0.9 M NaCl while the C-lobe did not bind to resin (Figure 4A). The fractions containing N- and C-lobes were further purified on a size-exclusion Superdex 200 column. The purity of the two lobes was analyzed by 12% SDS-PAGE where both species corresponded to a molecular mass of ~40 kDa (Figure 4B). Protein identities of the purified N- and C-lobe were confirmed by the N-terminal sequencing, with N-terminal peptide sequences of Ala20, Ser21, Lys22, Lys23, Ser24, Val25, Arg26, Trp27 and Leu340, Arg341, Arg342, Ala343, Glu344, Val345, Val346, Trp347, respectively.
Lactoferrin N-lobe purification profile. (A) A typical elution profile of N-lobe lactoferrin on a Mono S 5/50 GL column pre-equilibrated with 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 8.0 at flow rate 0.7 ml/min and fraction size of 1.0 ml/fraction. (B) 12% SDS-PAGE of the N and C lobes of camel lactoferrin during purification on a Sephadex G-50 column. Lane 1, N lobe, lane 2, C lobe.
Cytotoxicity effect of cLF, N-, and C-lobes
Cell proliferation was assayed by MTT method using Huh 7.5 cell-line to exclude any possibility that the elimination of the viral particles was caused by reducing the viability of the cells. The results revealed that both 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml of N-lobe failed to exhibit any significant effect on the Huh7.5 cells viability after 7 days of incubation. However, both cLf and C-lobe induced a reduction in Huh 7.5 cell-viability after 7 days of incubation at concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml (Table 1).
Cell viability of Huh 7.5 cells by MTT method
N-lobe
C-lobe
0.5 mg/ml
100 ± 0.0477
92 ± 0.0312
97. ± 0.0424
The values are expressed as percentage of control cell viability.
Anti-HCV activity of the cLF, N-lobe and C-lobe
Our results indicated that camel lactoferrin, and its N- and C-lobes are able to completely inhibit the HCV entry into the Huh 7.5 cells. Two sets of (1.0 × 105) Huh 7.5 cells were cultured, in duplicate; one of the cultures was inoculated with HCV infected sera pretreated with cLF, N- or C-lobe (0.5 or 1.0 mg/ml). The inoculated cells were cultured for seven days. At different proteins concentration used, a band of 174 bp was not amplified (Figure 5A), which indicate that there is no detectable HCV molecules. The RT-nested PCR was used to amplify the 174 bp of 5’ end of HCV noncoding sequence in comparison to the positive and negative control. The other cultures were treated with cLF, N- or C-lobe (1.0 mg/ml), for 60 min, and then infected with HCV for 90 min. The inoculated cells were cultured for seven days. All proteins at all concentration used failed to protect the cells from the HCV entry (Figure 5B).
Activity of cLF, N-lobe and C-lobe against HCV entry into Huh 7.5 cells by. (A) HCV particles were pre-incubated with purified proteins prior to infection (neutralization). (B) Huh 7.5 cells were treated with purified proteins prior to infection with HCV (protection). Lane 1, DNA ladder; lane 2, negative control; lane 3, positive control. Lane 4-9, Proteins at different concentrations, as indicated under the gel graph. The upper arrow pointed the Rulc which served as internal control, while the lower arrow pointed the positive amplified 174 bp of HCV.
Evaluation of cLF, N- and C-lobes ability to treat the HCV-infected cells
Camel lactoferrin, and its N- and C-lobes at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 mg/ml were investigated for their in vitro ability to inhibit the viral replication inside the infected Huh7.5 cells (treatment). Inhibition of viral replication was detected by amplification of viral RNA segments using the RT-PCR technique. Camel lactoferrin could inhibit the intracellular HCV replication at concentrations starting from 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 mg/ml after 4 days (Figure 6A). However, N-lobe could inhibit the HCV replication at all concentrations used (0.25-1.25 mg/ml) after 4 days (Figure 6B). Whereas the C-lobe has revealed its inhibition potentials on the HCV replication only at concentrations of 1.0 and 1.25 mg/ml after 4 days of incubation (Figure 6C). This may indicated a marked superiority of N-lobe over the full-length cLf and C-lobe in treatment of infected cells, with N-lobe being three- and four-fold active than the full-length cLf and C-lobe, respectively.
Intracellular inhibition of HCV replication in infected Huh 7.5 cells by cLF (A), N-lobe (B) and C-lobe (C). HCV infected Huh 7.5 cells were treated with cLF, N-lobe or C-lobe for 96 h. RT nested PCR was performed to amplify viral RNA segments. Lane 1, DNA ladder; lane 2, negative control; lane 3, positive control; lane 4-8, proteins at different concentrations, as indicated under the gel graph. The upper arrow pointed the Rulc which served as internal control, while the lower arrow pointed the positive amplified 1740 bp of HCV.
Real time PCR evaluation of the antiviral activity of the full-length cLF and its N- and C-lobes against HCV
Based on the HCV copy number calculations, we concluded that the full-length cLF and its N- and C-lobes at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 mg/ml are able to completely inhibit the HCV entry into Huh 7.5 cells with the relative activity of 100%. On the other hand, cLf, N-lobe, and C-lobe could protect the Huh7.5 cells against HCV entry with the relative activity of 69.39%, 76%, and 29%, respectively (Table 2). The activity of cLF against intracellular HCV replication was steadily increased with increase in concentration from 0.25 mg/ml to 0.75 mg/ml, approaching about 51% to 95% after the first treatment, whereas the activity became 100% (at 1.0 and 1.25 mg/ml) after the first dose and (at 0.75 mg/ml) after the second. The second dose of cLf could reduce the intracellular HCV load from 6.290.580 to 0.0 IU/ml at concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/ml, respectively (Table 3). The N-lobe of cLf could inhibit viral replication from the first dose at 0.25 mg/ml showing the relative activity of 99%, but it reaches a 100% relative activity at 0.5 to 1.25 mg/ml without any need for second treatment (Table 3). The activity of the native C-lobe against intracellular HCV replication is increased from 24% at 0.25 mg/ml to 100% at 1.25 mg/ml after the first treatment, while its activity became 37% at a 0.25 mg/ml, 77% at 0.5 mg/ml and reached 100% at 0.75 and 1.0 mg/ml only after the second treatment (Table 3).
Detection of HCV RNA in infected Huh 7.5 cells a
Type of experiment
Protein conc. (mg/ml)
Calc. conc. (IU/ml)
Relative activity (%)
0.0 ± 0.01
100 ± 0.0
Neutralization
99.29 ± 0.027
aReal time PCR data for camel lactoferrin, N-lobe and C- lobe activity against HCV. Huh 7.5 cells served as negative control, and infected Huh 7.5 cells with HCV served as positive control.
Detection of HCV RNA in infected then treated Huh 7.5 cells a
Lactoferrin (first dose)
76.94 ± 0.02
C-lobe (first dose)
Lactoferrin (second dose)
C-lobe (second dose)
aReal time PCR data for in vitro cLF, C- and N-lobe activity-treatment against HCV-infected Huh 7.5 cells. Huh 7.5 cells served as negative control, and infected Huh 7.5 cells with HCV served as positive control.
The flow cytometric analysis results have been confirmative for the RT-nested-PCR and real time PCR results. Figure 7 indicates that the high fluorescence signal scan profiles could be detected in case of cLF at 0.25 and 0.5 mg/ml and C-lobe at 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 mg/ml. Whereas the N-lobe at all concentrations used could not detect any fluorescence signal in flow cytometry scan profile. However, the low fluorescence signal in flow cytometry scan profiles could be detected with C-lobe at concentration of only 1.0 mg/ml (Figure 7).
Results of the flow cytometric analysis of intracellularly labelled HCV-infected Huh 7.5 cells. HepG2 cells served as negative control (N) and Huh 7.5 cells infected with HCV served as positive control (P). Cells were stained intracellularly with anti-rabbit antibody conjugated with FITC. Effect of cLF, N lobe and C lobe at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 mg/ml (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively) on the HCV infected Huh 7.5 cells.
Lactoferrin shown to have strong inhibitory activities against pathogens, including fungi, bacteria and viruses. In a recent study, LFs isolated from different species (sheep, goat, camel, alpaca, elephant, human, and bovine) were effective in inhibiting E. coli 0157:H7 infection and cLF was found to be the most active among other lactoferrins [43]. The antiviral activities of cLF span a broad spectrum of viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, polyomavirus, HSV, HIV, HBV, HCV, simian rotaviruses, and adenovirus [44]. HCV is a major cause of parenterally transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis [45], and infection with HCV is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease worldwide [46]. The infection with this virus is still without efficient therapeutic or preventive agents [42, 47]. The prevalence of HCV infection has increased during the recent years, with an incidence of 3% in the world's population, and in some countries like Egypt, the incidence is up to 15% [48] and reach up to 20% in some Delta governorates [49]. However, there have been relatively few studies that dealt with the patients infected with HCV genotype 4, and combination therapy trials (interferon and ribavirin) for these patients have not demonstrated promising efficacy [49].
The current study attempted to separate and purify N- and C-lobes from the proteolytically digested camel lactoferrin and to evaluate potential inhibitory effects of these proteins on HCV entry into the Huh7.5 cells. Huh7.5 are normal HCV-susceptible cells [50, 51]. Separation of the N-lobe from the C-lobe is a useful approach to study the cLF peptide map and the potential activity of each lobe alone against different pathogens allowing determination of which lobe has more distinguished anti-HCV activity. In addition, the molecular weight reduction to 40 kDa (or less) may minimize the possible antigenecity. Our results revealed that camel lactoferrin could be purified in two steps, and its molecular mass was estimated to be 80 KDa, using SDS-PAGE. This result is consistent with that of Kappeler et al., [52] and is slightly higher than that of Elagamy et al. [53], who estimated that molecular mass of camel milk lactoferrin is 79.5 kDa. These variations in the molecular mass may reflect the milk source-dependent differences in the glycosylation patterns of the lactoferrins used in different studies.
The N- and C-lobes were prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis of iron-saturated cLF. Different protein fragmentation profiles were generated by different enzymes (trypsin, pepsin, chymotrypsin, papain and proteinase K). The best profile was produced by the proteinase K at ratio 1:50 after 60 min, where digested lactoferrin mostly produced polypeptides of 40 kDa and to less extend some low molecular mass peptides of <14 · 4 kDa. The digested cLF was fractionated using a cation-exchange Mono S column. Both lobes were further purified by gel-filtration Superdex 200 column and identified as the C- and N-lobes based on their N-terminal sequences as previously reported [21]. The molecular weight of produced lobes were estimated to be 40 kDa, which was congruent with those of Khan et al. [13] who used proteinase K to digest cLF and isolated N- and C-lobes with estimated molecular weight of 40 kDa, and Sharma et al. [54] who obtained N- and C-lobes from buffalo LF. Both studies used the manual ion exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Over nearly three decades of work on generation of the N- and C- lobes which included both the proteolysis as well as cloning efforts, the proteolysis of lactoferrin with proteinase K continues to be the most effective and productive way of production of pure N- and C-lobes which are not only used as antimicrobials but also were utilized in structural studies leading to the crystallization and structure determination of the C-lobe [55].
The cytotoxicity of cLF and its N- and C-lobes was tested by the cell MTT proliferation assay. The highest cytotoxic effect was established for C-lobe (91%, 88% at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml, respectively) followed by intact cLf (92%, 87% at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml, respectively), whereas N-lobe possessed the lowest cytotoxic effects.
Although the C-lobe is expected to be structurally similar to the N-lobe based on the amino acid similarity of 35% [56], their antiviral potencies are quite different as our results have demonstrated. The structure of the cLF C-lobe has not been determined as of yet [56]. In addition, cloning the LF in different expression systems would produce protein with glycosylation profile different from that of the native LF, which may be reflected a different mode of action.
Native cLF or its N- and C-lobes are able to neutralize the HCV particles with relative efficiency of about 100%, suggesting that both the N-lobe and the C-lobe possess functional domains sufficient for the recognition of the E1 or E2 proteins in the HCV envelope or blocking the virus receptors on the cell surface. In vitro, the N-lobe was more potent than cLF and C-lobe in treatment of the HCV-infected cells. Here, it was able to inhibit the HCV replication inside infected Huh7.5 cells with the relative activity around 100% at concentrations from 0.25 to 1.25 mg/ml after 4 days. This inhibitory activity of cLF seems to be in agreement with the previous study, which used cLF to inhibit HCV (genotype 4) entry into human PBMCs [18]. The potency of native N-lobe does not significantly different from recombinant N-lobe [20], which may indicate the lack of influence of glycosylation profiles variation on the antiviral activity of these species. Redwan and Tabll [18] study confirmed the HCV entry to the host cells by RT-nested-PCR and by the indirect intracellular immunostaining of HCV E1 by flow cytometry, whereas in current study we used RT-nested PCR, real time PCR, and flow cytometric analysis as the HCV infectivity assays. HCV real-time RT-PCR has a great potential for a wide application in both basic and clinical studies. This technique, with its high sensitivity, increased specificity, broad range of detection capability, simplicity, and high reproducibility is particularly useful for screening large numbers of specimens and measuring viral loads to monitor the disease progression and effect of anti-HCV therapy [57]. Also, flow cytometry is an advantageous analytical technique in comparison with other methods due to its ability to i) measure the fluorescence intensity per cell, ii) count the infected cells directly, iii) examine several replicates simultaneously, and iv) elevate the accuracy by statistical analysis [18, 30, 39]. Therefore, combination of these techniques provides a very reliable approach to show that so the full-length lactoferrin and its lobes possess a differential potential against intracellular HCV replication.
Beleid et al., [58] had evaluated five synthetic peptides derived from the C-lobe of human lactoferrin (residues 600-632) with the length ranging from 17 to 33 residues against the HCV cellular entry. These peptides have variable α-helical content. Two out five peptides were able to specifically bind to the viral E2 and prevent the HCV from the cell entry. Sorting these peptides based on their helicity and binding activity, the authors concluded that the binding affinity increases with increase in the helical content. For example, peptide-5 (helicity 71%) was 10-folds better E2 binder than peptide-3 with 38% helicity. However, the authors did not compare their designed peptides with the native lactoferrin and/or its entire C-lobe. Same peptide (600-632) of the C-lobe (C-s3-33) derived from human lactoferrin in three forms (C-s3-33), (C-s3-33)2, and (C-s3-33)3 have been studied in details on PH5CH8 cell line [59]. It was found that although the tandem repeats of (C-s3-33)3 enhanced the ant-HCV activity compared with the monomeric C-s3-33 form, but the antiviral activity of the three forms was still several fold weaker than that of the original human lactoferrin [59]. Besides, the aforementioned lactoferrin peptides, many other peptides have been isolated from lactoferrin and characterized against several pathogens. Three of these peptides (LF1-11, lactoferrampin, and lactoferricin) were shown to possess the most antimicrobials activity and therefore were studied in much detail. These peptides were mostly derived from the N-lobe of lactoferrin and possess some intrinsic structural characteristics, such as hydrophobicity, cationicity, helical propensity, and high pI values (>9), which are important determinants of their antimicrobial potency [60]. According to the Expasy protein calculator, the N-lobe, C-lobe and intact camel lactoferrin have pI values of 9.15, 7.48, and 8.63, respectively. This, perhaps, explains why the N-lobe of camel lactoferrin was shown to have a superior potency over the intact lactoferrin and its C-lobe in the three experimental models analyzed in the current study.
Generally, the lactoferrin is considered as a rich source for cationic and amphipathic peptides, which may use against wide range microbes [56]. These peptides are derived from the lactoferrin polypeptide chain and are releases upon the proteolysis of the lactoferrin with different enzymes, which can be developed into clinically useful lead molecules for antimicrobial therapeutics [56, 61]. Simulation of stomach enzymatic condition effects on camel lactoferrin using Expasy enzymatic cutter gave 616 hits, of which 8 peptides (≥10 residues) and 11 peptides (7-9 amino acids) have the pI values ranging from 5.99 to 10.06. This finding may agree with the results of the current study and previous reports [62], which demonstrated that taking bovine lactoferrin orally reduce the verimia in HCV patients. These finding also agree with our recent results (manuscript in preparation) showing that when camel milk was consumed in specific regime for 4-5 months by chronic HCV patients, the viral load was noticeably decreased whereas the patients’ performance was significantly improved.
Since the blood circulating lactoferrin is cleared by the liver [63], lactoferrin interacts with hepatocytes, which bind large amount of Lf with high affinity (K d approx.20-100 nM). T-lymphocytes and monocytes bind and internalize bound Lf much less efficient in comparison with the hepatocytes, which can take up ~5000 Lf molecules per cell, per second [64] through the clatherin-mediated endocytosis [65]. Previous reports found that the tryptically generated C-lobe of lactoferrin was bound and internalized by hepatocytes in a manner similar to that of the native lactoferrin [64]. Although the tryptic N-lobe fragments were able to bind to the hepatocytes with higher affinity in a Ca2+-dependent manner, they were poorly internalized by hepatocytes as compared to the internalization of the C-lobe and the native lactoferrin [64]. This means that to see the effects on the HCV particles, one should use more N-lobe than C-lobe and the native lactoferrin. On the other hand, this capability to bind and internalize the lactoferrin and its lobes differently may explain our results on the different intracellular anti-HCV potency of these three proteins.
It also very likely that this difference in the biological activities of cLf and its lobes can be determined by the divergence in some of their structure-related characteristics. This hypothesis is supported by Figure 8, which represents the result of disorder propensity evaluation in the N- and C-lobs of camel Lf by a set of disorder predictors of the PONDR family. PONDR® VLXT is sensitive to local sequence peculiarities, and therefore is useful for predicting short disordered regions that become structured when they interact with other proteins [66]. PONDR® VL3 is better for proteins that are experimentally known to be 100% disordered and therefore is a useful tool for finding long disordered regions [67], whereas PONDR® VSL2 is statistically better for proteins containing both structured and disordered regions [68]. Finally, PONDR-FIT is a metapredictors which is statistically not different from VL3 for fully disordered and fully structured proteins, and is slightly better than VSL2 when both structure and disorder are present [69]. Figure 8 clearly shows that the disorder propensities of the N- and C-lobe are quite different, with the N-lobe being expected to be noticeably less disordered and/or flexible than the C-lobe. It is likely that this difference in the disorder propensity is related to the functional differences reported for these two lobes. Particularly, more rigid structure of the N-lobe combined with its higher net charge (+11 versus +1 in C-lobe) might represent a more suitable platform for interaction with binding partners involved in the inhibition of the HCV infection. In fact, intrinsically disordered regions and regions with increased flexibility were shown to be common in viral proteins [70–73], where they play a number of important roles in virus infectivity [73–77], virus evolution [78], as well as in various functions of viral proteins, including their interactions with the host cell proteins [73, 76, 77, 79], and in the antiviral defense of the host organism [80].
Intrinsic disorder evaluation of N-lobe, C-lobe of camel lactoferrin. Evaluation of intrinsic disorder propensities of the N-lobe (A, residues 25-352) and C-lobe (B, residues 364-693) of camel lactoferrin (UniProt ID: Q9TUM0). The per-residue intrinsic disorder propensity of these lobes was evaluated using four members of the PONDR family, PONDR® VLXT (green lines), PONDR® VSL2 (red lines), PONDR® VL3 (yellow lines), PONDR-FIT (black lines); sections with scores higher than 0.5 correspond to disordered regions. Light gray shadow around the PONDR-FIT lines corresponds to the standard errors of disorder prediction by PONDR-FIT.
Our results demonstrated that there are at least three potential venues for the cLf and its lobes to serve as antiviral agents. Although the full-length cLF and its lobes possess different efficiencies, they all can protect the Huh7.5 against HCV infection, neutralize the intracellular HCV replication, and treat the infected Huh7.5 cells. HCV entry to the host cell is a complex, multistage process requiring action of four receptors, fusion, and endocytosis. HCV fusion depends on the E1 and E2 proteins, viral dose, and occurs within a specific pH range. Is the lactoferrin and/or its lobes iron sequestration or release have a role in the pH changes within the microenvironment around the cells during HCV cellular entry? It is still unclear how the lactoferrin and/or its lobes act against viral particles. Several mechanisms of action have been suggested for the LFs antiviral activities. Two of these mechanisms are 1) direct interaction between the viral molecules and LF, and 2) LF interaction with the cellular glycosaminoglycans (more specifically, the heparin sulfate, HS) of the viral receptors. The most widely accepted hypothesis is the LF-viral receptor pathway [81]. The binding of LF and HS prevents the first contact between HCV and the host cell and therefore prevent the infection.
The ubiquitous heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), which are widely distributed on mammalian cells, have been identified as potential targets for a number of viruses [82–85], such as herpes virus [86], hepatitis C virus [87], dengue virus [88], human immunodeficiency virus type 1 [55], foot and mouth disease virus [55], human papillomavirus [89], and hepatitis B virus [90]. It has been shown that HSPGs acts as primary binding sites, promoting viral docking and facilitating subsequent interaction of viruses with the specific cellular receptors [91]. Importantly, lactoferrin can interact with the host cells before they are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and such interaction of LF with the cell surface proteins can block the viral adhesion to the target cells [14]. Bovine lactoferrin (bLF) inhibits the viral entry into hepatocytes and lymphocytes via neutralizing the virion and blocking the invasion of the cell, but showed no antiviral activity after HCV internalization into the cells [92]. However, N-lobe of camel lactoferrin mostly exerts its action on HCV through the intracellular pathway, therefore supporting the hypothesis that antiviral activity of LF depend on the virus type, protein structure, and bioassay system used [92, 93]. In line with this view, camel lactoferrin and its C-lobe showed weaker potency than N-lobe in the case of the HCV infection, whereas the inhibition of influenza virus heagglutination and cell infection of all major influenza virus subtypes were entirely attributed to the C-lobe of bovine lactoferrin only [94]. Finally, third way of the antiviral action of LF is the virocidal venue, which has been recently proposed based on the protein cationicity and α-helical structure of lactoferrins [58, 65, 95, 96].
Our results demonstrated that the camel native lactoferrin and its N- and C-lobes have divergent inhibitory action against in vitro HCV (genotype 4a) entry into the Huh7.5 cells. This inhibition was not restricted only to the neutralization of the viral molecules, but the activity was extend to the suppression of the intracellular viral replication. Native cLF its N- and C-lobes also possess some protective effects on the cells themselves. These remarkable anti-HCV activities of camel Lf and its lobes require additional work to understand how they work during their extra- and intracellular antiviral action. Additional work is also needed to find safe ways of N-lobe delivery in vivo. It is also clear that the action of the lactoferrion and its lobes on the HCV cannot be completely understood without looking deeply into their structures.
The study was funded by Egyptian Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF-ID409) for EMR.
12906_2014_1784_MOESM2_ESM.pdf Authors’ original file for figure 2
Authors declare that they have no competing interest.
EME, conduct tissue culture, viral screening research, made protein purifications and all immunoassays; EME and EMR wrote the draft of manuscript, tabulated the data, and collected some references; MHL contributed with new reagents/analytical tools, help in manuscript revision, data organization, data analysis, EMR, design research, manuscript finalizing in its final form. EMR and VNU constructed the figures, revised the draft, and put together the final version. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript. This work is dedicated to the spirit of Dr. Nezar A Redwan.
Biological Science Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
Therapeutic and Protective Proteins Laboratory, Protein Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City for Scientific Research and Technology Applications, New Borg EL-Arab, Alexandria, 21394, Egypt
Department of Molecular Medicine, USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
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Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with body mass index and body fat percentage among workers at six Connecticut manufacturing companies across different age groups: a cohort study
Jennifer L. Garza1,
Alicia G. Dugan1Email author,
Pouran D. Faghri2,
Amy A. Gorin3,
Tania B. Huedo-Medina2, 4, 5,
Anne M. Kenny6,
Martin G. Cherniack1 and
Jennifer M. Cavallari7
© Garza et al. 2015
Received: 12 March 2015
Accepted: 8 October 2015
Effective workplace interventions that consider the multifactorial nature of obesity are needed to reduce and prevent obesity among adults. Furthermore, the factors associated with obesity may differ for workers across age groups. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with baseline and changes in body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) and among Connecticut manufacturing workers acrossage groups.
BMI and BFPof 758 workers from six Connecticut manufacturing companies were objectively measuredat two time points approximately 36 months apart. Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors wereassessed via questionnaire. All variables were included in linear regression models to identify factors associated with baseline and changes in BMI and BFP for workers in 3 age groups: <45 years (35 %), 45–55 years (37 %), >55 years (28 %).
There were differences in baseline and changes in BMI and BFP among manufacturing workers across age groups. Being interested in changing weight was significantly (p < 0.01) associated with higher baseline BMI and BFP across all age categories. Other factors associated with higher baseline BMI and BFP differed by age group and included: male gender (BMI p = 0.04), female gender (BFP p < 0.01), not having a college education (BMI p = 0.01, BFP p = 0.04), having childcare responsibilities (BMI p = 0.04), and working less overtime (p = 0.02) among workers in the <45 year age category, male gender (BMI p = 0.02), female gender (BFP p < 0.01) and reporting higher stress in general (BMI p = 0.04) among workers in the 45–55 year age category, and female gender (BFP p < 0.01) and job tenure (BFP p = 0.03) among workers in the >55 year age category. Few factors were associated with change in BMI or BFP across any age category.
Among manufacturing workers, we identified associations between individual, health-related, and work-related factors and baseline BMIand BFP that differed by age. Such results support the use of strategies tailored to the challenges faced by workers in specific age groups rather than adopting a one size fits all approach. Effective interventions should consider a full range of individual, health-related, and work-related factors. More work must be done to identify factors or strategies associated with changes in obesity over time.
Obesity can have serious adverse health consequences including early death andheart disease [1]. Therefore, with almost 70 % of American adults at an unhealthy body mass index [2], interventions to support healthy eating, exercise, and weight loss have become increasingly commonplace. Previous interventions addressing obesity have primarily focused on encouraging health-related behavioral changes such as to diet or physical activity among participants, without taking into account other factors that may be contributing to the problem [3–7]. Yet, a variety of other factors are known to affect obesity. The Social Ecological Model, which emphasizes the relationships among multiple factors affecting health, can be applied to the study of obesity [8]. Studies have reported associations between demographic factors such as education, relationship status, and socioeconomic status and obesity [9–11]. Work-related factors such as job stress, long working hours, and shift work have also been associated with obesity [12–14]. Demographic or work-related factors can affect obesity through many pathways from directly influencing physiology to influencing diet or physical activity [15]. For example, chronic exposure to stress at work can result in neuroendocrine dysregulation [16], and may also lead to unhealthy behaviors [17].
Effective obesity interventions should consider the demographic, health-related, and work-related factors that are most relevant to the target population. The factors most strongly associated with obesity may differ for groups of individualsacross industries or age categories. For example, Parkes [18] identified associations between education and marital status and body mass index (BMI) among offshore oil industry workers, while Duffy et al. [19] did not find associations between either of these factors and BMI among operating engineers but instead identified other factors that were associated with BMI in this population. Across industries, workershave exposures to different factors such as psychological or physical job demands that may contribute to weight gain [20]. Both Parkes and Duffy et al. also identified age as being associated with BMI, with Parkes observing an interaction between age and physical work demands where older offshore oil industry workers with more physically demanding jobs had greater declines in BMI than other workers [18, 19]. Individuals across ages may have different home or work demands and responsibilities that could affect obesity [21, 22]. Recognizing the industry and age-specific factors that contribute to obesity will allow for intervention strategies that are more relevant and perhaps more successful.
The objective of this study was to identify demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with BMI and body fat percentage (BFP) among manufacturing workers of different ages. The results of this study maybe used to inform interventions around obesity.
Study design and participants
This study is part of a large longitudinal cohort study of six medium-sized manufacturing companies in Connecticut, designed to assess changes over time in an aging workforce, focusing in particular on musculoskeletal, psychosocial, and work-related variables. The full study protocol was approved by University of Connecticut Health Center’s Institutional Review Board. Eligibility criteria for study sites were: medium company size; broad age distribution centered on late 5th and 6th decades, and a workforce engaged in skilled light-manufacturing with high degrees of repetition. Four of the organizations had labor unions. Details of site identification and study procedures at each company are available in a prior publication [23].
The current study used data on BMI and BFP collected from physical performance testing performed at two time points, time 1 and time 2, approximately 36 months apart (average time between collections 33 months), and demographic, health-related, and work-related factors collected from paper-and-pencil surveys conducted at time 1. During the workday, following informed consent, surveys were distributed and collected by members of the research team. Participants were given a small financial incentive for completing the survey or physical testing measurements. All employees at selected sites were considered eligible and invited to participate in the study; no exclusion criteria were specified. Employees of all job classifications participated (e.g., production, sales, administrative, managerial staff).
BMI and BFP
BMI was calculated based on objective measurements of each participant’s height and weight. A vertical anthropometer was used to measure height in centimeters. Participants were barefoot for measurement. Weight was determined with the use of a standard balance scale with the balance was calibrated to zero. Values for height were recorded to the nearest tenth of a centimeter, and weight was recorded to the nearest quarter kilogram [24].
BFP was estimated through bioelectrical impedance [25, 26]. A Bioelectrical Body Composition Analyzer (Quantum X, RJL Systems, Clinton Township, MI) captured reactance and resistance for conversion to proportional body fat content. All testing was performed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction: shoes, socks, and jewelry or clothes with metal appurtenances were removed, and subjects were supine for 5 min prior to testing.
Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors
Demographic variables included age, gender, race (White/European Descent, Black/African American/African, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian /Asian American. Other), marital status (married or live with partner, widowed, divorced or separated, single or never married), education level (less than high school, high school graduate or GED, some college, 2 or 4 year college degree, graduate degree),family income ($10,000–24,999, $25,000–49,999, $50,000–74,999, $75,000–99,999, More than $100,000), childcare responsibility, and elder care responsibility. Childcare responsibility was measured with one question: “How much responsibility do you personally have for any children under 18 in your household?” Respondents checking that they had primary or shared responsibility were defined as having a high level of childcare responsibility, while those who indicated that they had no children under 18 at home or that another adult had primary responsibility were defined as having a low level of childcare responsibility. Elder care responsibility was measured with one question: “How many adults age 65 and older depend on you in any way to help them due to disability or chronic illness? “Respondents checking 1 or greater were defined as providing elder care, while those responding “zero” were defined as not providing elder care.
We examined eight health-related factors including hours of sleep, depressive symptoms, leisure time physical activity, musculoskeletal pain, weight perception, and work-life balance. Hours of sleep was assessed with a single-item measure from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index that asked: “During the work week, about how many hours of sleep do you typically get per 24-h period?”[27]. There were eight response options (<4 h, 4–5 h, 5–6 h, 6–7 h, 7–8 h, 8–9 h, 9–10 h, > 10 h). Depressive symptoms were assessed with an 8-item version of the CES-D scale, which has shows excellent reliability in studies of adults ([28]; α = .80). The measure listed several symptoms of depression (e.g., sad, lonely) and asked respondents how often they experienced each symptom on a 4-point rating scale from 0 (less than 1 day per week) to 3 (5–7 days per week); scores are calculated by summing across the item ratings. Leisure time physical activity was assessed with one item: “Outside of work, in an average week during the past year, how many hours did you spend on… physical exercise such as fitness, aerobics, swimming, jogging, cycling, tennis, etc.?” adapted from the EPIC Physical Activity Questionnaire [29]. Response options included: 0 h per week, 1–3 h per week, 4–6 h per week, 7–9 h per week, 10–12 h per week, greater than 12 h per week.
Musculoskeletal pain was assessed with the question: “During the past 3 months, how much pain, aching or stiffness/limited motion have you had in the areas shown on the diagram below?”[30, 31]. The measure listed seven areas of the musculoskeleture (e.g., low back, knee) and asked respondents to rate how severely each area was affected on a 5-point rating scale from 0 (mild) to 4 (extreme). Participants were considered to have musculoskeletal pain if they indicated a score of 2 (moderate) or more in any body area. Weight perception was assessed with one item: “Tell us whether you are interested in making changes or improvements in your health in the following area… lose weight or maintain healthy weight”[30]. Response options were: 0 (not interested in changing), 2 (interested in changing), and 3 (currently doing this to my satisfaction). Work-life balance was based on one question, “How successful do you feel at balancing your paid work and your family life? Do you feel…?” Response options ranged on a 5-point scale from 1 (not at all successful) to 4 (completely successful) [32].
We examined ten work-related factors including job tenure, job type, work shift, overtime, time standing at work, job satisfaction, civility norms, decision latitude, procedural justice, psychological demands, social support, and stress in general. Job tenure was assessed with the open-ended question “How many years have you worked at your organization?” to which respondents entered a numeral. Job type was measured with an item to assess whether employees were either production workers on the shop floor or administrative employees in office jobs (i.e., managers, sales and administrative staff); each job type places distinct biomechanical and psychosocial demands on workers. Work shift was measured using one question “What shift do you typically work?” with three possible response options (firstshift, second shift, third shift). Work overtime was assessed with one question “Thinking of the past year, which best describes the amount of overtime or extra hours you work in an average month?” that had six response options (0–4 h, 5–12 h, 13–24 h, 25–36 h, 37–50 h,51 h and above). Work time standing was measured with one question: “Please check the box that best describes how much standing/walking you do on your job, from always sitting (0 %) to always standing or walking (100 %)” followed by 11 response options (0 % always sitting, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 % Half & Half, 60, 70, 80 90, 100 % always standing or walking).
Job satisfaction was assessed using a 3-item measure [33]; a sample item was “I am satisfied with the overall quality of work done in my workgroup” to which participated responded using a 5-point scale that ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) and a score was calculated by averaging ratings across the items. Civility norms was assessed using a 4-item measure [34]; a sample item was “Respectful treatment is the norm in my department” to which participated responded using a 5-point scale that ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) and a score was calculated by averaging ratings across the items. Decision latitude was measured with a subscale from the job content questionnaire [35] consisting of seven items that assess skill discretion and decision authority. Sample items include: “My job requires me to be creative,” and “My job allows me to make a lot of decisions on my own.” Response options ranged on a 4-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) and a score was calculated by averaging ratings across the items. Procedural justice was measured with four items [36] that assess work experiences. A sample item is: “Job decisions are made in an unbiased manner.” Response options ranged on a 5-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) and a score was calculated by averaging ratings across the items. Psychological job demands were assessed with a subscale from the job content questionnaire [35]. A sample item was: “My job requires working very hard.” Response options ranged on a 4-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) and a score was calculated by averaging ratings across the items. Stress was assessed with a six-item version of the Stress in General scale (SIG; [37]; α = .91), which instructs respondents to indicate whether several words or phrases describe their work (e.g., irritating, hectic, hassled). Each item was rated with a 0 (no), 1.5 (cannot decide), or 3 (yes), and a score was calculated by averaging ratings across the items. Social support was measured with a subscale from the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ: [35]) consisting of four items that assess instrumental and socioemotional social support from supervisors and coworkers including “(My supervisor is)/(People I work with are) helpful in getting the job done” and “(My supervisor/People I work with) take a personal interest in me”. Response options ranged on a 4-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) and a score was calculated by averaging ratings across the items.
BMI and BFP were treated as continuous variables for all analyses. Age was grouped into three categories (under 45 years old, 45–54 years old, 55 or more years old) with about a third of the sample in each group. All other demographic, health-related, and work-related factors were dichotomized in order to reduce the number of degrees of freedom to be included in the models. When dichotomizing variables, we aimed to choose standard cutoffs or to divide data into two categories as equally distributed as possible in order to optimize power.
Demographic variables dichotomized included race (white, other), marital status (married or living with partner, other), education level (at least some college, no college), family income (less than $75,000, $75,000 and over), childcare responsibility (some or complete responsibility, none or another adult responsible), and eldercare responsibility (responsible for at least one adult, no responsibility).
Health-related variables that were dichotomized included sleep hours (less than 6 h, 6 or more hours), depressive symptoms (1 day per week or less, more than 1 day per week), leisure time physical activity (at least some, none), musculoskeletal pain (none to mild, moderate to severe), stress (low, high), weight perception (interested in changed, not interested), work-life balance (not or somewhat successful, very or completely successful), and social support (disagree, agree).
Work-related variables that were dichotomized included job tenure (five years or more, less than 5 years), work shift (first shift, other), overtime (less than 24 h per month, 24 h per month or more), time standing at work (standing 30 % of the time or less, standing more than 30 % of the time), job satisfaction (agree, neutral/disagree), civility norms (agree, neutral/disagree), decision latitude (agree,disagree), procedural justice (agree, neutral/disagree), and psychological demands (agree,disagree).
We used chi-squared tests to evaluate differences in the distribution of factors, BMI, and BFP by age. To identify factors associated with BMI and BFP, we performed multivariate linear regression analyses, stratified by age, using all demographic, health-related, and work-related factors to assess associations with baseline and change in BMI and BFP. Before performing the multivariate analyses, we used kappa tests to assess correlation among demographic, health-related, and work-related factors, but because no factors were highly correlated (kappa coefficient > 0.7), we did not restrict the factors included in the multivariate regression models. All statistical analyses were performed in SAS version 9.4 (Cary, NC). Significance was defined as two-tailed p < 0.05.
A total of 758 participants ranging in age from 20–71 years old were included in this study. The population was categorized into similarly sized age categories with 35 % aged <45 years, 37 % aged 45–55 years, and 28 % aged > 55 years (Table 1). The manufacturing workplace consisted predominantly of white males (Table 1). More workers 45 and over were married while fewer were college educated. Childcare and eldercare responsibilities differed by age, with the largest percentage of workers having childcare responsibilities aged <45 years (57 %) and the largest percentage of workers having elder care responsibilities aged >55 years (36 %) (Table 1). The only health-related factors that had different distributions across age categories were the amount of leisure time physical activity, which was lowest among workers <45 years and work-life balance which was most successful among workers >55 years old (Table 1). As would be expected, job tenure and the percentage of administrative jobs increased with age and the percentage of time standing decreased with age (Table 1). A higher percentage of workers >55 years reported high job satisfaction (Table 1).
Distribution of demographic, health-related, and work-related factors by age
<45 years
Population (n = 758)
Married or living with partner
At least some college
> = $75,000/year
<$75,000/year
Childcare Responsibilities
Some or Complete Responsibility
None or Another Adult Responsible
Elder Care Responsibility
Responsible for at least one adult
Health-Related Factors
Hours Sleep
> = 6 h/night
<6 h/night
Depressive Symptoms
<=1 day/week
>1 day/week
Leisure Time Physical Activity
At least some
Musculoskeletal Pain
None or Mild
Moderate to Severe
Weight Perception
Interested in Changing
Very/Completely Successful
Not/Somewhat Succesful
Work-Related Factors
Job Tenure
> = 5 years
<5 years
Work Shift
<24 h/month
> = 24 h/month
Work Time Standing
>30 % of time
<=30 % of time
High Job Satisfaction
Agree (>3)
Neutral/Disagree (<=3)
High Civility Norms
High Decision Latitude
Agree (> = 3)
Disagree (<3)
High Procedural Justice
High Psychological Demands
High Social Support
Stress in General
Low (<=1.5)
High (>1.5)
The distribution of BMI and BFP and the change in BMI and BFP over a 33 month period is presented for each of the three age categories (Table 2). There were significant differences in baseline (p = 0.04) and change in BMI (p < 0.01) by age, with the >55 year age group having larger mean baseline BMI’s (29.7 compared to 28.7 for the <45 year age group) but also experiencing negative changes (decreases) in BMI from baseline to time 2 (−0.4 compared to 0.1 for the <45 year age group and 0.3 for the 45–55 year age group). There was also a significant (p < 0.01) difference in baseline BFP by age, with participants in the <45 year age group having the lowest baseline BFPs (26.0 compared to 28.1 for the 45–55 year age group and 28.6 for the >55 year age group). We did not observe significant differences in change in BFP by age (p = 0.08).
Differences in body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) by age
-0.4 (2.0)
Body Fat Percent (%)
<45 year age category factors, baseline BMI and BFP
Factors associated with baseline BMI and BFP levels are presented for each age category in Table 3 and summarized in Fig. 1. In the <45 year age group, demographic factors associated with baseline BMI and BFP were similar including gender and education. Workers <45 years with childcare responsibilities had a significantly (p = 0.04) higher baseline BMI as compared to workers with no responsibilities and BFP was also higher, although not statistically significant (p = 0.42). The only health-related factor that was significantly associated with both baseline BMI and BFP in the <45 year age category was being interested in changing weight (p < 0.01). In the <45 year age category, work-related factors associated with BMI included working overtime, where workers who worked >24 h/month of overtime had lower BMI (p = 0.02) and a trend towards lower BFP, although not significantly (p = 0.12).
Multivariate analyses of the relationship between demographic, health related, and work related factors and time 1 BMI and BFP
Male (Ref)
−1.91
White (Ref)
Married or living with partner (Ref)
At least some college (Ref)
> = $75,000/year (Ref)
Some or Complete Responsibility (Ref)
Adult Care Responsibility
Responsible for at least one adult (Ref)
<=1 day/week (Ref)
> = 6 h/night (Ref)
−0.1
None (Ref)
None or Mild (Ref)
Interested in Changing (Ref)
Civility Norms
High (>4) (Ref)
Low (<4)
Decision Latitude
Low (<3) (Ref)
High (>3)
>5 years (Ref)
Administrative (Ref)
Procedural Justice
Psychological Demands
Low (<1.5) (Ref)
Very/Completely Successful (Ref)
Not/Somewhat Successful
<24 h/month (Ref)
>24 h/month
First (Ref)
>30 % of time (Ref)
<30 % of time
Factors associated with baseline BMI and BFP across age groups
45–55 year age category factors, baseline BMI and BFP
In the 45–55 year age category, male gender was significantly associated with increased baseline BMI, yet decreased BFP (Table 3). The only health-related factor associated with baseline BMI and BFP in 45–55 year age category was interest in changing weight, which was associated with a statistically significantly (p < 0.01) increased baseline BMI and BFP (Table 3). The only work-related factor associated with significantly increased baseline BMI in the 45–55 year age category washigh stress, which was also associated with a trend towards higher baseline BFP, although the relationship was not statistically significant (p = 0.15).
>55 year age category factors, baseline BMI and BFP
In the >55 year age category, while there was no association between gender and baseline BMI, women had significantly (p < 0.01) higher baseline BFP as compared to men (Table 3). Being interested in changing weight was the only health-related factor significantly (p < 0.01) associated with higher baseline BMI and BFP among participants in the >55 year age group (Table 3). For work-related factors, only longer job tenure was significantly (p = 0.03) associated with increased baseline BFP.
Change in BMI and BFP
The factors associated with changes in BMI and BFP over a 33 month time period are presented by age category in Table 4. Few factors were associated with changes. In the <45 year age category, those with no college education experienced a significant (p = 0.04) decreased BMI (Table 4). Within this same age category, elder care responsibilities were associated with a significantly (p = 0.02) increased BFP (Table 4). In the 45–55 year age group, no factors were significantly associated with change in BMI among participants. Yet, in this 45–55 year age group, some work-related factors were associated with changes in BFP. Significant increases in BFP were observed among workers with low job satisfaction (p = 0.02) and working >24 h per month overtime (p = 0.04); high job demands was significantly (p = 0.04) associated with decreased BFP. There were no significant factors associated with change in BMI or BFP among participants in the >55 age group.
Multivariate analyses of the relationship between demographic, health related, and work related factors and change in BMI and BFP
The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with obesity among manufacturing workers of different ages that might inform future workplace interventions. Our study is unique in that wemeasured a variety of demographic, health-related, and work-related factors as well astwo indicators of obesity,BMI and BFP, across workers in a specific industry (manufacturing) and in different age groups who may have different developmental stressors and needs. Our findings support the notion described in the Social Ecological Model that obesity is a multifactorial disease with many contributing factorsthat may differ across a worker’s lifespan [8, 15].
The trends in BMI and BFP of our participants by age are consistent with the previous literature. Similar to published studies by Orpana et al. and Mozaffarian et al., we observed larger BMI and BFP for older participants in our study [38, 39]. Also consistent with previous studies, we observed that older participants had smaller or negative changes in BMI compared to the younger participants in our study sample, who tended to have increases in BMI and/or BFP between time 1 and time 2 of the study [18, 40]. Participants in our sample were, on average, overweight, with BMIs in the 25–30 kg/m2 range. Therefore, it could be desirable to intervene on factors associated with increased BMI or BFP in this population.
One of the few factors that we observed to be consistently associated with higher baseline BMI and BFPregardless of age wasinterest in changing weight: participants in our population who reported that they were “interested in changing” their weight had consistently higher baseline BMIs and BFPs than those who were satisfied with their current weights. A previous study by Tamers et al. reported similar findings [41]. This factor may be a beneficial to consider as part of workplace interventions for all age groups. Information on whether workers are interested in changing their weights may help to identify those who would most benefit from an obesity intervention. Based on the theory of the Transtheoretical Stages of Change Model, which posits that behavior modification is more likely to occur when participants are ready to change [42], we might expect that these participants reporting an interest in changing their weight would be more likely to reduce their BMIs or BFPs throughout the measurement period. Unfortunately, similarly to another finding by Tamers et al. [41], we did not identify weight perception as a factor associated with change in BMI or BFP in our analyses, indicating that intentions to change weight are not sufficient to actually affect these indicators of obesity.
The majority of the factors that we identified as being associated with increased baseline BMI and BFP differed by age. We observed that education, childcare responsibilities, social support, and overtime work were only associated with differences in baseline BMI and/or BFP in the <45 year age group, while stress in general was only associated with differences in baseline BMI and/or BFP in the 45–55 year age group and job tenure in the >55 year age group. It is possible that individuals are more susceptible to the effects of certain exposures at different times in their lives. For example, in the <45 year age category people had higher childcare responsibilities and this factor was associated with higher BMI. This is in line with other research such as a study of working mothers by Dugan which found that self-care behaviors (including physical exercise, healthy eating, and weight management) were associated withhaving availabletime and energy, resources that are often consumed by acumulative workload consisting of paid work plus home/family work [43]. The study concluded that an effective intervention for this population would be one that takes place early in the day (e.g., a morning exercise class), ensuring that time and energy resources do not become depleted before people have an opportunity to use them for self-care. Such findings emphasize the importance of considering age and its related circumstances when planning interventions around obesity, as individuals in different age groups may benefit from interventions focused on different factors.
We observed associations between work-related factors and BMI or BFP among participants across all age categories. Work-related factors can affect obesity through many pathways from directly impacting energy expenditure via physical work demands to indirectly by influencing workers’ diets or leisure time physical activity levels as a result of work scheduling or workplace stress [44]. Our results support the idea of performing obesity interventions within the workplace.
Many of the work-related factors included in this study were selected because of their potential influence on workplace stress. Previous studies have demonstrated that a worker’s experience of stress at work can be affected by many factors such as civility [45], decision latitude [46], job satisfaction [47], procedural justice [48], and psychological demands [49]. Exposure to stress at work can result in neuroendocrine dysregulation [16], and may also lead to unhealthy behaviors [17], both of which may affect BMI or BFP.
Some factors that have been identified as being associated with obesity in previous studies were not associated with BMI or BFP in the current study. For example, while we did not observe any association between BMI or BFP and work time sitting/standing, increased sitting has been associated with increased BMI in several previous studies of office workers (e.g.[50]). This may be one example of a factor that is more relevant to obesity among office workers than manufacturing workers. Even compared to other studies among blue collar workers, we did not always observe the same results; for example, Duffy et al. [19] reported that low physical activity levels were significantly associated with obesity among operating engineers, while we found no association between physical activity and BMI or BFP in the current study. Workers across industries may have exposures or responses to different factors that may contribute to weight gain [20]. Therefore, it is important to identify industry-specific factors associated with obesity when considering workplace interventions.
We observed few factors associated with change in BMI or BFP. This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies reporting that a variety of factors were not significantly associated with change in obesity (e.g. [18, 50, 51]). This may also explain why a recent systematic review reported that there was little evidence to inform interventions aimed at preventing obesity [3]. On one hand, this indicates that the factors we considered were not associated with increases in BMI or BFP from time 1 to time 2. But, such research also implies that it is difficult to identify factors associated with decreases in BMI or BFP that could be used for interventions.
We considered both BMI and BFP as indicators of obesity in this study because they may be characterizing obesity in different ways. BMI and BFP are not always correlated [52]; BMI incorporates total weight including muscle and fat mass, while BFP only considers body fat. As a result, BFP is expected to represent the health risks associated with obesity more accurately;however, BMI is more commonly used in the literature because it is easier to measure [52]. In our study, we observed differences in the factors associated with BMI compared to BFP. It may be important to consider factors associated with BFP as well as of BMI for future interventions.
Several strengths of this study should be noted. First, our study provided information specific to the manufacturing industry on factors associated withBMI and BFP by age, considering factors from multiple dimensions. Such information is needed in order to develop targeted, effective obesity interventions. The longitudinal design where factors were measured at time 1 and assessed in terms of their association with changes in BMI and BFP from time1 to 2allows for temporality to be established for change in BMI and BPF, and although the cross-sectional analyses prevent causality from being established, they serve to identify groups that have higher BMI and BFP and may therefore benefit most from interventions. Second, the study’s comprehensive consideration of multiple demographic, health-related, and work-related factors simultaneously allows for more accurate evaluation of associations and reduces multiple testing [53].
The results of this study must be taken with consideration for the study’s limitations. First, we were unable to include any measure of several important factors associated with obesity including diet or energy intake or chronic health conditions such as cerebrovascular disease or sleep apnea in our analyses. Therefore, none of our results are adjusted for the effect of these factors, and it may be possible that the pathways by which some of the demographic, health-related, or work-related factors identified in our study affect obesity go through diet or health conditions. In addition, our measures of physical activity may not have fully characterized each participant’s actual physical activity level. It is also possible that other factors were not included in our analyses that could have been associated with obesity. Second, it is possible that we had limited power to detect differences in obesity by some of our factors such as depressive symptoms where there was limited variability in responses. Third, we only considered one time period of approximately 33 months for change in BMI and BFP. It is possible that the factors associated with change in obesity are dependent on the time period between assessments of BMI or BFP.
In conclusion, we identified associations between individual, health-related, and work-related factors and obesity that differed by age in a group of manufacturing workers. Such results support the use of age-specific intervention strategies around obesity. More work must be done to identify factors or strategies associated with changes in obesity over time.
BFP:
This publication was supported by Grant Number 1 R01 OH OH008929 from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH.
This publication was also supported by a seed grant from the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Research/Center for Health, Intervention and Prevention multidisciplinary obesity research core interest group.
JLG helped to develop the research questions, conducted the statistical analyses, and wrote the manuscript. AGD helped to develop the research questions and statistical analyses, and assisted with writing the manuscript. PDF, AAG, and TBHM provided assistance with the research questions, statistical analyses, and manuscript writing. AMK participated in the study conception and design, and provided assistance with the research questions, statistical analyses, and manuscript writing. MGC participated in the study conception and design. JMC helped to develop the research questions and statistical analyses, and assisted with writing the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 358 Mansfield Road, Unit 1101, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 2006 Hillside Road, Unit 1248, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Department of Statistics, UConn Health, 263 Mansfield Road, Unit 1101, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, UConn Health, 263 Mansfield Road, Unit 1101, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Geriatric Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
Department of Community Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
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Tom & Sue Melillos excellent adventure
Tom & Sue’s Excellent Adventure Day 20 Oliveto Citra Italy
Oliveto Citra as we approach the town
We had breakfast, mostly coffee after last nights late dinner, and met Carmine at the foundation a little after 9. I got lost driving since most streets are one way and the 1 minute drive turned into 15, but we made it.
We went to the foundation to meet with Anna, who runs the foundation and we spent almost two hours there looking at the photos and testimonies of many people and listening. The photos were actual pictures of the Blessed Virgin and Son as they had appeared, although not as clear as actually seeing Them.
Watching a video in Oliveto Citra
We watched a DVD of the miracles of the sun and the red cloud that was seen by all within 6 miles, as well as testimonies from the parish priest and others who were touched by these events. Carmine and Anna then told the whole story as it first happened in 1985.
Anna’s two children were both part of the twelve that saw her. It was incredible. We also heard of the latest apparitions and miracles that have happened here, all as we stood looking at the shrine of Our Lady of the Castle.
Carmine gave us a great history of the castle, that goes back many centuries.
Carmine then gave us a tour of the former castle and the museum and we learned of the history dating 1000 years before Christ. The valley is rich in history which includes ancient stories of Spartacus and Hannibal, as well as some Greek influence.
At one point he stopped and paced then went to his knees told us that this was the spot were he saw the Blessed Mother the second time, when there were only 4 of them. Susan asked where she was standing and he said where Tom is standing and I almost jumped out of my shoes and moved to the side.
This was all very special just as much as the next hour we spent at the site of the first apparition where we went at noon to pray the Angelus, which is part of the whole days events. It started to rain and I got our 2 umbrellas from the car and we went to the site of the first apparition just past the gate, which Anna opened.
Our group grew as we stayed and prayed the rosary and heard everyone’s testimonies. It is awe-inspiring to hear the stories as to how people came to be here.
As we stood there and were beginning to pray other pilgrims joined us and before we knew it there were 12 of us, all in deep prayer. We each took turns to say a prayer or give testimony of the reason we were there. Carmine translated and we were in awe at what we heard. After each testimony of faith or a miracle we prayed holding hands and finished with the Angelus. It was beautiful and peaceful and we all felt such a close bond to each other as we all departed.
Carmine was off to a wedding and we told Anna that we would be back at 3 for the rosary (if it’s raining they usually forgo the rest of the day and the procession).
The rain moved in and we could not even see the nearby buildings.
We went back to our hotel and watched the rain come down so hard and the clouds move in so at times we couldn’t even see in front of the hotel let alone the castle. So here we sit hopping for a break in the weather to continue our pilgrimage and as Susan so eloquently said during the prayer service that we come here to pray for those whose intentions we have carried with us.
Categories Tom & Sue's Excellent Adventure--Italy in 27 days Tags apparitions at oliveto citra italy, Oliveto Citra, Tom & Sue Melillos excellent adventure, tom & sue's excellent italy adventure
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独家文献 51
英文 51
Touchstones Nelson Museum of Art and History 51
显示 51 结果 Archival description
Touchstones Nelson Museum of Art and History
50 有数字对象的结果 显示有数字对象的结果
Stamp, Marking
CA TN TN_2014.009.009
A rubber stamp that has the masonic symbol in the center and reads " Chee Kong Tong Chinese Free Mason P.O. Box 137 Nelson, B.C."
A rubber stamp with a wooden handle and a makers label for "Sun Tai Lok Co. 803 Grant Ave. San Francisco, Cal."
A rubber stamp that reads "Chee Kong Tong P.O. Box 137 Nelson, B.C. - Canada." The handle is made of wood and has a plastic slot holding a stamped piece of paper of the stamp.
A carved wooden square shaped stamp.
Photograph - Nelson Chinese Youth Association Basketball Team
A black and white copy negative of the Nelson Chinese Youth Association basketball team. There are eleven young men in uniforms, and a young woman on the right hand side and a young man on the left, presumably the coaches.
Photograph - Nelson Chinese Youth Association
A black and white copy negative of the Nelson Chinese Youth Association. There are six young men standing and three seated, as well as a seated young woman.
Wooden abacus with brass hardware and the words "Chee Kong Tong Society", also known as the Nelson Chinese Masonic Lodge, written in Chinese calligraphy on the back in gold.
A sixteen gauge metal box engraved with a hinged lid and a carved ivory handle. The engraving is detail of two bearded men of Chinese descent in a garden surrounded by an elaborate border.
Photograph - Chinese Masonic Hall
A black and white photograph of the Chinese Masonic Hall located at 605 Lake Street, in a photograph album containing images of buildings and bridges.
A small rubber stamp with a wooden handle.
A rubber stamp with a wooden handle.
Photograph - Mar Family Members
A black and white copy negative of Shu Ling Mar, Mar Juck, and Shu Tong Mar standing in front of an automobile.
Photograph - Part of Nelson's Chinatown on Vernon Street
A black and white copy print of four businesses on Vernon Street in Nelson's Chinatown.
Photograph - Man with Umbrella
A black and white print of a man with an umbrella smoking a cigarette and standing on a roof top with laundry hanging on lines and a view of Nelson, BC and Kootenay Lake.
Circular dark-brown wooden stand with four short legs and raised lip. The base is carved with an open scroll pattern.
Photograph - The Chinese Nationalist League
A black and white photograph of the Chinese Nationalist building located at 524 Lake Street in Nelson, B.C. shows seven men posing on the porch and Chinese written in ink along the bottom.
Jar, Food Storage
A rounded dark brown ceramic jar with a wide mouth.
Silver coloured metal inkpad with lid. An image of bird is engraved on top of the lid and the makers mark is on the bottom.
A green painted wooden sign with carved text in gold.
A portrait of a seated man taken by photographer George Meeres in Nelson.
Photograph - Members of the Nelson Chinese Nationalist League
A black and white photograph of the members of the Nelson Chinese Nationalist League. At the top is a portrait of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in uniform flanked on either side by the Chinese Nationalist and the Republic of China flags. Below him are portraits...
Document - Chinese Nationalist League
A document for the Chinese Nationalist League. In the center at the top is a portrait of Dr. Sun Yat-sen flanked on either side by the Chinese Nationalist and the Republic of China flags.
A rubber stamp in the shape of a square with a wooden handle. The handle has the makers mark "Hewitt Vancouver" etched on it .
结果 1 到 25 的 51
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at Pilot (View all jobs)
What we’re looking for
Pilot is looking for a second designer to help us automate bookkeeping for small businesses. Ideally looking for someone with the following profile
Has worked professionally as a designer, ideally in a fast growing startup
Experience with product design for a user who doesn’t think like them
Connected to the designer network and excited to help us recruit future designers
Focused on the customer and believes that design exists to solve problems for real people
Interested in doing primarily product design with a splash of everything else
Excited to work with an experienced and mature team
Minimum 3 years professional design experience
What we’re building
Every company needs to keep track of its finances, and most hire a bookkeeping firm to do so. But there's no Stripe, Gusto, or Google Apps of this world—no clear best-in-class bookkeeping firm that everyone uses because it delivers a service of unmatched quality and integrates with the tools and workflows to run your business as it grows. Nobody starts a restaurant because they want to do their books so it’s a huge pain for small business owners.
Pilot is changing that, by using software to automate as much of the heavy-lifting as possible and giving those software superpowers to a team of finance experts to provide a bookkeeping service of unparalleled quality and customer service.
We are 75 people today and have a charming office in San Francisco close to the Montgomery Street BART stop. We have great benefits and believe in work/life balance.
Our seasoned founding team has led companies through two prior successful startups and acquisitions (by Oracle and Dropbox).
We’ve raised a $40M Series B financing led by Index Ventures. The company’s investors include a long-list of world-class entrepreneurs, including Patrick and John Collison, Drew Houston, Diane Greene, Frederic Kerrest, Hans Robertson, Adam D’Angelo, Paul English, Howard Lerman, Joshua Reeves, Tien Tzuo, and many other folks that it’s a privilege to have involved.
How did you hear about this job?
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Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love, and Work
Otto Kroeger, Janet M. Thuesen
Random House Publishing Group, 16 jan. 2013 - 304 pagina's
Determine your personality using a scientifically validated method based on the work of C.G. Jung and gain insight into why others behave the way they do, and why you are the person you are.
What’s your type?
Would you rather . . .
. . . celebrate with the whole crowd or just a few friends?
. . . focus on the facts or get an overall impression?
. . . go with what “seems logical” or what “feels fair”?
. . . keep to a schedule or keep your options open?
How you answer these questions is the very beginning of understanding who you are and how you relate to those around you, by using a new and exciting method called Typewatching. Otto Kroeger and Janet M. Thuesen have developed Typewatching from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which was derived from the work of C. G. Jung. Now they have put together the first and only popular guide to the MBTI in Type Talk. Here is a one-of-a-kind guide that describes this scientifically validated approach to “name-calling,” a method that has been used for more than forty years by individuals, families, corporations, and governments who want to communicate better.
Typewatching as explained in Type Talk is easy to learn and natural to use. With even moderate practice it can help teachers teach and students learn, workers work and bosses boss. It can help lovers love, parents parent, and everyone accept themselves and others more easily. Best of all, Typewatching is fun.
Type Talk examines the four pairs of preferences that are fundamental to every personality type: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/iNtuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. Kroeger and Thuesen provide a self-evaluation that can be used to determine which of each of these preferences best describes you. They delineate every combination of preferences—there are 16 different personality types, so you are sure to find yourself—and they go on to demonstrate how to analyze and evaluate other people as well. Once armed with this knowledge, you will learn how to thrive in a world of so many different types. Here is a celebration of the similarities and differences in people, an odyssey of discovery in which the final destination is success, satisfaction, and serenity.
Resultaten 1-5 van 6
It transforms our most common inborn and societal pattern—in which conflict of
any kind is dealt with through blame, guilt, and a determination of who's right and
who's wrong—into a process of understanding and accommodating differences.
Je hebt de weergavelimiet voor dit boek bereikt.
The Eight Preferences
Friends Lovers and Type
The Sixteen Profiles
Otto Kroeger,Janet M. Thuesen
activities affirmation become behavior better career challenge child conflict David Keirsey decisions demands differences ENFJ ENFP ENTJ ENTP ESFJ ESFP ESTJ ESTP everything example exciting Extraverts fact Family events Feelers female focus friends frustrated function give goal-setting goals ideas individual INFJ INFP interpersonal INTJ INTP Introverts involved Isabel Briggs Myers ISFJ ISFPs issues ISTJ ISTP Judgers Jung Jung’s Katharine Briggs learning look male mate MBTI Myers-Briggs Myers-Briggs Type Indicator name-calling natural objective one’s organization organizational other’s parents party people’s Perceivers perceptions person play preferences problems reflect relationship relaxation responsibility result role schedule Sensing Sensors and iNtuitives simply situation sixteen types someone style talk teachers Temperaments tend theory there’s things Thinkers Thinking-Judgers Typewatching skills typological understand what’s words
Otto Kroeger, ENFJ, is the founder of Otto Kroeger Associates, a consulting firm based in Fairfax, Virginia, working exclusively with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. A former Lutheran clergyman, he has been working in organizational development and the behavioral sciences for more than two decades. He has lectured on Typewatching extensively throughout the United States, and in Europe and Asia, and has worked with hundreds of corporations, including AT&T, Xerox, IBM, Marine Midland Bank, Ford, Exxon, and the World Bank. He has worked extensively with the Defense Department, presenting Typewatching for all four major branches of the military; his seminars are now required course work at many military schools and training facilities.
Janet M. Thuesen, INFP, president of Otto Kroeger Associates, has had an extensive career in education, business, and counseling. She has taught at grade levels from preschool through college and has worked with emotionally disturbed adolescents and chemically dependent women. She also served as assistant director of Organizational Development at the White House and at the Department of Education in executive and management development. She has trained hundreds of professionals in administering and interpreting typewatching skills and has spoken extensively on the subject.
Titel Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love, and Work
Auteurs Otto Kroeger, Janet M. Thuesen
Uitgever Random House Publishing Group, 2013
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Indie Author Excerpts Archive
Indie Author Excerpts: The Banshee’s Embrace by Victoria Richards
Posted on 04/05/2013 in Indie Author Excerpts / 4 Comments
Welcome! Indie Author Excerpts is a feature allowing indie authors the chance to showcase one of their books and allows readers to find their next favorite story. Each week, an indie author gets to promote a 1-2 page excerpt of their book here at The Bawdy Book Blog. This is a win-win for everyone! This feature was inspired in part by Indie Author Spotlight, a meme hosted by Beckie @ Bittersweet Enchantment and CYP @ A Bookalicious Story.
This Week’s Excerpt: The Banshee’s Embrace by Victoria Richards!
Genre: Paranormal Romance Publish Date: August 2012 Like this excerpt? Buy it: Kindle
Jacqueline Huston has no idea what has been happening to her, but it started the night she was attacked by men with strange powers. While wounded in the attack, Jacqueline knows she would have surely died if her husband hadn’t thrown himself into the line of fire. But being alive is little comfort when your husband is dead. Ever since that night, Jacqueline has been strangely attracted to death for reasons she doesn’t understand. When death is nearby, she experiences the uncanny feeling that she can predict when it is coming for someone. However, it’s the weird urge to sing when she gets close to dying people that disturbs her the most. Toby Williams is a wizard and a member of the Brotherhood of Merlyn, an ancient order of wizards. He’s been charged by the Brotherhood to keep an eye on Jacqueline Huston. After all, half banshees are rare, and if placed in the wrong hands, they can be a powerful weapon. As owner of Merlyn’s Bar, a place the lovely Ms. Huston frequents, it seems an easy enough assignment for Toby. When sinister Derek Spark attempts to kidnap her, Jacqueline learns a frightening truth–she comes descended from an old Irish family whose women are destined to become banshees upon their deaths. Jacqueline was meant to die in the attack a year ago, but because she was only wounded, her banshee genes are coming out, making her a powerful weapon to those in the supernatural world. Derek wants to use her soul reaping powers for his own evil plans. Jacqueline must discover the truth about her heritage and save Toby, the man she finds herself falling in love with, and from her own banshee urge to reap his soul.
The rain howled down, causing Jacqueline’s skirt to stick to her as if it were a second skin. She didn’t notice, nor did the pounding rain cause her any discomfort. Her attention was focused on the body next to her, her mind trying to make sense of everything that she’d seen.
Eric is dead.
The thought tore at her heart. Someone had just killed her husband. Even though she knew that, even though her mind knew she needed to run, to get the hell out of danger, Jacqueline could do nothing but stare down at the man who had somehow managed to save her from death.
But how? How had he done it? The deep ache in her chest where she’d been hit was proof something happened, but had she imagined the sparks she’d seen flying from his fingertips, the sparks that had sailed through the wet night and at the mysterious man who’d attempted to assault her. No. It wasn’t possible. Her mind was playing tricks. It had to have been a gun, some sort of new technology. Eric was a cop. He would have had access to those things. It had only looked like…
Magic.
The murderer had taken off into the night, not bothering to see if his victim was alive or dead. Her mind replayed the events of the past few minutes. Jacqueline had been certain that death was going to claim her, but as she’d lain on the soaked ground, Eric’s worried face appeared above her. The wind had picked up, carrying with it an odd, almost melodious howl.
“No, Jackie!” Eric’s voice was stern, though blood dripped down the side of his face. “Don’t listen to the song. It’s not your time to become one of them.”
“Eric, baby…” She could feel the strength slipping from her body. It felt like something dark tugged at her spirit, something that wanted very badly for her to let go of life.
What a weird thought…
“No!” With a deep breath, Eric had raised his head to the night sky and begun chanting strange words. His hands glowed with a soft, comforting white light, and as he placed them on her chest, just above her heart, heat slid into her skin. The tugging feeling evaporated.
“Eric?” As she sat up, he fell onto his side, eyes wide and empty.
Her emotions were numb with dread, and though her mind had already darted and delved its way into a million questions, she willed herself to be still just a moment longer. Just a little while more. If she sat very, very still, everything would go back to normal. She’d wake up from the horror, from the truth.
She reached forward and touched the body of the man she’d been married to for five years. He was already cold. The rain lashed against him, and suddenly Jacqueline threw herself against his chest, ready to shield him from the harsh drops. Desperately, she breathed in his scent.
Her skin tingled. Anxiety danced in her stomach, and the oddest sensation of power rippled through her abdomen. The spot on her chest where the man had hit her, that Eric had healed, ached. Her heart raced and dizziness washed over Jacqueline, mixing with the sensation of rain on her skin. She could literally feel this new energy rising through her body until it reached the esophagus.
Jacqueline lifted her face to the sky. If she could have seen herself, she would have been shocked to see that her eyes were a deep, luminescent green. Her mouth opened and a long wail flew free from within her. Only it wasn’t really a wail.
It had melody.
It lifted up through the air, skimming the rain and dancing across the night sky, carrying along the sound of her lament.
Follow Victoria Richards around the web: Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Facebook
Victoria Richards is a native southern Californian. She is a married and a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful daughters. She holds two degrees, one in Liberal Arts and the other in History. Victoria has been writing since she was old enough to pick up a pencil, but it wasn’t until her college years that she really developed a love for writing creatively. At the suggestion of her creative writing professor she decided to pursue a more full-time career as a writer, something that she enjoys and gives her immense satisfaction.
Her passion for reading and writing has been focused mostly in the romance genre. With a hyperactive (and romantic) imagination, a degree in history and a love for the arts she finds it easy to blend these many disperse elements together to create romance stories that can range from the beautiful to the bizarre.
Her other interests include traveling, painting, shopping, volleyball, jogging at the beach, and enjoying a good game of billiards.
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Owner/Administrator at Bookshelfery
Jennifer is both a book nerd and professional photographer. That means she lives in the fantasy world all the time, whether of her making, or someone else's. She collects books like the Duggar family collects kids, and began waiting for her Hogwarts letter at the tender age of 33.
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4 responses to “Indie Author Excerpts: The Banshee’s Embrace by Victoria Richards”
Wow killer excerpt. Thanks for sharing
I love how this excerpt ends, don’t you? 😀
Wonderful post! Thanks so much, Jennifer! 🙂
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The Other Author of “The Liberty Song”
Ross Wyman, Chairman of the Blacksmiths’ Conventio...
A Greene Family Crisis over Playing Cards
A Chair in New Old Clothing
Glimpses of Revolutionary Camp Followers
“A person capable of peopling the banks of the Mis...
A French Novelist’s Description of Meeting Preside...
America’s Early Grave
Continental Army Paperwork to Transcribe
The Road to Concord Leads to Shrewsbury, 31 Jan.
“At my trial for caning Gill”
“Two violent blows…upon the back part of the head”...
“I am come to demand the author of the piece you p...
“The most infamous and reproachful Invectives”
The Parody, and the Parody Parodized
John Dickinson’s “Song, to the Tune of Heart of Oa...
“Hearts of oak are we still”
A Kitchen for James Hemings
Alexander Hamilton’s Love Letter Revealed!
Saved by the Potato
“I will come and help you a second time.”
Putnam and the Pretty Large Stone
Pvt. Jacob Gulick and Pvt. Jacob Francis
A Book Aboard Blackbeard’s Flagship
Digital Resources from Mount Vernon
Benjamin Franklin’s Birthday (and the Washingtons’...
A Second Look at the Corporal Who Stole a Horse
“So suited to the New-Year’s day” in Québec?
When Did the British New Year Begin Before 1752?
Francis Wrigley, Philadelphia Journeyman
A New Year’s Greeting from Philip Freneau
On 29 January 1776, Gen. Nathanael Greene wrote to his brother Christopher from the Continental camp on Prospect Hill about a family crisis—his wife’s friends had played cards in front of their stepmother.
The general wrote:
I am extream sorry that Mr [John] Gooch and Nancy Varnum affronted Mother at my House with Cards. Surely Mrs [Catherine] Greene could not be present. She must have known better. It was insult that I would not have sufferd the best friend I had in the World to have offerd to her.
Altho I think Cards in themselves as innocent as any other pieces of Paper yet its criminal to play before her because they knew how Conscious the friends are in these matters. In the choice of all our pleasures regard should be had to time and place, private and publick Prejudices. Since the Resolution of Congress I have never had a Card in my hand to play, not sufferd one in my House that I remember.
I Love and Esteem the old Lady and should be very sorry that this disagreeable circumstance should be constered into an intentiononal [sic] affront, for I dare presume it proceeded intirely from Ignorance and not out of any disrespect to her. People that have been Accustomed to these things all their Days dont feel upon the Occasion like you and me who have stole the pleasures in secret Corners.
There are layers of disapprobation here. Mary (Collins Rodman) Greene disliked card-playing because of her Quaker values—but obviously her stepsons had snuck in more than a few games.
Then the Continental Congress in its Association of 20 Oct 1774 had urged Americans to avoid “all kinds of gaming,” including cards, and Nathanael Greene said he had complied.
But Nathanael’s wife Catherine came from a higher social class, and she was independent in many ways. It looks like her social circle didn’t adhere to either the Congress’s or traditional Quakers’ strictures against cards. Indeed, despite the general’s expression of certainty, it strikes me that Catherine Greene probably knew exactly what was going on in their house.
John Gooch was probably the same man of that name who became a captain in James Varnum’s Continental Army regiment and saw action at Harlem Heights and Fort Washington in 1776. However, that man’s service at least nominally started in January, so he should have been in the camp when Greene wrote this letter. Maybe he was on recruiting duty while playing cards.
On 9 Feb 1776, Nathanael and Catherine’s first child was born. They named that son after Nathanael’s boss: George Washington Greene. Giving birth apparently freed Catherine to travel, and she reportedly visited the camp at Cambridge before the end of the siege. She certainly spent many months later in the war traveling with the army and socializing with other commanders’ wives rather than staying at home in Rhode Island with her mother-in-law.
Labels: Catherine Greene, Christopher Greene, Continental Congress, John Gooch, manners, Nathanael Greene, Quakers, women
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“Letters were found in the Doctor’s pocket”
“Masters Leach and Lovell were brought to prison”
“This British Drum was captured at Bunker Hill”?
The Legend of Levi Smith’s Bunker Hill Drum
Did Isaac Freeman Kill Maj. John Pitcairn?
Who Wrote Isaac Freeman’s Petition?
Isaac Freeman’s Petition
Jacob Frost’s Compensation for “Capitivity”
Dr. Ezekiel Brown in the Concord Jail
Ezekiel Brown in the Boston Jail
Thomas Kettell: Underage Prisoner after Bunker Hil...
The Myths of Lt. Col. James Abercrombie’s Death
Pvt. Simon Fobes: “fully resolved to go as far as ...
Refighting Bunker Hill with the Angry Staff Office...
An Archive about Commemorating Bunker Hill
A Graphic Profile of Phillis Wheatley
Rev. Jonathan Boucher: “I did know Mr. Washington ...
Pvt. James Melvin’s Journal in Manuscript
Underwater Archeology off Yorktown
How Pvt. Joshua Williams Ended Up in Boston
Di Spigna on Dr. Joseph Warren in the Coming Week
“A bayonet wrested from one of the pursuers”
“Here comes A new or A Strange Lobster”
Taking a New Look at the Saratoga Battlefield
Joanne Freeman on “Hamilton: The Exhibition”
Boles on Non-Whites in Colonial Churches at Old So...
Slavery and the Vermont Constitution, Then and Now...
When Wartime Riots Paralyzed London
Lord George Gordon’s Petition to Parliament
How to Assess a Founder’s Quote
Refighting Bunker Hill with the Angry Staff Officer
This is the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. For an overview of the action this year, I’m pointing to the Angry Staff Officer’s article “Warfighter: Bunker Hill.”
It sets aside the mysteries, ambiguities, and evidence that historians focus on, and also applies modern military terms to the situation in 1775. Here’s a taste:
On the night of June 16, Col. [William] Prescott with chief engineer Richard Gridley and about 500 men crossed Charlestown Neck and occupied Breed’s Hill. Equipped with survivability equipment, they began construction of a fighting position on the height of the crest. During the night, ISR assets on the Royal Navy ships in the harbor spotted the movement and called for fire on the hill. Rounds began to impact, but the guns soon fell silent: Admiral Richard [sic—Samuel] Graves had been awoken by the firing and ordered the men to cease fire. Working all night, the Patriots dug a substantial fortification on Breed’s Hill with earthworks and firing platforms. When the sun rose, the British found that the height had been seized and fortified.
During the morning hours, more men arrived on the neck and began improving the fighting positions. An earthen trench was constructed down the left side of the redoubt. Just behind it, the New Hampshire and Connecticut troops constructed additional defenses extending to the left using log fences and stone walls to erect a position that ran down the slope towards the Mystic River. Between the fence and the trench, pioneers dug three v-shaped trenches to tie in the trench and the fence. This still left the extreme left vulnerable to flanking parties moving along the coast, so Col. [John] Stark led a detachment down the bluff to the river and emplaced a series of rock walls in depth. He then placed detachments of marksmen behind each wall, with strict fire control measures. He drove a stake forty yards in front of this position, with instructions for his men to aim at the enemy’s feet; this compensated for the natural rise of the musket and would place their fire center mass.
Arrayed across the dominant heights, the Patriot forces overlooked the key terrain where the British would have conduct an amphibious landing. Between this beach and the heights lay a series of swamps and rail fences that served as natural obstacles that would disrupt British movement and maneuver.
Secondary fighting positions were constructed on Bunker Hill to the rear of Breed’s Hill to serve as a fallback position for Patriot forces should they be forced to retrograde.
With their navy, the British brought significant fires dominance to the battlefield. Naval gunfire began again in the early morning hours of June 17 to suppress the Patriot lines. Over 100 guns were brought to bear on the enemy lines. This sustained fire was also meant to disrupt Patriot movement, but the natural lay of the land allowed Patriots to maneuver their forces in relative safety. In the afternoon, the British landed 12 pound and 6 pound batteries on the beach to provide additional suppressive fire.
The Patriots had four guns in position between the Connecticut and Massachusetts troops, but their gunners abandoned the field prior to the battle and so negated the majority of effects of the guns.
The British were forced to move all supplies via boat across the river, slowing their rate of supply and reinforcement significantly. The 6 pounder battery commander neglected to conduct a precombat inspection prior to deployment and found to their chagrin that their caissons were filled with 12 pound shot rather than 6 pound shot. This denied General [William] Howe his mobile fire support that he was counting on for close in fires.
On the Patriot side, they were already dangerously short of gunpowder. Each soldier had only about 30-40 rounds of ammunition. Lack of an overall field commander meant that there was no one individual tasked with overseeing logistics from the assembly area to the forward line of troops. This oversight would play an outsized role in the coming fight.
