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Kendall Jenner Shut Down a Comment About Her Dating History
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Welcome to the Stage, the Star Horse of 'Witcher'
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Significant donation to State Library Victoria puts kids in charge
January 30, 2019 - Creative Industries, Latest News
Young Victorians keen to read and learn will be the main beneficiaries of the most recent $2 million donation to State Library Victoria from John and Pauline Gandel, through Gandel Philanthropy, which will deliver free dedicated literacy programs created for kids, by kids.
The donation will also support the development of the Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter, a dedicated space for children up to 12 years old, six times larger than the Library’s previous space used for children’s programming, along with a new children’s book collection.
Celebrated Australian children’s authors Andy Griffiths, Leigh Hobbs, Gabrielle Wang and Ailsa Wild participated in the first of a number of co-design workshops with 5 – 12 year-olds to develop a suite of innovative programs enabled by the donation.
The workshops form part of a broader programming framework developed jointly with Gandel Philanthropy, the family’s foundation, which incorporates Auslan, languages other than English and livestreaming to enable greater access to children across Victoria.
Minister for Youth, Gabrielle Williams, said the generous donation will help Victorian children develop the skills they need for a successful future. “With the vision and generosity of Gandel Philanthropy, State Library Victoria is putting kids in the driver’s seat to help shape a new era of creative and exciting literacy programs,” she said.
“When this amazing new Children’s Quarter opens at our State Library later this year, it will offer a range of kid-designed programs that will boost literacy skills, build confidence and spark imaginations.”
State Library Victoria CEO, Kate Torney, said Gandel Philanthropy is taking a leading role in nurturing a love of reading in young Victorians. “Reading and storytelling are essential for children’s development and their transition into adulthood,” she said.
“The Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter and the programming it will deliver will help children’s literacy and creative skills grow and will set the benchmark for other libraries in Australia and around the world.”
John Gandel AC and Pauline Gandel AC, Chair and Trustee of Gandel Philanthropy, said State Library Victoria was a natural partner. “We are committed to creating a positive and lasting difference in the lives of children. Research shows 39% of Australian students don’t meet the National Proficient Standard in reading literacy and 44% of adults lack the literacy skills required to cope with the complex demands of modern life,” they said.
“Literacy is truly a key building block of future academic success. Global trends show that we need to encourage children to read from the earliest age. We are particularly pleased that these programs will also reach children and families from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.”
“Partnering with the State Library to deliver a dedicated space and a number of innovative children’s programs means we can reach more young people and their families and have a lasting, positive impact on their lives, and on this country as a whole,” they added.
The Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter is part of the Library’s $88.1 million Vision 2020 redevelopment, and is due to open in late spring 2019. For more information, visit: www.slv.vic.gov.au for details.
Image: Pauline Gandel Children’s Quarter Design Render (supplied)
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Arts Review takes a look at the best of Australia's professional and independent performing and visual arts including ballet, books, cabaret, circus, comedy, dance, exhibitions, film, music, music theatre, and theatre. © 2013 - 2019 Arts Review is published by Byte Media - ABN: 14 580 855 683
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"Growth, Inequality, and Nationalism", Journal of Democracy, July 2017
"Does Citizenship Abate Class? Evidence and Reflections from a South Indian City" (with Ebony Bertorelli, Patrick Heller and Siddharth Swaminathan), Economic and Political Weekly, August 12, 2017.
“Caste and Entrepreneurship in India” (with Lakshmi Iyer and Tarun Khanna), Economic and Political Weekly, February 9, 2013.
"Battles Half Won: Political Economy of India’s Growth and Economic Policy Since Independence" (with Sadiq Ahmed), in Chetan Ghate, ed, The Oxford Handbook of the Indian Economy, Oxford University Press, 2012.
"Two Banks of the Same River? Social Order and Entrepreneurialism in India" in Partha Chatterjee and Ira Katznelson, eds, Anxieties of Democracy: Tocquevillean Reflections on India and the United States, Oxford University Press, 2012.
"Comment on ‘The Political Economy of Public Service Provision in South Asia,’ by Lakshmi Iyer" in Justin Yifu Lin and Boris Pleskovik, eds, Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics—Global 2009, Washington DC: World Bank Publications, 2010.
"Who Benefits from Conflict? Some Evidence from Assam" (with Deepa Narayan and Binayak Sen), in Deepa Narayan, ed, Moving Out of Poverty, Volume 3: The Promise of Empowerment and Democracy in India, Washington DC: World Bank Publications, 2009.
"Poverty and Famines: An Extension" in Kaushik Basu and Ravi Kanbur, eds, Arguments for a Better World: Essays in Honor of Amartya Sen, Volume II: Society, Institutions, and Development, Oxford University Press, 2009.
"China and India: A New Asian Drama", Perspectives on Politics, September 2005.
"Democracy and Poverty" in Deepa Narayan, ed, Measuring Empowerment: Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives, Washington DC: World Bank Publications, 2005.
"Violent Conflict and the Millennium Development Goals: Diagnosis and Recommendations" (with Macartan Humphreys), background paper for the UN Millennium Development Goals Poverty Task Force Workshop, set up by Kofi Annan, on poverty alleviation in developing countries, Working Paper, August 2004.
"Why have Poor Democracies not Eliminated Poverty? A Suggestion", Asian Survey, September-October 2000.
"Preface" (with Jeffrey D. Sachs and Nirupam Bajpai), in Jeffrey D. Sachs, Ashutosh Varshney, and Nirupam Bajpai, eds, India in the Era of Economic Reforms, paperback edition, Oxford University Press, 2000.
The Politics and Economics of India's Reforms: An Introduction" (with Jeffrey D. Sachs and Nirupam Bajpai), India in the Era of Economic Reforms, Oxford University Press, 1999.
"Mass Politics or Elite Politics?: India’s Economic Reforms in Comparative Perspective", Journal of Policy Reform, November 1998. Reprinted in Jeffrey D. Sachs, Ashutosh Varshney, and Nirupam Bajpai, eds, India in the Era of Economic Reforms, Oxford University Press, 1999. Also published as “Mass Politics or Elite Politics?: Understanding the Politics of India’s Economic Reforms” in Rahul Mukherji, ed, India’s Economic Transition: The Politics of Reforms, Oxford University Press, 2007.
"Cultures and Modes of Rationality", APSA-CP—Newsletter of the Organized Section in Comparative Politics of the American Political Science Association, Summer 1997. Translated in French and published as “‘Choix Rationnels,’ Conflit Ethnique et Culture”, Critique Internationale, Autumn 1999.
"Classes, like Ethnic Groups, are Imagined Communities", Economic and Political Weekly, July 12, 1997.
"Strategy in Industrial Development: India and South Korea", India International Centre Quarterly, Winter 1993.
"Self-Limited Empowerment: Democracy, Economic Development and Rural India", The Journal of Development Studies, July 1993.
"Urban Bias in Perspective", Journal of Development Studies, July 1993.
"Ideas, Interest and Institutions in Policy Change: Transformation of India's Agricultural Strategy in the Mid-1960s", Policy Sciences, August 1989.
"India's Political Economy: Issues, Non-Issues and Puzzles", Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics, November 1988.
"Political Economy of Slow Industrial Growth in India", Economic and Political Weekly, September 1, 1984.
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Chiefs to start Patrick Mahomes this week
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'Sendong' victims in Region X to get 4Ps grant
MANILA, Dec. 31 – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Corazon "Dinky" Juliano-Soliman said that "Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program" (4Ps) beneficiaries who were affected by typhoon Sendong and were unable to comply with the health and education conditionalities will still receive their cash grants for November and December.
She added that beneficiaries would receive their cash grants this January.
We have waived the non-compliance of the co-responsibilities of the beneficiaries such as going to the health center and school attendance because we understand the ordeal that they are going through, Soliman said.
The DSWD-Field Office X is currently validating the 4Ps beneficiaries who were affected by tropical storm Sendong.
The latter is the conditional cash transfer program of the Philippine government implemented by the DSWD, which provides poor families cash assistance for the health and education needs of their children 0-14 years old.
A qualified beneficiary receives as much as P1,400 provided that they comply to the conditionalities of sending their children to school and health centers for regular check-ups. (PNA) RMA/PFN
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Alaskans Against the Death Penalty
Dedicated to keeping Alaska free from Capital Punishment.
Alaskans Against the Death Penalty (AADP) is a coalition of individuals and organizations who educate the community and policy makers about the facts and myths of the death penalty. Our mission is to keep Alaska free from the death penalty. Click here to contact us!
AADP Photo Gallery
Click Here to view the AADP Photo Gallery!
Alaskans Against the Dealth Penalty Event
Alaskans Against the Dealth Penalty Chili Feed
Hugh Fleischer Memorial Chili Feed
Sunday, March 10th, 2019 @ 5:00 pm
Featured Speaker: Reverend Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr, National Public Speaker
A nationally known public speaker, social justice advocate and death penalty abolitionist, Dr. Sullivan is a member of many community and civic organizations including the murder victims families organization Journey of Hope…From Violence to Healing, and the National Action Network. In addition, he is a life member of both the NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Sullivan has published an array of writings including a chapter in, “Black Religion after the Million Man March,” edited by Garth Kasimu Baker-Fletcher, Orbis Books, 1998.
At the home of Lanie Fleischer
1401 W 11th Ave Anchorage
We always provide exceptional chili and refreshments and side dishes are welcome!
Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged!
IF YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR WANT TO DONATE, PLEASE CONTACT
Reece Robert at Akreece1@icloud.com or call 907.350.2332
Click here to download the flyer.
Annual FISH FRY
Friday, July 27th, 2018 @ 5:30pm
At the home of NANCY GROSZEK
2512 Saint Elias Drive
Featured Speaker: Derrick Jamison
Derrick Jamison was exonerated from death row in Ohio on October 25,2005,20 years to the day after he was sentenced to death in Hamilton County (Cincinnati). Derrick now spends his time educating people about the risks of wrongful conviction. Derrick (pictured in front of Chillicothe Correctional Institution, the home of Ohio's death row) was sentenced to death during the period in which Ohio capital prosecutions were at their peak. Jamison faced six execution dates, and on one occasion came within 90 minutes of execution before being granted a stay.
We always provide exceptional food, fun and fellowship and we welcome side dishes Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged.
Lost? 248-5802
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event
Check us out (and like us) on our AADP FaceBook page. Email Reece for more information at AKreece1@icloud.com or call 907.350.2332.
Chili Feed 2018 Photos
Thank you for joining us for the annual AADP CHILI FEED. Great food, fun and education. We are looking forward to seeing everyone next year!
Sunday, March 4th, 2018 @ 4:30 pm
Featured Speaker: Will Francome, Film Director/Camera Operator
Will Francome has been involved in film-making and anti-death penalty work since he wrote and presented his authored feature-length documentary, In Prison My Whole Life which is about the case of death-row inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal. His latest film, The Penalty, will be shown at the Bear Tooth at 5:30 on Monday, March 5th.
The Penalty is a feature documentary film following three people with extraordinary experiences of America's modern death penalty and goes behind the scenes of capital punishment's most recent headlines. The Penalty will screen throughout the world in 2018. Click here to see more about the movie.
We always provide exceptional food and refreshments and side dishes welcome.
IF YOU REQUIRE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
Reece Robert at Akreece1@icloud.com OR Sue Johnson for information at scjohnson@gci.net
Friday, July 28th, 2017 @ 5:30 - 8:00 pm
Celebrity Judges and Chefs - Silent Auction
Featured Speaker: Rev. Neil Kookoothe & Joe D’Ambrosio
Rev. Kookoothe is a native Toledoan and Catholic Priest ordained in the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio. He is currently pastor of Saint Clarence Church in North Olmsted and has always passionately advocated for the abolition of the death penalty. Complementing his Master’s degree in Theology and Masters of Divinity, Rev. Kookoothe also holds degrees in law and nursing. Rev. Kookoothe met Mr. D'Ambrosio in 1998 while serving as spiritual advisor to several men on Ohio's Death Row. His experience in theology, nursing and law drew his interest to the case and aided Joe in bringing attention to unresolved issues that were never addressed by the legal system or the courts.
Mr. D’Ambrosio served in the US Army and at the young age of 26, he was convicted and sentenced to death (1989). Always maintaining his innocence, his pleas for assistance fell upon deaf ears. Mr. D’Ambrosio said being innocent on death row was the “loneliest, heart-wrenching thing that will haunt him the rest of his life.” Finally, in 1998, he asked Rev. Kookoothe to read his trial transcript and assist him in bringing his case to the attention of the public and the courts. He was released in 2009 after a Federal Judge ruled that key evidence was withheld that would have refuted the States witnesses and pointed to other individuals as perpetrators of the crime. After a lengthy and prolonged appellate process, Mr. D’Ambrosio was exonerated on January 23, 2012 when the Supreme Court of the United States denied the States appeal of the Sixth Circuit opinion upholding the bar to his re-prosecution. Mr. D’Ambrosio is the 140th Exoneree from death row in the United States and the sixth in Ohio.
Check us out (and like us) on our AADP FaceBook page. Email Reece for more information at AKreece1@icloud.com or call 907.350.2332. Or you can e-mail Sue at scjohnson@gci.net or call 907.301.5005.
Alaskans Against the Dealth Penalty Annual Chili Feed
Sunday, February 26th, 2016 @ 5:00 pm
Sides & Refreshments welcomed (chili will be provided)
Featured Speaker: George White
Wrongly Convicted Speaks Against The Death Penalty
On February 27, 1985 in Enterprise, Alabama, George was living his little piece of the American Dream. Husband of Charlene and father of Tom and Christie, he was a successful, business-degreed executive, Sunday school teacher, little league coach and PTA president -- a yuppie in southeast Alabama. That evening everything changed everything!
When George, vice-president of Townsend Building Supply, Inc., and his wife, Char, stopped at his store after business hours, they thought they were doing a favor for a man who urgently needed an item for an emergency home repair. Instead, they experienced firsthand the insanity and horror of murder. A masked gunman entered the building and shot the pair repeatedly during an armed robbery. George suffered gunshot wounds to his left arm, thigh and abdomen during a struggle with the gunman. Following emergency surgery, George survived. His wife was not so lucky. Char was pronounced dead at the hospital after sustaining two gunshot wounds to the head. Tom and Christie were only twelve and five at the time of their mother's death. The nightmare had only just begun.
Sixteen months later George was charged with the murder of his wife. The State sought the death penalty, and, following a trial that was later characterized as a mockery and a sham, George was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Incarcerated for a total of two years, one hundred and three days, the conviction was overturned in 1989. George remained in legal limbo for nearly three more years. On April 10, 1992, the prosecution asked that the charge be forevermore dismissed when the proof of George's innocence finally surfaced. The trial court so ruled. The ordeal had lasted for more than seven years.
Mark your calendar and bring friends!
A SUGGESTED DONATION OF $25.00 or more is ENCOURAGED.
REECE DRINGLE-ROBERT Akreece1@icloud.com OR
Featured Speaker: Billy Neal Moore
Billy Neal Moore spent almost 17 years on Death Row and was scheduled for execution 13 times. Once he came within 7 hours of being electrocuted. Moore is a deeply committed Christian and Pentecostal minister and speaking out against the Death Penalty has been almost a full time job for him. He was finally released from prison in 1992.
The message that Moore delivers, is particularly salient because unlike Death Row survivors who have been released after being found to be innocent, Moore acknowledges his guilt. "Oh, I did it," he says pensively. "I did it, and I pleaded guilty." Moore is the only prisoner who entered a guilty plea to murder to be released from Death Row and paroled. A number of former law students at Northeastern University School of Law assisted in Mr. Moore's representation (even some Alaskans) in the 1980s, because he was represented by professor Dan Givelber.
You won't want to miss hearing Mr. Moore's compelling story.
Check us out (and like us) on our AADP FaceBook page. Email Reece for more information at AKreece1@icloud.com or call 350-2332.
Sunday, April 10th, 2016 @ 4:30 pm
(1401 W 11th Ave Anchorage 274-2453)
Food & Refreshments welcomed (some will be provided)
According to an article in The Guardian, Billy Neal Moore spent almost 17 years on Death Row and was scheduled for execution 13 times. Once he came within 7 hours of being electrocuted. Moore is a deeply committed Christian and Pentecostal minister and speaking out against the Death Penalty has been almost a full time job for him. He was finally released from prison in 1992.
Mark your calendar and bring friends! Donations encouraged
Call Sue for information at 301-5005 or 276-5753
Annual Fish Fry Fundraiser
Friday - July 29th, 2016 @ 5:30 - 8:00
(Nancy's Backyard)
Guests: TBA
Celebrity Judges and Chefs
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event and side dishes are welcome. Mark your calendar and bring friends!
Lost? 248-5802 Info: Call Sue Johnson for information at 276-5753 or scjohnson@gci.net
Click here to download the event flyer.
The Annual Fish Fry was a great success! Thanks to everyone for their support!
Sunday, March 1st, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
Featured Speaker: Dr. Allen Ault
Dr. Allen Ault was corrections commissioner for Georgia until 1995. He told the BBC the executions he supervised were 'state-sanctioned murder' and 'It stays in your psyche forever.' He goes on to say "it is by every definition premeditated murder...It's the most premeditated murder you can possibly imagine."
Dr. Ault is a trained psychologist who began working in the prison system in order to help and rehabilitate people, but a promotion to the position of corrections commissioner meant the responsibility for overseeing the state’s executions fell to him. During his time at the prison in the early 1990s, Dr. Ault supervised five executions. Dr. Allen Ault is currently Dean at Eastern Kentucky University.
13th Annual World Day of Faith in Action
Sunday, October 5th, 2014 @ 1pm - 3pm
St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Lake Otis and Tudor)
Featured Speakers: Bill Pelke and Averil Lerman
Amnesty International and Alaskans Against the Death Penalty will sponsor an interfaith vigil; a gathering of faith leaders from a broad spectrum of faith communities and human rights activists to examine the death penalty from faith perspectives and to speak out against the death penalty. We will gather afterward for food and fellowship.
Bill will speak on forgiveness and Averil will speak on the history of the death penalty in Alaska.
For info, please call 333-0431 or 441-4725. You may also email kathyh@gci.net.
Coming soon in March 2015!
August 1, 2014 @ 5:30 - 8:00
Featured Speaker: SueZann Bosler
On December 22, 1986, SueZann Bosler and her father, Rev. Billy Bosler, were attacked in the church parsonage by an intruder. Rev. Bosler was stabbed 24 times. SueZann, in an effort to help him, was herself stabbed in the back and head and left for dead. While lying on the floor pretending to be dead, she heard the intruder ransack the house as she watched her father take his last breath. As a Brethren minister, Rev. Bosler had been an opponent of capital punishment, and had once told SueZann that if he was ever murdered he would not want his killer to receive the death penalty. Click here to read more.
Note: please park on the side of the street of the event side dishes are welcome. Mark your calendar and bring friends!
Call Sue Johnson for information at 276-5753
Thanks to everyone who attended the Fish Fry! View pictures in the AADP Photo Gallery!
Sunday, March 2nd, 2014 @ 4:30 pm
Featured Speaker: Therese Bartholomew
A former high school dropout and teen mother, Therese is now an inspirational speaker, social justice activist, author and filmmaker. Her writing has been published in Emrys Journal, Iodine, Main Street Rag, The Charlotte Observer, Raising Our Voices, Sun Journal, and Compassion. Her 2009 collection of essays, Coffee Shop God , offers a glimpse into the profound grief that arose when her younger brother was murdered. As a continuation of her journey to heal, she embarked on a mission to meet her brother’s killer behind bars. The Final Gift , documentary, directed by Bartholomew, follows her path to that meeting. This compelling story has garnered the support of universities, faith-based groups, departments of correction, and victims’ advocacy organizations and is fast becoming a catalyst for a national dialogue on restorative justice.
TUNE IN AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
Mark Osler is scheduled for Talk of Alaska on Tuesday (tomorrow) at 10:00 a.m. KSKA 91.1 FM, with Steve Heimel.
Professor Osler is the author of “Jesus on Death Row,” and will be the featured speaker for the Caroline Penniman Wohlforth Lectures October 11-13th.
He writes regularly on religion, the law, and related issues for numerous national publications, including Huffington Post, CNN, MSNBC, NPR’s Morning Edition, and ABC. Much of his current work relates directly to reform of the criminal justice system, an issue which is very relevant to our Alaska context.
Friday, October 11, 7:00 pm
Public Lecture: “Jesus Christ, Defendant”
Held at: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 2901 Huffman Rd, Anchorage AK
Saturday, October 12th, 11:00- Noon
Presentation: “Effective Social Advocacy”
1:00 – 2:30 pm Workshop: “Effective Social Advocacy”
Held at: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, , 2222 E Tudor Rd, Anchorage
12th Annual Day of Faith In Action!
Please join us for the annual Day of Faith in Action
Everyone is welcome!
Sunday, October 20th at 2 pm at the
725 W. 9th Avenue
across from the Park Strip
Click here to download the flyer
A Journey of Hope!
20 Years of Journeying - From Violence to Healing. Real comfort with real comfort food. Join us for A Fundraiser for Journey of Hope...From Violence to Healing
At the Home of Dirk Sisson & Barbara Hood
10161 Middlerock Road, Anchorage
Click Here to view the flyer.
AADP Annual Fish Fry
To Be Held Friday, July 26th 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Nancy Groszek's lovely garden
2512 St. Elias Drive
Special Guest: Kirk Bloodsworth
Kirk Bloodsworth was convicted in March of 1985 for the brutal killing and sexual assault of a nine year old girl. The victim was found dead in July of 1984. She had been strangled, raped, and beaten with a rock. Bloodsworth was arrested based on an anonymous call telling police that he was seen with the victim that day and an identification made by a witness from a police sketch that was based on the recollections of five eyewitnesses. Bloodsworth also became the first person to be exonerated from death row through post conviction DNA testing.
Kirk appearance on Colbert Nation: http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/427309/june-19-2013/remembering-lorna-colbert
2013 AADP Annual Chili Feed!
Chili provided! Side-dishes and beverages welcome!
March 17th at 5:00 PM
Cost: Donations encouraged
Our special guest speaker will be Terry Steinberg. It is our hope that her son, Justin Wolfe, will be released from Virginia's death row after his recent exoneration, and will join his mother in Alaska.
At the age of 20, Justin Wolfe, ex-high school football player and normal, average, all American, suburban kid was sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. He has been on Virginia 's death row since 2002 and has had two stays of execution.
Location: 1401 West 11th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska
FREE JUSTIN WOLFE!
Justin Wolfe was wrongfully convicted and was denied the right to due process pursuant to the Fourteenth Amendment during his trial. View the facebook page here
Big News in Maryland!
There is big news in Maryland today! Governor O'Malley pledged his support for death penalty repeal in Maryland in a meeting with NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous and Maryland NAACP State Conference President Gerald Stansbury!
Contact Governor O'Malley to show your support for death penalty repeal legislation in Maryland, Thank him for his leadership on this issue, and urge him to sponsor the death penalty repeal bill.
Call Governor O'Malley now at 410-974-3901 or 800-811-8336.
Day of faith in action!
Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in the "Day of Faith in Action" on Sept 29, 2012
Thanks to Everyone who attended!
Thanks to everyone who attended the "Save California Event! Watch our calendar page for future events.
"Crime Victims' Bill of Rights" Signed into Law!
Hours ago Governor Christie signed the enhanced "Crime Victims' Bill of Rights" legislation into law. NJADP advocated for this proposal for two years. It was part of our objective to affect substantive public policy change to benefit surviving relatives of homicide victims and exonorees. The goal is to create a more just and compassionate community in which executions are no longer desired nor acceptable. The proposal signed today will ensure:
Victims are notified about the progress of their case, including any changes in the court schedule, and status of plea bargain negotiations earlier in the process.
Protection from harassment or abuse by defendants or their supporters.
Medical assistance that is related to the crime.
Thank you to those who worked on the passage of this bill!
Another "even in Texas" moment!
Here's another "even in Texas" moment for you: This afternoon, the Texas Democratic Party endorsed repeal of the death penalty in its 2012 Platform!! Here's a rough transcription of the platform language:
Despite 41 DNA exonerations in Texas in the last 9 years, Rick Perry says he never loses sleep over executing the innocent. Perry has overseen 235 executions in Texas. Detailed research shows that the Texas death penalty system cannot insure that innocent and undeserving defendants are not sentenced to death. Death penalty exonerations have already revealed deep flaws in our State's criminal justice system.
Evidence - including scientific evidence, extensive studies by the Innocence Project, major newspaper and university research strongly suggests that Texas has already executed innocent defendants including Carlos DeLuna, Ruben Cantu, and Cameron Todd Willingham. Former Governor Mark White has stated we must take every step to ensure there is never another innocent man executed.
The application of the death penalty in Texas is disproportionately applied to the poor and minorities. The system has allowed in the past the execution of juveniles, the mentally ill and poor defendants who had such inadequate counsel that their lawyers literally slept through their trials. Other states are increasingly rejecting the death penalty as evidenced by the legislatures in New Jersey (2007), New Mexico (2009), and Illinois (2011).
In order to promote public confidence and fairness in the Texas Criminal Justice system, Texas Democrats call for the passage of legislation that would repeal the death penalty in Texas and replace it with the punishment of life in prison without parole.
Connecticut Repeals death penalty!
(Huffington Post) - Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) signed a bill into law on Wednesday that repeals the death penalty, making Connecticut the 17th state to do so...read more
Thomas Arthur is convicted of a crime that another man has confessed to!
Thomas Arthur is on Alabama's death row, convicted of a crime that another man has since confessed to committing.
Despite this confession and many other irregularities that have surfaced, the state has set his execution date for March 29, just weeks away.
Write Governor Robert Bentley and urge him to allow Thomas Arthur's legal team to conduct the DNA testing that could spare his life.
After the confession, the Alabama Supreme Court stayed Mr. Arthur's execution and remanded his case to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing. The court ordered limited DNA testing of the wig that all parties agree was worn by the perpetrator. Although DNA was found on the wig, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences lacks the technology to develop a profile. Thomas Arthur and his attorneys want to re-test the wig, using more advanced DNA technology. But the state of Alabama won't allow it, even though the defense is willing to pay for the testing!
It is unacceptable that the state of Alabama is prepared to put a potentially innocent man to death rather than let him conduct a simple test that could prove his innocence.
David Kaczynski, Linda Patrik, Bill Babbitt
Click Here for pictures and a special thanks from AADP for all of your support.
Photo of David Kaczynski, Linda Patrik, Bill Babbitt Iditirod 2012 Anchorage Alaska
AADP Newsletters and Highlights
2013 Summer Newsletter
2013 is AADP's 20th Anniversary! Don't miss the Annual Fish Fry in July with Special Guest Kirk Bloodsworth...
View the 2013 Summer Newsletter
Journey of Hope Update
Bill Pelke told the story last week of the brutal killing of his sweet, white haired grandmother and how her death made a life change for him...
Struck by Lightning
The Continuing Arbitrariness of the Death Penalty
Thirty-Five Years After Its Re-instatement in 1976...
Click here to read the entire article
Equal Justice USA
Equal Justice USA is a national, grassroots organization working to build a criminal justice system that is fair, effective, and humane, starting with repeal of the death penalty and increased services to families of homicide victims...
Click here to visit their website.
The Abolition Times
Later this month, NCADP's Alaska Affiliate, Alaskans Against the Death Penalty will celebrate the defeat earlier this year of HB 9, a bill that would have introduced the death penalty to Alaska for the first time since the territory became a U.S. state in 1953...
Providing information about the application of the death penalty in the United States. This site has eye opening information regarding the death penalty in the U.S. Complete with a searchable Execution Database.
Death Penalty Information Center Home Page
DCIP State by State Death Penalty Information
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) was founded in 1976 in response to the Supreme Court decision in Gregg v. Georgia which permitted executions to resume in the United States. Our mission: abolish the death penalty in the U.S. and support efforts to abolish the death penalty world wide.
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Home Page
NCADP State Affiliate Web Site
Click the banner below to learn how you help support NCADP by
Shouting from the Rooftops!
Did Texas execute an innocent man?
The New Yorker has put together this group of articles that accurately portray real situations in which hind sight tells us that the Death Penalty was obviously not the right solution.
The New Yorker - Did Texas execute and innocent man?
Ohio's Lethal Injection Fiascos!
The LA Times gives us a brief history of botched lethal injections in Ohio...
AADP Update
Maryland Death Penalty Repeal Legislation
The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty applauds Governor O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly for introducing and considering Senate Bill 276 and House Bill 295: Death Penalty Repeal and Appropriation from Savings to Aid Survivors of Homicide Victims and urges its passage...
Read Governor O’Malley’s testimony
View NCADP's Website for the full article
Video Update
View the AADP Video Archive…
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Who Came to Oppose the Death Penalty, Dies at 99
Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who described his deciding vote to uphold the constitutionality of capital punishment in 1976 as the one court vote he most regretted, has died. He was 99 years old. A media advisory released by the Supreme Court on July 16, 2019, said that Stevens died of complications from a stroke he suffered the day before. “He brought to our bench an inimitable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom, and independence,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in the media advisory. “His unrelenting commitment to justice has left us a better nation.”
Appointed in 1975 by Republican President Gerald R. Ford, Stevens was a classic judicial conservative whom court watchers later regarded as a leading progressive voice on the Court. After his retirement from the bench in 2010, he repeatedly stated that his approach to cases had not changed during his three-decades tenure on the Court and that he had not become a liberal. Rather, he said, the Court had moved to the political right.
Shortly after Justice Stevens’ appointment, the Court accepted for review five cases that challenged the constitutionality of the death penalty itself and the various capital-sentencing schemes states adopted in response to the Court’s 1972 decision that struck down all existing death-penalty statutes. Justice Stevens voted in the majority in all five cases, providing a fifth vote upholding the constitutionality of the death penalty in Gregg v. Georgia and of Georgia’s, Florida’s, and Texas’s death-penalty statutes and voting with the majority in declaring North Carolina’s and Louisiana’s mandatory death sentencing statutes unconstitutional.
In Gregg, Stevens wrote that “[t]he decision that capital punishment may be the appropriate sanction in extreme cases is an expression of the community’s belief that certain crimes are themselves so grievous an affront to humanity that the only adequate response may be the penalty of death.” Yet while supporting the constitutionality of capital punishment, he consistently voted to limit its use, voting in 1988 to bar its application to offenders aged 15 or younger and casting one of the five votes in 2005 to extend that proscription through age 17. In 2002, he wrote the opinion for the Court declaring that the use of the death penalty against persons with intellectual disability constituted cruel and unusual punishment. By 2008, after three decades of exposure to capital cases, Justice Stevens had concluded “that the imposition of the death penalty represents the pointless and needless extinction of life with only marginal contributions to any discernible social or public purposes. A penalty with such negligible returns to the State,” he wrote, is “patently excessive and cruel and unusual punishment violative of the Eighth Amendment.”
Facing Prison-Conditions Court Challenge, South Carolina Moves Its Death Row to a New Facility
Amidst an ongoing lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of South Carolina’s death-row conditions, the state has moved its death-row prisoners to a different prison. On July 11, 2019, the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC) moved the state’s 38 death-row prisoners from Kirkland Correctional Institution to the nearby Broad River Correctional Institution (pictured), into a facility that had originally been built to house death-row prisoners in 1988. In a press release, SCDOC said the move “will address some of the concerns raised in a recent lawsuit filed on behalf of the Death Row inmates.”
One of the major issues raised in the prison-conditions lawsuit was the unnecessary harshness of the near-constant solitary confinement to which death-row prisoners were subjected. Those on death row were kept in small, windowless cells about the size of a parking space as much as 23 hours a day. The lawsuit charged that South Carolina’s death-row prisoners “are subjected to indefinite extreme isolation, devoid of mental stimulation, and have only sporadic human interaction.” At the new location, SCDOC said, prisoners will be given more opportunities to interact with one another, but will still be separated from the general prison population.
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Minutes of the One Hundredth Annual Convention
REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON
STEWARDSHIP EDUCATION
DR. Leonard Kendall, President of the Lutheran Minnesota Conference:
The Commission on Stewardship Education continued through the past year
with the same organization as the previous year-Mr. Edmund Lienke, chairman,
and Rev. G. Adolph Johns, secretary. Mr. Rodney 0. Davis continued to render
assistance on a part time basis until October 15, 1957, when the new Minnesota
Conference Director of Stewardship Education and Finance, Rev. Thomas Wersell,
assumed his duties.
The Commission conducted a workshop, April 26 to 28, 1957, just prior to
the last Conference meeting. Forty-three District and Area Counsellors attended
the meetings which were concerned primarily w'ith planning for a year around
stewardship program at the congregational level.
In place of a Conference workshop in the fall, the Commission voted that
workshops should be encouraged on the District level. The following Districts
participated in such workshops: Sioux Falls, Big Stone, St. James, Willmar,
Cokato, Mille Lacs, Apple River, and Iron Range.
At its October meeting, the Commission voted to sponsor three regional workshops
in the spring of 1958, with the details to be arranged by the new Director.
The final report on the Stewardship Evaluation Forms showed one hundred
and sixty-four responses. Of those responding, forty-five had used Augustana's
Revised E. M. V. Plan in 1956 with an average increase of 37.7 per cent. The
average increase for the remainder was 6.2 per cent.
The Commission has also gone on record recognizing the desirability of
congregations making a corporate pledge on a proportionate basis to parish
extension, thereby eliminating the need of allocations. Such a step will require
more extensive education of all who are involved, but it will also, the Commission
believes, bring all of the individuals who make up the congregations of the Minnesota
Conference into a more direct relationship with the benevolence work of
the Conference and the Church.
The Commission noted with gratitude the assumption of his duties by the
new Director of Stewardship Education and Finance. It joins with what it knows
to be the prayers of all-that through the grace of God and the efforts of this new
servant of the Conference, we may all be enabled to do more fully the work of our
Master.
RODNEY 0. DAVIS for The Commission on Stewardship Education
Title Minutes of the One Hundredth Annual Convention
Transcript REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON STEWARDSHIP EDUCATION DR. Leonard Kendall, President of the Lutheran Minnesota Conference: 67 The Commission on Stewardship Education continued through the past year with the same organization as the previous year-Mr. Edmund Lienke, chairman, and Rev. G. Adolph Johns, secretary. Mr. Rodney 0. Davis continued to render assistance on a part time basis until October 15, 1957, when the new Minnesota Conference Director of Stewardship Education and Finance, Rev. Thomas Wersell, assumed his duties. The Commission conducted a workshop, April 26 to 28, 1957, just prior to the last Conference meeting. Forty-three District and Area Counsellors attended the meetings which were concerned primarily w'ith planning for a year around stewardship program at the congregational level. In place of a Conference workshop in the fall, the Commission voted that workshops should be encouraged on the District level. The following Districts participated in such workshops: Sioux Falls, Big Stone, St. James, Willmar, Cokato, Mille Lacs, Apple River, and Iron Range. At its October meeting, the Commission voted to sponsor three regional workshops in the spring of 1958, with the details to be arranged by the new Director. The final report on the Stewardship Evaluation Forms showed one hundred and sixty-four responses. Of those responding, forty-five had used Augustana's Revised E. M. V. Plan in 1956 with an average increase of 37.7 per cent. The average increase for the remainder was 6.2 per cent. The Commission has also gone on record recognizing the desirability of congregations making a corporate pledge on a proportionate basis to parish extension, thereby eliminating the need of allocations. Such a step will require more extensive education of all who are involved, but it will also, the Commission believes, bring all of the individuals who make up the congregations of the Minnesota Conference into a more direct relationship with the benevolence work of the Conference and the Church. The Commission noted with gratitude the assumption of his duties by the new Director of Stewardship Education and Finance. It joins with what it knows to be the prayers of all-that through the grace of God and the efforts of this new servant of the Conference, we may all be enabled to do more fully the work of our Master. RODNEY 0. DAVIS for The Commission on Stewardship Education
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Nene Nwoko is the President and CEO of Bufine Productions. Nene began her career in the entertainment industry as an actress and a model. She is known for films and TV shows like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, A Man Called Jon, Day 5, Your Worst Nightmare, The Sky Princess and many more.
Prior to getting into acting and modeling, she worked in the retail eCommerce sector. With a combined 17 years experience in both industries, she decided to get behind the scenes and start producing films that speak to the heart.
We are dedicated to bringing you films based on people’s lives. People you otherwise wouldn’t have heard of. People’s stories that will inspire and change your lives. And we want you to laugh, cry and jubilate with them just like we did when we FIRST heard their stories.
Latest Projects:
An Untitled Film in progress….
We are very excited to announce that we have acquired the rights to a book that will be turned into a feature length film. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and we will keep you updated on the progress.
Bufine Productions
2830 S. Hulen St. #385 Fort Worth, TX 76109
info@bufineproductions.com
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Home / News / Local News / President Akufo-Addo Swerves Socrate Sarfo
President Akufo-Addo Swerves Socrate Sarfo
This has gotten some section of the entertainment industry and showbiz enthusiasts disappointed. Socrate Sarfo has being in the new since January, with a campaign to get him appointed as the deputy minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
However, President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed Dr Ziblim Barri Iddi to the Tourism, Culture and Arts Ministry as Deputy Minister.
Dr. Iddi, a lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, was among a list of Deputy Ministerial nominees released on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. President Akufo-Addo nominated Catherine Ablema Afeku as the minister for Tourism and Creative Arts.
The race for who becomes her deputy became a matter of public debate, when the likes of Socrate Sarfo, Kojo Antwi, Mark Okraku Mantey, Juliet Asante and others were all mentioned as possible names to be considered for the position.
Movie producer Socrate Safo had mentioned that he will accept to serve as deputy minister in Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration if the offer was made to him.
Members of the Creative Arts for Change were rooting for him to be named as Deputy Min. for Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts.
According to him, they were championing for him to be deputy minister of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts because they wanted someone who understands their challenges.
People criticized Socrate sarfo, insisting he does not qualify for the position.
Socrate Sarfo declared support and campaigned for the New Patriotic Party and Mr. Akufo-Addo in the 2012 and 2016 polls and the portfolio is seen by many as a reward for his efforts towards the party’s success at winning back power.
Tags Akufo-Addo President Socrate Sarfo
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Amazon announced to debut the Amazon 4-star in New York, Soho neighborhood Spring Street between Crosby and Lafayette on 27 September 2018. The store carries the 4-star and above rated products from around New York.[64] The amazon website searches for the most rated, highly demanded, frequently bought and most wished for products which are then sold in the new amazon store under separate categories. Along with the paper price tags, the online-review cards will also be available for the customers to read before buying the product.[65][66]
Vince Offer is a famous director, comedian, and commercial pitchman who made his name promoting the ShamWow. Using his natural charisma and his ability to add double entendres to his pitches, Vince turned the commercial into a major career move. The ShamWow itself is one of the most successful cleaning products on the market today, and Vince himself has gone on to pitch several other As Seen on TV products.
Audible.com is a seller and producer of spoken audio entertainment, information and educational programming on the Internet. Audible sells digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs and audio versions of magazines and newspapers. Through its production arm, Audible Studios, Audible has also become the world's largest producer of downloadable audiobooks. On January 31, 2008, Amazon announced it would buy Audible for about $300 million. The deal closed in March 2008 and Audible became a subsidiary of Amazon.[90]
Associates can access the Amazon catalog directly on their websites by using the Amazon Web Services (AWS) XML service. A new affiliate product, aStore, allows Associates to embed a subset of Amazon products within another website, or linked to another website. In June 2010, Amazon Seller Product Suggestions was launched (rumored to be internally called "Project Genesis") to provide more transparency to sellers by recommending specific products to third-party sellers to sell on Amazon. Products suggested are based on customers' browsing history.[133]
Use apps to check prices in real-time. “The app ShopSavvy is really useful when you’re out shopping in stores because you can scan the barcode on items and see if there is a better deal elsewhere,” says Palmer of Nerdwallet. Woroch is also a fan of ShopSavvy, as well as Flipp, which provides circulars all in one place so you can quickly compare to plan your shopping trip strategically.
Save money without compromising quality when you shop Amazon Renewed! Products on Amazon Renewed are tested and certified by qualified suppliers to work and look like new and come with a minimum 90-day supplier warranty. Get great deals, like up to 33% off smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets, home and kitchen appliances, game consoles, office products, and more.
Summer break may be over, but you can still sign up for Amazon Prime Student! When you start an Amazon Prime subscription for Students, you'll get a 6-month free trial and then 50% off your Amazon Prime membership (just $6.49/mo!). There are a lot of other perks of having Prime Student, too: watch Amazon Prime streaming exclusives like "Alpha House," and other TV & movies, get free 2-day shipping on textbooks, and more. Plus, get exclusive coupons for Prime members only.
Amazon, with its unfettered access to troves of valuable consumer and seller data, came upon a rather interesting business model around 2009, when it launched a private label division under the name AmazonBasics. It started first with the items the company noticed people most often purchased without thinking too hard about the brand name, like batteries and HDMI cables. But as The New York Times reported this past summer, this proved to be a way to fast track a fledgling product category into a massive money-making top seller — AmazonBasics’ AA batteries now outsell Duracell and Energizer on Amazon.com after just a few years.
After the introduction of the September 5, 2018 'Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (Stop BEZOS) Act', Amazon announced to its workers on October 2, 2018, that the minimum wage paid to salaried workers be increased to $15 per hour.[153] The wage increase applies to about 350,000 workers. It does not apply to the majority of Amazon's employees who are contract workers. Furthermore, Amazon has also removed some grants and stock options.
I do not like the security of this apps. By default any one in my home can just open it up and start buying things on my account. I would like it to just add things to my cart on the TV and them buy on "My" Computer or "My" phone. I know you can setup a PIN for "videos, purchasing and certain types of content".But, you then need to enter the PIN for $0 videos. Also, anybody with access to the Fire TV remote can just install the apps and start buying things, no pin, no password, just because you have a Fire TV setup on your account. Amazon you need to have a separate PIN for Buying videos, parental control (ratings), Apps and Shopping. And by default the app should setup a PIN.
Amazon beauty and health coupons can bring instant discounts and free shipping on your favorite skin care, hair care, makeup, and styling tools & accessories right to your front door! Follow this link to grab an Amazon coupon and get up to $20 off your necessities like toothpaste, facial treatments, body care, blow dryers, deodorant, razors, electric toothbrushes, lotion, makeup, and more!
Make sure there are enough funds in the account. Amazon tends to cancel orders until all funds can be paid out of your account. Contact Amazon for full details of what you can do to help them create the order, so you can get it to ship. Amazon doesn't take any money from you until the item ships. For those that are not "fulfillment by Amazon," you'll have to wait at least 30 minutes for the item to complete the transaction - These Marketplace sellers don't see any of your order until that window is clear.
AWS started way back in 2000 as a way to help other retailers manage e-commerce operations, but it soon expanded into much more when key project members managed to convince Bezos that improving and evolving Amazon’s own infrastructure may hold the key to a new business model. In 2006, the product as we know it today launched into public availability and proved to be a pioneer for the entire cloud computing industry, offering cloud storage, hosting, and a suite of other tools for managing entire digital infrastructures in remote data centers. The division now pulls in roughly $6 billion every quarter and continues to grow at breakneck pace. It earned $17.5 billion in revenue in all of 2017 and regularly outperforms the company’s entire North American retail division in terms of profit.
Amazon’s transformation into the world’s more pervasive retail operation wouldn’t be complete unless the company began a seemingly counterintuitive push from online to offline. Starting with its brick-and-mortar bookstores in 2015 — first in Seattle and now in Chicago and New York City — Amazon established its intent to compete on all fronts with its retail competitors.
As you come across items you want, click "Add to Cart" to save them. If you're undecided, add it anyway and you can always take it out of the cart later. When you're done, click the "Cart" button at the top of any Amazon page and select "Proceed to Checkout." Your first purchase includes creating an account. When Amazon prompts you to log in, enter your email address, choose "I Am a New Customer" and fill in your personal info. You'll also need to enter a credit card to complete your purchase. If you haven't shopped online before, the prospect of giving out your card number might seem intimidating, but online stores use encryption to prevent hackers from stealing your information. To stay safe on Amazon, just as with any other site, never give out your password, keep up-to-date anti-virus software on your computer and watch your bill for unexpected charges. Some credit card companies also provide one-time use numbers for shopping online -- check your card company's website to see if it offers this feature.
Amazon derives many of its sales (around 40% in 2008) from third-party sellers who sell products on Amazon.[129] Associates receive a commission for referring customers to Amazon by placing links to Amazon on their websites if the referral results in a sale. Worldwide, Amazon has "over 900,000 members" in its affiliate programs.[130] In the middle of 2014, the Amazon Affiliate Program is used by 1.2% of all websites and it is the second most popular advertising network after Google Ads.[131] It is frequently used by websites and non-profits to provide a way for supporters to earn them a commission.[132] Amazon reported over 1.3 million sellers sold products through Amazon's websites in 2007. Unlike eBay, Amazon sellers do not have to maintain separate payment accounts; all payments are handled by Amazon.[citation needed]
Amazon is known today not just as the everything store, but as the creator of Alexa, one of the most pervasive digital voice assistants on the market today. As an extension of Alexa, Amazon has become more than just a seller of other people’s products. It’s now a hardware maker (Fire Phone aside), having embarked on its boldest product play since the original Kindle when it decided to develop its own line of smart speakers to house its artificial intelligence software. Once again, the division responsible for this piece of hardware was Lab126, Amazon’s hardware arm that gave it the tools to dominate the e-reader market nearly a decade prior.
Sign up for Amazon Family and a Prime account to get special offers, coupons and discounts on family-oriented items. If you aren't a Prime member, you'll get a 5% discount on baby food and diaper subscriptions. Prime members get an additional 15% off with five or more active subscriptions. Get a 15% discount code and a free Welcome Box when you sign up for the Baby Registry.
In the course of a single generation, Amazon has grown from fledgling online bookseller to one of the most valuable and powerful corporations in modern history. The empire of CEO Jeff Bezos has grown so vast that critics, overseas regulators, and Washington politicians are all now wondering whether the company has become an unstoppable force, and what, if anything, is capable of reining in its reach. A recent spat with Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) resulted in a minimum wage hike for tens of thousands of employees, but Amazon still operates largely without any meaningful checks on its power even as it aggressively expands into physical retail, the smart home, and warehouse and aviation robotics.
Alex Ikonn and his wife Mimi launched Luxyhair.com after they realized how hard it was to find great hair extensions in the marketplace. This hair extensions ecommerce retailer has built their business on the fan audience they’ve attracted through YouTube tutorial videos. They have a serious following, which is exactly what has enabled them to grow their business to seven figures since 2010!
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You are here: Home / Interviews / Interview Gert Kruithof
– Research and Development
Gert Kruithof
“The forefront of radio astronomy instrumentation development”
Accelerate science
The research and end-to-end design capabilities of the ASTRON R&D department are at the forefront of radio astronomy instrumentation development world-wide. The mission of the R&D department is to research, develop and realize innovative world class radio telescopes. Since the completion of the single pixel feeds for the WSRT, the focus of the department has shifted towards phased array technology. LOFAR was the first truly large scale instrument worldwide that was based on that concept and is still the largest of its kind today. The phased array expertise built up in LOFAR has also opened new opportunities for WSRT. The research and development program APERTIF (APERture Tile In Focus) for phased array feeds (PAFs) that was carried out in the department has resulted in the roll out of an upgrade of WSRT in 2016. The uncooled PAFs of APERTIF have a system temperature of only 70K, an increase in survey speed of a factor of 20, allowing a revolutionary approach to survey science.
The department also has a leading role in the preconstruction phase of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). It leads two consortia for Low and Mid Frequency Aperture Arrays and has a substantial role in the Science Data Processor (SDP) and in the Central Signal Processor (CSP) consortium.
We also have a leading role in the global research agenda towards a space based facility for the lowest radio frequencies (100 kHz to 30 MHz) which can’t be observed with a ground based telescope. The R&D department is now collaborating with Radboud University and the SME ISIS with Chinese organizations to deploy an instrument on the Chang’E4 mission to the moon in 2018. This is considered to be a milestone for radio astronomy since it is the first step towards a facility that will disclose the last unexplored part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
An overview of some of the projects the R&D department has been involved with in 2016:
At the beginning of 2016 the APERTIF-6 hardware was in place at Westerbork according to schedule. About a month later the APERTIF-6 software was also ready and technical commissioning with APERTIF-6 software was started. Whilst continuing with technical commissioning and attempt to also start some of the science commissioning the remaining hardware (APERTIF-12) was installed as well. The last parts were the Uniboard due to longer deliver time, but during the summer, all hardware was installed including the correlator. During commissioning various issues issues were encountered and at the end of 2016 the first fringes, the first real image, the image of Leo T and the first full APERTIF mosaic of 37 beams were produced. 2017 offers a lot of challenges for delivery of software and firmware in order to continue with commissioning and start surveys.
“First APERTIF fringes for baselines formed by 9 dishes“
The DOME project is aimed at creating technologies for energy efficient massive computing and efficient data transport. In support of this, the project developed a series of microserver cards as part of the hot water cooled DOME microDataCentre concept (see figure). The company Variass produced 24+ of these cards for system development and for use in the Users Platform. The start-up company ILA Microservers is currently focusing on bringing the microserver to the market. In addition, together with industry, DOME supported development of radio over fibre links for transporting antenna radio signals at the SKA telescope station. Following the successful test results, these links have actually been ordered by ICRAR for the Murchison Widefield Array. Other highlights include the support of the SKA designs. The project contributed to roughly twenty SKA (SRR and PDR) design documents. Also nearly fifty scientific papers were written in all fields in which DOME is active. This includes the development of a flexible beamformer, and a novel way to create images using radio-interferemetric data. And last but not east, the DOME project celebrated its first PhD defense.
Hot water cooled microserver unit
I-LOFAR
After a long period of preparation, finally in the early start of 2016 while the winter pushes the temperature around zero, ASTRON carried out the site survey at the proposed LOFAR location at Birr Castle in Ireland. This 13th International LOFAR Telescope (ILT) station will be the most west located station, about 1000 km from the LOFAR core. With the “Great Telescope”, built in 1845 at the background, measurements were carried out assess the RFI situation at this new LOFAR location. In addition, the environment was checked for practical roll-out issues. A major problem at this location was the river which flooded the station area during winter time. Several options to make the site suitable for building the LOFAR station were investigated. A solution was found in raising the station area with ground from the surroundings. Groundworks for the station has been finalised during this year. All the electronic modules that are required for this station have been ordered and available for installation now. Construction of the 13th ILT station in Birr Castle is scheduled in early 2017 and will be operational in the second half of that year.
Preparing for RFI test
The “Great Telescope”will soon be taken over by LOFAR
I-LOFAR groundwork
SKA – LFAA / AAVS1
The Low-Frequency Aperture Array (LFAA) element of SKA1-Low is the most visible and in scale the largest component of the telescope: the full realization will consist of 130.000 antennas forming 512 stations. LFAA deals with the design of the antennas, signal transport and the station signal processing. LFAA completed the detailed design of all the component and first prototypes have been tested both in laboratories in Europe but also at the Murchison Radio Observatory, in Western Australia. The ultimate test for the consortium is construction and evaluation of the Aperture Array Verification System 1 (AAVS1), a 400 antenna element system. Late 2016 all components of AAVS1 have been produced and shipped to Western Australia. Early 2017 deployment and test will start.
Besides the realization of AAVS1, the consortium has been busy with the LFAA cost model; what will be needed for the construction of the full SKA1-Low, in terms of hardware expenses but also manpower. Production cost of AAVS1 parts and MWA and LOFAR experience led to a mature cost model, with low contingency and good confidence from the team.
“Initial installation of 96 SKA1-Low antennas”
SKA-CSP
ASTRON, CSIRO and the Auckland University of Technology are working together on the design of the Central Correlator and Beamformer for SKA Low (called Perentie). The collaboration has proven to be highly successful with all parties learning a lot from each other in the process. In 2016, the team presented the system design and the system engineering artefacts to the Delta PDR review panel and successfully achieved the milestone (see picture).
Delta PDR review panel
The first signal processing board prototype has also been completed (see picture below) and the initial tests are highly positive.
The first signal processing board prototype
In the run-up to CDR (to be held in mid-2017) and as a preparation for the construction phase, the team is prototyping the full Gemini line replaceable unit (LRU), which includes a second iteration of the signal processing board, packaging, cooling, as well as firmware and software elements.
ASTRON provides a wide range of resources to the collaboration in the areas of system design, system engineering, firmware, mechanical and thermal engineering, as well as project management.
SKA – SDP
The SKA Science Data Processor (SDP) consortium passed its Delta – Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in May 2016. A relatively mature architecture was reached and discussions with the SKAO led to decisions about SKA Regional Science Centers, clarifying the scope of the SDP. After Delta-PDR the consortium way of working was restructured and moved away from a Waterfall style of working towards a Risk driven, Agile, Sprint based way of working. The SDP Costing was iteratively refined and the Architecture of the SDP further detailed. ASTRON has a broad contribution to SDP and is leading some of the major work areas.
The SDP Consortium at their yearly face-to-face meeting in Malta, 2016.
SKA – MFAA
ASTRON is leading the consortium that develops Mid-Frequency Aperture Arrays (MFAA) for the second phase of the Square Kilometre Array. ASTRON is involved in the system design, the antennas and analog electronics. All this in close cooperation with international partners, industry and the DOME project.
In 2016, the consortium delivered the science requirements and the associated system requirements for a MFAA based on SKA2 telescope, and successfully passed the System Requirements Review. The next step towards SKA2 is the realization of a demonstrator. Such demonstrator is necessary to demonstrate the MFAA technology at station level, but will also be capable of conducting science. To support the ambition to build such a demonstrator in South Africa, together with a group of leading scientists a white paper has been published (https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.07917).
In 2016 ASTRON further refined the design several aspects of the MFAA antenna tiles. As a result, the cost of the antenna tile decreased by more than 25% compared to the previous design, the energy consumption decreased by 50%, while the sensitivity of the receivers increased. At the same time the simulation models of the tiles have been improved, resulting in a nearly perfect match between the designed and measured characteristics of the antennas.
Details of the new MFAA antenna design
(Part of the) MFAA team at the design review, with in the background thee 76m Lovell Telescope.
NCLE
The Netherlands China Low frequency Explorer (NCLE), is a radio receiver aimed to be launched mid 2018 as a scientific payload on-board the Chang’e 4 relay satellite (see figure). It will comprise of three monopole antennas of 5 m length connected to a digital receiver, supporting dedicated science modes, implemented in a flexible software-defined radio system. These modes for instance perform fast Fourier transforms to create average radio spectra, allow triggering on transient radio events, or allow to retrieve direction of arrival information using beam-forming or goniopolarimetry techniques. Raw time traces can be stored for ground-based post processing and VLBI. The ASTRON team, responsible for the RF part of the antenna and for the low noise amplifier have made and tested initial designs, and are preparing for the PDR/CDR phase mid 2017. The NCLE scientific payload is developed by Radboud University (PI), ASTRON, and ISIS Innovations in Space, and is supported by ESA PRODEX, the Netherlands Space Office (NSO), and by partners from LESIA, TUDelft, UTwente, and JIVE ERIC.
Impression NCLE antennas on Chang’e 4 relay spacecraft
UAV aided LOFAR antenna measurement campaign
An antenna measurement campaign was conducted in April 2016 at LOFAR station CS302 in collaboration with Italian partners from the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) and the Politecnico di Torino (PT). These measurements support the development of an improved LOFAR beam model and help to develop strategies to support the roll-out, commissioning and characterization of the Low Frequency Aperture Array (LFAA) of the SKA. These measurements were done using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with a radio frequency (RF) transmitter developed by our Italian partners for antenna characterization below 500 MHz in the context of the SKA.
During this campaign, the team shown in Figure 1 performed measurements on all three antenna arrays of LOFAR station CS302, i.e., the Low Band Antenna (LBA) inner array, the LBA outer array and the High Band Antenna (HBA) array with several different flight strategies. In one of these flight strategies, the socalled spin flight, the UAV is hovering in a fixed position above the array while spinning around its vertical axis. Figure 2 shows the ouput of the central antenna in the array, which was right below the UAV. The plot clearly shows that the probe antenna on the UAV alternatingly aligns with each of the two dipoles that make a LBA. With such measurements, we can very accurately measure the orientation of the antennas and verify that the antenna can discriminate the two polarizations very well.
In the meantime, we have made significant progress on improving the electromagnetic (EM) model for the LBA, whose predictions are now in good agreement with the measured response. Efforts to make a similar improvement to EM model for the HBA will start in 2017. We also successfully demonstrated our ability to derive the antenna positions from the RF measurements. This could lead to significant cost savings in LFAA as this pre-empts the need to physically determine the position of each antenna one-by-one.
The team that conducted the campaign(front row, then rear row): Fabio Paonessa (CNR), Paolo Maschio (PT), Andrea Lingua (PT), Giuseppe Pupillo (INAF), Menno Norden (ASTRON), Stefan Wijnholds (ASTRON), Giuseppe Virone (CNR), Pietro Bolli (INAF) and Irene Aicardi (PT).
Output of the central LBA during a spin flight.
The UAV in action
Close-up of the UAV
Interview Jasper Annyas & Roberto Pizzo Interview Marco de Vos
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Blogs | Contact Us | Join Our Mailing List | Home
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BLOG: DOJ Wins First FARA Civil Enforcement Case Since 1991
May 8, 2019, www.FARA.us
To view a PDF of this Article, please click here »
On May 6, 2019, the U.S. District Court of Southern Florida ruled in favor of the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) in a proceeding that involved a Florida broadcasting company named RM Broadcasting, which contended it should not be required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) as a result of its involvement in the U.S. distribution of the Russian radio channel Sputnik. The Sputnik radio channel is owned and produced by the Russian state-owned media corporation Rossiya Segodnya.
This case is the first civil enforcement case that DOJ has pursued since 1991.
In June 2018, DOJ advised RM Broadcasting that it was required to register under FARA as a foreign agent by virtue of its services for Rossiya Segodnya. RM Broadcasting filed suit, seeking declaratory judgment that it was not required to register under FARA. DOJ, in turn, filed a counterclaim for injunctive relief to require RM Broadcasting to register, laying out its case that Rossiya Segodnya maintained “complete control over the content” of RM Broadcasting’s station through its contract and worked “to advance Russian interests” in the U.S.
The District Court granted DOJ’s motion for judgment on the pleadings, holding that RM Broadcasting was indeed an “agent of a foreign principal” required to register under FARA. In doing so, the Court rejected RM Broadcasting’s claim that it “simply buys and resells radio airtime” and that it did not “broadcast[ ] any radio programs” because that representation conflicted with terms of the company’s Services Agreement, which obligated it to broadcast radio programs without edits and subjected the company to Rossiya Segodnya’s control. As the Court put it, under the contract between the parties, “RM broadcasting is required to do much more than resell radio airtime to Rossiya Segodnya.”
Finally, the Court noted that even if RM Broadcasting had no knowledge of or input in the content of Rossiya Segodnya’s programs, and no intent to advance the interests of Russia, FARA lacks any requirement of such knowledge or intent.
As a result of the court’s ruling, RM Broadcasting will now be required to register under FARA.
In total, the Court’s opinion endorses an exceedingly broad interpretation of FARA that could be useful to DOJ as it begins a new era of stepped-up FARA enforcement.
For more information, please contact Olivia N. Marshall at omarshall@capdale.com or 202.862.5076, or another member of Caplin & Drysdale’s Political Law team or visit our blogsite http://www.fara.us/.
Olivia N. Marshall
Related Practice Area(s)
Political Law
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Islamist Terrorism Remains the World’s Greatest Threat to Peace
After the horrific mass murder of 50 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, there was widespread coverage and a torrent of mainstream news networks contemplating the threat of white supremacy.
These conversations, completely reasonable and necessary in the face of violent attacks from a racist gunman, soon began deteriorating into politically motivated and specious claims contending that “white supremacy” had become the predominate terror threat in the world.
Well, the coordinated bomb blasts aimed at Christian worshippers on Easter Sunday, which killed at least 290 people and injured hundreds more, demonstrates the kind of meticulous planning, funding, resources, and support that is still exclusively the domain of radical Islamic terrorism.
It’s not merely that the act was planned to maximize the death toll, but that it is a continuation of long-standing efforts by Islamists to destroy the Christian communities left in Asia.
Those who kill in the name of Islam are part of a worldwide, historic, ideological, and political movement that includes, to various degrees and various reasons, radicalized men and women from both great factions of the faith.
Then again, terrorist groups—as well as their recruitment and propaganda outfits—are often functioning in Islamic regimes, which either actively sustain terror, tolerate these groups, or pay them off to engage in terrorism elsewhere.
The Christians who remain in the Islamic world are often oppressed in other ways. In a number of these nations, publicly praying in any faith but Islam is forbidden and, in many, converting to Christianity is still punishable by death.
“Islamic extremism remains the global, dominant driver of persecution, responsible for initiating oppression and conflict in 35 of the 50 countries on the list,” according to Open Doors, a worldwide Christian group.
The idea that a similar threat exists in the West is risible. There’s not a single Western country that doesn’t afford Muslim citizens the same rights it does as all other citizens. No government on Earth supports white supremacy.
There is no funding infrastructure for those who support white power. There is no Christian or Jewish denomination, or any notable political factions, in those nations that imbue white supremacy with any theological or ideological legitimacy. There is no white supremacist government trying to obtain nuclear weapons, and none sending its terrorists to other countries. In the world’s free nations, where any political party can participate in the process, the power of racist groups is minimal.
Yet the American left continues to downplay the danger, first by arguing that Islam has nothing to do with Islamic terrorism, and then by lumping every white-skinned person who commits a terrorist act into one imaginary coherent political movement to contrast against it.
It’s true that Americans have been spared much Islamic terror since 2002—a year that, curiously, nearly every graph media uses to measure domestic terrorism starts—but only because we’ve spent billions of dollars each year and immense resources, both in lives and treasure, keeping it out of the country and fighting it abroad.
Another reason the majority of Americans might not comprehend Islamic radicalism’s reach is the skewed intensity of the media coverage. Political correctness and a chilling fear of being labeled “Islamophobic” makes it difficult to honestly report on terrorism around the world.
In addition to the massacre this Easter in Sri Lanka, at least 200 Christian civilians have been murdered in Africa by Islamic militants thus far in 2019—many of them killed by machete, some by bombings. Many more Christians have been murdered during the past calendar year.
In November 2018, for example, 42 people were slaughtered in an attack on a Catholic mission in the Central African Republic. In October, 55 Christians were murdered by a group of Islamists in Nigeria. Another 29 were killed when 10 churches were burned down in Ethiopia last summer. Another seven Coptic Christians were gunned down in Egypt—and others spared only because of the good work of police.
There are pockets of racists in the world, and individuals who engage in terrible acts of violence against innocent people. These are dangerous men, capable of doing tremendous damage. But no group threatens global peace the same way that political Islam does. None has its reach or material and theological support. None has created more mayhem and death in the world since the end of the Cold War. The Sri Lankan massacre is just another harrowing reminder.
source: dailysignal, copyright creators.com
Socialism destroyed oil rich Venezuela in just two decades
Obama administration most 'corrupt' since Nixon
US VP Pence meets in Colombia to deal with Venezuela crisis
Red Cross aid to Venezuela to triple as Maduro stance softens
Live violent clashes at Venezuela border as standoff over humanitarian aid intensifies
What makes a Conservative
Democrats took $60,000 junket to attend Beyonce concert in South Africa
Venezuela unveils anti-US coalition at UN
Trump has more women as top advisers than Obama, Bush, or Clinton
A woman's burden in war-torn South Sudan
Trump deserves our thanks for migrant agreement with Mexico
Maduro mocks Trump, opposition leader Guaido; vows to never surrender
Taxpayer-Funded PBS Promotes Far-Left Agenda to Kids
Jair Bolsonaro is sometimes called "the Trump of the tropics"
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Harley wins College of LAS Undergraduate Teaching Award
Congratulations to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering professor Brendan Harley for winning a College of Liberal Arts & Sciences 2017-2018 Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Harley earned the award for his enthusiasm and clarity in the classroom, including his unique “journal club lectures,” a style of teaching that involves the use of current journal articles to build fundamental understanding of research techniques and current research in the field.
Prof. Brendan Harley
“As a professor I take a lot of pride in not only the research that my laboratory pursues, but also in my role as a teacher,” Harley said. “We strive to create an instructional program on this campus that inspires and trains future generations of thinkers and leaders across a wide range of disciplines. So I am very honored to be recognized with this group of exceptional teachers.”
Harley is a Robert W. Schaefer Faculty Scholar and Associate Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He also is a research theme leader in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. He joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois in 2008. He received his SB from Harvard University in 2000 and SM/ScD from MIT in 2002 and 2006.
Harley, along with other recipients of the college’s annual teaching and advising awards will be recognized at a ceremony on April 18.
“We’re extremely proud to honor this outstanding group of educators and advisors,” said Feng Sheng Hu, Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS. “There is no higher calling in the college than the enlightenment of our students, and this year’s awardees have carried out that principle in remarkable ways.”
In addition to Harley, the LAS Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching is being awarded to Robert Rushing, professor of French and Italian and comparative and world literature; Gisela Sin, professor of political science; and Renée Trilling, professor of English. The LAS Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Instructional Staff is being awarded to Jeffrey Frame, teaching assistant professor in atmospheric sciences. The LAS Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for Graduate Teaching Assistants is being awarded to Bryan Abendschein, Department of Communication; Kylee Britzman, Department of Political Science; Valerie O’Brien, Department of English; Michael Perino, Department of Psychology; Nima Rasekh, Department of Mathematics; and Daniel Storage, Department of Psychology. The LAS and Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising is being awarded to Pamela Greer, associate director of the LAS Student Academic Affairs Office.
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You are here: Home / Archives for Social Sciences / Religion
Rachel McCleary and Robert Barro on The Wealth of Religions: The Political Economy of Believing and Belonging
May 7, 2019 by PUP Author
Which countries grow faster economically—those with strong beliefs in heaven and hell or those with weak beliefs in them? Does religious participation matter? Why do some countries experience secularization while others are religiously vibrant? In The Wealth of Religions, Rachel McCleary and Robert Barro draw on their long record of pioneering research to examine these and many other aspects of the economics of religion. Places with firm beliefs in heaven and hell measured relative to the time spent in religious activities tend to be more productive and experience faster growth. Going further, there are two directions of causation: religiosity influences economic performance and economic development affects religiosity. Dimensions of economic development—such as urbanization, education, health, and fertility—matter too, interacting differently with religiosity. State regulation and subsidization of religion also play a role. Timely and incisive, The Wealth of Religions provides fresh insights into the vital interplay between religion, markets, and economic development.
How did you come to write the book?
Robert is an economist and Rachel is a moral philosopher. In thinking about religion, we took as our starting point the work of Adam Smith, the founder of economics, who believed that moral values and organized religion were key forces in political economy and society. Nevertheless, social scientists—particularly economists and political scientists—have tended to underestimate the importance of religion, particularly the role of beliefs and values. We think that Adam Smith was right. Beliefs and religiosity are central determinants of which societies prosper and which deteriorate.
What does your book bring to the conversation on the economics of religion that hasn’t been discussed before?
Another contribution to the study of religion is bringing together the ideas of Adam Smith with those of the German sociologist Max Weber. Religious beliefs and values motivate people to behave in certain ways. This view, as we discuss in our book, is integral to forms of Protestantism with its emphasis on unmediated, individual responsibility for one’s salvation. We bring a quantitative approach to the relationship between beliefs, values, and economic behavior. In so doing, we examine the role of religious beliefs across world religions and countries. Our research has an international perspective with a focus on believing and belonging in the major religions of the world.
We focus on the role of religious beliefs and belonging to organized religions in the economic, political, and social development of nations and individuals. We are filling an important gap in the literature on religion by providing an international perspective. Much of the work in the sociology of religion is focused on local or regional patterns of religiosity. The sociology of religion has a strong focus on the United States, centering research around assumptions about religious patterns and organizations in the United States. In our research, we apply economic analysis to world religions and across countries.
How does religion fit into the story of developing nations? Does religious fervor help or hinder efforts to increase economic development?
To better understand the relationship between religion and economic growth, we need to look at a two-way causation. Religiosity has a two-way interaction with political economy. With religion viewed as the dependent variable, a central question is how economic development and political institutions affect religious participation and beliefs. There is a clear overall pattern whereby economic development associates with decreasing religiosity. However, there is no evidence that greater education diminishes religious beliefs.
Looking at the other direction of causation with religion as the independent variable, we study the effects of religion on economic, social, and political behavior. A key issue is how religiousness affects individual traits such as diligence, honesty, thrift, and integrity, thereby influencing productivity and economic performance. Another channel involves religion’s effects on literacy and education (human capital) more broadly. For example, there is evidence that Protestantism is more favorable than Catholicism as an influence on education and work ethic.
We find that social capital and cultural aspects of religion—communal services, rituals, religious schools—are significant mainly to the extent that they influence beliefs and, hence, behavior. For given beliefs, more time spent on communal activities would tend to be an economic drag for the believer as well as the entire community. Moreover, the costs of formal religion include the time spent by adherents and religious officials on religious activities. In addition, time and money are expended on buildings, sacred objects, and so on. Our general view, based on empirical evidence, is that believing relative to belonging (attending) is the main channel through which religion matters for economic and other social outcomes.
Can religion help to explain why some nations develop faster than others?
We found evidence that economic growth was stimulated when religious beliefs were high compared to religious participation. This pattern applied, for example, to Japan and parts of Western Europe. An overall expansion of religiousness—greater beliefs accompanied by the typically associated attendance at formal religious services—was not strongly related to growth. Religiously sponsored laws and regulations hindered economic growth in some places, notably in Muslim countries, which typically did not have favorable institutions with respect to corporations, credit markets and insurance, and inheritance.
How did the conflict between Protestantism and the Catholic Church affect economic development in early modern Europe? Do we still see the impact of that today?
As Max Weber argued, the rise of Protestantism beginning with the Reformation in the 1500s enhanced work ethic and the accumulation of human capital and, thereby, contributed to the industrial revolution. We found evidence that this mechanism still operated in Western Europe in the modern era.
Competition increases the quality of services provided by different religions. The introduction of Protestantism into Western Europe challenged the monopolistic status of the Roman Catholic Church, pressuring that organization to respond in two ways. First, by lowering the nature and pricing of religious goods, the Catholic Church sought to retain believers. Second, the Catholic Church promoted those aspects of its theology that distinguished it from other religions.
We discuss in our book how the beatification of saints is a unique mechanism of the Catholic Church. With the rise of Evangelical faiths, religious competition became particularly strong in Latin America, vernacularly referred to as “The Catholic continent,” where Catholicism had enjoyed a monopoly since the region was colonized by Spain in the 1400s. Today, in regions of the world where competition with types of Protestantism is increasing, the beatification of local saints revives religious fervor and deters adherents from converting to types of Protestantism.
Is religious fervor impacted by fluctuations in the economy? If so, how?
There is evidence that adverse economic shocks and natural disasters tend to increase the demand for religion. This pattern has been observed, for example, for earthquakes in Italy, flood-related declines in agricultural harvests in Egypt, declines in incomes during the Asian Financial crisis, and adverse effects from a poorly designed land reform in Indonesia. In the other direction, increased economic development—particularly movements away from agriculture and toward urbanization—tend to lower the demand for religion. However, it is wrong to conclude that sustained economic growth causes religion to disappear.
What do you hope readers will take away from reading this book?
We hope our readers will appreciate the possibilities of interdisciplinary research on a variety of religion topics. The application of economic ideas to religion broadens our understanding of ways in which beliefs and practices influence individual and group behavior.
We find that social capital and cultural aspects of religion—communal services, rituals, religious schools—are significant mainly to the extent that they influence beliefs and, hence, behavior. For given beliefs, more time spent on communal activities tend to be an economic drag for the believer as well as the entire community. The costs of formal religion include the time spent by adherents and religious officials on religious activities and the time and money expended on buildings, sacred objects, and so on. Our general view, based on empirical evidence, is that believing relative to belonging (attending) is the main channel through which religion matters for economic and other social outcomes.
Rachel M. McCleary is lecturer in the Department of Economics at Harvard University. Her books include The Oxford Handbook of the Economics of Religion. Robert J. Barro is the Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics at Harvard. His books include Education Matters: Global Schooling Gains from the 19th to the 21st Century and Economic Growth. They both live in Massachusetts.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, Economics, Religion Tagged With: economics, religion
James J. O’Donnell on The War for Gaul
April 25, 2019 by PUP Author
Imagine a book about an unnecessary war written by the ruthless general of an occupying army—a vivid and dramatic propaganda piece that forces the reader to identify with the conquerors and that is designed, like the war itself, to fuel the limitless political ambitions of the author. Could such a campaign autobiography ever be a great work of literature—perhaps even one of the greatest? It would be easy to think not, but such a book exists—and it helped transform Julius Caesar from a politician on the make into the Caesar of legend. This remarkable new translation of Caesar’s famous but underappreciated War for Gaul captures, like never before in English, the gripping and powerfully concise style of the future emperor’s dispatches from the front lines in what are today France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland.
Why did you want to translate Caesar?
Caesar’s War on Gaul is the very best book ever written by a truly bad man who sets out to tell us with absolutely no remorse just how bad he’s been. So first we get the cognitive dissonance of this utterly self-assured voice telling us horrible things. (Best estimate is that about a million people died in that war, a war that didn’t need to happen.) But it’s also just a great book— a gripping yarn with thrills, chills, and adventure, written in a taut, vivid style. Hemingway only wished he could write this way. So I wanted to see how I could capture both the atrocity and the elegance at the same time.
Is there anything else like Caesar in our “canons” of literature?
I can’t think of anything—perhaps the steamy epistolary fiction of Dangerous Liaisons, that needed Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer to cast the film. No room for women in Caesar’s cast, but there’s got to be a part for John Malkovich in here somewhere—and maybe Steve Buscemi and Harvey Keitel and John Goodman. When Hollywood calls, I’m ready to pitch a great movie!
Your translation comes with year-by-year introductions for each part of the story. How do those work?
If you just read Caesar’s words, you get a story of soldiers marching around clobbering people. Really good soldiers, clobbering a lot of people with plenty of panache, no question. But what was really going on? Caesar spent those nine years up in Gaul because he was a politician on the make. He needed to be a great conqueror, he needed people to know he was a great conqueror—so he wrote the book. But he also needed money, lots and lots of money, so plundering and enslaving masses of people were big on his mind—but he plays that side of things down. And he also needed to stay in touch with politics back in Rome and needed the reports of what he was doing to land in Rome just when he needed them to spin his narrative and to keep his name and fame alive. My introductions and notes tell you all the things Caesar didn’t tell you but that everybody around him and everybody back at Rome knew. What was he really up to? I spill the beans.
So what’s in it for you? Most people don’t think of translating Latin as a job they’d want!
Different strokes for different folks. From some time in college, I’ve just known that reading Latin makes my head feel good in ways I can’t describe. If you see me in the window seat of a plane muttering to myself, I’m probably subvocalizing whatever Latin book I have with me, just because it feels so good to do that. And Caesar has been one of the half dozen or so Latin books that have always done that for me the best.
Ah, so what other Latin writers do you find yourself returning to over and over again?
It’s a very mixed bag. Nobody in the ancient world hated Caesar so much as the poet Lucan a hundred years later, who wrote an astonishingly gory epic about Caesar’s civil war, then committed suicide when he got caught in a plot against Nero. It’s a real leap from there to Augustine’s Confessions or Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy, but in ways I can’t really explain those books always work for me as well, over and over again for decades. They work the way the last page of Joyce’s “The Dead” can work—still brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. Some books are just magical for some readers and we should cherish that. If I can make Caesar a little big magical for readers of this book, I’m happy.
So, which book would you most like to have written yourself? Caesar’s?
No! I’m actually a nice guy. And I wouldn’t last a week in Caesar’s army. A book I go back to over and over is called Beyond a Boundary by the Trinidad-born cricket journalist, professional rabble-rouser, and historian C.L.R. James, who died at great age in 1989. He was an Afro-Trinidadian brought up to be a citizen of the British empire, acutely aware of both his British-ness by virtue of his culture and education and of his exclusion from British-ness by virtue of his race and colonial subjection. So he wrote a book about the ultimate imperialist game, cricket — and it was a combination of memoir, social history, love song (for his love of cricket in spite of everything), and literary triumph. Think of a skinny little black kid growing up in Trinidad before the first world war, dividing his time passionately between the English game and the Englishman’s literature. Vanity Fair was the book he read over and over and over again, the way I remember reading Life on the Mississippi in the middle of the New Mexico desert. Anyway, it’s a book that brings together things intensely personal for him, but in a way that opens up the whole set of cultures he grew up and lived in and leaves the reader thinking about the paradoxes of inclusion and exclusion, of loyalty and exclusion. He’s somebody able to love the past and cherish an inheritance and at the same time give himself fiercely to the struggle to transcend that past for a more just and inclusive way of seeing and living. That one makes my head feel pretty good too.
James J. O’Donnell is professor of history, philosophy, and religious studies and University Librarian at Arizona State University. His books include Pagans, The Ruin of the Roman Empire, and Augustine: A New Biogr
Filed Under: Author Interviews, History, Religion Tagged With: history, Latin writers, Philosophy, religion
Christian Sahner: Islam spread through the Christian world via the bedroom
March 7, 2019 by PUP Author
There are few transformations in world history more profound than the conversion of the peoples of the Middle East to Islam. Starting in the early Middle Ages, the process stretched across centuries and was influenced by factors as varied as conquest, diplomacy, conviction, self-interest and coercion. There is one factor, however, that is largely forgotten but which played a fundamental role in the emergence of a distinctively Islamic society: mixed unions between Muslims and non-Muslims.
For much of the early Islamic period, the mingling of Muslims and non-Muslims was largely predicated on a basic imbalance of power: Muslims formed an elite ruling minority, which tended to exploit the resources of the conquered peoples – reproductive and otherwise – to grow in size and put down roots within local populations. Seen in this light, forced conversion was far less a factor in long-term religious change than practices such as intermarriage and concubinage.
The rules governing religiously mixed families crystallised fairly early, at least on the Muslim side. The Quran allows Muslim men to marry up to four women, including ‘People of the Book’, that is, Jews and Christians. Muslim women, however, were not permitted to marry non-Muslim men and, judging from the historical evidence, this prohibition seems to have stuck. Underlying the injunction was the understanding that marriage was a form of female enslavement: if a woman was bound to her husband as a slave is to her master, she could not be subordinate to an infidel.
Outside of marriage, the conquests of the seventh and eighth centuries saw massive numbers of slaves captured across North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Female slaves of non-Muslim origin, at least, were often pressed into the sexual service of their Muslim masters, and many of these relationships produced children.
Since Muslim men were free to keep as many slaves as they wished, sex with Jewish and Christian women was considered licit, while sex with Zoroastrians and others outside the ‘People of the Book’ was technically forbidden. After all, they were regarded as pagans, lacking a valid divine scripture that was equivalent to the Torah or the Gospel. But since so many slaves in the early period came from these ‘forbidden’ communities, Muslim jurists developed convenient workarounds. Some writers of the ninth century, for example, argued that Zoroastrian women could be induced or even forced to convert, and thus become available for sex.
Whether issued via marriage or slavery, the children of religiously mixed unions were automatically considered Muslims. Sometimes Jewish or Christian men converted after already having started families: if their conversions occurred before their children attained the age of legal majority – seven or 10, depending on the school of Islamic law – they had to follow their fathers’ faith. If the conversions occurred after, the children were free to choose. Even as fathers and children changed religion, mothers could continue as Jews and Christians, as was their right under Sharia law.
Mixed marriage and concubinage allowed Muslims – who constituted a tiny percentage of the population at the start of Islamic history – to quickly integrate with their subjects, legitimising their rule over newly conquered territories, and helping them grow in number. It also ensured that non-Muslim religions would quickly disappear from family trees. Indeed, given the rules governing the religious identity of children, mixed kinship groups probably lasted no longer than a generation or two. It was precisely this prospect of disappearing that prompted non-Muslim leaders – Jewish rabbis, Christian bishops and Zoroastrian priests – to inveigh against mixed marriage and codify laws aimed at discouraging it. Because Muslims were members of the elite, who enjoyed greater access to economic resources than non-Muslims, their fertility rates were probably higher.
Of course, theory and reality did not always line up, and religiously mixed families sometimes flouted the rules set by jurists. One of the richest bodies of evidence for such families are the biographies of Christian martyrs from the early Islamic period, a little-known group who constitute the subject of my book, Christian Martyrs under Islam (2018). Many of these martyrs were executed for crimes such as apostasy and blasphemy, and not a small number of them came from religiously mixed unions.
A good example is Bacchus, a martyr killed in Palestine in 786 – about 150 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Bacchus, whose biography was recorded in Greek, was born into a Christian family, but his father at some point converted to Islam, thereby changing his children’s status, too. This greatly distressed Bacchus’s mother, who prayed for her husband’s return, and in the meantime, seems to have exposed her Muslim children to Christian practices. Eventually, the father died, freeing Bacchus to become a Christian. He was then baptised and tonsured as a monk, enraging certain Muslim relatives who had him arrested and killed.
Similar examples come from Córdoba, the capital of Islamic Spain, where a group of 48 Christians were martyred between 850 and 859, and commemorated in a corpus of Latin texts. Several of the Córdoba martyrs were born into religiously mixed families, but with an interesting twist: a number of them lived publicly as Muslims but practised Christianity in secret. In most instances, this seems to have been done without the knowledge of their Muslim fathers, but in one unique case of two sisters, it allegedly occurred with the father’s consent. The idea that one would have a public legal identity as a Muslim but a private spiritual identity as a Christian produced a unique subculture of ‘crypto-Christianity’ in Córdoba. This seems to have spanned generations, fuelled by the tendency of some ‘crypto-Christians’ to seek out and marry others like them.
In the modern Middle East, intermarriage has become uncommon. One reason for this is the long-term success of Islamisation, such that there are simply fewer Jews and Christians around to marry. Another reason is that those Jewish and Christian communities that do exist today have survived partly by living in homogeneous environments without Muslims, or by establishing communal norms that strongly penalise marrying out. In contrast to today’s world, where the frontiers between communities can be sealed, the medieval Middle East was a world of surprisingly porous borders, especially when it came to the bedroom.
Christian Martyrs under Islam: Religious Violence and the Making of the Muslim World by Christian C Sahner is published via Princeton University Press.
This article was originally published at Aeon and has been republished under Creative Commons.
Filed Under: Aeon Magazine, Middle Eastern Studies, Religion Tagged With: Christianity, Islam, middle eastern studies, religion
Margaret C. Jacob on The Secular Enlightenment
February 19, 2019 by PUP Author
The Secular Enlightenment is a panoramic account of the radical ways that life began to change for ordinary people in the age of Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau. In this landmark book, familiar Enlightenment figures share places with voices that have remained largely unheard until now, from freethinkers and freemasons to French materialists, anticlerical Catholics, pantheists, pornographers, readers, and travelers.A majestic work of intellectual and cultural history, this book demonstrates how secular values and pursuits took hold of eighteenth-century Europe, spilled into the American colonies, and left their lasting imprint on the Western world for generations to come.
What accounts for the fact that ordinary people began to see the world on its own terms, rather than through the prism of religion, during the 18th century?
So many factors were present but I would highlight a few: the realization that there existed whole continents where the Christian God was unknown; the growing realization that Europeans had persecuted and enslaved non-Europeans often in the service of religion. The behavior of the clergy at home was one of the main themes in the new pornography; and of course religious divisions between Catholics and Protestants played into skepticism about all the claims of religion. The revocation of the Edict of Nantes and the ensuing persecution of French Protestants put the issue of religion, and how its representatives treated others, on the European wide agenda. This was compounded by the thousands of Protestant refugees to be found by 1700 in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Geneva, etc. They were articulate and took to the printing presses to alert the world of the injustices perpetrated by the French king and clergy.
What does your book bring to the conversation of secularization during the Enlightenment that hasn’t appeared before?
The book draws upon new sources, many of them found only in manuscript form. Such sources often reveal private thoughts and struggles about the veracity of religion or expressions of doubt and clerical hostility. It also crosses national boundaries, and focuses on the main urban centers in Germany, Italy and of course France, the Dutch Republic and Britain.
How common was it for ordinary people to read the works of Enlightenment thinkers during the 18thcentury?
It depends upon what we mean by ordinary. Anyone fully literate had access to the ideas found in the new journals or the writings of the philosophes. Note also that in France, for example, local clergy were advised in detail what heretical books contained so as better to refute them. From the pulpits of London (and the Boyle Lectures) to the French provinces any listener could hear about the details of the latest heresy.
Why have the voices of people you shed light on in the book been largely silent up to now?
So much attention has been given to the major thinkers from Locke and Newton to Adam Smith and Rousseau that lesser folk, often their followers, do not receive attention. Also digging in archives means a lot of travel to places often off the beaten track. How many books access archives in Leiden or Strasbourg or Birmingham? However, I do not neglect the major thinkers.
How did the religious establishment of the 18th century react to this shift?
Not as many people were burned at the stake or tortured as in previous centuries but there are big exceptions: the wife of a Dutch pastor and school teacher, a heretic, who went mad while locked away in prison; the book seller from Strasbourg who went to Paris in search of bad or forbidden books and spent over two years in the Bastille; the Italian heretic forced to flee to London where, impoverished, he continued to publish.
Do we see any attempts at justification on the part of groups or individuals for their decreasing attention to religious matters?
The literature of heresy consistently mocked the pretensions of the clergy and courts; their perceived hypocrisy was one good reason to avoid religion altogether. Others, like the busy industrialists in northern England, could plea the pressure of work or family obligations, so too could travelers and itinerants.
Was there anything that surprised you when you were researching for this book?
Yes, how many people had been left out of Enlightenment history; how incredibly thorough the French police were at spying and reporting on heretical behavior—or what they thought was heretical. Similarly, how coteries could remain relatively underground and then circulate some of the most virulent heresies of the age, for example, the group that brought out the Treatise on the Three Impostors. It argued that Jesus, Moses, and Mohammed had been the three. All involved managed to die in their beds.
Antidotes to the claims made by biased contemporary clergy; the role of deism and freethinking for American philosophes like Jefferson and Franklin; and finally, how widespread enlightened ideas were by 1750.
Margaret C. Jacob is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her many books include The Radical Enlightenment: Pantheists, Freemasons, and Republicans and The First Knowledge Economy: Human Capital and the European Economy, 1750–1850. She lives in Los Angeles.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, European History, History, Philosophy, Religion Tagged With: enlightenment, religion, secularization
Browse our Jewish Studies 2019 Catalog
December 13, 2018 by Nathalie Levine
Our new Jewish Studies catalog includes a new exploration of the ancient story of Masada, an engaging firsthand portrait of American Judaism today, and a gripping revisionist history that shows how ordinary Italians played a central role in the genocide of Italian Jews during the Second World War.
If you’re attending the Association for Jewish Studies meeting in Boston this weekend, you can stop by Booth 206 to check out our Jewish studies titles!
Two thousand years ago, 967 Jewish men, women, and children—the last holdouts of the revolt against Rome following the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Second Temple—reportedly took their own lives rather than surrender to the Roman army. This dramatic event, which took place on top of Masada, a barren and windswept mountain overlooking the Dead Sea, spawned a powerful story of Jewish resistance that came to symbolize the embattled modern State of Israel. In Masada, archaeologist Jodi Magness explains what happened there, how we know it, and how recent developments might change understandings of the story.