Now that we’ve reviewed the big picture, I’ll get into the smaller stories and questions.
Labels: artillery, British soldiers, Bunker Hill, Charlestown, Continental soldiers, fortifications, gunpowder, John Stark, Richard Gridley, Royal Navy, Samuel Graves, William Howe, William Prescott
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in - RPG
Love Cool
Meet Heroes of Ethereum | Fantasy RPG on Ethereum Smart Contract
by HeroesOfEther
Welcome to the Kingdom of Ethereum!
Ethereum is a kingdom of many tribes living in peace with each other. For generations, this land hasn’t seen wars. Stories of the heroes of old turned into myths, swords aren’t forged anymore and the furnace in the Dwarven Forge has grown cold.
But it wasn’t always like that. Since the creation of the world, its races shed each other’s blood for power, riches, and glory. Entire centuries were spent at war. The land was covered with bodies of the fallen heroes. The afterlife was filled to the brim with souls of the warriors killed on the field of battle.
At that time, the forces of Chaos ruled the world from the shadows, corrupting the minds of the kings with a thirst for new lands, new power, and new resources. Wars, atrocities, and death fed the Chaos, strengthened its grip on the world while hordes of monsters ravaged the cities and defiled the temples of the Order.
Only the secret circle of mages have found it in themselves to oppose the Chaos, break the vicious cycle and purge the Chaos with the strongest of spells. The spell that demanded a sacrifice of hundreds of the strongest warriors to the Order. The balance was restored. Over the decades that followed, the tribes have learned to live at peace with each other and united into the single Kingdom of Ethereum.
Now, three hundred years later, the forces of Chaos have raised their heads again, looking to plunge this peaceful land into the neverending bloodshed once more. Chaos creeps its way into the minds of its denizens, the dungeons echo with the shrieks of nightmarish creatures again. The distant descendants of the ancient heroes are ready to take up the arms and learn the half-forgotten spells to fight back the ancient foe. Can they beat the Chaos, hungry for their minds, or will they give in? Will they topple the centuries-old balance and drown the land in blood? All depends on you. You are a proud dweller of the Kingdom of Ethereum and you can decide, what will be its future.
Heroes of Ethereum is a hybrid of various game mechanics inspired by tabletop roleplaying card games, enhanced by the digital computing capabilities provided by decentralized Ethereum blockchain.
You can buy and sell any in-game resources. All of them, including the heroes themselves, are ERC-721 tokens and are protected from being blocked by developers as well as from theft.
The Order, having foreseen the plans of the Chaos, sent the heroes sacrificed at the end of the last dark age back into the land of the living. Two races got 150 mighty warriors back, each capable of masterfully wielding any weapon and ready to train other denizens and teach them the art of war. Humans and Orcs were the first to answer the call and they are already available for hire.
Ancient heroes are sold at the pre-sale and can provide training services to other heroes. After the launch of the first chapter, you can offer training services to other players to sharpen the skills of their heroes at a price you define yourself.
We aim to develop market relations between the characters in-game and later we will introduce more heroes that can help other characters in various ways. At the moment, only ancient heroes are capable of that.
You can buy your first Hero on the Pre-Sale here.
In the face of danger, the people who have never seen combat for three hundred years, have found themselves preparing for war. Wooden axes and toy crossbows are useless on the field of battle and training dummies don’t fight back. And yet it is the best way to learn the basics before the horde of monsters come knocking on your door. Praise the Order, the ancient heroes are here and can teach you proper fighting skills. Not for free, of course.
Recruit heroes in your personal area or buy heroes from other players. Train their skills with the help of the ancient heroes to make your heroes ready for battle with the monsters that are about to break free from the dungeons.
Newly recruited heroes are randomly generated and get unique appearance and attribute values. You initiate the generation yourself and nobody can influence the outcome. You can improve your chances of hiring a rare hero by offering a larger reward.
If you don’t want to take the risk, you can buy a previously generated heroes from other players at the Tavern. Here you will see the list of heroes put up for sale. You can sell your heroes here as well.
Chapter One is available on the test-net Rinkeby. You can hire own hero and sell/buy it in Tavern. Go to Chapter One
The forges are hot once more, the weapons and armors are being forged. The marketplaces are open for heroes to buy gear before venturing into dungeons. Humans and Orc recruits were followed by the Dwarves, the master smiths capable of equipping entire armies.
Now you can hire Dwarves and provide crafting services. You can buy common equipment at a marketplace and try to recreate rare artifacts at the forge, but keep in mind, that dwarven smiths have a significantly better chance for success.
The Chaos gathers its strength and the monsters that hid in the dungeons for centuries began raiding towns, slaughtering cattle and pillaging villages. You have gained fighting skills and armed yourself with a weapon, so it is time to test yourself in battle!
Delve into dungeons to clear them from monsters, but beware the deepest of the monster lairs. The legends say, they hide the powerful ancient evil, that remains undefeated to this day even by the strongest of the warriors of old.
In the dungeons, you may find treasure, as well as enemies. These treasures will help you on your way or be sold to other players.
We plan run Chapter One on the Ethereum mainnet for a currently month.If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Join our telegram group.
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Big Natural Breasts
The voluptuous wonder of Lena Paul
We’ve got a long-standing crush on this week’s featured star, Lena Paul, who has an unbelievably beautiful, all-natural body. From her sparkling blue eyes and come-fuck-me smile to her homegrown 32DDDs and proudly full bush, she’s a stunning vision. If you’ve ever seen her in action, you’ll also know that she has great screen presence. When the scene requires class and elegance, she can bring it. Does the scene call for unabashed perversion and sheer slut energy? She can do that, too.
We know you’d never forgive us if we didn’t tell you about the instant boner fuel that is “Interracial Icon 4” from Blacked. As if Lena’s stacked body and beautiful face weren’t enough, you can double your pleasure because the exquisite Angela White is also here as they tag-team Jason Brown and his huge black cock in a thrilling MFF threeway.
Catering to the fantasies of rough sex fans everywhere, Lena has a few scenes of a more intense, dramatic nature. (more…)
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Featured Star: Autumn Falls
Born in New York City in August Y2K, Autumn Falls is one of those special porn starlets who were born in the 21st century and began to perform as soon as they turned 18. Do you feel old yet? Don’t worry, because this Latina’s youthful energy is enough to make anyone feel younger and more vital just by watching her in action.
Autumn grew up in Manhattan. When she would walk down the street, though she’s only 5’3” small, she never failed to get attention thanks to those natural 32DDs, with curvy hips and ass to match. She had sex with about 20 guys before she got into porn, but her first time with another girl was in her debut porn scene, filmed with Darcie Dolce. You can see it in the last scene of “Lesbian Performers of the Year 2019” from Elegant Angel Productions.
Before she got into performing, Autumn always knew that she wanted to work in adult entertainment somehow. (more…)
Featured Star: Hadley Viscara
This week’s featured star is a gorgeous blonde with big natural breasts and nice, thick thighs. Hadley Viscara comes from a town in Nebraska with a population of less than a thousand, with the nearest school about 90 minutes away by bus. Even as a teenager, she was clearly meant for a big life in a big city. She overcame a restrictive upbringing and found her way to Porn Valley in 2017, just before her 23rd birthday. Her stage name comes from a short piece of fiction that she once wrote about a five-star escort in NYC. Before getting into porn, Hadley learned to squirt while experimenting with a dildo on webcam.
Early in her career, Hadley demonstrated skill and flexibility when she did a split on Rob Piper’s big black cock in “My First Interracial 9” from Blacked. The scene gets really juicy and ends in a creampie. Hadley’s lust for BBC can also be enjoyed in an orgy scene at the end of “Black and White 12,” also from Blacked. Hadley is a head sorority sister and Kylie Page is a pledge. The two of them take on Nat Turnher and Jax Slayher in a four-way that’s one of the highlights of Hadley’s career. (more…)
Featured Star: Ella Knox
Sexy, petite Ella Knox is a stacked little Latina from Indio, California who started performing in 2017. Her luscious tits are massive but look even bigger because she’s only 5’2”. Thanks to her incredible naturals, Ella has been featured on the covers of several breast-focused movies, including “Big Tit Fanatic 4” from Elegant Angel Productions (also her first interracial movie) and Hard X’s newly released “Stacked 9.”
There is more to Ella than those gazongas, though. Let’s not forget her small waist and that ass we’d love to grab, or her silky, dark hair, or those sultry eyes and mouth. She is a beauty from head to toe, as you can see!
One of Ella’s first movies was “Facial Cum Catchers 41” from Sticky Video. As a girl who loves to give blowjobs and really gets off on the degradation of having her face pasted with jizz, Ella is totally into the premise of this scene.
In Aziani’s awesome “Gangbang Creampie: Next Door Naturals,” Ella takes her sexual performance to an even higher level. (more…)
Kendra Sunderland, from infamous camgirl to porn star
When she was 19 years old, Kendra Sunderland became the most well-known camgirl in the United States when a video of her in the Oregon State University library went viral. She was only a few weeks into her newfound side gig in camming when she decided to take the suggestion of a viewer and go do a public cam show.
While sitting at a desk, Kendra flashed her natural 32G breasts and masturbated in front of the camera. People in the background had no idea what she was doing. Obviously the sight of a hot, blonde college girl playing with herself in public was going to get a ton of hits. A fellow student recognized her after the video went viral.
Even though she was busted for public indecency, Kendra made lemonade from those lemons and realized that she could earn a living just by being naked and having sex for the cameras. She got an offer from the legendary director Greg Lansky and couldn’t turn it down. Four and a half years later, her porn scenes are still winning over new fans. (more…)
Featured Star: Lena Paul
Look up “hourglass figure” and you’ll see Lena Paul, who has one of the most naturally sexy bodies in porn. She’s as hot as can be, with a 32DDD-25-36 figure. Her face is equally beautiful, with big blue eyes that sparkle when she smiles, as though she’s constantly thinking the naughtiest thoughts.
Lena’s breasts are, for obvious reasons, the main thing we can’t stop looking at when she’s on the screen. For the uniquely sensual vision of a woman’s mouth pleasuring another woman’s hard nipples (and more), Women Seeking Women 137 from Girlfriends Films is a must-see. Any breast fanatic needs to rush over to the theater to see Interracial Icon 4 (Blacked), which features the perfect team of Lena and the equally stacked Angela White, who share Jason Brown’s BBC in one of the most amazing displays of DD+ cups ever.
There’s a lot more to Lena than her tits, and we can also recommend some orgasmic flicks for the ass lovers among you. (more…)
The erotic allure of Angela White, Australia’s finest
Not all bombshells are blonde, you know. Take, for example, porn star Angela White, a pinup-worthy brunette with crystal-blue eyes and large, soft, suckable natural breasts. Angela loves the camera, and it loves her right back. But just looking gorgeous isn’t enough to achieve bombshell status, and Angela has a sensuality that just radiates from within. She has equal enthusiasm for cock and pussy. For all of these reasons and more, Angela has become one of porn’s most popular, award-winning stars.
In the groundbreaking I Am Angela from Evil Angel and four AVN Hall of Fame directors, Angela bares herself for us in more ways than one. It’s like a hardcore erotic documentary with Angela and some of her favorite costars. Jonni Darkko’s segment is an awe-inspiring gangbang in which Mick Blue, Steve Holmes, and Markus Tynai double penetrate Angela and make her airtight. Dana Vespoli directs and costars in a lesbian anal threesome with Angela and the iconic Joanna Angel. (more…)
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Quick Replies make the Fitbit Versa a much better smartwatch
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
Two months after the Versa was first announced, Fitbit’s since rolled out a new feature for Android users called Quick Replies. Fitbit told us to expect Quick Replies, but what we weren’t told is that this update was also going to overhaul the way Fitbit smartwatches (including the Versa and Ionic) handle notifications.
Notification support has been one of the Versa’s weakest points since its release, so with the release of Quick Replies, is that changed for the better?
You betcha.
Starting first with Quick Replies themselves, these work just as advertised. After receiving a text, message on Facebook Messenger, Twitter, or another similar app, you’ll see a new Reply button that allows you to send off one of five pre-made messages (as well as a collection of emojis).
Being able to shoot off a text without touching my phone is a convenience that never gets old.
These messages have generic responses by default, such as “Yes”, “Sounds good!”, and “What’s up?”, but you can customize these to say whatever you’d like up to a max of 60 characters.
One of the unexpected features with Quick Replies lies with how detailed you can get with these customizations. You can have your set of five messages appear across all notifications you receive, but if you want to take things a step further, you can have different Quick Replies for each app. In other words, the Quick Replies you get when you receive a Twitter notification can be different from the ones you have for responding to a text.
I’d still love to see an on-screen keyboard or microphone for speech-to-text on a future smartwatch from Fitbit, but this current implementation is an excellent first step.
How to use Quick Replies on Fitbit Versa and Ionic
The presence of Quick Replies would have been a fine enough treat on its own, but Fitbit added something else that I’ve been loving even more — proper syncing of notifications on your phone and watch.
Prior to this update, clearing notifications on your phone wouldn’t clear them from your Versa — meaning you’d have to clear the same notifications twice to get them off both your phone and wrist. This could prove to be incredibly irritating at times, and as a welcome surprise, Fitbit decided to fix this.
After the Quick Replies update, clearing a notification on your Versa now also removes it from your phone (and vice versa).
This might sound like a small feature on paper, but in reality, it’s become invaluable in my day-to-day use. My Versa’s no longer a cluttered mess of notifications, and when you combine this with the ability to respond to texts without having to pick up your phone, you end up with a much smarter smartwatch.
Is the Versa a perfect gadget? Not quite. I still wish NFC was available on on models, I’d like to see even more developer support, and as mentioned above, a microphone for voice dictation would be fantastic. However, Fitbit’s quickly showing that it’s got what it takes to create a very competitive smartwatch platform. The progress we’ve seen from the company in less than a year since the Ionic was released is beyond impressive, and with Quick Replies, the Versa (and Ionic) are far better smartwatches than before.
If you still haven’t checked out the Versa for yourself, now’s the time.
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3 Google Assistant Routines you should set up right now
Make your mornings brighter, your commutes stress-free, and your evenings more relaxing with a bit of help from Google Assistant
In just a few short years, Google Assistant has gone from a cool glimpse of the future to come to a legitimate digital helper that you can use every day with your smartphone, Google Home speakers, and soon via Google Assistant-powered smart displays.
One of the coolest new ways to use Google Assistant is the Routines feature which allows you to use one command to get Assistant to complete multiple actions. This feature is not available in all language and is best supported for English (U.S.), where custom created routines are still rolling out to users in America.
But custom routines aside, these are the most convenient Assistant routines you should set up right now!
Google Assistant Routines: Everything you need to know
Enhance your morning routine
Mornings are hard, but Google Assistant can help you be more productive as you’re waking up. It’s pretty common for people to reach for their smartphone as soon as you wake up in the morning — whether it’s to check for any emails or messages received or simply to turn your phone off silent. But that ultimately distracts you from the other routine stuff you need to do to prepare for your day.
With the “Good Morning Routine”, your Assistant can handle those mundane tasks like taking your phone off silent while also give you the day’s weather forecast so you can plan your outfit and an estimation on your commute to work so you know how much time you have before you need to be out the door.
Depending on the Assistant-controlled smart devices in your home, you can also control the smart lights around the house or start brewing your day’s first cup of coffee.
Then you can have Google play your favorite playlist, give you a rundown of the latest news, start playing your favorite morning radio station or load up a podcast to start your day. I’d personally recommend The Daily by the New York Times, which has become the informative highlight of my mornings.
All this can be triggered by simply saying “Good Morning”, “Tell me about your day”, or “I’m up”.
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Create a worry-free commute experience
Once you’re ready to leave the house, use your Assistant to improve your daily commute.
Using Assistant on your phone, you can use the “Commute to Work” routine to get a briefing of any upcoming events for the day from your Google Calendar, get an up-to-the-minute update about traffic conditions for your commute, and adjust your Nest smart themostat to a lower temperature to cut down on your energy bills.
Finally, you can get Assistant to launch into your favorite playlist or podcasts and more and adjust the volume just the way you like it.
There’s also a “Commute to Home” routine which offers a few different features, including sending texts to your significant other letting them know you’re on your way home, or even broadcast that you’re on your way home to Google Home devices around your house.
As you’d expect, there’s a bit of setup required to set up some of these cool features, including which playlists or podcasts you want to listen to, and the cell phone number and message you want to send to your loved one. But once you’ve got everything configured, all you need to say is “Let’s go to work” or “Let’s go home” and Google handles all the rest.
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Let your Assistant shut down the house at night
Technology can be a real thorn at nighttime when your body is trying to wind down for the night but you can’t rip your eyeballs away from your phone screen. Google Assistant won’t fix your bad habits, but it can help you get ready for bed in other ways.
With the “Bedtime Routine”, your assistant can put your phone on silent, give you a quick rundown of what’s going on tomorrow, and toggle off any smart lights or plugs you have set up in your home. Then you can set your alarm for the following morning and then choose your favorite relaxing music or “Sleep sounds” (think a relaxing babbling brook or white noise) to help you fall asleep peacefully.
Once it’s set up simply tell your Assistant “Bedtime” or “Good night” and then tuck yourself in. Sweet dreams!
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What’s your favorite Assistant routine to use?
These are our recommendations, but we want to know how you use Google Routines! Let us know in the comments.
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You can now project Waze from your iPhone to your Ford’s infotainment screen
If you have both an iPhone and a Ford vehicle and are a fan of Google’s Waze navigation app, you’ve been out of luck when it comes to integrating it into your car. While Ford’s SYNC connectivity system supports Apple CarPlay, Apple itself does not allow users to use Waze through CarPlay. There is a way around this now, as Ford announced that SYNC 3 equipped vehicles can project the Waze app from an iPhone directly onto the touch screen via SYNC AppLink. This follows Ford’s announcement of the integration at CES, which was followed by beta demonstrations.
You need to have Waze downloaded onto your iPhone, and the phone must be plugged into a USB port in your Ford. You can then open Waze through SYNC. Once Waze is on the big screen, you can control the app thorough voice command and hear the voice guidance through the vehicle speakers.
This brings Waze’s real-time traffic and navigation directly into your vehicle, along with the most efficient traffic routes, cheapest fuel prices, and traffic accident alerts. You can be routed to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and get accurate arrival times. You can even keep an eye out for the police.
“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for people to access the smartphone features, apps and services they care about most in the car, without having to pick up their device,” Don Butler, executive director, connected vehicle platform and product at Ford, said. “With Waze, our customers get the benefits they’re accustomed to with the added luxury of experiencing them on a bigger screen.”
Waze uses crowdsourcing to deliver real-time information about everything from road hazards and conditions to route changes and fuel prices. You can connect with friends to share data such as arrival time.
“We’re excited drivers of Ford SYNC 3-enabled vehicles will now be able to use Waze for iOS right from their dashboard, getting access to features like planned drives, alternative routes, talk to Waze voice commands and more,” Jens Baron, product lead, in-car applications at Waze, said. “They’ll also benefit from the best routes and most accurate ETAs, thanks to our global community of drivers on the go who update the map in real-time — helping our mission to one day eliminate traffic.”
To use Waze on Ford’s AppLink, you’ll need SYNC 3 version 3.0 or greater, and your iOS running 11.3 or later. It’s worth the effort, as we found Waze to be among the most useful apps you can have on your iPhone.
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Today’s best deals you won’t want to miss
Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.
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NASA’s planet hunter satellite sends back its first image — and it’s amazing
NASA’s new planet-hunting mission, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), was launched on April 18. After getting accustomed to its new surroundings and doing a quick buzz past the moon, it’s already produced a stunning image that was just released by NASA. As part of the calibration sequence for one of its four on-board cameras, TESS captured a swatch of the sky that includes more than 200,000 stars.
The two-second exposure is centered on the southern constellation Centaurus. The Coalsack Nebula is featured in the upper right quadrant, and the star Beta Centauri can be seen at the lower left edge.
The stunning display has captivated scientists and space enthusiasts around the globe. “We are truly excited about how well the TESS cameras are working,” MIT planetary scientist George Ricker told Forbes. “This beautiful image just popped up on the MIT payload operations display screens right after initial turn-on of the TESS instrument.”
Keep in mind, this image was produced using only one of TESS’s four cameras. Once the mission becomes fully operational, NASA expects future images to cover more than 400 times as much sky. A “first light” image suitable for detailed scientific analysis will be released in June.
The four cameras will scan 26 entire sectors of the sky, covering both hemispheres during its two-year mission. The observations will focus on possible “transits” of exoplanets. where a far-away planet passes in front of its star causing a measurable drop in brightness.
“We learned from Kepler that there are more planets than stars in our sky, and now TESS will open our eyes to the variety of planets around some of the closest stars,” said Paul Hertz of NASA. “TESS will cast a wider net than ever before for enigmatic worlds whose properties can be probed by NASA’s upcoming James Webb Space Telescope and other missions.”
TESS is on its way to an unusual but highly stable elliptical orbit that takes it around the Earth every 13.7 days. After getting a gravity assist by passing within 5,000 miles of the moon, a final thruster burn on May 30 will finalize its orbit. The satellite will begin its detailed observation mission utilizing all four cameras in mid-June.
The search for exoplanets and, ultimately, extraterrestrial life will kick into high gear in the coming years. The aging Kepler satellite may be on its last legs, but the launch of the James Webb telescope will help scientists build on the discoveries made by TESS and expand our knowledge of the universe even more.
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Razer Blade Stealth vs. Apple MacBook Pro
Long gone are the days when Apple was the only company producing good looking, powerful mid-range laptops. Today it has many competitors, including the likes of Razer. But what if we pit the Razer Blade Stealth vs. Apple’s MacBook Pro? Which is the better laptop for the money?
One of the biggest differences between mid-range and entry-level laptops is that over $1,000, they tend to look a lot nicer and have much better features. That’s certainly the case with both the Razer Blade Stealth and MacBook Pro. Razer’s new laptop sports a sleek, aluminum exterior in an attractive, compact package, that actually comes in slightly slimmer and trimmer than the Apple alternative.
That’s not the case with the display bezels though, which are much sleeker on the MacBook Pro. That gives it a distinctly more modern look than the Blade Stealth, despite similarities in overall styling. The somewhat lacking-in-purpose, MacBook Pro Touch Bar is also something that differentiates the two, though that does come at a $300 premium on the Apple laptop.
In terms of connectivity, there’s quite a stark difference between the two notebooks. Where the Razer Blade Stealth has a single Thunderbolt 3 port, alongside a pair of USB-A 3.0 ports, and an HDMI output, the MacBook Pro goes all-in on the future with four USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. All of them can be used for charging, but that does mean that you’ll need to get an adapter if you want to use older, USB-A devices.
While we can debate the need for different USB ports, one area where the MacBook Pro clearly under-performs compared to the Blade Stealth is its keyboard. We found the low-travel distance uncomfortable for typing over long periods, while the Blade Stealth’s RGB backlit keyboard was fantastic in comparison. Both laptops feature excellent touchpads, however.
Despite the more mainstream marketing of the Razer Blade Stealth, it’s internal hardware is impressive. It sports an eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and up to a terabyte of M.2 solid state storage (SSD), all for $1,400. While it lacks a dedicated graphics chip, Razer does promote the Blade Stealth as having an optional external graphics card through the use of its officially-supported Razer Core v2 graphics enclosure.
The MacBook Pro’s hardware is a little older, though more varied. At the entry-level $1,300 price point, you get yourself a seventh-generation Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD space. If you’re willing to spend up to $2,600, you can configure the system to have a dual-core Core i7 CPU instead, with 16GB of RAM and a terabyte of SSD space.
Those configurations put the MacBook Pro far behind the Blade Stealth in terms of raw power. Where the MacBook Pro’s older CPU sports just two cores, the Blade Stealth’s has four, and with hyperthreading, support for eight threads. With double the amount of RAM in most configurations and a more modern onboard graphics chip, the Blade Stealth easily outstrips the Apple competition, and does so with a lower price tag.
That said, the 2,560 x 1,600 IPS display the MacBook Pro ships with is beautiful. Its color accuracy is fantastic, and it has a broad support for the various color gamuts. In comparison, we found the Blade Stealth lacking in the AdobeRGB space, though at a higher resolution of 3,200 x 1,800, it does have a crisper picture.
In our review of the MacBook Pro, we found one of its biggest disappointments to be the reduction in battery size over its predecessor. Cutting it back by almost 35 percent resulted in a drop in overall life, though it still managed more than 10 hours in our video loop test. In comparison, the Razer Blade Stealth only managed eight hours. While it does have higher-powered hardware that no doubt contributes to the shorter battery life, the noticeable drop does make the Blade Stealth less useful when away from a charge point.
Physical portability of both laptops is comparable. Where the MacBook Pro measures in at 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.59-inches, the Blade Stealth is 12.6 x 8.1 x 0.54-inches. There are a few hundredths of a pound in weight difference in the Blade Stealth’s favor, but neither that nor the dimensions are disparate enough to make much of a difference.
What’s more important, power or software?
The question of whether to buy one of these laptops over the other is both easy and hard to answer. If you want the better laptop by the numbers, the Razer Blade Stealth is the better piece of kit. It’s much cheaper, has a higher-resolution display, and more powerful. It will still feel snappy in a few years time, and if you want to add an external graphics card to make it into a decent gaming laptop, you can do that too.
But none of that really matters if you want an Apple laptop running MacOS. That’s still the biggest selling point of the MacBook Pro in this head to head, even if its battery life does outstrip the Blade Stealth’s by a noticeable margin. You will certainly pay a premium for it, though, as the top MacBook Pro costs double that of the Blade Stealth.
While we’d certainly recommend the Blade Stealth over the MacBook Pro, if you do find yourself intrigued more by the Apple notebook, make sure to buy it without the Touch Bar, as that gimmicky gadget has no particular use and only increases the price tag unnecessarily.
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When it comes to light, affordable, but powerful mid-range laptops, the Dell XPS 13 and the Razer Blade Stealth are two of the best out there. What happens when we pit them head to head though? In the battle of the Razer Blade Stealth vs. Dell XPS 13, which comes out on top?
As one of the best looking laptops we’ve ever come across, it’s hard to beat the XPS 13 on style. However, the Razer Blade Stealth makes a good try. It has a sleek look to it, with an aluminum surface that gives it the look of premium Apple hardware like the MacBook Pro. That does mean it’s not the most striking, but it will look right at home in the mid-range that Razer’s targeting with its new release.
Until you open it. While the Blade Stealth’s screen looks great, its bezels are far chunkier than most contemporary hardware, and make the XPS 13 look like a generation ahead of its Razer counterpart on that point alone. However, that does mean that the Blade Stealth has enough room to fit its 720P webcam in the top of the display’s frame, rather than the base as in the XPS 13, making video calls far more flattering for the user.
In terms of connectivity, Razer opted to include a pair of USB-A ports alongside a Thunderbolt 3 port and an HDMI output. That gives it greater functionality out of the box than the XPS 13, which dropped all support for the older USB standard in favor of a pair of Thunderbolt three ports and a USB-C 3.1 port.
The Thunderbolt 3 port that the Blade Stealth does have though, has a dual purpose. While it can provide charging and high-speed data like any USB-C port, Razer is also marketing it as a potential avenue for external graphics. Razer’s own Core v2 external graphics enclosure was debuted alongside the new Blade Stealth last year and is marketed by Razer as a way of expanding the capabilities of this laptop when in a home setting.
Although neither of these laptops are designed as gaming machines by themselves, they are both very capable laptops when it comes to just about everything else. The Blade Stealth sports a Core i7-8550U throughout the range, so is technically more powerful than the XPS 13 at the lower end, but in our testing the XPS 13 performed better when equipped with comparable hardware.
The Blade Stealth does offer 16GB of RAM without much of a premium, which is a nice touch, however like the XPS 13 it only offers on board graphics out of the box. Both systems come with as much as a terabyte of on-board solid state storage, making them both snappy to use, and able to store plenty of media.
The default displays on the two laptops are different. While the XPS 13 has a 1080p panel as standard, with a 4K option at the top-end of the price bracket, all of the Blade Stealth models have a 16:9, 3,200 x 1,800 display. It looks great, but at 13.3-inches the resolution isn’t necessary and has a big impact on the system’s battery life.
In a straight comparison with the XPS 13, we noticed a dip in color support in the AdobeRGB space, though its color accuracy was top-notch. It does support touch inputs, which is only something that the XPS 13’s 4K panel supports.
The XPS 13 might not sport the same kind of ridiculous battery life as a Surface Book 2, but its portability is undeniable. With as much as 13-hours of video playback on the 1080p version of the laptop, it will last a full work day and then some during mixed usage. In comparison, the Blade Stealth falls way behind, managing just eight hours in our testing. While that may give you a full day’s work, it’s not enough that we’d feel comfortable straying too far from a charge point for extended periods of time.
The difference in physical portability is much less pronounced. The Blade Stealth measures up at 12.6 x 8.1 x 0.54-inches, while the XPS 13 is a slightly-more-svelte 11.9 x 7.8 x 0.46-inches. It’s also slightly lighter at 2.67 pounds, while the Blade Stealth tips the scales at 2.98 pounds.
XPS 13 is still king
Razer’s revamped Blade Stealth laptop is an admirable attempt to offer something that isn’t a gaming laptop, but has the potential to be, with its support of the Core V2 enclosure. As solid an effort as it is though, it’s just not as versatile, nor as good looking as the Dell XPS 13. With substantially weaker battery life and not much in the way of hardware options beyond storage, the Blade Stealth limits its potential audience to a very particular owner.
The XPS 13 is better looking, has more competitive pricing at the low-end, and will last longer on a day to day basis. It doesn’t have the same officially sanctioned GPU enclosure, but if you want a Dell laptop that’s better at gaming, you’d opt for the XPS 15 or Inspiron 15 7577 instead.
You can buy the Dell XPS 13 now from $1,000 to $1,950, while the Razer Blade Stealth has a flat rate of $1,400. The last-generation, dual-core version is available with a discounted price of $1,050.
Dell XPS 13 vs. HP Spectre 13
Dell XPS 13 9370 review
The best laptops
The best laptops under $1,000
Epic Games makes announcement for ‘Fortnite’ on Android
Epic is getting ready to add another platform to the biggest game in the world. Fortnite: Battle Royale has been available for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 for some time, and it was released on mobile for iOS back in March. Android gamers won’t be left out in the storm for much longer, however, as the studio announced that they can soon join their iPhone-wielding friends and jump into the multiplayer carnage.
“We are targeting this summer for the release,” the developers wrote in a recent blog post. “We know many of you are excited for this release, and we promise that when we have more information to share, you’ll hear it from us first.” No more details about the Android version were provided.
Along with availability for Android devices, the team also announced a host of updates and improvements that are in the works. Voice chat will let you communicate with your friends or with everyone on the map. You’ll also be able to toggle various mute options with a simple touchscreen tap.
Epic has also added a custom HUD feature, so you can use a template “blueprint” to place all the various icons on your screen to suit your liking.
The upcoming “battery saver” mode lowers the graphic quality but also uses less power for those times when your phone might not last until the end of the match. The studio also mentioned a host of improved gameplay controls, especially for the Autorun feature, but there were no details given.
Fortnite quickly became number one with a bullet when it was released for iOS back in March with $15 million in sales in just 20 days, easily surpassing such venerable stalwarts as Candy Crush and Pokémon Go. Since then, a comet impact has devastated the landscape in the game, leaving low-gravity shards in its wake to begin Season Four.
Only the free multiplayer Battle Royale mode is available for mobile and that’s unlikely to change with the Android update. While you’re waiting, we’ve got some tips and strategies for playing the game on mobile that will give you a big edge on your friends when the game arrives later this year.
You can sign up for the ‘Fortnite: Battle Royale’ mobile beta right now
Epic Games hauls in $15 million from ‘Fortnite’ on iOS in just three weeks
‘Fortnite’ is now available for free to all iOS users, coming to Android soon
The History of Battle Royale: From Mod to Worldwide Phenomenon
‘Fortnite’ will give you the chance to be killed by Thanos, too
Best Galaxy S9 Cases
Find a sleek and stylish case to keep your S9 protected.
Whether you bought your Samsung Galaxy S9 at launch or have decided to upgrade to the S9 after reading the reviews, you’re going to want to buy a case to keep it safe. here, which means it’s time to ruminate over which accessories to buy!
Here are the best cases we’ve found for the Galaxy S9. We’ll be updating this article as more awesome options become available.
Samsung S-View Cover
Samsung Hyperknit Cover
Samsung Alcantara Cover
Otterbox Commuter Series
RhinoShield CrashGuard bumper
Lifeproof SLAM case
Speck Presidio case
BodyGuardz Ace Fly clear case
Spigen Rugged Armor case
VRS Design Clear Slim case
Ringke Fusion Clear Case
SUPCASE Unicorn Beetle Series case
dbrand skins
We’ll start out with some of Samsung’s own cases, although they’re not yet available for purchase.
The first one is the perennially awesome S-View case. This folio-style flip case features a clear cover for the screen that keeps it protected from scratches while also letting you see notifications and accept calls with a swipe. It can also be folded up as a hands-free stand.
Samsung hasn’t listed a price, but the Note 8 S-View cover launched at $60 so we can probably expect similar pricing here.
See at Samsung
Google seemed to start the fabric case trend, but we’re happy to see Samsung also embracing it.
Made of woven nylon, this case looks brilliant in red with a nice, soft finish. Everyone’s going to want to see your brand new phone, so why not add a bit of extra flash while keeping it safe? With extra protection in the corner and clean cutouts around the camera and fingerprint sensor on the back you’ll love the functional and stylish design on display here. You can get yours for just $35.
The Galaxy S9 and its Hyperknit case are a match made in heaven
First-party accessories are always on the more expensive side, so they really need to offer customers something unique. Samsung’s Alcantara covers have been recent standouts, offering a combination of sound protection and a cozy finish for your Galaxy devices.
The Alcantara case won us over with the Note 8, so we’re pretty happy to see it offered by Samsung for the S9. Made of Alcantara, a lightweight material that’s rugged and durable while keeping a slim form factor, you’ll get a stylish and grippy case that won’t add much bulk to the phone. It’s not yet available to buy but would be worth keeping an eye out for.
You can get this stylish case for $50 direct from Samsung or for $42 on Amazon.
Samsung’s Alcantara case is the most luxurious way to protect your Galaxy S9 or S9+
If you would really prefer not to put a bulky case on your phone but still want some added peace of mind for those rare times where your phone slips out of your hand, consider the CrashGuard bumper from RhinoShield.
This is a really well-designed bumper that’s rugged and shock absorbing in the corners and along phone’s edges — exactly where you need it most. It’s quick and easy to install and lets you still fully show off the design of your phone.
You can get this minimalist case solution for just $25.
Few names are as symonymous with phone cases as OtterBox. They’re built a reputation as a trusted brand by designing really rugged cases and backing their products with superior customer service.
We’d recommend the Commuter series case which is a pocket-friendly case that still delivers the rugged protection you’ve come to expect from an OtterBox case. It’s got one big cutout on the back for the camera and fingerprint sensor and includes port covers to keep dirt out. You can get yours for just $30 from Amazon.
We’ve highlighted the Commuter Series here, but OtterBox has over 10 different case styles available for the Galaxy S9 which you can check out on their site.
When you’re dropping over $700 on a brand new phone, you want to protect it from everything life might throw at it, especially if you plan on spending a ton of time outside this summer.
Lifeproof cases typically offer protection from dirt and snow, but the SLAM case focuses exclusively on drop protection. Lifeproof says this case can survive drops from up to two meters (6.5 ft) thanks to the reinforced bumpers. It’s also got a rugged backplate that’s clear to show off the phone’s design and also compatible with wireless charging. While it’s not quite as Lifeproof as you’d expect, it’s also not as expensive as other Lifeproof cases at only $50. Plus, it looks pretty cool with the black and neon green, don’t you think?
Looking for the classic FRE Lifeproof case? You can get the supreme Lifeproof case for a whopping $89. It’s real pricy, and probably more than we could justifiably recommend to the average user, but if you want one you can buy it straight from the source.
See at Lifeproof
Speck Presidio
Speck has a full line of cases available for the Galaxy S9, but we’ll focus on the Presidio case here because it’s a great place to start. It’s got a simple design with smart features where it counts like double protection in the corners and a slim profile that’s compatible with wireless charging. It’s been drop tested up to 10 feet and the matte finish is scratch resistant so it shouldn’t show wear. Get this classic looking case for just $40.
This is just one of the many case styles Speck offers, so check them all out if you want something with a bit more flair.
Looking to show off your Galaxy S9 without leaving it prone to drop damage? BodyGuardz offers a clear case they say is built using the same impact gel used in padding and helmet technology for athletes.
Whether or not that marketing talk sways you, the Ace Fly clear case looks like a reliable clear case. BodyGuardz backs their products with a lifetime warranty and you have a 30-day money back guarantee so if you don’t love it you can simply return it.
Available for $35, these cases are also compatible with the Pure Arc Tempered Glass screen protector, so if you’ve used BodyGuardz screen protectors before and trust the brand this would be a good combo to keep your Galaxy S9 fully protected right out of the box.
The Spigen Rugged Armor case is my go-to phone case. It’s a sleek, one-piece case that adds good protection to your phone without much bulk. Thin enough to not impede wireless charging, this is a great minimalist case that still offers rugged protection.
More importantly, it always comes in at a great price. At just $12, it’s one of the cheapest options currently available from a brand we trust.
Spigen Liquid Crystal clear case
Looking for a clear case option under $20? Spigen’s got you covered there, too. Just like the Rugged Armor case, the Liquid Crystal is slim and pocket-friendly. Made of flexible TPU, it’s easy to slip on and will provide quality protection while still letting you show off your phone’s design.
You can get the Liquid Crystal for $11.99 or add a funky print or some sparkles for just $12.99.
These clear cases from VRS Design basically offer it all. It’s a clear case that shows off the body of the Galaxy S9 with a shockproof bumper available in the exact color to match your device.
Better still, these cases are thin enough to be fully compatible with wireless charging. Make sure you get the right color for your phone to complete the look.
You can get this case for just $14 on Amazon.
The best way to protect your phone from drop damage is to not drop your phone. The latest Fusion clear case from Ringke includes a handy wrist strap built into the case.
Whether or not you want to use the wrist strap is up to you, but it’s a thoughtful addition to a consistently stellar case style. Available as a clear case or with a Orchid Purple or Smoky Black bumper accent, you can get this case for just $11 on Amazon.
The Unicorn Beetle case is one of those phone cases that people buy with every new device. It’s got that classic rugged design with ridges to help with grip and it includes a built-in screen protector to keep your S9 in pristine condition.
Port plugs keep dust and pocket lint out of your charging port and headphone jack, and it also comes with an optional belt-clip holster. Rugged enough to keep your phone protected and yet thin enough to work with wireless charging, get your Unicorn Beetle Series case starting at just $15.
Dbrand Skins are a consistently popular option for phone enthusiasts who want to customize the look of their phone without adding any bulk. They of course offer an awesome level of customization for creating a skin for your Galaxy S9.
You can pick between nine different texture styles for the back, the minimal bezels on the top and bottom of the display, and even around the camera sensor! You can mix and match and create your dream skin. Didn’t get the phone color you wanted? Make it your own with dbrand!
See at dbrand
Update May 19, 2018: Updated pricing for these great Galaxy S9 cases. Now’s a great time to buy a new case.
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Digital Proust Questionnaire #11: Pierre Pôlet
Posted by Thomas Halter
Emakina Group has rapidly grown in recent years, in part thanks to our managing directors leading the way. But who are these MDs, besides leaders in digital, creative and business growth? Let’s sneak a peak inside their heads with this new series: Emakina’s Digital Proust questionnaires!
The Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlour game popularised (though not devised) by Marcel Proust. The French essayist and novelist believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature. This is an adapted basic Proust Questionnaire for the digital age.
After graduating from UCL as a civil engineer, Pierre worked in IT as a developer before becoming project manager. After joining Emakina in 2004 as a project and account manager, in 2005 he became a member of the Emakina.BE management, leading several teams before being appointed Director of Operations in 2011. In January 2016, Pierre became Managing Director of Emakina.BE alongside David Bredael.
1. What is your idea of happiness?
Perfect happiness is… spending quality time with family and friends, in the mountains with sunny weather and some good food.
2. What is your greatest fear?
Losing the people I love.
3. Which historical figure do you most admire?
I have always been inspired by adventurers. Two of them have been of a big source of inspiration to discover the world as it is. The first is Philippe de Dieuleveult, the first adventurer on television, who gave me the will to travel with my backpack. The second is Maurice Herzog, who was the first man to reach the top of a 8000m summit.
4. Which living person do you most admire?
I don’t admire one person in particular. However, I am constantly inspired by the people who are around me in my private or professional life. I feel blessed to have those people around me.
5. Who is your favourite writer?
It’s a shame but I don’t take too much time to read novels or books anymore. When I was a bit younger, I was a big fan of Jean Van Hamme, one of the most successful comic book writers. His stories include Thorgal, XIII, and Largo Winch.
6. Who is your favourite fictional character?
Why do I always have to choose one ? Okay, I’ll go for Thorgal, then.
Nerd alert! Luckily, Game of Thrones made it all cool…
7. What part of the digital media industry makes you happy?
It’s the mix of personalities you have the chance to work with on a daily basis : creatives, technical experts, strategists, commercial people, pragmatic project managers…
8. What part of the digital media industry makes you unhappy?
When a talent leaves Emakina.
9. Who/what inspired you most in your career?
Some might think this is somewhat of a fake response, but I have truly been inspired by the combination of expertise and qualities of the top management of Emakina (Denis, John, Brice and Karim). I learn(ed) a lot by working at their side. Their complementary talents make them stronger.
10. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being considered a godfather five times (by my best friends). This honour is one of the things that make me quite proud of the friendships I have been able to build over the years.
11. What tech company do you wish you had started?
I would have loved to be part of launching Facebook and seeing how quickly it became extremely popular. That must have been an incredible experience.
Artist rendition of the application Pierre sent to Mark Zuckerberg.
12. What digital project would you have most loved to be a part of?
Another of my passions is board games. I would have loved to be part of the digital development of some of the most successful boardgames, understanding how the IA works and how it can be improved progressively.
13. What is your favourite digital app/ tool?
For those who like boardgames, I can certainly recommend Agricola.
A nice app to kill time when you’re playing the Agricola board game and it’s not your turn to play…
14. What digital app/tool that does not exist would you would like to create?
An application that allows you to travel through space and time.
15. What is the trait you are most proud of in yourself?
Being able to listen to others and to question myself regularly.
16. What is the trait you most admire in others?
I love passionate people, whatever their passion is.
17. What is the trait you most dislike in others?
I hate manipulators, people who don’t care about others and are pretending to be someone else to get selfishly what they want and often against the interests of others. Fortunately, I didn’t meet many in my life.
18. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would love to be a successful sportsman (tennis, football…) playing in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
19. What is your most treasured possession, and why?
Possessions are less important than people and the moments you can spend with them.
20. What is your motto?
When you make a mistake, own it. There are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it.
Karim Boutaour nominated as MD of digital agency Emakina.AE
How Alibaba and Mr. Porter sell luxury watches
Tim Wolfs Returns to Emakina.BE as New Co-MD
Emakina and Bardahl win Best Kentico E-commerce Website of the Year Award
Happy Silver Birthday, The Reference!
Insights & Consulting
Work (section)
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Tag: Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad
Push and Pull of the Hoosier Partisans and Cleveland Clique: Consolidation of the Bee Line Railroads
See Part VI to learn how the Hoosier Partisans moved for autonomy as the Cleveland Clique tightened its grip on the Bee Line railroad.
Steam Locomotive Explosion, 19th century, courtesy of Martin F. Wintermute.
In the summer of 1859, the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland’s (IP&C’s) Madison locomotive exploded near Kilgore Station in Yorktown, Indiana – killing the engineer and fireman. A month later, near the same location, an intoxicated man fell from the station’s platform and was killed by a passing train.
These tragic events occurred just weeks after the Hoosier Partisans’ scheme to achieve their independence, by leveraging on the IP&C’s strategic position as a funnel to the West, had failed. The accidents seemed eerily suggestive of the Hoosier Partisans’ plight in the face of the Cleveland Clique’s mustered financial power.
Route of the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad (formerly the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad), ca. 1855. (Reprinted from Map of Indiana. New York: J. H. Colton & Co., 1855. Courtesy of Ball State University Libraries, Map Collections. Annotated by Erin Greb Cartography.)
By the IP&C’s May 1860 board meeting the Partisans were resigned to their fate: “we know of no other means by which we can extricate ourselves from our monetary difficulties and save the road . . . We deem it best to extend and continue said [joint operating] contract with said Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad (B&I).”
Indiana board members had again faced the reality that the railroad business, on many levels, could be a perilous endeavor. The push and pull of the Hoosier Partisans and Cleveland Clique would ultimately result in the legal consolidation of the Bee Line Railroad components roads.
Map of the Bee Line’s Bellefontaine Line joint operating railroads (Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland [blue], Bellefontaine and Indiana [red]), and the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad [brown], courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
Clearly sensing the IP&C would be reluctantly compelled to extend its joint operating agreement with the B&I, John Brady, the receiver for the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad (CP&I), demanded that the IP&C honor its 1852 through-line agreement with them. He recited the agreement’s language regarding freight and passenger traffic between Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, which mandated “sending any/all east/west traffic which can be done” over this connection.
Incredibly, Brady was able to pull off what the Hoosier Partisans had been unable to accomplish in their effort to effect a divorce from the Cleveland Clique – at least until 1863 when the CP&I was once again reorganized.
Ironically, the advent of the Civil War in 1861 would bring prosperity to the anemic component roads of the Bee Line – now operating jointly as the Bellefontaine Line. The combination of enhanced demand for grain to feed the troops and bolster poor harvests on the European continent spelled profits for the railroads.
Map of the Eastern trunk lines, c1855 (Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road, Pennsylvania Railroad, Erie Railway [New York and Erie Rail Road 1832-1861], New York Central Railroad), courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
During this time, frustrations had mounted among East Coast merchants and the railroad trunk lines that served them. West of the Appalachians they were dealing with a fractured network of independent short lines and their inefficient freight handling between lines. Add to this the further stress of moving troops and supplies quickly, and something had to be done.
The demands of war pushed operational efficiency forward – driven by the trunk lines. The resulting more integrated rail networks also led to enhanced profitability, and opened the door for the Eastern trunk lines to expand their footprint west.
The Bee Line roads finally got their financial houses in order. By June 1863 the IP&C declared its first dividend in years—3 percent. Taking advantage of newfound prosperity, it declared another 3 percent dividend in December and voted to increase capital stock by $300,000.
Ostensibly this was done to pay for new equipment, new terminals, and road improvements. In reality it provided a convenient opportunity for the Cleveland Clique to increase their stock position and thereby dominate upcoming shareholder votes. To that end they determined, once and for all, to quell the IP&C board’s irritating Hoosier independence.
(L to R): John Brough, courtesy of the Ohio History Connection; Thomas A. Morris, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society; Alfred Kilgore, author’s personal collection.
Courtesy of the Clique’s voting block, John Brough returned as IP&C president at the February 1863 annual meeting – following Hoosier figurehead Thomas A. Morris’ 3½-year tenure. In a last-ditch effort to stem the Clique’s board dominance, Alfred Kilgore—Yorktown’s first station agent, son of director David Kilgore, and an Indiana state legislator— introduced a House bill in January 1863. Had it passed, all Indiana railroad corporations would have been required to elect three-quarters of their board from stockholders resident in the state. It died in committee.
State Flag of Ohio, officially adopted 1902.
Beyond Brough’s return to the IP&C’s presidency, he emerged as the front-runner in Ohio’s governor’s race in the summer of 1863. Orchestrated by the Cleveland Clique, Brough’s candidacy leveraged on his earlier but noteworthy Ohio political career and effective pro-Union speechmaking style. The War Democrats and Republican Union parties joined forces to secure his nomination. He was overwhelmingly
elected in October 1863.
Stillman Witt (J. Fletcher Brennan, ed., Biographical Cyclopedia and Portrait Gallery of the State of Ohio, Vol. 2 Cincinnati: John C. Yorston & Co., 1880.)
Stillman Witt, Cleveland Clique heavyweight and by then the second-largest individual holder of Bee Line roads stock, had encouraged and supported his close friend’s candidacy. On Brough’s election as governor Witt volunteered to fulfill his duties as president of the Bee Line roads. He insisted Brough draw his IP&C presidential salary while serving as governor.
During 1864 Witt steered the Bee Line roads toward a brisk legal consolidation. At the IP&C’s June board meeting a committee was appointed “to agree upon mutual and just terms for consolidating the capital stock of this company with that of the B&I.” Reprising its once central role in the history of both the IP&C and B&I, Union and its Branham House was chosen as the site for the decisive shareholder consolidation vote.
Branham House Hotel in Union, Indiana, courtesy of the Preservation Society of Union City.
Finally, after years of Hoosier Partisan and Cleveland Clique push and pull, the two lines were legally consolidated on November 24, 1864 – emerging as the Bellefontaine Railway Company. For the first time since its inception in 1848, the railroad extending from Indianapolis to Union failed to exist as a stand-alone Hoosier-based—if not completely controlled—entity.
Brough was elected the new entity’s first president at its inaugural meeting in Union on December 22nd. It would be a short tenure, however, as Brough died in office on August 29, 1865 while also serving as Ohio’s last wartime governor.
After Brough’s death, Witt officially assumed the role he had been occupying as Brough’s proxy. His style was businesslike and close to the vest. Board minutes reflected meetings run with a limited agenda, focused on few topics, and with little discussion noted.
Witt saw to it that the Cleveland Clique began to recoup investments made in the road’s predecessor lines. Hardly a board meeting would go by over the next three years in which a dividend was not declared. And there were up to three board meetings a year.
The Cleveland Clique was not done tightening its grip on the Bee Line. In addition to Brough’s election as president in December 1864, a landslide of Cleveland Clique members took eight of eleven seats on the Bellefontaine Railway’s board. Included among this number was an individual destined to alter the Bee Line’s future trajectory: Hinman B. Hurlbut.
Hoosier David Kilgore, the only surviving original director from the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad (I&B) days, assumed one of the three crucial executive committee positions.
(L to R): Hinman B. Hurlbut (J. Fletcher Brennan, ed., Biographical Cyclopedia and Portrait Gallery of the State of Ohio, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: John C. Yorston & Co., 1880.); David Kilgore, author’s personal collection.
By the spring of 1868 the Cleveland Clique decided to finally consolidate all three of the original Bee Line component roads – then comprised of the Bellefontaine Railway and the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C). The need for additional monies to restructure debt and fund an expanding footprint was justification enough to tap the CC&C’s solid financial underpinnings.
In reality the freed and raised cash by the consolidation would be spent on both business expansion and personal enrichment. To a greater extent than marketed to the public the new road was being recast, like many others in the post-Civil War era, as a “financiers’” railroad.
Leander M. Hubby (Biographical Cyclopedia and Portrait Gallery of the State of Ohio, Vol. 4. Cincinnati: Western Biographical Publishing Company, 1887.); First Annual Report Cover, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway, books.google.com.
On May 13, 1868, the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway (CCC&I) sprung to life under the leadership of former CC&C president Leander M. Hubby. Hubby had established a long, profitable, and almost patriarchal reputation among his management team over the course of more than a decade at the helm of the CC&C. He and the newly recast Bee Line faced two immediate and significant obstacles to their future viability.
One challenge was to finally complete and/or control a rail line between Indianapolis and St. Louis. By 1867, the Cleveland Clique had assembled what it thought was a consortium of six similarly-interested rail lines to sign an expensive long-term lease of a road between Terre Haute and St. Louis. It proved to be otherwise.
The poorly engineered, indirect, and financially tenuous St. Louis, Alton and Terre Haute Railroad (StLA&TH) was its only option. And by the time the lease was signed the original consortium had essentially dwindled to two: the Bee Line and another Clique-affiliated railroad.
Routes of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis (partial; blue), St. Louis, Alton and Terre Haute (green), Indianapolis and St. Louis (red), Terre Haute and Indianapolis (purple), St. Louis, Vandalia and Terre Haute (“Vandalia Line”, brown), courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
More to the point, as the consortium disintegrated, the road between Indianapolis and Terre Haute – by then called the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad (TH&I) – backed out. Instead, it would align with Pennsylvania Railroad interests to complete John Brough’s dream of a direct line to St. Louis, under the colloquial Vandalia Line moniker. As a result, consortium participation with competitors made no sense.
However, the TH&I’s realignment with Pennsylvania Railroad interests meant the Bee Line was left without a link between Indianapolis and Terre Haute. And the TH&I would not entertain an arrangement to let the Bee Line utilize its tracks.
By the fall of 1867 the Clique’s Bee Line board made the financially difficult decision to build its own parallel line between Indianapolis and Terre Haute. The Indianapolis and St. Louis Railroad (I&StL), headed by Thomas A. Morris, would be built in less than three years. And soon, it would fold and operate the StLA&TH under its banner. But it had been a costly decision.
Hubby’s other immediate Bee Line challenge was more sinister in its design. And, at least initially, Hubby would be unaware of its existence. But, in fact, it would threaten the Bee Line’s very survival and that of its Cleveland Clique benefactor.
Check back for Part VIII, the final blog in the Bee Line series, to learn more about how the national aspirations of other railroads, and their financial chicanery, recast the Bee Line Railroad’s ultimate destiny.
Interested in the Bee Line?
Click on the Bee Line book Cover to LEARN MORE
Author Andrew OlsonPosted on June 2, 2017 July 7, 2017 Categories 19th century, Antebellum Indiana, Civil War and Reconstruction, Indiana counties, Industrial history, Political history, Rural history, Social history, Uncategorized, Urban historyTags Alfred Kilgore, Bee Line Railroad, Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, Bellefontaine Line, Bellefontaine Railway Company, Branham House hotel, Cleveland Clique, Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, Cleveland Columbus Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway, Columbus Ohio, Columbus Piqua and Indiana Railroad, David Kilgore, Eastern Trunk Lines, Hinman B. Hurlbut, Hoosier Partisans, Indianapolis, Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad, Indianapolis and St Louis Railroad, Indianapolis Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad, John Brough, Leander M. Hubby, Pennsylvania Railroad, St Louis Alton and Terre Haute Railroad, St Louis Vandalia and Terre Haute Railroad, St. Louis, Stillman Witt, Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad, Thomas A Morris, Union City Indiana, Vandalia Line, Yorktown Indiana
The Hoosier Partisans Move for Autonomy as the Cleveland Clique Tightened Its Grip on the Bee Line Railroad
See Part V to learn about the Cleveland Clique’s elusive grasp for control of the Bee Line Railroad.
Map of Bee Line Railroad Component Lines: Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland (blue), Bellefontaine and Indiana (red) and Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati (green), courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
In the four months since John Brough left the presidency of the Bee Line’s Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad (IP&C) in February 1855, more than just its name had changed. The Hoosier Partisans’ move for autonomy would take concrete form as the Cleveland Clique tightened its grip on the Bee Line Railroad
Calvin Fletcher, reluctantly elected president in John Brough’s stead, had met with a litany of key personnel and other midwestern railroad presidents to gain a broader perspective. He had also dealt with a variety of operational, cash flow and accounting issues left unaddressed by Brough.
(L to R): John Brough, courtesy of the Ohio History Connection. Calvin Fletcher, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
As a result, by April the line’s Superintendent had resigned. At the same time, Fletcher engaged an individual to look into unaccounted for and delayed freight. He pushed for cost reductions at the engine shop at Union, and restructured the road’s finances. John Brough, reflecting on his own performance, acknowledged: “It appeared there were large discrepancies between the books of the Superintendent and those of the Secretary…As President I should have discovered these discrepancies and applied the remedy.”
Map of the proposed route of the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad (orange), Terre Haute and Richmond (magenta) and Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland (blue), courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
On top of Brough’s lapses while heading the IP&C, he had been removed as President of the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad (M&A) by late May 1855 in favor of Chauncey Rose – founder and former president of the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad. The M&A, the Cleveland Clique’s bet to reach St. Louis, was in its death throes. It had taken a public relations beating at the hands of Illinois river town and Chicago politicians, who questioned the road’s legal legitimacy – and John Brough’s managerial track record. Investors abandoned the M&A, leaving Brough without portfolio.
Chauncey Rose, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
Calvin Fletcher, frustrated by what he discovered as president of the IP&C, informed the Hoosier Partisans: “I feel that my official duties in the RR are oppressive & that I must leave them…There is a degree of corruption in relation to it that I cannot arrest—or rather the effects of which already passed that I cannot overcome.”
As the July 1855 annual meeting approached, the Partisans pushed Fletcher to continue on as president. They soon faced reality: he would not remain. As late as the day before the meeting Fletcher could not figure who would become his successor. It soon became clear, however, the Cleveland Clique had been making plans as well. Incredibly, John Brough would be resurrected not only to retake his prior role at the IP&C, but also be anointed as president of the Bee Line’s Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad (B&I) at the same time!
Brough’s operational and financial shortcomings would have been obvious to the Cleveland Clique by then. On the other hand he was loyal, politically savvy, and possessed an Ohio pedigree. Given the newly redefined and more limited scope of the president’s role, and with strong Clique operational and financial expertise now present on both boards, Brough was serviceable.
Effectively, the Cleveland Clique would now control both the B&I and IP&C. While not yet legally consolidated, the two roads would be run as one while John Brough and the Clique considered the calculus to officially bind them together.
Sparked by Brough’s Clique-masterminded elevation to the dual Bee Line presidential roles, the IP&C’s Hoosier Partisans squirmed under the terms of the joint operating agreement foist upon them by the Cleveland Clique the year before. Both the perpetual nature of the contract and mandate to consolidate with the B&I “at the earliest possible moment” were not sitting well. Discovering the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad (CC&C) had never technically executed the contract, the Hoosier Partisans made a move to modify its language.
By the IP&C’s March 1856 annual meeting, revised terms of the joint operating agreement had been hammered out. A newly reconstituted and more representative overall executive/finance committee was arranged. At the same time, the contract term was reset to five years, instead of being perpetual. Any party to the contract could now terminate it with three months’ notice. However, this clause could only be exercised after the agreement had been in place for three years.
Map of the Bee Line Railroad component lines (blue, red, green), and Columbus, Piqua and Indiana (brown) and other roads aligned with the B&O (to Wheeling WV), Pennsylvania (to Pittsburgh PA) and New York Central (to Buffalo NY) trunk lines, courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
Fortunately for the Hoosier Partisans, the IP&C’s three-year joint operating obligation ended as the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad (CP&I) finally reached Union in the spring of 1859. Now the IP&C could anticipate a substantial revenue boost as freight and passengers traveled to/from Columbus across CP&I track to Union. From Columbus, Pittsburgh could now be reached – and the Pennsylvania Railroad headed to Philadelphia – via affiliated lines.
Union and the IP&C were proving to be a pivotal funnel for other traffic as well. Freight and passengers headed to/from New York across the CC&C and aligned roads to the fledgling New York Central Railroad at Buffalo would find their way to Union. Similarly, via the CP&I link between Union and Columbus OH, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) could now be accessed at Wheeling WV. And, courtesy of a new through-line arrangement connecting the B&O’s eastern terminus at Baltimore with New York City, a second alternative for reaching this center of commerce from Union became a reality.
The IP&C would be the clear beneficiary of these new connections to the east – if only it could effect a separation, if not a divorce, from the B&I as well as the CC&C. Then, standing individually, the IP&C could strike lucrative through-line agreements with each of the eastern trunk lines and their local affiliates. By way of these arrangements, the Hoosier Partisans could once again regain control over their own destiny.
At the March 1859 IP&C board meeting, Partisan David Kilgore proposed a three-person board committee be appointed to “pursue a line of fair and impartial conduct between our two connections at Union.” The concept was for the IP&C to direct traffic under its control and destined for New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore to these connecting roads “in proportion to the trade and travel received from the several points named above.”
(L to R): David Kilgore, from the author’s personal collection; Thomas A. Morris, Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society; Stillman Witt (J. Fletcher Brennan, ed., Biographical Cyclopedia and Portrait Gallery of the State of Ohio, Vol. 2. Cincinnati: John C. Yorston & Co., 1880.)
In addition to David Kilgore, ubiquitous Indiana railroad construction engineer, recent president of the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad and IP&C board/executive committee member Thomas A. Morris, and Cleveland Clique and CC&C strongman Stillman Witt were appointed to the committee.
The stars were aligning from an operational standpoint as well; a March 28 letter from the receiver of the CP&I announced they “will be prepared in a very few days to transport passengers and freight” between Union and Columbus OH.
A crucial series of IP&C-arranged meetings with presidents and general managers of several of the eastern trunk lines and their Ohio-affiliated roads took place in Columbus, Ohio that May. The importance of Union and the IP&C’s Indianapolis connection west toward St. Louis were obviously not lost on the roster of kingpins who decided to attend the Columbus confab.
As might be expected, there were two distinct perspectives on the IP&C’s postulated autonomy. Those regional lines aligned with the Pennsylvania Railroad or B&O via CP&I connections at Columbus OH endorsed the IP&C’s move toward independence. Not surprisingly, those roads associated with the New York Central via Bee Line alignments at Cleveland, or with the Pennsylvania Railroad via the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad [O&P] (passing near the B&I’s eastern terminus at Galion OH) took the opposite position. Among this group was the CC&C’s then president, Leander M. Hubby.
Leander M. Hubby, (Biographical Cyclopedia and Portrait Gallery of the State of Ohio, Vol. 4. Cincinnati: Western Biographical Publishing Company, 1887.)
Shortly after the meeting, as Hubby contemplated the implications of the IP&C’s stratagem – with its alternative access to New York City via the B&O – he balked. “This company would not quietly submit to receiving a divided business from the IP&C.” Hubby went on, and to the heart of the matter, “this company contributed largely in money and credit to the completion and opening of the Bellefontaine Line…I think it my duty to say…this Company…will at once form other connections which are being offered them.”
Bee Line financier Richard H. Winslow of Winslow, Lanier & Co. tag-teamed with Hubby, mounting an attack on the IP&C’s soft financial underbelly. “In view of your embarrassments growing out of the large debt falling due the 1st of January next, we should think it a hazardous experiment and one that may lead to very bad consequences.”
In many respects the Hoosier Partisans’ dream of an independent IP&C had been dashed years before when it accepted the financial help of “foreign” interests—be they in New York, Cleveland, or Europe.
Hollow recognition was paid to the Partisans in the wake of the Union episode. At the annual IP&C board elections in July 1859, Thomas A. Morris was elected president. In turn, John Brough stepped down from the IP&C presidency but continued to hold dual roles as president of the B&I and chairman of the overall Bellefontaine Line executive committee. The title of general superintendent was also added to his dossier. Brough and the Cleveland Clique would control eight seats on the IP&C board to the Hoosier Partisans’ seven.
At the May 1860 board meeting, extension of the revised Bee Line joint operating contract was considered. Swallowing its pride and with a financial gun to its head, the IP&C board reluctantly moved to accept it. If anything, the Union episode crystallized the Cleveland Clique’s determination to drive the B&I and IP&C to a formal and final consolidation under their direct control.
And while the IP&C’s contract extension with the B&I had taken more than a year to be resolved, the Union episode hastened the day when the IP&C would no longer exist as a separate entity. And with it, the Hoosier Partisans’ dream of maintaining control of their own destiny faded to a smoldering ember.
Check back for Part VII to learn more about the push and pull of the Hoosier Partisans and Cleveland Clique, leading to the legal consolidation of the Bee Line component railroads.
Continue reading “The Hoosier Partisans Move for Autonomy as the Cleveland Clique Tightened Its Grip on the Bee Line Railroad”
Author Andrew OlsonPosted on May 17, 2017 May 5, 2017 Categories 19th century, Antebellum Indiana, Indiana counties, Industrial history, Political history, Rural history, Social history, Urban historyTags Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Bee Line Railroad, Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, Calvin Fletcher, Chauncey Rose, Cleveland Clique, Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, Cleveland Ohio, Columbus Ohio, Columbus Piqua and Indiana Railroad, David Kilgore, Galion Ohio, Hoosier Partisans, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad, James F.D. Lanier, John Brough, Leander M. Hubby, Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad, New York Central Railroad, Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, Richard H. Winslow, Stillman Witt, Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad, Thomas A Morris, Union City Indiana, Winslow Lanier and Company
The Cleveland Clique’s Elusive Grasp for Control of the Bee Line Railroad
See Part IV to learn how the Cleveland Clique leveraged on John Brough to solidify its control of the Bee Line and a route to St. Louis.
With John Brough’s election to president of the Indianapolis and Bellefontiane Railroad [I&B] on June 30, 1853, the Cleveland Clique cemented its position as the Midwest’s dominant railway cabal. Brough’s dual roles, both there and as president of the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad (about to initiate construction between Terre Haute and St. Louis), personified the Clique’s reach.
It was also a visible sign of president Henry B Payne’s effectiveness crafting and implementing the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad’s [CC&C’s] growth strategy. Now his attention turned to commanding the Bee Line component railroads and a line to St. Louis, both physically and legally. But, the Cleveland Clique’s grasp for control of the Bee Line Railroad would be elusive at best.
Map of the Bee Line component lines: CC&C, B&I in red, I&B in blue; Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad (CP&I) in brown, courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
Just prior to Brough’s promotion, the I&B’s Clique-influenced board had resolved to convert its 4’ 8½” ‘standard gauge’ track (lateral dimension between rails) to the 4’ 10” ‘Ohio gauge.’ By law, the Ohio legislature had mandated that all railroads chartered there must be constructed to this dimension. As a result both Ohio legs of the Bee Line, the Bellefontaine and Indiana [B&I] and CC&C, had been built to this dictated standard. The Indiana-chartered I&B’s non-conforming gauge, however, prevented uninterrupted service between Cleveland and Indianapolis.
The I&B moved carefully to implement its gauge-change resolution. This was because, in early 1852, former president Oliver H. Smith had come to terms on a through-line agreement with a rail line being built between Columbus OH and Union IN – the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad [CP&I]. When completed, this important link would provide a connection to lines extending toward Pittsburgh, and on to Philadelphia over one of the growing trunk line giants: the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Oliver H. Smith, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
As part of through-line negotiations to coordinate schedules and share facilities, the CP&I had acceded to Smith’s demand that it petition Ohio’s legislature to build to the I&B’s ‘standard’ gauge. It soon received a legislative exemption and began building. However, the CP&I met financial headwinds almost immediately – most notably from the Pennsylvania Railroad, which failed to meet its guarantee commitment when the company defaulted on construction bonds. Unfortunately, following bankruptcy reorganization, the CP&I would not complete construction to Union until 1859.
From the I&B’s perspective, the CP&I’s financial problems and construction delays seemed insurmountable. In contrast, the temptation to avail itself of lucrative east-west business across the combination of Ohio gauge B&I and CC&C lines proved irresistible. Under cover of a finely crafted resolution to skirt its through-line agreement with the CP&I, the I&B board resolved to lay track using the Ohio gauge as “other circumstances and relations for the welfare of the Road may require.” Under this guise, by the summer of 1853, it had re-laid track between Union and Muncie to the “Ohio gauge”.
Given this developing situation, the CP&I felt compelled to act. It successfully sought a preliminary injunction to block further track/gauge conversion. The Bee Line was effectively stymied in its effort to achieve a uniform gauge run from Cleveland to Indianapolis. Although the I&B argued the 1852 through-line agreement was silent on the CP&I’s track conversion accord, Smith’s apparent sidebar pact proved compelling to the court. I&B president John Brough, backed by a new board replete with Clique members, was directed to move decisively to resolve the problem in late summer 1853. It proved to be a particularly costly settlement.
Together, all component roads of the Bee Line agreed to guarantee the CP&I’s performance on $400,000 of bonds issued to complete the road to Union. Beyond eventually finding themselves on the hook for this issue, the Bee Line roads would provide another, and then another tranche of funding by the time the CP&I limped into Union in 1859. At least the I&B could now finish its Ohio gauge track conversion between Muncie and Indianapolis. And, under terms of the settlement, the CP&I also re-laid its track to the Ohio gauge.
Winding up the CP&I lawsuit had been a prerequisite to inking a Cleveland Clique-initiated through-line agreement among all Bee Line component roads. The day after securing the CP&I settlement, the Bee Line’s through-line agreement was signed. There were two telling provisions that spoke to the different vantage point of the Cleveland Clique and Hoosier Partisans.
Map of the Bee Line component railroad: I&B, B&I in blue, CC&C in red; lines to Pittsburgh in brown: CP&I to S&I/P&S, O&P, courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
On the one hand, the agreement allowed the B&I and I&B to make “fair and eligible connections and business arrangements . . . to secure . . . their legitimate share of the business between the cities of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.” While this clause provided a degree of freedom for the Hoosier Partisans and their Ohio counterpart to step away from their CC&C overseer, the other clause was engineered to reign in these independently minded stepchildren: “The B&I and I&B shall be consolidated at the earliest practicable moment.”
As to the latter clause, it would be easier for the Cleveland Clique to do its bidding if the Hoosier Partisans’ influence was diluted in a newly constituted board. At the same time, combining the two lines could prevent the Partisans from cutting their own agreement with the CP&I to carry traffic back and forth to Columbus and toward Pittsburgh via Union – totally avoiding carriage over the B&I and CC&C. And there was also a second option to reach Pittsburgh, via the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad (O&P) – passing near the B&I’s eastern terminus at Galion OH. Still, at the time, the Clique’s consolidation mandate only served to draw the two smaller lines more closely together in their common struggle for independent decision-making. As unfolded for the Cleveland Clique, however, its consolidation directive would not be accomplished easily or quickly.
David Kilgore, from the author’s personal collection.
Squirming under the Clique’s dictate, and recognizing its strategic position as the funnel for rail traffic to and from Indianapolis to either Cleveland (and New York) or Pittsburgh (and Philadelphia), the I&B board served up its own subtle message. Essentially touting its option to bypass Cleveland through separate links to Pittsburgh, Hoosier Partisan David Kilgore proposed a name change “from and after the first day of February 1855. . . . The said Corporation shall be known by the name and style of the ‘Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad Company’ [IP&C].” It was overwhelmingly adopted.
The name change really symbolized much more. The locally controlled and focused I&B railroad era was gone. The newly rechristened road would now test its wings as a regional player—hoping, like a teenager seeking freedom from parental control, to stand apart from the clearly parental CC&C.
Map of the proposed route of the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad. Excerpt from “Map of the Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad and connecting lines” (W. Milnor Roberts, Chief Engineer: 1852). Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Separately, in 1854, John Brough was ramping up his Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad [M&A] – destined to link Terre Haute and St. Louis. After an arduous legal effort to validate its claim to an Illinois charter, the M&A had prevailed against Chicago and Mississippi River town political interests earlier in the year. However, it would soon be faced with another trumped-up legal challenge and a concerted public relations effort to undermine its viability and management capabilities. Such obstacles were having a detrimental effect on Wall Street investors.
In March 1854 a legal opinion by Abraham Lincoln’s Illinois law office asserted the illegality of the M&A’s corporate existence. Then, a New York newspaper article questioned Brough’s managerial track record at the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad. The investor community was beginning to shy away from the M&A.
Nonetheless, with short-term funding secured, Brough pressed on with the M&A’s building phase. He issued a marketing circular and let contracts for the whole line by May, announcing the line would be completed by the summer of 1856. Brough would spend an increasing amount of time on this effort as 1854 wound down.
By the beginning of 1855 it was becoming clear Brough had the M&A on his mind. At the very least, the M&A’s pivotal role in the Cleveland Clique’s Midwest control strategy virtually mandated Brough’s full-time attention. Rumblings of his imminent departure reached IP&C board members by early February. He resigned as IP&C president on February 15, noting “experience has demonstrated to me that in this event my entire time and attention will be required on that [M&A] line.”
Calvin Fletcher, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
Former I&B director (1852-53) Calvin Fletcher, among Indianapolis’ most prominent civic and business leaders, was elected president in Brough’s stead. Reluctantly thrust into the role, Fletcher noted, upon hearing of his election: “I learned to my regret I was appointed President of the Bellefontaine R.R. Co.”
Fletcher’s reticence to assume the post was understandable, based on his close familiarity with the affairs of the I&B. “I fear their affairs are desperate . . . It needed my character & acquaintance to unravel the mischief of the finances. . . . The president Brouff [Brough] has no influence on the road. All employees eschew his authority & claim that the Superintendent is the man to look to & not the President. The road & its business is [sic] in great confusion.”
James F. D. Lanier, Sketch of the Life of J. F. D. Lanier, self-published, 1877.
Even though Brough was dealing with M&A matters full time beginning in mid-February 1855, the concerted efforts of powerful Chicago and Mississippi River town political interests had swept away investor confidence. James F. D. Lanier, the M&A’s financier through the Wall Street firm that bore his name – Winslow, Lanier & Co. – decided to take desperate action.
On May 20th the M&A board, controlled by Lanier, demoted Brough to Vice President in favor of Chauncey Rose. Rose, founder of the Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad linking Indianapolis with Terre Haute, assumed the presidential mantle. In spite of his impeccable reputation as a railroad executive, Rose’s presence failed to sway the investor community.
John Brough would not live to see the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad completed to St. Louis. And, more to the point, how would the Cleveland Clique view Brough as their pawn in its broader Midwest railroad control strategy?
Check back for Part VI to learn more about the Hoosier Partisans move for autonomy as the Cleveland Clique tightened its grip on the Bee Line Railroad.
Continue reading “The Cleveland Clique’s Elusive Grasp for Control of the Bee Line Railroad”
Author Andrew OlsonPosted on May 2, 2017 July 5, 2017 Categories 19th century, Antebellum Indiana, Indiana counties, Industrial history, Political history, Rural history, Social history, Urban historyTags Abraham Lincoln, Bee Line Railroad, Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, Calvin Fletcher, Chauncey Rose, Chicago, Cleveland Clique, Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, Cleveland Ohio, Columbus Ohio, Columbus Piqua and Indiana Railroad, David Kilgore, Galion Ohio, Henry B Payne, Hoosier Partisans, Indianapolis, Indianapolis and Bellefontiane Railroad, Indianapolis Pittsburgh and Cleveland Railroad, James F.D. Lanier, John Brough, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, midwest, Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad, Muncie, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad, Ohio gauge, Oliver H. Smith, Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, St. Louis Missouri, Standard gauge, Terra Haute Indiana, Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad, Through-line agreement, Union Indiana, Wall Street, Winslow Lanier and Company
The Bee Line and Midwest Railroads reset their goals – to St. Louis: Gateway to the West!
See Part II to learn about the Bee Line’s financing dilemma – the loss of control to the Cleveland Clique and Wall Street.
Advertisement for ships to California during the Gold Rush, circa 1850.
Gold! In January 1848 gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California. The Gold Rush had begun. And with it, the nation turned its gaze to the West.
John Brough, courtesy of the Ohio History Connection.
The Bee Line and other Midwest railroads would also reset their goals – to reach Chicago or St. Louis: Gateway to the West. And for John Brough, president of the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad [M&I], the prospects were particularly tantalizing. While he had already begun to implement a strategy to extend the M&I’s control to the potentially lucrative Indianapolis and Bellefontiane Railroad [I&B] building toward the Ohio state line, the thought of constructing and controlling a line to St. Louis was pure gold.
Midwest Railroads Map, circa 1860, showing the Madison and Indianapolis [M&I], Terre Haute and Richmond [TH&R], and component roads of the Bee Line: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati [CC&C]; Bellefontaine and Indiana [B&I]; Indianapolis and Bellefontaine [I&B], courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
A Cleveland Clique of connected businessmen, politicians and railroad investors had already struck gold of their own. The opening of the Midwest’s first regional railroad in 1851 between Cleveland and Columbus – the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad [CC&C] – had proved to be successful beyond their most optimistic expectations. They began to consider expanding their reach, not by building, but by buying or controlling the purse strings of other roads headed west . . . to Cincinnati, Indianapolis . . . and St. Louis.
John Brough’s strategic and financial needs were more immediate, as the M&I’s business calculus began to wane. One of Brough’s peers on the Indianapolis Union Station’s Indianapolis Union Railway board, Chauncey Rose of Terre Haute, had already assembled a circle of businessmen from Indiana’s largest town west of Indianapolis. In 1847, along with Rose’s New York-based financier brother John, they had gathered the funds necessary to construct the first leg west from Indianapolis toward St. Louis: the Terre Haute and Richmond Rail Road [TH&R]. It would be renamed the Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad [TH&I] by 1865, to more accurately reflect its final route.
Importantly, the Rose brothers also insured the Terre Haute circle would retain substantial financial control in spite of tapping into the newly available public markets of Wall Street. They would control their own financial destiny, unlike nearly all other Midwest railroads, until well into the 1870s. On February 14, 1852 the first train completed the entire seventy-three mile trip to Indianapolis. The line proved to be the juggernaut for rail travel to St. Louis and the West via Indianapolis.
Railroads west from Indiana, including the Terre Haute and Richmond [TH&R], Ohio and Mississippi [O&M], Mississippi and Atlantic [M&A], and St. Louis, Alton and Terre Haute [StLA&TH], courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
Rose and Brough were running into obstacles, both political and economic, in organizing a rail line spanning the unpopulated expanse of Illinois to St. Louis. While Rose initially focused on indirect connections via Vincennes and the nearly complete Ohio and Mississippi Railroad [O&M] extending across the southern third of Indiana and Illinois, Brough had a different plan. He would leverage on an 1846 Illinois charter – then moribund – for a direct route between Terre Haute and St. Louis through the former state capital (1820-1840): Vandalia. In 1850 Brough teamed with Vandalia business and political leaders – as well as James F. D. Lanier’s Wall Street firm of Winslow, Lanier & Co. – to resurrect the charter as the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad [M&A]. He soon became its president.