American Judaism has been buffeted by massive social upheavals in recent decades. Like other religions in the United States, it has witnessed a decline in the number of participants over the past forty years, and many who remain active struggle to reconcile their hallowed traditions with new perspectives—from feminism and the LGBTQ movement to “do-it-yourself religion” and personally defined spirituality. Taking a fresh look at American Judaism today, Jack Wertheimer, a leading authority on the subject, sets out to discover how Jews of various orientations practice their religion in this radically altered landscape. The New American Judaism is a quintessentially American story of rash disruption and creative reinvention, religious illiteracy and dynamic experimentation.
In this gripping revisionist history of Italy’s role in the Holocaust, Simon Levis Sullam presents an unforgettable account of how ordinary Italians actively participated in the deportation of Italy’s Jews between 1943 and 1945, when Mussolini’s collaborationist republic was under German occupation. While most historians have long described Italians as relatively protective of Jews during this time, The Italian Executioners tells a very different story, recounting in vivid detail the shocking events of a period in which Italians set in motion almost half the arrests that sent their Jewish compatriots to Auschwitz.
Filed Under: Jewish Studies, New Catalog, Religion Tagged With: catalog, Italian Executioners, jewish studies, Masada, New American Judaism
Ethan Shagan on The Birth of Modern Belief
December 11, 2018 by PUP Author
This landmark book traces the history of belief in the Christian West from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, revealing for the first time how a distinctively modern category of belief came into being. Ethan Shagan focuses not on what people believed, which is the normal concern of Reformation history, but on the more fundamental question of what people took belief to be. Brilliantly illuminating, The Birth of Modern Belief demonstrates how belief came to occupy such an ambivalent place in the modern world, becoming the essential category by which we express our judgments about science, society, and the sacred, but at the expense of the unique status religion once enjoyed.
What led you to write this book?
Good works of history often begin with a chance discovery that sticks like a splinter in the historian’s mind: something weird or surprising in the historical record that demands an explanation. In this case, that oddity was something I found in Martin Luther’s collected writings: his claim that most people do not believe that God exists. This struck me as utterly outlandish. Besides the fact that more or less everyone in sixteenth-century Europe believed in God, Luther also wrote elsewhere that atheism was virtually impossible because knowledge of God is imprinted on all human souls. So what on earth was going on? Upon further research, I found other versions of this same bizarre claim popping up elsewhere in the sixteenth century. John Calvin wrote in his Institutes of the Christian Religion that anyone who follows their own passions in defiance of heavenly judgment “denies that there is a God”—the translator of the modern English edition changed this passage to “virtually denies that there is a God,” presumably because he thought the original must have been some sort of mistake. The radical spiritualist Sebastian Franck claimed, far more drastically, that “there is not a single believer on earth!” These remarkable and unexpected ideas were not written in obscure places, nor were they written by unknown people. So why had no historian ever written about them before?
These discoveries set me on a journey that has lasted seven years. I started with the intuition that “belief” itself had changed its meaning over time. Thus, for instance, Luther could say that everyone knows God exists, but he could still argue that most people do not believe God exists, because he took “belief” to be a more difficult condition. But from there I had to figure out what preexisting, medieval understandings of belief Luther was rejecting. Then I had to figure out how the different factions in the Reformation interpreted belief. And then, most importantly, I set myself the task of figuring out how a modern understanding of “belief” emerged. Hence this became a book about the birth of modern belief: a whole new way of imagining the relationship between religion and other kinds of knowledge, which we take to be absolutely timeless and natural but was in fact an invention of the seventeenth century and a touchstone of the Enlightenment.
Can you explain a bit about the book’s argument? What do you mean by a modern category of belief?
Belief has a history; the concept changes over time. We take it for granted that “belief” means private judgment or opinion. From that assumption, which we assume is timeless but is in fact profoundly modern, lots of other conclusions follow which seem equally unquestionable. For example, if belief is private judgment, then our beliefs might change over time in light of new evidence or further reflection. Likewise, if belief is opinion, then our belief on any particular issue might be probable rather than absolute: we might reasonably say we believe something if we think it’s likely, even if we’re uncertain. Most importantly, if belief is private judgment, then I might believe a religious doctrine in more or less the same sense that I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, or that our sun is part of the Milky Way galaxy.
None of this would have been taken for granted in the Western tradition before the seventeenth century, and indeed a great deal of intellectual energy was poured into denying that any of it was true. Of course, people sometimes used the verb “believe” (credo in Latin, glauben in German, etc.) in a colloquial way—“I believe this peach is ripe,” or “I believe my husband loves me”—but a vast range of theology and philosophy was devoted to the proposition that this was totally different from belief in its proper, religious sense. To believe required an absolute, certain conviction, guaranteed to be true by reliable authority. Anything lesser or different could easily be denounced as unbelief, a failure of the mind and soul; anyone who believed wrongly, or insufficiently, or for the wrong reasons, or in the wrong way, might be taken not to believe at all. So my book is a history of how belief was freed from these constraints, creating the conditions in which religion could flourish in a secular age, but only at the cost of relinquishing the special status religion had previously enjoyed.
It seems intuitive that modern belief formed as a reaction against the Church, but how was it also a reaction against Luther and Calvinism?
Lots of people think that the Reformation produced religious liberty, because in the Reformation individuals—like Luther purportedly saying, “Here I stand, I can do no other”—insisted upon their own conscientious right to believe differently from the Roman Catholic Church. But this is quite wrong. Luther and his allies did indeed insist that their own beliefs were genuine, and that their own consciences were inviolable. But in the very act of making this claim for themselves, they insisted that all other beliefs were not simply false, they were not even beliefs at all. When early modern Protestants claimed the right to believe as they would, they were creating a new and exclusive category of belief to which others did not have access. So the Reformation did not inaugurate modern belief. Instead it produced a new kind of authoritarianism: whereas Catholics disciplined people to believe, Protestants accepted that belief was rare, and instead disciplined unbelievers. The reaction against these twin pillars of orthodoxy thus came from dissidents within both traditions. Modern belief emerged in fits and starts, not as a revolution against Christianity, but as a revolution from within Christianity by mutineers whose strained relationship to orthodoxy necessitated a more porous understand of belief.
How does the modern idea of belief travel through later intellectual movements such as the Enlightenment? Did it undergo changes there as well?
This is really a book about the Enlightenment, as much or more than it’s a book about the Reformation, because it was in the Enlightenment that modern belief truly emerged as a powerful force in the world. But the Enlightenment you’ll find in these pages may not be the one you expect.
First, it is an Enlightenment that is inclusive of religion rather than against religion. I do not deny, of course, that there was a “radical Enlightenment” which attempted, often quite explicitly, to undermine the claims of organized Christianity. But by far the more significant project of the Enlightenment was to reestablish religion on a new basis, to render it not only compatible with reason but a partner in the task of criticism which was at the heart of eighteenth-century ideas. The Enlightenment thus pioneered a question which we take for granted today, but which had received remarkably little attention previously: on what grounds should I believe? There were many different answers in the Enlightenment—as there remain today—but the task of Enlightenment religion was to tear down the medieval architecture of the mind which had strictly separated belief, knowledge, and opinion, and had thus made the question itself virtually meaningless. Enlightenment Christianity established what the Reformation had not: the sovereignty of the believing subject.
Second, my Enlightenment is not about the triumph of reason, but rather the triumph of opinion. Modern critics of the Enlightenment, on both the Left and the Right, often denigrate Enlightenment reason—and not without reason, if you’ll pardon the pun—as a false universal which allowed a new orthodoxy to establish itself as the natural frame of all argument rather than a peculiar argument in its own right. But this understanding of the Enlightenment, which takes Immanuel Kant as its avatar, misses huge swathes of late-seventeenth and eighteenth-century thought which instead privileged opinion, a kind of judgment that was particular rather than universal. In this book, I want to resuscitate an Enlightenment that privileged autonomous judgment rather than judgment constrained by someone else’s reason, and thus led to new kinds of spiritualism as much as it led to new kinds of scientism. At its worst, this modern spirit of autonomy produces the world of “alternative facts” and “fake news;” but at its best, it produces the conditions of freedom that allow for peace in a diverse society.
What is the relationship between the history of belief and secularization?
Every page of this book is engaged at least obliquely with the secularization question, but one of my key points is that secularization is the wrong question.
Secularization assumes that the crucial development in modernity is the creation of spaces outside or apart from religion; in modernity, this argument goes, religion has been relegated to a separate, private sphere. But by contrast, what I find is that modernity’s encounter with religion is not about segregating belief from the world, but rather about the promiscuous opening of belief to the world. Belief becomes, in modernity, not the boundary separating religious claims from other kinds of knowledge, but rather the least common denominator of all knowledge. Here my favorite example is the claim of many modern Christians that scientific knowledge—like the theory of evolution, for instance—is just another form of belief. This claim would have been literally nonsensical before the seventeenth century, because the whole point of belief was to preserve a special prestige for Christianity: science was a different beast altogether, belonging to different mental faculties and defended in different ways. The fact that scientific theories can now be understood as beliefs suggests that instead of thinking about the rise of a modern secular, we instead need to think about what happened when the walls separating religious belief from other kinds of knowledge-claims were breached.
That belief has proliferated rather than waned in modernity, but only because the definition of belief has changed in our society to make it compatible with diversity, democracy, and freedom of thought. The old world of belief—where it was structured by authority, and where it functioned as an axis of exclusion to preserve orthodoxy—is dead and buried, and we should be thankful for its demise rather than nostalgic for the oppressive unity it once provided.
Ethan H. Shagan is professor of history at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of The Rule of Moderation: Violence, Religion, and the Politics of Restraint in Early Modern England and Popular Politics and the English Reformation. He lives in Orinda, California.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, European History, History, Humanities, Religion Tagged With: belief, catholic church, catholicism, faith, Protestant Reformation, religion
Browse our Religion 2019 Catalog
November 15, 2018 by Nathalie Levine
Our new Religion catalog includes a timely defense of religious diversity and its centrality to American identity; a biography of the New Testament’s most mystifying and incendiary book; and a comprehensive history of the changing, complex, and contradictory visions of Muhammad in Western history.
If you’re attending the American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Denver this weekend, stop by Booth 630 to browse our full range of religion titles!
America is the most religiously devout country in the Western world and the most religiously diverse nation on the planet. In today’s volatile climate of religious conflict, prejudice, and distrust, how do we affirm the principle that the American promise is deeply intertwined with how each of us engages with people of different faiths and beliefs? In Out of Many Faiths, Eboo Patel, former faith adviser to Barack Obama, shows how America’s promise is the guarantee of equal rights and dignity for all, and how that promise is the foundation of America’s unrivaled strength as a nation.
Few biblical books have been as revered and reviled as Revelation. Many hail it as the pinnacle of prophetic vision, the cornerstone of the biblical canon, and, for those with eyes to see, the key to understanding the past, present, and future. Others denounce it as the work of a disturbed individual whose horrific dreams of inhumane violence should never have been allowed into the Bible. Timothy Beal provides a concise cultural history of Revelation and the apocalyptic imaginations it has fueled. The Book of Revelation traces how Revelation continues to inspire new diagrams of history, new fantasies of rapture, and new nightmares of being left behind.
In European culture, Muhammad has been vilified as a heretic, an impostor, and a pagan idol. But these aren’t the only images of the Prophet of Islam that emerge from Western history. Faces of Muhammad reveals a lengthy tradition of positive portrayals of Muhammad that many will find surprising. The book shows that Muhammad wears so many faces in the West because he has always acted as a mirror for its writers, their portrayals revealing more about their own concerns than the historical realities of the founder of Islam.
Filed Under: New Catalog, Religion Tagged With: Book of Revelation, catalog, Faces of Muhammad, Out of Many Faiths, religion
Browse our Middle Eastern Studies 2019 Catalog
Our new Middle Eastern Studies catalog includes a groundbreaking history showing how Egyptian-Israeli peace ensured lasting Palestinian statelessness; a definitive political picture of the Islamic Republic of Iran; an exploration of frequently neglected aspects of Iranian spirituality and politics; and a bold new religious history of the late antique and medieval Middle East that places ordinary Christians at the center of the story.
If you’re attending the Middle East Studies Association meeting in San Antonio this week, visit the PUP table to see our full range of Middle Eastern studies titles.
How and why Palestinian statelessness persists are the central questions of Seth Anziska’s groundbreaking book, which explores the complex legacy of the Camp David Accords. Combining astute political analysis, extensive original research, and interviews with diplomats, military veterans, and communal leaders, Preventing Palestine offers a bold new interpretation of a highly charged struggle for self-determination.
When Iranians overthrew their monarchy, rejecting a pro-Western shah in favor of an Islamic regime, many observers predicted that revolutionary turmoil would paralyze the country for decades to come. Yet forty years after the 1978–79 revolution, Iran has emerged as a critical player in the Middle East and the wider world. In Iran Rising, renowned Iran specialist Amin Saikal describes how the country has managed to survive despite ongoing domestic struggles, Western sanctions, and countless other serious challenges.
Since the late nineteenth century, modernizing intellectuals, religious leaders, and statesmen in Iran have attempted to curtail occult practices and appeals to saintly powers as “superstitious,” instead encouraging the development of rational religious sensibilities and dispositions. However, these rationalizing processes have multiplied the possibilities for experimental engagement with the immaterial realm. The Iranian Metaphysicals shows that metaphysical experimentation lies at the center of some of the most influential intellectual and religious movements in modern Iran.
In the second half of the first millennium CE, the Christian Middle East fractured irreparably into competing churches and Arabs conquered the region, setting in motion a process that would lead to its eventual conversion to Islam. The Making of the Medieval Middle East recasts these conquered lands as largely Christian ones whose growing Muslim populations are properly understood as converting away from and in competition with the non-Muslim communities around them.
Filed Under: Anthropology, History, Middle Eastern Studies, New Catalog, Political Science, Politics, Religion Tagged With: catalog, Iran Rising, Iranian Metaphysicals, Making of the Medieval Middle East, middle eastern studies, Preventing Palestine
How Did the Ba’al Shem Tov Observe the Days of Awe?
September 17, 2018 by Nathalie Levine
Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, also called the Besht, is known as the legendary founder of the Jewish movement of Hasidism. During his lifetime, in the first half of the eighteenth century, the Besht and his followers practiced a mystical, pietistic Judaism. Hasidism: A New History, by David Biale, David Assaf, Benjamin Brown, Uriel Gellman, Samuel Heilman, Moshe Rosman, Gadi Sagiv, and Marcin Wodziński, pieces together what is known about the Besht’s life and spiritual practices in order to examine his role in the development of what became Hasidism.
Like other holy men known as ba’alei shem, or masters of the name, the Besht was a shaman who used practical applications of Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, to communicate with the divine, perform healing acts on earth. He tried to use his ability to communicate with heavenly powers to avert disaster for his community—not just the Jews in his own area, but the Jewish people everywhere. On rare occasions, he visited heaven in what was called an aliyat neshamah, or “ascent of the soul.” These events tended to occur during the High Holidays, also known as the Days of Awe: Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
The Besht claimed that on Rosh Hashanah in two different years he ascended to heaven. During each ascent, he learned of an impending catastrophe that would befall the Jewish community, and attempted to avert it.
For on Rosh Hashanah 5507 [1746] I performed an adjuration for the ascent of the soul, as you know, and I saw wondrous things in a vision, for the evil side ascended to accuse with great, unparalleled joy and performed his acts—persecutions entailing forced conversion—on several souls so they would meet violent deaths. I was horrified and I literally put my life in jeopardy and asked my teacher and rabbi [Ahiah the Shilonite (I Kings 14:2)] to go with me because it is very dangerous to go and ascend to the upper worlds. For from the day I attained my position I did not ascend such lofty ascents. I went up step by step until I entered the palace of the Messiah where the Messiah studies Torah with all of the Tannaim [the rabbis of the Mishna] and the righteous and also with the seven shepherds. . . .
—cited in Moshe Rosman, Founder of Hasidism: A Quest for the Historical Ba’al Shem Tov, 2nd ed. (Oxford and Portland, OR, 2013), 106-107
And on Rosh Hashanah 5510 [1749] I performed an ascent of the soul, as is known, and I saw a great accusation until the evil side almost received permission to completely destroy regions and communities. I put my life in jeopardy and I prayed: “Let us fall into the hand of God and not fall into the hands of man.”
—ibid., 107
These mystical experiences were sometimes precipitated by his entering a self-induced trance. One of these trances, which occurred on Yom Kippur, is described in the Shivhei ha-Besht, a book of hagiographical stories about the Besht published over fifty years after his death:
Before Ne’ilah [the final prayer of the Yom Kippur liturgy] he began to preach in harsh words and he cried. He put his head backward on the ark and he sighed and he wept. Afterward [when] he began to pray the silent eighteen benedictions, and then the voiced eighteen benedictions … the Besht began to make terrible gestures, and he bent back- ward until his head came close to his knees, and everyone feared that he would fall down. They wanted to support him but they were afraid to. They told it to Rabbi Ze’ev Kutses, God bless his memory, who came and looked at the Besht’s face and signaled that they were not to touch him. His eyes bulged and he sounded like a bull being slaughtered. He kept this up for about two hours. Suddenly he stirred and straightened up. He prayed in a great hurry and finished the prayer.
—Dan Ben-Amos and Jerome Mintz, In Praise of the Ba’al Shem Tov, The Earliest Collection of Legends about the Founder of Hasidism, (Lanham, MD, 2004), 55. Translation slightly modified.
Are you observing the Days of Awe this year? The gates of heaven are open, just as they were to the Ba’al Shem Tov two hundred and fifty years ago. You can learn more about how eighteenth-century Jewish mysticism developed into modern Hasidism in Hasidism: A New History. A sweet new year!
Filed Under: History, Jewish Studies, Religion Tagged With: Ba'al Shem Tov, hasidism, High Holidays, jewish studies, religion, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur
Jack Wertheimer on The New American Judaism
American Judaism has been buffeted by massive social upheavals in recent decades. In The New American Judaism, Jack Wertheimer, a leading authority on the subject, sets out to discover how Jews of various orientations practice their religion in this radically altered landscape. What emerges is a quintessentially American story of rash disruption and creative reinvention, religious illiteracy and dynamic experimentation. Here, Wertheimer provides insight on why and how he wrote the book, and what readers of all faiths can learn from it.
Twenty-five years ago, I published a book offering my take on contemporary Jewish religious life. When I revisited that book in recent years, I realized an entirely different approach, not merely an update, would be needed to do justice to today’s scene. I also was curious to learn more about the proliferation of new settings for Jewish religious expression and the remaking of existing places for congregating.
You interviewed 220 people for this book. How did you decide whom to interview and what questions to ask?
I mainly interviewed rabbis situated in different corners of Jewish life, and then turned to other observers to help me understand new developments. My overall questions were straightforward: What are you seeing among the Jews in your orbit when it comes to religion? And what are you doing to draw Jews into religious life? From there, the questions led us down fascinating byways. I learned about the re-appropriation of long-discarded Jewish religious traditions, and creative efforts to engage attendees at religious services; about the self-invented forms of Jewish practice taken for granted by some Jews and also the return to traditions by others. I heard about startling religious practices one would not have seen in synagogues even twenty years ago, and also learned of Jewish religious gatherings in unlikely places.
So what is new about the new American Judaism?
I could be flip and answer: “that’s why you have to read the book.” But to begin addressing the question, I’d say the environment in which American Jews find themselves is new. In some ways, it is remarkably open to all religious possibilities—or none; in other ways, American elite culture is highly dismissive of religion in ways that was not the case but a few decades ago. This has further eroded what Peter Berger called “the plausibility structure” for religion. Jews in our time are less likely than in the past to regard their religion as a package of behaviors and, as the old saw put it, “a way of life.” Now religious settings have to contend with Jews who wish to connect only episodically and only on their own terms. This has led both to religious participation as a “sometime thing” for many Jews, and simultaneously has spurred a great deal of experimentation to create enticing religious environments in the hope of drawing more participants. Congregations of all types are reimagining the use of space, the choreography of prayer service, the impact of music and visual cues, the ways they extend hospitality and mutual support to fellow congregants, and the messages they deliver about how Jewish religious practice enriches one’s life.
Is all of this unique to Judaism?
Not at all. One cannot really understand Jewish religious developments in a vacuum. Even the seemingly most insular of Jews who deliberately live in their own enclaves cannot escape the impact of the powerful culture all around us. (One of the rabbis I interviewed put this colloquially when he said: “culture eats mission for breakfast”—i.e. it overwhelms religious ideology.)
Many internal Jewish developments described in this book are quintessentially American (though some have parallels in other countries). New ways of thinking about religious experiences can be found in American churches, mosques and synagogues. Religious leaders across the spectrum recognize that they face common challenges, such as the well-documented retreat from institutional engagement, the quest for spirituality among some, the disenchantment with religious leadership, the DIY mindset when applied to religion and the desire for a more engaging worship experience. Experimentation is a hallmark of American religious life, as it is in many Jewish religious institutions.
Can you talk about one challenge you faced in your research?
There are a great many ways Jews practice their religion. One challenge facing anyone attempting to survey the scene is how to capture American Judaism in all its complexity and variety. To be clear, the term Judaism is used in many different ways. Some see it as synonymous with all of Jewish life. Others as the expression of a distinct theology and package of do’s and don’ts. The book endeavors to examine how “average” Jews incorporate Jewish religious practices into their lives, what they believe, what in their religion is important to them, and what is available to those who seek out Jewish religious settings.
A lot of people are pessimistic about the future of American Judaism. Do you agree with them?
A lot of people are pessimistic about the future health and vitality of Jewish life in this country. Some also worry about the long-term future of this or that denomination of American Judaism. There are good reasons to worry about both. But given the explosion of creativity in the Jewish religious sphere, I don’t worry about the future of Judaism. It’s the adherents, the Jews in the pews or those who rarely show up, that require our attention. I devote attention in the book to writing about some approaches to this challenge that I regard as short-sighted, if not wrong-headed. I also suggest some guidelines that might make for a stronger Jewish religious life.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
First, that like so much in life, American Judaism is complicated, anything but static, and replete with pluses and minuses. Second, by stepping back to behold the entire scene, there are some remarkably fascinating things to observe. And related to that, perhaps readers will join me in appreciating a bit more the enormous investment of energy, creativity and good-will that so many rabbis and other religious leader are pouring into efforts to revitalize Jewish religious life. We don’t have to find every effort personally congenial to appreciate the explosion of energy at precisely a time when religion is not held in the highest esteem.
Jack Wertheimer is professor of American Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary. His many books include The New Jewish Leaders: Reshaping the American Jewish Landscape, Family Matters: Jewish Education in an Age of Choice, and A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, Jewish Studies, Religion Tagged With: American religion, jewish studies, judaism, religion
Chaim Saiman on Halakhah
September 6, 2018 by PUP Author
Though typically translated as “Jewish law,” the term halakhah is not an easy match for what is usually thought of as law. In his panoramic book Halakhah: The Rabbinic Idea of Law, Chaim Saiman traces how generations of rabbis have used concepts forged in talmudic disputation to do the work that other societies assign not only to philosophy, political theory, theology, and ethics but also to art, drama, and literature. Guiding readers across two millennia of richly illuminating perspectives, this book shows how halakhah is not just “law,” but an entire way of thinking, being, and knowing.
What is halakhah and why did you decide to write a book about it?
Literally, halakhah means “the way” or “the path,” though it is typically translated as Jewish law.
I grew up in a home and community where I was expected not only to obey the law, but to study and master complex legal texts in Hebrew and Aramaic.
I was about eight years old when my father proceeded to pull out two massive tomes from the shelf and inform me that I had to learn with him before I could escape to the Nintendo console located in my friend’s basement. We began to study the section of Mishnah (the earliest code of Jewish law, from around the year 200 CE) detailing the responsibilities of different bailees—those who watch over the property belonging to someone else. This book is a grown-up attempt to answer why an eight-year-old should care about bailees and the ancient laws of lost cows.
Did you really start a book on Jewish law with Jesus?
Yes. I take Jesus and the Apostle Paul as some of the earliest in a long line of halakhah’s critics. Both lived before the tradition crystallized in the form of the Mishnah. Yet even at this early stage, Jesus pokes fun at the Mishnah’s forebears for obsessing over legal rules and formalities at the expense of true spiritual growth. Jesus would have most likely considered it a bad idea to initiate young children into religious life by analyzing the laws of bailments. But whereas Jesus saw the law as a set of regulations and restrictions, the Talmudic rabbis understood it as a domain of exploration and study, a process they called Talmud Torah.
What is Talmud Torah?
It is hard to translate, mainly because the idea does not exist in Western or American culture. Word-for-word it means the “study of Torah,” but its impact extends beyond what is usually thought of as “study.” Talmud Torah means that Torah is not studied merely for pre-professional reasons, and not (only) to know the rules relevant to living a Jewish life, but because it is a primary religious activity, an intimate spiritual act that brings the learner into God’s embrace.
The closest analogy in general culture is the idea once practiced at elite universities when the curriculum was focused on Greek, Latin, philosophy, ancient civilization, and classical literature. Unlike today, the goal was not to make students more attractive to employers, but to educate them into ennobled citizens who would fully realize their humanity. The rabbis had a similar idea, but rather than literature or philosophy, study was grounded in the divine word of the Torah, and especially the legal regulations set forth in the Mishnah and Talmud.
What does Talmud Torah have to do with law?
Though Talmud Torah arguably applies to any area of Jewish law and thought, longstanding tradition places special emphasis on the areas that correspond to contract, tort, property and business law—the very topics covered by secular legal systems. According to the Talmudic rabbis, the subjects taught in law schools across the country become a spiritual practice when learned in the halakhic setting. Lawyers get many adjectives thrown their way, but godly is rarely one of them. The book aims to understand what it means to hold that legal study is a path to the divine, and what are the implications of this idea for a legal system.
Is halakhah the law of any country?
Not really. One of the unusual aspects of halakhah is that it first becomes visible in the Mishnah several generations after the independent Jewish state was dismantled by the Romans. Further, the most fertile periods of halakhic development took place when Jews did not govern any territory but lived as a minority under non-Jewish rule. This is the opposite from how legal systems typically develop.
From at least the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century, Jews tended to live in tight communities whose internal legal affairs were heavily influenced by rabbis and halakhah. But even here, close investigation shows that the civil laws that applied often deviated from Talmudic rules studied under the rubric of Talmud Torah. In the case of civil law there were effectively two systems of Jewish law. One used by tribunals when disputes arose in practice, and the other that lived mainly on the pages of the Talmud and realized though Torah study. The relationship between these two forms of halakhah is a central theme of the book.
What about the state of Israel?
One of the ironies of modern Jewish life is that while Judaism historically defined itself through devotion to law, when the state of Israel was established there was little consensus about the role of halakhah in the state. Israel’s Socialist Zionist founders saw halakhah as a relic of the outmoded European Judaism that had to be overcome before a modern, Zionist, and self-determined Judaism could take hold. Most observant Jews by contrast, viewed secular Zionism as religiously invalid, if not dangerous. Since their primary concern was maintaining halakhah’s integrity in a secularizing world, they had little interest in adapting it for use in the modern state. Hence with the exception of marriage and divorce law, halakhah was not reflected in early Israeli law.
But the ground has shifted in the intervening years. Though Israeli law remains distinct from halakhah, there is a much wider constituency today that looks to define Israel as a Jewish state where concepts and norms inspired by halakhah find expression in state law. The book’s final chapter discusses the possibilities and pitfalls of infusing state law with halakhah.
Chaim N. Saiman is professor in the Charles Widger School of Law at Villanova University. He lives with his wife and three daughters in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, Jewish Studies, Law, Religion, Uncategorized Tagged With: halakhah, jewish studies, Law, Mishnah, religion, talmud
The Historical Atlas of Hasidism as Seen by a Cartographer
July 31, 2018 by PUP Author
by Waldemar Spallek
The Historical Atlas of Hasidism, its title notwithstanding, is not a typical historical atlas. It does not illustrate the past glory of any state or nation by means of historical maps showing former borders, conquests, trade routes, or the strategies of great battles. It presents, unusually, the birth, development, and current status of an extraordinary mystical religious movement. This movement, Hasidism, originated in the eighteenth century in the lands of the erstwhile Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, from whence it was almost entirely erased due to a series of historical events.
The Atlas is, in part, an attempt to recreate this lost world. The maps are complemented by numerous illustrations and tables as well as commentary, which is an excellent introduction to the content presented on the maps. Unlike typical atlases of the world’s great religions, the Historical Atlas of Hasidism does not focus on the non-religious history of religion. It pinpoints political limits and demographic centers, but it discloses above all the spatial dimension of a religious experience.
The maps in the atlas were designed in GIS, or Geographic Information System (ArcGIS from ESRI), due to the massive amount of spatial data sets that needed to be processed and visualized. The largest of the databases used contains almost 130,000 records obtained from difficult-to-access sources. The map created on the basis of this database (using Dorling’s cartograms) clearly shows where contemporary Hasidic centers are located, but it also reveals how the place where Hasidism originated became an area bereft of Hasidim.
The Atlas is unique also because the co-author, Marcin Wodziński, reached for the impossible. As a person without a cartography background, he posed questions that cartography does not generally deal with. In order to meet his expectations, we plotted maps that are innovative not only because of the size of the source database used and the questions asked, but also because of the new forms of cartographic visualization that we perforce had to develop.
In preparing the Atlas, I had to recreate the historical space of places that no longer exist, and information regarding their historical appearance is scant. I reconstructed, for example, visualizations of Hasidic courts and Jewish towns in Eastern Europe primarily on the basis of recollections by former residents. Unlike many historical atlases, our atlas does not use a single anachronistic background map.
What did we achieve?
Maps as spatial perspectives allowed us to embed Hasidic history in a geographical context. This in turn allowed us to illuminate and understand a great variety of events and processes from the past.
Map 4.2. Petitions submitted to R. Eliyahu Guttmacher, c. 1874. Cartography by Waldemar Spallek.
One such example is map 4.2, which illustrates the relationship between the number and distribution of requests sent to a given rabbi (the map was based on an extant set of approximately 7,000 petitions sent to one tsadik alone) and various spatial factors: the distance between the tsadik’s court and the place from which supplicants traveled, the railway network utilized, the extent of the local renown of the tsadik, and so on.
Map 3.1.2. Major dynasties. Cartography by Waldemar Spallek.
Map 5.3.1. Dominant Hasidic groups c. 1900-1939. Cartography by Waldemar Spallek.
In turn, map 3.1.2 demonstrates more clearly than any previous research the regionalization of the main Hasidic groups’ areas of influence. Marking the Hasidic leaders’ place with different colors precisely demarcates the borders of the areas into which individual Hasidic dynasties expanded. Map 5.3.1, created on the basis of spatial analysis of data from nearly 3,000 Hasidic prayer halls, delineates the areas in which various Hasidic groups were dominant before World War II.
Map 7.4. The Holocaust, 1939-1945. Cartography by Waldemar Spallek.
The map of the Holocaust is the most moving, as it tracks the destruction of Eastern European Jews on the basis of the tragic fate of 80 Hasidic leaders. Fortunately, the atlas does not end with this bleak image. Successive maps reveal that Hasidism has since been reborn in America, Israel, and Western Europe, and it thrives today. With the maps extending from the earliest Hasidic leaders in the mid-eighteenth century to the cultural geography of Hasidism today, the atlas covers the whole history of Hasidism and surprisingly many of its aspects. I feel I was privileged to work on such an unusual, comprehensive, and innovative project.
Waldemar Spallek is assistant professor of geographic information systems and cartography at the University of Wrocław in Poland.
Filed Under: History, Jewish Studies, Religion Tagged With: atlas, cartography, geography, hasidism, Historical Atlas of Hasidism, history, jewish studies, maps, religion
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The “politics of the sinless” and the “superficiality of the everyday”: Michnik, Havel, and the post-communist world
Home » Uncategorized » The “politics of the sinless” and the “superficiality of the everyday”: Michnik, Havel, and the post-communist world
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Long friendship: Michnik and Havel in 2011
Marci Shore, acclaimed author of The Taste of Ashes: The Afterlife of Totalitarianism in Eastern Europe, has written an important article – indispensable writing, really – over at the Weekly Standard. It’s one that merits not only reading, but reading – so I’m printing out a version for slow reading when I get some more work done this weekend. The focus of her essay is a Adam Michnik‘s The Trouble with History, edited by Irena Grudzińska Gross and published last year by Yale University Press. The Book Haven has written about Polish journalist and Solidarity leader Michnik here and here, and about Marci here and here and here and about Irena here and here. Read Marci’s article in its entirety here. Fellow dissident Václav Havel, the playwright, essayist, and president of the post-communist Czech Republic, also plays a role in the piece – we’ve written about him here and here and here. A few excerpts from Marci’s article below:
The story of “living in truth” involves urban intellectuals hiking up a mountain. In August 1978, four Charter 77 signatories (including Havel, who was not ordinarily much of a hiker) met with their Polish counterparts (including Michnik) on Sněžka Mountain on the Czechoslovak-Polish border. Havel pulled a bottle of vodka from his backpack. A lifelong friendship was not all that resulted from that first encounter between the two men.
On Sněžka, they spoke about the political resonance of seemingly insignificant moral acts. Michnik asked Havel to write down his thoughts. Three months later, an underground courier appeared at Michnik’s Warsaw apartment with a manuscript entitled “The Power of the Powerless.” Havel’s essay introduced an ordinary green-grocer who, every morning, displays in the shop window a sign stating: “Workers of the world unite!” Neither he nor his customers believe in the Communist slogan. Even the members of the regime no longer believe in it. All know it to be a lie.
Yet what else can the greengrocer do? If he were to refuse to display the sign, he could be questioned, detained, arrested—which suggests that displaying a slogan in which no one believes is of great importance. If, one day, all the greengrocers were to take down their signs, that would be the beginning of a revolution. And so the seemingly powerless greengrocer is not so powerless after all. He bears responsibility; by failing to “live in truth,” people like the green-grocer “confirm the system, fulfill the system, make the system, are the system.”
This is a diagnosis of post-1968 communism as a descent into inauthenticity, and it comes not from the comfortable classics of Western liberal (or conservative) thought but, rather, from Martin Heidegger.
One lesson for the West was about responsibility in conditions of moral ambiguity. In Havel’s autobiographical one-act play Audience (1975), Havel’s alter ego Ferdinand Vaněk is a dissident playwright working at a brewery. The secret police have demanded that the brewmaster file weekly reports on Vaněk. The brewmaster becomes nervous: He finds it difficult to compose the reports. Could Vaněk, perhaps, write them? “You could do that much for me, couldn’t you?” he asks Vaněk. “It would be child’s play for you! You’re a writer, damn it, right?”
Vaněk appreciates the brew-master’s kind treatment of him; nonetheless, he refuses to write the reports about himself. For Vaněk, this is “a matter of principle.” The brewmaster breaks down:
And what about me? You’re just gonna let me sink, right? You’re just gonna say, fuck you! It’s okay if I end up being an asshole! Me, I can wallow in this shit, because I don’t count, I ain’t nothin’ but a regular brewery hick—but the VIP here can’t have any part of this! It’s okay if I get smeared with shit, so long the VIP here stays clean! . . . All I’m good for is to be the manure that your damn principles gonna grow out of . . .
Decries “official memory politics”
In Audience, everyone is implicated: the regime, the brewmaster, Vaněk himself. The brewmaster is a variation of the greengrocer; he is both victim and oppressor.
For Michnik, among the disappointments of post-communism has been the rise of right-wing nationalist populism, accompanied by an official memory politics known as “historical policy.” The essence of historical policy is a denial of moral ambiguity and a failure to take responsibility. It is an attempt to enforce a national historical narrative that presents “the thesis that all Polish disasters were the result of Polish benevolence, trust, and gentleness, and of the malice and cruelty of foreigners.”
For Michnik, historical policy is absurd: Communism had not simply been a Soviet occupation; everyone had taken part. In order to do something good, one had to participate in a system that was evil. Between heroes and villains there were many shades of gray. This was among the reasons why “lustration”—the purging from government and public life of those who had collaborated with the secret police—was not a straightforward matter. Many were put on secret police lists of potential informers without their knowledge. Others found themselves on those lists because they had once met with an agent at a restaurant or had succumbed to threats to their children.
Moreover, those placed most at risk by lustration were those who had been in the opposition—after all, it was their circles the secret police had tried to infiltrate. Those safest under lustration were the greengrocers. The post-Communist antipathy towards the dissidents, Havel believed, had its roots in the dissidents’ serving as people’s bad consciences. He and Michnik were among those who, under communism, had sat in prison the longest. They were also among those most willing to forgive. For Michnik, historical policy and lustration reflected a Jacobin-like impulse to impose a politics of the sinless. And the problem with revolutionary purity was that it led to the guillotine.
Read her article. Please.
The trouble with revolution, Michnik finds, is also its aftermath: the superficiality of the everyday. Once upon a time, East Europeans had stayed up all night copying censored poems by hand. Now, no one had time to read serious literature. The omnipresence of Communist propaganda had been replaced by the omnipresence of quasi-pornographic tabloids. The revolution had brought the end of censorship. Then, the market had taken over—and had proven to be tawdry. “Suddenly all great value systems are collapsing,” Michnik observed.
“[A]long with the development of this consumerist global civilization grows a mass of people who do not create any values,” Havel said during one of his last conversations with Michnik. For Michnik, this “axiological vacuum” was “a typical phenomenon of periods of restoration as described by Stendhal in The Red and the Black: this is a time of cynicism, intrigues, careerism.” Michnik grew preoccupied with Julien Sorel, Stendhal’s weak plebian hero who seeks authenticity in illicit love affairs: “Let everyone take care of himself in the desert of egoism called life,” Julien says.
In 1989, Michnik’s friend, the philosopher Marcin Król, was among those who had considered liberty to be the great priority. But individualism began to dominate all other values. “We were stupid,” Król said in an interview last year. No longer does anyone pose metaphysical questions like “Where does evil come from?” The dramas of characters like Julien Sorel resulted from their awareness of the weight of their actions. The lack of an answer to the question of whether they behaved well or badly was the source of great suffering. “Today,” Król said, “the lack of an answer does not hurt.” And that is the problem: It should hurt.
Tags: Adam Michnik, Irena Grudzińska Gross, Marci Shore, Marcin Król, Václav Havel
This entry was posted on Saturday, February 21st, 2015 at 12:49 pm by Cynthia Haven and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
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Classic A Little Princess
BfK No. 189 - July 2011
This issue's cover illustration is from Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David. Thanks to Frances Lincoln for their help with this July cover.
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 189 July 2011.
Brian Alderson
What happened at Miss Minchin’s to…
My mum
was a late Victorian child. When I asked her what had been her favourite reading at that time she named a book by Frances Hodgson Burnett called Editha’s Burglar, pronouncing the name with a long ‘i’ as she must have done when first she read it.
But was it a book all on its own?
The story, about a little girl who persuades a burglar to do his work very quietly so as not to disturb Mama, is quite short and was first published in that peerless American children’s magazine, St Nicholas. There was hardly enough of it for an independent existence and when it did appear as a book it was joined by a longer Hodgson Burnett story, also from St Nicholas: Sara Crewe; or what happened at Miss Minchin’s.
This dramatic tale
(I’m surprised my mum didn’t prefer it to Editha) brings Sara Crewe from India to London with her widowed father, who places her in Miss M’s ‘Select Seminary for Young Ladies’ as a posh ‘parlour boarder’ before returning to the sub-continent where, alas, some time later, he is bilked by a friend and dies penniless. Thus Sara Crewe is removed from her comfortable suite and, from being star pupil, is reduced to maid-of-all-work, banished to the attic with its fireless grate and iron bedstead. Miss Minchin, who is perforce her guardian, for there is no one else, works her to the bone, although Sara, a child of much character, survives by persuading herself that she is a lost princess who will one day come into her own – and that indeed happens. An invalid, back in England from India, with his Lascar servant (and a monkey) takes the house next door and proves (of course) to be Papa’s old friend – recovered financially but racked by guilt over the latter’s death and the disappearance of his daughter.
Burnett was good at this sort of drama
as witness Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden, the centenary of whose publication we are celebrating this year. It’s not surprising therefore to find that Sara Crewe came to be converted into a play, as The Little Princess, running with acclaim in both New York and London. Both the author and her publisher thought this an opportunity too good to miss, and Burnett – a pro if ever there was one – set about reconstructing Sara Crewe as a full-dress fiction. And it was published in superior style, begirt with colour plates, as A Little Princess in 1905.
‘The story tells itself so well,’
she wrote to her son, speaking of the ‘lightning rapidity’ of its composition, that it proved no hack job, no mere bulking out of a superannuated text. In a chummy preface to her readers she expressed one of the great thrills of fiction, that ‘between the lines of every story there is another story, and that is one that is never heard and can only be guessed at by those who are good at guessing’. With the conversion of Sara Crewe into a play she had discovered more about the goings-on in Miss M’s seminary than she had formerly known and she felt it very blameworthy of the new characters who had appeared on the scene, such as spoiled Lottie, and the half-starved scullery-maid, Becky, and grey-whiskered Mr Melchisedec (who lived behind the wainscot) for their ‘slouching idle ways’ in not presenting themselves to her earlier.
These narrative extensions
effect radical changes to the nature of the story. To begin with, Sara’s traumatic reduction from riches to rags occurs only after some ninety pages in which her privileged status and her relationship with her admiring or jealous classmates is dwelt on with a degree of detail impossible in the five introductory pages of Sara Crewe, The same applies to her life in the garret through whose skylight begins her friendship with her neighbour’s Lascar servant which will lead to her happy end. But this time, the gentleman’s illness and its cause are revealed long before the denouement so that the reader (who may well have guessed it in the shorter book) is now constrained to watch how the storyteller will bring the two together over a longer time-span.
Such changes,
to which may be added a rather less credible treatment of the transformation scene, where the Lascar secretly converts Sara’s attic into what she at first believes to be a room in Fairyland, give a depth to the story which has held readers continuously from the time of its first publication. (The Puffin edition, which dates back to 1961 is especially commendable for its sensitive line drawings by Margery Gill – or ‘Hill’ as a recent printing called this disgracefully forgotten illustrator.) Nevertheless, there remains much to be said for the earlier Sara Crewe, whose comparative brevity sharpens the intensity of the tale. Before long, it seems, you will be able to Google it up and do some comparative criticism on your own account.
The illustration by Margery Gill are taken from the 2009 Puffin Classics edition (978 0 1413 2112 7, £6.99 pbk).
Brian Alderson is founder of the Children’s Books History Society and a former Children’s Books Editor for The Times.
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← I Will Open My Mouth in a Parable (Psalm 78)
For This Purpose I Was Born… →
Strengthen The Things Which Remain
Posted on December 8, 2012 by Kevin Hoffman
It is my hope to present a persuasive argument, for the use of catechisms as a biblical and useful (and even necessary) tool and a great foundation for Christian Education / Spiritual Formation in our churches. They are a time-tested institution in many branches of the Christian Church and were considered a primary means of communicating the essential doctrines of the Faith to the people from the earliest days of the Christian Church. Today, we live in a time where most Christians have a very shallow understanding of the most important doctrines of the Faith which they profess to hold. Individualism has captured the heart and mind of the Church in the United States. No one wants to be told what to believe or how to understand and interpret the Bible. Almost unanimously, the claim is, “I can read it and understand it for myself!” While there is a certain amount of truth in that statement, it is not universally true. The Apostle Peter speaks of some who are not so good at interpreting the Scriptures as he writes to the saints in Asia Minor, saying; “… There are some things in [Paul’s Letters] that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:16 ESV)
Is this idea of everyone having their own individual interpretation a biblical attitude? I fear that it is not. Many of the churches of our day have strayed so far from where our forebears were, from what the Scriptures have clearly told us about ourselves, and how they instruct us to behave. I am beginning to hope for the state of our nation and of the Church to move further into the present decline in hope that it will be something to awaken us from our lethargy and pragmatism, and ultimately brings about true revival. That pragmatism, however, is really no pragmatism at all! It does not actually seek to accomplish the end which ought to be in our view. Rather, it seeks to accomplish an end that follows from it’s own line of pragmatic deduction, based on what it ought to accomplish according to it’s worldly methods. Sometimes, what is going on in so many churches almost seems like another form of Roman Sacrementalism. It simply wants people to be a part of itself. It appears to believe that, by association comes salvation. This is most evident in the Emerging Movement, but also seems to be a growing problem in much of the Evangelical Church. However, it is not really a recent innovation, but has been an underlying current for the past two hundred years. In our relativistic culture, what that association is and what it means has become almost completely undefined in some cases.The goal is little to nothing beyond simple participation. “Community” and (often un-biblical) “purpose” have replaced true knowledge and therefore true faith. Faith, after all, is first a “body of doctrine to be believed” before it is ever the human will exercising itself in belief. (which is never done apart from the sovereign regenerative act of the Spirit, but that is another paper altogether).
As Dr. Parrett begins his lectures, (http://www.biblicaltraining.org/educational-ministry-church/gary-parrett) he first gives us seven questions which we must ask ourselves concerning the teaching ministry within the local church. He tells us to ask ourselves, “Why, What, When Whom, How, Where and Who.” As he presents these questions for us to ponder, he draws his answers for us from the Word of God. It is there where we find our commission, as the People of God, to keep the Faith going from generation to generation. We are not called to simply make converts, but learners and followers of Christ. What Jesus called, disciples. Dr. Parrett draws our attention to the primary place in the New Testament that we have this responsibility revealed to us. It is in what we commonly call, the “Great Commission.”
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)
The orders given here, by our Lord, consist of one basic command that is accomplished through three actions. Our job, as His Church, is to make disciples. We accomplish that task; First, by going out into the world where the people who need to know Him are at. Secondly, by baptizing them or getting them to enter into the proper covenant relationship with Him (evangelism). Finally, by teaching them to obey all of the things that He has commanded. So, essentially the command is to Make Disciples by first going, then winning, and finally, instructing those whom we have won.
Having begun here with answering the “Why?” question (Because Jesus has sent us to the work!), and having given us the other six questions to consider, Dr. Parrett draws from the text, what he calls, “Three Commitments to Reaffirm;” 1) “Biblically-based Starting Point” which he demonstrates by drawing his answers from Christ’s commission and which, as we have seen above, entails; A) Baptizing = Evangelism, and B) Teaching = Christian Education. (These are derived directly from the text.) Then he goes further in depth with what this means as he deals with the other two commitments, which are; 2) “Obey and Teach The Faith” and, 3) “Cooperative Servant Leadership” (Lecture 1, Introduction).
We find, in all of this, that instruction is paramount in keeping this command. Instruction takes leadership. That leadership must model its own obedience to those commands. All of this is described in some detail in the Scriptures (See Acts 20:28-35, 1&2 Timothy and Titus). As Dr. Parrett instructs us in these things, he says, “I believe that in many cases, Christian Educators have lost sight of the clear biblical vision of what Christian Education is.” He continually pushes us back to the Bible as the source for directing our service to God in the area of making disciples. He speaks of the lack of this kind of direction as being fairly pervasive in the contemporary Church. As he does, he draws us into the history of the Church and even Old Testament practices that show what this kind of Biblically derived education or discipleship looks like (Lessons 5 and 6). Without him actually saying it in so many words, one important thing which I take away from the lectures is that the way to fix what is wrong with the areas brought to our attention by each of the seven questions is to center our focus on the authority and utility of Scripture and then evaluate our own response to its grace-driven directives. We must not just to talk about what it says, but let it direct us in our own performance of the duties that it requires. Then we must pass on, not only a pattern of sound words (2 Timothy 1:13), but of obedience to those words. We must pass on a sound pattern of life;
Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. (Titus 2:6-8 ESV)
The Scriptures that give us our doctrine are also there to direct our behavior (1 Timothy 4:16). The Apostle Paul tells the young pastor, Timothy that the Scriptures are powerful to change the people of God as he instructs him in his second letter;
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)
Because of what it is, God’s own word which is given by Him for a particular purpose, it is always and absolutely useful to that end! That purpose is accomplished, however, not just by giving a Bible to everyone in the church and letting them interpret and apply it for themselves. Though this may sound good at first blush and though it is at the heart of much of Evangelical theology, it is not really what the Scriptures themselves teach. Some believe that for us to rely at all on men is to discount the Holy Spirit and His work in the mind of the Believer. They immediately run to verses like 1 John 2:27 which tells us,
But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie–just as it has taught you, abide in him. (1 John 2:27 ESV)
Is John indeed saying that we do not need the aid of any man, in our understanding of the Scriptures? On the contrary, if he was, he would not have had to write these very words! In the preceding verse, he says, “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.” If they have no need to be taught by any man, why does he warn them about certain men? Why also, a few verses later, does he embark on an entire chapter (chapter 4) in which he teaches them how to discern a false teacher from a true one? It is because God has gifted the Church with men who are called by Him, and gifted through Him, to teach His Church. To ignore them and claim absolute autonomy in the matter is a great dishonor to the Holy Spirit who calls and gifts men to hold that office!
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:28-30 ESV)
God has set some individuals in His Church for the purpose of leading and teaching. Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions. Among them is the question, “Are all teachers?” The obvious answer is a resounding “NO!” Though all may be equal at the foot of the cross, all are not equally gifted or called into the service of the Body of Christ. Every one of these gifts have not remained active in the Church. The miraculous gifts were given during the time of the writing of the New Testament and they were designed by God to give authentication to the words of Christ and His Apostles (Hebrews 2:4). Yet, the office of Pastor and Teacher is perpetually given to the Church to bring maturity, unity and stability to it. This office continues and is spoken of elsewhere as the standard for the local church;
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds (pastors) and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, (Ephesians 4:11-15 ESV)
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (1 Timothy 3:2 ESV)
The New Testament writer, James, instructs his readers in the letter that bears his name, in this way; “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3:1 ESV) And so, if we are to honor the Spirit who gives us the Word, we must also honor the Spirit who gives us teachers of that word. Likewise if we honor the Word that the Spirit has given, we should honor the teachers whom He has given to instruct us in it, to the degree that that teacher is faithful to the Word. No one I have ever discussed this issue with would deny this idea when it is related to their own pastor or any other gifted teacher in their local church. Rightly so! But it does not stop there. We can also do this by relying on good, historic interpretations of the Scriptures. Almost every teacher does this when he opens a commentary or leans upon a Greek or Hebrew scholar to aid him in his own interpretation of the sacred text. However, many strongly oppose the idea when we apply this idea of using trusted teachers to help us understand the Scriptures and then turn to the historic confessions of the Church. Those all came about as the Church came through the Reformation and was established throughout Europe and New World.
A Brief Historical Overview
As we read the Scriptures, and we find that God has given to the Church, men, whom He has gifted to lead and to teach within Her (1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11), we may turn our attention to some very significant giants in this area during the time of the Reformation and in the century that followed. These men laid a strong foundation of basic interpretation and application of the Scriptures, regarding its primary doctrines, in order to provide unity for the Church as a whole, as well as the local assemblies. Dr. Parrett refers specifically to the Heidelberg Catechism in Lesson 7. This catechism and its accompanying confession of faith, the Belgic Confession, are among the earliest of Reformed confessions. (According to Phillip Schaff’s Creeds of Christendom, the Belgic Confession was received in 1561, whereas the Westminster Assembly was not convened until 1644, and its Confession, published in 1646). These two confessions are the dominant confessions of Protestantism and are in agreement on the fundamental doctrines of the Christian Faith. In addition, the London Baptist Confession of 1689 is also largely based the content of the earlier Westminster Standards. These are what governed the interpretation and application of God’s Word for the largest number of the Churches of Europe and the New World for about 300 years. At the end of that time, much of the Church threw them off and rejected the authority of those men whom God had placed in the Church for the purpose of instruction and unity. Again,we turn our attention to the description of the office of pastor / teacher in the Letter to the Ephesians.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (Ephesians 4:11-13 ESV)
The unity that had been established, was all but destroyed in the middle of the 19th Century when Revivalsim and the Restoration Movement took hold of the American Church. In the name of unity, they rejected the historic confessions in favor of individual interpretations of the Scripture. They claimed that these “forms of unity” were actually dividers of the Church. They turned to individualistic interpretation as the standard, somehow believing that this would bring greater unity. Thus, they divided the Church (which had been somewhat divided by their country of origin in the New World where the Germans were mostly Lutheran, the Scottish were Presbyterian, the English were Anglican or Congregational, etc. At this point they Church was divided into thousands of splinter groups. Each one claiming that they were the only ones who knew what the Bible actually said. Nearly 200 years later, having passed 33,000 different denominations (World Christian Encyclopedia : a comparative survey of churches and religions in the modern world, David B. Barrett, George T. Kurian, Todd M. Johnson. 2nd ed., Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2001) we are living with the fruit of that mutiny. And now, secondary issues seem to be primary in many of those churches. Issues like what Bible translation you use, what style of music you like, or whether women should wear dresses or pants, these are the standards of fellowship. Actual Biblical doctrine is pushed aside and even derided as something that divides Christians (though, in my experience, personal taste has done more to divide than doctrine ever has!). In our day, almost no one really knows what they believe or why they believe it! The catechism has fallen into disuse because the accompanying confessions have been discarded. The very idea of catechism is so foreign to most evangelicals that the very word sounds “unchristian” or even “anti-Christian” to many of them. These confessions and their catechisms embody the basic interpretation of the Bible which is the solid foundation upon which the church had been built from its inception.
In an introduction to John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, a foundational work that helped the Church recover the Gospel from 1,000 years of papal obscurity, Rev. John Murray describes Calvin this way;
Calvin was far above the weakness of aiming at the invention of novelties in theology, or of wishing to be regarded as the discoverer of new opinions” (The Reformers and the Theology of the Reformation, Edinburgh, 1866, p. 296). As we bring even elementary understanding to bear upon our reading of the Institutes we shall immediately discover the profound sense of the majesty of God, veneration for the Word of God, and the jealous care for faithful exposition and systematization which were marked features of the author. And because of this we shall find the Institutes to be suffused with the warmth of godly fear. The Institutes is not only the classic of Christian theology; it is also a model of Christian devotion. For what Calvin sought to foster was that “pure and genuine religion” which consists in “faith united with the serious fear of God, such fear as may embrace voluntary reverence and draw along with it legitimate worship such as is prescribed in the law” (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Introduction, Pg. 4)
Calvin’s approach to the Scriptures became the defining attitude of the Reformation and its leaders. Exceptional scholarship, in both theology and in history, were at the center of that movement. It’s goal was to move forward by looking backward to the time before the Roman Church co-opted the Faith, and to restore the Church and the Gospel to its proper place. Calvin was not the only one who was moving in this direction at that time. He, himself stood on the shoulders of many other men whom God had begun to use to restore the Church and the Gospel. Men like John Wycliffe, John Huss and Martin Luther, as well as faithful teachers throughout the history of the Church.
Zacharias Ursinus was also numbered among those men which God used to establish pure doctrine and strengthen His Church. Ursinus’ Heidelberg Catechism begins by explaining the state of man in his guilt, as delineated by the Scriptures. It then covers the biblical affirmations of the Apostles Creed (an ancient statement of faith) dealing with the nature of the Godhead and Christ’s Person and Work. From here it leads us to Gratitude for Christ’s Grace and to our response, as given by a study of the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Sacraments. It constantly derives its teaching directly from the Scriptures and relates every question and answer to the Scriptures as it’s source and confirmation. The biblical truths which are taught therein, are a systematized presentation of the fundamental elements of the Christian Faith.
From the 1600’s through the 1800’s there were some who were arguing for the continued use of such catechism and their accompanying confessions for the very purpose of instructing the people of the Church and bringing unity to the Faith.
William Beveridge tells us, in the 1600’s
And therefore to catechise or instruct Children in the Knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, is a Duty here laid upon all Parents by Almighty God himself; and all that neglect to educate or bring up their Children in the Admonition of the Lord, by catechising or teaching them the Principles of his Religion, they all live in the breach of a plain Law, a Law made by the supreme Law giver of the World, and must accordingly answer for it at the Last-day. Wherefore all that are sensible of the great Account which they must give of all their Actions, at that time, to the Judge of the whole World, cannot but make as much Conscience of this as of any Duty whatsoever, so as to use the utmost of their Care and Diligence, that their Children may grow in Grace, and in the Knowledge of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and so be wise unto Salvation. Neither is this any hard matter for those to do, who live in the Communion of our Church, having such a Catechism or Summary of the Christian Religion drawn up to their Hands, which is easy both for Parents to teach, and for Children to learn: And yet full and comprehensive, that it contains all things necessary for any Man to know in order to his being saved. As you may clearly see if you do but cast your Eye upon the Method and Contents of it; which may be all reduced to these five Heads, The Baptismal Vow, the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Doctrine of the Sacraments, ordained by our Lord Christ. (William Beveridge: Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life Pg. 184)
Phillip Schaff was still calling for the same thing in the 1800’s
“Confessions, in due subordination to the Bible, are of great value and use. They are summaries of the doctrines of the Bible, aids to its sound understanding, bonds of union among their professors, public standards and guards against false doctrine and practice. In the form of Catechisms they are of especial use in the instruction of children, and facilitate a solid and substantial religious education, in distinction from spasmodic and superficial excitement.” (Philip Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, Pg. 28)
Charles Spurgeon, assembled his own catechism for the Baptists in England. He did that by editing the Westminster Shorter Catechism in the 1800’s. In his introduction to that work he stated the following;
I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this little manual from the Westminster Assembly’s and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation. Those who use it in their families or classes must labor to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass.
May the Lord bless my dear friends and their families evermore, is the prayer of their loving Pastor.
As the Reformers had worked hard to recover the Gospel from 1,000 years of papal incarceration, they strove, not only to free it, but to give the Church a sound method to pass it on to the succeeding generations. One of John Calvin’s earliest works is called, simply, Instruction in Faith. It was published (in the native language of French) in 1537, the year after he began his ministry in Geneva. In the foreword to one edition of that little book, Paul T. Fuhrman tells us;
“The great Jesuit theologian, Cardinal Bellarmine, 1542-1621, frankly acknowledged that before the Reformers came, nothing was firm in the world: there was no severity in the church courts, no discipline in morals, no erudition in sacred letters, no reverence in divine things, almost no religion. That the purpose of the French Reformers was then essentially positive and constructive is clearly shown in the Declaration of the Church of France of 1559, whose Article 31 defines the Reformers as men whom God has raised up in an extraordinary manner to build anew the Church which was in ruin and desolation…..
It was under these circumstances, and on Farel’s suggestion, that Calvin wrote in French this Instruction in Faith and published it in 1537. His intention was not to gain the admiration of scholars, but to inspire a simple faith in the people of Geneva. This treatise represented to the common people, the essence of His Institutes of 1536… As the title, Instruction in Faith suggests, this work is essentially constructive. Abstaining from debates and attacks on the Roman Church, it offers the positive tenets of the Christian Faith. It aims at spiritual upbuilding and religious education. (Instruction in Faith, Historical Foreword, Pg 7-8)
The very first acts of the Reformers, once they had established the basis of the Christian Faith as, Sola Scriptura (the Scriptures alone, as opposed to the Pope and Church councils), was to establish a method of instruction to teach the people faithfully from the Scriptures. As early as 1520, according to Graebner’s The Story of the Catechism (Concordia Publishing House, 1928), Luther had begun to preach on and produce booklets dealing the subjects of the catechism. (William E. Fischer, Luther’s Small Catechism—Then and Now) He actually published the complete work in 1529. In his preface to the work, Luther says;
The deplorable, miserable conditions which I recently observed when visiting the parishes have constrained and pressed me to put this catechism of Christian doctrine into this brief, plain and simple form. How pitiable, so help me God, were the things I saw: the common man, especially in the villages, knows practically nothing of Christian doctrine, and many of the pastors are almost entirely incompetent and unable to teach. Yet all the people are supposed to be Christians, have been baptized, and receive the Holy Sacrament even though they do not know the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, or the Ten Commandments and live like poor animals of the barnyard and pigpen. What these people have mastered, however, is the fine art of tearing all Christian liberty to shreds.
How is this any different than the situation that we find ourselves in today? (except that they had the excuse of 1,000 years of the Scriptures being held in papal bondage, which we have not had!) How is it that many will fight and wrangle over being called by the names of these great theologians, through whom God changed the course of the Church, by their mighty efforts, and then disregard their gifts to the Church, which come in the form of simple instruction for our children and the members of our flocks?
It is either through ignorance of our history (predominantly) or through human sloth and love of the world (autonomy) that we do not make use of these amazingly profound, yet simple tools bequeathed to us by our forebears. As Christian parents and as pastors, we will be found guilty on the day of judgment if we do not make every effort instruct our disciples, and especially, our own children, in the primary doctrines of the Faith! A cursory glance at Church History shows us that every branch of the Church, following the Reformation, did exactly the same thing as Luther and Calvin had done! Zacharias Ursinus, as he published the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote a treatise on the historic use of catechisms in the Church. In it, he states;
…from what is said in the epistle to the Hebrews, where mention is made of some of the principal heads included in the catechism of the apostles, such as repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, of the doctrine of baptism, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment which the apostle terms milk for babes. These and similar points of doctrine were required from the Catechumens of adult age at the time of their baptism, and of children at the time of their confirmation by the laying on of hands. Hence, the apostle calls them the doctrine of baptism and laying on of hands. So likewise the Fathers wrote short summaries of doctrine, some fragments of which may still be seen in the Papal church. (What is Catechism?, Preface to the Heidelberg Catechism, Pg. 6)
And so, again we hear the admonition of William Beveridge;
“Seeing therefore this catechism is so full, that it contains all that any man needs to know, and yet so short, that a child may learn it: I do not see how parents may bring up their children in the ‘nurture and admonition of the Lord,’ better than by instructing them in it. I do not say by teaching them only to say it by rote, but by instructing them in it, so that they may understand, as soon and as far as they are capable, the true sense and meaning of all the words and phrases in every part of it;” (William Beveridge: Private Thoughts Upon a Christian Life Pg. 189)
We have been bequeathed the proper tools for the job of instructing the next generation in the Faith of Jesus Christ. Not only one tool, but several of them! And yet, we live in an age where “How do we effectively communicate the Faith to the next generation?” is the question on the lips of every concerned parent and pastor. According to the statistics of our time, 59% of our teens are leaving the Church on or after their 15th birthday! (http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-young-christians-leave-church) Josh McDowell claims in his book, The Last Christian Generation, that those numbers are far greater. Are these ancient documents of any use to the Church in America in the 21st Century?
What Must We Do With What We Have Been Given?
Certainly a booklet, no matter what it contains, will not be sufficient to fix all the ails of the Church. But, if heeded and practiced with conviction, this encapsulation of God’s own wisdom, for the task of instructing converts and the children of Christian parents, will have great effect!
One of the primary things that was lost after the Second Great Awakening was the idea of Gifted Leadership, working with Fathers, in order to help them instruct their own families as the pastor of their own “little church” (their home). Dr. Parrett mentions this practice in Lecture 6 and relates it to the Hebrew practice of instructing covenant children. That practice flowed out of many Old Testament passages (i.e. Exodus 12:26, Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 78:4-7, et al.) where fathers are given the primary responsibility to instruct their own children. This is not only the case in the Old Testament, but it is also reiterated in the New Testament;
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV)
While obedience is enjoined upon the children (Which no one would dispute!) responsibility for discipline and instruction are enjoined upon the fathers, and upon them alone! However, we do see that the example of the instruction of a godly mother and even a grandmother, are given elsewhere in the New Testament. This is, apparently, in the absence of a godly father. The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy;
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. (2 Timothy 1:5 ESV)
Elsewhere (Acts 16:1) we discover that Timothy was the son of a believing Jewish mother and a Greek father. It is assumed that the father is not mentioned by Paul in 2 Timothy because he was not a believer. Commentator Albert Barnes says this of 2 Timothy 2:5, “In the history in the Acts , nothing is said of the father, except that he was “a Greek,” but it is implied that he was not a believer. In the Epistle before us, nothing whatever is said of him. But the piety of his mother alone is commended, and it is fairly implied that his father was not a believer.” And so, the unbelieving father is not required or expected to instruct his children in the Faith. In this situation, it falls to the mother if she is a believer. In a case where the father is a believer, it is his responsibility and none other.
These Biblical directives led the Reformers to the above conclusion and subsequent actions; that there must be; 1) a standard of the Faith given to promote unity and maturity among Christian families and churches. 2) that fathers were the God-given means of passing that standard of the Faith on to their families. And so, with both biblical and historic president, Confessions and Catechisms were brought into use in the Church. Unfortunately, most Christians in our day are patently and willfully unaware of this. Most Christians in our day have bought into the lie of autonomy that was promoted by the Revivalists and the Restorationists and reject any and all forms of Confession or Catechism.
What do we, as pastors and teachers, do about that? Do we lie down and let the individual interpreter command the situation with his appeal to 1 John 2:27 while we watch Christ’s Church disintegrate before our eyes? We, who are His appointed under-shepherds of the flock? Or, do we correct that false assumption with a strong stance for Biblical authority as it is reflected in those confessions and catechisms which are based on the Apostle’s call to honor the position of Teachers as given in the New Testament Scriptures? Do we take our own place as one who leads the Church to both maturity and unity?
We MUST take a stand! We must, as pastors and as fathers, make known to our churches and to our families, that God has, by His providence, given us more than adequate tools so that we may accomplish our duty to our families and to the new disciples in our congregations. As pastors in the Church, we must lead, not only in instructing others, but in exemplifying the teachings of Christ in our own lives. We must be actively engaged in the discipleship of our own families. We must make use of the tools of the catechism and confession in unifying the Body of Christ that resides in our own homes and in our churches.
This was certainly Richard Baxter’s main aim as he wrote to instruct other pastors in their duties as shepherds of the flock of God over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers. He instructs those pastors in this manner, saying;
“Persuade the master of every family to cause his children and servants to repeat the Catechism to him, every Sabbath evening, and to give him some account of what they have heard at church during the day. Neglect not, I beseech you, this important part of your work. Get masters of families to do their duty, and they will not only spare you a great deal of labor, but will much further the success of your labors. If a captain can get the officers under him to do their duty, he may rule the soldiers with much less trouble, than if all lay upon his own shoulders. You are not like to see any general reformation, till you procure family reformation. (The Reformed Pastor, Pg. 48)
Mr. Baxter was so earnest in his insistence on the matter of making diligent use of the catechism that he took the last 60 pages of this book to reflect on the method of it, the obstacles to it, and the fruit that would come from it (as a motivation to the work) as he closed out the book. He begins that final section of the book with these words;
Leaving these things, therefore, I shall now proceed to exhort you to the faithful discharge of the great duty which you have undertaken, namely, personal catechising and instructing every one in your parishes or congregations that will submit thereto. ( The Reformed Pastor, Pg. 97)
If, as we have seen, every segment of the church, from the Germans to the Dutch and from the English to the French concurred on the matter. And if every denomination, from the Reformed, to the Lutherans and from the Presbyterians to the Independents and the Baptists, agreed on the necessity and usefulness of the catechism, how can we simply throw it off and claim that we have no need of such instruction?
I remember when I first stumbled upon the Westminster Confession and Catechisms. I read through them and found at the end of the book, a brief work called The Sum of Saving Knowledge. I felt as I read through that booklet, at that moment, that if all of our Christian families had these resources and used them, that the Church would be a much more built-up and established community (Colossians 2:7-8). I reflected on the fact that many pastors I knew would not be able to articulate the faith so accurately, so simply and profoundly. I immediately began to use the Westminster Shorter Catechism with my own children. I was not in a church that recognized or understood the value of such things. As a matter of fact, I have never been a part of any church that did not look upon them with absolute skepticism and suspicion! We made it through thirty-some of the questions before we lost our momentum and failed to continue. What a blessing it would have been to have the support I needed in order to continue on in that exercise! My children have all turned out quite well, by the Grace of God! But that is, at least in part, because of my commitment to sound theology and my understanding of Church History. They have been a part of my studies as I have taught and argued in defense of the Faith for almost two decades now. They have heard the arguments on both sides and were satisfied with my defense of the truths of the Scriptures. The difference being, from what I can tell, is that I know what I believe and they know that I know what I believe. I do not have to be fearful of opposing opinions. I can logically oppose them and do it with a good attitude, because I am well grounded in the Faith. I do not respond from fear, but from love of souls and of truth. I have striven to pass that on to them through family devotions and ministering together, as a family. Everyone does not have those spiritual gifts or those kinds of opportunities. Relying on good resources for helping those who are not gifted teachers is unavoidable! I, personally, cannot comprehend why any Christian would oppose such a gift. Nor, why they would not make ready use of it.
I have argued this point with a few of my Christian friends who oppose the use of such things as creeds and catechisms. As they shout, “No creed but Christ!” they fail to recognize that, in saying this, they have composed yet another creed. They take the rather awkward position of pitting the Bible against such works. The Bible is the source and measuring rod for these works. Again, as much so, and or even more than the commentaries and Sunday school curriculum that is used by virtually all of Christendom. These are works made by Godly men (sometimes scores of them) for the purpose of strengthening the Church in a biblical faith. I like the way Dr. Larry Bray recently put it in a Face Book discussion on this topic. He said;
“He goes on to say that he uses the Bible rather than catechisms and does not set up strawmen…yet that’s a strawman as confessional believers do use Scripture as their standard, not catechisms. It’s also a false dichotomy as Scripture and catechisms are not an either-or paradigm.”
It is not just having the resources! It is the active sanctification in the life of the father or other head of household. It is investing in personal time with the young believers. It is making the Faith something other than a Sunday morning obligation. This combined with the accurate and succinct description of the Christian Faith, taught faithfully and explained well, to the inexperienced Christian. This is the means that God has ordained for the perpetuation of His Church. For it, He has given us proven teachers who have stood the test of time and proven the fruitfulness of their ministries. By them He has bequeathed to us, valuable and useful resources for the purpose of instructing new converts and children of believing parents, in the Faith. Not by the written works themselves, but by our implementation of them in our own families and churches, we can strengthen the Church of Jesus Christ once more. Through the expedient use of them we can see the blessings of our own children and others being, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as [they] were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7 ESV)
Some Useful Resources
Some may yet balk and say, “I cannot teach this stuff to anyone. I have never been taught it myself.” And yet, as there have been so many men whom God has gifted and given to His Church for the purpose of writing those confessions and catechisms, He has also given us many men, (Men like Richard Baxter) who have a passion to see them regularly used within Christ’s Church. Within a few decades of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms being published, Richard Baxter and others saw fit to promote their use. Not just to talk about using them, but to give aids for the practical implementation of them. There are two resources that I have found eminently helpful in this, they are; Thomas Watson’s trilogy; A Body of Divinity, The Ten Commandments and The Lord’s Prayer. (published in 1692). As well as I Thomas Boston’s Complete Works, Vol 2. These very useful resources are both, complete commentaries on the Shorter Catechism. Each was originally delivered as a series of sermons and then encapsulated into book form. They are profound expositions of the essential doctrines of the Christians Faith. Their design is to aid individual Believers in their comprehension of those truths. Both are available for free, online.
Thomas Watson:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/watson/divinity
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/watson/commandments
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/watson/prayer
Thomas Boston:
http://www.cpr-foundation.org/library/#Thomas%20Boston
In addition, I have found a ministry called Reformed Music. They have produced a short song for the question and answer of each of the 107 questions of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. A great way to help you memorize them!
http://www.reformedmusic.com/the-complete-cd-set/
And so, I must ask; 1) Seeing the Biblical command to pass the Faith on to the next generation and to reach our own generation, making true disciples of both, 2) Recognizing the authority of God in calling and gifting teachers who serve the Church in order to bring it to maturity and unity, and 3) Knowing that we have been given the tools, through God’s providential care, so that we may fulfill our God-given responsibility, Can we continue to pretend like it is our job to reinvent the wheel of Christian Education as we spend more time playing with the kids and entertaining the new converts than actually instructing them? Can we ignore the instruction of the fathers in our churches, in their God-given duty to instruct their own children? Can we, without compunction or fear of reprisal, neglect the gift that has been given to us in the name of being “spiritual” people and leave the work of God undone?
On the contrary, we must make diligent use of the means that the Lord has provided for the carrying out of our duties as parents and as pastors. We must call our churches and the families that compose them, back to the way of our forefathers. We must begin by strengthening the things that remain, even as the Lord spoke to the Church at Sardis, in the third chapter of the Book of Revelation. As we do, I am confident that the Lord will bless His Church and we will become a much more effective witness to our generation and remain faithful as a witness to the next generation.
Why, What, When Whom, How, Where and Who. Whether you realize it or not, these questions have all been answered above. I began answering the Why? question. We teach, not only information but obedience to that information, because Jesus has commanded us to do so.
What do we teach? Whatsoever Christ has commanded. He has commanded many things, among them that we teach or make disciples of those who come to faith.
When do we teach? From the beginning of our children’s ability to comprehend. The most ironic thing about this whole conversation is that the catechisms were written, primarily, for the instruction of children. Most adults are only marginally familiar with what they contain. So, we teach them also to the adults. One of the most profitable ministries in the local church would be to instruct the fathers in these things so that they are competent to instruct their own children! So, we are constantly teaching in the various phases of life so that our people are equipped for every good work.
To Whom is our teaching directed? It is to everyone, “until we all attain to… mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Which directs the bulk of our attention to the less mature, i.e., new converts and children.
How do we teach? By focusing mostly on the primary doctrines and instilling them at the family level. Not just by having Sunday School classes and small groups full of electives and hot button issues!
Where do we teach? In the home and in the Church. In all of life. Christian teaching is to become a daily part of life for every person in the church, but especially for families with children.
Who does the teaching? It begins with the gifted and called teachers in the church, but, they, in turn instruct those in positions of leadership within the individual families and aid them in the instruction of their own mini-flocks. So, it ultimately encompasses the entire church
The best single tool to aid us in the complete and biblical instruction of the disciples that the Lord has given us would be one of those historic catechisms. The tough question, at this point, would probably be, “Which one should I use?” Well, if you are baptistic in your beliefs, that would be a no-brainer. The 1689, London, Baptist Confession and Spurgeon’s Catechism are your primary source. However, a quick Google search of the phrase “Baptist Catechism” will reveal several choices. Look to the ministry that you trust, Desiring God (John Piper) offers The Baptist Catechism of 1689 on their website. The Founders Ministry offers an 1813 edition of it as well. Keach’s Catechism is probably the oldest (1677) and most used of them (Spurgeon’s being a possible exception to most used). Interestingly enough, as I was talking to my wife about this paper, she mentioned that when she was in grade-school, she was instructed from a Bob Jones catechism. Indeed, that still exists if you feel so led to pursue it, though I would not recommend that.
Again, all of the historic Baptist catechisms say essentially the same thing and are variations to make them more readable and understandable for contemporary users. Read them all and see which ones you think would be easiest to memorize and teach to your children.
If you are not baptistic, then you can choose between the Heidelberg and Westminster Catechisms. Heidelberg, as you may have guessed, is German and is used more with the churches of German and Dutch origin (For Lutherans, Luther has own small catechism). The Westminster standards reflect Presbyterian and Congregational churches from England and Scotland. Again, they all teach, essentially the same things. Though, as you might guess, the Baptists will teach differently on the subject of Baptism than the Presbyterians.
With all of this laid before us, it is high time that we as shepherds of the Flock of God look back to those great men who have given us these documents and to those who have spurred us on to the work of making use of them in our churches. It is time for us to hear and head the words of that great divine, Thomas Watson has he introduced his Body of Divinity in this way;
Catechising is the best expedient for the grounding and settling of people. I fear one reason why there has been no more good done by preaching, has been because the chief heads and articles in religion have not been explained in a catechistical way. Catechising is laying the foundation. Heb 6:6: To preach and not to catechise is to build without foundation. This way of catechising is not novel, it is apostolic. The primitive church had their forms of catechism, as those phrases imply, a ‘form of sound words,’ 2 Tim 1:13, end ‘the first principles of the oracles of God,’ Heb 5:52. The church had its catechumenoi, as Grotius and Erasmus observe. Many of the ancient fathers have written for it, as Fulgentius, Austin, Theodoret, Lactantius, and others. God has given great success to it. By thus laying down the grounds of religion catechistically, Christians have been clearly instructed and wondrously built up in the Christian faith, insomuch that Julian the apostate, seeing the great success of catechising, put down all schools and places of public literature, and instructing of youth. It is my design, therefore (with the blessing of God); to begin this work of catechising the next Sabbath day; and I intend every other Sabbath, in the afternoon, to make it my whole work to lay down the grounds and fundamentals of religion in a catechistical way. (Body of Divinity, Pg. [5])
You see, in the statement above, that Rev. Watson made it his regular work to catechize his flock, every other Sunday afternoon. I too have made it a point to study the Westminster Shorter Catechism with my own flock during our Midweek Prayer Meetings. The question is not, “Do we have the tools we need to accomplish our duty?” The question is simply, “Are we willing to put forth the effort to make efficient use of those tolls which the Lord has already provided?” Not just to teach the catechism in so many lessons, but to make it a regular part of our teaching. Not just to teach it in the church services, but as Rev. Baxter has admonished us, to visit the homes of our people and make sure that the heads of households are making use of it there as well.
As we do, the experience, by all those men who have encouraged us to that task is unanimous. They have found the benefits to vastly outweigh the work. Baxter lists those benefits as he writes;
It will be a most hopeful means of the conversion of souls;
It will essentially promote the orderly building up of those who are converted, and the establishment of them in the faith.
It will make our public preaching better understood and regarded.
By means of it, you will come to be familiar with your people, and may thereby win their affections.
By means of it, we shall come to be better acquainted with each person’s spiritual state, and so the better know how to watch over them.
It will show men the true nature of the ministerial office, and awaken them to the better consideration of it, than is now usual.
This duty of personal catechising and instruction is so important, that as Rev. Baxter expounds on it, he closes that section with these words, as will I;
And now, brethren, the work is before you. In these personal instructions of all the flock, as well as in public preaching, doth it consist. Others have done their part [the Reformers and authors of the confessions and catechisms], and borne their burden, and now comes in yours. You may easily see how great a matter lies upon your hands, and how many will be wronged by your failing of your duty, and how much will be lost by the sparing of your labor. If your labor be more worth than the souls of men, and than the blood of Christ, then sit still, and look not after the ignorant or the ungodly; follow your own pleasure or worldly business, or take your ease; displease not sinners, nor your own flesh, but let your neighbors sink or swim; and, if public preaching will not save them, let them perish. But, if the case be far otherwise, you had best look about you. (The Reformed Pastor, Pg., 125)
Beveridge, William. Private Thoughts Upon Religion and a Christian Life. Vol. 1. London: Whittaker & Co., 1834. 2 vols. Library., Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.
Baxter, Richard. The Reformed Pastor. Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d. Calvin College. Web. 22 Aug. 2012.
Calvin John, Calvin’s Commentaries. Grand Rapids, MI. Calvin College. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.
Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Beveridge Translation ed. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1536. 4 vols. Calvin College / Seminary. Web. 8 Dec. 2012.
Calvin, John. Instruction in Faith (1537). English Translation ed. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1949. Print.
Fischer, William E. Luther’s Small Catechism – Then and Now. Mequon, WI: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, N/A. Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <www.wlsessays.net>.
Luther, Martin. Small Catechism (with explanation). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing, 1986. Print.
Parrett, Gary. Educational Ministry of the Church (audio). Spokane, WA: Biblical Training, 2001. N. pag. Bill Mounce’s Educational Resources. Web. 10 Nov. 2012.
Schaff, Phillip. Creeds of Christendom. Vol. 1. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1877. 3 vols. Library., Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI. Web. 10 Nov. 2012
Spurgeon, Charles H. Charles Spurgeon’s Catechism with Scripture Proofs. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1982. 1. Web. 7 Dec. 2012.
Ursinus, Zacharias. Heidelberg Catechism. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1852. Library., Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
Watson, Thomas. The Body of Divinity. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1974. [5]. Print
This entry was posted in Seminary Class and tagged Catechsim, Christian Education, Disciple Making, Discipleship, Passing on the Faith. Bookmark the permalink.
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GeoGarage blog
Daily press & media panorama with maritime thematic
What makes an island ? Land reclamation and the South China Sea arbitration
AMTI island tracker
From AMTI CSIS by Christopher Mirasola
We have all heard about land reclamation by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea, particularly the southeastern region known as the Spratly Group.
But much less is being said about what the Permanent Court of Arbitration just finished considering for the past week: are artificial islands really islands?
According to the Philippines, the answer is straightforward: No.
In its initial statement of claim, the Philippines asked the Court to invalidate China’s Nine-Dash Line (click here for a good overview of that issue) and determine that eight PRC-controlled maritime features are not islands.
Of these eight features, seven are home to ongoing PRC land reclamation.
The Philippines has a strong case for why the PRC’s artificial islands should not be considered real islands.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and past decisions by international tribunals suggest that land reclamation will not affect the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision because: (1) artificial islands don’t have the legal significance afforded natural islands, and;
(2) land reclamation occurred after the so-called “critical date” when the China-Philippines dispute “crystallized” in international legal terms.
Recent land reclamation has dramatically transformed seven disputed maritime features in the Spratly Islands.
These include Mischief, Gaven, Subi, Johnson, Cuarteron, Fiery Cross, and Hughes (McKennan) Reefs.
For example, in 1995, Subi Reef was completely submerged at high tide.
Today, there are 3.9 million square meters of reclaimed land above water at high tide on Subi Reef, and it is home to a pair of wooden barracks, communications array, and helipad.
There are similarly stark changes at each of the other reefs.
Since UNCLOS affords differing maritime based on the geographic characteristics of a given landmass, at first blush these changes could have big implications for both China and the Philippines.
In particular, the Spratlys dispute involves three types of territorial objects at sea:
Low-tide elevation: A landmass above water only at low tide. Outside an existing territorial sea it is not entitled to a separate maritime zone.
Rock: A landmass permanently above water but unable to sustain human habitation or economic life on its own. It is entitled to a territorial sea and contiguous zone, but not an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or continental shelf rights.
Island: A landmass permanently above water that can sustain human habitation or economic life on its own. It is entitled to a territorial sea, contiguous zone, EEZ, and continental shelf rights.
Before land reclamation, Johnson, Cuarteron, and Fiery Cross Reefs were rocks and the other reefs were, at most, low-tide elevations.
After land reclamation, all six features would be considered rocks, if not islands.
So the key question becomes: do we define the reefs’ legal character by looking at the facts from before or after land reclamation?
Artificial Islands Do Not Generate Maritime Entitlements
According to UNCLOS, an island is: “a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.”
For the Philippines to make its case, it must show that reclaimed land should not be considered “a naturally formed area of land.”
You wouldn’t have to break the English language to find some ambiguity in the UNCLOS definition of an island. It could mean islands formed by natural processes or islands composed of naturally occurring objects.[1] If the second definition is correct, reclaimed land would be entitled to all the maritime zones of an island.
But this expansive interpretation just does not hold water.
The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties says that we must give treaty provisions their “ordinary meaning” while remaining mindful of their context, purpose and, if necessary, negotiating history.
Let’s start with ordinary meaning.
The New Oxford American Dictionary’s first entry for the verb ‘form’ defines it as to “bring together parts or combine to create (something).” So UNCLOS’ requirement that an island be naturally formed should mean that an island be created naturally.
It would not make sense to interpret “naturally formed” as a noun.
We can see this is true by looking at other UNCLOS provisions.
For example, Article 60 says that countries may “establish reasonable safety zones around … artificial islands” and that “[a]rtificial islands, installations and structures do not possess the status of islands.”
UNCLOS does not define “artificial island” explicitly, but a definition is suggested by the fact that Article 60 differentiates artificial islands, installations, and structures.
Installations and structures ordinarily include objects built of non-natural materials (like concrete and steel in an oil rig).
By using “artificial islands” as a separate term, UNCLOS states that this is a different type of landmass, one that is made of natural objects (i.e. sand) and not man-made objects (i.e. steel).
If artificial islands are made of natural objects, it would not make sense for UNCLOS to define islands as a landmass also made of natural objects.
The only solution, therefore, is for “naturally formed” to indicate the process by which an island is created.
This interpretation is confirmed by the Convention’s negotiating history.
Although there were initially some scholars who thought artificially formed islands should be treated like natural islands, by 1958 they had largely lost the debate.[2]
In fact, the United States specifically added “naturally formed” before “area of land” during negotiations culminating in the UNCLOS text to eliminate most maritime entitlements for artificial islands.[3]
Since then, scholars have agreed that artificially formed islands should not be granted maritime entitlements.[4]
China claims Hawaii-Micronesia : new 251 dash map
International Tribunals Do Not Consider Construction After the Critical Date
It is possible, however, that the tribunal will not even have to consider this interpretive question because PRC land reclamation occurred after what is called the “critical date.”
The critical date is the time when “the dispute crystallized”[5] between two parties (here, the PRC and Philippines).
In a dispute between Nicaragua and Colombia regarding Caribbean islands, for example, the critical date was when the two countries exchanged diplomatic notes explicitly claiming sovereignty over the islands after Nicaragua issued oil contracts in the surrounding waters.
A tribunal will generally only consider the facts of a dispute as they existed prior to this date.[6]
It is not clear if the Tribunal will fix a critical date in the Spratlys dispute, or what it will be if it does so.
It may decline to indicate a date because the Philippines is not arguing for territorial sovereignty over these reefs.
But assuming that arbitrators do use the critical date, there are three options: 1947 (when the Nationalist government of China first endorsed the Nine-Dashed Line) sometime in the 1970s (when the PRC alleges that the Philippines first occupied maritime features in the region) or April 14, 2011 (when the PRC responded to a diplomatic note from the Philippines protesting the Nine-Dash Line).
Given the Nicaragua/Colombia dispute this third option seems most likely, but much could be disputed about the merits of each date.
Regardless, it is clear that all three options occurred well before PRC land reclamation began approximately 18 months ago.
The current geographic characteristics of these reefs, therefore, simply would not matter.
It is important to note that the Tribunal has not released the Philippines’ legal briefs, so we cannot be certain what topics have been addressed.
But since more than 3000 pages of briefing materials have been submitted, it is safe to assume that the Philippines has addressed all plausible arguments (both UNCLOS interpretation the critical date).
The China-Philippines arbitration implicates a region in which nearly all neighboring states have sovereign claims.
But while there are a number of difficult legal and strategic issues for the Permanent Court of Arbitration to consider, the legal character of PRC-controlled reefs is not one of them.
Here, if anywhere, a straightforward application of UNCLOS should prevail.
No amount of land reclamation can change a reef into an island, nor entitle them to an island’s maritime zones.
[1] Alfred Soons, Artificial Islands and Installations in International Law, 22 Occasional Paper Series Law of the Sea Institute 17—18 (1974) (Showing scholars have argued in favor of this second position).
[2] Hiran W. Jayewardene, The Regime of Islands in International Law 9 (1990)
[3] Id.
[4] N. Papdakis, The International Legal Regime of Artificial Islands 96–97 (1977); Hiran W. Jayewardene, The Regime of Islands in International Law 9 (1990).
[5] Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia), Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 2012 p. 624, 652.
[6] Yehuda Blum, Historic Titles in International Law 219 (1965).
CSIS : Vietnam's island building
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http://fna.ir/bn8tt8
Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:1
Sweden Calls for Israel to Lift Gaza Siege - World Should Do the Same
TEHRAN (FNA)- Sweden’s Foreign Minister Margot Wallström has called for the Israeli regime to lift its 12-year-old siege of the Gaza Strip and to allow medical aid into the coastal enclave.
It’s a perfect time for the world community to also do the same, as the blockade is unlawful, immoral and inhumane under International Law and International Humanitarian Law.
As maintained by the Swedish foreign minister, the occupying regime has to lift the siege it imposes on Gaza, open border crossings, and secure the arrival of medical and food assistance.
Sadly, the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory is deteriorating, at a time when the ongoing Great March of Return protests that started on 30 March in Gaza have seen Israeli snipers kill 136 Palestinians and wound more than 15,000 others, including children and medical and aid workers.
The Palestinians in Gaza have been protesting along the boundary of the Gaza Strip. They are calling for the Israeli siege to be lifted and to be allowed to exercise their right to return to their homeland from which they have been driven by Zionist militias and the Israeli security forces since 1948.
For 12 years the siege has unlawfully deprived Palestinians in Gaza of their most basic rights and necessities. Under the burden of the illegal blockade and three armed conflicts imposed on them by Tel Aviv, the economy has sharply declined and humanitarian conditions have deteriorated severely. The latest power cuts risk turning an already dire situation into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.
The power cuts have had a severe impact on essential services such as healthcare, wastewater management and access to clean water for Gaza’s entire population. Israel must immediately lift the illegal blockade and end their collective punishment of Gaza’s population, as this is genocide.
In particular, collective punishment contravenes the Hague Conventions on the laws of war, as well as Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which states: “No protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed.”
Israel also routinely uses collective punishment against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, in the form of home demolitions, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on movement, and other measures. In September 2011, a UN panel composed of independent experts found that Israel's blockade of Gaza amounts to collective punishment in "flagrant contravention of international human rights and humanitarian law."
One of the principal motives behind the imposition of the blockade is a desire to punish the people of the Gaza Strip for having elected Hamas. The combination of this motive and the effect of the restrictions on the Gaza Strip leave no doubt that Israel's actions and policies amount to collective punishment as defined by International Law. It has nothing to do with establishing security as Tel Aviv would like us to believe.
Therefore, the unlawful and inhumane blockade has to go. Even Israeli officials agree. Unable to prevail in the war, they acknowledge that the siege and blockade are part of a strategy of economic warfare against the people of Gaza. The goal of the Gaza siege is to made the people of Gaza suffer a slow, painful death.
It’s all the reason why the international civil society needs to act now to force Israel to lift the blockade through a binding UN resolution. No doubt collective punishment, a common feature of the Israeli occupation, is an international crime, wicked, cruel, obnoxious and indefensible.
It is still being used by the usurper regime to instill fear and terror by demolishing entire Palestinian villages as well. This inhumane and immoral practice is also illegal under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. It has to stop.
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Eye in the Sky: A contemporary British cross between Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘50s period and Kathryn Bigelow’s war movies
Though Helen Mirren has been featured as the star and has valiantly promoted the movie, Eye in the Sky depends upon a strong ensemble cast and an impressive script to achieve its goals. It presents a number of hot button topics: the geographically expanding Islamic war against the West; drone strikes; first world citizens becoming radicalized; gender equality in all manner of professions; inclusive casting; the Western literary tradition as a blueprint for modern cinema. That sounds heady, but the movie is a wartime military thriller, a black comedy about indecisiveness at the highest levels, and a small-scale tragedy resulting from international conflict.
Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell
Mirren plays a Colonel tracking a radicalized British citizen that she wants to capture. However, that goal changes as a number of other factors suddenly present themselves and collateral casualties have to be calculated. Mirren looks to be no older than when she began playing Jane Tennant on Prime Suspect in the early ‘90s. However, since we have a history with her, there are moments when I felt like telling some of the other characters, “Don’t you know she’s the Queen and Jane Tennison? Just do what she’s requesting. We know she’ll be right; she has been for decades.” We considered whether the character was a metaphorical reflection of Hillary Clinton.
Neil wondered if Aaron Paul will draw a younger audience, especially since he gives a gutsy and sensitive performance as the pilot of the satellite controlled drone bomber.
In one of his last roles, Alan Rickman displays both gravity and an ironic levity in dealing with the highest-level politicians and bureaucrats. Barkhad Abdi, the chief pirate in Captain Phillips, plays the main spy on the ground, who finds himself in an almost impossibly suspenseful situation. It’s a variation on Hitchcock’s definition of suspense, but substitutes a missile for a bomb.
The British are uncertain and pained to unnecessarily destroy; their American counterparts portrayed by an unrecognizably corpulent Michael O’Keefe and an eager Laila Robbins (wonderful as Masha in John Doyle’s Playhouse production of Three Sisters a few years ago) display no second thoughts whatsoever. At different points in the movie,
Lalia Robbins
it’s difficult to know which view is more appropriate. The justification raised a number of times is that many people could be killed in a mall such as what happened in Nairobi in 2013. Though filmed in South Africa, the setting is an older, shabbier suburb where the modern, westernized downtown can be seen. Africa looks golden in Haris Zambarloukos’ cinematography whereas Mirren seems to be working out of a high-tech cave – the military version of Batman? Will the huge crowds attending dreck like Batman vs. Superman attend Eye in the Sky, which presents the actual principal world conflict?
A Drone's Perspective
Guy Hibbert’s script works on a number of levels simultaneously and it pulled in the small audience with whom we saw it at The Esquire. People were talking at the screen as well as checking out one another for reactions. It’s the type of experience that electrified Classical Greek Theatre audiences. Hibbert uses “In war, truth is the first casualty” by Aeschuylus as an epigraph, referring to the fear of public relations in conducting various rules of engagement. However, that oversimplifies both the humor and the humanity of the story. The movie seemed to be a contemporary descendant of the more mercurial Greek dramatist Euripides. I don’t want to gave away much of the plot, but I think most viewers will want to yell out, “Buy that bread! Buy that bread!”
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Double jeopardy is a procedural defense (and, in the United States, a constitutional right) that forbids a defendant from being tried a second time for a crime, after having already been tried for the same crime. At common law a defendant can plead autrefois acquit or autrefois convict; meaning the defendant has been acquitted or convicted of the same offence previously.
1.1 Exceptions to double jeopardy
3.2 United Kingdom
5 Double Jeopardy
The phrase "double jeopardy" stems from the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution: "nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." This clause is intended to limit prosecutorial abuse by the government in repeated prosecution, for the same offense, as a means of harassment or oppression. It is also in harmony with the common law concept of res judicata, which prevents courts from relitigating issues and claims that have already been the subject of a final judgment.
There are three essential protections included in double jeopardy: protection from being retried for the same crime after an acquittal; protection from retrial after a conviction; and protection from being punished multiple times for the same offense.
This law is occasionally referred to as a legal technicality, because it allows defendants a defense that does not address whether the crime was actually committed. For example, were police to uncover new evidence conclusively proving the guilt of someone previously acquitted, there is little they can do because the defendant may not be tried again.
Though the Fifth Amendment applies only to the federal government, the Supreme Court has ruled that the double jeopardy clause applies to the states as well, through incorporation by the Fourteenth Amendment.
Jeopardy attaches in a jury trial once the jury and alternates are empaneled and sworn in. In a non-jury trial, jeopardy attaches once the first evidence is put on, which occurs when the first witness is sworn.
Exceptions to double jeopardy
As double jeopardy only applies to charges that were the subject of an earlier final judgment, there are many situations in which it does not apply despite the appearance of a retrial. For example, a second trial held after a mistrial does not violate the double jeopardy clause, because a mistrial ends a trial prematurely without a judgment of guilt or innocence. Cases which have been dismissed because of insufficient evidence may constitute a final judgment for these purposes, though many state and federal laws allow for limited prosecutorial appeals from these orders. A re-trial after a conviction has been reversed on appeal also does not violate double jeopardy, because the judgment in the first trial has been invalidated. In both of these cases, however, the previous trials do not entirely vanish. Testimony from them may be used in later retrials, such as to impeach contradictory testimony given at any subsequent proceeding.
There are two exceptions to the general rule that the prosecution cannot appeal from an acquittal. If the earlier trial is proven to be a fraud or sham, double jeopardy will not prohibit a new trial. In Aleman v Judges of the Circuit Court (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=7th&navby=case&no=972479) (1998), an appeals court ruled that a man who bribed his trial judge and was acquitted of murder was allowed to be tried again, because his bribe prevented his first trial from actually putting him in jeopardy. The other exception is that prosecutors may appeal when a trial judge sets aside a jury verdict for conviction with a judgment notwithstanding the verdict for the defendant. A successful appeal by the prosecution would simply reinstate the jury verdict, and so would not place the defendant at risk of another trial.
The Supreme Court has also upheld laws allowing the government to appeal criminal sentences in limited circumstances (such as 18 U.S.C. 3742(b)). The Court ruled that sentences were not accorded the same constitutional finality as jury verdicts under the double jeopardy clause, and giving this right of appeal also did not put the defendant at risk of a succession of prosecutions.
Double jeopardy is also not implicated for separate offenses or in separate jurisdictions arising from the same act. For example, in United States v. Felix (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=503&invol=378) (1992), the Supreme Court ruled: "a[n]...offense and a conspiracy to commit that offense are not the same offense for double jeopardy purposes." As another example, a state might try a defendant for murder, after which the federal government might try the same defendant for a federal crime (perhaps a civil rights violation or kidnapping) related to the same act. For example, the policemen who beat up black motorist Rodney King in 1991 were acquitted by a county court of the accusation of assault; some were sentenced in federal court for violating his civil rights. Similar techniques were used for prosecuting racially-motivated crimes in the Southern United States in the 1960s, which were not actively prosecuted nor convicted in local courts. Another example, Timothy McVeigh, was sentenced to death for murdering eight US federal employees with a bomb, but could also have been tried in state court for murdering the rest of those whom he killed in the same explosion.
Double jeopardy also does not attach if the later charge is civil rather than criminal in nature, which involves a different legal standard. Acquittal in a criminal case does not prevent the defendant from being the defendant in a civil suit relating to the same incident (though res judicata operates within the civil law system.) For example, O.J. Simpson was acquitted of double homicide, but lost a wrongful death civil claim brought over the same victims. If the defendant happened to be on parole from an earlier offense at the time, the act for which he was acquitted can also be the subject of a parole violation hearing, which is not considered a criminal trial and is also subject to a lower standard of proof.
In contrast to other common law jurisdictions, Australian double jeopardy law extends to prevent prosecution for perjury following a previous acquittal where a finding of perjury would controvert the previous acquittal. This was confirmed in the case of The Queen v Carroll, where the police found new evidence convincingly disproving Caroll's sworn alibi two decades after he had been acquitted of the murder of a young girl and successfully prosecuted him for perjury. Public outcry following the overturning of his conviction by the High Court has led to widespread calls for reform of the law along the lines of the UK legislation.
All members of the Council of Europe (which includes nearly all European countries, and all members of the European Union) have signed the European Convention of Human Rights, which protects against double jeopardy. The Seventh Protocol, Article Four, says:
No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again in criminal proceedings under the jurisdiction of the same State for an offence for which he has already been finally acquitted or convicted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of that State.
This specific optional protocol has been ratified by all EU states except six (namely Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom). Those members states may still have the provision in their respective constitutions providing a prohibition against double jeopardy.
In many European countries the prosecution may appeal an acquittal to a higher court, and this is not counted as double jeopardy but as a continuation of the same trial. This is allowed by the European Convention of Human Rights: note the word finally in the above quote.
Once all appeals have been exhausted on a case, the judgment is final and the action of the prosecution is closed (code of penal procedure, art. 6), except if the final ruling was forged. Prosecution for an already judged crime is impossible even though new incriminating evidence has been found. However, a person who has been convicted may request another trial on grounds of new exculpating evidence.
The Parliament of the United Kingdom passed legislation in the Criminal Justice Bill 2003 introduced by then Home Secretary David Blunkett to abolish the previously strict form of prohibition of double jeopardy. Retrials are now allowed if there is 'new and compelling evidence'.
FindLaw Annotation (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment05/)
Double Jeopardy (note proper capitalisation) has alternate uses.
Double Jeopardy! is the second round of the television gameshow Jeopardy!, when all point values are doubled.
Double Jeopardy is a movie made in 1999 starring Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd, based on a common misinterpretation of the law of the same name.de:Ne bis in idem
Retrieved from "http://footwww.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Double_jeopardy"
Categories: Rights of the accused
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Home/AMERICAS/Thinking the unthinkable – another redacted version of the US nuclear doctrine
AMERICASOPINION
Thinking the unthinkable – another redacted version of the US nuclear doctrine
M Waqas Jan June 24, 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Pixabay
By M Waqas Jan
Over the last two weeks, much has been written about the release of the US’s latest Nuclear Warfare Doctrine that was published on the US Joint Chiefs of Staff’s official website earlier this month. While the sensitivity of the topic and the timing of its release are in themselves cause for discussion, the fact that the document was removed from the public domain after being up for less than a week has fueled intense speculation on whether it was made public by mistake before being abruptly redacted from the JCS website.
The Document titled ‘Joint Publication 3-72: Nuclear Operations’ (dated 11 June 2019) had been uploaded on the publicly accessible section of the JCS’s online library alongside a series of publications self-styled as outlining the fundamental principles of US military action and decision-making. It represents the first official stance on the US’s use of Nuclear Weapons in over 14 years, which either ironically or perhaps deliberately has courted similar controversy over its release much in the same way the last version of this document did back in 2005.
That was when a similar manual bearing the same title had been leaked by the Washington Post as an unapproved revision of the US Nuclear Doctrine. A year after the leak in 2006, the Pentagon had announced that it was cancelling the publication of this revision and had also removed the earlier 1995 version of this document from its website. Titled Joint Publication 3-12: Joint Nuclear Operations, this earlier version had otherwise remained in the public domain for about a decade since it was first released in 1993 and subsequently revised in 1995.
In order to add a bit of context to what they cover, these documents filed under the Department of Defense’s Joint Doctrine Publications Series comprise of a broad range of categories ranging from personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, communications and planning. These categories are in turn further divided into specific topics outlining US Military Doctrines on a broad range of themes and subjects. For instance, Joint Publications Series Number 3 which deals specifically with US Military Operations, comprises of the US’s officially declared stance on more specific topics such as Joint Maritime Operations, Special Operations, Cybersecurity, Counterinsurgency (COIN), Counter-terrorism and Homeland Defense among a broad range of other themes and sub-topics. It was as part of these series of documents that the US’s official stance on Nuclear Operations was also published.
However, unlike the US’s officially declared doctrines on the above issues related to its more conventional warfighting capabilities, the issue of Nuclear weapons has always evoked a sense of wonderment and self-reflection outside the ‘strategic community’. In what is otherwise routine discourse for defense and strategic planners, policymakers and academicians, the very idea of discussing when and how to use nuclear weapons presents a chilling insight into one of the many threats and dangers humanity as a whole faces in today’s world.
Consequently, what the layperson sees is the cold impersonal calculus of Nuclear War, where issues such as survivability and the quick, decisive use of nuclear weaponry are instead directly equated with the end of civilization as we know it. This refers to the same kind of dystopian thinking that has been perhaps best immortalized by Kubrik’s Dr. Strangelove where even thinking of a post-nuclear or rather post-apocalyptic scenario represents nothing short of a tragic comedy. While Kubrik’s more satirical take on this sort of thinking parodies it as bordering nothing short of insanity, it still represents a highly plausible reality on which the world almost always seems to be on the brink of even today.
Thus, considering how the content of this latest US Nuclear Doctrine may be one of the most candid and ‘rationally’ justifiable iterations of such a reality, it is no surprise why many have been left shocked by what the US has officially published as its ‘way of thinking’. The doctrine’s very premise that the US considers a Nuclear war as winnable, belies a strategic mindset that has moved far beyond the deterrence value that would otherwise be enshrined in the principles of Mutually Assured Destruction. What this thinking instead represents is an overt declaration of what is known as a counter-force posture, where the US is advocating for greater flexibility and the full-scale integration of its nuclear weapons across the entire gamut of its armed forces.
For instance, the doctrine directly states that “using nuclear weapons could create conditions for decisive results and the restoration of strategic stability,” and the that the “employment of nuclear weapons can radically alter or accelerate the course of a campaign.” Building on this rationale the doctrine also advocates that the ‘integration of nuclear weapons employment with conventional and special operations forces is essential to the success of any mission or operation.’ Such an overt focus on using and integrating nuclear weapons across a broad range of operations represents a willingness and level of preparedness that has arguably been unprecedented in the history of nuclear strategy.In one of the many quotes which each chapter of this document opens with, it is thus no surprise to find one of Herman Kahn’s most famous quotes alluding to the possibility of nuclear weapons being used in the near future. Kahn, who was a renowned US strategist with the RAND corporation, has been credited with ‘thinking the unthinkable’ contributing immensely to the development of US Nuclear Strategy during the Cold War. Ironically however, he was also one the primary real-world inspirations which Kubrick had used to create the whimsical Dr. Strangelove. Thus, while Kubrik may have depicted Dr. Strangelove as an artistic imitation of the real-life Kahn, what we have in our increasingly unnerving world today is an example of real-life imitating art instead. Something which the Pentagon might find a lot more difficult to redact as is.
South Asian strategic stability and Indian nuclear bomb
The problems with non-proliferation regime
Significance of nuclear information sharing in South Asia
The fear driving US nuclear strategy
Missile defense system might trigger a nuclear war
Pakistan’s policy of full spectrum deterrence
Deterrence or engagement: The quest for normalization
Nuclear weapons ban treaty: challenges and prospects
International day against nuclear test & glimpse on non-proliferation
Hiroshima marks 72 years since America’s nuclear attack
M Waqas Jan
M Waqas Jan is a Research Associate and Program Coordinator for the China Study & Information Centre (CS & IC) at the Strategic Vision Institute, a non-partisan think tank based out of Islamabad.
President of Taiwan receives Paraguayan official delegation
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Defence cross-examines PW1 in Ebrima Jawara, 3 others trial
By Rohey Jadama
The defence counsel for Mr. Ebrima Jawara has Tuesday 18 October, 2016 cross-examined Yerro Saidy, a Police Office in the ongoing Criminal trial involving his client and 3 others.
The other accused persons are Dr. Alasan Bah, former Coordinator of Rural Finance Project, Mr. Sulayman Manneh, Accountant of the said project, and Mr Hassan Bah.
When the case was called before Justice Eunice Dada of the Banjul High Court Lawyer Mene announced his representation for Mr. Jawara, while Lawyer Hawa Sisay-Sabally appeared for Mr. Bah. Lawyer A.J Njie appeared for Mr. Bah and Held briefs for Lawyer Segga Gaye defence counsel for Mr. Manneh.
“Mr. Saidy you said you received the copy of the audit report through the office of the Inspector General of Police?”. “Yes,” answered the witness.
Responding to questions the witness told the court that he was not the head of the investigative panel. He said ASP Ceesay at the time was the head of the panel and now he is called Superintendant Ceesay.
The witness further adduced that the panel constituted six members and after their investigations, the report was attached to the case file and sent to the Attorney General’s Chambers for advice. He said there was an advice from the AG Chambers.
When asked by defence counsel Mene whether he has a copy of the said advice from the AG’s Chambers, the witness responded in the negative but, added that the report was an original copy which the panel signed. When asked whether it has a cover letter the witness responded in the negative.
When asked whether the panel had interviewed the 1st accused, the witness responded in the positive, adding that the panel interviewed the 1st accused person twice. He said the first was in the presence of the panel and the second was in the presence of an independent witness and the accused person’s lawyer.
When asked what was the name of the lawyer of the first accused, the witness responded that it was Mr. Drammeh. “I am putting it to you that Mr. Drammeh was never present in any interview?”, “He was there”, responded the witness.
The witness said as far as the panel investigation was concerned they investigated from April 2008 to December 2015.
When asked whether the panel received the audit report for April 2008 to December 2010, the witness responded in the positive.
When asked whether it is correct that the project will have one coordinator at a time, the witness replied in the positive.
“During the course of your work were you able to ascertain that the accused person was not appointed as the project coordinator from April 2008 to August 2010?”. “Yes he was not.
“The first accused person took over the assignment of Rural Finance Project in 2 November, 2010?”. “That’s not to my knowledge”, responded the witness.
“Do you want this court to believe that in the course of your investigation you did not determine when the first accused took over at the Rural Finance Project?” “We know that he was appointed October 2010 but we don’t know when the office was handed over to him”.
“It is correct in order for your panel to be able to establish who was responsible for what, it is important to know the various coordinators at a time?” “Yes it is important to know the time of their appointment”.
“In your evidence you said the accused’s claimed that their fuel allowances was approved by the project steering committees, which accused person said that?”. “All the accused persons”.
“Your panel did not believe it because there was no document to attest to it?” “Yes and even if there was any document the panel will not believe it”, answered the witness.
“Did you as an investigative panel find out whether it is the project steering committee that in fact approved it?” “During the course of the investigation the project steering committee was not in town”.
At this juncture the case was adjourned till 14 November, 2016 at 11am for continuation of hearing.
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- FCPA Professor - http://fcpaprofessor.com -
Case Law Of Note
Posted By Mike Koehler On March 8, 2016 @ 12:03 am In Corrupt Intent,Dmitrij Harder,FCPA Jurisprudence,Foreign Official,Knowledge,Public International Organization | Comments Disabled
Judicial opinions construing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act are rare. Thus, when they occur (even if only a trial court opinion on a pre-trial motion to dismiss) FCPA judicial opinions are worthy of note.
As highlighted in this prior post [1], in January 2015 the DOJ criminally charged Dmitrij Harder, the former owner and President of Chestnut Consulting Group Inc. and Chestnut Consulting Group Co., for allegedly bribing an official with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (“EBRD”).
The enforcement action was notable in that it invoked the rarely used “public international organization” prong of the FCPA’s “foreign official” element.
As highlighted here [2], in October 2015, Harder filed this motion to dismiss [3]: In summary fashion it stated:
“The Indictment fails to accurately allege the elements of a violation under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) – it is devoid of any allegations that Mr. Harder paid an allegedly corrupt payment to a “foreign official,” fails to state required allegations when an allegedly corrupt payment is made to a third party, and impermissibly substitutes “public international organization” in the charging language against Mr. Harder. The FCPA counts should also be dismissed because the provision permitting the President to expand the term “foreign official” by identifying “public international organizations” as authorized by 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-2(h)(2)(B) is unconstitutional.”
In an unsurprising development given the procedural posture of the motion, last week Judge Paul Diamond (E.D. Pa.) denied the motion [4]. It is believed to be the first judicial decision in FCPA history construing the rarely implicated “public international organization” prong of the FCPA’s “foreign official” definition.
In pertinent part, Judge Diamond held:
“Defendant argues that the Government failed to plead that: 1) he corruptly paid a “foreign official” within the FCPA’s meaning; and 2) he had the requisite mens rea when paying Official’s Sister. Defendant further argues that the Indictment impermissibly substitutes “public international organization” for the term “foreign government or instrumentality thereof.” I do not agree. The Indictment is sufficient because it includes the requisite elements. Fed. R. Civ. P. 7(c)(1); United States v. Gillette, 738 F.3d 63, 74 (3d Cir. 2013) (“[A]n indictment is enough to call for a trial of the charge on the merits so long as it is facially sufficient.”) (citations and quotations omitted).
To make out an FCPA violation, the Government must allege that a “domestic concern”corruptly offered, promised to pay, or paid anything of value to a foreign official (or through a third party) to induce him to use his influence to act unlawfully, inter alia, respecting a “foreign government or instrumentality thereof.” 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-2(a)(1)-(3). A “foreign official” includes any officer of a public international organization. Id. § 78dd-2(h)(2)(A). The FCPA includes the following mens rea requirement: the payor must know that “all or a portion of such money or thing of value will be offered, given, or promised, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official.” Id. § 78dd-2(a)(3). The FCPA thus makes it a crime to bribe a third party if the payor knows that foreign official will ultimately receive the payment and will thus be induced to act unlawfully. See id. § 78dd-2(a)(3), (h)(3)(a).
Here, Defendant, a United States permanent resident, is plainly a domestic concern. Id. § 78dd-2(h)(1) (defining a “domestic concern” as, inter alia, a U.S. resident). Moreover, Official (the ultimate bribe recipient) was an employee and/or officer of EBRD—a properly designated public international organization (as I discuss below). Additionally, the Government has charged, as it must, that Defendant paid Official Sister knowing that those bribes would be given, directly or eventually, to Official to induce him to violate the law. See id. § 78dd-2(a)(3); (Doc. No. 62 at ¶ 42 (“Dmitrij Harder, being a domestic concern . . . did willfully use . . . any instrumentality of interstate commerce, corruptly . . . while knowing that all or a portion of such money . . . had been offered . . . for the purposes of influencing acts and decisions of such foreign official in his official capacity . . . .”) (emphasis added). The Government moreover pled that “Official’s Sister received these payments for the benefit of EBRD Official, to corruptly influence the foreign official’s actions.” (Doc. No. 62 at ¶ 23.) Finally, as Defendant acknowledges, the Government alleges that Defendant made corrupt payments to: 1) “influenc[e Official’s] acts and decisions,” 2) “induc[e] [Official] to do and omit acts in violation of [his] and authority with a public international organization to affect and influence acts and decisions of such organization.” (Doc. No. 40 at 11; Doc. No. 62 ¶ 42.)
These allegations certainly make out that Defendant acted knowingly with respect to both Official and his Sister. See, e.g., SEC v. Straub, 921 F. Supp. 2d 244, 265 (S.D.N.Y. 2013) (FCPA violation is complete even when payor does not know the ultimate recipient’s identity); SEC v. Jackson, 908 F. Supp. 2d 834, 850 (S.D. Tex. 2012) (“The Court seriously doubts that Congress intended to hold an individual liable under 15 U.S.C. § 78dd–1(a)(3)(A) only if he took great care to know exactly whom his agent would be bribing and what precise steps that official would be taking.”). The FCPA Counts thus sufficiently “apprise[] the defendant of what he must be prepared to meet.” United States v. John-Baptiste, 747 F.3d 186, 195 (3d Cir. 2014); Vitillo, 490 F.3d at 321.
I also reject Defendant’s argument that the Government impermissibly substituted in the Superseding Indictment the term “public international organization” for “foreign government or instrumentality thereof.” (Doc. No. 40 at 10.) Although the FCPA explicitly proscribes conduct aimed at inducing a foreign official to misuse his position in connection with “a foreign government or instrumentality thereof,” it also contemplates that a “foreign official” includes “any officer or employee of . . . a public international organization.” Id. § 78dd-2(a)(1), (3), (h)(2)(A). Plainly, the FCPA thus proscribes unlawful conduct in connection with a public international organization—itself an association of foreign governments. The construction Defendant urges would effectively read § 78dd-2(h)(2)(A) out of the statute, and so make it impossible to prosecute any public international organization employee who unlawfully used his position respecting his employer—an absurd result. See United States v. Schneider, 14 F.3d 876, 880 (3d Cir. 1994) (“It is the obligation of the court to construe a statute to avoid absurd results, if alternative interpretations are available and consistent with the legislative purpose.”). The Government’s use of “public international organization” in the Superseding Indictment is thus permissible.
In any event, whether EBRD falls within the FCPA’s ambit is necessarily a “fact-bound question[]” properly decided by a jury. See United States v. Esquenazi, 752 F.3d 912, 925 (11th Cir.) (in case of first impression, noting that whether an entity constitutes an “instrumentality” is a “fact-bound question[]” and providing relevant factors to the jury’s inquiry), cert. denied, 135 S. Ct. 293 (2014); United States v. Duperval, 777 F.3d 1324, 1333 (11th Cir. 2015) (“fact-finder should consider the factors” enumerated in Esquenazi to determine whether entity constitutes instrumentality), cert. denied, 136 S. Ct. 859 (2016). Because the Government has alleged sufficient facts for a jury determination as to this issue, it may proceed to trial. See Huet, 665 F.3d at 595.
In sum, because the Government has adequately charged the substantive FCPA counts, Defendant is not entitled to their dismissal.
The FCPA’s Inclusion of EBRD
Defendant also asks me to dismiss the substantive FCPA counts because § 78dd-2(h)(2)—the Act’s provision defining a public international organization—is unconstitutional. (Doc. No. 40 at 12-28.) I do not agree.
a. Non-Delegation Challenge
Defendant first argues that the President, using improperly delegated legislative authority, impermissibly expanded the FCPA’s use of “foreign official” to include “public international organizations.” In response, the Government sets out a lengthy legislative history—namely, the enactment of: 1) the International Organization Immunities Act, 2) the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Act, 3) the Omnibus Trade and Competiveness Act, and 4) the International Anti-Bribery and Fair Competition Act. (Doc. No. 72 at 4-11, 25-31); 22 U.S.C. § 288; 22 U.S.C. § 290l; Pub. L. No. 100-418, § 5003(d), 102 Stat. 1107 (1988); Pub. L. No. 105-366, 112 Stat. 3302 (1998). The Government argues that this history demonstrates that there was no such delegation, and that Congress independently designated EBRD a public international organization.
Although the Government’s narrative is convincing, I will nonetheless assume, arguendo, that Congress delegated its authority to the President. That delegation is constitutional. There is no blanket prohibition against legislative delegation of authority in the criminal context. See Loving v. United States, 517 U.S. 748, 768 (1996) (“The exercise of a delegated authority to define crimes may be sufficient in certain circumstances to supply the notice to defendants the Constitution requires.”). Rather, such delegation is unconstitutional only in the rare instance when Congress fails to provide some “intelligible principle” by which the Executive must exercise its delegated authority. See Mistretta v. United States, 488 U.S. 361, 371-72 (1989); United States v. Amirnazmi, 645 F.3d 564, 575 (3d Cir. 2011) (“The [Supreme] Court has expressly refrained from deciding whether Congress must provide stricter guidance than a mere ‘intelligible principle’ when authorizing the Executive ‘to promulgate regulations that contemplate criminal sanctions.’” (citing Touby v. United States, 500 U.S. 160 (1991)). The Third Circuit has found “only two occasions [where] the [Supreme] Court [has] invalidated legislation based on the nondelegation doctrine, and both occurred in 1935.” United States v. Cooper, 750 F.3d 263, 268 (3d Cir. 2014).
This case does not present the third such occasion. Congress has complied with each of the Supreme Court’s delegation requirements. See Mistretta, 488 U.S. at 372-73 (A delegation “is constitutionally sufficient if Congress clearly delineates the general policy, the public agency which is to apply it, and the boundaries of this delegated authority”). First, it has explicitly stated the FCPA’s goal: “[to ]improve the competitiveness of American business and promote foreign commerce.” Pub. L. 105-366, 112 Stat. 3302 (1998). Courts have upheld far less precise policy statements. See Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, 531 US 457, 474 (2001) (“In the history of the Court we have found the requisite ‘intelligible principle’ lacking in only two statutes, one of which provided literally no guidance for the exercise of discretion, and the other of which conferred authority to regulate the entire economy on the basis of no more precise a standard than stimulating the economy by assuring ‘fair competition.’”); Cooper, 750 F.3d at 272 (policy statement directing the Attorney General to “protect children and the public at large from sex offenders” in determining the applicability of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act for pre-act Offenders); United States v. Berberena, 694 F.3d 514, 523 (3d Cir. 2012) (“The Supreme Court has upheld, . . . without deviation, Congress’ ability to delegate power under broad standards.”) (citations and quotations omitted).
Second, Congress permissibly conferred the designation authority on the President. 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-2; Amirnazmi, 645 F.3d at 575 (upholding congressional delegation to Executive). As Defendant acknowledges, such a delegation plainly suffices to identify the implementing agency. (Doc. No. 40 at 21.) The first two prongs of the intelligibility test are thus met.
Finally, under the FCPA provision at issue here, Congress narrowly circumscribed the President’s delegated authority to define public international organizations pursuant to Executive Order. 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-2(h)(2)(B)(i) (“‘[P]ublic international organization’ means [inter alia] an organization that is designated by Executive Order pursuant to section 288 of title 22 [the International Organization Immunities Act].”). The IOIA itself requires Congress to act before the President can exercise his discretion in this context. See 22 U.S.C. § 288 (“‘[I]nternational organization’ means a public international organization in which the United States participates pursuant to any treaty or under the authority of any Act of Congress.”). Such boundaries—necessarily requiring antecedent congressional action through the treaty ratification or equivalent process—are more than sufficient to pass constitutional muster. See, e.g., Cooper, 750 F.3d at 268 (upholding broad delegation to Attorney General to determine SORNA registration requirements); Amirnazmi, 645 F.3d at 577 (upholding delegation to the Executive to declare a national emergency and expand the scope of criminal liability in the trade context without an antecedent authorizing congressional action).
In these circumstances, Congress’s delegation is constitutional because it materially constrains the President’s power to define public international organizations. Touby, 500 U.S. at 166. Finally, the President acted permissibly within these boundaries when designating EBRD a public international organization. As the applicable Executive Order confirms, the President invoked his authority under the IOIA and acted consistent with it when recognizing EBRD as a public international organization. See 56 FR 28463 (June 18, 1991), Exec. Order No. 12,766 (“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Organizations Immunities Act. . .[and] the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Act, . . . it is hereby ordered . . . that the [EBRD] . . . is hereby designated a public international organization . . . .”). Given this explicit language, I must reject Defendant’s suggestion that the EBRD comes within the FCPA’s ambit by virtue of some provision other than subsection (h)(2)(B)(i). 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-2(h)(2)(B)(i); (Doc. No. 40 at 23-24). As the Executive Order makes plain, the President’s Order is consistent with 22 U.S.C. § 288; the operative provision at issue in this case thus must be subsection (h)(2)(B)(i). Id. As I have discussed, that provision plainly is not an impermissible delegation of authority. Defendant has thus not shown that § 78dd-2(h)(2) is unconstitutional as applied to him.
Because EBRD is constitutionally included in the FCPA’s ambit, Defendant is not entitled to dismissal of the substantive FCPA Counts.
b. Vagueness Challenge
A statute is void for vagueness only if it: (1) fails to provide a person of ordinary intelligence a reasonable opportunity to understand what conduct it proscribes; or (2) authorizes or encourages arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement. Amirnazmi, 645 F.3d at 588; see also United States v. Kay, 513 F.3d 432, 441 (5th Cir. 2007) (“The FCPA delineates seven standards that may lead to a conviction. All are phrased in terms that are reasonably clear so as to allow the common interpreter to understand their meaning.”). Additionally, an undefined word or phrase does not render a statute void when a court could ascertain the term’s meaning by reading it in context. See Boos v. Barry, 485 U.S. 312, 332 (1988). Finally, a vagueness challenge is particularly difficult to sustain when, as here, the statute includes a mens rea requirement. See Gonzales v. Carhart, 550 U.S. 124, 149 (2007) (“[S]cienter requirements alleviate vagueness concerns.”); Vill. of Hoffman Estates v. Flipside, Hoffman Estates, Inc., 455 U.S. 489, 499 (1982) (“[S]cienter requirement may mitigate a law’s vagueness, especially with respect to the adequacy of notice to the complainant that his conduct is proscribed.”).
“Public international organization” as used in the FCPA is not vague. As I have discussed, the Act clearly prohibits corrupt conduct directed at employees of a “public international organization”—which is, in turn, explicitly defined pursuant to IOIA and Executive Order. 15 U.S.C. § 78dd-2(h)(2)(B)(i); 22 U.S.C. § 288; Exec. Order No. 12,766, 56 Fed. Reg. 28463 (June 18, 1991). A person of ordinary intelligence would thus have no difficulty identifying EBRD as one among several enumerated public international organizations falling within the FCPA’s ambit. Indeed, Defendant acknowledges that such a list exists, and that “researching all Executive orders issued by the President pursuant to either 22 U.S.C. § 288 or the FCPA” would reveal that EBRD is a public international organization. (Doc. No. 40 at 23, 28.) Defendant’s suggestion that he could not have known that the EBRD qualified as a public international organization is thus untenable. San Filippo v. Bongiovanni, 961 F.2d 1125, 1136 (3d Cir. 1992) (“Simply because a criminal statute could have been written more precisely does not mean the statute as written is unconstitutionally vague.” (citing United States v. Powell, 423 U.S. 87, 94 (1975))).
Moreover, the FCPA includes a knowledge requirement, thus alleviating any concern that Defendant might be punished for conduct that he did not know was proscribed. See United States v. Amirnazmi, 2009 WL 2603180, at *2 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 21, 2009) (“[W]here the punishment imposed is only for an act knowingly done with the purpose of doing that which the statute prohibits, the accused cannot be said to suffer from lack of warning or knowledge that the act which he does is a violation of the law.”). Plainly, an ordinary person—and especially a sophisticated businessman like Defendant—would understand that the EBRD is a public international organization both literally and legally, and that bribing an employee of such an organization could well be criminal. See Kay, 513 F.3d at 442 (“A man of common intelligence would have understood that . . . bribing foreign officials, was treading close to a reasonably-defined line of illegality.”). I will thus reject Defendant’s vagueness challenge.
In sum, the inclusion of EBRD within the FCPA’s ambit is not unconstitutional, either facially or as-applied to Defendant. Accordingly, I will permit the Government to proceed on its substantive FCPA Counts.”
Article printed from FCPA Professor: http://fcpaprofessor.com
URL to article: http://fcpaprofessor.com/case-law-of-note-2/
[1] this prior post: http://fcpaprofessor.com/doj-brings-first-fcpa-enforcement-action-of-2015
[2] here: http://fcpaprofessor.com/harder-files-motion-to-dismiss
[3] this motion to dismiss: https://www.scribd.com/doc/286363492/U-S-v-Harder-Harder-Motion-to-Dismiss
[4] denied the motion: https://www.scribd.com/doc/302894015/U-S-v-Harder-Motion-to-Dismiss
Copyright © 2016 FCPA Professor. All rights reserved.
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Men's Worlds Groups and Schedule released!
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today announced the group draw and a 72-game schedule for the XVI WBSC Men's Softball World Championship 2019 -- the highest-level softball competition on the planet -- which will be held from 13-23 June in the Czech cities of Prague and Havlickuv Brod.
The groups showcase National Teams coming from all five Olympic continents, highlighting softball's ongoing global development and reach.
Global Groups
Group A features world No. 1 New Zealand, No. 3 Japan, No. 5 Argentina, No. 7 Czech Republic, No. 9 Mexico, No. 13 Botswana, No. 17 Philippines and No. 24 Cuba.
Group B includes No. 2 Canada, No. 4 Australia, No. 6 USA, No. 8 Venezuela, No. 11 Denmark, No. 12 South Africa, No. 19 Netherlands and No. 22 Singapore.
"Having teams from every continent in each of the two groups is another manifestation of men's softball's global impact, and how WBSC softball competitions are embraced all around the world", said WBSC Softball Division Chairman, Tommy Velazquez. "Staging the first ever flagship men's softball world championship in Europe is just another step in the WBSC strategy to expand softball across the planet, and strengthen the game as a true worldwide, massive sport, both in men and women's branch."
72-Game Schedule
The men's softball pinnacle tournament will feature 72 games across 11 days of competition, before crowning the best softball team in the world.
Following the Opening Ceremony on 13 June at 18:00 local time, host Czech Republic and defending world champion New Zealand will officially open the global tournament.
The World Championship Finale is slated to be played on 23 June at 19:30, following the bronze medal match at 16:30.
After the Opening Round, the top four teams of each group will advance to the playoffs to battle For the Title of World Champion in an eight-team, single-elimination bracket.
To view the full schedule -- as well as all tournament information, including rosters, stats and standings -- of the WBSC Men's Softball World Championship (MSWC) 2019, visit the official tournament website at mswc.wbsc.org.
Tickets are available HERE
Facebook page of the event HERE
-WBSC press release-
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What causes Williams Syndrome?
Williams Syndrome is caused by a deletion of genetic material from a specific region of chromosome 7 that affects an elastin gene. Elastin is a protein that gives blood vessels strength and the ability to stretch. It is a rare disorder and is also called Elfin Facies Syndrome.
How is Williams Syndrome Diagnosed?
Williams Syndrome is usually diagnosed with the characteristic facial features and the other common medical problems associated with it. A special genetic test called fluorescein-in-situ hybridization can be used to confirm the diagnosis.
What are the characteristics of Williams Syndrome?
The characteristic facial features include puffiness around the eyes, short nose, wide mouth, full lips, full cheeks and a small chin. They can have a short stature, sloping shoulders, long neck and limited movement in their joints.
What medical issues are associated with Williams Syndrome?
A cardiovascular problem called Supravalvular Aortic Stenosis (SVAS) can be associated with Williams Syndrome. SVAS is the narrowing of the large blood vessel which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. This problem could cause shortness of breath, chest pain and ultimately heart failure if not treated. Decreased birth weight and failure to gain weight normally is also common. There can also be digestive and urinary tract difficulties.
What sort of eye problems could a child have with Williams Syndrome?
Certain ocular findings such as strabismus and amblyopia can be seen in children with Williams Syndrome. The types of strabismus would include infantile esotropia, dissociated vertical deviation, and oblique dysfunction.
What developmental issues would affect a child with Williams Syndrome?
Mild to moderate developmental delays are seen in Williams Syndrome which would cause learning difficulties. Individuals with Williams Syndrome tend to have an extreme interest in other people with their outgoing personalities. Attention Deficit Disorder, problems with phobias and anxiety are commonly associated.
What research is being done for children with Williams Syndrome?
There is no cure for Williams Syndrome. Research is being done by the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to understand more about the genetic and neurobiological origins of Williams Syndrome.
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Lamia Scale Guild Information
by Guest on Mon 26 Oct 2015, 5:45 pm
Guild's History
Lamia Scale is a quite old guild, which keeps and passes it's beliefs generation through generation. Lamia Scale was founded almost 150 years ago and started as a tiny guild with a poor amount of people. But the guild quickly grew strong, and it only took a bit more than a century to transform that little group of people into a huge and powerful family. Lamia Scale was founded by the well known Master Kyoya Schiffer. The guild followed this wise man for 53 years. The guild was little at this time and followed idea based on knowledge as power, this little and young generation is known as the Schiffer generation. When the time came, Schiffer passed to a better place and left his legacy in hands of Drozel Urihara. This generation was slightly bigger than the one before, but it didn't change that much. This generation wasn't as peaceful as the first one, being actually quite chaotic, and looked for raw power in magic instead of looking for knowledge as the Schiffer generation did. This generation was almost absorbed by darkness, but the guild master was strong enough to realize he wasn't the indicated to continue in his position and left before it was too late. After 16 years in the Urihara generation, a new generation came, it follower a powerful mage who was part of the Schiffer generation, she was called Lenalee Shina. She was a very nice woman who enjoyed helping others. She was only 28 when she was chosen to be a guild master and is still remembered as the youngest guild master in Lamia Scale as well as one of the most beautiful woman in Lamia Scale's story. She was the guild master of the Shina generation and followed some peace beliefs, her guild was there to help other and just for that. During her 61 years as a guild master, the people grew closer to each other, more as a family than a guild, and the amount of people also grew more than ever, this was the start of the Lamia Scale we know now. After Master Shina, she left her place to her daughter, Seraphim Natsume. Her generation was still known as the Shina generation because of the beliefs she shared with her mother. The generation was almost the same, but it stopped growing as it did before. She lasted for 19 years before being murdered at the age of 50 by her own son. His son was the one who people considered the best option, his plan was almost perfect to become the leader of such guild, but his father, Asuma Rangoon, knew the truth and exposed it to his family. Asuma's kid was exiled and asuna became the next guild master, starting the new Neo Schiffer generation.
This new Neo Schiffer generation looks nothing but the power in the knowledge of magic, this generation is full of a bit vary of people and has no specific needs for someone to join. The only thing that is looked for is loyal people, people who won't join the guild, but will join the family. This is Lamia Scale, the guild to help each other.
Lamia Scale Theme:
Re: Lamia Scale Guild Information
The Guild started in a fairly big tree transformed into building in the outsides of Hargeon Town. The tree was nothing but a little hall where people only spent some time, but there wasn't even space for them to live. The constant magic around the place gathered in the roots of such tree, making it grow much faster than it usually does and getting to the point where the tree actually has it's own magic source in the roots and protects the guild from evil in some sort of way. The guild hall grew from the little tree house to a giant tower. The inside is mostly wooden, but some other materials such as glass or marble were used to build the inside. The tower has four straight and normal floors counting the ground level as the first, though it also has a lower level as well. After those first four levels, the levels are lost and little hoses were built randomly on the top part of the tree. Each house has it's own specific stair and hallway to get there from the exterior and is usually inhabited by more than one person.
In the first floor, you can find the main entrance and main hall. The main entrance is a huge five meter tall wooden door. After using the main entrance, the first thing you'll find is the main hall. It's the largest room in all the guild, the place where everyone can walk in to have a drink or two, spend some times with his guild mates or look for a job in the job panel. That area is also the only area open for public. The whole room is made of wood and has wooden chairs and tables as well and even counts with a wooden bar. Even if made with nothing but wood, each thing looks different since the floor is the non-processed wood from the tree, the walls and ceiling are made with processed wood and the bar chairs and tables are made of different wood as well. In the main floor, you can also find the docks in the back part of the guild. The docks are wooden docks leading to a huge river which is used as a natural protection from enemies. The river has different dangerous creatures, but most of the coast is safe enough to just jump and go for a swim.
The second floor is where you can find the library. The whole floor is dedicated to books and other useful stuff for investigations. In the entrance of the second floor, just after the stair way, you may find a desk. The desk belongs to a woman who's in charge of the whole library, but because it's a huge library, maybe the biggest in fiore, it's difficult to find her since she's most of the time between the shelves reading or placing everything neat and in it's place. In this place you can also find a unique magical orb. This orb can reproduce a map of the world in any time from the present to the past, it's unique in it's kind and one of the guild master's favorite toys.
The third floor is where the guild has all it's cellars. If you need something and it's not a book, you'll find it here. This is where the rooms with food, broken stuff, wood or any other stuff you might need can be found. This is where the guild locks all it's resources. It's also where the treasure chamber is hidden in the most deep part of this floor, but only the guild master may hold the keys to enter this place.
The fourth and last floor is where little cabins, rooms and houses started to be built. Any guild member has the right to pick one of these to stay. Each room is different, but they all count with a small kitchen, from one to even six bedrooms and enough bathrooms for everyone sleeping there. The guild is huge, so it needs many rooms, not only for mages, but for any worker in the settlement. After this floor, about four more houses were built, but this houses are huge compared to the ones below them. These four mansions are only for the best of the best in the guild, usually the ones the guild master has most trust on. One of this houses is of course inhabited by the guild master itself, and in the top of the tree, there's a watch point where the whole city can be seen even if it's located a few kilometers from the building. The watch point is quite big and has a beautiful view for anyone who wishes to see the beauty of the forest.
The last part of the guild is a little floor located below the first one. This floor is quite deep in the ground, and everything you'll find is the baths. These baths are thermal water baths, this is why they are located below, to catch the natural heat of the forest. The cave is very deep, so the only light inside comes from the shining magical diamonds on the top of the cave. These diamonds have absorbed the magical energy of the tree to shine and glow with a beautiful blue color. These are thermal waters and perfect place to relax or spend some nice time. Also, it has no men or woman area, though the cave is big, so you can simply move to another place in the cave or be separated a big rock.
Welcome to Lamia Scale
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Fred Lutkefedder
Fred Lutkefedder was a U.S. soccer player who was a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1933, Lutkefedder signed with the Philadelphia German-Americans of the American Soccer League. The German-Americans won the 1936 National Challenge Cup in two games with Lutkefedder coming on as a substitute in the second game. In 1936, he was selected to play for the U.S. soccer team at the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1937, he moved to the New York Americans. At some point, he moved to the Philadelphia Passon, returning to the German-Americans the 1943-1944 season. That year the German-Americans won the title. Lutkefedder retired at the end of the season.
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Several factors may affect a Fund’s ability to achieve a high degree of correlation with its benchmark. Among these factors are: (i) a Fund’s fees and expenses, including brokerage (which may be increased by high portfolio turnover) and the costs associated with the use of derivatives; (ii) less than all of the securities underlying a Fund’s benchmark being held by the Fund and/or securities not included in its benchmark being held by a Fund; (iii) an imperfect correlation between the performance of instruments held by a Fund, such as futures contracts, and the performance of the underlying securities in a benchmark; (iv) bid-ask spreads (the effect of which may be increased by portfolio turnover); (v) holding instruments traded in a market that has become illiquid or disrupted; (vi) a Fund’s share prices being rounded to the nearest cent; (vii) changes to the benchmark that are not disseminated in advance; (viii) the need to conform a Fund’s portfolio holdings to comply with investment restrictions or policies or regulatory or tax law requirements;
The Funds may invest in both sponsored and unsponsored depositary receipts. Certain depositary receipts, typically those designated as “unsponsored,” require the holders thereof to bear most of the costs of such facilities, while issuers of “sponsored” facilities normally pay more of the costs thereof. The depository of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited securities or to pass through the voting rights to facility holders with respect to the deposited securities, whereas the depository of a sponsored facility typically distributes shareholder communications and passes through the voting rights.
Each Fund has adopted certain investment restrictions as fundamental policies that cannot be changed without a “vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities” of the Fund. The phrase “majority of outstanding voting securities” is defined in the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the shares of the Fund present at a duly-called meeting of shareholders, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. (All policies of a Fund not specifically identified in this Statement of Additional Information or its Prospectus as fundamental may be changed without a vote of the shareholders of the Fund.) For purposes of the following limitations, all percentage limitations apply immediately after a purchase or initial investment.
When a Fund purchases or sells a futures contract, or buys or sells an option thereon, the Fund “covers” its position. To cover its position, a Fund may enter into an offsetting position, earmark or segregate with its custodian bank or on the official books and records of the Fund cash or liquid instruments (marked-to-market on a daily basis) that, when added to any amounts deposited with a futures commission merchant as margin, are equal to the market value of the futures contract or otherwise “cover” its position. When required by law, a Fund will segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to the value of the Fund’s total assets committed to the consummation of such futures contracts. Obligations under futures contracts so covered will not be considered senior securities for purposes of a Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities.
The portfolio composition file (“PCF”) and the IOPV file, which contain equivalent portfolio holdings information, will be made available as frequently as daily to the Funds’ service providers to facilitate the provision of services to the Funds and to certain other entities (“Entities”) in connection with the dissemination of information necessary for transactions in Creation Units, as contemplated by exemptive orders issued by the SEC and other legal and business requirements pursuant to which the Funds create and redeem Shares. Entities are generally limited to National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) members and subscribers to various fee-based services, including large institutional investors (“Authorized Participants”) that have been authorized by the Distributor to purchase and redeem Creation Units and other institutional market participants that provide information services. Each business day, Fund portfolio holdings information will be provided to the Distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the NSCC and/or through other fee-based services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to the fee-based services, including Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading Shares of Funds in the secondary market.
In June 2015, the New York Department of Financial Services (the “NYDFS”) finalized a rule that requires most businesses involved in digital currency business activity in or involving New York, excluding merchants and consumers, to apply for a license (“BitLicense”) from the NYDFS and to comply with anti-money laundering, cyber security, consumer protection, and financial and reporting requirements, among others. As an alternative to the BitLicense in New York, firms can apply for a charter to become limited purpose trust companies qualified to engage in digital currency business activity. Other states have considered regimes similar to the BitLicense, or have required digital currency businesses to register with their states as money transmitters, such as Washington and Georgia, which results in digital currency businesses being subject to requirements similar to those of NYDFS’ BitLicense regime. Certain state regulators, such as the Texas Department of Banking, Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, have found that mere transmission of bitcoin, without activities involving transmission of fiat currency, does not constitute money transmission requiring licensure. The North Carolina Commissioner of Banks has issued guidance providing that North Carolina’s money transmission regulations only apply to the transmission of digital currency and not its use. In June 2014, the State of California adopted legislation that would formally repeal laws that could be interpreted as making illegal the use of bitcoin or other digital assets as a means of payment. In July 2017, Delaware amended its General Corporation Law to provide for the creation maintenance of certain required records by blockchain technology and permit its use for electronic transmission of stockholder communications.
Forex trading is exciting yet involves a certain level of risk. Therefore, make sure you are aware of and understand well such important terms and conditions as "Privacy Policy", "Margin Requirements" and so on. Should you have any difficulty with these terms and conditions, please contact our Customer Support team for further instruction and support.
A futures contract is a technique to hedge positions and reduce the risk of the unknown. It is also used for arbitrating between current spot and future contracts. In the case of bitcoins, futures have been more associated with miners who face the risk of unknown future prices. OrderBook.net (formerly iCBIT), a futures marketplace operating since 2011, sells millions of futures contracts each month. The standard contract size (or tick size) is $10. A typical instrument would look like this: BTC/USD-3.14. Here "BTC/USD" signifies the rate of exchange between Bitcoin and US dollar, "3" means the month of March, and "14" signifies the year 2014. The trading symbol for the same instrument will be BUH4. Each month has a trading symbol like March is H (as per Chicago Mercantile Exchange), the "B" is taken from BTC and the "U" from USD, and "4" signifies the year.
Basically, if you trade margin spot on a site like Kraken or Bitfinex, you will pay financing fees while you hold the position open. The same goes for CFD sites like WhaleClub or 1Broker. With bitcoin futures, you are able to trade margin without expending interest, because counterparties to the contract pay a fee to open and close the contract, and the exchange just manages the risk, so no money is really being lent!
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have evolved from a playful experiment among technical experts to an established and growing branch of the global financial industry. This means that the times in which cryptocurrency traders and investors only concerned themselves with straightforward buying and selling are over. Derivatives are now entering the picture.
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Veiled Habits
Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan's blog, I found this interesting article by Karen Armstrong comparing Jack Straw's criticisms of his veiled constituents in supposedly multi-cultural Britain to the Victorians reaction to habit-wearing Catholic nuns. Now, on many issues, I'm inclined to agree with Sullivan but on the issue of the Muslim veil he seems to be standing on rather shaky ground. He writes:
In a free country, I absolutely defend the right of any woman to freely choose to wear the chador, wherever she wants. But no-one is proposing banning it. And in public schools, where people have to teach students, I can see a reason to restrict it, because it is an impediment to doing your job. Facial expression matters in teaching. So does a clear voice.
Where is the evidence to show that veiled teachers are less effective than unveiled ones? Or is it an intuitive judgement that Sullivan makes? In that case, how is he different from Jack Straw and the others who see veiling as an affront to Western cultural sensitivities? In fact, in this case, I think Sullivan has become significantly worse. At least Straw and his gang haven't sought to couch their objections is pseudo-scientific proclamations.
When I was in secondary school, my maths teacher was a sari-clad Indian beau. During her lessons, the sari would ride up giving us a tantalizing glimpse of her magnificient midriff. Now, at such moments, I can guarantee that my fellow students (it was a boys school) were interested neither in her facial expressions nor her clear voice. By that score, I guess Sullivan would also be for the banning of saris in classrooms. And while we're at it, why not get rid of all beautiful teachers? Classroom crushes can be such a distraction after all!
Kenya Vision 2007
Any illusions we might have had that the Kenya Vision 2030 programme, which was launched by President Kibaki yesterday, had nothing to do with next year's elections were firmly dispelled by El Presidente himself. According to the Daily Nation:
"Although President Kibaki said he was optimistic that the development goal would be achieved, it will depend on how the country manages its affairs in the next five years."
The next five years? Could it be mere coincidence that that would cover most of a second term? Sounds very like a plug for reelection. Gone is "A Working Nation", from now till he renews his lease at State House it'll be "Kenya Vision 2030". And then I predict a deafening silence regarding implementation.
Posted by Gathara at 8:13 PM 20 comments:
Labels: 2007 General Election, Kenya Vision 2030, Kibaki
Thanks a Bunch, Mo!
As if we needed more proof that Mo Ibrahim's prize has made Africa an object of derision. The story has turned up on Wierd News along with reports such as Woman Taking Driving Test Crashes Car In License Office, Physics Professor Destroys Vampires With Math, German Motorist Obeys Navigation System, Crashes Car and my personal favorite, Online Users Poke Ridicule On President Bush after the US leader, in an interview earlier this week, admitted using thegoogle (on his internets, I'm sure) to check out his Crawford ranch. No wonder he has such a hard time getting accurate military intelligence (an oxymoron if I ever heard one) on anything! Here's the video.
Posted by Gathara at 12:40 PM 1 comment:
The GOP Elephant Has a Short Memory
Keith Olbermann tells it like it is in this commentary on the Republican Party's terror tactics.
The key to terror, the key to terrorism, is not the act - but the fear of the act. That is why bin Laden and his deputies and his imitators are forever putting together videotaped statements and releasing virtual infomercials with dire threats and heart-stopping warnings. But why is the Republican Party imitating them?
When, last week, the CNN network ran [the above] video of an insurgent in Iraq, evidently stalking and killing an American soldier, the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Mr. [Duncan] Hunter, Republican of California, branded that channel, quote, "the publicist for an enemy propaganda film" and that CNN used it "to sell commercials."
Another California Republican, Rep. Brian Bilbray, called the video "nothing short of a terrorist snuff film."
If so, Mr. Bilbray, then what in the hell is your Party's new advertisement?
Labels: Countdown, insurgents, Iraq, Keith Olbermann, snipers, US marines
Schroeder on Christiano-Fascists
"The problem begins when political decisions seem to result from a conversation with God. If you legitimise political decisions in this way, then you cannot respond to criticism or suggestions by changing policies or introducing nuances, because doing that would be to betray God's orders received during prayer." When former German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder wrote this, he was not referring to "islamo-fascist" terrorists or the Islamic Republic of Iran but rather to the administration of G.W. Bush.
As reported in rediff news, in his memoir, Decisions, My Life in Politics, Schroeder says that Bush would constantly refer to his Christian beliefs, and "again and again in our private talks it became clear how. . . . ruled he was by what he saw as a Higher Power." He adds, "We rightly criticise that in most Islamic states there is no clear separation between religion and the rule of law. But we fail to recognise that, in the US, the Christian fundamentalists and their interpretation of the Bible have similar tendencies. . . . When (a leader) takes political action directly from prayer, in other words from a dialogue with God, it can be problematic for a democracy."
In two weeks time, when they go to the polls, we'll all find out whether the Americans have learnt their lesson.
9/11 Foretold in 1998?
Another remarkably prescient 1998 quote, this time from Philip D. Zelikow, the executive director of the 9/11 Commission (Hat Tip: ICH):
“In the Nov-Dec 1998 issue of Foreign Affairs he (Zelikow) co-authored (with the former head of the CIA) an article entitled “Catastrophic Terrorism” in which he speculated that if the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center had succeeded ‘the resulting horror and chaos would have exceeded our ability to describe it. Such an act of catastrophic terrorism would be a watershed event in American history. It could involve loss of life and property unprecedented in peacetime and undermine America’s fundamental sense of security, as did the Soviet atomic bomb test in 1949. Like Pearl Harbor, the event would divide our past and future into a before and after. The United States might respond with draconian measures scaling back civil liberties, allowing wider surveillance of citizens, detention of suspects and use of deadly force.”
"Stay the course" is out. "Changing tactics" is in. No, I'm not talking about Iraq. At least, not directly. In the battle for hearts and minds, it seems the US has accepted that the keyboard may be mightier than the Tomahawk Cruise Missile. I received the email below two days ago and I'm posting it here with Spc Erickson's permission. The website he refers seems to be a great source of information on the US military.
My name is SPC Chris Erickson with U.S. Central Command Public Affairs. I came across your blog, Gathara’s World, today and noticed your interest in different topics, particularly a post on Al Qaeda.
As a member of the US military, I like seeing open discussions on the happenings of the world, although many times I’m not able to get involved (especially if it gets political). I’m sure you’ve come across it in the past, but if you haven’t, I’d like to invite you to check out our web site, www.centcom.mil. It’s one more resource for information and you’re free to use any of it (video, audio, photos and articles) in conversations on your blog. We also have a portion of the site set aside called “What Extremists are Saying”, which can serve to keep people knowledgeable about what’s being said.
Also, if you would like, you can be added to our mailing list. We send out news stories and press releases about US military and coalition forces operations, humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. This information is also available via RSS on our site. Most of the time we can get CENTCOM information out to bloggers before it appears in the main stream media.
I appreciate your time today and I do look forward to hearing back from you
Spc. Chris Erickson
Electronic Media Engagement Team
U.S. Central Command Public Affairs
Bribing Africa's Leaders to Stop Corruption
Sudanese-born telecom tycoon, Mo Ibrahim (founder of Celtel) is offering $5 million and a $200,000 annual stipend for life in hopes of enticing African leaders away from their national coffers. Mr Ibrahim said the prize, which has the backing of international heavyweights such as Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Mary Robinson, is necessary to encourage African leaders to consider a fourth alternative to those they currently face when nearing the end of their term, namely “relative poverty, term extension, or corruption”.
Of course he would never call it what it really is: a bribe. While heads of government on other continents are expected to deliver peace and prosperity with only their people's gratitude and a pension as compensation, in Africa's case this is considered a tall order. This prize reaffirms the view that African leaders (and by implication, the African societies that produce them) are irredeemably corrupt. It is a view widely held not just outside, but within the continent. Why else would we accept the argument that the Kenyan policemen are corrupt because their wages are so low? Why else would we pay our MPs a small fortune each month hoping that they then wouldn't need to steal from us? What is the difference between that and "protection money" paid to the Mafia?
Such thinking completely misses the point. Giving the police and our politicians more money will not stop corruption. If it could, then Kenya would be a graft-free paradise. Poverty is not a sufficient or even necessary condition for corruption. A lack of integrity is both necessary and sufficient. Integrity cannot be bought. You either cultivate it or you don't. For as long as we don't put a premium on integrity, wage increases and prizes such as Mo Ibrahim's will only serve to whet the appetites of those seeking to devour us.
Pigeonholed
Families and tourists in a London park were left shocked when a pelican picked up and swallowed a pigeon.
The unusual wildlife spectacle in St James's Park was caught on camera by photographer Cathal McNaughton.
Labels: London, pelican, pigeon, zoo
Punster's Paradise in the fall of '06
Did pride come before the fall? Or a ride that came after? Was it road-rage? Was money poured? Was that the root of all upheaval ($150,000 in one fell swoop)? To make an omelette, did he really need to crack his head? Is he a head banger? Should he sue or just let it slide? Would he be banging his head against a brick wall? Would it (could it) be beneath him? Or did the race organiser's already slip him some cash under the tape? Isn't that a slippery slope? Ama he's the fall guy? A layman? I'm not falling for that!
Speaking of which, did he fall for someone or just decided to slip into something less comfortable? Was that the exquisite pain of falling in love or did he just fall out of favour? Could that be it -a falling out? He did fall in though. Perhaps he just didn't want to get caught on tape. Needs to lie low for a while. Or he thought it was punch tape. That might have been a stumbling block for he really did stoop to conquer.
Kenyans, let us not forget our fallen hero. Upon a falling star, let us all wish him well. Encourage him to hold his head high and avoid the low road. And constantly remind him: To fall does not make one a fallure (No point in butting heads. I'll take the fall for that one). It's just the luck of the toss: heads he wins, tails we lose.
For those who missed it, here's a heads up.
Labels: fall, head bangers, slip
Is Iraq Just Another Reality Show?
It's bad enough that celebrities are full of themselves, but it now seems they are also taking over our brain cells.
According to this a new study of 200 celebs to be published in the Journal of Research in Personality, shows the stars are more in love with themselves than the average person. That's mind-numbingly obvious, I know. But wait, there's more. What worries me is a report that a research team led by neuroscientists at UCLA and Caltech has rather haphazardly located a neuron that "looks for all the world like a 'Jennifer Aniston' cell."
Apparently, the neuron in question (found in an epilepsy patient) had a thing for the Friends star and only fired when shown pictures of her. In other patients, cells were found for Halle Berry and the Sydney Opera House.
Thus we become what we watch. And with the profusion of dumb US reality shows (and the first study's finding that reality TV stars were the most narcissistic), is it any wonder that American policy in Iraq is, in the words of a senior US diplomat, "arrogant and stupid"?
Posted by Gathara at 11:35 AM No comments:
Labels: celebrities, Iraq, policy, reality shows, US
Bling H2O: The Fountain of Celebrity Life
The latest must-have celebrity accessory (aside from adopted African kids) is Bling H2O. For only $35 (Kshs. 2500), you get a "Limited Edition, corked, 750ml, recyclable frosted glass bottle, exquisitely handcrafted with Swarovski Crystals," and... oh yes, a little spring water, bottled at source in amazingly unromantic Dandridge, Tennessee.
Wanna bet that some of you will soon be buying one, and after drinking the water, keep the bottle for future refills of home-boiled tap water? Bling, Bling!
WWJD in Government?
A horribly prescient 1994 quote from the late US Senator Barry Goldwater:
"Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them."
Labels: Barry Goldwater, Bush, Christians, GOP, Islam, Republican Party, US
The Dangers of Religious Certainty
A follow up to my posts on christiano-fascists here and here. Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan, I found this moving commentary by Dr. Jacob Bronowski, who lost many relatives to the Nazi death camps, on what "men do when they aspire to the knowledge of gods." It should be sobering to all Christians and Muslims who may be tempted to think they are in possession of all truth, that God is in their corner, and that it is their mission on earth is to impose the Kingdom of God over all creation.
Al Qaida in America
It used to be that Al Qaida only posted their videos on nondescript jihadi websites and on Al Jazeera. Not any more. It now seems they have recruited their very own high-powered publicity team in Washington. Check this out:
Labels: Al Qaida, election ads, media, terrorism, US
Can Kenya Afford the Luxury of Poverty?
I just came across this February report on government extravagance done by Transparency International and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. It states that between January 2003 and September 2004, the NARC government spent about Kshs. 878 million on cars that were mostly for the personal use of senior government officials. The report notes that this substantially exceeded what the government spent over the 2003/04 financial year on controlling malaria, "the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya... In the year 2002 for example, it was estimated that as many as 34, 000 children below the age of five would die as a direct consequence of malaria infection. There is no doubt that had the funds been used to enhance malaria control, many lives would have been saved." Excerpts:
At the rate of a dollar (or seventy five shillings) a day, the [Kshs 878 million] could clearly be significant in reducing poverty in virtually any single constituency. Assuming that those living below the poverty line are able to meet at least half of their one dollar per day, Kshs 6840 per year would provide the other half. [Thus] it is clear that the amount would have been adequate to lift all the poor in any particular constituency above the poverty threshold.....
Suppose the Minister for Cooperative Development was also the MP for Ndhiwa constituency and he decided to donate the Range Rover to his constituents for sale at cost. Suppose also that they bought their MP a new, but modest, car at about Ksh1.2 million. Our estimates, based on their CDF allocations, is that the balance could be used to do the following:
· Construction of 7 health facilities (Kshs 3,200,000)
· Konyua Water Project (300,000)
· Construction and rehabilitation of 13 primary schools (4,000,000 )
· Construction and rehabilitation of 5 secondary schools (2,500,000)
· Supplementing bursary fund (Kshs 500,000)
· Logistics and administration (90,000 )
Celebrity Adoptions: Not a Black-and-White Issue
Following up on the row over Madonna's adoption of a kid from Malawi, it now appears that Brintey Spears "is now looking into the possibility of welcoming a disadvantaged child into her own family." Over at Mad Kenyan Woman's blog, I have been strenuosly arguing that there was nothing wrong with Madonna's adoption of David Banda. Though I am not overjoyed at the prospect of African kids being treated as the latest must-have celebrity accessory, I still think that, at a personal level, if one qualifies and follows the rules, then we should not be placing barriers in the way of their helping out kids whose societies are unable to take care of them. Of course, if the celebrities are unsuitable as parents, then they shouldn't have the children. But let's put that aside for now. For me, the furore raises many questions which are neither easy nor pleasant. Here are just a few:
Is there a danger in allowing hordes of presumably well-meaning, able and loving white celebrities to adopt black children who have been abandoned in orphanages in the third world? Could I be inadvertently supporting a policy which would result in the diminution of human dignity? It is obvious that our sense of self-worth is assaulted by the prospect of our kids reduced to fashion items. But perhaps there are greater injuries. What about the unnecessary deaths of millions of kids from easily preventable causes? Now, I have previously argued that the burden for solving such problems falls squarely on African governments and societies. Adoptions could not even begin to address the issues. That said, what right do we have to impose this suffering on even the tiny number of kids who would benefit from adoption? Does that not similarly assault our consciences?
MKW argues that the kids did not chose the "atmosphere of glamour and superficiality and strangely-earned wealth and notoriety associated with the celebrity life" and that such a life is not in their best interests. Well, they surely didn't chose poverty either and, it's safe to say, penury is definitely not in their interests. In any case, African families routinely send their kids to live with wealthier relatives or abroad to live and study in wealthier societies. Is there something innately wrong with this? Aspiring for a better life for oneself and one's kids is after all universal. Over the centuries, many Europeans have similarly abandoned their ancestral homelands to seek richer lives in the New World. And with thousands of African adults daily risking liberty, life and limb to escape the poverty on the continent, is it not hypocritical for us to be denying our infants the opportunity to do the same?
What of the preservation and perpetuation of "African culture" (whatever that means)? Do kids need to be taught the language, values, beliefs and customs of their forefathers? And do the same African societies that prostitute themselves by, for example, installing politicians and white do-gooders as "elders" retain any moral authority to prevent the subsumption of their cultures through the adoption of their kids by the celebrities of the West? Anyhow, isn't culture supposed to be dynamic? Why stick to customs and traditions that were formulated to deal with the challenges of a bygone age but now seem only to consign us to a debilitating and never ending poverty?
More later.
Is Bush Drunk on Power?
You make up your own mind.
Labels: alcohol, Bush, drunk
38% of Kenyans support torture
According to a BBC survey, in answer to the question:
Most countries have agreed to rules prohibiting torturing prisoners. Which position is closer to yours?
a)Terrorists pose such an extreme threat that governments should now be allowed to use some degree of torture if it may gain information that saves innocent lives
b)Clear rules against torture should be maintained because any use of torture is immoral and will weaken international human rights
53% of Kenyans voted for clear rules against torture to be maintained while 38% would like them to be relaxed. This compares with a global average of 59% against and 29% for "some" torture.
I, for one, am to be counted among the former. Times of utmost peril to society are the times we need to reinforce, not relax, protections against human rights violations. For it is at such times that governments are liable to use and abuse any and all powers vested in them. Just look at what's happening in the US. Now, just by decree, the government can arrest and hold you incommunicado, without access to lawyer, without the right to challenge your detention in a court of law and without the right to see the evidence against you. In the course of your detention, you will be subject to torture in order to reveal information you may or may not have. And to what end? To protect the freedom that terrorists apparently detest. You cannot protect liberty by denying it to those who are most at risk of losing it.
Also, imagine what would happen should our despotic leaders be allowed to possess such powers. Any opposition sympathiser would find himself branded a terrorist and hauled of to jail for torture or worse. Remember the infamous Nyayo House torture chambers? These would now acquire the respectability of legality. And who would be safe then?
I heard the most eloquent exposition of the need to protect fundamental freedoms, even those of terrorists, in this exchange between Sir Thomas More and young William Roper in the movie A Man For All Seasons (based on the true story of Sir Thomas More, the 16th-century Chancellor of England, who refused to sign a letter asking the Pope to annul the King's marriage and resigned rather than take an oath declaring the king the supreme head of the English church):
William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
William Roper: Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!
Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Posted by Gathara at 11:41 AM 2 comments:
Weeding out the Taliban?
Another gem from Reuters
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of 10-feet (three metre) high marijuana plants.
General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defence staff, said on Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.
"The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices ... and as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said in a speech in Ottawa.
"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.
Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.
"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hillier said dryly.
One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."
Now, I wonder what were the "ill effects" suffered (yeah, right!) by some soldiers. Guess that's what Bush meant when he vowed to "smoke 'em out of their caves".
Spoiling the View?
This photo was taken on an unidentified Mediterranean beach in Spain in 2002 and appeared recently in the magazine "Refugees", published by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The caption reads: The corpse of a would be migrant or refugee on a Mediterranean beach – one of some 6,000 similar deaths recorded in Europe over the past 12 years.
This Beats Maturbating During Ramadan
This from Reuters (Hat Tip: providian)
NAIVASHA, Kenya (Reuters) - A couple caught having sex in a Kenyan mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have been sentenced to 18 months jail for what the judge called an "abominable" affront to religion.
Peter Kimani and Jennifer Wairimu pleaded guilty to the charge of having sex in a place of worship after being caught on October 3 at the Abubakar mosque in Gilgil, about 60 miles north of Nairobi. Neither is a Muslim.
A worshipper heading for evening prayers found the couple having sex after investigating what the prosecution described as strange noises emanating from a dark corner of the mosque.
Kimani and Wairimu both pleaded for clemency at Monday's hearing, saying they were too drunk to know where they were. Kimani told the court he thought he was in a lodging house.
John King'ori, senior magistrate in nearby Naivasha, dismissed their plea.
"Having sex in a mosque is a most abominable thing to religion and only a custodial sentence can add justice to this," he said.
I wasn't aware "having sex in a place of worship" is a criminal offence in Kenya (what with the Fr. Wamugunda saga et al). I have also so far been unaware of the uncanny resemblance of a mosque to a lodgo!
To take notice of safe, the slippery are very crafty
The Chinese government has embarked on a campaign to root out "Chinglish" or English literary howlers that pepper signs in public places in Beijing. The authorities have also launched campaigns for citizens to learn English, as well as requiring taxi drivers to pass English tests or lose their licences ahead of the Olympic games in 2008. As the title of this post (which is taken from a sign warning of slippery roads) shows, this may prove to be a ...ummm...crafty(?) road indeed.
More examples of Chinglish can be found here. Also check out this hilarious blog dedicated to "the wonderful results of an English dictionary meeting Chinese grammar." While there, be sure to check out this post for a Chinese perspective on Hollywood blockbusters (or just consult the back of your pirated collection of DVDs- yeah, I know you have 'em!)
The Beautiful Game II
An update to an earlier post. For those of you who missed it, here's Paul Robinson's crowning moment in England's 2-0 loss to Croatia in Zagreb.
Posted by Gathara at 4:04 AM 1 comment:
US Senate votes to Abolish the Constitution
OK. Perhaps the title is a bit over the top. But it is now clear that the Bush Administration considers the US Constitution an impediment to fighting terror and protecting Americans' fundamental freedoms. Here's the proof:
Cruel Britannia
A followup to a previous post on the hypocrisy of the so-called multi-cultural British society when it comes to dealings with Muslims. It seems that some religions are more equal than others.
Following the row over Muslim veils in the UK, a Government minister, Phil Woolas, has called for 23-year-old teacher Aishah Azmi to be sacked for refusing to down hers. In a totally unrelated development, the British Airways uniform policy, which calls for all jewellery and religious symbols (including the Christian Cross) on chains to be concealed, has been described as "loopy" by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain. There, of course, have been no calls for the sacking of 55 year old check-in worker Nadia Eweida who claims she was effectively "forced" to take unpaid leave after refusing to conceal her cross necklace. On the contrary Kent Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe urged a boycott of BA. She said: "My view is that Christians do not have to take this." Well put! Muslims don't have to take it either.
Blowing hot air?
Was Roads and Public Works Minister Simeon Nyachae was too busy to blow his nose before this photo was taken during an interview with the Sunday Nation? His industry is not so obvious considering at the dilapidated state of our road network.
Christiano-Fascists in Kenya
In a recent post, I expressed my growing alarm over the political objectives of extremist Christians. While I was referring to events in the US, it seems that we now have our own home-bred extremism to deal with. According to the Sunday Nation, a section of Christian churches are sponsoring candidates in next year's general election with the ultimate aim of establishing a theocracy along the lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The paper quotes Presbyterian Church of East Africa Moderator, Dr. David Githii, declaring "a theocracy is the dream we have. Look at the Bible. When god fearing people took power, nations prospered. These God-fearing people destroyed idols and put God first." Perhaps Dr. Githii needs to widen his sources of historical facts. A look at the sorry history of so-called theocracies should disabuse anybody of the notion that "God-fearing people" actually fear God. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition and the many wars and attrocities that followed the Reformation are proof enough of the dangers of Christian rule. In Africa, Dr. Githii and his associates in this project should now be counted among the likes of Joseph Kony whose LRA rebels have mounted a campaign of terror in Northern Uganda in their bid to establish a government run according to the Ten Commandments.
At least the Catholic Church seems to have learnt its lesson. The Pope's representative in Kenya, Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin rejected the theocracy project saying "a priest or bishop serving in the Catholic Church cannot accept a direct appointment from the government, cannot be elected as an MP, President or Cabinet Minister."
Take a back seat Acolyte
For those who thought Aco's excoriation of Kikwete was overboard, here's a video from UK's Labour MP (yes, that's Member of Parliament!) Sion Simon taking the mikey out of the Leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron.
Cameron posted the above video on YouTube on the eve of the Tory Party Conference and Simon has posted the "rebuttal" below.
Labels: Acolyte, David Cameron, satire, Sion Simon
Handoutville, Kenya
This from the BBC
Mau Mau veterans seek UK damages
Veterans of Kenya's independence war with Britain 50 years ago have filed a formal claim for compensation against the British government.
The case has been brought by six former Mau Mau fighters who say they were subjected to inhuman treatment in British-run detention camps.
Their lawyers plan to give Whitehall four months to respond before taking the case to the High Court in London.
Claims are also being pursued in Kenya by up to 2,000 more Mau Mau detainees.
The six former Mau Mau fighters say they were subjected to inhuman treatment including beatings, denial of food and suspension by the feet. Read the whole story.
It seems Kenyans never miss an opportunity to make a quick buck. I have two problems with this (and the "Bomb Blast" claims against the Americans).
First, I understand that attrocities were committed during colonial times but that was over 50 years back. There must be a statute of limitations on these things. Otherwise you will have all sorts of claims: the families of the 32 white civillian settlers killed during the uprising suing the MauMau for compensation, the Dorobos suing the Kikuyus and other Kenyans for the return of their land, Kikuyus and others suing the Maasai for centuries of cattle rustling and so on ad nauseum.
Second, they perpetuate the culture of victimhood where we refuse to take responsibility for the state of our affairs. So the MauMau blame the British for their plight but not the Kenya government which promised them land and jobs but roundly ignored them. In fact, MauMau (or the Land and Freedom Army as they called themselves) was a banned group in independent Kenya and only received official recognition in 2003. The August 7, 1998 survivors blame the US for the actions of Al Qaida but not their own government which failed to detect and stop the terrorist activity, and whose reaction to the disaster was less than sterling.
This post is inspired by and entirely dedicated to England's Paul Robinson, who produced a mouth-watering piece of goalkeeping to let in Gary Neville's own goal during his side's 2-0 loss to Croatia in the Euro 2008 qualifier in Zagreb. Enjoy.
Labels: Croatia, England, Euro 2008, football, Paul Robinson, soccer
In Kenya, Old is definitely not Gold
Found this piece on the Sky News website:
Kenya Plans 'Youths' Of 50
They say you're only as young as you feel - and one Kenyan politician wants to enshrine that theory in law.
Government minister Mohammed Kuti wants to change the legal definition of youth to include people up to the age of 50.
That would constitute a 20-year jump from the current upper limit of 30.
If passed by parliament, the new rule would put "youths" within five years of Kenya's official retirement age of 55.
According to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Kenya's average life expectancy is just 54.7 years, although that figure is affected by a high infant mortality rate.
Youth Affairs Minister Mr Kuti was quoted in local media as saying the government plans to change the law defining youth so that more people can access a one billion shilling - or £7.44m - youth fund, which was established this year.
The plan could almost have been inspired by one of Kenya's best known personalities.
Kimani Maruge, 86, made it into the Guinness Book of Records for being the oldest pupil in the world.
The peasant farmer and former Mau Mau activist attends the Kapkenduiywo primary school in Langas, west of the capital Nairobi.
Mr Kuti's proposal has rankled some in the east African nation, where critics say the reform agenda of President Mwai Kibaki, 74, has stalled because he has filled his cabinet with members of his own age group, or "wazee" in Swahili.
Auditor Catherine Kagweria said the proposed change was "utter nonsense".
She added: "We need younger, more spry leaders to take over from these geriatrics."
According to the Daily Nation, President Kibaki has named former President Moi the Government's special envoy for regional peace. If Moi could not bring peace to Molo and other parts of the Rift Valley when he was President, I don't hold out much hope that he will accomplish much elsewhere.
The Almost Big Bang- Why didn't you hear about it?
Remember the huge media storm that was sparked off by the discovery of the alleged Islamist plot to allegedly blow up several airplanes flying from the UK to the US? Or the media frenzy that followed London's 7/7? Why then does the news below of the recovery by police of what is believed to be "the largest haul [of explosives] ever found at a house in [the UK]" merit only a paragraph at the UK's Sunday Times? Why have most not even heard about it? Could it be because this time the plotters were not of middle-eastern descent and had never attended an Al Qaida training camp in Pakistan?
http://www.pendletoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=8&ArticleID=1806619
Chemicals Find: Two In Court
TWO Pendle men have appeared before Pennine magistrates accused of having "a master plan" after what is believed to be a record haul of chemicals used in making home-made bombs was found in Colne.
Robert Cottage (49), of Talbot Street, Colne, and David Bolus Jackson (62), of Trent Road, Nelson, made separate appearances before the court charged with being in possession of an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose. The offences are under the Explosive Substances Act 1883.
Both men were remanded in custody to appear at Burnley Crown Court on October 23rd. Cottage was arrested at his home on Thursday, while retired dentist Jackson was arrested in the Lancaster area on Friday, the same day as he left a dental practice in Grange-over-Sands.
The 22 chemical components recovered by police are believed to be the largest haul ever found at a house in this country.
Cottage is an ex-BNP member who stood as a candidate in the Pendle Council elections in May.
Mrs Christiana Buchanan, who appeared for the prosecution in Jackson's case, alleged the pair had "some kind of masterplan".
She said a search of Jackson's home had uncovered rocket launchers, chemicals, BNP literature and a nuclear biological suit.
Police raided Cottage's Talbot Street home on Thursday of last week. The house was taped off while forensics officers searched the premises. Neighbours were told to stay in their homes for their own safety. Mr Cottage's car was also taken away for examination.
Officers also made a thorough examination of Jackson's Trent Road home and, again, officers were on duty outside the house. Forensics officers examined the property.
Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan
An interesting article (Hat Tip: Rosemary Ekosso) by Edward Said on American stereotypying of the Arab world:
"Every empire, including America's, regularly tells itself and the world that it is unlike all other empires, and that it has a mission certainly not to plunder and control but to educate and liberate the peoples and places it rules directly or indirectly. Yet these ideas are not shared by the people who live there, whose views are in many cases directly opposite. Nevertheless, this hasn't prevented the whole apparatus of American information, policy, and decision-making about the Arab/Islamic world from imposing its perspectives not just on Arabs and Muslims but on Americans, whose sources of information about the Arabs and Islam are woefully, indeed tragically, inadequate."
Read the rest of it here.
Labels: BNP, explosives, London, suicide bombers, terror, UK
Huffing and Puffing
US Assistant Secretary of State Chris Hill told the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday that the US is "not going to live with a nuclear North Korea. . . . We are not going to accept it." North Korea "can have a future, or it can have these weapons. It cannot have both."
Then again, in an interview with CNN: "We're just not going to accept that North Korea, with its starving population, is going to be able to join the nuclear club. . . . We're going to work very hard to make sure North Korea understands the cost of this [North Korean leader Kim Jong Il] is going to really rue the day that he made this decision."
Perhaps the US should take note of former UK Prime Minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher's reaction to the 1998 nuclear tests by India and Pakistan. She said, "huffing and puffing about test bans and non-proliferation" will not prevent major powers also becoming nuclear powers.
I have been wondering why France has not joined in the chorus of protest and condemnation that has greeted the North Korea nuclear test. A search on CNN and BBC has not turned up an official statement. Perhaps that has something to do with this:
"We can see that the tests occurred, and therefore the threat of sanctions did not work. We have to talk together and then talk to India and Pakistan in a more understanding way, even as we make clear that we disapprove of what they have done," French President Jacques Chirac opposing imposing economic sanctions on India and Pakistan following their nuclear bomb tests in May 1998.
Labels: France, India, North Korea, Nuclear Test, Pakistan, Thatcher, US
From the website of Sayyid Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader (Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan ):
To Masturbate While Fasting
Q: If somebody masturbates during the month of Ramadan but without any discharge, is his fasting invalidated?
A: if he do not intend masturbation and discharging semen and nothing is discharged, his fasting is correct even though he has done a ḥarām act. But, if he intends masturbation or he knows that he usually discharges semen by this process and semen really comes out, it is a ḥarām intentional breaking fasting.
The Nuclear Club Should Be Dissolved
Now that North Korea has apparently tested a nuclear weapon, the world will hopefully be forced to address the issue of how to reform the outdated and ineffective institutions and treaties that govern international relations. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, just like many other relics of the post-WW2 and Cold War era, has proven unable to address the challenges of the 21st Century. They were designed to keep the peace in an age dominated by big military powers, when just the threat of war was sufficient to intimidate most into towing the line. Today, when 19 men with box-cutters can strike terror into a nation of 300 million and 10,000 Hizbullah guerillas can fight the largest and best equipped military in the Middle East to a standstill, such agreements seem obsolete.
A New World Order is called for. One that acknowledges the realities of today. There has been a devolution of power away from the armies of the nation-state. From the Russian failures in Afganistan and Chechnya to the US fiascos in Vietnam and Iraq, the limitations of military power are plain to see. Conversely, much of the destructive force that was formerly exclusive to governments is increasingly being developed by small groups. Remember the Aum Shinrikyo Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway and the anthrax-in-the-mail scares in the US? These chemical and biological attacks were not perpetrated by governments but by small bands of fanatics. Dirty bombs and suitcase-size nuclear devices are not far behind.
State nuclear weapons do not necessarily threaten the peace. In fact, nuclear weapons were largely responsible for the fact that the Cold War never heated up; they made the idea of war between the US and the USSR unthinkable. The real threat comes from a proliferation of nuclear weapon states and the consequent danger of WMD falling into the hands of terrorists. A nuclear arms race is a terrorist's dream come true. At the moment, it is exceedingly difficult and expensive to manufacture a nuclear weapon, even a crude one. Many terrorist groups thus look to nuclear weapon states to provide them with the necessary material and technology. The more nuclear states, the higher the chances of this happening.
A North Korean nuclear weapon may spark a nuclear arms race in the Far East (especially considering the new Japanese Prime Minister's call for a review of the country's pacifist constitution.) However for the Big 5 nuclear states (US, UK, France, Russia, China) to assume that their arsenals do not drive proliferation is ridiculous. India developed its nuclear weapon largely as a counter to China's and Pakistan developed one because of India. Pakistan sold weapons technology to Iran which faces an Israeli nuclear weapon provided by the US. There are fears that North Korea may sell its technology to terrorists or "rogue" regimes though there has been no evidence that it has done so. On the other hand, the US has not only dropped an atomic bomb on a non-nuclear country but has also provided countless undesirables with the weaponry to conduct proxy war. Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden spring to mind. So who is to say the DPRK poses a greater threat? The fact is as long as any one country has WMD, others will feel it in their security interests to get such weapons.
My suggested solution would be to ensure that all nations are equally protected by the existing WMD stockpiles. That means handing over all WMD to a commonly accepted central authority that would be mandated to fire in retaliation whenever one nation launched a nuclear attack on another. This authority would also be charged with nuclear research and the distribution of all the civillian benefits freely to all nations.
Labels: North Korea, Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty, Nuclear Test, UN, US
Queries on Tribes
Over the weekend I had an interesting discussion with my Dad regarding the achievements (or lack thereof) of the Kibaki administration. As the discussion inevitably turned to NARC-K and ODM, the temperature heated up and voices became shrill. It suddenly dawned upon me that almost all Kenyans on both sides of the political divide were motivated by something less than ideology, something less than the objective assessment of a government's or politician's merit. It is the big gorilla in the room no one wants to discuss. No, I am not referring to Fred Gumo, but to the tribe -supposedly the basic unit of the African polity.
The questions that bedevil me are these. What is a tribe? If the tribe is so central to our identity, why has the concept been so systematically demonized? Why is it absent in our current and proposed governing structures?