James F. D. Lanier. Sketch of the Life of J. F. D. Lanier (self published, 1877).
Brough’s venturesome efforts to reach St. Louis did not go unnoticed by the Cleveland Clique. It comported with the Clique’s and Henry B. Payne‘s (then president of the CC&C) vision for reaching and controlling lines to the West. And since Winslow, Lanier & Co. and the Cleveland Clique were already digging their financial talons into the two Bellefontaine lines that would soon carry the publicly-dubbed Bee Line moniker, the collective financial support for Brough’s effort was assured. Along with Brough’s M&I, the component Bee Line roads anted up several hundreds of thousands of dollars in spite of the tenuous financial footing of all except the CC&C – courtesy of the Clique’s urging and Lanier’s financial wizardry or skullduggery.
But Brough was having other problems. As the M&I revenue picture darkened, the I&B’s brightened. Now connected with the Bellefontaine and Indiana [B&I] and CC&C to reach Cleveland, the I&B’s passenger and freight revenue per mile spiked during the first year of through service in 1853. In addition, new traffic carried between Indianapolis and Cincinnati – via a connection at the increasingly critical junction town of Union – translated into booming business along the band of steel known as the I&B.
Even before the I&B reached Union, however, the M&I was having trouble meeting its obligations under the five year operating contract the two had inked in 1850. The M&I’s inability to supply and maintain a sufficient number of locomotives and cars capable of handling the increasing traffic across the partially completed I&B was obvious. By the summer of 1852, I&B president Oliver H. Smith had initiated a series of discussions with Brough to recast the arrangement. Brough’s stance was adamant, as Smith reported: “They [M&I] claimed by resolve to run the whole Road for the time specified.” But Brough’s ego did not reflect the reality of his situation.
The Bellefontaine and Indiana’s “Sidney” Locomotive, built by Niles & Co., 1853 (rebuilt 1856), courtesy of New York Central System Historical Society.
At the same time, Smith approached the I&B board with specific proposals to purchase additional rolling stock and motive power equipment. He also proposed building machine shops, an engine house and depot buildings. Smith mapped out a game plan to finance the expansion. It would require selling stock and/or floating $150,000 of bonds on Wall Street. Board member Calvin Fletcher reflected the Hoosier Partisans’ growing concern about Smith: “It was doubted by myself & others whether the Embassader [sic] intended had the qualifications to act in the matter.” Newly dominant shareholders Daniel Yandes and Alfred Harrison would handle the funding question.
Things were coming to a head on many fronts. At the I&B board meeting in February 1853 a resolution was passed to terminate the M&I operating agreement effective May 1st, more than two years earlier than anticipated. The M&I and Brough were becoming an afterthought.
Then, in March, Oliver Smith challenged the I&B board to endorse his continued presidency. Given his intransigence on moving the Indianapolis depot closer to the new Union Station – for personal business reasons – Smith’s demand fell on deaf ears. Waxing eloquent, Calvin Fletcher penned a response on behalf of the Hoosier Partisans: “We have no doubt, from your standing in this country . . . that you can do for yourself and the country much better than to remain the President of the said Road.” Smith would resign the presidency on April 6th.
On hearing of the I&B’s bold move to terminate its operating contract with the M&I, Brough was beside himself. As May 1st arrived, Fletcher was concerned, noting “Did not sleep very well having been notified that the M&I would not permit the I&B to have possession & that they would defend with force & arms.” Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed during daylong meetings between Brough, Yandes, Harrison and Fletcher. The next day the operating contract was dissolved.
The Madison and Indianapolis Railroad [M&I] and involved roads: the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad [P&I], extending north from Indianapolis, and the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad [M&A], extending west to St. Louis. Terre Haute and Richmond [TH&R] also shown, courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
Adding insult to injury, Brough’s strategy to tighten the M&I’s grip on a second railroad heading north from Indianapolis – the Peru and Indianapolis [P&I] – was also in peril. While a combination with the M&I would be effected in 1853 as the Madison, Indianapolis and Peru Railroad, it unwound the next year. E. W. H. Ellis, president of the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad, lamented upon the dissolution of the combination: “It is to be regretted that, in the days of its [M&I’s] prosperity, the road, its rolling stock and machinery, were permitted to run down and that these heavy burdens are thrown upon the company.” The I&B was already wise to the M&I’s deficiencies.
Still, the prospect of Brough’s push to St. Louis seemed all but certain. Winslow, Lanier & Co. had successfully attracted adequate funds to begin letting construction contracts. The Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad [M&A] had overcome political obstacles thrown in its path by an alliance of Chicago and Mississippi River town interests. They much preferred a route to a smaller river town, on Illinois turf, just north of St. Louis. Much like Indiana’s push to establish Madison as its improbable center of commerce on the Ohio River, against all odds Illinois opted to create Alton as its alternative to St. Louis along the Mississippi River.
Henry B. Payne, courtesy of the Library of Congress.
To the Cleveland Clique and CC&C president Henry B. Payne, Brough’s progress in establishing and constructing a direct line to St. Louis, in the form of the M&A, was a dream come true. Controlling this line as well as the Bee Line would solidify the Clique’s plan for the West. And, as his tenure at the M&I grew tenuous, Brough would find Payne’s forthcoming offer incredibly attractive.
To the shock of the Hoosier Partisans, Brough was elected president at the I&B’s annual meeting on June 30, 1853. He was now at the head of three roads simultaneously: the M&I, M&A and I&B. Fletcher’s observations on Brough’s election summed up the feelings of the Hoosier Partisans: “In order to carry out the design we had to take Mr. Brough as president who had acted for the Madison RR . . . where interest . . . adverse to the I&B created a hostility to him. But it was obvious that we had to forgo the objection & take him.” It was not an easy pill to swallow for the Hoosier Partisans.
While it may not have been obvious at that point, the Hoosier Partisans’ decision to accept funding from the CC&C and Winslow, Lanier & Co. – let alone seeking counsel from the Cleveland Clique – would be fraught with long-term consequences.
Check back for Part IV to learn more about the fate of the Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad, and the related destiny of John Brough with the Bee Line – under influence of the Cleveland Clique.
Continue reading “The Bee Line and Midwest Railroads reset their goals – to St. Louis: Gateway to the West!”
Author Andrew OlsonPosted on March 27, 2017 May 1, 2017 Categories 19th century, Antebellum Indiana, Civil War and Reconstruction, Hancock County, Indiana counties, Industrial history, Marion County, Pioneer era, Rural historyTags Alfred Harrison, Alton Illinois, Bee Line Railroad, Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, Calvin Fletcher, Chauncey Rose, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, Columbus Ohio, Daniel Yandes, E. W. H. Ellis, Henry B Payne, Illinois, Indiana, Indianapolis, Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad, Indianapolis Union Railway, Indianapolis Union Station, John Brough, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, Madison Indianapolis and Peru Railroad, Midwest railroads, Mississippi and Atlantic Railroad, Ohio, Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, Oliver H. Smith, Peru and Indianapolis Railroad, St. Louis, Terre Haute and Indianapolis Railroad, Terre Haute and Richmond Rail Road, Union Indiana, Vandalia Illinois, Vandalia Line, Vincennes Indiana, Wall Street, Winslow Lanier & Co.
The Bee Line Railroad Financing Dilemma: Loss of Local Control
Indianapolis & Bellefontaine RR train schedule, printed in Calvin Fletcher’s diary, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
See Part I to learn about the origins of the Bee Line and the men who brought it to life.
The Bee Line Railroad almost never was. At the dawn of the Midwest railroad era Hoosiers were slow to embrace what became the technological marvel of the 19th century. Dependent on state funds or newly emerging Wall Street for cash, initial railroad financing prospects looked dim. Instead, canals were the preferred method of transportation in the mind of the public.
The State of Indiana began planning for a litany of “internal improvements” from its inception in 1816. In his 1827 message to the General Assembly, Governor James B. Ray (1825-1831) admonished the legislators, noting that railways could convey “equal burdens to any that can be transported on a Canal . . . and with double the velocity.” However, at the time, the legislature was not moved by his argument.
(L) Governor James B. Ray, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society (R) James F. D. Lanier, Sketch of the Life of J. F. D. Lanier (self-published, 1877).
Finally, as interest in railroads began to percolate by 1832, legislators approved charters for eight – including the Madison, Indianapolis and Lafayette Rail-Road Company. Prominent among its board members was Madison banker James F. D. Lanier, destined to become the leading Wall Street financier of virtually all Midwest railroad era lines during the mania of the 1850s, including the Bee Line.
More than thirty Indiana railroads were chartered between 1832 and 1838. Nonetheless, attempts to lure private capital via stock subscriptions fizzled. Only a mile and a quarter of experimental track had been laid near Shelbyville by the end of the decade.
Annual Report Cover, Madison and Indianapolis Rail Road Company, 1850, courtesy of the Indiana State Library.
Indiana’s infatuation with canals was reflected in the Mammoth Internal Improvements Act of 1836, which appropriated one-sixth of the state’s wealth for the effort. Of eight state projects funded, only one was for a railroad – what became Indiana’s first: the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad [M&I].
Much of the debt to fund these efforts was taken up by the financial barons and financiers of Europe. Rolling mills and metal fabricators in the United Kingdom (UK) were then seeking new markets for their locomotive and rolled rail products. American manufacturers capable of producing such articles were only just beginning, as the Industrial Revolution reached its peak in Europe a full generation before doing so in the U.S. It became a mutually dependent relationship through the 1850s: English products for American dollars.
By the early 1840s Indiana’s failed internal improvements push had become obvious. The state called on Lanier to extricate it from near financial ruin. Before Lanier sailed to Europe in 1847 to negotiate Indiana’s financial exit plan, it had already jettisoned its canal and railroad holdings.
Beyond his success ensuring the state’s survival, Lanier returned from Europe with the confidence of the barons of Continental and English finance. Since the UK was America’s primary source for finished iron rails until the Civil War, the importance of such developed trust was pivotal. These relationships became the cornerstone of Lanier’s success as the Midwest’s preeminent member of Wall Street’s new financial sector: investment banking.
Wall Street Investment House, circa 1865.
As part of its privatizing move in 1842, the Indiana legislature had authorized the M&I to borrow money and issue bonds to complete the line to Indianapolis not later than 1848. In his role on the M&I’s reconstituted board, Lanier orchestrated placement of $50,000 (in 1845) and $100,000 (in 1846) of private bonds through the Wall Street firm which would soon bear his name: Winslow, Perkins & Co.
With funds in hand, the M&I finished the final fifty-six miles of track to Indianapolis by October 1847, at a cost of $628,000. Daniel Yandes, subsequently the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad’s primary stockholder, had won a bid to construct ten miles of the road. The whole task was finished nearly a year before its targeted completion date. In comparison, as a state-run company, it had taken seven years and over $1.5 million to lay the line’s first twenty-eight miles.
The M&I’s Wall Street firm of Winslow, Perkins & Co. began to weigh in on the railroad’s managerial approach after suffusing it with cash. It foretold the more active role financiers would take in operational decision-making of businesses they were funding. To that end, a new president arrived at the M&I in August 1848: John Brough of Ohio, whose life would revolve around the Bee Line railroad.
John Brough. Courtesy of the Ohio History Connection.
Brough had been a youthful and powerful member of Ohio’s legislature. As a freshman legislator at the age of 26, he chaired the Committee on Banks and Currency. Subsequently he was chosen the state’s auditor, a position he held until 1845. Brough had come to Madison, Indiana from Cincinnati, after a three year stint with his brother running the emerging Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper.
By the time Brough issued his first report to shareholders in January 1849, the newly christened Wall Street financial firm of Winslow, Lanier & Co. held more than $92,000 of M&I cash equivalents. Both Merssrs. Winslow and Lanier held positions on the board of directors.
Wall Street was fast becoming the financial clearinghouse for matching Eastern Seaboard and European investors with Midwest railroad securities. A new class of private bankers arose, backed by European firms, which began to serve as investment middlemen. These newly coined “investment bankers” evaluated the quality of securities, served as investment advisers to individuals with surplus capital, acted as financial agents for the railroads, and frequently took investment positions themselves. They also allocated investment capital among the many railroads seeking cash infusions.
Map of Midwest Railroads, with the Madison and Indianapolis [M&I], and Bee Line component lines: Indianapolis and Bellefontaine [I&B], Bellefontaine and Indiana [B&I], and Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati [CC&C] annotated in color. Courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
Initially, Brough developed a strategy to build, invest in, or otherwise secure favorable operating agreements with a planned web of railroads radiating from Indianapolis. And invest he did. The M&I, Brough reasoned, would gather agricultural goods from the southern two-thirds of Indiana and funnel them via Indianapolis to Madison for transport on the Ohio River.
To assure its dominant position, Brough used his politically powerful board to block a railroad charter for a rail line headed from Indianapolis toward Cincinnati (Lawrenceburg). He also rejiggered timetables to prevent convenient connections over a newly chartered branch line extending toward Louisville (Jeffersonville) from Columbus, Indiana.
David Kilgore, director of the 1848-chartered Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad [I&B] – first leg of the Bee Line extending from Indianapolis to the Ohio state line – noted Brough’s aggressive, anti-competitive tactics: “now they would put their feet upon the neck of competition . . . And why? . . . Rival interests are springing up at other points, and if they can be crippled, so much the better for this city [Indianapolis] and Madison.” It would not be long, however, before Brough would prove unable to stem the tide of competition.
Brough’s involvement planning Indianapolis’ Union Station in the early 1850s, with M&I’s investment in the Indianapolis Union Railway Company, yielded insights about the financial health and intentions of other lines terminating there. Unfortunately for him, in 1851 Indiana’s new constitution was adopted, including a mandate to craft general incorporation laws. No longer would special charters be required to form new railroads. It signaled the end of the M&I’s political agility to stifle competition.
Indianapolis Union Station, circa 1906, courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
As a result, Brough shifted strategies. He now sought to make two of the newborn and financially anemic lines dependent on the M&I. Brough would set his sights on the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine, building northeast from Indianapolis. It was already making plans to connect with roads angling to another key center of economic growth: Cleveland. And with the help of Lanier and his Wall Street firm, the lure would prove to be almost irresistible.
Cleveland Railway Station and Docks, 1854 (James Harrison Kennedy, A History of the City of Cleveland: Its Settlement, Rise and Progress 1796-1896. Cleveland: Imperial Press, 1896).
To the surprise of investors, as well as the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine’s board, costs of funding construction and operation of the new railroad had been grossly underestimated. Without access to substantial credit facilities, motive power equipment, rolling stock, iron rails and operating personnel, the I&B was going nowhere. There to “help” was Brough and Winslow, Lanier & Co.
The M&I, as orchestrated by Brough, guaranteed newly issued I&B bonds that Lanier had floated. Now, it could purchase the M&I’s surplus iron rails, and lease its motive power and rolling stock equipment. The basis of the bargain was a lucrative five-year operating agreement, which commenced in 1850. The M&I would not only supply all personnel, but also collect and distribute ticket and freight receipts, paying itself from the proceeds it handled.
Whose railroad was it anyway? By the time the I&B started partial service between Indianapolis and Pendleton in 1851, the railroad was the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine in name only. It was all as Brough had planned.
Henry B Payne, courtesy of the Library of Congress.
There was another important aspect of the new line’s financial health. By 1853, when the I&B commenced service all the way to Union, the dominant regional player – the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad [CC&C] through its president Henry B. Payne – had loaned the I&B and its sister Bellefontaine and Indiana line in Ohio a combined sum of over $100,000.
Thus, no sooner had the smaller combined Bellefontaine lines, now known collectively as the Bee Line, begun full service than they began to lose a grasp on their own destiny. Pulling the financial strings were John Brough, James F. D. Lanier, and a Cleveland Clique of businessmen and bankers headed by Henry B. Payne, then at the controls of the CC&C. The resulting tug of war between the Cleveland Clique and Hoosier Partisans for control of the Bee Line would continue throughout the 1850s.
Map of the Madison and Indianapolis [M&I] and involved lines: Indianapolis and Bellefonatine [I&B] and Mississippi and Atlantic [M&A] annotated in color, as well as the Terre Haute and Richmond [TH&R]. Courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
But Henry Payne and the Cleveland Clique had other aspirations as well. Controlling rail lines all the way to St. Louis would cement its dominant role among Midwest railroads. And John Brough, recognizing the need for the M&I to control other railroads heading to more viable destinations, had – with the help of James Lanier – already turned his gaze to St. Louis.
Check back for Part III to learn more about John Brough and the Cleveland Clique’s pivotal play to reach St. Louis, as well as the resulting impact on the Bee Line and its Hoosier Partisans.
Continue reading “The Bee Line Railroad Financing Dilemma: Loss of Local Control”
Author Andrew OlsonPosted on March 13, 2017 May 1, 2017 Categories 19th century, Antebellum Indiana, Civil War and Reconstruction, Hancock County, Indiana counties, Industrial history, Marion County, Pioneer era, Rural history, Social history, Uncategorized, Urban historyTags banking, Bee Line Railroad, Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, canals, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Enquirer, Cleveland, Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, Daniel Yandes, David Kilgore, Europe, Governor James B. Ray, Henry B Payne, Indiana, Indianapolis, Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad, Indianapolis Union Railway Company, Industrial Revolution, Investment Banking, James F.D. Lanier, John Brough, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, Madison Indiana, Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, midwest, St. Louis, trains, Union Station, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Winslow Lanier
The Bee Line Railroad: At the Dawn of the Midwest Railroad Era
A Bee Line Train; Bellefontaine Railway 1864 Annual Report Cover. Courtesy of the Indiana State Library.
On May 11, 1848, as the Midwest railroad era dawned, Connersville-based former Indiana Congressman and Senator Oliver H. Smith took to the podium in Indianapolis: “The time has now come when central Indiana has to decide whether the immense travel, emigration, and business of the west should pass round or go through central Indiana…and not force them round by either Cincinnati on the east, or Chicago on the north.”
Smith, who had also sponsored a bill to extend the National Road through Indiana during his Congressional term in 1828, foresaw the potential economic synergies in linking Midwest railroads from the heartland with East Coast markets. Now, its citizens would need to make the financial investment to make it happen. And the mechanism to ignite this explosive rush was not a rutted path or canal, but a new form of transportation in the Midwest: a railroad. It would be among Indiana’s first.
By July, Smith had tallied the necessary stock purchase commitments or “subscriptions” to incorporate the railroad destined to link Indianapolis to Cleveland on one end, and to St. Louis on the other. In legal terms, it was called The Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad [I&B], extending 83 miles northeast from Indianapolis to an undefined location in the wilderness along the Ohio state line.
Soon, it connected with two others Ohio railroads to reach Cleveland – one with a confusingly similar name: The Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad [B&I]. The other was already the regional powerhouse that soon financed, controlled and finally swallowed the other two: The Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad [CC&C]. But to the traveling public the complete or partial string of railroads linking these economic centers became known as the Bee Line – like a bumblebee’s nearly straight-line path between these two cities.
Route of the Bee Line Railroad, circa 1860. Courtesy of Erin Greb Cartography.
The pedigree of Smith’s first board of directors read like a Who’s Who of eastern Indiana politicians and business leaders. Because the bulk of initial stock subscriptions came from county boards through which the line would pass, representatives from Marion, Hancock, Madison, Delaware and Randolph counties populated the first board. Many were closely affiliated with Oliver Smith in terms of shared political and legal careers – such as Jeremiah Smith of Randolph County and David Kilgore of Delaware County.
Route of the Indianapolis & Bellefontaine Railroad, circa 1855. Reprinted from Map of Indiana. New York: J. H. Colton & Co., 1855. Courtesy of Ball State University Libraries, GIS Research and Map Collection (annotated by Erin Greb Cartography).
The two Smiths had met in the mid 1820s when both served as state and county prosecuting attorneys. Oliver appointed Jeremiah to chair the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine’s committee to locate its eastern terminus somewhere along the Ohio state line. Once determined, the Smiths moved quickly to capitalize on their insider information. They purchased the land and platted what shortly became known as Union – today’s Union City. Jeremiah in particular would profit handsomely, as Union became a key Midwest railroad junction town by the mid 1850s.
And because early railroad companies did not allow locomotives or rail cars to travel beyond their geographic/corporate boundaries, Union bustled with activity. Oliver Smith rationalized that the avoidance of potential accidents and repairs to cars sent out of state “would more than counter balance any inconvenience growing out of transfers at the State Line, from one line to another.” One can only guess the passengers’ reaction to this rationale, as they were often forced to stay overnight at Union’s Branham House hotel awaiting an onward train.
(L) Oliver H. Smith. Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society. (R) Jeremiah Smith. Courtesy of the Preservation Society of Union City.
David Kilgore, on the other hand, had been active with Oliver Smith in Indiana Whig politics. They often served as lawyers on the same case, and grew close as Smith purchased the land and platted Kilgore’s Yorktown hometown in 1837. Kilgore owned a parcel adjacent to Yorktown as well as a sizeable farm on the Indianapolis Road between Yorktown and Daleville. Conveniently, the Bee Line would slice through both parcels of Kilgore’s land – not to mention curving through Smith’s Yorktown.
David Kilgore. From the author’s personal collection.
As prominent editor Henry V. Poor of the nationally renowned American Railroad Journal spouted about the route of the Bee Line: “the road undoubtedly should have been constructed on a direct line between Indianapolis and Union…why did he not take this line for the Bellefontaine road? Because he owned some property at Yorktown or Muncietown and curved the road to promote his private interests.” Railroading was about more than just railroading.
Daniel Yandes. Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
The opportunities for personal gain abounded in building the railroad as well. Nearly all of the directors gained lucrative contracts to supply ties for long stretches of the route, for building depots, and representing the Bee Line in right-of-way disputes. Then, as funding grew thin, Indianapolis entrepreneur Daniel Yandes and banker Alfred Harrison teamed up to finance and complete construction of the route from Chesterfield to Union – essentially taking stock and board control of Smith’s railroad even before the first train reached Union in 1853.
Oliver Smith’s eagerness to cut lucrative side business deals connected to the Bee Line ultimately proved to be his undoing. In 1853, Indianapolis led the country by constructing the nation’s first “Union Station“. Remarkably, until then, different railroads terminating in the same metropolitan center did not share a common station or depot. They would often be miles apart from each other. While good for local transportation companies, warehouses and hotels, it made little long-term business sense. Although the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine’s depot in the northeast corner of Indianapolis was the outlier among all others, Smith refused to place a machine or repair shop facility closer to Union Station.
Indianapolis Depots Map, from SD King Map of Indiana, 1852. Courtesy of the Library of Congress (annotated by Erin Greb Cartography).
Calvin Fletcher, the highly-regarded Indianapolis civic leader and banker through whose land the Bee Line passed – and who assumed a board position in mid 1852 – took note of Smith’s rationale for resistance. Recounting the board issue in his diary, Fletcher observed: “The subject of removal of the Depo [sic] now built on the North East part of the town would be adjitated [sic]. This I knew would be extremely offensive to Mr. O.H. Smith…as he was, as I supposed, connected with Billy Young in the property in its vicinity.”
Calvin Fletcher. Courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
Smith was still laboring under the misimpression that his authority was all but absolute. He had clearly dismissed the board power shift that occurred the year before when Daniel Yandes and Alfred Harrison struck a stock payout deal to complete building the road to Union. The emerging Hoosier Partisans power group which grew to include Calvin Fletcher – whose board election they orchestrated – and David Kilgore, however, relegated Smith to the sidelines. By the Spring of 1853 they accepted his resignation from the board of the railroad he had toiled to bring to life.
As was typical of early Midwest railroad boards, the Bee Line far underestimated the amount of capital required to bring such a massive undertaking to life. For early Midwest businessmen, financing and operating such large corporate organizations were matters of first impression. And with hard cash virtually non-existent, individuals could commit to purchase stock by pledging labor, materials or land. Such arrangements often left the railroad cash poor and unable to meet its obligations. County governments, with pushback from both its citizens and Indiana’s governor, had reached their limit as well.
Map of the Indiana portion of the Bee Line, and the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad circa 1860. Courtesy of Erin Greb Cartogarphy.
Fortunately for the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine and Indiana’s first railroad, the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad [M&I] (completed in 1847), their pressing mutual financial problems would be the solution for each. The M&I had a supply of unused rails, underutilized equipment, and a solid credit position – courtesy of its earlier birth as a state-run and funded railroad. But it was slowly diminishing in importance as its route to Indiana’s Ohio River port city of Madison could not rival the well establish and larger commercial cities just up and down river – Cincinnati and Louisville. And the situation became more acute when Indiana’s legislature allowed any group of individuals able to raise $50,000 to build a railroad to anywhere in the state without a special charter. Those headed toward Cincinnati and Louisville were at the top of the list.
On the other hand, the I&B possessed an enviable route pointed toward Cleveland and ultimately the East Coast. However, it needed the credit to which the M&I had access – not to mention rails to finish its construction, and equipment and operating personnel to actually run the line. It appeared to be a ‘win-win’ for both. M&I’s President, John Brough, saw this opportunity and capitalized on the situation.
By the time the Bee Line’s first segment, the I&B, opened between Indianapolis and Pendleton in 1851, Brough’s M&I would be supplying rolling stock and operating personnel as well as financial backing. It would not come without a cost. The balance of his life and career would be closely tied to the Bee Line. However, this new relationship also signaled the beginning of a love-hate affair between Brough and the Hoosier Partisans.
Check back for Part II to learn more about John Brough’s career and relationship with the Bee Line, and the financier behind the growth of Midwest railroads: Indiana’s James F. D. Lanier.
Continue reading “The Bee Line Railroad: At the Dawn of the Midwest Railroad Era”
Author Andrew OlsonPosted on February 20, 2017 March 16, 2017 Categories 19th century, Antebellum Indiana, Civil War and Reconstruction, Industrial history, Pioneer era, Political history, Social historyTags Alfred Harrison, American Railroad Journal, Bee Line Railroad, Bellefontaine and Indiana Railroad, Calvin Fletcher, Cleveland, Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, Daniel Yandes, David Kilgore, Hoosier Partisans, Indianapolis, Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad, James F.D. Lanier, Jeremiah Smith, Louisville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, Midwest railroad, Oliver H. Smith, Pendleton, St. Louis, transportation, Union City, Union Station
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How to Reset the BIOS on an ASUS P5B Deluxe
By Ruri Ranbe
The terms "BIOS" and "CMOS" are often used interchangeably, even by computer experts, but the components are not identical: the CMOS contains information about how each device installed to the PC is configured, while the BIOS retrieves this data at startup to initialize the connected hardware. Additionally, any changes you make to your hardware settings via the BIOS setup utility are applied to the CMOS. If your ASUS P5B Deluxe freezes intermittently, restarts without warning or exhibits other signs of instability, you can reset the CMOS as a troubleshooting measure.
Turn off the computer, and then disconnect the power cord and any devices attached to the PC.
Loosen and remove the thumbscrews or crosshead screws securing the case cover to the computer.
Slide the cover towards the back of the computer, and then lift the cover off the case to reveal the motherboard.
Touch the chassis or put on an antistatic wrist strap to ground yourself and protect your hardware from static electricity.
Shine a flashlight on the motherboard and locate the "CLRTC" jumper, positioned between the RAM and the chipset.
Move the jumper shunt from pins 1 and 2 to pins 2 and 3. Return the shunt to its original position after 10 to 15 seconds.
Reassemble and then turn on the computer. Press "Del" when the ASUS logo appears to enter the BIOS setup utility and reconfigure your hardware settings, if necessary.
Phillips-head screwdriver
Antistatic wrist strap (optional)
ASUSTeK Computer Inc.: Support - Drivers and Download P5B Deluxe
Ruri Ranbe has been working as a writer since 2008. She received an A.A. in English literature from Valencia College and is completing a B.S. in computer science at the University of Central Florida. Ranbe also has more than six years of professional information-technology experience, specializing in computer architecture, operating systems, networking, server administration, virtualization and Web design.
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I married a Hollywood movie star – and here’s why celebrities don’t stay married (1939)
1930s, Vintage & retro entertainment, Vintage love tips & marriage advice, Vintage magazines, Vintage movies
I married a movie star
Hollywood called it an ideal match. Yet, if I had used the spoonful of brains God gave me, I would never have done what I pitied so many others for doing — for I have learned the true and — perhaps shocking — reason why stars don’t stay married.
I went into it with my eyes wide open, though I’ve often tried to find solace — and an alibi — in the thought that it wasn’t a star I married at all, but just a beautiful, sweet, bewildered wisp of a girl. More than once I’ve almost wept in self-pity at the memory of how she looked the day the idea of marrying her hit me. And how noble and unselfish I felt.
Huddled in the far corner of the testing set, the look of a scared rabbit in her big eyes, she seemed utterly lost as she watched the director, cameraman and hairdresser battle over her hairline and eyebrows.
“She needs somebody to protect her against these wolves,” I told myself. If I had paused to use the spoonful of brains God gave me, or to lend an ear to the cargo of experience Hollywood had dropped in my lap, I’d have peeked three years into the future and seen those “wolves” scampering to keep out of her way.
But, instead of looking ahead, as I had done when other meek supplicants to stardom stood before me, I thought, “The poor kid’s all alone here. She needs a friend.”
So I married the girl.
I married a Hollywood movie star: “A swell match”
Hollywood declared it a swell match. She was twenty and a promising youngster. I was twenty-seven and the junior partner of a sweet agency. As an artists’ agent with good connections, I could really do things for Anne.
Even then, the thought of her staying home like a regular wife never occurred to anyone. And I didn’t suggest it, because Anne (that’s as good as any other name that’s not her own) was so eager to accomplish something herself, so, as she pointed out, people wouldn’t think I had an empty-head for a wife. That’s a weak excuse, but I would have grabbed anything that made me think a career wasn’t first in her heart. And I think Anne made herself believe it, too, she was so sweet and anxious to please.
After Anne’s first picture, any producer or director in Hollywood would have offered two to one that she was headed for stardom. “Star”‘ was written all over her work, while I still had a chance to run.
I knew my Hollywood odds: three to one she would be a star, and ten to one, as a star, any marriage she made would go on the rocks. I knew that the odds of ten to one that a woman movie star can’t stay married are conservative.
But I figured that somehow things would be different with us, so I married her, in spite of my friends’ advice and warnings. And the same thing happened to me that happens to nine out of ten men who marry movie stars, or other celebrities.
Not that living with a luscious lady hasn’t a charm all its own. Even my cynical men friends admitted that they envied me my first six months — not forgetting to tell me it a great life, if I knew when to let go.
I resented their lip-smacking attitude toward Anne. It was damned poor taste to let me see just what a choice morsel they regarded her. Whenever they spoke of her charm, her beauty or her naturalness, they managed to convey the impression that it was a shame I would soon have to kiss it all good-bye.
So Anne and I planned a campaign to confound them. We loved each other, and we just couldn’t believe we would ever feel differently. But if the time came when we did, we would carry on like real troupers. Anne was deadly earnest about this. Marriage had been good to us, and had brought her peace and security and a chance to work without worry. We would always respect and treasure it.
Even now, after two years, sometimes I wake from a dream of the starry mist of her eyes, the full, red lips, and the glint of her hair.
I’ll just admit that I’m still in love with my Anne of those days, and that I’ve more than once futilely damned pictures for destroying her. Every vestige of her is gone. The gorgeous, glamorous star that has wiggled into her skin is less she than her image on the screen. That beautiful fake stirs no warmth or longing in me.
They say divorce is born of misunderstanding. But not in Hollywood. Here understanding, beautiful, intelligent, civilized understanding is the embryo of separation, friendly parting, or what have you. In our village, ‘twixt the mountains and the sea, to know is not to love.
I married a Hollywood movie star: When the clouds began to appear
The first clouds appeared on the horizon of our second year, when Anne would come home at night completely exhausted, with nerves frayed by studio irritations.
MORE Retro Thanksgiving recipes: Luscious cheesecake-topped pumpkin pies you'll love
They joined the studio cameramen in popping away at Anne with flashlight bulbs.
Anne was stammering with happiness, and I’ll admit I expanded with pride. That was the beginning of it.
Every day for a week, they tested Anne for hairdress and make-up. Now that she was important, her personality must be emphasized and glorified. They must find out how she was most effective before the camera. To fit a star’s estate, there must be a suitable wardrobe — and a suitable wardrobe meant much time with studio designers, and much more time with the fitters.
Her full-breasted slenderness brought a squeal of joy from the girl who posed the limitless style photographs that were regularly released to fan magazines, newspapers and picture syndicates. Besides all this, were her studio conferences, her “studies,” and her culture tutoring — plus portrait sittings, interviews and her regular picture work.
Formerly, Anne dragged in about seven, dog-tired, but in time for dinner. Then we could at least have the evening together, in peace. But after that night at the Victor Hugo, if Anne arrived home by seven o’clock, we figured she was getting a half day off. Soon the only time she took a bite in the house was on her way to bed, or out the front door. Except, of course, when interviewers came to lunch or dinner. And that was something to look forward to. A quiet day at home with the interviewers was like nothing else in the world.
These “eyes and ears of the public” may be catnip to a career, but they’re certainly sand in a husband’s spinach. We seldom had an opportunity to do anything together, as our plans were almost invariably sidetracked by demands on Anne for unexpected retakes, unexpected rehearsals, unexpected costume fittings, unexpected tests.
Always it was unexpected, and each time we were assured it would not happen again. But we soon realized Anne was actually subject to call from six in the morning until twelve at night.
Not simply the studio’s demands
However, it was not the studio’s unreasonable demands on her time that finally separated us. If anything, that supplied the common enemy that united us. We felt abused, and turned our annoyance and grievance against the department heads and executives who seemed to be conspiring to make us strangers to each other. Sometimes I suspected those studio watchdogs regarded a husband as an undesirable complication and a hazard — and wanted him out of the picture.
I have since learned that studio executives know Hollywood, and how a career functions, too well to worry about such things. They just sit back and let nature take its course. Which it did — on Anne.
During the first three months of stardom, Anne was in a state of perpetual exhaustion, except when under pressure from the studio. On those occasions, she rallied, somehow, and carried on. But her work sapped every ounce of her strength, leaving her neither the energy nor the inclination to devote any time to her home or husband.
Her hours at home, when not devoted to voice culture, reading script, posing for pictures, studying lines, giving interviews or doing the physical exercises prescribed for her, were spent in sun baths. And sun baths never were vitamins for romance. Stretched full-length on a mattress beside the pool, her hair piled high on top of her head, her skin covered with oil and her eyes hidden behind dark glasses, she generally fell asleep in the sun. Which was no picture to inspire a husband.
With each succeeding picture, Anne gained confidence, until she was ready to enter the inevitable battle between star and the various departments that exact toll from her: i.e., publicity, hairdressing, wardrobe, exploitation and production.
One by one, she cut down the extra duties they had imposed upon her, and day by day she became a little more sure of herself, a little more determined and a little more irritable.
I couldn’t fail to notice the steady change in her. A narrowing of her eyes drove from them their look of wonderment, a tightening of her lips wiped away their charming quiver, a squaring of her jaw erased its soft line, and a growing aggressiveness crowded the hesitancy from her manner.
All the while I knew I was helpless to prevent this calculating stranger from moving in on me, and trampling underfoot every silly, sentimental thought Anne and I had ever cherished.
I married a Hollywood movie star: The price of fame
It made me sick at heart — but I couldn’t blame Anne. It was just the price of fame, the thing that a career does to a woman. She was in Hollywood’s wringer of success, and it was squeezing the heart and soul out of her.
I knew exactly what to expect, but I didn’t know how to prevent it. I recognized every symptom of her disease, as I had seen it gnawing on the bonds of other couples. I could almost chart its progress.
MORE Little darling: Kristy McNichol, the young actress America adored in the '70s & '80s
At first, Anne had been too exhausted to indulge in the bits of romance that keep the bloom on a marriage. Then, she became too irritable. Finally, she grew too busy. She simply had too many important things to do to play Juliet to my Romeo. Once she told me so, by suggesting that since I was supposed to be in business, I might use up some of my surplus energy at that, and give her a chance to get her work done.
Anne never could understand that, while other interests and activities can supplant all desire for romance in a woman, they cannot in a man. His work, no matter how hard or exacting it may be, cannot kill his normal instincts. But, concentration on work that uses up her energy can anesthetize a woman’s natural feminine reactions. Any man married to a motion-picture star, or famous career-woman will swear to that.
Give a woman a career and a chance to spread her feathers, and a man is an ingredient not necessary to her cake of happiness — though she likes to use him as a sort of extra flavor or trimming. Tasty, but superfluous.
That’s why the chances are better than ten to one that a woman movie star can’t stay married. Naturally, there are contributing factors, such as exaggerated ambition, intolerance, vanity, impatience and good old “temperament,” or a plain mixture of selfishness and contrariness. But, usually a husband can take these in his stride. The thing that curdles him is coldness. That’s a slap in the face to any man.
By this time, Anne had become a hound for efficiency. She felt she had the whole world to conquer, and would like to do it during the next three years. So, when one of our recent importations from England gave her a chance to kill three birds with one stone — a certain misinformed Hollywood columnist said four birds — she really embraced the idea in a big way.
Gerald Brookes (that name will do for our purpose) was playing an important part in Anne’s picture, and his very excellent English accent fascinated her. Wouldn’t he, she asked, help her attain a trace of it?
Being a perfectly charming fellow, he would. In fact they could rehearse together, and kill two birds with one stone. Then he discovered that Anne was taking riding lessons.
A friend of his had offered him the use of his stable. It was a bit silly riding alone, but if Anne would let him offer his services she could rehearse her lines, add a bit of England to her charming accent, and brush up on her riding, all in one jolly swoop.
Of course, the gossip rags soon were smacking their lips over it. But I knew Anne too well to give any credence to their nasty hints. In fact, I still don’t, and never will.
Anne had the bit of ambition in her teeth, and no time for romance. The only thing in the world that interested her was her career. She has proved that since our divorce. But I was getting fed up on the eternal question of her young life.
I married a Hollywood movie star: When our marriage was lost forever
I had thought it all out. My own Anne was lost to me forever. She had been cultured and calculated right out of existence, and I was beginning to harbor a yen to crack the shellac on the glittering lady she had become.
Frankly, I didn’t like the new Anne. So it wasn’t jealousy that made me ask her one morning, as she swept the breath of the stable in from her car:
“Been riding with Gerald again this morning?”
In that one flat syllable, she managed to express all the feminine indifference of a thousand satisfied women.
“The scandal sheets and those lousy columnists are beginning to lick their chops over it.”
“That means nothing to me.”
“It does to me.”
The contempt and challenge in that tone was right out of a picture she had just finished. I objected to having rehearsed lines read at me. It burned me up.
“So it would be a good idea for you to put Gerald back with the other props, and do your riding with me. After all, I’m your husband.”
“You sound like an assistant director. Now run away and don’t bother me.”
“That’s a hell of a way –”
“Listen, Romeo –” Anne continued in a low, flat voice, her eyes cold as slate, “don’t get messy. If you want to impress somebody, try it on some of those dumb cuties you’re peddling. They think you’re a big agent. Maybe they’ll fall for your Casanova line.”
One did. And that’s the story behind the sufferings of a poor little star, and why she had to get a nasty old divorce.
Of course, Anne and I are old pals now. Divorced couples always are in Hollywood.
Diff’rent Strokes theme song & lyrics (1978-1986)
Classic gingerbread houses: 28 clever Christmas creations made with cookies & candy (1987)
A guide to Roots: The TV miniseries, night by night (1977)
Michael Landon and his family at home (1975)
Categories: 1930s, Vintage & retro entertainment, Vintage love tips & marriage advice, Vintage magazines, Vintage movies
Source: Photoplay
Original publication date: October 1939
Tags: 1939, actors, actresses, divorce, hollywood, marriage, men and women, vintage celebrities
Added or last updated: July 20, 2017
A famous suffragette's leap year marriage proposal (1916)
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Trial record 2 of 4 for: "Gangliosidosis" | "Anti-Retroviral Agents"
Synergistic Enteral Regimen for Treatment of the Gangliosidoses (Syner-G)
First Posted : January 8, 2014
University of Minnesota - Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network
National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Lysosomal Disease Network
The investigators hypothesize that a combination therapy using miglustat and the ketogenic diet for infantile and juvenile patients with gangliosidoses will create a synergy that 1) improves overall survival for patients with infantile or juvenile gangliosidoses, and 2) improves neurodevelopmental clinical outcomes of therapy, compared to data reported in previous natural history studies. The ketogenic diet is indicated for management of seizures in patients with seizure disorders. In this study, the ketogenic diet will be used to minimize or prevent gastrointestinal side-effects of miglustat. A Sandhoff disease mouse study has shown that the ketogenic diet may also improve central nervous system response to miglustat therapy (see Denny in "Citations" list below). Patients with infantile and juvenile gangliosidoses commonly suffer from seizure disorders, and use of the ketogenic diet in these patients may therefore also improve seizure management.
GM1 Gangliosidoses GM2 Gangliosidoses Tay-Sachs Disease Sandhoff Disease Drug: miglustat Other: Ketogenic Diet Phase 4
The infantile and juvenile forms of GM1 and GM2 gangliosidoses are neurodegenerative conditions that are lethal during childhood. There are no known effective therapies available for treatment of infantile and juvenile gangliosidoses. Studies of monotherapy with miglustat for treatment of these conditions have demonstrated safety, but have not demonstrated notable clinical improvement. To date, combination therapy for the infantile and juvenile gangliosidoses has not been explored. This study will evaluate a multi-targeted combination therapy for treatment of the gangliosidoses, using FDA approved therapies that have demonstrated safety in children. It is the aim of this study to learn if combination therapy using the "Syner-G" regimen (that is, synergistic enteral regimen for treatment of the gangliosidoses) will show improvement in overall survival and clinical benefits in neurodevelopmental abilities in children with gangliosidosis diseases.
This study is planned as a 5-year longitudinal treatment study. Subjects will be started on the treatment regimen when they are enrolled in the study. Data will be collected during yearly evaluations and at completion of study. Investigators may choose to stop therapy at any time, as clinically indicated for individual patients.
The Ketogenic Diet is a special diet that contains higher amounts of fat and lower amounts of carbohydrate compared to an average diet. The purpose of this is to help reduce food-miglustat interactions. The ketogenic diet may also help in management of seizures in these patients. (The ketogenic diet has been used as an anti-seizure treatment in a variety of medical conditions for many decades.) A study in Sandhoff disease mice has shown that the ketogenic diet may also help miglustat be more effective in the central nervous system (see Denny in "Citations" list below).
Miglustat will be used to reduce the amount of ganglioside accumulation in the child's cells. Miglustat is not FDA approved for treatment of the gangliosidoses. It is FDA approved for a different inherited metabolic disease called Gaucher disease type I.
This study has been issued Investigational New Drug (IND) # 127636 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Official Title: Synergistic Enteral Regimen for Treatment of the Gangliosidoses (Syner-G)
Actual Study Start Date : December 22, 2015
Estimated Primary Completion Date : August 31, 2019
Genetics Home Reference related topics: GM1 gangliosidosis GM2-gangliosidosis, AB variant Sandhoff disease Tay-Sachs disease
Drug Information available for: Miglustat
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center resources: Gangliosidosis GM1 Gangliosidosis Beta-galactosidase-1 Deficiency Tay-Sachs Disease Sandhoff Disease Sphingolipidosis
Experimental: Syner-G Therapy Regimen
The Syner-G therapy regimen includes switching the research subject to a full-time ketogenic diet, and daily treatment with orally-administered miglustat, for the duration of the 60-month study.
Drug: miglustat
The Syner-G therapy regimen includes treating with orally-administered miglustat for the duration of the 60-month study.
Other Name: Zavesca®
Other: Ketogenic Diet
The Syner-G therapy regimen includes switching the research subject to a full-time ketogenic diet for the 60-month duration of this study.
The duration of survival of each research subject, measured in months and years [ Time Frame: From date of enrollment until 60 months thereafter, or the date of subject's death from any cause, whichever comes first, assessed up to 60 months ]
The survival duration of patients with infantile and juvenile forms of gangliosidoses will be assessed, in order to judge the clinical impact of the Syner-G therapy regimen. This will be accomplished by recording the subject's age on the date of enrollment in this study, and the subject's age at the conclusion of this study, or on the date of their death, whichever comes first. The duration of each subject's survival, expressed in months and years, will be compared to available natural history data in order to arrive at an expert assessment of the impact of the Syner-G therapy upon patient longevity.
Rate of Change in Neurocognitive Functioning [ Time Frame: Upon Enrollment, and thereafter at 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months post-enrollment ]
The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales will be administered upon enrollment and annually thereafter for five years. Changes in these neurodevelopmental assessments will be evaluated over the duration of follow-up. Ability of the child to have these assessments yearly may be subject to patient's insurance coverage for such assessments.
Ages Eligible for Study: up to 204 Months (Child)
Subjects must have a documented infantile or juvenile gangliosidosis disease.
Age: 17 years or less at time of enrollment
Subjects and their caregivers must be willing to work with a ketogenic diet team for management of the subject's ketogenic diet.
A desire to not participate
Patients who are older than 17 years will not be enrolled in this study.
Children with severe renal impairment will not be enrolled in this study.
Post-pubertal females who are pregnant, or who are unwilling to use highly-effective methods to prevent pregnancy, will be excluded from this study.
Breast-feeding females will be excluded from this study.
Subjects who have an allergy to miglustat or any of the components within the drug product will be excluded from this study.
Contact: Jeanine R. Jarnes, PharmD 612-626-5131 utzx0002@umn.edu
United States, Minnesota
University of Minnesota Recruiting
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
Principal Investigator: Jeanine R. Jarnes, PharmD
Sub-Investigator: Chester B. Whitley, MD, PhD
Principal Investigator: Jeanine R. Jarnes, PharmD University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital
Orphanet links to detailed information about the gangliosidoses Educational information for the layperson about Tay-Sachs disease from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Educational information for the layperson about Tay-Sachs disease from the National Human Genome Research Institute at the NIH Talking Glossary of Genetic Terms from the National Human Genome Research Institute at the NIH. (Uses Adobe Flash plugin.) This Talking Glossary is also available as an app for mobile devices, from a link on this page. At the Lysosomal Disease Network's web site, a page of links to further educational information, with diseases organized in alphabetical order Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network, an NIH-funded research network The Lysosomal Disease Network's page on the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network's web site The Lysosomal Disease Network's own site
Jarnes Utz JR, Kim S, King K, Ziegler R, Schema L, Redtree ES, Whitley CB. Infantile gangliosidoses: Mapping a timeline of clinical changes. Mol Genet Metab. 2017 Jun;121(2):170-179. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2017.04.011. Epub 2017 Apr 29.
Bley AE, Giannikopoulos OA, Hayden D, Kubilus K, Tifft CJ, Eichler FS. Natural history of infantile G(M2) gangliosidosis. Pediatrics. 2011 Nov;128(5):e1233-41. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0078. Epub 2011 Oct 24.
Nalini A, Christopher R. Cerebral glycolipidoses: clinical characteristics of 41 pediatric patients. J Child Neurol. 2004 Jun;19(6):447-52.
Maegawa GH, Stockley T, Tropak M, Banwell B, Blaser S, Kok F, Giugliani R, Mahuran D, Clarke JT. The natural history of juvenile or subacute GM2 gangliosidosis: 21 new cases and literature review of 134 previously reported. Pediatrics. 2006 Nov;118(5):e1550-62. Epub 2006 Oct 2. Review. Erratum in: Pediatrics. 2007 Oct;120(4):936.
Maegawa GH, van Giersbergen PL, Yang S, Banwell B, Morgan CP, Dingemanse J, Tifft CJ, Clarke JT. Pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of miglustat in the treatment of pediatric patients with GM2 gangliosidosis. Mol Genet Metab. 2009 Aug;97(4):284-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2009.04.013. Epub 2009 May 3.
Shapiro BE, Pastores GM, Gianutsos J, Luzy C, Kolodny EH. Miglustat in late-onset Tay-Sachs disease: a 12-month, randomized, controlled clinical study with 24 months of extended treatment. Genet Med. 2009 Jun;11(6):425-33. doi: 10.1097/GIM.0b013e3181a1b5c5.
Belmatoug N, Burlina A, Giraldo P, Hendriksz CJ, Kuter DJ, Mengel E, Pastores GM. Gastrointestinal disturbances and their management in miglustat-treated patients. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2011 Oct;34(5):991-1001. doi: 10.1007/s10545-011-9368-7. Epub 2011 Jul 21. Review.
Kossoff EH, Zupec-Kania BA, Amark PE, Ballaban-Gil KR, Christina Bergqvist AG, Blackford R, Buchhalter JR, Caraballo RH, Helen Cross J, Dahlin MG, Donner EJ, Klepper J, Jehle RS, Kim HD, Christiana Liu YM, Nation J, Nordli DR Jr, Pfeifer HH, Rho JM, Stafstrom CE, Thiele EA, Turner Z, Wirrell EC, Wheless JW, Veggiotti P, Vining EP; Charlie Foundation, Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society; Practice Committee of the Child Neurology Society; International Ketogenic Diet Study Group. Optimal clinical management of children receiving the ketogenic diet: recommendations of the International Ketogenic Diet Study Group. Epilepsia. 2009 Feb;50(2):304-17. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01765.x. Epub 2008 Sep 23.
Zaroff CM, Neudorfer O, Morrison C, Pastores GM, Rubin H, Kolodny EH. Neuropsychological assessment of patients with late onset GM2 gangliosidosis. Neurology. 2004 Jun 22;62(12):2283-6.
Bembi B, Marchetti F, Guerci VI, Ciana G, Addobbati R, Grasso D, Barone R, Cariati R, Fernandez-Guillen L, Butters T, Pittis MG. Substrate reduction therapy in the infantile form of Tay-Sachs disease. Neurology. 2006 Jan 24;66(2):278-80.
Zupec-Kania BA, Spellman E. An overview of the ketogenic diet for pediatric epilepsy. Nutr Clin Pract. 2008 Dec-2009 Jan;23(6):589-96. doi: 10.1177/0884533608326138. Review.
Denny CA, Heinecke KA, Kim YP, Baek RC, Loh KS, Butters TD, Bronson RT, Platt FM, Seyfried TN. Restricted ketogenic diet enhances the therapeutic action of N-butyldeoxynojirimycin towards brain GM2 accumulation in adult Sandhoff disease mice. J Neurochem. 2010 Jun;113(6):1525-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06733.x. Epub 2010 Apr 3.
Utz JR, Crutcher T, Schneider J, Sorgen P, Whitley CB. Biomarkers of central nervous system inflammation in infantile and juvenile gangliosidoses. Mol Genet Metab. 2015 Feb;114(2):274-80. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2014.11.015. Epub 2014 Dec 6.
Karimzadeh P, Naderi S, Modarresi F, Dastsooz H, Nemati H, Farokhashtiani T, Shamsian BS, Inaloo S, Faghihi MA. Case reports of juvenile GM1 gangliosidosisis type II caused by mutation in GLB1 gene. BMC Med Genet. 2017 Jul 17;18(1):73. doi: 10.1186/s12881-017-0417-4.
Deodato F, Procopio E, Rampazzo A, Taurisano R, Donati MA, Dionisi-Vici C, Caciotti A, Morrone A, Scarpa M. The treatment of juvenile/adult GM1-gangliosidosis with Miglustat may reverse disease progression. Metab Brain Dis. 2017 Oct;32(5):1529-1536. doi: 10.1007/s11011-017-0044-y. Epub 2017 Jun 3.
Brackmann F, Kehrer C, Kustermann W, Böhringer J, Krägeloh-Mann I, Trollmann R. Rare Variant of GM2 Gangliosidosis through Activator-Protein Deficiency. Neuropediatrics. 2017 Apr;48(2):127-130. doi: 10.1055/s-0037-1598646. Epub 2017 Feb 13.
Regier DS, Proia RL, D'Azzo A, Tifft CJ. The GM1 and GM2 Gangliosidoses: Natural History and Progress toward Therapy. Pediatr Endocrinol Rev. 2016 Jun;13 Suppl 1:663-73. Review.
Nestrasil I, Ahmed A, Utz JM, Rudser K, Whitley CB, Jarnes-Utz JR. Distinct progression patterns of brain disease in infantile and juvenile gangliosidoses: Volumetric quantitative MRI study. Mol Genet Metab. 2018 Feb;123(2):97-104. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2017.12.432. Epub 2017 Dec 20.
Responsible Party: University of Minnesota - Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Other Study ID Numbers: Syner_G_Regimen
U54NS065768 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract )
1311M46101 ( Other Identifier: Univ. of Minnesota IRB Identifier Number )
First Posted: January 8, 2014 Key Record Dates
Plan to Share IPD: Yes
Plan Description: De-identified individual data is input to the NIH-funded Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network's Data Management & Coordinating Center ("DMCC"). Eventually this data will become part of the database of Genotypes and Phenotypes ("dbGaP"), which is part of the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Keywords provided by University of Minnesota - Clinical and Translational Science Institute:
infantile GM1 gangliosidosis
juvenile GM1 gangliosidosis
gangliosidoses
infantile Tay-Sachs disease
juvenile Tay-Sachs disease
Sandhoff disease
miglustat
SYNER-G regimen
Zavesca
Tay-Sachs disease
Tay Sachs disease
Gangliosidoses, GM2
Gangliosidosis, GM1
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Sphingolipidoses
Lipidoses
Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors
1-Deoxynojirimycin
Anti-HIV Agents
Antiviral Agents
Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors
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Carved Overmantel
Johann (John) Kirchmayer, German, 1860 - 1930
Bequest of George Gough Booth and Ellen Scripps Booth to the Cranbrook Foundation
CEC 1991.2
The overmantel in Cranbrook House Library contains carvings of the types of craftspeople who worked on Cranbrook House.
Relief carving represents the following (from left to right): Jeweler; Potter; Weaver; Glass blower; Woodworker or carpenter; Sculptor; Bishop; Architect; Nun; Silversmith; Metalsmith or ironworker; Stained glass maker; Bookbinder; Painter; Stonemason.
Inscribed above the main panel, in Old English-style lettering, is a quote from English Poet Walter Savage Landor's epitaph for himself, "Nature I loved and next to nature art." Below the main panel is a frieze showing Crusaders and Saracens, no longer fighting, but each carrying new ideas home that would have a lasting effect on eastern and western art. The letters A, B, and C represent the newspaper profession, of which George G. Booth was active.
An album of George G. Booth's sketches and designs contains his rough pen and ink suggestions for the overmantel panel, which Johann "John" Kirchmayer developed and carved.
Kirchmayer sometimes used actual people as models for his figures, so some of the figures in the panel are portraits of the actual craftspeople who worked on the house. The sculptor is Kirchmayer himself. The architect is "the architect of Detroit" Albert Kahn, who designed Cranbrook House. The silversmith is Arthur J. Stone, known for his hand wrought ecclesiastical commissions, presentation pieces, and domestic tableware. The metalsmith is Frank Koralewsky, master metalsmith celebrated for his figural motifs in locks, hardware, screens, and gates. The stained glass maker is Nicola D'Ascenzo, stained glass artist, muralist, painter, who also created the "Life of Christ Window (East Window)" at Christ Church Cranbrook. In addition, there is a bishop situated at the center of the group, because George Booth believed religion was the greatest source of inspiration for artists.
Adapted from object record; updated by Leslie S. Mio, Assistant Registrar, December 2016
CEC 1991.2 Object record. Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Booth, Helen Ward. Cranbrook House Docent Script, Cultural Properties Vertical Files, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.
Nicola D'Ascenzo from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Arthur J. Stone from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Lock, 1911 (1926.521)." Art Institute of Chicago. Website.
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BEHIND-THE-SCENES CAMPUS WALKING TOUR: SAARINEN HOUSE: PRESIDENTS/RESIDENTS, 1946-1994
Thursday, October 18, 2018 | 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Saturday, October 27, 2018 | 12:30pm - 3:00pm
Cranbrook Art Museum
Explore rarely seen spaces of Cranbrook's campus in this walking tour
PRESENTED BY CRANBROOK CENTER FOR COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH IN COLLABORATION WITH CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART
Tours begin at Cranbrook Art Museum
$25 for adults; $15 for students
(includes admission to Cranbrook Art Museum)
Tours are limited to 16 guests
Kevin Adkisson, Collections Fellow, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, and Curator, Saarinen House: Presidents/Residents, 1946-1994
REGISTER FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
REGISTER FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27
In celebration of Saarinen House: Presidents/Residents, 1946—1994, this behind-the-scenes tour will delve into the exhibition and visit some of the places impacted by past presidents of Cranbrook Academy of Art—Zoltan Sepeshy, Glen Paulsen, Wallace Mitchell, and Roy Slade. Visit their home (Saarinen House, the former Academy president’s residence), explore their studio spaces and buildings they designed or added to campus, and view rarely seen drawings and works of art they produced.
Join the Center for this unique, insiders look into Cranbrook’s history during the second half of the 20th century.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOUR INCLUDE
Saarinen House. Tour the ground floor of the house purpose-built in 1930 as home of the Academy of Art’s president. Take an in-depth look at the special Presidents/Residents exhibition in the Saarinen House Studio with the exhibition curator.
Studios along Academy Way. Visit the studio spaces where Zoltan Sepeshy and Wallace Mitchell worked, today the departments of Print Media and Painting.
Foundry. This 1964 addition to the Academy was opened under Zoltan Sepeshy’s leadership as a facility for casting up to 1,000 pounds of iron or bronze, and where students under Julius Schmidt cast the infamous canon featuring a caricature of Sepeshy’s nose and mouth.
Gordon Hall of Science. Opened in 1976, Glen Paulsen’s brick and glass extension to the Cranbrook Schools campus was the premier secondary school science facility in the US. Off the glassy main corridor featuring an installation by Charles and Ray Eames, classrooms connect to a shared lab space with custom ventilator hoods and tables of Paulsen’s design.
Collections Wing Vault. View paintings by Zoltan Sepeshy, Wallace Mitchell, and Roy Slade, including Sepeshy’s remarkable series of paintings depicting mid-century Detroit.
Cranbrook Archives. Examine original works by architect Glen Paulsen, including his student sketchbooks and renderings produced for Eero Saarinen Associates. Guests will also have the chance to explore fifty years of Academy course catalogs and other Cranbrook ephemera.
ABOUT SAARINEN HOUSE: PRESIDENTS/RESIDENTS, 1946-1994
The fourth in a series of interventions at Cranbrook’s historic Saarinen House, Presidents/Residents examines the artistic work and legacies of the four presidents of Cranbrook Academy of Art that followed Eliel Saarinen: Zoltan Sepeshy, Glen Paulsen, Wallace Mitchell, and Roy Slade. While Saarinen House served as the official home of these presidents from just 1951 to 1990, the exhibition traces their tenures as presidents from 1946 until 1994—a period of seismic social and artistic changes that were reflected in the work and culture of the Academy and reverberated in the rooms of Saarinen House. Through paintings and drawings on loan from Cranbrook Art Museum, as well historic photographs and ephemera from Cranbrook Archives, this exhibition surveys both the Academy leadership and its student life during the second half of the 20th century.
The exhibition features archival material and works by each former resident: painter Zoltan Sepeshy, who directed the Academy from 1946 to 1966 and moved into the house in late 1951 following the death of Eliel Saarinen in 1950; architect Glen Paulsen, who led the Academy from 1966 to 1970 and expanded Cranbrook’s campus with late-Modern additions; Wallace Mitchell, a Detroit native whose career at Cranbrook developed from student to painting instructor, then director of the Art Museum and finally president; and painter and educator Roy Slade, who led the Academy and its Museum from 1977 to 1994. Slade initiated the restoration of Saarinen House in the late 1970s and supported the transformation of this early modern, Art Deco design treasure into a public house museum in 1994.
Saarinen House: Presidents/Residents, 1946-1994 was organized by the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research and curated by Kevin Adkisson, the Center’s 2016-2019 Collections Fellow. The Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, in partnership with Cranbrook Art Museum, is responsible for stewarding the collections of Saarinen House and opening its doors to visitors from around the world.
The tour will begin at the admissions desk of Cranbrook Art Museum, which is located at 39221 Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Free parking is available in the Art Museum’s parking lot on the east side of the Art Museum. This Behind-the-Scenes tour will include walking outdoors between campus buildings and multiple sets of stairs.
Advance registration is required as participation is limited. Tickets are non-refundable (but may be transferred to another participant). For more information, please contact the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research. Our Administrative Assistant, Alissa Seelmann-Rutkofske, may be reached at 248.645.3307 (Tuesday through Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm).
PHOTO CREDITS (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM)
Roy Slade, Vortex (detail), 1982-1983, oil on canvas (41-1/16 x 41-5/16 inches). Collection of Cranbrook Art Museum, Gift of Don and Lilian Bauder (CAM 1996.2). Photography by Kevin Adkisson; Courtesy of Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.
Exhibition view of Saarinen House: Presidents/Residents, 1946-1994, July 2018. Photography by PD Rearick; Courtesy of Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.
Gordon Hall of Science, Cranbrook Schools (Glen Paulsen of Tarapata MacMahon Paulsen Architects, 1976, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.). Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives.
Cranbrook Academy of Art Course Announcement Cover, 1959. Courtesy of Cranbrook Archives.
PRESIDENTS PHOTO CREDITS (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT)
Zoltan Sepeshy, October 1943. Harvey Croze, Photographer; Collection of Cranbrook Archives.
Glen Paulsen, circa 1966-1970. Richard Carlisle Jackson, Photographer; Collection of Cranbrook Archives.
Wallace Mitchell, September 1956. Harvey Croze, Photographer; Collection of Cranbrook Archives.
Roy Slade, 1978. Photograph courtesy of Roy Slade.
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iSmileForAngele non profit will be recognized at TONIGHT’S YANKEES game
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Sharice B: What is the definition of a Community Hero and why are they significant?
Chanel Speedy: A Community Hero is someone who displays the tenacity to continue for the betterment of their surroundings; even while facing adversity. Community Heroes are significant because they start small with implementations to assist parents and children alike.
The iSmileForAngele non profit has hosted community feedings, toy, clothing and coat drives. The #KickBackAgainstBullying sneaker drive is an Annual event and the donated sneakers are distributed to local shelters with inspiring notes on them. I love Harlem because it has a piece of my heart. It is so historic and the culture was taught to me there. I was also watered and I grew there not only as a person but as a philanthropist, an artist and within the memories it provided shared with my family.
Samantha B: Why is May 10, 2014 significant to you?
Chanel Speedy: May 10th of 2014 was the day before Mother’s Day and one of the most difficult tasks I had to endure and explain in my life thus far. It is of significance because that was the day our grandmother transitioned in life [affectionately known as Gramz and as Angie to her community.]
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It inspired a motivational concept for me and formulated a plan towards spreading grandma’s legacy. As I helped others in need I for one felt fulfilled to continue her teachings and her outlet to the world just by observing her actions.
Samantha B: I love going to St. Maarten it showed me the difference between the islands and served as a vacation spot to learn there is more to life than your surroundings. What did going to see grandma mean to you?
My life was measured by summers spent in St. Maarten so I always had a reference outside of Harlem of how a different part of the world worked. A plane was a destination away from me to say “I’m on my way to grandma’s house.” It also taught me not to take anything for granted there are a lot more opportunities in the States. You have to make everything happen for you here but there the sense of community is highlighted. The barter system is used a bit more. Grandma had a coconut tree, chickens, rabbits, cooked every meal 6 days a weeks, hung clothes on the line etc but if she needed a lemon I did not mind walking over a plank or in the road without any shoes to exchange bread for her.
The date of May 10th marked a changed in my life in which promoted and encouraged strength, required focus and a new horizon of unfamiliarity.
“I have watched my grandmother give so much of herself to ensure that everyone around her was comfortable, feed and just by her dedicating her life to making others smile. The iSmileForAngele non-profit was the perfect opportunity to promote an incentive program in honor of her legacy.
In a few words she was one of a kind, her presence was always felt and I am grateful that I was able to have her within my life. My grandmother gave my life purpose; a greater purpose. #iSmileforAngele that is my inspiration.” – Chanel Speedy
Sharice B: Why is May 15, 2019 another significant date?
Chanel Speedy: Today, is 5 years and 5 days that my smile has been in a progressive state of assisting others to smile with a simple act of kindness. Whether it is a word of encouragement, sneakers to make scholars feel inclusion or teaming up with other local Harlem entrepreneurs such as Gracie Cedres the CEO/Founder of G.R.A.C.E (Granting Resources And Community Enrichment) non-profit for her Back To School Block Party. I appreciate Latoya Wyman the CEO/Founder of Divine Elegance for designing the flyers for my events and lending a helping hand whenever I needed her.
Samantha B: What and who do you want to thank for supporting you?
Chanel Speedy: To my family especially my Maker Of Miracles, my siblings (Sharice, Samantha, Darron), Desmond, Auntie, Avalyn, Gracie, Kimberly, Teenisha, my mentor [I UNDERSTAND], my team and every person who has ever encouraged me, NOMINATED ME, smiled with me and told me to stay splashy. I THANK you, YoU and YOU!*
*[you equates to the scholars who teach me lessons.
YoU equates to people that support me that I don’t know until we discover the art of conversation.
YOU equates to the originator my grandma and the people who know me.]*
Support comes in many different forms and giving back to others is how far we can stretch our hands to show respect to another person. Just as another has done for us. The torch was set down to be fulfilled and it tends to lifted up by the strongest with assistance. I started this solely just so WE could could utter, recite and yell out “I SMILE FOR ANGELE.” Now that’s history.
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Samantha B: Do you have any final words?
Chanel Speedy: Yes, I want to give a special THANK YOU to The New York Yankees organization, The Smile Direct Club and everyone who nominated me to be a Community Hero. Don’t forget to smile today! #iSmileForAngele FOREVER!
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Be sure to watch the second game of The New York Yankees double header at 6:35 pm as iSmileForAngele non profit will be recognized with screen time on the big screen to honor the continuous empowerment to the Harlem community.
Posted in Community service, Inspiration, Thoughts | Tagged: achievement, baseball, CEO, chanel, chanel speedy, chanelspeedy, community, community hero, communityservice, empowerment, entrepreneur, events, family, Founder, GRACE non profit, gracie cedres, harlem, honored, incentive, ismile, iSmileForAngele, Kick Back Against Bullying, life, new york, new york yankees, nyy, nyyankees, programs, recognized, scholars, smile, smileclubdirect, sneaker drive, stmaarten, strength, thank you, thankyou, yankee stadium | Leave a Comment »
Don’t act like you forgot (life after Basketball being my identity)
Good morning! Let’s go back, back to when I was captain of my Junior High School basketball team at then WestSide Academy. A fierce, diminutive leader who did not let anyone off easy. I was the confident one who signed autographs on request and my yearbook was filled with comments stating see you in the NBA or you will be a superstar in the WNBA.
This is not my first trophy but my first experience being taking under the wing of a coach who was more like a father figure in the likes of the late Edwin Rosa. He was every players hero because he went above and beyond for you. He was intense, enforcing and keenly interested in your studies. Was this my first trophy no but one of the most meaningful ones because it was under his coaching. I also played at and for Riverbank, Gauchos, Rucker Park, Douglas, Exodus, Milbank and countless other places I’m from Harlem so you seen me play on somebody court before.
My first trophy was in P.S. 180 elementary school beating out all of the boys in suicide. I was a quiet, timid and learned by sight little girl. But when basketball was the topic; I became a different person I lit up with confidence, strength and assurance after hearing comments before anyone saw me perform on the court. I would hear “you’re too little” when I told my late Uncle Ken he gave me the best advice in life. He asked my stats I told him my points, assists and steals. He replied what about rebounds, blocks, charges and I stated “I am just a point guard Uncle Ken.” He said “no you are a student of the game, I watch you study plays and imitate it to perfection. Chanel, you are not too little to do anything in life. You are a player on the court that plays with passion that is bigger than your actual size.
Work on being an all around player and report back to me with the stats I asked for.” Is this a challenge? Everyone knows I am competitive, passionate and protective with anything I love. Basketball was my first love, besides my first love. During my time of coming up while playing basketball I was always the only female so you know I always had something to prove. Here is a portion of my story life after basketball and all that it has taught me in my chat with Rachel Piazza.
I never went to basketball camp I just watched The Knicks games with my mother and mimicked what I saw them do in the park. I was always the only girl. This is me in Junior High School; West Side Academy. This was right before I received my scholarship to St. Michael’s Academy. My monthly tuition was definitely someone’s rent. I don’t know how my mother did it but she believed in me.
Rachel Piazza: Hi Chanel! Can you tell me a little about your athletic background?
Chanel (Speedy): Hi Rachel! Sure. I played basketball since I was in elementary school (P.S. 180) and back then I was the only girl on the team. I earned several nicknames, trophies, traveled and medals. The nickname that stuck with me was “Speedy” at SUNY Old Westbury I was a play maker and defensive specialist all 4 years. The phrase I would chant to get everyone hype was “SIT!” As in sit in a defensive stance to get the team motivated and crowd into it.
Rachel: That’s great! Do you feel like you were a confident player?
Chanel (Speedy): Thanks! I was most definitely a confident player many underestimated me because I am diminutive but I played with a lot of heart and out hustled everyone because basketball was my passion.
Basketball gave me confidence in life because it made you develop problem solving skills, a broader view for presentation and life tactics that you can utilize on a daily basis. Basketball has shaped a majority of my life because you get to learn sportsmanship, social skills, leadership as a point guard, responsibility as I served as a captain and respect for rules and regulations. It prepared me for life scenarios in a way no other recreation has.
Rachel: Were you confident in your abilities on the court?
Chanel (Speedy): I took pride in being on the court and helping my teammates in anyway I could. I was that energy spark player you needed on the court to change the games momentum, get key steals and stops.
My abilities on the court gave my confidence a boost because being a visual player I would study my opponent and attack their weaknesses. Being that I was both fast, ambidextrous and had a series of moves. Including an in and out that allowed me space away from my defender. Basketball taught many lessons through wins and defeats but it definitely made me more aware of my self belief, awareness and overcoming the obstacles of people doubting my natural skill and abilities due to my size.
Rachel: Do you think basketball gave you confidence in your life?
Chanel (Speedy): Basketball gave me confidence to play against guys and girls alike who were older, stronger and more experienced than me and challenge them in competition because I knew I was quicker, more disciplined and had a greater basketball IQ. I had some great coaches that groomed me into the player I am. I didn’t have any formal training, attend any camps when I first started out everything was visual and me imitating plays from what I saw watching Knicks games.
John Starks was my favorite player later A.I. My coach Edwin Rosa saw potential in me and worked on my game. There weren’t a lot of buzz about female athletes when I first started but I followed Sheryl Swoopes when she was in Texas and she was dubbed the female MJ. Later a break through came and the WNBA came along after the defunct ABA and sneaker deals were given and more exposure. It gave me more confidence that it was more than a recreational pastime it could be a possible career.
Rachel: Thank you Chanel!
Chanel (Speedy): You’re welcome. I wish you the best in your present and future endeavors. Thank you for being a beaming light for fighting for women equality.
Life is about wins but learning from your losses no matter what angle it comes from in life. Be it a person, game, scenario etc you have to adjust and incorporate it as a lesson in order to navigate. If I just had the skill of basketball and not honed other skills my life after basketball which ended in me getting hurt practicing in L.A. with the Sparks this would be a where are they now interview.
Which is similiar to the correlation of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love and Basketball character Tanya Randall. I did not want to be Tanya Randall. My advice to every woman in basketball is never go Tanya Randall (chuckles sorry I think in movies and songs that was a Jay Z 4:44 reference). Alongside my vision for myself, my mother and grandmother’s teaching I took education seriously which landed me scholarships and Sallie Mae don’t know my name (you have to sing that in Trey Songz voice LOL). Why do I play all day!
However, honing other skills is important. We as women do not make as much as men so we have to work harder, smarter and secure Plan B, C and D until something is fulfilling for financial stability. I refuse to be placed in a box of creativity or occupation. My mother told me I could be anything I wanted to be at the age of 4 and I believed her. I am an entrepreneur, mentor, writer, public speaker, author, media specialist and the list goes on. My name is Chanel “Speedy” and this is my life after basketball. Don’t act like you forgot. I still have a mean in and out to get pass you haha. Don’t forget to smile today!
Rachel Piazza is a women’s rights advocate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt training at Unity Jiu-Jitsu School in New York City. Rachel has a master’s degree in women’s & gender studies and leads feminist self-defense workshops for women and girls. Rachel’s analysis on the empowerment of women through martial arts has been featured in numerous online outlets, including ESPN.com.
As a co-founder of Young Feminists & Allies, the National Organization for Women’s first virtual chapter, Rachel’s work reaches beyond the realm of self-defense. In addition to herTEDx talk on sexist language, her feminist analysis has been sought at national conferences, and in digital media platforms on various topics including race, pop-culture, and politics.
Twitter: @rachelapiazza
Website: http://www.feministselfdefense.com
Email rachel at femselfdefense@gmail.com
Posted in conversation, Entrepreneurs, Inspiration, Thoughts | Tagged: ability, basketball, basketball is life, chanel, chanelspeedy, confidence, douglas, edwin rosa, entrepreneur, espn, exodus, feminist, Gina Prince Bythewood, harlem, john starks, life, mentor, milbank, old westbury panthers, ps 180, rachel piazza, riverbank, self defense, speedy, splashy, sports, strength, ted talk, transition, westside academy, women, women basketball, women equality, women rights, women’s rights advocate, writer, Young Feminists and Allies | 4 Comments »
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Plot rights
By Kimmy Sweetwater, May 3 in General Discussion Forum
land rent
renting in sl
Kimmy Sweetwater 3
Looking for a bit of advice.
My partner has been renting a plot of land for over 3 years. Has always paid rent on time, never in arrears and kept within prim limit.
It's a small island plot within a sailing sim.In the covenant it says that the waterways are to be kept clear.
To soften the edges and to create some realism, he added the Skye beaches and waves. It has been like this for 3 years.
The sim owner has been to the sim on many occasions and has been to the plot numerous times and so is aware of how it looked. Has had no issue as the prim is technically on the land and using the prim allowance from his island. There is a slight over hang of the boundaries but no where near blocking any waterways.
Like I said, the sim owner has seen the set up on many many occasions and has never had an issue.
Anyway, out of the blue stuff started to be returned. My partner is away on vacation, but things like grass started to get returned to myself.
I questioned the sim owner and she said it is being returned as hanging into the waterways. The was no reasoning with her as I am not the 'plot renter' despite she knows I pay rent too.
I find the whole thing a little unfair seeing as has been like this for 3 years, and shes been aware of it all that time and even complimented how it looks.
About 1/2 the plots use these kind of additional beaches and waves and nothing has been enforced on them.
Is there anything we can do seeing as this isn't a new addition to the plot and that she's been fine with it up until now or would I be fighting a lost cause?
Thanks for any advice given
Edited May 4 by Kimmy Sweetwater
In a nut shell. Her land, her rules, even if she makes them up as she goes along. She can ban you for any reason or no reason at all. LL will not get involved in resident disputes.
5 minutes ago, Selene Gregoire said:
Yeah, I was worried this might be the case.
Just so upsetting and frustrating as has been our home for so long and has never been an issue. Then out of nowhere....lost and found folder starts being bombarded with no word
3 hours ago, Kimmy Swee*****er said:
It's why I rented a private homestead with full estate rights for so long and would again if I could. I'd even go back to where I was although the land company has been taken over by someone else.
I obviously have no idea why she is doing what she is doing, but if I were to guess. I would say someone else has complained to her about stuff in the waterways. It could in fact be there for years an no one cares because it isn't creating an issue, then along comes someone new who has an issue, and they contact the land owner. At this point the land owner takes action, because as we all know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, it is a bit like telling a cop that you have been driving over the speed limit for years and never got a ticket. Well be happy you got lucky for so long, but your luck has run out.
Edited May 3 by Talligurl
Mollymews 1,088
@Kimmy Swee*****er I do have some sympathy for you. Yes the landlord has a covenant, yes it is their region, yes its their rules, yes its their lawn. Which they never enforced for 3 years.
and it appears the landlord never had any conversation with you before sending your stuff back. A simple IM to tell you that the covenant is now to be enforced, because other tenants also now, so please pick up your stuff would have been nice, after 3 years of you and your partner paying them rent
a thing about why your stuff needs to be returned. It may be that your stuff is non-phantom, preventing the other tenant's boat from actually using the water channel
3 hours ago, Mollymews said:
Just a simple IM or something and a bit of time to amend would of been so appreciated!
About half of the other plots use the same design as us, with some of them having the beach/waves right out on the waterways. Their plots remain untouched
I am sure ours was set to phantom. Even if not, it could of been amended in less than 5 mins as I was online at the time she cleared our plot.
Just incredibly frustrating and annoying we were the only ones targeted.
Solar Legion 1,527
Quite Blunt
You were not "targeted" - someone lodged a complaint about your parcel, the owner acted on it.
Being "targeted" requires something more than a complaint.
1 minute ago, Solar Legion said:
I completely understand she has to been seen as acting towards a complaint. Just a little heads up or a quick IM saying a complaint had been made can you sort it.
If I ever had an issue with someone else's plot (which I doubt I ever would do as never like to invade someone else's land) I would just say something direct to them. Guess not everyone works the same way *shrugs*
Not the point I was making - at all.
The point concerned loaded language.
Qie Niangao 2,324
Coin-operated
I like and use those waves and beaches. The waves aren't the most sophisticated, but they're not bad.
As I recall, however, they have an option to enable some sounds that neighbors might find annoying after a while. Maybe. (This is just casting about for some reason/excuse for your waves getting returned when others don't.)