What is a tribe? According to Wikipedia, a tribe "consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states...The term is often loosely used to refer to any non-Western or indigenous society." This definition is remarkable because it doesn't tell us what a tribe is, but what it is not. It is not a state and it is not Western. Tribes lack the moral, cultural, administrative and material refinement associated with statehood. And the moniker is uniquely applied to non-Westerners. (This, strictly speaking, is not true. The "savage" hordes that ravaged the outer reaches of the Roman empire in Europe were grouped into tribes.) I think the notion the word is meant to portray is uncivilised. The penchant for equating civilisation with Westernisation then leads us to the absurd situation where the Irish, Scots, English and Welsh are not the tribes of Britain but the Ibos, Fulani and Hausa are tribes in Nigeria (nothing to do with population, by the way, since the Ibos easily outnumber the Welsh and Scots combined.) Europe has ethnicities, the rest have tribes. The difference is in the connotation. In the reality show "Survivor", participants are grouped into tribes because "ethnic groups" somehow does not quite convey the idea of uncivilization that the show thrives on.
Now, it is obvious that we are dealing with a loaded word here and need to be careful (I wouldn't wish to find myself in the position of arguing that a lack of civilisation is central to African identity!). Why is allegiance to one's tribe so demonised? Let me be the first to state that some of the most heinous crimes have been committed in the name of the tribe. Just look at Rwanda. However, many more massacres have been committed in the name of ethnicity, race, religion and state but these are not demonised to the same degree. Do the "tribal" aspirations of the Luos really differ from the "ethnic" aspirations of the Serbs, Albanians, Chechens, Scots, Irish or French? The latter's railings against "Anglo-Saxon" domination sound very like the rants we hear about Kikuyu domination in Kenya. Was the Holocaust (and the many pogroms that preceded it) really not a tribal genocide same as the wholesale killing of Tutsis in Rwanda or the ongoing "ethnic cleansing" in Darfur? Is it more "civilised" to pack human beings into cattle boxes and transport them to gas chambers where their deaths are meticulously recorded, rather than to pick up machetes and hack them at random?
In Kenya, our response to the political challenges posed by tribe has been wacha ukabila! We have been banging our heads against that particular brick wall for the last 40 years. (Today, our political parties are little more than vehicles for tribal ambitions and accommodations. In the 60s, KANU was a Kikuyu-Luo Affair and KADU a coalition of the smaller tribes. In the new millenium, we are still struggling with the consequences of the Kikuyu-Luo falling out, only we try disguise it in ideological terms. There was a brief rapproachment in 2002, but the rift opened up again.) Why are we afraid to accept the tribal basis of our politics? Why is it considered a liability? If democracy springs from the people, and the people are a tribal lot, then should that not be reflected and accommodated in our national institutions? Take the US example. In the drafting of their constitution, they acknowledged that the basic political unit was the state. Small states feared domination by big states. They did not resolve this by shouting wacha ustate! Instead they accommodated the reality of it in the institutions they created. Should we not be looking to accommodate the reality of the tribe in our constitutional arrangements?
Answers anyone?
Labels: africa, Kenya, politics, tribe, US constitution
Licence to Steal?
The NARC government's war on corruption once again looks like a whitewash. Just a day before the KACC urged the prosecution of 12 suspects, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua offered a deal to all those implicated: return the money and face no consequences. She says that this is to promote national reconciliation.
Why, I ask, do we need to be reconciled with criminals? Is this not the same argument that Kiraitu Murungi employed when he declared Anglo-Leasing "the scandal that never was" since the cash had been returned? In fact, Karua's offer underscores the unwillingness of the government to make any meaningful attempt to punish those who have systematically pillaged and plundered Kenya's economy.
Most have gotten away scot-free (such as former president Moi, his cronies and his family, especially his son Gideon -remember the missing CID files?) and the few who have been nabbed have been treated with kid gloves. Just look at what happened to Ketan Somaia, Khamlesh Pattni and Margaret Gachara. A short time behind bars (most of which was spent in hospital private wards), no confiscation of assets and in Gachara's case, a Presidential pardon. Where is the deterrent value in that? I would gladly spend two years in prison if it meant that I could keep Kshs. 24 million. No wonder corruption continues unabated!
Labels: Corruption, KACC, Kenya, Kiraitu Murungi, Margaret Gachara, Martha Karua, Moi, Pattni, Somaia
To take notice of safe, the slippery are very craf...
The Almost Big Bang- Why didn't you hear about it?...
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GLBT suicide
Gay Mountaineer Raises Money For Trevor Project
Climbs “Seven Summits”
Impetus to Change GLBT Suicide Rate
Cason Crane is an incoming Princeton University freshman. Devastated by the suicide of a friend as well as the tragic death of Tyler Clementi in his home state.prompted Carson to help more LGBTQ youth to get the help they need and to call attention to youth suicide, the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24 year-olds.
Gay himself, Cason remembers times when he was bullied, teased in the locker room, and called names. Luckily, he had the support of family and friends unlike many GLBT kids who consider suicide. In fact, GLBTQ kids have four times the suicide rate of their peers.
The Rainbow Summits Project
A cum laude graduate of a competitive preparatory school, Choate Rosemary Hall, Cason wanted to bring awareness and funds The Trevor Project, the leading GLBTQ suicide and crisis prevention service. His work is called The Rainbow Summits Project.
While most organizations raise money through telethons, direct mail, SuperPacs, Cason has a unique approach: he climbs mountains. Although he says he is afraid of heights, he has been climbing since he was fifteen years old when he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. He has worked and partaked of volunteer missions in Africa, Asia, and North America and has travelled to more than sixty-five countries.
A good athlete, he is an avid runner, swimmer, and triathlete. He completed his first Ironman in New Zealand in January 2012.
Why Climb?
Although physically fit, Crane speaks about the challenges inherent in climbing the tallest mountains in the seven continents. He likens climbing to the challenges of being GLBTQ: the obstacles, the need for external support, but ultimately, the pay-off – the high of being true to themselves and to those who care about them.
Crane has climbed mountains in the United States, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, France, and Argentina. His ascent of Mt. Everest, the tallest in the world, was on May 21. His final climb, a second try, was Mt. McKinley in Alaska on July 11, 2013. He carried Tibetan prayer flags to the summit. Pictures are on his website: http://www. casoncrane.com, On the flags are dedications to people who have committed suicide or been the victims of harassment.
No Small Feat
With his seven climbs, Crane becomes the first openly LGBT person to attain the distinction of successfully climbing to the tops of the highest mountains on each continent. He is also the fifth youngest person to achieve that record.
Raised Awareness and Money
Cason Crane has raised over $135,000 for The Trevor Project and awareness for GLBTQ suicide. This year, he received an award from GLAAD, a principal organization for LGBT equality that works directly with the news media. You can also follow Cason on Twitter mailto:@casoncrane.
Coming Out, Health Cason Crane, GLAAD, GLBT suicide, Rainbow Summits Project, The Trevor Project
Tyler Clementi Center Opens at Rutgers University
Family of Suicide Victim Dedicates Research Center on February 4, 2013
Two years after the suicide of their son Tyler, a freshman at Rutgers University, Jane and Joe Clementi and their sons James and Brian unveiled the Tyler Clementi Center at Rutgers. Tyler, in September 2010, took his own life after becoming the victim of cyberbullying. He discovered that his roommate used a webcam to spy on him having sex with another man. Two days later, he jumped off the George Washington Bridge.
The Center Itself: Near Rutgers Campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey
The Center will draw from academic disciplines across the university and throughout the nation to create new programs and approaches to address issues that confront young people, specifically vulnerable youth making the transition from home to college. The new programs and policies to assist first-year students and high school seniors may be used as models for institutions of higher education throughout the country.
It will offer lectures, training and symposia on such topics as the use and misuse of new technologies and social media; youth suicide, especially among LGBTQ youth, during the transition to adulthood; adjustment and assimilation into college life, bullying and cyberbullying, and promoting and understanding inclusive and safe environments.
The goal of the center is to provide scholarly support for the work of policymakers, social activists, community leaders and other advocates for vulnerable youth or as Jeff Longhofer, associate professor of social work and co-director of the Tyler Clementi Center said the Center “will be devoted to putting theory and academia into action.” Susan Furrer, executive director of the Center for Applied Psychology, is co-director. Its first lecture in March will be “growing up digital.” In April, there will be a conference on transgender issues.
What the Center Means to Clementis and College
According to Tyler’s mother Jane, the center’s aim is to “continue the conversation that began twenty-eight months ago.” “ Our hope,” said Mrs. Clementi, “is to take a terrible newsclip and turn it into something positive. By keeping the dialogue going, we believe we can hopefully make a change in other youths’ lives.”
Joseph Clementi stated that he would like to see the center be “proof that people listen. That people worked harder to reach our youth and help them get through their dark times. That the conversation changed to make sure that personal respect and human dignity was conveyed in person and in the online community.”
Rutgers University executive vice president for academic affairs, Richard L. Edwards, stated “Tyler’s death deeply touched the Rutgers community and brought the issues of cyberbullying and the suicide of gay youth to the attention of the world. Rutgers has a history of being responsive to the needs of our LGBTQ community as well as offering forward-thinking scholarly work to impact broader cultural change. It was our sincere wish to work with the Clementi family to turn this tragedy into an effort that would help young people not only at Rutgers but beyond. There are young people like Tyler in every community and in making life better for them we transform Tyler’s experience and enormous promise into a global opportunity for social change.”
Washington Trying to Honor Clementi’s Name as Well
On Capitol Hill, local lawmakers are still fighting to get a bill named after him passed. The proposed Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act would require all universities to have an anti-harassment policy.
Featured college support for LGBTQ youth, cyberbullying, GLBT suicide, Jane Clementi, Joe Clementi, Rutgers University, Tyler Clementi, Tyler Clementi Center at Rutgers
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Gay Wrestler Comes Out, Real This Time
Celebrities and high-profile figures coming out has become a careful publicity game, stars wanting to disclose their sexualities themselves when they want, and tabloids wanting to be the first to dish the dirt. It seems like WWE wrestler Darren Young wanted to take his coming out into his own hands when he told a shocked TMZ reporter <http://www.tmz.com/2013/08/15/darren-young-wwe-superstar-gay/> that he was gay after getting off of a plane at in Los Angeles.
On the subject of gay wrestlers and whether or not they could be successful in the WWE, Young said, “Absolutely. Look at me. I’m a WWE superstar and to be honest with you, I’ll tell you right now, I’m gay. And I’m happy. I’m very happy.” The reason for his coming out, TMZ later reported, came because of Young’s relationship with his boyfriend of two years. Maybe they’ll be tying the knot soon?
After coming out, Young got support from fellow wrestlers and his organization. Fellow WWE wrestler John Cena, congratulated Young for his coming out. He said he was proud of the wrestler for coming out and that it won’t—and shouldn’t—matter in or out of the ring, “as long as you’re entertaining.”
A representative at the WWE gave a statement <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/wwe-darren-young-gay_n_3761313.html>, saying that, “WWE is proud of Darren Young for being open about his sexuality, and we will continue to support him as a WWE Superstar. Today, in fact, Darren will be participating in one of our Be A Star anti-bullying rallies in Los Angeles to teach children how to create positive environments for everyone regardless of age, race, religion, or sexual orientation.”
Young, 33 whose real name is Fredrick Douglas Rosser, is considered the first openly active gay WWE wrestler to come out while with the company. United States wrestling has had several gay figures, but none who came out while employed as prominent figures. Orlando Jordan performed as a bisexual man while wrestling, a character that was based on his actual life, but never came out to the press while working for the WWE. And Chris Kanyon created a character who was openly homosexual which segued into him admitting that he was actually gay and wanted to remain closeted while preforming.
The WWE and other wrestling shows have used queer characters in their shows, but usually in negative ways. Most male characters exhibiting feminine or homosexual traits are cast as heels, or the villains, in matches. Many cross-dress. The character Goldust would be sexually lewd, groping opponents and expressing affection toward them in order to make them uncomfortable and lose.
One of the more popular gay story arches revolved around the tag-team Billy and Chuck, who started showing affection toward each other on stage after pairing up in 2001. They won two World Tag Team Championships, and then were scheduled to get married on air, in partnership with GLAAD. During the commitment ceremony, the duo declared that they were strictly heterosexual and that the wedding and relationship had all been a publicity stunt, enraging GLADD who denounced the WWE for leading them on.
It seems like good news for wrestling in the United States, whose male sports figures have been regarded as being behind the times in terms of coming out and being open about their sexuality. Just after coming out, WWE added Young to their 2K14 roster, and it will be his debut in a WWE video game. Young has been shocked by how much positive press his decision has been making, and is glad that he can be seen as a positive role model.
Coming Out, Sports & Fitness 2K14, Billie and Chuck, Chris Kanyon, Darren Young, Fredrick Douglas Rosser, GLAAD, Goldust, John Cena, Los Angeles, Orlando Jordan, relationship, TMZ, WWE, WWE Superstar
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Response to Jan Eckel
June 9, 2014 by Fabian Klose
In his review essay Human Rights and Decolonization: New Perspectives and Open Questions, Jan Eckel raises many important questions concerning this important topic which only recently has received much attention yet will stay on the research agenda for quite a while. His notion that the history of human rights in decolonization is complex and ambiguous is well taken and hardly contested. I explicitly agree with Eckels interpretation that African and Asian anti-colonial leaders used human rights rhetoric as a political weapon to mobilize international public opinion instead of referring to them as ideals for their future political aims (p. 113). Human rights documents did not prevent them as authoritarian leaders in postcolonial states from violating elementary rights themselves. For instance, during the Algerian war the United Nations Human Rights Commission received mass petitions asking for the liberation of Ahmed Ben Bella as a political prisoner of the French colonial state; a few years later the Commission again received petitions for the release of Ben Bella, but this time from the imprisonment by the Algerian military dictatorship. Eckel also describes convincingly the UN as the most important forum for anti-colonial activists to brand colonialism as a violation of the newly founded human rights regime (I would add, not only sporadically, but regularly).
However, in stating that the analysis of colonial violence and the attempts by the British (and French) to legitimize it are not related to human rights history (p. 112), as I in fact argue in my book, is a fairly narrow-minded perspective on how to write the history of human rights. As I argue, the evolution of international human rights and the radicalization of colonial violence in the wars of decolonization after 1945 were intimately connected with each other in the making of a human rights regime. Thus, for example, the scope of human rights is not only limited to the Universal Declaration of 1948, but extended to the protection of elementary rights in times of armed conflict by the renewed international humanitarian law (to which Eckel does unfortunately not refer at all). The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and various documents of the International Committee of the Red Cross are essential parts of the analysis and of the international human rights regime.
But most of all, one should not forget that the human rights regime of 1948 was a reaction to the massive crimes committed during World War II. Thus the wars of decolonization became the first major challenge and the testing ground for the newly established international norms. While the colonial powers tried to deny the universal character of human rights in the colonies in general andfor this is the main pointin times of colonial emergency, the anti-colonial movement intentionally exploited reports about massive violation of basic rights such as forced resettlement, torture, and summary killings to win the support of international public opinion. Who would doubt that the denial of fundamental rights in times of emergencies by states is a most relevant issue today?
Massive breaches of human rights standards became an integral part of international diplomatic debates and UN human rights mechanisms like the right of petition were used for the first time on a massive scale in the wars of decolonization. The Battle of Algiers (which, by the way, took place between January and October 1957 and not in 1958, p. 127) serves as a very illuminating example. The systematic torture and summary killings by the French army intensified the public awareness of massive human rights abuses in Algeria enormously and stimulated the first mass petitions to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Therefore I would not agree with Eckels argument that it was as recently as in the 1970s that human rights almost overnight gained immense popularity (p. 130). Far away from coming overnight, this was more the result of the previous contested debates of the 1950s as well as the 1960s. Only after the end of the wars of decolonization (which as I argue had blocked the further evolution of the human rights regime for more than fifteen years) and the final era of decolonization could the former colonial powers like France and Great Britain normalize their relationship with the United Nations. Without the burden of colonial wars, these European states could now fulfill their self-declared advocacy for human rights. After the end of their empires they could, for instance, refuse voting in the UN General Assembly in support of the South African Apartheid system. At the same time they started to attack the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc for its denial of civil rights without the danger of being harshly criticized for deficits in their colonies.
My last remark concerns the rather Eurocentric argument that metropolitan governments were arguably the most important actors in the process of decolonization (p. 123). Since John Darwins book The End of Empire: The Historical Debate (1991), the triad of the metropole, the periphery, and the international zone as a combined forum of explanation of decolonization has been established and widely recognized. Eckels final question Human Rights: A Reason for Decolonization? sounds promising, but to answer it from a purely metropolitan perspective will not adequately address the complex history of decolonization. Surely neither the government in London nor in Paris withdrew from their colonial possessions because of any petition concerning human rights. From the metropolitan perspective certainly other issues like the destabilization of domestic politics and the growing economic burden caused by constant military engagement were far more decisive. However, Frances being under permanent anti-colonial attack at the UN due to real or supposed war crimes in Algeria and Britains being the first state accused by Greece of human rights violations in Cyprus under the provision of the European Convention on Human Rights limited noticeably their role as credible actors in international politics. Managing worldwide public opinion was well out of their reach. Therefore, as I have argued, human rights (in the sense of the international theory) play a considerable role in helping to explain the process of decolonization.
In the Name of Humanity
Another response to Jan Eckel
About Fabian Klose
Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Germany. Author of Menschenrechte im Schatten kolonialer Gewalt: Die Dekolonisierungskriege in Kenia und Algerien, 1945–1962 (Munich, 2009), from which his essay in this issue is drawn, he is now at work on a new project titled ‘‘In the Cause of Humanity: Humanitarian Intervention, the International Public Sphere, and the Internationalization of Human Rights in the Nineteenth Century.’’
View all posts by Fabian Klose →
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IACACT
Fundacion 10.12.48
Foundation 10.12.48 is a non-profit organization that works to raise, protect and defend human rights. Fundamentally, we use any art form, as a means of expression and communication, to reflect any act of injustice and all forms of abuse to human dignity. We believe that all forms of art including film, photography, music, theatre, painting, sculpture, and architecture as well as cultural and development cooperation contribute to build peace, to fight against poverty and to achieve sustainable development. In addition to Spain, the Foundation 10.12.48 aims to develop activities anywhere in the world where the defence, protection and promotion of human rights are needed. Beneficiaries of the actions of the Foundation 10.12.48 will be those who suffer violation of their rights, or any form of physical or mental aggression, and also the general population, who will benefit from projects that involve social awareness and education for development. Foundation 10.12.48 is a non-profit organization that adopted its name in commemoration of the date of approval of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948 in Paris. In this historic act, the Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a standard by which all peoples and all nations, so that both individuals and society, keep this Declaration constantly in mind, promote respect for these rights and freedoms and, by progressive national and international measures, its recognition as universal and effective application. The aims of the 10.12.48 Foundation shall be achieved through training and awareness projects such as meetings, conferences, courses, campaigns, production of documentaries, festivals, debates, exhibitions, competitions and competitions and implementing of international aid programs, guaranteeing quality, efficiency and accountability.
a) To defend, protect and promote human rights and dignity of all people.
b) Reduce injustice and fight the causes of poverty, not only its consequences, so all human beings can fully exercise their rights and enjoy a decent life.
e) Reset the rights and promote safe and durable solutions by peaceful means, in situations of persecution, emergency, natural disaster or civil conflict.
f) Educate on human rights, and denounce and mobilize society to become aware and act against injustice, especially against rights violations that cause or exacerbate poverty.
g) Promote respect for cultural diversity, integration and rapprochement of cultures, countries, races or religions, for the defense and promotion of Human Rights and Peace building.
h) Promote values and attitudes towards social change, based on criteria for justice, peace, equality, democracy, solidarity and environment protection.
The Latino Short Film Festival of New York: Corto Circuito was formed to showcase short films made by filmmakers from and about Latin America, Spain and the United States. The festival is unique in its mission to promote a wider and deeper understanding of the roots, life and diverse cultures of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking communities.
International short film competition 1 of 7 billion: There are problems that can, and must, be solved. As an individual, you can play a key role in creating a sustainable world characterized by balance and peace. You are part of a big, interconnected community where actions taken in one country or region can have an immediate impact on the other parts of the globe. Act now and make a video! The competition will accept audiovisual works in any digital format. Create a short film (10 minutes or less in length) inspired by one of the seven key issues of the 7 Billion Actions and stand a chance to win $ 4.000. For more information on how to participate: www.7billionactions.org
International Congress on Arts and Human Rights: On 10 December 1948, the international community committed itself to defending dignity and justice for all human beings. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the first universal recognition that basic rights and fundamental freedom belong to all people and are inalienable, and that all we are born free and equal in rights and obligations, regardless of nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language or other status. However, despite being translated to more than 360 languages and more than sixty years after its approval, the achievement of universality of Human Rights remains elusive. The International Congress on Arts and Human Rights will take place next year in Valencia, Spain, and it will focus on the role of the Arts as instrument of defense and promotion of Human Rights.
Film and Human Rights-Photon Festival: Foundation 10.12.48 organizes all year long film festivals and seasons on human rights. In 2012, for the first time, Foundation 10.12.48 will take part in the second edition of PHOTON FESTIVAL organizing a film season about photojournalism and human rights.
Albino, under the shadow of the sun: Being different is always difficult, but being in the African continent can be quite a feat. In recent times, the dire situation of the albinos living in Tanzania has been unveiled to the world eyes. They are hunted down and mutilated by people due to cultural believes or superstition. In other places such as Senegal, albinos are persecuted or killed. However, there are other ways to despise and ignore albinos, humiliating them and denying them all the social opportunities. Thus, their life revolves around social exclusion and poverty. To alter this discrimination is difficult but not impossible. We must join them in raising their voices to renounce the situation as a first step in advancing social change. Foundation 10.12.48 will develop an international campaign to support one of the most vulnerable groups in Africa: albinos.
For more information please visit: www.fundacion101248.com
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Dmitri Gutov
Dmitri Gutov was born in 1960 in Moscow, where he lives and works. He is a multidisciplinary artist, critic and theorist and one of the key figures of the contemporary art scene in Russia. Gutov’s main interest lies in Marxist aesthetics and references Soviet art of the 1920s, 1930s and 1960s.
In 1992, he graduated from Institute of Art, Sculpture and Architecture of the Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg, and he belongs to the generation of artists that burst onto the scene in Moscow at the beginning of the 1990s. The phenomenon of Soviet Culture, which became the primary subject for Moscow conceptualists, was fundamentally rethought by Gutov. His multifaceted practice work comprises paintings, installations, photographs and videos. Drawing on boundless sources of inspiration, his artistic language refers to the Marxist theorist Mikhail Lifshitz, Soviet artists, Rembrandt etchings, Russian iconography, Chinese calligraphy, and integrates objects of culture, regardless of their time-period or geography, by transforming them into pieces of contemporary art. In 2012, he permanently installed Gondola, a suspended and deconstructed Venetian gondola and globally recognized cultural object, at the Art Museum Riga Bourse. Like other three-dimensional works in his oeuvre, he references forms of Tatlin and Malevich and displays themes of the airborne, the linear and the cosmic. He has participated in international events such as the Istanbul Biennale (1992); Venice Biennale (1995, 2007, 2011); Sao Paulo Biennale (2002); Sydney Biennale (2006); Documenta (2007), Kassel; Shanghai Biennale (2012); Glasstress (2013), Venice; and the 6th Moscow Biennale (2015). Recently, he has had solo exhibitions at the Taiss Gallery (2010), Paris; Moscow Museum of Modern Art (2013); Art Museum Riga Bourse (2012, 2014); Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts (2015) and ART4.RU Contemporary Art Museum (2016), Moscow.
Stones, 2013
Glass, stones
Variable dimensions
Gondola, 2011
Wood, glass, wire cables
1200 x 280 x 280 cm
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Tradition!
Publication Date : August 22, 2015
Related Categories: Africa, Anthropology, China, Colonialism, corruption, Europe, History, ISIS, Islam, Muslim, Op Ed, Women
Tevye, the father living in revolutionary times of rapid change, struggled with what to do about traditions in the much loved musical, Fiddler on the Roof. This Russian-Jewish story, later a Broadway play and then a movie, played to audiences of many other cultures around the world who understood the issues very well. The 20th century was beset with traditions biting the dust. Children were in rebellion everywhere and parents did not know what to do about it.
My own view of "tradition" is sourly expressed in my web site: "Tradition? The only good traditions are food traditions. The rest are repressive." Indeed, history will bear me out. Most traditions around the world have to do with what woman may not do---or what must be done to them to keep them "under control."
In an attempt to be unbiased, 20th century anthropologists have reversed what seemed to be cultural jingoism of their predecessors in criticizing the practices of the world's non-western societies. Western explorers and colonial conquerors were horrified by some of the practices they found: bound feet in China, the harems in the Muslim world, widows compelled to sacrifice themselves on their husbands' funeral pyres in India, forced child marriages everywhere, and widespread child slavery.
Fashions in scholarship change. By mid-20th century, Anthropology had swung the other way and tried to find reasons for native practices rather than judging them through our own biases. Political fashions entered too, and the new fog of political correctness blew in with Edward Said, who managed to bully a generation of Islamic scholars into fear of saying anything negative about Muslim culture.
The world has recently had an opportunity to see what kind of "traditions" the culture of Islam has resurrected from the past. Even Edward Said, were he still alive, could not paint them in rosy colors. Islamists resolutely target women, who, to avoid beating or worse, must be invisible, covered from head to toe in black, and hidden from the public arena. When monsters such as ISIS take territory, they resurrect such "traditions" as female slave markets, religiously-sanctified rape of girls as young as nine (citing the "tradition" of the Hadith), and decapitation by the sword and amputation of limbs for theft. Tradition!
And then there is African tradition. One infamous Africa scholar claimed that democracy should not be their model. The "great chief" model was a fine "tradition" that had always worked in Africa. How well it worked has been seen in a parade of villainous, thieving, dictatorships-for-life. Another scholar I heard at a conference lamented the demise of traditional village languages and scorned the popularity of English and French as languages of the colonialists. I asked him how tradition languages would allow people to talk to each other? He had no answer.
President Obama took on the "tradition" issue in his July visit to Kenya and Ethiopia, which set everybody back on their heels! He bluntly told his hosts (I am paraphrasing) that just because certain practices have been done for centuries does not make them right! It is not right, he said, to abuse half your population just because they are female. It is not right to marry off underage girls, to deprive them of education and afflict them with genital mutilation. This does nothing but keep your country from its full potential. It is not right to persecute people because of whom they love. (This is a very hot-button issue in Africa. Homosexuality can bring death sentences in many places, and at a minimum, is illegal everywhere. It was very bold of President Obama to even mention it in public.)
He went on to discuss another most pervasive issue. "Corruption is an old tradition, but it does not have to be permanent. I come from Chicago, which also had a tradition of corruption. It can be challenged and changed. You can change it too." He also discussed democratic elections, and the reluctance of some leaders to step down from power. Presidents for life, he noted, are not compatible with democracy."
Bravo, Mr. President!
Tradition? Bah, humbug!
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The Wild West was more peaceful than today: "Roger McGrath, a historian who studied dozens of Western mining camps and towns, found a high rate of homicide in them mainly because it was socially acceptable for young, drunk single men to resolve points of honor by fighting to the death. But other violence wasn't tolerated, he said. "It was a rather polite and civil society enforced by armed men," Dr. McGrath said. "The rate of burglary and robbery was lower than in American cities today. Claim-jumping was rare. Rape was extraordinarily rare - you can argue it wasn't being reported, but I've never seen evidence hinting at that." Deadwood's bad reputation was established by the famous killing of Wild Bill and enhanced with claims that the miners averaged a murder a day. But Deadwood historians like Watson Parker dismiss that statistic. "Pure bilge," Dr. Parker told me. "There wasn't an awful lot of violence in Deadwood except for the crooks and drunks killing each other. When everybody has a gun on his hip, they tend to avoid confrontation." Another Deadwood historian, Bob Lee, said that the best account of the two peak years of the gold rush, 1876 and 1877, lists only 77 violent deaths in all the Black Hills, most outside Deadwood, and most attributed to Indians, who were understandably angry at the invasion of their lands by both miners and troops under George Armstrong Custer".
Texas: Bullet in head for car thief "A northeast Houston man opened fire on suspected car thieves who were trying to steal his vehicle, police told Local 2 Friday. Officers said two men driving a stolen tow truck were trying to tow a car out of the Swiss Village Apartments parking lot on Homestead near Tidwell shortly before 5 a.m. Roosevelt Grant is a neighbor of the car owner. He said he knew something was wrong when he saw the white Buick LeSabre hooked up to a tow truck. Then, he said he saw his neighbor running after his car and shooting a gun at the two men inside the wrecker. "I just heard a loud, squealing noise and I just happened to see a wrecker truck," Grant said. "To take something that belongs to you is just not right." The car's owner fired a total of six shots at the wrecker, hitting Antonio Devon Hunt, 29, who police said was driving the tow truck. He was shot once in the head and transported to Ben Taub Hospital in critical condition. The other man escaped. Police said that the men stole the tow truck a week ago and were using it to steal vehicles... Neighbors supported the car owner who fought back when his vehicle was being stolen. "I didn't even know he owned a gun. I probably would have done the same thing if it was my car," a neighbor known only as Linda said. Police do not expect to file charges against the owner because the shooting appears to be justified."
Posted by jonjayray at 6/30/2005 09:22:00 AM No comments: Links to this post
Texas homeowner kills 1, critically wounds another: "A northeast Houston resident shot and killed one man and critically wounded another after reportedly catching them breaking into his house early today. The man told police he returned to his house on Lakewood near Jensen just after 1 a.m. today and found four men trying to break in. He opened fire on the would-be burglars, who fired back before fleeing to a house on Willie near Terrell, about a mile a way, authorities said. One man died at the house on Willie and another man with gunshot wounds was taken to Ben Taub Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition. Neither of the victim's names has been released yet. Police are still questioning the man who shot them."
The results of strict British gun control: "Teenage gunmen are responsible for a huge surge in shootings across London. Police say they are arresting teenagers with loaded guns as young as 16, while one community leader told the Standard there were now 14-year-olds carrying guns. The teenage gunmen are suspected of being behind a rise of as much as 146 per cent in gun crime in some London boroughs in the months since April, during which Met Police figures show a 10 per cent rise capital-wide. One senior detective on Operation Trident, combating armed black drug gangs, said: "The gunmen are getting younger and younger. These kids are less disciplined than older gunmen and more volatile. The terrifying thing is they are getting hold of these guns and they are more willing to use them than older criminals." One youth, 19-year-old Troy Robinson, was shot dead and two other teenagers were injured in a gun battle involving four young men with guns in Wembley on Sunday night."
South Carolina: Combining shooting, living spaces: "Bang, bang! Champion shooter John Stillwagon hits the target and pulls down his gun. 'I smoked 'em,' he says. Stillwagon has been a Myrtle Beach developer for 20 years and champion trapshooter for more than 30 years, winning at least 40 state titles. A few years ago, he decided to combine his two loves and develop the first shooting-range residential community along the Grand Strand -- one of the first in the nation. ... Although some people might question who would want to live on a shooting range, Stillwagon says he knows exactly what he's doing. He says there are plenty of people who don't like golf and don't want to live on a golf course. Instead, they want to live where they can do what they love: trapshoot."
Michigan: Gun charge dropped over suspicion of bias: "A weapons charge against a 29-year-old Detroit man was dropped Wednesday after prosecutors refused to submit enough information to help a federal judge decide whether an antigun program unfairly targets black people. U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood dismissed the charge -- being a felon in possession of a firearm -- against James Thorpe, who was arrested by Detroit police in 2003 while sleeping in a car. They found a pistol in the vehicle. Thorpe, who had a prior criminal conviction and wasn't permitted to have a firearm, was prosecuted federally under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, which has stiffer sentences than state law. His lawyer, David Steingold of Detroit, asked prosecutors to produce information including statistics showing how many cases are accepted or rejected for the program by race to determine whether the project discriminates against blacks, as several criminal defense lawyers contend. Prosecutors declined, saying the information either doesn't exist or that Thorpe failed to meet the legal threshold to obtain it."
North Carolina: Teen killed after entering 15-year-old's home: "A prosecutor said Monday that a preliminary review indicates a 15-year-old Swannanoa boy acted in self-defense when he shot and killed another teen, but authorities need more information before deciding whether to file charges. Assistant District Attorney Kate Dreher said it's significant that there is evidence to show that David Eugene Ray forced his way into a home off Buckeye Access Road before he was shot in the chest Sunday ... 'If someone forces entry into your home and assaults you or another person, then there is more than a reasonable inference that you reasonably believed that you were in danger of serious bodily injury or death,' Dreher said. 'Preliminarily, my review does indicate that this is self-defense, but I have asked for some investigative follow up.'"
Thai teachers get guns to combat Muslim terrorists: "The Education Ministry plans to find cheap, second-hand guns for teachers in the southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani to protect themselves because buying brand-new guns is too expensive and time-consuming. Twenty-one teachers have been killed since southern violence flared up in January 2004, including a female principal in Narathiwat yesterday. Deputy Education Minister Rung Kaewdaeng said yesterday he was discussing the idea with Khunying Kasama Vorawan, permanent secretary for education, to develop a market for used guns which were affordable especially for teachers and education staff in the South. Although the Interior Ministry allows teachers and education personnel in the three southern provinces to carry guns for self-defence, the majority could not afford one, he said. ``Guns are hardly available in the region. If the teachers plan to buy brand-new guns, they must wait for their import, the process of which is very time-consuming. ``Besides, each new imported gun is as expensive as 60,000-70,000 baht. Any teachers who need guns must borrow from their saving cooperatives to pay the costs. ``If the Education Ministry helps them by finding cheap, used and workable guns, it will be very good,'' Mr Rung said."
Florida: Sheriff identifies man shot dead as burglar: "Police are investigating the claims of a man who says he shot two burglars breaking into his apartment Sunday afternoon, killing one and sending another to a hospital for emergency surgery. Eddie Nelson, 58, was being questioned by detectives trying to piece together exactly what happened, said Broward Sheriff's Office spokesman Hugh Graf. Nelson told detectives he caught two men trying to break through a sliding glass door into the back of his apartment on the 2200 block of Northwest 55th Way. Nelson said he fired several rounds with a handgun, Graf said. The two men ran, and Troy Fyffe, 25, whose last known address was in Lauderhill collapsed after 50 to 75 yards and died, Graf said on Monday."
Sanity to be forced on D.C.? "As a US Senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison splits time between her home state, where she is allowed to own practically any weapon invented and can even carry a concealed handgun, and the District of Columbia, where she can�t even keep a .357 Magnum in her house. For 12 years she has managed to abide this without complaint, but apparently she�s had enough. In May, she filed a bill to overturn DC�s gun-control laws, and this week she indicated that she has more than 30 co-sponsors and intends to push it to the floor for a vote in the near future. The bill would, in one swoop, negate all the gun laws the district has adopted over the past 30 years, including pre-purchase criminal-background checks and bans on semi-automatic weapons and cop-killer bullets. If it passes the Senate, it is expected to breeze through the House, which passed a similar bill last September".
Wisconsin: Concealed carry bill resurrected: "Supporters of carrying concealed guns will resurrect their fight in the Legislature. Senator Dave Zien (ZEEN) of Eau Claire says he'll reintroduce the bill by July. This one will have private companies and law enforcement organizations issuing permits instead of county sheriffs. The previous concealed carry bill vetoed by the governor required sheriff's departments to do background checks of applicants. But sheriffs complained they didn't have the time or resources to do so. The new proposal gives the responsibility for issuing permits to another group, such as the state Department of Justice, the union representing state troopers or private security firms."
India: Gun licences to be made easy: "Alarmed by the spate of armed robberies in the city, the Cyberabad police have announced that gun licences would be made easier to get for people living in remote localities on the fringe of the city. A week after dacoits bludgeoned to death a couple in full view of their children, Cyberabad police commissioner M Mahender Reddy made a night-long inspection visit -- with media personnel in tow -- to check out patrolling and security arrangements around the city. 'Gun licences will be issued depending upon the location of a colony and its susceptibility to dacoities. Farmhouses, poultry farms and remote layouts are the most susceptible,' he said and added that no case would be registered if a licence-holder used the weapon to protect himself."
Michigan: Burglar shot and killed by hostage: "Grand Rapids Police have arrested two men in connection with a robbery in which a third intruder was shot and killed. Twenty-three-year-old Ian Johnson was shot and killed by a resident of the Charles Avenue home that had been tied up. The resident broke free around 3 a.m., got a gun away from one of the suspects and shot him. ... Police say the suspects broke into the house in the overnight hours, searching for drugs and money, when they then took two men hostage. They bound and gagged the men by using duct tape and some wire."
Tacoma, WA: Quick-draw McGraw wins: "A 22-year-old man who had been arguing with his girlfriend was shot and killed early Saturday after another man overheard the argument and tried to break it up, police said. It happened about 2:40 a.m. at an apartment in the 4300 block of South Union Avenue in Tacoma, said police spokesman Mark Fulghum. Richard Matthews, who recently moved into his girlfriend�s apartment, pulled a gun on the man who tried to intervene, Fulghum said. But the would-be peacekeeper, identified by police only as an approximately 30-year-old Tacoma man, also was carrying a gun. He fired �numerous� shots at Matthews before Matthews could get off a shot, Fulghum said. Matthews was pronounced dead at the scene, Fulghum said. No other injuries were reported. Police officers who happened to be nearby heard the gunfire and arrived soon after the shooting, Fulghum said. The shooter was cooperative with officers, Fulghum said. Detectives interviewed him and let him go. It will be up to prosecutors to decide whether to charge him with a crime. Based on what police saw, �This guy just had a quicker draw,� Fulghum said. �The prosecutor will make the decision, but it looks like he didn�t have much choice.�"
Posted by jonjayray at 6/24/2005 09:10:00 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
South Africa: Police can't keep pace with new gun laws: "The government's efforts to get a firm grip on the millions of firearms in circulation are set to misfire spectacularly, with only 163 licence renewals completed so far this year. If police are to keep pace with the stringent requirements of the new law and the programme to tighten gun ownership in South Africa they will have to process 600,000 licence renewals by the end of this year -- or more than 4,000 a day. According to the police, since the new firearms legislation took effect on July 1 last year, they have received only 488 applications for new licences. ... The South African Gunowners' Association (Saga) and the Black Gun Owners' Association (BGOA) insist, however, that about 20,000 appeals have been registered with police by unsuccessful applicants wanting to know why their bids had failed. 'The police are just not coping. The government underestimated the burden of the administration process,' said Martin Hood, the spokesperson for Saga."
Texas: Governor signs bill recognizing gun rights: "Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation aimed at clarifying existing firearm laws, enhancing protections for law-abiding gun owners and reducing barriers for gun ownership, on Friday. 'The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right of every law-abiding citizen of our country,' Perry said. 'This legislation will clarify existing firearm laws, enhance protections for law-abiding gun owners and reduce barriers for gun ownership.'"
WOMEN PACKING HEAT
Some might say shooting is a mans sport, but, to that Bruce Wells with the Gateway Rifle Pistol Club says, "Absolutely not."
There is something about guns, that most people don't associate with women. "We're raised to cook and clean, and work and raise children, and safety just isn't our number one priority usually," said Christine Peacock. It's exactly the perception one criminal had when he tried to rob Peacock Thursday night while she was going through a fast food drive-thru. She, along with the robbery suspect, learned quickly the power of having a gun in a scary situation. "That I could pull it, and use it as force," she said. It just so happens she was in her boyfriend's car, along with his gun. Something she didn't necessarily agree with. "I didn't believe that everybody should carry a gun at all times. I thought it was too overprotective," she said.
"I have seen a big increase of women buying more guns, and not necessarily for self defense, but for enjoyment," said Wells. He's seen a great increase of women purchasing guns, but, it's not for reasons you may think. It seems some women get a kick out of the sport of handling a gun. "This lady was ordering about a $2,000 to $3,000 AR-15, because she enjoyed shooting that much," said Wells of a woman he encountered at gun shop. He says, "The women have really taken off and done well in the shooting sports."
Christine may not decide to become a master rifleman, but, her days of traveling unarmed are over. "I plan on enrolling in a concealed weapons permit class, and purchasing my own gun, having one with me at all times."
Machine-gun fiesta: "It sounded more like what would be heard around the war zones of Baghdad or Mosul in Iraq rather than rural Wyandotte. On Saturday, more than 200 avid machine gun enthusiasts from around the nation gathered for the fourth annual Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot and Trade Show -- and brought with them a full arsenal of fully-automatic weapons. Featuring everything from mini-guns to MG-42s to AR-50s to Quad 50s, the auto shoot drew crowds of nearly 1,500 spectators who, setting up lawn chairs in the shade, sat back and watched the bullets fly. Positioned under a long line of tents atop a ridge, the shooters fired down into an assortment of targets including cars, trucks, buses, washing machines and even a small airplane. Explosions resounded throughout the hills as hot lead tore through car metal and set off "fuel bombs" that were placed in some of the vehicles. "It just keeps getting better and better every year," smiled Mike Friend, owner of "The Firing Line" and co-organizer of the event. "People that own stuff like this need a place to shoot and we feel like we've got a good, safe place for them to do that." Co-organizer DeWayne Convirs, who owns both "The Bunker" army surplus store and the land used for the auto shoot, said the number of people who want to come out and watch the machine guns blaze gets bigger every time. "This is twice the attendance we saw last year," Convirs remarked."
WOMEN NEED GUNS
As reported by News 5 Cincinnati, a woman was violently attacked early Monday morning on the 10th floor of the Tower Place parking garage in downtown Cincinnati. With courage and a fair amount of luck she managed to fend off her knife-wielding attacker and run for help from another patron of the garage. He dialed 911. The 911 log tells a chilling story:
Woman: "He has a kitchen knife on him -- a big, long chef's knife."
Woman: "He tried to attack me with a knife and pull me into the stairwell. He kept telling me to go into the stairwell and I wouldn't go."
Police described the suspect as a black man, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, wearing a black skull cap, a red jersey with "Griffey" printed on the back, green sweatpants, and green sneakers. The attacker escaped in the elevator. News 5 discovered there were no security cameras in the garage.
With only a little less courage or luck, she might have been raped, maimed for life, and left for dead in the Tower Place stairwell. A better choice would be for her to have been carrying. Tower Place isn't posted against concealed carry--something that should be encouraged and pointed to as the kind of management decision making that saves lives.
Far too many women suffer under the perception that they are too weak or that it is simply "too scary" to defend themselves with a firearm. This is a serious educational gap that needs to be remedied. Food for thought--you never know where you will be when an attack might occur. Do you regularly carry and are you prepared? Is your wife prepared?
In a related story reported by WCPO - 9 News the next day, the husband of the woman attacked at the garage Monday is calling for the changes at Tower Place to prevent future crimes. He asked for notification to all the monthly parkers that the attack occurred so they can take their own due diligence, installation of surveillance cameras in the stairwells and elevators, and increased security patrols.
House rejects .50-cal victim disarmament amendment: "The National Rifle Association and its allies in the House beat back an effort Thursday to restrict gun manufacturers' exports of high-powered, .50-caliber rifles that can bring down jet airliners from a mile away. By a 278-149 vote, the House killed an amendment by Rep. James Moran to block .50-caliber exports to civilians. He said the guns are dream weapons for terrorists."
THE SOUTH AFRICAN DISASTER
In South Africa, violent crime has been increasing dramatically .... In response, the government has passed new laws that require guns to be re-licensed every five years (guns already needed to be licensed to be legal). To be eligible for a license, applicants must complete an accredited training course, pass a police background check, install a safe or strongbox for storage, and prove that they need a gun. Eighty percent of those seeking licenses are rejected, causing gun owners to believe (correctly) that the measure is intended to disarm law-abiding people.
Many South Africans, who rightly fear for their safety, have been trying to find alternatives to using guns for protection. Many "houses are surrounded by razor wire and electric fences," and people are buying crossbows, Zulu fighting spears, swords, battle axes, and pepper spray. The owner of one gun shop said that demand was so great for these items that he had to build a new shop.
Predictably, gun control advocates argue that disarming law-abiding citizens will stop the deluge of crime, even though it is estimated that between one million and four million illegal firearms are in circulation (albeit many of these are likely owned by basically honest people who are in fear of their lives) and that, according to the January 6 Guardian of London, only half of the violent deaths "were thought to be gun-related."
Somewhat ironically, during the time period of apartheid, whites had few restrictions on being able to get guns, large numbers were armed, and gun-related crime was relatively low. Alex Holmes, of South Africa's Arms and Ammunition Dealers Association, says the government has to realize that "the real problem is from 30-40,000 hardcore criminals using a small amount of illegal guns." He added, "Licensed guns are not used in crime at any great rate."
Once again, gun control advocates are overlooking the common-sense aspect of crime, and they're failing to acknowledge that to control crime, criminals must be controlled, not law-abiding citizens. As reported on the website "South Africa in transition," in the east coast city of Soweto, crime is especially bad, and the criminals are so numerous that an Indian doctor who works in a hospital there, named Anushka Lehka, tries to come and leave work during daylight hours. If she does drive in the city at night, "she never stops for red lights for fear of being hijacked."
Home invasion triggers shoot-out: Raymond Rogers says he is lucky to be alive after a man broke into his home and shot at him repeatedly early Wednesday morning. Tyrell Taylor, one of two men accused in the break-in, also survived, although he was struck twice when Rogers returned fire. Taylor, 21, was wanted by police for his alleged role in an unrelated murder. He is in fair condition at Southeastern Regional Medical Center, suffering with a collapsed lung. Rogers said he was roused from his sleep about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday by the sound of someone trying to kick in the front door of his Greenville Road home. Rogers, 24, grabbed his .20-gauge shotgun and hid in a back bedroom with his girlfriend. When two men entered the home and found Rogers with a shotgun, one began shooting. Rogers said he shot back, striking one of the men, but the man continued shooting as he lay wounded on the floor. Rogers fired a second time, striking the man in the chest. "He shot at me about three or four times and he never hit me," Rogers said. "I reckon' I'm lucky to be alive. I had my gun to protect myself." Rogers' girlfriend also escaped injury. The gunman and the second man managed to flee the home. Sheriff's Detective Neil Tyner said authorities were able to identify Taylor after he was taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center with gunshot wounds to his left leg and chest. Sheriff's investigators are still looking for the second man. Tyner said Taylor and the second man pried open Rogers' front door with a hammer after repeated attempts to kick in the door failed.
KANSAS CITY, Mo: Police are investigating two violent home invasions Friday: The shootings and break-ins appear to be unrelated, officials said. However, in both cases, the victims said the gunmen were strangers to them. One of the crimes happened in southeast Kansas City at 8603 Corrington Ave. Police said a man came to the house asking if a car was for sale. The husband and wife who live there said it wasn't. Less than an hour later, three people burst into the home and ordered the woman to the floor at gunpoint, police said. Then, her husband surprised the intruders by wielding a gun. Shots were fired. Two of the intruders were hit, but they escaped in a truck with someone who was waiting outside, officials said. The second home invasion happened on the east side at 2811 E. Ninth St. A resident said at about 10:30 a.m., the door was kicked in and strangers invaded the house. "They entered through the front door, tried to proceed through the house and then that's when I came out and startled them, and then they exited the premises. Before they left, they rang out some gunshots," the resident said. KMBC's Peggy Breit reported that bullet holes were seen in the walls and ceiling. No one was injured. The resident said he felt lucky that no one else was home at the time.
Florida: Son shoots and kills dad in self-defense: "What started as a fight over respect for one's father -- or the lack thereof -- quickly deteriorated at a St. Petersburg home just before midnight Tuesday and culminated with a son fatally shooting his father, police said. However, Ollie Latodd Flounary Jr., 20, is not likely to be charged in the shooting death of Ollie Latodd Flounary Sr., 43, because he apparently reacted in self-defense, St. Petersburg police said. At the time the son shot his father, the father was beating him with a 14-inch piece of iron pipe."
Louisiana: Bossier City looks to ban paintball guns: ""Playing paintball is a shot-in-the-arm for Paintball Warehouse and Field Owner Pat Cordaro and his son Matt, even if it's one-on-one. Son hit father first in this match-up. You can hear the thud against the elder Cordaro's skin as the paintball broke, and we're sure it did not tickle. Cordaro says, 'these paintballs are weapons, this paintball fires up to 300 feet per second. You could get your eyes shot out, it could break the skin, it's very dangerous.' That's part of the reason why Bossier City Councilman Scott Irwin drafted an ordinance to ban shooting paintball guns within city limits. The other reason for the ordinance? Irwin says, 'a constituent called me saying someone shot a paintball gun at his house.'"
Michigan: Carjacking sparks a gunfight: "Police have a message for carjacking victims who spot their stolen vehicles on the road the next day: Don't pull out your shotgun and confront the thieves yourself. That's what led to an exchange of gunfire Sunday that landed one man in the hospital with gunshot wounds, Eastpointe police said. The bizarre chain of events began Saturday, when two men allegedly carjacked a woman in Detroit. The next day, her husband happened to spot her white Ford SUV at a gas station on Kelly Road north of 8 Mile in Eastpointe. Two men were in the SUV. The husband, armed with a shotgun, reportedly watched as one of the men walked into the station. The husband confronted the other man, who pulled out a small-caliber revolver, said Eastpointe Police Sgt. Richard Hardy. Both men began firing. The man from the SUV was wounded and hospitalized in serious condition with injuries to his head, hand and leg, Hardy said Sunday night. The husband wasn't injured."
Low type shot: "Deputies say a man was shot and killed in Montgomery County overnight after chasing a woman from the scene of a traffic accident. The shooting happened early today on Calvary Road near I-45 in northern Montgomery County. Authorities said the man and woman evidently were fighting in a moving car before it veered off the road and turned over. The woman got out of the wrecked vehicle and ran to a nearby home for help. Montgomery County Sheriff's Office deputies said the man evidently followed her but was not admitted to the house. When the man began trying to force his way into the home, deputies said the homeowner shot and killed him. It is unclear whether the homeowner will face charges".
South Africa: New shots about museum guns: "The SA National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg is being investigated for apparent irregularities in connection with illegal weapons, said Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula in parliament on Friday. ... Nqakula told the committee that unrelated investigations revealed that certain government departments and municipalities also had firearms. 'The previous government handed out weapons to many organisations in a very uncontrolled manner,' he said.He explained that, as part of the drive to remove weapons from society, he wanted co-operation from his fellow ministers and for them to hand the weapons to police."
South Africa: Big pro-gun demonstration: "A group of gun owners and gun-shop proprietors are demanding that police grant them firearm licences, according to a memorandum handed to the office of Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa on Tuesday. 'We have given them three weeks to respond to our demand. If they don't respond we will go and collect our guns from the gun-shop owners with or without licences,' said Abios Khoele, president of the Black Gun Owners' Association. ... The group, which came in four buses and taxis, met at Beyers Naude Gardens in central Johannesburg before walking to Shilowa's office. Some placards the crowd waved read: 'Guns don't kill people. Guns protect people,' 'New law sucks -- old law still the best' and 'Nqakula, son of H F Verwoerd, stop oppressing blacks.' A handful of police officers monitored the situation."
Feisty ladies: "An armed robber brandishing a revolver and some tough talk entered Blalock's Beauty College demanding money Tuesday afternoon. He left crying, bleeding and under arrest, after Dianne Mitchell, her students and employees attacked the suspect, beating him into submission. Mitchell tripped the robber as he tried to leave and cried aloud "get that sucker" as the group of about 20, nearly all women, some wielding curling irons, bludgeoned him until police arrived. "You can tell the world don't mess with the women here," said the 53-year-old who manages the Shreveport beauty school in the 5400 block of Mansfield Road. Jared Gipson, 24, of Shreveport was charged with armed robbery, Shreveport police said. He will be booked into the City Jail once he is released from the hospital. "He received several lacerations to the head and was taken to LSU Hospital in Shreveport," spokeswoman Kacee Hargrave said. "Nobody else was seriously injured besides the suspect.... Bishop jumped on the man's back, driving him into the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Mitchell rallied her students. "We moved some furniture after that," she yelped with joy as she retold the tale. Arming themselves with curling irons, chairs, a wooden table leg and clenched fists, the women attacked. Blood and urine splattered from the victim; stains adorned the white paints worn by many of the beauty school students. Crying in pain, the robber tried to crawl away from the students, Mitchell said.
Florida: 76 year old fatally shoots intruder: "A 76-year-old Polk County man shot and killed a 19-year-old neighbor Sunday night and has told investigators the younger man broke into his mobile home and wrestled away his wallet ... Bright told deputies that Lusk had come to his home earlier in the evening and they argued after Bright accused Lusk of stealing from him. Bright told Lusk he wanted his money back and also asked Lusk to leave, Shanley said. Lusk refused to leave at first, then did, then returned later, and when Bright wouldn't let him in, threw a cement block through a window and got in the home, Shanley said. Bright told investigators Lusk then pushed him down and took his wallet. Bright went and got a .22-caliber rifle and shot Lusk after he still refused to leave and continued to act in a threatening manner."
Louisiana: Carjacker shot: "The assistant principal of Youree Drive Middle School in Shreveport is hospitalized with a gunshot wound after a shootout with a man who allegedly tried to carjack him. Shreveport Police say Charles Washington arrived at police headquarters Sunday with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, saying he'd just been shot by a man and returned fire. Washington says a man approached him at an intersection, demanding his car keys and wallet. Washington says the man shot him and he shot back, wounding the alleged robber identified as Gabriel Robinson. The 20-year-old Robinson was booked into the city jail on a charge of attempted second-degree murder. Washington remains hospitalized in fair condition. Caddo Parish Schools Superintendent Ollie Tyler, who was Washington's boss at the school for several years, visited with him yesterday. She says he seems in good spirits and he told her he was ready to get back to work. Meanwhile, police say Washington, in shooting his alleged assailant, was apparently acting in self-defense. While it's unclear if Washington has a license for a firearm, police say he didn't need one since he had the gun in his car, which is considered an extension of the home".
Missouri: Shooting ruled 'justified': "The shooting death of a Reeds Spring man by his niece was determined to be justified by the Stone County prosecuting attorney's office this week.Prosecutor Matt Selby announced he would not file charges against Peggy Marxen, 43, who shot Icie Edward Endsley, 68, three times May 28 after he'd shot and wounded two other people. 'I determined the evidence would show that she was justified in believing he was a danger to her and to others,' Selby said. 'Obviously, he'd already shot two people and he still had the gun. The force she used was reasonable under the circumstances.' According to police reports, Marxen shot Endsley in the left wrist, left arm and upper back with a .44-caliber handgun after Endsley shot Eddie Lee Pipes, 48, of Reeds Spring, in the left forearm and Tracie Elaine Bewley, 43, also of Reeds Spring, in the leg, with a .22-caliber rifle."
Gun rights for ex-cops: "Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. yesterday initiated a state program to license retired police officers to carry concealed handguns, making Maryland one of the first states to implement new federal laws expanding gun rights for retired and off-duty officers. "This is good public policy that will make a safer state, which is why I am very proud Maryland has led," said Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican. Surrounded by officers from various local and state law-enforcement agencies, Mr. Ehrlich made the announcement at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3 in Baltimore. The setting underscored Baltimore's high murder rate despite crime-fighting pledges by Mayor Martin O'Malley, a likely Democratic rival to Mr. Ehrlich in next year's governor's race. Last week, the FBI reported that violent crime in Baltimore increased 4.2 percent to 11,667 incidents in 2004, while the numbers declined in most other cities. Mr. O'Malley, who took office five years ago promising to lower the homicide rate, but instead watched the city become one of America's deadliest, was not invited to yesterday's announcement... Mr. Ehrlich's initiative buttressed the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, which President Bush signed into law last year. The act allows retired and off-duty officers who meet certain standards to carry a concealed handgun in any jurisdiction. The weapons are barred from airplanes and in other restricted places... Arizona and Idaho also have implemented the federal law.
South Africa: 17,000 appeal rejection of gun licences: "The police have received more than 17 000 appeals so far against their rejection of applications for firearm licences. ... [Director of the communication division of the police, Phuti Setati] gave the lack of sufficient motivation and criminal offences as the main reasons for turning down applications for firearm licences. Applicants did not submit adequate motivation and supporting documentation to justify their need for a particular firearm, he said. But a frustrated member of the police thinks the decision to turn down his application for a hunting gun is absurd. ... 'The licence for the gun I want to use for hunting was rejected because there was not sufficient motivation,' said the policeman.'I want to hunt. What kind of motivation do they still want?' he asked."
Ohio: Shooting ruled self defense: "The fatal shooting of a Sharon man was done in self-defense according to the Mercer County District Attorney. The Mercer County District Attorney says homeowner Kevin Mcewen shot and killed Robert Flynn after Flynn broke into his home Saturday morning. Flynn allegedly went to the Sharpsville home because his girlfriend was there. He then started waving a gun around and threatening people inside the house."
Georgia: Woman fends off home intruder: "Police are searching for a suspect who entered a home in north Fulton County Monday morning. The homeowner, a 38-year-old woman, told police she was able to shoot the suspect as he fled the residence. Michelle Johnston told police that her attacker threw her to the ground after entering her home located in the 500 block of Alstonefield Drive. 'She was awake. She came downstairs in her home and that's where the struggle began, that's where she was confronted by the suspect,' said Fulton police Lt. Dexter White. She told police she was able to reach for the suspect's gun during the scuffle and shoot at him."
America's gun war is being won in the nation's courts: "Wal-Mart last year settled a California lawsuit alleging widespread violations of gun laws for $14.5 million. The California suit said Wal-Mart stores sold guns to convicted felons and ammunition to minors, and allowed buyers to pick up guns before criminal background checks were complete. Gun control advocates called the settlement an important victory over one of the nation's major firearms retailers. But in the ongoing legal war over gun violence and gun control, the Wal-Mart case was one small skirmish. Large-scale attempts to blame firearms makers for gun violence in American cities have failed. Class-action lawsuits seeking billions of dollars from manufacturers get shot down in courts all over the nation."
THE FLORIDA SCENE
Roy Bedard is a karate champion and reserve police officer who calls himself a "use of force expert." Bedard, who runs a security consulting company in Tallahassee called RRB Systems International, said most business owners "tend to carry weapons responsibly." But he believes more should be done to educate gun owners on when � not just how � to use their weapons. "Deadly force isn't something you plan for," Bedard said. "Suddenly you're there and the question is, 'Do I shoot or don't I shoot?' There is no greater decision a person will make than to take another person's life." A pair of recent incidents in Lee County involving guns have raised that issue.
* On May 29, off-duty security guard Donald Biggs pulled his pistol and began firing shots in the parking lot of a Fort Myers Publix store to try to stop a fleeing shoplifting suspect. No one was hurt by the gunfire.
* On June 3, a clerk at Weaver's Corner Pharmacy in North Fort Myers pulled a pistol and shot an armed, masked man who was trying to rob the pharmacy of prescription drugs. Convicted felon James Dan Maroney, 36, was arrested Thursday and has been charged with attempted armed robbery.
Don Coate, who owns Coate-of-Arms firearms store in North Fort Myers, believes the pharmacy worker should be congratulated. "God bless him," Coate said. "Amen. More power to him. He was a store owner who was defending his property and himself. I'm happy for that guy." But Coate said he's not so sure about the actions of Biggs, who tried to shoot out the tires of a truck being driven erratically by suspected shoplifter Matthew Depalma.
Bobby Blanchard of Fort Myers witnessed the incident. "I don't think he needed to be shooting that gun off in that parking lot," said Blanchard, who had just come out of the store when Biggs began shoot. "To me, that's considered a petty theft," Blanchard said. "A petty theft does not require when somebody is getting away to shoot at their tires. It was just scary, the whole thing."
Biggs said he fired his 9 mm handgun at the suspect's tires after the man hit a parked car, ran over a store employee's foot and was turning in circles with another employee hanging out of the vehicle. The state attorney's office is reviewing both incidents to see if any crimes were committed by the shooters, who each had concealed weapons permits.
GUN CRIMES DOWN
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, violent crimes involving guns have been on the decline in the state for years � dropping from 44,885 in 1992 to 26,346 in 2002, the latest year for which statistics are available. But many business owners still keep weapons at the ready.
At the D & D convenience store off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Dunbar, store manager Tom Goodrich sometimes has a pistol on hand. But owner Imad Awad, 40, believes he does more to ward off crime by having a top-notch security system and extra people minding the store. "The counter is only two steps from the door," Awad said. "If a person's going to come and rob the store, they're going to walk in with a gun in their hand. Whether I have a gun or 20 guns in here you can't do anything with it."
Corporations such as 7-Eleven and Pizza Hut forbid their clerks and delivery drivers to carry weapons. According to 7-Eleven spokeswoman Margaret Chabris, the company has cut its holdup rate by 68 percent since 1976 simply by keeping most of the money in "time-delay" safes that dispense cash slowly. "Robbers steal for cash," said a 7-Eleven study on the issue. "If stores reduce their cash availability and publicize it, they can deter robberies."
Detroit burglar cops it: "A suspected burglar was shot and killed by a Romulus homeowner early Friday morning. Investigators say a 35-year old man, allegedly armed with a 9 millimeter automatic handgun, was trying to break into a home on Oakbrook Street, south of Metro Airport when he was shot. Police say the homeowner is cooperating with the investigation. Prosecutors will determine if he'll face charges. Investigators are also trying to find out if a second suspect was involved".
Virginia: Shooting ruled self-defense: "A Hertford man will not face charges in the April shooting death of an Elizabeth City woman because he was acting in self-defense, District Attorney Frank Parrish said. Thomas Harvin, 49, of Hertford, fatally shot Stacy Bayles, 39, early April 6. The incident began after Harvin arrived outside the Ivy Neck Road home of his ex-wife, Dawn Teachey. Parrish said Bayles, a friend of Teachey, shot Harvin when he arrived. During a struggle over the gun, Bayles was shot in the head. Bayles died from the wound, and Harvin was treated at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville and released. 'The evidence tends to indicate that the woman who would be killed had laid in wait for Mr. Harvin,' Parrish said."
Scotland to get tougher victim disarmament laws : "Jack McConnell is prepared to take the unprecedented step of extending the powers of the Scottish Parliament to bring in tough new gun laws. The First Minister will introduce a major new licensing system for airguns north of the Border following the Home Office's refusal to take action on the issue. The new rules will mean that anyone who buys an air weapon will have to apply for a permit, provide their details to the authorities and give a satisfactory explanation as to why they need a gun. The first stage of the crackdown would apply only to the purchase of new weapons, but Mr McConnell then wants to go further and extend the permit system to the owners of all existing airguns in Scotland. This could be done by giving everyone who owns an airgun a year or more to register their weapons, with any not registered after that time being declared illegal."
Tennessee: Store owner shoots would-be robber: "A Memphis store owner shot and killed a would-be robber. The shooting happened at the Citgo on Jackson Avenue at Interstate 240. Memphis police say that just after two this morning a gunman tried to rob the Citgo store. Investigators say the gunman grabbed a clerk who was taking out the trash and entered the store using the clerk as a human shield. The owner was in the back of the store and shot at the suspect killing him. The owner also accidentally shot the clerk sending him to the MED in non-critical condition."
Florida: Gun owners laud deadly force law : "William Haymond, a former Marine, proudly wears a veteran's pin on his black baseball cap. There's also a pin from the National Rifle Association, an organization Haymond has been a member of since 1953. At 73, Haymond considers himself a gun enthusiast and collector. ... Haymond knows his hobby can be used for deadly force, which he isn't afraid to use. 'If some young punk who's 20 years old wants to take my money, I can't fight him,' Haymond said. 'But I can shoot him.'"
California gun club stands up to be counted: A shooting range here has announced a ban on use of its shooting facilities by employees of the California Department of Justice because the Department is supporting two bills in the State legislature that the club opposes. The bills represent groundbreaking new ballistic identification systems which would give police new crime solving tools. Each would set up systems for markings on gun ammunition in California that would help law enforcement investigators track down the perpetrators of shootings that might otherwise remain unsolved. One bill (AB 352) would require handguns to include a device that stamps a specific number on bullets that are fired by that handgun, while the other (SB 357) would require that ammunition manufacturers mark ammunition with a serial number for potential tracking. The bills have the support of the California DOJ.
Indianopolis: Oldster shoots robber: Aged in his 70's, Alfonzo Gonzales shot a man multiple times after he came into the store and demanded money. Alfonzo Gonzales and his wife were running their Discount Cleaners store when police say 23 year old Lavern Thompson walked inside and demanded money. Thanks to quick action, they'll both keep their business, and if Thompson recovers, he'll face jail time for attempted armed robbery. "Thompson walked inside, pointed his gun and demanded money, that's when Gonzales, a retired police officer came from the back of the store, yelled for his wife to get down, and shot the suspect more than once," says Sgt. Judy Phillips of IPD. "The suspect ran out, but collapsed outside in the back parking lot, he was taken to Wishard and is in critical condition." .... Lavern Thompson remains in critical condition at Wishard Hosptial. Police say he has no criminal history. The investigation is not complete, but so far, investigators say the shooting was justified.
More Papers Barring Some Gun Sales From Classifieds : "Since November 2001, a group called Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence has been trying to persuade newspapers to not accept classified ads for guns from people who are not licensed dealers. Wednesday, its "Campaign to Close the Newspaper Loophole" announced the policy had been adopted by four more Ohio papers, including the Cincinnati Enquirer and its joint operating agency partner the Cincinnati Post, as well as three Iowa dailies and a Nebraska daily. The group said since its campaign began, a total of 26 papers with a combined circulation of 5.8 million have changed their policy after being contacted by the group. In April, the group sent a letter to the publishers of all daily newspapers in Iowa, Ohio, and Nebraska. The Hawk Eye, a 19,000-circulation daily in Burlington, Iowa, was one of those persuaded. "Our publisher agreed there was a loophole, and that when we accepted ads on these transient customer to advertise gun shows, we had in the past not checked to see if they were licensed," the Hawk Eye's advertising director, Janet Stottmeister, told E&P in a telephone interview. The paper changed its policy April 26, but so far has not had to turn anyone away. The classified ad business for guns is "very small" at the paper, she said".
IT'S FINAL: DROPPING GUN BAN DID NO HARM AT ALL
So much for "anti-gun hysterics" and predictions of "blood running in the streets," a Second Amendment group says. Nine months after the Clinton-era "assault weapons ban" expired, the FBI has released crime statistics showing a drop in homicides in 2004 -- the first such drop since 1999. The FBI report said all types of violent crime declined last year, and cities with more than a million people showed the largest drops in violent crime.
When the Clinton ban on certain semiautomatic weapons expired last September, gun control groups warned that violent crime would escalate, including violence against children. But those "doom and gloom" forecasts have been exposed as "pure clap-trap," said SAF President Joe Tartaro. "Where is the news media on this?" Tartaro wondered. He said if the number of homicides had gone up, reporters would be writing front-page stories linking the rise to the end of the semi-auto ban. But that's not the case, and the mainstream press, with the exception of an April 28 New York Times article, has been pretty quiet about it," Tartaro said.
The FBI crime report is more proof that the rhetoric from anti-gunners is bogus, Tartaro added. "The press should now question all the other outrageous claims and predictions from the gun control crowd."
"The gun control movement is, and always has been, built on a foundation of hysteria and lies," SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb said. "From their lawsuits against gun makers to their assaults on the firearm civil rights of law-abiding American citizens, these gun grabbers have been deliberately deceitful and consistently wrong."
Criminals and politicians love gun control: "Even by conservative estimates, more than 800,000 Americans use guns defensively against criminals each year, firing a shot less than 3 percent of the time. In contrast, police officers are more likely than private gun owners to shoot the wrong person in a given confrontation. Statistics showing that a handgun is more likely to kill its owner or an acquaintance than an assailant are deceptive. Gun owners almost never have to kill anyone to effectively defend themselves, and almost all incidents of people dying by their own guns are suicides."
Weapons of choice: "'Smith & Wesson is the handgun of choice among America's criminals.'We know this because Steve Bailey of The Boston Globe tells us so. The columnist berates the gun maker for not pursuing an agreement hatched between its former British owners and the Clinton administration to ward off lawsuits by imposing draconian restrictions on firearms dealers. 'Smith & Wesson's .38-caliber revolver is the handgun traced most often in crimes,' he proclaims. 'As the cops and ministers work the streets in Boston, the gun lobby is working the halls of Congress in Washington,' Bailey whines, anticipating the end of the federal 'assault weapons' ban. What that has to do with S&W .38s is anyone's guess, but it dovetails nicely into the Violence Policy Center's hysterical assertion that 'Drug traffickers are finding that assault weapons provide the extra firepower necessary to fight police and competing dealers. Right-wing paramilitary extremists have made these easily purchased firearms their gun of choice.'"
Narrow escape in NC: "A store clerk said Monday night that she reached for her own gun after a man with a gun tried to rob her Monday in Burke County. Bonnie Christie said the man walked into the store and pulled a gun on her. Christie said whenthe man's gun jammed, she reached for her loaded gun under the counter. "I said, 'well, if you're gonna shoot me, I can shoot you'" Christie said. The robber ran out the front door. Christie copied down the tag number of the getaway car and called the Burke County Sheriff's Office. Deputies traced the license tag to a home in Marion. McDowell County sheriff's deputies then helped arrest Thomas Mauk and Christopher Cannon. "People think you make a lot of money at a job like this, but you make a living and that's about it," said Christie. Mauk and Cannon were in the Burke County Jail Monday night under a $75,000 bond".
Lovely wife: "A former NSW police officer has been jailed for at least 18 months for possessing illegal firearms, capsicum spray, police uniforms and other police equipment. Steven Lenard Williams, 43, pleaded guilty to 11 charges, including possessing prohibited weapons and police paraphernalia. NSW District Court Judge Mark Marien today sentenced Williams, from St Ives on Sydney's North Shore, to a maximum of three years' jail with an 18-month non-parole period. The court was told Williams was an officer in the NSW police service from 1999 to 2003, and was a member of the Australian Army Reserve and trained Australian army cadets. Judge Marien said that, although Williams had no criminal history and was not involved in the illegal trafficking of firearms, his conduct endangered the community. "It is a contraction in the extreme that the offender, who is so highly regarded in his service to the community ... could engage in such serious criminal conduct which potentially places the very safety of the community in jeopardy," he told the court. Williams had kept some of the firearms and police equipment after he resigned from the police force, the court was told. Williams's wife alerted police to the weapons and equipment. Williams will be eligible for parole in December 2006".
A lesson from experience: "I, too, wish to keep guns away from kids and stop the senseless killings that occur, but I advocate a loaded gun for protection from home invasion or other life-threatening circumstances. I speak from experience. One fateful night there was a crash in front of our house. I thought they had hit my car and went out to assess the damage. The driver was attempting to drive away, and I stopped him. His girlfriend suggested he hit me, and when he got out of his car, I ran into my house. Then I heard others say, ''No, don't do it!" and realized he had a weapon. I managed to keep him from entering, but he broke a window and shot me in the leg. If I'd had access to a gun, I could've let him enter and then had a legal right to shoot him. I vowed to never allow this to happen again, so now my guns are loaded and locked in my bedroom. Once the bad guys realize their lives are threatened, crime will decrease."
Ohio: AG shoots down Clyde gun ban: "Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro says Clyde's interpretation of state law on concealed weapons in parks is wrong. In a brief filed Friday in a court case, Petro argued that if Clyde is allowed to ban weapons in its parks, it could set a precedent that would render the state's concealed-carry laws useless. Petro's brief said Clyde was misinterpreting the law. 'Concealed carry is meangingless if citizens cannot carry on public sidewalks and streets,' it said. If Clyde's law is upheld, it said, 'then the City of Clyde would also have the ability to prohibit concealed carry anywhere within its borders.' That would defeat the whole purpose of the law, the brief said. Clyde passed an ordinance on the issue last year. It has argued that its land should be treated the same as businesses and private property, whose owners have the right to restrict weapons."
South Carolina: Merchant fires on robbery suspect: "John Vereen, owner of Vereen's Grocery on Rivers Avenue in North Charleston, said he did what he had to do Friday. A man wearing a white bandanna and brandishing a gun barged in about 2:30 p.m. and robbed Vereen and his customers. 'He got my money off of me, off a few of my customers, and then he turned around and ran out the front door,' said Vereen, whose family has owned the business for 47 years. The store owner left a handful of family members and customers inside and chased after the robber, firing four shots as the man jumped a fence behind the building. ... Within hours, police arrested three suspects in connection with the robbery, and a fourth person with the group was arrested on drug charges." [Registration required, or use login "newsdigests/newsdigests"]
GUNSPINNING CHAMP A FROG!
The fastest gun in the West doesn't actually live in the West, or even in the U.S., but on a leafy street in Montreal's east end. Raphael Frechette, born and raised in Quebec, recently won his second consecutive world gunspinning championship and, in the process, has brought a whole new dimension to the discipline. An acrobat and circus performer by training, Frechette won his first gunspinning championship in 2004, a year and a half after taking up gunspinning seriously. "There were a bunch of real cowboys there, who have been playing with guns for 10 to 20 years," said Frechette, who goes by the nickname Riff Raph. "It was intimidating. To my biggest surprise, I won. "They were saying, 'Who is this small guy from Quebec spinning the fake guns?' "
Gunspinning is the art of fancy gun handling, the legacy of tricks and smooth moves that informs the legend of Buffalo Bill and was made famous in movies by the likes of John Wayne and Will Rogers. But gunspinning competitions are hardly unruly. Held under World Gunspinning Association rules, they draw cowboys from as far as the Czech Republic. Gunspinning, along with whip-cracking and lasso work, now forms a big part of the Cowboys' shows in the wake of Frechette's competitive success.
The shows also promote gun safety. Frechette's victories have done more than simply establish him as the new gunspinning force to be reckoned with -- they have raised the standard in the discipline. "They knew it as a technical skill," said Frechette. "I brought an artistic side to it." Frechette has even pioneered a series of moves dubbed the "Raphael experience" and another known as the "Sexy holster drop."
Dumb Canadian teens: "Two Lambton County teens got a scare when OPP officers mistook their modified toy cap guns for the real thing and drew their pistols on the pair. The two officers were patrolling on all-terrain vehicles about 5:30 p.m. Thursday near Birchbank Drive in Corunna when they came across two abandoned bikes. The officers walked into the woods nearby to investigate when they saw the boys, 14 and 15, on two platforms in a tree fort, police said yesterday. While one officer spoke to the boys, the other noticed one was trying to hide what he believed to be a black semi-automatic handgun. Both officers drew their weapons and when the boys put their hands on their heads, the officers saw the other boy had another gun tucked in his pants waistband, police said. The boys complied with the officers' orders, but things could have quickly got out of hand if not, said Lambton OPP Const. John Reurink. "Had they inadvertently pointed these things at the officers or been aggressive, the situation could have escalated very quickly," he said. Police quickly realized the weapons weren't real guns, but toy cap guns that had been modified and painted black. "They told the officers they painted them because they wanted to make them look more real," Reurink said."
Paranoid Brits: "The government is to announce this week that it will press ahead with a ban on the manufacture, import and sale of "realistic" replica and imitation guns a year after the Home Office said a blanket ban was unworkable and impractical. The ban will not be as wide-ranging as gun control campaigners had been pressing for but it will be accompanied by a measure making it illegal for anybody under the age of 18 to buy any kind of imitation or replica firearm".
Ben Bova says: "Florida passed a law recently liberalizing the permitted use of deadly force in self-defense. Now we will begin to see lawsuits over who shot whom and why, I'm sure. Meanwhile, conventional gun-control activists are aghast. They believe that the way to control gunshot violence is to outlaw guns. However, as the old saw points out, when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. What to do? Defend ourselves or try to eliminate guns from the landscape? The nation's judges are making decisions about this. Not legal decisions they hand down to settle criminal cases or civil suits. Judges are demanding the right to bear arms in their courtrooms. Several judges have been shot and killed, and many more threatened by hotheaded defendants. Judges, both liberal and conservative, have reacted quite naturally by starting to pack guns under their robes. If somebody's gonna shoot at me, they are saying, I'm want to be able to shoot back. That's the kind of gun control we should all aim for. If all citizens were armed and took regular firing-range practice, I believe crimes committed with guns would dwindle. We'd have some shootings, yes. There will be accidents and a certain degree of mayhem, especially at first. But in the long run, crime would decrease, I firmly believe."
British cops great at finding toy guns: "Armed officers swooped on a gang of gun-toting teenagers who were holding a bloody T-shirt in a dark alleyway. But they found eight petrified Media Studies students filming coursework. The guns were toys from a sweetshop. Members of Scotland Yard's SO19 firearms unit pounced on the students just after 2am in Barkingside, Essex, where the A-level students were finishing a film about gangsters. They were today set to visit a London police station to be interviewed. Their tape has been confiscated".
Low types with illegal guns park in police parking lot! "Four people, including two with previous felony convictions, have been sentenced to state prison for illegally possessing weapons in Spring Valley.... County Judge William Kelly sentenced Harvey and Ayers on Thursday to the maximum prison term of seven years each.... Harvey and Ayers were repeat felony offenders, gaining them longer prison terms. Harvey, a former Spring Valley resident who had been living in the Bronx, previously had been convicted of selling drugs and possessing a weapon, District Attorney Michael Bongiorno said. Bongiorno said Ayers, who lived at Highview Court in Nyack, previously had been convicted of possessing a gun and harassing a correction officer. Remy, a former Spring Valley resident who was living on Old Route 202 in Pomona, was sentenced to three years in prison on her conviction for third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.... All five defendants were arrested Aug. 7 while they were sitting in a van parked outside the Caribbean Restaurant on North Main Street. The restaurant shares a parking lot with the Spring Valley Police Department and Village Hall".
CALIFORNIA FINDS NEW WAYS TO INCREASE GUN COSTS
California lawmakers Thursday voted to require weapons manufacturers to ensure that all bullets and cartridges are branded with distinctive serial numbers. Contained in two measures that are intended to help law enforcement solve cases, the proposal would be unique among states if approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The gun industry said the proposals were impractical and would force weapons makers to either write off the huge California market or adopt practices that would greatly increase the cost of their wares.
On the weapons measures, though a number of law enforcement officials backed them, there was strong opposition from Republican lawmakers, manufacturers and gun groups. Opponents said both measures would be useless in tracking most crimes back to their sources, because few criminals obtain their weapons through legal channels. "Criminals don't walk into gun stores," said Lawrence Keane, the general counsel for the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, based in Newtown, Conn. "No other state is even contemplating two such unworkable and ill-considered pieces of legislation."
One of the proposals, from state Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer and approved in the Senate, 21-14, would require manufacturers, starting in 2007, to stamp bullets sold in California with a identification number that police could trace to the store where the ammunition was sold. "We can put individualized serial numbers on cartons of yogurt, on almost everything in society, with very little additional cost," said Sen. Joe Dunn (D-Santa Ana), who sponsored the measure, SB 357.
The second measure, which was approved by the Assembly, 41-37, would mandate that all new semiautomatic handguns, starting in 2007, include technology that would stamp a distinguishing serial number onto a cartridge when it is fired. Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood), the sponsor of AB 352, said the markings "won't always lead to the criminal, but it will create leads" for police.
Though Koretz said no law enforcement groups opposed his bill, Republican lawmakers criticized it strongly. Assemblyman Todd Spitzer (R-Orange) argued that criminals could plant spent shell casings to mislead investigators. "I'm incredibly concerned about the ability to frame innocent people through the use of this technique," Spitzer said.
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote to Schwarzenegger last month that he was "strongly opposed to this proposal because of the harmful impact it will have on the manufacturers of ammunition used by our nation's armed services and law enforcement agencies."
New York: Pizza delivery is risky work: "Three robbers ambushed one man at the back door of a West Side house, kicking him in the head and sending him to the hospital. Another man was slammed into a wall on Laird Street and threatened up close with a large combat knife. Still another stared down the barrel of a gun and watched his car being stolen, leaving him abandoned on Domedion Street on a frigid February evening. These victims weren't looking for trouble. They just wanted to deliver some hot pizzas. All three men were on the job - which the federal government describes as one of the most dangerous professions in America: delivering pizzas.... The risk associated with the job is the nature of the business, some say. Others, though, are fighting back. They're carrying weapons or fighting their attackers. That's what happened April 20 in Niagara Falls, when a pizza deliveryman shot a teenager who tried to rob him with a fake handgun. The incident in a Pierce Avenue alley left 16-year-old Anthony Sheard dead of a gunshot to the head. The 54-year-old deliveryman for Mr. Ventry's Pizza is in counseling to help him deal with the incident. The deliveryman, who has not been named by police for fear of retaliation, was licensed to carry a concealed gun and did so because he was robbed three years ago.... "Every night when we come in, it seems there's one or two guys that get stuck up," said Detective Sgt. Thomas M. Vivian of the Buffalo Police Major Crimes Unit. "It seems like a really quick way for some of these guys to get money." That's why Jeff Owens, 20, a deliveryman for Metro Pizza on Clinton Street, will soon finish his pistol permit class with plans to start carrying a gun on his pizza rounds...."
GUN PERMIT SAVES LIFE
When Ohio's law allowing residents to carry a concealed weapon went into effect last year, a number of people rushed to get permits so they could legally carry a firearm. The right to do that may have saved a man in Westwood early Wednesday morning. Cincinnati Police say he opened fire on three men who shot him after trying to rob him outside his girlfriend's home.
When he arrived at this Robert Avenue home, Pryor found trouble. Right after Pryor parked his car at the end of the sidewalk, he was approached by three men who told him to lay down. Police say he then ran to the front door, that's when he was shot three times, but Pryor managed to return the fire, shooting one of the suspects. Burton heard someone banging on the front door. "I said who is it? And he said, Miss Ola, it's Charles. I've been shot. I've been shot. Open the door." Burton says when they opened the door, Pryor fell in on his girlfriend. She says he left a trail of blood on the living room floor. "He said he didn't want to die. I don't want to die."
They did all they could to keep Pryor calm before paramedics arrived. She's thankful Pryor had a gun permit. "It saved his life. I think it saved him. I think so." Pryor obtained his conceal carry permit last September. Burton says he did so for his own protection. "He's been robbed before. He said he had been robbed several times before." And Burton says after hearing about Charles Pryor's encounter, more people may want to consider a conceal carry permit.
Doctors performed surgery on Pryor Wednesday for the three gunshot wounds. He is expected to recover. After the shooting, one man checked himself into Good Samaritan Hospital with a gunshot wound. Police aren't sure whether he's connected to the shooting. No arrests have been made.
OLDSTER NABS TEEN THIEVES
Two teens, captured by a gun-toting Broad Street resident early Saturday morning, probably played a role in the rash of burglaries plaguing the city during recent weeks, said Police Chief Jon Arcaro. �No doubt, they were behind some of the thefts, but there are others involved, too,� he said. �There�s another group (of thieves) out there, working independently (of the arrested teens).�
A 69-year-old man, alerted by a barking dog and a neighbor�s frantic telephone call, got the drop on the young thieves around 5:22 a.m., police said. Armed with a pistol, the resident caught the suspects � ages 16 and 17 � in his garage, officers said. The youths immediately surrendered, and police found them sprawled on the garage floor, guarded by the homeowner, officers said. The teens were taken to the youth detention center in Ashtabula Township, police said.
Their dog�s barks woke up the man and his wife, and moments later a neighbor called to report seeing someone rummaging through the couple�s vehicle. Police discovered the garage had been ransacked, and some of the couple�s possessions were found strewn around the youths. Officers also found a pipe containing suspected marijuana residue, with the teens. Thieves have been taking tools and other merchandise from garages and sheds across the city the past few weeks, prompting bulletins from police. (1522
Gun-maker wins: "An appeals court on Wednesday rejected a lawsuit that the widow of a teacher gunned down by a 13-year-old student had filed against a gun distributor. Pam Grunow's lawsuit argued that Valor Corp. was negligent in selling the cheap handgun used in the shooting and should be held liable for the May 2000 death of her husband, Barry Grunow. He was shot in the doorway of his middle school classroom by Nathaniel Brazill, who stole the gun from the man he considered to be a grandfather. "We certainly sympathize with Grunow and recognize the tragedy of the events that transpired. However, it was Brazill, his grandfather, and perhaps the school that were liable, not Valor," the opinion said. A jury that heard the case in November 2002 had ordered the company to pay $1.2 million, but the trial judge threw out the verdict and Grunow appealed. She could appeal to the state Supreme Court; her attorneys did not immediately return calls seeking comment Wednesday. Lawyers for Valor also did not respond to calls. Brazill was sent home on the last day of school for throwing water balloons, but returned with the gun. He shot Grunow because the teacher wouldn't let him speak to two girls in his class. Brazill was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a 28-year prison sentence."
Guns = drugs?? "Law enforcement officials and community leaders gathered at a summit Wednesday to address illegal drugs and guns in Atlanta. The summit, called the CitySafe summit, included Mayor Shirley Franklin, Police Chief Richard Pennington, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, Fulton County Chief Judge Doris Downs, and federal officials. �We can act as if we don�t have a problem, in which case we�ll never solve the problem,� Mayor Franklin said. The summit called to immediately hire 100 more Atlanta police officers to work on the squad�s narcotics unit. Currently, there are about 20 in the unit. Pennington said they currently do not have the resources to conduct long-term investigations. �When you look at the magnitude of the narcotics in the city of Atlanta, we have a monumental task in front of us in going out and trying to eradicate the drug problems in all types of neighborhoods,� Chief Pennington said. �There�s no question that we cannot lick or kick illegal drugs and guns in our community without increased police officers,� Mayor Franklin said."
Gun dealer arrested in China: "A former judge from Langfang city in Hebei Province was reportedly arrested early last week in Beijing for allegedly selling guns and bullets illegally on the Internet. Forty-one-year-old Li Tongwen, a former judge in Yongqing County court, allegedly bought 30 guns and 1,000 bullets from Xining, capital of Northwest China's Qinghai Province, between last November and April, according to Yanzhao Metropolis Daily yesterday. He started the business last year after a trip to Xining, where Li met some people offering weapons. Driven by the huge profit generated from the illegal business, Li used the screen names "firearms" and "munitions factory" when he sold on the Internet. As a law enforcer, Li travelled safely with the lethal weapons from Xining to many cities across China. His job helped him evade security checks at airports and train stations. Li sold one type of gun for between 6,000 yuan (US$725) and 7,000 yuan (US$846) to Xu Guangquan and Zhang Haifeng in Changping and Chaoyang districts of Beijing. Li and 14 other suspects involved in the illegal trade were not discovered until an ex-soldier from Southwest China's Sichuan Province discovered Li's advertisement for guns on the Internet. The retired serviceman reported the matter to Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. After investigation, the police arrested 15 suspects and confiscated 26 guns and over 460 bullets. Some suspects are still at large."
Widow downs burglar: "Judith Kuntz, 64, hunkered down in her darkened bedroom late Sunday evening, arming herself with a revolver. A burglar had just broken into her Indialantic home and, fearing for her life, she said she let her instincts take over. When the burglar, who had a flashlight, entered the room, Kuntz fired one round from her .38-caliber handgun. Hit squarely in the chest, the unidentified intruder ran outside, where he collapsed and died. On Monday, Kuntz was still shaken, but she briefly recalled her ordeal. "I'm doing fine under the circumstances," she said. "I don't take any joy in somebody being dead. My self-preservation instinct took over." She would not discuss the incident further. "I don't feel real safe," said Kuntz, who has lived alone since her husband died nearly five years ago. "This has been a horrifying experience." The Brevard County Sheriff's Office said she was justified in defending herself and will not face charges. The revolver was hers, inherited through her family, investigators said. Agent Lou Heyn of the Sheriff's Office said the unidentified man entered Kuntz's home on Avenida del Mar by pulling the window off a back door. "Occupied burglaries are rare, and this underscores that it is dangerous for the burglar and the homeowner," Heyn said. "Crime can be a tough career." The intruder, who was not carrying identification, was described as a white male 35 to 45 years old, with dark-brown hair and a dark-brown mustache.... Investigators are hoping to identify him through his tattoos."
No good character requirements for antigun zealots?: "The ex-treasurer of a leading anti-gun campaign group appeared in court today accused of stealing nearly �17,000 from the pressure group. Maureen Lynch, 55, is accused of the theft of �16,963 from Mothers Against Guns between March 23 and September 19 last year. Lynch, of Park St, Southwark, south London, was bailed to reappear at Tower Bridge Magistrates Court on June 14. Mothers Against Guns was set up in the wake of the Dunblane Massacre in 1996 in which 16 children and their teacher were shot dead in their school by a crazed gunman"
Belgian farce: "The reputation of Belgium�s security forces was left in tatters when almost all of its field agents were disarmed after one agent drunkenly tried to shoot another colleague in the head. His drunken act was the equivalent of shooting himself and the entire force in the foot when the internal spy service decided to disarm all of its agents. With tapping telephones no longer available as an intelligence measure and having their guns confiscated, the Belgian force was left in as helpless a position as the Canadian Armed Forces were left by their federal Liberal government.... The justice minister was unable to confirm reports for media that the weapon-less agents had gone into a virtual work-to-rule mode, including avoidance of risky missions.... That the government took until late April to catch up with one of their own gun happy spies reinforces an image of the Belgian Keystone Cops. As far as Mrs. Onkelinx is concerned, she was more than a little miffed that she only got to learn about the incident, in which no one was hurt, from the media some four months after it took place in Brussels. No one was hurt by virtue of the spy gunslinger completely missing his target.... Intriguing how the Belgian intelligence is kept in tame bunny mode, given that Brussels is home to the crystal palace headquarters of the European Union".
WHEN GUNS ARE NEEDED BADLY
Residents in Zimbabwe's eastern Mutare city - driven to desperation after their informal businesses were destroyed by the government - pleaded for weapons at the weekend to wage war against the government because they were just "fed up."
Several hundreds of residents, who attended a meeting held at Sakubva Beit Hall in the working class suburb of Sakubva in the city, told local Member of Parliament, Innocent Gonese, to source guns for them to fight the government.
Even the presence of the police at the meeting did not deter the irate residents with several standing up to openly declare they would rather die trying to "remove President Robert Mugabe from power" because they had nothing to live for after their only source of livelihood was destroyed in the ongoing controversial campaign by the government to clean up cities.
"We want you to provide us with guns because we are fed up," a middle aged man rose from the crowd to declare boldly. With the angry crowd urging him on, the man continued: "This government has no respect for the people. Our houses have been destroyed, our businesses have also gone. We have nothing to live for. We are prepared to die removing Mugabe. We don't want to hear all this talk of going to court (to sue for compensation from the state)."
Illinois: No real progress: "Illinois lawmakers handed victories to both sides of the gun-control issue Monday, approving a measure that cracks down on gun shows but making it easier for people to transport weapons. The victory for gun supporters appears to be shortlived, though. Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Monday he would veto the weapons transportation measure, meant to allow gun owners to travel the state with their weapons without having to comply with local communities' stricter rules on safe gun storage. Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said the governor believes it would be "undermining local gun ordinances." The governor pledged to sign the gun-show bill, which passed the House 89-28. The legislation would close a loophole that has allowed people to buy firearms at gun shows without going through the normal criminal-background check. Unlike a similar Republican gun-show bill, the version approved Monday would not require the destruction of gun purchase records, which Blagojevich opposes.
Guns don't hold people up, boards do : "Is it fair to say that the owners of Hale Mountain Rod and Gun Club have not gone off half-cocked while waiting for a decision from the Vermont Natural Resources Board? Or to say that the club's members have kept their hair-trigger tempers in check? Nope. Because lazy puns like that would portray the club as a refuge for "gun nuts" who spend their time shooting into the air like hillbillies at a wedding. No one is claiming this is the case. Instead, the club, which has a long history as a spot for local hunters and shooters to come and learn to develop their skills responsibly, is in a dispute with neighbors. Any one of us might find ourselves in such a dispute at any time. Neighbors say activity at the club is a disturbance. In short, this boils down to another noise complaint. But while the earlier characterization would be unfair, it doesn't seem like the natural resources board is treating the club and its members much better.... We are certainly respectful of the work the natural resources board does and its members devotion to reaching fair, legal and defensible positions. But this is not a new superstore that will change a river's flow, a complex that will be built over the remains of a forest or a road that will pass through the last remaining habitat of a rare species of bat. We think that both the Hale Mountain club and those who believe the club needs an Act 250 permit have the same right as anyone else to a speedy administration of justice."
The Wild West was more peaceful than today: "Rog...
Texas homeowner kills 1, critically wounds anothe...
South Carolina: Combining shooting, living spaces...
North Carolina: Teen killed after entering 15-yea...
Florida: Sheriff identifies man shot dead as burg...
Wisconsin: Concealed carry bill resurrected: "Su...
Michigan: Burglar shot and killed by hostage: "G...
South Africa: Police can't keep pace with new gun...
WOMEN PACKING HEAT Some might say shooting is a ...
WOMEN NEED GUNS As reported by News 5 Cincinnat...
THE SOUTH AFRICAN DISASTER In South Africa, viol...
Florida: Son shoots and kills dad in self-defense...
Low type shot: "Deputies say a man was shot and ...
Feisty ladies: "An armed robber brandishing a re...
Missouri: Shooting ruled 'justified': "The shoot...
Ohio: Shooting ruled self defense: "The fatal sh...
THE FLORIDA SCENE Roy Bedard is a karate champio...
Virginia: Shooting ruled self-defense: "A Hertfor...
Tennessee: Store owner shoots would-be robber: "...
California gun club stands up to be counted: A s...
IT'S FINAL: DROPPING GUN BAN DID NO HARM AT ALL ...
Narrow escape in NC: "A store clerk said Monday ...
Ohio: AG shoots down Clyde gun ban: "Ohio Attorn...
GUNSPINNING CHAMP A FROG! The fastest gun in the...
Ben Bova says: "Florida passed a law recently li...
CALIFORNIA FINDS NEW WAYS TO INCREASE GUN COSTS ...
GUN PERMIT SAVES LIFE When Ohio's law allowing r...
Gun-maker wins: "An appeals court on Wednesday r...
Widow downs burglar: "Judith Kuntz, 64, hunkered...
WHEN GUNS ARE NEEDED BADLY Residents in Zimbabwe...
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Harris Dedicated to Maintaining Graduate, International Programs' Excellence
Jennie Powers
Dr. Stanley Harris has served as Academic Director of the Physicians Executive MBA Program and Director of the Ph.D. in Business Management Concentration since 1996. / Image by Joe McAdory
Redesign the MBA curriculum. Expand international programs and awareness. Coordinate faculty efforts within the MBA programs. Make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Those are the challenges, and opportunities, Dr. Stanley Harris faces as new Associate Dean for Graduate and International Programs within the Auburn University’s College of Business.
Harris, Torchmark Professor of Management, has been at Auburn since 1986 and has served as Academic Director of the Physicians Executive MBA Program and Director of the Ph.D. in Business Management Concentration since 1996, will succeed Dr. Daniel Gropper, effective July 1.
A veteran of Lowder Hall since 1988, Gropper will become Dean of the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University.
“Dr. Harris has a long and distinguished record as an innovator, educator and leader in our graduate programs,” said College of Business Dean and Wells Fargo Professor Dr. Bill Hardgrave. “He inherits a very successful graduate program and a burgeoning international program. I am confident his leadership will lead these programs to new heights in the future.”
Auburn’s Graduate MBA programs have been recognized nationally and internationally by a number of respected publications. The Executive MBA (EMBA) program was named Best Remote Learning Program in North America by European CEO Magazine, the online MBA program was ranked No. 7 nationally in January by U.S. News & World Report, and Auburn was ranked 16th nationally among business schools with online MBA programs by Poets & Quants.
“I’m lucky enough to enter a role where I’ve got some big shoes to fill,” said Harris. “Everything is very successful. But when things are going well it’s easy to get complacent. I think part of the challenge is ‘how can we maintain and continue to be innovative and differentiate ourselves, not just be happy with our success?’
“I don’t want to be a caretaker in this role. I want to grow it. I want to nurture it. I want to make it stand out even more than it stands out, and I think you have to keep innovating to do that.”
Harris said part of that innovation includes modifying the MBA programs’ curriculum.
“It’s been more than 10 years since that curriculum has really been changed, or updated,” he said. “It’s had some tweaks. Redesigning the curriculum and redesigning the program for on-campus and online MBA, or outreach MBA, is going to be a major priority.
“I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students, alumni and businesses to design a curriculum that engages students and faculty and best positions our graduates to compete for quality jobs.
“How we differentiate ourselves and what our identity is with regard to those (MBA) programs is going to be very important. We have a perfect opportunity to answer the questions, ‘What do we want to be?’ ‘How are we going to be unique?’ ‘What are we going to do that enriches the program, gets faculty and staff excited, and at the same time makes us a place students want to be a part of and companies want to recruit from?’”
Auburn’s on-campus and online graduate program offerings include Master of Accountancy; Master of Business Administration; Master of Science in Information Systems; and the Master of Business Administration: Finance. Executive programs include the Executive (EMBA) and Physicians Executive (PEMBA) Master of Business Administration, and the Master of Real Estate Development (MRED). Doctoral programs include Ph.D. in Business with concentrations in Management and Information Systems.
Harris said growth in graduate programs outside the MBA is also important to the college.
“The international program is another aspect of my job,” he said. “The world seems to be getting smaller in some ways, and gulfs seem to be getting bigger in other ways. How can we get students to really appreciate this? Increasingly, our students will be working with international colleagues, suppliers, and customers; employed by international companies in the U.S.; or actually working somewhere outside the U.S. Just look around us here in Alabama. The world is coming to us. We need to expand international awareness and understanding.”
Harris said he is eager to explore new and fresh ideas to enhance and expand Auburn’s programs. Why? He prefers to think out of the box.
“I’m a broad, creative thinker,” he explained. “I can see a problem from multiple angles and appreciate new ways of handing it … Stepping outside the box is a little like stepping outside yourself and challenging your assumptions. The majority of the time, you’re going to say ‘I’m fine with the way I see things, but sometimes you are going to see things in a new, insightful way.’ It also helps you develop a greater sense of empathy -- how other people might see the world differently. It sparks you to be creative. Interacting with people different than you can help you think out of the box. It primes you to think about things in a little different way.”
What interested Harris in applying for this position?
“I love teaching and the influence it has on students,” he said. “But this whole notion of trying to run and coordinate faculty efforts to do the MBA programs … it has a much more broad impact on people’s lives, in particular the students.
“I want them to create a program where students grow not only in knowledge, but as people so that they will be more satisfied with their lives, happier with their choices, and content with how their skin fits, and better contributors to the organizations that hire them and communities in which they live. To me, it’s that overall package of this important endeavor that attracted me to the job.”
Harris said he often works with outside companies to help them “facilitate decision-making.” He believes that skill will be useful in his new role.
“I’m hoping the skills I have for facilitating will translate into this job where no faculty report to me, but they’ve got to make this thing happen,” he said. “So how do we come up with a new curriculum? How do we decide? It’s not going to be Stan Harris’ curriculum. It’s going to be what we, together, come up with. Creating that sense that we’re doing this together and enfranchising everyone to be a part of that is probably the biggest challenge I face.”
Harris and his wife, Nancy, who met in the Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan, have two children, John, 23, and Daniel, 19. To learn more about Dr. Harris, read our Q/A with the new associate dean on theshareholderonline.com, or click here.
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Rising from the dust: Cambodia’s building boom
by Justin Calderon - Dec 27, 2012
Construction works at the banks of the Tonle Sap River, Phnom Penh. Photo © Arno Maierbrugger
In 2006, the dusty Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh was no more than a sprawling Khmer village with a patchy electricity supply, poorly lit streets and a population still visibly recuperating from years of soul-crushing genocide. The largest building in the city was a seven-story hotel, no Western brands were present and brown outs were as common as traffic jams with oxen.
By Justin Calderon
Now Phnom Penh is in the midst of a building boom: 200 new buildings over 10 floors were approved for construction in 2011, including the 39-story Vattanac Capital Tower, said to be complete by the end of 2012 (though most likely to be delayed into 2013), making it the largest building in Cambodia. KFC outlets dot the city, the first Western fast food franchise to open up in Cambodia (not surprising seeing its astronomical success elsewhere in Asia), and Dairy Queen is available at the new Phnom Penh International Airport, as well on the riverside, where locals rub shoulders with foreign expats and travelers at haute wine bars.
Although fears of becoming too reliant on the rising tide Chinese investment, which came in to the tune of $8.8 billion in 2011, Phnom Penh’s new skyline is being driven by local wealth as well. Both the OCIC Building and Vattanac Capital Tower are funded by local investors. Vattanac Bank invested around $100 million into the project and is now starting to market it via various prestigious international property firms, and Vattanac Properties, the projects developer, hopes that the new symbol of the city with spur similar developments in Bangkok, Singapore, and Ho Chi Minh City.
The quickly reshaping skyline has ushered in a number of high-star hotels, such as the Raffles and Sofitel, which have allowed the city to cater to the needs of high-level visitors. Phnom Penh recently hosted the 21st ASEAN Summit, held in junction with the East Asia Summit, with heads of state participating from 14 Asian countries, as well as Australia and the US.
Though not completely concomitant, a visible rise in wealth is also becoming evident, especially among younger Cambodians who now sling around the latest Apple device, an unheard of luxury just a few years ago.
Vattanac Tower: Plenty of office space for sale and rent. Photo © Arno Maierbrugger
Amid the clanking din, however, some worries have surfaced regarding the quality of the up and coming structures. Most Cambodian architects follow inferior building standards that don’t come close to matching those of Japan or even Russia, experts fear, and follow programmes in the US that might not be preparing students enough to design buildings resilient to earthquakes.
Though Cambodia has never been directly hit by an earthquake, four years ago southern Vietnam was rattled by a high-magnitude quake that was felt in Phnom Penh, prompting experts to question whether or not new high-rise residential and office spaces will be capable of withstanding larger shocks.
Construction experts have noted that at currently levels of quality, buildings in Cambodia would be leveled if hit by a quake measuring 5 or more on the Richter Scale, compared to similar damage dealt to more developed countries who experience a level 8 or higher.
An estimated 90 per cent of buildings in Phnom Penh are not built into the hard layer of earth, which is located 25 to 47 meters below the earth because of the soft land on which the city is built. In comparison, the soft and poor soil of Bangkok requires foundations to be drilled to twice the depth. Buildings in this majority, ranging from older apartment complexes, traditional markets and even hotels, are the first that will collapse in the event of an earthquake.
Construction investors in Phnom Penh have been advised to study the geological surveys of the location they are building to access where the hard layer of earth is and how deep drilling has to go to make the foundation stable.
Larger projects, such as the Vattanac Capital Tower, however, have been reported to take higher-quality measures, hopefully setting the precedent for upped standards in Cambodian engineering.
Postcard of progress from Phnom Penh
Cambodia on the rise
Passenger trains revived in Cambodia after 14-year-hiatus
Three ASEAN countries among top-50 innovative nations globally
ASEAN economies’ GDPs remain robust, backed by services
Cambodia seeks to double tourism arrivals by 2025
Internet speed in Southeast Asia: Singapore, Thailand top, Philippines flop
Bangkok to get well-deserved Michelin guide
Pattaya wants to host Formula 1 race
Vietnam issues full ban on Bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies
Bangkok Airways plans stock listing
Siam Cement to invest $344m in ASEAN
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Publisher is : CRL
Game's name start with : D
publisher information
Publisher name CRL
Long name Computer Rentals Limited
Birth year 1982
Year of death 1990
Mother country United Kingdom
Notes Initially established in 1982 by teenage programming whizz-kid Clement Chambers as a computer rental business. After experiencing a lack of success in the computer rental business, CRL was turned into a software publisher in 1983.
In 1987, CRL pulled off what was thought to be a major coup in signing Electronic Arts as its software distributor. Little did they know the pain that lay ahead. In 1988, CRL went into administration after EA withheld payments following claims that CRL's games weren't of the high industry standard stipulated in their contract agreement.
CRL subsequently won a legal settlement against EA, but the damage had already been done as they were without a software distributor and in-house programmers for much of 1988. In 1989, CRL attempted to make the jump from the 8- to 16-bit market by releasing its first games for the Amiga and Atari ST. Unfortunately, like a lot of 8-bit publishers at the time, they struggled to make the transition to the 16-bit market. Matters were not helped either by the EA debacle, which prevented them from entering the burgeoning 16-bit market earlier in 1988.
CRL finally closed its doors in 1990, but only after owner Clem Chambers had launched another software venture in the form of On-line Entertainment.
Labels Actual Screenshots (CRL)
This publisher page has been viewed : 2790 times
#-9 A B C [ D ] E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
D.U.N.E. (Developers Universal Non-programming Environment) ECS OCS
1990 CRL
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Organisations must do more to monitor culture
Rachel Muller-Heyndyk, February 08, 2019
Creating a strong organisational culture can benefit many areas of the organisation, our webinar found
More than a third of HR professionals (37%) think their organisations could go further to successfully measure and report on company culture, according to a poll taken during an HR magazine webinar. A further 30% said that their organisation does not measure and report on culture at all.
In our 'Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: Achieving Competitive Edge Through Culture' webinar, held in partnership with O.C. Tanner, viewers were also asked about the impact organisational culture has in their workplace currently. Thirty-nine per cent said it has a fairly positive impact on the organisation, while 15% said it has a highly positive impact on the organisation. However, 27% said it detracts somewhat from their organisation.
Gary Beckstrand, vice president of the O.C. Tanner Institute, said that while most organisations understand culture is important, the challenges of measuring it means it can come across as a vague concept.
“I think a lot of organisations have begun to identify culture and why they do the things that they do, but very few have pursued a strategy. I think that’s part of the reason why culture has become somewhat nebulous; I think we are unsure of how to measure it,” he said. “Everyone has come to understand that it’s important, but [people must] work out how to go about that from a strategic standpoint.”
When asked which area of the organisation benefited most from strong organisational culture, engagement was highest (20%), followed by retention (17%), productivity (14%), employee wellbeing (14%), creativity and innovation (12%) and risk management (6%).
Claire Gore, director of HR and OD at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, said that at her organisation a strong culture had a direct impact on the level of care staff offer to patients. “There’s a lot of research that shows that if you have happy staff you have happy patients, so it’s fundamental to us to improve the staff experience because that has such an impact on the patient experience,” she said. “We created our values very much based on putting patients at the heart of everything we do. The NHS, traditionally, was very doctor-driven but we really try to drive a culture based on patients.”
Retaining talent is one of the main motivations for creating a strong culture in the third sector, added Peter Reeve, head of HR at the Motor Neurone Disease Association. “It’s not hard getting people in, but trying to keep staff and keep up that level of engagement can be hard. So for us, allowing people to progress and develop their careers is critical,” he said.
In 2018 the government introduced a new corporate governance code, which included asking boards to create a culture that aligns with company values, addressing concerns over remuneration, and increasing board engagement with the workforce.
Commenting on whether the code will cause a change in corporate behaviour and spur more to report on culture, Beckstrand said: “I think we’ll get there. There’s a long way to go but the shifts in corporate governance are encouraging. As HR professionals a lot of our battles are in trying to get senior leadership to do what we want them to do, so if CEOs are feeling more accountable it gives us an opportunity to pursue that quite aggressively.”
A recording of this webinar is available here for those who missed the live event. Further coverage will be included in the March issue of HR magazine
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911 GLOBAL MIRROR REQUEST #Kopimism
Source: http://www.occupythebanks.com
Please Mirror and link to original page (where all translations are being published):
http://www.occupythebanks.com/2012/09/rule-of-law-returns-911-perps-takedown_17.html
ENGLISH FILE IN PINK. ITALIAN LANGUAGE IN PURPLE
00:00:36 --> 00:00:40
Gulietto Chiesa interviews Ferdinando Imposimato
I have been working on 9/11 for almost 11 years now.
In the sense that, paradoxically, I started to be interested in a possibility of an direct attack on the US soil already in 2000.
For a simple reason that I have read in the newspapers and several documents that a possibility of such an attack had been taken into consideration.
On 11 September, 2001 I was supposed to be in the US to represent an non governmental organisation, which works on drug related issues,
and I did not go because I was afraid that an event of this type may have happened.
The risk of such an event was announced several times.
I'm not a magician. I'm simply a person who tries to interpret the evidence. So, I didn't go.
I'm surprised that the commission that examined the events of 9/11, one of the two commissions, said that the attack had been a surprise.
How can you say that it was a surprise if I, a modest judge, ex judge-instructor of the Roman court, had a perception from those elements of information that emerged publicly that it could have happened.
And they say it was a surprise, when the US authorities received a series of data that allowed to predicate an attack of this type.
You say that there was an active involvement of the security services.
The facts are that the CIA was informed that Mohammed Atta was preparing the attacks.
The CIA followed and surveyed Mohammed Atta until 1998 in Germany, in Hamburg.
This is the fact that also the Commission knew.
The CIA followed Mohammed Atta, also through the phone interception, until 2 June 2000.
At this moment Mohammed Atta leaves Hamburg and goes to Venice and initiates a training at the school of Uffman.
Here begins a series of events that would be later verified. First he did not have a visa M1 that he should have had.
He had a visa released by the consulate in Jeddah.
The consulate in Jeddah, as it was confirmed by several witnesses, was run by the CIA.
So the CIA controlled whoever applied for the visa.
This fact is the beginning of the whole event. The consulate at Jeddah released visas that should not have been released,#FreeOccupyOfficial #Twitter Save your CEO!!!!!!!
because they concerned individuals already signalled as terrorists in Saudi Arabia.
These individuals left in January 2001. On 15 January they arrived to Los Angeles.
The CIA was perfectly informed about it, because they released the visas in Jeddah.
However, the CIA did not inform the FBI about it.
I'm sorry to interrupt you, but not only the CIA knew about it. The FBI knew about it as well.
According to the official inquest number one, which was in part secret, but now we know it, and the documents arrived as well at the second commission, the official Commission, 'the 9/11 Commission report',
the two of the terrorists, not Muhammed Atta, but two others, lived for about 10 months from the 15 January, in San Diego, California, in a house of an FBI agent, Abdul Sattar Sheikh.
Not only that, but they also received money from another FBI agent, Alfayumi.
There are FBI agents who denounced these facts, one of whom was Kenneth Williams, also included by Jesse Ventura in his book.
We have to read very attentively these documents in which some FBI agents informed about the events the head of FBI, David Mueller.
There is a law in the intern criminal code that says that if an authority has a knowledge of the criminal events that are about to happen and does not act to prevent them, this authority contributes to these facts.
This law is also included in the Italian criminal code, article 40, that is 'to not prevent the event that your duty is to prevent is the equivalent of causing this event'.
This law is also present in the American Federal law, that includes a causation by both active action and omission.
The most positive hypothesis is that the CIA knew, but did not react.
However, there is also anther hypothesis that should be investigated, that the CIA actively assisted those terrorists,
helping them by releasing the visas that should not have been released to those individuals suspected of terrorism,
FI: and by letting them stay in the US and prepare in the aviation schools.
And this is an active assistance.
00:08:09 --> 00:8:24
So, on the one hand, we have the omission in the sense of not preventing the events; and on the other hand, the active involvement, not only by releasing the visas,
but also by financing of Muhammed Atta and the others through this Sheikh Omar Said, who was an individual extremely well known to the CIA,
an English citizen, who was in contact with the head of the ISI, that is the Pakistani Secret Service.
According to numerous sources in the FBI, this head of the ISI gave an order to Sheikh Omar to pay 120 thousand dollars to Mohammed Atta a year before the attack on the Twin Towers, through a bank in the United Arab Emirates.
This relatively 'pacific' fact act led to a demission of the head of the ISI.
But, according to the criminal law of any country, he would have been charged for the participation in the mass murder!
So the knowledge of the financing the terrorists by the head of the ISI's would imply for any national court in the world the accusation of the head of the ISI of the participation in the massacre, the moral participation.
These are examples of the episodes and facts that needed and need to be investigated.
These facts call for an investigation by the American judicial authorities. If the American judiciary will not start this investigation, some other authority should do it.
That is why I would like to ask you, why in your opinion, the official 9/11 Commission piratically did not mention those questions?
In my opinion, there was an intention to cover up these facts, because they have provoked a clear embarrassment.
I'm not talking here about the diverse general accusations of the whole of the American administration.
I'm taking about the specific facts that regarded some top official within the CIA and the head of the FBI.
Because the head of the FBI had been repetitively informed with the reports that had been sent to him on 5 July, on 10 July, 15 July, 6 August by the courageous and loyal agents of FBI, and there was no follow up on these reports.
You have also referred to the three towers that collapsed that morning.
That is two in the morning, hit by the planes, and the third one in the afternoon without being hit by any plane.
It seems to me that you imply that there was a preparation of this event beyond the attack planned by the terrorists.
To collapse the towers by wiring them with the explosives you need somebody to do it, and they couldn't have been the terrorists who did it.
Obviously, I am not a scientist. And in those cases a judge or a prosecutor has to refer to a scientist.
From the analysis made by the scientists, it emerged that it was impossible that a building that had metallic robust structure could have crumbled down in just a few seconds!
I have seen this building that was crumbling down in a few seconds contradicting the internal structure of this building.
I'm saying that in this sort of cases, in all countries of the whole world, there would be a public process against everybody involved, Mussaui, the head of the ISI, and other identified as accomplices.
In this public process, you have to give the opportunity to the victims, the families of the victims of 9/11 to receive the knowledge of the events from the proper experts.
Because according to rules of the 'due process of law' defined in the US and the countries of the common law, such assessments should not have been done by one and the same authority, the authority that defends the state and that was possibly responsible for these events.
but that these assessments are made through a cross-examination of experts. That is, by a public expert, or an expert of a prosecutor, and by an expert nominated by the families of the victims.
Does it not seem strange to you, that during the last 10 years, apart from the process of Mussaui, who did not participate in the attacks, because he was in prison, there was no other process initiated in the US?
This is a very surprising fact and the indication that there was an intention to cover up the attacks.
IF: In my opinion there is a need for a public process in the US, in order to give a possibility to all the parties concerned, the 'class action' that would involve all the American citizens, but first off all the families of the victims to know the truth which is not the official one.
Can I ask you a juridical question? What value have those testimonies taken from people who were repeatedly water-boarded?
They have no value.
Also in the US?
Also in the US, because there exist the universal rules of the just process.
You have to consider that the US have signed the international conventions.
To recall just one, the International Covenant on the Civil and Political Rights signed in New York in December 1966 and ratified by the US.
in this covenant, the US obligates themselves to respect the rules of the just process, to respect the witnesses and to respect the defendants.
Any use of force denies the credibility of the witness, who does not speak spontaneously, who is not a spontaneous contributor to the judicial process.
Such a contribution does not have any importance.
FI: What's more, such a person would not have been interviewed in presence of a representative of the civil defence. Such a testimony does not have any value.
We are very far here, because even the two presidents of the Commission wrote in their book that they could not see any records of these interrogations.
GC: Also, the special investigation commission could not see either records, or verbal recordings of these interrogations. So we are in a total darkness here.
Yes, but we can make some clarifications. First of all, because the State Secret Privilege cannot be used to cover facts that concern massacres.
This is a universal law that applies to Italy, to the US, so it is not possible to invoke the State Secret Privilege to prevent the knowledge of documents which are fundamental to discover the truth in such a case.
Also in the US. Because this concerns the security. We are talking here about the facts that concern the killing of over 3000 people, so the State Secret Privilege has to be revoked,
because it is not constitutional and, at the first place, because it is against the international conventions.
Secondly, there is a statute of the International Criminal Court that sets rules that apply to all states, even those that did not signed it.
In your opinion, why President Obama, who came after the administration who was involved with this tragedy, did not do anything to clarify this?
I think the problem is that he is not well informed about this case.
Because people were misinformed. This was a case of a continuous disinformation.
If you look at what has happened after the 9/11 in what concerns the Niger gate.
Do you understand that this event of the Niger gate, that is to invent a series of lies to justify the military intervention in Iraq was due to the disinformation of some newspapers.
such as Judith Miller, or the Washington Post, the New York Times, and unfortunately also La Republica,
which before the war of March 2003, published 'facts' that later had to deny.
But when were these lies discovered? After the war, when it was already useless.
First, they have alimented the theory of the preventive war, and then the war began, and then they recognized the error, but it was useless, because the war continued for another 7 years.
And continues until now.
So, I think Obama did not have a good knowledge about it. It is not that Obama knows everything. He reads newspapers.
But what is in the newspapers? I read a series of articles, also in Corierre della serra by individuals who came over to Italy to theorise about the necessity of the preventive wars.
This newspapers contributed to the total disinformation. And our newspapers contributed to the distribution of the false information that were diffused in the US.
But when the Secretary of the State Colin Powel goes to the United Nation, to the Security Council, and publicly states 'we have the evidence' and rises his hand and shows a black flask,
and says we have the evidence that Saddam Hussein has the arms of mass destruction, can one work out there is a crime involved?
Yes, but here there is an intermediary case between stupidity and bad faith. I would say stupidity rather than bed faith, because one cannot go like this bringing this thing and say that there is evidence.
but later on Bush recognised, after the war, that it was an error. This was not an error. It was prepared.
and then I want to tell you the last thing, the very important thing. During the investigation of the 9/11 Commission it was stated that the CIA established a link between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein.
This was a lie that was later dismissed by the same Commission, but it shows that the CIA wanted to establish this link, to blame Saddam Hussein and justify the war.
00:21:15 -->00:21:18
As you can see, we cannot just examine the events of 9/11.
We have to investigate what happened before and after the 9/11.
GC: I absolutely agree, there is no doubt about it. You intent to bring this material to the attention of the International Criminal Court in the Hague. And here are my two questions.
GC: First question is: the US do not recognize the territoriality of the intervention of this Tribunal into the internal affairs of the US.
Naturally there are huge international implications, because immediately after 9/11, the US asked for the reunion of the NATO which took place at the beginning of October 2001 .
The US arrives to Brussels where were gathered all the ambassadors of the NATO and says, we have evidence.
This evidence was never reviled publicly. In this way the case became European. There was a declaration made at the Nato that did not follow any facts.
This is the first question I want to ask you. What the International Criminal Court at the Hague can do and how can it react to such an initiative like yours that has international repercussions?
Because the whole story of the last 10 years, if you are right, and I think you are right, has to be reinvestigated.
We have the duty and the right to know the truth, because what happened on 9/11 does not concern only the US.
It concerns the entire humanity, because later these events resulted in two wars,
and it resulted in the global crisis that we are experiencing now. This crisis is a child of those events.
So, we cannot treat these events as a historical curiosity.
At least we have to make sure there are no more preventive wars.
So we have a duty to ask the American authorities to make an investigation of precise facts.
If the American authorities does not do anything, what I suspect will happen, we have the right to apply to the Court at the Hague.
This International Criminal Court can, in my opinion, and according to the praxis, intervene also in the countries that did not sign the stature of the Court.
For example, Gaddafi did not sign the statute and they sent an arrest warrant against him.
This shows that the Court does not require a ratification of its statute by a state to intervene in this state.
As it happened in case of Gaddaffi, the head of the state that did not ratify the statute.
It is logical because there are countries in which the human rights are violated and where the crimes against humanity are committed.
and the International Court is competent in the matter of the crimes against humanity according to the article 7 of its statute.
FI: When such crimes are committed the International Court can intervene.
So the fact that America did not sign the statute is not a legal obstacle for the application of the jurisdiction of the Court in the US.
It is of course a democratic country and very powerful one, but the rule is this.
There was a precedent, a certain citizen made a complaint against the Vatican. And also the Vatican did not sign the statute.
So, the International Criminal Court after having examined the case and gathered all evidence can intervene, also in the countries in which the justice is not guaranteed and in which the human rights are violated by the crimes against humanity.
Technically, how do you want to proceed now at the Court? And what are the possible technical responses that the Tribunal has to follow?
We will apply to the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court with a complaint, the best documented as possible, in which we will list the facts that in our opinion constitute the active involvement and the involvement by omission in the crimes against humanity.
And we will ask for the verification of these facts by interviewing the witnesses that we will indicate, and examining the documents,
and by asking for the revocation of the State Secrets Privilege on documents that we were not able to access and which were not accessible even to the Commission.
To sum up, we will ask for a complete investigation in order to see whether there is a legal ground to convict, or at least charge the individuals responsible for those events.
We want to gather the biggest number of documents and data possible from any source, also from the responsible media, and also from the official investigative agencies.
We also have this book by Jessie Ventura and his research. So we will gather all evidence and incitations that will allow the reconstruction of the dynamics of the facts,
and then the responsibilities of those who had the duty to intervene but did not intervene, and then those who helped the terrorists to accomplish the attacks of 9/11.
So how long will it take to have a response, is there any deadline?
there is no legal deadline. This is not a crime against a person, this would be a private prosecution. This is a crime against humanity, such as 9/11; these crimes are imprescriptible.
In this case the complaint can be made in any moment.
So first we have to complete all the documents, then we can also supplement them, as it is not said that we have to provide them all at once.
and then we make a complaint that I will sign asking others whether they want to sign as well after having examined it and supplemented it.
And I believe that within a few month we will make this complaint.
------------------------------------END English
Kopimi Radio Does Useo's Birthday!
Kopimi Radio @mazanga #anonukradio July0715 by kop...
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Archidiocese
Belgrade Deanery
Christ the King, Belgrade
St. Anthony of Padua, Belgrade
St. Cyril and Methodius, Belgrade
St. Joseph the Worker, Belgrade
St. Peter the Apostle, Belgrade
Blessed Virgin Mary, Belgrade
St. John the Baptist, Smederevo
St. Anne, Šabac
The Holy Family, Valjevo
Nis Deanery
Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Niš
St. Barbara, Ravna Reka
St. Joseph, Kragujevac
St. Juraj, Zajecar
St. Louis, Bor
St. Archangel Michael, Kraljevo
St. Mother Teresa, Aleksinac
St. Leopold Mandic, Jagodina
Orders and Movements
Male orders
Lazarites
Female Orders
Little Sisters of Jesus
Daughters of Charity
Focolari Movement
Neocatechumenal Way
Caritas of the Archdiocese of Belgrade
Blagovest – Annunciation
Biblioteka Paulus
HomeNeocatechumenal Way
The Neocatechumenal Way in the Archdiocese of Belgrade
The basic information about the movement
The nature of the Neocatechumenal Way was defined by His Holiness John Paul II when he wrote: “I recognize the Neocatechumenal Way as an itinerary of Catholic formation valid for our society and for our times“.
The Neocatechumenal Way is at the service of the Bishop as one of the forms of diocesan implementation of Christian initiation and of ongoing education in the faith.
The Neocatechumenal Way, endowed with public juridical personality, is composed of an ensemble of spiritual goods:
“Neocatechumenate” or post-baptismal catechumenate, as referred to in Title II;
the ongoing education in the faith, as referred to in Title III;
the catechumenate, as referred to in Title IV;
the service of catechesis, discussed in Title V, conducted as specified and by the persons indicated therein
(From the statute of the Neocatechumenal Way, article1, the nature of the Neocatechumenal Way)
In early Church, while the world was pagan, those who wanted to become Christians were supposed to begin “Catechumenate”, which was a way of formation in preparation for baptism. Today, the process of secularization has led many people to abandon the faith and the Church and due to this, the formation is needed in order to become a Christian. The Neocatechumenal Way is not a movement or association, but an instrument in the parishes, at the service of bishops, to bring back faith to many people who have abandoned it. It was started in the 60s in one of the poorest suburbs of Madrid by Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez at the time when the Archbishop of Madrid was Casimiro Morcillo, who saw a true rediscovery of the Word of God and the practical implementation of liturgical renewal in that first community, encouraged by the Synod in those years.
Due to positive experiences in the churches of Madrid, in 1974 Congregation for Divine Worship chose the name Neocatechumenal Way for this experience. It is a journey of conversion that can detect the richness of the Gospel. For all these years, the Way has spread to more than 900 dioceses in 105 countries, with over 20 thousand communities in 6,000 parishes. In 1987, an international missionary seminary “Redemptoris Mater” was opened in Rome. It accepts the young men whose calling matured in the Neocatechumenal Community and who are willing to go all over the world.
After that, many bishops have followed the experience in Rome, and there are more than 100 diocesan missionary seminaries “Redemptoris Mater” in the world today, where more than a thousand seminarians are formed. Recently, in response to Pope’s request for new evangelization, many families who have completed the way have offered to assist the mission of Church and they are going to live in most secularized and non-Christian areas of the world, preparing the birth of new missionary parishes.
Neocathecumenal Way in Belgrade
The Neocatechumenal Way came to Belgrade Archdiocese in 1991, during service of Archbishop Dr. Franc Perko. Friar Ivo Bono Mazić of the third order of Franciscans came to Valjevo then, and the catechesis throughout Serbia began from there.
Today, the Neocatechumenal Way is present in eight parishes (nine communities) of the Archdiocese of Belgrade: Valjevo, Šabac, Niš, Bor, Zaječar, Smederevo, Užice and Belgrade – the parish of St. Joseph the Worker. There are families who came to testify Christian life in three parishes: Šabac, Užice and Belgrade. These families have been invited by the Archbishop Stanislav Hočevar, and sent by the Holy Father, the Pope.
There are also presbyters who had come from the diocesan missionary seminaries Redemptoris Mater from Pula, i.e. the Neocatechumenal Way and who act in pastoral work of our Archdiocese. Those are Marko Trošt in Niš, Antun Kragol in Šabac and Valjevo, Leonid Bevza in Bor and Zaječar, Zygmunt Ciba in Užice, Geremia Massa in Smederevo, and Jovan Vejin i Grzegorz Chudek in Belgrade, as well as presbyters who are no longer here, but who came first: the above mentioned friar Ivo Bono Mazić, Drago Žumer and Girolamo Iacobucci.
Arhiva vesti Select Month April 2019 (2) March 2019 (8) February 2019 (2) January 2019 (8) November 2018 (1) September 2018 (3) August 2018 (1) April 2018 (3) February 2018 (2) January 2018 (3) December 2017 (3) November 2017 (6) October 2017 (9)
Nadbiskupski ordinarijat
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Elektronsko izdanje Biblije i časoslova korišćeno uz dozvolu Kršćanske sadašnjosti. Prevod: Copyright@KS. Korišćenje isključivo uz dozvolu KS-a.
Copyright@Beogradska nadbiskupija 2016.
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History and Current Events
Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do
by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD
What it's about: supplemented with research and the author's own experiences with prejudice, this eye-opening work explores how readers can combat unconscious racial bias in their everyday lives.
Author alert: MacArthur fellow Jennifer L. Eberhardt is a Stanford University psychology professor and an expert on the topic of racial bias.
Book buzz: Just Mercy author Bryan Stevenson calls Biased "groundbreaking."
Murder by the Book: The Crime That Shocked Dickens's London
by Claire Harman
London, 1840: Penny dreadfuls are surging in popularity and are believed to be a corrupting influence on the city’s lower-class residents. When aristocrat Lord William Russell is brutally murdered in his home, is a book to blame?
Starring: prime suspect François Corvoisier, a valet of Russell's who claimed in court that William Harrison Ainsworth's crime novel Jack Sheppard drove him to the violent deed.
The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government...
by Heath Hardage Lee
What it is: the forgotten story of the military wives who mobilized to bring their POW husbands home from Vietnam.
How they did it: After forming the National League of Families, the women organized media campaigns, lobbied politicians, learned encryption to send and receive coded messages (earning the nickname "Jane Bonds"), and even negotiated directly with the North Vietnamese.
Reviewers say: Book clubs will flock to this "unputdownable" tale (Library Journal) that "begs for discussion" (Booklist).
Girl in Black and White: The Story of Mary Mildred Williams and the Abolition Movement
by Jessie Morgan-Owens
What it's about: how the photograph of seven-year-old light-skinned slave Mary Mildred Williams was used to stoke abolitionist ire.
Unwitting celebrity: Brought onstage during Senator Charles Sumner's 1855 antislavery tour, Mary's white-passing appearance earned her the nickname "white slave" and garnered sympathy from audiences who otherwise ignored the plight of her darker-skinned counterparts.
Why you might like it: Girl in Black and White offers an illuminating new perspective on the racial politics of the abolitionist movement.
The Trial of Lizzie Borden: A True Story
by Cara Robertson
What it is: a fast-paced account of the notorious 1893 Lizzie Borden murder trial that utilizes court transcripts, newspaper accounts, and recently discovered letters written by Borden herself to argue that the jury who acquitted her got it wrong.
About the author: Debut author Cara Robertson is a lawyer and former Supreme Court clerk who spent 20 years researching the Borden case.
Who it's for: true crime aficionados and amateur sleuths.
One Summer: America, 1927
by Bill Bryson
What it's about: how a single pivotal season signaled American's ascent to the world stage.
Topics include: Charles Lindbergh's ambitious transatlantic flight; Babe Ruth's career-best record of 60 home runs; the production of The Jazz Singer (the first "talking picture"); Al Capone's reign of terror.
Read it for: Bill Bryson's sly humor and unusual factoids (for instance, Calvin Coolidge enjoyed having Vaseline applied to his head).
Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby
by Sarah Churchwell
What it is: an evocative social history that explores how "the crime of the decade," an unsolved 1922 double homicide, may have inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald to write The Great Gatsby.
Why you might like it: Thrilling, rich in detail, and sprinkled with a hint of gossip, Careless People blends aspects of biography, history, and true crime to vividly recreate the glamorous milieu of the Roaring Twenties.
The Second Coming of the KKK: The Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s and the American Political...
by Linda Gordon
What it's about: the "second Ku Klux Klan," which attracted millions of middle-class northern and midwestern Americans throughout the 1920s.
How it happened: Klan leaders, many of whom were elected government officials, amplified xenophobic fears by arguing for "100 percent Americanism" amid the country's influx of immigrants.
Don't miss: Linda Gordon's incisive discussion of the Klan's 500,000 women members, who played significant roles in the organization.
The Great Fire: One American's Mission to Rescue Victims of the 20th Century's First...
by Lou Ureneck
What it's about: In the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide, a small group of American rescuers, led by Methodist minister Asa Jennings, successfully evacuated more than 250,000 Greek and Armenian refugees from the Great Fire of Smyrna (in present-day Turkey).
Is it for you? This richly contextualized account explores the 500 years of conflict between Greece and Turkey that precipitated the tragedy.
Reviewers say: "An inspiring illumination of a hero who deserves recognition" (Kirkus Reviews).
101 East Franklin Street
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UN's Kofi Annan: An Agent of Wall Street
"Peace envoy" sits on board with traitors, meddlers, and warmongers.
by Tony Cartalucci
Editor's Note: Brookings has since taken down Middle East Memo #21 - it has been reposted by Land Destroyer here in its entirety.
UPDATE August 3, 2012 - Kofi Annan is also revealed to be a member of JP Morgan's International Council as of 2011. He finds himself amongst duplicitous, scheming, self-serving Western-aligned personalities of all stripes including Khalid Al-Falih of Saudi Aramco, fading Russian oligarch Anatoly Chubais, US war criminal Henry Kissinger, serial financial criminal Jamie Dimon, and convicted war criminal Tony Blair. It should also be noted that the corporate-financier funded International Crisis Group has attempted to purge Annan's name from their website, however it is forever memorialized in their 2012 Annual Report available here (.pdf), and by Land Destroyer upon request.
March 20, 2012 - "U.N.-Arab League envoy" Kofi Annan has claimed over the last several weeks to be backing "peace efforts" in Syria to end the conflict which has lasted over a year now. In reality, it has been revealed that his function is to simply buy time for a collapsing militant front and the creation of NATO-occupied "safe havens" from which further destabilization and "coercive action" can be conducted against the Syrian government.
This has been confirmed by Fortune 500-funded, US foreign-policy think-tank, Brookings Institution which has blueprinted designs for regime change in Libya as well as both Syria and Iran. In their latest report, "Assessing Options for Regime Change" it is stated:
"An alternative is for diplomatic efforts to focus first on how to end the violence and how to gain humanitarian access, as is being done under Annan’s leadership. This may lead to the creation of safe-havens and humanitarian corridors, which would have to be backed by limited military power. This would, of course, fall short of U.S. goals for Syria and could preserve Asad in power. From that starting point, however, it is possible that a broad coalition with the appropriate international mandate could add further coercive action to its efforts." -page 4, Assessing Options for Regime Change, Brookings Institution.
Image: Also out of the Brookings Institution, Middle East Memo #21 "Assessing Options for Regime Change (.pdf)," makes no secret that "responsibility to protect" is but a pretext for long-planned regime change.
While some may be surprised that "peace envoy" Kofi Annan is essentially lying to both Syria's government and to the world, with a complicit UN and "Arab League" willfully "in" on the fraud, Annan's ties with notorious traitors, meddlers, and warmongers indicate that this latest deception is par for the course.
Annan is a trustee of Wall Street speculator George Soros and geopolitical manipulator Zbigniew Brzezinski's International Crisis Group, along side Neo-Conservative corporate lobbyist and warmonger Kenneth Adelman, US State Department-listed Iranian terror organization MEK lobbyist - General Wesley Clark, Wall Street-backed color revolution leader - Mohammed ElBaradei of Egypt, and Brookings Institution's Samuel Berger.
Image: Some of the corporate sponsors behind the Brookings Institution, from whose playbook Kofi Annan is being directed in his disingenuous "peace mission" to Syria. (click image to enlarge)
Image: Just some of the corporate and "institutional" sponsors of the International Crisis Group, upon which Kofi Annan sits as a "trustee" with other dubious personalities including George Soros, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Egypt's Mohammed ElBaradei, and Neo-Cons Richard Armitage and Kenneth Adelman. (click image to enlarge)
Serving as "advisers" to the International Crisis Group include, Neo-Conservative warmonger Richard Armitage, former Foreign Minister of Israel Shlomo Ben-Ami, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Bank of Israel Governor Stanely Fischer, and President of Israel Shimon Peres.
It must surely warm the cockles of the Syrian people's hearts to realize Annan, with direct ties to the Neo-Conservative establishment who has long sought Syria's destabilization and the Israel government as well as its financial institutions, is so "concerned" about establishing peace in a conflict where Syrian rebels and foreign militants are turning up with US and Israeli weapons in their hands. It must also warm their hearts to see direct admissions from the Brookings Insitution that Annan's mission is simply to buy time for a faltering foreign-funded rebellion so that it may be preserved and rehabilitated back to full strength under the guise of a "peace deal."
The fact that Egypt's ElBaradei, another foreign-backed subversive traitor, as well as Kenneth Adelman, lobbyist for Wall Street proxy Thaksin Shinwatra of Thailand and member of Eldeman public relations, a sponsor of the US State Department's "Alliance for Youth Movements" who trained equipped and backed the uprising that destabilized Syria to begin with, are involved in ICG's work indicates that the "International Crisis Group" may indeed be attempting to fulfill its mission statement of "preventing and resolving deadly conflict." However, that is with the hidden caveat being the conflicts it seeks to resolve have been created by them and their agents in the first place to justify a series of predetermined "solutions." A case of manufactured problem, corporate-media perception managed reaction, predetermined, self-serving solution.
It then appears, despite the United Nations being stamped upon Annan's efforts, that he is in fact a direct representative of Western geopolitical ambitions, more specifically those of Wall Street and London. It should be mentioned at this time that the International Crisis Group of which Annan serves as a trustee for, is funded by the following corporate-financier interests:
Humanity United
Hunt Alternatives Fund
Jewish World Watch
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Sigrid Rausing Trust
British Petroleum (BP)
Kimberly- Clark Corporation
NPI Capital
Deutsche Bank Group
When considering the Brookings Institution's admissions that Annan is simply playing a part in the overall strategy to execute long-planned Western-backed regime change in Syria, and the equally impressive array of corporations, banks, and corporate-funded foundations backing Brookings, it is clear that it is corporate-financier interests, not an "international consensus" that is behind the United Nation's efforts versus Syria. The UN is merely a convenient front lending legitimacy to what is otherwise the naked aggression of foreign military conquest. In fact, the Brrokings Institution admits as much in their report, "Assessing Options for Regime Change," where they declare:
"Taking actions without a UN mandate would also likely only add to the unraveling of the “responsibility to protect” doctrine, in as much as it emphasizes the need for UN-legitimated authority." -page 3, Assessing Options for Regime Change, Brookings Institution.
This of course in the context of outlining the various unilateral actions the US can take to circumvent Russia and China's objections to meddling in Syria's sovereign affairs and in essence render moot its own contrived international legal process, as well as an acknowledgement to the flagrant abuse of the "responsibility to protect" doctrine in regards to Libya. The UN is mentioned throughout the report merely as a mechanism for obtaining US interests in the Middle East, a mere pawn rather than a driving factor behind US involvement or any sort of international "responsibility" the US is "altruistically" fulfilling.
The same can then be said of Annan's function, a mask of legitimacy behind which neo-imperial aggression is being carried out. Already, Annan's efforts are being matched by NATO-member Turkey's preparations to establish the sort of militarily occupied "safe haven" in Syrian territory, prescribed in the Brookings report. It is a plot Annan knowingly works in tandem with US-led NATO - a plot whose final objective is the further violent destabilization and overthrow of the sovereign government of Syria - not peace.
Labels: Globalists, middle east, propaganda, Syria
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The first eleven years of Finland's EU-membership
Download "The first eleven years of Finland's EU-membership"
Horace Cox
1 1 (7) Sinikka Salo 16 January 2006 Member of the Board The first eleven years of Finland's EU-membership Remarks by Ms Sinikka Salo in the Panel "The Austrian and Finnish EU-Presidencies: Positive Experiences as a Driving Force" in Brussels, organized by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased and honoured to participate in this panel and present my assessment of the past years of Finland s membership in the EU and EMU before such a distinguished audience, and I would like to thank the organisers for this opportunity. *** Finland joined the EU, together with Austria and Sweden, from the beginning of In its accession negotiations Finland did not seek any opt-out from the third stage of the EMU, and the government, which was formed after the general elections in March 1995, proclaimed in its programme that its goal was to prepare Finland to join the first group of countries doing so. Actually the EMU membership had important effects already before it materialized. I think this is a phenomenon seen in all countries with the prospect of joining the EMU. In the case of Finland, expectations of joining in the common currency were fairly firmly established in 1995 already, and it was very soon clear that these expectations influenced monetary policy and private behaviour already before the membership in the monetary union became a reality. In the light of 11 years of EU membership and 7 years of euro there are already some grounds to review and assess the hopes and expectations as well as risks which were held about the membership in the EU, and in particular about the membership in the EMU. In my remarks my focus, indeed, is on the impact of the monetary union.
2 2 (7) However, it should be kept in mind that many factors other than the monetary union have influenced the Finnish economy in the last decade and therefore it is very difficult to disentangle the effects of giving up national monetary policy and joining the EMU from these other factors. This is true in particular because, when Finland joined the EU and EMU, the country was just recovering from a severe economic and financial crisis which in itself had changed the structure of the economy in several ways. According to the widely shared view at the time of joining the union, the following major effects of the EMU were considered as relevant for Finland, and I shall discuss each of them briefly. Benefits resulting from improved credibility of monetary policy The hope for improved credibility of monetary policy was clearly there, as Finnish monetary policy traditionally had suffered lack of credibility which caused recurrent balance of payment problems and large risk premiums in market interest rates. It was hoped and expected that high credibility of the euro area monetary policy would imply lower interest rates, in particular lower and more stable long-term interest rates. It was also predicted that the monetary union would be conducive to wage moderation, because better credibility would lower inflation expectations and therefore imply smaller inflation premiums in wage contracts. In the monetary union the wage inflation does not take off as easily as before, as the monetary policy can no more bail out export industries in the event of problems like in the old days characterized by "inflation-devaluation cycles". Both these hopes have been realized since. The decisive year for the monetary convergence of Finland with its future EMU partners was During that year monetary policy interest rates were brought very close to those of Germany and other "core" countries and since October 1996, when Finland joined the ERM, exchange rate fluctuations vis-à-vis the deutschmark diminished further to the extent that they became quite unimportant from the macroeconomic point of view. Because also long-term interest rate differentials vis-à-vis Germany declined strongly to only a slight margin, and because
3 3 (7) after 1997 no interventions by the Bank of Finland was needed to defend the prevailing parity vis-à-vis the deutschmark, Finnish monetary policy could be seen as having become harmonized already before de jure adoption of the euro. This was also reflected in the smooth adoption of the irrevocable fixed conversion rate for the markka in the run-up for the monetary union, in spite of the fact that Finland joined the ERM relatively late. Finland has indeed been able to enjoy historically low interest rates, not only in absolute terms, as most countries these days, but also in relative terms, due to improved credibility of monetary policy. One may argue that significant improvement in the general government financial position that took place since 1994 could have worked to the same direction, but we should keep in mind that real interest rate differentials were high also in the 1980s when government debt was quite small and the budget was in surplus. This supports the conclusion that credibility of monetary policy through the membership in the monetary union was the crucial ingredient in the improvement. Also wage moderation has been good, in terms of the profitability and external competitiveness of the economy. In conclusion: Finland in the days before the EU was suffering from stubborn inflation and, as a result, from higher interest rates and chronically eroding competitiveness. With the euro both of these problems have vanished. Question of asymmetric shocks and of giving up independent monetary policy A regime shift from national to common monetary policy invokes the well-known problem of asymmetric (meaning country-specific) shocks: if the member countries do not fulfil the criteria for an optimum currency area which Finland and the rest of EU countries obviously do not do common monetary policy cannot be expected to react to the asymmetric shocks the countries face as efficiently as national monetary policies could. To the extent that national monetary policies or exchange rate movements do in fact facilitate adjustment to asymmetric shocks, a country may have to face more severe economic fluctuations as a result of forsaking its national currency. This question was discussed extensively in Finland and was considered as the main risk for Finland in the EMU, although it was
4 4 (7) noted that a separate exchange policy is also a source of speculative disturbances several times experienced in Finland and that this source of shocks would be eliminated in the EMU. Experiences so far are rather positive in this regard and common monetary policy has been reasonably appropriate for the Finnish economy. The problem of asymmetric shocks has not at all been at the forefront in the Finnish economic policy. Actually, it seems that economic cycle in Finland has recently become more synchronized with the other euro area countries although the amplitude of the cycle in Finland is larger. This is true, in particular, for industrial production. A test was also due in late 2000-early 2001 when Finland was hit by the burst in global ICT stock prices and stagnation of network markets. As you may know, Finland is more dependent on the ICT-sector than the euro area on average (in 2000 the share of Nokia alone was about 5.5% of the GDP volume). It is interesting to compare the recession that followed the ICT crash to the recession in the beginning of 1990s when Finland also was hit more severely by the sudden collapse of trade to the Soviet Union simultaneously with a downturn in other export markets. (The share of Soviet Union in Finnish total exports was in 1990, before the collapse, 13 %). In the recession of early 1990s, the whole economy entered the recession in a situation when the credibility of monetary policy could not be maintained, not even with high real interest rates and real economic costs, as it turned out. By contrast, in the recession of early 2000s, due to the EMU membership, there was no impact on exchange rates and the ECB's rate cuts were supportive also to other sectors of economy. In particular, with low prevailing interest rates households could continue to be confident in maintaining their consumption and housing expenditure. Basically due to domestic demand remaining rather strong, GDP performance was reasonably good in Finland even after the ICT crash. In conclusion, in spite of the exceptionally strong dependence of the Finnish economy on the ICT sector, the ICT shock was not transmitted to other sectors of the economy through destabilizing exchange rate or interest rate reactions. The EMU membership has been protecting the Finnish economy also during the international crisis, like the 11th September 2001 terrorist attacks. Even before we joined the monetary union, the prospect of membership provided some protection, as the exchange rate of the Finnish markka remained stable
5 5 (7) also during the Russian crisis in 1998, whereas Swedish krona and Norwegian krone were affected. The swings in the external value of the euro have not affected trade inside the euro area, and their impact on exports seems to be less dramatic. In general, inflation in Finland has been relatively close to the euro area average, and recently even lower than the average. The EMU has not posed any particular challenges for the Finnish fiscal policy. The consolidation of the public finances after the banking crisis has been remarkable, and currently Finnish public finances are among the strongest in the euro area. The genuine economic motives (especially preparing to the ageing of the population and fear of erosion of the tax base) are so compelling that the policy has been satisfying the formal criteria of the Stability and Growth Pact voluntarily, and by a clear "safety margin". In general, a solid fiscal position is desirable to generate leeway for fiscal policy which could be used to "buy time" in the event of an unexpected recession. Structural effects and efficiency benefits from a single currency Adopting the euro was generally predicted to reduce transaction costs and increase competition, and thus make Finland better integrated to the European single market. It was predicted to give firms, households, and governments access to deeper and more efficient financial markets. After the EU and EMU memberships became a reality, Finnish firms have become much more international than before, in terms of ownerships and operations. Competition has increased in many sectors, including trade, telecommunications and financial services, and this has led to decreasing consumer prices for instance in foodstuff, clothes, home electronics, phone calls etc. In this respect, an important role has been played by many foreign firms establishing their business in Finland and thereby intensifying competition which perhaps was too weak in our domestic markets before joining the EU. Finland's EMU membership may also have made Finland a more attractive object for investors outside the euro area. A large part of the foreign ownership of Finnish shares is by investors who are not euro area residents; also foreign direct investments are to a large extent to the non-emu countries. Rather
6 6 (7) surprising feature has been the large share of Sweden as well in inflows as in outflows of equity capital. The participation in the euro area has also changed and is changing the structure of financial markets and their functioning. In particular, securities markets have grown from national to more European. This has been very important from the point of view of big investors and borrowers. For example, large Finnish pension funds have been able to diversify their assets outside Finnish markets in an unprecedented fashion. Actually, this is the way the bulk of the large current account surplus, that we now have, is invested. Also in the area of retail banking more competition is emerging, and in the area of cross-border payments use of internet and lower expected costs of transfers are making internal markets of the EU more efficient. So far, European integration in this area has, however, been regrettably slow, and this may continue to constitute a hindrance for deeper integration of Finnish trade with other euro area countries. This is not a Finnish phenomenon, of course, but a general European state of affairs. Indeed, it was expected when Finland joined the EU that the trade with euro area and EU countries would have increased, but this has not happened. On the contrary, the share of the EU countries in Finnish exports and imports has decreased during the EU membership. This development may be due to the period of sluggish growth in the major euro area countries, in particular in Germany traditionally our most important trading partner and thus it may be temporary. Also, there have been important structural changes at the global level which have redirected Finnish foreign trade during these 10 years: the rise of ICT sector, globalisation and the increased role of Asia in world economy. Originally, one of the most often heard fears concerning the EU membership, and more recently, the enlargement of the EU, was related to the free labour mobility. Especially the trade unions were worried about the foreign workers coming to Finland and taking the jobs. Actually, if anything, the problem has been better the opposite: more qualified foreign help would have been welcome. Migration flows from the other EU countries to Finland have been very moderate. Only Estonia has been a relevant external source of labour for the Finnish labour market. Due to the ageing of the
7 7 (7) Finnish population there is already now a shortage of able people in many sectors, and this will be a growing problem in the forthcoming years, especially in the public health care system. To summarise: All in all, the Finnish EU and EMU membership seems to have fulfilled most of its promises and most of the fears have not materialised. There is a very broad consensus among Finnish economists and policymakers that the stability of the economy is now much better than it used to be in the past, and that the policy trade-offs are much more favourable now. It is, of course, difficult to say, what exactly is due to the EU or EMU membership and what is due to other factors. The past eleven years have been good times for Finland. The economic development has been strong and also relatively stable despite the large swings in the global economy. In this sense EMU has improved the resilience of the Finnish economy. I dare say that the overall outcome of the whole EU-membership has been very positive for Finland.
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2013 Artificial Intelligence Dissertation Award
Nominations are invited for the 2013 Artificial Intelligence Dissertation Award sponsored by ECCAI, the European Coordinating Committee for Artificial Intelligence. Please take a moment to nominate your students, or to recommend to your colleagues to nominate their students.
This Award includes a certificate signed by the ECCAI Chair and 1.500 Euros (which includes the travel grant for the Award ceremony). Nominations are due to Toby....@nicta.com.au by March 1st, 2014.
Eligible doctoral dissertations are those defended after December 1, 2012 in the general area of Artificial Intelligence. The dissertation must have been defended at a European university and the author must be a personal member of an ECCAI member society. In case a thesis is nominated for another national or international award before or during its review for the ECCAI dissertation award, the author is requested to inform the ECCAI dissertation award committee about this fact.
To be considered, a dissertation must be nominated by the thesis supervisor, who must submit the following items:
a link to the final version of the thesis (preferred) or 5 hard copies
a link to an extended abstract of 3 to 5 pages (preferred) or 5 hard copies in English
if the thesis was not written in English the nomination must include an English paper describing the core ideas of the thesis that has been submitted for publication in an international journal or a prestigious conference. The nominee must be the lead author of this paper.
nomination letters from two referees selected by the dissertation supervisor, supporting the submission and stating their assessment of why the thesis should win the award.
The selection will be based on the originality, impact, and written quality of the work. Work that has been submitted to and/or accepted at workshops, conferences, or journals will be considered more favourably. Work that is primarily attributed to the student's own initiative will also be considered more favourably. Finally, the quality of the written document will be considered.
Submissions and Requests should be sent to:
Toby Walsh
NICTA
Locked Bag 6016
University of New South Wales
Kensington 1466
email: toby.walsh@nicta.com.au
www.eccai.org/diss-award/current.shtml
www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~tw/
The deadline for receipt of submissions is March 1st, 2014.
The Award will be presented during ECAI 2014, where the winner will be invited to give a survey talk on the thesis.
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Chicagoans Gather To Watch 49th Ward Alderman Election Results
Alanna Demetrius | The Phoenix The crowd at Hadden's watch party celebrated as the alderwoman-elect took the stage.
By Leen Yassine, Kayleigh Padar and Emmagrace Sperle
Updated March 1, 2019 10:52 a.m. CT
Published February 27, 2019 12:58 a.m. CT
Rogers Park residents attended watch parties to keep up with the aldermanic elections as results were tallied. Newcomer Maria Hadden defeated 28-year incumben Joe Moore in a highly anticipated aldermanic election for the 49th ward, representing residents of Rogers Park, Edgewater and West Ridge.
Hadden’s supporters gathered at a venue called Mayne Stage (1328 W. Morse Ave.) to watch as election results poured in.
While the venue’s DJ played 2000s R&B music, attendees cheered at each precinct’s update and Hadden’s growing lead.
As the final votes were counted, Hadden — who was leading by nearly 30 percent — gave a celebratory speech before joining her supporters in the crowd.
“This is a better win, more decisive than I think we could have hoped for,” Hadden told The Phoenix. “I think all the work and all the community effort and energy that went into this — we got the win we deserved.”
Hadden’s parents attended the watch party, expressing pride at their daughter’s success.
“I think it’s just in her blood, it’s what she likes to do and she just does it,” Maria’s father, Skip Hadden, told The Phoenix.
Her mother, Norma Hadden, recalled leadership roles Hadden took on growing up.
“She has always been there,” her mother said. “I can remember, as an elementary student, rallying and mentoring people on the playground.”
Community members and students of all ages attended the watch party, many excited to be a part of the political process in the community.
Nick Boyle and Michael Lachenmeyer, both 20-year-old sophomores at Loyola, have been working on Hadden’s campaign since the fall through Indivisible Loyola — a grassroots activist organization comprised of Loyola students but not affiliated with the university — which they co-founded in mid-September 2018.
“We came here tonight because every Saturday we’ve been canvassing for Maria, organizing phone banks on her behalf,” Boyle, a political science major, said. “I support Hadden because I believe she’s going to be a fighter for the 49th [ward].”
Lachenmeyer, a political science and international studies major, said he was excited to be a part of a local grassroots campaign.
“She was right in the area and we literally just had to walk outside our door and we could go knock on people’s doors and help and do something positive,” Lachenmeyer said.
Caleb DeBerry, a 10th grader at Northside College Preparatory High School, has been working on Hadden’s campaign and showed up to the event in support.
“Maria just makes me feel so engaged in the political process,” DeBerry said. “Even though I’m 15 and I can’t vote, she still found me kind of worthy enough to campaign for her and to listen to my ideas.”
When asked about her next big step, Hadden had a practical response.
“Getting sworn in,” Hadden said.
After Moore’s decades long run as alderman, some of Hadden’s supporters championed her as someone who could bring change.
“[Moore] has been in office for 28 years, I’m only 15,” DeBerry said. “I’ve never seen the 49th ward without Joe Moore and I just really think it’s time for a change.”
Two train stops away, supporters of Moore gathered at the restaurant I’m Soul Hungry (2043 W. Howard St.) to watch the results roll in.
Despite his loss, Moore told The Phoenix he was thankful for the opportunity to be a public servant.
“I’m fine,” Moore said. “No one died. Everyone’s healthy in my family, that’s all that matters. Everything else is secondary. Of course, I’m disappointed, but I’m also grateful that I had the opportunity to serve the community for all these years.”
Moore said in his speech he didn’t have any plans for the future yet. He said although it’s been a tough election, he’s treated each election the same.
“I’ve approached each [election] with the same sort of work ethic and commitment to my community, so it was no different,” Moore said.
Supporters mingled and ate from a buffet while watching the election results on multiple screens throughout the restaurant.
Lawrence Itter, a Rogers Park resident who helped run the polling station in Loyola’s Centennial Forum, said he’s never been to a watch party before but wanted to go to support Moore given the competitiveness of this election.
“I wanted to come to give Joe my support because it’s gonna be a tight race,” Itter said. “We’ve never been to any of these functions before and it’s pretty exhilarating, but I’m feeling a little anxious.”
Robin Mcpherson, a housing specialist for a non-profit organization, said she wanted to support Moore at the event because he’s been the alderman for most of the 34 years she’s lived in Rogers Park.
“He’s the only alderman I ever knew, I just wanted him to stay in until he was ready to retire,” Mcpherson said. “Not like this, not before he’s ready to go.”
Sandra Jackson, who’s retired, said she wanted Moore to win because she had gotten to know him throughout the 15 years she’s lived in Rogers Park.
“You know, when you have someone, no matter what their faults, they know the system, you know they’re gonna get things done,” Jackson said.
Leen Yassine
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Kayleigh Padar
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Emmagrace Sperle
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From the Editor’s Desk: Resolutions, Elections and Much More
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Congratulations to GPA kindergartners!
The Academy’s continuum of learning awaits the Early School Class of 2017.
On June 9, members of The Grosse Pointe Academy’s Early School Montessori kindergarten class celebrated their graduation, which means many likely will matriculate to the Academy’s Lower School in the fall.
The continuum of learning, which began for the young students in GPA’s Early School, will now flourish for them in Grades 1-3. Each child is exposed to strong academics in a traditional classroom setting, supported by an array of opportunities for self-expression through music, art, creative movement and physical education.
Beginning in the Lower School, children at the Academy are taught the following disciplines: language arts (including writing, literature, spelling, vocabulary and grammar), mathematics, science, environmental science, social studies, technology, French, music, art, creative movement, physical education and Christian Life. Technology is used as a tool to enhance the learning environment.
In the Lower School classrooms, teachers employ multi-texts and design programs in which each student can progress at his or her own level. In addition, a learning-resource specialist is available to provide reinforcement or enrichment to match individual needs.
Learn more about the Academy’s Lower School program here.
About The Grosse Pointe Academy
The Grosse Pointe Academy is an independent, coeducational day school serving children age 2 1/2 through Grade 8. We foster an inclusive environment that respects all cultures and religious beliefs. We seek to remain faithful to our heritage as a former Academy of the Sacred Heart and to those who through their Catholic faith and perseverance sought to preserve and enhance the legacy of this past for generations. Incorporated as a non-profit institution, The Grosse Pointe Academy is directed by a Board of Trustees working together to serve the Southeastern Michigan community.
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All the preliminary matters are going arranged as fast as possible for the construction of the railroad, and work on it will be booming shortly.
Increase of cultivated acres in Marion county from 1877 to 1878, 47,326. Value of crops for 1878, $793,439. Increase of population from 1870 to 1878, 7,538.
Many think Mr. Kellison’s new building will be, when finished, the handsomest residence in town. The body of the building is constructed of a peculiar kind of yellow stone and the corners of a beautiful white stone, making a striking and happy contrast.
There is hardly a man in town who is not expecting to build something. If all the houses are built here this season that are being “figured on,” Marion Centre will nearly double in size this year. And we believe that will be the case whether the present calculations are carried out or not.
The Lehigh Colony is the name of the new colony soon to come out from Pennsylvania, and to occupy the five thousand acre tract recently purchased for them in Risley township.
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MASH VIDEO LITERACY
Who Is Mr. Slusky?
MASH NEWS
The Mauro-Sheridan Inter-district Magnet School currently houses a 2 camera video broadcast studio. The studio is equipped with video switcher, audio, board, lighting and a teleprompter. All the equipment that would be found in a commercial TV studio but scaled for the middle school student. All broadcast equipment is run by the students who put on a live, newscast Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for research and writing of news articles and features .Reports consist of subjects that would be of interest to the student body including goings on in and around the school and district. The NEWS is open to all students in the school who can fit into the morning timeline.
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20-2, but 0-1
A mid-December NBA game does not usually remind a viewer of a playoff atmosphere but that was not the case tonight in Boston as the new-look Celtics put their best-ever(*) 20-2 start on the line against the Detroit Pistons. After an exciting, back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Celtics dug back from a 6-point deficit with 1:19 left (and with Pistons having the ball), only to lose with poor clock management in the last 30 seconds.
A few things we learned:
* Ray Allen still has plenty in the tank, especially after having a couple of games off to rest his legs. His turn-the-corner-and-dunk-in-traffic off a timeout with 6 minutes left turned the game around when the Cs were in danger of losing touch (down 7). And his pair of three-pointers (one from the corner off the dribble, the other from the top of the key with 18 seconds left, led the comeback.
Update: Here's the video, now up on YouTube:
* The Cs have no defensive answer for Chauncy Billups (28 pts, 8 assists in 37 minutes), especially in the fourth quarter, when he took Rajon Rondo down to the proverbial "Men's Room" on the low block. Doc Rivers tried Eddie House and Tony Allen in crunch time, but neither proved to be enough. Allen ended up effectively ending the game when he left his feet on a Billups shot-fake on the last possession, sending Billups to the line with 0.1 seconds left.
* The Pistons were able to dictate game tempo, especially in second half. The Celtics have been able to separate themselves from (mostly inferior) opponents over the first quarter of the season with a transition game based on good defense. The defense was there against the Pistons -- Detroit shot just 40.3% -- but the C's were unable to turn missed shots into easy baskets.
* Don't book the Cs for the NBA Finals quite yet. The Cs have fattened up on an easy schedule: most of their games have been against the weak East, and have only played a few games against weak West teams (Sac, Den, LAL). Boston is now 1-3 against elite East teams (0-1 against Orlando and Detroit; 1-1 against Cleveland), and has yet to travel west of Chicago. The next stretch of the season,, with a trip to the Pacific upcoming next week -- and the Celtics trip to the "Texas triangle" in March -- should be very interesting.
* All that being said, the Cs are clearly a challenge for the Pistons, and Boston fans are ready for this rejuvinated franchise. The road to the East will probably go through Detroit, and a Pistons/Celtics series could be very interesting.
(*) - Actually, equalling the best-ever start of 20-2 in 1963-4. Both teams lost their 23rd game, to go 20-3.
Posted by Matt Henshon at 12/19/2007 09:52:00 PM No comments:
Labels: Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, NBA
Welcome to the NFL, Kid
After a spring and summer where he mostly stayed above the fray of his wife's presidential campaign, President Bill Clinton injected himself into primary politics when he criticized Barack Obama's experience Friday night on the Charlie Rose PBS-TV show, saying that the country should not 'roll the dice' on an individual who had just "one year" of experience in national politics at the time he began running for President.
Nevermind the fact that then-Governor Clinton had zero years of experience in national politics at the time he began running for President in 1991; Clinton attempted to draw a distinction between his 'vision' of the role of the United States in the post-Cold War era:
We are now into unchartered waters, with a former two-term Democratic President taking sides in the primary, and the current front-runner (by all polling) trying to deflect criticism, while not directly criticizing a potent Democratic symbol. Obama has proved himself a very effective counter-puncher against Hillary directly:
However, he is now sparring with the political equivalent of (an early 1970s) George Foreman, and the next days will determine whether he can continue to counter-punch effectively:
Posted by Matt Henshon at 12/16/2007 11:32:00 AM No comments:
Labels: 1992, 2008, Bill Clinton, Boxing, Hillary, Obama
Hillary and the Expectations Game
Could not agree more with Seth Gitell's recent post about the 'Hillary-in-free-fall' stories that are now rampant in the press. For instance, Howard Fineman's piece earlier in the week (clearly written pre-debate, although the dynamics did not change yesterday) is featured prominently on Drudge this afternoon. Billy Shaheen's comments over the past few days resulted in his resignation from the NH campaign yesterday, giving rise to a series of stories about a 'campaign-in-disarray'. And the New York Times' Adam Nagourney earlier in the week wrote a story emphasizing how the Clintons have never really campaigned in Iowa (the 1992 caucuses were ceded to favorite son Tom Harkin) and that there was tension between the President's advisors and the campaign's staff.
The reality is that as a former First Lady, with extremely high name-recognition, and a national front runner for months on end, expectations should be -- fairly -- for convincing wins everywhere. Moreover, the 'inevitability' argument that the Clinton campaign has been touting for months should be making a loss anywhere -- Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, or South Carolina -- a mortal wound.
(Just as a point of comparision -- and yes, it was a different era and before the Iowa caucuses took on their current importance -- but, LBJ 'lost' the New Hampshire primary in 1968, even though he received a majority (49%) of the votes, to Gene McCarthy's 42%.)
Yes, Hillary has had a bad month. Yes, Obama has proved to be an effective counter-puncher. And yes, there's still a lot of time left (although less time than the calendar would indicate, when one takes into account the days lost to Christmas and the holiday week.)
But right now, a win in Iowa for Hillary would effectively end the race. And even a convincing win by Obama there may not end the talk of a Clinton 'firewall' in New Hampshire, Nevada, or
South Carolina. Moreover, with the Democratic delegates reflecting proportional representation (see, e.g., 2004 NH Democratic results) -- rather than the closer-to-winner-take-all primaries on the GOP side (see 2000 Michigan results) -- meaning that a wounded Clinton campaign could continue on past Super Tuesday and into the Spring.
The Clinton campaign has one other advantage: a base level of support that is the flip side to her high negative ratings. While some voters will not vote for her under any circumstances, others -- and especially women -- want to vote in favor of the first truly viable woman candidate. It should surprise no one that Clinton's new ad is focused on three generation of "Rodham" women, all of who think Hillary should be president.
Labels: 2008, Hillary, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, Obama, Presidential politics, South Carolina
New Op-Ed in Mass High Tech
A new op-ed in this week's Mass High Tech, co-written with HPVPC partner (and fellow-blogger) Terry Klein.
Labels: Blogosphere, Boston, Employment Law, Guest Blogging
WWWD?
The late Will McDonough, former Globe reporter and columnist, had a long memory, and a sharp wit. For years he referred to Roger Clemens, as the "Texas Con Man." Wonder what Ol' Will would say about the news yesterday in the Mitchell Report that Clemens was apparently a steroid user, beginning shortly after he left Boston?
For that matter, wonder what Dan Duquette is feeling this morning? He famously declared that Clemens was in the "twilight of his career" in Clemens left for Toronto in 1996.
For the record, here are Clemens' key stats from the period 1995-1998:
1995 (Age 32): 10-5 W-L, 4.18 ERA, 140 IP, 132 K
1996 (Age 33): 10-13, 3.63 ERA, 242.2 IP, 257 K
1997 (Age 34): 21-7, 2.05 ERA, 264 IP, 292 K
1998 (Age 35): 20-6, 2.65 ERA, 234.2 IP, 271 K
Labels: Dan Duquette, Mitchell Report, MLB, Red Sox, Roger Clemens
Gitell on Klein
Quick shout-out to Seth Gitell, who attend the HPVPC event yesterday (before the snow) at the Downtown Harvard Club featuring Joe Klein. Seth's summary is here.
Labels: Boston, Presidential politics
A Final Topsy-Turvy Ending
Winston Churchill famously noted that democracy was the worst form of government, except for all others that have been tried from time-to-time.
The BCS may put that dictum to rest. After a topsy-turvy regular season, the bowl pairings were announced this afternoon, with the headliner -- Ohio State playing LSU in the Sugar Bowl -- surprising no one but leaving fans (except for those of OSU, and of LSU) feeling less than excited. (The Tigers have already been installed as 5-point favorites, and OSU apparently has never beaten an SEC team in a bowl game; last year, OSU was embarrassed by a more athletic Florida, 41-14.)
Ohio State's greatest attribute was its schedule: their out-of-conference schedule was lighter than a bowl of Cool Whip, including Youngstown State, Kent State, Washington, and Akron. The Buckeyes also benefited from the Big Ten -- the conference itself is not particularly strong, and without a conference championship game, the Buckeyes did not have to risk a season-ending loss after Thanksgiving.
(LSU's schedule includes the SEC and the SEC Championship Game -- no complaints about 'strength-of-schedule' at all.)
Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer should learn something from OSU's Jim Tressel. Had the Hokies substitutued a "manageable" MAC or Sun Belt team for LSU (on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, no less) on Week #2, they may have had the opportunity (even with a home loss to BC) to play for the BCS title. Contrast Tech's schedule with that of ACC rival Boston College (who lost to Tech in the ACC title game): BC played Army, UMass (I-AA), Bowling Green, and Notre Dame out of conference.
What also is lost are the bowl matchups that might have been. Under the old system, OSU would have played a white-hot USC in the Rose Bowl, and the winner of that game would have had a legitimate claim for a mythical (pre-BCS) national championship. Another erstwhile matchup might have been VA Tech/OU in the Orange Bowl, and West Virginia/Georgia in a Fiesta Bowl.
Posted by Matt Henshon at 12/03/2007 01:16:00 AM 1 comment:
Labels: BCS, NCAA
Ummmmm...
The Globe reports on Page B3 (B3?) that the Commonwealth has borrowed $1B to cover a revenue shortfall, well in excess of the "normal" borrowing that apparently occurs in the last quarter of the year.
Revenues are down about 2.8%, which seems to be inconsistent with an economy that is growing (albeit at a low rate.) Or perhaps the low tax revenues are the proverbial canary in the colemine.
Or it is time to say "Look out below..."?
Labels: Boston, Boston Globe, Massachusetts
Can't Wait Until 2008
Despite the massive rally in the equity markets over the past two days (rate cut anyone?), the money markets are foretelling a huge liquidity crunch over year-end that is reminiscent of another "crisis".
Today was the first day that 1-month LIBOR extended over year-end, meaning that borrowings based on that index do not need to be repaid until the first business day of 2008. So what happened? EURIBOR jumped 64 basis points and LIBOR rose 40 bps, implying an overnight rate well into the double digits on the last day of 2007.
Not surprising given the liquidity pressures that have rocked the money markets since August, but this move actually pales in comparison to what happened the last time the markets thought the world was coming to an end: the Y2K "crisis".
On November 29, 1999, 1-month LIBOR jumped 87 bps, as there was widespread fear of systematic failure that would make any type of refinancing problematic from a technical perspective. Of course, that fear proved to be unfounded thanks to what turned out to be a sufficient level of preparedness.
Is the same thing going to happen this time? Well, our favorite indicator of market fear/greed has spiked again. but as stated before, the "forward" TED spread is still a lot narrower than the spot spread.
All of which argues that central bank intervention to relieve short-term pressure will (a) be effective and (b) isn't a "bailout" that creates moral hazard. So recent statements (reported by Bloomberg) by the ECB to supply cash "for as long as needed" and by the Fed to "provide sufficient reserves to resist upward pressure" on borrowing costs are on the up and up.
Should be a sober New Year's celebration in Washington and Frankfurt....
Posted by Matt Eastwick at 11/29/2007 09:22:00 AM No comments:
Labels: LIBOR, money markets
January 8th: Bad News for NH
Shortly before Thanksgiving, New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner did the expected: he set the date for the New Hampshire Primary to be January 8, 2008. And the big winner with that decision: The Iowa Caucuses.
Gardner, to his credit, felt that he was hamstrung by the NH statute that required the primary to be set at least seven days before any 'similar' event -- in this case, the Michigan primary, scheduled for January 15th. While most Democrats (all except Hillary and Mike Gravel) have eschewed the Michigan contest (to support to the DNC-mandated protection of the 'early' states), the Republicans expect to have a full-throated contest, which forced Gardner's hand.
While everyone has been focusing on the scant five-day period between Iowa and New Hampshire, it also matters which five days. Iowa itself is just two days after New Year's Day; and occurs on a Thursday. Coverage of Iowa will dominate the Friday (1/4) papers and broadcasts, and the "winners"(*) will also get the benefit of an additional day of bounce because Saturday (1/5) is a traditionally slow-news-day.
The battle to be on the Sunday (1/6) talk shows will pit Democrat against Republican, especially among those top-tier candidates who did not perform well in Iowa, and who need a New Hampshire bounce to stop the bleeding. Monday's (1/7) coverage will be about the
various candidates racing around the state, followed by 'soft' news stories about the early voting at Hart's Location and Dixville Notch.
The bottom line is that whomever "wins"(*) Iowa will have a huge leg up on New Hampshire, and that the cycle of press coverage is likely to make a double-winner -- like John Kerry did in 2004.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the US Capitol, Senator Lamar Alexander shakes his head and thinks of what might have been in 1996, a primary that was held on February 20th. (Alexander finished a strong third in Iowa, behind Senator Bob Dole and TV commentator Pat Buchanan; Buchanan then won New Hampshire, but Dole held off Alexander by a mere 6,000 votes, meaning that Dole became the 'insider' hope to prevent a Buchanan nomination.)
(*) - "win" means to perform above press expectations, and/or win outright.
Labels: 2008, Dole, Iowa, Kerry, Lamar Alexander, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pat Buchanan
Patriots fall to 9-2 (Against the Spread)
While there's no question that the New England Patriots are still far-and-away the best team in the NFL, there's also no doubt that the rest of the league has a glimmer of hope after last night's game with Philadephia. The Eagles played with abandon, and emptied out their bag of trickeration against the Pats -- flea-flickers, flanker options, even an on-side kick (that may or may not have travelled 10 yards, but which was not challenged by the Patriots in any event.) Moreover they took Randy Moss out of the game and put the heat on Tom Brady, including one of the most vicious sacks (on the Pats' first offensive possession) of the year.
But what the Eagles game also showed is that the pressure is on the Patriots. In successive series in the second half -- with game on the line -- the Patriots (specifically Faulk, Welker, and Maroney) dropped a series of indifferently-thrown balls by Tom Brady. The defense, meanwhile was unable to get any sort of push on Eagles' QB AJ Feeley, and the journeyman was able to exploit the middle of the field. When Asante Samuel ran down Feeley's ill-advised pass with 4:30 left, all of Patriot Nation -- and the Patriots themselves -- let out a giant sigh of relief.
The Patriots may yet go undefeated, but it looks like the weight of history -- if not that of the 1972 Dolphins -- will be with them the rest of the way.
Posted by Matt Henshon at 11/26/2007 11:02:00 AM 2 comments:
Labels: New England Patriots, NFL
"Inevitability" Moves Closer
The reality of 'inevitability' moved a little closer last night, as Hillary Clinton did 'what she had to do' -- she stopped the bleeding that began two weeks ago in the Philadelphia debate. She deftly played the 'gender card' while claiming not to. She did what front-runners from time immemorial have done -- agreed with her opponents as much as possible, while praising their 'courage' and 'knowledge'. Thanks for coming out.
Ironically, it was Obama and Edwards who spent much of the night on the defensive: Obama for his position on Yucca Mountain, which was hammered by Wolf Blitzer; and Edwards for both his earlier attacks ('mud slinging', as Hillary characterized it) and his votes on free trade with China and the Patriot Act (raised by Dennis Kucinich).
How did Clinton get her 'mojo' back? First, she had a better debate performance. But more important was the work done before the kleig lights came on.
Clinton's campaign has seized control of the new new media, with selective and carefuly-timed leaks to the Drudge Report(*). For instance, yesterday's Drudge featured a link to a "The Hill" story, with the breathless headline, "Hillary Landslide if Election Held Tomorrow,"trying to inoculate her against an argument (not effectively pursued in the debate, as it turned out) that she would be a weak general election candidate.
Second, in the days after the Philadelphia debate, then-moderator Tim Russert came under withering criticism from the Clinton camp, also played prominently on Drudge: "CLINTON: Russert Question 'Breathlessly Misleading'" In contrast, Wolf Blitzer's performance as moderator last night met with Clinton-camp approval (as featured on Drudge):
CNN debate moderator Wolf Blitzer did an 'outstanding' job in Vegas, a senior adviser to the Hillary campaign said early Friday. 'He was outstanding, and did not gang up like Russert did in Philadelphia. He avoided the personal attacks, remained professional and ran the best debate so far. Voters were the big winners last night.'
Rival campaigns had a slightly different view:
A rival campaign insider charges: 'Wolf turned into a lamb. No follow-up question on Clinton's huge flip on drivers licenses?'
Or, for that matter, her dodge on Iran-special-forces-as-terrorists vote.
(*-The irony of the Clinton campaign utilizing Drudge is not lost.)
Labels: Drudge Report, Edwards, Hillary, Obama
"It's a free ride when you've already paid..."
Back to the world of irony on Sunday night: less than a month after being featured in a Michael Lewis piece in the NYTimes Magazine on the vagaries of making a career as an NFL kicker, Adam Vinatieri missed two field goals -- including a 29-yarder with less than two minutes remaining in regulation -- that might have given the Colts the win, despite an atrocious effort by Peyton Manning (6 INTs).
As Lewis points out, Vinatieri is not statistically more accurate than other kickers in clutch situations:
The actual number [Vinatieri has made] is 20 out of 25 with the game on the line and a minute or less on the clock (or in overtime). Adam Vinatieri, in other words, is about as likely to make a clutch kick as he is to make an ordinary kick. And he is not all that more likely to make the clutch kick than the ordinarily good N.F.L. kicker. There are virtual unknowns who have a better clutch record: former Bears kicker Paul Edinger went 9 for 9, for instance. There are kickers famous for choking who were roughly as accurate in clutch situations as Vinatieri. (See Mike Vanderjagt.) As Aaron Schatz at Football Outsiders, who calculated the figures for me, says: "The sample sizes are too small to make a lot out of them. It's not really an analysis of clutch ability as it is an analysis of clutch history. And what separates Vinatieri is that he has almost half again as many attempts as any other kicker. That, and his clutch kicks are so memorable."
But for any fan of the New England Patriots, Vinatieri will always be identified with the greatest years in Pats history -- the Snow Kick, the 48-yarder to end the Rams' dynastic dreams, and the FGs to win the Carolina and Eagles Super Bowls.
On Sunday night, Vinatieri had no answers, although he took the heat by attempting to answer the reporters' questions. Life for an NFL kicker is painful, as Lewis pointed out. Even for Adam Vinatieri.