Also, can you be 100% sure that the landlord didn't try to contact your partner while on vacation? Or perhaps the IM got lost or accidentally ignored.
It seems as if there must be some explanation for what's otherwise pretty irrational behavior by this landlord.
Walpurgisnacht 319
As has already been mentioned, 'their sim, their rules', there really is very little you can do. It is especially frustrating when you feel that you're being singled out for a violation that seems to be being committed by others all around. It must be even more frustrating that you're unable to get any communication, but as a sub tenant, this isn't unusual, especially if the landlord is feeling maybe a little guilty over doing what they've done.
Maybe you can find out the answer to all this once your partner returns, and hopefully it can be resolved amicably. If I were in your position though, I'd be looking for a new place to rent so you can move straight away if your partner agrees that that's the option to take if there's no resolution.
6 minutes ago, Qie Niangao said:
They were added just to provide some realism and approve the appearance of the plot.
The sounds were off as sometimes I find them annoying, especially when I am trying to concentrate on creating something. We also ensure any sounds are limited to the parcel as don't want to be 'those' neighbors.
He had only been offline 24 hours at the time, nothing sent through to emails.....no IMs before he went away. When I notified him on skype yesterday he was just as shocked as I was.
I am hoping a NC has been sent to my partner with an explanation but we won't know until he returns.
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Building Capacity: Approaches to Training and Support
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Data Visualization for the Internet of Things
Peter Krensky, Aberdeen Group
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a mediocre phrase. It's not creative or clever, and it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. It is only because the phenomenon's potential is so great that it can get away with such a lackluster name. Every day, more machines, sensors, and devices are talking to data systems, and eventually, to analytics users. This data is complex, vast, and fast-moving. The IoT represents a new approach to thinking about devices and data generation, and so a new analytical approach is required as well.
Aberdeen examined companies with the ability to collect, integrate, and visualize data generated by the IoT. These "IoT organizations" leverage the glut of information generated by diverse sources to better understand operations and overall performance.
A new analytical approach requires the right tools to get the job done (Figure 1). IoT organizations are 47% more likely than All Others to have interactive data visualization tools. As data pours in from connected sources, analysts can fully engage with the information and drill down from intriguing findings to develop deeper understanding. For example, a plant manager can engage a visualization of machine performance to determine if output is maximized, or compare data on different machines side by side. An IT analyst can investigate infrastructure performance data to find the root of problems, or identify areas that desperately need additional investment. Still, more than half of IoT organizations only work with static visuals. Their analysts and decision makers must make do with only the top layer of information. Further data discovery requires IT requests or inefficient workarounds. Aberdeen's report, Interactive Data Visualization: The Age of "Look but Don't Touch" is Over, explores the advantages of enabling interactivity for data analysis and exploration.
Analytical Tools for the IoT
Seventy-nine percent (79%) of companies that analyze data from the IoT also have the ability to incorporate location / geo-spatial data. Only a quarter of all other organizations consistently work with location data. Marrying IoT data to location data enables contextual analysis to paint a more complete picture of operations and customer interactions. Analysts can pin IoT sources to a map and identify proximity correlations or geographical outliers. By knowing what is happening and where at all times, decision makers can closely monitor and improve their spheres of responsibility. Aberdeen's Location Analytics: Putting the Evolution of BI on the Map, examines the numerous data sources top performers enrich with geo-spatial information.
Finally, IoT organizations are 83% more likely than All Others to have predictive analytics. Making sense of the endless flood of IoT data is not intuitive and calls for substantial analytical firepower. Analysts can extrapolate what IoT sources will be telling them tomorrow, next week, and next year based on today's data. Visualizing these predictions enables decision makers to compare multiple what-if scenarios and make the best possible choice for the future, right now. Going back to the plant floor manager example, predictive analytics can be applied to machine data to set maintenance schedules and fix small problems before they become big ones. Predictive analytics can also aid in the implementation of an IoT environment, as analysts run simulations to determine where to place sensors for data collection. Past Aberdeen research has addressed the surprisingly slow pace of predictive analytics adoption in the market, even in the face of a clear return on investment (ROI).
If the Internet of Things could apologize for how clunky its moniker is, it would. It would also tell organizations that the same old analytical practices simply won't cut it anymore. The growing IoT will deliver an unceasing crush of data to organizations every single day. Collecting and storing data from the IoT should be the first steps on the road to impactful presentation and robust analytics. IoT organizations offer a blueprint for success with this swelling technological ethos.
- See more at: http://techproessentials.com/data-visualization-for-the-internet-of-things/#sthash.fh7HyUtA.dpuf
BIG DATA - When Urban Air Quality Meets Big Data
VIDEO: Urban air quality -- the concentration of PM2.5 -- is of great importance in protecting human health. While there are limited air-quality-monitor-stations in a city, air quality varies by location significantly and is influenced by multiple complex factors, such as traffic flow and land use. Consequently, people cannot know the air quality of a location without a monitoring station. This project infers real-time, fine-grained air-quality information throughout a city, based on air-quality data reported by existing monitor stations and a variety of data sources observed in the city, such as meteorology, traffic flow, human mobility, the structure of road networks, and points of interest. This fine-grained air-quality information could help people figure out when and where to go jogging—or when they should shut the window or put on a face mask in locations where air quality is already a daily issue. This could lead to long-term solutions in predicting forthcoming air quality and identifying the root cause of air pollution.
BIG DATA - Toward Compressive Camera Networks
VIDEO: A video demonstration of how compressive sensing lets researchers reconstruct high-resolution data from fewer samples, which could alleviate the data deluge in large-scale multimodal camera networks.
ARTICLE: This issue of AnalystPerspectives Weekly Scan covers analyst commentary from the week ending May 16, 2014.
BIG DATA - Computing and the Law: Privacy and Big Data
PODCAST: Authors Brian M. Gaff, Heather Egan Sussman, and Jennifer Geetter provide an audio recording of the Computing and the Law column, in which they discuss how big data's explosive growth has prompted the US government to release new reports that address the issues—particularly related to privacy—resulting from this growth.
INSIGHTS - AnalystPerspectives Weekly Scan
INSIGHTS - Seeking Answers amid World Cup Excitement
ARTICLE: “Sports are extremely predictable,” he explains, “but the World Cup is much more idiosyncratic. It’s more like politics in that way. We know a lot about how a generic Brazil team would do against a generic Croatia team, similar to the way I know how a generic Republican candidate will do against a generic Democratic candidate. Yet it is a whole lot less certain than how the New York Yankees are going to do against the Seattle Mariners with 60 baseball games of data already in the books. “That being said, over time, we learn more and more ways to get the data we need to answer the idiosyncratic events in a purely data-driven way.”
CLOUD - AnalystPerspectives Weekly Scan
BIG DATA - A Flexible Pinhole Camera Model for Coherent Non-Uniform Sampling
VIDEO: a pinhole camera model that allows modulating the sampling rate over the field of view with great flexibility. This flexible pinhole camera or FPC is defined by a viewpoint (i.e. eye) and by a sampling map that specifies the sampling locations on the image plane. The sampling map is constructed from known regions of interest with interactive and automatic approaches. The FPC provides an inexpensive 3-D projection operation which allows rendering complex datasets quickly, in feed-forward fashion, by projection followed by rasterization.
CLOUD - Growth areas such as cloud, big data, security and IT consolidation will help Atos ramp up revenue through 2016
ARTICLE: TBR Perspective Atos’ 2016 Ambition plan sets a clear strategy for the firm’s growth: Leverage strengths in managed services (MS) and consulting & systems integration (C&SI), commit to disruptive and innovative offerings (with cloud computing as a key growth area), expand reach in North America and emerging geographies, and enhance its position in the payment market through Worldline. With its strategy in place, the firm is in execution mode to overcome its growth challenges, as 2013 revenue declined 0.9% year-to-year at constant scope and exchange rates. Atos is positioning as an end-to-end consult-design-build-run service provider, consolidating its previously separate consulting and technology services with its SI service line and tightening the relationship with the MS service line. Atos’ strategy to align its C&SI business by its four core vertical markets and begin to develop industry-specialized MS offerings will help the firm increase the value and attractiveness of its portfolio. The firm’s investments to augment its traditional portfolio with offerings around technology trends such as cloud, big data and analytics, mobility, smart utilities, and digital security will help support long-term revenue growth and accelerate global expansion. While 2014 will be a year of recovery for the firm, with a difficult 1H14 but anticipated growth improvement in 2H14, the 2016 Ambition plan will enable the firm to reach its three-year target to increase organic revenue by 2% to 3% CAGR from 2014 to 2016.
BIG DATA - How might climate change affect our food supply?
Monday, Aug 4, 2014
ARTICLE: t’s no easy question to answer, but prudence demands that we try. Thus, Microsoft and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have teamed up to tackle “food resilience,” one of several themes that make up the White House’s Climate Data Initiative.
BIG DATA - Tableau Conference 2014: Sir Mix-a-Lot Was Only the Beginning - See more at: http://techproessentials.com/tableau-conference-2014-sir-mix-a-lot-was-only-the-beginning/#sthash.cLKAwIqj.dpuf
ARTICLE: CEO and co-founder Christian Chabot kicked things off in front of a crowd of over 5,500 customers and partners. The theme of the opening keynote was “The Art of Analytics.” Mr. Chabot likened an analyst’s design process for data visualization to the creative process of an artist with a blank canvas or a sculptor with a slab or marble. Visualization software, he drove home, should “unleash the creative power of data” and has the power to “remove the drudgery” of analysis. - See more at: http://techproessentials.com/tableau-conference-2014-sir-mix-a-lot-was-only-the-beginning/#sthash.xdqJQqIr.dpuf
BIG DATA - AnalystPerspectives Weekly Scan
ARTICLE: This issue of AnalystPerspectives Weekly Scan covers analyst commentary from the week ending September 19, 2014.
BIG DATA - "How Far Can We Trust Big Data Analytics?" Google+ Hangout
VIDEO: Stuart Williams, Vice President, TBRI serves as the moderator leading discussions on usage and limits of big data analytics. He talks with Greg Arnold, LinkedIn, Senior Director of Data Engineering and Mike Ames, SAS, Director of Data Science.
ARTICLE: AnalystPerspectives Weekly Scan covers analyst commentary from the week ending October 10, 2014.
BIG DATA - One minute Guide to Understanding the Supply Chain Analytics Continuum
ARTICLE: Analytics are now an integral part of any supply chain information management system. Modern computing power and advances in analytical software have made powerful analytics not only possible, but practical for most businesses sitting on top of a cornucopia of supply chain data. Analytics run the gambit from historical data dumps to models that suggest the best course of action based on a set of probable outcomes.
BIG DATA - Understanding the Supply Chain Collaboration Continuum
BLOG POST: Collaboration of information and timing and are two extremely critical aspects of supply chain business intelligence and information management. Not getting data to the appropriate decision makers renders the information nominally useless. Not giving it to the right people, or right group of people, via the right mechanism also means that data loses value.
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014
ARTICLE: Analyst commentary.
BIG DATA - Data Visualization for the Internet of Things
Friday, Nov 28, 2014
ARTICLE: The Internet of Things (IoT) is a mediocre phrase. It’s not creative or clever, and it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. It is only because the phenomenon’s potential is so great that it can get away with such a lackluster name. Every day, more machines, sensors, and devices are talking to data systems, and eventually, to analytics users. This data is complex, vast, and fast-moving. The IoT represents a new approach to thinking about devices and data generation, and so a new analytical approach is required as well.
BIG DATA - Interoperable e-Participation
VIDEO: Interoperable e-Participation Computer magazine Editor in Chief Sumi Helal interviews Constantinos Patsakis about a cryptographic protocol that guarantees citizens privacy through data aggregation and fosters e-participation in a scalable and interoperable way. From Computer's January 2015 issue.
CAREERS - Where Will the Big Data Jobs Be in 2015?
ARTICLE: In the IT Management and Human Resources section, analysts discuss skills, staffing and security issues.
SECURITY - Social Engineering: What Your Business Needs to Know to Protect Itself
ARTICLE: Pet names, children’s names, and dates remain the most popular inspirations for passwords, despite the fact that these are the worst passwords a person can choose.
CAREERS - Companies Turn to Existing Employees for Big Data Skills
ARTICLE: Amazing strides have been made in trying to close the big data skills gap. Although companies are still fine-tuning their ideas on what type of skill sets will be needed to form the big data teams to incorporate analytics into business processes, sort and analyze structured and unstructured data, and monetize existing data, those with graduate degrees or doctorates in statistics--the bonafide data scientists--will certainly be an important part of the team.
NETWORKING - What's Your Place in the Smart Revolution?
VIDEO: Whether you're building smart cars, dealing with the smart grid, want to control a smart home, or are manufacturing the latest smart clothing, you deal with the same confronting challenges as everyone in the “smart technologies” movement. Attend Rock Stars of SmartTech on May 12 in Raleigh to get actionable answers and insights. Register at http://www.computer.org/smarttech.
INSIGHTS - Top 10 Trends in Internet of Things
ARTICLE: The Internet of Things tops off our News for the Week in Review. See what the analysts are saying about IoT trends for 2015.
INSIGHTS - Is Cloud Opening the Door to Data Analytics?
ARTICLE: The relationship between the cloud and data is getting some serious attention. Read what the analysts are saying.
BIG DATA - On Big Data and the IoT: Interview with Bill Franks (Part 1)
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2015
INTERVIEW: Roberto V. Zicari,editor of ODBMS.org, spoke with Bill Franks, Chief Analytics Officer for Teradata, about data warehouses, Hadoop, the Internet of Things, and Teradata`s perspective on the world of big data.
ARTICLE: Roberto V. Zicari, editor of ODBMS.org, spoke with Bill Franks, Chief Analytics Officer for Teradata, about data warehouses, Hadoop, the Internet of Things, and Teradata`s perspective on the world of big data. Roberto is Full Professor of Database and Information Systems at Frankfurt University. He was for over 15 years the representative of the OMG in Europe.
BIG DATA - IBM and Twitter Offer Another Piece of the Analytics Puzzle
ARTICLE: Here are this week's analyst headlines from the Big Data space:
BIG DATA - Analyst Commentary
BIG DATA - Analyst Perspectives
BIG DATA - Big Data and the Bright and Messy Future
ARTICLE: It began with a simple problem: how do I figure out who is accessing my web site and what they are viewing? I should take a step back, actually, because it began even before that with the grand challenge of trying to crawl and index an exponentially growing number of websites in the early 21st Century. But that challenge was unique to Google and a few other players, while analyzing web site access was more ubiquitous among the burgeoning social media sites that were coming of age around the same time.
BIG DATA - Big Data Analytics: Outsource or In-House?
ARTICLE: According to IDC, the 1.8 zettabytes – that’s 1.8 trillion gigabytes – of information created last year will grow by a factor of nine over the next five years. While the storage of massive amounts of data on big computers is not a new idea, what has changed is the need and expectation of mining that data for decision support. That’s what we call big data analytics and all experts agree that the ability to analyze big data will be the difference between success and failure in almost every type of business in the coming years.
BIG DATA - Seizing the Data at HP Big Data Conference 2015
ARTICLE: Ken Rudin, Director of Analytics at Facebook, closed things out in the Day 2 keynote. He debunked four prominent and popular myths about Big Data: Big Data=Hadoop Big Data provides better answers Data Science is a science Actionable insights are the goal Mr. Rudin spoke about the great challenge of hiring the right people to create a successful analytical culture. Finding individuals who are academically talented and business-savvy is no easy task.
Wednesday, Feb 3, 2016
ARTICLE: This issue of AnalystPerspectives Weekly Scan covers analyst commentary from the week ending March 11,2016.
BIG DATA - A Warning for Wearables: Think Before You Emote
ARTICLE: An examination of how wearable devices could become the modern equivalent of blogs broadcasting proprietary workplace information directly to the Internet of Things -- and beyond.
BIG DATA - holoportation
ARTICLE: holoportation is a new type of 3D capture technology that allows high-quality 3D models of people to be reconstructed, compressed and transmitted anywhere in the world in real time. When combined with mixed reality displays such as HoloLens, this technology allows users to see, hear, and interact with remote participants in 3D as if they are actually present in the same physical space. Communicating and interacting with remote users becomes as natural as face-to-face communication.
BIG DATA - Creating a new generation of computing device
ARTICLE: Quantum computing is a field of research that applies the principles of quantum physics and new directions in materials science to building a new type of computers that use quantum effects in computation. Beyond creating quantum computers, the field also includes studies of algorithms that such computers can execute.
BIG DATA - Display Solutions for the Mid-Volume OEM...Your Way - Customization Options for Fitting Your Production Needs
ARTICLE: One of the most common misconceptions about display customization among engineers and procurement team members is custom displays cost more. But the opposite is most often true.
BIG DATA - A Look at the State of Connected Devices in 2017
ARTICLE: The connected devices trend is one that seems to be growing at a faster rate each year. This calendar year will be no different, as more and more companies continue to get involved. But where exactly do things stand and what can be expected in 2017 and beyond?
INSIGHTS - 5 Reasons the Future of Big Data Requires Human-Machine Cooperation
BLOG POST: Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data is becoming essential for more businesses and more individuals than ever before. Now that we have the automated tools to process this data, we can make better decisions—and more cost-efficiently as well. As more companies employ these tactics, competition rises, and it becomes even more imperative to take advantage of this efficiency.
INSIGHTS - Is There a Way Around the Speed vs. Scalability Problem in Big Data?
BLOG POST: Big data empowers innovation in all forms. As long as you have sufficient data, the right tools to crunch those data, and the right questions to ask, you can feasibly use big data to solve any problem.
INSIGHTS - SuperComputing 2012 (SC12)
BLOGPOST: After a snow-filled week in Salt Lake City for SC ’12, the IEEE Computer Society and ACM co-sponsored conference on supercomputing and high-powered computing, I tried to relax in my airplane seat. When striking up the usual small-talk that accompanies flying coach, I found out that the gentleman sitting in the aisle seat was leaving the conference as well. The man in the middle? Not a techie, and he posed an interesting question to us both: “What exactly is supercomputing?” I won’t bore you with the answer that we gave, but I will say that the question is an important one. Most of the conferences that I find myself at are focused on some narrow aspect of computing, be it mobility, graphics, or software engineering, but I was very excited to be going to my first Supercomputing conference. I like the idea of having a place where HPC, networking, data storage, and education all mix together. Most of my excitement came from curiosity about what kinds of stuff I’d find in the exhibit hall. Would there be flashy booths? Huge HPC racks? Cutting edge applications? Yes.
BIG DATA - Industry and Academia at Supercomputing
BLOGPOST: Positive partnerships between academia and industry are the wave of the future for HPC. At the recent Supercomputing conference, these partnerships were some of the more fascinating and encouraging aspects of this growing area of computing.
HIGH PERFORMANCE - My Big Data Obsession
BLOGPOST: It started with public offerings last year of companies like Facebook and LinkedIn--which at their core are Big Data companies--and Splunk, a Big Data company targeting businesses. This combination of the potential impact of Big Data on my own life plus the sense that these IPOs foretold a sea change in the technology landscape intrigued me. Just as I was finishing the Ironman, I embarked on another journey, to understand the full landscape of Big Data. Much of the knowledge I have gained in the process I plan to share in this column and in my upcoming book, Big Data Demystified: How Big Data Is Changing The Way We Live, Love and Learn.
HIGH PERFORMANCE - Seven Big Data Insights From Facebook, Netflix, And Others
BLOGPOST: It’s rare to get Big Data experts from companies like Facebook, Netflix and HortonWorks all together for a discussion. But last Wednesday evening at the Microsoft Campus in Mountain View, California, we were able to do just that. My guests on the Big Date Date Night panel (so named because it took place the evening before Valentine’s Day) were HortonWorks Director of Data Sciences Ofer Mendelevitch, Netflix Director of Analytics Chris Pouliot, SurveyMonkey Director of Analytics Fedor Dzegilenko, Wix Business Analyst Isaac Buahnick and Facebook Head of Analytics Ken Rudin. Here are the takeaways:
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Under the Hood: Interactive API
By Scott Cytacki
To truly tap the potential of deeply digital learning, curriculum authors need a common API for interactives. Currently authors can embed iframes in most content authoring tools. Our new interactive API allows the iframe and surrounding system to communicate with each other, enabling an even richer learning experience.
We’ve been building deeply digital learning activities for years, and we want to make it possible for more curriculum authors and teachers to create them, too. An activity consists of two parts: an activity authoring and delivery system (think simple LMS) and the interactives that are embedded into the system. Creating interactives often requires programming, so it’s not feasible for most authors, who instead look for existing interactives and build activities around them. If these pre-built interactives implement an API, then authors can customize, control and monitor them. However, if each interactive has a different API, such rich integration becomes cumbersome, requiring custom work.
We have started to build a common API for interactives to share. The first need we had for this common API was the ability for learners to take a snapshot of any interactive in an activity. All of our interactives now use Shutterbug (see “Under the Hood” in Fall 2013 @Concord) to implement this part of the interactive API.
The second need came from the Innovative Technology in Science Inquiry (ITSI) project. There are often several interactives on a single page of an ITSI activity. If all the interactives are running at the same time, the page slows to a crawl. To avoid this, ITSI uses the interactive API to ensure that only one interactive is running on the page at a time. Each interactive sends a message to the page when it starts playing, and each interactive listens for a stop command. With those two pieces the page can coordinate the interactives (see Figure 1 for the code).
interactives.forEach(function(me){ me.addEventListener(‘play’, function (){ stopInteractivesThatAreNot(me); }); }) function stopInteractivesThatAreNot(me) { interactives.forEach(function (interactive){ if (interactive !== me) interactive.stop(); }); }
Figure 1. Coordinating interactives on a page.
In both cases the activity author just provides a URL for an interactive. The API is the same for all of our interactives, so the activity system takes care of the rest. This is just the beginning of an interactive API. In addition to snapshots and coordinating the running interactives, the API should also include requesting and setting the state, event logging, property setting and getting, and data export. These enable other organizations to use the interactives in new ways. Our Common Online Data Analysis Platform (see page 16), for instance, will be able to use the API so any interactive can be integrated without customized work.
The idea of a common API is supported by PhET, which is creating HTML5 versions of their simulations. We are planning to work together to make this API a reality. We hope to make add-ons or plug-ins that support this API for other LMS systems and to attract other organizations to support a common API, too. Join our mailing list at groups.google.com/group/cc-developers to learn more.
API: a defined way of communicating with another program, library or service
iframe: an HTML tag for embedding one page in another
interactive: a simulation or visualization that allows the user to interact with it (e.g., change variables, add or remove features, etc.)
Scott Cytacki (scytacki@concord.org) is a Senior Software Engineer.
This material is based upon work supported by the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation and the National Science Foundation under several grants (DRL-0929540, DRL-1316874 and DRL-1435470). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Innovator Interview: Amy Pallant
Dragons Go Wild
Spring 2014 Table of Contents
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Tag Archives: Adventures in the Animal Kingdom
July 13, 2019 by Two Disney Sisters
You can see where the monorail (gray line) crosses over the canal and also where the sidewalk to the west to the Magic Kingdom ends (wiggly gray line) on this Google Maps.
Soon, guests wishing to travel on foot between Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and the Magic Kingdom will be able to walk between the two locations.
In a statement, a Disney official said, “This walking path from Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will give our Walt Disney World Resort hotel Guests another convenient way to reach Magic Kingdom Park.”
The permit for the new construction was filed last week on July 5th.
It’s a little under a mile walking distance between the two locations.
Right now, you can almost walk between the two locations, except for the canal – with no bridge – that ends about 500 yards to the west of the Magic Kingdom.
There are already lights along that sidewalk and many a guest leaving the Magic Kingdom late at night has been tempted to skip the packed monorail and long boat wait lines and just try walking back. (You can easily walk from the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary Resort to the east right now.) They are always surprised when they reach the canal and the sidewalk ends!
We think they should have made this walking path 40 years ago!
King Triton and his team of Sea Horses
The canal is where the floats for the Electrical Water Pageant enter the Seven Seas Lagoon at night.
The pageant floating by the Magic Kingdom.
Resort Hopping 101: Along the Seven Seas Lagoon
We love Resort Hopping between the three deluxe resorts on the Seven Seas Lagoon: The Grand Floridian, the Polynesian Resort, and the Contemporary Resort.
Our #1 favorite place to resort hop.
The Grand Floridian Resort
You can catch a monorail directly from the Magic Kingdom or from Epcot by way of the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Grand Floridian. There is also an open-air water launch (a small boat) which is fun as long as it’s not cold outside. From the other parks, you’ll have to take a Disney transportation bus.
In the Grand Atrium of the Grand Floridian
When you get there, check out the orchestra that plays most afternoons upstairs in the main Grand Atrium. Make reservations for proper afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian Cafe or for dinner at the fancy Victoria & Albert’s. Look for hidden Mickeys in the elaborate marble floors. This is also a very peaceful place to sit in the Grand Lobby and just enjoy the atmosphere!
There are several nice shops to browse in.
Caroline resort hopping on a cool and rainy afternoon. Our #1 favorite place to eat lunch: Captain Cooks.
Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Another monorail hotel, you can get to the Polynesian Resort the same way as the Contemporary or Grand Floridian.
Having lunch at Captain Cooks. 🙂
Once you get there, go to Captain Cook’s and get a Dole Whip, or try a tropical cocktail at the lounge, or make a reservation for a family-style dinner at O’Hana. It’s all good!
Several fun shops to browse in with tropical-themed merchandise.
We love Dole Whip!
If you schedule your visit late enough, you can watch the Happily Ever After fireworks show over the castle at Magic Kingdom complete with the music piped in while you’re enjoying dinner!
CR Pastry Chef Jeff Barnes tempting us!
The Contemporary Resort
The Contemporary is a great place to visit. You can get to the Contemporary Resort the same way you get to the Polynesian Resort since it’s a monorail resort, or you can walk over from Magic Kingdom. Very easy walk.
Walkway between the Contemporary Resort and the Magic Kingdom. Very easy walk.
Once you get there, browse the great gift shops here. These may be our favorite gift shops on property.
If you’re hungry, head upstairs to the Contempo Cafe. It’s a quick-service eatery with a lot of tasty options for everyone. Try the pot roast and veggies – it’s incredible. You’ll also find character dining here at Chef Mickey’s.
It’s very pretty with the float lights reflecting off the Seven Seas Lagoon.
If you’re resort hopping at night, you can watch the Happily Ever After fireworks show over the castle from the 4th floor observation deck and also catch the nightly Electrical Water Pageant.
We’ve written two books about our time working and playing at Disney World.
Tagged Adventures in the Animal Kingdom, Caroline Collins disney blog, Disney Polynesian Resort, Disney Resort hopping, Elly Collins Disney blog, Grand Floridian, Magic Kingdom, two disney sisters, two girls and a mouse tale, walking between the Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort
Singer Halle Bailey as Princess Ariel.
With the news of casting the new Little Mermaid, I think we are a little divided. On one hand, the Little Mermaid was one of our favorite movies growing up so to see ANY changes I think there’s a knee jerk reaction toward not liking it. We all are so used to the visuals of red hair, green tail, purple bra, etc.
I think while it may not have been our first choice (and that’s just our opinion!), representation matters. One of my friends posted a super cute photo of her as a little girl wearing a Little Mermaid swimsuit and how excited she was to finally see someone like her playing the character. Just because it’s different from the original doesn’t mean this movie, and Halle, won’t be great.
SO, that being said, instead of arguing about the casting of Halle Bailey, who is obviously beautiful and can SING, who do you guys hope will get cast as the other characters??
Would you rather Terry Crews or Idris Elba play King Triton?
Thoughts on Gordon Ramsay to play the angry chef?
Post your casting suggestions below!
He’s got the right haircut….
People helping Disney with more casting ideas for The Little Mermaid.
Disney has gotten so much blowback from this casting decision.
This is the voice cast of the new Lion King movie opening July 2019. If Disney had cast mostly white actors to voice a lion, a bird, a baboon, a meercat, and a warthog, I think people would have had a lot to say about it!
The Lion King, 2019
A younger King Triton and Queen Athena in The Little Mermaid 3: Ariel’s Beginning.
The 7 daughters of King Triton and Queen Athena. (Disney version) All white, blue eyed females.
Fun The Little Mermaid trivia:
Princess Ariel, King Triton, Prince Eric, and Princess Melody in The Little Mermaid: II Return to the Sea
Princess Ariel is the only Disney princess to have a baby!
That Captain Hook is a villain!!!!!
Hercules and Princess Ariel are 1st cousins!
Life is the bubbles!
Tagged Adventures in the Animal Kingdom, Caroline Collins disney blog, Elly Collins Disney blog, Halle Bailey, Princess Ariel, The Little Mermaid, two disney sisters, two girls and a mouse tale
July 8, 2019 by Two Disney Sisters
Captain Phasma leading the Stormtroopers. Very dramatic!!! (All photos by Elly Collins.)
The last performance of The March of the First Order was Saturday, July 6, 2019.
We think that it’s moving over to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens on August 29th.
The March of the First Order debuted at DHS in April 2016 and quickly turned into a fan favorite.
The LED screens on the stage switch over to a red Star Wars First Order emblem as the march starts.
The stormtroopers being led by Captain Phasma.
The Star Wars theme music begins blasting every hour and along comes a parade of Stormtroopers marching down the street. Pretty cool. You almost feel like saluting them or something!
The stormtroopers onstage after the march.
Chewie taking the stage!!! He is soooo tall!
Stop in at the Trolley Car Cafe! You’re going to need a lot of caffeine to make it through a hot summer’s day!
August 29, 2019: Be prepared for mobs of guests!
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
May 2019: Stars Wars: Galaxy’s Edge still under construction at Disney World. Still so much to do! They are working night and day on this huge 14 acre project!
With our Jedi Knights at MNSSHP.
Tagged Adventures in the Animal Kingdom, Captain Phasma, Caroline Collins disney blog, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Elly Collins Disney blog, March of the First Order, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, two disney sisters, two girls and a mouse tale, Walt Disney World, working at disney world
These patriotic Minnie Ears are perfect for wearing on 4th of July!
Yes, it’s the most crowded day in July at Disney World, which is also the busiest attendance month at WDW, but, heck yes, it’s a lot of fun too!
Just go with the right attitude and you’ll have fun celebrating the 4th of July holiday this week at Disney World!
Magic Kingdom Park – Park Hours: July 3rd, 8 am – 12 am; July 4th, 8 am – 1 am
“Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” offers booming fireworks orchestrated to patriotic melodies showering the Magic Kingdom sky on both July 3rd and July 4th at 9:15 p.m. Guests can also dance the night away with DJs spinning tunes at a Hoedown Throwdown in Frontierland and an out-of-this-world Galactic Gathering in Tomorrowland. Fans at home can join in the Independence Day celebration by viewing a special July 4th live stream of the dazzling fireworks display on the Disney Parks Blog.
Watch live stream at 9:10EDT: Disney Parks Blog Live Stream
Epcot – Park Hours: 9 am – 9 pm
“IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” will end its 20-year run on September 30, 2019. This will be the last chance to experience the patriotic Fourth of July grand finale of this beloved nighttime spectacular. “The Heartbeat of Freedom” fireworks extravaganza will begin immediately following the 9 p.m. “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” display.
A cappella vocal group Voices of Liberty will perform great American tunes during a Fourth of July concert on the America Gardens Theatre stage at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m. on July 4th. The group also will perform in the rotunda inside The American Adventure pavilion at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Guests can meet favorite Disney characters donning their “Spirit of ’76” patriotic attire at The American Adventure throughout the day on July 4th.
Guests can indulge in themed eats and sips honoring Independence Day throughout the park – everything from patriotic cupcakes and special dining packages to red, white, and blue sangria and try a refreshing Boom Berry Lemonade.
July 3, 2018, 8pm: The rain is clearing out and the huge crowds are arriving for the special fireworks show at 9:15pm. Hot and humid.
July 4th, 2017, 8pm: Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom. IT WAS VERY CROWDED AND HOT!!!!
Expect the parks to be packed, especially the Magic Kingdom, with crazy long ride lines and food lines, but just go with the flow. 🙂
The celebration starts on July 3rd and continues into July 4th!
The Magic Kingdom is more fun on the 4th of July after the sun sets and it starts to cool off a little.
Magic Kingdom – Special ‘Celebrate America!’ Fireworks Over the Castle!
Expect 15 minutes of impressive – and LOUD – pyrotechnics rising not just above the Cinderella Castle, but all around the park. Independence Day is one of the few fireworks displays, along with the Halloween and Christmas versions, that utilize the perimeter bursts, making it seem like the fireworks are all around you.
As you may expect, the fireworks display is accompanied by a rousing patriotic soundtrack that is designed to speak to the soul of America.
Unofficial Tip: Think you’ll watch the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian Resort? You and a lot of other folks are thinking the same thing! Disney will be checking Magic Bands for beach guests on the 3rd and 4th , and parking will be restricted to resort guests only. The Resort Parking Fees just increased this week!
‘Celebrate America! – A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky’ Fireworks over Cinderella Castle
July 3, 2019:
9:15 pm – “Celebrate America! – A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” Fireworks
Expect special lighting on Cinderella Caste both before and during the show.
Magic Kingdom – 9:15 pm: “Celebrate America! – A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” Fireworks. The Magic Kingdom Park will stay open until 1am!
Celebrating with Mickey and Minnie on 4th of July
Epcot – Special Characters will be out and Special Fireworks Show: Heartbeat of Freedom!
July 4, 2019: Throughout the day, Disney characters in their patriotic costumes will appear on the promenade near The American Adventure.
The talented Voices of Liberty, a cappella singing group, will perform traditional Americana tunes for a 4th of July Concert on the America Gardens Theater stage at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 pm.
The vibrant American Music Machine will perform pop hits, at 12pm, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 3:50 pm.
July 4th: Special fireworks show at Epcot, The Heartbeat of Freedom. WOW!!!
9:15pm – IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth will feature “The Heartbeat of Freedom” fireworks show, a special 5-minute patriotic fireworks finale added onto IllumiNations.
July 4th: Mickey will be at his meet & greet in Epcot outside American Pavilion all day.
Mickey and pals in their Spirit of ’76 4th of July outfits.
4th of July gang celebrating at Epcot
We’ve seen Minnie in this costume.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Rock the 4th with Star Wars fireworks!
July 4, 2019: 10 pm – Rockin’ 4th of July Celebration: “Star Wars – A Galactic Spectacular” fireworks show for the evening’s celebrations.The new Toy Story Land is open, but Star Wars: Galaxy’s Quest doesn’t open until August 29th!
July 4th fireworks at DHS
Animal Kingdom: See the new Rivers of Light: We Are One Show!
There are no special 4th of July events planned at Animal Kingdom. There are never firework events at DAK as they would scare the animals. But, the new light show around the Tree of Life is cool and the Rivers of Light show has been updated.
Update Rivers of Light: We Are One show
There are no special holiday events planned at Disney Springs but the Flavors of Florida event is going on right now.
Try the Flavors of Florida at Disney Springs
4th of July fireworks. WOW!!!
It’s the 4th of July! One of the Top 5 busiest days of the year at MK!!
Nobody does 4th of July fireworks shows better than Disney! WOW!!!
9pm: We loved seeing the special fireworks over Cinderella Castle with patriotic music. 🙂
Mickey in yet another one of his patriotic outfits!
Caroline wrote a blog about celebrating the 4th of July at Disney World:
Read it here: 4th of July at Disney!
07/04/2018, 9pm: One last Castle shot before the fireworks show began.
We picked up a pair of these at Walmart for just $6 each!
Special holiday merchandise available at Disney Springs this week.
We’ve met the Statue of Liberty Minnie.
Caroline celebrating the 4th of July at the American Pavilion in Epcot.
Tagged 4th of July at Disney World, Adventures in the Animal Kingdom, Caroline Collins disney blog, Celebrate America fireworks at Magic Kingdom, Elly Collins Disney blog, Magic Kingdom, Spirit of 76, two disney sisters, two girls and a mouse tale, Walt Disney World
Welcome to the Canada pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase.
The Canada pavilion at Epcot is one of our favorite places, probably because we’ve been to Canada several times and Elly did a Study Abroad program in the beautiful French-Canadian city of Chicoutimi, Quebec.
The gardens that surround the Canada pavilion are lovely. You can even get married here!
♪♫♪ Oh Canada…♪♫♪
Of course, we always stop in and watch the O’Canada movie narrated by Martin Short.
It’s a 360 degree movie.
O’Canada! is a Circle-Vision 360° movie showcasing Canada’s beautiful cities, scenery and people.
Guests watching the fourteen-minute “O’Canada!” movie will view places like Horseshoe Falls, Quebec City, Victoria, and Montreal as well as learn about Canadian celebrities like Mike Myers and Jim Carrey.
This waterfall spot is so lovely!
Many guests don’t realize that at the back of the Canada Pavilion there’s a massive rockwall formation with a mighty waterfall flowing down it. There are several platforms and a small staircase next to the waterfall winding down to a babbling stream.
Guests can arrange to be married or have their vows renewed there.
It’s the smallest wedding venue at Epcot with seating for just 20 guests.
Currently, a series of 6 rotating bands perform daily on the Canada Mill Stage.
Current band line-up: Entertainment at the Canada Pavilion
Lots of flannel for sale in the Northwest Mercantile gift shop!
We have this pin!
Flashback Friday: Seeing Epcot’s Canadian Lumberjack Show
During our first DCP program, a new entertainment act was introduced at Epcot’s Canada pavilion: Canadian Lumberjack Show.
They performed on the Canada pavilion Mill Stage stage and were a hoot.
Meeting the Paul Bunyan Lumberjacks after the show. So much flannel! So much muscle!!
We got to see the brand new Canadian Lumberjack Show: The Paul Bunyan Lumberjacks at Epcot’s Canada pavilion last night.
The Mill Stage smelled so good!!! Like they had been chopping pine trees on it all day!! 😉
The show features a mini-competition between the “blue team” and the “red team.” Each team consists of two lumberjacks as they compete in a series of events, including axe throwing, crosscut sawing and wood carving using chain saws.
Red Team vs. Blue Team chopping competition.
Conservation is a big initiative for the group, who claim that for every tree that is cut for the show, three are planted in its place. I must say, it smelled so good when they were chopping wood! Like we were in the middle of a Canadian pine forest…
All hunky guys in flannel from Canada!
The act consists of skilled lumberjacks from the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack group, which has performed for crowds around the world and has operated for more than 30 years. The group is based in Kissimmee, Florida.
You can catch their show 6x/day on most days. If it’s raining or there’s lightning nearby, the show will be cancelled.
Video of the Canadian Lumberjacks Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es1gdrqWbjw
(The Canadian Lumberjack Show replaced Off Kilter, a kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing band that entertained guests in Epcot’s Canada for 17 years.)
Enjoying a fun day at Epcot!
The Canada Pavilion is so pretty at night!
Oh, Canada! We’ve been here!
Tagged Adventures in the Animal Kingdom, Canada Day 2019, Caroline Collins disney blog, Cast member, Chris Collins, Elly Collins Disney blog, Epcot, Epcot Canada Pavilion, two disney sisters, two girls and a mouse tale, working at disney world
Meeting the Fairy Godmother at Disney World
Meeting the Fairy Godmother on the day we got engaged. She told us: “May all your dreams come true!” ❤
We have been lucky enough to meet the Fairy Godmother many times at both Disney World and at Disneyland!
She is one of the kindest people that you can meet!
My mom meeting the Fairy Godmother. She only meets here in front of Storybook Treats when it’s not raining.
She’s a favorite of ours! She’s just the nicest character that you’ll talk to at the Magic Kingdom!
1996: Meeting the Fairy Godmother at the Magic Kingdom. She noticed that we were wearing the same colors!
1996: Caroline going over to give her a hug.
2019: Meeting her once again at the Magic Kingdom. Her Meet & Greet spot is right behind Cinderella Castle.
She got a costume update about 3 years ago.
Can you spot the differences?
This was the shiny costume she was wearing when we saw her in 2015. Her costume is now made of soft blue velvet.
The Fairy Godmother is the sweet and kind fairy that appears to Cinderella when she is in times of need and trouble.
She is a little forgetful, and her spells don’t last past midnight, but through her magic she enables Cinderella to go to the ball to achieve her dream.
With a flick of her magic wand and a Bibbidi Boppidy Boo, the Fairy Godmother is all that is pure and true in the world.
Fairy Godmother Transforms Cinderella’s Dress
A Magical Moment Reunion for a Guest at Disney World
25 years later….
When Amber was 2 years old, she met Snow White at the Magic Kingdom.
“Every single time I saw her until I was 15, she recognized me and knew me by name. She made my Disney childhood so incredibly magical. I haven’t seen her in person since, but I knew she was now the Fairy Godmother. Today, I tracked her down & got to hug her. Best day ever!!”
And, she also occasionally has to comfort guests:
Shortly following her birth, Janice Murphy’s infant daughter Analiese died from complications related to a rare chromosomal disorder. Murphy recently visited Disney World, bringing with her a purple teddy bear containing her daughter’s ashes.
Murphy wrote that she spent several minutes in the park crying and mourning what she says her daughter will never experience. She lined up to see the Fairy Godmother, and when she finally shared her story with the Fairy Godmother, she writes that she was pretty much floored by her compassionate response.
“Despite your utter lack of knowledge, you included the bear in our interaction,” says Murphy. “And when you found out that my daughter died, and that her ashes are within the bear, you treated her the same way you treat every child that comes to see you every single day: with love, compassion and kindness. When you hugged her, and kissed her cheek, you made me feel like Analiese mattered to you.”
The interaction allowed Murphy to connect with her baby Analiese. She explained, “You helped me feel her spirit in a place she was never able to visit while alive.”
The beautiful backside of the Cinderella Castle.
Do you know where this Disney wall is??? We do!
I never noticed this before!
Tagged Adventures in the Animal Kingdom, Caroline Collins disney blog, Cast member, Elly Collins Disney blog, Fairy Godmother, Magic Kingdom, two disney sisters, two girls and a mouse tale, Walt Disney World, working at disney world
Meeting Captain Hook at Disney World
Captain Hook swinging on by…
Guests can see Captain Hook every afternoon in the Festival of Fantasy Parade at 3pm.
He’s on the Peter Pan float and swings on by while standing on the ship’s swaying anchor.
We like his velvety hair! (I want to touch it so badly!)
We’ve seen him a few times strolling through Adventureland near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride before the parade.
The captain waving his hook at guests in line.
In April 2019, he started greeting young guests at Disney’s Beach Club Resort for dinner.
Dinner with Captain Hook’s Pirate Crew
That hair!!! ❤
Looking for a Bunch of Scallywags!
Shiver me timbers—Captain Hook and his crew invite you to dinner and to see if ye be worthy of joining their ranks.
Upon entering Pirate Hideaway, seasoned members of Captain Hook’s crew will assist you in the first, most crucial step towards becoming a pirate—receiving your pirate name. Next, they’ll teach you the many skills crucial to life on the high seas such as talking like a pirate, swabbing the deck and singing sea chanties!
Captain Hook himself will be checking in to examine your progress and get you started on your first treasure hunt. You’ll solve puzzles and gather clues on land before setting sail along Crescent Lake.
But beware! For this be not for the faint of heart. Rumor has it there be cursed treasure around these parts. Be you brave enough to seek it?
Beginning April 28, 2019 set sail for Disney’s Beach Club Resort where Captain Hook is on the lookout for new recruits ages 4 to 12. $55/ticket
MNSSHP: Meeting Peter Pan and Wendy…and Captain Hook!
He also regularly appears for some meet and greet time during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in the Fall.
That’s where we’ve met him.
We also saw him at Castaway Cay when we went on our Disney Dream cruise to the Bahamas. He certainly gets around!
Captain Hook and Mr. Smee at Castaway Cay.
WHAT???!!! Did Captain Hook kill Queen Athena???
But, remember, he is a villain!
There’s a rumor that he killed Ariel’s mother, Queen Athena!
In 2008, “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning” came out and answered the question about Queen Athena’s demise. In the movie’s opening scenes, the terrible tale of Queen Athena’s death by pirate invasion unfolds!
No wonder the mermaids in Neverland are frightened of the pirates who troll and terrorize their waters. And, King Triton’s complete aversion to humans can be explained, considering humans caused his wife’s death.
Do you think that Queen Athena was killed by Captain Hook’s pirate ship?
Captain Hook is the dastardly evil pirate villain from Neverland.
Sailing the waters around the enchanted island of Neverland with his crew of misfits and idiots, Hook forever seeks the boy who has caused him so much pain and misery, Peter Pan. The Captain lost his left hand when Peter cut it off and fed it to the crocodile. Since then, the crocodile has been haunting Hook, always wanting more.
Luckily for Captain Hook, the crocodile also ate an alarm clock, so he can hear when the crocodile is near. His evil plans always fail, mainly due to the incompetence of not only himself, but of his downtrodden crew and first mate, Mr. Smee.
Looking for Captain Hook.
Tagged Adventures in the Animal Kingdom, Captain Hook, Caroline Collins disney blog, Elly Collins Disney blog, Festival of Fantasy Parade, Magic Kingdom, Princess Ariel, Queen Athena, two disney sisters, two girls and a mouse tale, Walt Disney World, working at disney world
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Colombians for Peace pleads for lives of FARC hostages
by Arron Daugherty February 1, 2012
Colombians for Peace pleaded with the government and FARC to protect the lives of six hostages after their release was suspended, Radio Caracol reported Wednesday.
The guerrilla group rescinded its promise to release the hostages earlier Wednesday, claiming the government was not operating in good faith and was planning a military rescue.
Colombians for Peace spokeswoman, Marleny Orjuela, appealed to President Juan Manuel Santos, invoking the memory of a botched rescue last November that left four hostages dead. “We want to make it clear that we vehemently oppose the military rescue of our loved ones by blood and fire,” she said. “The Colombian community wants to greet the hostages alive and free, not dead and wrapped in flags like they delivered [the hostages] on November 26.”
Addressing the FARC, Orjuela said “Leaders of the FARC, do not prolong this pain, give us the possibility. Do not suspend the release.”
Orjuela also reiterated her organization’s request for the release of all FARC-held hostages. “We ask for not only the release of some police and soldiers, but the release of all hostages; so there maybe dialogue between the Santos government and the FARC guerrillas.”
Wednesday’s FARC message left open the possibility of a later release date, saying, “Our unilateral determination [to free the hostages] is still standing.”
The six hostages are among 11 members of the security forces held hostage by the FARC in the Colombian jungle. The guerrillas also hold an unknown number of civilians hostage for extortion purposes.
Colombians for Peace (NGO)FARChostagesJuan Manuel Santos
FARC leader said missing congressman ‘excluded himself’ from the Colombia’s peace process
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Tag Archives: virtue education
Touring Educratic Style
March 11, 2019 Monday Musings11 Principles, AI (artificial intelligence), Anti Fed Ed Warriors, Be Best Initiative, behavior interventions, BETT (British Educational Training and Technology), Boston College, CCSS (Common Core State Standards), CCSS Machine, CE (Character education), Character.org, charter schools, children's books, Clarion, CNN, communities, data collection, data mining, data sharing, data tracking, Digital Promise, Dove School of Discovery, ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act), ethics in action, EW Foundation, First Lady, First Lady Trump, GAAD (Global Accessibility and Awareness Day), Google, Harvard University, ID Analytics, infrastructure, innovation, Jesse Lewis Choose Love, K5 NBC, KVVU Fox 5, Las Vegas NV, LifeLock, mentoring, Microsoft, Midtown Education Foundation, national mentoring, Norton anti virus, off-the-charts, One World, opioid crisis, outcomes, P3s (public private partnerships), parents and families, PL (personalized learning), prescription abuse, President Trump, Promising Practices, Rutgers Univ., school districts, School for Ethical Education, schools, Seattle WA, Sec. DeVos, SEL (social emotional learning), social behavior, student data rape, Symantec, technology, truth, Tulsa OK, Tulsa's News on 6, TulsaWorld.com, U.S. Secretary of Education, virtue education, Wall on the Southern Border, warriors, White House, White House Initiative, WYmooregrits
Anti Fed Ed Warriors, did you hear the recent news that First Lady Trump went on a mini-tour of her own to promote her 2018 “Be BEST” Initiative? Not much happened (that we know of) between the 2018 announcement and the recent tour.
Mrs. Trump chose 3 different cities to roll out each of the 3 main points in Be BEST.
***I’ll take a moment, here, to point out these 3 interconnect quite a bit in the shift in education reform we’ve seen and are seeing.
Tulsa, OK was where the SEL (social emotional learning) stop was made. Seattle, WA was where a tour of Microsoft was made to see the latest ‘on-line safety’ and special education ‘innovations’. Lastly, Las Vegas, NV was where the opioid crisis was discussed.
A few notes about each of the media sources I’ve embedded:
a) “Tulsa” will take you to TulsaWorld.com, where you’ll find the school visited (Dove School of Discovery, is part of a network of public charters and serves K-6th graders. This school was named a 2018 Character.org School of the Year. We’ll look in-depth at this group in a bit.)
b) ‘Learing’ will take you to Tulsa’s News on 6, where you’ll see the First Lady stated that ‘character education’ is critical. As I pointed out in the 3 mice image, SEL was previously known as character education or CE. (*Related resource, back in 2014, I showed you a CE group for charter schools called “Clarity”.)
c) “Seattle” will take you to K5 NBC, where you’ll see Mrs. Trump ask a Microsoft employee about parents and on-line safety. Listen to the response she gets, then consider the source and topic. Seriously? One of the chief CCSS Machine members is actually going to pass off data safety?! We’ll look more in-depth to the latest ‘innovations’ in special education in a bit, as well.
d) “Las Vegas” will take you to KVVU Fox 5, where you’ll see the First Lady speak on how bad the opioid crisis is and that the President has declared an opioid emergency across the country. Don’t miss the sound bite about whatever it takes to stop the drug abuse.
We’ll also look at how THIS impacts education, in a bit.
e) “Crisis” will take you to the White House’s written remarks from the Las Vegas meeting.
The last source I have for you is the Spotlight article from CNN:
Character.org:
Warriors, if you’ve not heard of this CE (Character Education)/SEL (Social Emotional Learning) group, it’s downright scary how many ties it has to the CCSS Machine. This is a globally reaching group, too.
There are 11 Principles of character used in the CE/SEL programs at schools. Every one of them is school led, not family led, BUT does encompass the family.
a) CE/SEL is embedded in the school’s culture
b) The school defines comprehensive CE/SEL
c) CE/SEL is intentional and pro-active
d) Because of a-c, the school is a caring community
e) Schools provide opportunities for moral actions
f) CE/SEL has school-led meaningful and challenging academics
g) Schools foster student’s self-motivation
h) All school staff models CE/SEL
i) CE/SEL is a shared activity with continuous long-term goals
j) Schools use CE/SEL to partner with parents, communities, and, others
k) CE/SEL school assessments gauge that all kids are ‘on track’.
*****Why this matters to us as anti Fed Ed Warriors? Mrs. Trump will use groups like this in her “Be BEST” initiative! (Look back at the CNN visual and read the 2nd point.).
Most of the 11 points will be passed off as some sort of mentoring. Scroll back up and look at point #3, ‘legislation’ is already in the works for national mentoring.
The CCSS Machine member groups tied to Character.org include:
Jesse Lewis Choose Love, Rutgers Univ., Harvard Univ., Boston Univ., Midtown Education Foundation (“virtue education” is used in place of ‘character’); the School for Ethical Education (ethics in action creates character), and One World (character building for a global world).
You can find all the names of the groups and people associated with them, here. Be sure to scroll down and look to see how the States have different names for CE/SEL.
Below, is a special Foundation tied to Character.org. Children’s books are used to ‘painlessly’ impart character and social behavior.
Before we leave Character.org, if you look at their privacy policy, you’ll see Google handles data collected in any of the character activities and programs. If you look at their “Promising Practices”, you’ll see CE/SEL is used in sports, higher education, the parents and families, and ‘elsewhere’.
Oh, Microsoft!
Remember, Warriors, “Be BEST” will use existing partnerships in education. We know very WELL how ‘buddy-buddy’ the Gates led corporation is with CCSS and all that comes with it. If you’re like me, I don’t trust Microsoft’s ‘on-line’ safety concerns or innovations whatsoever. How can we when it’s been proven the massive amounts of data being taken from our kids and families without consent!
So, according to the media reports, Mrs. Trump was able to witness safe gaming. Here’s a screen shot from the pdf file Microsoft has published about ‘safety’. The added emphasis is mine:
To see my research on Lifelock, Symantec, ID Analytics and the others, go here.
Sorry to say it, but I think the staff on hand for the First Lady’s visit told her what she wanted to hear.
Other Microsoft innovations which we know will conduct massive amounts of ‘student data rape’ include working with the Obama era created, ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) codified “Digital Promise”; WY’s largest school district as a ‘testing’ site for special needs inclusion via digital learning; GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) for special needs students, and the latest education/educratic innovations as featured during BETT Day (British Educational Training and Technology Day).
Those innovations?
PL (Personalized Learning) which is also in CE/SEL; line focusing (where students will only pay attention to certain excerpts of text at a time); grammar and parts of speech (on-line vs written because grammar is always better on a computer..not!), and, improving math. See this link for Day 1 of BETT. During Day 2, ‘Emotion and Cognitive’ in connection with (AI) Artificial Intelligence; finally, on Day 3 BETT attendees were shown the latest computers and devices for school districts and schools under $300.00.
Warriors, back in January 2018, I exposed the BETT Conference. In that article, I showed you that the PL push from ESSA was a CE/SEL grab (as well as the personal private information in the data). I also showed you how U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos had done nothing to end Common Core, nor had President Trump. Go back to 2016, and I showed you DeVos’s ties to the tech companies handling that student data!
School Prescriptions:
Warriors, if you listened to Mrs. Trump’s comments during her Las Vegas stop for “Be BEST” you heard her bring up how the Wall at our Southern border would stop the opioid crisis. I offer this as a type of researched rebuttal. No, it won’t STOP opioids or other types of child-altering prescriptions given to our students based off on-line algorithm mental health or behavior assessments.
In 2018, I showed you the off-the-charts numbers of children in this country on heavy duty drugs, not illegally, but through doctors offices. What drove the children to the doctor? SEL intervention information!
Just a few days ago, you saw the massive SEL assessments which will test ‘universally’, meaning every child, not just public school children.
Warriors, I hope you can see that while the First Lady may have a great plan, it resembles more of a ticking time bomb we cannot afford to see go off. This “Be BEST” is an initiative which is already being played out, horribly wrong, on our nation. I don’t see how more of the same will help.
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"Everything counts / it all happened" ?
Thread: "Everything counts / it all happened" ?
daBronzeBomma
Usually at the End of Time
I never read Grant Morrison's critically acclaimed BATMAN run. It's on my comic book bucket list (now there's a thread that needs to be made!), but it's gonna havta wait for now.
But what fascinates me most about hearing people talk about it is the concept that Morrison insists every single Batman story from 1939 to the present counts and somehow has happened. Nothing is thrown out or forgotten.
I have so many questions. But chief among them is this:
Can this "everything counts" idea of his please be applied to Superman and his mythos?
I would love it if everything from 1938's ACTION COMICS #1 through the present all counted/happened in some narratively tangible way.
What did Morrison do to Batman to make all his previous histories count? Could it be done for Superman?
Or is Superman just too complicated for that to work?
Kuwagaton
Father Son Kamehameha <
There's no reason it wouldn't work for Superman, because it's not about addressing and rectifying paradoxes in continuity, it's just essentially stating the all of publication is an open chest. The continuity error of Batman and Son, the association with Son of the Demon, wasn't even blurred to fit.
In fact though, it's been implied in a number of Superman stories and some well before Morrison penned Batman #655. I think the only reason people point to Batman is because he's more popular.
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CBR Community STANDARDS & RULES
Originally Posted by daBronzeBomma
What did Morrison do to Batman to make all his previous histories count?
I think Morrison excused most of the crazier/wackier silver age stuff as being the result of experimental fear gas by the Scarecrow
Also Bat Mite was a specific mental defence mechanism that switched Bruce into a deliberate form of insanity to stay one step ahead of his enemies (posing as a Batman of another planet), it was wild.
DochaDocha
Easiest handwave solution would be Hypertime. Everything happened, but in parallel universes.
Sacred Knight
Its harder with Superman because his reboots and relaunches have featured far more big-time changes than Batman's have. Not to say Batman's mythos hasn't gone through changes, I'm just talking comparatively. I think it could be done, but you have to get more creative with it than even Morrison did with Batman in RIP.
"They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El
"Now why don't we step up here and everybody get stepped up, and let's get some stepped up personal space up in this place." - Phillip Jacobs
Vakanai
A Wearied Madness
I'd rather it not. I don't like it for Batman, don't want it for Superman. For those of us who haven't been reading comics for decades, it's just confusing. Everything ever being in continuity is just not new reader friendly. Keep a small, compact current continuity, and let the old stuff just be bonus stuff that's fun to read but doesn't count to the understanding of what's going on.
Superlad93
AT EASE, LOO-SUH!
I'd say it can work specifically best now more than ever for Superman.
In the case of what Morrison did to make literally everything count for Batman? He mainly played around with the context of things. Some of the events of Batman's long history are dreams, fever dreams from trippin off Joker gas, fail safe mental constructs in case of normal mental function shut down, imaginary creatures that may or may not be there, and death trap nightmares.
But the biggest trick to it all that Morrison hangs basically the whole thing on is the idea of each Robin representing phase in Bruce's life. He basically made it so everything had to count because there was no way they were getting rid of any of the Robins or Barbra. He got to build 4 or 5 in implied character arcs for Bruce because of this.
No you don't quite follow the same model because Superman doesn't have that same device, but you can do something similar. Morrison tried to do it with the New 52 Superman, and he recognized the need for Superman to have a clear distinction between eras, so he created the t-shirt and jeans Superman as a representation of everything in the golden age happened in some truncated form or another. He gave Clark a flight ring, an indestructable cape, and a Legion membership to give off the idea that a truncated version of his Superboy adventures and Legion adventures happened.
Rebirth did a sort of underwhelming, quick and dirty version of what Morrison did with Batman.
But the skeleton is there. You have Superman's eras set: debut, pre-death, post-death, baby Jon, 10 year old Jon, and now today with 17 year old Jon. It also helps that he now has different suits. Just slot nearly whatever you want for each era. It's not as streamlined so stuff like his golden age will have to be recontextulized. Chris Kent can be a simulation that Clark ran like the old Super Sons story.
The tools are there, but I think it should be something we get a sense of over time rather than someone hammering it out in one go. Even Morrison didn't hammer it out in one go. It was over a like nearly a decade of Batman comics (that's not even mentioning the implications set by his older JLA run that played directly into it). So, yes, it can very much be done for Superman. He just needs a writer who wants to specifically do it, and a one that will be with the character for years.
#MakeAlexGreatAgain
"Your videos give us hope. They give us strength in these times of slow normals, Chun-Li costumes and rampant New York fires.
We shall overcome. The day will come when we are all warmed up."
-Coffee That
PM me if you tryina mix it up in SFV (and Dragon Ball FighterZ). Just know: the hypa bomb takes no prisoners.
Vordan
Sure. Morrison did an abridged version of that idea in his Action Comics run. He started off with Golden Age Superman fighting for social reform, and fighting with Lex Luthor, General Sam Lane and Metallo. Then Brainiac showed up and Superman’s adventures took on a more Silver Age tone, which is also when the Legion first appeared. Then the final showdown with Vyndykx happened and we had Superdoomsday like the “Modern” Age.
Rebirth has kept the loose canon of the stories that came before. We know Exile happened for example. There’s plenty of room to retell how things played out for the “modern” Superman.
Adekis
Originally Posted by Superlad93
Morrison tried to do it with the New 52 Superman, and he recognized the need for Superman to have a clear distinction between eras, so he created the t-shirt and jeans Superman as a representation of everything in the golden age happened in some truncated form or another. He gave Clark a flight ring, an indestructable cape, and a Legion membership to give off the idea that a truncated version of his Superboy adventures and Legion adventures happened.
I think Grant Morrison's Action Comics run is kind of as close as we're going to get, because Superman's eras are often marked by truly major continuity shifts. You could get an approximation, but Batman never has to contend with anything as major as whether or not the Kents are alive, or whether or not Clark was ever Superboy as a kid. Morrison leaned hard on the side of the relatively more obscure pre-Crisis era with many of his choices, and I wish it had stuck better.
I always felt like it might work for the New 52 to be set before Clark marries Lois, since pre-Crisis allegedly happened before post-Crisis, minus Clark's backstory, but since Reborn arbitrarily decided that the New 52 took place after the post-Crisis era and that the pseudo Golden Age never happened at all... forget that, honestly. It was a trash decision.
The biggest hurdle for me though, is Jon. Damian came into Bruce's life fully formed as a ten year old, or thereabouts. Jon functionally came into Superman comics fully formed as a ten year old, but not Clark's life. Once the next Retcon Wave hit we were suddenly stuck with this truly obnoxious claim from DC that many of Superman's adventures, especially during the New 52, had happened in a totally incompatible way with what we saw, with Clark married and Jon running around growing up in the background. There's no period of Superman comics in which Jon can grow up without messing up other comics, and if we stick to the original, then we've got that confusing ass Convergence backstory that had to go.
"You know the deal, Metropolis. Treat people right or expect a visit from me."
superduperman
Metropolis USA
I don't think it's possible because there's just too many contradictions. Even Morrison's method with Batman was iffy at best. Rebirth may give someone the opportunity to try but I don't think it would work.
Now listen to me, Clark! This great strength of yours--you've got to hide it from people or they'll be scared of you!
Originally Posted by Vakanai
That's definitely a good point, and it's why when people suggest that a reboot could have happened in an old continuity, it's overlooking the whole idea. Comics are so insular and cross weaved that it's often hard for long time readers to understand the importance of distinction and separation between stories. The idea in 1986 for example was that readers wouldn't be burdened with having to pick up some older stuff to appreciate what they had at the time.
Ascended
Im with Superlad.
You're not going to get an exact, cut-and-paste copy where every single thing happened exactly the same way but you can squeeze it all in on a "spiritual" level if not a "letter of the law" one.
Higher, Faster, Further....More.
Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow!
Bridge Four!
Jon Clark
What is the difference to a new reader between an "untold tale" and a story they never read?
If I wrote a Superman story that had him battling "Villain X" who claims he has fought Superman before, does it make any difference if this is actually the 1st appearance of that guy or if I dug him out of some obscure 1950's story? If the story isn't set up as amystery where the resolution hangs on something in the 1950's story,
Slim Shady
If you break down time the way Grant did when he was thinking everything up, a real year equals such and such in comic years and decades and stuff, it can be done with just about any character. I agree that some characters would be harder to do because of big time continuity changes/origin changes, stuff like that. And like someone said, it's not like a cut and paste job put in a straight line, just a way to say, yeah that happened one time.
Bored at 3:00AM
I took a crack at a Superman of All Eras version of his history in the view of Morrison's Everything Happened Batman.
I think it works pretty well, because timey-whimey shenanigans have been a part of his history for decades.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing
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Can’t Pay the Rent? Kids’ Health May Suffer
by Amy Norton
MONDAY, Jan. 22, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Millions of American families struggle to find and keep stable housing — and the fight to do so may end up harming kids’ health.
Researchers found that when families faced various types of “housing instability,” moms had a higher risk of depression and kids were more likely to be in “fair” to “poor” health.
It wasn’t only overt homelessness that seemed to take a toll. Kids were also at a heightened risk of poor health when their families moved around a lot, or struggled to make the rent.
It’s not clear exactly why, said lead researcher Dr. Megan Sandel, a pediatrician at Boston Medical Center.
But, she said, “having a stable home is a foundation to thriving.”
https://childrenshealthwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/health-day-graphic.jpg 321 321 CHW Staff https://childrenshealthwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/CHW-logo-anniversary-web.png CHW Staff2018-01-22 13:49:192018-01-22 13:50:25Can't Pay the Rent? Kids' Health May Suffer
Unstable Housing and Caregiver and Child Health in Renter Families STAT Morning Rounds Newsletter
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Tag: Clash of Civilizations
Interfaith · Religion
An Interfaith Response to the Call For an “Islamic Reformation”
05/01/2015 Dr. Craig Considine4 Comments
By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Umar Al-Qadri and Dr. Craig Considine Ms. Ruth Dudley Edward’s recent article “We should support the Pope’s crusade against Islamism” concerns us as Muslim and Christian scholars respectively. The premise of her argument is that Islam needs a “reformation” in order to make Muslims more peaceful. Edward’s draws inspiration from Ayaan… Continue reading An Interfaith Response to the Call For an “Islamic Reformation”
Pope Francis and King of Jordan Oppose “Clash of Civilizations,” Call For “Culture of Dialogue”
04/08/2014 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment
His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday held talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican, focusing on bilateral relations, peace efforts and issues relating to dialogue and Islamic-Christian coexistence, according to a Royal Court statement. During the meeting, the King voiced Jordan’s keenness on enhancing its relations with the Vatican as both sides are partners in… Continue reading Pope Francis and King of Jordan Oppose “Clash of Civilizations,” Call For “Culture of Dialogue”
Debating “Islam is a threat to the West”
As a proud Catholic American from Boston, Massachusetts, I recently participated in a debate hosted by the University College Dublin Law Society, one of the largest and most prestigious student societies in Europe. The proposition of the debate was “This House Believes That Islam is a Threat to the West.” Arguing against this proposition, I… Continue reading Debating “Islam is a threat to the West”
Politics: Culture of dependency between American Islamophobes and ultra-religious Muslims
From Moustafa Bayoumi’s Men Behaving Badly: ‘The Islamophobes in the United States and the ultra-religious right in Muslim-majority countries need each other to survive. Each confirms to the other the need for his own existence. To the Islamophobes, all Muslims are extremists. The provocations Islamophobes produce are designed to elicit the very images we see.… Continue reading Politics: Culture of dependency between American Islamophobes and ultra-religious Muslims
Recommended reading: ‘Islam Under Siege’
07/20/2012 07/20/2012 Dr. Craig ConsidineLeave a comment
Akbar Ahmed‘s Islam Under Siege is an attempt to make sense of a rapidly transforming and dangerous world where ‘Westerners’ and ‘Muslims’ (as if the to are not inclusive!) are often pitted against each other as mortal enemies. In his analysis, Ahmed explains what is going wrong in the Muslim world; why it is going… Continue reading Recommended reading: ‘Islam Under Siege’
Fascinating and timely forthcoming book: ‘The Thistle and the Drone’ by Akbar Ahmed
My intellectual/spiritual/academic mentor, Professor Akbar Ahmed, has done it again. And it’s sheer brilliance! Brookings Institution Press has just released an e-mail highlighting their forthcoming Fall publications. Showcased in this e-mail is Professor Ahmed’s latest book ‘The Thistle and the Drone: How America’s War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam’: The United… Continue reading Fascinating and timely forthcoming book: ‘The Thistle and the Drone’ by Akbar Ahmed
Video: Prophet Muhammad – The World’s First Anti-Racist 06/18/2019
Lecture: Why Do the Irish Support Palestine? 05/08/2019
Video: Demystifying Islamophobia in the Age of Trump – A Conversation Between Khaled Beydoun and Craig Considine 03/12/2019
Latino Muslims in Houston – A Documentary By Vice (Minority Reports) 02/04/2019
Prophet Muhammad’s Love of Humanity – “Lessons For Our Time” 01/11/2019
Video: Christian Scholar Examines Prophet Muhammad’s Covenants and Pluralism 12/14/2018
Video: Christian and Muslim Perspectives on Loving Thy Neighbor 11/26/2018
Video: Christians Defending Muslims – The Spirit of Prophet Muhammad’s Covenants with Christians 11/13/2018
Prophet Muhammad’s Covenants With Christians – An Offering at the Parliament of the World’s Religions 11/01/2018
Meeting With Worldwide Leader of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community 10/29/2018
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HomePosts tagged 'Rupert Murdoch'
British Journalist Admits to Being Government Propagandist!
June 18, 2015 July 5, 2015 James Robertson Controlled media, GCHQ, Iraq war, Murdoch Empire, NSA, surveillance Ed Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, Sunday Times
The dishonest and laughable Sunday Times front page. Snowden story.
Rupert Murdoch, Tom Harper and Edward Snowden.
Tom Harper, wrote an article “British spies betrayed to Russians and Chinese” in the Murdoch owned Sunday Times implying that former US intelligence operative/whistle-blower Edward Snowden’s disclosure of classified material had caused the deaths of Western Intelligence agents- that Snowden had “blood on his hands.”
When questioned about the story on CNN by George Howell Harper frankly confessed that all the sources for the story were anonymous elements of the British government and in one astonishing gaffe actually suggested that anyone who had a “problem with the story” should “take it up with the British Government!.”
Tom Harper Sunday Times journalist “don’t blame me mate I just print what the Government tells me!”
This is a transcript of the interview.
CNNs George Howell):”Tom thank you for being with us, I just want to dive a little deeper into the nature of your reporting.”
(Tom Harper begins to look apprehensive.)
CNNs George Howell:- “You’ve named unnamed officials, how do senior Number 10 Downing Street Officials know that those files were breached?”
Tom Harper.-”Um well I don’t know the answer to that George, All we know um is that this is effectively the official position of the British Government, we picked up on it, we picked it up a while ago and we’ve been working on it trying to stand it up with multiple sources and when we approached the British government last week with our evidence they confirmed effectively what you read today in the Sunday Times so , it’s obviously allegations at the moment from our point of view and it is really for the British Government to defend it”
CNNs George Howell- ”Well I do have to ask though, just in understanding the nature of what’s in the files, how do they know what was in them if they were encrypted? Has the UK Government also gotten into these files?”
Tom Harper- ”Well I mean these files come-came from America and the UK. so they may already have known for some time what Snowden took. that’s not something we’re clear on so we don’t go into that level of detail in the story . We just publish what we believe to be the position of the British Government at the moment.”
CNNs George Howell- “Your article asserts uh that it is not clear whether they were hacked or he (Snowden) gave them over when he was in Hong Kong and uh Russia, so which is it?”
Tom Harper- ”Well again sorry to just repeat myself George. I am sorry but we don’t know so we haven’t written that in the paper. It could be either, it could be another scenario. When you’re dealing with the world of intelligence there are so many unknowns and so many possibilities it is difficult to state anything with certainty and so we have been very careful to stick to what we are able to substantiate.”
CNNs George Howell- ”So we are (really) just hearing what the British Government is saying at this point um, the article mentions MI6 agents, were they directly under threat as a result of this or was it just a precautionary measure to remove them?
Tom Harper “ Again I’m afraid to disappoint you, we just don’t know um there is a suggestion that some of them may have been under threat but the statement from senior Downing Street sources , suggests that no-one has come to any harm.erm which is obviously a positive thing from the point of view of the West.” (But disastrous for his story with it’s “blood on his hands” quote from an anonymous source within the British Government)
George Howell almost laughing at poor Tom Harper, One of Rupert;s London dunces.
CNN’s George Howell “So essentially you are reporting what the Government is saying but as the far as the evidence to, to substantiate it, you’re not really able to comment or explain that at this point?”
Tom Harper- ”No I mean, we..we picked up on the story a while back from an extremely well placed source in the Home Office and then tried to carry on um to substantiate what was going on through various sources in various agencies throughout Britain and then finally presented um er the story to the Government and they effectively uh confirmed what you read today in the Sunday Times. But obviously you know when you’re dealing with intelligence it’s the toughest nut to crack erm and unless you actually have leaked intelligence documents like Snowden had it is very difficult to say anything with certainty.”
CNNs George Howell- “Tom thank you so much for your time and explaining the report that has been filed there.”
This is the video.
Tom Harper Defends Snowden Story on CNN
,Journalist and conduit for the Snowden material Glenn Greenwald comments on the story here.
‘Sunday Times Snowden Story is Journalism at its Worst
Utter lies’: Greenwald debunks Sunday Times spin on Snowden
CNN Critical Reporting is not the rule.
The tone and content of the CNN interview. The way George Howell humiliated and destroyed Tom Harper by asking the right questions tends to support the thesis that Snowden was sent out by elements of US intelligence, Snowden seems to be a white (or at least grey) hat plot against the national security state from within.
CNN’s history is replete with examples of unrestrained and dishonest cheerleading on behalf of war with the astonishing “Saudi Arabia attack” footage, shot in a Los Angeles studio complete with rubber palm trees as one of the “funnier” examples. For better or worse CNN is there to serve a certain purpose with their reporting at all times.
CNN FAKES IRAQ WAR WITH BLUE SCREEN – LEAKED FOOTAGE.
Thank god some American still have the guts to stand up and speak the truth! This is the cover of a book that reveals the nefarious truth about so called whistle-blower Edward Snowden!
The Snowden Revelations.
The purpose of all this nonsense, is to obscure the fact that the Snowden releases confirmed that Western Governments are monitoring the communications of absolutely everyone in the world regardless of any terror threat or any national security justification.
It is highly unlikely that anyone will actually listen to all those phone calls or read all those E-Mails, they are burying themselves underneath a mountain of garbage, it is pure insanity, but make no mistake, everything is being recorded and that should be the operating assumption for all electronic communication.
One of the more bizarre and outrageous facts that emerged from the Snowden files was that the British version of the NSA, the GCHQ were actually downloading thousands of random webcam stills from thousands of Yahoo users webcam images. The fact that what they were collecting was completely useless did not matter to them and they recorded online remote sexual activity! Images from online sex chats between adults that were of no criminal or intelligence value.
Optic Nerve: millions of Yahoo webcam images intercepted by GCHQ | US news | The Guardian
So pathetic minions such as poor Tom Harper are sent out to get on the front foot and portray this depraved and deluded tomfoolery as being a matter of vital importance to State Security. It is funny.
All the NSA and their ally agencies are achieving is burying themselves under a giant mountain of useless information, it is a joke but there are serious questions as to what they hope to achieve with these programs, about the mass surveillance programs, the contempt for privacy, and the contempt for the rule of Law that has been openly flaunted by Western Intelligence agencies since September 11th, 2001.
Lies and Diversions.
All the controlled media reporting on this issue will generally seek to justify the surveillance measures through the use of a couple of tactics in high repetition.
One tactic is to hype the terror threat.
The second tactic was Harper and the Times’, to paint Snowden,as a traitor who put lives at risk when he has embarrassed these parties severely and revealed their lawlessness and wrongdoing.
These buffoons clearly want to be able to simply invoke the national security mantra at any time in order to end all scrutiny of their excesses and crimes.
There is simply no evidence to support the assertion that Snowden took information even of that nature, he may have done, he may not. Unnamed Government sources who are clearly an interested, invested party, a party that has behaved unlawfully and never been brought to account for it are clearly not a reliable or remotely source on this story.
Russia obviously has been able to access some of the material, but it is completely unclear if the material is of any operational value at all. Most of what Snowden released was already known but these documents provided important confirmations in certain areas along with some new information.
The third tactic is an old classic; diversion. The controlled media will concentrate on the pathetic sideshows like the Merkel story.
Spying on Foreign leaders is one the things that these agencies are actually supposed to do so this story was the typical puerile soap opera the controlled media try and feed to the public in the hope that no-one will notice the real story. That the NSA and other agencies are building a total surveillance grid, a worldwide net that seeks to record and access all digital data everywhere always.
Never has the fact that the entire Western media is but a mindless tool of Government propaganda been made so obvious.
Lord of war and proponent of genocide and, paragon of unrepentant evil Rupert Murdoch. Faster please!
Uncle Evil of the War Party.
Blood on WHOSE hands?
The Sunday Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch. Over several decades Rupert Murdoch has built a mighty media and entertainment empire andthe universal support for Western wars has been a common denominator throughout this time.
If you were a Western politician seeking to start a war of aggression over the past several decades you could count on the support of the entire News Corp empire.
Wars? He supported them all. Loved the Falklands, adored Vietnam, lobbied the British Prime Minister personally to invade Iraq on several occsions and has been earnestly pushing for strikes against Iran for at least a decade. Love in vain.Throughout his career Murdoch has shown a deep commitment to war and any evil he felt served his interests or that of his adored Zionist state, Israel.
Rupert Murdoch owns 65% of the newspapers sold in Australia’s major cities and 60% overall.
Prior to the criminal invasion of Iraq that has left at least 1.3 million people dead in the ensuing fighting, one of Murdoch’s smallest and least important newspapers, with a current circulation of less than 50 thousand, the Hobart Mercury with little or no national influence, printed an editorial in September 2002, six months prior to the invasion. questioning the rationale of Invading Iraq as part of the War on terror, pointing out that al Qaeda were not present in Iraq, that Saddam Hussein was not an ally of al Qaeda and that blowing up thousands of Muslim civilians might be more likely to inspire than prevent fresh terror.
The Editors of the Hobart Mercury were flatly informed by News Corporation headquarters the following month that all editorial content should unambiguously support the illegal war. That was that.
When next the Hobart Mercury visited the issue they had changed their tune entirely and were in line with all of Murdoch’s 175 publications worldwide in their support for the criminal Iraq invasion.
Three quotes from prior to the Iraq war that show the prescience of the great man and also his immense moral stature.
Rupert Murdoch takes on US gossip website over ‘tweeting while drunk’ rumour – People – News – The Independent
“Once it [Iraq] is behind us, the whole world will benefit from cheaper oil which will be a bigger stimulus than anything else.”
“The greatest thing to come out of this for the world economy…would be $20 a barrel for oil. That’s bigger than any tax cut in any country.”
“Appeasement is not an option when it comes to dealing with Hussein…Failure to disarm Hussein would make the world a much more dangerous place.”
Commenting on Twitter in 2012, Murdoch was still trying to defend the war,
“What was wrong with Iraq war? Saddam Hussein evil major killer, etc. Execution another matter…“
The gunmen in Paris .
Punish ALL the Muslims!
In the wake of the blatant and pathetic false flag terror attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris of January 7th the malevolent and depraved Murdoch called for the collective punishment of the more than one and a half billion Muslims of the world in response.
No matter that more than one million Muslims had perished in wars he co-sponsored over the past decade, in the sick parallel universe of Uncle Evil, the deaths of 12 French civilians should see the murderous campaign expanded to include ALL Muslims.
“Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognise and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible.”
— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) January 10, 2015
I love the maybe! According to Wikipedia there are around 1.57 BILLION Muslims alive today, yet Murdoch is not sure if non jihadist terrorists are a majority! This is defamation of the most childish and wicked possible type. This is evil.
These are the ravings of a demented, genocidal maniac. How else to describe them?.
How would the Western media deal with an individual who made similar comments about Jewish people?
What are the words that would be used to describe an individual who stated that ALL Jewish people should be punished for Israel’s crimes?
Phone Hacking/Intelligence gathering.
Along with supporting Western war crimes and massacres Murdoch has also been involved in a number of criminal activities although due to his power, and the corruption and cowardice of the British legal authorities Murdoch never faced criminal charges despite being taped openly admitting that he had personally directed and approved of the criminal actions of the journalists in his employ. Murdoch journalists and even editors were prosecuted for the crimes they committed while simply following the instructions of their employer Rupert Murdoch who admitted this openly on the Sun tape.
Transcript: Rupert Murdoch recorded at meeting with Sun staff | ExaroNews
Murdoch was recorded secretly by an apparently embittered staff member after he stopped by to apologise for the fact the News Corp journalists were facing criminal charges for working by News Corp rules yet only the workers were ever prosecuted. The owners? Well that would be rude, that would be troubling.
Rupert Murdoch tape reveals media mogul’s contempt for police
Power is Above the Law in Blackened Britain.
Rupert Murdoch, like Greville Janner is simply too important to be prosecuted in Britain. British Courts are the sites for the Establishment to enforce their authority upon whom they please they are not a place where the little people are ever allowed to seek justice against powerful criminals. It just does not work like that and these conditions existed long before the odious and wicked career of Uncle Evil, Rupert Murdoch.
Sources..
Murdoch’s war: How a lovestruck teenager, an angry man and an ambitious baron made sure bad news was no news on the path to Iraq | The Monthly
https://www.themonthly.com.au/monthly-essays-robert-manne-murdochs-war-how-lovestruck-teenager-angry-man-and-ambitious-baron-made-
Why Rupert Murdoch can’t be stopped: The political empire of the News Corp chairman | The Monthly
https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2013/november/1383224400/robert-manne/why-rupert-murdoch-can-t-be-stopped
FactCheck: does Murdoch own 70% of newspapers in Australia?
http://theconversation.com/factcheck-does-murdoch-own-70-of-newspapers-in-australia-16812
» The Bloody Hands of Edward Snowden
http://americasurvival.org/2014/11/the-bloody-hands-of-edward-snowden.html#axzz3dRrG9iPn
Blood on Snowden’s hands: a poster that tells the story
http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/blood-on-snowden-s-hands-a-poster-that-tells-the-story-t15413.html
British spies betrayed to Russians and Chinese – Pastebin.com
https://archive.is/BkuMM#selection-855.0-865.204
Sunday Times Snowden Story is Journalism at its Worst
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/06/14/sunday-times-report-snowden-files-journalism-worst-also-filled-falsehoods/
The Mercury (Hobart) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mercury_(Hobart)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/rupert-murdoch-takes-on-us-gossip-website-over-tweeting-while-drunk-rumour-10009175.html
The Iraqi Invasion, The French Warning and Fox News | Nomadic Politics
http://nomadicpolitics.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/the-iraqi-invasion-french-warning-and.html
Iraq war quotes – SourceWatch
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Iraq_war_quotes
The Rothschild Octopus
http://iamthewitness.com/doc/The.Rothschild.Octopus.htm
Leveson Inquiry: Tony Blair ‘took 3 calls from Rupert Murdoch in Iraq build-up’ | Daily Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2144235/Leveson-Inquiry-Tony-Blair-took-3-calls-Rupert-Murdoch-Iraq-build-up.html
Rupert Murdoch does the Rothschilds’ Work of Destroying America | Thom Hartmann
http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2012/04/rupert-murdoch-does-rothschilds-work-destroying-america
Rupert Murdoch Slammed After Saying Muslims ‘Must Be Held Responsible’ For ‘Growing Jihadist Cancer’ | Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/rupert-murdochs-controversial-comments-about-muslims-2015-1
Their master’s voice | Media | The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/feb/17/mondaymediasection.iraq
Rupert Murdoch – Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch
The chronicles of Saddam: Robert Manne, ‘The Australian’ and Iraq’s WMD – Al Jazeera English
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/02/20122227283350797.html
“We Just Publish the Position of the British Government” | Dissident Voice
http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/06/we-just-publish-the-position-of-the-british-government/
Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) | Twitter
https://twitter.com/rupertmurdoch
Encrypted Documents: “British Spies Betrayed to Russia and China”, UK Government and Media Smear of Edward Snowden Unravels | Global Research – Centre for Research on Globalization
http://www.globalresearch.ca/encrypted-documents-british-spies-betrayed-to-russia-and-china-uk-government-and-media-smear-of-edward-snowden-unravels/5456040
Sunday Times drops claim that Miranda met Snowden before UK detention | Media | The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jun/15/sunday-times-drops-claim-david-miranda-edward-snowden
MI6 pulls spies after Russia and China decode Edward Snowden’s leaked files | Daily Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3123208/Britain-forced-withdraw-spies-U-S-high-alert-Russia-China-access-secret-files-stolen-NSA-whistleblower-Edward-Snowden.html
‘Test it on Brits:’ Snowden says GCHQ even worse than NSA — RT UK
http://rt.com/uk/174172-british-intelligence-lacks-oversight/
Edward Snowden GCHQ Revelations Show Spies Are Accessing Thousands Of Messages A Day
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/03/12/gchq-snowden-spying-emails_n_6853844.html
Snowden final report for publication – Snowden-final-report-for-publication.pdf
https://citizenlab.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Snowden-final-report-for-publication.pdf
SNOWDEN: Here’s Everything We’ve Learned In One Year Of Unprecedented Top-Secret Leaks | Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/snowden-leaks-timeline-2014-6
Glenn Greenwald: Journalist who published reports on Edward Snowden leaks flags more revelations on Australian mass surveillance – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-05/journalist-glenn-greenwald-teases-surveillance-revelations/6523324
Edward Snowden – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden
NSA files decoded: Edward Snowden’s surveillance revelations explained | US news | theguardian.com
http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/nov/01/snowden-nsa-files-surveillance-revelations-decoded#section/1
Sunday Times reporter on Snowden story: We don’t have a clue! – The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2015/06/15/sunday-times-reporter-on-snowden-story-we-dont-have-a-clue/
US officials leak information about the ISIS raid that’s more sensitive than anything Snowden ever leaked – Boing Boing
http://boingboing.net/2015/05/18/us-officials-leak-information.html
MAX HASTINGS: Why the liberals who defended traitors like Snowden and Assange should look at this photo and admit: We were deluded fools | Daily Mail Onlinee
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2904237/MAX-HASTINGS-liberals-defended-traitors-like-Snowden-Assange-look-photo-admit-deluded-fools.html (what is the photo this cretin refers ? A photo of the gunmen in the Charlie Hebdo false flag!)
GCHQ ‘can spy on Facebook and YouTube users and has ability to manipulate online polls’, latest Snowden leaks claim | Daily Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2693399/GCHQ-spy-Facebook-YouTube-users-ability-manipulate-online-polls-latest-Snowden-leaks-claim.html#ixzz37bxHS8We
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06.12-06.19.2019 Open Air
It’s that time. You learn to love all four seasons around here, and I’m sure you have your favorite. But isn’t it the best right when things are changing. Now it’s time to change and get out in the open air.
From the Larchmere Porchfest to the Fairy Days at Heritage Farms in Peninsula, from Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band on the venerable Goodtime III to Michael Stanley and Donnie Iris at the brand new Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre, from Wade Oval Wednesdays to the Avon Heritage Duck Tape Festival, from Oberlin’s Riverdog Barn to Cain Park’s Alma Theatre, you’ll find something worth your time out of doors this week.
There’s free hot dogs at the Baseball Heritage Museum, 400 vintage cars at Stan Hywet, Irish cheer at the Kamm’s Corners Hooley, free books for kids at the African-American Cultural Garden, and thousands of mini-lanterns at Voinovich Park during the Water Lantern Festival.
Correspondent Jenna Thomas reports from Minneapolis where she attended organizer training and learned how to take advantage of what they called “Moments of the Whirlwind,” events that catalyze action, such as the deaths at the county jail. Meanwhile, C. Ellen Connally scrutinizes Councilman Ken Johnson’s expense reports, and Mansfield laments local black leadership, or the lack thereof, and the lack of black civic engagement. Talk about UncoolCleveland. We gotta air some things out. –Thomas Mulready
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Open-Air Idea Exchange
The transformation of Public Square was completed in 2016 just before the Republican National Convention. Since then, it’s become the locus for a variety of events, ranging from the annual Pride in the CLE celebration to public forums and discussions.
Among the presenters is the City Club of Cleveland, which is bringing back its lunchtime “For Love of Cleveland” series. This year it’s looking at environmental issues in four forums through the lens of “water,” “earth,” “air and “fire.” It kicks off with “water” on Tue 6/18 as a sort of prelude to Xtinguish Torchfest (6/19-22), the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the last Cuyahoga River fire.
SPONSORED: Thinking about transferring to Baldwin Wallace University? Attend BW’s “Transfer Cookout and Conversation” on Fri 6/21 at BW’s Durst Welcome Center for food, fun and valuable information about BW’s academics, activities, and campus life, as well as the transfer admission process and financial aid. Arrive early for a campus tour. Learn more/RSVP here.
Moments of the Whirlwind
A few weeks ago, our writer Jenna Thomas, a student at Cleveland State, headed for Minneapolis for an organizer training called Momentum. Her goal, she said, was “strengthening my understanding of organizing people and my role in the large-scale movements forming around us.” With her interest in justice issues such as those surrounding the Cuyahoga County jail, she wanted to learn how to be more effective.
In meeting people fighting for justice around the county, she says, “I was able to see the larger ecosystem of activism that the groups I work with operate within. In Cleveland, there are so many organizations fighting these same fights, and countless opportunities to get involved.” She learned how to take advantage of what they called “Moments of the Whirlwind,” events that catalyze action, such as the deaths at the county jail. She shares some of her insights with us.
Porches Become Stages
Larchmere Porchfest, now in its 11th year, was inspired by a similar festival in Ithaca, New York. And while it started as a small, community-focused event in this neighborhood near Shaker Square, it quickly grew to attracting thousands from all over the city.
But it still retains that neighborly vibe, as 30 musical acts – raging from classical to hip hop to electronic to blues – perform mostly on people’s porches, while listeners relax on lawns or set up chairs in the street, and the kids next door peddle lemonade. Larchmere’s merchants have gotten in on the act too, offering their own music that keeps going into the late evening. And it’s all free. Sat 6/15.
Kinky Boots coming to Baldwin Wallace University!
As Broadway’s production of Kinky Boots closed this spring, BW’s renowned Music Theatre program ramped up auditions as the first university in the nation granted rights to present the Tony Award-winning musical. With seven BW music theatre grads in the Broadway and national touring productions of Kinky Boots, BW will close its November 2019 run with an “extravaganza” featuring as many of those alumni as possible.
Kinky Boots, book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, original Broadway production directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, is based on the Miramax motion picture, Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. Info (Look for tickets this fall at BW.edu/tickets.)
Polishing Up Obscure Gems
Last week, we previewed the mostly tried-and-true shows that open during the early part of Ohio Light Opera’s season, taking place at the College of Wooster. This week, we’re looking at some of the lesser-known shows that fill the later weeks. They include Music in the Air, which, while little known, was written by a famous pair: Jerome Kern (pictured) and Oscar Hammerstein.
The Devil’s Rider, a U.S. premiere, was written by once hugely popular operetta composer Emmerich Kalman & Perchance to Dream was penned by British stage legend Ivor Novello. You may not heard of any of these works, but you surely know this year’s Gilbert & Sullivan entry, The Pirates of Penzance, which also debuts midway through OLO’s season. Sat 6/15-Sat 8/10.
Everyday Heroes is an exciting, interactive playspace with a hands-on series of exhibits where younger kids can explore issues of kindness, listening and helping, compassion and everyday heroics by getting involved.
They start by donning a superhero cape and zooming around the Good Mood Movement Area, then move on to customizing their own masks, painting kindness rocks to give and share, building a better world with jumbo Legos, adding their name and handprint on the hero wall, and becoming their own superhero in a show they might put on in the Puppet Theatre. The accompanying Family Fun Series include story times, and a self-guided Everyday Hero Story Walk of the Museum’s permanent exhibit. Open now through August 18. Details here.
Fairies on the Farm
Get out those tutus and fairy wings! The annual Fairy Days at Heritage Farms in Peninsula give little girls a chance to show off their glitter and gauze while parading with Flitter the Fairy, dancing in the Fairy Circle, playing fairy games, shopping in the Magic Meadow, and making fairy house and garden decorations to take home. Sat 6/15 & Sun 6/16.
* Upcycle Parts Shop hosts a workshop for kids where they can transform discarded trophies using the odd bits and pieces rescued from the waste stream that the store stocks – exercising their creativity and learning about sustainability at the same time. Sat 6/15.
Click here for more CoolCleveland Kids events
It’s season #8 for ChamberFest Cleveland, the multi-event fest founded by retired Cleveland Orchestra clarinetist Franklin Cohen and his violinist daughter Diana. Ten events take place, mostly at CIM, over the next two-and-a-half weeks. Thu 6/13-Sat 6/29
* New Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre opens with Michael Stanley/Donnie Iris concert. Sat 6/15.
* Reggae on the Water features music by Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band on the Goodtime III. Tue 6/18.
* Paul Kovac’s Big Grass Band hosts a bluegrass lecture/demo at The Music Settlement in Ohio City. Wed 6/19.
* The North Coast Men’s Chorus will be on fire for its “Burn, Baby, Burn” concerts at JCU. Sat 6/15 & Sun 6/16.
* Cleveland singer/songwriter/guitarists Diane Chittester and Marc Lee Shannon co-headline at Akron’s Rialto Theatre. Fri 6/14.
Read more picks by Anastasia Pantsios here
Ohio Light Opera Brightens The Summer
See the best of the musical theater tradition at Ohio Light Opera’s 41st festival season, 6/15 thru 8/10 at the College of Wooster’s Freedlander Theatre. The season opens on Sat 6/15 with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, followed by George & Ira Gershwin’s Girl Crazy, opening on 6/20, then Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, opening on 6/27, then Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, opening on 7/3, and Jerome Kern & Oscar Hammerstein II’s Music in the Air, opening on 7/11, and Emmerich Kalman’s The Devil’s Rider, opening on 7/17, then Ivor Novello’s Perchance to Dream, opening on 7/24.
All 7 musicals are performed in English with full orchestra and run in rotating rep thru August 10. Order your tickets today! Call 330-263-2345 or visit OhioLightOpera.org for a complete schedule, season brochure, and secure online ticketing here.
Come join a panel of local experts in a discussion of how transportation options have affected the city’s growth and what options exist for the future, at the Transformer Station in Ohio City.
* Six authors talk about their adoption/foster experiences at Adoption Network benefit at the Music Box.
* Wade Oval Wednesdays kick off tonight with Councilman Kevin Conwell & his R&B/Motown band Footprints.
Click here for more events on Wed 6/12
One of the area’s more unusual festivals, the Avon Heritage Duck Tape Festival offers (in addition to the usual food, rides and live music) the chance to show off costumes, floats and sculptures made from a colorful variety of tapes made by the Avon-based manufacturer.
* Dance/USA holds its national conference at Playhouse Square this week; tonight it showcases ten local ensembles at the State Theatre.
* California roots-pop band Front Country returns to Oberlin’s Riverdog Barn.
* Young Chicago-bred jazz trumpeter Marquis Hill brings his Blacktet to the BOP STOP.
* Cleveland Public Theatre’s DanceWorks concludes this week with three performances by Indian ensemble Shri Kalaa Mandir and the two-year-old Terra Dance Collective, through Sat 6/15.
* Sprawling musical saga Ragtime opens at Cain Park’s Alma Theatre, running through Sun 6/30.
Click here for more events on Thu 6/13
Dancing Wheels’ Reverse* Reoot* Reveal* annual gala at the Allen Theatre features not only their unique mix of wheelchair and “stand-up” dancers, but new works by choreographers with disabilities.
* Cross-country bicyclist Chris Register signs his book about his adventures at Visible Voice Books.
* Come to a free public preview of the new Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre in Riverfront Park, whose first concert is tomorrow night.
* Retired Cle Orchestra Assistant Concertmaster Yoko Moore plats EYEJ “For the Love of Humanity” benefit in Shaker Heights.
* Lakewood dedicates upgraded Cove Park with a ribbon-cutting and special community activities.
* Hudson Art Hop focuses on nature- and garden-related art this month.
* Vermilion Festival of the Fish celebrates life on the waterfront. Through Sun 6/16.
* The East Cleveland Library honors Juneteenth with a forum today, a cookout tomorrow and a banquet & talent showcase Sunday.
* Kaia Kater showcases her Canadian/Grenadian/Appalachian musical influences at Peninsula’s G.A.R. Hall.
* Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Camp students and faculty perform at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Click here for more events on Fri 6/14
Thousands of mini-lanterns, bearing messages written by attendees, will float for a few hours in the water off Voinovich Park during the Water Lantern Festival.
* Join the Doan Brook Partnership for some “Lake Erie Starts Here” storm drain stenciling.
* History on Tap at the Western Reserve Historical Society will uncork architecture and cocktails.
* African-American Cultural Garden celebrates Juneteenth with food, performers, vendors & free books for kids.
* BAYarts Art + Music Festival offers a day of outdoor family fun on its beautiful campus.
* Singer/songwriter Griffin House performs in Peninsula at G.A.R. Hall.
* The 10th annual Hooley at Kamm’s Corners showcases Irish culture and more at this family-friendly event.
* Naeve Trio plays music by women composers at Praxis Fiber gallery.
Click here for more events on Sat 6/15
If Dad’s a car fancier, the place to be on Father’s Day is Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, which holds its its 62nd annual Classic, Antique & Collector Car Show today. In addition to 400 vintage cars, there are activities for kids and other family members not so enthralled with vehicles.
* Baseball Heritage Museum offers free hot dogs, games, storytelling & an appearance by the Hot Dog mascots at Dogs for Dad.
* Skatch Andersson Orchestra evokes the Big Band era at the BOP STOP.
Click here for more events on Sun 6/16
With Xtinguish Torchfest, celebrating the rebirth of the Cuyahoga River, kicking off Wednesday, Ojibwe elder Sharon Day gets a head start, leading a Sacred River Walk starting at the driver’s headwaters today and ending Thursday at its mouth at Lake Erie. You can follow her group’s progress with an online map.
Click here for more events on Mon 6/17
The cast of Cain Park’s Ragtime performs an evening at Nighttown, honoring the show’s composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Aherns, who also wrote the songs for Seussical, Anastasia, My Favorite Year and Once on This Island.
* The Capitol Theatre’s Pride film series screens documentary about three transgender teen athletes.
Click here for more events on Tue 6/18
While public defenders represent low-income people charged with crimes, the Legal Aid Society helps them with more mundane but impactful civil issues such as landlord & employer disputes. Jam for Justice at the House of Blues helps fund this important work to assure that justice isn’t just for the wealthy.
Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com
Looking for Blight in All the Wrong Places
Among the claims Cleveland’s Ward 4 councilman Ken Johnson has made to justify claiming the maximum allowable amount each month for expenses is that he’s driving around his ward looking for abandoned homes that need attention. He claimed to have driven 625 to inspect homes in a ward that’s two miles wide at its widest point.
Our columnist C. Ellen Connally, who lives in Ward 4, decided to personally inspect some of these blighted homes. “I discovered five houses within .3 of a mile of the councilman’s back yard with a total tax delinquency of $233,787.62,” she says. “It took less than an hour to find and I drove less than a mile.”
Setting Policy
The recent analysis on local black leadership (or lack thereof) entitled “Missing in Action,” published by PolicyBridge, a black think tank, takes a deep dive into the myriad ills affecting Cleveland’s black community and offers up a slate of potential solutions. The report focuses on the fairly recent past but the problems within black communities go back much further. By 1903 W.E.B. Du Bois recognized that we had a problem and wrote…
Read other stories from Mansfield Frazier here
A look back at the last week
Submit your own review or commentary to Events@CoolCleveland.com
THEATER REVIEW: King Lear @ Beck Center by Laura Kennelly
BOOK REVIEW: Hot Type, Cold Beer and Bad News: A Cleveland Reporter’s Journey Through the 1960s by Michael D. Roberts, reviewed by Mansfield Frazier
Read and comment here: http://www.coolcleveland.com/blog
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Letters@CoolCleveland.com
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Deaffest 72 Hour Film Challenge
Is it possible to make a short mockumentary about Deaffest 2016 in 72 hours??
Meet the team ‘Oh Sugar!’ Production who will be taking up the challenge! The filming will be taking place throughout the festival weekend. The project will be overseen by Producers Jack Smallwood and Matthew Shaw. All the best of luck to the team! Keep an eye on our website for the completed film, which we will reveal after Deaffest.
Name: Abdulrahman Mustafa
What do you do at the moment? I’m currently in my final year of studying Video and Film Production. Recently I made a film called “Forgiveness ” which I both directed and wrote the screenplay for.
How are you involved in the project? My main role is Director of Photography but I will also do a bit of acting in the documentary. I am really excited and am looking forward to creating a documentary which allows me to play with different styles of cinematography.
What do you hope to achieve with the project? I hope our documentary will capture the audience’s interest. I aim to make this documentary a bit dramatic, with elements of creative drama and comedy.
Do you have a favourite comedy film? It is difficult to choose one, but if I had to pick it would be ‘If I Don’t Lose, I’ll Lose’.
Name: Michael Ward
What do you do at the moment? I work at Cadbury’s World as an Exhibition Animation Host and BSL host for deaf visitors. In my spare time, I do freelance animation work .
How are you involved in the project? I was involved in the Deaffest media team last year and wanted to work with them again this year, so I was definitely up for the 72 hour challenge! My role in the project will be as an Editor and I will also be doing some camera work.
What do you hope to achieve with the project? I hope to actually fulfil the brief and make this documentary in 72 hours. I look forward to working as part of a team, sharing our passion for filmmaking and gaining recognition for our skills.
Do you have a favourite comedy film? It has to be both ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ and ‘Airplane’.
Name: Phoebe Capewell
What do you do at the moment? I’m currently a first year student at Birmingham City University, studying Visual Communication: Film and Animation BA (Hons).
How are you involved in the project? I am the main Editor in the project and will be a part-time camera operator.
What do you hope to achieve with the project? I hope to create an inspiring and creative visual story that reflects on what goes on at Deaffest. I aim to demonstrate my talents to the public and to be able to encourage more people to get involved in the media industry because it’s so much fun!
Do you have a favourite comedy film? My all time favourite comedy has got to be Dumb and Dumber. I watched this for the first time when I was very young and it’s been my absolute favourite ever since.
Name: Rosie Benn
What do you do at the moment? I am studying Video and Film Production at the University of Wolverhampton. I’m in my second year of the 3-year course and I am also a freelance filmmaker.
How are you involved in the project? I am the Director of this exciting new project. It will be different from previous years and although it will be a challenging task , I know for sure I am going to enjoy it!
What do you hope to achieve with the project? I hope to establish excellent communication and good teamwork, both are absolutely vital to achieving a good result.
Do you have a favourite comedy film? The Notebook.
Name: Timothy Perera
What do you do at the moment? I am studying Video and Film Production and I’m now in my final year. I’ve worked on getting more practical filming experience to develop my talents both in the University of Wolverhampton where I study and outside as well.
How are you involved in the project? My involvement in this project is as Production Manager which means I keep in touch with the crew to ensure they have everything they need in pre-production, production and post-production. My other role is as a camera operator, I like to use the camera to catch interesting details on film especially for documentaries and when I’m filming a drama scene I like to capture what the script or director’s vision is.
What do you hope to achieve with the project? I would like to give people the opportunity to see my work and hopefully build my career from this project.
Do you have a favourite comedy film? ‘A Fish Called Wanda’.
Name: William Horsefield
What do you do at the moment? I’m studying Video and Film Production and am in my first year at University of Wolverhampton. If you ask me what I am doing in my free time, I sleep all day because my assignments drain a lot of energy out of me!
How are you involved in the project? My role is VFX artist/graphic designer so I have to make the visual effects and animation look like magic. I’ll be responsible for the design and visual concept of the film, for example, the Deaffest logo.
What do you hope to achieve with the project? I hope that we can beat the 72 hour film challenge- that will be an achievement!
Do you have a favourite comedy film? ‘Big Momma’s House’.
Name: Zoe Romer
What do you do at the moment? I have been working in television production for the last 13 years, working freelance for the last 8 years. I work mostly in the television gallery covering a number of roles including Director, Vision Mixer, EVS operator and Graphics Operator on programmes including Good Morning Britain, The Lorraine Show, This Morning and At The Races.
How are you involved in the project? I am the Script Supervisor- overseeing the script to see if any improvements are needed, giving advice to make sure the script is clear and providing an understanding of documentary making. Also, I will be a mentor to the crew to support them, share ideas and share my experiences with them in order to encourage them.
What do you hope to achieve with the project? I am currently learning BSL and have my NVQ Level 3. I am hoping that working at Deaffest will improve my signing skills!
Do you have a favourite comedy film? This is a difficult question! It is hard to pick just one so I have picked three! ‘Napoleon Dynamite’, ‘Zoolander ‘and ‘Love, Honour and Obey’.
Posted by Deaffest on April 28, 2016 in Uncategorized.
UK's Leading Deaf-Led Film and Arts Festival
View all posts by Deaffest »
Deaffest 2016 Mockumentary - ZEBRA UNO says:
[…] answer was yes! Jack and Matthew both became Producers and led the ‘Oh Sugar!’ team over the Deaffest weekend to complete their mockumentary short film, which you can view […]
Leave a Reply to Deaffest 2016 Mockumentary - ZEBRA UNO Cancel reply
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Amazon will reveal its video streaming set-top box next week [Rumor]
By Enrique Manalang - March 29, 2014 - 2 comments Email article | Print article
Media outlets have begun receiving invitations from Amazon for event where the company will announce an “update for our video business.” The event is set to take place 11:00AM ET in New York, and the company is widely expected to announce a video streaming set-top box to compete with the likes of Google’s Chromecast, the Roku and the Apple TV.
Previous rumors have said that the box would run a forked version of Android, meaning it wouldn’t have access to some Google apps and more importantly, the Google Play Store. It wouldn’t be surprising if this particular piece of information turned out to be right, as the company already employs a similar strategy with its Kindle Fire tablets — buy an Amazon device, and buy all of its content from Amazon’s storefront as well.
Another interesting rumor that popped up recently is that Amazon will be making a major push into gaming in the living room with its box. The company acquired Double Helix, a developer that has recently released two well-received titles, presumably to bolster Amazon’s original content for its theoretical gaming console. A controller with Amazon branding was also leaked.
Either way, it won’t be much longer now before we find out if any of these rumors were right. Look below for the invitation that Amazon sent out:
[via The Verge]
TagsAmazon Apple TV news Roku Rumor service Set-Top Box Streaming Video
About Enrique Manalang
Enrique brings you your tech news on dotTech. When he isn't writing, you'll find him playing video games or traveling. You can find him on Twitter at @enriquemanalang.
View all posts by Enrique Manalang →
Symantec admits anti-virus software is no longer effective at stopping virus attacks
Paperfold is an experimental smartphone that folds into three
Sony stores 185 TB of data on a cassette tape
Special new type of paint changes color when touched
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Islamic Fundamentalism is Political Islam, says a Muslim Feminist
June 4, 2015 by dinobeano
by Shafiqah Othman Hamzah@www.themalaymailonline.com
“Muslim fundamentalism is an ideology which stands against choice, hope, change, and humanity. Islamism is a danger for the Muslim population. It is a danger for us.”
So what is Islamism and Muslim fundamentalism? These two terms are often interchangeable and most times mean the same thing. We see it being used a lot, but what does it really mean?
Marieme Hélie-Lucas, Algerian sociologist and founder of Women Living Under Muslim Laws, described fundamentalisms generally as “political movements of the extreme right which in a context of globalisation… manipulate religion… in order to achieve political aims.”
Now that we have established the meaning of fundamentalism, it is important to now understand that Islamist movements are primarily political, not spiritual. So if you think that their aim is to guide you to the “right path”, think again.
Islamism is a type of Islam that uses religion as an ideology to create a totalitarian political platform, which means creating a centralised government that does not tolerate parties of differing opinion. This kind of rule exercises dictatorial control over many aspects of life, including the will or thought of the people of its nation.
To fundamentalists, their social model is the only one that can exist, it is the “absolute truth”.The most common line you’d hear from a fundamentalist would be, “This is Islam, and you cannot question it!”
They deny the possibility of interpretation and reinterpretation, even though their adherents have been a part of it for centuries. I mean, how else could you explain the emergence of the different schools of thought?
Fundamentalists embrace absolutism and refuse to accept questioning, insisting on a monolithic system of Islam based on their beliefs, and prosecuting you for thinking against their conventional thoughts.
Islamists denounce secularists, often painting those who support secularism as anti-religion. They are against an ideology that promotes religious harmony because they wish to govern the state under their own rules, in this case, “Islamic rules”.
In a Muslim-majority country, what easier way to make people succumb to you than by using religion as a tool to garner support? Fundamentalists aim to bring political religion into all spheres of life. They will police, judge and change anyone that is Muslim into their monolithic system. Sometimes even going overboard and demanding non-Muslims to conform.
A lot of times, they aim sharply at women’s rights, policing and restricting our clothes, speech, and career, but this is usually bolstered with the soothing language of respect and protection. No doubt, there are women fundamentalists who advocate for these movements, but usually they don’t realise that they do so at the expense of other women as well.
Most people associate Islamism and Muslim fundamentalism with violence, advances that are physical. But there is one type of fundamentalism that is just as deadly, and that fundamentalism is given the term “diffused fundamentalism.” This kind of fundamentalism is naturalised into your daily lives, and most times we don’t even realise it.
They are absorbed and then spread through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, the internet, television, radio, sermons and word of mouth. A lot of times, they are being spread as forms of entertainment. Shows on who is a good Muslim or who is not, talk shows in which you can enquire about what kind of sex you can have with your spouse and still “be a good Muslim”, pronouncements (with a little bit of humour added in) on how to talk, walk, dress, eat, sleep and all the little things you do in your daily lives.
This fundamentalism is invisible in its pervasiveness and that’s what makes it so dangerous. Once absorbed and socially accepted, they become hard to combat and overturned. Diffused fundamentalism has essentially taken the beautiful and aesthetic religion that I grew up with, and turned it into a series of bodily functions.
Diffused Muslim fundamentalism is dangerous because it is the seed that supports the growth of a society that condones violence and discrimination. It is the seed that sprouts the mentality that excuses the actions of Islamist groups such as ISIS, the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram. It is the seed where it all begins.
Any kind of fundamentalism creates an oppressive environment. That, we all know. It’s not rocket science. After everything that we have seen so far, in the news and media, are we falling into religious fundamentalism?
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/shafiqah-othman-hamzah/article/are-we-falling-into-religious-fundamentalism#sthash.PygLugue.IdEiJqpy.dpuf
This entry was posted in civil society issues, Democracy, Freedom, Hudud, Human Rights, Islam Malaysia, PAS, Politics, Religion, Security, Terrorism, UMNO. Bookmark the permalink.
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25 thoughts on “Islamic Fundamentalism is Political Islam, says a Muslim Feminist”
dinobeano says: June 4, 2015 at 10:58 am
The pictures on this thread tell it all. They are terrorists, mentally deranged individuals and dummies who act in the name of Islam. Islamic fundamentalism is political islam. It is not my Faith which is one of compassion, respect for the dignity of difference, love of knowledge and peace among man.–Din Merican
Agong says: June 4, 2015 at 11:31 am
Yes all is correct but we forget basic principal of Islam all Muslims are brothers. See when prophet migrated the people of Madinah shared every thing including property,wealth servants.What is happening now confirms that Muslims are hypocrites. There are 10 to 15 thousand Muslims from Myanmar asking for help but the whole Muslim world has closed its eyes to this. What have we have learned from Islam?
We have become selfish and indifferent, lacking in compassion.–Din Merican
maae says: June 4, 2015 at 1:22 pm
Islam called it nafs(nafsu). There are seven stages. Nafs is closed to satan if muslims fail to adopt true Islam. Simply “Wali Setan” that was prevailed in Al Quran. Allah already warned the muslims !
Islam is not a common sense.
Well so much so, one’s own discretion. Islamophobhia, who created it?
When we search for fairness, logical and progressive thinking, this article by the writer must be balanced too, in the perspective of moderate Islam, lots of them in the whole world.
I don’t expect any good comments about Islam. Its like having a beer party and in same time do the solat ! Why, I still believe in my God ! He..he..
lawrenceab says: June 4, 2015 at 1:31 pm
I would sincerely like to be convinced of Islam as a faith of “compassion, respect for the dignity of difference, love of knowledge and peace among men”, as Dato’ eloquently states. With well over a billion Muslims on earth, we must all pray this interpretation prevails.
However, the terrible problems besetting Islam today are not caused by erroneous interpretations recently conveyed by alien space ship to earth. The justifications lie right there in the Koran. ISIS, for one, is meticulous at quoting scripture for every one of its acts.
Are these doctrines wrong or is violence embedded in gthe DNA of the religion? Remember the Prophet Mohamed is the only founder of a world religion who charged into battle to chop his enemies’ heads off. Of the four ‘right-minded caliphs’ who succeeded him, three were murdered usually by family members. Can one imagine the reaction if Jesus Christ’s disciples had started murdering each other?! It is unthinkable.
The fact is, you don’t expand all over a large part of Asia and Europe without doing a lot of killing. Both the Koran and Hadiths contain a long list of violent punishments authorized. If then, Muslims today are convinced that the Koran needs reinterpretation, does it not behoove such Muslims to speak out?
I don’t mean speak out in principle, expressing shock at the ongoing horrors of massacring schoolchildren, crucifying Christians etc. I mean real practical campaigns against the powers of darkness that hold sway over their religion. Which Malay leader for example is prepared to stand up and demand Saudi Arabia be divested of its role as Guardian of the Holy Places? Not a squeak, you may be sure. Yet how can any peaceful Muslim reconcile Saudi leadership in islam with any belief in compassion and peace?? This appalling, barbarous regime, that has deliberately destroyed so much of historical Mecca by order of its Wahhabi clerics, beheads its citizens wholesale. They are on track for a record 2015, having beheaded 85 people so far this year, not to mention several crucifixions, and recently placed advertisements for 8 new executioners. When Saudi extremists blasted themselves and Shia worshippers in their mosques to smithereens a few days ago in the Eastern Province, the police chief arriving on the scene was captured on video pronouncing “God rest his soul”. He meant the suicide-bomber’s soul, for what he had done, not the souls of the victims. That is how perverted these people are.
It will be easier to believe in Islam as a religion of peace when Muslims everywhere stand up and firmly denounce this poisonous well infecting Islam world wide. But I am not holding my breath.
by the way, a question, not a loaded one, just curious? Why do we almost never hear of Shia suicide bomber outrages, blowing up Sunni mosques + worshippers they disapprove of, or of Shias putting a bullet into a school girl’s head, massacring school kids wholesale, beheading non-Shias, trying to blow up the London underground, etc? The Iranian cleric-run regime does not sound like a lot of fun, but Shia behaviour does seem quite a lot more civilized than that of many Sunnis. On average they would make less dangerous neighbors, methinks.
Nora says: June 4, 2015 at 3:00 pm
Disagree with her interpretation of Islam foundamentalist. You really must have strong knowledge in Islam in order to appreciated the beauty of Islam.
I am sure she don’t even know what is rukun Islam and Rukun Imam.
We need more Muslim like Tariq Ramadhan. Or Syed Naquib al Attas.
vic says: June 4, 2015 at 3:41 pm
Nora, it sound like you are the person with strong knowledge in Islam. How about expounding rukum Islam and Rukun Imam in layman term. I would like to appreciate the beauty of Islam as you so interprets.
sotong says: June 4, 2015 at 5:27 pm
Islam is used by some Malay/Muslim ‘ leaders ‘ as a cover up for discrimination, intolerance, prejudices, corruption, gross mismanagement and etc..
Freedom of religion is a fundamental underpinning any modern, progressive and civilised society.
Religious fundamentalism, extremism and terrorism are sickness……….you got to start the process of recovering before it is too late and harmful and dangerous to yourself, family, community and society.
Wayne says: June 4, 2015 at 5:41 pm
Quote:- “compassion, respect for the dignity of difference, love of knowledge and peace among man”
You don’t need any religion to achieve these.
In fact throughout human history, religion has achieved the exact opposites.
Bernard says: June 4, 2015 at 5:44 pm
I much prefer not to comment on Islamic issues even though a third of my extended family are not just Muslims but really Muslims who adhere to all Muslim practises. But that last comment from Nora changed my mind. To suggest that one must have strong knowledge on Islam in order to appreciate the beauty of Islam is absurd.
My knowledge of Islam is at best just elementary but still I appreciate the beauty of that faith. What I just cannot comprehend is the way Islam is being interpreted to meet aims of our politicians. UMNO and PAS leaders are the biggest corruptors of this beautiful religion. And PAS’s policy to introduce hudud regardless of how other Muslims and non Muslims feel show their utter contempt for their fellow Malaysians. There is no country in the world that has implemented hudud successfully. And pray tell how many Islamic countries have prospered in modern times? Even that guardian of Islam’s holiest sites have a brand of Islam which is not acceptable by a third of the world’s Shites Muslims.
No wonder we have this disastrous state of affairs in the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia. No, it is not education that we need but compassion not just for fellow Muslims and other humans. Leaders of Islam should have a long hard look at the way Islam is perceived by the wider world and then work to improve that image. Islam is indeed a beautiful religion but there is work to be done.
” In God We Trust” – which country pronounced this ?
Why don’t they exclude religion or faith or believe in such worldly order?
Conrad says: June 4, 2015 at 8:09 pm
I don’t think the author of this piece defined fundamentalism and Islamism in any way that differentiates between the two. In most of the world Islam is political except where it isn’t.
And in these places it isn’t, it’s not because it has been replaced by another Religion but because it (as all religions) is constrained by secular ideologies.
Quote:- “Islam is indeed a beautiful religion”
Anyone here please explain to me how “Islam is indeed a beautiful religion”?
This beautiful word “beautiful” has been haphazardly thrown around as though it is self-evidently so. It is not self-evidently so.
bigjoe99 says: June 4, 2015 at 9:07 pm
Here is a suggestion – turn the entire Islamic world over to women and see what happens.. It can’t be worst than it is now..
fabulouscg says: June 4, 2015 at 10:57 pm
Din, the blog you follow at number four is interesting…
That is computer generated. I will ask the IT boys at the University to delete it. –Din Merican
Shiou says: June 5, 2015 at 12:19 am
When my Chinese grandparents newly resided in Malaya in 1930, they gave away two daughters and one son to other families out of desperation and superstition. The son went to a Chinese family. My father, who was the only son retained by my grandparents, told me the reason to give the daughters to Malay families was because Malay families were more likely to treat girls humanely and with love than the contemporary Chinese families. This story was retold multiple times within our family giving us a compassionate image of traditional Kampong Malays. My Chinese Malaysian part of the family have just attended the Malay-Chinese Malaysian forth generation’s wedding last week.
I think when Din mentions about his faith of of compassion, respect for the dignity of difference, love of knowledge and peace among man, I think he referred to those Kampong Malays who one time subscribed to traditional Islam (The traditionalists), prior to revival of fundamentalists in 1970. Traditional Islam is Islam as what is adapted as seen fit in the local environment. The fundamentalism is a “reform” back to 7th century’s desert culture.
maae, when good deed was done, it will be cherished for a long long time.
Conrad says: June 5, 2015 at 12:33 am
Oh but they do :
“In God we trust” as a national motto and on U.S. currency has been the subject of numerous unsuccessful lawsuits.[30] The motto was first challenged in Aronow v. United States in 1970, but the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled: “It is quite obvious that the national motto and the slogan on coinage and currency ‘In God We Trust’ has nothing whatsoever to do with the establishment of religion. Its use is of patriotic or ceremonial character and bears no true resemblance to a governmental sponsorship of a religious exercise.”[31] The decision was cited in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, a 2004 case on the Pledge of Allegiance. These acts of “ceremonial deism” are “protected from Establishment Clause scrutiny chiefly because they have lost through rote repetition any significant religious content.”[32] In Zorach v. Clauson (1952), the Supreme Court also held that the nation’s “institutions presuppose a Supreme Being” and that government recognition of God does not constitute the establishment of a state church as the Constitution’s authors intended to prohibit.[33] – Wikipedia (I know but it was an easy cite to make)
lawrenceab says: June 5, 2015 at 12:42 am
Shiou, that is an valuable insight, thank you. The peoples of Malaysia and Indonesia (kecuali Aceh) seem by and large to have distilled the best out of Islam and tempered its original aggression with the humaneness and courtesy that are (were) so natural here. The wave of Saudi oil money-fuelled intolerance that has washed through the region since the 70s has been an unmitigated disaster
Phua Kai Lit says: June 5, 2015 at 7:47 am
Religious extremism is also a threat to public health:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32996624
Turkey under AKP Islamist rule (including criticisms that it is becoming
increasingly authoritarian):
sotong says: June 5, 2015 at 9:28 am
Malays have 2 extremes – the good very good and the bad very bad.
If you truly know the Malays, as most are extremely political, you will realise even the Malays do not trust each other…..to unite them for narrow, divisive and damaging political purposes, they create imaginary ‘ enemies ‘ to hold on to power at all cost.
Religion, let alone race, is irresponsibly used as a political weapon to bully, intimidate, threaten and etc….. destroying unity and harmony essential to a multi racial and religious country which would eventually lead to violence.
After decades of corrupt political leadership and gross mismanagement, you cannot even trust them with your cat.
looes74 says: June 5, 2015 at 9:29 pm
With all the ular2mak winning the PAS election, expect more of this
The says: June 8, 2015 at 2:00 pm
/// lawrenceab June 4, 2015 at 1:31 pm
Are these doctrines wrong or is violence embedded in gthe DNA of the religion? Remember the Prophet Mohamed is the only founder of a world religion who charged into battle to chop his enemies’ heads off. Of the four ‘right-minded caliphs’ who succeeded him, three were murdered usually by family members. Can one imagine the reaction if Jesus Christ’s disciples had started murdering each other?! It is unthinkable. ///
lawrenceab, you don’t have to imagine – it happened. The Protestants and Catholics in Ireland are butchering each other for decades and are still at it.
Yes, it is embedded in the religious text. Go and read the Old Testament and you can find all the gory details.
Abnizar says: June 11, 2015 at 9:55 am
Your short comment on 4th June, dinobeano is Sublime……we should’nt allow ignorant people to hijack the pristine value of a religion, any religion….
Abnizar says: June 28, 2015 at 11:59 am
( Belatedly, my PC got botched….) –
Whatever one’s religious belief does not matter : nafsi-nafsi…..
A short verse repeatedly revealed by Prophet Muhammad in the Quran , as an Edict from Al’ Mighty :
‘ HEAVEN LIES AT THE FEET OF MOTHERS ‘ ,
So, people of all Faiths , be mindful of this injunction, It is highly accountable come Judgement day…. , it does not matter what belief system one adheres to…
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Should Najib resign?
July 11, 2015 by dinobeano
by Hafidz Baharom
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
Personally, yes. He has tarnished the office of Prime minister with his continued failure in doing the one thing he had to do: lead. And quite frankly, I would rather he do so before succumbing to his “media triggered” depression, letting this country fall further into economic ruin and then promoting a “Twinkie defence”. Or, before he calls for martial law.
So respectfully, it is time to clock out, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. And I’ll tell you why? In fact, I’ll write it out. The recent exposé by The Wall Street Journal has eroded whatever little confidence I have in the Prime Minister’s government, but I doubt his die-hard fans are quite in that position yet.
These are probably the same people who think the Titanic was an unsinkable ship that did not sink. Or to use Monty Python, still believe the parrot isn’t dead and is just “pining for the fjords”. Malaysians are a sarcastic and humorous people who have recently been able to channel this – directly or indirectly – through social media.
And with the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) public relations quagmire and the currently happening probe into how the Prime Minister had millions (or billions) placed into his personal accounts, the authorities have taken measures to try and keep this “parrot” alive through any means necessary.
Let us look at what is being suggested by these – for a lack of a better word – morons. First we have the conspiracy theorists, which include the Prime Minister himself. Initially, he had accused former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of conspiring against him with the foreign press. When this was too ridiculous for the press to buy, or even the general public, he moved on to saying that the Dow Jones was conspiring to topple his government.
While there is a task force which is investigating these allegations, our Attorney-General found it necessary to task the police to look for who leaked the documents, even without first confirming that these documents were real or faked.
You read right. Insofar as the scandal has surfaced, the documents have been branded as “tampered documents” without any proof or revelation of the authentic ones from the parties involved. Why? Is it because the documents are classified under the Official Secrets Act, perhaps? And yet, a task force was established to investigate these allegations by an American newspaper based on these documents, and the Prime Minister is mulling action against the paper.
Personally, I would like to see this in court simply to see our Prime Minister take the stand and have the government prove that the documents released were not real, untampered and untrue. It would allow the Sarawak Report, The Edge and The Malaysian Insider to then sue the Malaysian government for defamation and be vindicated.
Also, since the Journal is not published in Malaysia, it is outside the jurisdiction of the Royal Malaysian Police. In fact, can the Police actually take action against the Journal in any way or form since it is published and read online?
I sincerely doubt it. I’m guessing it is the same reason both Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s Malaysia Today and Clare Rewcastle Brown’s Sarawak Report are based beyond our borders. Perhaps our internet regulator will consider adding both websites in their Green Wall list – a list of websites inaccessible to the Malaysian public.
Speaking of which, we had a regulator weigh in saying that spreading false news on 1MDB was punishable by law. The Malaysian Commission for Multimedia and Communication (MCMC) found it necessary to even post this on Facebook.
Pro-government supporters are even considering the shutdown of the social network for nothing more than allowing Malaysians their right in expressing their views in the most hilarious and sarcastic ways possible – something that was guaranteed when we were granted Multimedia Supper-corridor (MSC) status.
Even going so far as to say it would make Malaysians more “productive”. Perhaps they would be so kind to practice what they preach and do so themselves, to set examples for the rest of us.
Of course, the typical UMNO leaders have also weighed in by saying that this is a foreign, Jewish conspiracy, but that is so overplayed by this government and its supporters that it rings on deaf ears. And then we have a leader of a bank who insisted on voicing his dissatisfaction and questioning the authenticity of the documents on social media, being shared by pro-government factions and being proven wrong. Sadly, his recant was not shared with the same enthusiasm as his calling the Journal stupid.
And he’s now being investigated by his employers, a move that I also do not support. We must not stifle anyone’s ability to express their thoughts on social media, and we should know where to draw the line between our individual and our jobs in the realm of social networks. For many reasons, this has been blurred drastically in the last decade when employers, the authorities and even insurance companies decided it a valid source of information.Even journalism has taken entries on Facebook as a source of news, as experienced by a fellow The Malaysian Insider columnist.
But all this makes it necessary for us to question a few things. Primarily, our government has embarrassed itself through its inability to follow up on former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s promise for reform towards transparency, especially in the case of 1MDB.
Instead of allowing Malaysians and its stakeholders to openly view the wheeling and dealings of this company under the Ministry of Finance, the company chose to shun the press to the point of refusing to even allow reporters covering them from viewing their pitch at property events.
Even the Pime Minister himself destroyed his credibility in the court of public opinion. From being too fast on the draw during Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s guilty verdict, his “golf diplomacy” trip to Hawaii during the worst flood since 1971, the insistence on flying to the Middle East during earthquakes in Sabah, yet the quick draw ability to comment on “gay parades” and 24-hour eateries callously shows his failure in setting priorities for a country.
Adding on to this was his no-show from the ironically named “Nothing2Hide” closed door forum, his insistence on continued sniping instead of a face to face session with Mahathir, the MARA scandal and even the continued hiring of people to help his faltering public image.
All I can say is, this government was led by an ineffecive leader and an even worse a Cabinet that has led to the exhaustion of their political capital built up in the past 60 years, all spent up in the last decade. But don’t take my word for it. Let us wait for Merdeka Center to conduct their poll. Better yet, take a look at the Edelman Trust Barometer. In 2012, the Malaysian government scored 52%. In 2015, that number went down to 45%.
Erosion of trust, inability to defend the nation, an ineffective cabinet of dunces, a public persona of ridicule and allegations of underhanded dealings and nepotism, and more importantly, bankrupting the ruling party’s political capital, all of which have been highlighted by both government and alternative media.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged 1MDB Financial Scandal, Civil Society Issues, corruption, Governance, leadership, Najib Tun Razak, Politics, UMNO. Bookmark the permalink.
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24 thoughts on “Should Najib resign?”
dinobeano says: July 11, 2015 at 6:21 pm
Why ask this question? He must resign, but he won’t. Keep yelling till the cows come home. Both his Cabinet and UMNO will not stand up against him. The Speaker will blog any no confidence motion in Dewan Rakyat. –Din Merican
looes74 says: July 11, 2015 at 6:46 pm
Din,
We should ask John Malott what Americans did when Nixon refused to hand over teh audio tapes. And instead sack Aechibald Cox that precipitates the call for Nixon’s impeachment
Najib still thinks that he is Ronald Reagan
Tony Eu says: July 11, 2015 at 7:05 pm
He should be sacked and punished for all his crimes. Best hang him.
Phua Kai LIt says: July 11, 2015 at 7:06 pm
RPK ? This guy has as much (or as little) credibility as the 1PM.
Sarawak Report responds to RPK’s attacks on Clare Rewcastle Brown:
“RPK, the author of this material, lives in the UK.
He has taken quite a bit of hospitality from his present target, which could be ill-afforded on the limited budget of our radio project RFS at the time.
He therefore knows that ‘Clare’ lives in the same 4th floor flat (no lift) that she moved into after getting married 20 years ago.
So much for this “life-style change’.
The cost in 1992 was £162,000 and that has now boosted to the “multi-million” current estimate of around £1.6m.
Malaysian money is involved – to the extent that the country’s exported billions have been inflating prices in London’s property market.
The budget for Radio Free Sarawak comes from a foundation that focuses on rainforest issues in Europe and also from donations from the public.
‘Clare’ gets some freelance journalism and consultancy fees, which over the past decade have registered below the UK tax threshold.
Travel expenses are carried by the budget for the not for profit Radio Free Sarawak, which she also manages.
So, investigate away RPK and of course the estimable ‘Winifred Poh’.
By the way, how come you got such a flash new BMW right after you spun on your axis and went from supporting reformasi to being the pet barking dog for Najib Razak?”
Frank says: July 11, 2015 at 7:07 pm
RESIGN ??
If you ask those UMNO morons, especially those in cabinet, the meaning of that word is:
“Resign = To sign again, ie signing a person’s signature one more time at the bottom of a letter”
Even that Oxford upstart will tell you the same thing.
Hahahahaha……When Najib did it, it’s not illegal………Hahahaha!
sial says: July 11, 2015 at 7:22 pm
Yes , it is best that he resigns , but if this means the devil incarnate returns as the proxy prime minister – then i think not .
So a better path maybe to have the whole cabinet resign and have tengku Razeligh act as prime minister for an interim period after which an election should be called .
But NEVER the devil incarnate again.
TrisTan says: July 11, 2015 at 7:37 pm
As I’ve commented elsewhere, the regime and its parasitic supporters have too much to lose to even consider getting off the carousel in the three-ring circus they run.
There are literally billions at stake in illicit funds stashed here and in foreign lands, there are millions of incriminating documents in all the GLCs, the Civil Service, the Armed Forces etc – documents that will prove the systematic swindling and pillaging that have taken place across the board for six decades …and there are limitless opportunities to steal and launder more in the years to come.
UMNO and its partners in crime (read BN) have used this country as their ATM to enrich themselves and their cronies in the Civil Service, the judiciary and the Armed Forces without any fear of being brought to justice. Najib’s ‘you help me, I help you’ has always been the operating credo – a fact borne out by its most recent manifestation, the Task Force and before that, the great Altantuya Whitewash.
So should these fellows be allowed to simply step aside to enjoy their unholy gains? Wouldn’t a perfunctory resignation result in the reading of a “lets forgive, forget and move on” script?
No. Everyone of them should be charged and tried in courts truly transformed by the inclusion of men and women of unimpeachable integrity. The guilty should be made examples for the generations to come.
Only then will the country be cleansed of this terrible stain.
For that to happen however, increasingly greater numbers of honorable men and women need to step up and be heard. The collective voice of an outraged population will eventually enable the change. It will happen… as it has in many nations ruled by the corrupt and eminently contemptible.
Tris,
Slush Fund…….hahahahaha! Meanwhile, this is indeed very funny. I bet Hisham Rais would do something similar on Najib
I wonder if there were any Malaysia version of John Dean. Definitely not RPK
ksk says: July 11, 2015 at 8:48 pm
So simple n easy. Then every bank officers can make the cash disappear n resign.
Conrad says: July 11, 2015 at 9:07 pm
“…..but I doubt his die-hard fans are quite in that position yet.”
I don’t think Hafidz Baharom really gets the dialectic here. Forget about rural heartlands/vote banks and Sabah and Sarawak. There is a class of people, who really think that only BN is capable of leading this country.
They honestly believe that we have a free press or that some form of control by the Executive is necessary in disseminating information.
They honestly believe that our institutions are functional and that they should be allowed to carry out their functions.
They honestly believe that the Opposition causes trouble and hoodwinks voters into voting against BN.
They honestly believe that Malaysia is a democracy with functional bodies that encourage free and fair elections.
They honestly believe in the social contract and that Non Malays should be grateful that they are allowed to live in peace.
Why ask if Najib should resign ? The question implies that that we have some choice in the matter. Public opprobrium and this Regime’s response to it only exposes the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of this Administration and nothing else.
The real question is, what can we do if he does not resign ? And the answer to that is absolutely nothing.
Somu says: July 11, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Get UMNO & its allies rooted out completely to look for better future for Malaysia. They had their day and now is the turn to others to manage the country.
Why is this Tunku Razaleigh to be an interim PM? Till today he has not even opened his mouth on this mess and so I feel he is an opportunist waiting quietly to be handed over the country on a platter with a golden spoon.
What guarantee is there that he, being an UMNO faithful and strong man will hand over his powers to the next elected government? No way lah ! UMNO will hold tight to grab the power under he guise of all kinds of excuses as what is happening now by bringing in race politics.
The best option is go for elections but not with this EC board otherwise there will be no end to gerrymandering.
Mr Bojangles says: July 12, 2015 at 5:34 am
What has Najib done as PM that could not have been done by a chief clerk in any major govt dept?
And without having the high costs associated with his office-private jets, the expensive jaunts overseas, the maintenance of his palace, the bloated number of minions to keep his aristocratic lifestyle oiled and ready to go, etc, etc.
So many resources spent and so few positives to show. No value added but a big drag on the nation.
What a wasted life.
Phua Kai LIt says: July 12, 2015 at 6:41 am
People like these should be declared persona non grata after
a regime change in Malaysia :
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=550361:do-the-4-stooges-know?-najibs-pr-staff-working-overtime-shredding-documents&Itemid=2#axzz3fcozHSax
Dear Somu 10:05 pm
“Why is this Tunku Razaleigh to be an interim PM?”
It is because the reality is that while about 50% of Malays support
the Opposition, the other half supports UMNO Baru.
This is the reality (although support may be diminishing 🙂 because of
GST and round after round of petrol price increases and accelerating inflation).
Politics is the art of the possible and the art of compromise acceptable to all (unless one wants to end up in extreme partisanship and civil war).
So, an interim PM has to come from UMNO. The rest of the UMNO Baru top leaders are all seriously tainted and also demonstrate incompetence
by their pronouncements and handling of incidents such as MH370.
I can’t think of any other UMNO person besides Tengku Razaleigh.
flyer168 says: July 12, 2015 at 8:18 am
As they say, nothing happens by ACCIDENT, rather it is by DESIGN…
Jibby walked right into that TRAP of the Global MAFIA Elites & their 4 Stage DEBT trap…!
Just to share this…
21st Century Wire asks…
What’s really been happening in Greece?
Every single mainstream media has the following narrative for the economic crisis in Greece: the government spent too much money and went broke; the generous banks gave them money, but Greece still can’t pay the bills because it mismanaged the money that was given. It sounds quite reasonable, right?
Except that it is a big fat lie … not only about Greece, but about other European countries such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland who are all experiencing various degrees of austerity.
It was also the same big, fat lie that was used by banks and corporations to exploit many Latin American, Asian and African countries for many decades.
Greece did not fail on its own. It was made to fail.
In summary, the banks wrecked the Greek government, and then deliberately pushed it into unsustainable debt … while revenue-generating public assets were sold off to oligarchs and international corporations. The rest of the article is about how and why.
If you are a fan of mafia movies, you know how the mafia would take over a popular restaurant. First, they would do something to disrupt the business – stage a murder at the restaurant or start a fire. When the business starts to suffer, the Godfather would generously offer some money as a token of friendship.
In return, Greasy Thumb takes over the restaurant’s accounting, Big Joey is put in charge of procurement, and so on. Needless to say, it’s a journey down a spiral of misery for the owner who will soon be broke and, if lucky, alive.
Now, let’s map the mafia story to international finance in four stages.
Stage 1: The first and foremost reason that Greece got into trouble was the “Great Financial Crisis” of 2008 that was the brainchild of Wall Street and international bankers. If you remember, banks came up with an awesome idea of giving subprime mortgages to anyone who can fog a mirror. They then packaged up all these ticking financial bombs and sold them as “mortgage-backed securities” for a huge profit to various financial entities in countries around the world.
A big enabler of this criminal activity was another branch of the banking system, the group of rating agencies – S&P, Fitch and Moody’s – who gave stellar ratings to these destined-to-fail financial products. Unscrupulous politicians such as Tony Blair joined Goldman Sachs and peddled these dangerous securities to pension funds and municipalities and countries around Europe. Banks and Wall Street gurus made hundreds of billions of dollars in this scheme.
But this was just Stage 1 of their enormous scam. There was much more profit to be made in the next three stages!
Stage 2 is when the financial time bombs exploded. Commercial and investment banks around the world started collapsing in a matter of weeks. Governments at local and regional level saw their investments and assets evaporate. Chaos everywhere!
Vultures like Goldman Sachs and other big banks profited enormously in three ways: one, they could buy other banks such as Lehman brothers and Washington Mutual for pennies on the dollar. Second, more heinously, Goldman Sachs and insiders such as John Paulson (who recently donated $400 million to Harvard) had made bets that these securities would blow up.
Paulson made billions, and the media celebrated his acumen. (For an analogy, imagine the terrorists betting on 9/11 and profiting from it.) Third, to scrub salt in the wound, the big banks demanded a bailout from the very citizens whose lives the bankers had ruined! Bankers have chutzpah. In the U.S., they got hundreds of billions of dollars from the taxpayers and trillions from the Federal Reserve Bank which is nothing but a front group for the bankers.
In Greece, the domestic banks got more than $30 billion of bailout from the Greek people. Let that sink in for a moment – the supposedly irresponsible Greek government had to bail out the hardcore capitalist bankers.
Stage 3 is when the banks force the government to accept massive debts. For a biology metaphor, consider a virus or a bacteria. All of them have unique strategies to weaken the immune system of the host. One of the proven techniques used by the parasitic international bankers is to downgrade the bonds of a country. And that’s exactly what the bankers did, starting at the end of 2009. This immediately makes the interest rates (“yields”) on the bonds go up, making it more and more expensive for the country to borrow money or even just roll over the existing bonds.
From 2009 to mid 2010, the yields on 10-year Greek bonds almost tripled! This cruel financial assault brought the Greek government to its knees, and the banksters won their first debt deal of a whopping 110 billion Euros.
The banks also control the politics of nations. In 2011, when the Greek prime minister refused to accept a second massive bailout, the banks forced him out of the office and immediately replaced him with the Vice President of ECB (European Central Bank)! No elections needed. Screw democracy. And what would this new guy do? Sign on the dotted line of every paperwork that the bankers bring in.
(By the way, the very next day, the exact same thing happened in Italy where the Prime Minister resigned, only to be replaced by a banker/economist puppet. Ten days later, Spain had a premature election where a “technocrat” banker puppet won the election).
The puppet masters had the best month ever in November 2011.
Few months later, in 2012, the exact bond market manipulation was used when the banksters turned up the Greek bonds’ yields to 50%!!! This financial terrorism immediately had the desired effect: The Greek parliament agreed to a second massive bailout, even larger than the first one.
Now, here is another fact that most people don’t understand. The loans are not just simple loans like you would get from a credit card or a bank. These loans come with very special strings attached that demand privatization of a country’s assets. If you have seen Godfather III, you would remember Hyman Roth, the investor who was carving up Cuba among his friends. Replace Hyman Roth with Goldman Sachs or IMF (International Monetary Fund) or ECB, and you get the picture.
Stage 4: Now, the rape and humiliation of a nation begin. For the debt that was forced upon them, Greece had to sell many of its profitable assets to oligarchs and international corporations. And privatizations are ruthless, involving everything and anything that is profitable.
Listen to 21WIRE’s Patrick Henningsen after the votes were counted on Sunday evening:….more”
“These loans come with very special strings attached that demand privatization of a country’s assets. If you have seen Godfather III, you would remember Hyman Roth, the investor who was carving up Cuba among his friends. Replace Hyman Roth with Goldman Sachs or IMF (International Monetary Fund) or ECB, and you get the picture…”
Patrick Henningsen Discusses Greece Referendum on RT International – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MCHhtnh9XA
In Greece, privatization included water, electricity, post offices, airport services, national banks, telecommunication, port authorities (which is huge in a country that is a world leader in shipping) etc.
In addition to that, the banker tyrants also get to dictate every single line item in the government’s budget. Want to cut military spending? NO! Want to raise tax on the oligarchs or big corporations? NO! Such micro-management is non-existent in any other creditor-debtor relationship.
So what happens after privatization and despotism under bankers? Of course, the government’s revenue goes down and the debt increases further. How do you “fix” that? Of course, cut spending! Lay off public workers, cut minimum wage, cut pensions (same as our social security), cut public services, and raise taxes on things that would affect the 99% but not the 1%.
For example, pension has been cut in half and sales tax increase to more than 20%. All these measures have resulted in Greece going through a financial calamity that is worse than the Great Depression of the U.S. in the 1930s.
Of course, the ever-manipulative bankers demand immediate privatization of all media which means that the country now gets photogenic TV anchors who spew propaganda every day and tell the people that crooked and greedy banksters are saviors; and slavery under austerity is so much better than the alternative.
Author John Perkins describes how the IMF’s international extortion and debt slavery system actually works:
Confessions of an economic hitman – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVsB07CcSNw
July 6, 2015 – GREECE: The One Biggest Lie You Are Being Told By The Media – http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/07/06/greece-the-one-biggest-lie-you-are-being-told-by-the-media/
Terry says: July 12, 2015 at 8:47 am
Resign only? He should go to jail also.
Abnizar says: July 12, 2015 at 9:51 am
I agree with Frank, UMNO/BN would want him to RE-SIGN and continue with the Premiership….FOREVER ? ? That is indeed a very good idea, no doubt ! BUT what PM will then do is to RE-ASSIGN all his powers of ruling the Nation to his other-half, and he would be shaking his leg until ‘ death do us apart ‘ ,
She will then continue with that Legacy of RE-SIGN precedent , and Malaysia will have set an
” out of this world ” Precedent – Will the UN Security Council decide that it tantamounts to ILLEGAL PRECEDENT ?
What’s your view ? Its a serious ‘ legal ‘ issue !
Shiou says: July 12, 2015 at 12:12 pm
“The recent exposé by The Wall Street Journal has eroded whatever little confidence I have in the Prime Minister’s government, but I doubt his die-hard fans are quite in that position yet, ” Hafidz Baharom.
I am not a fan of PM, but I don’t think he should resign in this situation. I also basically trust journalism of The Wall Street Journal, but I still don’t think he should be forced to resign by unconventional ways.
Losing credibility, incompetence, and embarrassing the nation are not good bases to remove the head of state in an unconventional way. In a nation like Malaysia where the people are struggling to put rule and order in place, the last thing we want is to resort to a coup to replace the head of state. Dr. M had abetted coups that force former PMs to resign, and he has no shame and no regret in causing the damage to our political system in the process.
If we want to impeach a PM, them do it the right way: invoke votes of no confidence in the Parliament. If you apparently cannot marshal enough votes for passing a vote of no confidence, then the best thing is keeping the pressure on Najib and weakening him until he lose the next election. That is the patience we need to see through the process, upon which we are maturing politically.
No? Why should a decent man like Tunku Abdul Rahman be so thin-skinned that he resigned upon attacked by the most Machiavellian man of the nation? Tunku should have fought openly including soldiering through the vote of no confidence — and be ready to fight as a lesser evil politician rather than claiming moral high ground. Claiming moral high ground, instead of fighting to be a lesser evil, is giving ground to the true evil which destroys judiciary independence and creates state within a state in the form of UMNO politics which alone can force a head of state to resign. Where is the Parliament? If there is no Parliament, then where is the power of the people? UMNO is the state within a state if we again allow Dr. M to short-circuit the Parliament.
Najib fighting openly including under Parliament under vote of no confidence is good for people’s power because the fighting avoids the state-within-a-state. This is irony, but is true.
Wayne says: July 12, 2015 at 2:30 pm
He must be stupid / mad to resign.
Would any of you resign if you were him?
Wayne,
Unless he is forced to, just like what happened to Nixon
Unfortunately our PAC chairman, ain’t Archibald Cox and Gosh! Maureen (Mo) Dean is damn beautiful. Who was Mo Dean?
Halderman, Erlichman, Mitchell and Dean ………….US version of 4 stooges……See the parallel
C.L. Familiaris says: July 12, 2015 at 4:58 pm
“UMNO is the state within a state if we again allow Dr. M to short-circuit the Parliament.” Shiou
You answered your own dilemma. Octo may not want the Parliament to get rid of Jibros. What he wants is UMNOb to get rid of the most reckless and irresponsible, disingenuous, flip-flopping PM we had the displeasure of knowing. Octo has a vast array of ammunition. One can’t defend all the time, as the attacks are multi-directional. FGV and Altantuya card have yet seen the light of day.
If he doesn’t get it done now, he’s more than willing to destroy UMNOb – ‘cuz by the time we get to him, senescence and dementia, would be a convenient excuse. My gut feeling is that with the current diatribe, dysfunction and diarrhoea – UMNOb will do the needful. Negotiations are on-going.
Dissolution of Parliament and an early GE-14, is what Jibs threatening – as Ops Lalang and NOC style putsch is near impossible. The Opposition will (hopefully) be caught with their knickers down – if not too bad.. That is truly Jibs last ‘wild card’.
“I also basically trust journalism of The Wall Street Journal, but I still don’t think he should be forced to resign by unconventional ways.”
What is so unconventional about having to resign after having your corruption scandal highlighted by the Press ?
What is “unconventional” is retaining power because your political party for whatever reasons cannot evict you , Parliament cannot evict you and the general public cannot evict you.
Edit: What is “unconventional” is retaining power because the Law cannot evict you, your political party for whatever reasons cannot evict you , Parliament cannot evict you and the general public cannot evict you.
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ZTE saga being used to draw attention from the real issues – Economist
May 24, 2018 News Centre Off the Wire 0
Image credit: doamama | Shutterstock.com
Commenting on President Trump saying that there is no deal to help ZTE, Nick Marro, Analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU), said:
“The policy confusion we are now seeing is a direct consequence of linking a regulatory issue with the ongoing trade negotiations. Incredibly, the ZTE issue has also completely drawn attention away from the original purpose of the trade negations, which were meant to address China’s intellectual property and technology transfer practices.
Drawing ZTE into the trade dispute has arguably weakened the US trade negotiating position. China now has an opportunity to link its own concessions on US agriculture exports to the easing of US sanctions on ZTE, which–as a matter of US law–should have originally been non-negotiable. In addition, this strategy allows China to sidestep all of the core issues which prompted trade negotiations in the first place, including US demands to stop state-support of its Made in China 2025 program.
Any type of concession on ZTE which allows it to avoid an export ban would be a win for China. Even if the US does not back down on its proposed US$50bn worth of tariffs on Chinese goods, the effects of losing ZTE, in terms of Chinese jobs, company supply chains and China’s 5G development strategy, would have been much, much worse. It would be a Pyrrhic victory, but a victory nonetheless.
The US trade team is now facing pressure from three sides: one, from US farmers who are looking for relief from the Chinese agriculture tariffs; two, from the US congress, which has strongly opposed any concessions on ZTE; and three, from China itself, which should have been the main “and the only” source of pressure from the start. One could argue that this was due to an ingenious Chinese strategy to divide-and-conquer, but it was President Trump who allowed this situation to materialize.
While it’s tempting to draw link between ZTE and China’s announcement yesterday to lower its automotive import tax, that was more a coincidence of timing than anything else. President Xi announced those plans back in April, before the ZTE issue even emerged.
In addition, most American automakers, aside from Tesla, sell their vehicles via their local operations in China, not through imports. That means that any real impact on US-China trade flows, such as on reducing the US trade deficit, would be extremely limited.”
ZTE Q3 profits up almost 11% despite battling US trade ban
October 28, 2016 News Centre News 0
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chinese telecoms equipment group ZTE Corp, which is still facing the threat of curbs on trade with US firms, reported a 10.5% rise in its third-quarter net profit on Thursday. Net Read more…
ZTE wraps up FDD massive MIMO test with China Telecom
January 4, 2017 News Centre Off the Wire 0
ZTE says it has successfully completed joint-testing of its proprietary Pre5G FDD massive MIMO solution, in partnership with China Telecom Innovation Center. The results of the joint test showed ZTE’s Pre5G FDD massive MIMO solution Read more…
Rumor: ZTE to chop 3,000 jobs as its smartphone business flounders
January 9, 2017 News Centre News 0
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE, which is facing US trade sanctions that could severely disrupt its supply chain, is slashing about 3,000 jobs, including a fifth of positions in its struggling Read more…
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Author: Robert Farmer
Captain Raymond Holt & Diversity in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine
*Includes Spoilers and Plot Ideas
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is not an old show nor is a new one, It first aired in 2013 and is relatively funny. I’m not here to talk about the entirety of the show however, just the one of the main characters whom is represented with quite the amount of diversity.
Captain Raymond Holt, played by actor Andre Braugher is quite the doozy of a character, and especially when you look at everything he’s ever said. At the first glance he is a black police office with a no non-sense attitude. However upon further glance it is more than that, Captain Holt is a complex individual, to elaborate upon this I must first describe his story alittle, this is his first captaincy for what has been described as a lifetime of outstanding service and duty, the cause for the lack of promotions and advancement through the ranks is due to the fact Captain Holt is not just black, he is also openly gay and according to his character has been since 1987 which is during a time when being gay was not acceptable, and is happily married to his husband as well. Captain Holt’s image as a character is different than we generally see in a show, Holt’s character is represented as a serious, high-intellect male whom possesses specific tastes and particular ideas that are actually stereo-typically more identifiable with the older white male and while seeing members of the LGBTQ in media is becoming more and more common, we more often see them in stereotypical lights or even in basic character formats that aren’t all that complex. But Brooklyn Nine-Nine has a homosexual character who isn’t your stereotypical character, he is calm and robotic like, full of no-nonsense mannerisms that are often at odd with what the world’s stereotypes are for any stereotype you could think this character would be a part of. I praise the show for not making his life a science experiment where we go over tropes or stereotypical problems, but instead his life is simple. He has a husband (whom is also white to mention, that this isn’t just a normal relationship is a interracial one, something that we see is varying amounts in media as well.) and what would be consider a high-class and intellect lifestyle, with a hobby of collecting antiques, and retorting insults with mentions of historical figures, and listening to classical artists such as Frans Brüggen, and even coming up with some fake classical artists whom are fictionally known for their talents in the classical music scene of the 21st century, taking fencing classes and portrait painting classes, and painting over a hundred copies of the same dull gray stone ( but in different perspective each time). However to sum it all up, he is a character that defies the expectations that anyone would have for a Cop,a Black Cop, a Gay cop, and a Gay Black Cop. The shows does a great job of not only breaking our expectations but breaking the chains of stereotypes and creating characters whom are enjoyable to see and hear about. He defies our expectations, and does a good job as illustrating it. This show has created a character who is not just another gay background or foreground character, they’ve created someone who is unique in his portrayal and creation.
On a side note, Here are some images of the character for fun, and just humor related purposes. Tell me if you can make him fit 100% in any classic stereotype?
Posted on April 3, 2018 Author Robert FarmerTags Character Analysis, FreewriteLeave a comment on Captain Raymond Holt & Diversity in the Brooklyn Nine-Nine
A Wild Comparison of the Television show Archer using the topics of Gender, Race, Sex and Diversity.
Some of you may know the television show Archer on FX, It’s a somewhat comedic stereotypical spy-crime type show with a cast of animated characters whom each fit stereotypical character archetypes. Now what I’m here to discuss is that the show displays its diversity in an comedic manner but also somewhat stereotypical light, and not always positive stereotypes either. Now disclaimer this show is obviously full of satire, so the harmful remarks and attitudes some may see others display are not real depictions of the beliefs of the creators, however are works of comedy and entertainment deliver in an animated format. Now, the exact levels of diversity shown is interesting. The shows takes a modern look at peoples lives and tosses weird mixes of older beliefs and world situations coupled together to make a joke or a quick laugh often at the expense of others, but still making it a realization that most of these individuals realize they’re being jokes about and often counter with their own jokes or their own words. A prime example of the episode Diversity Hire which release circa 2010. The cast of Archer have a new agent known as Conway Stern, whom is a black AND Jewish special agent, his entire presence was entirely for the purpose of a “diversity hire” which means hiring someone of minority denominations for the purpose of diversifying the workplace. The show continues to display Conway as the butt-end of Archer whom is (the titular character) at odds with Conway, and eventually the whole cast. The episode plays out with some obviously not suitable for this environment scenes to describe, but essentially Archer and Conway end up in a small fight in a locker room and they both agree that the moment became “gay”, and Archer leaves tongue-twisted attempting to think of an insult for Conway but instead Conway retorts to the tongue-twisted Archer the name “Sammy Gayvis Jr”, which is a reference to Sammy Davis Jr. The shows continues to throw Conway as the butt of their conversations, when Lana the only black character previously on the cast gets benched for behavior she gets angry and calls him McJewson, and another cast member claims she’s just angry because is no longer the only black individual there which doesn’t end well obviously. Beyond this episode is a running hatred of the Irish, why? Its portray that the Ms.Archer hates the Irish with an irrational reason. But the shows does represent racial diversity, the cast is not limited to straight white males whom display typical behavior. We have the more side-lined male Cyril whom is white but is not typically represented as “in-charge” especially in cases of members of the other-sex, we have Lana whom is shown to be a black, liberally focused, ex-activist and she is the big diversity breaker, she is in a position of power compared to most of the cast, she is portray as being more dominant in terms of personality and defiantly fights those who discredit for gender, race or other reasons. We have has the slightly stereo-typically effeminate gay character Ray whom is portrayed as a less overly obviously gay and as more as a sassy gay. He’s often portrayed as a big stereotype himself, he can be effeminate, he can be more subservient to other around him, and sometimes more dominant. There are moments where he is portray as being a “wuss” where insult cause him to cry, and what not, but there are times when he also is shown to be less stereotypical. He’s shown despite his less masculine portrayal to be a former Olympic athlete, and more level-headed compared to the rest of the cast even when there are cases when he shouldn’t be.
The show doesn’t hide the facts that some characters are more promiscuous or less so, and it’s not afraid of showing characters whom are not straight and christian, it display the story, and the comedy and it does so in every episode without trying to focus on the diversity. It plays obviously on the real world as well. While the events of history are wildly different than those of the real world it stills portray that gays, trans and etc are all equally represent somehow in someway at some-point. We have a cast of characters whose interpersonal relationships are not defined by normal roles either, there is no leader or good or bad necessarily. The cast is the cast they all have roles and act differently, Archer is portray as a stereotypical Spy, think James Bond’s skills and suaveness with Austin Power’s comedic elements and lack of focus on his job. Lana is conceived more as a work focus woman looking to get ahead, while she is also shown to not be just another black woman, she isn’t portrayed to be manly either (although there is a running jokes that she has big hands and sometimes they’re referred to as gorilla hands or man hands in slights against her character). Now the show is also not for everyone, it doesn’t require a sense of intelligence to watch but rather the willingness to laugh at the reality and simplicity of some of the characters when Archer for example is attempting to pretend to be a homosexual to bait a homosexual spy, he goes for the most colorful, outrageous type of outfit and look, something that is almost downright disrespectful but then comes the homosexual characters whom even toss their own jokes at him, and make it clear that he is outrageous something that is a joke in-itself, he’s not gay, he doesn’t get how to be gay and being told that he looks outrageously gay to the point of being a joke. The whole show goes at it like it is just life there are prejudices yes, other characters fight them other characters accept them. It’s how life works in the real-world in a sense it makes the world and the characters relatable, even if you don’t match their entire life it’s clear each one as aspects that you can relate to. Ray comes from a small backwoods town of West Virginia, and he’s the clear example of coming from that environment and even being in the closet to his immediate family and townspeople. Lana comes from parents whom love her and are Doctors and Professors and are portrayed as being hard on her as to want more out of her life. Archer grew up with little parental guidance and what guidance he had is not good guidance. You don’t have to be black to emphasize with the environment Lana grew up in and is in the shadow of, you don’t have to be a alcoholic womanizing super-spy to emphasize with Archer’s lack of parental figures and guidance. You don’t have to apart of LGBTQ or any orientation for that matter and not find being relatable to having come from a town that is more “backwoods”. The shows does a good job of displaying casual life with over the top themes and portrayals, something Doctor Who doesn’t do in the same way, it’s portrayal aren’t always relatable in the same fashion they’re more super stereotypical rather than stereotypical in terms of a character type. I feel like if you can stomach the bad humor, take a few moments watch the show and see if you can feel a relation with any character.