Labels: Michael Lewis, New England Patriots, NFL
News from Pro Wrestling
Pro wrestling has taken a few hits in the last months, but perhaps none more telling than this expose:
Labels: Pro Wrestling, The Onion
The Next (Disappearing) Soda Counter
Over time, as the US economy changes, businesses go in and out of style. With those changes, individual landmark shops give way to new entities, and within a few years, it's hard to even remember where the old Woolworth's (in downtown Princeton, NJ), or Bailey's (in Harvard Square), or even the Tasty (also in Harvard Square, and immortalized -- along with the late Bow & Arrow Pub -- in Good Will Hunting)
But one element of the cityscape for the last hundred years -- the independent photo shop -- is disappearing before our eyes. Moreover, while undoubtedly it will be replaced by an iPod repair shop, or a printer-cartridge refurbishing store, in the meantime a bunch of photo shops around Boston sit empty and 'for lease'.
Here's one on the corner of Washington and State Streets in Boston:
Here's one on Bromfield Street, just off Washington:
And here's one from a recent trip to Atlanta, on Ponce de Leon, across the street from the original Krispie Kreme in Atlanta:
Labels: Atlanta, Boston, Photo Stores, Princeton
2004 vs. 2007
On the eve of the 2nd Red Sox parade in four years (and the 5th New England sports parade in since 2002, not including Ray Bourque's return trip home with the Stanley Cup that he had to go to Colorado to win), many in the media have been asking: which championship team was better: 2004 or 2007?
One thing that seems clear: without 2004, this year's team would have had a much more difficult time managing expectations both during the year, and especially in the post-season.
There are the obvious similarities between '04 and '07: the core of the lineup for both teams is and was -- in John Kerry's immortal words -- "Manny Ortiz"; the back-to-back power and on-base percentage has been duplicated very rarely in baseball history, most famously by Ruth and Gehrig in the late 1920s. Curt Schilling anchored both pitching staffs, although in 2004 (his first year in Boston, at age 37) he was still a power pitcher, with 8.05 Ks per 9 innings, while in 2007 he was down to just 6.02 K/9IP. Behind the plate, Jason Varitek remains the same, although his productivity has dropped (OPS down to .788 from a career high .872 in 2004), as would be expected from a catcher now 35 years old and with plenty of miles on the odometer.
But the entire infield has been turned over, and the 2007 team is clearly younger than the 2004 team (although less than one might think, with average age of 30.5 in 2004, and 30.1 years in 2007). More important, the 2007 team has young, home-grown talent in key positions: CF Jacoby Ellsbury, 2B Dustin Pedroia, closer Jonathan Papelbon, and 1B Kevin Youkilis, as well as pitchers Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and Manny Delcarmen. In contrast, the most prominent product of the Sox farm system on the 2004 team was Trot Nixon, although he was already a grizzled dirt dog by that time.
In the years since 2004, it has become clear that some players -- Edgar Renteria and Matt Clement leap immediately to mind, although the jury is still out on Coco Crisp, Julio Lugo, and J.D. Drew -- have trouble making the leap to playing in (i) the American League; and/or (ii) the fishbowl of Boston.
What's missing from this year's team are the "Idiots" -- most prominently, Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar -- who were both outspoken veterans who kept the media on its toes and the clubhouse loose. Millar, in particular, apparently rubbed some on the team the wrong way, but there's no question that for a team with high expectations (the 2003 team was 5 outs away from the World Series), the veterans were important. Manny, interestingly, seemed to try to take on the "Idiot" role with his we'll-win-next-year comments (on the off-day) after Game 4 of this year's 2007 ALCS.
Finally, although it's difficult to remember today, there was an ongoing debate in 2004 about whether a World Series victory without an ALCS championship over the hated Yankees would still 'count':
That's what is so disappointing about this situation. In the aftermath of the brainlock by He Who Must Not Be Named, which kept the Red Sox out of the 2003 World Series, the 2004 Boston baseball season was viewed by all as a go-for-broke endeavor. Acquire a stopper and a closer, spend money, let the free agents play hard in their walk years, and trade Nomar if you have to. Go for it.
And just about everyone bought into it. The Nation wanted the Yankees. Merely winning a World Series wasn't enough. The road had to go through the Bronx.
No one seemed to worry too much about the Yankees this year.
Labels: Boston, MLB, Red Sox
"It's like rain on your wedding day..."
A few years ago, Alanis Morrisette burst on to the pop music stage with a catchy tune entitled "Ironic." The lyrics purported to describe a series of events that displayed irony:
A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
Of course, as any 10th-grade English teacher will tell you, most of the examples in the song were not 'irony' -- defined as incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result -- as much examples of "a-kick-in-the-ass." (But of course, the lyrics would have been more difficult in such case.)
So what does Alanis Morrisette have to do with the present-day Red Sox?
In 2003, the Red Sox experimented (for a few short weeks at least) with the Bill-James-inspired idea of 'closer-by-committee,' which was a concept that was based on two main ideas: first, that a team's best relief pitcher (aka the 'closer') was often utilized in games that would be won anyways; and second, that almost anyone could close. The rational extension of James' philosophy was that a team's best reliever ('closer') should often be used in the 6th, 7th, or 8th inning, when the game hung in the balance; and that any relief pitcher could be used in almost any circumstance.
As chronicled in the Baseball Prospectus book, Mind Game, the plan might have worked. But with a bullpen that suffered through injuries and ineffectiveness, and a manager (Grady Little) who was not enamored with James-ian philosophy, then-rookie GM Theo Epstein pulled the plug on the experiment after two months, and traded for Byung-Hyum Kim, who led the Sox in 2003 with 16 saves.
Fast forward 4 years to the ALCS. The Indians (although it has not been widely reported) have clearly adopted some elements of James' philosophy: their 'closer' -- Joe Borowski -- is not their best relief pitcher (as evidenced by his 5.07 ERA, and 1.43 WHIP), although he did record 45 saves during the course of the season.
But in the three games the Indians have won so far, it has been the Indians' middle relief (especially in comparison to the Sox' ineptitude in Games Two (Gagne, Lopez, and Lester) and Four (Delcarmen)) that has been a large part of the difference. In particular, Rafael Betancourt has been very effective (Games Two and Four). (Zero production out of the #1, #6-9 spots in the Sox order has not helped.)
Borowski has pitched in three games for the Indians so far in the ALCS, but only once (in Game Three) in a save situation. The Sox closer (and second-best pitcher, after Josh Beckett), Jonathan Papelbon, has pitched only once (2 effective innings in Game 2.)
Losing the ALCS because you get nothing out of your major post-season acquisitions (Julio Lugo and JD Drew)? That's a kick-in-the-ass.
Losing the ALCS because Cleveland (and, presumably, its GM Mark Shapiro) does a better job applying James-ian analysis to a baseball situation than the very team that employs James? That, friends, is irony.
Labels: ALCS, Bill James, MLB, Princeton, Red Sox
Forecast for Jacobs Field: Scattered Angst
MLB's staggered postseason schedule has added a new dimension to pitching staff strategy this year. With at least three planned off days in the LCS, it is very reasonable to try and let your best starting pitcher go three times since rest is much less of an issue.
So since the Red Sox have one great starter (Beckett) and three others (Schilling, Dice-K, Wakefield) who all have some questionable aspect to their potential performance, they seem like the perfect candidate to bring back Game 1 winner Beckett for tonight's Game 4.
Even though pitching on three days rest has been spotty in the postseason for even great pitchers since the Division Series was added in 1995 (team record 39-54, starters ERA 4.37, 5.4 IP, 90 pitches), the Red Sox have a seemingly sure thing in Beckett.
But that is where all the statistical forecasting gets pushed aside for the meteorological forecasting. Rain is expected tonight and is expected to intensify by the start of Game 5. What if Beckett starts tonight and the game is delayed, forcing him to cut his outing short? But then what if they play an uninterrupted game tonight and Game 5 is disrupted by Mother Nature.
Red Sox Nation favors throwing the Cy Young favorite tonight. I agree, unless Chief Wahoo has been sighted doing his rain dance....
Posted by Matt Eastwick at 10/16/2007 03:55:00 PM No comments:
Labels: ALCS, Josh Beckett, MLB, Red Sox
The Wrong Brother
The Red Sox have a long history of acquiring the 'wrong' one among baseball-playing brothers:
* Dom DiMaggio rather than Joe (although Dom was, by all accounts, more admirable than Joe off the field, and a better baseball player (7-time All Star) than Vince (2-time All-Star))
* Jeremy Giambi was supposed to be the answer at designated hitter in 2003, with David Ortiz signed that same winter as back-up insurance. Jeremy was certainly no Big Papi, and has been no Jason Giambi either.
* Which brings us to the news that J.D. ($70M) Drew will likely sit tonight against Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia in favor of Bobby Kielty, who is the very definition of a replacement-level player. (Kielty was signed in August when he was literally out of baseball, having been released by the A's.) Meanwhile, over in the NLCS, Arizona relies on 24-year-old Stephen Drew at shortstop; S. Drew went 7-14 in the NLDS with 4 RBIs (albeit 1-for-4 last night), but also led the Drew family with career-smiles-on-camera (with at least 1, during Game Three in Chicago).
Which is not to say the Sox always get the wrong brother: in 1992, the Dodgers had both Pedro and Ramon Martinez on their roster, and elected to keep Ramon. The Sox signed Ramon in 1999 (to team with brother Pedro), but let Ramon walk after 2001, and stuck with Pedro until 2004.
Labels: MLB, Red Sox
Washington Heights' Finest
The George Washington High School in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan has a number of notable alumni. Henry Kissinger's diplomacy, Harry Belafonte's creative juices, and Rod Carew's hitting stroke all trace their origins to the school. The two alums, however, who are still grabbing the most headlines in today's world, Alan Greenspan and Manny Ramirez, are seemingly very different, yet share a common opacity to the general public. To wit:
Ramirez: "Forget about the trade man. This is the place I want to be man. It's great man. They love me here man. This is the place to be. 'Manny being Manny', it's great man."
July 31, 2005; just after having delivered a game-winning hit on the trade deadline after fully expecting to leave the Red Sox
Greenspan: "I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said."
1988; shortly after becoming Fed Chairman
You could make the argument that lack of clarity gives a Fed Chairman the freedom and flexibility to react appropriately as the economic conditions and markets ebb and flow. And that eccentricity also gives a baseball player the freedom and flexibility to "be himself" in a high-pressure media market.
But what happens after "the game is over"? Greenspan's The Age of Turbulence offers valuable insight into how he formed his worldview and applied it to his job. I, for one, can't wait until Manny's career is over and he writes his book.
Labels: Alan Greenspan, Manny Ramirez
"I Hate You More..."
It was noted a few weeks ago in this space that Mitt Romney (and for that matter Rudy Giuliani), had made a habit of bashing his 'home' state -- Massachusetts -- as part of his campaign's effort to position him as a true conservative who had to trim his sails to be elected in one of the most liberal states in the Union.
But the polls reported above by WBZ yesterday, has to give even the most ardent Romney supporter in Massachusetts pause. Romney does worse in a hypothetical match-up among Bay State voters with Hillary Clinton than Rudy (Romney would lose 65%-31%; Rudy would lose, 59%-34%).
Worse than the raw numbers (and a 2:1 margin is bad in any state, let alone one where you were governor) were the 'man-on-the-street' interviews put together by Jon Keller. (And Keller is no goo-goo liberal; his recent book "The Bluest State" calls Massachusetts, a "Brigadoon of 1960s liberalism.")
Labels: 2008, Giuliani, Hillary, Massachusetts, Romney
Red Sox-Angels
Most prognosticators are looking forward to a victory for the Red Sox over the Angels, in a Divisional Series that starts today. Moreover, the Sox won the regular season series (6-4), the Angels are suffering from injuries (for example, Vlad Guerrero will hit rather than play right field), and #1-starter John Lackey is 1-6 with a 6.27 ERA in 11 career starts against Boston.
It is clear that the Sox were built for the regular season, and they had the best record there (along with Cleveland) in the majors, at 96-66; they play a modern-day version of Earl Weaver-style baseball: pitching, defense, and three-run homers.
Yet the Angels seemingly offer a counterpoint: they are second in the AL in stolen bases (the leader, ironically, is Baltimore), after leading the league the past three seasons; over the past few days, talking heads on the Boston airwaves have repeated incessantly that 121 times the Angels went "first-to-third on a single."
But the Angels scored 822 runs over the course of the year, 4th in the League to the Red Sox's 867 (good for third); the Angels allowed 731 runs (5th), significantly more than the Red Sox's 657 (1st). Playing small ball may have its disadvantages over the course of 162 games, but it can clearly be important in the context of a short series, and especially an elimination game.
While Lackey has struggled against the Sox, Dice-K's second half (5-6, 5.19 ERA) has left everyone wondering about all of the fuss. While it may be possible that the bad second half was the result of wearing down, it also could be the result of hitters seeing Dice-K a second time; by pitching him in Game 2 (rather than Curt Schilling), the Japanese 'rookie' will be seen by the Angels for the second time in a week in a hypothetical Game 5.
A Sox opening round loss will be bitterly disappointing -- and bitterly recounted on talk radio -- but it's not outside the realm of possibility. While the Sox should win, don't bet the (subprime) mortgage on it.
Labels: ALDS, MLB, Red Sox
1987: Yes, 1998: No, 2007: ???
Warren Buffett has a wonderful reputation as an investor. His accumulated stakes in Coca-Cola, Gillette, and the Washington Post are all good examples of "sticking to what you know" as an investment philosophy.
But his investment opportunities in the securities and funds industries are certainly not the ones about which he is the most convicted.
In 1987, the Sage of Omaha came in as a white knight to take a stake in Salomon Brothers, who had a hostile bid from corporate raider Ron Perelman on the table. Eleven years later, after a painful government bond scandal among other things, Sandy Weill took him out (of his misery???) with a tidy profit.
Then in 1998, he was asked to help stave off a global liquidity crisis by rescuing Long-Term Capital Management. Perhaps remembering his Solly experience (John Meriwether being a common denominator), he conveniently went on an Alaskan vacation with his new best friend and bungled the mechanics of his bid, which forced a consortium of banks (not including Bear Stearns) to come to the rescue.
Today, there are reports of Buffett taking a stake in Bear Stearns, perhaps to keep it independent as Wachovia and Bank of America are looking to expand their securities businesses through acquisition. Supposedly on vacation, just like in 1998 (what is it with these post-Labor Day retreats?), Buffett may change his tune on derivatives if the price is right.
Posted by Matt Eastwick at 9/26/2007 09:08:00 PM No comments:
Labels: Bear Stearns, Guest Blogging, Warren Buffett
Liquidity Problems North of the Border
One of the lesser publicized, yet more dramatic, stories of this summer's liquidity crisis has been the literal shutdown of the asset-backed commercial paper market in Canada.
Why Canada? It has very little to do with the underlying asset quality, and almost entirely to do with how the market operates. Dominion (DBRS), the Canadian rating agency, has continued to give most ABCP prime (investment grade) credit ratings, in spite of the fact that there was never any liquidity backstop from banks in the case of market turmoil. Standard & Poor's doesn't have the same policy, and for good reason, as a liquidity backstop for a CP program is an investor's only assurance of timely repayment.
Good thing the Canadian market is only about US$32 billion (as compared with almost US$2 trillion for all of the USCP market), although that has not meant any less angst and anxiety for market participants.
Labels: Canada, Guest Blogging, money markets
Who's Afraid of the TED spread?
A lot has been written recently about the rise in yield of LIBOR, the short-term rate that banks charge each other, even as rates on other short-term fixed income instruments have fallen. Reasons have ranged from impact of the collapse of the asset-backed commerical market to hoarding of cash (and not lending it out) to broader liquidity issues.
One thing that we learned from our fixed income strategist mentor (for me, the great Curtis Shambaugh) is that if you are looking for a reliable barometer of fear and greed, the TED spread is practically unbeatable.
The "T" in TED is the Treasury bill yields, and the "ED" is Eurodollar futures, the way the market trades future 3-month LIBOR settings. Because of their risk-free nature, Treasuries will always yield less than LIBOR, so the wider the spread between the two, the more fear is apparent in the market.
Therefore the spot TED spread is very wide (at a 20-year high according to some), indicating lots of current fear. But the future TED spreads are much narrower, since the T-bill curve is positively sloped (3-month bill yield = 4.07%; 6-month bill yield = 4.20%) but the Eurodollar curve is massively inverted (Sep '07 =5.56%, Dec '07 = 4.76%).
Maybe things aren't going to be so bad after all...
Labels: Guest Blogging, LIBOR, money markets, TED spread
Night Tennis II
In response to comments:
1. I agree with surprise at the 50% profit margin ($110M out of $220M). Not sure if the number is inclusive of the purse or not, but is a difference of 10% (approximately $20M out of $220M).
2. And what other sport cares about making sure players are adequately rested vs. insuring good television coverage? (The (presumably less popular) men play 5 sets -- not three -- on 24 hours' rest.)
3. "Grinding" works on the PGA Tour, admittedly. But the point is that it has worked a lot better in the post-Tiger Era. In 1996 (the last year before the PGA Tour was "Tiger-ized", 10th place on the money list was worth about $977K (And who was #10? David Duval); for the ATP Tour, the money was about the same: $961K (Wayne Ferreira). As noted earlier, today #10 on the golf list is worth about 4x as much money as #10 on the tennis list.
In 1996, Pete Sampras stood astride the tennis world, but he did nothing to 'raise the tide' for his fellow competitors; Alexander Waske makes $176K at #100 on the tennis list. In contrast, Cliff Kresge (#100 on the golf list, earning a cool $806K so far this year) ought to be thanking Tiger every time he walks by him in the locker room.
One other point: not only to the tennis pros make less, their travel costs have to be more. Take the month of April: the ATP Tour touches down in Houston ($416K total prize money) and Valencia, Spain ($416K) (both the week of 4/9); Monaco ($2.45M) (week of 4/16); Barcelona ($1M) and Casablanca ($416K) (week of 4/23); and Munich ($416K) and Estoril, Portugal ($625K) (week of 4/30).
The PGA Tour's April schedule starts with a Major (The Masters in Georgia), with a purse of $7M (week of 4/8); then to Hilton Head, South Carolina ($5.4M) (4/15); New Orleans ($6.1M) (4/23); and Dallas, TX ($6.3) (4/30).
Labels: Golf, Masters, Tennis, US Open
More on Night Tennis
A few more notes on night tennis at the US Open, which was also featured in Greg Garber's ESPN column today:
1. Television dollars are clearly driving the scheduling, but that doesn't necessarily help the men's tour (ATP) rather than WTA (women's tour) or the US Open/USTA itself.
2. In addition to being the only Grand Slam tournament on US soil, the US Open was the first tournament to move to night tennis, according to Garber (Australia has subsequently followed suit, altough Wimbledon and Paris remain day-only events).
3. If the women are the main draw, why are the women's semis being played during the afternoon? (The mens' SF are also being played in the afternoon, but on a weekend, rather than a Friday.)
4. In response to a comment, if Meghann Shaughnessy had defeated Sybille Bammer in the second round, and Jamea Jackson had defeated Nicole Pratt in the first, bringing the Yanks closer to .500 (31-33, ex. additional results), then...what exactly?
Posted by Matt Henshon at 9/07/2007 08:56:00 AM 1 comment:
Labels: Tennis, US Open
More from Daly City (II)
The strange tale of Norman Hsu, fundraiser and felon, continued yesterday.
After posting $2M bail last week, Hsu was scheduled to appear Wednesday before a California judge to ask that the bail be reduced; instead he skipped town and was arrested (with FBI assistance) in Colorado. He also apparently required medical attention, at the time of the arrest.
More, undoubtedly to follow...
Labels: Hillary, Presidential politics
Coach Hubie Brown Visits Flushing Meadows
You are the head of the ATP Tour.
You have seen tennis fall way behind its main competitor (golf) in the hearts and minds of American sports fans since the advent of the Tiger Era.
You know that at comparable spots on the respective money lists, your tennis pros -- whose careers are significantly shorter -- make 1/4th to 1/3rd of the money that the equivalent spot on Tim Finchem's golf pros make. (E.g., tennis #10 Richard Gasquet: $791K; golf #10 Adam Scott: $2.96M; #20 tennis pro Carlos Moya: $676K; #20 golf pro Mark Calcavecchia, $2.29M; #50 tennis pro David Nalbadian, $350K; #50 golf pro Billy Mayfair, $1.38M)
You also know that the PGA has upped the ante with a flawed -- but still widely publicized -- Fedex Cup.
And finally, you get the most dominant player of the era -- Roger Federer, his sport's answer to Tiger Woods (at least according to Gillette) -- playing the highest-ranked, and last-remaining, US player -- Andy Roddick -- in the sole Grand Slam event played in America.
Naturally, you start the match after 10pm, and for the second night in a row, an Open semifinalist is determined after midnight; the night before, 15th-seeded David Ferrer defeated popular #2-seed Rafa Nadal in four sets, the final point coming at 1:50am.
See, if you want to attract a new generation of fans -- young players who will in 20 years be interested in buying tickets to Grand Slam events -- there's no better way than having the biggest point of the night (Federer's handcuffing block of Roddick's 140-mph serve at 4-4 in the second set tiebreak) be seen by dozens of television viewers.
Labels: Hubie Brown, Tennis, US Open
Certainly one of the most difficult challenges in professional sports is performing at the highest level while adjusting to a new culture. The prevalence of Japanese baseball veterans moving to the Major Leagues gives us some interesting data to observe.
Hitters, whether emphasizing speed or power, seem to do okay. Pitchers, on the other hand, have been maddeningly unpredictable (see: $46m disaster and Fat Toad).
Which brings us to the curious case of Hideki Okajima, the much less hyped of Boston's two Japanese pitching acquisitions this offseason, but arguably the more valuable. Okajima's star was born when he surprisingly closed out the first Yankee game of the year, and he went on to go 3-0 with 4 saves, allowing only 6 ER, 32 H and 12 BB, in his first 51 games of the year (55.1 IP).
But since then he is 0-2, allowing 7 ER, 12 H and 5 BB, in his last 10 games (10 IP), including allowing the game-winning HR tonight.
So what to make of the drop off in performance? One explanation could be that he's having trouble adjusting to an increased workload.
Since 2002 in Japan, Okajima never pitched in more than 55 games or logged more than 55.2 IP in any one season. So having busted through those barriers with more than a month left in the regular season, he is sailing into uncharted waters as far as recent history is concerned.
So much like the NBA rookie who "runs into the wall" in February or March as he adjusts to the rigors of his new travel and practice/game schedule, Okajima could be out of gas come October. For the sake and sanity of Red Sox Nation, let's hope that the Wizards of Yawkey Way figure out how to get Clay Buchholz on the postseason roster....
Favorite Sons
In the late 1780s, William Safire reports in his "Safire's New Political Dictionary", George Washington was referred to as "Freedom's Favorite Son." In the 1830s, Martin Van Buren was "New York's favorite son", and a few years later, Henry Clay was the same for Kentucky.
Throughout the succeeding century, it was an American tradition, as Safire explains, for the leading politician of a particular state to go to the national convention as the "favorite son" and control that particular state's delegates; the purpose was not to gain the nomination, necessarily, but to promote his particular state's interest.
The phrase -- and the gambit -- has gone out of style in the last few years, and as almost all state's delegates are elected by direct voting, it seems unlikely to return.
But two GOP candidates have taken the demise of the 'favorite son' gambit to an extreme: Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney have made an art of running against their respective home states.
Romney has famously been running against Massachusetts for the last several years.
"Being a conservative Republican in Massachusetts," [Romney] told a GOP audience in South Carolina, "is a bit like being a cattle rancher at a vegetarian convention."
Needless to say, his former constituents (aka, citizens of Massachusetts), are less then enamored with Mr. Romney's current assessment of the state.
Guiliani's indictment of New York City is more nuanced. He does not so much criticize NYC, as (apparently) stand aside while conservative Republicans around him do so:
Speaking before the Alabama legislature this spring, he received a standing ovation, and Governor Bob Riley told him, “One of these days, you have to tell me how you really cleaned up New York.” To conservatives, pre-Giuliani New York was a study in failed liberalism, a city that had surrendered to moral and physical decay, crime, racial hucksterism, and ruinous economic pathologies. Perhaps the most common words that Giuliani heard when he travelled around the country this spring were epithets aimed at his city (“a crime-infested cesspool,” one Southern politician declared), offered without fear of giving offense. Giuliani cheerfully agreed.
Giuliani so far has avoided direct criticism of his city; Romney does not bother so limiting himself.
Candidates' background has already become something of an issue in this election. Barack Obama is a Senator from Illinois, but was born in Hawaii and grew up (for a few years) in Indonesia. Hillary Clinton has made claims to Illinois, Arkansas, and (now) New York, where she serves as a Senator.
The trend towards nationalization of the election means that viable candidates are becoming 'citizens-of-the-world', or at least citizens-of-the-entire-nation. If Romney or Giuliani are ultimately successful, it will accelerate that trend. At the very least, it shows that the 'favorite son' gambit is probably a distant memory.
Labels: 2008, George Washington, Giuliani, Henry Clay, Hillary, Martin Van Buren, Obama, Presidential politics, Romney, William Safire
If you thought Michigan fans were dissatisfied with Lloyd Carr going into this season, then get ready for a virtual bonfire tonight and the rest of this week after a 34-32 loss to I-AA Appalachian State (while Division I-AA is now known as Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), it is still light-years from BCS/I-A; the phrase "former I-AA school, Appalachian State" implies that the Mountaineers have moved up to the main division, rather than merely a re-naming of the division).
What is amazing about the victory is that the Mountaineers blew a two touchdown lead (28-14, late in the first half), put a two-minute drill together in the fourth quarter to re-take the lead at 34-32, and then blocked a field goal (for the second time in the fourth quarter) to preserve the win.
The last big-time coach to lose to a I-AA school (Jack Crowe of Arkansas, after a loss to The Citadel in 1992). Carr had best defeat Ohio State in November.
Labels: BCS, College Football, NCAA, The Ohio State University
Pitchers with 1,000 Appearances
Over at the Fens last night, a big cheer went up with the announcement that Mike Timlin was entering the game, and would be making his 1,000th big league appearance, which is good for 13th on the all-time list. (Of course, the cheers would have been muted if the fans had known that Timlin was headed for a 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB line.)
The all-time list of career games pitched is an intriguing one. A few expected names (Dennis Eckersley (4th all-time, Hall of Famer), Hoyt Wilhelm (5th, HoF), Lee Smith (8th, likely HoF) and Goose Gossage (12th, 1002 G, should-be HoFer), mixed in with Mike Stanton (2nd, active leader), John Franco (3rd), Dan Plesac (6th), Jose Mesa (9th, active), Mike Jackson (10th), and Roberto Hernandez (11th, active).
Two other pitchers of note on the list: Kent Tekulve (7th) is probably not a Hall of Famer, although his resume is not shabby: 1050 G, 2.85 ERA, 184 Saves. Like Sparky Lyle and Mike Marshall (and for that matter, Gossage) he suffers from the lack of clarity about closers' standards in the pre-Eck era.
The all-time leader is Jesse Orosco with 1252 G. Orosco's record is similar to Tekulve's (87-80 for Orosco; 94-90 for Tekulve; 3.16 ERA vs. 2.85; 144 S vs. 184); but Orosco, no matter his numbers, holds a special place in the 'hearts' of Red Sox fans.
Labels: Boston, Hall of Fame, MLB, Red Sox
Bernanke's Put-etto
In Ben Bernanke's much anticipated speech today in Jackson Hole, he essentially absolved the Fed of responsibility for protecting market participants from bad financial decisions, emphasizing vigilance yet patience and allowing others to make policy decisions that should relieve pressure on the economy's best friend: the US consumer.
Equity markets liked the speech, even though the market expectation for Fed rate cuts this year has been tempered. Unlike his predecessor, who was famous for swiftly cutting rates to ensure liquidity, Bernanke seems to be content biding his time despite some implicit pleading by others.
Of course this positive market action could just be month-end (and quarter-end for some broker-dealers) window dressing....
Labels: Bernanke, Bush, Federal Reserve, Guest Blogging
College Football Preview and Countdown (Final)
With the kickoff to the college football season just hours away, it's time to unveil the projected national champ:
#1 - Virginia Tech (currently #9 in the AP Poll)
The Hokies have been in the news a lot recently, including the tragic shootings this past spring, and of course, the off-the-field 'exploits' of this famous alum:
Key Game: Coach Beamer and the Lunchpailers will know early whether the Hokies can channel their emotions: September 8th @ LSU. Win, and the road to January 7th opens with only a Thursday Night (November 1st) game @ Ga. Tech standing in the way; lose, and the road seems much harder, including visits to Blacksburg by Fla State (Nov. 10th) and Miami (November 17th).
Labels: ACC, BCS, College Football
'Wither' the Yankees?
The complaining from long-time Yankee fans is hard to stomach (and by "long-time", we mean as long as Mr. Intangibles has been in the big leagues, the equivalent of the "pink hats" in Boston.) The Yankees have won 9 division titles in a row (Quick Quiz: name the last AL East team other than the Yanks to win), but the dream, as they say, is about to die, notwithstanding the results the past two, er three, nights(*). To put it in perspective, the last time the Red Sox won a division title (1995), the lineup included the following immortals (note: because of the strike, the Sox played just 144 games in 1995):
C - Mike MacFarlane (115 G)
2B - Luis Alicea (132 G)
3B - Tim Naehring (126 G)
SS - John Valentin (135 G)
OF - Mike Greenwell (120 G)
OF - Troy O'Leary (112 G)
OF - Lee Tinsley (100 G)
Add 1B Mo Vaughn and DH Jose Canseco to the mix and you could imagine how the Sox could compete in the tabloids, if not on the field...
As for burning through pitchers, it is a Yankee tradition that precedes Joe Torre (who, by the way, preceded Mr. Jeter by one year in New York). In 1989, for instance, the Yankees had a then-23-year-old Al Leiter throw 174 pitches in a single outing; he then struggled through a total of fewer than 10 major league innings in the next three years -- combined. (Leiter, it should noted, is currently a color analyst on the YES Network; perhaps the Bombers felt guilty about blowing out a young arm.)
What does that mean to Roy Oswalt? The Astro's starter has been a workhorse over the past few years, including leading the league in starts twice (2004, 05) and has been in the Top Ten in Innings Pitched 5 of the past 6 years (including 2007, where he is currently third). Let's hope that the modern pitch count era means that Mr. Oswalt won't be the "victim" of a modern-day Billy Martin next year in Houston.
Quick Quiz Answer: Your Baltimore Orioles in 1997
(* - Sox lost, 5-0, as Yanks completed the sweep.)
Labels: MLB, New York Yankees, Red Sox
Happy Birthday, Roy Oswalt
The pride of Weir, Mississippi, Roy Oswalt, turned 30 today and celebrated by shutting the resurgent Cardinals out on 4 hits over 7 innings, striking out nine. Exactly how good is old Roy?
Well, the list of pitchers who have finished in the top five in Cy Young voting six times during their first seven years in the league has exactly zero entries...until this November when Oswalt (14-6, 3.21) will start the list unless the wheels completely come off the cart. The only year he didn't crack Top 5 was 2003 when he went 10-5, 2.97 in an injury-plagued season.
He is tops in the majors with 112 wins since 2001, already top 15 on the career list in winning percentage and Adjusted ERA+ and has won 53.2% of his career starts. Throw in 19-1, 2.46 in 24 career games just against the Reds and you start to get a sense that he's pretty good.
So the guy whose career was saved by a loose spark plug has quietly amassed the most consistently dominant beginning of a starting pitcher's career in baseball history. Let's just hope that 8-10 years from now he doesn't end up like the pitcher whose career was most like his through age 28.
Labels: Guest Blogging, MLB, Roy Oswalt
Daly City Update
As predicted, Hillary's campaign has announced that she will divest herself (by giving to charity) close to $23,000 contributed by Norman Hsu. Others appear ready to follow suit, including Al Franken, a Senate candidate in Minnesota, Reps. Michael Honda and Doris Matsui of California and Rep. Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania.
Labels: 2008, Hillary, Presidential politics
College Football Preview and Countdown (Part IX)
Back to the college football countdown:
At #2, LSU (currently #2 in the AP poll)
The most recently highlight for LSU was the National Championship under Nick Saban in 2003; the seeds for that championship were planted a year earlier in one of the greatest finishes ever, the so-called "Bluegrass Miracle":
Key game: There are no off-days in the SEC, but LSU has all four ranked (pre-season) opponents at home (Va Tech, Florida, Auburn, and Arkansas). The 'trap' game (although it won't be a surprise) is Nov. 3rd in Alabama, against a Tide team now coached by the aforementioned Mr. Saban.
Labels: BCS, College Football, LSU
Taking It In the Shorts
Recent volatility and uncertainty is part of the market's unending pendulum swing between fear and greed, but the specifics around this summer's high drama deserve special mention. Let's lay out the backdrop:
1) New Fed Chairman
Ben (not Benjamin) Shalom Bernanke was sworn in as Fed Chairman on February 1, 2006, but it took the greater part of eighteen months for him to meet a true challenge. Oh, and by the way, good luck following the legendary Alan Greenspan and establishing your own credibility.
2) Single source of market disruption: Credit
The economy seems fine, inflation is relatively contained, and global issues are benign. Far and away the main reason for this disruption is lenders have been doing silly things in the credit markets.
3) "Alpha" dogs
The proliferation of hedge funds and accompanying strategies has led to money flow into some rather strange places. Universa Investments is an example of a fund that seems to pin its investment strategy on short-selling and extreme levels of volatility. Just the latest in the never-ending quest for "alpha".
So what did this cocktail produce? Well the only further background information needed is the characteristics of a credit instrument. Being long credit means that you are short optionality, and therefore volatility. In a steady state world, everyone gets their loans paid back (or doesn't have to pay Par for a defaulted security as a result of a credit derivative contract settlement). But in a more volatile environment, the best case for a creditor is still return of principal, but the likelihood of loss is much greater. Therefore it is not surprising to learn that credit spreads and market-based volatility measures (such as the VIX) are highly correlated.
Fast-forward to the credit contagion that started with the Bear Stearns Asset Management announcement. Soon all the aggressive credit deals that had been originated in the past several months (mortgages, LBOs, CDOs, etc...) were under pressure and liquidity became an issue across the globe. Markets began moving (up and down) in whipsaw fashion and volatility spiked.
Enter the Fed. The Federal Reserve Act states:
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Open Market Committee shall maintain long run growth of the monetary and credit aggregates commensurate with the economy's long run potential to increase production, so as to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.
But everyone knows that financial market stability is an "unlegislated" mandate of the Fed as well. The ingenious aspect of the Fed's response to panic in the market was in the timing. To wit:
1) On the third Saturday of every month, index options expire. Those options stop trading at the end of business on Thursday, and the index settlements are determined based off the opening prices on Friday.
2) The equity market hit new lows on the afternoon of August 16th (Thursday), which also coincided with a spike in the VIX to 37.5.
3) The Fed's policy response was released after the index options stopped trading but before the index settlements were determined.
4) The most leveraged way to play any market is through options, and one would imagine that short-sellers (long puts, short calls) and "long vol" plays were very instrumental in driving the market lower and vol higher.
5) By acting between the end of trading and settlement, the Fed "hung the shorts out to dry" as equities rallied over 5% and vol dropped about 30% as a result of the announcement.
The response can therefore be seen as a warning shot to short-sellers, assuming that the Fed believes that "unfettered" short selling drives up volatility and therefore damages the credit market even more.
In addition, the Fed didn't even use the most famous tool in their monetary policy tool chest: the official Fed Funds target. They get to save that for when economic, not just market, conditions warrant it. And it also gives Mr. Bernanke a another notch in his credibility belt, which never hurts.
Labels: Federal Reserve, Guest Blogging, Short selling, VIX
More from Daly City
As blogged yesterday, the Hillary Clinton campaign (and the John Kerry campaign in 2004) received numerous contributions from one Norman Hsu, together with many from a Paw family that currently resides in a rather modest home once owned by Hsu.
Today, the Los Angeles Times reports that Mr. Hsu previously pled guilty to grand theft in California, agreed to serve three years in jail, and then disappeared.
While it is not expected that Mrs. Clinton (or any other candidate) personally vets campaign contributors, it is undoubtedly true that no campaign wants to accept money from convicted felons, or allow them to 'bundle' funds on behalf of the candidate. Hillary's campaign pushed back yesterday on the WSJ story:
"Norman Hsu is a longtime and generous supporter of the Democratic Party and its candidates, including Sen. Clinton," Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for the campaign, said Tuesday.
"During Mr. Hsu's many years of active participation in the political process, there has been no question about his integrity or his commitment to playing by the rules, and we have absolutely no reason to call his contributions into question or to return them."
But with today's news, it seems likely that Mrs. Clinton will be returning at least the $44,000 that Mr. Hsu personally gave her. Other politicians, including (according to the LA Times), Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Barack Obama of Illinois and Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, may follow suit.
Labels: 2008, China, Hillary, Kerry, Presidential politics
College Football Preview and Countdown (Part VIII)
#3 - University of Florida (currently #3 in the AP poll)
A year removed from the National Championship, the Gators seem to have re-loaded under Coach Urban Meyer. But before Coach Meyer, there was Gator football, Emmitt Smith-style:
Key Game(s): It's a good thing that the Gators reloaded, because the schedule is a killer. Beginning on Sept 15th (Tenn at home), Sept 22nd (@ Ole Miss), Sept 29th (Auburn at home), and finishing October 6th @ LSU. The backhalf of the schedule includes games @ Georgia (Oct. 27th), @ South Carolina (Nov. 10th), and finishing with Fla. State @ home (Nov. 24th). Throw in a likely trip to the SEC Championship game as the representative of the SEC East.
Labels: BCS, College Football, Florida
Whence the Yanks...
Despite all current visual evidence to the contrary, the New York Yankees' postseason hopes are still very much intact (man, that sounded weird). But as everyone south of the imaginary Red Sox/Yankees border knows all too well, it's not getting into the playoffs that matters, it's taking home the World Series Trophy that defines a successful season in the Bronx. So let's examine the reasons why or why not the Yankees can be successful in October.
Reason #1 Why: No team has done more to improve their roster since April
Clemens, Hughes, Duncan, Molina, Betemit, Chamberlain, Ramirez. It's incredulous at this point that some were actually counting on Pavano, Cairo, Nieves, Myers, et al to contribute to this team. No major changes to the starting lineup, but 1 through 25 the Yankees have taken huge steps towards improving the roster during the season.
Reason #1 Why Not: They're not forcing the action
No team is better at waiting the pitcher out and getting on base combined with power, but too often there is no attempt to force the action on offense. Other AL contenders (Angels, Tigers, Red Sox, Mariners, Indians) are all better at "manufacturing" runs or making plays than the Yanks, in spite of some statistics to the contrary (NYY's 99 SBs rank 4th in the AL). In the post-steroid era, more aggressive offensive play does seem to matter more.
Reason #2 Why: Who cares how bad Mussina is?
The new postseason schedule will allow teams to get away with a short pitching staff even more than in previous years. Wang, Pettitte and Clemens are going to get almost all the postseason starts and can prepare for six inning stints which will maximize effectiveness.
Reason #2 Why Not: Good pitching beats them
Kazmir, Guthrie, Halladay, Escobar, and Verlander (twice) are all top 20 in the AL ERA and have all beaten the Yanks since the All-Star break. These are the guys you have to face every game in the playoffs.
Reason #3 Why: The Bullpen
Despite Torre's inability to think further than the next out in managing a pitching staff (see: Scott Proctor getting used and thrown away and the strict "Joba Rules" that Cashman and crew have mandated for their prized, yet tenderly young, phenom), there is a lot of reason for optimism this year. Chamberlain to Vizcaino to Rivera is as good a bullpen bridge as the Yanks have had in recent memory, and that allows for high ceiling types such as Ramirez and Farnsworth to work the other situations.
Reason #3 Why Not: The Bullpen
Time has finally caught up with Mo Rivera's ability to shut down teams over multiple innings. I used to think that they should play the outfield at shallow depth behind Rivera since the only way opposing batters got on base was broken-bat bloopers to the outfield. No longer. Mo is letting up a .367 SLG this year, which doesn't sound like much until you realize that his highest previous SLG against is .300. In addition, there is no reliable lefty.
So what does this all add up to? We'll all have to wait and see if it even matters.
By the way, 94 wins (22-9 the rest of the way) is what it's going to take to get in.
A big Allerton hello to guest blogger Matt ("Easty") Eastwick, who joined the discussion today. His first post is here, and we look forward to commentary on topics ranging from the Yankees' playoff roster to changes in the VIX.
Welcome aboard, Easty.
Labels: Guest Blogging, New York Yankees
The Clintons' Favorite Daly City Address
The green house you see above is located at 41 Shelbourne Ave., Daly City, California. As the WSJ reported this morning, six residents of that house -- all members of the Paw family, who all apparently received Social Security cards in 1982 -- have given a total of more than $45,000 to Hillary's various campaigns since 2005.
Coincidentally (or not) Norman Hsu, a wealthy New York businessman, who has pledged to raise more than $100,000 for Hillary's presidential campaign, once lived in the same house -- or at least listed the address. Moreover, Mr. Hsu's giving patterns seem to mirror those of the Paw family: in 2004, both Hsu and the Paw wrote a series of checks to John Kerry's campaign on or about the same day.
It is, to be fair, unlikely that neither Hillary nor Kerry are aware of any connection between Mr. Hsu and the Paws. But there's no question that frontrunners -- and their respective staffs -- are held to higher standards on fundraising. Just ask John Edwards in 2004.
Labels: 2008, China, Hillary, Presidential politics
College Football Preview and Countdown (Cont VII)
Next on the college football countdown:
#4 University of Southern California (currently ranked #1 in the AP Poll)
Not exactly a highlight, but rather the enduring symbol of the (pumped and jacked) Pete Carroll-era Trojans:
A more USC-friendly video is here (note carefully who the 'blocking back' is ahead of Charles White: a young Marcus Allen):
Key game: January 7th, opponent TBD. BCS title game, but having not been tested all season, USC will not prevail.
Labels: BCS, College Football, USC
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Johns Hopkins ranked among world's top 10 universities by 'U.S. News'
Source: The Hub
Johns Hopkins University moved up a spot to No. 10 on U.S. News & World Report's annual list of the Best Global Universities, which were released in late October. Among U.S. schools, Hopkins ranks eighth.
JHU shares the 10th spot with Yale University and the University of Washington in Seattle. Last year, Hopkins was No. 11 on the list.
This year marks the fourth time U.S. News has published the Best Global Universities rankings, which emphasize academic research and reputation. The rankings are determined by 13 indicators, including a school's global and regional research reputation, number of publications, and its international collaborations.
The 2018 list includes 1,250 schools from 74 countries, up from 1,000 universities from 65 countries a year ago. The rankings are intended to help students who travel outside their native countries for graduate studies compare institutions around the world, U.S. News says.
Ten Johns Hopkins programs were ranked among the top 20 in the world:
Social Sciences and Public Health: No. 2
Clinical Medicine: No. 2
Immunology: No. 3
Molecular Biology and Genetics: No. 8
Neuroscience and Behavior: No. 9
Biology and Biochemistry: No. 9
Pharmacology and Toxicology: No. 12
Microbiology: No. 14
Psychiatry/Psychology: No. 17
Space Science: No. 17
CATEGORY: Academics, Research
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17/10/2002 | Paperback |
About Samarkand and Other Markets I have known
A major volume of poetry from the Nobel prize-winner.
A market is kind haven for the wandering soul
Or the merely ruminant. Each stall
Is shrine and temple, magic cave of memorabilia.
Its passages are grottoes that transport us,
Bargain hunters all, from pole to antipodes, annulling
Time, evoking places and lost histories.
Soyinka's title poem for this collection takes as its cue the Yoruba song "The world is a market place". By turns satirical and lyrical, this fourth collection of poetry, his first in ten years, spans the poet's recent experience of exile from Nigeria as well as the journeys that have followed his Nobel Prize for Literature award. Here are reflections on the deaths of politicians, dictators and dissident friends as well as invocations to fellow writers Ken Saro-Wiwa, Josef Brodsky and Chinua Achebe. In sections tellingly entitled "Outsiders", "Of Exits" or the poem sequence "Twelve Canticles for the Zealot", Soyinka confronts political realities - religious fundamentalism, bigotry and the repression of free speech. Others such as "Lost Poems", "Doctored Vision" or "Visiting Trees (Night Hunt)" are evidence of a more private, interior search.
"One of the liveliest, most exciting writers in the world today." New York Times
"His images run into each other like brilliantly coloured dyes ... His sense of joy and freedom is irrepressible." Richard Holmes, The Times
Wole Soyinka was born in Nigeria in 1934 and in 1994 was forced into exile by military dictatorship, returning in 1999. He has been awarded the George Benson Medal of the Royal Society of Literature and the UNESCO Medal for the Arts. In 1986 he became the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He now divides his time between Nigeria and overseas universities. His previous collections of poetry include A Shuttle in the Crypt, Idanre and other poems, Mandela's Earth and Ogun Abibiman. His Selected Poems was published in 2002.
Wole Soyinka - playwright, novelist, poet and polemical essayist - was born in Nigeria in 1934. He was educated at Government College, Ibadan and then at Leeds University, and worked in the British theatre before returning to Nigeria in 1960.
Soyinka's career as a political activist in exile is inseparable from his writing which has earned him worldwide acclaim. Soyinka's numerous plays include The Road, The Lion and the Jewel, Death and the King's Horseman and many others. His earlier prose work The Interpreters was awarded the Jock Campbell Prize for Commonwealth Literature. His collections of poetry include Idanre and Other Poems (1967) and A Shuttle in the Crypt (1972) were composed during a period of over two years in prison without trial, most of it in solitary confinement. He has also written two earlier autobiographical volumes, Ake: The Years of Childhood and Isara: A Voyage Around Essay, published in 1981 and 1990 respectively. In 1988 his collection of essays on literature and culture Art, Dialogue and Outrage was published.
He received a New Statesman John Whiting Award for 1966-7 and was Overseas Fellow at Churchill College Cambridge in 1973-4 where he wrote Death and the King's Horseman. He has been awarded the George Benson Medal for the Royal Society of Literature and the Unesco medal for the Arts. In 1986 he became the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He is currently Woodruff Professor of the Arts, Emory University, Atlanta.
Also by Wole Soyinka
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On the Toss of a Coin | Michael Wise
michaelsmemoir@gmail.com
Tweets by @Michael_Wise_
Synposis
Availability - from 28 February 2017 (available now to pre-order on Amazon.co.uk)
Paperback – Amazon and usual booksellers £9.99
e-book - Kindle and ePub formats
Michael Wise
BDS, FDS,RCS.(Eng),MScD,(Indiana)
Michael was Visiting Professor at The Eastman Dental Institute, University College London between 2003 and December 2011. He was recognised by The General Dental Council as a specialist in oral surgery and a specialist in restorative dentistry. He maintained a private restorative and surgical practice in London. Since 1977 he ran continuing postgraduate courses for groups of up to 20 dentists teaching both dental and life management skills.
Shocking, frightening, brilliantly and finely observed, optimistic, spirited, moving and very funny.
Cherry Mosteshar. Author and Literary Editor.
Irrespective of whether you have personal, hands-on experience of kidney disease, a mere passing association, or no previous link whatsoever, you will find this book, without doubt, an awesome read.
It is eloquent, factual and, in parts, extremely funny. It will have you laughing out loud at the absurdity of some of the situations that Michael finds himself in and also in tears at others.
It is a brutally honest account of life on dialysis. A warts and all insight into the welfare of the sufferer as well as the experience of his loved ones. A no-holds-barred account, which I found emotive and very inspirational.
His family and friends were distraught at being so helpless in his suffering, and yet they created an impenetrable force of love, affection and devotion which saw him through the darkest of days so that he could keep up the fight to see light once more.
I found myself feeling humbled and yet euphoric at the same time. His raw honesty in his use of dialogue, and the beleaguered world that he found himself in (particularly when recounting his time in a coma), was amazing. A complete shock at what it is like to be in a coma - a lesson for us all to make sure that the patient is always considered and included.
Although his story is so dreadfully sad, it is also uplifting. He takes the reader along with him on the journey, experiencing each process as if you were there, sensing and smelling every aspect. I found myself constantly willing him to keep going: Don’t give up! Keep going!
Lawrence Keogh, Celebrity Chef, Author and Kidney Transplant Recipient.
There is an arbitrariness to life which can so easily shift us from one life path to a radically different trajectory that is well captured in this compelling memoir of a devastating illness. Disaster strikes in the form of toxic shock, causing acute kidney failure. What follows is an existential battle against the wide range of unexpected challenges that is a daily occurrence for those who have experienced critical illness, and for dialysis patients and their families. The kidneys are fascinating organs to study: they do so much. When they fail, the complications affect every system of the body. This book eloquently describes what it is like to face that daily uncertainty, the importance of family and friends and the inner resolve needed to ‘win’.
I have been practising and teaching renal medicine for over a quarter of a century and recognise the struggles of many patients in these pages but I have never before read such an enlightening account. Michael Wise is an expert by experience; he is also a gifted writer whose story provides a deep understanding of what it is like to suffer kidney failure. Doctors and nurses, patients and carers, indeed all of us with an interest in the human condition have much to learn from this expert. The story is ultimately a personal one, that’s what makes it a page turner but the message is inclusive. We all celebrate Michael’s success and, as importantly, learn a great deal along the way.
Professor Donal O’Donoghue. Professor of Renal Medicine, University of Manchester. President of The Renal Association
Michael Wise has stared into the darkness of uncertainty, indeed worse, possible death. He fought it and with humour, recounts his awful experience.
I watched a close friend go from a shrinking sickly being to his old self, following a kidney transplant. It occurred to me that someone would certainly benefit from one of my kidneys.
Far outweighing any victories of steeplechasing, was the donation of a kidney to a person who I’ve never met. It is not the smug 'look at me, walking on air’ glow, but rather just the satisfaction that part of my battered old body has given someone like Michael the chance to get back to living a life that illness has sapped!
Just ten weeks after the donation surgery, it was superb to return aged 69 to relive that old adrenalin rush, riding in the Legends Flat Race at Aintree on Grand National Day. However, it did not even come within a mile of the effect of the letter that I received from my recipient a week after the swop when he told me I had given him life again! Strong words that made an aged old jockey cry and I am watery eyed again now as I write this as a tribute to Michael’s powerful, eloquent and deeply moving book.
Richard Pitman, champion jockey, BBC commentator, author and altruistic kidney donor.
© 2019 On the Toss of a Coin | Michael Wise
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Home » The Edgar® Awards » Edgar Award Category Information
Information About 2020 Edgar® Awards
For Works Published in 2019
Guidelines and Entry Forms
All books, short stories and television shows in the mystery, crime, suspense, and intrigue fields are eligible for Edgar® Awards in their respective category if they were published or produced for the first time in the U.S. during the 2019 calendar year. Books from non-U.S. publishers are eligible if they are widely distributed in the U.S. and are readily available on the shelves in brick-and-mortar stores for the first time during 2019 (“Special order” titles do not qualify).
It is the ultimate responsibility of the publisher/author to ensure that works are submitted to the correct category. A regularly updated list of works submitted by category can be found here. Submission of a work to the wrong category will result in that work’s disqualification from Edgar consideration. If you have a question about your submission, please write to us using the Contact MWA form.
Here is an overview on Edgar Judging.
The work must be published for the first time in the United States in 2019. Previously self-published works are ineligible, even if later (edited and) re-published by an approved publisher. Only a work with a copyright date of 2019 will be eligible for consideration in 2019 (with the following exception; see the note below). A self-published book (whether it is in print, in electronic format or offered for free on a blog or a website) that is republished by an Approved Publisher is a reprint, not a new work, and while it would qualify a writer for Active Status membership, it does not qualify for Edgar Award consideration.
Foreign books may have an earlier copyright but the year of consideration must be the year of its first publication in the United States.
Television episodes must have been shown for the first time in the United States in 2019.
A work may be submitted to only one committee except in the case of the Robert L. Fish Award and the Mary Higgins Clark Award.
Copyright date shall prevail over publication date in determining the year of eligibility. However, MWA recognizes that problems beyond the control of the author can cause a work with a copyright of one year to be published in the following year, thereby preventing submission of the work even in galley or page proof form to the Edgar® committee during the copyright year. In such cases, a work may be submitted to the committee in the year of publication provided the work was not submitted in any form to the committee during copyright year. To prevent confusion or rejection, the author must petition the General Awards Chair and the chair of the appropriate awards committee and send a statement from the publisher stating that the work was not available during the copyright year. No work can be submitted in both the copyright year and the publication year.
PLEASE NOTE: All works submitted for consideration must meet the requirements for Active Status membership as described in the membership guidelines. While the author does not need to be a member of MWA, the work itself must make the author eligible for Active Status. That means the author has to have earned our minimum money requirements as spelled out on our website: http://mysterywriters.org/how-to-become-a-member-of-mwa/membership-active-status/
All publishers submitting work must be on MWA’s approved publisher list. If the publisher does not qualify to be added to the list, they must contact the MWA national office to begin the vetting process. If a publisher does not make that request by mid-October, there is a good chance they will not be approved by the MWA National Board in time to submit any books for that judging year. See the “Membership: Active Status” section for the details.
Eligibility for Specific Categories
Best Novel Hardbound only. First novels by U.S. citizens are not eligible for this category and must be submitted under Best First Novel.
Best First Novel (that is also a mystery) by an American Author Hardbound, paperback or e-book original. Only books by first-time novelists holding U.S. citizenship are eligible to be submitted for this award. This is the sole Edgar® Awards category that excludes those who are not American citizens. If an American author publishing his or her first mystery has previously published a novel of any type (except if it is self-published), even if using a different name at the time, then he or she is ineligible for the Best First Edgar. An American author failing the above test can still submit that novel for consideration to either the Best Novel or Best PBO/E-Book category. Similarly, while a non-American writer is ineligible for the Best First Edgar, he or she can still submit that novel in the Best Novel or Best PBO/E-Book category..
Best Paperback/E-Book Original Paperback or E-Book first novels by U.S.-born authors are not eligible for this category and must be submitted under Best First Novel. Foreign authors may submit a paperback or e-book first novel in this category, however. (See above). E-Book publishers must be on MWA’s Approved E-Book publishers list.
Best Fact Crime Nonfiction only. Hardbound paperback or e-book. (Note: This category includes books about actual crimes as well as those detailing how to solve actual crimes.)
Best Critical/Biographical Hardbound, paperback or e-book. “Biographical” refers to biographies of mystery writers or other notable practitioners of the genre, not to criminals. Those books should be submitted to the Best Fact Crime committee.
Best Short Story From magazines, periodicals, e-zines, or book-length anthologies, 1,000 to 22,000 words. Stories under 1,000 words (mini- or flash fiction) do not qualify for this category. Stories over 22,000 words should be submitted to Best Novel, Best First Novel, or Best Paperback Original/Ebook category. This committee also selects the winner of the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for the best published mystery short story by a previously unpublished American author. When submitting a story for the Fish Award, please note this in the category section of the entry form.
Best Juvenile Mystery Hardbound or paperback. Preschool up to Grade 7: ages 5-12, but not including, Young Adult.
Best Young Adult Mystery Hardbound, paperback. Grades 8 – 12: ages 13 -18.
Best Television Series Episode Teleplay Submit copy of DVD and a copy of the final script of episodes that have actually aired.
Best Television Fact Crime Teleplay No TV movies, re-enactments, or acting or dramatizations (‘docudramas’) of any kind within the episode being submitted. Submit copy of DVD and a copy of the final script of episodes that have actually aired.
The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award The winner will be selected by a Special MWA Committee for the book most closely written in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition according to guidelines set forth by Mary Higgins Clark. Award given by Simon & Schuster.
The protagonist is a nice young woman whose life is suddenly invaded.
She’s self-made and independent, with primarily good family relationships.
She has an interesting job.
She is not looking for trouble–she is doing exactly what she should be doing and something cuts across her bow.
She solves her problem by her own courage and intelligence.
The story has no on-scene violence
The story has no strong four-letter words or explicit sex scenes.
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Garage Music
HOT SHIT COMING THROUGH
The Standells: Dirty Water (1966)
ALBUM REVIEW (Am.)
Along with Why Pick on Me, this was the group's strongest album, although you're always better off with a greatest hits collection. "There Is a Storm Comin'" and "Pride and Devotion" are a couple of strong numbers that don't make it onto compilations, and "Rari, " the moody B-side of "Dirty Water, " tis one of their best little-known tracks. The CD reissue takes off one cut (the easily found "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White") and adds six bonus tracks of only mild interest, including a version of "Batman." Add points for finding a longer version of "Rari, " though.
Ok this is highly recommended... what is not of the Standells !?!? Really great album... this band is also on my top 10.
LINK: THERE`S A STORM COMING !
Etiquetas: The Standells
Les Baroques: S.t. (Dutch Garage 1966)
BAND BIO (Am.)
One of the strangest and best Dutch bands of the mid-'60s, Les Baroques always seemed out of synch with the real world. They had a French name, a lead singer with an obviously anglicized pseudonym (Gary O'Shannon, real name Gerard Schoenaker), and played R&B-tinged pop-rock with odd streaks of European folk tunes and corny orchestral arrangements. Their reputation hinges chiefly upon their first four singles and self-titled 1966 LP, all recorded with O'Shannon before the singer left the group at the end of 1966. At his best, O'Shannon could sound like a less polished, neurotic version of Van Morrison, delivering songs that, like much Dutch beat of the mid-'60s, were sullen and minor-keyed. Les Baroques took this moodiness to extremes, however, in cuts like "Silky" and "Summer Beach," which had a dreamlike sheen and forlorn, doomed atmosphere. At other times, they espoused an earthier, R&B-based sound more in line with some British groups of the time, especially in the sharp organ riffs; "She's Mine" closely approximates Them's ballads, while "O, O, Baby Give Me That Show" is a good Animals clone. "Such a Cad," a weird punky number that was, like several of their 45s, embellished with bassoon (!) fills, was a big Dutch hit in 1966. But after one more fine single, the typically inscrutable "I'll Send You to the Moon," O'Shannon had to leave the band for military service. Les Baroques did continue for five more singles and a second LP with Michel van Dijk as lead singer, but it wasn't the same, although the first two singles with this lineup, "Working on a Tsing Tsang" and "Bottle Party," were acceptably twisted pop numbers.
The sole LP with O'Shannon as lead singer is rather more subdued and R&B-oriented than their oddball, poppier singles. It's still a worthwhile (and, in the U.S., nearly impossible to find) album that generally finds O'Shannon determined to squeeze every tortured nuance from both the bluesy items and the sentimental numbers. The best cut, however, is the hardest-rocking: "O, O, Baby Give Me That Show" is a clear contender for best Animals soundalike of the era, complete with biting organ solo. Some of the group's 1965-66 singles, incidentally, appear on a number of reissue compilations; the two-CD Dutch import Such a Cad has the band's complete recordings, although few, if any, copies seemed to make it over to North America.
LINK: TOO SHY TO
Etiquetas: Les Baroques
The Wailers: The Boys from Tacoma-Anthology (1961-1969)
Ok here we have a superb anthology about one of the most important bands in the garage scene. This album contains songs from the early instrumental-era, then the garage movin through the psychedelic songs. This is an essential album that you must have. Highly recommended.
Like i said before... this is one of my favourite bands... and take a good listen to them !.
27 Songs of high quality.
LINK: YOU WEREN`T USING YOUR HEAD
Etiquetas: The Wailers
The Wailers: The Fabulous Wailers at the Castle (1962)
BAND BIO
The historical importance of the Wailers is undeniable. They were one of the very first, if not the first, of the American garage bands. Backing Rockin' Robin Roberts, they revamped an obscure R&B song called "Louie Louie" into a 1961 local hit that served as the prototype for the countless subsequent versions of the most popular garage song of the '60s. And their stomping, hard-nosed R&B/rock fusion inspired the Sonics, who took the Wailers' raunch to unimaginable extremes. While they anticipated the British Invasion bands with their brash, self-contained sound, their inability to write first-rate original material, as well as their rather outdated sax and organ-driven frat rock, put them in a distinctly lower echelon. As the decade progressed, the group did absorb mild folk-rock and psychedelic influences without great effect, either commercially or on their sound itself.
WAILERS, ONE OF THE FIRST GARAGE BANDS ?
The Wailers had coalesced from a crude instrumental combo with hits like "Tall Cool One" into a storming rock'n'soul outfit by the early 1960s, and the Spanish Castle in the DMZ between Seattle and Tacoma was their home turf. Modeling themselves somewhat on the scale of a small-change soul revue, they sported instrumental workouts from the band built around Mike Burk's propulsive and exciting drumming ("Shivers," "Sac O'Woe") and Rich Dangel's bluesy guitar playing ("San-Ho-Zay"), along with the triple threat of vocal turns from piano/organ pounder Kent Morrill (a nice reprise of "Dirty Robber" from the Golden Crest album) and featured band vocalists Rockin' Robin Roberts ("Rosalie," "Since You've Been Gone") and Little Gail Harris ("All I Could Do Was Cry," "I Idolize You"). These are the Fabulous Wailers you hear on this disc: a groundbreaking band in their prime on their home turf. An added bonus to this ultra-important live album — and make no mistake about it, every Northwest band from the Kingsmen to the Raiders to the Sonics on down were influenced by this band and this record — are the inclusion of two bonus tracks, both sides of the original Etiquette/Wailers/Rockin' Robin Roberts single of "Louie Louie" and "Mary Ann." Undoubtedly one of the most influential albums in Seattle rock & roll history.
ANOTHER GREAT BAND AND VERY IMPORTANT IN THE HISTORY OF GARAGE ROCK ! THESE ARE THE MASTERS ! ! !
LINK: SAN-HO-ZAY !
The Trashmen: Live Bird '65-'67 (Amazing Live Stuff !)
Although marketed as a surf band, Minnesota's Trashmen were decidedly landlocked by geography, but not by spirit. The group's odd mix of surf, R&B, sneering garage pop, and psychotic instrumentals made them one of the most eccentric and interesting of the groups that sprang up around the surf craze of the early '60s. This delightful collection of rare live tracks shows the kind of offhand, humorous dementia that they channeled into their shows, climaxing in a near six-minute version of their wacky masterpiece, the manic "Surfin' Bird." But this was a surprisingly versatile and nimble band, and their versions here of Booker T. & the MG's' "Green Onions" and James Brown's "Mashed Potatoes" spotlight a funky little R&B groove, while "Same Lines" sneers along with the best of 1960s garage punk, and "Keep Your Hands off My Baby" is skillfully executed faux doo wop. Two of the songs here ("Bird Dance Beat," "King of the Surf") were recorded at the Home School for Girls at the Saux Centre in Minnesota in 1966, and the mere thought of young, impressionable girls listening to this band of goofy maniacs is a sobering one.
10 POINTS FOR ME ! great & amazing surf-garage-pop-demented music !
LINK: BIRD DANCE BEAT !
Etiquetas: The Trashmen
The Trashmen: The Great Lost Trashmen Album! (recorded 64-66)
Band Info (Am.)
A Minneapolis rock & roll band, they evolved from Jim Thaxter & the Travelers, recording one single under that name ("Sally Jo"/"Cyclone"). The group comprises Tony Andreason (lead guitar), Dan Winslow (guitar/ vocals), Bob Reed (bass), and Steve Wahrer (drums/vocals). Unfairly depicted as a novelty act, the Trashmen were in actuality a top-notch rock & roll combo, enormously popular on the teen-club circuit, playing primarily surf music to a landlocked Minnesota audience. Drummer Steve Wahrer combined two songs by the Rivingtons ("The Bird's the Word" and "Pa Pa Ooh Mow Mow"), added freakish vocal effects and a pounding rhythm to the mix, and, by early 1964, the group was in the Top Ten nationwide with "Surfin' Bird." Though the group continued to release great follow-up singles and an excellent album, their moment in the sun had come and gone; they disbanded by late 1967/early 1968. They re-formed in the mid-'80s and continued to play locally until Wahrer's death. The Trashmen are revered by '60s collectors as one of the great American teen-band combos of all time, their lone hit exemplifying wild, unabashed rock & roll at its most demented, bare-bones-basic, lone-E-chord finest.
Recorded in March 1964 and January/July 1966, The Great Lost Trashmen Album! was the supposed second release from those Minneapolis hodads who gave the world "Surfin' Bird." The material finds the Trashmen heading toward Beatles territory on the 1966 sessions, especially on "Talk About Love" (featuring Farfisa organ) and Buddy Holly's tune "Heartbeat." There's also plenty of amazing surf instrumentals and vocal tracks comparable to "Kuk," with cool gremmie/hot-dogging/kowabunga lyrics. "Think It Over" would have made an excellent inclusion in one of those AIP beach party movies of the early '60s. Needless to say, if you have any interest in surf music beyond the Beach Boys, buy this Sundazed disc immediately!
TRASHMEN ... ALSO ONE OF MY FAVOURITE,yeahh... AMAZING !
LINK: BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL !
The Standells: In Person at PJ`s (live 1964)
The Standells made number 11 in 1966 with "Dirty Water," an archetypal garage rock hit with its Stonesish riff, lecherous vocal, and combination of raunchy guitar and organ. While they never again reached the Top Forty, they cut a number of strong, similar tunes in the 1966-67 era that have belated been recognized as '60s punk classics. "Garage rock" may not have been a really accurate term for them in the first place, as the production on their best material was full and polished, with some imaginative touches of period psychedelia and pop. The Los Angeles band were actually hardly typical of the young suburban outfits across America who took their raw garage sound onto obscure singles recorded in small studios. They'd been playing L.A. clubs since the early '60s, with a repertoire that mostly consisted of covers of pre-Beatle rock hits. Drummer (and eventual lead singer) Dick Dodd had been a Mouseketeer on television, organist Larry Tamblyn was the brother of noted film actor Russ Tamblyn, and Tony Valentino was a recent immigrant from Italy. Gary Leeds (later to join the Walker Brothers) was an early member (though he was replaced by Dodd). The Standells' pre-"Dirty Water" history is a little vague and confusing; they recorded some ordinary albums and singles for Liberty, MGM, and Vee Jay, appeared in the movie Get Yourself a College Girl, and did a lot of television work (most notably a well-remembered guest appearance on The Munsters, where they did a woeful version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand"). There were flashes of gritty inspiration on early cuts like "Big Boss Man" and "Someday You'll Cry," but the group didn't really hit their stride until teaming up with producer Ed Cobb, formerly of the clean-cut vocal group the Four Preps. It was Cobb who wrote "Dirty Water," which marked quite a change of direction from their previous clean-cut image. In fact, the group didn't even like the song, which took about six months to break into a hit. Their image now considerably toughened, the group churned out four albums in 1966 and 1967, as well as appearing in (and contributing the theme song to) the psychedelic exploitation movie Riot on Sunset Strip. Cobb, in addition to writing "Dirty Water," also penned their other most enduring singles, including "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White," "Why Pick on Me," and 'Try It" (the last of which was widely banned for its suggestive delivery). The group did write some decent material of their own, such as the tense "Riot on Sunset Strip," and the psychedelic "All Fall Down," which bears an interesting similarity to some of Pink Floyd's early work. Their albums were quite inconsistent — in fact, one of them, consisting of covers of big mid-'60s hits, was altogether dispensable — which makes it advisable for all but the truly committed to look for greatest hits compilations that selectively weed out the best stuff.The Standells never had a stable lineup; bass players were constantly leaving (John Fleck, aka John Fleckenstein, who was briefly in an early version of Love, held the spot for a while), and Dick Dodd went solo in 1968, the year they released their last single. Tower, as was the case with most of its artists, didn't apply intelligent long-range planning to the band's career, issuing too many albums at once. The group didn't help their own cause by issuing an awful vaudeville-rock single, "Don't Tell Me What to Do," under the transparent pseudonym of the Sllednats. They didn't record after 1968, though the group dragged on in one form or another until the early '70s (Lowell George was even a member briefly).
THIS BAND IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE ONES ... SO HERE`S AN OPINION THAT I DON`T AGREE MUCH... BUT IT`S TRUE IN SOME POINTS !
"In person at P.J.'s (1965) - Their debut album, and a rather mediocre affair. Mostly throwaway collage-rock cover version inc. Bony Moronie and Louie Louie. Not bad songs actually, but miles away from what they'd do later."(60s rockguide)
LINK: Ooh Poo Pah Doo
The Mystery Trend: So Glad I Found You (1966-1967)
The Mystery Trend's place in music history exists in a strange twilight. I suppose that they're best known for having a place on the Nuggets box set (with their lone single "Johnny Was A Good Boy") and for naming their band off of misinterpreted lyrics out of Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" (they should more accurately be The Mystery Tramps). Otherwise, they are now basically a footnote to the San Francisco scene, but still they were there at the start of the scene, playing along with the early Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead. The band unfortunately never really found an opportunity to put out any more than a Verve Records single, and this compilation consists of their entire recorded output, the vast majority of which was unreleased until the 1990's. As this is basically everything, it's a little spotty. But the high points are truly spectaular, however, and I feel like if The Mystery Trend had found the opportunity to put together a proper album, it may have been a true classic.The Mystery Trend does share some similarities with their San Francisco bretheren. The vocal sound is extremely strong and layered, often resembling the Jefferson Airplane at their best. The winding guitar leads also recalls many of the bands from that era. There's a freak-folky sound right in line with the Dead and the Airplane's debut albums. If you're open to the San Francisco scene, there is definitely something here to grab your attention.The true charm, however, rests in the little differences. The Mystery Trend was a bit older than the rest of the crowd and skipped over some West Coast psychedelic pitfalls. First off, jamming was completely ignored by The Mystery Trend. They were truly fascinated by the art of the pop song, and their strong writing (usually in the hands of keyboardist.vocalist Ron Nagle and guitarist/vocalist Bob Cuff) often recalls that of Burt Bacharach or the Brill Building. Only one track here passes the three minute mark, and that one only makes it to four.Standing out even more is The Mystery Trend's atypical sound. Psychedelia in general relies on quite a bit of reverb and echo to create a strange vibe. The guitars here are very dry and brittle sounding. Still, they manage to cut right through the powerful rhythm section to make a strong impression. This sound is mixed with Ron Nagle's also bone-dry clavinet. The band may be playing the same notes as their more-poular peers, but the sound ends up being very different. If nothing else, this makes their recordings worth a listen or two. For a fun comparison pair their cover of the Who's "Substitute" along with the original.The songs, while often strong, remain a mixed bag. This is understandable as this disc is the band's complete recordings and they were never trying to produce an entire album. Both sides of their only single, which included "Johnny Was A Good Boy" and "House On The Hill," are standouts. Even better still are the should-have-been single "Carl Street" (presented in two versions), the lyrically biting "Mercy Killing," and the Bacharach influenced "There It Happened Again." These high points make up for some of the lesser tracks like the dull instrumental "Mambo For Marion," and the annoying "Carrots On A String" (which also shows up twice for some reason). The otherwise average "Shame, Shame, Shame" is notable for including what must be one of the earliest uses of a wah pedal on guitar.If you can track this one down, So Glad I Found You is a worthwhile and important release that clears up some of the smoke surrounding this formerly enigmatic band from the initial burst of San Francisco psychedelia.
LINK1: SO GLAD I FOUND YOU
LINK2: SHAME, SHAME, SHAME
LINKS AND REVIEW ARE OF DR. SCHLUSS OF PSYCH OBSCURITIES
THANKS A LOT ! ! !
Etiquetas: The Mystery Trend
TEEN BEAT: 30 Instrumental Rocking`Instrumentals Volume 5
The fifth and final installment of Ace's series of early rock instrumental compilations is one of the best Teen Beat volumes, in large part because about half of these are acknowledged classic hits. Booker T. & the MG's' "Green Onions," Sandy Nelson's "Let There Be Drums," the Pyramids' "Penetration," Link Wray's "Raw-Hide," the Routers' "Let's Go (Pony)," Jack Nitzsche's "The Lonely Surfer," Bill Doggett's "Honky Tonk," the Mar-Keys' "Last Night," Paul Revere & the Raiders' "Like Long Hair": they're all dynamite tunes, and even if they might not be that hard to find on other reissues, it's good to have them all in one place. The 30-track disc is filled out by lesser hits that haven't made it into oldies radio formats, although all but a couple at least entered the charts. Some of them, frankly, are highly derivative and forgettable, even if they actually did quite well. What, then, are the relative rarities here to keep an eye on? There's "Week End" by the Kingsmen, not the "Louie Louie" folks but an entire different outfit comprised of Bill Haley's Comets playing under a different name. New Orleans pianist legend James Booker almost made the Top Forty in 1960 with the highly atypical (for him) "Gonzo," with its organ and flute. Ray Bryant Combo's big band-cum-rock "The Madison Time (Part 1)" was used in the soundtrack of John Waters' Hairspray. Phil Spector did the rare , non-charting Duane Eddy-like tune "Bumbershoot" in 1959, under the pseudonym Phil Harvey. There's even a leap back to the pre-rock era with Arthur Smith's "Guitar Boogie," a 1948 hit that pointed the way to the hillbilly-boogie fusion that would lay a major foundation for rock'n'roll, and was redone as a fully rock'n'roll hit in 1959 by the Virtues (as "Guitar Boogie Shuffle").
LINK: VOLUME 5
Etiquetas: Teen Beat 30 Instrumental Songs : 5 Albums
TEEN BEAT: 30 Instrumental Rocking`Instrumentals Volume 3 & 4
Devoted wholly to rock instrumentals of the late '50s and early '60s, this 30-track disc is a good investment for collectors looking for hits in the genre that didn't crack the Top 20 (and hence don't get played on oldies radio today), or missed the charts entirely. A couple smashes ("Wipe Out," "Pipeline") slip through, but otherwise there's a variety of forgotten hot wordless platters here, like the Astronauts' "Baja" (some of the best instrumental surf to originate outside out of California), the New Orleans-cum-Philly R&B of saxophonist Lee Allen, the creepy organ of the Wailers' "Mau Mau," the minimalist rockabilly of the Rock-a-Teens' "Woo-Hoo," the Ramrods' wacky adaptation of "Ghost Riders in the Sky," and the hard guitar of Duane Eddy associate Al Casey. When all's said and done, though, these aren't as good as the most famous vintage instrumental hits — stick with the more prominent compilations unless you're deeply into the sound.
In some ways this series actually gets more interesting with the fourth volume, possibly because the need to fill up so much space (another 30 tracks worth) with instrumental rock oldies meant that more unusual items had to be excavated. There are a few big hits (Bill Justis' "Raunchy," Bill Black's "Smokie"), yet most of these are singles that didn't even make it into the Top 100; over half missed the listings altogether. Not all of these are rock, either; Hank Levine's "Image" is a lost exotica single, Moe Koffman's "The Swingin' Shepherd Blues" is light jazz, and Kokomo's "Asia Minor" is classical boogie. While some of the selections are only average, there are some good nuggets here, like the Megatons' scorching variation of "You Don't Love Me" ("Shimmy, Shimmy Walk"), Travis Wammack's innovative guitar work on "Scratchy" (which has a snatch of backwards vocals that was way ahead of its time for 1964), the Centurians' moody surf instro "Bullwinkle Pt. II" (used in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack), and Lonnie Mack's "Chicken Pickin'." There's also the peculiar belly-dance rock of the Hollywood Persuaders' "Drums-a-Go-Go," which was created by a pre-Mothers Frank Zappa with Paul Buff.
VOLUME1
30 instrumentals from the late '50s and early '60s, the era when instrumental rock was at its peak. Most of these were hits, though a few of them didn't make the Top 20, and some didn't even make the Top 100. Hence the selections are often more obscure than what you'll find on Rhino's Rock Instrumentals series. The Rhino series, however, remains not only a much better introduction to this nifty genre, but considerably higher in overall quality. The best songs on Teen Beat are often on the Rhino series as well (the Ventures' "Walk Don't Run," Preston Epps' "Bongo Rock," Link Wray's "Rumble"); the lesser-known ones, though a boon to collectors, simply aren't as good or imaginative. It's a serviceable supplement, though, if you're looking for more of the style, and the best cuts are certainly dynamite.
This digs way deeper into the cobwebs of history than the first volume of the series. Although a few of these were big hits, over half of the 30 tracks didn't even make it into the Top 100. That doesn't mean they should be dismissed. But in the case of these selections at least, they're simply not nearly as memorable as the best early rock & roll instrumentals, whether hits or flops. There are some nifty highlights, like two raw, bluesy '61 cuts by a young Roy Buchanan, uncommonly rocking items by Chet Atkins, and the early Danelectro bass workout by the Fireballs ("Carioca"). But a lot of these are standard-issue three-chord instrumentals by no-names like the Atmospheres, or forgettable flop followups by one-hit wonders like Dave Cortez, Floyd Cramer, and the Champs. The energy level is always high, but that in itself isn't a high recommendation, although devotees of instrumental rock will certainly find a lot of cuts here that are hard to locate on CD.
Paul Revere & The Raiders: Like Long Hair (1961)
Gardena Records issued Paul Revere & the Raiders' debut album in the wake of the Top 40 success of the instrumental "Like, Long Hair," and much of it is in the same vein as the single, which is a boogie-woogie arrangement of Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C-Sharp Minor." Pianist and bandleader Paul Revere and saxophonist (and occasional vocalist) Mark Lindsay lead the instrumental attack, as they boogie up such numbers as Gershwin's "Summertime" and also provide the group's covers of bar band R&B standards like "Road Runner." It's lively, if basic music, but offers little hint that the group would go on to make polished pop/rock in a few years.
LINK: SUMMERTIME
Etiquetas: Paul Revere and The Raiders
The Ventures: Twist with the Ventures (1961)
Bio from allmusic:
Not the first but definitely the most popular rock instrumental combo, the Ventures scored several hit singles during the 1960s — most notably "Walk-Don't Run" and "Hawaii Five-O" — but made their name in the growing album market, covering hits of the day and organizing thematically linked LPs. Almost 40 Ventures' albums charted, and 17 hit the Top 40. And though the group's popularity in America virtually disappeared by the 1970s, their enormous contribution to pop culture was far from over; the Ventures soon became one of the most popular world-wide groups, with dozens of albums recorded especially for the Japanese and European markets. They toured continually throughout the 1970s and '80s — influencing Japanese pop music of the time more than they had American music during the '60s.The Ventures' origins lie in a Tacoma, Washington group called the Impacts. Around 1959, construction workers and hobby guitarists Bob Bogle and Don Wilson formed the group, gigging around Washington state and Idaho with various rhythm sections as backup. They recorded a demo tape, but after it was rejected by the Liberty Records subsidiary Dolton, the duo founded their own label, Blue Horizon. They released one vocal single ("Cookies and Coke"), then recruited bassist Nokie Edwards and drummer Skip Moore and decided to instead become an instrumental group.The Ventures went into the studio in 1959 with an idea for a new single they had first heard on Chet Atkins' Hi Fi in Focus LP. Released on Blue Horizon in 1960, the single "Walk-Don't Run" became a big local hit after being aired as a news lead-in on a Seattle radio station (thanks to a friend with connections). In an ironic twist, Dolton Records came calling and licensed the single for national distribution; by summer 1960, it had risen to number two in the charts, behind only "It's Now or Never" by Elvis Presley. After Howie Johnson replaced Moore on drums, the Ventures began recording their debut album, unsurprisingly titled after their hit single.Two singles, "Perfidia" and "Ram-Bunk-Shush," hit the Top 40 during 1960-61, but the Ventures soon began capitalizing on what became a trademark: releasing LPs which featured songs very loosely arranged around a theme implied in the title. The group's fourth LP, The Colorful Ventures, included "Yellow Jacket," "Red Top," "Orange Fire" and no less than three tracks featuring the word "blue" in the title. The Ventures put their indelible stamp on each style of '60s music they covered, and they covered many — twist, country, pop, spy music, psychedelic, swamp, garage, TV themes. (In the '70s, the band moved on to funk, disco, reggae, soft rock and Latin music.) The Ventures' lineup changed slightly during 1962. Howie Johnson left the band, to be replaced by session man Mel Taylor; also, Nokie Edwards took over lead guitar with Bob Bogle switching to bass.One of the few LPs not arranged around a theme became their best-selling; 1963's The Ventures Play Telstar, The Lonely Bull featured a cover of the number one instrumental hit by the British studio band the Tornadoes and produced by Joe Meek. Though their cover of "Telstar" didn't even chart, the album hit the Top Ten and became the group's first of three gold records. A re-write of their signature song — entitled "Walk-Don't Run '64" — reached number eight that year. By the mid-'60s however, the Ventures appeared to be losing their touch. Considering the volatility of popular music during the time, it was quite forgivable that the group would lose their heads-up knowledge of current trends in the music industry to forecast which songs should be covered. The television theme "Hawaii Five-O" hit number four in 1969, but the Ventures slipped off the American charts for good in 1972. Instead, the band began looking abroad for attention and — in Japan especially — they found it with gusto. After leaving Dolton/Liberty and founding their own Tridex Records label, the Ventures began recording albums specifically for the Japanese market. The group eventually sold over 40 million records in that country alone, becoming one of the biggest American influences on Japanese pop music ever.Nokie Edwards left the Ventures in 1968 to pursue his interest in horse racing for a time, and was replaced by Gerry McGee; though he returned by 1972, Mel Taylor left the group that year for a solo career, to be replaced by Joe Barile. (Taylor returned also, in 1979.) By the early '80s, the Ventures' core quartet of Wilson, Bogle, Edwards and Taylor could boast of playing together for over 20 years. Though Edwards left the band for good in 1984 (replaced again by Gerry McGee) and Mel Taylor died mid-way through a Japanese tour in 1996 (replaced by his son Leon), the Ventures continued to pack venues around the world.
LINK: LET`S TWIST AGAIN ! ! !
Etiquetas: The Ventures
The Koala - Koala (psych-garage 1969)
Album Review:
The Koala prove themselves to be above average players, full of passion and conviction on their lone album. "Look at the Way She Comes" is typical of the band's best material: a Who/Stones hybrid with bile-inducing vocals, wild psych guitar, and a tight, nearly deranged performance — plus it's a great tune. At first, "Strange Feelings" seems to be teen-punk angst all the way, but features an unexpected yet seamless raga detour (and the only time they would noticeably embrace Indian music). "Poppa Duke Tyler" borrows both the melody and subject manner of "Eleanor Rigby," but instead of going the somber route the Beatles took, Koala uses the universal theme of loneliness to produce a stomping, unhinged rocker — complete with fuzz-tastic guitar solo from Louis Cane — where the protagonist is actually driven to the brink of madness by the isolation. Like many garage vocalists from the mid- to late '60s, singer Jose Mala's super-snotty, Jagger-like snarl foreshadows punk, but Mala has so much New York attitude and an obvious dedication that he should stand with his peers as one of the most affective vocalists of the era. In fact, it's the whole group's commitment to the material that makes it stand out from other lost garage-psych acts from the time. Their energy and enthusiasm is so infectious, with arrangements that are subtle, yet manic and appealing, it makes up for the handful of unremarkable numbers here. Drummer Joe Alexander and bassist Anthony Wesley are a competent rhythm section that manages to hold it all together even while flailing about; Cane's hyper lead guitar work is spot-on throughout; and the songs of Mala and rhythm guitarist Joey Guido are fine to fantastic tales of lost souls, wrecked relationships, and fading childhood. Truly one of misplaced gems of '60s garage pysch-punk.(allmusic)
INFO ABOUT THE BAND:
New York-based band that released just one album, which was ignored at the time, but decades later became highly sought-after by collectors of obscure garage pysch. The unit was discovered by the Blues Magoos' producers/managers, Bob Wyld and Art Polhemus, who would secure the act a contract with Capital Records. The label decided to market the group as Australian, a marketing gimmick that seemed to have worked for another New York group, the Strangeloves (who hit the Top 40 in 1965 with "I Want Candy"). They released their first and only single, "Don't You Know What I Mean?" b/w "Scattered Children's Toys," in 1968. Though it didn't receive any chart action, the band did proceed with recording their debut LP. Produced by Wyld and Polhemus, their self-titled record was issued the following year. The Koala mixes the Who's frantic rhythms and Stones-style garage rock with riotous psych leads and venomous, proto-punk vocals. An impressive introduction, but the unit decided to call it a day soon after their album was made available and the record disappeared without much notice. It was rediscovered in the 1990s, with original LPs selling for high prices to fans of long-lost, high-energy garage psych-punk. It was eventually reissued on CD by the Fallout label in 2006. (all from todo musica !)
GREAT PSYCHEDELIC-GARAGE ROCK !
LINK: DON`T YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN ?
Etiquetas: The Koala
Los Gatos Salvajes: Compilado (Argentina Beat 1965)
Here`s a great compilation about this argentinian band... wild beat...great balads, nice touches of a wild dose of garage, simple lyrics... a big influence to all the rest of the southamerican bands of that era. Firs of all the band was knowned as the "Wild Cats", then they`ve changed the name to "Los Gatos Salvajes", the played between 1964 and 1967 before they became "Los Gatos".
Highly Recommended. SouthAmerican Beat.
Banda rosarina pionera del Rock Argentino. Originariamente bautizada los "Wild Cats", en 1964 cantaban en inglés en fiestas y como teloneros de grupos llegados de Buenos Aires. En el repertorio estaban las canciones de Chuck Berry y Elvis Presley. Poco a poco, y con la llegada de Litto Nebbia, se fueron incorporando temas propios (tanto en inglés como en castellano), hasta alternar un estilo más cercano a The Hollies, The Beatles y The Animals.(Rock-ar)
ALBUM REVIEW(am)
Los Gatos Salvajes (which translates as "The Wild Cats") are generally cited as Argentina's first great beat-era group, playing solid, bluesy garage rock at a time when the scene was hopping in America and the United Kingdom but scarcely existed in Latin America. While los Gatos Salvajes were clearly influenced by the Beatles, it's not hard to tell that they'd been listening to the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds as well, and the Farfisa organ that made its way into their arrangements suggests they were checking out a few American garage acts as well. However, the group put their own spin on the beat sound, singing their own songs in their native tongue, and more than 40 years after they released their first recordings, an anthology of their music has finally appeared in the United States. Los Gatos Salvajes Complete Recordings includes all 12 cuts from los Gatos Salvajes' first and only album, seven non-LP single sides, highlights from appearances on Argentine television, and some demo recordings of singer and guitarist Litto Nebbia working out new songs for the group. Anyone hoping to hear frantic blues wailing or atomic-powered teen angst will probably be a bit disappointed; while los Gatos Salvajes could deliver respectable versions of "Little Red Rooster" or "Talking 'Bout You," on much of this album they sound like the teenagers they were, still finding their way through their music at a time and place where simply playing rock & roll was a rebellious act. But that's also part of this disc's very real charm — los Gatos Salvajes were five young men who loved rock & roll and played with the sincerity of true believers, blazing a trail for hundreds of Latin rockers who would follow, and the original songs here show they had learned enough from their influences to develop an impressive voice of their own, one which would grow stronger when they later evolved into los Gatos. Fun stuff, and a real eye opener for fans of international garage sounds.
LINK: ME TIENES QUE BESAR !
Etiquetas: Los Gatos Salvajes
The Yardbirds: The First Recordings (1963)
Formed originally as the Metropolitan Blues Quartet in 1962–63 in the London suburbs, and having emanated out of the atmosphere of Bohemianism fostered by the Kingston Art School, the Yardbirds first achieved notice on the burgeoning British blues scene (or "rhythm and blues", as the British music press alluded to it) when they took over as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond— succeeding the Rolling Stones in September 1963, and flying in the face of London's 'serious music' 'trad jazz' club scene circuit in which the new 'R&B' groups got many of their first professional bookings.
With a repertoire drawn from the Delta-soaked Chicago blues titans Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, the Yardbirds began to build a following of their own in London before very long. Their inexperience and their less-than-stellar musicianship was obvious, but their commitment was just as powerful, as they hammered away at versions of such blues classics as "Smokestack Lightning", "Got Love If You Want It", "Here 'Tis", "Baby What's Wrong", "Good Morning Little School Girl", "Boom Boom", "I Wish You Would", "Done Somebody Wrong", "Rollin' and Tumblin'", and "I'm a Man".
September, 1963: The group play their first shows billed as the 'Yard-birds'.
They made their first significant lineup addition when singer/harmonica player Keith Relf, rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and drummer Jim McCarty, replaced original lead guitarist (Anthony) Top Topham with a very boyish-looking art student named Eric Clapton in October 1963. Clapton already knew what he was doing with his instrument; his solo turns, while far enough from the gripping little gems for which he became famous soon enough, already set him apart from most of his peers among the British blues clubbers. Between his sleek guitar playing and Keith Relf's improving harmonica style, the group could at least boast two attractive players that made listeners overlook their still-incomplete rhythmic attack. And, of critical importance, Crawdaddy Club impresario Giorgio Gomelsky—who had all but discovered the Rolling Stones but thought it beyond his range to become their manager—learned enough from his previous miss to become the Yardbirds' manager and, as it turned out, first producer.
Under Gomelsky's guidance, the Yardbirds got themselves signed to EMI's Columbia label in February, 1964; they set a precedent of a sort when their first album turned out to be a live album, Five Live Yardbirds, recorded at the legendary Marquee Club in London. The group was well enough reputed that none other than blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II himself invited the group to tour England and Germany with him, a union that survives to this day on a live album memorable for Williamson's trouper-like adaptation of his deep troubadour style of blues to the Yardbirds' raw, unpolished rock version. ("Those English kids," Williamson said famously of the Yardbirds and other British blues groups like the Animals and the Stones, "want to play the blues so bad—and they play the blues so bad", though he had a personal affection for the Yardbirds' members and even thought of moving to England permanently, until the illness that resulted in his early death in 1965.)
GREAT SOUND !!!
LINK: BOOM, BOOM !!!
Etiquetas: The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds: Live Blueswailing 64 (early garage recordings)
Most of the Yardbirds' original LP's are hard to find and weren't so great anyway, and the market is flooded with deceptive, cheaply packaged compilations, all of which I strongly urge you avoid (even the Rhino Records greatest hits). Most of these discs have been thrown together from the band's brief early 1964 demo tape, their live recordings from December, 1963 (Crawdaddy Club) and March, 1964 (Marquee Club), and the 1964 - 1965 single and EP material that mostly ended up on their first two American LP's. Some of these discs also feature forgettable blues workouts by Clapton and Beck that date from their immediate post-Yardbirds periods (1965 - 1966); be very wary if you see two or more of the Holy Trinity prominently advertised on any particular compilation.(records reviews)
GREAT SOUND QUALITY
CALIDAD DE SONIDO MUY BUENA
LINK: THE SKY IS CRYING
The Wailers: The Original Golden Crest Masters (one of the first Garage Bands)
Down the intervening years the Wailers have been appallingly treated by the bootleggers. The real sound of genuine Golden Crest masters is magic, but you would never know that by listening to the distorted, shrill junk that they have provided. Now, thanks to Ace's legendary care, we can all enjoy the true magnificence of the Wailers' sound as it was meant to be heard. Not only have Ace succeeded in locating the original master tapes, but there are also a further four never-before-issued tracks to enjoy! This high-class release deservedly puts the name of the Wailers back in the hands of its true originators. (fame presentation info)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... A LOT OF PEOPLE CONSIDER`EM AS ONE OF THE FIRST GARAGE BANDS OF ALL THE TIMES... AN EARLY INFLUENCE FOR ALL THE BANDS (64-67)
LINK: ROAD RUNNER
Jokers Wild: Featuring David Gilmour (1965 Pre Floyd)
Jokers Wild never made an official record, but are remembered as a band that included David Gilmour before the guitarist joined Pink Floyd. From the scant evidence that does survive, it seems rather incredible that Gilmour could have made the transition. Jokers Wild did not entertain lofty artistic ambitions, but played covers of pop-rock material, often emphasizing harmonies in the style of the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys
LINK: DON`T ASK ME
Etiquetas: Jokers Wild
Paul Revere & The Raiders: The Essential Ride (63-67)
No other rock & roll band has experienced the rollercoaster ups and downs in reputation that Paul Revere & the Raiders have known across 40 years in music. One of the most popular and entertaining groups of the 1960s, they enjoyed 10 years of serious chart action, and during their three biggest years (1966-69) got as much radio play as any group of that decade, sold records in numbers second only to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and received nearly as much coverage in the music press of the period (which included a lot of teen fan magazines) as the Beatles or the Rolling Stones. Yet when most histories of rock started getting written, Paul Revere & the Raiders were scarcely mentioned — at best, they were usually a footnote to the boom years of the late '60s.
LINK1: STEPPIN`OUT
LINK2: (IM NOT YOUR) STEPPIN`STONE
The Kinks: The Kinks (1º,with bonus,1964)
Although the best of the Kinks' early work is among the best British Invasion music, their initial pair of albums was far less consistent than those of the Beatles, Stones, and Who. Aside from the great "You Really Got Me," this was a shabby, disappointing set with surprisingly thin production. As R&B cover artists, the Kinks weren't nearly as adept as the Stones and Yardbirds; Ray Davies' original tunes were, "You Really Got Me" aside, perfunctory Merseybeat-ish pastiches; and a couple of tunes that producer Shel Talmy penned for the group, "Bald Headed Woman" and "I've Been Driving on Bald Mountain," were simply abominable. The rave-up treatments of the R&B standards "Got Love If You Want It" and "Cadillac" were good, and the simple "Stop Your Sobbing" would eventually be covered by the Pretenders, but overall this is real patchy. The CD reissue, however, is a great improvement, adding a wealth of bonus tracks from early singles and their first EP, some excellent. The ferocious "All Day and All of the Night" was a classic hit whose razor riffing outdid even "You Really Got Me," and the B-sides "It's Alright" and "I Gotta Move" are tremendous frenetic lost gems. There are also a couple of previously unissued cuts: an alternative take of "Too Much Monkey Business" and an early, Beatle-ish original, "I Don't Need You Any More."(allmusic)
LINK ALBUM: YOU REALLY GOT ME !
LINK BONUS: YOU STILL WANT ME
(THE KINKS: PERSONAL FAVORITES)
Etiquetas: The Kinks (early years)
The Trashmen: Surfin`Bird (Great Early Garage)
The only album released by the group during their lifetime actually outstrips most of the Southern California-based competition, due to the ferocious grit of the playing and a vaguely demented, go-for-broke recklessness. A good mix of instrumentals and vocals, though nothing else is on the level of the title cut; the CD reissue adds demos of "Surfin' Bird" and "Bird Dance Beat, " and a couple rare singles.(allmusic)
LINK: Pa Pa Ooh Mow Mow
Link Wray: 64`Demos (Garage Roots-Raices)
Link Wray (1929-2005)
Formando un poderoso trío con sus hermanos en los 50's, Wray produjo un vulgar, violento y siniestro sonido como nadie antes había escuchado hasta la fecha. Basando a menudo sus instrumentales en acordes rítmicos, Wray fue llamado a la vez "El abuelo de los power chords" y "El padre del Heavy-Metal". Aunque su popularidad tuvo una corta vida, su estilo permaneció en las guitarras de Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, y Jimmy Page, y días después en las cuerdas de los practicantes del heavy-metal, punk y grunge.(Fuente, Rockabilly)
LINK: RUMBLE !
Etiquetas: Link Wray
The Kingsmen: Collection of ... 60´s (french edition, great artwork)
THE KINGSMEN: FRENCH VYNIL COMPILATION FROM THE 60`s
30 songs of pure excitment ! superb compilation, just amazing ! ! !
30 canciones de pura exitación ! este disco no puede faltar en niguna colección ! RECOMENDADO
LINK: MOJO WORKOUT
Etiquetas: The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen - Louie Louie
The Kingsmen
Grupo de garaje americano, formado en Oregon en 1957, y disuelto en 1968.
Saltaron a la fama con una version de "Louie Louie" de Richard Berry con la que definieron el estilo del garaje.
En el 64 se dividieron en dos bandas con el mismo nombre. Una banda estaba formada con el bateria Lynn Easton (que tuvo la "picardia" de registrar el nombre sin decir nada al resto del grupo) y el guitarra solista Mike Mitchell. La otra banda estaba formada por el cantante y guitarra Jack Ely (el verdadero inventor del sonido de los Kingsmen) que acabo olvidado hasta que en los 90 se le reconocio su labor, y el pianista Don Galluci que acabo formando su propia banda (Don and the Goodtimes).
Intro - disco fundamental - bases - raíz para entender el garage ... una delicia para todos los garageros ! ! !
Essential - Roots - Base - this album is essential to understand the garage music ... a delight to all the fans of this style ! ! !
LINK: LOUIE LOUIE
Comienzo - Start
Le doy comienzo a este blog... estare trayendo discos de mi otro blog (mza-acid.blogspot.com)
para completar a este ... ya que ahi tengo discos escenciales de este genero ... espero que se lo visite seguido y se lo comente de la misma manera o mas ... a esparcir la noticia ... prometo que cada disco posteado va a volarles la cabeza ... en serio ...
I`ll try with this new blog... ill be bringing post from my other blog (mza-acid.blogspot.com) in order to complement this one ... that`s beacause i have essential records in there ... i hope you visit this blog very often ... please leave comments ... and tell all of your friends about this blog ... ill promess that every record here will blow your heads off .... really mean it ...
The Bomber
Bomb-it-up
Make Fuzz not peace
bomber blog
& friends
.:archive:.
The Wailers: The Boys from Tacoma-Anthology (1961-...
The Wailers: The Fabulous Wailers at the Castle (1...
The Trashmen: Live Bird '65-'67 (Amazing Live Stuf...
The Trashmen: The Great Lost Trashmen Album! (reco...
The Mystery Trend: So Glad I Found You (1966-1967)...
TEEN BEAT: 30 Instrumental Rocking`Instrumentals V...
Los Gatos Salvajes: Compilado (Argentina Beat 1965...
The Yardbirds: Live Blueswailing 64 (early garage ...
The Wailers: The Original Golden Crest Masters (on...
Jokers Wild: Featuring David Gilmour (1965 Pre Flo...
Paul Revere & The Raiders: The Essential Ride (63-...
The Kingsmen: Collection of ... 60´s (french edit...
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Teen Beat 30 Instrumental Songs : 5 Albums (3)
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Kaiser"Frank Maier"
The Better Half-Dozen
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Category: News Created: Wednesday, 03 July 2019 14:05 Written by Adam Pasquale Jr
The Massachusetts Pirates (6-4) extended their win streak to five games after defeating the Columbus Lions 61-37 over the weekend, but they will need to shift their focus onto the New York Streets (3-7) as they prepare to battle on a short week of rest. The Streets have lost their last six games. The game will take place this Friday at 7:00 pm at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY.
Streets quarterback David Legree has been at the helm of the New York offense over the last six games and has been a bit underwhelming in the passing game. He is completing 48% of his passes and has thrown for 888 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Legree does most of his damage with his legs as he holds the top spot in the National Arena League in rushing with 162 yards and six touchdowns. On the other hand, Pirates QB Sean Brackett has been the main piece that has guided the Pirates impressive turnaround. He is in second place in the NAL in touchdowns with 42 and completion percentage at 63%. He’s also tossed for 1,919 yards and 10 interceptions while rushing for 91 yards and nine touchdowns.
The focal point of the Pirates rushing attack is fullback Quayvon Hicks. He is second in rushing in the league as he’s totaled 127 yards and five touchdowns. His physical, downfield style of running makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down. For New York, Robert Thomas gets the majority of the looks in the backfield. In seven games he has 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Saying New York is stacked at wide receiver would be an understatement. All of their receivers have at least 55 receptions, 660 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Devonte Jenkins has caught 60 balls for 681 yards and 16 touchdowns while Edgar Poe Jr has hauled in 60 passes as well and has totaled 666 yards and 15 touchdowns, Rob Jones leads the trio in yards with 688 while only catching 55 balls and has also scored 16 touchdowns. For the Pirates, Mardy Gilyard has excelled all season long. He is currently tied for first place in the NAL with 21 receiving touchdowns while hauling in 56 throws for 668 yards. Alongside the speedy Gilyard stands Thomas Owens, who is coming off of a monstrous four-touchdown performance in his previous game against Columbus. In total, Owens has 43 receptions for 407 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Pirates defense is led by Lawrence Austin and JD Griggs. Austin, who picked off two passes against the Lions, is second in total interceptions in the NAL with eight. He also has 51 total tackles and 18 pass breakups. Griggs leads Mass in both tackles for loss and sacks. On the season he has 15.5 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, five quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. New York's Omari Manhertz, like Griggs, leads his squad in tackles for loss and sacks. His 17.5 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a forced fumble make him a player the Pirates must game-plan around.
The Massachusetts Pirates are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The Pirates play all home games at the DCU Center located at 50 Foster St. Worcester, MA. 01608. For more information on the Massachusetts Pirates please call (508) 452-MASS (6277), email contact@masspiratesfootball.com or visit www.masspiratesfootball.com. Single game tickets are available online at ticketmaster.com or the DCU Center Box Office. For group outings please call 508-452-MASS (6277). Follow the Pirates on Facebook at Facebook.com/MAPirates on Instagram @mass.pirates, as well as Twitter @mass_pirates.
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The fourth siege of Waterford
The ancient Irish city of Waterford has seen and survived four major sieges in the last millennium. Each siege left its mark on the city and on the course of Irish history. The first siege in 1170 raised by “Strongbow” the Earl of Pembroke, hastened the beginning of English rule in Ireland. Barely two years later King Henry II would arrive in the city to claim the land for the crown of England and seek obeisance from all the Irish kings and bishops. The second (and only unsuccessful) siege occurred in 1495 when forces led by the Earl of Desmond attempted to foist Perkin Warbeck on the people as the pretender to the English throne. The resistance of Waterford earned it the motto “urbs intacta manet” ("remains the untaken city") from another grateful King Henry, the seventh. The third and longest siege was during Cromwell’s Irish reign of terror. For almost a year, his armies isolated the city and thousands died of starvation and disease before General Ireton accepted its exhausted surrender in August 1650.
The fourth and final siege came in the warm summer of 1922. While the weather may have been glorious, this was a mean and tragic time for Ireland as it cut itself to pieces in a murderous civil war. The new Free State government besieged Waterford in its campaign to defeat the rebels in the aftermath of the divisive treaty with Lloyd George’s government in Westminster. The odds were stacked. The Free State army had modern artillery and the support of the powerful organs of the church, the press and the captains of Irish industry. However, the defenders did have military expertise as the majority of the IRA’s officers supported the anti-Treaty forces. It was the south of Ireland which bore the brunt of the conflict and Waterford’s turn began on 18 July.
A West Waterford man named Pax Whelan led the Anti-Treaty forces in the city. They were poorly organised and content to wait for the attack. No attempt was made to secure the heights above the city north of the river. Anti-Treaty forces were instructed to operate independently in their own areas leading to slipshod communication and there was no overall plan. By contrast, the Free State side was much better prepared. It was led by former American cavalry officer Colonel John T. Prout assisted by two local men Paddy Paul and James McGrath. Paul was a gunnery officer in WW1 and then joined the IRA as brigadier of East Waterford. Paul and his enemy Whelan had worked together during the War of Independence and the pair led the only attack on British forces in Waterford: the unsuccessful ambush at Pickardstown near Tramore in January 1921.
But at the end of that war, Paddy Paul opted for the Free State side. The new government in Dublin struggled to enforce its authority and on 22 May 1922 they sent Paul with orders to take command of Waterford and secure the barracks. On arrival in town, he was arrested by anti-Treaty forces. Paul was injured in the arrest but later managed to escape from the Infirmary Hospital dressed as a nun. He fled back to Dublin to plot the re-capture of Waterford.
By 18 July he was back on top of Mount Misery overlooking the attack of his native city. It would not be easy. All approach roads were mined. The rebels were reinforced by volunteers from Cork and Kerry and had seized the barracks and fortified Ballybricken jail. They set up outposts in shops and hotels along the quay, the post office and Reginald’s Tower. They also opened the spans on the road and rail bridges across the Suir. They outnumbered their opponents with 700 defenders in the city facing 550 Free State troops, many of whom had served in the British army. But the Free Staters had power on their side: two artillery pieces including an 18 pounder placed over the railway station and one lighter calibre piece. The 18 pounder was initially hamstrung as it faced rapid fire from the quays and a sniper on Ballybricken hill but would eventually prove to be a devastating difference.
All businesses in the city closed down except for the Tramore railway which operated continuously through the four days of the siege. Most townsfolk took advantage of the sunny weather to evacuate to the seaside until the fall of the city. At 6:45pm on Tuesday 18 July the attack began in brilliant sunshine. Paul’s first shell landed near his own home near Brewery House in Newgate St. His mother was working in the kitchen and narrowly avoided injury. But the majority of shells found their mark landing in Barrack St or near Ballybricken jail.
The guns blazed away for four or five hours of firing on the first night. The eerie silence was shattered again at 6am the following morning as the guns opened up in excellent visibility. There were many direct hits on the barracks and the jail on top of the hill. Whelan moved his sharpshooters to Bilberry cliffs west of the quay and they managed to keep the attackers pinned down. The defenders inflicted heavy casualties from accurate machine gun fire from the post office on the quay with garrisons under the command of Ballybricken chemist Pierce Power. But the shelling continued all day.
During a lull in the fire, Prout moved his major artillery piece onto the bridge but was prevented from using it by persistent gunfire from across the river. Prout had to come up with an alternative plan. The following night 150 men led by Captain Ned O’Brien moved down the Rosslare railway to Giles Quay under the cover of darkness. O’Brien’s day job was a journalist for the Waterford News but now he was making the news not reporting it (he would later be killed on patrol in the city). His forces commandeered boats moored at the quay and rowed to the opposite shore. They encountered no resistance and suddenly the back door to the city was wide open.
At Newtown school, they encountered a motorised Anti-Treaty patrol. The attackers quickly captured the car and locked the occupants in the boot. They bypassed a rebel garrison in the park and found a prominent local Unionist known as “Lame” Dobbyn. Dobbyn was anxious to see the Republicans defeated and he gave the intruders the key of the Country Club on the strategic corner of the Mall and the Quay opposite Reginald’s Tower. The men entered the back of the building and overpowered a sleeping garrison stationed there. They had secured a vital corner of the city without firing a shot.
At 7:45am the next morning, they opened fire on the Tower across the road and also raked the Mall and the Quays with machine gun fire. The element of surprise gave Prout the opportunity he needed to secure the artillery on the bridge. Its gunfire from close range suddenly made the Quay garrison untenable. The republicans retreated to Ballybricken. When a direct hit exploded in the magazine of the artillery barracks that evening, the area had to be evacuated. The end was near.
Pax Whelan gathered his Dungarvan, Cork and Kerry units to escape to the west leaving Jerry Cronin in charge of a small band to defend the city. Cronin's men retreated to Ballybricken Hill to fight the final battle for Waterford. At 11:50am on Friday 21 July 1922, shellfire breached the jail walls. After some bitter hand-to-hand fighting, Cronin’s forces surrendered. The fourth siege of Waterford was over.
The rebels were dispatched to Kilkenny and Newbridge jails, none of them taking up the offer to join the Free State army and swear allegiance to the Provisional Government. Prout spent the weekend in an open car with Paul and McGrath touring the city. The two local men were able to point out Republicans who had escaped arrest. The civil war would drag on for almost another year in West Munster. On 24 May 1923 anti-Treaty leaders issued unceremonious orders to “dump arms”. The civil war was over. By its end 3,000 people were dead, and 21,000 prisoners were in jails and internment camps. The war left a legacy of bitterness that infected the Irish polity for decades to come.
Labels: history, Ireland, Irish civil war, Waterford
My mother would have been 10 at the time and told a wonderfully colourful story of the family being bundled into the pram and taken out for the day. As they lived close to the barracks I presume it was when the evacuation took place. She mentioned a place called Larrys Knock which I took to be a place overlooking the town
10:28 pm, September 02, 2012
I'm currently working on a graphic novel based on the death of liam lynch and the irish civil war with emphasis on the seige of waterford. I found this artical an invalable source in my research
there seems to be an increase in interest and discussion about this period of irish history. i suspect that this is because enough time has elapsed for old wounds to heal and previously little known stories to be told
My Mam lived in New Street which was fairly near the Barrack's. She was 7 at the time and was told to go under the kitchen table for shelter. Larry's knock is the same place as Mount Misery.
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Home > Johannes Ghiselin (Verbonnet) (fl.1491-1507) > Ottaviano Petrucci (1466-1539) / Canti B Numero Cinquanta (1501/2)
Johannes Ghiselin (Verbonnet) (fl. 1491–1507) was a Flemish composer of the Renaissance, active in France, Italy and in the Low Countries. He was a contemporary of Josquin des Prez, and a significant composer of masses, motets, and secular music. His reputation was considerable, as shown by music printer Ottaviano Petrucci's decision to print a complete book of his masses immediately after his similar publication of masses by Josquin – only the second such publication in music history.
Johannes Ghiselin (Verbonnet) (fl.1491-1507)
* Genre: Composer:G, 03-Renaissance, 12-Recorder(Ensemble), 21-Christian music, 32-Chorus Music
Ottaviano Petrucci (1466-1539) / Canti B Numero Cinquanta (1501/2)
41. De tous biens (Johannes Ghiselin)
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Altruism or selflessness is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a core aspect of various religious traditions and secular worldviews, though the concept of "others" toward whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions. Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of selfishness. The word was coined by the French philosopher Auguste Comte in French, as altruisme, for an antonym of egoism. He derived it from the Italian altrui, which in turn was derived from Latin alteri, meaning "other people" or "somebody else".
Altruism in biological organisms can be defined as an individual performing an action which is at a cost to themselves (e.g., pleasure and quality of life, time, probability of survival or reproduction), but benefits, either directly or indirectly, another third-party individual, without the expectation of reciprocity or compensation for that action. Steinberg suggests a definition for altruism in the clinical setting, that is "intentional and voluntary actions that aim to enhance the welfare of another person in the absence of any quid pro quo external rewards".
Altruism can be distinguished from feelings of loyalty, in that whilst the latter is predicated upon social relationships, altruism does not consider relationships. Much debate exists as to whether "true" altruism is possible in human psychology. The theory of psychological egoism suggests that . . . more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altruism
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25. Vedanta
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I have a question for the esteemed group. I have seen the original Star Wars a few times, and watched The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi when they first came out. I never bothered with The Phantom Menace, probably due to John's mocking of the film on this board. Since I didn't see Episode I, I felt there was no reason to see II, III, or VII. Therefore, I haven't seen a Star Wars film in over 30 years, and only have vague memories of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. I enjoyed the three episodes that I watched, but to be honest it is not my favorite genre. Given this, should I:
A. Just re-watch TESB and RotJ and be done with it
B. Re-watch TESB and RotJ, skip 1-3, then watch The Force Awakens
C. Watch The Phantom Menace, and if I like it, watch them all in order
D. Just keep watching way too many NBA games on replay
Dave Dymond
I would imagine that the odds of your watching The Phantom Menace and liking it are extremely slim.
The sentence "I really like The Phantom Menace" is spoken about as often as the sentence "Nickelback are a great rock and roll band, and years from now they will be considered legends."
What is amazing is that as bad as TPM is, Attack of the Clones is generally thought to be even worse. The lack of charisma between Portman and Christensen along with the horrible lines Lucas tossing in their mouths destroys the notion of some great love between Anakin and Padme. Christensen's acting was so bad that it instantly became a definitive example people used for bad acting. :)
Skip watching the prequels. The third is wildly overrated as well. I think people cut it slack because it wasn't as bad as the first two, and overlooked that it was Terrible rather than Epic Terrible. :P
Dave Dymond wrote:
FWIW - Lee and I haven't seen the movie yet. I was nice that Glenn's post broke the thread onto page 3 and I could avoid spoilers that might be on page 2, and instead just focus on crapping on the prequels again. :P
With some luck, we'll see them on the weekend.
Bob Morris
Since John hasn't seen the film, I'm going to pull the piece about Empire Strikes Back to the non-spoiler thread so he can see it and comment if he wishes.
So I'll put out more detailed thoughts later about Last Jedi, but have a few things I'll toss out upon watching it the second time.
I still put Last Jedi ahead of Force Awakens but behind New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. ESB set the bar really high and it's going to be tough to top it, while New Hope was the film that made it possible for the rest to come out, so if that one doesn't work for fans, there's no Star Wars universe. There are some sentimental reasons I put it second overall among the main line (Rogue One isn't considered a Star Wars "episode") but it's also the film that, if it doesn't work for people, nothing else does.
Getting back to Last Jedi and having gone over past posts about Force Awakens in this thread, I'll touch upon my criticisms.
* I'm still not pleased that turned Captain Phasma into a jobber. There were some hints that you might go deeper into her storyline, at least in how it pertains to her issues with Finn, but she's just there to show up toward the end and then get killed off by Finn. I get that Finn's story needed to be further developed but Phasma had possibilities and we get next to nothing from her.
* I find the "Leia gets herself out of the void of space and is still alive" problematic, but that's the only Force usage I have an issue with. We know Leia has Force connections but no training and it's never established that she's strong with it, unlike Rey. On top of that, with Carrie Fisher having passed away, there's no way to explain it in Episode IX, because they've already determined they won't feature Leia.
* I can understand the issues about Holdo not being more up front with people about her plans to get the Resistance into hiding. I don't think they conveyed it enough that the debate was between the higher-ranking officers and those who rank lower and why Holdo seems unwilling to trust any of the lower-ranking folks. There are hints that Holdo doesn't trust Poe, but it doesn't make sense why she wouldn't trust others.
So those are the reasons why I won't declare this one the best Star Wars movie ever, which some people praising the film have dubbed it.
Now touching upon certain points that some people didn't like and why I don't think they hold up (and, granted, not all of them are things Steve has brought up):
* Rey's parents being revealed as nobody of importance gets ripped on because it doesn't fit the theories people came up with, but it actually works because the overall them is that The Force isn't supposed to be something that only those who are part of the Jedi or Sith can understand, but anyone who has a connection with it can. There is a sense that you need training to do more specific things, but the theme here is that the training and spending time reading texts is not the be all, end all about The Force.
* People who thought Luke came across as weak were setting up the idea that he was going to have a showdown that never came to be. The whole point about Luke is that he tried to recreate what the Jedi had done before and fell into the same trap of thinking his knowledge could save anybody from the Dark Side. Now he's a mixture of understanding what The Force really is (right down to him mocking the "lifting rocks" remark that goes back to his own frustrations when he got Jedi training) but being pessimistic about what the Jedi were all about. It's a combination of Rey and Yoda's Force ghost that makes Luke realize that he can't focus on what happened before and that he needs to realize what Rey could be, then finding a way to really instill hope.
I've heard some say that Luke's death was tragic or weak, but in reality, it's a heroic death. A weak or tragic death would have been him staying isolated until he died, but it's heroic because he comes forward at the right moment to keep Kylo occupied and let the remains of the Resistance escape and live to fight another day.
* Snoke biting it was the "big surprise" of the film and it works because, if you think about it, keeping Snoke around for another film means we are just repeating the Emperor-Vader relationship. Furthermore, the Emperor wasn't revealed for the first time until ESB and it's a short scene, whereas we see more of Snoke in Force Awakens. Here, we basically learn that Snoke is just another version of Palpatine, only he comes right out and says so rather than being cryptic about it. So it's enough to give Kylo the motive to turn on Snoke without turning away from the Dark Side.
Getting rid of Snoke allows them to explore a new storyline, in which Kylo declares himself Supreme Leader while Hux has plenty of reasons to believe Kylo is a terrible leader. Keeping Snoke around means we just repeat the same old storyline about how badly Kylo wants to turn on Snoke but thinks he needs somebody at his side. Here, while Kylo is hoping Rey will join him, he opts to turn on Snoke outright.
* Of course, that brings me to Kylo, who no doubt would think turning on Snoke is finishing what Vader started, but in reality, he shows he's still not near Vader's level. Vader could be impulsive but he tended to be more calculating and picked his spots. Vader never believed he could take down the Emperor without Luke by his side, so he tried to play a waiting game but it never came about. I know there are writing issues with how Vader turning on the Emperor is handled, but I can understand the intent.
Kylo, on the other hand, is just going to do whatever he can to take out people who try to control him. His problem, though, is that he's too impulsive and obsessed for his own good. It's why the First Order isn't going to be able to snuff out the Resistance too quickly because Kylo is caught up with his obsessions. It's now established that he's obsessed with Rey, which likely isn't going to sit well with Hux, who wants the First Order to take out the Resistance, but isn't going to be interested in personal grudges or issues.
Thus, you have a First Order that has to settle its own conflict within, which gives the Resistance a chance to keep going if they can rally enough people together.
* Chewbacca, R2D2 and C3PO have always been supporting characters and will remain so. Chewie got enough to do in the film that he has some significance to the franchise. I suspect R2D2 might get phased out because BB-8 is supposed to be the droid taking center stage. C3PO may only be around as long as Anthony Daniels can do the role -- because C3PO speaks, you're not going to be able to put just anybody in the costume.
And the whole point of Last Jedi is to go "out with the old, in with the new" so some of these characters were likely to be phased out. You need to go new directions to keep the franchise going.
* My criticisms aside, I think they did an overall good job with Poe and Finn and their storylines. Poe learning that sometimes discretion is the better part of valor, Finn learning that he should do more than just be with the Resistance to protect Rey and that he should embrace the Resistance, those were good character arcs.
* I didn't mind the character arc for Rose. The idea of putting in a bunch of wealthy folks who benefit from selling weapons to the First Order and the Resistance puts the whole military industrial complex into perspective and the dangers when it controls everything.
* I have no problems with other methods of expanding The Force. It's always been this mystical idea that leads to people doing things that are hard to explain. I get, though, that people who have The Force within them shouldn't be able to do whatever they want if they aren't strong with it. Rey's been established as strong with The Force but lacking training while Kylo appears to be not as strong as Rey, but he has far more training. With Leia, as I touched upon earlier, I don't think she ever got established as being strong with The Force -- certainly not at Rey's level or Anakin's level.
But while Snoke may be claiming that he allowed all the conversations between Rey and Kylo to happen, I sense that Rey probably had more to do with it than Snoke let on. You get that sense when the connection between her and Kylo is touched upon but they don't exchange words -- it's more like they sense each other and what they are feeling, but that's enough to show that Rey is strong enough with The Force to do something like that.
I know some of this will contradict things I've written earlier, but I also came to terms with the fact that you shouldn't base everything in a film based on the expectations you built up in terms of where you think a story should go, and instead look at how the writers thought the story should go and whether it all makes sense. Bad writing is bad because things are done without explanation, don't fit with a character arc that's been previously taken or are an attempt to convey an idea and failing to do so. You may not like when a writer decides to go a different direction than you would like it, but that doesn't make it bad writing.
And... I may have more thoughts later as I think more about the overall themes of the film.
Nothing said makes me think it's anything other than a mess.
The two robots were the stars of the first Star Wars. They just didn't have an idea what to do with them.
They are switching directors in #9, so everything with change in the next one. They'll probably bring everyone back from the dead.
When is John returning from Washington to put me in my place?---Yohe
I want to hear what John says!---Yohe
Seconded. Whatever happened to that guy?
Sex!!!---Yohe
Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2018 11:15 pm Post subject:
I always wondered what would happen if a crow bred with a cheetah. I look forward to the National Geographic special about their offspring with much anticipation. ;-)
I may get banned at another site for that one.---Yohe
John just peeked into the box office thread.
I think he's trolling Steve by not saying anything about Last Jedi. ;)
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 11:52 am Post subject:
John & I haven't talked in a year & a haft. I don't know if that is trolling... to me it's more like he is leaving me alone. It's kind of nice.---Yohe
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World-class diagnostics for low-income communities in sub-Saharan Africa
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New book chronicles rise of MIT math department
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A new book, "Recountings: Conversations with MIT Mathematicians," tells the story of the rise of MIT's Department of Mathematics through the eyes of 13 influential MIT mathematicians.
"Recountings" is an oral history based on recollections of and about those 13 faculty members, including Norman Levinson, Isadore M. Singer, Arthur P. Mattuck, Hartley Rogers, Gilbert Strang, Kenneth M. Hoffman, Alar Toomre, Steven L. Kleiman, Harvey P. Greenspan, Bertram Kostant, Michael Artin, Daniel J. Kleitman and Sigurdur Helgason.
The book traces the development of these individuals, who describe their first attraction to mathematics and the inspiration of past giants in the field.
MIT's math department is one of the strongest in the world, representing a broad spectrum of fields ranging from the traditional areas of pure mathematics such as analysis, algebra, geometry and topology, to applied mathematics areas such as combinatorics, computational biology, fluid dynamics, theoretical computer science and theoretical physics. The department currently has about 50 faculty members, many of whom have received the highest distinctions including an Abel Prize, a National Medal of Science, two MacArthur Awards, and Bôcher, Cole, Veblen, Fulkerson and Steele prizes.
"Recountings: Conversations with MIT Mathematicians," is edited by Joel Segel, a writer whose father, Lee Segel, received a PhD in applied mathematics from MIT in 1959. The book will be published by AK Peters on Dec. 31.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on December 3, 2008 (download PDF).
Topics: Mathematics, Faculty, History of MIT
MIT Mathematics
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Home > Film > “Revolution In The Head”: Provocative L.A. band Rage Against The Machine & the “Art Of Protest”
“Revolution In The Head”: Provocative L.A. band Rage Against The Machine & the “Art Of Protest”
By Bryan Thomas on July 27, 2018
You’ve probably noticed the words “revolution” and “protest” being used a lot more lately, and for good reason, so we thought we’d take a look back at Revolution in the Head: Rage Against the Machine & The Art of Protest, Alec Lindsell‘s 2010 documentary about the provocative L.A.-based rap-metal band and their longtime association with the American protest movement.
Watch this fascinating, slightly NSFW film — which features graphic language, and brief shots from the band’s naked protest in 1993 — on Night Flight Plus.
Lindsell — who has also directed The Sacred Triangle: Bowie, Iggy and Lou, 1971-1973 and The Who, the Mods and the Quadrophenia Connection, and produced & edited Depeche Mode: The Dark Progression and provided camerawork on Brian Eno, 1971-1977: The Man Who Fell to Earth, all four of which you’ll also find Night Flight Plus — goes all the way back to the formation of Rage Against the Machine in Los Angeles, CA, in 1991, tracking the band through their explosive debut, Rage Against the Machine (1992) and two more subsequent studio albums, Evil Empire (1996), and The Battle of Los Angeles (1999).
Revolution in the Head: Rage Against the Machine & The Art of Protest shows us how they fit right in with other 20th Century recording artists who have all spoken out on behalf of, and drawn attention to, the world’s marginalized, downtrodden and oppressed, people like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and John Lennon.
The doc also talks about more recent bands and artists who have had a more direct impact on Rage’s rap-metal sound, like Minor Threat, Public Enemy, Bad Brains, the Clash, Bob Marley and Bruce Springsteen.
This 106-minute documentary features rare Rage Against the Machine footage, news clips, location shoots, seldom-seen videos and photos and much more.
There are also interview segments with renowned Rage producer and engineer Garth Richardson; Rage biographer Colin Devenish; their live sound engineer Dave “Rat” Levine, and record company executive Michael Goldstone, who signed the band to their recording deal with Epic Records; folk protest singer & author Jerry Silverman; ex-Rolling Stone and Blender editor Joe Levy; OC Weekly writer Gustavo Arellano; and T.V. Reed, a professor of American Studies and English at Washington State University.
Read more about Revolution in the Head: Rage Against the Machine & The Art of Protest below.
Hey! Do you have a Night Flight Plus subscription?
We’re offering up original uncut air masters of Night Flight programming from the video vaults of the 1980s TV show, as well as provocative new selections from the world of music, documentaries, animation, cult films and more. Sign up today!
Considering what’s been happening to/in our country lately, watching Revolution in the Head: Rage Against the Machine & The Art of Protest is a little like looking back at ancient artifacts from 21st Century American history.
Nevertheless it’s good to look back and learn just how important protest has been, in all the forms it has taken, and how it affected this one particular revolutionary Los Angeles hip-hop-influenced metal band.
One of the examples of the band’s excellent use of protest was their now infamous naked performance in Philadelphia, during the Lollapalooza ’93 tour.
As you can see, the band members took a stand against the Parents Music Recourse Center’s censorship of music by standing naked during 25-minutes of feedback with duct tape over their mouths and the letters PMRC on their chests.
The film also shows how Rage Against the Machine also once shut down Wall Street for one afternoon while making their notorious “Sleep Now in the Fire” video with director Michael Moore, who famously isn’t afraid to get right up in the faces of civic leaders and challenge their authority.
Much of the focus here is on the political and social background of singer/activist Zack de la Rocha and guitarist/activist Tom Morello.
They talk about how they faced racist attitudes during their youth, growing up with Hispanic and mixed race background in suburban America.
There’s a lot of discussion about the band reforming during the run-up to the then-recent 2008 presidential election., and the link between their progressive, socially conscious and proactive political points-of-view and the galvanized grassroots-style political action movement behind then-candidate Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
The documentary also provides additional background on the creation of some of Rage Against the Machine’s songs, including “Testify,” which asserted that the Democrat and Republican political parties and the two presidential candidates of that era, Bush and Gore, were essentially the same.
The band performed live outside the Democratic National Convention of 2000 in Los Angeles.
We also learn a little about “People of the Sun,” celebrating the Zapitista movement of the Native Indians of Mexico.
In 2000, Zack de la Rocha, who is half-Mexican, told Juice that he made several trips to the largely Indian state of Chiapas, Mexico, in order to show support for the Zapatista-rebels who were spearheading a peasant revolt.
“That really remained in my heart, because I also feel Mexican,” he told Mexican paper Reforma. “That’s why I’m interested in spreading those ideas through art, because music has the power to cross borders, to break military sieges and to establish real dialogue. Our purpose in sympathizing with the Zapatistas is to help spark that dialogue.”
Another Rage song, “Bulls On Parade,” lyrically delved into the big business of war and how companies like private military company Blackwater were contracted by the Bush administration during America’s war in Iraq.
Revolution In The Head also explores the band’s documented conflicts, disputes and constant internal battles — rooted in lead singer La Rocha’s disagreements with Morello and the other members of the band — circumstances which eventually broke them up.
Watch Revolution in the Head: Rage Against the Machine & The Art of Protest on Night Flight Plus.
Alec LindsellFeaturedLos Angelesmusic documentaryNight Flight Plusprotest songsRage Against The Machinerap metalrevolutionSlightly NSFWTom MorelloZack de la Rocha
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1996 – Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
About once a year, or once every 18 months, I go back to a special gem in my movie collection. Say what you will about the 1993 (and coming back) TV Series Beavis and Butt-Head, but their one-shot, feature length movie actually has a lot going for it.
Beavis and Butt-Head was the funniest show you weren’t allowed to watch as a kid. A late night MTV production, it pressed a lot of boundries of television content and even language. MTV backed it by airing music videos during the show that the characters would make fun of via parody or discussion, while a side story that is relatively plotless introduces you to a cavalcade of crazy characters.
While you’ll be spared the pain of music videos when watching Beavis and Butt-Head Do America , what you do get is an all-star sound track only MTV in their heyday could have assembled. The animation techniques used were consistent with the show, but they occasional mixed in some CGI here and there, along with some other modern and classic animation methods to make this movie an instant classic.
But where the film shines is the plot. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America takes you on a cross-country journey to various landmarks on a mission that includes everything from toilet humor to an international chemical weapons plot. The All-Star cast included Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Cloris Leachman, and Robert Stack. When that many big names are willing to get behind something as silly as Beavis and Butt-Head, you know the script had to be something special. Don’t be in a rush to judge this one without watching it, I go back to it for a reason. Your preconceived notions may just be worth changing – give it an honest shot and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
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Birth Name: John Felix Anthony Cena
Date of Birth: 23 April 1977
Place Of Birth: West Newbury, Massachusetts, USA
John Felix Anthony Cena, better known as WWE superstar John Cena, was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts, to Carol (Lupien) and John Cena. He is of Italian (father) and French-Canadian and English (mother) descent, and is the grandson of baseball player Tony Lupien. When he was in college, he played football. He then continued on to be a bodybuilder and a limousine driver. The 6-foot-1 tall star weighs exactly at 240 pounds and is a very successful superstar in the WWE. The Dr. of Thuganomics started training to be a wrestler at Ultimate Pro Wrestling where he also created the character, The Prototype. Cena first appeared on WWE in a match against Kurt Angle on the 27th of June, 2002 which ended up with him losing. In 2004, John Cena’s status as a celebrity began to develop. Cena won the United States Championship from Big Show. Not too long later, Cena lost the title but he gained it back soon. Cena then lost the title again to fellow WWE superstar, Carlito. During that time, Cena apparently got stabbed in the kidney by one of Carlito’s bodyguards. This resulted in staying out of action for a month. In 2005 and 2006 respectively, Cena was involved in controversies. He had a feud with champion John Bradshaw Layfield, manager Eric Bischoff and fellow wrestler Chris Jericho. Cena also had feuds with Edge and Umaga at that time. But even so, some friendships were formed. Cena is said to be friends with Carlito after they won a match with Jeff Hardy against Edge, Randy Orton and Johnny Nitro. The year 2007 was a big year for Cena as he was involved in a wrestling match with Britney Spears’ ex and rap star, Kevin Federline. John ended up losing that match thanks to some assistance from Umaga to Kevin Federline. Later that night, Cena took revenge by body slamming Kevin Federline backstage. The year 2007 also started pretty well for John Cena as he became the first person to defeat the Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga that year. The Chain Gang Soldier also teamed up with Shaun Michaels defeating the RKO tag team, Randy Orton and Edge. The match ended up with Cena and Michaels winning. As of October 2007, Cena lost his WWE Championship title because of an injury. While wrestling against Mr. Kennedy, Cena tore his pectoral muscle while executing a hip toss. Although he finished the match and completed the rest of the scripted event, a check-up the next day showed that John’s pectoral major muscle was torn completely from the bone, requiring seven months to a year rehabilitation. Not able to perform, WWE’s CEO, Vince McMahon stripped him off the title and ended his reign. In 2008, Cena made an unannounced return to action on January 27 as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match. He won the match, and the traditional WrestleMania title shot. Cena also had a match against JBL, which he defeated at Judgment Day and then at One Night Stand in a First Blood match. However, JBL defeated him at the New York City Parking Lot Brawl. In the month of August, Cena was replaced by Rey Mysterio after it was announced Cena had suffered a herniated disk in his neck which required surgery and he would be out of action indefinitely. According to reports, Cena underwent successive surgery to repair the herniated disk in his neck with Doctor Joseph Maroon on August 25. Aside from wrestling, John has also made a name in the movie business. In 2006, a WWE franchise movie titled The Marine was released with John playing the lead character, John Triton. The movie received mixed reviews due to the poor story-line and discrimination to the US Marines. Even so, fans queued up to watch the movie as this was John’s first big screen appearance. The WWE wrestler also added recording artist to his resume as he released his debut rap album “You Can’t See Me” which debuted at #15 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. The album featured his entrance theme song, ‘The Time Is Now’ & a host of other singles performed by Cena. One of the songs he performed with popular rap band Estoric and a number of other songs Cena performed with famous rapper Bumpy Knuckles. Cena is the only professional wrestler to ever perform on BBC Two’s long running TV show Top of the Pops. While still active with WWE, Cena made a couple of guest appearances: Jimmy Kimmel Live! twice to promote his album. He has also appeared on popular shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Fuse’s Celebrity Playlist, Fox Sports Net’s The Best Damn Sports Show Period, MADtv, G4’s Training Camp and two appearances on MTV’s Punk’d. He also served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, as a guest judge during the third week of the 2006 season of Nashville Star, and appeared at the 2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards 2007. In fashion, The Champ has also made a few trademarks. Cena is often seen with knee-high denim jeans and throwback jerseys when he first started on WWE. Lately, Cena has been wearing a lot of Chain Gang merchandise. When his movie, The Marine was released, John was seen to be adding more military-inspired clothing to his outfit to promote his movie. Cena graduated from Springfield College, Massachusetts with degrees in exercise physiology and human anatomy. He applied to 60 colleges and he got accepted by 58 of them but in the end, he chose Springfield College. He is the second eldest of five brothers and is said to be a family guy when he is not wrestling. His good friends are fellow wrestlers, John Hennigan, Batista, Randy Orton, Carlito, Jeff and Matt Hardy, whom he will have to fight. John Cena is definitely going to be a big inspiration to all, whether in wrestling, fashion, music or even movies as his participation in the industry is already more than regular celebrity. With all he has achieved, fans can definitely expect to see more of this WWE superstar in the coming future. Also, recently he has completed his new movie 12 Rounds produced by WWE Films. This movie was said to be completed when John suffered from his injury in 2007.
Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Daddy’s Home 2
Drama, Thriller, War
Trailer: Bumblebee
Trailer: Blockers
Trailer: Ferdinand
Trailer: Daddy's Home 2
Trailer: The Wall
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Distinguished Cardiologist and Scientist Dr. Guy Reed Named Dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix
Dr. Reed Brings Impressive Record of Leadership, Teaching, Research and Clinical Care
Guy Reed, MD, MS, a noted cardiologist, physician-scientist and health administrator, has been named dean of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.
The announcement was made today by Leigh Neumayer, MD, MS, interim senior vice president, University of Arizona Health Sciences.
Dr. Reed is the Lemuel Diggs Professor of Medicine and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and interim executive vice president for Methodist Le Bonheur HealthCare.
“We are extremely proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Reed as dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix,” Dr. Neumayer said. “Dr. Reed has an extraordinary track record as a cardiologist, research-scientist, educator and administrator. He represents the highest quality of academic medicine and research. His leadership will result in a huge leap forward for the college and I have no doubt that Dr. Reed will take us to the highest level of academic medicine.”
Dr. Reed grew up in Colorado and graduated from Columbia University in New York City, where he received his bachelor’s degree in English literature and pre-medical studies. He received a master’s degree in mathematical statistics and a medical degree from Stanford University.
He completed his internship, residency and chief residency in internal medicine at Yale University. He completed his fellowship in cardiovascular disease at Massachusetts General Hospital and a postdoctoral research fellowship in biochemistry and molecular biology at Harvard Medical School. For a decade and half, Dr. Reed served in positions of progressive responsibility as a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health. His research interests led him to the "stroke belt" in the southern states.
An internationally recognized cardiologist, Dr. Reed is known for his research on the mechanism of blood clots and vascular disease. Through grant support from the National Institutes of Health, he translated his laboratory research findings into an innovative, clot-dissolving therapy to treat patients with strokes and heart attacks, which is now in clinical trials.
Recently, Dr. Reed received an innovation award from Inside Memphis Business magazine and a Discovery Award from the President of the University of Tennessee. In 2015, the company he founded to translate his science into therapy — Translational Sciences, Inc. — signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Company, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, to develop and commercialize the treatment for patients.
“I am honored to join the College of Medicine – Phoenix at this exciting juncture in its history,” Dr. Reed said. “Together with our academic, health care, philanthropic and community partners, we will continue to make the College of Medicine – Phoenix an extraordinary institution that serves Arizonans through exceptional education, transformative science and exemplary patient care. I look forward to working with Drs. Neumayer and Robbins and other leaders. We will continue the work of Dr. Ken Ramos, the administrative staff and the faculty who have done so much for the College.”
Dr. Reed and his wife, Elizabeth, will move to Phoenix as he assumes his new position with the University of Arizona Health Sciences in mid-July.
In an interview with Ken Alltucker of The Arizona Republic, Dr. Reed said he wants to build on what the Phoenix medical school has accomplished over the past decade.
“There is a very special feeling there,” Dr. Reed said. “You feel it in the students. You feel it in the faculty and staff. And you feel it from the people in the community . . . There is passion, excitement and optimism that we can really build something special there.”
Reed also discussed with The Republic how his experience at a medical school with close clinical ties to a health provider should suit him well at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix, which has a 30-year academic affiliation with Banner Health.
“There are tremendous similarities,” Dr. Reed said of the UA-Banner relationship and the UT-Methodist Le Bonheur affiliation. “It is interesting that communities develop the models that work for them . . . I think the (UA-Banner) affiliation has really an opportunity for tremendous success.” Read the full story.
Dr. Neumayer thanked Kenneth S. Ramos, MD, PhD, for serving as interim dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix since April 2016.
“Dr. Ramos has given extraordinary service to the College of Medicine – Phoenix, and I am grateful for his dedication to the college and the university,” she said.
Dr. Reed will be the third dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. The medical college opened its doors in 2007 and is focused on addressing Arizona’s critical physician shortage. In those 10 years, the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix has graduated 273 physicians. Based in downtown Phoenix on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, the college will graduate 82 physicians on May 8 at commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2017.
Marian Frank
Associate Director, Public Affairs
UAHS News
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. By cultivating collaborative research locally and globally, the college accelerates discovery in a number of critical areas — including cancer, stroke, traumatic brain injury and cardiovascular disease. Championed as a student-centric campus, the college has graduated 500 physicians, all of whom received exceptional training from nine clinical partners and more than 2,000 diverse faculty members. As the anchor to the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, which is projected to have an economic impact of $3.1 billion by 2025, the college prides itself on engaging with the community, fostering education, inclusion, access and advocacy.
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Parshat Pinchas begins like this, Vayedaber YHVH el-Moshe l’emor, “the Divine Word came down to that part of consciousness that receives the teachings of the Torah, and this is what it said:” Pinchas ben-Elazar ben-Aharon haKohen, “Pinchas ben Elazar, the grandson of Aharon the kohein (priest)….” Now, keep in mind that the quality of the kohein (priest) is the quality of chesed(pure giving, loving-kindness). Heishiv et chamati me’al Bnei Yisrael, “he was able to eliminate my wrath from the Bnei Yisrael, from those who are in the process of evolving through following my guidance,” b’kano et kinati b’tocham, “by taking on the issue of ‘My jealousy’ as it applied to them.” V’lo chiliti et-Bnei-Yisrael b’kinati, “because of him I didn’t wipe out the Benei Yisrael, as a result of my jealousy.”
There is such a deep message concealed here that is at the very crux of our transformation into a new paradigm. The root teaching that is coming down here is, the person who can restore the world to a condition of Divine Favor performs the greatest of all mitzvot. There is nothing greater that any person can do than establish the condition of Divine Favor. That’s what Pinchas does in this story and it transforms him into a kohein. So we have to really look into it deeply to understand what this entails, because it’s not at all obvious from the literal level and more importantly, the Torah’s meaning evolves as we transform from the old paradigm to the new.
I once met a Sufi sheikh who told me how he had met his sheikh. This happened in Turkey. One day the sheikh found himself for no apparent reason following around a seemingly normal person, and yet, he noticed that this individual had a kind of magnetic attraction. Somehow, he sensed that there was more there than one could tell by simply looking at him, and so, he followed him around all day long. This individual was very busy doing all kinds of things, running errands, and meeting with various people about town, but never seemed to notice that he was being followed. He didn’t acknowledge him or say anything to him. And finally, he followed this busy, magnetic gentleman into a store. Inside, this man was doing business, and when he finished, the store keeper said to him, “may Allah be pleased with us!” And he responded, “Allah is pleased with us! May we be pleased withAllah!” And the person who told me the story said when he heard that he knew immediately that this was to be his sheikh. Up until then he wasn’t even sure who he was following. But, you see, the sheikh gave over the teaching that Allah is pleased with us! That is basically what the power of Pinchas is here: he can wipe out the sense of Divine Displeasure and balance the scales on this side of Divine Favor.
In the old paradigm, from the now ending shemitah of the Torah of Din (the epoch during which divine guidance was mostly only comprehensible in terms of either/or, yes or new, right or wrong, permitted or forbidden, Israel vs. the “Nations,” the G-d of Israel or “other gods”) restoring divine favor was understood as requiring jealous acts of zealotry against “foreign influences.” When the sages viewed parshat Pinchas from the vantage point of the old paradigm, they derived the halakhah (the law) “kenaim pog’in bo” (a zealot motivated by jealousy for G-d’s honor is entitled to strike out in order to restore Divine Favor and is not guilty of murder).
From the more enlightened perspective of the new paradigm Torah of Rachamim (when Divine Guidance comes to us in the form of all-embracing compassion), the old paradigm’s understanding of the halakhah and its reading of this parashah itself are repulsive and need to be renewed and transformed.
For the transformation to the new paradigm, kenaim pog’in bo, can mean a person who truly loves peace is forgiven for speaking out strongly against all forms of old-paradigm zealotry. With the voice of compassion and reason and a new paradigm understanding of what “G-d” is, we can cut through and eliminate the very idea of “G-d’s jealousy and wrath.”
After all, what is Divine Displeasure really about? The Torah says here that Pinchas was b’kano et kinati b’tocham, “taking on the issue of my jealousy with them.” So, from the old perspective, there are two problems here. One is the issue that is called avodah zarah, which means that we’re not really clear about who and what it is that we are serving. We are led astray in some sense, and that’s called “serving false or foreign gods.” And the second separate issue (from the perspective of the old atavistic paradigm) concerned forbidden relations between Israelite men and certain non-Israelite women.
At a deep level the connection was a fear of losing purity and identity with the “True Religion.” But by the time of the Ba’al Shem Tov, a harbinger of the new paradigm that we now have a unique opportunity to pursue, the meaning of avodah zarah was transforming into something deeper. Already in old paradigm classical Hasidism, any way that we’re led astray, that we’reseduced by things that seem important or powerful to us, is a form of avodah zarah. According to the Baal Shem Tov, as long as we’re in devequt, aligned with the Divine Connection within us, then that is not avodah zarah. But whenever something overwhelms us and breaks that inner clarity, that is avodah zarah.
Now, in the old midrashic language of myth, the Torah says that when we’re not connected inside the way we should be with the Divinity that is within us and that is surrounding us and so forth, then “G-D,” as it were, is jealous of the “false god.” But, what is the “false god?” The “false god” is represented in the story by a Midianite woman who is called Kozbi. The name Kozbi itself, based on the root Kaf-Zayyin-Bet, means “wrong,” “mistaken,” “deceived.” So, we have a story about a relationship between Miss Mistaken and a leader of Israel, who is called Zimri ben Solu’. Now, Zimri, can mean many nice meanings, like “music,” and “song,” and so forth, but it also means “cutting,” “to cut,” something that prunes, like pruning what has to be removed from a tree. And the root for the name Solu’ means “stung,” or “pricked,” like by a thorn. So Pinchas recognizes that a leader of Israel is, as it were, dancing with the wrong woman, meaning: embracing a “false Shekhinah” (immanent Divine Presence, usually figured as female). Remember, Kozbi, by her very name, indicates the other side of the Shekhinah. Instead of dancing with the Divine Presence Itself, he’s led astray by all these things that appear attractive to him, and that’s how avodah zarah and the relationship with the forbidden female come together.
So really, these two issues, his being with the wrong woman and the issue of avodah zarah, are really the same. It’s only that the story of the interaction between Zimri and Kozbi is about “Divine Jealousy” in the sense that “G-D” says, “if you’re not dancing with the Shekhinah, I’m jealous for the Shekhinah.” It arouses “G-D’s wrath.” “G-D” wants us dancing with the Shekhinah, that we should be connected and dancing in this world with the Divine Presence itself and not some false version of it. So Pinchas acts boldly because he feels how important it is that Divine Wrath should not exist. When we are dancing with a “false Shekhinah,” things cannot go right in the world and there is no Peace.
We have a teaching that says, “If there is justice below, judgment below, there doesn’t have to be judgment from above.” This means that if we ourselves get it together, we don’t have to be compelled by the divine cosmic powers to force us to get it together. So what does Pinchas do? He takes “Zimri,” the aspect of Israel, the form of the followers of the path that are led astray, and he punctures the illusion of the “false Shekhinah” (an obsolete concept of divinity).
By doing so he restores Divine Awareness to the people of Israel. And when they have this Divine Awareness, then there is no Divine Displeasure. Because all that “G-D” really wants is for us to have knowledge of the Shekhinah of Divinity Herself. But Pinchas, because he has the power to recognize what is most important to G-D, namely our knowing, our awareness of G-D, is able to puncture the illusion of the false Shekhinah, and in so doing earns the just reward of the Covenant of Peace.
But, really we must go even further and learn from this parashah how renewing Divine Favor requires puncturing the illusion of “Divine Jealousy” itself. The One that is All and Everything has no other to be jealous of and ironically, the misguided zealot who thinks otherwise is the very one who needs to be “pierced” and neutralized. Only that “God” who is everybody’s god and nobody’s god, who is all gods and no god, can bestow on us the “Covenant of Peace.”
Yehei shlama rabbah min shemaya ve-chayyim tovim aleynu: al kol Yisrael ve-al kol yoshvey tevel.
May Heaven’s awesome peace and good life embrace all of us, our People and all those with whom we share this Earth.
In memory of my father, the tzaddiq and ba’al Mitzvot, Yitzhak Aizik Dov Ber ben Shimon ha-Kohein, may his memory be a blessing.
Tags: Pinchas
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Event dates: Tuesday, 27th September 2016 08:00 AM to Wednesday, 28th September 2016 16:00 PM
Location: Beijing, China Contact: Sean Treacy
IAP for Health's international conference running from 27-28 September, looks at ‘Promoting Health’
Global leaders in healthcare and medicine will meet in Beijing, China, later this month to tackle a pressing question: How do we promote and maintain good health and well-being for a growing global population?
Hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the InterAcademy Partnership for Health (IAP for Health) Conference 2016 will take place from 27-28 September at the Beijing Conference Centre. At the conference, global experts in medical research, medical practice, and healthcare systems will discuss best practices, new concepts and the future of healthcare worldwide.
In 2015, world leaders agreed on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, Goal 3 calls for world leaders to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”
But improving health and healthcare systems is fundamental to achieving many of the other goals. Goal 2, for example, aims for food security and adequate nutrition, while Goal 6 calls for universal access to clean water and sanitation.
Global population currently stands at 7.4 billion, with another 80 million births projected each year. In addition, advances in medical sciences mean that more and more people are living longer – adding stress to many nations’ healthcare systems. Amid these massive challenges, how do we ensure that low- and middle-income countries aren't left behind as we work to guarantee health and well-being for everyone at all ages?
To answer these questions, the IAP for Health conference will bring scholars from China and abroad together for discussions on such topics as:
• the social determinants of health;
• reducing risks across the lifespan;
• communicable diseases, including the prevention, detection and response to threats of emerging infectious diseases and pandemics;
• the role of traditional medicine; and
• new models for promoting health, for example in the urban environment.
A final session will investigate transforming the health sector and how to build capacity in developing, emerging and developed economies.
The opening session will include contributions from Ji Zhou, President of Chinese Academy of Engineering; Detlev Ganten, IAP for Health Co-chair; Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO representative in China; and Marielza Oliveiral, director and UNESCO representative to China.
The event will also provide a platform for the launch the latest IAP for Health Statement, “A call for action to improve the reproducibility of biomedical research”, scheduled for the evening of 27 September.
Eminent international speakers will include Tony Capon, Director of the International Institute for Global Health, United Nations University; Lai Meng Looi, Distinguished Professor, University of Malaya and Co-chair, IAP for Health; Sir George Griffin, Emeritus Professor of Infectious Diseases and Medicine St George’s, University of London, UK; Margaret Hamburg, Foreign Secretary of the US National Academy of Medicine; Oyewale Tomori, President, Nigerian Academy of Science; and Franz Gatzweiler, Executive Director of the ICSU-IAP-UNU programme on ‘Urban Health and Wellbeing: a Systems Approach’, based at the Institute of Urban Environment at the Chinese Academy of Science, Xiamen, China.
Among the eminent speakers from China are Longde Wang, President of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association; Nanshan Zhong, Director-General, China State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases; and Boli Zhang, President of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.
"Treating diseases and their symptoms as they come into the clinic is not enough. Policymakers and medical experts must join together in a global endeavour to promote the conditions, behaviours and lifestyles that support good health," says Margaret Hamburg, Foreign Secretary of the US National Academy of Medicine and co-chair of the conference scientific committee. "This will reduce the queues of people who need medical help and ensure more people can receive proper care. It will also reduce healthcare costs. But most importantly, it will help people grow healthy, stay strong, and enjoy longer, happier lives."
"As a nation with an enormous and diverse population, but also one that is rapidly accelerating its investment in medical research, China is on the front-lines of the very issues of promoting health this conference is about," says Depei Liu of the CAE and the other co-chair of the conference scientific committee. “China is willing to closely cooperate with the rest of the world to address the challenges of medical sciences and health promotion."
More information and a full agenda for the conference is available here: www.bit.do/IAPHealthConf
About The InterAcademy Partnership for Health
IAP for Health is a component network of the InterAcademy Partnership. Its membership comprises 78 academies of medicine or academies of science and engineering with medical sections. It is committed to improving health worldwide, including through the release of consensus statements on matters of importance to global health.
The IAP for Health Conference is held every three years. It brings together Academy representatives and other high-level experts to discuss issues of global health concern, The previous Conference was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2013, and focused on non-communicable diseases. As usual, this year’s Conference is followed by a General Assembly of IAP for Health academy members who come together to review the progress of the network’s programmes, propose future activities, and elect a new Executive Committee.
www.iamp-online.org
Peter McGrath
IAP Coordinator
mcgrath@twas.org
Sean Treacy
TWAS Public Information Office
streacy@twas.org
Associated websites:
http://www.iamp-online.org/press-release-iap-health-conference-promoting-health
More from TWAS, the academy of sciences for the developing world
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Where are the numbers? Counting museum visitors in France
Swenson, A (2018) 'Where are the numbers? Counting museum visitors in France.' Cultural Trends. ISSN 0954-8963
11838.pdf - Accepted Version
Restricted to Repository staff only until 28 June 2020.
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/09548963.2019.1559466
In the early twenty-first century, the Louvre is the most visited museum in the world. Yet little is known about how visit numbers to French museums developed. Compared to the Anglo-Saxon world, the collection and publication of visit data began late and was initially far from systematic. Some figures were collected in the late nineteenth century, but correspondence from the early twentieth century indicates that not even the Ministry of Fine Arts, overseeing the National Museums, was always aware of them. More complete numbers appeared from 1922 when entrance fees were introduced. However, visitors entering on free days were not yet counted. In the 1930s, data collection for the National Museums was systematized by the Directorate of National Museums, but figures were rarely published. The aim of this article is, therefore, to establish the sources that might be used for a quantitative approach to museum visiting in France and to reflect on the reasons for the initial indifference towards the counting of visitors and the standardisation with international practices over time. The article argues that the triggers for changes in the culture of counting in France were both internal and external. A prolonged debate about the introduction of entrance fees took place from the start of the Third Republic to the interwar years and let to the search for existing numbers in France and abroad. The Fine Arts Administration compiled data about practices in other countries and a number of monographs on the subject were published. The press also frequently referenced foreign examples. These documents provide a fascinating insight into comparisons and emulation of foreign practices at the time, allowing us to rethink the modern obsession with counting as the result of a transnational process.
museums, France, transnational models, visit numbers, longitudinal data
D History General and Old World > DC France
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Established in 2015 and renewed in 2019, The ENAC – Groupe ADP – Sopra Steria Research Chain on Drone Systems is led by ENAC through its Foundation.
With an initial duration of 3 years it is the first European chair to address the problem of drones integration in airspace.
The Chair is incorporated within ENAC research Lab through its Foundation. It benefits from a rich technical and academic environment, dedicated exclusively to the areas of aeronautics and air transport.
The Chair encompasses three areas: research, teaching and dissemination
The Chair researchers’ activities, in cooperation with ENAC’s own researchers, enable the development of procedures and standards for the operation of RPAS subject of certification, with the aim of facilitating civilian use of RPAS in a national and international framework.
The Chair enhances communication and exchange of ideas between the partner companies and ENAC’s Ms students (RPAS major inaugurated in 2014), and specialized masters students.
Finally, the Chair facilitates the dissemination of its work results through publications to large audiences (students, company members, officials, etc.) and the organization of symposium and workshops, contributing to the rule-making efforts in the field of RPAS.
An innovative and renowned research program
Since 2005, the drones research program developed by ENAC, European civil aviation leading institute on avionics, ground systems, air traffic control, surveillance and navigation is arguably the only one to deal with RPAS related themes in such a global and integrated way. ENAC has developed an “open source” research platform, used today by more than sixty research labs and companies worldwide.
ENAC also collaborates with DGAC, the French civil aviation authority, for the development and implementation of operational procedures as first steps towards the integration of drones in civil controlled airspace.
Two philanthropic patrons convinced by this ambitious project
Edward Arkwright, Executive Director of the ADP Group:
“With this new component of the UAV Systems Chair, we will continue our commitment as a sponsor to develop new cases of use in airports, particularly in the service of operational efficiency. All the experiments that can be developed on the ADP Group’s local and international platforms will make it possible to accelerate research alongside our partners and validate new operational concepts. Our objective is to create the appropriate conditions for greater integration of UAVs into airspace.”
Patrick Loyer, Director of Sopra Steria’s Air Traffic Management activities:
“For many years, Sopra Steria has consolidated its innovation strategy through strong partnerships with education and research players in France, in particular with ENAC. In order to continue our commitment to the integration of UAVs in the service of an emerging economy, particularly in urban and airport areas, we wanted to support ENAC in this philanthropic action. We are convinced that this Chair will make it possible to improve the safety and operational performance of drones and to improve the acceptability of drones in urban environments. »
The Chair sponsors
The Groupe ADP’s ambition is to become a world leader in airport design, construction and operation and is now in the trio of top airport managers in the world. It manages, directly or indirectly, 34 airports that welcomed nearly 252 million passengers in 2015.
Groupe ADP values and exports its skills developed over many years within the framework of airport development and management through two of its subsidiaries: ADP Ingénierie, which designs and builds international airports and ADP Management, which takes out participations In certain airports abroad and ensures their operation.
Sopra Steria, a European leader in digital transformation, provides one of the most comprehensive portfolios of offerings on the market, spanning consulting, systems integration, industry-specific solutions, infrastructure management and business process services. It provides end-to-end solutions to address the core business needs of large companies and organisations, helping them remain competitive and grow. Combining added value with innovative high-performance services, Sopra Steria excels in guiding its clients through their transformation projects to help them make the most of digital technology.
With nearly 42,000 employees in more than 20 countries, Sopra Steria generated revenue of €3.8 billion in 2017.
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Shining the spotlight on women’s sexual health
Author Michelle BrandtPublished on June 4, 2013 January 12, 2018
I was excited when I got the call that Stanford's Leah Millheiser, MD, was starting her own blog on women’s sexual health. I’ve worked with Millheiser, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, numerous times over the years, and she has always been terrific at explaining often-complex medical and health issues in an easy-to-understand way. She's also very passionate about her line of work, so I assumed she'd be a natural at blogging.
drleahm.com officially launched late last month (first post: “Human Papilloma Virus: What Women Really Want to Know”), and I recently had the chance to talk with Millheiser about her clinical work, her decision to blog, and her thoughts on why female sexual health is (still) a taboo topic for some. Those wanting to learn more can also follow Millheiser's Twitter feed, DrLeahM.
Your career focuses on treating all aspects of female sexual health. How did you wind up going into this field?
I've always had an interest in women's sexual health. I can remember listening to the Dr. Ruth Show on the radio back in the '80s and thinking to myself, "I want to do that!"
This dream became much clearer during my OB/GYN residency. At that time women would bring up a sexual concern and, if their concern wasn't shied away from by the physician, the answer usually was to go home and drink a glass of wine to relax. Unfortunately, at that time there really wasn't much more to offer! Since then, a vast amount of research and information regarding the causes and treatment of female sexual dysfunction has been published. This is a very real medical issue (43 percent of women in the U.S. have a sexual complaint) and should be addressed with the same level of importance given to male sexual dysfunction.
Who is your average patient, and are there certain concerns/issues that are universal among the women you treat?
I treat women across the lifespan for both general and sexual health concerns. The most common sexual health issue I treat is low libido in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women; sexual pain disorders are also common. Another area of clinical focus for me is the treatment of menopause.
Despite conversation about men’s sexual health being commonplace these days, it seems like female sexual health is still a taboo topic. Why do you think that is, and how important is it that we change that?
We know that there is still gender bias when it comes to treating sexual dysfunction in women. Currently, there are seven drugs approved by the FDA to treat erectile dysfunction while there are only two FDA-approved drugs to treat female sexual dysfunction. This treatment disparity becomes more concerning when you realize that female sexual health issues are far more common than male sexual health issues in the United States. Unfortunately, there is still a puritanical view when it comes to discussing women and sex. For example, it was more than acceptable to have a former presidential candidate advertising Viagra on primetime TV; however, a commercial for an over-the-counter treatment for female sexual dysfunction, which had research data supporting its use, could only be shown after 11 PM.
In the next few years, several treatments for female sexual dysfunction will be going to the FDA for approval. My hope is that the FDA will approve at least one of these drugs, ultimately sending a message that the treatment of female sexual dysfunction is just as important as the treatment of male sexual dysfunction.
What made you start a blog?
drleahm.com was launched as a way to have a broader reach to women experiencing health concerns, especially as they relate to sexual function. We know from the data that women infrequently initiate a conversation about their sexual health to their primary care provider or OB/GYN. With blog entries that encompass "everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask," I hope to empower women to tackle the health issues that are important to them.
What other goals do you have for the blog, and what sorts of things do you intend to write about in the future?
My goal is to get the conversation started among women and their peers, their clinicians and their partners regarding their general health and sexual health. Many of my blog entries will serve to break the myths about common health problems affecting women. drleahm.com will have something for everybody, from the teenage years to menopause and beyond. My mantra has always been that knowledge is power and the mission of my blog is first and foremost to educate.
Are there specific topics that your patients have expressed an interest in learning more about?
My patients really enjoy hearing about updates in the treatment of sexual health. Many are cancer survivors who have sexual dysfunction as a result of their treatment and, often, are not eligible for hormone therapy. As the majority of treatments for female sexual dysfunction are used on an off-label basis, my patients want to know what's hot on the treatment front and if there is data to support the use of a particular therapy. Of course, my patients also want to know about health issues mentioned in the news. My blog will keep patients up to date and separate the fact from the fiction when it comes to their health.
How do you find the time to blog, and how would you advise other physicians who may be interested in blogging but don’t know where to start?
It's amazing how easy it is to blog! I spent two years putting off this project as I thought that I would never find the time with two boys under the age of 4 and a full-time job at Stanford. Once I actually started the process, though, it seemed effortless. Most academic clinicians go into their respective fields for the sake of educating, whether it is students or patients. Blogging isn't any different. I imagine that I'm giving a lecture to my patients and turn it into a blog entry. I think about what my readers want to hear. Although in the early stages, my blogging adventure is proving to be a great deal of fun and extremely satisfying!
You’ve said one of your passions is cooking. Might we see a few food-related items slipped into the blog?
There definitely will be food items on drleahm.com as they relate to health, of course! In my next life, my goal is to come back as a Food Network chef.
Previously: 33Charts’ Bryan Vartabedian talks about physician blogging, Women’s common sex complaints not being adequately addressed and Birth control pill may lead to sexual problems for women
Photo by SodanieChea
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Re: JOKE OF THE DAY
Post by El Gato » December 20th, 2018, 5:07 pm
: A witness to an automobile accident was testifying. The following exchange took place between the lawyer and the witness:
Lawyer: "Did you actually see the accident?"
Witness: "Yes, sir."
Lawyer: "How far away were you when the accident happened?"
Witness: "Thirty-one feet, six and one-quarter inches."
Lawyer (thinking he'd trap the witness): "Well, sir, will you tell the jury how you knew it was exactly that distance?"
Witness: "Because when the accident happened I took out a tape and measured it. I knew some stupid lawyer would ask me that question."
A plumber was called to a woman’s apartment in New York to repair a leaking pipe. When he arrived he was pleased to discover that the woman was quite a luscious, well-stacked babe, and during the course of the afternoon the two became extremely friendly.
About 5.30 p.m. the phone rang, disturbing the bedroom shenanigans. “That was my husband,” she said, “He’s on his way home, but he’s going back to the office around 8. Come back then, dear, and we can take up where we left off.”
The plumber looked at the woman in disbelief. “What? On my own time??”
Post by El Gato » December 21st, 2018, 4:18 pm
Billy and Bubba, two farmers from a small town outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, were walking home together after each had purchased a pig. Billy said to Bubba, "How are we going to tell them apart?"
Bubba answered, "We'll cut the left ear off of your pig." And so they did.
After a while, the pigs got into a fight and they had bitten off each others ears. Billy asked, "Now what are we going to do?"
"Well, how about if we cut the tail off of my pig?" Bubba replied.
"That sounds like a good plan to me," Billy agreed.
A little while later, the pigs got into another fight, and when it was over, they were both missing their tails.
"What will we do now?" Bubba asked Billy.
After giving it some thought, Billy replied, "Well, we could cut the leg off of yours."
"That's not humane!" Bubba cried.
So after some more thought, Billy said, "Well, let's do this. We'll just call the white one yours and the black one mine."
A store manager overheard a clerk saying to a customer, "No, ma'am, we haven't had any for some weeks now, and it doesn't look as if we'll be getting any soon."
Alarmed by what was being said, the manager rushed over to the customer, who was walking out the door, and said, "That isn't true, ma'am. Of course, we'll have some soon. In fact, we placed an order for it a couple of weeks ago."
Then the manager drew the clerk aside and growled, "Never, never, never, never say we don't have something. If we don't have it, say we ordered it and it's on its way. Now, what was it she wanted?"
"Rain."
The wise old Mother Superior from County Tipperary was dying. The nuns gathered around her bed trying to make her comfortable. They gave her some warm milk to drink, but she refused it. Then one nun took the glass back to the kitchen. Remembering a bottle of Irish whiskey they had received as a gift the previous Christmas, she opened and poured a generous amount into the warm milk.
When she walked back to Mother Superior's bed, she held the glass to her lips. Mother drank a little, then a little more. Before they knew it, she had drunk the whole glass down to the last drop. "Mother," the nuns asked with earnest, "please give us some wisdom before you die."
She raised herself up in bed with a pious look on her face and said, "Don't sell that cow."
When I worked as a medical intern in a local hospital, one of my patients was an elderly man with a thick accent.
It took me some time to understand that he had no insurance coverage.
One thing he had made clear was that he was a World War II veteran, so I had him transported to the Veteran's Administration hospital, where he'd be eligible for benefits.
The next day my patient was back, with a note from the VA: "Right war, wrong side."
A 75-year-old man walked into a crowded waiting room at a doctor’s office and approached the desk.
The young receptionist asked, ‘Yes sir, what are you seeing the Doctor for today?’
‘There’s something wrong with my penis’, he replied.
The receptionist became irritated and said, ‘You shouldn’t come into a crowded waiting room and say things like that.’
‘Why not, you asked me what was wrong and I told you,’ replied the man.
‘You should have said there is something wrong with your ear or something,’ came back the annoyed receptionist.
Wanting to teach the old man a lesson, she suggested, ‘Why don’t you leave the room, come back again and do this the right way.’ The man turned around, walked out and came back again after a moment.
The receptionist smiled smugly and asked, ‘Yes??’
‘There’s something wrong with my ear,’ he stated loudly.
The receptionist nodded approvingly and smiled, knowing he had learned the lesson.
‘What is wrong with your ear, Sir?’ she asked.
‘I can’t pee out of it,’ he replied.
"Doctor, I think my wife is getting hard of hearing."
"I'll have my nurse make an appointment for her, but in the meantime, there's a simple, informal test you can run to give us an idea how bad the problem is. Here's what you do: start out about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone say something and see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."
That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he's in the living room. In a normal tone he asks, "Honey, what's for supper?"
So the husband moves to the other end of the room and repeats, "Honey, what's for supper?"
Still no response.
Next he moves into the dining room. "Honey, what's for supper?"
No response, so he walks up to the kitchen door. "Honey, what's for supper?"
Again there is no response, so he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for supper?"
"For the fifth time, Harry, CHICKEN!"
A professor of chemistry wanted to teach his 5th grade class a lesson about the evils of liquor, so he produced an experiment that involved a glass of water, a glass of whiskey, and two worms.
“Now, class. Observe closely the worms,” said the professor putting a worm first into the water. The worm in the water writhed about, happy as a worm in water could be. The second worm, he put into the whiskey. It writhed painfully, and quickly sank to the bottom, dead as a doornail.
“Now, what lesson can we derive from this experiment?” the professor asked.
Johnny, who naturally sits in back, raised his hand and wisely, responded, “Drink whiskey and you won’t get worms.”
Instructor: "Isn't it remarkable how quickly the kids learn to drive the car?"
Parent: "Yes, especially considering how slowly they catch on to running the lawnmower and vacuum cleaner."
Post by El Gato » January 2nd, 2019, 5:05 pm
During the wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the pastor with an unusual offer, “Look, I’ll give you $100 if you’ll change the wedding vows. When you get to the part where I’m supposed to promise to ‘love, honor and obey’ and ‘be faithful to her forever,’ I’d appreciate it if you’d just leave that out.” He passed the minister a $100 bill and walked away satisfied.
On the day of the wedding, when it came time for the groom’s vows, the pastor looked the young man in the eye and said: “Will you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life, and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?” The groom gulped and looked around, and said in a tiny voice, “Yes.” He then leaned toward the pastor and hissed: “I thought we had a deal.”
The pastor put a $100 bill into the groom’s hand and whispered: “She made me a better offer.”
A man finally summons the courage to go sky diving for the very first time. The preparation and plane flight go smoothly, but immediately after jumping from the plane, he is unable to get his parachute to deploy. As he hurtles towards the earth, he is shocked to see a man rocketing upwards toward him. As they pass in the air, the skydiver yells, "Do you know anything about parachutes?"
The second man responds, "No. Do you know anything about gas grills?"
Johnny," said the teacher, "if coal is selling at $6 a ton and you pay your dealer $24, how many tons will he bring you?"
"A little over three tons, ma'am," said Johnny.
"Why, Johnny, that isn't right," said the teacher.
"No, ma'am, I know it isn't," said Johnny, "but they all do it."
Old Josh sat in his garden, sunbathing in the deck chair when he noticed his grandson kneeling on the lawn with a worm. When he asked his grandson what he was doing, he found that he was trying to push the worm down the hole from which it came.
“If you can get that worm back in that hole I’ll give you ten dollars,” said Josh.
His grandson sat and thought for a moment, then rushed into the house. A few minutes later he returned with his mother’s hair spray. He picked up the worm by one end and, as he let it hang down, he sprayed it all over with the hair spray. The spray set and the worm became stiff and hard. It was now easy to push the worm back in the hole. Josh was amazed. He gave the boy ten dollars, picked up the hair spray and went indoors.
About an hour later Josh came back into the garden and gave his grandson another ten dollars.
“But grandpa,” said the boy, “you’ve already given me the ten dollars you promised.”
“That’s from your grandma,” said Josh.
A nervous taxpayer was unhappily conversing with the IRS auditor who had come to review his records. At one point the auditor exclaimed, "We feel it is a great privilege to be allowed to live and work in the USA. As a citizen you have an obligation to pay taxes, and we expect you to eagerly pay them with a smile."
"Thank God," returned the taxpayer. "I thought you were going to want cash."
Two women go out one Friday night without their husbands. As they head back home, right before dawn, both of them drunk, they felt the urge to pee. The only place to stop was a cemetery. Scared and drunk, they stopped and decided to go there anyway.
The first one did not have anything to clean herself with, so she took off her panties, used them to clean herself and discarded them.
The second not finding anything either, thought, “I’m not getting rid of my panties…” so she used the ribbon of a flower wreath to clean herself.
The morning after, the two husbands were talking to each other on the phone, and one says to the other, “We have to be on the look-out. It seems that these two were up to no good last night. My wife came home without her panties!”
The other responded, “You’re lucky! Mine came home with a card stuck to her ass that read ‘From all of us at the Fire Station we will never forget you!
A friend was lecturing in Latin America. He was going to use a translator, but to identify with his audience, he wanted to begin his talk by saying in Spanish, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." He arrived at the auditorium a little early and realized he did not know the Spanish words for ladies and gentlemen. Being rather resourceful, he went to the part of the building where the restrooms were, looked at the signs on the two doors, and memorized those two words.
When the audience arrived and he was introduced, he stood up and said in Spanish, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."
The audience was shocked. He didn't know whether he had offended them or perhaps they hadn't heard him or understood him. So he decided to repeat it. Again in Spanish he said, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen."
One person in the audience began to snicker. Pretty soon the entire audience was laughing. Finally, someone told him that he had said, "Good evening, bathrooms and broom closets!"
Yesterday morning, I went downstairs, and I found my wife in the kitchen. She was preparing our usual soft-boiled eggs and toast for breakfast, wearing only the T-shirt that she normally slept in. As I walked in, still half asleep, she turned to me and said softly, “you’ve got to make love to me this very moment!”
My eyes lit up as I thought, “I am either still dreaming or this is going to be my lucky day.” Not wanting to lose the moment, I embraced her and then gave it my all; right there on the kitchen table.
Afterwards she said, “Thanks,” and returned to the stove, her T-shirt still around her neck.
Happy, but a little puzzled, I asked, “What was that about?"
She explained, “The egg timer’s broken!!!”
Post by El Gato » January 8th, 2019, 5:29 pm
An old woman had 3 daughters. One day she decided to test her three Sons-in-law.
One a fine day, she was walking along a lake shore with the first son-in-law. Purposefully, she fell down in the lake and started yelling for help.
The first son-in-law jumped into the water and dragged her out into the shore. The next day he found a brand new E Class Mercedes in his door steps with the wordings “Thank you! Your Mother-in-law who loves you very much!!”
Another day she went out with her second son-in-law. Purposefully, she fell down in the lake and started yelling for help.
The second son-in-law too jumped into the water and dragged her out into the shore. The next day he found a brand new E Class Mercedes in his door steps with the wordings “Thank you! Your Mother-in-law who loves you very much!!”
The third time she was walking with the third son-in-law and she repeated the same. But that guy got scared and ran away without offering any help to her. The poor old lady who wanted to test her sons-in-law drowned and died.
The next day the third son-in-law was surprised to see a new brand new Rolls-Royce waiting at his doorsteps with the following wordings, “Thank you very much! Your Father-in-law!”
Two sisters, one blonde and one brunette, inherit the family ranch. Unfortunately, after just a few years, they are in financial trouble. In order to keep the bank from repossessing the ranch, they need to purchase a bull so that they can breed their own stock. The brunette balances their checkbook, then takes their last $600 dollars out west to another ranch where a man has a prize bull for sale. Upon leaving, she tells her sister, “When I get there, if I decide to buy the bull, I’ll contact you to drive out after me and haul it home.”
The brunette arrives at the man’s ranch, inspects the bull, and decides she does want to buy it. The man tells her that he can sell it for $599, no less. After paying him, she drives to the nearest town to send her sister a telegram to tell her the news. She walks into the telegraph office, and says, “I want to send a telegram to my sister telling her that I’ve bought a bull for our ranch. I need her to hitch the trailer to our pickup truck and drive out here so we can haul it home.” The telegraph operator explains that he’ll be glad to help her, then adds, “It’s just 99 cents a word.”
With just $1 left, she realizes that she’ll only be able to send her sister one word. After thinking for a few minutes, she nods, and says, “I want you to send her the word, ‘comfortable.'” The telegraph operator shakes his head. ” How will she know what you mean, if you only send her the word, ‘comfortable’?”
The brunette explains, “My sister’s blonde, she’ll read it very slowly.”
A little boy goes to his dad and asks, “What is politics?” Dad says, “Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I’m the breadwinner of the family, so let’s call me capitalism. Your Mom, she’s the administrator of the money, so we’ll call her the Government. We’re here to take care of your needs, so we’ll call you the people. The nanny, we’ll consider her the Working Class. And your baby brother, we’ll call him the Future. Now, think about that and see if that makes sense.”
So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what dad had said.
Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his diaper. So the little boy goes to his parents’ room and finds his mother sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny’s room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny. He gives up and goes back to bed. The next morning, the little boy says to his father, “Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.”
The father says, “Good son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.”
The little boy replies, “Well, while Capitalism is screwing the Working Class, the Government is sound asleep, the People are being ignored and the Future is in deep poo.”
The fellow stormed into the postmaster's office in a fury. "I've been getting threatening letters in the mail for months and I want them stopped."
"Of course," said the postmaster. "Sending threatening letters through the mail is a federal offense. Do you know who's sending them?"
"Yes," shouted the man. "It's those idiots down at the Internal Revenue Service."
: As a group of soldiers stood in formation at an Army Base, the Drill Sergeant said, “All right! All you idiots fall out.”
As the rest of the squad wandered away, one soldier remained at attention.
The Drill Instructor walked over until he was eye to eye with him, and then raised a single eyebrow.
The soldier smiled and said, “Sure was a lot of ’em, huh, sir?”
Aunt Karen is the mother of two high-spirited young girls. When I called her one morning, our conversation was constantly interrupted by the din of kids screaming and chasing each other. "Could you hold on for a moment?" my aunt finally asked, putting down the phone.
Within ten seconds all I could hear was absolute silence. Then, "Okay, I'm back."
"But it's so quiet!" I exclaimed. "You must have complete control over those two."
"Not really," my aunt confessed wearily. "I'm in the closet."
Post by El Gato » January 14th, 2019, 12:46 pm
There once was a magic mirror which would kill you if you lied to it. Unaware of its power, three roommates, a brunette, a redhead and a blonde, purchased the mirror and installed in their bathroom
One day a brunette was doing her makeup and said to herself “I’m the smartest woman ever!” She immediately dropped dead.
The next day a redhead was doing her hair and said to herself “I’m the prettiest woman alive!” She immediately dropped dead.
Finally, the following day, a blond was flossing her teeth. She stopped and said to herself “I think,” and dropped dead.
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The Story of Returning to the Tea Estate
Guest blog by Mahesan Niranjan
This time last year, I wrote an open letter to the Chair of our University Council (archived on the UCU blog here). I raised several points about scholarship and the need for better governance structures to support it. Nearly a hundred colleagues from across campus thanked me and agreed with my views. But, apart from a single exception, all of them ranked below the level of Head of Department. From the upper echelons, the reaction was simply one of politely raised eyebrows at my audacity in exercising my right to write.
More disappointing was my inability to trigger any open discussion within the community. Nobody expressed a view – in agreement or not – in public. I wondered why. Perhaps I was just wrong. Wrong about high salaries at the top end of our hierarchy. Wrong about annual appraisals and their demoralising effect. Wrong about the need for greater participation by the community in decision making. Wrong that scholarship is our revenue generator, hence academics should not be seen simply as costs. Wrong about the tuition fees we charge subsidising contract research. Perhaps those who agreed with me were a minority.
Or maybe we have accepted that we are mere human resources required to turn up at work and follow commands without question.
Hence this year, my reflections are inward. About myself. About my career of three decades. After all, I will be sixty soon. Grateful for what I have so far had. I can relax, have fun and reflect. Yes, reflect, for ‘tis the season of reflection.