#Note Sorry this is a week late, just been horribly busy, and I just saw the Blog requirement today.
Posted on March 27, 2018 Author Robert FarmerTags archer, Diversity, FreewriteLeave a comment on A Wild Comparison of the Television show Archer using the topics of Gender, Race, Sex and Diversity.
The Lone Wanderer Not The Lonely God
The Doctor is quite an Individual, if one takes the second to look at him we see that he is very much similar to a wanderer amongst the stars. He is not the average wanderer either, the Doctor is very much a complex wanderer he never picks a destination or who tags along behind him, or who is affected by his travels the Doctor instead is a free floating individual who is very much is like driftwood in a stream. He never really claws out a niche for himself instead letting his TARDIS take him where ever he is needed or required. This mystical wanderer through space and time who seemingly repulses all monsters and attempts to save all forms of life, and never leaves more than a subtle imprint on the worlds he comes crashing through, and in the case of humanity he has crashed so many times through our past and future that the very idea of the Doctor, the travelling man in the blue box became a mythical being passing throughout various points in time.
Now lets take all of that information above into account, The Doctor is just a wanderer, many compare him to a God but lets be fair he has face beings who have the partial powers of a God, such as the Beast of Krop Tor whom was claimed its origins and existence were the influences across the known universe and various species as their various representation of “devil entities”. There are more cases such the Guardians of Time from the Old Who whom were personifications of various ideals; such as order, or chaos or justice. The Doctor has faced various beings whom biologically are superior in one format, they can magically enchant thousands with their powers or control entire species with fear, or using religious dogma. The Doctor is a man like no other, whom has experienced thousands of years worth of knowledge and experience and has a time travelling box, but this does not make him a God, he is no god he is a man with a blue box, a wanderer, a patron of time and science. These God-like beings are different as they are not driftwood in the sea of time they carve our their niches despite their actions. The Beast never had to try to do much more than exist to almost weave the universal fear of him in all beings, including the Doctor who knew his claims to existence went long before those if the material universe. The Doctor has never managed to imprint any of his ideals into anyone, not one shred of his sense of justice, or what is right or even his belief of science and time as the only constant has never been imprinted into any society he has had repeat contact with. Ultimately he is a wanderer, one that the universe forgets when it needs it most, and one that will never be a God.
*Off Note:* This Entry has Been Super Late and I apologize, I completely forgot to press publish.. yay me.
Posted on February 13, 2018 Author Robert FarmerTags #TheDoctor, Doctor who free write, FreewriteLeave a comment on The Lone Wanderer Not The Lonely God
Fan Vids – Robert & Brittany
To start our quick video commentary, we have decided to show you the best one first. To set a bar extremely high and in our opinion mix two great BBC fan communities that have often wished that these two have met. We chose this not only because of the popularity of the two fandoms but also because of the power behind both these characters and the titanic. combination that they would make.
The bad fan video that Robert and I found was called Doctor Who song spoof | crack!vid. This video is a whole 7 minutes and 59 seconds of pure pain. There are so many songs changes within the video and video cuts that aren’t edited very well. Some clips have weird filters or a of differing quality. Many of the songs don’t fit with the clips that are played. Some parts are actually kind of funny, like the song Titanium going with the clip of the Daleks being shot at. Another thing that makes it bad is that there are random clips of dialect with no song, but they don’t really add anything to the video. Overall, Robert and I were filled with sadness at this bad video, but really enjoyed the good video that we found.
As a special note we would like to include some honorable mentions for all of you to enjoy, in our journey to find in our opinion the best fan video, we came across these honorable contestants the ultimately lost out to the impressive VFX work in our main video above, enjoy as we know we enjoyed these.
Posted on February 6, 2018 Author Robert FarmerTags #WHOLOCK, Doctor Who, fanvid, SherlockLeave a comment on Fan Vids – Robert & Brittany
Humanity; Worth the Effort?
When discussing if Humanity is worth The Doctor’s effort you have to take into account all of his incarnations and especially the individuals in question. To start Humanity is not a perfect race we often do some quite damnable things. For example the Doctor realizes that Humanity is flawed, he points it out quite a bit and even when angry uses the term “Stupid Ape” to describe humans. Which for someone of his role a protector and guardian he deems his charges as “stupid apes” and make it clear sometimes the individuals and sometimes the entire groups as a whole are clear they will not change for the good or the worse.
Often a running theme in the series is the fact humanity is frail and weak in compared to greater odds but even then still manages to be belligerent and aggressive look at Henry van Statten for example from Series 1’s Dalek episode. Despite the rampaging killer robo-tank he insists on not killing it, delaying progress and even allowing 200 people to be killed in its rampage. In that episode we also had the creepy technician who tortured the Dalek in order to make it talk until the Dalek was freed and it exacted revenge, now in this episode we got a glimpse of the full firepower of a Dalek but also we got a glimpse of a common human archetype, a greedy, selfish individual who attempted to sacrifice 200 people to have a pet Dalek. Issues like this can also be seen in the next episode The Long Game, Adam Mitchell whom decided it would be a grand idea to undergo a special surgery to allow a brain information port implanted within his skull. What did he do with this new access to Satellite Five’s information archive from the 21st century to thousands of years later? He decided to transmit that data back home to his answering machine so that he could possibly go home and and change the very course of history using that data! A greedy idea which cost him his companionship with the Doctor (On a side note; You all should look up the Doctor Who comics he appears in, he gets a finished story arc with a fitting end.) I guess besides this we can also see this form of greedy and self serving behavior from Rose in Father’s Day, where rose broke continuity and rescued her father from a car accident, only to create a spatial rift in time and to unleash a group of Reapers whom proceeded to murder and destroy half the town they were in and in the end she had to watch her father sacrifice himself just to resolve the timeline issue albeit with some of he interference making a difference in history (slight but not nothing, see Season 1 Finale)
Now, why does the Doctor continue to put up with this, he chooses to protect humanity even though more often than not there efforts have shown to create rifts in the world, from people around the Doctor creating errors in the timeline or attempting to break the timeline for selfish reasons, from villains whom are the result of greed and self serving behavior that ends up putting many people at risk, sometimes hundreds sometimes entire planets or species depending on what’s going on. I understand the Doctor wishes to help but when will enough be enough? What will be the last straw? I mean it takes wanton murdering and intergalactic purging for Daleks to be vilified in his eyes, but how about the humans whom do so much of the same as the Daleks spare a few whom are not as sour as the rest? We end up with so much death and destruction and for a good portion belonging to humans who took it upon themselves for one reason or another to go and do something stupid, such as trap a Dalek in a vault.. or prevent someone who is dead from being dead… or better yet transmitting the next several centuries of technological progress to your answering machine into the past.. with intent to manufacture all of it for yourself. Thank you for indulging me in this minor rant and informative post, and remember this whenever Humans do something stupid, or dangerous; Why does the Doctor choose to help us?
Posted on January 21, 2018 January 21, 2018 Author Robert FarmerTags CAT PHOTO, Doctor Who, free write, HUMANITY, MEME, Moisturize Me, MORALITY, QUESTIONSLeave a comment on Humanity; Worth the Effort?
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Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
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A comprehensive collection of all the major and minor gods of Rome and Greece, with descriptions of festivals and retellings of major mythological stories. E.M. Bernes thoroughly details each Greek and Roman god, goddess, hero, demi-god and creature and gives the reader a clear and succinct idea of the religious beliefs of the ancients. An exceptional book for those interested in Greek or Roman mythology.
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Virilising ovarian tum...
Virilising ovarian tumors: a single-center experience
in Endocrine Connections
Authors: Manjeetkaur Sehemby 1 , Prachi Bansal 1 , Vijaya Sarathi 2 , Ashwini Kolhe 3 , Kanchan Kothari 3 , Swati Jadhav-Ramteke 1 , Anurag R Lila 1 , Tushar Bandgar 1 and Nalini S Shah 1
1 Department of Endocrinology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India
2 Department of Endocrinology, Narayana Medical College, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India
3 Department of Pathology, Seth GS Medical college and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India
Correspondence should be addressed to T Bandgar: drtusharb@gmail.com
https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-18-0360
Volume 7: Issue 12
© 2018 The authors 2018
Literature on virilising ovarian tumors (VOTs) is limited to case reports and series reporting single pathological type. We have analyzed the clinical, hormonal, radiological, histological, management and outcome data of VOT. This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary health care center from Western India. Consecutive patients with VOT presenting to our endocrine center between 2002 and 2017 were included. Our study included 13 patients of VOT. Out of 13 patients, two were postmenopausal. All patients in the reproductive age group had secondary amenorrhea except one who presented with primary amenorrhea. Modified F and G score (mFG) at presentation was 24 ± 4.3 and all patients had severe hirsutism (mFG ≥15). Change in voice (n = 11) and clitoromegaly (n = 7) were the other most common virilising symptoms. Duration of symptoms varied from 4 to 48 months. Median serum total testosterone level at presentation was 5.6 ng/mL with severe hyperandrogenemia (serum testosterone ≥2 ng/mL) but unsuppressed gonadotropins in all patients. Transabdominal ultrasonography (TAS) detected VOT in all except one. Ten patients underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy whereas three patients (peri- or postmenopausal) underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Seven patients had Sertoli Leydig cell tumor, three had steroid cell tumor and two had Leydig cell tumor and one had miscellaneous sex cord stromal tumor. All patients had normalization of serum testosterone after tumor excision. In conclusion, VOTs present with severe hyperandrogenism and hyperandrogenemia. Sertoli Leydig cell tumor is the most common histological subtype. Surgery is the treatment of choice with good surgical outcome.
Ovarian tumor is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in middle-aged women. Ovarian tumors are broadly classified into epithelial and nonepithelial tumors, of which epithelial tumors are common. Nonepithelial malignancies of the ovary account for less than 10% of all ovarian cancers (germ cell tumors: 5%; sex cord stromal tumors: 3–5%) (1). Less than half of these nonepithelial tumors secrete hormones which can produce either estrogenic or androgenic manifestations.
Hyperestrogenic manifestations are age dependent. Prepubertal girls usually present with gonadotropin-independent isosexual precocious puberty whereas women in reproductive age group or postmenopausal age present with irregular and excessive uterine bleeding (2). Hyperandrogenic (HA) manifestations include menstrual abnormalities, hirsutism and varying degrees of virilization (temporal balding, deepening of voice, decreased breast size, increased muscle mass, loss of female body contours, clitoral enlargement (clitoral length >10 mm)). Virilising ovarian tumor (VOT) is a rare cause of HA but HA is an important clue for the early diagnosis of these potentially malignant tumors. A prompt diagnosis of these potentially malignant ovarian tumors and developing an appropriate treatment strategy, considering multiple factors like patient age, stage of the tumor, histopathology and future fertility prospects, is essential. However, literature on hormone-secreting ovarian tumors is limited to case reports and series reporting single pathological type. In this study, we analyzed the clinical, hormonal, radiological, histopathological, management and outcome data of the VOTs.
This retrospective study was conducted at the Department of Endocrinology of a tertiary health care center from western part of India. Patients with histologically proven VOTs presented to our department between 2002 and 2018 were included in the study. Approval of this retrospective study with waiver of consent was obtained from Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC II) Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital. As a part of department protocol, informed consent for the photograph, publication of their clinical details and/or clinical image was taken at the time of presentation.
Case records of the patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were reviewed and patient information including age of presentation, onset and duration of symptoms, clinical features (menstrual abnormalities, hirsutism and signs of virilisation), hormonal evaluation (follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone), imaging details (transabdominal sonography, computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging), surgical details and follow-up of the patients were collected.
Hormonal measurements were carried out by chemiluminescence assay (Advia Centaur CP). Intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation were less than 8 and 10%, respectively, for estimation of all hormones.
Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 23. Categorical variables are expressed in actual numbers and percentages. Continuous variables are expressed as mean ± s.d. or median and range. Continuous variables between the two groups were compared using independent t test or Mann–Whitney U test as appropriate whereas categorical variables were compared with Fisher exact t test or chi-square test as appropriate. Correlation between two variables was calculated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r). P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Our study included 13 patients of VOT. Out of 13 patients, two were postmenopausal. All patients in reproductive age group had secondary amenorrhea except one who presented with primary amenorrhea (Fig. 1). Out of the ten patients who presented with secondary amenorrhea, seven patients had history of preceding oligomenorrhea (median: 6 months; range: 4–18 months). Irrespective of age group, all patients presented with severe hirsutism (mean modified F and G score: 24 ± 4.3) (Figs 2A and 3A). Varying degrees of virilisation was present in all patients (Table 1). Change in voice was present in 84.6% (11/13), clitoromegaly in 53.8% (7/13) patients (Fig. 3B), breast atrophy in 30.7% (4/13), acne in 15.4% (2/13) and prominent deltoid in 7.2% (1/13). Modified FG (mFG) score was significantly higher in patients with clitoromegaly than those without (28.0 ± 4.54 vs 21.83 ± 4.58, P = 0.03). Breast atrophy was present in both postmenopausal women compared to only two of the eleven premenopausal women (P = 0.08). There was no significant correlation between any other clinical features of HA.
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Percentage of patients with each symptom.
Citation: Endocrine Connections 7, 12; 10.1530/EC-18-0360
Steroid cell tumor: Hirsutism (A); transvaginal ultrasound: solid right ovary mass iso to hypoechoic having mild internal vascularity (4.4 × 3 cm) (B); 5 × 5 × 4 cm circumscribed, yellow, lobulated tumor (C); microscopy: large polyhedral cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and smaller cells with eosinophilic granular cytoplasm in vascular stroma (400×) (D).
Sertoli Leydig cell tumor: Hirsutism (A) and clitoromegaly, clitoral index: 1 cm2 (B); magnetic resonance imaging (T2)-hyperintense, multiloculated, cystic lesion with septae within (C); 13 × 9 × 4 cm solid cystic mass with rupture of capsule (D); microscopy showing tubules composed of Sertoli cells with interspersed small clusters of Leydig cells (400×) (E).
Clinical and hormonal profile of patients with hormone-secreting ovarian tumors.
Presenting menstrual symptom
Duration of symptoms (months)
Duration of SA (months)
Hirsutism (mFG score)
T (ng/mL)
FSH (mIU/mL)
LH (mIU/mL)
1 18 SA 12 8 28 + – – – 5.91 4.27 5.52
2 18 SA 4 4 23 + + + – >20 5.9 4.7
3 18 SA 12 6 18 – + – + 3.63 3.79 1.81
4 18 PA 12 – 24 – + + – 5.6 5.35 8.83
5 21 SA 48 36 25 + + – – 6.45 6.5 4
6 22 SA 12 8 30 + + – – 6.95 6.8 7.95
7 25 SA 7 7 27 + – – – 4.2 5.3 4.1
8 30 SA 48 36 26 + + – + 6.57 5.2 7.8
9 37 SA 48 30 37 + + – – 2.2 6.38 4.59
10 39 SA 36 30 28 – + – – 4.9 6.1 5.45
11 40 SA 8 8 25 – + – – 4.21 7.01 8.11
12 54 NA 12 – 20 – + – + 4.1 26.7 30.7
13 60 NA 12 – 16 – + – + 11 32.43 28.46
A, acne; B, breast atrophy; C, clitoromegaly; FSH, follicle stimulating hormone; LH, luteinizing hormone; mFG score, modified Ferriman Gallwey score; NA, not applicable; PA, primary amenorrhea; SA, secondary amenorrhea; T, testosterone; V, change in voice.
Duration of symptoms was variable ranging from 4 to 48 months. Median serum testosterone level was 5.6 ng/mL (range: 2.2 > 20 ng/mL). Patients with acne had significantly higher serum total testosterone than those without (12.8 ± 10.18 vs 5.45 ± 2.33 ng/mL, P = 0.03). Although the duration of symptoms was apparently lower in patients with acne than those without, it was statistically insignificant (8.0 ± 5.65 vs 23.18 ± 17.69 months, P = 0.27). There was no significant correlation of duration of symptoms or serum total testosterone with any other clinical features of HA. FSH and LH were not suppressed in reproductive age women but were low-normal in postmenopausal ones.
As shown in Table 2, transabdominal ultrasonography (TAS) was the initial investigation in all patients suspected VOT. It detected lesions in all except two. Case no 3 had no evidence of neoplasm on TAS. She underwent transrectal sonography which showed a solid tumor. Case no 9 had undergone transvaginal sonography as the initial investigation (Fig. 2B). In other three patients, although ultrasound identified the ovarian tumors, missed the cystic (n = 2) or solid (n = 1) component of solid cystic tumors. Additional imaging in the form of either MRI and/or CT pelvis was done in all patients as a part of operative workup (Figs 3C and 4B). In most of the patients USG findings were confirmed on CT/MRI. The lesion was detected on CT in the patient who had normal TAS. CT detected an additional cystic component in a patient who had a solid tumor on TAS. CT and MRI missed cystic and solid component in one patient each which were detected on gross pathology. Maximum tumor diameter was 5.1 ± 2.9 cm. Maximum tumor diameter of solid cystic tumors was apparently higher than that of solid tumors but the difference was statistically insignificant (6.76 ± 3.84 vs 3.67 ± 0.39 cm, P = 0.079). There were no significant differences in age, duration of symptoms, mFG, serum total testosterone and histology between solid and solid cystic tumors.
Leydig cell tumor: temporal recession of hairline (A); computed tomography: solid lesion in right adnexa (2.1 cm × 2.5 cm) (B); 4.1 × 3.8 × 2 cm solid tumor with multiple yellow colored, irregular nodules (C); microscopy-round to polygonal cells with vesicular to hyperchromatic nuclei and abundant amount of granular cytoplasm (100×) (D); Masson’s trichrome stain showing intracytoplasmic rods with blunt tapered ends (Reinke crystalloids) (E).
Radiology, histopathology and management of patients with hormone-secreting ovarian tumors.
Laterality
Extent of surgery
Gross description size of tumor
Post op testosterone (ng/mL)
1 LO Cystic – Cystic LSO Solid cystic3.6 × 4 × 2 cm Sertoli Leydig cell tumorIntermediateDifferentiated 0.4
2 RO Solid cystic Solid cystic – BSO + BPLND + omentectomy Solid cysticRuptured capsule9 × 13 × 4 cm Sertoli Leydig cellIntermediateDifferentiated 0.35
3 LO Solid (TRS) Solid – LSO Solid3.5 × 2.9 × 1 cm Sertoli Leydig cell tumorIntermediatedifferentiated 0.2
4 LO Solid Solid Solid LSO Solid4 × 3 × 3.7 cm Sertoli Leydig cell tumorIntermediatedifferentiated 0.4
5 RO Solid cystic – – RSO + BPLND + omentectomy SolidRuptured capsule8 × 7.5 × 4.9 cm Sertoli Leydig cell tumorIntermediateDifferentiated 0.5
6 RO Solid – Solid RSO Solid3.6 × 3.2 × 2.6 cm Steroid cell tumor 0.34
7 RO Solid Solid – RSO Solid cystic4.5 × 1.9 × 3.1 cm Sertoli Leydig cell tumorWell differentiated 0.27
8 LO Solid Solid – LSO Solid3 × 2.9 × 3 cm Sertoli Leydig cell tumorWell differentiated 0.43
9 RO Solid (TVS) Solid Solid LSO Solid2 × 3.8 × 2.7 cm Steroid cell tumor 0.29
10 RO Solid – Solid RSO Solid4.1 × 3.8 × 2 cm Leydig cell tumor 0.38
11 LO Solid Solid cystic – TAH with BSO Solid cystic4.3 × 2.9 × 3.6 cm Steroid cell tumor 0.46
12 RO Solid cystic Solid cystic – TAH BSO Solid cystic Miscellaneous sex cord stromal 0.2
13 RO Solid – – VH with BSO Solid Leydig cell tumor 0.29
BPLND, bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection; BSO, bilateral salpingo-opherectomy; CT, computed tomography; LO, left ovary; LSO, left salpingo-opherectomy; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; RO, right ovary; RSO, right salpingo-opherectomy; TAH, total abdominal hysterectomy; TRS, transrectal sonogram; TVS, transvaginal sonogram; USG, ultrasonography; VH, vaginal hysterectomy.
All patients except two (case no 4 and 9) underwent laparotomy. Case no 4 and 9 underwent laparoscopic excision. Ten patients underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy whereas three patients (one perimenopausal and two postmenopausal patients) underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. None of the patients were given chemotherapy.
Seven patients had Sertoli Leydig cell tumor (Fig. 2A, B, C and D), three had steroid cell tumor (Fig. 3A, B, C, D and E) and two had Leydig cell tumor (Fig. 4A, B, C, D and E) and one had miscellaneous sex cord stromal tumor (Fig. 5A and B). Patients with Sertoli Leydig cell tumors were significantly younger than those with Leydig cell tumors (21.14 ± 4.7 vs 49.5 ± 14.84 years, P = 0.002) and had a tendency for lower mFG scores than those with steroid cell tumors (24.43 ± 3.3 vs 30.67 ± 6.02, P = 0.06). No other correlations between clinical features and histological subtypes were significant. There was a significant positive correlation between serum total testosterone and tumor volume (r = 0.86, P = 0.01).
Sex cord stromal ovarian tumor (A) (unclassified variety) with microscopy showing oval to spindle shaped nuclei with scanty cytoplasm and indistinct cell membrane arranged in sheets (100×) (B).
Patients were followed up to a mean duration of 8.8 ± 8.4 months. In four patients, normalization of testosterone was documented in the immediate postoperative period (3–7 days) and was re-confirmed on follow-up at 3 months, whereas in all other patients, normal serum testosterone was documented after 3 months of surgery. On follow-up, all patients who presented with secondary amenorrhea resumed menses between 2 and 4 months after tumor excision. The lady with primary amenorrhea attained menarche 6 months after tumor excision. Modified F and G scores were reduced from 24 ± 4.3 to 13.4 ± 3.8 and 5.7 ± 2.9 at 6 months and 12 months after tumor excision respectively. Improvement in voice change was noted in three patients. All patients were alive at the last follow-up.
We report the clinicopathological profile of 13 VOT cases from a single center. To the best of our knowledge, our series is one of the largest series of VOT and provides an overview of clinical presentation, hormonal abnormalities and management of this uncommon disorder.
HA commonly manifests as hirsutism which can be a presentation in common conditions like PCOS. In our series all VOT patients in the reproductive age presented with severe menstrual abnormalities (secondary amenorrhea or primary amenorrhea) whereas severe hirsutism (mFG >15) and at least one of the features of virilization (clitoromegaly, deepening of the voice and breast atrophy) were present in all patients. Hence, in any PCOS woman presence of one of these features should raise the clinical suspicion for VOT. Rapid onset and progression of hirsutism is a typical presentation of ovarian or adrenal androgen-secreting neoplasms (3). However, in our series, although majority had symptom duration of ≤12 months, four patients had symptom duration of 3–4 years. This may be due to late presentation of few VOT patients in our study. Nevertheless, none of the patients in our study presented with palpable abdominal mass or pain which contrasts with the presentation of epithelial ovarian tumors. This may be due to early diagnosis of functional tumors. Though in literature, patients with Sertoli Leydig cell tumor have presented with hyper-estrogenic manifestations, none of our patients had those features (4).
Although all patients had severe hyperandrogenemia, pattern of virilisation varied and there was no significant correlation between serum total testosterone and mFG or any other feature of virilisation. This suggests that the sensitivity to elevated serum testosterone varies widely, not only among different women but also at different androgen-sensitive areas of the same woman (5). Modified F and G score was significantly higher in women with clitoromegaly suggesting the possibility of similar sensitivities of hair follicle and clitoris to androgens.
Hyperandrogenemia in postmenopausal women is a rare condition. Postmenopausal HA can be tumor- or non-tumor related, with pathology residing either in the ovary or adrenal gland (6). Ovarian hyperthecosis (OH) and VOT are most common causes of HA in these patients (7). It may be challenging to differentiate between VOT and OH as there can be a considerable overlap in their presentation. One study showed that the age of presentation, onset and duration of symptoms, presence of hirsutism, alopecia and clitoromegaly do not help to differentiate the two conditions but presence of change in voice and muscle hypertrophy favor the diagnosis of VOT over OH. In our study also both the postmenopausal women had deepening of the voice. In addition, both the patients had breast atrophy. However, the latter finding is unlikely to differentiate the two conditions since the estrogen deficiency in postmenopausal women is more likely to contribute to breast atrophy than hyperandrogenemia.
Degree of serum testosterone elevation can be useful for diagnosis of cause of HA. It is very uncommon for PCOS to have testosterone level >1.5 ng/mL (8), whereas serum total testosterone level >2 ng/mL or more than 2–3 times the upper normal range in most of VOT (9). All patients in our series have testosterone >2 ng/mL which is in agreement with the previous literature. Thus, in virilised patient with serum testosterone >2 ng/mL with normal DHEAS levels and no evidence of 21-α hydroxylase deficiency are strong indicators of VOT (10). Study done by Hai Yan Zhang found that the median level of testosterone concentration was as high as 9.75 ± 6.86 ng/mL (range 3.6–21.9 ng/mL) before excision of VOT and reduced to normal level with in the 10 days after the surgery (11). Although lower serum total testosterone cut-offs (1.0–1.4 ng/mL) (12) have been suggested to differentiate OH and VOT in postmenopausal women, a recent study by Yance et al. questioned diagnostic accuracy of these cut-offs. In fact, the study demonstrated that one-third of women with OH may have a testosterone greater than the classical cut-off (2 ng/mL), questioning the accuracy of this higher cut-off also. In their study the best discriminating serum total testosterone level was 3.12 ng/mL. However, this cut-off had sensitivity of 76.9% for VOT which suggested that use of this cut-off may miss nearly one-fourth of VOT. Hence, use of the classical cut-offs (2 ng/mL or 1.5 ng/mL) may yield better sensitivity.
None of the patients in our series had suppression of gonadotropins despite severe hyperandrogenemia. There is no evidence of gonadotropin suppression by VOT so far (13, 14). However, both postmenopausal women with VOT in our study had low-normal gonadotropins for the postmenopausal status. FSH level <35 mIU/mL has been suggested to favor the diagnosis of VOT in postmenopausal women (15) which was observed in both of our patients. However, the study by Yance et al. (12) demonstrated best discriminating FSH level as 22.3 mIU/mL but again compromising the sensitivity to 77%. Use of this cut-off would have missed both of our patients. Hence, use of a higher FSH cut-off (35 mIU/mL) may have higher sensitivity for VOT.
Ultrasound (US) is often the first imaging study performed in the evaluation of a suspected ovarian lesion because it is widely available, well accepted by patients, non-invasive and of low cost. Transabdominal sonogram could detect the tumor in all patients except one in whom the lesion was detected by TRS. This suggests TRS as a more sensitive imaging modality for diagnosis of VOT than TAS. Although transvaginal USG provides better diagnostic sensitivities, it was not performed in our patient with negative transabdominal USG since she was unmarried. Although, TAS had high sensitivity, it completely missed the lesion in one and cystic or solid component of the solid cystic tumors in three. All our patients underwent additional imaging (CT pelvis or MRI pelvis) as a part of preoperative mapping of the disease. CT/MRI not only detected the tumor missed by TAS but also detected the missed cystic components of the solid cystic tumors. In a study done by Yan Liu et al., the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of combined application of ultrasound and CT were 89, 94.7 and 91.7% (16), which were higher than those of either ultrasound or CT in the diagnosis of pelvic mass. In the evaluation of adnexal masses indeterminate on ultrasound, assessment with contrast-enhanced MRI increases sensitivity to 81% and specificity to 98%. Hence, combined application of USG and CT scan/MRI has incremental value in accurate diagnosis of pelvic mass.
Surgery is the main stay of treatment. Decision about the extent of surgery is guided by stage of tumor, differentiation and future fertility. Fertility-sparing surgery (unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy) with or without standard staging surgery or total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy are the various surgical approaches (17, 18). Brown et al. reported 31 patients affected by SLCT and five had their lymph nodes removed. None had positive nodes. 9/31 (28%) recurrence and none had nodal metastases at the time of recurrence. Authors concluded that lymph node metastases are rare, and lymphadenectomy may be omitted during the staging procedure (19). As observed in our study postmenopausal women are usually treated with concomitant hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy whereas those with ruptured capsule are subjected to BPLND and omentectomy with uni- or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. In our cohort, 11 patients underwent laparotomy and 2 underwent laparoscopy. A retrospective analysis of Sertoli Leydig cell tumors showed that although surgical effects are similar between laparotomy and laparoscopy, the latter had advantages in terms of cost, blood loss and postoperative recovery (4). Due to limited information about the effectiveness of postoperative therapy, adjuvant therapy remains questionable and requires further evaluation. However, current accepted treatment recommendations are to treat with platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy any patient with grade 2–3 disease, any patient with an advanced stage disease and any patient with heterologous elements (20). Radiotherapy is of unknown beneficial value. None of the patients in our study were subjected to chemo- or radiotherapy.
In our study, Sertoli Leydig cell tumor was the most common cause of VOT which is in accordance with the previous literature. As observed in our study these tumors occur at relatively younger age than Leydig cell tumors. All Sertoli Leydig cell tumors were well or intermediately differentiated. None of the VOT in our series was malignant. Neither the type nor the differentiation of the tumor had any effect on serum testosterone level or degree of virilisation. Serum total testosterone level had correlation with tumor volume rather than histological subtype.
During the follow-up of these patients, after the tumor removal, patients noticed improvement in their symptom complex and there was a documented fall in the testosterone levels to the normal range in the postoperative period with improvement in their hyperandrogenic symptoms. Although voice change is considered as an irreversible symptom of HA, many of our patients reported partial improvement in voice.
The study was limited by small number of subjects. However, it is relatively a good sample size for a rare disorder like VOT, that too from a single center. The study was also limited by the retrospective design.
VOTs present with severe hyperandrogenism and hyperandrogenemia. Hyperandrogenemia correlates with tumor volume. VOT are either solid or solid cystic and Sertoli Leydig cell tumor is the most common histological subtype.
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported.
This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.
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AzzizRSanchezLAKnochenhauerESMoranCLazenbyJStephensKCTaylorKBootsLR. Androgen excess in women: experience with over 1000 consecutive patients. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2004 89 453–462. (https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2003-031122)10.1210/jc.2003-031122)| false
MoltzLSchwartzUSörensenRPickartzHHammersteinJ. Ovarian and adrenal vein steroids in patients with nonneoplastic hyperandrogenism: selective catheterization findings. Fertility and Sterility 1984 42 69–75. (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-0282(16)47960-4)
MoltzLSchwartzUSörensenRPickartzHHammersteinJ. Ovarian and adrenal vein steroids in patients with nonneoplastic hyperandrogenism: selective catheterization findings. Fertility and Sterility 1984 42 69–75. (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-0282(16)47960-4)10.1016/S0015-0282(16)47960-46233180)| false
HunterMHCarekPJ. Evaluation and treatment of women with hirsutism. American Family Physician 2003 67 2565–2572.
HunterMHCarekPJ. Evaluation and treatment of women with hirsutism. American Family Physician 2003 67 2565–2572.12825846)| false
ZhangH-YZhuJ-EHuangWZhuJ. Clinicopathologic features of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2014 7 6956–6964.
ZhangH-YZhuJ-EHuangWZhuJ. Clinicopathologic features of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2014 7 6956–6964.25400781)| false
YanceVRVMarcondesJAMRochaMPBarcellosCRGDantasWSAvilaAFABaroniRHCarvalhoFMHayashidaSAYMendoncaBBet al. Discriminating between virilizing ovary tumors and ovary hyperthecosis in postmenopausal women: clinical data, hormonal profiles and image studies. European Journal of Endocrinology 2017 177 93–102. (https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-17-0111)
YanceVRVMarcondesJAMRochaMPBarcellosCRGDantasWSAvilaAFABaroniRHCarvalhoFMHayashidaSAYMendoncaBB, et al. Discriminating between virilizing ovary tumors and ovary hyperthecosis in postmenopausal women: clinical data, hormonal profiles and image studies. European Journal of Endocrinology 2017 177 93–102. (https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-17-0111)2843227010.1530/EJE-17-0111)| false
PascaleMMPugeatMRobertsMRoussetHDéchaudHDutrieux-BergerNTourniaireJ. Androgen suppressive effect of GnRH agonist in ovarian hyperthecosis and virilizing tumours. Clinical Endocrinology 1994 41 571–576. (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1994.tb01820.x)
PascaleMMPugeatMRobertsMRoussetHDéchaudHDutrieux-BergerNTourniaireJ. Androgen suppressive effect of GnRH agonist in ovarian hyperthecosis and virilizing tumours. Clinical Endocrinology 1994 41 571–576. (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1994.tb01820.x)782834410.1111/j.1365-2265.1994.tb01820.x)| false
AzzizRNestlerJEDewallyD. In Contemporary Endocrinology: Androgen Excess Disorders in Women: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Other Disorders2nd Edn. Totowa, NJ, USA: Humana Press Inc.2007.
AzzizRNestlerJEDewallyD. In Contemporary Endocrinology: Androgen Excess Disorders in Women: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Other Disorders, 2nd Edn. Totowa, NJ, USA: Humana Press Inc., 2007.)| false
SarfatiJBachelotACoussieuCMeduriGTouraineP & Study Group Hyperandrogenism in Postmenopausal Women. Impact of clinical, hormonal, radiological, immunohistochemical studies on the diagnosis of postmenopausal hyperandrogenism. European Journal of Endocrinology 2011 165 779–788. (https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-11-0542)
SarfatiJBachelotACoussieuCMeduriGTouraineP & Study Group Hyperandrogenism in Postmenopausal Women. Impact of clinical, hormonal, radiological, immunohistochemical studies on the diagnosis of postmenopausal hyperandrogenism. European Journal of Endocrinology 2011 165 779–788. (https://doi.org/10.1530/EJE-11-0542)10.1530/EJE-11-0542)| false
LiuYZhangHLiXQiG. Combined application of ultrasound and CT increased diagnostic value in female patients with pelvic masses. Computational and Mathematical methods in Medicine 2016 2016 6146901. (https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6146901)
LiuYZhangHLiXQiG. Combined application of ultrasound and CT increased diagnostic value in female patients with pelvic masses. Computational and Mathematical methods in Medicine 2016 2016 6146901. (https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6146901)27867419)| false
ZhangMCheungMKShinJYKappDSHusainATengNNBerekJSOsannKChanJK. Prognostic factors responsible for survival in sex cord stromal tumors of the ovary – an analysis of 376 women. Gynecologic Oncology 2007 104 396–400. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2006.08.032)
ZhangMCheungMKShinJYKappDSHusainATengNNBerekJSOsannKChanJK. Prognostic factors responsible for survival in sex cord stromal tumors of the ovary – an analysis of 376 women. Gynecologic Oncology 2007 104 396–400. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2006.08.032)1703035410.1016/j.ygyno.2006.08.032)| false
BhatRALimYKChiaYNYamKL. Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary: analysis of a single institution database. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research 2013 39 305–310. (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0756.2012.01928.x)
BhatRALimYKChiaYNYamKL. Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor of the ovary: analysis of a single institution database. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research 2013 39 305–310. (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0756.2012.01928.x)10.1111/j.1447-0756.2012.01928.x)| false
BrownJSoodAKDeaversMTMilojevicLGershensonDM. Patterns of metastasis in sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary: can routine staging lymphadenectomy be omitted? Gynecologic Oncology 2009 113 86–90. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2008.12.007)
BrownJSoodAKDeaversMTMilojevicLGershensonDM. Patterns of metastasis in sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary: can routine staging lymphadenectomy be omitted? Gynecologic Oncology 2009 113 86–90. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2008.12.007)10.1016/j.ygyno.2008.12.00719162310)| false
SigismondiCGadducciALorussoDCandianiMBredaERaspagliesiFCormioGMarinaccioMMangiliG. Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. A retrospective MITO study. Gynecology Oncology 2012 125 673–676. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2012.03.024)
SigismondiCGadducciALorussoDCandianiMBredaERaspagliesiFCormioGMarinaccioMMangiliG. Ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. A retrospective MITO study. Gynecology Oncology 2012 125 673–676. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2012.03.024)10.1016/j.ygyno.2012.03.024)| false
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virilising ovarian tumor; testosterone; virilisation; salpingo-opherectomy
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Home News No bail for man who used hammer to torture victim
No bail for man who used hammer to torture victim
Neal Putnam
Courtesy Photo.
A judge on June 14 refused to set any bail for a man accused of torture in the hammer beating of La Mesa cardiologist Dr. Hassan Kafri.
Kafri, 48, who works at three local hospitals, was hospitalized June 12 after his neighbor, Robert Franklin Whitaker, 57, struck him repeatedly in the head in Kafri’s garage in La Jolla.
Charges of torture and assault with a deadly weapon were filed against Whitaker, who pleaded not guilty before San Diego Superior Court Judge Joseph Brannigan.
Deputy District Attorney Matthew Greco said Kafri suffered a broken wrist, a broken nose, other facial fractures, and broken teeth in an 8 minute incident.
“It was an incredible savage beating that went on and on,” said Greco to the judge. “He presents an extreme danger, incredible danger to the community.”
The prosecutor said the incident began with a tense conversation between both men, who are neighbors, and it erupted in “a brutal beating that does not stop.”
Whitaker’s attorney, Vik Monder, told Brannigran there was “provocation from the victim” and his client was also injured and taken to the hospital.
Monder urged that reasonable bail should be set.
A preliminary hearing was set for June 27.
Spring Valley robbers sentenced
Two men who robbed a Spring Valley cell phone store with a machete have been sentenced to long terms in federal prison.
Carlos Adolfo Soto, 41, who held the machete when he held up the Metro PCS store on Jamacha Road on Jan. 25, 2017, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months.
The getaway driver, Justin Wayne Caldwell, 32, received 12 years and seven months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Whelan on June 3.
Soto apologized to the victim when she spoke May 6 at an earlier hearing. She told him she still has nightmares “and not a day goes by I do not think” of the robbery.
Whelan ordered both men to pay $48,103.65 to all 10 cell phone stores and one Subway restaurant that were robbed during the spree. This includes the costs of new cellphones that were stolen.
Soto and Caldwell both pleaded guilty to all the robberies and admitted they interfered in interstate commerce, which is why the case was in federal court.
Man pleads guilty to manslaughter
An El Cajon murder suspect who recently won his right to defend himself at his second trial pleaded guilty June 7 to voluntary manslaughter of his roommate.
Michael Patrick O’Donnell, 60, admitted to the personal use of a baseball bat which struck and killed Richard Hobbs, 72, on Oct. 13, 2015.
Deputy District Attorney Daniel Shim said the agreed upon sentence is a 12-year term in state prison.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Lantz Lewis set sentencing for July 8. O’Donnell remains in jail on $2 million bail.
The jury at O’Donnell’s first trial deadlocked 9-3 for conviction of murder and a mistrial was declared on Sept. 5, 2018.
El Cajon Police responded to a 911 call at Hobbs’ home in the 1000 block of Pine Drive. Officers found Hobbs with significant head injuries. He was taken to a hospital where he died of blunt force trauma.
Arsonist given 16 months
Sixteen months in state prison has been handed down to Joshua Edgell Wright, 40, for setting fire to the Albertson’s sign at the grocery store at 1608 Broadway, in El Cajon.
Wright was suspected of setting another fire outside a Vons store in El Cajon, but it was dropped after Wright pleaded guilty to arson of the Albertson’s sign.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Robert Amador ordered Wright to pay $5,000 in restitution to Albertson’s for the damages, which occurred on Nov. 7, 2018.
A store manager had complained that Wright took a watermelon outside the store without paying for it. Wright has been convicted of 14 misdemeanor charges and received probation, but probation had been revoked many times, according to court records.
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Aun
For other uses, see Aun (disambiguation).
Illustration by Erik Werenskiold, from the first edition of Gustav Storm's Norwegian translation of Heimskringla (published 1899).
East royal tumulus at Old Upsala, suggested grave of King Edwin the Old
Aun the Old (Aun inn gamli, Latinized Auchun, English: "Edwin the Old"[citation needed]) is a mythical Swedish king of the House of Yngling in the Heimskringla. Aun was the son of Jorund, and had ten sons, nine of which he was said to have sacrificed in order to prolong his own life. Based on the internal chronology of the House of Yngling, Aun would have died late in the 5th century.[1] He was succeeded by his son Egil Vendelcrow (Íslendingabók: Egill Vendilkráka)[2] identified with Ongentheow of the Beowulf narrative and placed in the early 6th century.
YnglingatalEdit
Ruling from his seat in Uppsala, Aun was reputedly a wise king who made sacrifices to the gods. However, he was not of a warlike disposition and preferred to live in peace. He was attacked and defeated by the Danish prince Halfdan. Aun fled to the Geats in Västergötland, where he stayed for 25 years until Halfdan died in his bed in Uppsala.
Upon Halfdan's death Aun returned to Uppsala. Aun was now 60 years old, and in an attempt to live longer he sacrificed his son to Odin, who had promised that this would mean he would live for another 60 years. After 25 years, Aun was attacked by Halfdan's cousin Ale the Strong. Aun lost several battles and had to flee a second time to Västergötland. Ale the Strong ruled in Uppsala for 25 years until he was killed by Starkad the old.
After Ale the Strong's death, Aun once again returned to Uppsala and once again sacrificed a son to Odin; this time Odin told the king that he would remain living as long as he sacrificed a son every ten years and that he had to name one of the Swedish provinces after the number of sons he sacrificed.
When Aun had sacrificed a son for the seventh time, he was so old that he could not walk but had to be carried on a chair. When he had sacrificed a son for the eighth time, he could no longer get out of his bed. When he had sacrificed his ninth son, he was so old that he had to feed, like a little child, by suckling on a horn.
After ten years he wanted to sacrifice his tenth and last son and name the province of Uppsala The Ten Lands. However, the Swedes refused to allow him to make this sacrifice and so he died. He was buried in a mound at Uppsala and succeeded by his last son Egil. From that day, dying in bed of old age was called Aun's sickness.
Knátti endr
at Upsölum
ána-sótt
Aun of standa,
ok þrálífr
þiggja skyldi
jóðs alað
öðru sinni.
Ok sveiðurs
at sér hverfði
mækis hlut
enn mjávara,
es okhreins
óttunga hrjóðr
lögðis odd
liggjandi drakk;
máttit hárr
hjarðar mæki
austrkonungr
upp of halda.[3][4]
In Upsal's town the cruel king
Slaughtered his sons at Odin's shrine --
Slaughtered his sons with cruel knife,
To get from Odin length of life.
He lived until he had to turn
His toothless mouth to the deer's horn;
And he who shed his children's blood
Sucked through the ox's horn his food.
At length fell Death has tracked him down,
Slowly, but sure, in Upsal's town.[5][6]
Historia NorwegiæEdit
The Historia Norwegiæ presents a Latin summary of Ynglingatal, older than Snorri's quotation (continuing after Jorund):
Iste genuit Auchun, qui longo vetustatis senio IX annis ante obitum suum densæ usum alimoniæ postponens lac tantum de cornu ut infans suxisse fertur. Auchun vero genuit Eigil cognomento Vendilcraco [...][7]
He became the father of Aukun, who, in the feebleness of a protracted old age, during the nine years before his death is said to have abandoned the consumption of solid food and only sucked milk from a horn, like a babe-in-arms. Aukun's son was Egil Vendelkråke, [...][8]
This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
^ based on the story of his supernaturally long life (close to 200 years), he would have lived during most of the 4th and 5th centuries; a tumulus identified as that of Ottar, a son of Aun who fell in battle, has been excavated and found to contain a coin of the 5th century. Barry Cunliffe, The Oxford Illustrated History of Prehistoric Europe (2001), p. 475.
^ the Íslendingabók gives Aun as the successor of Jörundr and the predecessor of Egil Vendelcrow: xv Jörundr. xvi Aun inn gamli. xvii Egill Vendilkráka.Guðni Jónsson's edition of Íslendingabók
^ Ynglinga saga at Norrøne Tekster og Kvad
^ A second online presentation of Ynglingatal Archived September 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ Laing's translation at the Internet Sacred Text Archive
^ Laing's translation at Northvegr Archived March 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ Storm, Gustav (editor) (1880). Monumenta historica Norwegiæ: Latinske kildeskrifter til Norges historie i middelalderen, Monumenta Historica Norwegiae (Kristiania: Brøgger), p. 100.
^ Ekrem, Inger (editor), Lars Boje Mortensen (editor) and Peter Fisher (translator) (2003). Historia Norwegie. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 87-7289-813-5, p. 77.
Primary sourcesEdit
Ynglingatal
Ynglinga saga (part of the Heimskringla)
Historia Norwegiae
Secondary sourcesEdit
Nerman, B. Det svenska rikets uppkomst. Stockholm, 1925.
House of Yngling
Jorund Mythological king of Sweden
First reign Succeeded by
Halfdan
Halfdan Mythological king of Sweden
Second reign Succeeded by
Ale the Strong
Ale the Strong Mythological king of Sweden
Third reign Succeeded by
Egil Ongenþeow
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aun&oldid=862562770"
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Regular temperament
Some example linear temperaments with the generator close to a fifth. "linear temperaments" are regular temperaments of rank two, with one generator as shown, and the other generator the octave. (Milne 2007).
Regular temperament is any tempered system of musical tuning such that each frequency ratio is obtainable as a product of powers of a finite number of generators, or generating frequency ratios. For instance, in 12-TET, the system of music most commonly used in the Western world, the generator is a tempered fifth (700 cents), which is the basis behind the circle of fifths.
When only two generators are needed, with one of them the octave, this is called "linear temperament". The best-known example of a linear temperaments is meantone temperament, where the generating intervals are usually given in terms of a slightly flattened fifth and the octave. Other linear temperaments include the schismatic temperament of Hermann von Helmholtz and miracle temperament.
Mathematical description[edit]
If the generators are all of the prime numbers up to a given prime p, we have what is called p-limit just intonation. Sometimes some irrational number close to one of these primes is substituted (an example of tempering) to favour other primes, as in twelve tone equal temperament where 3 is tempered to 219⁄12 to favour 2, or in quarter-comma meantone where 3 is tempered to 24√5 to favor 2 and 5.
In mathematical terminology, the products of these generators define a free abelian group. The number of independent generators is the rank of an abelian group. The rank-one tuning systems are equal temperaments, all of which can be spanned with only a single generator. A rank-two temperament has two generators. Hence, meantone is a rank-2 temperament.
In studying regular temperaments, it can be useful to regard the temperament as having a map from p-limit just intonation (for some prime p) to the set of tempered intervals. To properly classify a temperament's dimensionality one must determine how many of the given generators are independent, because its description may contain redundancies. Another way of considering this problem is that the rank of a temperament should be the rank of its image under this map.
For instance, a harpsichord tuner it might think of quarter-comma meantone tuning as having three generators—the octave, the just major third (5:4) and the quarter-comma tempered fifth—but because four consecutive tempered fifths produces a just major third, the major third is redundant, reducing it to a rank-two temperament.
Other methods of linear and multilinear algebra can be applied to the map. For instance, a map's kernel (otherwise known as "nullspace") consists of p-limit intervals called commas, which are a property useful in describing temperaments.
"Regular Temperament", on Xenharmonic Wiki.
A. Milne, W. A. Sethares, and J. Plamondon, Isomorphic Controllers and Dynamic Tuning— Invariant Fingering Over a Tuning Continuum, Computer Music Journal, Winter 2007
Holmes, Rich, Microtonal scales: Rank-2 2-step (MOS) scales
Smith, Gene Ward, Regular Temperaments
Barbieri, Patrizio. Enharmonic instruments and music, 1470-1900. (2008) Latina, Il Levante Libreria Editrice
Musical tunings
Millioctave
Savart
Interval ratio
Pitch class
Consonance and dissonance
List of musical intervals
List of intervals in 5-limit just intonation
List of meantone intervals
Microtone
Just intonation
Euler–Fokker genus
Harmonic scale
Harry Partch's 43-tone scale
Hexany
5-limit
List of compositions
Otonality
Ptolemy's intense diatonic scale
Pythagorean tuning
Scale of harmonics
Tonality diamond
Tonality flux
Temperaments
6-tone
12-tone
24-tone (pieces)
Meantone (quarter-comma, septimal)
Schismatic
Regular diatonic
Well temperament/Temperament ordinaire (Kirnberger, Vallotti, Werckmeister, Young)
Chinese musicology
Shí-èr-lǜ
Dastgah
Maqam
Arabian maqam
Octoechos
Pelog
Raga (Carnatic raga)
Slendro
Tetrachord
Non-octave
833 cents scale
A12 scale
Alpha scale
Beta scale
Gamma scale
Delta scale
Lambda scale (Bohlen-Pierce)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Regular_temperament&oldid=881302704"
Musical temperaments
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Touchstone Provides Update on the First Two Wells of 2017 Drilling Program and 2017 Recompletion Program
June 5, 2017 by The Canadian Press
FOR: TOUCHSTONE EXPLORATION INC.
TSX SYMBOL: TXP
Date issue: June 06, 2017
Time in: 2:01 AM e
CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - June 6, 2017) - Touchstone Exploration Inc. ("Touchstone" or the "Company") (TSX:TXP) is pleased to provide the following operational update with respect to the Company's 2017 drilling campaign and recompletion program.
/T/
-- Completed the drilling of two wells on the Coora 1 Block encountering a
combined net oil pay of approximately 665 feet.
-- The two wells were completed on time and within budget, exceeding
expectations with regards to oil potential.
-- The successful drilling results are in line with the growth strategy and
drilling program that the Company outlined in its Pre-Admission Document presented in conjunction with its recent Intention to Float on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
Drilling Campaign
Coora 1 Block
The CO-368 well was spud on May 12, 2017 and was drilled to a total depth of 5,360 feet on May 21, 2017. Wireline logs indicate approximately 345 feet of net oil pay as follows:
Upper Forest Formation 55 feet Lower Forest Formation 95 feet Cruse Formation 195 feet ------------------------------------- Total (Net) Oil Pay 345 feet
The Company cased the well for oil production and has deferred the completion of the well until after the second well in the program, the CO-369 well, was drilled as the two wells share a common surface location. The initial completion in the CO-368 well will target lowermost oil sand encountered in the Cruse Formation.
The CO-369 well was spud on May 25, 2017 and reached a total depth of 5,627 feet on June 3, 2017. The CO-369 well was drilled to access hydrocarbons in a separate, but adjoining fault block to the CO-368 well. Wireline logs indicate the presence of approximately 320 feet of net oil pay and the Company has cased the well and expects to complete the well for oil production in the next 30 days. Wireline logs indicate the presence of oil pay in both the Forest and Cruse Formations, as follows:
Upper Forest Formation 60 feet Lower Forest Formation 110 feet Cruse Formation 150 feet ------------------------------------- Total (Net) Oil Pay 320 feet
The Company will commence completion operations on the CO-368 well as soon as possible and will complete the Cruse sands in the CO-369 well immediately thereafter.
Grand Ravine WD-4
The drilling rig is currently being moved to the third planned location of the program in Grand Ravine WD-4. Two wells will be drilled on the block from a common surface location, targeting prospective resources in separate fault blocks.
Recompletion Program
The Company also performed two recompletions over the past month, perforating the CO-13 well in the Coora 2 Block, and the FR-564 well at Forest Reserve WD-8. The CO-13 well has been on production for 30 days at an average estimate field production rate of 18 barrels of oil per day while the FR-564 well has only two days of production following the recompletion. The Company's next recompletion, the QU-302 well on the Coora 1 block will be perforated this week and the Company remains on track to perform 24 recompletions in 2017.
James Shipka, Chief Operating Officer said:
"We are pleased to announce that the first two wells of our 2017 drilling program have been drilled on time and within budget. Our drilling program is fundamental to our growth strategy and these results have met or exceeded our expectations with respect to oil potential. I look forward to bringing these wells on production and continuing to move forward with our drilling campaign in Grand Ravine WD-4."
Touchstone Exploration Inc. is a Calgary based company engaged in the business of acquiring interests in petroleum and natural gas rights, and the exploration, development, production and sale of petroleum and natural gas. Touchstone is currently active in onshore properties located in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The Company's common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "TXP".
Forward-Looking Statements: Certain information provided in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information in this press release may include, but is not limited to, statements relating to the potential undertaking and timing of 2017 well drilling, completions and recompletions as well as the quality and quantity of prospective hydrocarbon accumulations as indicated by wireline logs. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Certain of these risks are set out in more detail in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 21, 2017 which has been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
- END RELEASE - 06/06/2017
Mr. Paul Baay
Mr. James Shipka
www.touchstoneexploration.com
INDUSTRY: Energy and Utilities - Oil and Gas
RELEASE ID: 20170606CC0001
Press Release from Marketwired 1-866-736-3779
All press releases are written by the client and have NO affiliation with the news copy written by The Canadian Press. Any questions that arise due to the content or information provided in the press release should be directed to the company/organization issuing the release, not to The Canadian Press.
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The Story Behind the Story: “Carve This Flesh From Off My Bones”
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The Story Behind the Story: “Pictures At An Exhibition”
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Cutting a Window in the Self: Mindfulness and Mania (A Review of David Ebenbach’s Miss Portland)
Sep 08, 2017Margaret LuongoReviews 1
Miss Portland: A Novel by David Ebenbach, Orison Books, 2017
David Ebenbach’s first novel, Miss Portland, could serve as a model for short story writers attempting a novel: a single plot, compressed time line, and character-driven action add up to an important and touching depiction of the complexities of selfhood and being with mental illness. Ebenbach has published three award-winning short story collections (The Guy We Didn’t Invite to the Orgy, Into the Wilderness, and Between Camelots), a poetry collection (We Were the People Who Moved), a poetry chapbook (Autogeography), and a guide to creative practice, (The Artist’s Torah). It’s tempting to think his background in psychology (he has a Ph.D. in the subject) gives him special insight to writing from the point of view of a character with a mental illness. An earlier and very brief story—“Nobody Else Gets to be Crazy When You’re Being Crazy,” published in The Guy We Didn’t Invite to the Orgy—is told in second person from the points of view of family and friends of the “you” character, one who struggles mightily with mental illness and whose struggles tend to dominate her relationships. It seems fitting that in Miss Portland the person with the mental illness—Zoe Tussler—gets an entire book from her point of view.
Told in close third person narration, the point of view is so firmly in Zoe’s head that every bit of narrative description and scene is filtered through her consciousness. If Sylvia Plath’s Esther Greenwood remains at a cool intellectual remove in The Bell Jar, having had years to process her breakdown, we experience Zoe’s troubles with her in the moment, as her perceptions become more and more unreliable. Though the narrative springs solely from Zoe’s ramped-up thoughts and feelings, the story never feels oppressive. Her manic episode offers a testament to the power of fantasy and magical thinking. At the start of the novel, she is filled with hope and energy, and it’s impossible to resist her zest for reinvention and rehabilitation. Ebenbach vividly depicts Zoe’s ever-more-manic state, fraught with exhilarating highs and Godlike expansiveness. She sees herself on the rise, regenerating, making progress, “like her ideas were already creating ripples in the universe.” We want her to succeed, we’re cheering for her, even as we know things probably won’t go her way. From the first sentence, a hint of the trouble: “Zoe knew what other people didn’t: she knew that life was perfectible.”
Indeed, much of the complication of the book arises from problems of perception: Zoe’s mistaken belief that life and self are perfectible; her view of herself—sometimes as broken, at other times invincible—versus how others see her and how she would like to be seen. In particular, she would like to abandon her diagnoses: “Regular psychiatrist therapy was basically about telling her that she was stuck being who she was…’I had to leave therapy because I am not described by those labels.'” Later in the book she describes her weariness at being different, a fatigue that descended in college: “She was the wacky friend in their unwacky lives. Which was a fun role to play sometimes. But not forever.”
From Zoe’s point of view, her family especially sees her as troubling, disturbing, a potent force to be contained. Periods of her life have been marked off by episodes—a word Zoe despises, along with “manic” and “cycle.” Her therapist cautions her, “‘This is just part of your cycle, Zoe,’ whenever she had an idea to get her moving forward.” To make matters worse, whenever they fear a new “episode,” they bring up her failed attempts at non-Western, non-traditional therapies. In Zoe’s view, her every attempt to change is met with resistance and skepticism.
At the time we meet her, she is well into her 30s and has learned from her many traumatic experiences—about mindfulness and meditation, most recently. She has met a yoga instructor on a retreat and hatched a plan with him to open a mindfulness center in Maine where he, Gordy, lives in a trailer on his parents’ property. In a fit of exuberant hope, Zoe abruptly quits her job in Philadelphia, leaving her worried family and skeptical friends behind. She skips town without telling her therapist, aware that he’ll challenge her.
In part, Zoe’s character works so well because despite her perceptions, she is actually quite self-aware. No one could be more mindful of her situation, and she ever struggles to make the best of it. After Gordy postpones opening the mindfulness center, she accepts a job as a custodian at the yoga studio where he works, telling herself “at times it did feel sort of meditative.” For all this, though she is a character who inspires empathy, Ebenbach does not hold back when showing the darker side of her personality under the influence of mania. Her perspective on medication is painful, delivering her as it has to a stability in Philadelphia that she found maddeningly mundane. And Zoe herself delivers to us stories from her past in which she recognizes herself as the antagonist—someone who smashes plates and lashes out, someone who needs to be subdued for her own safety and the safety of others.
If Ebenbach excels at making us understand Zoe’s pain, he is no less humane in dealing with the large cast of supporting characters. Though Gordy comes across as a jerk, he may be a well-intentioned jerk, one who mistakenly believes he has answers to Zoe’s problems. It’s possible Gordy is a serial control freak, righteous and over-confident, a kind of humanist zealot prescribing smoothies and mindfulness. In the end, his response to the culmination of Zoe’s “episode” reveals him for what he is.
It’s easy to sympathize with Zoe’s family, who are decent, loving, and worried, while at the same time seeing from Zoe’s point of view how exasperating it is to be the family problem. Gordy’s parents are emotionally distant, but not cruel. A barista Zoe befriends exhibits both kindness and caution in dealing with this friendly stranger. Among Zoe’s intimate circle, there are no villains. Some folks get it right some of the time.
In the past, Zoe has suffered at the hands of people who prey on the vulnerable. These incidents illustrate the extremes of harm to which Zoe’s illness leaves her vulnerable. She also suffers a nearly unbearable sensitivity to the jesting remarks of family and friends, which she pretends to tolerate in order to fit in. Her parents who love her unequivocally wound her with the words of diagnosis. It is stunning how much pain loving, caring people inflict unintentionally. Gordy muses that he can’t tell if he’s hurting her feelings (he is) or establishing reasonable boundaries (he is). What the world deems sick and dysfunctional, Zoe recognizes as self and life.
Ebenbach’s writing about mental illness compares favorably to Denis Johnson’s writing about addiction in Jesus’ Son for its ability to vividly convey an experience that many of us don’t understand or have access to. When Zoe thinks about her period of recovery after leaving the commune, she notes, “Remembering any of that time was like cutting a window in herself. Cutting it with a serrated knife.” Her meditation on her life’s journey, too, is vivid and heartbreaking:
For her part, Zoe knew that the word ‘episode’ was wrong. It wasn’t something episodic— and it wasn’t cyclical, either…she thought of it as something more continuous. In fact, she saw it as the culmination of two decades of having her dials turned wrong for this world and nobody noticing, or at least nobody helping. And she knew other things had gone wrong, too—plenty of things. But that was part of the continuousness too. The problem was that people just didn’t see things in enough dimensions. Because think about it: if you look at something and it looks like a circle, you might just be seeing it in two dimensions, and if you step to the side, to get an angle on it, you’d see that the person isn’t circling but moving along a path that’s more like a spiral, the thread on a screw, or a coiled spring. These things, because each time she came around again, she wasn’t where she started, she was further forward. And maybe the spring was partially submerged, so that she repeatedly ended up back down in the syrup, but she also repeatedly came out of it, and when she did she had made forward progress.
If the success of this novel rests on the development of its protagonist, then that success also rests on Ebenbach’s ability to see Zoe in all her dimensions, not simply as a collection of symptoms, an object of fascination, or a problem to be solved. Ebenbach capitalizes on the hallmarks of the short story in combination with the expansiveness of a novel to give Zoe the space she deserves. The ending, too, succeeds because Ebenbach is a masterful short story writer; he knows what rings true, what’s plausible in the realm of insight. Zoe’s final meditation, gorgeously written, grants her a modest realization, one that is believable and heartening, and yet full of uncertainty. On the way to this moment, Ebenbach delivers an absorbing, suspenseful story of emotional depth and complexity.
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About Margaret Luongo
Margaret Luongo's stories have appeared in Tin House, The Cincinnati Review, FENCE, Granta.com, The Pushcart Prize anthology and other publications. Her story collections--If the Heart is Lean and History of Art--were published by LSU Press. She teaches creative writing and contemporary fiction at Miami University in Ohio.
Cutting a Window in the Self: Mindfulness and Mania (A Review of David Ebenbach’s Miss Portland) - September 8, 2017
Let the Story Teach you its Form: An Interview with David Ebenbach - September 8, 2017
A Review of Kirsty Logan’s The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales - October 7, 2014
“Chinese Opera” - August 1, 2011
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Flash Audio Series: "Aroo in the Night"
The Flash Audio Series features audio versions of stories published on our site. In this segment of our series, David Boffa reads “Aroo in the Night.”
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Film Capsule
Take two daily
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Where to Start With…
Our Time (2018)
Our Time / Carlos Reygadas / 2018 /
Active Ingredients: Beautiful natural cinematography
Side Effects: Obsessive, circular emotions
[Our Time plays this April at Boston MFA’s New Cinema from Mexico festival.]
With Our Time, Mexican auteur Carlos Reygadas combines themes and visual elements of his previous two features (2007’s Silent Light and 2012’s Post Tenebras Lux) into a quiet, slowly-unfolding rumination on love, jealousy and individuality within a relationship. Starring the director himself, his wife and film editor Natalia López, and their children, the film plays as a strange mix of self-serving and self-immolating, wading through messy emotions that feel cathartic for the director and claustrophobic and obsessive for the audience. Read more…
2 Stars, 2010s
Carlos Reygadas, Mexico, Relationship
The Wild Pear Tree (2019)
The Wild Pear Tree / Nuri Bilge Ceylan / 2019 /
Active Ingredients: Striking, colorful cinematography; Mysterious pacing
Side Effects: Episodic structure feels repetitive
[The Wild Pear Tree plays at MFA Boston this April]
Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s The Wild Pear Tree is a film about the incremental, hard-won wisdom of experience, and the conscious and unconscious sacrifices we make to gain them. Sinan, played with arrogance and simmering scorn by Aydın Doğu Demirkol, is a young college grad returned home to his village in Turkey to find his father buried further into humiliating debt, his friends mostly gone in search of work and the same small-minded people who meet his derision all around him. He’s an aspiring writer, and by all accounts a talented one, but Sinan has that painfully familiar combination of high-minded youthful idealism and entitled laziness. He’s Holden Caulfield mixed with Antoine Doinel. Read more…
2010s, 4 Stars
Coming of age, Country, Family, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, Writing
Infinite Football (2018)
Infinite Football / Corneliu Porumboiu / 2018 /
Active Ingredients: Droll humor; Subtle thematic resonance
Side Effects: Slow pace; Visual flatness
[Infinite Football plays throughout March at Boston’s MFA.]
Corneliu Porumboiu’s Infinite Football is a curious little documentary character study about a curious man. Like its subject Laurențiu Ginghină, the film is unassuming, earnest, and even-keeled. Ginghină is a mild-mannered bureaucrat by day, but his real passion is to reinvent soccer, to “revolutionize sports” as he puts it, drawing a connection between himself and Clark Kent’s considerably grander calling as Superman. Porumboiu follows Ginghină over the course of a droll, unhurried 70 minutes listening quizzically and unconvinced as he attempts to explain the motivations behind his rule changes and vision for a slower version of the beautiful game. Read more…
Corneliu Porumboiu, Documentary, Infinite Football, Romania, Soccer, Sports
The Image Book (2019)
The Image Book / Jean-Luc Godard / 2019 /
Active Ingredients: Striking manipulation of color and contrast
Side Effects: Unresolved themes
[The Image Book plays throughout March at Boston’s MFA.]
Jean-Luc Godard’s latest film—depending on how you count, just shy of the cinematic giant’s 50th feature—is structured around the image of the human hand. Early on an index finger from classical art points skyward; late in the film we see the fiver fingers of an outstretched hand. Between these two visual touchstones, The Image Book counts off five distinct sections of a discursive, thrilling, frustrating, unresolved cinematic essay-poem, one for each finger. Read more…
Essay Film, Experimental, France, Histoire(s) du cinema, Jean-Luc Godard, Politics, The Image Book
The Best Performances and Scenes of 2018
I recently shared my Top 20 films of the year, and there’s still time to look back at 2018 once more to name my favorite lead and supporting performances, along with my favorite scenes of the year and “The Year in Miscellaneous Superlatives.”
2016, Acting, Certain Women, Lily Gladstone, Mahershala Ali, Moonlight, Tilda Swinton
The Top 20 Films of 2018
The Netflix-ization of film culture, great movies about the black American experience, and a lot of Rachel Weisz are just a few of the themes of my Top 20 films of 2018. What are your favo(u)rites?
Special Mention: The Other Side of the Wind
Regrets: Burning; Hale County This Morning, This Evening; 24 Frames
A list of all 2018 releases I’ve seen is available on Letterboxd here, with short reviews and thoughts on each one. Read more…
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Shoplifters (2018)
Shoplifters / Hirozaku Kore-eda / 2018 /
Active Ingredients: Flawless cast; Subtle family drama
Side Effects: High-concept machinations
[Shoplifters plays throughout February at the MFA’s Boston Festival of Films from Japan.]
This year’s Palme D’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, Shoplifters feels like both an anomaly in director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s filmography and another of the subtle, well-observed humanist dramas he’s known for. That’s likely because Shoplifters chronicles the everyday pains and pleasures that come with the bonds of family, but this time it’s a makeshift family, a collection of isolated souls living on the fringes of society. This tension between their individual pasts and the shared connection that makes them a family is what animates the film. Read more…
Family, Hirozaku Kore-eda, Japan, Kirin Kiki
by John DeCarli
on the Art and Politics
of Jean-Luc Godard
FilmCapsule.com features reviews of movies new and old, essays on film form, director interviews, and more.
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Berizzo: Qatar and Japan shouldn't be at Copa America
Omnisport June 17, 2019
Paraguay head coach Eduardo Berizzo does not agree with Qatar and Japan's presence at this year's Copa America.
Eduardo Berizzo believes the Copa America should be exclusive to nations from the Americas after guests Qatar secured a draw against Paraguay on Sunday.
Asian Cup champions Qatar – invited to participate in this year's tournament along with Japan – overturned a two-goal deficit to earn a shock 2-2 draw against Berizzo's Paraguay in their Copa opener.
CONMEBOL has a history of inviting nations to compete, and Asian nation Australia are set to take part in the 2020 edition in Colombia and Argentina.
Reflecting on Paraguay's Group B draw in Rio de Janeiro, head coach Berizzo told reporters: "I think it would make sense to play a Copa America with teams from all the Americas.
"Are you asking me about invited nations, right? About Qatar and Japan? I think we should imagine a whole Copa America, with Central America and North America playing all the same tournament.
"I never saw Europe inviting any South American team to compete.
"Don't take it wrong, maybe it sounds a little acidic today, just after playing against our rival [Qatar]. But I firmly believe Copa America should be played by all the American teams in one tournament – CONCACAF and CONMEBOL together."
Paraguay looked to be on track for a winning start thanks to Oscar Cardozo's fourth-minute penalty before Derlis Gonzalez added an unstoppable second.
Qatar, however, fought back in the second half via Almoez Ali and Juan Rodrigo Rojas – who headed a Boualem Khoukhi effort into his own goal.
"This result disappoints us all, we all want to win, from the fan to the coach," Berizzo said. "We need to mind our rival, our reality, a lot of things that explains a lot about this situation.
"This is a new cycle for the team, there is no way I didn't know Copa America was coming to this date, so I cannot make any excuse of it if we cannot play well, when we play well I will tell you we did it.
"Today we had a hard time finding the ball, especially in the middle of the field, and especially after being 2-0 up. If we would have this done, we should get another result."
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irradiated
It’s The Fasab Fact Feature.
October 14, 2014 October 9, 2014 fasab Factoids, Unusual American University campus, aqsarniit, Armenian American physicist, Asda Stores, atomic bombs, Aurora, band-aid, Botswana, brain, britain, broken elbow, Buddy Arrington, Chris Saggers, cocoa beans, Connecticut, critical mass experiment, cute, cute aggression, designation M-1, Detroit, development, dew drops, dewy morning, education, elephants, Entertainment, explosion, fact, factoid, factoids, facts, first paved road anywhere, football players, giraffes, government, Guinness Book of World Records, halo, Haroutune Krikor Daghlian Jr, hazardous products, head of a walrus, heilgenschein, implode, information, injury, interesting, Inuit tribes, irradiated, Ivory Coast, jail time, JJ Tranfield, language, largest sausage, legends, Les Nessman character, lethal gas, man, Manhattan Project, McKinley Building, medical exam, mice, Michigan, mustard gas, NASCAR driver, New Mexico, North American, Northern Lights, nuclear material, Omega Site, Physics Department, playing football, porcupines float in water, research and development, Rhode Island, running moonshine, Salford Tower Blocks, scaffold, seven neck vertebra, shadow, Sheffield, spirits of the dead, squeeze, trivia, TV series, United Kingdom, unusual architecture, whales, window washer, WKRP in Cincinnati, Woodward Ave, working, world's leading producer of cocoa beans
Yes, time for some more facts to feature here at the fasab blob.
Hope you find something interesting in this selection.
Mice, whales, elephants, giraffes and man
all have seven neck vertebra.
There have been many legends about the Northern Lights.
Some North American Inuit tribes call the aurora „aqsarniit“
(meaning “football players”) thinking it is the spirits of the dead
playing football with a head of a walrus.
The feeling you get when something is so cute
you can’t help but want to squeeze it
is called “cute aggression”.
The Ivory Coast is by far the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans.
About 37 percent of all the cocoa beans in the world come from here.
On a dewy morning, if you look at your shadow in the grass,
the dew drops shine light back to your eye creating a halo
called a heilgenschein (German for halo.)
Your brain continues to develop until your late 40s.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records,
the largest sausage was made by J.J. Tranfield on behalf of
Asda Stores Plc, at Sheffield, United Kingdom in October 2000.
With a length of 36.75 miles (59.143 kilometers),
it’s almost the width of Rhode Island.
The McKinley Building on the American University campus
has been used for the development of several hazardous products,
such as Mustard Gas and preliminary work on the Manhattan Project.
The government used the McKinley Building because of its unusual architecture.
If there would be any type of large explosion inside the building,
the building would implode onto itself, containing any lethal gas or nuclear material.
The building now houses the Physics Department.
There is a language in Botswana that
consists of 5 primary click sounds
Window washer Chris Saggers was working on the 22nd floor of the
Salford Tower Blocks in Britain when he fell off of his scaffold,
plunging down 220 feet, and landing on top of a car.
Miraculously, after the fall, he simply stood up and told the on lookers “I’m fine”.
A medical exam revealed that Saggers’ only injury was a broken elbow.
The last NASCAR driver to serve jail time for
running moonshine was Buddy Arrington.
Born in 1921 in Connecticut, Haroutune Krikor Daghlian, Jr was
an Armenian American physicist who worked for the Manhattan Project
(research and development project that produced the first atomic bombs).
He accidentally irradiated himself in August, 1945, during a critical mass
experiment at the remote Omega Site facility in New Mexico.
He died just 25 days later.
All porcupines float in water.
Woodward Ave in Detroit, Michigan
carries the designation M-1, named so
because it was the first paved road anywhere.
The Les Nessman character on the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati
wore a band-aid in every episode.
Either on himself, his glasses, or his clothing.
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FREE CANADA-WIDE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OVER $20
Firefly 2 Review: The Future of Vaping is NOW
By Victoria Dekker
Where tech-heavy handheld vaporization is concerned, it doesn’t get more next-level than the Firefly 2. Since its spring 2016 debut, the unit has ranked as one of the hottest and most-hyped releases to hit the market in recent history. But is the pricey little vape really worth the cost of entry?
The Firefly 2 is a convection heated, touch sensor-activated handheld vaporizer. The 2 is a reincarnated version of the brand’s original unit; it’s smaller, lighter and, apparently, recharges faster than the previous model.
It’s best for more coarsely ground flower, and doubles as a concentrate vape. The unit retails between $450 and $500 in Canada, depending on the retailer.
The Firefly 2 features capacitive sensing technology, which requires the user to touch one or two (depending on specified presets) sensors on the side of the unit to begin heating. A bright green indicator light illuminates when the unit is ready to go, and a warm orange glow radiates from peek-through side vents. Once the skin-sensor connection is cut, the Firefly powers down.
The Firefly offers the option to select six preset temperature settings, ranging from 340 to 420 Fahrenheit (and hotter for concentrates). Heat settings and sensor customization can only be adjusted through the unit’s Bluetooth-paired app, downloadable free for iPhone and Android.
The unit comes with concentrate pads, a charging dock, an additional battery and a cleaning kit. The packaging presents like every Apple product you’ve ever unboxed, and unwrapping the Firefly 2 feels as exciting as cracking open a fresh, new iPhone (fittingly, created by a former Apple designer).
Without question, the Firefly 2 is a very impressive little piece of canna-tech. It pairs to a Smartphone with Bluetooth technology, features Gorilla Glass on the underside and fastens with a magnet. It’s a great conversation piece for the cannabis gearhead, and it’s a brag-worthy accessory to pull out at a party.
The vape comes equipped with a powerful convection heater (which heats plant matter with hot air) and borosilicate glass bowl (virtually shatter-proof and with excellent thermal properties) and vapor path and with a 55-hole pattern at the base, allowing for liberal airflow with every inhale. The magnesium alloyed body is sleek, fits comfortably in the palm and, at 140 grams, it’s reasonably light.
The unit heats up lightning-fast and cools down even quicker. It’s lightweight, and the design is eye-catching. Flower only burns upon inhalation, so there’s minimal waste. It’s a great unit for conserving cannabis, but needs to be stirred occasionally, or the flower will burn unevenly.
It requires a slow, steady and shallow pull to achieve a decent pull. The vapor is cool, smooth and highlights some of my favourite strains’ more discreet terpene notes. The technique requires a little third-party research and practice to nail, and if you own the unit, prepare to explain how to use it every time a new person joins the circle.
In the decade or so that I’ve been vaping my flower, I can’t recall a time I was more excited to try a new piece of tech. I really, truly wanted to love this vaporizer. For the high entry price and glowing reviews, I was ready to make a place for it in my go-to gear kit.
But if we’re being honest: for all its features, ultra-sleek design, future-forward engineering and all the hype that’s come along with its release, the Firefly 2 seems needlessly technical and a bit disappointing, all hype considered.
I noticed a few technical issues with my Firefly 2 right out of the box. The batteries run dry quickly – a lot quicker than any of my other handheld vapes. The unit lasts for one session on a full charge, but I often find it completely dead if I don’t charge it again immediately after. Firefly support suggested I turn off the Bluetooth on my iPhone after adjusting the heat settings, because the unit may continue to attempt to pair while not in use.
Also, they strongly suggest using hand-torn flower over milled, because excess battery power may be required to heat small fragments; a real bummer for me, because one of my favourite indica blends comes exclusively pre-milled from my licensed producer. The modifications helped a bit, but didn’t increase the battery life by much.
While the batteries do charge lightning-fast (about 45 minutes to full power), it would be nice if the unit came equipped with a USB port, rather than requiring a device-specific charging dock. Because Firefly includes two batteries in the kit, theoretically, a user could have a fully-charged battery at the ready (IF she remembered to, y’know, charge the extra battery in advance).
And now, the app. Yes, a vaporizer with built-in Bluetooth technology and wireless customization is inarguably next-level. And, yes, it’s a reasonably impressive feature to tout in your session circle.
But does the mobile integration add much to the experience? Not really. Does the added tech improve upon cerebral effects? Not at all. Because the Firefly 2 doesn’t offer the option to change the heat settings any other way, using the app to do it seems limiting and even a little cumbersome. Again, techies may dig the mobile functionality of the unit, but the features may be wasted on those who prefer analog simplicity who aren’t surgically attached to their Smartphone.
So, is the Firefly 2 worth the price of admission? Depends who you ask. Is it pretty, enviable and worth bragging about to your sisters anyway? Without question.
Where to buy: Vape World - https://www.vapeworld.com/firefly-2-vaporizer
Victoria Dekker is an award-winning print and online journalist, covering life, culture and business in the cannabis sphere and beyond. Connect with her on Twitter @deadtowrite.
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Amandla Stenberg learned of Trump's election win from actor in Nazi uniform
By Ale Russian
August 15, 2017 at 10:55 AM EDT
John Sciulli/Getty Images for InStyle
Amandla Stenberg heard the news of Donald Trump‘s presidency from a shocking source.
The 18-year-old actress is gracing the cover of Teen Vogue‘s Icons Issue. And in the story, she opened to Janelle Monáe about her experiences with racism in and out of Hollywood.
Stenberg was on set of her upcoming movie Where Hands Touch — where she plays a biracial girl growing up during the Holocaust — the night of the election.
“An actor playing a Nazi soldier took out his phone to refresh the news and announced that Trump was president,” Stenberg told Monáe. “I was actually seeing this come out of the mouth out of an actor dressed in a Nazi uniform.”
“Immediately, I excused myself because I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore,” she added. “I started sobbing. It was shocking. It made me really question how we could reach a point where our country is so divided.”
RELATED VIDEO: Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Attack
Stenberg recounted how the director of the film, Amma Asante, found her on set and offered words of comfort — telling Stenberg that “progress is like a coil you have to go down in order to circle back up again. That’s how it’s worked throughout history. That’s how it will continue to work.”
The Hunger Games actress also opened up about getting rid of her iPhone to make sure she’s in the right mental state.
“Amid all of the chaos in the world right now, it’s so important that everyone actively works to preserve their mental health so that we’re able to heal and create change,” Stenberg said. “I got rid of my iPhone, and that was essential in preserving my mental health. Now I have a flip phone that I just use to talk to people and hear their actual voices.”
This story originally appeared on People
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FSX: Steam Edition Released & Yes, You Can Use Freeware Addons
Last updated Thu, 02 Aug 2018 10:57:15 GMT
Originally posted on Fri, 19 Dec 2014 23:50:10 GMT
As one of the finest flight simulators ever made, it’s no surprise that there has finally been a release of Microsoft Flight Simulator X on Steam. This is a massive step in the right direction as the popular gaming client looks to expand its list of simulation software over the coming years, with this updated equivalent of the incredible flight simulator – with one of the biggest modding communities active for any game – giving you some fantastic new features and updates to the game model that makes it more enjoyable than ever before.
Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition logo
The game itself has been put together by the excellent Dovetail Games, who have been running since 2013 and were previously known as RailSimulator.com. The produced the massively popular Train Simulator series and eventually moved on to make fishing simulators – they have now moved to improve and upgrade the base engine of the popular flight simulator, and open it up to a brand new audience. If you have never tried a flight simulator before, try this!
Should you be looking to pick up Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition, then you can do that directly from here with just a few clicks. It gives you all the help that you need in installing the software directly into your library for simple access in the future, and can be re-installed on as many machines as you like so long as you verify your Steam account with that machine.
The simulator itself has been updated to work with Windows 8.1, as well as provide updated and modern multiplayer support. If you are looking to make your own flight experience more enjoyable than ever, why not pick up this copy of FSX and really give yourself something new to enjoy? Adding and installing mods is still as easy as it was in the past, with everything having complete compatibility with the new Steam Edition of the simulator.
About Microsoft Flight Simulator X
FSX provides you with more than 24,000 uniquely designed airports that you can legitimately fly to and visit across the entire world, allowing you to take some of the finest aircraft ever made into the skies with incredible realism and quality rare seen before in any simulator until the latest released in Flight Simulator X.
The world itself has been made in high levels of detail – made even more immersive with the various community packages and combos out there – to give you the full flight experience outside of the cockpit as well as the most realistic flying experience that you can imagine. You’ll also get access to a vast armada of aircraft from the P-51D Mustang to the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, making it easier than ever before to just jump into your favorite aircraft and take off to see what the world holds for you!
The latest addition to the series also lets you pick where to start in the world, but also what to do in the world. Will you be the co-pilot and take on other duties? Or will you be dealing with things back at the base as an air-traffic controller? The roles that you can undertake add another nice layer of finish to an already incredibly enjoyable experience.
However, that’s not all that has been improved. It also provides you with a chance to race against your friends online with Air Race courses, or even the Reno National Championship. Fictional and custom courses are included too so that you can get something that fits your own style, but this lets you add a brilliantly competitive edge to proceedings. Whether you want to include the weather conditions in this is entirely up to you, and you can go up against the AI on varying levels of difficulty as well if you wish to make the race even more challenging for you and your friends.
The fun does not end there, though! With FSX, you gain access to more than 80 new mission sets – you could be a Test Pilot, carry out Search & Rescue missions, deliver freight or act as a carrier for important products – it’s entirely up to you. You can then compare your own performance with the leaderboards on Steam to see just how well you stack up against the competition out there on the web! See who makes the best pilot out of you & your own community of friends.
The various add-ons that have been released for FSX will all be made available, too, giving you even more advice and information than ever before about what you are going to be taking into the air with. Whether it’s for experimentation purposes as a trainee pilot, a retired veteran looking for that thrill or because you want to just enjoy the quality of the skies, this is the place to get started!
The game has gone through a significant overhaul since the previous iteration, Flight Simulator 2004. Since then, new additions like far more ambience and atmosphere within the airports around the world have been included to make the airports feel even better than ever before. Fire trucks will fly around the ground while baggage carts will be crossing around the airport from place to place, making it easier than ever to feel like you are genuinely part of a completely operational airport.
If you want to take your own flight experience to a whole new level and experience what Steam can provide you with that very few other platforms can, then starting with the brilliant FSX: Steam Edition is a must.
Qantas Airbus A380 in FSX (third party addon)
What’s Changed?
For those new to the series, many changes have been included that you might never even notice – but for those who played the vanilla edition of FSX, you’ll certainly find plenty of new changes and additions that make the experience even more dedicated than it was in the past.
It’s a simulator that already had plenty of fine points but with a few years extra to look at the system and see what could be improved, this latest rendition helps to bring your vanilla FSX experience closer to that of the awesome community-made content out there that takes FSX to a whole new level.
As well as improving basic features like the overall working of the simulator, some of the new editions and features have totally revolutionized the way that FSX operates.
Some of the main changes, though, include;
The game itself has been changed entirely in terms of the way it has been compiled – it’s now built using a VS2013 compiler, which improves the overall performance. If you have tried FSX before and didn’t like how it performed, the newest edition may be more down your alley! It still utilizes VS2005 libraries but it mainly runs from VS2013 editions, making sure that your game runs at the same capacity that it should
A completely re-worked online mode that gives you all of the features that you could possible need – if you’ve never take on a multiplayer experience in FSX you are in for a treat. You can take on virtual airlines and even join formation flying teams for those out there who really love to perfect their form and make sure that they are flying at the very highest level that they possibly can!
Updated images throughout the game to give you more understanding of what you are loading up – for example, missions are far better represented by their image than they were in the original FSX release
Use of the excellent Steam network for chat and easy gaming among friends, instead of the old GameSpy client
Host networking has been optimized and improved to run on single port 6112, and has also made it easier to get out of connections that are going nowhere by reducing the timeout between joining sessions to 35 seconds
Complete compatibility with the normal version of FSX – you can have both installed on a machine for complete and total harmony
Improved the overall quality of the textures that the simulator can legislate for, giving you a far more complete system that looks better than ever
Fixed a huge amount of smaller bugs that could be game-breaking in the past – things like a lack of error messages when there is no network cable plugged in when online to texture composition crashes have all been addressed and improved over time to give you a far more balanced performance
However, that’s not all that has been added with this fantastic new package – it also gives you access to some brilliant new aircraft including;
Augusta Westland EH101 (Helicopter)
AirCreation 582L Trike Ultralight
Bell 206B JetRanger (Helicopter)
Boeing F/A-18
Cessna C172SP Skyhawk
Cessna C208B Grand Caravan
De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver
DG Flugzeugbau DG-808S
Extra 300S
Gumman G21A Goose
Maule M7 Orion
Maule M7 Orion (on skis)
Mooney Bravo
Piper J-3 Cub
Robinson R22 Beta II (Helicopter)
So, if you are looking for a more complete experience than ever before this is the ideal place to get started – it’s quick to install, simple to get going and best of all it’s up to 80% off at the moment on Steam! These brilliant savings can give you a long-term simulation option that you will never get tired of. When you add in the huge amount of official and community based add-ons that include new levels, new aircraft and everything else that comes in-between you really do get the complete package when you want to fly for the first time.
Support for Third Party Add-ons
Users will be pleased to know that many (if not all) of the thousands of third party addons including both freeware and payware will work with the Steam Edition. Before the release, the whole community was worried about this and speculating the outcome. This is great news for the community and it means that developers can continue producing great quality addons for FSX just as they have been doing for years.
Installation of the many freeware addons (that don't come with installers) may need to be installed into a different directory to what we are used to - we're unsure on directory structure at the moment but will update the article as soon as we have more information on installation details. Perhaps somebody could explain the directory structure (and where we install third party scenery and aircraft) in the comments section below.
So, if you've just picked up your copy of the Steam Edition, you can view all of our (thousands) of freeware addons here - and purchase our payware addons here.
Original Release FSX Trailer Video
Below is the original Microsoft Trailer video for Flight Simulator X. While Dovetail have re-released this video, it essentially remains the same as the one below (released in 2006).
Steam is a digital delivery service that allows you to buy and play video games, saving them digitally to your profile for easy access from any machine. With more than 100m users worldwide, it’s one of the most influential parts of the gaming community today. You can download Steam for free HERE.
Does FSX: Steam Edition Require Online Access?
Purely for security reasons, every new session will require an internet connection to begin. This is something that is being addressed for later releases to allow for an ‘Offline Mode’ equivalent to be accessible.
What languages does FSX come in?
The initial release is only in English, but this will be changed as time goes on.
Do I Need FSX: Steam Edition If I Already Own FSX?
This is entirely your choice – please be aware that from now on, though, only the Steam Edition will receive updates to the simulation engine. While functional changes have been included to make the experience the best that it can be, nothing extra has been included that isn’t already available for the normal edition of FSX.
Why Should I Buy, Then?
You will receive a digital copy of the game that can be installed again and again, on any machine, without having to worry about a disk or find irritating CD keys. Additionally, you get full access to the online features with far better functionality than ever before via the awesome Steam client.
Is Steam Workshop Supported?
Not at the moment, no.
What Are The Minimum System Requirements?
Operating System: Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or later
Processor: 2.0 Ghz or higher (single core)
Graphics: DirectX®9 compliant video card or greater, 256 MB video RAM or higher, Shader Model 1.1 or higher (Laptop equivalents of these specific chipsets may work but are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may also be needed)
Hard Drive: 30 GB
Sound: DirectX® 9c compatible
Other: Broadband internet connection required for multiplayer features
Note: This game also supports DX9-11. Please make sure that you have at least 11GB free to download the file, and 30GB free to install. It also provides support for Windows XP-8.1.
Does This Include Add-On Content and Service Packs?
Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition comes fully equipped with SP 1 & 2, as well as Acceleration.
It will be retailing at $24.99 (£19.99 in the UK) but it currently on sale with an 80% discount at $4.99 in the US and £3.99 in the UK.
Where Can I Buy It?!
You can purchase your copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator X Steam edition from the official Steam Store here.
I'm really happy to be writing this article - I feel as though the simulation community has had a new lease of life - bringing thousands of new members to the community and making it a greater and more exciting place for everyone. I'm even more pleased that Dovetail have not closed the system and have allowed all of the existing freeware and payware addons to work.
Please, please, please can I hear all of your comments in the comments section below - getting as much feedback as possible is really important. Let me know about your experiences with the Steam Edition, your experiences with the compatibility (and the directory structure) of installing third party freeware and payware and any comments that can help provide feedback.
Don't forget... We have a huge selection (over 24,000 files) of free mods and add-ons for FSX, P3D & X-Plane in the file library. Files include aircraft, scenery, and utilities All are free-to-download and use - you don't even need to register. Browse on down to the file library here.
About Ian Stephens
Ian Stephens is a flight simulation enthusiast also with a keen interest in aviation and technology. Ian spends a lot of his time experimenting with various simulator packages but has a love for Microsoft Flight Simulator X because of the huge selection of add-ons available. However, Ian also has copies of Prepar3D and X-Plane installed.
Ian has been writing for Fly Away Simulation for over 9 years. Should you wish, you can contact Ian via email at ian.stephens@flyawaysimulation.com.
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mwconnollySat, 20 Dec 2014 01:38:31 GMT
I've just installed FSX - Steam edition after owning FSX for many years.
Literally just loading as I type, but took a quick look at directory structure; it appears to have installed FSX into: C:Program Files (x86)SteamSteamAppscommonFSX
Beneath the FSX folders look familiar to original FSX installation.
BartdudeSat, 20 Dec 2014 04:44:43 GMT
If you've not used Steam before the directory is firstly which drive you've installed Steam on then: Steam/steamapps/common/FSX,after which it's identical to your previous FSX install. When installing add-ons it should automatically point to the correct location. I installed it a few hours ago and have not had a problem installing third-party software as yet. I suggest you get it quickly,especially at the introductory price of £3.99 !!!
Ryan BeckfordSat, 20 Dec 2014 06:22:50 GMT
You all will make a ton of money if your company make this compatible with Mac. Yes, it may be a microsoft product, but Mac users should not be excluded. A lot of your customers may be window users, however, attract and support all of the markets. I've been a long time fan of FSX, happy for the newly released FSX Steam, but I am no longer a Windows user. I've been trying to find ways to get FSX on my mac without having to BootCamp my Mac, unfortunately, no luck. I look forward in Steam and dovetail making this game Mac compatible.
Clarky1976Sat, 20 Dec 2014 07:17:23 GMT
Great news!. I really need to get back into my flight sims.
DanielSat, 20 Dec 2014 09:39:48 GMT
Hello, I would like to know if the GPS for instrument You can use the second screen full sreen
PaulSat, 20 Dec 2014 13:20:13 GMT
I am very sorry to inform you that not "green is green"in your list of planes to download... I have purchased a Cessna 402C Businessliner and payed ..9.27 english pounds..but the delivered immidiate download was NOT complete...I have got ONLY the pilot,sits and wheels of the whole plane..!! I am NOT happy about it..!!! What shall I do..??I have written the complain to the flysimware...and still wait for the answer..! I have intention to order other planes..but now I am affraid about losing money..!! Paul. Switzerland
Lars FrederiksenSat, 20 Dec 2014 13:24:30 GMT
Thank you Ian for these news and a Happy Christmas to you from DK.
For me this FSX Steam Edition is only interesting as far as Dovetail Games is committed to develop FSX and generate new features in the simulator.
Wonder if antbody has some information about the company's plans for future FSX releases?
Mark StephensonSat, 20 Dec 2014 13:46:11 GMT
Thanks so much for the upgrade, I was wondering what direction to go in next as there didn't seem like to be anything for MS FSX. I am very happy and after this will be upgrading today.
frank forgioneSat, 20 Dec 2014 14:09:06 GMT
Is a separate program from fsx gold ?
José MoreiraSat, 20 Dec 2014 14:16:48 GMT
Well, I purchased and I am downloading the FSX. Great News!!! Tanks.
Adriaan Van HeesSat, 20 Dec 2014 15:11:38 GMT
I am a long term steam user. Today I have a very negative experience with steam. I am a Train Simulator user (TS 2015) . I have spend several 100 of euros to steam packages. A little more than a week ago I got unexpectedly and suddenly a Windows error by starting train simulator via Steam (E:SteamsteamappscommonRailworkspluginsGameManager.dll is niet geschikt voor Windows of het bevat een fout. Probeer het programma opnieuw te installeren met behulp van de oorspronkelijke installatiemedia of neem contact op met de systeembeheerder of software leverancier voor ondersteuning) I took contact with the support of steam (Ticket nr. 9723-WILM-5914). They advised me to refresh the steam files which I did. It did not resolve the problem. I adviced them of this. Since than I did not receive any answer from the support departement of steam. I send several messages to them, no reply. So Train simulator via Steam does not function anymore. This shows the weaknes of steam. I can nor put back saved files. Only the support department of steam can do this. If the support of steam does not react correctly, or as in my case not at all, you as a client are completely lost. I do not know what I can do. So I will certainly not go to a Steam version of Flight Simulator. Now if I have problems with FSX or FS2004 I can repair them myself. (Putting back my saves) With steam I am completely dependent of the support department of steam. In my case this department does now nothing to help me.
Mark CalvoSat, 20 Dec 2014 15:30:02 GMT
This is awesome news. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I will probably buy this. At less than $5.00 it is a steal. I have liked this sim since it first came out. hearing that Steam has picked it up is awesome. There are very few pieces of gaming software that stand up over time and this is one of them. Now the only wish I have left is that someone would update Microsoft Space Simulator or that one of the other space sims out there like Celestia would use real physics, but I am getting off subject. Well done and thanks for sharing the information.
William SchneiderSat, 20 Dec 2014 15:56:17 GMT
I have been a long time user of flight simulator and now use FSX. Does FSXStream replace FSX? Does it stand as a parallel instillation? Will installing FSXStream affect FSX at all?
Ole AndreasenSat, 20 Dec 2014 16:07:20 GMT
I simply love this. new life to FSX, and the easy STEAM install. plus UPDATES for FSX. Life is good!
Wayne VealeSat, 20 Dec 2014 16:47:58 GMT
I'm a long time flt simmer. I tired this new fsx but found Stream to be VERY difficult to run game and navigate their site. Stream is currently "updating" FSX and says it will take over 6 hours. (Ready to Launch in six hours). I am NOT a novice computer user and cannot understand why this is proclaimed to be such a good product (Stream) when it so difficult to use. Support does not seem very reactive. Do I wait 6 hours to play fsx which I just paid for???
Daniel RodriguezSat, 20 Dec 2014 16:56:58 GMT
sigh ... I live in venezuela , so I cant upgrade my old pentium 4 pc to run fsx , nor buy games in steam or other store cause the $ are forbidden , at least for the mortal people , the fucking government of course can have all that they want...
DELASSat, 20 Dec 2014 19:13:45 GMT
Me gusta, lo adquirire cuando estee en español.
HarrySat, 20 Dec 2014 19:34:06 GMT
I can't seem to find the 80% off price of $4.99 US. Is it just me?
Don HodgesSat, 20 Dec 2014 20:38:56 GMT
I still do not know why I would switch to steam version. 1. Better graphics? 2. 64 bit architecture? 3. If I have hardware that interfaces to FsX via goflight, prosim737 or fsuipc, do I have to reinstall all this software & reconfigure ? If yes, then what am I gaining? Thx -- don
Ed KelleySat, 20 Dec 2014 20:51:53 GMT
This re-birth is good new for FSX. I just hope that it will not have to many bugs as FS and continue to make it better.. It has been a long time since we had any new updates for FSX. I have been flying MSFS since it first was born and that is about 14 to 15 years or maybe more.
This is great, great news.
Sincerely, Ed
Alain Sat, 20 Dec 2014 21:05:49 GMT
When other languages? If someone can answer me, thanks
B.Regards
Brad ArkleSun, 21 Dec 2014 00:22:57 GMT
It's only 50% off. Not 80%. Don't know where they came up with that number, but it's bogus.
SullySun, 21 Dec 2014 01:59:17 GMT
Does this version (Steam Edition) replace the original fsx (CD version) if it is downloaded on the same laptop/computer?
I've downloaded the steam game but not yet installed as there seems to be a warning saying it 'may' replace fsx and to make sure Inbackup my current version.
Basically, what I want to know is can you still play the cd version of fsx if you install the Steam edition?
ajSun, 21 Dec 2014 02:27:00 GMT
Hey Wayne, there's nothing wrong with Steam, you need a better internet connection. The download is around 10Gb. You sound like a novice computer user...
rgrSun, 21 Dec 2014 02:28:43 GMT
80% off offer has expired, now 50% off.
BobbySun, 21 Dec 2014 03:00:53 GMT
It says USD4.99 with 80% off but when you click the link to cart it is showing USD12.49 with 50% OFF. Can you please advise where is the link to buy for USD4.99? Thanks
Thomas MaloneSun, 21 Dec 2014 04:04:16 GMT
I gave up on Microsoft in favor of Mac (iMac pc). Love FSX but make it for use on Mac!
Michael PosfordSun, 21 Dec 2014 06:04:38 GMT
I have been a long-time user of FSX and FS9 and have found the programs to be trouble free. However, I downloaded a "Train" program from 'Steam" and I had nothing but frustration with loading times and invasive advertizing. after about a month of time-wasting load-up time, I gave the whole program away and deleted it. It even took a while to delete "Steam" and I vowed not to touch it again. I shall be avoiding FSX/Steam for as long as possible and remain loyal to the established FSX.
Rick BrownSun, 21 Dec 2014 11:27:28 GMT
This is on offer at £3.99 at the mo. It's a re-compile of the old, discontinued, FSX optimised for new hardware etc. It supports all your old addons and re-paints (not quite, more on that in a mo). There's also new network support using the Steam platform. Acceleration and all patches are included in the install. I did a clean install of the Steam client and placed it on my D drive. This then installs FSX (and any other Steam games) to that drive and Steam directory. After install I tested and found all was well and ran smoothly. I then bit the bullet and tried an addon aircraft or two. This went ok but you had to make sure the installer placed the files in the new FSX folder. Carenado was fine and found the new path, but RealAir made up its own mind and plonked the files in the wrong place. This wasn't to much of a hassle, but needed rectifying. When done both aircraft worked fine. Adding a re-paint caused a problem though. They wouldn't show up in the Sim at all. Under investigation I've found you need to tweak the aircraft.cfg file entry slightly. The new FSX must do this automatically when using an installer, but you need to do it manually if adding your own re-paints. Here's an example:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [fltsim.1] title=C185F ShavronAir sim=Carenado_C185 model= panel= sound= texture=ShavronAir kb_checklists=C185_check kb_reference=C185_ref atc_id=SHV ui_manufacturer="Carenado" ui_type=C185F ui_variation="ShavronAir" ui_createdby="Carenado" ui_typerole=Highwing single Engine Prop description="The C185, also known as the Skywagon, is a six-seat, single engined, general aviation light aircraft. The variation with Tundra tires is used for bush strip runways. It is widely used in Canada and in the North of the United States". Repaint by Rick Brown, ShavronAir.
Notice that there is now a set of quotation marks placed around a few entries. The crucial one appears to be the: ui_createdby="Carenado" When this was done the re-painted aircraft appear in the sim.
I'll report anymore findings as I come across them.
Rick.
MajorCowboySun, 21 Dec 2014 12:56:33 GMT
Like i have explaned before, Steam is NO good for FSX users, every thing that you have downloaded in the parst for FREE IN FlyAway, X-Plane, and in FSX, Now with Steam on the take you can PAY for every Thing, im not the only one who know`s this.
vector2263Sun, 21 Dec 2014 19:47:01 GMT
I just joined Steam and loaded FSX. I've been using Flt Sim since the 95 version and I'm really excited that Steam has taken over this program and will continue to improve it. I've flown on it twice and haven't added any add-ons yet but I really like what I've seen so far. I've read many comments on your discussion board that refutes most problems with add-ons. The only one that did not work was ASN. If what MajorCowboy says is true, the I guess I"ve been mislead. I will stick around for now and try my add-ons and see who is right.
NFMZ1`Mon, 22 Dec 2014 00:33:13 GMT
MajorCowboy is full of shit. I loaded up 2 or 3 planes and sceneries right off and they work fine. All the freeware stuff works just fine. People stop trying to make people think that the Steam version is bad. You wanna stay with crappy legacy discs fine. The rest of us like coming into the new millineum
JohanMon, 22 Dec 2014 16:00:42 GMT
To me it looks like the old bag with new wrappings. Only if FSX becomes 64 bits, I'll consider buying it. The original VAS issue of FSX will remain in its current 32 bit form.
LentoPojuMon, 22 Dec 2014 16:57:31 GMT
Bad thing is that we cant use FsPassengers mod anymore. I want that back :(
Robert CooperMon, 22 Dec 2014 19:32:26 GMT
Could someone recommend me a good water mod?
GunkMon, 22 Dec 2014 19:56:12 GMT
I downloaded FSXStream and even though it took a long time it did download after it was paused and then resumed (this worked fine for me). I now have two FSX versions, one on my "F" drive and one on my "G" drive. My "F" drive has the original without any additions. When I load from the "G" drive I expected the flashscreen to be the new FSX Stream screen. Therefore I don't know for sure if I have an old and a new version... Is there a sue way to know what version is running?
buttercrustTue, 23 Dec 2014 17:38:59 GMT
I'd love to get the "steam" download for FSX BUT the "Create Account" is just a bit problematic. The thing about confirming my "humanity" is silly and does' t work.
Cheers FRUSTRATID
teapotWed, 24 Dec 2014 23:49:04 GMT
And yet somehow over 100million people have been able to create Steam accounts...
Gunk, the steam version will be in Program Files/Steam/steamapps/common/FSX
DemmoThu, 25 Dec 2014 21:49:28 GMT
ok how do i install planes on fsx steam HELP!!!
DemmoFri, 26 Dec 2014 04:55:27 GMT
Thanks to the guys on here i got all my planes frome my FSX to FSX steam yes yes yes!!!! thanks guys
BchfyrmnSun, 28 Dec 2014 15:38:29 GMT
First, my buddy and I have been using FS9 and FSX for along time now and had FSX working great with many addons. We downloaded the Steam edition as I just switched to Windows 8.1. At first FSX would crash after about an hour flight. We found the fix....Bajote's fsx cfg tweak located here...http://www.venetubo.com/fsx.html. We followed the instructions, backed up the original CFG and we flew last night on multiplayer for 6 hours with no crash. AWESOME.
2nd, GUNK.....When you load the steam version of FSX the loading screen will say STEAM VERSION...you cant miss it.
Good luck everyone....happy flying..and we are slowing adding addons like FSTramp, FlightKeeper, CoPilot Pro, GLV2000, and aircraft....see what happens
PaoloSun, 28 Dec 2014 23:56:11 GMT
Just download and installed, and installed also many Orbx (Global Base, Vector, Lc, and all European Addon. All goes very well and fluid. FPS are very variable near most popolous cities, specially N.Y., with a light stuttering. Not near Rome, in Italy. In next days I'll install some addon by aerosoft and fly Tampa, and some heavy aircraft, ....and can give a more complete description..
mondo19Mon, 29 Dec 2014 09:43:05 GMT
I have FSX on G: drive & FSX Steam on D: drive, the only issue I'm having is after adding FS Global 2010 from Pilot software & then tried to add FTX Global Vector it wouldn't allow me to select FSX Steam & wanted to install to my original FSX installation. Any idea as to how I can install any of these programs to FSX Steam as there are others which will not allow you to select a drive, otherwise it's a great sim.
Steve KozlikMon, 29 Dec 2014 22:54:00 GMT
Ok, I have currently FSX Gold Edition; if I purchase FSX-Steam, will my addons such as A340, 787, A380, C130, C17,etc be useable in the new FSX-Steam?
RieliousTue, 30 Dec 2014 14:58:13 GMT
Sadly, not everything runs well with this new version of FSX. Quality Wing 757 and GSX, are two features that I love but do not work. I am hoping however that there will be a fix for I enjoying flying the 757. In that GSX has an addon for the 757, I suspect that the 757 is grounded for the time until developers can release a patch fix. Until then, I fly the RJ100 which works very well.
John NashTue, 30 Dec 2014 18:33:43 GMT
Am I doing something wrong or why is it I do not see any answeres to some very interesting questions?
PVA3196Tue, 30 Dec 2014 19:00:50 GMT
Ill keep this short. I have not looked at the directories yet, but there are a couple necessities to installing freeware which does not have its own installer. If you would like to go over the different steps, contact me at the email listed and we can find an easier form of communication. On a different note; what payware is compatible? Will my PMDG, QW, Captain Sim etc...work. I already paid for several aircraft from each of these companies. I dont want to pay again for the steam "version" of an aircraft or scenery. I haven't read all the comments so keep the attacks to a minimum:-)
Eddie BowenWed, 31 Dec 2014 23:52:50 GMT
I installed it last night. It worked and looked really nice. I was one it for hours. Today it will crash when I. Click. "FLY NOW" it did the same to my FSX. My "MFS 2004 still works great. What happened?
David WhiteThu, 01 Jan 2015 01:04:40 GMT
Can the FSX Steam version be used on Vatsim, or VAIO??
etienne goedgezelschapFri, 02 Jan 2015 13:23:10 GMT
hello, I purchased FSX steam directly from steam. The download does not work. Receive message " no internetconnection" whereas at the same time I receive emails. So my first impression with steam is very negative and , being part of a FS-club we all agreed not to purchase the FSX steam even if it were for free. I cannot understand why PCpilot is given them such high rewarding? Etienne
BillUpSat, 03 Jan 2015 04:33:41 GMT
I am absolutely stoked to bits that Dovetail decided to take on FSX. I thought FSX was dead and buried, but to know its has been revived and revamped is like watching your child being born.
Best news I have had all year.
LouiseSat, 03 Jan 2015 17:29:11 GMT
2 Weeks ago I purchased FSX-Steam edition and till now I have not succeeded a single time in launching FSX. After pushing the button "fly now" only the FSX splash screen appears and after a couple of seconds I get the message "Fatal error". Under the details it says "BEX" and "Fsx.exe". In the Steam-Support I only see that a Fatal error can have many causes, so that I disabled my (old) router, uninstalled AVG and checked the Windows firewall to be sure that the Steam application has been accepted. Nothing helped. I'm very much frustrated about this, because this is the same problem I have with my original copy of FSX on another machine with Windows 64 bits. Now on Windows 32 bits it's all the same misery. With this new Steam-edition I expected that Steam would have solved this kind of problems that appear in both Windows versions, 64 bits and 32 bits. They only direct you to the knowledgebank, but nobody seems to have the same kind of problems....They indeed only made "Minor" changes as they say....
Cheers, Louise
MarkerMon, 05 Jan 2015 16:09:40 GMT
I purchased the FSX Steam. It works, however... Every two minutes into the flight the game freezes and the only solution is Ctrl+Alt+Delete. That means, that it doesn't work at all. Ridiculous enough, the borrowed torrent version works like a charm... :(
Jean Pierre MargotTue, 06 Jan 2015 22:36:37 GMT
i really would like to comment about the sim on Steam. But I can't find it! So. What's wrong?
harry-2ndWed, 07 Jan 2015 17:13:44 GMT
copied from their advertisement Harry so here ya go.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? It will be retailing at $24.99 (£19.99 in the UK) but it currently on sale with an 80% discount at $4.99 in the US and £3.99 in the UK.
LouiseWed, 07 Jan 2015 22:51:00 GMT
Hallo Jean Pierre Margot,
After downloading FSX you can find it in Program Files/Steam/Steamapps/Common/FSX
PeteSun, 11 Jan 2015 15:29:30 GMT
Do I need a version of FSX installed?
AlvianTue, 13 Jan 2015 13:04:42 GMT
Can the addon aircraft work on FSX standard?
StevenMon, 19 Jan 2015 03:58:46 GMT
New to the game but am having a great time so far. And all those that want this game on apple STEVE JOBS IS DEAD apple is over....
Jean-Pierre MargotWed, 21 Jan 2015 13:43:41 GMT
having FSX for quite some years I would like to get the Steam edition. Where and how can I download, or buy, this edition?
Les HuntWed, 21 Jan 2015 15:05:51 GMT
Like the comment by harry-2nd, voted, taken to this page, seen the offer price of £3.99 then noticed the date of posting. If the offer isn't on then the link should be taken down.
keaton0801Wed, 28 Jan 2015 20:41:59 GMT
you can install them into the c drive/program files/ microsoft games/ flight simulator x/ the there is several folder there where the instuctions say to install certain parts on the mods. ex. gauges; effects simobjects(includes in the simobjects folder is airplanes; rotorcraft; etc.) and that is all i know.
StuartThu, 12 Feb 2015 10:39:10 GMT
Ok so purchased and installed FSX : Steam last month it has been running ok, until 3 days ago and now it has stopped, I try running and it just hangs at the splash screen. submitted a ticket on Steam Support immediately and am still waiting for a response 3 days on! I did submit another ticket under Steam probs heading and got an auto response virtually immediately advising to "Please restart your computer and then follow these instructions to refresh your Steam files: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3134-TIAL-4638" which will was useless. so now still waiting for a response STILL unable to use the FSX Steam sim. Steam are notorious for poor support, but this is my first experience of the actual situation .... I am not impressed. Anyone know where I can get a copy of FSX on cd as I am now a convert to it???
abelSun, 15 Feb 2015 00:26:35 GMT
so this fsx is so good because i have download
PikotenPostThu, 19 Feb 2015 21:28:12 GMT
Do your self a favour and buy P3D, either the proversion or the academic version. It is superior to FSX-SE and to the original FSX. It has man, many more improvements than FSX-SE. Especially improvements on out of memmory and graphics. Yes it is more expensive but you will have a beautifull sim that is constantly worked on.
Glen ArnoldMon, 23 Feb 2015 16:02:51 GMT
Very impressed with the Steam edition, using it in conjunction with Orbx scenery and I'm delighted so far.
henrychanWed, 25 Feb 2015 06:59:55 GMT
Not recommended. there is no significant improve in the physics algorithm nor the graphics. however, many file directories have been changed so some addons like PMDG and EZdok may not function properly. the fsx file in app data is also renamed as FSX_SE instead of FSX, for no reason. i would highly recommend you to stick to your original fsx
ogunquitThu, 26 Feb 2015 14:50:26 GMT
I cannot seem to be able to navigate to the source for purchasing FSX Steam. Guidance needed please Jon
Denny ChevyMon, 02 Mar 2015 20:40:32 GMT
i need a real link to GET the steam edition...frustrated that I cannot find it after all the reading I have done
Mike CollinsWed, 04 Mar 2015 22:48:26 GMT
FYI, I bought FSX SE for £3.99. Installed through Steam with no problems. FPS gain of about 5 over the boxed version and a smoothness that was never present before. Dovetail apparently re-compiled the dll's amongst other things, which seems to have made a vast difference overall. One of the biggest complaints against the old FSX ( and P3D) was the VAS problem. This now seems to be gone from the steam version. Another problem which also seems to have been cured is the tearing and black squares. The add on debate is also pretty much a thing of the past as many vendors, including PMDG, are now releasing their updated software to install into the steam version. This alone speaks volumes about the perceived longevity of this newest version of the Worlds favourite flight simulator. My add ons are as follows:- GEX, UTX Europe v2, REX4, REX Soft Clouds, ASN, EZDOK, AI Controller, Traffic Manager, My Traffic 4, GSX, PrecipitFX, 777 Effects, Aerosoft Airbus A318-321, PMDG 777 200-300 (and soon the PMDG 737NGX) AI Ships and Aivlasoft EFB. FSX Steam Edition as far as I am concerned, is head and shoulders above the original FSX and much less trouble to configure than P3D. I speak from experience as at one point, had all three installed. And one last thing to mention, after installing FSX SE I have not touched the cfg file, which for FSX is a miracle!
Jim LymanTue, 10 Mar 2015 23:44:01 GMT
I've been using Steam Edition now since it has come out. I have the Original FSX still installed also. Both work to exactly the same specs as my Original Installs. By far the Steam Edition the way its going will with no doubt out weight the Older FSX version. Do remember, I'm a die hard FSX user, have my own VA, ( 8 years now) , and Currently am a member of 3 different VA Organizations. Bottom Line is this, Real world experience along with way over 10,000 hours in Flight sims, along with countless IFR and VFR logbooks.
I was a little hesitant at first, but took a gamble when the price was dirt cheap. I am SO GLAD I DID !! Steam Edition rocks, and is Rock Solid. The old days of so many Fatal Errors, and so many freezes have gone from 70% down to around 12% Errors. That was enough for me to Continue to inter-twine My payware with Steam. Much to my surprise, Most of my Aircraft WORK in Steam. I own most all of Carenado, along with all of the top payware aircraft. Yes, there are many issues that need to be worked out, but at the rate dove is going, I have no doubt most has been addressed, and most will be eventually be figured out. One Major Example for me as a CEO was simple, does it work and run with VAFS. Guess what ? They figured that out also. Most of my pilots are now flying Steam Edition through Our VAFS account. And they Love it.
Frame rates are far better, along with a much more Realistic Feel through VAFS, then the Old FSX even could think about. I also didn't think that Steam would ever be able to figure out the Client side for FSUIPC for logging flights, but they have. I could go on and on, but I'm not sure that everything I've just typed will get in Here as it is, LOL. My recommendation would be this also, find a friend who knows the in's and out's of FSX, down to the bare bone, and check it out. You will need a person to inter act most of the aircraft between the 2, but it does without a doubt work on most of my Aircraft, 5 stars to Steam, and 5 stars to Fly Away. Fly Away, you have been around almost as Long as I have, and Myself along With many of my pilots still count on you, as you Are without a doubt up to date on most of the latest News that is Important.
My thanks to you Fly Away.
Jim L.
CEO for Heritage VA.
Paul D. LevasseurSun, 15 Mar 2015 00:05:04 GMT
I feel at this time , that I will stick with the original FX. I have worked hard over the years to get the program to run smoothly. It still lacks the IFR training that I would like to see , but its better than a video game.
PLevasseur2@cfl.rr.com Hold a Commercial Inst. Flight instructor refresher in progress
FSXPP70Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:47:42 GMT
I purchased the game but i am not positive. We suffer a lot of time outs with connection. And when you flying PMDG and put in youre route..... then drops out...... i almost got feelings for killing somebody ....... We stepped back and started a FSX Server for 2002 ,2004 and FSX without Steam. We fly for hours without problems.
KenThu, 26 Mar 2015 23:34:29 GMT
Will steam fsx add-ons work on pc fsx?
PsyManSat, 28 Mar 2015 15:29:06 GMT
Quick, Steam sale on again, £3.99 until 30th March
StephenMon, 27 Apr 2015 00:15:51 GMT
So has anyone tried running the steam version through boot camp on the Mac? If so was it successful? Looking to buy the game but do not want to waste the money if it is not going to work.
LTC (R) Paul L. SteeleWed, 29 Apr 2015 00:54:00 GMT
Not sure I will ever try the Steam edition of FSX because I have used it for combat games previously and if you do not update it every day, it can take 15 minutes to an hour or more just to get to the account and play as I imagine it will to fly. When I want to fly it is because I have some time on my hands to do so and the delay just drives me nuts so with the newer versions of the combat games I get the PS3 version that does not require it. If they could fix it and if it would work better than my current FSX which I do get Net Framework errors and it locking up I might consider it.
Tina SSat, 02 May 2015 04:00:43 GMT
One can tell immediately the performance is better with higher graphics than the box version. Steam brought back simple multiplayer so you can go join a session and fly with others pretty easily.
Keep your Box Edition installed! No SDK with Steam or it is incomplete, so if you using SDK's to modify things, just keep doing so and port your files into Steam Edition add on scenery. FSUIPC will recognize both installs and know the difference but you must have latest version of FSUIPC. I have FSX box installed directly on hard drive (c/fsx) and then I let Steam install to default c/program files(x86)
I copied my entire box edition add on scenery folder to Steam add on scenery folder and all I had to do is activate the ones I wanted when I went to FSX-SE settings and Steam recognizes them.
Trick to 3rd party add ons is you MUST use the proper path to get to the correct folders: computer/program files (x86)/steam/steamapps/common/fsx and you are now in folder directory that looks exactly like box version. Add on airplanes and scenery go in normal places here. Easy breezy for those familiar with fsx files.
Overall I'm giving it 5 of 5 stars simply for the vastly improved performance. I run boxed version with many detail faders down a bit and get 25 fps. I run Steam full bore and get 99 fps so I tone it down with limiter to 50 fps.
I have been flying FSX box version since 2009 and have flown real airplanes and regional jets. FSX-SE does not disappoint.
"old" (2009) Alienware DuoCore @3.1, GTX750 graphics, 4 gigs RAM Vista HP 64 bit
AbdalWed, 20 May 2015 18:44:25 GMT
can i run FSX:SE om mac Plz answer me i'm going to buy it
Ray LauderbackFri, 29 May 2015 16:42:44 GMT
Purchased Steam FSX on Steam, but can't use it yet due to computer issues. Looking forward to the experience one I get an updated computer!
Will123245Sat, 22 Aug 2015 14:38:09 GMT
I have just finished installing this new FS onto my laptop and I went to click on the icon to play it but it has come up with an update that is going to take approximately 16 hours. This can't be right can it??? The loading bar isn't moving at all I've waited an hour to see what will happen. I also have the old FSX installed on this laptop so could it be to do with the memory of my laptop?
nsiottoSat, 17 Oct 2015 17:26:40 GMT
Bad news! I have installed FSX Steam edition and many aircraft that worked on FSX standard edition don't work here.
If lucky these appear white without textures. Otherwise, they don't even appear at all.
I am quite disappointed.
David FrustratedSat, 26 Dec 2015 20:41:10 GMT
I had to reinstall Steam after the purchase in August 2015. That was 15 October. I still cannot load Steam. Everything is there, and when I download it says "FS could not run because it could not write FSX.cfg" I have tried everything, compatability mode all, and I run it on C:Steam to keep it away from FSX10. And don't mention to me about getting in touch with anybody or support at steam. UGGGH. I even downloaded it on a CD when I bought it, and yes I go through steam login to download it.
Bill WightonMon, 01 Feb 2016 19:00:21 GMT
I have been in New Zealand for the last couple of months, just got back and read about FS x Steam edition.
Would it still be possible to buy it at the introductory price of £3.99 Please ??
Sorry I missed the offer earlier by not being in the UK,
Bill Wghton
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Fool of the World
Follow me as I travel (near and far)
Day 10: Paris Part Deux
On June 27, 2018 July 2, 2018 By Fool of the WorldIn Europe, France, paris, Summer 2018
One of the reasons I chose our hotel was it’s proximity to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is France’s most popular attraction and I wanted to make sure that I was among the millions of visitors to experience its magnificence.
We are not a religious family and convincing my family to visit this landmark wasn’t going well. Finally, Kai agreed that “you do not have to be religious to appreciate a beautiful church.”
We walked over first thing in the morning to beat the lines. Fortunately, there was no line to enter the church other than a quick security check. Kai and I joined hundreds of curious tourists in touring the interior perimeter and chapels of the massive church. The interior corridor has constant church services or which we were able to hear a portion of one. It was all very spectacular.
I was really most interested in climbing the 400 steps to the belfry, so upon exiting the church, we set out to find the entryway to the stairs. We found out that we needed a timed ticket and that the next available slot wasn’t for several hours. We booked the slot and then walked uptown to reconnect with Kiki and Jeff.
They spent the morning to visiting the Centre National d’Art et de Culture George’s Pompidou, an iconic modern art museum named for a former president of France.
We even saw Uncle Herb!
Featuring works by Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse, Dali, Edward Hopper and more, the Pompidou was a favorite stop for both Kiki and Jeff.
Kai and I had enough time to take the 10¢ tour before meeting up with Kiki and Jeff at the Stravinsky fountain, followed by another delicious lunch (beers!) at a sidewalk cafe.
This was turning out to be a marathon day. Kai and I had paced ourselves well, finishing lunch just in time to dash down to Notre Dame with minutes to spare for our entry time to the belfry stairs. I am so glad we made it!
My body was aching terribly from the uptick in activity that my old lady body had seen the last week. I thought the stairs were going to kill me and was resolved to die on the Notre Dame stairs, however I was pleasantly surprised. Both the of us took the stairs in stride with our dozen or so stair buddy compadres. The initial climb of 300 or so stairs took us to the roof level, complete with the iconic gargoyles and a sweeping view of the Paris skyline.
It was simply amazing. A must see sight. The route snakes you and all of the others along a narrow meshed in open-air corridor in which you can look down upon the roof of the church or outward toward the city and the river Seine. Around a bend, we came to one of the two belfry towers, with a tiny arched door to crawl through and two flights of rickety stairs leading to the two massive bells. I couldn’t help but imagine Quasimodo hiding Esmerelda right where we stood. I hope she wasn’t wearing heels.👠 Sheesh.
When we arrived at the opposite corner, I assumed it was to descend back to the square. But I was wrong. Another 100 or so spiral stairs took us to the exterior rim of the belfry for more gargoyles and more amazing views. I admit that imagining each wedge of a stair as a giant slice of cheesecake 🍰 gave me the mental fortitude to make it that last little bit. And, of course, it was all worth it. Up and down, round and round with no shin splints. (I’m talkin’ to you Saint Paul’s Cathedral 😕 circa 2015.)
As if all of the above were not enough, our time in Paris was running dry and we still hadn’t made it to the Louvre. So…. Jeff and I returned the kids to the safety of the hotel for a marathon visit. This time, I had much better luck with the Metro, riding just a few stops and emerging directly across the street from our destination. We entered through the secret squirrel entrance (thanks Chrissy for the tip) and immediately began searching for the Mona Lisa. It was a journey, winding through some of 35,000 pieces to the Italian paintings wing.
Painted by Leonardo Da Vinci between 1503-05, the Mona Lisa is arguably the most famous painting in the world. Therefore, it is also the most popular painting in the museum, with six million visitors yearly.
We waited our turn for a glimpse. I am so glad we did.
Jeff and I may not be serious art buffs, but I’d say that we have more than the average knowledge and appreciation for works of the masters. We also have quite the knack for renaming works in such a way that kept us both cracking up in a very Beavis and Butthead sort of way.
Damn, Americans. 🇺🇸
You thought we were done for the day, didn’t you?
Oh no, my friend. We still had a boat ride on the Seine to accomplish. So, we collected the kids from the hotel and attempted to take the Metro to the Eiffel Tower area.
The good news is that we found the correct train. The bad news is that after two of the scheduled three stops, the train stopped and announced that service was terminated and that we were to disembark. Furthermore, from what we could tell, there would be no train to our planned destination for another 45 minutes. We had a boat to catch, so we found our way to the surface and hoofed it the rest of the way.
What we did not know at the time, and would discover later in the evening, is that the Metro workers had a planned “intermittent” strike. It was supposed to begin at midnight, but ‘eh, 20:00 is close enough, no?’
We found the tourist boat without incident. Unfortunately, we were not the only ones with the idea of crushing the river at sunset. The lines were massive and the boat was crowded. Initially, it was, quite frankly, a hellscape.
Once we settled in, it was a nice peek into an electric “run-of-the-mill” Wednesday night in Paris. Every bit of the river bank was alive with excitement. From the dinner parties occurring on the boats moored along the walls, to the never ending groups of picnicking couples and groups of friends with blankets, beers and baguettes. There was music galore. From school band style groups, to drum circles to swing band orchestras complete with swinging dance parties. And all along the way there were cheering, laughing and happy people. I was so mesmerized that I didn’t take any pictures.
By the time we returned the city was lit up with lights and the Metro was boarded up. 😯
Luckily, though we were unaware of the Metro situation, the taxis were fully aware and were queued up around the boarded closed Metro entrances.
We grabbed a taxi back to our neighborhood, had a fantastic late-night Italian dinner and were off to bed by 1 am (Paris-style).
When all was said and done, I had walked 24,000 steps (9.73 miles) and climbed 51 floors today.
Tomorrow, it is au revoir Paris, Hello Dublin.
Eiffel TowerFamily tripLeonardo da VinciLouvreMona LisaNotre Dame CathedralparisPompideauSeine
Day 7: Travel to Paris
Day 8: Paris
Day 12: Dublin July 3, 2018
Day 11: Dublin Bound July 2, 2018
Day 9: Versailles July 1, 2018
Day 8: Paris June 28, 2018
Day 10: Paris Part Deux June 27, 2018
New England (11)
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Radioactive Waste 365 - UK Hopes To Use Experience With Decommissioning At Sellafield To Launch Decommisioning Business Abroad
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Thorp Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Facility
The Thorp nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria, in the U.K. has been closed. No more spent nuclear fuel will be reprocessed there. Now the plant will undergo decommissioning which will require decades and billions of dollars. In order to successfully and safely dismantle and decontaminate the plant, it will be necessary to develop some new technology.
Read more about Radioactive Waste 365 - UK Hopes To Use Experience With Decommissioning At Sellafield To Launch Decommisioning Business Abroad
Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has verified Bruce Power's final cost estimate for refurbishment of the first of six units at the Bruce nuclear power plant and confirmed that the price of power will be lower than originally estimated. World-nuclear-news.or
Nuclear Weapons 364 - Chinese Are Developing A Fleet Of Nuclear Submarines
Chinese Ballistic Missile Submarine.JPG
Type 094 Chinese Nuclear Missile Submarine
The three major nuclear armed powers are the U.S., Russia and China. While the U.S. and the Soviet Union built up huge stockpiles of nuclear warheads which were then reduced by disarmament treaties to a few thousand warheads each, China only has a few hundred warheads. They have a policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons in a war.
Read more about Nuclear Weapons 364 - Chinese Are Developing A Fleet Of Nuclear Submarines
Iran has no intention of renegotiating the 2015 nuclear deal, as demanded by the United States, Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said. Channelnewsasia.com
UK planning to build a new nuclear power plant directly across the sea from South Dublin. Joe.ie
Poland expects its first nuclear power plant to start operating after 2030 as the country aims to cut its use of coal in producing electricity, Deputy Environment Minister Michal Kurtyka said. Reuters.com
Bartlett pear from Central Market = 104 nanosieverts per hour
Tap water = 154 nanosieverts per hour
Filter water = 146 nanosieverts per hour
Dover sole - Caught in USA = 111 nanosieverts per hour
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Part 5 of 5 Parts (Please read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4
EDF Energy has announced the third consultation on its plans for Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast will start on 4 January. Bbc.com
NASA Considering Proposals For Commercial Revenue Streams
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NASA is considering selling seats on the launch vehicles that will be used to ferry passengers to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA would like to have additional sources of funding beyond that provided by the U.S. government for government missions.
Read more about NASA Considering Proposals For Commercial Revenue Streams
Stonehenge2007_07_30.jpg
Part 4 of 5 Parts (Please read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 first)
The United States has told its ally South Korea it should not improve ties with North Korea faster than Pyongyang takes steps to give up its nuclear weapons, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday. Asahi.com
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Jolly Roger pirate flag
Part 3 of 5 Parts (Please read Part 1 and Part 2 first)
America’s nuclear arsenal relies on this brand-new supercomputer. Theverge.com
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Country Lebanon
Forever Living Products Announces
1 Million Meal Goal with Global Nonprofit
Rise Against Hunger
Forever Living Products Announces 1 Million Meal Goal with Global Nonprofit Rise Against Hunger
Rise Against Hunger's Corporate Partner Forever Living Products Announces 1 Million Meal Goal in 2017
Forever Living Products has announced plans to package one million meals in 2017 with global nonprofit Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now). The international grower and manufacturer of Aloe Vera and bee products announced plans to expand their partnership with Rise Against Hunger and package meals for the world’s hungry at events throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
Forever Living Products held their first large event with Rise Against Hunger in 2015 when employees packaged 300,000 meals at a Global Rally in Singapore. In 2016, the event was held in Johannesburg, South Africa where 350,000 meals were packaged. The Rise Against Hunger meals are used through school feeding and other programs to promote self-sufficiency.
“Working with Rise Against Hunger (Stop Hunger Now) has been a really powerful experience for us,” said Gregg Maughan, President of Forever Living Products. “Their mission to end world hunger resonates with us and has really empowered our Forever Business Owners to get more involved. We are so excited to take on the challenge to pack one million meals in 2017!”
Kicking off with an event to package more than 50,000 meals at the Home Office in Scottsdale, Arizona, Forever Living Products country offices all around the world have already committed to reaching the 1 million meal goal. Also in January, Sweden committed to packaging 200,000 meals and Germany an additional 26,000. India, Italy and Greece have also shared their plans to package more than 150,000 meals combined during summer and fall events, with many more countries planning events throughout the year. In addition, Forever Living Products will also organize an event to package several hundred thousand meals at the 2017 Global Rally in Dubai in April.
Around the world, nearly 795 million people lack adequate food. Rise Against Hunger operates meal packaging locations in 20 cities throughout the U.S. and six international locations in South Africa, Malaysia, the Philippines, Italy, India and Peru. Last year, more than 353,000 volunteers from corporations, churches, schools and civic organizations packaged Rise Against Hunger meals.
Rise Against Hunger meal packaging events are a volunteer-based program that coordinates the streamlined packaging of highly nutritious dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables and 23 essential vitamins and minerals.
About Rise Against Hunger
Rise Against Hunger works to end hunger by providing food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable people, and by creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources. Based in Raleigh, N.C., Rise Against Hunger operates meal packaging programs in 20 U.S. cities and in South Africa, Malaysia, India, Italy, Peru and the Philippines. To date, Rise Against Hunger and its global partners have packaged more than 300 million meals. For more information visit www.riseagainsthunger.org.
About Forever Living Products
Founded in 1978, Forever Living Products is the largest grower and manufacturer of Aloe Vera and Bee products in the world. The company sells personal care, weight management, skincare and beauty products using a network of independent business owners in 158 countries around the world. For more information visit www.foreverliving.com.
Forever Giving Forever Global
Beirut – Zalka,
Main Internal Commercial Road – Lebanon
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Pericles: aristocrat, orator, and radical democrat
Les Grecs anciens
Université Wesleyenne
4.7 (1,101 notes) | 59K étudiants inscrits
This is a survey of ancient Greek history from the Bronze Age to the death of Socrates in 399 BCE. Along with studying the most important events and personalities, we will consider broader issues such as political and cultural values and methods of historical interpretation.
Art History, Greek Mythology, History, Ancient Greece
4.7 (1,101 notes)
Well presented, wonderful insight into the world of the ancient Greeks. I learnt a lot, and it has whetted my appetite for more. I really loved this course, and enjoyed it very much indeed
Fantastic course. Information packed, but not overwhelming. The links to online readings provide nice context for a lot of the lectures, but weren't in any way daunting. Highly recommend!
"The Great 50 Years" (ca. 480-431 BCE)
Module 5 surveys the period between the end of the Persian Wars and the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, which came to be known as Athens’ “Golden Age.” After the Persian Wars, there grew an alliance of Greek states that was meant to maintain security. The allies asked the Athenians to lead the confederation, called the Delian League. We will examine how the league was gradually transformed into an empire dominated by Athens. We will also discuss the extraordinary Pericles, who was a leader in the expansionist Athenian democracy and shaped many of its policies. In addition we will pay some overdue attention to the role of women in Greek society, with a consideration of the character of Antigone and a more general assessment of women’s status. We will conclude with an – again, too brief – account of the great building program that produced the Parthenon and the other renowned monuments on the Athenian Acropolis.
Pericles: aristocrat, orator, and radical democrat15:19
Tragedy and Athenian civic life; Sophocles' Antigone (441 BCE)15:44
Andrew Szegedy-Maszak, PhD
Choisissez une langueAnglaisEspagnol
There are very few characters in history who have given their names to a period and
Pericles is one of them. This part of the fifth century is often
called Periclean because he was so influential in Athens.
He was born around 490. Again, we're not quite sure.
We know that his family background was elite as it could be.
This famous statue of him has the inscription, Perciles, the son of
Xanthippus. Athenian.
Xanthippus we've already seen. He is an Alchmaeonid, a member of that
old, powerful clan. Xanthippus had been involved in the
exchanges of ostracisms back in the 480s And his son was clearly destined one might
say to pick up the family banner. We first hear about him in a case
involving Kimon, you know the general. He was subject to a kind of impeachment.
And Pericles was chosen to be one of the so called prosecutors, this back and forth
63. It seems that Pericles didn't really want
to do this, participate at only half-heartedly, deliberately, and Kemon
was acquitted. This was a couple years before he was
finally ostracized. But then in 462, this is when Pericles
really comes on to the Athenian public stage.
Because it's in that year, along with a political ally named Ephialtes, that the
ancient council of the Areopagus is reformed.
Areopagus, you might remember, has been around pretty much as long as we can think
of Athenian political history. It exists alongside the democratic counsel
of 500 that had been established by Clistenese and the Areopagus...
Consisted of ex-Arcons, that is you would serve as Arcon for your year terms and
then go into this council. In other words, it tended to be made up of
somewhat older, probably more moderate, or even conservative men.
And we're not quite sure, what sort of legal.
Powers it retained, but it had some. In 462, the areopagus was reformed and was
really, its power was almost completely taken away.
It retained its position as a court for cases of voluntary homicide And a couple
of other religious, religious related offenses but any real influence it had in
Athenian politics was now gone. This it's difficult, I think, to overstate
the importance of this change. A few years later, the great tragic poet
Aeschylus. Wrote his Oresteia, the only surviving
full trilogy of tragedy that we have from Athens.
And one of the things the Oresteia addresses is a kind of mythical charter
for the founding of the Areopagus as a court to hear cases of homicide.
But Pericles, in other words, has, has at a relatively young age already made a
great mark on Athenian public and political life.
He was nicknamed the Olympian because of his manner, aloof, austere, aristocratic.
He is associated in story with a number of the leading intellectuals of his day.
The thinkers like the great teacher of rhetoric Protagerus whom we'll be talking
about more in a little while. He lived a thorough going, one might say,
aristocratic lifestyle. He famously had a beautiful mistress named
Aspasia who was a courtesan. She was not Athenian.
She was from Miletus. And she was, one might say, a professional
escort. But she was also brilliant, a great
conversationalist, a great thinker in her own right.
And Pericles' liaison with Aspasia made them what,[LAUGH], in some, some venues is
now called a power couple. But Pericles', so to speak, his
unconventionality in terms of his domestic relations doesn't hold a candle to the way
he acted in terms of expected patterns of behavior from members of the elite.
We've talked about how the elite families retained a kind of political influence by
working through, and in, the democratic process.
Ostracism is just one example. They maintained ties of a sort of
semi-formal friendship called philia. Reciprocal bounds that, bonds that
included say, inter-marriage. Marrying off sons and daughters to
solidify alliances. This is big-man behavior, isn't it?
Also, favors, asked for and granted. Political support, like in ostracisms
again. Pericles we are told, rejected all forms
of this sort of official friendship. Instead, it seems that the main source of
his power, as we would say, is controlling the discourse.
He turned to the people and in that condition, or in that situation of the
Athenian public assembly, where you have to be able to speak powerfully and
pervasively to a large group, he had no equal.
He's talked about by a late Latin source as having an almost incredible power of
speaking. In addition, he was personally
incorruptible. He had a lot of family wealth.
He didn't need to be bribed. He was above any kind of personal,
stooping to getting bribed or that sort of low level of favor exchange.
And moreover, it seems that his ambition was more for Athens, for the Polis, than
for himself. Thucydides famously says in his estimate
of Pericles that during the years of his ascendency Athens was in name a democracy
but in fact under the rule of the first citizen.
I think we have to be very, very careful here.
Pericles did not rule Athens. The Athenian people ruled Athens.
And Pericles was extremely influential among them.
But he had to organize them. He had to make his case.
He had to speak in the Assembly. He was not a king, much less a tyrant.
For a very long time Pericles was thought of as sort of embodying Athens at its most
excellent, at its height. Recently, however, scholars have
undertaken what might be called a revisionist view of Pericles.
One of the things that happened during his ascendancy was in the mid 450s.
The Athenians undertook some kind of military, or I should say, naval
engagement around Egypt. A huge fleet of around 200 ships went down
to Egypt perhaps it seems. To encourage the local governor to rebel
from Persian the Persian empire. Whatever it was, it was a disaster.
The Athenian fleet was wrecked. And probably as a consequence of that,
there occurred what I've mentioned before, which is that the league treasury.
Was transferred from Delos to Athens, and you have the beginning of the so-called,
the inscriptions called, the Athenian Tribute Lists.
The editors of the Athenian Tribute Lists have proposed a new kind of
interpretation. Of what's happening in this jam-packed
period of the 450s and early 440s. I'm going to walk through it with you just
to show you how, even when we have literary inscriptional numismatics, that
is, coin evidence, you know, evidence of all kinds, things just remain at the level
of conjecture or synthetic theory. Transfer of the treasury, that did occur,
we know that. And then, around 451/50...
There was a five years truce between Athens and Sparta, this sort of pausing
the first Peloponnesian war that we have spoken about.
In the following year there occurred what is called the Peace of Callias.
Speaking on behalf of the Greeks, the Athenians make some kind of formal peace
with the Persians. You can ask yourself, what does this do to
the whole purpose of the Delian League, which is to protect us from Persia?
And the answer is, of course, the Delian League doesn't need to exist anymore now,
and you can really see With the transfer of the treasury and peace with Persia,
sort of the final steps into the conversion of Delian League to Athenian
Empire. After that, there occurs, what Plutarc
tells us, which is that Pericles calls out to the Athenian states forgive me, to the
Greek states, to come to Athens, For a congress to talk about where to from here,
and the Greeks they'd say forget it and they'd stay away in droves.
Then there followed something called the Papyrus decree.
This is a commentary on a speech of Demostenes.
That talks about setting aside a huge amount of money for the Athenian building
program. This had been dated down to the late 430s
because the archon who is named there is one, Euthydemus.
The editors of the Athenian tribute list think that this is a mistake.
For the archon Euthynus, who was archon in 449.
The following year, there is a missing year in the Athenian Tribute List.
Unfortunately, it occurs at the top of a block.
So scholars have argued whether there was in fact no tribute collected that year or
whether the stone just broke off at that point and tribute was collected but we
don't know. The following year there is low tribute,
lower than what had gone before. Did the Athenians sort of ease up a little
bit after the peace with Persia, thinking they didn't want to really antagonize the
allies any more? Maybe.
But there are two more decrees. There is the so-called coinage decree and
this is what demands that members of the Athenian confederacy use Athenian coins,
weight and measures. This had been dated down to the days of
high imperialism in the 420s, but then an inscription of the coinage decree was
found on the island of Kos and it used an old fashioned sigma.
A three-bar sigma, one, two, three, like a lightning bolt, and this had fallen out of
use in the 440s, replaced by the four-bar sigma.
Was it just some old stonecutter, who just knew the old forms, or was the coinage
decree in fact much earlier than had been thought?
And finally, similarly, with the Cleinias Decree This is the decree that sets up
much tighter conditions for nonpayment of tribute with real penalties.
It's, it too had been dated much later until a copy was found with a prefix
naming one Cleinias, this is an unusual name, the most famous Cleinias Was the
father of the rogue aristocrat Alcibiades and well also talk about and he died in
445. So, if this reconstruction is correct we
have the Athenian democracy under the influence of Paraclees.
Acting much more imperialistically, much more aggressively.
And instead of being that sort of figure of moderation that Thucydides extols,
Pericles appears to be a much more ruthless imperialist than he had been
given credit for. As I've said, I have walked us through
this little exercise partly because it is so important, and also because it reveals
once again that even with a fair amount of evidence, theories, interpretations,
narrative continue to be constructed, and...
With varying degrees of plausibility, or with varying degrees of back up, but never
with any certainty. But that's okay.
We're now going to pause briefly in the headlong chronological rush and consider a
couple of major examplesof Athenian culture.
And that is, specifically, tragedy. And also, we're going to think about a
whole half of the population that we haven't talked about much.
That is, women. And then we will also talk about that
building program, whose monuments still serve as the glory of Athens.
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Restaurants in Paris Adding New Mexican Flavor
Rice and Beans, in the 2nd Arrondissement.
Young Parisians and the cuisine curious are joining taco-deprived expats in exploring a new wave of Mexican cooking in Paris restaurants.
Being a native of Los Angeles, and with the city’s close proximity to Mexico, I’m spoiled by the real deal: chunked-avocado, jalapeño-laden guacamole served with hot, crispy, homemade tortilla chips. So you can imagine my trepidation in moving to Paris, where the first Mexican spot I saw had instructions posted on how to eat a burrito. Ay-yi-yi, we’re a long way from Mexico. Or are we?
Anahuacalli
Anahuacalli feels like the most authentic Mexican restaurant in Paris. It’s owned and operated by Mexicans, and with two other establishments in town, they seem to be on to something. I think you can judge a Mexican restaurant by its margarita, and its chips and guacamole, and Anahuacalli scores high marks on most fronts. There are a few different types of margaritas, including one called Marijuana, but I went with the classic on the rocks and wasn’t disappointed with the balance of sweet, tart and tequila. The chips are made by frying homemade tortillas, which are appropriately crisp, and just in need of more salt. There was a nice portion of guacamole containing chunky avocado, forming nice peaks in the bowl, but it was a bit bland. I felt like I had to go to my guacamole taste archives to complete the full picture, as the spices were lacking, but throw in some salt and one of the two provided salsas and you’re back in business.
The menu has some familiar faces, with enchiladas, tamales and a good sampler of five different tacos, but it also steps out of the Mexican mainstream with a rich and tasty turkey mole served over rice and mixiotes, a marinated leg of lamb with an ancho chili sauce.
Anahuacalli serves solid food to curb your Mexican cravings. Just be sure to pack your own spices or tell them to kick up the heat, which is something they’re not used to doing for the French palate.
Rice and Beans is vibrantly decorated with a colorful, graffitied front window, giving a sneak peak to the two lone but boisterous communal tables inside. Unfortunately, though, the fun stops there.
There’s a basic menu of tacos and burritos, and you might even be excited to see black beans (a difficult commodity to get in Paris) and rice accompany your order, but you can only look so long before disappointment sets in. The proper ingredients are there, but the taste is not. The meat is lacking in any substantial flavor, and asking the thick salsa to do all the work is a tall order.
Join your friends for a Negro Modela at this lively spot in the 2nd Arrondissement, but eat before you go.
Candelaria is my favorite spot in Paris for a good taco taste of home. Unfortunately it’s also the smallest, with one communal table and a few bar stools. Getting a seat isn’t always easy at peak hours, but drop in at a random time and grab a front-row seat at the bar to watch all the action in the tiny, single-file, two-person kitchen.
The tortillas in the soft tacos are a real stand out. You can almost hear a mariachi band playing when you bite into the homemade masa, made fresh daily. Frying them for the chips doesn’t do them justice, but they do serve as a sturdy scooper for a really flavorful guacamole that I hope Candelaria will start serving in a bigger dish, because it’s hard to lick such a small bowl.
There’s usually several different selections of fillings for the tacos and tostadas, and the vegetarian taco turned out to be the sleeper hit, with the soft, warm tortilla enveloping melted cheese, mushrooms, green chilies and onions. You’ll likely see carnitas, pork mole, and/or beef on the menu, which are also sure to please with good depth of flavor and spice. The communal bowl of mango salsa is a welcome addition to any dish.
You won’t find margaritas here, but just past the stove is an unmarked door that opens at 7 five nights a week to reveal a wonderful hidden lounge where you can explore your cocktail cravings. And now you can have your tequila-laden Green Hornet alongside your green chili and cactus tostada on Sunday nights in the bar area, which is a great ending, or beginning, to any week.
30, rue des Bernardins, in the 5th Arrondissement.
22, rue Greneta, in the 2nd.
52, rue de Saintonge, in the 3rd.
Editor’s note: Want to get the Girls’ Guide to Paris monthly recipe before the
general public? Sign up for our free newsletter, and it will be delivered to your inbox each month.
Tagged in: Anahuacalli, Candelaria, dining, France, guacamole, Kelly Page, margaritas, Mexican food, Paris, restaurants, tacos, travel
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Apple CEO Threatened to Drop Uber's App Over iPhone Tagging: Report
By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 24 April 2017 12:03 IST
Travis Kalanick was allegedly warned by Tim Cook
Cook threatened to kick Uber out of the App Store
New York Times reports the incident took place in 2015
If a new in-depth report is to be believed then Uber CEO Travis Kalanick was once warned by Apple CEO Tim Cook for not following the App Store guidelines, and threatened that the Uber app would be kicked out of the App Store.
A New York Times report says that Kalanick met Cook early in 2015 at Apple's headquarters, and was pulled up for the app's ability to persistently identify iPhone devices in a process called "fingerprinting", which violated Apple's privacy guidelines.
The company had started the practice to protect itself against "account fraud", using which some drivers in China reportedly scammed Uber with stolen iPhone devices to fraudulently gain incentives.
Smartphones in 2017: Where We Are Now and What the Future Holds
"To halt the activity, Uber engineers assigned a persistent identity to iPhones with a small piece of code, a practice called 'fingerprinting.' Uber could then identify an iPhone and prevent itself from being fooled even after the device was erased of its contents," the report notes.
The report adds that Kalanick directed his employees to "to help camouflage the ride-hailing app from Apple's engineers." Uber was allegedly "secretly identifying and tagging iPhones even after its app had been deleted and the devices erased."
As per the New York Times report, Cook in a conversation with Kalanick said, "So, I've heard you've been breaking some of our rules." Cook also threatened to pull Uber out of the App Store. Of course, this would have been bad news for both Uber and those users that rely on it.
There have been several instances when Uber has come under fire for tracking device location. Last year, Uber was alleged to track the location of passengers on iOS even if they were not using the taxi-hailing service for weeks.
Uber Extends Sexual Harassment Probe; Expects Report by End-May
Contradicting the New York Times report, Uber has told Engadget that it "absolutely" does not track individual users after they've deleted the app. In a statement, Uber has responded to the allegations, "We absolutely do not track individual users or their location if they've deleted the app. As the New York Times story notes towards the very end, this is a typical way to prevent fraudsters from loading Uber onto a stolen phone, putting in a stolen credit card, taking an expensive ride and then wiping the phone-over and over again. Similar techniques are also used for detecting and blocking suspicious logins to protect our users' accounts. Being able to recognize known bad actors when they try to get back onto our network is an important security measure for both Uber and our users."
Further reading: Apps, Uber, Uber App, Uber Taxi App, Tim Cook, Apple, Travis Kalanick
US Accuses TCS, Infosys of Violating H-1B Visa Norms
Microsoft Tipped to Take on Chromebooks at May 2 Event
Oppo F11 Pro एक नए अवतार में लॉन्च, जानें क्या है खास
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The Bridges - (950 University Avenue SE)
Suburban Outcast
Re: The Bridges - (950 University Avenue SE)
Postby Suburban Outcast » July 3rd, 2014, 3:58 pm
I've been traveling on 35W to the West Bank the past couple of days, and while The Bridges isn't too pretty - it's still better than other hulking buildings like Stadium View Apartments. I think they could have made it look less massive if they had split it into two towers, but overall it's more plain than ugly to me. It's like Stonebridge or Nic on 5th, they are pretty plain but I think they are good enough with doing what they were built for - more residents in that area.
But to each their own.
Postby tabletop » July 3rd, 2014, 4:29 pm
seanrichardryan wrote: There was a gas station on each corner. My grandfather owned both.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/38337415@N07/4554122224/
Postby Architorture » July 14th, 2014, 8:36 am
I agree the Bridges is a hulking mass. The material changes on the same plane is what bothers me the most. Effort was made to break up the massing but I think it didn't quite come together. I think the massing at Flo Co is funky an interesting. The exterior metal has not aged well, it was probably VE'ed to the cheapest thickness possible. The beige vinyl windows bother me as well. If they were silver ro match the balconies the buidling would come together much stronger. I have a hard time imagining the designer choosing beige vinyl, another likely VE item.
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Games With Gold Offerings Revealed for March
February 28, 2019 Simon Smith
It’s a fresh new month, and with it comes new free goodies from Microsoft for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. March brings some exciting new titles in the Games with Gold program that will appeal to a plethora of fans, so let’s look at what we have in store.
The Xbox One will start with the latest video game tied to the popular Adventure Time series with, Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion. While the game reportedly has shortcomings and comes across as simplistic in its game mechanics, it does capture the charm of the show that fans love. The game will run from March 1 to 31.
Continuing with the Xbox One, the latter half of the month brings the online shooter Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2. Packing in many of the iconic plants and zombie variants fans loved from the first game and the original incarnation, Garden Warfare 2 offers fans a satisfying shooter, while also adding in single-player content for those who prefer to play alone. The game runs from March 16 to April 15.
From March 1 to 15, you can get the classic Xbox title Star Wars: Republic Commando. Work as the leader of a clone trooper squad and issue orders to your unit to progress and clear objectives. Meanwhile, carry out orders and fight for the life of your squad in this first-person shooter adventure.
Finally, March 15 brings Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Take on the role of Raiden in this fast-paced action game, as you wield a variety of blades and carve your way through a cavalcade of enemies. While indeed flawed, Rising manages to offer satisfying combat that provides enough substance to remain enjoyable, while providing plenty of style within its grizzly combat.
As usual all the previous generation games will be available to Xbox One users thanks to backwards compatibility. With plenty of variety, there is something for everyone this March.
Tags: Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion, games with gold, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, microsoft, Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2, Star Wars: Republic Commando, xbox, xbox 360, xbox one
Previous post: February 28, 2019
PlayStation Plus Games Announced For March
Next post: March 1, 2019
Review: Will: A Wonderful World – Attempting to Wield the Power of a Deity
About Simon Smith
Hi, I am Simon Smith, I am an avid video game fan and love to talk about and discuss games, which is what brought me here. I have been writing about games since 2012, mostly I enjoy spending my time writing about the Nintendo Switch but I also enjoy the 3DS as well as the Playstation 4. These days I cover most things from news, to reviews (I always have something in the works) to random pointless opinion pieces.
Rumor: EA Will Unveil Three New Games at E3, One is a New IP
May 27, 2015 Simon Smith
Bioshock Ultimate Rapture Edition?
June 15, 2012 Moises Garza
News PC PS4 Video Xbox One
Arkane Studios is bringing us Prey in a new form
June 12, 2016 Simon Smith
Apple not getting into the console business anytime soon
May 30, 2012 Jose Salazar
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Our Store and a few other pages are still under construction. You can view the item details from our store but the cart is not yet online. In the meantime, you can check out our other merchandise outlets at:
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GraveWax News
Peter Murphy's Carver Combo
We prayed long and hard for a new release from Peter Murphy's Carver Combo to whatever gods would listen. As fans, as fellow musicians, as degenerates... we just craved more songs. Their first album, the phenomenal "One Sin Between Me and the Lord," has been on constant rotation in our stereos since 2005. When we heard that they were reconvening for a new album, we vowed that we wou...
O Hosanna, the new Sons of Perdition album is finally here!
Ahoy, gentle lambs. After slaving away for an incalculable number of hours/days/weeks/months/years, I'm finally releasing "Psalms for the Spiritually Dead". It's only available as a download because I'm giving up the material trappings of this world in my ongoing quest to become an esoteric adept. For now, anyways, it won't exist in corporeal form and it won't be available on any of the big sites for a bit. Consider it an exclusive first peek....
Psalms for the Spiritually Dead
Psalms for the Spiritually Dead: The new Sons of Perdition album "Psalms or the Spiritually Dead" will be coming out soon. We haven't set a release date as of yet, but we'll post it soon. The black and vile ink of artist Christoph Mueller is to don the album cover. We've already added the track listing to our site, if you're curious to see which Psalms t...
Rosetta Stone Art Exhibition
We are proud to announce our sponsorship of the Rosetta Stone - Translation. Mutation. Art. exhibition presented by the Jeaner Kunstverein (Jena Art Society) in Jena Germany on June 26th 2009. This exhibition is based on an experimental workshop addressing the question of communication in art. Think of it as a game of Telephone communicated amongst th...
Rainer Hass Video / Vinyl
We've posted a video for Rainer Hass' "Das Schiff" (The Ship) on our YouTube Channel. The video was animated by S. Fleming. The video is in German, however we added English subtitles for the German language impaired. This is a small foretaste of the album to come. We know we've said it'll be coming out soon about a billion times, but this time we mean it. Subscribe to the Rainer Hass mailing ...
"Psalms for the Spiritually Dead"
After years of endless toil, I'm pleased to drop this slab of despair into your lap. May it break your spirit down like a tree that's soft with disease and rot, as it's done to me. "Psalms for the
Brent Amaker and the Rodeo
"Howdy Do"
Get ready for some alcohol-laden, cheatin' outlaw country tunes with the second release "Howdy Do" by the international cowboys Brent Amaker and the Rodeo. This ain't no pop country, no sir-ee. You're
The Route 66 Killers
"Revenge of the Flies"
The Route 66 Killers' sophomore release "Revenge of the Flies" is a twelve track full length album of pure carnage. After almost four years since their debut "Murder on Beaver St.", the killers have d
"The Kingdom is On Fire"
The long anticipated album "The Kingdom is on Fire" by Sons of Perdition is a full length thirteen track, death country album. This collection of songs deals with revenge, hellfire and killing in the
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"I chased the waves right back into the sea."
Cloudy and grim out there. Currently, it's 55˚F here in Providence. Cold, but the trees are finally greening, here at the ass end of April. Still, I'll take the relief when I can get it. Maybe I'll wander outside today or tomorrow and take pictures of the anemic greenery.
I neglected to mention that, on Thursday, I got my comp copies of The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Vol. Nine (edited by Jonathan Strahan). It includes "Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No. 8)," which originally appeared in Sirenia Digest #100.
I wouldn't mind that sky out there, if the temperatures were in the high eighties.
I answered email yesterday. I read "A new basal odontocete from the upper Rupelian of South Carolina, U.S.A., with contributions to the systematics of Xenorophus and Mirocetus (Mammalia, Cetacea)" and Simon Stantzas' "On Ice." We watched another four episodes of Carnivale. How do I know I'm in love with a television series? When the sixth episode has me in tears, that's how.
And I don't anything else for you today, not really. But here's one of my favorite photos of Spooky, a self portrait from about 1990, nine years before we met:
Photograph Copyright © 2015 by Kathryn A. Pollnac
Please have a look at the current eBay auctions!
Current Mood:better
Current Music:Sam Phillips, "All Night"
"interstate love song",
carnivale,
cetaceans,
cold spring,
everville340
I love black and white photography. Thanks for Spooky's self portrait, and for sharing one of your favorite pictures of her. On an impulse or whim this morning, I had revisited "The Rest of the Wrong Thing" and your Afterword from Wrong Things; it made a dull sunny laundry morning much more interesting and exciting. Looking forward to "Dancy Vs. the Pterosaur", and my first issue of Sirenia Digest.
and my first issue of Sirenia Digest.
eluneth
That photo really is terrific; thank you for sharing. It has a really great noir thing going on, and I love that it takes a second look to determine that yes, that really is a pumpkin.
. It has a really great noir thing going on,
But here's one of my favorite photos of Spooky, a self portrait from about 1990, nine years before we met
That is a fantastic portrait. Thank you for sharing it, both of you.
You're most welcome.
pisceanblue
I love how that photo of Spooky has sort of a Dorothy Parker-type vibe. Or Harper Lee.
swintek
I agree. Love the photo.
everville340 : (no subject) [+1]
eluneth : (no subject) [+1]
pisceanblue : (no subject) [+1]
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Home » Over Ear Headphone » Sony-MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones review
Sony-MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones review
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones – a new device designed to surprise both ordinary and experienced listeners. It seems they are just wireless headphones, but if you look closely, and most importantly – listen, you feel the difference.
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones are able to provide a high-quality sound when listening to music, watching movies or communicating via the internet. The headphones are the best for indoor use, and able to reproduce sound in a wide frequency range (from 3 Hz to 28 kHz). Wireless communication with a range of up to 10m is provided through the Bluetooth 3.0 interface. Four keys allow the user to control playback, adjust the volume of the sound and amplify the lower frequencies.
Sony MDRXB950BT/B Extra Bass Bluetooth Headphones (Black)
Sony Extra Bass Bluetooth Headphones (Black) includes Bonus FiiO Portable Headphone Amplifier and More
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones feature passive noise reduction system and a built-in microphone that transmits a clear speech. The body of the device weighing 280g is made of plastic, ear cups have a swivel design. Designers use leatherette for headband and ear cushions. The packaging contains a two-way audio cable with a standard connector of 3.5 mm and a battery with the ability of quick charge (4 hours) and provides up to 20 hours of intensive use.
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones has the classic black color design with red inserts on ear cups.
Massive ear pads are about three centimeters thick. On the inside they have a cut in the shape of an ellipse to cover the entire ear. It’s comfortable to listen to music – the polymer foam with the “memory effect” harmoniously “adapts” to the ear shell, distributing the pressure throughout the area.
Plastic ear-cups are able to rotate at an angle of approximately 120 degrees. The headphones can be easily packed in a bag or backpack.
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones are not only wireless they also can be connected through a cable. The cable can be used only to listen to music: it doesn’t transmit a signal from the microphone of the device.
The creators of the headphones tried to spread the functions evenly over all surface of the ear cups. On the left, there is a power button, a Bass Boost button, micro-USB charging port, 3.5mm audio cable connector and a single device microphone.
There are two groups of buttons on the right side. Behind – button-jog switch, responsible for receiving a call, as well as the functions of Play/Pause and switching to the next/previous track.
On the right side, there is an NFC module, which helps to quickly and easily connect headphones to a smartphone or tablet.
For wireless connection, headphones use Bluetooth 3.0 and SBC, AAC, and apt-X audio codecs. Despite the fact that the version of Bluetooth is not 4.0 (which is much more economical than 3.0 in terms of power consumption), the headphones can work up to 20 hours after a full charge of the battery. It takes about four hours to complete the charge.
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones lie in a box of white heavy paper. It’s decorated with a photo of the headset from different angles.
Inside the white box, there is a black one, where the headphones lie . The headphones lie in a plastic base. In the cover of this box, there is a cavity in which lie the USB cable <=> micro-USB for charging the device and an audio cable with a standard 3.5 mm jack. The package doesn’t contain 6.3 mm adapter.
Sony XB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones with App Control, Black (2017 model)
You Save:$70.00
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B Extra Bass Bluetooth Wireless Headphones w/Microphone – Black (Certified Refurbished)
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones are universal. They’re wireless and wired headphones. Bluetooth bandwidth differs significantly from the audio cable, so headphones feature different frequency ranges: from 3 to 28 000 Hz on a wired connection, and from 20 to 20 000 Hz – on Bluetooth.
Since the Bluetooth connection is the main mode of using the device, it’s the best to use in that way. The sound of the headphones is very loud, especially when the Bass Boost is on. Without the Bass Boost, Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones sounds quite smoothly. It’s possible to hear all the instruments that participated in the recording. The sound is fairly flat, but still, there are mid and high frequencies.
If you feel the sound is still low, by pressing the Bass Boost button, the electric bass enhancement turns on and almost any song gets a more voluminous sound. If you love the electronic music, you can feel the the night club atmosphere in your ears, but it’s suitable for almost any music. The sound of the MDR-XB950BT is universal: it’s a great joy to listen to classical, rock and pop music, and especially dance and hip-hop music, where the big emphasis is on the low frequencies.
When you wirelessly connect to your smartphone, SMS and other notifications go through regularly. The music becomes a little quieter and, even if you have not heard the familiar ringtone, it’s already easy to understand by this drop in volume that there is news on the mobile phone. To answer a call, it’s necessary to press the Play/Pause button. Talking is comfortable due to of the built-in microphone, the caller will hear you perfectly.
Sony MDR-XB950BT/B extra bass headphones are quality and versatile headphones, since they can work with or without wires. And yet, to listen to music on the go, it’s better to choose a wireless connection with Bass Boost turned on. In this mode, the sound is universal for the most music compositions. For wired connection and listening to uncompressed music (FLAC, etc.) you need to arm yourself with a good equalizer because in this mode the lack of Bass Boost function. And then, regardless of the musical genre, everything will sound very qualitative. But if you prefer a club sounds, and you have up to 20 hours to use it after just one battery charge, then why use the wire?
Possibility of wired and wireless connection;
Quality and surround sound on a Bluetooth connection;
Up to 20 hours of work after one battery charge;
Quality materials;
Poor equipment (due to lack of case and adapter for 6.3 mm);
Considerable weight.
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We All Scream For Ice Cream
Baskin-Robbins just made it way easier to get your ice cream fix this summer
Scarlet Meyer
Kseniia Perminova / Shutterstock
Ice cream and summer were made for each other. Although we love ice cream all year round, it’s pretty much the perfect warm-weather treat. We love inventive flavors like this witchy ice cream. We love making DIY galaxy ice cream. And sometimes, we even eat ice cream for breakfast.
However, we don’t always feel like getting up to go get ice cream. Can you blame us though? Maybe it’s late and you’re watching a really good show. Maybe you’re lying around with your friends wondering how it could ever be so hot outside. Sometimes, how much you don’t want to go outside wins out. We can’t judge because we’ve all been there! Now thanks to Baskin-Robbins, this is no longer a problem.
In honor of National Ice Cream Month, Baskin-Robbins and DoorDash created an ice cream delivery service!
According to Engadget, Baskin-Robbins has recently partnered with a mobile app called DoorDash that lets you order ice cream with the touch of a screen in 22 American cities. While there is a delivery fee starting at $2.99 on top of any ice cream order, that probably won’t stop most of us. When the mood for ice cream strikes and the mood to not move hits stronger, we will all be downloading DoorDash, no problem.
Our summers just got a whole lot sweeter!
On top of this awesomeness, Baskin-Robbins also announced that in addition to ice cream delivery with DoorDash, they’ll be delivering Polar Pizzas (which are of course ice cream pizzas) to kids in children’s hospitals across the country on July 14th. At the same time they’ll be offering free samples of Polar Pizzas in select stores. So if you do feel like getting up to go get ice cream, that’s a good day to do it.
Honestly, we’re so excited about this!
Ice cream delivery, whenever you want? We’re just surprised no one thought of this genius idea sooner. We cannot wait to see all the possibilities it brings to our summers.
By Scarlet Meyer
Popular in We All Scream For Ice Cream
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We're calling it: This witchy ice cream is going to be the flavor of the summer
Don't forget to get your free (Nutella-flavored!) ice cream cone today
The Museum of Ice Cream is BACK with a new location!
Baskin-Robbins introduced a Halloween-themed Polar Pizza, and we can't wait to try it!
This foodie magazine just got its own ice cream, and it sounds insanely delicious
Just another reason why JetBlue is the ~cool~ airline — they now serve artisanal ice cream
This cat eats ice cream, gets brain freeze, proceeds to be hilarious
Pizza ice cream exists, and we're not sure how we feel
Cold brew ice cream is officially a thing, and here's where you can get it
'Games of Thrones'-Themed Ice Cream Flavors for Your Finale Party!
Here's how to get free ice cream cones from Häagen-Dazs today
Joe Biden is getting his own ice cream flavor, and it's about time
Vegan Jasmine Lavender Ice Cream
Ben & Jerry's Just Changed the Ice Cream Game in a Major Way
Let's make ice cream sandwiches the modern way
There is now goth pizza because ice cream just wasn't enough
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream gets the lady-power makeover of our dreams
US diplomacy was just made easier thanks to a pizza party
All Topics in We All Scream For Ice Cream
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How Are Citrus Trees Grown and Cared For?
Citrus flowers and fruits add fragrance and color to the yard.
1 Grow Mandarin Oranges & Information on the Type of Soil
2 Meyer Lemon Soil Requirements
3 Transplant a Madrone Tree
4 Plant Bare-Root Eastern Red Cedar Trees
Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, citrus trees grow from grafted seedlings and generally produce edible fruit after four years. Standard-size trees, such as the navel orange, grow up to 30 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Dwarf varieties, such as “Improved Meyer” lemon, grow 5 to 15 feet tall and 15 feet wide, and make good indoor plants. Fruits are ready for harvest eight to 16 months after the spring flowers bloom. Trees in warmer inland areas usually produce sweeter fruits than trees in cool coastal locations.
Citrus trees need six hours of full sun every day, and will grow in most types of well-drained soil with a pH level between 6.5 and 7.5. A location 6 to 8 feet away from the south- or west-facing side of a building provides adequate room for the roots and protection from frost and wind. Depending on the variety, standard citrus trees should be planted 25 to 30 feet apart, and dwarf varieties should be grown 10 to 15 feet apart. Dwarf varieties can grow in sterile potting soil in a 24-inch clay pot or half barrel.
Ideally, you should plant citrus trees in the early spring or fall, states the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Department. The planting hole should be the same depth and slightly wider than the root ball. After you lower the root ball into the soil, gently press the soil around the roots. Add enough soil to leave the top inch of the root ball surface above the soil. Water immediately after planting, and add a 3-inch layer of mulch or compost to keep the roots cool and moist. You need not plant a second tree for pollination because most citrus trees, except clementines and Mineola mandarins, self-pollinate.
Young citrus trees with developing roots need water every five to 10 days during the summer, and mature trees require deep watering once a week or when the top 3 inches of soil feel dry. The soil should remain moist but not soaked at least 3 feet beyond the canopy. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of nitrogen fertilizer around citrus trees in late winter, spring and summer of the first year, recommends the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program. During the next five years, gradually increase the application to 5 pounds of ammonium sulfate divided into three applications. To reduce acid content, let fruits ripen on the tree.
Stressed citrus trees are susceptible to insect pests and other problems. For example, inconsistent watering can cause fruit splitting, and overwatering can cause yellow leaves. Spray horticultural oil or insecticidal soap to control pests such as aphids, mealybugs and whiteflies, which cause yellow, curled leaves and a black sooty coating on the leaves. A layer of mulch and regular hand weeding controls weeds without damaging the roots. During cold weather, remove the mulch to allow the sun to warm the roots. Before a predicted frost, drape a cloth over the top of the tree, allowing openings for air circulation.
University of Florida Department of Environmental Horticulture: Citrus Spp. — Citrus
University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Citrus for the Home Garden in Contra Costa County
National Gardening Association: Growing Citrus in Containers San Francisco CA
National Gardening Association: Citrus
University of California Integrated Pest Management Program: Fertilizing
University of California Ventura County Master Gardeners: Planting and Care of Young Citrus Trees
Texas A&M University Agrilife Extension: Diagnosis of Common CItrus Problems
Judith Evans has been writing professionally since 2009, specializing in gardening and fitness articles. An avid gardener, Evans has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of New Hampshire, a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, and a personal trainer certificate from American Fitness Professionals and Associates.
Evans, Judith. "How Are Citrus Trees Grown and Cared For?" Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/citrus-trees-grown-cared-for-53991.html. Accessed 15 July 2019.
Evans, Judith. (n.d.). How Are Citrus Trees Grown and Cared For? Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/citrus-trees-grown-cared-for-53991.html
Evans, Judith. "How Are Citrus Trees Grown and Cared For?" accessed July 15, 2019. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/citrus-trees-grown-cared-for-53991.html
The Size of Navel Orange Trees
Care for a Tangelo Tree
Plant a Slash Pine Tree Seedling
Plant a Texas Ash Tree in and How Much Soil?
Lime Tree Growing Tips
Grow a Carambola (Star Fruit) Tree From a Graft
Transplant a Bare Root Arizona Cypress
Full Sun or Shade for a Crimson Queen Maple
Growing Miniature Lemons
Grow a Jamaican Allspice Tree
Nonblooming Citrus Trees
Plant Dwarf Coconut Trees
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If you think Halloween is scary, read up on what Hill-o-ween in the White House will mean for America
Hillary Fright Night
Mac Johnson
Halloween is that special time of year when we celebrate our ancient and irrational fears –zombies, vampires, werewolves, monsters, ghosts and the undead. At least that’s what it was before Hollywood turned it into a holiday to glorify murder, gore, torture, sadism and the other sadly mundane evils of mankind.
I greatly prefer the Halloween of my youth — a nice combination of a children’s carnival and a good ghost story. But in the spirit of the modern perversion of Halloween, let’s take a moment to focus on one of the scarier possibilities of human evil — Hillary Clinton becoming the next President of the United States just 12 months from now.
President Hillary offers us a true nightmare scenario — the return of the Clinton administration’s rogue’s gallery of bad characters and steady triangulation leftward, without any of the personal skills of Bill Clinton. Nope, this is going to be bad policy, bad personnel and bad personality all at once.
Now that’s scary. That’s the coming prospect of “Hill-o-ween” — a 4 to 8 year curse filled with a host of political poltergeists and technocratic terrors. Here are just a few of Hillary’s haunts and horrors to consider this coming fright night…
Dr. Federal-stein — The government, the same people that brought you the DMV, the tax code and have been responsible for the rapid technological advancement of the school bus, will now be in charge of your health care in the name “universal coverage” and reform. What happened to “keep your laws off my body” — or is that just a cry of freedom for those wanting an abortion? Unable to take control of the health care system in one fell swoop back in the Clinton’s first reign in 1992, Hillary now has her sights set on piecemeal creep of central control in the health care sector.
Health care is expensive, so Hillary proposes to have that noted efficiency expert, Congress, get more involved. Innovation is needed, so Hillary will have that noted catalyst to change, bureaucracy, whip things into shape (just as soon as your paperwork is approved by the central processing facility.) And patients need their rights respected, so Hillary wants to turn things over to that great protector of civil liberties and individual needs, the State Monopoly. Frightening.
Miss Judge — Hillary has, by many accounts, already made one appointment to the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. An ACLU radical now sits on the highest court in the land for life, attempting to issue law from the bench. It is only a wobbly 5-4 conservative/moderate majority that stops this from occurring constantly. With a President Clinton, part 2, we will get a Ruth Bader Ginsberg, part 2 and probably part 3. Bye, bye, rule of law. Hello rule of lawyers. Terrifying.
Night of The Longstockings — Sandy “The Sanitizer” Berger (AKA the Pant-a-loon AKA Bill’s Sock Puppet AKA Redactula) plead guilty to stealing classified documents from the national archives, the purpose of which had to be to hide from the 9/11 Commission some unknown embarrassment to the Clintons. The man actually admits using his special access as a member of the Clinton administration to enter the national archives, then stuff secret government records into his socks and pants and smuggle them out for destruction. Not only is Berger corrupt and nefarious, but he is incompetent — archive employees witnessed some his bungled thefts and alerted authorities.
Hillary Clinton announced just two weeks ago that Sandy Berger has been rehabilitated and is now a national security advisor to Clinton’s campaign. If there was any doubt who Berger was protecting when he stole and destroyed evidence, it was removed by this appointment. When John Kerry found out what Berger was accused of doing, he fired him as an advisor from his campaign. Now that he’s pled guilty, Hillary wants to get him back into the White House with a new security clearance. Horrifying.
The Undead Amnesty for the “Undocumented” — Much like Sandy The Sanitizer, there are 12-20 million illegal aliens in the country that just can’t seem to find what they did with those darned documents, and Hillary has a job for them too — voting for her as soon as possible. Unlike dimmer politicians, such as George Bush, the Clintons realize that unskilled, uneducated, unassimilated law-breakers are a core constituency for the Democrat party. That’s why they arranged for mass swearing-in ceremonies for aspiring citizens before the 1996 and 2000 elections — without a lot of regard for little things like eligibility and criminal records. If you think Bush pushed hard for amnesty, wait for the Clinton’s to get a second shot at it — or just elect John McCain for that matter. Chilling.
Hillary’s Foreign Legion (of illegal donors) — Whether it’s giant donations from Chinese busboy strawmen, a Pakistani businessman on the run from the FBI, officers of foreign corporations, or Buddhist monks who may have taken a vow of poverty but can all write big checks on the same day for the same candidate, the Clinton/Gore/Clinton fundraising machinery always seems to be returning illegal foreign donations they accidentally accepted — or at least accidentally got caught accepting. But don’t worry, I’m sure the unknown sources of all these laundered donations have America’s best interests at heart and do not expect anything in return for the money. Spooky.
The Creature That Just Won’t Die! — Bush Clinton Clinton Bush Bush Clinton Clinton. Why did we fight the Revolution again? Oh yeah, to rid ourselves of a detached hereditary ruling elite. So why has every presidential ticket since 1980 contained a Bush or a Clinton? I’ll make a deal with liberals right now. You stop nominating Clintons, and we’ll stop nominating Bushes. I’ve had enough. Unnerving.
The Incredible Two-Headed Monster — 2 for 1 isn’t just Bill Clinton’s idea of a good weekend “pressing the flesh” at a home for wayward dancers. It’s also what he says America will get when it elects one Clinton. Whether or not you want him or her, you get the other one’s invaluable opinions and circle of political cronies as well. Petrifying.
Taxula, The Bloodsucking Parasite — The Clintons love to promise free stuff from the government — and that costs money! Where will it come from? Well, let’s see — rich folks have lawyers and campaign donations to protect their assets. Poor people don’t have assets. So that leaves us dolts in the middle class to take it in the assets. Sphincter puckering.
The Exploited Children of the Corn — Hillary knows that “It Takes A Child to Raze a Village,” that’s why every power grab she advocates is done to protect children. Hillary’s so dedicated to children, there’s no end to the amount of power she needs to protect them. She has to take over health care for them, increase education budgets for them, raise taxes for them, expand services for them, take control of economic planning for them, and if they’ve already been born, she needs to protect the right to tax payer funded, anonymous drive-through abortion for them. Shuddersome.
Pardon Me, The Discount Store — Remember the last hours of the Clintons’ first reign — how justice was auctioned off to the highest bidder and pardons were issued to all sorts of undeserving scum, such as Marc Rich, a federal fugitive that made millions trading illegally with Iran while it held the American hostages, then evaded millions in taxes, renounced his citizenship and fled to Switzerland? Did you like that? What do you think will be different when the Clintons are back in the White House for the third term? Repellant.
Who needs Freddy Kruger and Leatherface? If you want to truly be scared this Halloween just look at were America is mindlessly headed back to in 2008.
Happy Hilloween!
The Dem Debate: A Translation
Pols Pander at Arab American Institute Conference
Written By Mac Johnson
Mr. Johnson, a writer and medical researcher in Cambridge, Mass., is a regular contributor to HUMAN EVENTS. His column generally appears on Tuesdays. Archives and additional material can be found at www.macjohnson.com.
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Issue 27: Winter 1996
Proposals for the Award of a European Certificate of Psychotherapy
Professor Emmy van Deurzen-Smith Professor Digby Tantam
Co. Chairs, Training Standards Committee, European Association of Psychotherapy
The European Training Standards Committee, and Working Groups of it, have met on four occasions since the last EAP annual meeting (in Brussels, in Vienna, in Frankfurt and on 7 June in London) and this document has been agreed.
Mobility of psychotherapists within Europe is hindered by the lack of equivalence between the national standards of psychotherapy trainings of member states. Those countries who are struggling to have the independent profession of psychotherapy recognised also support a European Certificate Psychotherapy (ECP), which is given the support of the European Union, to be helpful to them in establishing their profession nationally.
The committee recognises that it is essential that the arrival of the certificate does not undermine already existing national arrangements for the recognition of psychotherapy. The criteria for the award of the certificate must therefore not be less than the criteria for psychotherapy accreditation in any member state. Were accreditation criteria to be much higher in a particular member state than all the others, and were they to be higher than was required for sister professions such as clinical psychology and psychiatry, then evidence could be presented to the government of the member state suggesting a change in accreditation.
The committee also recognises that the arrival of the ECP must not occur independently of the national umbrella organisations. The status of the EAP is dependent, in part, on the status of those national umbrella organisations who are its members. A situation must not arise whereby a person could be trained in a member state and be ineligible for recognition by that country’s umbrella organisation but be eligible for the award of a ECP and thus be eligible for registration by the country concerned.
Different countries and different schools of psychotherapy place different emphases on components of training. It is important that the criteria for the award of the ECP are flexible enough to respond to this. Particular differences that emerged in the committee are that in some countries many people have no behavioural science or mental health training before they enter psychotherapy training. In other countries few psychotherapists enter training without a mental health qualification (eg. in social work, psychology or psychiatry). It will be essential that the criteria for the ECP have the flexibility to encompass this.
The committee also recognised that different psychotherapeutic methods require different training emphases. Again, flexibility will be required to respond to this. In this respect, the committee recommends the approach taken by the Federation Europeenne D’Associations Nationales D’Ingenieurs (FEANI) which has achieved a certificate which has the support of the European Commission. Many of the Principles of the FEANI approach have been incorporated in this document.
The European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) will be awarded to practitioners whose training has been completed. It will be awarded by the European Association of Psychotherapy according to criteria determined by the EAP. Certificates will be awarded for a period of five years in the first instance to practitioners who are recommended to the EAP by NUO’s or, in the absence of an NUO, by national delegates in collaboration with the EAP Training Committee.
There will be a fee for the award of the ECP, which will be split between the National Umbrella Organisation and the EAP, to cover administration costs.
The following criteria must be met before an ECP is awarded:
National Umbrella Organisations
1. Must be the single organisation within a country recognised by the EAP as having the widest representation of modalities of psychotherapy training organisations.
2. Must be accredited by the EAP as having ethical guidelines and complaints procedures, training standards, and methods of accrediting trainings.
3. In the absence of an accredited National Umbrella Organisation (NUO), a training organisation may apply directly to the Training Standards Committee of the EAP through their national delegate.
Psychotherapy Method
4. The method used must be well defined and have a clear theoretical basis.
5. The methods must have been
(a) scientifically validated by the EAP or
(b) have been recognised in several EU countries as valid by relevant professional organisations.
Psychotherapy Training
6. The training has been accredited by the NUO or, in the absence of an NUO, by the ETSC (European Training Standards Committee).
7. Supervision and therapy are provided by practitioners whose training would meet criteria for the award of an ECP.
8. The training meets EAP criteria for basic professional training, and includes the following elements.
(1) Personal Therapeutic Experience or Equivalent
This should be taken to include training analysis, self-experience and other methods involving elements of self reflection, therapy and personal experience. No single term is agreed by all Psychotherapy methods. Any training shall include arrangements to ensure that the trainees can identify and manage appropriately their personal involvement in and contributions to the processes of the psychotherapies that they practise in accordance with their specific methods.
(2) Theoretical Study
There will be a general part and a part which is specific to psychotherapy. Particular courses of university study or professional training can count as 1, 2 or a maximum of 3 years towards the 7 years of Psychotherapy training. Equivalencies will be determined and published by EAP at a later date.
(3) Psychotherapeutic practice
This will include a component of supervision, which must be at least one year in duration.
(4) Placement in a Mental Health setting or equivalent experience
The total duration of training will be of the order of 3000-3500 hours, spread over seven years, at least four years of which must be in a training specific to psychotherapy. The EAP will, in collaboration with NUO’s and European Accredited Organisations determine the proportion of the training elements that need to be completed to be awarded the Certificate.
9. For the purposes of the award of the certificate, the psychotherapist must be in a professional organisation recognised by the NUO, and found to have satisfactory ethical standards and complaints procedures.
10. The psychotherapist must have completed basic professional training within one accredited organisation and advanced training within that organisation or within another accredited organisation training in the same method.
11. In the event that there is no NUO the EAP Training Standards Committee will be advised by the national delegate and by any relevant European professional association who are also EAP members.
12. If a NUO refuses to offer for Certification trainees whose training has been by a method scientifically validated by EAP and who have otherwise completed all training requirements, the European accrediting organisation concerned with that method may request the EAP to investigate the matter. If the NUO then acted without adequate reason, the EAP may withdraw its status as an NUO.
The EAP Board will develop a procedure for recording the details of psychotherapists holding the ECP, which will satisfy National Umbrella Organisations as to its accuracy and accessibility. NUOs undertake to inform the EAP of any psychotherapist whose registration they have suspended so that this list can be modified.
The award of an ECP will proceed in steps as follows:
1. The National Umbrella Organisations will, if necessary, apply for recognition to the European Training Standards Committee (ETSC) of EAP.
2. The ETSC will recommend them to the EAP Board for accreditation, if appropriate.
3. National Umbrella Organisations, or, if there is none, the national delegate will submit to the ETSC the dossier on each trainee wishing to be awarded the ECP. The dossier will contain evidence showing that the training organisation(s) concerned meet EAP criteria.
4. The ETSC may request expert independent scientific comment on the dossier. The ETSC will recommend the training organisation to the National Umbrella Organisation for accreditation, if appropriate.
5. Psychotherapists applying for ECP will submit an application to their National Umbrella Organisation and will include a transcript of studies endorsed by their training organisation, a fee and a photograph. If there is no NUO, the submission will be to the ETSC.
6. The EAP will keep a record of all holders of the ECP.
7. The EAP will authorise the award of the certificate by the National Umbrella Organisation. If there is no NUO, the certificate will be awarded by the EAP.
8. Further consideration will be given to how the certificate will be awarded to already established practitioners
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You are here: Home / An Experienced Partner / ERIC J. RALPH, CFA
ERIC J. RALPH, CFA
Mr. Ralph joined Highland Associates in early 2018 and serves as a consultant to the firm’s institutional client base specializing in not-for-profit healthcare assets and foundations. He is a managing director and shareholder in the firm. Mr. Ralph serves on the firm’s Leadership Committee and is a voting member on Highland’s Investment Committee. He is located in St. Louis, Missouri, at the firm’s second office location.
Prior to joining Highland Associates, Mr. Ralph served as principal and managing director at Summit Strategies for more than 17 years. He proactively provided investment recommendations and investment program development for endowments, foundations, pensions, long-term investment pools, and hospital operating assets. While at the Summit, Mr. Ralph advised on over $20 billion of endowment and foundation assets. He is a member of the CFA Society of St. Louis, the St. Louis Area Foodbank Board’s Executive Committee, and the Investment Committee of Community School.
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Bloc Festival 2012 what really happened
After my last personal review of what happened, here is the story behind what really went on.
This is what I have been told, I cannot certify that it is true.
It is rumoured that : “The Pleasure Gardens run by the Shangri-la people were rented from Newham Council . The council lent them some of the money to pay them rent for the land.
What they didn’t mention before then was that there was asbestos on the site. Newham Council rented the land out knowing that there was asbestos there beforehand but did not remove it.The Shangri-la people then had to find another million or so pounds to have the asbestos removed from the site themselves.
This delayed the renovations of the main venue on the site , an old warehouse, which was not fixed in time for the big opening the previous weekend .It is currently still covered up and has scaffolding around it. They also did not decorate the site and were unable to do other works beforehand, and a whole part of the site was closed off leaving less room.
The Bloc festival people , who are separate from the Shangri-la people, sold tickets on the basis that they were running a festival on the entire site including the warehouse. The capacity of the entire site with the warehouse renovated would have been 15 000, the event sold out, but the warehouse with an estimated capacity of 5000 people was still out of bounds.
The main venue then became a circus tent placed in a corner of the festival not far from another big tent where Steve Reich played, and the ship. But putting up a circus tent meant there was less land available as free space for people to circulate, land surrounded by deep water, the festival being situated at a dockside.
The layout was poorly thought out in terms of people circulating from one venue to another, so that there was not enough room.”
I also heard that later “there was a confrontation between the crowd locked outside and the police and that cement blocks were thrown. (I cannot certify that this is true!)
“Also both the Pleasure Gardens and the Bloc Festival have gone bust.”
Ok well that’s the end of the rumour, it still leaves many unanswered questions for me such as why they were not letting people into venues while the acts were on and leaving us to queue outside when the tents were virtually empty , thereby creating a crowd outside, why no one could help me find the exit etc..
Got to go now…please see my previous post for a more embellished poetic version of my experiences.
Categories: Amon Tobin, anti-consumerism, Anti-Materialism, Bloc, Bloc 2012, CCTV, festivals, gatherings, Glastonbury, Hippie, Pleasure Gardens, politics, Review, riots, security, society, Stupid Decisions, Uncategorized . Tags: 2012, Bloc, Capitalism, festival, Pleasure gardens, rumour, what really happened . Author: born2rant . Comments: Leave a comment
Bloc 2012 Festival Review
Bloc Festival Review or why you shouldn’t try to have a good festival in a paranoid London devoid of all common sense.
Hello Good People who might read this blog….
Postscript July 10th 2012: When I wrote this post, it was from a confused punter’s perspective, I’d just experienced the festival ,left early and the next day was trying to make sense of it ( and also review the music in my own daft way). I start off blaming health and safety rules being over the top then get very worried as I leave, due to angry crowds outside and people being cramped and prevented from going where they wanted inside . Since then I heard a totally different story from the festival crew, which I wrote on July 7th. I now feel totally differently about the whole thing. If the information which was told to me was correct, then I think that some people were neglectful of public safety to different degrees and maybe when large sums of money and major investments are involved, we really do need health and safety rules.
It’s been a long time, sorry about that, I did start writing this blog under my real name but it didn’t really work, so here I am back briefly as Born2rant, to write about a festival I went to yesterday that could have been great, but which I decided to leave before it all went to pieces.
This will only be a review of my limited experiences. I guess I arrived at the Bloc festival site at London’s Pleasure Gardens around 4.30pm by 10pm I decided it was sensible to leave but had a lot of difficulty getting out.
I was due to hang out on the ship MS Stubnitz, which has successfully been sailing around Germany as a mobile art installation and general chilling out party place for some time. It takes coming to crazy Britain for the Germans to realise they are far better off back home where things are more liberal, the state has less control, and the general public has not lost its ability to make individual sensible decisions without external legislation. Forget gloating about how great and wonderful the British are when I was trying to leave the Bloc festival, it was like trying to escape from a “psychedelic concentration camp” and that was entirely due to Great Union-Jack waving, right Royal Diamond Jubilee, aren’t we proud to be having the Olympics in London, paranoid British madness.
I arrived at Pontoon Dock around 4.15pm. There seemed to be a lot of stressed out people in orange jackets obstructing the oyster card bleeping machines, so people got confused where to “touch out”. They ushered me to a bridge to cross over the road and immediately my bag was searched, then further on more people in orange jackets asking me for a ticket. Other punters were clutching tickets printed out from the internet, I thought that strange to start with, it might be OK for using a budget airline, but without computers, scanners, ID and a whole big security system how can you tell if a computer print-out is genuine? I asked where the guest entrance was after some confusion I was directed to a gate a few minutes walk away.
At the guest entrance I had my bag searched again, then a sniffer dog climbed up the back of my legs, then my bag was searched AGAIN!!!! I complained politely but complied. They couldn’t find my name on the guest list but gave me a wristband anyway because I was saying all the right names. I had to put the wristband on myself, also a bit strange.
It took me a few minutes to chill out after all the security measures, and dealing with stressed out people, lots of security guards on the site, and mobile CCTV units, but the security man I spoke to was friendly enough and to be fair all the police people I spoke to during the course of the day were polite, but then all the paying public I met at the festival were also extremely patient and polite considering we were treated like dangerous animals throughout the festival, and the people who payed £125 per weekend ticket must have been peeved.
At first I went on the ship, the MS Stubnitz where I had a great time. In Germany they do not have many health and safety regulations, and do not scream announcements to passengers on the tube to say that due to a little drizzle that people are bound to fall over and kill themselves on the potentially slippery floor. Therefore I think the general public were probably quite shocked to be on an actual fishing ship with many steps, some damp from rain, and bits of metal to step over, no warning signs and generally to be in a place where you actually had to take responsibility for yourself and keep yourself sober enough to watch what you did. Also there was a big central hole leading from one deck to another, this had some fencing and chains around it to stop people falling in. From the all dancing deck below, I could see many punters going to the edge of the hole and testing to see if the fence was secure. I felt like saying “You are at a festival, you are free to enjoy yourselves now, so forget the fences, forget health and security rules and just enjoy the lack of them for once”. I feel that the British public and especially Londoners, are brainwashed at all times to seek fences and rules in order to feel safe. Of course bad things could and do happen, but life is dangerous, you can’t control everything, get over it and try to enjoy life!
People on the ship were having a good time, somehow in spite of sniffer dogs and CCTV everywhere, the odd person was skinning up on the top deck, most sat drinking beer, smiling beneath the warm sun bouncing off their sunglasses. Below many moved to the music whilst taking copious pictures of the ship on their phones. Downstairs there were at least two bars and padded “seating bars” around tables where they used to freeze and chop fish. The ship was an awesome place to have different party rooms, the angular industrial music bounced off the ship’s hull in a suitably sheet metal way.
My only gripe about the ship was the music, I would have preferred dancing to Led Zep’s Immigrant Song, that would have been perfect or some kind of heavy metal version of the Ride of the Valkyries would have been great.Here is some Led Zeppelin with The Song Remains the Same just for effect,old fart I am!
But the DJ I heard on the Stubnitz was mixing French café style accordion music with deafening heart-stopping bass and drum music, note I did not write “drum ‘n’ bass”. I am too old and psychedelic to know what type of dance music I was listening to but it was experi and mental. I left the relaxed atmosphere of the MS Stubnitz to go and see Steve Reich around 6pm.
This was another “odd thing” , I noticed that they put some of the biggest crowd-pullers on early on both evenings even though the music ended at 6 a.m. Gary Numan was due to be on at 6pm the following day (today). I started to realise that maybe there were “problems” with the festival. Well to be fair all festivals have problems, they are always a headache to run for the organisers but some are worse than others. You really need to know what you are doing when you run a festival, especially if you plan to run it in a dock full of water and then place barriers so people can’t get out.
I found the hugest biggest queue zigzagging its way round a small bit of the site, but people were patient and well-behaved, I hardly saw anyone attempt to push in. I must have queued for over 20 minutes, everyone was saying they’d never seen anything like this and we could hear Mr. Reich playing from outside, we could not understand why security did not seem to be letting anyone in.
Once we got in the tent was only a third full and yet he had been playing for over 30 minutes. The sound quality was not good, the audience was pretty thin, so this did not help the general feel of the gig. Many people were waiting for their friends to be allowed in.
While watching Steve Reich there were times when I wanted to sit down or leave, but both options were difficult from where I was standing, once people were allowed in from their long queuing they tended to head into the crowd and stand and the only way out I could see was through the entrance with hundreds and hundreds of people blocking the way. I looked around and saw there was a zip in the side of the tent, if I’d been feeling trapped I thought I could always use it to get the hell out.
As people slowly and steadily dribbled into the tent, while many left, the music livened up a bit. This was when a full rock band ensemble in the form of Bang on a Can, complete with sheet music, started to play. It was enjoyable but stilted at first. They sounded like ‘Yes’ doing a version of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, in fact I was beginning to wonder if Steve Reich had been listening to the final few minutes of Tubular Bells when he wrote it. I’m sure others must have thought the same as me! But then I decided that perhaps Steve Reich wrote it first and Mike Oldfield and Yes who copied his style. Playing repeated patterns in unusual time signatures is the link. Steve Reich must be far more influential than I realised and I must listen to more of his stuff.
Here is Bang on a Can playing Steve Reich’s 2x 5 (2008)
( turn the volume up first, sorry about any ads that come up, try AdBlock)
But although Steve Reich is no doubt a genius and influenced Yes,
I’m afraid I much prefer the following clip which sounds remarkably similar,
compare the two introductions!
Perpetual Change by Yes (1971)
OK I digress but it’s my blog so I can, and hopefully not bore the pants off you
After Steve Reich I couldn’t get back onto the ship because by now there were long queues and barriers preventing people from going on board, this made good sense to me because it was quite crowded and there was only one way on or off, unless you jumped into the water, but I still think that if people were left to their own devices that they could have managed to see it was too crowded before boarding instead of being restrained like stupid sheep.
I went for a walk about but there wasn’t a whole lot else going on, the cheapest Amber Leaf rolling tobacco on site was a staggering £7, so I decided to go to the local shop. I couldn’t find the way out as described on the map, so I went to the main way in. There were by now already hundreds of people stuck outside the entrance, and the security process was slow and they were clearly not in a hurry to let anyone in, I have never seen anything like it before, they allowed just a handful of people in then would let them wait a few minutes before letting in another few people, meanwhile crowds were building up outside.
I asked one security guard if I could go out and come back in again. He said “NO” sternly. I explained that I had a weekend ticket. He just said “You can’t leave till later and when you do leave, you can’t come back in again”. Since there were no camping facilities, I decided he was stressed out and uninformed and I continued to look for the exit but couldn’t find one, I asked another security guard but he didn’t seem to know anything.
Then I looked for the queue to go and watch Amon Tobin on the main stage. Another very long queue, at one point that queue got muddled into the ship queue and no one knew what they were queuing for or where the queues ended. After queuing for 20 minutes in the crowded area outside, I found the main tent almost empty once I got in.
It made no bloody sense at all.
This was a joke, why was everyone queuing outside virtually empty tents in a limited area surrounded by deep water, since the whole festival was in fact at an old dock?
Amon Tobin came on. The 3D projections were fantastic. They had a big installation of a kind of cube shaped wall, I’d seen similar things at multi-media art installations, but this was huge and exciting to start with. Amon Tobin was inside one of the cubes which was see-through, it was a bit “Spinal Tap” but I’d rather have seen Spinal Tap. I was bored, maybe if the sound had been better I would have enjoyed it. Like so much music in 2012, the visual element seems to be more creative and interesting than the sound itself. Maybe you disagree, here is a clip, it sounds better than I remember , it was visually stunning but after a while it was repetitive ( sorry Amon,I’m sure you are a nice guy, it’s just not my kind of thing)
While I was watching the show, all around me a load of very drunk vertically challenged girls wearing too much fake tan, too much make-up, with silly hats and no clothing but a few bits of white fur and denim, were hugging each other violently and squealing. They took millions of photos of each other to put online, they disregarded the music which was very loud and hard to ignore. On the side of the stage there was a guy pointing a camera on the audience in a type of steering-wheel shaped frame, which I thought might be a CCTV camera scanning the few people that were allowed in. I decided it was not worth sacrificing my hearing for this, and being sober and not having a set of friends to hug, I decided to go outside to look for something else to do.
By this time there were a lot more people just hanging around outside trying to get into the various venues, queues here and queues there, it was ridiculous. Then when I walked past the main gate even more people were even more tightly packed and waiting to get in and being processed at a snail’s pace as if they didn’t actually want to let them in. Those waiting outside seemed remarkably patient, I am sure some of them had maybe shelled out £55 just to see Amon Tobin , the festival was sold out, but they were unable to get in, others may have paid £125 for the two days and the last DLR train back home would not leave that late. I felt very sorry for these people waiting, thinking that they might not get in for more than a hour or two before they’d have to go home again. I went for a walk around the dock like others who got fed up with the queues. Thirty minutes later the crowds trying to get in were chanting and then someone let off a flare, the exiled crowd cheered, I wandered off for a bit enjoying the sunset and beautiful clouds, the weather was fantastic and there were some nice walks around the dock away from everyone.
But when I came back to the entrance the people waiting to get in had disappeared, something had happened. Inside the festival the crowds were growing a bit and all this queuing was taking up a lot of space, although walking around was no problem, but it was a pain to queue up all the time, I decided since it was dark to go home and come back the following afternoon. I still could not find the exit and a security guard suggested I went out through the main gate. Since there were no crowds left on the other side of the main gate, I thought that maybe they had all got in, but I could hear “booing” not far away. There were many metal barriers, in my way and I had to climb and crawl here and there, there were many security people thinking of not letting me out, and then telling me it was OK to leave, none of them directed me to the proper exit, if indeed there was one.
I got to stairs that led into the main road and then I was quite surprised at what I saw. A double police line at the top of the stairs, plus many more security guards and on the steps a huge crowd, well-behaved, but angry and a few shouting. Well wouldn’t you be, if two of the main acts had already been on, and you’d paid £125 for a ticket to get in?
The police were very calm at that point, some stood with their arms crossed smiling, they seemed surprised that I wanted to leave, they also could not tell me of another exit and they were very polite, and helped me to get out. As I went down the steps some man grabbed me and asked me a question and I pulled away and ignored him, then this other woman shouted to me and asked me if there was trouble inside, if it was safe to go in. I said “Yes it’s fine. It’s great!” but afterwards I thought maybe I should have told her about the amount of pointless queuing you had to do to get to see any act.
After I crossed the road to get into the station I turned around and then I realised that things were seriously wrong. I hadn’t realised just how many people were queuing to get in, there were in my rough estimation at least two thousand, booing. It occurred to me then that either they had sold far too many tickets and had hoped to stagger the crowds by putting the main acts on at 6pm, or perhaps that having a computer print-out had allowed a lot of people to forge tickets. What I couldn’t believe is that there were ticket touts still trying to buy tickets off the queuing punters, it was clearly a nightmare situation by the large crowds unable to get in.
I worried then for my son who was working there and for all the people there because if everyone had got on the site and they continued to deny people access to all the stages, then it would be overcrowded and tempers would flare especially by 6 a.m. The thing is, the tickets were expensive, most people who were going there were well-dressed, calm, extremely patient and mostly seemed sober and compliant with the law, but we were treated like we were criminals before we even got in. It was a disgrace. It was like being kettled and herded the whole time but at a paying gig. We were not going to a riot, it wasn’t a political demo, in fact there were no politics in evidence of any kind, not even an Amnesty International stall.
After an anxious night I got a call from my son this morning to say he was fine.
It did get overcrowded and they had to get all the stages and DJs to shut down the music at midnight, then the police cleared the whole area. There was another big stand-off with the police and a bit of trouble, nothing major that he knew of, none at all on the ship where the good vibe remained throughout.
I wonder now how people managed to get home from the middle of nowhere at Midnight or 1 a.m.. My son stayed there overnight. He seemed to think only one person got hurt with concussion but this whole queuing/kettling technique to deal with the crowds caused a lot of the trouble and people were very angry that they were not allowed to see the artists they had paid to go and see.
I hope there were no further injuries. The rest of the festival is cancelled. I wonder if they’d had no barriers at all, if just maybe people would be sensible enough to come and go as they pleased.
In less paranoid times, with an atmosphere of caring for one another and looking where you tread, could a few roadies and stewards, a St. John’s Ambulance, a fire engine and maybe a few lifebuoys, be more than enough to keep this festival safe?
Will the police be kettling people all through the Olympic games for their own safety?
I need a musical interval, this next song was ringing through my head as I took the DLR home, very worried about my son and everyone left at the festival. In spite of my ranting about health and safety regulations, given the situation and the fact that people couldn’t leave easily, I am glad they stopped everyone from getting in, it could have been a dangerous situation, due to the tensions building up over a number of hours as well as the size of the crowd outside.
The Clash – London Calling (1979)
They should just have removed the barriers so people could leave at least!
The festival was sold out, did they sell too many tickets ? I can’t see that several thousand people would forge tickets.
If you were there and want to say something please leave a comment.
Gary Numan who was due to play today, Down In the Park
Categories: ambient, Amon Tobin, Bloc, brainwashing, Bullshit Excuses, CCTV, Creative Lunatics, Electronic Music, electronica, festivals, free speech, Freedom, gatherings, Gig, Hippie, How To Stay Alive, lightshows, live performance, music, paranoia, personal blogging, police, politics, prog rock, psychology, Review, riots, scared, security, society, Steve Reich, Stubnitz, there is no age or class limit on being a hippie, Unequal Opportunities, Yes, Your essential entertainment & lifestyle guide, Youth . Tags: 2 x 5 Steve Reich, 2012, Amon Tobin, Bloc, brainwashing, control, festival, fiasco, Freedom, health and safety gone mad, hippies, kettling, Led Zeppelin, let people be sensible on their own, live music, London, Mike Oldfield, MS Stubnitz, music, overcrowding, perpetual change by Yes, Pleasure gardens, police, politics, prog rock, ranting, Review, security services, society, state control, Steve Reich, Tubular Bells, Yes ( prog rock) . Author: born2rant . Comments: Leave a comment
Day 2 at my Imaginary Glastonbury- Saturday
Hello Good People who still sometimes read this blog…
(still editing this, sorry about errors, it was written in free-flowing time)
In a fit of self-serving blogging to cheer me up, I am going to bore you all with Day Two of my imaginary ideal Glastonbury.
It’s Saturday , so it will be a long day. Weather is cloudy and unsettled, but hey it’s not raining. I got wellies on for the mud and last night had an imaginary sing song with bearded dread-locked strangers playing djembe by the fire until dawn, sharing bottles of scrumpy, herbal cigarettes,many jokes and looking up to spot shooting stars. I was woken up by the dawn chorus of birds and grumpy young tikes, am a bit dazed, but am looking forwards to foraging for breakfast and a cup of good coffee, and to see if there are any solar powered showers. Can smell lovely bacon but am trying to be veggie. Maybe I can find a nice veggie sausage alternative.
By the time my physical needs are slowly sorted, it should be time for the first act of today ( at my imaginary Glastonbury…cheaper than the real one and with some of my favourite bands).
Led Zeppelin are billed on the Folk Garden Stage, ( playing electric later on Mainstage). Great, that will do to start my day. This pedal-powered stage is adorned with flowerbeds and with creeping honey suckle plants hanging over the stage instead of a lighting rig ( this is not evident in the footage I have chosen…you need to use your imagination).
Going to California – Led Zeppelin
Well after that beautiful acoustic performance, I sit down on a bale of hay and chat to Jimmy Page about his acoustic guitar tunings and smile at Robert Plant who talks incessantly about Viking Sagas, ( John Paul-Jones has gone off for a morning shit in the backstage portaloo).
It is still dry, but the skies are turning dark grey.Was that a rumble of thunder in the distance, or an amplifier farting angrily? I don’t know, that Honey Rose cigarette I scrounged off Mr. Plant is giving me a strange sense of space, colour and time.
All the tents look the same as I amble back, I spend two and a half hours looking for mine, it’s blue and I bought it from Millet’s.
Found my tent and collapsed like a clean-living middle-aged hippie who cannot cope with intoxicants of any kind. I am woken up by what sounds like a load of balloons being inflated simultaneously.Ah, a herd of young people and their nitrous oxide I think! I don’t approve, but it’s a festival, and the UK do both festivals and excessive alcohol and drug consumption particularly well.
Managed to get a lift in the back of the van of some crew member to get to a supermarket. All the locals look at us with dishevelled hair and screw up their faces as they sense the smells of skunk and woodfires which suddenly seem to emanate from our clothing once indoors.
The security guard follows us around. I buy festival essentials:cuppa soups, rizzlas, rolling tobacco, tea bags, powdered milk,chocolate biscuits,beer,candles, spare lighter,loo roll and a magazine that I will never read.
Getting back into the festival takes a while due to queues of traffic and getting lost on country roads.My driver is a guy I never met before called Botty. I have known three “Botties” before,and they were all pretty much the same. He wears a hat , a torn t-shirt and an evil grin. He likes loud classic rock and heavy metal music , and so while we are stuck in lines of traffic surrounded by fields, he enriches my musical education with his stereo blasting AC/DC, ZZ Top, Rush and many other rock bands. He tells me I should investigate the Free-floating Anarchy Noise Tent this evening. So later I go and investigate and to my surprise find my old friends Treatment performing on stage.
Treatment -The Hidden Attack (at a Club Dog event at Shoreditch Town Hall?)
After dancing like a maniac, I join Clive, Adam and co. and they encourage me to stay to watch Acid Mother’s Temple from Japan.
I love loud musical anarchy.
Later on,it’s getting dark , and I walk around aimlessly, munching on a reasonably-priced and delicious nut-burger ( remember the prices are imaginary),who is this on the Acoustic Politico-Philosophy Stage? Yes it’s Benjamin Zephaniah, oh joy!
At the end of Zephaniah‘s act, an MC appears in a silly jester’s hat with bells on, a big pink tutu , his hair in plaits dyed purple to match his beard.
He tell us that he runs “Men and Gender in the 21st century workshops”in the Healing Field and also reminds us that Bob Marley is about to appear on the main stage, creating a minor stampede of Benjamin Zephaniah fans to rush out into the rain. Yes it’s raining, out come the plastic macs distributed with free copies of the Guardian.
But as we plod through mud and showers, to get to the main stage , the sun appears, re-awakening the evening sky. Bob Marley is resurrected from the dead, like a Messiah living briefly once more to sing us songs of love, hope and tribulation all encased in Rasta spirituality.
After Bob Marley, having danced and sampled spliffs handed to me from smiling multi-coloured strangers in the crowd, who instantly became my friends, Steve Hillage appears on the stage as he was in 1977! (Steve Hillage is as great now as he ever was but can’t find recent footage with good sound quality )
I have been dancing my socks off,drinking some beer, met many strangers, had many laughs, got reasonably covered in mud. I have few possessions but great happiness renewed in my heart and spirit.
Late at night, now the booze has worn off, there’s a special guest on the Literary and Pensive Songs Stage . It’s my favourite songstress: Joni Mitchell.
This is a sung poem really, about a woman who will not commit or give up her freedom, and her abandoned lovers(or fans?). A few tears run down my cheeks as she sings, but they make feel more alive emotionally and I cannot regret them:
Cactus Tree
I need to go to bed now before I get too stoned ( in my imagination) to enjoy the rest of the weekend. I can’t wait until tomorrow. I have no idea who will be playing as I couldn’t afford a programme as usual.
Well I hope you have enjoyed my Saturday at Glastonbury, I have. I just need a time machine, a ton of money and to own a big plot of land near a spiritual place.
Categories: A Man called Botty, A.M.T., Acid Mothers Temple, Acoustic Politico-Philosophy Stage, Benjamin Zephaniah, Bob Marley, club dog, festivals, Free-Flowing Anarchy Noise Tent, gatherings, Glastonbury, Hawkwind, Here & Now, Hippie, hippie revival, Jimmy Page, John Paul-Jones, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, miquette giraudy, music, Robert Plant, steve hillage, The Folk Garden Stage . Tags: : A Man called Botty, A.M.T., Acid Mothers Temple, Acoustic Politico-Philosophy Stage, Benjamin Zephaniah, Bob Marley, club dog, festivals, Free-Flowing Anarchy Noise Tent, gatherings, Glastonbury, Hawkwind, Here & Now, Hippie, hippie revival, Jimmy Page, John Paul-Jones, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, miquette giraudy, music, My Imaginary Glastonbury, Robert Plant, steve hillage, The Folk Garden Stage . Author: born2rant . Comments: Leave a comment
Glastonbury or Watched-on-boredly ( sorry I know “boredly” isn’t a word)
I have been thinking that I need to write a new post but was a bit depressed due to various things and didn’t…until now, and now I’m glad I have started writing because it bloody well cheered me up. How are you all in cyberspace, how is M15 and how are all you scammers, spammers, lunched out people, and hippies of course, and all those pretending not be hippies even though deep down you really are?
Instead of writing depressing stuff I thought I’d write this daft thing instead:
If I ruled Glastonbury…. Day 1.
I know I’m an old fart...but listening to the uninspiring airs and lyrics of some the blander bands the crowds love at Glastonbury, this early Friday evening, I thought I’d compile my own personal ideal Glastonbury line-up , just to cheer myself up a bit as a boring old fart.
So here it is in no particular order:
Jimi Hendrix singing Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” while chewing gum and playing around on his guitar with an ease, brilliance and charisma sadly lacking in the over rehearsed CD quality performances of today ( yes I am being an old complaining fart today).
Next,some Here & Now with their timeless song Addicted , the first song of theirs I heard and liked before I saw them live for the first time in 1979.
I don’t think this is the same version though, as the one on the Here & Now/Alternative TV Album ( correct me if I am wrong). I no longer have a copy. I wish someone would upload it on youtube.
I also would have loved to have put up Only Way from their All Over The Show album but only have it on vinyl.
In 1998 I was at Glastonbury in the monsoon, and decided to go and watch Tori Amos who I knew little about.Thanks to the rain, I stood in the front “row” , so close I could see my own reflection in her piano. I saw her do this amazing performance, every song was done with the most amazing psychotic passion, and she inspired me to go back to London and play and sing to my teeny audiences with a new crazy confidence.
I make no apologies for including Genesis with their early English subversive songs.
However they do feature Phil Collins , I must apologise very deeply for that.
This is Selling England by the Pound from 1973. I think we will be selling England by the pound very soon, to a stronger economy, perhaps China, Germany or to aliens who are secretly living among us with wardrobes lined with gold , platinum and diamonds they brought to trade with us in case of emergencies. I assure you I’m not stoned , just rambling to entertain myself.
At sunset I think there should be all night anarchy from Hawkwind ( Urban Guerrilla again):
Some English folk at sunrise with the lovely Anne Briggs singing Living by the Water.
I must go to bed now, having successfully ignored the 2011 Glastonbury procedings on the TV in the background for several hours now, and created my own Friday night/Saturday dawn alternative line-up.
I bid you goodnight and actually I wouldn’t want to see these acts at Glastonbury at all, it would have to be at a new “Peace, Love and Green Anarchy” free festival at Stonehenge .
I’m sure I will hear some good music this weekend on the TV from Glastonbury but I’m not sure if much of it will be innovative or spontaneous. Cynical old fart I am!
p.s. now there’s an act on as I type this who I like a lot , I think the music improves the later it is. Ah it’s Primal Scream , now that the vocals are over and they are having a good jam, I quite like them.More old farts like me.
Categories: Addicted, All Over The Show, Anne Briggs, Drug Squad, Dylan, festivals, Genesis, Glastonbury, Here & Now, Hippie, Jimi Hendrix, Living by the Water, Love and peace, MI5, music, Only Way, platinum and diamonds they brought to trade with us in case of emergencies, Selling England by the Pound, Sorry about Phil Collins, Tori Amos, Urban Guerrilla . Tags: Addicted, All Over The Show, Anne Briggs, Drug Squad, festivals, Genesis, Glastonbury, Here & Now, Hippie, Jimi Hendrix, Living by the Water, Love and peace, MI5, music, Only Way, platinum and diamonds they brought to trade with us in case of emergencies, Selling England by the Pound, Sorry about Phil Collins, Tori Amos, Urban Guerrilla . Author: born2rant . Comments: Leave a comment
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Fun with Protest Signs
Given that we in the United States live at the time of the Trump administration which threaten many Americans’ fundamental rights, values, and prestige around the world, there have been more mass protests than ever before. There’s the Women’s March, the March for Science, the March for Our Lives, and many more. Sometimes they may happen spontaneously or wherever Donald Trump may be like that mass demonstration in the UK during the summer. At any rate, you’ll find plenty of signs with clever sayings on them just to get to the point. A lot of these were made on cardboard with markers in block letters. Many of these have been featured on various sites like Buzzfeed or Pinterest. So for your reading pleasure, I give you a treasury of protest signs to entertain you on these dark days of Trump. Some of these may not be safe for work, by the way.
At least IKEA cabinets are much more useful.
Well, I could definitely say the same about the Trump cabinet. Though you have to assemble the IKEA cabinets yourself.
2. This woman gives no apologies.
Because she’s a woman who stands up for herself. From the Women’s March, by the way.
3. Some people don’t always know what they’re protesting about.
Yes, yes, “Down with this sort of thing.” From a protest in Britain, I think.
4. Well, I hope Donald Trump did Nazi this sign coming.
Sure, Donald Trump isn’t Hitler. But he doesn’t see anything wrong with hiring white nationalists at the White House.
5. Seems like these protestors don’t get on.
Either that, or they’re having too much fun with each other. Still, the signs are funny.
6. Apparently, she thinks pot solves everything.
You have to wonder whether she’s totally high right now. Cause I don’t think legalized marijuana will solve all our problems.
7. Someone wants to feed Donald Trump to the dogs.
Yes, feed Trump to the corgies. Since Queen Elizabeth II famously owns them.
8. Gandalf gives the Picard facepalm.
I’m sure Sir Patrick Stewart would get a kick out of this. Since they’re friends and have been on X-Men together.
9. On any cardboard sign, you can only write so much.
Yes, there’s so much to be upset about. And so little space to adress your grievances.
10. Apparently, you don’t see these signs every day.
One wasn’t busy. One has a sign from the times. And one is mad as hell but is taking a deep breath and counting to 10.
11. Kids should be more worried about grades in school.
This is from the March for Our Lives protest. This arose after the Parkland shooting in February.
12. Donald Trump is an American Psycho.
Well, that’s quite appropriate. For Donald Trump is a sociopath who abuses his power to enrich himself.
13. This boy laid off the video games for this.
Apparently, he likes playing dystopian video games like Fortnite. Guess this is from the March for Our Lives.
14. So George Soros did pay protestors to be there.
Actually, I think this is a joke. Since George Soros has been a major focus of right-wing conspiracy theories, particularly on Fox News and InfoWars.
15. Bombing for peace solves nothing.
Yes, it’s basically like that. Mostly since violence only breeds more violence.
16. She was angry so she did embroidery.
After all, doing embroidery whas her way to relieve stress. As she inscribed on her sampler.
17. Go ahead, tell them how you really feel.
Well, of course we’re really not happy about this. Because Donald Trump is president and he’s a total disaster.
18. Don’t tell this woman to smile.
Because women are told to smile all the time. Even when we’re mad as hell and can’t take it anymore.
19. Everything is fine. Nothing to see here.
Yes, everything is okay. Despite that Donald Trump is in the White House and is destroying the United States from within.
20. British people always try to be polite.
Wish I could tell Donald Trump to fuck off. Since he’s a complete monster.
21. Someone is a Star Wars fan.
These people are public employees protesting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Becuase he tried to take away their collective bargaining rights.
22. Even Voldemort didn’t kill that many people all at once.
Guess this has to pertain to the Middle East. Does it concern Israel and Palestine? I’m not sure.
23. Seems like the Star Trek and Star Wars rivalry is quite fierce.
This is from a Trekkie. Still, most sci-fi fans usually like both. Since both Star Wars and Star Trek are good in their own way.
24. This guy hates crowds. But hates Trump more.
Yes, crowds are terrible since they’re so noisy. But having Trump as president is even worse.
25. There’s only one orange thing Scottish people are okay with.
Guess this is a beer in Scotland. Still, the Scots really hate his guts. Condolences for those who live near his Scottish golf course.
26. A Trump is better out than in.
Because a “trump” is British slang for fart, apparently. Still, this is hilarious.
27. Someone went out of their way to bash Donald Trump.
This Brit took off work and hired a babysitter. All to call Trump a “wanker.”
28. I’m sure that’s an understatement.
Indeed, Donald Trump likes going golfing on the weekends. Though I don’t think he’s any good either.
29. Dear Queen, don’t give him the good cookies.
They refer cookies as “biscuits” in Britain. not exactly sure why. Still, Trump treated the Queen like shit during his UK visit.
30. Melania, if you want us to save you, show us a sign.
However, I think that Melania is actually complicit in all this. Since she’s just Trump’s trophy wife.
31. This tennis fan is missing Wimbledon for this.
Though I do like how she called Trump a “tangerine wankmaggot.” Brits are so great with insults.
32. I’m sure protests can be civil affairs.
I think this is from The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear by Comedy Central in 2009. Nonetheless, this is hilarious.
33. There is only one baby who should be caged.
Well, I can agree with that. With all Trump has done, we should put his ass in prison.
34. Don’t worry, these guys are from the internet.
I think these guys are from Anonymous. Since they’re wearing Guy Fawkes masks from V for Vendetta.
35. Beware, alt-right, for the witches are coming.
This is from a counter protest in Boston after Charlottesville. The sheer crowd size scared the white supremacists away.
36. When you don’t have science, you have no Death Star.
Indeed, this Stormtrooper is right. But is that a point you want to make? I mean it can blow up a planet.
37. As we can see, Trump is a prick with no wall.
Because Trump’s wall at the US-Mexican boder is a phenomenonally stupid idea. Also, Trump’s a complete prick.
38. Donald Trump is not our Cheeto.
Considering how orange Trump is, this is appropriate. Because his stan is cheeto color.
39. It’s very bad when a librarian has to show up at a protest.
Since librarians don’t go out much. For they prefer books over people.
40. Barack Obama really doesn’t fit the holy description.
Well, that’s one way to piss off a conservative Christian. Indeed, a lot of them decried Obama a lot of things during his presidency. Miss the guy.
41. These women could’ve had brunch instead of turn out.
This is from the Women’s March. And yes, hell hath no fury like millions of women scorned.
42. We only have to fear fear and zombies.
Because the zombies will kill us all in the apocalypse. So it’s best we all stay out of cemeteries.
43. After all, Liza Minnelli married 2 gay men.
This is a pro-gay marriage sign. Yet, I’m sure Liza didn’t find out until after she married those guys.
44. This guy’s been gay for 82 years.
Because gay isn’t a choice or a phase. And yes, old gay people do exist.
45. Hurt education, kids won’t learn how to spell.
I guess this was for a teacher’s strike. And yes, teachers don’t get the respect they deserve in many states.
46. Didn’t know there were Smashing Pumpkins fans here.
Oh, it has Trump’s face on it. Okay, I get the joke.
47. Looks like Deadpool and Wolverine are having a feud.
Then again, Deadpool might just be trolling Wolverine. Still, the sign is funny.
48. For some people, everything always sounds sinister in Arabic.
Don’t worry, they’ve translated it to English so you wouldn’t get scared. Sad how Islamophobia infects the nation.
49. Guess this a sign of what’s to come.
Well, most of us knew that a Trump presidency was bad news. But this woman went with a reusable sign since she has a lot to protest about.
50. It’s always customary to have a sign at a protest.
Kind of a generic sign if you ask me. Not really original.
51. This guy must be a real Belieber.
Guess this was during a protest when Justin Bieber was popular. Apparently, he attracted a lot notoriety since.
52. Now’s not the time to be turned on right now.
Hope he wasn’t at a women’s march. Then again, better a women’s march than a Trump rally.
53. Get a load of this strong American bitch.
She does happen to be a dog. Though her bark is worse than her bite. Yet, she will bite that cheeto orange man in the White House.
54. These banksters on Wall Street need to go to jail.
I think this is from an Occupy protest. Nonetheless, the art is spot on.
55. Canadians will always support their American sisters.
I know those words aren’t appropriate in polite conversation. But it certainly fits in the protest context.
56. Very strong opinions can’t always be put into a sign.
This is from a Women’s March. But at least the sign gets straight to the point.
57. Apparently, this guy doesn’t understand.
What does he mean by somewhat irritated? In Trump times, a lot of things can cause extreme outrage.
58. Protest signs accomplish nothing.
At least this person seems honest. Though this kind of cracks me up.
59. Someone seems rather scared.
This person is afraid of people with signs at rallies. Though the ones at Trump rallies are understandable.
60. She takes run like a girl to a whole new level.
That’s how you show them, kiddo. She’ll grow up to be a fine woman some day.
61. Don’t like gay marriage? Blame straight people.
Well, it has a valid point. It’s the straight people making gay babies. Since most gay people have straight parents.
62. Some guy’s keeping score in Trump’s golf game.
This is another British anti-Trump protestor. Though he decided to troll the Pussygrabber-in-chief in the most epic way possible.
63. Swamp creatures never drain the swamp.
I can agree with that. You should see the people in Trump’s cabinet.
64. Oh, God, Trump’s got the queen.
This is King Kong takeoff is brilliant. Though I’d exclude the cross of gold. I know the Religious Right backs him. But Trump never goes to church.
65. Not even Melania likes Trump, according to this sign.
Melania may not love Trump. But she loves his money. So she’s not going anywhere.
66. When talking about Donald Trump’s crimes, it’s difficult where to begin.
Yes, I get that feeling all the time. Since Donald Trump is an all-around wretched human being with practically no redeeming qualities. Other than not being a cannibal or murderer.
67. Just let that case do the talking.
Indeed, that describes Trump so perfectly. Got to love the Brits.
68. This woman has a public cervix announcement for Trump.
Indeed, we should all tell Trump to “fuck you.” Yet, Stormy Daniels doesn’t think it’s a good idea.
69. This light up sign has a very valid point.
Yeah, I think we took it too far with Trump. Since he’s totally not qualified for the job at all.
70. After all, there’s no marriage bans for assholes.
I mean Trump’s been married 3 times. So has Giuliani and Gingrich. So she has a valid point.
71. Seems to be a Daily Show fan to me.
Her comedy central is Fox News. Her news channel is Comedy Central.
72. Corporations are people when Texas executes one.
I can get behind this one. Since corporations aren’t people and shouldn’t have the same rights either.
73. Capitalism, you got serious problems.
After all, unrestricted capitalism is how many of us got in this financial mess. Yet, no Wall Street banker has been jailed for causing the 2008 recession.
74. Don’t believe in government? Don’t run for office.
Yet, libertarians and Republicans don’t seem to listen. And that’s why we have men like Trump in the White House.
75. Someone doesn’t seem to understand healthcare policy.
Uh, Medicare is socialized medicine. That’s why Democrats like me want Medicare for all.
76. There’s no excuse not to be civil at a protest.
Well, doesn’t hurt to disagree respectfully. Might be from Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.
77. Down with those rich corporate CEOs!
This is pretty clever if you ask me. Rich CEOs are a bunch of greedy bastards who want to hold onto their power.
78. You should always try to see others’ perspectives.
Well, it always help to understand different points of view. Though sometimes, it can prove difficult.
79. This gay guy just wants one marriage.
I mean Newt Gingrich treats women like some people treat cars. If something’s wrong with the one he has, he casts her aside for a newer model.
80. When Twitter’s down, one must use other ways of communication.
Not sure if signage is the way to go. There’s always blogging though.
81. Stop the tyrannical automatic renewals!
Guess people are upset with automatic renewals. Not sure why.
82. If there’s something conservatives should like about gay people…
You have to hand that to them. Since gay unions don’t result in unintended pregnancies.
83. We all know this is bound to happen.
Indeed, because Fox News is a conservative propaganda machine. Now it’s basically Trump TV.
84. Don’t think a protest is a place for a gang bang.
Yet, he holds such sign in colorful letters. Guy must be mad.
85. Some people are so angry they’d go do something about it.
Though not enough peope were angry enough to vote in 2016. And that’s why we got Lord Cheetohead in the White House.
86. These people don’t know what they’re protesting about.
They seem to be there for the beer. Though I don’t think there is any.
87. Indeed, our country has a grave case of electile dysfunction.
You got that right. Yet, that’s a close representation of the Capitol.
88. Islamophobes assume the worst with Arabic script.
Don’t worry, it just says, “McDonald’s.” Nothing to fret about.
89. Now here’s a cause we all can get behind.
Since some people start decorating for Christmas before it’s Halloween. Can’t they just wait until after Thanksgiving.
90. We all have our limits.
He’s using a straw to hold up his protest sign. Where he got it, I have no idea.
91. I believe someone must disagree.
Indeed, she begs to differ. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
92. Let this be clear: most Muslims aren’t terrorists.
His wife may not be a terrorist. But he’s still scared of her anyway.
93. Best we be cool about everything here.
This one has the Dude from The Big Lebowski. Love this.
94. If God hates gays, why are they so cute?
Guess they’re making fun of Westboro Baptist Church. Still, it’s pretty funny.
95. How they protest in Canada.
She is a bit upset. That’s Canadian for “super pissed.”
96. We all may need Jesus during these dark times.
I’m sure anti-Trump Christians like me are all praying right now. Because we really can’t do much else.
97. Someone’s xenophobic.
Has a picture of Xenia, Warrior Princess. And I can see why this person might be afraid of her.
98. We should all pay our taxes.
Love the snake sign that says, “Slytherin.” Definitely says a lot about those who fly the “Don’t Tread on Me” flags.
99. We only get a certain amount of time.
Someone doesn’t have time for all this. Well, don’t we all?
100. Circus clown needs a job.
He wants to be in Congress where he belongs. Can’t really argue with that.
This entry was posted in Just for Fun and tagged Humor, NSFW, politics, Signs, WTF?. Bookmark the permalink.
Et Tu, Paul Manafort?
Ladies and Gentlemen, Rod Rosenstein Has Left the Building (Okay, He Hasn’t, Yet)
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The Avengers by Joss Whedon
Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America to form a team that must stop Thor’s brother Loki from enslaving the human race.
It’s here, finally. The movie that Marvel really wanted to make and arguably the film every fan really wanted to see, anyways. It really started to test my patience while I was watching Captain America: The First Avenger. It wasn’t that it was a bad movie, but it’s more or less of the same thing and I wanted to see these Marvel movies go somewhere else. The good news? The Avengers go somewhere else with it and it works!
The major sell of The Avengers are the characters themselves and that’s what the story is mainly about. In Joss Whedon’s own words, there is no reason for all these heroes to share a movie. After all, if I had superpowers and had the ability to solve my own problems, why would I work with another dude? Or take orders from somebody that’s supposedly weaker than you?
Whedon accomplishes this with a lot of discipline and balance. For example, the alien army that Loki employs to take over the Earth with are underdeveloped and their motivations are quite simplistic, but it works because it acts only as an extension of the heroes’ conflict. They’re fighting these aliens not because the monsters necessarily have a direct beef with our heroes, rather they just exist as an idea to push them to working together as a team. It is functioning quite like a musical in that aspect. Conflicts are physicalized in the form of fights (everybody fights with everybody at some point like a fighting game), comedic verbal banter and things are kept light and bounce along smoothly. Personally I found myself enjoying the banter more. Yes, The Avengers was a lot more funnier than I expected.
It was fun anticipating and seeing how each character interacted with each other, very much like how you might anticipate different friends will interact with each other at your birthday party. Like in 2009’s Star Trek, I appreciated that each member had a individual specific contribution to the team.
People tend to argue about how filmmakers interpret the Hulk in the past. I do like the Ang Lee version because Lee attempted to bring a genuine pathos to The Hulk that seemed unpopular with the masses. The issue I actually have with the Hulk is that his character never seemed heroic to me because he is not in control of his own actions once Bruce Banner is in the Hulk state. It’s just random carnage and it happens that he’s a hero because he does good, albeit accidentally. Suffice to say, they solve that in this movie.
As for the switch with Mark Ruffalo, fans will perpetually argue over which actor played the best interpretation of the Hulk. I personally do not see an actor-specific interpretation. It seemed like Ruffalo is playing the continuation of Bruce Banner/The Hulk after the events of The Incredible Hulk (what Edward Norton would have played had he stayed in the role). This is a less conflicted Bruce Banner who’s made peace with who he is and is in better control. I do not know why in the past the actors who have played Bruce Banner did not get to play The Hulk on motion capture, I am glad that is over because the consistency really makes a huge difference. Ruffalo manages to be scary at times but it is ultimately drowned out by the film’s light tone. The ever-present humor does work against the story at times because I would have liked a few darker moments in the film. Suffice to say, Ruffalo makes the role his own.
I can see from a writer’s standpoint how Captain America is a challenging character to tackle. There is no real darkness within him and he always does the right thing. So how do you make that engaging? The story of The Avengers was originally going to be based from Captain America’s point of view and there was a whole subplot about him trying to reconnect with the modern world. I’m glad that was cut out (this is fully packed as it is). All those scenes can totally be in Captain America 2. Even stripping his storyline away, they do manage retain Steve Roger’s charm in The Avengers. The charm of Captain America are not his powers; the character represents the human limit and how human will and heart can push someone to do great things. He is a competent superhero in his own world and story, but his powers do not mean much standing next to Thor, The Hulk, Iron Man or even the alien army. They do highlight this fact in the battle scenes. There were many instances where I was thinking, “Wow, Captain America can totally die right now.” The humanity and obvious vulnerability of the character engaged me and it stood out as he starts leading the Avengers. It made me think about how poorly Cyclops was handled in the X-men movies. Captain America was the stand-out character for me.
The Hawkeye and Black Widow story is serviceable and it only gives them enough motivation for the duration of this installment, which really is just giving them an excuse to exist and kick ass in the story. It doesn’t really develop them that much in my opinion, I’m not complaining but it didn’t really do much for me either. They are not interesting enough to have their own movies.
Robert Downey Jr. has really settled into his Tony Stark role and gets all the zingers, as expected. I liked that his character is consistent with the end of Iron Man 2. They give him a small arc in The Avengers and I rather liked that. He is comparatively less of an ass and more likable than in Iron Man 2. Shane Black is doing Iron Man 3, sign me up baby!
I like Chris Hemsworth as Thor, he plays the role with the right combination of masculinity and vulnerability. Thor carries the guilt of bringing a new threat to Earth while trying to stop his brother’s madness without killing him. The film presents all this but it seems like there’s a lot more untapped drama that is not explored. We only get a very serious side of Thor compared to the last installment because the characters like Jane or Darcy that bring out other sides of Thor are not present. I do look forward to seeing if there are more Thor scenes in the 30-minutes of cut footage.
Tom Hiddleston oozes charisma as Loki. Honestly at times I found myself rooting for Loki to win. It’s important that people see Thor to understand his motivations. I wonder if fresh viewers will miss Loki’s complex characterization and magnetism. He’s magnetic as hell and steals the show.
The set pieces are great and should satisfy any comic book fan. We get every superhero match up possible without hindering the story. The end set piece is reminiscent of the finale in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I do wonder if Michael Bay is at home screaming, ripping his hair out right now. The Avengers puts his Transformers films to shame and shows how a similar finale can be truly exciting by developing characters and a story.
So the problems? My biggest criticism of The Avengers is probably that it was overhyped. Even with actively avoiding all the promotional clips and featurettes online, I dangerously felt the presence of the movie before actually seeing it. There’s enough clips of the movie currently available online right now for anybody to piece together the entire story. It was a real fight to go in with a fresh clean mind. There’s a moment at the very end of the finale that was ruined by a shot that was shown in the trailer and I would have preferred if they just left that one shot out because the pre-knowledge ruined the tension of the scene. If it was left out, it would have been more tense wondering if the movie would have just ended on a dark cliffhanger with a character possibly being dead.
It’s imperative that I warn anybody who has yet to see the movie: do not see this movie in 3D. The light loss was problematic (duh!) and I found it very difficult to follow the action scenes (to it’s own credit, they were not edited in a choppy fashion) or anything indoors or at night. Please do your part and pay to see it in 2D and let 3D die. And also, there are 2 end credits scenes, stay till the very end.
What can I say? Marvel has made an awesome achievement with The Avengers and it only seems natural to ponder how Marvel will escalate things for the future. For my money, it seems superfluous to have to go through another set of sequels with each individual hero before an Avengers 2: Still Avenging. Let’s just get to it!
tagged as action choreography, actor, Agent Colson, Agent Coulson, Agent Maria Hill, Alan Silvestri, art direction, Art Director, Asgard, Avi Arad, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, Captain America, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, cinema, cinematographer, cinematography, cinematography by, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, comic book, comic book film, comic book movie, comic book superhero, Composer, 电影，影评, 电影影评, 發行, 监制, 監製, 編劇, 编剧, 美術指導, 美术指导, directed by, directing, director, distributed by, Donald Blake, edited by, editing, ensemble piece, 配樂, 配乐, 電影，影評, 電影影評, 香港电影, 香港電影, film, film criticism, film distribution, film review, film studio, Guardians of the Galaxy, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hawkeye, Hulk, Iron Man, Iron Man 3, Jack Kirby, JARVIS, Jeffrey Ford, Jeremy Renner, Joss Whedon, Lisa Lassek, Loki, make up, Mark Ruffalo, Marvel, Marvel comics, Marvel Phase 1, Marvel Phase 2, Marvel Studios, Marvel Studios chair-CEO, movie, movie review, movie studio, music, musical score, Natasha Romanoff, Nick Fury, original music, Paul Bettany, plot, plot summary, produced by, producer, producing, Quicksilver, Robert Downey Jr., S.H.I.E.L.D., Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Scarlett Witch, screenwriter, screenwriting, Script, Seamus McGarvey, sound by, special effects, Stan Lee, Stellan Skarsgård, story, studio, superhero, superhero film, superhero movie, synopsis, Thanos, The Avengers, The Hulk, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Thor: The Dark World, Tom Hiddleston, Tony Stark, Ultron, visual effects, Walt Disney Pictures, written by, Zak Penn, 出品人, 剪接, 动作导演, 動作導演, 原创音乐, 原創音樂, 发行, 导演, 導演, 摄影指导, 攝影指導, 故事, 中国电影, 中國電影, 演员, 演員, 作曲
5 responses to “The Avengers by Joss Whedon”
thefobbymotherland ⋅
oh i totally loved the banter in the movie! made it much better than a standard action. can’t wait for avengers 2. and thor 2. screw iron man lol
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Womb by Benedek Fliegauf
Design Of Death by Hu Guan
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