I grew up in a tea estate in the central hills of Sri Lanka, a region of exceptional beauty. Hill after hill with rows of fresh green tea bushes. A tea estate has a special kind of beauty. Neatly pruned bushes grown to waist levels of the workers who pluck them. The workers, in bright coloured sarees with cane baskets hanging over their shoulders pluck tea with impressive skill: two leaves and a bud snipped with precision, and a palm-full of them periodically tossed over the shoulders into the basket. They continually chew mouthful of betel leaves to be spat on the deadly blood-sucking leeches that get between their bare toes.
Management of the estate is neat, efficient and hierarchical. There is the top level guy, usually the owner, referred to as the planter. Between him and the workforce is a layer of supervisors, known as kanganis. The planter sets the high level objectives for the estate. He (always it is ‘he’) defines how the workforce is partitioned into teams and which kangani supervises which team. Periodically, he shuffles the groups of workers among the hills. In days gone by, the planter was an European colonialist. The global thinker with vision and skill to spot where tea will grow and where it will be consumed, and what human resources would be needed to pluck the leaves and how precisely they shall be managed to maximise throughput. Since independence, the State and local entrepreneurs have taken over the estates, but retained the management techniques.
The kangani knows his place between the planter and the workforce. He is ambitious, dreaming of becoming a planter himself one day, though the probability of achieving that is infinitesimally small. In pursuit of that ambition, the kangani nods in the direction above to anything the planter cares to utter, and barks orders downwards at the workforce. The objectives set by the planter are passed down as targets the workers should achieve: Pluck X kg a day, and you get N Rupees. Incentives also exist: Pluck 10% more the set target on any day, you get a reward of 1% increase in pay. If you overshoot, the target is raised by 10% the next day. Once in a while, when the kangani’s back is turned, the workforce have fun. They mimic his nods: “yes, Sir, yes, Sir, three bags full, Sir,” they tease and giggle.
During my childhood, I hated the tea estate. I hated the fact that the beauty of the estate hides intolerable inequality, poverty, hierarchy and exploitation. I wanted to leave the place as soon as possible and pursue scholarship and the discovery of knowledge, driven by curiosity. I did precisely that, leaving the tea estate and hiding myself in the bubbles of the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield and Southampton. Three wonderful decades.
Somewhere mid-career an interesting thing happened. I was asked to take on a university management role. My father was amused. “How could you do a management job?” he wrote. “You are an absent minded scholar. You hate wearing a neck-tie. You read the Guardian. You buy the Big Issue. You go to work in socks and sandals. Son, you do not even have a strong enough brake between thought and speech.” Despite such scepticism, I took the role.
Towards the end of my tenure in the said management job, my father asked how it went. “Alright,” I reported, immediately inventing a performance measure to justify the claim. “Yes, a small number of people didn’t like the way I did the job, but they all ranked above me in the hierarchy, and those who ranked below all seemed appreciative.” The dislikes and likes being above and below, respectively, shows I did alright, I explained.
“How did you achieve that?” he asked. “I owe it,” I said with sincerity, “to the transferable skills you taught me, from the way the tea estate was organised: the separation of the skill of the workforce from the profit-making objectives of the planter, by the ambitious intermediary, the kangani.” “All I had to do was to recognise the importance of the workforce, and not mimic the kangani. I simply refused to nod in agreement upwards and avoided barking orders downwards.” My father was amused by the term I had just used. “What did you say, transferable… what?” he asked. He was a teacher of English and a scholar of Sanskrit. He was a good linguist, too. Our mother tongue, Tamil, comes from the Dravidian family of languages, distinct form the Indo-European family which include English and Sanskrit. He has studied the flow of words, morphological changes and grammatical structures between Sanskrit and Tamil. His particular interest was in Hinduism, a religion in which communication between man and stone is executed in Sanskrit. Despite that background, my father has never come across the phrase “transferable skill”. As a teacher, he has always insisted that the primary purpose of education is joy, the pleasure achieved by discovering knowledge. He would accept the ability to solve previously unseen problems as a secondary benefit.
I have plagiarised his practice. I try to instil the idea that there is fun in machine learning, which is the subject I teach, and insist that my success is measured by my students being able to solve problems they have not seen before. The pleasure I achieved last week, for example, when a student of eight years ago wrote to thank me when he got appointed to a lectureship, far outweighs the irritation I tolerate when the moderated appraisal score is returned informing me of my mediocre performance in the previous year. It is apparently axiomatic in present day universities that there is a sharply peaked “bell-curve” of performance into which our scholarship could be packed.
I regard quality assurance processes as necessary, but not sufficient proxies for achieving high quality. There is an anecdote I heard about someone who wrote in an Annual Module Reflection Form (AMRF): “As a result of innovative teaching this year, half the candidates achieved a grade higher than the median mark.” That AMRF has been approved by several committees and filed somewhere, as testimony to the quality of the quality assurance processes that dominate our lives.
It wasn’t my father’s ignorance of the phrase “transferable skill” that bothered me. My casual use of the phrase shamed me. Whatever next, I wondered. Have I been house-trained into the system? Will I now speak of “strategic priority”? Or will I have a “vision”? Or will I start believing in “learning outcomes”? Or will I be “moving forward”?
A month after that conversation with my father, I was nearing the end of my tenure in that management role. I was called into the office of a senior manager. “You seem to have done alright… we would like you to continue for another term.” He had consulted the foot soldiers. “They all seem to like your work,” he reported his discovery, quickly adding “me too.” I declined the offer. “I do not wish to continue. I need to get back to the research lab, the classroom, the journal club and the coffee room of the foot soldiers.”
So, I went back to the tea estate! Spotting two leaves and a bud at a glance with amazing skill; manipulating my fingers to pluck them with speed; rhythmically shoving handful of them into the basket that hung on my back. I am promised incentives if I perform above target: 10% plucked above target gets 1% increase in pay. But the kangani moves my target whenever I overshoot it.
Yet, occasionally, when the kangani’s back is turned, I do have fun, thinking of the tea estate workers and their “yes, Sir, yes, Sir, three bags full, Sir!”, for ‘tis indeed the season of reflection.
Gender matters
The University’s 2017 statutory Gender Pay Gap return revealed mean and median pay gaps of +20.2% and +17.4 % respectively. This gap between men’s and women’s pay is wider than that found across the UK economy as a whole or the wider HE sector. Women account for 42 % of our academic workforce, yet they continue to be over-represented in more junior roles, and the recent Equal Pay Review and Gender Pay Gap return suggest the persistence of a ‘glass ceiling’ or promotion bar for women at the University. The senior management have suggested that women have done so well in past promotion rounds that the University has “exhausted female talent pools for promotion” (Equal Pay Review 2017 p.13) and this is why so few women are moving into the upper pay grades. UCU contests this. We think that presenteeism and a long hours culture at the University creates the perception that senior roles require 24/7 working, which may be more possible for many male staff. This deters women from applying for promotion. We are also aware that women continue to be over-represented in educational, administrative, and pastoral support roles that, while essential to the running of the University, are often regarded by senior managers as less valuable than other roles dominated by men. This means that women do not get considered for promotion. Moreover, the clustering of women in part-time roles and on casualised, fixed term contracts exacerbates gender inequalities.
UCU has been pushing the senior management to take action to address gender, (and disability and ethnicity) inequalities at this University. There is now a wealth of evidence that gender biases are highly problematic in the world of education and that women are held back by unconscious biases. We have suggested that more ‘hidden bias’ training is required for all staff who sit on promotions panels or manage staff. We have also continually pointed out that Module Evaluation Questionnaires and other student evaluations are subject to gendered biases and should not be used in promotion or disciplinary proceedings – yet we know that they continue to be used in these ways. At our most recent Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) we asked that senior managers cease using student evaluations in standard university CVs and appraisal – we await a response. We have also asked the senior managers to cease bell curve moderation of appraisals as this is known to be susceptible to gender=based discrimination and we believe this entrenches the gender pay gap.
One pernicious barrier to the advancement of women at this University is the lack of very senior role models and the continued over-representation of white men at the apex of the organisation. Four top senior management roles – President, Vice-President Research, Vice-President Education and COO – are all white men. We have recently added a female Vice-President International, and another for Internal Partnerships, but many believe that the real power rests with the roles currently occupied by men. If we look outside this University, it is depressing to see that only 26% of university vice-chancellors and principals are female. There are even greater challenges for our Black and ethnic colleagues. Last year the Guardian reported that our Universities “employ more black staff as cleaners, receptionists or porters than as lecturers or professors”. Professor Kalwant Bhopal, author of White Privilege: The Myth of Post-racial Society has continually pointed out how Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities – are marginalised – especially in Higher Education. She says “I think that universities – particularly elite universities – are not really interested in this issue because they want to perpetuate their own image of white privilege and whiteness.”
In recent years, our members have alerted the senior management to a number of public facing and outreach events, such as distinguished lectures, expert panels and presentations that have failed to include a single woman. Whilst we were happy that a recent issue of the in-house re:action magazine focussed on women, we believe that much greater efforts to represent diversity are needed. One particular University space where the representation of women needs to be addressed is our Senate room. In a University that seeks to be diverse many of us question the dominance of men in the artworks there. Alongside the Rothenstein mural which has been the subject of recent controversy, this room displays portraits of our previous Vice Chancellors. The sole woman represented is Dame Helen Alexander the former Chancellor. The continued resistance of senior management to suggestions that this room and other spaces in our University should contain images that better reflect our diverse community is indicative of the progress that should be made. These are just symbols, but symbols matter. Southampton UCU will continue to press for meaningful action to close the gender pay gap.
*the last two sentences of this blog were edited on 27/11/18 because, you know, we are a collective, a union, and we think and talk about stuff to make it better.
My name is bond, university bond…
Several universities have borrowed significant amounts of money from private and/or public investors. UK universities have issued £4.4bn in bonds since the beginning of 2013. This figure is scary given the total yearly HE sector income of about £30bn. This university has a £300M bond issued in 2017.
When we borrow money for a house mortgage, we repay interest and capital, so that the whole loan is eventually repaid. Or we can pay interest only, but this means there is still a debt to be cleared at the end of the term. The interest-only model is used for the university bond. The university will pay 2.25% interest every year, some £6.7M, and are supposed to pay the full £300M back in 40 years. (Oxford, has a bond for 100 years). The bond is akin to issuing shares to a group of shareholders who will have a steady regular income but it turns our university into a for-profit organization bound to make a yearly surplus to satisfy these investors.
This is the climax of marketization. Universities are burdened with financial obligation and under the surveillance of rating agencies. In recent weeks your UCU officers have been told that we are not allowed to know student numbers because this is ‘price sensitive’ information and we must not alarm the investors. How did we end up in an education institution that cannot tell us how many students we have?
When the bond comes to term those who made the financial decisions will be long gone, yet staff at the university will have paid the price many times over. How did we end up here? Such endeavours would have been unthinkable twenty years ago. The game changer of course was the reduction in public investment in Higher Education. Alongside the introduction of student fees and loans these kinds of bond arrangements shift public investment into private debt. A great way to make the national budget look better but not necessarily the best way to support education. The bond is a millstone around our necks: it demands that we – the staff – generate surplus. This is clear in the 10 year plan [password required], the source of pressures to reduce staff pay, pensions and announce redundancies, which UCU are currently fighting.
In the appointment of our next Vice-Chancellor, it is essential that we, as an academic community and as UCU, seek a Vice-Chancellor who will stand up with our community against the marketization of education. We need a Vice-Chancellor who will work towards more democracy and listen to frontline staff and students so that we are integral to the university strategy rather than mere recipients. There is still time to sign the petition about the appointment of the next VC and to make sure your voice is heard.
Workloads matter
Thanks to all members who attended the GM last week. We were really pleased to have Adam Lincoln, the Bargaining and Negotiations Official (Health, Safety and Sustainability) from UCU HQ as our speaker. Adam reminded us of the sad death of a colleague at Cardiff who took his own life after expressing concerns about being overloaded, UCU have for a long time been aware of rising workplace stress and staff concerns about workloads. Indeed action on workloads this was one of the elements in our recent pay claim. We know it is of concern to many of you especially following the recent round of cuts to staff which has seen the reallocation of their work to already over-burdened staff.
Adam told us about a new UCU campaign to build a network of workload reps who can use the Health and Safety legislation and legal protections to address workload stress and overload. This will begin with a process of identifying and appointing H&S workload reps in target departments. If you care about rising workloads talk to us about becoming a workload rep for your department – this is a small, defined role that means you can do your bit to make a difference. If you want to help please do volunteer – contact Amanda (ucu@soton.ac.uk). (The ppt slides and campaign packs on workloads are available from the UCU office).
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Help to Fund the Sewanee Elementary School
content October 11, 2015
The 2015-16 SCC (SCC) Fund Drive is underway. The power of the people helping people makes a difference in the life of the community. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the SCC raises money yearly for local charitable organizations serving the area. This year’s goal is $100,000.
Since 1867 there has been a long-standing relationship between the community and the public school. For years this voluntary community commitment maintained the educational system, such as St. Paul’s on the Mountain school and the school on Billy Goat Hill.
When the Sewanee Civitan Club (now the Sewanee Civic Association) was first organized, its objective of good citizenship included “a comprehensive program for the betterment and improvement of every phase of community activity.” (Chitty) This included providing school facilities. At that time, the Franklin County Board of Education agreed to pay the salaries of teachers, but did not provide the buildings. The University at that time was unable to help with the expenses. Funding for a new public school became a community goal. The school building would be on University leasehold land, owned by the Sewanee Civitan Club, and operated by the Franklin County School Board.
Funds were raised in the community and the Sewanee Public School was completed in 1927 through volunteer efforts. In 1933, the community built the Roosevelt Addition. In 1943, more than half of the town’s SCC budget went to maintain the school, and fund programs for enrichment and the purchase of supplies. The county took over the maintenance of the school in 1955 when the building and land were turned over to the county as long as a school remained on that site.
The Sewanee Elementary School (SES) continues to rely on yearly funding from the SCC to meet the school’s needs. This funding commitment “has served the intentional purpose of eliminating the door-to-door fundraising.” (Chitty)
The Sewanee Elementary Parent Organization (SES PO), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, requests and disburses the SCC funds each year for SES. All money received is used for yearly support to the school. The SES PO works with teachers and staff to find solutions to specific educational needs of the school that are not met by the Franklin County School system funding or services.
The SCC is the primary source of revenue for the SES PO operating expenses. The SES PO also receives money through annual dues and small fundraisers such as t-shirt sales. SES receives additional money from school pictures, two book fairs, and BoxTops. This year the SES PO will receive $20,000 if the SCC goal is met.
The money raised for the school will help to fund: classroom supplies, including the library for new books, eBooks and material purchases; enrichment funds for visiting speakers, performing artists, field trips to cultural events and exhibitions, Friday School, Field Day, and academic tutoring; and professional development funds to support travel and registration costs for dyslexia/autism training, writing conferences, math, and Common Core training.
SES always welcomes community members to art shows, musicals, and science fairs. Volunteers are always needed to help in the library, teach Friday School or read to the children. For more information, go to <http://sewanee.fcstn.net>.
The goal of the SCC is to help citizens by funding the community. The SCC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible. Send your donation to SCC, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375.
Editor’s Note: For complete information on the history of the public schools, see the “Sewanee Sampler” by Arthur Ben and Elizabeth N. Chitty, 1978.
Posted in UncategorizedCommunity Chest Sewanee Elementary School
2018-19 Sewanee Community Chest Grant Cycle Open
Help Us to Help Them
May Day!
SCA Meeting tomorrow!
Community Chest Drive Begins
SCA Meeting Oct. 14
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Our People › Jane C. Hofmeyer
Jane C. Hofmeyer
jhofmeyer@shrr.com
Pam Breitfield
Agriculture and Agribusiness Law
Workers' Compensation Law
Serving as chair of the firm's workers' compensation practice group, Jane represents employers in the areas of workers’ compensation and employment law. For more than 20 years, she has represented employers, insurers, and third-party claims administrators in the defense of workers’ compensation matters. She has handled thousands of cases before the Michigan Workers’ Compensation Agency, intelligently and aggressively defending her clients and achieving the best possible results. Human resource directors, risk managers, and business owners rely on Jane to provide risk management and claims handling advice to help manage the cost of workers’ compensation claims. Jane’s experience has provided her with remarkable insight into the expert witnesses, attorneys, and magistrates with whom she works. All of this translates into the development of case strategies which attain the most favorable outcomes for her clients.
Jane is also committed to helping human resource professionals and employers comply with state and federal employment laws. Along with the entire Labor & Employment Law team at Smith Haughey, Jane focuses on creating individually tailored employment practices that focus first on prevention and problem solving.
Jane is active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Community Media Center. She is a former president of the Grand Rapids Bar Association's Workers' Compensation section and is a former member of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Lansing, including one year of service as the Board President.
State Bar of Michigan (Member, Workers' Compensation and Labor & Employment Law Sections)
Grand Rapids Bar Association (Member and Former President, Workers' Compensation Section; Member, Labor & Employment Law Section)
Michigan Self-Insurers Association
Ingham County Bar Association (1990-1997; President, Young Lawyers Section, 1994-1995; Member, Board of Directors, 1996-1997)
Community Media Center (Member, Board of Directors)
College of Wooster (B.A., 1985)
Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., 1990). Member, Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, 1988; Member, Thomas M. Cooley Legal Authors Society
State Bar of Michigan, 1990
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PunkRockTheory.com
In a couple of seconds you will be redirected to our new site. Click here if you can't contain your excitement.
Favez @ Sojo - March 20th 2008
One of my favorite bands is playing in Belgium on Thursday... be there or be square!
Geplaatst door PunkRockTheory op 1:34 PM 1 reacties
Automatic 7 interview
Finally! Seven years ago when I started this site, one of the first releases I received from Vagrant was a sampler that had two amazing songs on it from a band called Automatic 7. Unfortunately they had broken up and I was unable to do an interview with them. Fast forward to now where Automatic 7 is back with a great new album called “At Funeral Speed” (out on Mental Records) and where I finally get to do an interview with vocalist Johnny!
PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Johnny: Johnny H. I sing for Automatic 7.
PRT: What have you guys been up to for the past 7 years and what made you decide to give it another go?
Johnny: We all sort of disappeared in late 2000 after “Beggar’s Life” and I can’t really recall much about the following two years but in 2003 I ran into Ray and Nic and we started working towards making record without a label. We were really loose about it and were just taking our time. We actually wrote a record, played a few local shows, made some demos and then decided to start over again. We just wanted to get it right and did not have any cares about a time line or record companies or producers or anything. So, that ate up a few years. My friend John Foote called me up one day wanted some tracks for a comp that his new label (Mental Records) was putting together and the next thing I knew we were talking about a full length. They just basically said “Send it over when it’s done” and that was what we did.
PRT: Does it feel like picking up where you left off or is it more like starting over again?
Johnny: Both. Automatic 7 always seems to be starting over so it’s like picking up where we left off….starting over…..right where we left off.
PRT: For people who haven’t heard Automatic 7 yet… if the band was the lovechild of two other bands, which acts would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Johnny: Jawbreaker and Social D and I think Jawbreaker would have Social D’s ankles pinned behind their ears while Face To Face is whacking off in the corner.
PRT: The new album is called “At Funeral Speed” and it once again sounds amazing, honest and sincere. So congratulations with that! Did you write the songs over the past seven years or were they all writen recently?
Johnny: Thanks. It’s a lot easier to get that honesty on tape when there are no producers and label people breathing down your neck.Fall In Line and The Better Part Of Me were from the 2003 sessions, Greasy (Revisited) was written in 1997 and came out on a Vagrant comp around that time but that version was a bit weak. We always loved to play that song live so we felt the need to it back to life. All of the other tracks were pretty much written at crunch time. Some of the tracks we literally had only played 10 times before we recorded them. Those are always my favourite tracks.
PRT: What’s up with the title? When I hear the words funeral and speed, I think of something slow and cerebral… neither of which are characteristics that can be attributed to Automatic 7.
Johnny: Who you callin’ un-cerebral suka?? There are a few reasons we chose that title. First, we felt it characterized the huge time gaps between albums and just the general pace at which our band seems to get things done. If you lived through Automatic 7 you would simply feel the weight of that title……in a very non-cerebral way, in fact. Second, it is lifted from an obscure Clash song on Combat Rock called Atom Tan and we wanted to pay our respects to Joe in a subtle/obvious way. “The pink hearse is leaving at funeral speed. Driving your heart
away with the flowers” We miss you, Joe.
PRT: Your new album is out on the relatively unknown Mental Records. How did you end up with them and how’s that working out for you?
Johnny: They are great. John Foote has been a friend of mine for 15 years.
PRT: Was it a conscious choice for you to stay away from the more well-known labels after the problems you had in the past with A&M?
Johnny: Yes, most record labels suck and totally fuck up the music but I don’t think we really thought about it in those terms. We just wanted to make a great record and rather than make a few demos and try to “shop” them around, we just decided to make the whole record. The more we did it on our own the more fun we realized we were having. The funny part is that the Mental Records deal just sort of happened in the process. I guess there is a lesson in there somewhere.
PRT: Your last album was released on Vagrant and in the liner notes of “At Funeral Speed” you say sorry to Vagrant… That kinda makes me wonder what you’ve got to be sorry about? Any sordid stories to be dug up there?
Johnny: Jesus, you actually did your homework and read the goddamn liner notes. I am sure that those guys could probably remember some nasty details but I will just say that we were just young and dumb and punk. The worst and most common combo. Without much detail I do remember threats of a switch blade stabbing from someone somewhere sometime. J Stupid.
PRT: The single of the album is your version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” and while admittedly it sounds great, aren’t you afraid of the Alien Ant Farm syndrom where a band becomes best know for a cover?
Johnny: It might be nice to be known for something don’t you think? Maybe we should have gone with the stabbing thing??
PRT: So what’s up next for you guys? Lots of touring? Any plans to come to Europe?
Johnny: Based on our past I am guessing a nice 5 to 7 year hiatus!! No Euro tour on this record…..sorry
PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Johnny: Never pet a dog that’s on fire.
Check out the band's latest video for the song "All The Happiness You Can Buy"!
Burning Skies – Greed.Filth.Abuse.Corruption
The UK’s Burning Skies didn’t really impress me with their last album but for “Greed.Filth.Abuse.Corruption” these Bristol boys entered the Rape Of Harmonies Studios, took that name literally and never looked back. Their new album is a blistering mix of all things extreme. Whether it’s death metal, grindcore, modern US metal or black metal, they’ve got it all going on somewhere on the album. Think of Misery Index messing around with some old Carcass songs and you’re pretty much listening to “Greed. Filth. Abuse. Corruption”. Not exactly my cup of tea but there is simply no denying the sheer brutality that these guys skillfully sling at you for 28 minutes.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.myspace.com/burningskies
Geplaatst door PunkRockTheory op 9:23 AM 0 reacties
Chris Walla – Field Manual
While most side-projects serve as a tool for an artist to show another side of himself, Chris Walla seems to be perfectly happy with what he’s doing in his other band. And so his first real solo album “Field Manual” doesn’t sound all that different from what he does in Death Cab For Cutie.
Yes, some of the lyrics on here are politically charged which isn’t something Ben Gibbard is known for. But musically, all of the songs on here could’ve fitted perfectly on any Death Cab album. I’m sure fans won’t mind (I know I don’t) but I doubt he’ll gain any new fans. As for me, I like all of the songs on “Field Manual” but at the same time I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to hear another side of Chris Walla. But hey, this one will tie me over just fine until the new Death Cab album comes out in May.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.barsuk.com
http://www.myspace.com/chriswalla
Supersuckers – Live At Helldorado DVD
The self-proclaimed Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World has a live DVD out.Weird that it took them this long seeing as they aren’t exactly shy when it comes to releasing live albums. Let’s see, we already had “Live At The Magic Bag”, “Live At The Tractor Farm” and “Must’ve Been Live” among others and now there’s “Live At Helldorado”, recorded at the Helldorado club in Vitoria, Spain.
There’s no less than 23 songs on here of some of the best country-influenced badass rock n roll to enjoy with crystal clear sound and video quality. I’ve never seen these guys live before but right now it’s like they are playing in my living room and I’m liking it. A lot. The extras really weren’t necessary for me but hey, you get a couple more live songs recorded in Serbia and a band discography.
Make sure to check out some of the other live DVDs Munster Records has released from the likes of The Black Lips, The Drones and The Nomads among others.
http://www.munster-records.com
http://www.supersuckers.com
Years From Now – We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
If the name of your album is a quote from “Jaws”, if you use a sample from “Anchorman” in one of your songs, if you have a song called “Hey McFly” and if you cover Youth Of Today and Descendents, you’ve already got my sympathy right from the get go.
While nineteen songs might seem a little much for one full-length, you should know this isn’t so much a regular full-length but more of a discography of the band up to this point including the “So Much Promise” 7-inch, an old demo, eight new songs and the abovementioned covers.
Years From Now is a Florida-based outfit and when they aren’t picking oranges or helping senior citizens cross the street, they like to play positive melodic hardcore in the same vein as Gorilla Biscuits or CIV. And it needs to be said, they do a great job on “We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat”. So if you like to listen to “Start Today” while completing your morning calisthenics routine, why not pop in a little Years From Now instead every now and again?
http://www.getouttatownrecords.com
V/A – State Of The Scene
Get Outta Town is a relatively new label from Florida that has already released some kickass albums by The Steal and Endgame among others. They also dropped this comp with a pretty self-explanatory title. Or to put it in label owner Charles’ own words: “So often, hardcore kids look to the past and reminisce about the ‘good old days’. I think that a lot of times this makes us miss the bands that are out there today touring, putting out their own records and pushing the scene to expand”.
What you get are 36 songs from bands all over the world (from South Africa to Italy and from South Korea to Australia). Some of them are signed to labels, others aren’t. And while you may have heard of some of them (The First Step, Ambitions, Bullet Treatment, Slumlords), this will be your first encounter with a lot of other bands.
You probably won’t like all of the songs on here but it’s a great way to find some new acts that’ll do the trick for you just fine. As for me, I’d love to hear more from Just Say Go!, Van Damage and a couple more acts. But you get the point, this is one of the best hardcore comps I’ve heard in a long time and it can be yours for just 4 bucks... it’s a no-brainer!
Knuckledust interview
Knuckledust has been a name you hear popping up a lot in the past ten years. They’re probably one of the hardest working hardcore bands in the UK and have recently unleashed a new hardhitting album upon the masses called “Promises Comfort Fools”. Time to check in with vocalist Pierre for an update!
Pierre: My real name is Pierre but most call me Pelbu. I was born in London to 2 Peruvian immigrants who raised me to fight for my familia. Tried to keep active since 1996 by founding the bands Knuckledust, Beat Down Fury, Maldito and more recently Bun Dem Out as well as being part of the Rucktion Records familia.
PRT: Who else is in the band, which London monument/hangout spot would you compare them to and why?
Pierre: Well the band would comprise of Big Ben ( Wema. That’s what all the girls call him and it aint cos he tall), Upton Park home to West Ham United( Definatly Ray). Last would have to be a filthy dirty squat which after many years had a modern face lift oi oi its gotta be Nic!!!!
PRT: You have been around for ten years now and are still going strong with the original line-up. What’s your secret?
Pierre: A quest for Guinness sponsorship! I wont let them quit till I get Guinness delivered to my door step daily! The KD boys are good people and don’t be fooled, we fight and argue like every other family. We’ve accepted who each of us are and from the experiences we’ve shared we definatly learned to accept each others positives and negatives in a solid way.
PRT: After having roamed around Europe for so long, are you setting your sights on the US as well?
Pierre: I will go anywhere there is someone willing to listen to our style of poor peoples music.
Flights out of UK are quite expensive so we are kind of limited to where we can reach plus the exchange rate really doesn’t help us out either. Thanks to Theo GSR we are managing to rinse Europe a lot more and I guess If people want hear it bad enough then may workout but I feel its early days yet.
PRT: Do you think hardcore bands come with an expiration date? And what would be the reason for you to ever throw in the towel?
Pierre: I always believed the rules to hardcore was that there is no rules! But still there are some bands who really need to expire for true. Being in a band is only a part of the equation for me as the idea to start the band was to support London’s HC scene and as we already prove there’s more to do than just bands to keep the part of the scene we love alive. This is our way of life now after 11 years growing up with the scene here and throwing in the towel is not an option for frontline LBU mans.
PRT: If Knuckledust was the lovechild of two bands, which bands would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Pierre: Wow that would be one hell of a violent orgy. I would say Blood4Blood, Bounty Killer and The Business in a menage a trois don’t ask me who had the bay cos I don’t get stabbed over it hahahaha!
PRT: Your new album is called “Promises Comfort Fools”. Have you ever been comforted by a promise other than the one saying this interview was going to be entertaining?
Pierre: Of course I have, in love and in life but with each time I got stronger and wiser.
But Im older now and don’t really get excited by much, but some youth I come across really have trouble seeing whats right in front of them after the promise of something flashy.
The amount of promises Ive heard from just being in band is quite amazing if I stop to think and a lot of young bands get caught up in dreams then chewed up and spat out.
Kd got that tuff skin that cant be chewed through, probably taste like guinea pig to.
PRT: I saw that the album comes with a DVD. What can people expect from that one?
Pierre: The DVD is mainly the whole Belgium Ieper Fest all filmed real nice like, see 4 mans on stage doing their thing black up and nuf white kids bussing themselves ups, yea my mum liked it. There is also some so called bonus footage of us acting fool in studio during the Promises …. Recordings and an intro to the history of KD. A little experiment for GSR which I’m sure you’ll enjoy but really its all bout the riddims and flows!!!
PRT: In the bio sheet you’re being referred to as ugly and obnoxious. Is that something you were going for or does someone over at GSR doesn’t like you guys that much?
Pierre: I think maybe most of Euro HXC think were ugly and obnoxious just because we’re a multicultural band mixing cultures they don’t get much exposure to because I notice many Euro kids telling me some very strange things about what they think we are about.
PRT: You’ve started your own label as well. Was there a need for a London-based hardcore label?
Pierre: YES! There was labels at the time who really helped boost our style bands when they first came out but alongside that we always were strongly into the DIY ethic of Hardcore back then. Now in 2007 weve proved that we can help bands to help themselves if they have the dedication and family spirit we promote. The majority of the Rucktion heads are involved in bands we put out and truly the bands and label have helped each other to grow very strong over the years. We have a lot of work yet to do with Rucktion but no other can touch us for UK realness.
PRT: In the movie High Fidelity the guys that work in the record store constantly make these top 5 lists of songs for any occasion. If you were to make such a list, which occasion would it be for and which songs would make your top 5?
Pierre: 1.Mavado – Badman place ………Rucktion nights at The 12 Bar Club every month. (Good Guinness there).
2.Tego Calderon – Otro botella………. North London all year round LBU BBQ’s!!!!! Bless up LBU Jerk chicken chef Buju AntonBDO & Pisco sour & Guinness strrrrr8!
3.Business – Guinness boys………. Day in day out ME WANT IT! Luckily I have my own personal G.Nice!
4. Stout - Gods of war………… Watching the football in our local. Guinness is good tho!
5.Ninebar – Forest fires…………..Morning, noon and night billing ‘em up bun’in them down this is the style of London town.
Pierre: I wont hate you if you download the cd…………JUST GET IT! Soldados ready!
At The Close Of Every Day – Troostprijs
At The Close Of Every Day has a way with presenting their album. Whether it’s a book with the CD taped in it or a puzzle accompanying the album, the least you can say is that this Dutch outfit makes their releases stand out.
And that’s no different with their new album, “Troostprijs”. The first 1000 copies of the album come in a beautiful handmade packaging that’s too difficult to explain here. So just make sure you’re one of the first to pick up the album! Their first since 2005’s “De Geluiden Van Weleer”. Sure, there was the remix album “Leaves You Puzzled” last year but that wasn’t any good if you ask me. And even though the title “Troostprijs” might led you to believe otherwise, it’s not the prize they hand out to losers and the songs are not in Dutch. What a mindfuck huh?
Musically ATCOED is just as whimsical... it’s extremely mellow music but at the same time there is this strange tension coming off of the lyrics that courses through all of the songs. The band’s songs may sound stripped down like on their last album but then in comes a horn section like we got to know on “The Silja Symphony” or the warm sounds of a marching band which is something new for Minco Eggersman and co.
I honestly can’t think of a single other band out there that sounds anything like At The Close Of Every Day but I can tell you that with “Troostprijs” these Dutchies have released yet another beautiful, heartwarming album that will light up even the coldest and darkest day.
http://www.volkoren.com
www.atthecloseofeveryday.com
Black Francis – Svn Fngrs EP
In the last couple of years Blackie released a laundry list worth of releases which weren’t all that consistent. But the least you can say about the guy is that he knows how to keep busy. Allow me to introduce the latest piece of evidence. Cooking Vinyl asked the former Pixies frontman to record a B-side for a single and barely a week later Frank Black returns with a 7-song EP.
It starts off with the quirky and semi-annoying “The Seus” which sounds like Black’s take on hip hop music before heading for Pixies territory with “Garbage Heap” and “I Sent Away”. And then there’s closer “When They Come To Murder Me” which is pure Americana, another diamond in the rough.
The coolest thing about this EP is that it’s short. It sounds like the band was having a lot of fun in the studio messing around with another one of Frank’s ideas, running with it for a while then dismissing it and moving on to the next song with a completely different vibe. And it’s that ramshackle collection of ideas along with the sparse production that make this such a fun release! Oh, and according to the man himself it’s about a lot of nasty sex. And songs about nasty sex are never a bad thing!
http://www.cookingvinyl.com
http://www.blackfrancis.net
American Speedway – Ship Of Fools
What do you get when you put a bunch of friends from Philadelphia together whose only dream consists of drinking and rocking the fuck out? American Speedway obviously! While “Ship Of Fools” might not be the most original album you’ll hear this year, it will kick your ass from start to finish. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s gritty and it’s amazingly catchy. Think Supersuckers, Zeke, Riverboat Gamblers or MC5 with a vocalist who somehow has to be related to Bon Scott.
These guys aren’t out to change the world. They just want to have a good time playing the music they love to hear. And it shows on “Ship Of Fools” even though live is where these guys truly shine. American Speedway is the kind of band you’ll see pounding away shots at the bar until it’s their time to go on. They then will plug in and bring the rock before heading back to the bar. And if they get thirsty during the set, they can always let their guitarist deliver another cool solo or let the audience do the singing when it’s time to churn out another chorus that’s excellent singalong material.
http://www.prophasemusic.com
http://www.americanspeedwayrocks.com
In Defence – Don’t Know How To Breakdance
Christ, by the time I had scratched my balls once I was already halfway through the album! These guys go through the thirteen songs on “Don’t Know How To Breakdance” like they’ve got somewhere else to be in ten minutes and don’t plan on being late.
After a couple of 7” and splits, In Defence has now dropped their first full-length and if you like thrashy hardcore with NYHC a la Warzone mixed in, then these guys are like a wet dream. Now I don’t often say that when it involves guys but for In Defence I’ll make an exception because they have sarcastic lyrics, kickass songs like “Boombox Crew” and “No War But Star Wars” and managed to get me moshing in my living room.
http://www.myspace.com/indefence
Endgame – Distracted EP
Never heard of these guys before but Endgame made quite the good impression on me with the 5-song EP “Distracted”. If you are into the whole New Jersey hardcore sound – and come on, who isn’t? – then you seriously need to check this release out. It’ll make you think of later Turning Point, early Crime In Stereo and the entire career of Lifetime. You have to admit, there are worse bands to be compared to! Honest, heartfelt melodic hardcore is still my favorite kind of hardcore and Endgame does it as good as some of the best acts in the genre.
http://www.endgamemusic.net
Hermano interview
Here's an email interview Christophe did with Dandy Brown from Hermano. Great band, great new album... what else can I say? Even if you didn't like their first albums, you should definitely check out their latest effort. It's called "... Into The Exam Room" and besides being their most versatile album to date, it rocks from start to finish... what could you possibly have against that?
Dandy: I'm Dandy Brown, bass player for Hermano. I'm 5' 9' (translate to meters if you wish), 160 pounds. I'm a father of three daughters, husband to a beautiful wife, a literature teacher at a local high school, a member of no clubs, and a native Ohioan. I'm 41 years old. My favorite meal would have to be a Richard's steak sandwich from Richard's pizzeria in Hamilton, Ohio. I smoke, drink Jim Beam when I drink, and play a '68 Jazz Bass. I'm left handed. I could write a few hundred pages of this shit, but I think that will do for now.
PRT: What was your last meal up until now, and was it any good?
Dandy: I had a cheeseburger at a local restaurant in Yucca Valley about five hours ago. It sucked.
PRT: What would you rather be doing instead of answering these silly questions?
Dandy: Today is my wedding anniversary. Analisa is inside right now putting our 7 month old, Kentucky, to bed. Hopefully, the baby will fall asleep soon. It is my wedding anniversary for Christ's sake.
PRT: Hermano started out as some kind of side project for various members. When did you guys decide to make it a priority?
Dandy; Actually, we are just now, after ten years, thinking about making a few more shows possible over the next year. This summer is going to be the most active era for Hermano since the inception. In the past, our lives were different, and through both positive and negative episodes in all of our lives we have evolved as people. Circumstances change, and I think that's true for everyone.
PRT: You recently released your third album, 'Into The Exam Room'. It seems a lot more diverse than the previous efforts. A conscious move? Or mere coincidence?
Dandy: Again, I think everyone evolves, and that I think is true for taking that evolution and applying it to our music. I don't think it is a conscious thing, but I also know that we set out to do the new album wanting to not get too far away from the same experimental emotion that has been there since 'Only a Suggestion.' Honestly, I don't think '. . . into the Exam Room' is that far away from the first album.
PRT: How does 'Into the Exam Room' compare to both previous albums?
Dandy: The first one was a whim, the second one was an experiment, and '. . . into the Exam Room' is the fruition.
PRT: And how does it compare to Justin Timberlake's 'FutureLove/SexSounds'?
Dandy: Timberlake likes to prance around with some ok pop music. Hermano rocks.
PRT: You're still being categorized under Stoner Rock. Does that label bother you?
Dandy: No.
PRT: Also, because of John Garcia's presence in the band, references to Kyuss are quite common. Is it hard to remain somewhat overshadowed by the legendary band? And do you hope that the references will someday stop?
Dandy: Like it or not, Hermano and Kyuss will forever be intertwined, just like all of the other Kyuss off-shoots over the years. The comparison and mention of Kyuss will always be there because they were an amazing band. I feel honored to have that connection. Beyond that, though, both are heavy blues bands that have similar roots, and that's about as far as the comparison should go. There is no doubt that Hermano and Kyuss move in different directions and create diverse atmospheres.
PRT: A Wikipedia-page about Hermano states that you guys are more popular in Europe than you are in the States. Is this true? If so, how come? Do you have any plans to change this?
Dandy: The fact of the matter is, we haven't spent that much time focusing on the States. Whenever we have had time to get out and do a tour, Europe has always been more romantic than doing a tour at home. I've been across the United States probably 20 times in my life. There are still quite a few places in Europe I haven't seen yet.
PRT: What's so interesting about an Exam Room that you want to draw your audience into it?
Dandy: I don't think we need to draw anyone into it. We're all there already.
PRT: If Hermano would ever be convicted of a crime, which one would you (hypothetically, of course) have committed?
Dandy: Attempted robbery at a convenient store . . . trying to steal coffee, cigarettes, and energy drinks.
PRT: The band has been around for almost ten years now. What were the biggest highlights so far?
Dandy: Every single show. That's no joke.
PRT: And what would you still like to achieve with Hermano? Any big plans, hopes, dreams or ideals?
Dandy: I would like to be able to fulfill that dream of capturing music, and sharing musical moments with as many people as I can. Of course, that's been my goal from the minute I put my hands on my first instrument.
PRT: The writing process hasn't always been very easy for the band, with some members living spread out across the country. What are your favorite writing conditions?
Dandy: Writing music for Hermano has never been difficult at all. The hardest part has always been finding time to piece together an album. As for songs, though, that's the easy part. Give any of us a couple of hours and some tin cans, and I'm sure we'll have a few songs ready.
PRT: What would be your top 5 songs for spending a snowy day in Eastern Europe, where everybody speaks weird languages and cooks funny smelling meals?
Dandy: I don't know where you're eating, but 90% of the meals I have ever had in Europe have been delicious. In regard to spending the day with a mix, though, drop all of the Sade releases into the player and press 'shuffle.' That will be my first five.
PRT: Your favourite record of the year 2007?
Dandy: El Guapo Stuntteam's Accusation Blues.
PRT: If there would ever be a movie about Hermano, what would it be like, what would be the main plot and who would play you?
Dandy: Only Depp could play me. No one else could sink to the introverted debauchery that would be needed for the role! Honestly, though, I'm not sure if anyone would want to see the movie. They could easily look at their own lives and see mine. I'm pretty normal . . . I think.
PRT: And what would the rating be? X, R, or PG13?
Dandy: If it is an honest movie, I think it would have to be rated R. I think everyone's story at least deserves that rating.
Deep Blues Festival @ Lake Elmo, MN
With a total of 45 performers and a film festival it looks like the 2nd Annual Deep Blues Festival should be worth a visit. So make sure to check it out if you're free on July 18-20 and can make it over to Washington County Fairgrounds at Lake Elm, MN.
I don't know every single band/artist on the bill but if you've got Th'Legenday Shack Shakers, Left Lane Cruiser, T-Model Ford and the Black Diamond Heavies, it can't be bad at all!
Tickets are on sale now at www.deepbluesfestival.com and that also happens to be the place you'll want to check out along with http://www.myspace.com/deepbluesfestival for more information!
Geplaatst door PunkRockTheory op 12:38 PM 1 reacties
V/A – Take Action! Vol. 7 CD/DVD
God, the greedy bastards from good causes never seem to have enough money! And so SubCity once again releases a chapter in the Take Action! comp series after already having raised over a million bucks. This time the name of the charity that will receive a portion of the proceeds is called Do Something, which allows young people to personally help change the world.
Helping out by contributing a song and/or a music video are among others Every Time I Die, Silverstein, Motion City Soundtrack, Every Avenue, Plain White T’s, Aiden, Thrice and The Red Chord. It’s a shame that none of the songs on here are previously unreleased. Then again, seeing as this comp is sold for barely 7$, asking for unreleased tracks would make us a bunch of greedy bastards as well now wouldn’t it?
http://www.subcity.net
The Presidents Of The United States Of America – These Are The Good Times People
The Americans are getting ready to elect themselves a new president this year. What better time for the Presidents of the United States of America to release a new album? It’s called “These Are The Good Times People” and they’ve got my vote!
These guys have been a great source of feelgood songs ever since they dropped singles like “Lump” and “Peaches” in the nineties. And that’s no different on their new album. “These Are The Good Times People” opens with first single “Mixed Up SOB”, keeps up the melodic upbeatness through “Ladybug” and the witty “Bad Times”, makes fun of French girls in the appropriately titled “French Girl” and goes out with a shitload more addictive sunsoaked poprock songs. Now if only I could make the sun shine, I’d be all set for the day!
http://www.presidentsrock.com
All Idols Fall – Standing On The Brink EP
I worked for most of the summer. But I got to spend some time at home, went to a couple of festivals and hung out with my friends. That’s basically it and since then nothing much has changed. Not so for All Idols Fall… they got together last summer, signed with Deck Cheese, recorded an EP and toured all over the UK opening for A Wilhelm Scream and are about to do same for Anti-Flag. Not a bad way to spend your first six months as a band!
These guys like their hardcore punk fast and melodic with the occasional catchy chorus… just like A Wilhelm Scream or Rise Against. The result is a more than decent EP that makes me look forward to more!
http://www.deckcheese.com
http://www.myspace.com/allidolsfall
The Agony Scene interview
The Agony Scene recently released a mighty fine album called "Get Damned". I don't think my upstairs neighbour would think likewise but who cares. She wouldn't know good music if it kicked her in the ass anyway. Read on to see what vocalist Mike has to say. He seemed to be doing the interview on autopilot but that's okay. So did I haha!
PRT: What were you doing the ten minutes prior to answering these questions?
Mike: answering other questions. i have about three more of these after this one.
PRT: Who are you and what is the most agonizing scene you’ve ever found yourself in?
Mike: im mike i sing. probably watching my wife give birth to both our kids, she was probbibly in a much more agonized state than i was tho.
PRT: Who else is in the band and why should/shouldn’t they be damned?
Mike: chris plays guitar and brian playes guitar. rye plays bass and ryan drums. were all going to hell. its just a matter of when.
PRT: Can you give us a quick history of the band written in less than one minute?
Mike: formed in 02, signed in 03, put out a record, toured, broke up, reformed, put out a record toured, took a break, put out a record and toured, that brings us up to date.
PRT: When I was in Texas last summer I heard a lot of jokes about Okies genre "Did you hear that they have raised the minimum drinking age in Oklahoma to 32? It seems they want to keep alcohol out of the high schools!". And I’m guessing you have the same jokes about Texans as well. Any idea where that "animosity" comes from?
Mike: i wasnt raised here so i dont know. i think they are both pretty depressing places to live and dont think either one has the upper hand really. texas has austin tho, and thats way cooler than anything in OK.
PRT: "Get Damned" is already your third album and it’s definitely your most accomplished album to date with the perfect balance between melody and brutality. Do you feel you’ve come into your own with this album as well?
Mike: i think were always a work in progress. this is just where were at now. who knows what the future will bring. i dont know if this is really the definativeagony scene record. but who knows it might be the last.
PRT: The band has been shook up considerably since the release of your last album with members switching instruments and a new drummer. Did things fall into place right from the start with the altered line-up?
Mike: honestly yes. we have people come and go all the time. i mean the guy who recorded drums on 'get damned' was fired after he finished tracking his stuff. we seem to get by with our revolving door of new peole coming and going. as long as me and chris are there were fine.
PRT: You went from Solid State to Roadrunner to Century Media. What’s with all the switching around?
Mike: well we weren't a christian band and then we broke up so we got dropped form solid state. then we didnt sell enough records and we were/are fat so we got dropped from roadrunner. and CM is happy with sloppy thirds. works out well for us.
PRT: Now that your Solid State period is already a couple of years behind you, do you still get a lot of questions along the lines of ‘are you or aren’t you a christian band’?
Mike: not so much anymore. i think we've made it very clear to anyone who pays enough attention that we are not. there's still some who think otherwise so let me set the record straight. nope...
PRT: I saw that you’re coming to Europe with Himsa… what should people over here expect when they’re coming to an Agony Scene show?
Mike: we're gonna be sweaty and drunk and get really worn out near the end of our set. we're good live but it takes alot out of you to perform trying to recover form jetlag.
Mike: nope.
Haunted Life – The Declaration
Haunted Life is a fun, positive and sincere band out of Chicago who have released a pretty good album with “The Declaration”. On it they race through the entire tracklisting in just under 20 minutes playing hardcore punk that is not too different from what other Chicago greats such as Break The Silence or older Rise Against excel at. Basically the kind of band you’d half expect Dan Precision to play in. While they do not quite yet reach those bands’ level yet, with songs like “Walking Dead” or “The ‘N’ Word” these guys should have no problem getting any party started!
http://www.hauntedlife.com
Fidget – Ashes & Dust
Germany’s Fidget have already been around for a couple of years but only recently got signed to Redfield Records. “Ashes & Dust” is the first result of that collaboration and like our good friend Borat would say before he goes about his business locking up gay people… is nice!
These four guys and one very cute girl play alternative rock that’s both catchy and very melodic. Sure, there’s a ton of other bands out there doing the same thing but with the dual vocal attack of Darline and Tom, Fidget scores extra points on songs like “Take Or Leave” and “Choke On The Promise”. If you’re a fan of acts such as Helicopter Helicopter, Elastica or an upbeat-er version of Belly, you should definitely give Fidget a listen.
http://www.redfield-records.de
http://www.fidget.de
Foo Fighters interview
This guy I met one drunken night in Barcelona – he works for the Dutch FHM Magazine – wants something to remember his evening with the Foos by. Too bad for him no camera’s or mobile phones were allowed in the Odeon in Amsterdam. Fear of Internet-leakage, right? But the drunken Dutchie (note: he wasn’t drunk then, but I remember him drunk from Barcelona) seems to be a creative one. He taps drummer Taylor Hawkins on the shoulder and gives him pencil and paper. He then jerks Dave Grohl away from his conversation, assumes a posing position and gives Hawkins the order to start drawing. And to my utmost surprise, Hawkins starts grinning and sketches the twosome. Not that Hawkins has any artistic talent at that. But it sure is a unique souvenir.
And you know, the grin with which Hawkins made the drawing and Grohl did the posing, illustrate the idea of the Foo Fighters perfectly: world’s friendliest rock band.
Of course we would’ve loved to sit down with Grohl earlier that day. He is, after all, none other than the dude from Scream and Nirvana, and occasional session drummer for Queens of the Stone Age, Killing Joke, Juliette and the Licks and a hundred other bands. But the record label didn’t let us choose. We had to settle with Taylor Hawkins and bass player Nate Mendel.
But hey, we weren’t gonna complaini about that either. Hawkins used to play for Alanis Morissete and recently drummed in the new Coheed & Cambria-record. And we can add that he’s one of the most straight forward, honest tell-alls we ever met. Then there’s Nate Mendel, the soft spoken former bass player of Sunny Day Real Estate. Indierock-gods, they were.
During our 25-minute chat (we managed to stay five minutes longer than the other journo’s… hardy-har-har!) we came to the conclusion that all the Foo Fighters are just as friendly as frontman Grohl.
“And that’s hard work”, laughs Mendel. Hawkins interrupts immediately, something that will happen a lot more during the conversation: “Really hard work. We got a bunch of image consultants to keep that up”. Hilarious, Hawkins, hilarious. “No, seriously, you don’t buy the bullshit”, continues the drummer in a more serious manner, “If you see a band like Velvet Revolver, you wonder how they can still be around. There seems to be so much bullshit in that band!”
PRT: Guys, you have a new album out, what would you like to share about it?
MENDEL: “Yes, let us share.” (laughs)
HAWKINS: “Hey man, it’s your job to ask questions.”
PRT: Well, what’s your overall thoughts about it?
MENDEL: “We’re really proud of it?”
HAWKINS: (laughs)
MENDEL: “It’s true though. We were sitting talking to each other. You like the record? ‘Yeah’. Do you like it?’. Yeah! It’s actually pretty good. On the last record, we split things up, and this one incorporates some of the elements of that last one, other musicians, quieter songs. Older quieter songs that we did were kind gimmicky or a novelty or silly. Now we were able to have quiet songs that still are meaningful. It’s on a big scale.”
HAWKINS: “Yeah, everything is kind of extension of old ideas but on a new level. “Come Alive” is an extension of an idea like “Aurora”. What we started with on “Aurora”, ended up in “Come Alive”. It’s a sort of colourful, cinematic type of song in dynamics. It’s not holding back. We didn’t hold back on anything. Dave followed his muses and ideas. He’s always been economical in his approach to music. He’s letting that go a little bit more.”
PRT: I was surprised by “Erase/Replace”, a huge rocksong which will do very well on a big stage or festival.
HAWKINS: “Yeah. I love that song. Our manager hates it though.”
MENDEL: (laughs) “He almost booted it off the album.”
HAWKINS: “It’s got the little middle section that almost turns into Jerry Rafferty/Baker Street-thing with harmonies, smooth, seventies, laid back middle section, in between this almost military rock song or something. (imitates the drum) And that’s an extension of “Low”. It goes along with what I was saying earlier, where a lot of these ideas are built upon older ones, but taken further out.”
PRT: Dave said about “In Your Honor” that it is the ultimate Foo Fighters album. How do you go from that to making a new one?
HAWKINS: “It’s the ultimate ultimate album. It’s the double ultimate. I don’t know, you tend to think every time you make a record it’s the best goddamn fucking thing you ever done. But I didn’t think the last one was the best record ever. I thought it was good, it had some great songs. I didn’t think “One by One” was our greatest record. I thought they had good songs in between okay songs. I don’t know, this album has a whole higher quality, and as a whole it’s less black and white, not a heavy song, light song. Like Nate said, the mellow songs aren’t novelty, they’re real songs.”
PRT: It’s a lot less straightforward as well.
HAWKINS: “Yes, Dave lets things happen that wouldn’t have happened before.”
MENDEL: “Part of it is also thanks to Gil. We worked with him on the second record too. He has some different ideas and is willing to assert himself and free the band to do some things. You have someone there that you can kind of… You don’t have to worry because he’ll tell you when you’re going off too far in the wrong direction.”
HAWKINS: “And he was very into making the music dramatic. Which I remember, when we were in preproduction, working very hard on these songs, I remember that the two common themes of describing things were ‘build’, all the songs sort of build. And ‘drama’.”
MENDEL: “It’s got to remain interesting.”
PRT: What I thought was interesting is, that there are quite a lot of classic rock elements. The soft intro to “The Pretender” for example, reminded me of “Stairway to Heaven”.
HAWKINS: “Sure. I can see that. I was thinking “Eleanor Rigby”, The Beatles. (starts singing).
MENDEL: “I think it’s part of who our band is at the moment. That classic rock thing, the seventies-melancholy vibe, melodic DNA.”
HAWKINS: “And it’s what we grew up on. When the first record came out, I wasn’t even in the band. Me and my brother, that was our album of the year. It’s what we’d listen to when we’d go out and get fucked up. We just thought it sounded like Steve miller on steroids and speed.”
MENDEL: “Which is alright!” (laughs)
HAWKINS: “It is. And the way Dave doubled his vocals, he sounds like Steve Miller. We all grew up on that kind of thing. And you can do what you want, put a different haircut or a different production value on anything. But if it’s rock music or hard rock, it’s never going to stray far from Black Sabbath. If it’s melodic pop rock, it’s never gonna stray far from the Beatles. If it’s country tinged, it’s never gonna stray far from…”
MENDEL: “Nickelback.”
HAWKINS: (laughs) “Why did you have to fucking say that? Say Creedence, The Eagles, Crosby Stills & Nash.”
PRT: The album is also mellower. There’s just a few hard rock songs.
HAWKINS: “If there’s any album it reminds me of, it’s “Nothing left To Lose”. And it’s better than that. I like that. I’ll tell you one thing that definitely affected a couple of songs on the album: Dave got a piano. There are two songs on the record that are a direct influence of someone putting a piano in Dave’s house. Those songs would never have happened had Have not a piano. It’s simple as that. Give him a new instrument, he tinkers around, learns some things and tries to find chords.”
MENDEL: “Just don’t send him anything weird like bagpipes or something.”
HAWKINS: (laughs) “It just opened new door for Dave. And I guarantee you: if we keep making records – which I think we will, since we have a 3 million dollar studio that we have to pay for – you will see more and more of that side. Which is great. Any change for me is great, to a certain degree.”
PRT: It keeps it exciting.
HAWKINS: “Yeah. I don’t think there’ll ever be an electronic influence on our record. I don’t think you’ll ever hear…”
PRT: Timbaland?
HAWKINS: “Timbaland will never come in and produce a track for us. The Game or Jay-Z won’t be rapping on one of our songs. Strike me down if that happens. Kill me if that happens.”
PRT: You’ve been in the Foo Fighters for ten years…
HAWKINS: “Nate’s the original original. I’m just riding his coattails.”
MENDEL: “It’s only a couple of years now, and it seems so long.”
PRT: What were your best and worst moments?
MENDEL: “For once I will be honest, instead of answering Reading, what I always say… Which was great.
HAWKINS: “I’ll tell you what: two days ago was one of our finest moments, Live Earth. Because we are part of something that’s important to us and to the world. Dave was out there in front of the world, and showed that he’s the frontman in the world right now, as far as I’m concerned. He can’t dance like JT, he’s not the greatest singer of all time. But neither was John Lennon.”
PRT: He’s good with crowds.
HAWKINS: “People love him. And he loves people. (laughs) He’s got it, the gift of being himself and being larger than life at the same time. There’s people that are affected.”
PRT: Do you guys feel you’re working in the shadow of Dave?
HAWKINS: “No! We’re quite comfortably holding up his ass.
MENDEL: (nods)
HAWKINS: “That’s our job. Our job at Live earth, of me, Nate and Chris, was to make sure that Dave sounded good. And that’s what a band should be. If there’s a singer, there’s a focal point. That’s what people are mainly going to look at. Of course they also love to see a drummer go off, and see the rest bouncing around. But our job, our little trio, is to make sure that Dave sounds great and that he feels comfortable and can bring it to the people.
So no, if you mean it in a musical sense? No, because we all do things on the side. There are moments in the studio that I’d like to do what I wanna fucking do, and not be told what to do. Let’s try this instead of what your first idea was. But I think it’s that way with anybody who’s the main singer and song writer, you have to kind of follow where he’s going with the song. And Dave happens to be good at all the instruments, so he can sit down and tell you exactly how to do something. That can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but at the same time, he’s usually right. They’re his songs.
MENDEL: “Yeah. Six months after the record’s done, we listened to it whole, and we go: ‘why did we want to change that?’ We lived through that experience a few times.”
HAWKINS: “I’ll tell you one thing. One of the biggest differences, among the things we already covered, is that Nate really got to play bass in a big way on this record. The last couple of records, I felt I wasn’t stoked about the fact that a lot Nate’s style was more suppressed. Dave was going for more a riff-oriented thing where the bass had to follow the guitar. Nate is a busy melodic bass player. With having Gil producing it, also a bass player who’s interested in having interesting parts, him and Nate did the bass by themselves. Then Dave came in, and at first he was slightly taken aback, and then lived with it for a while, and eventually realised it made the music better, and that it’s making him happier and making him enjoying to be in the band even more. It’s all good.”
PRT: What was your worst moment in the Foo Fighters-history?
HAWKINS: “We had some shitty ones.”
MENDEL: “There’s the “One by One”-thing. It was rough, we made a record and it wasn’t right. And it was a turning point. Is this what we wanna do? Will we try to salvage this? It was a scary, disappointing time.”
HAWKINS: “Our heads weren’t in the right place. Dave didn’t really want to be there. He wanted to go play with Queens of the Stone Age. And we were having a hard time making that record. The producer Adam Casper, is a great engineer but no producer. It has one of our best drum sounds ever. But he’s not a producer. Dave was in charge of something and he didn’t even want to be there. We all felt that vibe a little bit, and we tried to do it in a different way. It was a dark time for the band. But in the end, it was one of the most triumphant times. We made it out of that, and then the album came out with two fo our best songs ever, “All My Life” and “Times Like These”, and that’s when we – especially in Europe and Australia – starting to see our growth. In audience acceptance, we made a huge progress.”
PRT: What makes you such a huge band? John Paul Jones, Norah Jones, Josh Homme are coming out to help you out.
HAWKINS: “The biggest collaborator, or guest, on that last record, was Norah Jones. She did the most. Josh and John Paul just played a little guitar part.”
PRT: But you don’t see them on Green Day or U2 albums.
HAWKINS: “I’m sure they would be on a U2 album too.”
MENDEL: “We just asked them.”
HAWKINS: “It’s not because we’re the Foo Fighters. John paul Jones probably didn’t’ even know who the fuck we were.” (laughs)
MENDEL: “That’s one of those question that can make you sound like an asshole. Like, why aren’t people tired of you yet, why do they like you?”
HAWKINS: “I know why. Because we always come up with a couple songs that people like and they’re on the radio. And we always deliver live. We have our own standard of what a good live show for us is, that varies for us. But Dave is always great, and we’ve gotten better. Being a rock band and being a good live band is essential. If you’re not a good live band, you’re fucked.”
Stonerider – Three Legs Of Trouble
After having released a terrible album under the name Fight Paris and after losing a singer, the rest of the band decided to rethink what they wanted to do. Out of that soulsearching came Stonerider and a new singer was found in the form of Matt Tanner.
With “Three Legs Of Trouble” they have released every A&R manager’s wet dream… Led Zep is hot again in case you didn’t notice. AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd are a couple of other acts these guys are heavily influenced by. You guessed it… Stonerider likes to play riff-heavy Southern rock and they do a pretty banging job with nine songs of their own and a solid version of Nazareth’s “Hair Of The Dog”. They need to work a little more on their hooks to make the songs more memorable but brute force already works wonders for these guys.
The Black Crowes might be aiming for a comeback but they’ve got some competition now in the from Stonerider.
http://www.trustkill.com
http://www.stonerider.net
Trip Fontaine – Dinosaurs In Rocketships
Trip Fontaine is a German act that I think named itself after one of the characters in the movie “Virgin Suicides”. And while a song like “Failures Of Repute” wouldn’t have looked too out of place on the movie’s soundtrack with its repetitive guitar line and an overall sense of moody mellowness, the band’s mix of post-hardcore, post-punk and emo is not always equally appealing.
“Shine On You Lazy Liaison” is dance punk the way it should be played, which makes it one of the best songs on here along with “Moon Balloon”, another mellowed out track. But then in come songs like “Astronaut” or “Vicemagazinegestalt” who are just plain annoying with the spazzy guitars and hysterical vocals.
One thing that is sure though is that you’ll never know what Trip Fontaine is gonna hit you with next. I’ll just leave it in the middle whether that’s a good thing or not.
http://www.tripfontaine.de
Too Pure To Die – Confidence And Consequence
Next to endless corn fields and the freak show known as Slipknot, Iowa is also home to metalcore outfit Too Pure To Die. And where most bands only have one shot at releasing a debut album, Too Pure To Die does it twice. First on their own and now again on Trustkill. The only difference is that for the new version they re-recorded the vocals with new singer Paul Zurlo.
These guys play metalcore that taps from the same vein as Throwdown… so picture groovy songs with plenty of nods to Pantera and the occasional breakdown. It’s hardly original and after a while the songs start to blend together. Thing is these guys play with enough conviction to pull it off nonetheless. You won’t find this album in any end of the year lists come December but give these guys another year on the road, let them return to the studio and I’m reasonably sure the result will show more of a face all their own.
http://www.toopuretodie.net
The Black Halos – We Are Not Alone
Canada’s The Black Halos are a bunch of punk n rollers who have been going at it for a couple of years already. “We Are Not Alone” is album number four for these guys and on it they do what they probably do best… play bratty punky rock n roll which is divided neatly over twelve songs by producer Jack Endino. It’s melodic, it’s upbeat, it’s rockin… it’s all good and you can tell these guys have been playing together for a while now! But unfortunately I can’t stand the singer’s snotty, unintelligible vocals which kinda ruins things for me!
http://www.peoplelikeyou.de
http://www.myspace.com/blackhalos
Zimmers Hole – When You Were Shouting At The Devil, We Were In League With Satan
Technically Zimmers Hole is not a Strapping Young Lad project since the band already existed before Strapping Young Lad made an impact on the metal scene. But with SYL members and a vocalist called The Heathen in the line-up, it could easily be mistaken for one.
“When You Were Shouting At The Devil, We Were In League With Satan” is the name of album number three for this Canadian outfir and as you can tell, it’s not wise to take these guys too seriously. It’s all about paying tribute to metal and having fun doing it. And they do this in a great way by writing kickass speed/thrash songs with a lot of poop jokes in ‘em. Guess you could say that what Tenacious D does for classic and hard rock, Zimmers Hole does for metal.
To properly prepare yourself for this album, I’ll leave you with The Hole’s Commandments:
1. Should They Plunder, Thou Shalt Suffer an Eternity of Humiliation in Song for Thy Ignorance and Stupidity.
2. Thou Shalt Embrace the Flame. For It is The Creator, and The Destroyer, and The Cooker of Weeners.
3. Thou Shalt Wear Dark Clothing. Especially, Big Tall, Leather Boots.
4. Thou Shalt Break the Crust that Imprisons the Rectally Retentive.
5. Beware the Changeling Glo-God for It is the True Weakness of Will.
6. Thou Shalt Ignite That Which Burns.
7. Thou Shalt Suck It. Suck It Up. Suck It The Fuck Up. You Fuck.
8. Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of Bob Barker. The True Shirtless Aerosol Cheesus Crust, in vain.
9. Thou Shalt Stand and Accept It.
10. Thou Shalt Swill Ale From A Bullet Proof Cup.
11. Thou Shalt Revel in the Flesh and Consume the Feast That is Life, Before the Great Flash - Dot of Armageddon.
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.legionofflames.com
Chuck Prophet – Soap And Water
Chuck Prophet… never heard of the guy before but with a name like that you’ve got my interest. It’s like a mix of Chuck Norris and Jesus rolled into one. Big names to throw around, right? Absolutely, except that they have nothing to do with the music which makes them absolutely pointless in this review. Which is something that can probably be said about the rest of my reviews as well. But here goes…
“Soap And Water” is Chuck Prophet’s eight solo-album and before that he already had a career with Green On Red. Quite the discography if all put together yet somehow I have missed out on all of those releases. Listening to “Soap And Water”, I think I can live with it though because while Prophet knows how to write some pretty good songs, it’s not very memorable. This mix of singer-songwriter, country, rock and a little bit of electronica is actually something I’ve heard being done before by The Ike Reilly Assassination and honestly, I liked it better then because Reilly had witty lyrics along with everything else.
http://www.chuckprophet.com
Los Campesinos – Hold On Now, Youngster
A couple of students start playing music together because studying all the time tends to get a little bit boring. How many bands do you think started this way? All of them? The difference with Los Campesinos is that they didn’t stay as local as they thought they would have once their songs hit the internet. Quickly Los Campesinos were one of the most hyped bands on the world wide web, signed a deal with Wichita and now present us with their first full-length, “Hold On Now, Youngster”.
That album title is something we could philosophise about quite a bit but since the band itself doesn’t live by those words, why the hell would I? Right from the start these seven youngsters race out the door in “Death To Los Campesinos” and then stumble all over each other in their enthousiasm in “Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats”. Think Pixies meets Pavement as played by a bunch of kids with ADD.
Did I already mention that this is an enthousiastic band? Frontman Tom Campesino sounds a little sloppy at times but then again so does the girl who helps out with the vocals and by extention the entire band. So he kinda gets away with it. The absolute highlight of the album comes in the form of the catchy “You! Me! Dancing!” where the band seems to have even more energy than a couple of rabbits going at it. So energetic even that forming a more literate title becomes a challenge of phenomenal proportions.
This definitely is a fun indierock album for people who loved all the 90s alternative rock bands like Dinosaur Jr, Magnapop and the abovementioned Pixies and Pavement. Probably and preferably to be witnessed on a couple of festivals near you this summer!
http://www.wichita-recordings.com
http://www.loscampesinos.com
Hayseed Dixie - No Covers
From the fictional Deer Lick Holler deep in the Appalachians, the hicks that make up Hayseed Dixie have been cranking out bluegrass covers of AC/DC (AC/DC, Hayseed Dixie... get it?), Kiss and a multitude of other rock acts whenever they were able to drag themselves away from their moonshine or making helpless tourists squeal like a pig. "No Covers" however is the band's first album with - the clue is in the title - their own material. Still true though to their brand of rockgrass (a mix of rock and bluegrass), Haysee Dixie cranks out 14 songs about drinking, cheating, killing and other activities that'll see you burning in hell.
With a fiddle that sounds like it's been set on fire and a lightning-fast banjo thrown in with electric guitars and great hooks, "No Covers" is a fun album that proves these guys have a helluva lot more to show for than they've been given credit for in the past.
http://www.hayseed-dixie.com
Buzzcocks – 30
2007 marked the 30-year anniversary for the Buzzcocks because exactly three decades have passed since the band released the “Spiral Scratch” EP. While so many of their peers have already called it a day or even a life a long time ago, these guys are still kicking ass and taking names. And to prove that they released a live album called “30” with 28 songs on it… now that’s what I call fucking punkrock :-)
Anyway, the sound is good, the songs are still great and it’s still obvious why this band influenced so many others. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of bands out there today that could learn a thing or two from these oldtimers about punk!
http://www.buzzcocks.com
Paint It Black – New Lexicon
What Dan Yemin and the rest of Paint It Black (including new drummer Jared Shavelson) do on “New Lexicon” is impressive to put it mildly. They claw their way through fifteen songs in just over half an hour with a sense of urgency and anger that you just don’t hear often enough. We did of course already hear it on the band’s two previous albums but for “New Lexicon” Yemin had some ideas on how to pimp the 80ies hardcore punk sound he has perfected over the years.
J Robbins did a wonderful job producing the album. Especially by bringing the bass way up front which makes my living room floor rumble and has me running for the table while yelling ‘earthquake!’ every single time. When the album was done, it was sent over to co-producer Oktopus of the indie hip hop group Dälek who worked his magic by transforming feedback and cymbal crashes into haunting sonic nightmares.
The result is a an album that is as melodic as it is brutal and it does not bore for a single second. Extra kudos to the photographer who did a great job with the pics in the booklet!
http://www.reflectionsrecords.com
http://www.paintitblack.org
Ill Nino – Enigma
Originally the new Ill Nino album was to come out in June 2007 but got pushed back several times for whatever reason. Just when I thought it wouldn’t get released at all, “Enigma” ends up on my doorstep. Not that I was necessarily looking forward to this album because the band’s last release was sub par to say the least.
Apparently the band realised that as well and decided step up to the challenge. And I have to say that “Enigma is their best release since their debut “Revolution Revolución”. This means more Latin influences than ever, more metal and heavy and mellow songs walking hand in hand. All this alongside Dave Chavarri’s typical drumming and Cristian’s powerful voice makes for a pretty diverse album. Hell, with “Me Gusta La Soledad” there’s even room for an acoustic song sung entirely in Spanish in between the more crushing songs. Listening to opening track “Alibi Of Tyrants” and “Finger-Painting (With The Enemy)” I finally remember why I ever liked Ill Nino in the first place and I’m willing to bet someone at Roadrunner is right now kicking his ass for ever letting these guys go. Welcome back Ill Nino, como esta?
http://www.cementshoesrecords.com
http://www.illnino.com
Mercenary – Architect Of Lies
Ever had an album that was so wrong yet was so much fun to listen to? If not, please pick up Mercenary’s “Architect Of Lies”. This Danish outfit started out as a death/thrash act but with the admittance of vocalist Mikkel Sandager and his brother, keyboard player Morten they have evolved into something much, much more melodic. Bombastic is a word I could’ve used there just as well.
The high-pitched clean vocals, the highly melodic guitars and the abundance of keyboards are completely over the top and often make the band come off like a powermetal act. Luckily the powerful drums and shredding riffs are there to add some balls to the whole. Basically this means you end up with an album that is a guilty pleasure. And so if asked, I will deny liking Mercenary with all my might while banging my head to “Embrace The Nothing” in the privacy of my home.
http://www.mercenary.dk
Ray Davies – Working Mans Café
Ray Davies was something of a wild cat back when he was with The Kinks but the Ray Davies that you get to hear on “Working Man’s Café” 44 years after “You Really Got Me” is a bit of a whiner. Like Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon in Grumpy Old Men but without the oneliners. Like when he’s singing about the working man’s bars that have to make way for internet cafés… you already know this sorta behaviour from your grandparents. Everything was better in the old days. Even Ray Davies’ music.
http://www.v2music.com
Cloak / Dagger interview
Put members of Count Me Out, American Nightmare, Striking Distance among others together in a band and things sure to get loud and nasty. And that's exactly what Cloak / Dagger sounds like. Their album kicks ass and so does their live performance. Do yourself a favor and check out their debut full-length "We Are". It won't change your life but it is a nonstop rollercoaster ride and that's all the reasons we needed to ask vocalist Jason some questions.
Jason: I am Jason Mazzola. I sing for the Dagger, I love coffee and shopping at thrift stores and need to get a new record player.
PRT: Who else is in the band and why would they make a great secret agent?
Jason: Collin Barth is on guitar and he would be the best at playing poker or being a secret agent because you never know what he's thinking but he's a smart cookie. Adam Juresko are bass player would be a runner up since he has no cell phone, no i.d. he could create a new identity in no time. Colin on drums would be good at debugging bombs since he's good with cars. I would be the worst.
PRT: Why did you go for the name Cloak / Dagger. What's so secret about the band or are you avid comic book readers?
Jason: There's no real meaning behind the name. Colin said we are doing a punk band called Cloak/Dagger and you're going to sing. No relation to the movie or comic.
PRT: I read that Cloak / Dagger started as a temporary project but now you've got a full-length out and are doing a complete tour in Europe. So how serious were you about the band before and what turned it into the project it is today?
Jason: We weren't serious at all when we first started. We just wanted to play a few shows here and there but things really took off after we started playing out. We just finished a full U.S. tour and then did the European tour two weeks after. After a while we all decided to do this full time and just do as much as we could with the time we have. Two months straight is a long time to be homeless.
PRT: The full-length is called "We Are". The best you came up with during an uninspired brainstorm or do you want people to know that the album is the perfect representation of what the band sounds like?
Jason: It's just a more clever way to make it a self titled record and a lyric from one of our old songs. We are daggers.
PRT: For people that haven't heard the album yet, if Cloak / Dagger was the lovechild of two other bands, which bands would've had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Jason: I've heard and can agree with the Black Flag meets Hot Snakes comparison. I think that it would be the mutual respect and admiration of both bands in the missonary position.
PRT: Speaking of other bands, you have all been involved in other bands like Count Me Out, American Nightmare, Striking Distance. Do you think that works for or against you? Because people will probably have certain expectations before even having heard a single note.
Jason: We made it a point not to advertise or expect anything due to the ex-members clause. I think that things are just the same as they have always been and we had to work just as hard as any of those bands we were in to get to where we are today. Sometimes it works for us and sometimes not, after the first year of us being a band people knew what to expect.
PRT: Three of you were also involved in Renee Heartfelt. I absolutely love those releases so please tell me that the band is still active and that a new album is in the making!
Jason: Pete who is the singer song writer of Renee is doing a band called Memorial and is in dental school so there won't be a new release any time soon for RH but it was a good band who didn't get the respect they deserved when they were around and active.
PRT: On the one hand there are still bands like yours which play hardcore the way it started out and on the other hand there's a zillion bands that like to be categorized under a zillion subgenres. What do you make of this evolution? And do you think that traditional hardcore is coming back as a reaction to that evolution?
Jason: I think that it's just a matter of bands playing a niche in between of punk or hardcore and not aiming to sound like anything. I think that in the 80's you couldn't really call Bad Brains or Black Flag punk or hardcore or call Fugazi a punk or hardcore band they were just good bands. I think that people are tired of music that fits a certain formula so yeah I think it is a reaction to that. Collin likes to refer to us as a fast rock and roll band.
PRT: In the movie High Fidelity the guys that work in the record store constantly come up with these top 5 lists of songs for any occasion. If you would have to make such a list, which occasion would it be for and which songs would make your top 5?
Jason: Breaking up with your girl or boyfriend mix.
1. R. Kelly- Real Talk
2. Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart
3. My Bloody Valentine- Only Shallow
4. Marked Men- Right Here With You
5. Iron And Wine- On Your Wings
Jason: Thanks for reading, go to gravemistakerecords.com and check out what Alex has to offer he doesn't put out anything bad. Come see us next time!
PunkRockTheory.com is an online zine that has been around since 2000. We still love to force our elitist opinions on people and ask bands the dumbest things first. We currently have twelve restraining orders running against us and we are working on lucky number thirteen!
Recently our server crashed and we lost everything, including our whole database. Since work on the new site is taking a bit longer than expected, we're using this blog for now to post all the latest reviews and interviews.
We hope that's fine with you.
email: thomas@punkrocktheory.com
The Presidents Of The United States Of America – T...
Zimmers Hole – When You Were Shouting At The Devil...
KillWhitneyDead – Nothing Less, Nothing More / Hel...
Norther – N
Michael Dean Damron & Thee Loyal Bastards – Bad Da...
Farewell – Isn’t This Supposed To Be Fun!?
The Audition – Champion
Byzantine – Oblivion Beckons
Thieves & Liars – When Dreams Become Reality
Dark Fortress – Eidolon
Warbringer – War Without End
Drive-By Truckers – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
Protest The Hero – Fortress
Jet Lag Gemini – Fire The Cannons
Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Revisited
Chip Hanna and the Berlin Three – The Old South Ja...
Total Chaos – Avoid All Sides
The Donnas – Bitchin’
Memphis May Fire – S/T EP
Paramore – Riot!
Simple Plan – S/T
The Black Keys – Attack & Release
Les Savy Fav – Inches
Backfire – In Harm’s Way
Foxy Shazam - Introducing...
Sons & Daughters - This Gift
Cass McCombs - Dropping The Writ
The Fleshtones - Take A Good Look
Tech-9 – Nine Lives
Inhuman – Last Rites
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walking the talk ›
NDPP
Happy Birthday Magna Carta - by Paul Craig Roberts
http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/06/happy-birthday-magna-carta/
"Western capitalism is a looting mechanism. A new slave existence is being created in front of our eyes as law ceases to be a shield of peoples and becomes a weapon in the hand of government."
jas wrote:
I think this thread needs a link to these discussions. With Baltimore now, I can't help but see these events as riot provocation, and therefore police state prep.
In defense of black rage: Michael Brown, police and the American dream
What's going on in Baltimore?
Canadian Terrorism Trials Reveal Use of Entrapment by Police and Intelligence Agencies - by Roger Jordan
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/07/25/trap-j25.html
"Two ongoing Canadian terrorism trials provide fresh evidence of the state's use of informants and undercover agents to implicate vulnerable and other mentally unstable individuals in alleged terrorist plots..."
'Anonymous' Starts Slow Leaking of Cabinet Confidences, CSE Spy Attempts (and vid)
https://ipolitics.ca/2015/07/27/anonymous-start-slow-leaking-of-cabinet-...
"...There is info in the PR that's explosive, we think, but we are not providing source documentation on that now or ever. If we did, someone would be in a police party van within 15 minutes,' said a police spokesman for the group.
'Canadian security forces and their Five Eyes partners in New Zealand, the UK, Australia and the US have been extremely proactive in developing and purchasing offensive hacking capabilities,' said a masked anonymous spokesperson in the group's most recent video.
Fortunately for us, Canada has been far more lax in defending its own systems."
ikosmos
How about a redacted font to give you the sense of the NSA over your shoulder?
A London based Masters student has done just that. RT has a little report on it ...
RT: Would you like to avoid NSA spying on you? Here's what to do.
eta: subtitled "It’s easy - you only have to stop using most of the words in the English language."
The font can be obtained over here.
No. 6: "Be seeing you."
This is excellent.
How to Survive Confrontational Cops (video)
Paladin1
Great video. I've pulled the whole "Am I being detained? No? Okay I am leaving" when dealing with an irate officer.
Expect them to level all kinds of accusations like you're being suspocious or accuse you of hiding something. In my case the officer followed me home and parked on the road infront of my next door neighbour for 10 minutes.
If a cop is being polite then I'll be suspicious but
Yes, I'm not sure if all of this applies in the Canadian case, but worth looking into.
One would think police training would more and more be trying to address this kind of behaviour, but the new 'terror management' culture in which this is occurring also only encourages it.
I found an RCMP officer's attitude and manner with me last month in a traffic pullover required great emotional restraint on my part, and a little voice in me told me to defer and be polite. After I had pulled over, he sat in his car for 4 - 5 minutes, not looking at me, not giving me any direction or instruction. Four minutes is a long time to be kept pulled over when you don't know what your offence was. He was running a check on my licence plate, but that's something that could have been done after speaking to me.
It's a small thing, but conveys an attitude that is easily interpreted as power tripping. And it's the power tripping that triggers people. And police know it, and they use it provocatively.
Here is another great video highlighting abuse of authority.
https://www.facebook.com/13news/videos/10201439229804973/
It's a DUI checkpoint and the driver sets off the officers by not rolling his window down all the way. The police escalate including having a dog scratch the guys car while searching, bullshit a false hit from the dog which gives them the authority to search his car without permission. You even hear the police officer grumbling that the man is completely innocent and knows the laws, but that doesn't stop them from searching. At no point do they even ask him if he's had anything to drink.
Liberals Plan Swift Overhaul of Anti-Terror Law
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/liberals-map-swift-overhaul-of-an...
"...A key feature of the replacement legislation is expected to be the creation of a multi-party, joint House of Commons-Senate committee, sworn to secrecy and reporting to the prime minister and through him to Parliament. It would have a full-time staff, acess to the necessary secret information and be tasked with strategic oversight of every government department and agency with national security responsibilities, according to a source familiar with the content."
Terrorizing School Children
Increasingly, institutions such as schools, prisons, detention centers, and our major economic, cultural and social institutions are being organized around the production of violence. Rather than promote democratic values and a respect for others or embrace civic values, they often function largely to humiliate, punish, and demonize any vestige of social responsibility. Violence both permeates and drives foreign policy, dominates popular culture, and increasingly is used to criminalize a wide range of social behaviors, especially among African-Americans.
quizzical
wrong thread
Was it something that you wrote that you're referring to, or is it my post? Because if it is my post that you are saying is in the wrong thread, the post is actually about police state issues. Or are you back to stalking me again. If so, piss off creep.
wtf????????? i've never fkn stalked you so stop with the personal attacks.
i posted something about 24 sussex in this thread mistakenly. so i removed it and put it where it was supposed to be.
Here's a similar piece in the Star.
epaulo13
RCMP need warrantless access to online subscriber info: Paulson
Police need warrantless access to Internet subscriber information to keep pace with child predators and other online
criminals, says RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson.
The top Mountie said Wednesday that a Supreme Court of Canada ruling curtailing the flow of basic data about customers — such as name and address — has "put a chill on our ability to initiate investigations."
The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police revealed in August that government officials were mulling just such a scheme — though it's not clear exactly how it would square with the court ruling.
The chiefs said a discussion paper spearheaded by the Department of Justice was presented to the federal, provincial and territorial cybercrime working group of senior officials.
The paper outlined three legislative options for allowing access to basic subscriber information:
An administrative scheme that would not involve court approval.
A new judicial order process or a tweak to the existing regime.
A judicial order process for subscriber information with a greater expectation of privacy and an administrative, non-judicial one for less sensitive subscriber data.
Terrorism: From Canada to France False Flags Fly High Over Retreating Liberties
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/terrorism-canada-france-false-flag...
"There is really nothing new about false flag terrorism. It serves to create an enemy where none previously existed..."
Security or Surveillance: Privacy vs Anti-Terror Security in Digital Age
https://youtu.be/k3rFNQ8ytnE
Panel discussion with Julian Assange, Ray Mcgovern and others discuss the surveillance state
This is What the US Government Uses to Spy on Your Cellphone
http://sptnkne.ws/arG3
"Cyberhawk, Yellowstone, Blackfin, Maximus, Cyclone and Spartacus - These are the names of surveillance devices the Obama administration uses to spy on American citizens through their cellphones.
The Intercept obtained the catalogue from a source within the intelligence community concerned about the militarization of domestic law enforcement. One device is capable of spying on 10,000 mobile phone users simultaneously, to identify their location, wiretap and catch SMS-messages..."
And you may assume C-51 Canada has similar capabilities
Canada Developing Arsenal of Cyber-Weapons
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/03/16/canada-developing-arsenal...
"Canada plans to take steps to 'strengthen' its cyber-warfare arsenal, according to documents released by the Department of National Defence. The documents are a rare public admission from National Defence that it is developing offensive cyber-weapons..."
Rule By Thieves: One Week in the American Kleptocracy
http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/03/17/rule-by-thieves-one-week-in-the-a...
"On Tuesday, March 7, hacked information about the surveillance state was met with a collective shrug by the public, a sign of how indifferent the citizenry has become to living in an electronic concentration camp..."
Activist’s protest against practice of ‘carding’ derails Toronto police board meeting
A meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board came to an abrupt end Thursday afternoon when journalist and activist Desmond Cole admonished board members for failing to destroy carding data, then stalled the proceedings by refusing to leave the speaker’s chair.
Cole had been making a public deputation about the controversial police practice of “carding” when he announced that he would launch an immediate protest if the board did not agree to put stricter constraints on police access to the data collected through the “illicit” practice.
“It was never your information to take in the first place,” said Cole, who is a Toronto Star columnist.
“I plan to stand here in protest until you commit today, here and now, to restricting the police having our information going forward.
“You want to ruin another generation of children’s lives, and I’m not going to allow you to do it,” Cole continued, rising from his seat and raising his fist in the air.
When Cole was asked to leave to let the meeting continue, he refused, prompting a 10-minute adjournment.
Soon after, the board reconvened to cancel the remainder of the meeting.
Uniformed police officers then moved into the meeting room at Toronto police headquarters and escorted Cole out — “intimidation” Cole said was telling, considering he was protesting how police follow racialized people throughout the city “and their response is to send more police.”....
Thanks, epaulo. I gather Desmond Cole's suggestion to destroy racist harassment data was not welcome.
Spies in our midst: RCMP and CSIS snoop on green activists
This is the first installment in a two-part investigative series on governments, spies, and the oil and gas industry
“Mr. Tremblay, do you remember me?”
Ron Tremblay was just walking out of the Lord Beaverbrook hotel when a young woman in a dark-blue pantsuit approached him. The Lord Beaverbrook is a beige, unremarkable edifice that sits in downtown Fredericton, kitty-corner to the New Brunswick legislature. On this summer morning last August, a panel of Canada’s federal energy regulator, the National Energy Board (NEB), was holding hearings at the hotel about the proposed Energy East pipeline – which is designed to carry oil from the tar sands of Alberta to New Brunswick’s port city of Saint John.
As the Grand Chief of the Wolastoq Grand Council – whose territory Energy East would cross – Tremblay had gone to listen to fellow opponents of the pipeline give a presentation before the NEB panel. When the young woman caught up to him, she introduced herself as RCMP Constable Joanne Spacek, working for a “Special Projects Unit” out of Moncton, NB.
“I was wondering if we could have a coffee sometime,” Spacek asked Tremblay.
A stocky, friendly, open-faced man in his mid-50s who wears dark-rimmed glasses, Tremblay agreed to meet with her.
An unmarked van parked outside his house
A couple of months later Tremblay met with Spacek in Fredericton. “I didn’t hide anything from her,” he recalls about their discussion. “I told her we want to protect our sacred ways, land and water and not want it poisoned.” Spacek, however, had her own concerns: namely the RCMP didn’t want the "wrong people" causing disturbances over the construction of resource development projects like Energy East. Tremblay understood what she was referring to: namely warriors from First Nations’ communities and other environmental activists. After awhile, Tremblay felt Spacek was trying to pump him for information about plans for any protests....
..update on the #323 post.
Journalist Desmond Cole on How the Toronto Star Tried to Silence His Activism for Black Liberation
Last month here in Toronto, journalist Desmond Cole was told by his editor at the Toronto Star that he had violated the newspaper’s rules on journalism and activism, after Cole protested a Toronto Police Services Board meeting. In his writings, Cole has long criticized the controversial police practice of carding—stopping, interrogating and collecting data on individuals without probable cause, a practice which disproportionately targets people of color in Canada. In 2015, he wrote a widely read piece for Toronto Life titled "The Skin I’m In: I’ve been interrogated by police more than 50 times—all because I’m black." For more, we speak with Desmond Cole, former columnist for the Toronto Star and now a freelance journalist, activist and radio host on Newstalk 1010.
EXCLUSIVE: Trudeau government broke privacy rules with expanded spy program
The federal government broke its own privacy rules this spring when it expanded the Five Eyes intelligence network to automatically share 1.2 million confidential Canadian files per year with its international spy partners.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Privacy Commissioner both confirmed to National Observer that the IRCC did not file a privacy impact assessment before launching the program, which automatically shares personal data with the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
The advance assessment, used to identify and mitigate potential risks to privacy, is required by a Treasury Board directive designed to ensure anti-terrorism measures don’t violate personal privacy rights.
“It is quite shocking that they didn’t do a privacy impact assessment,” said Brenda McPhail, director of the privacy, technology and surveillance project of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
“For this kind of massive information-sharing agreement, that absolutely should have been done. This is a big problem.”
The Treasury Board, which is responsible for handling this breach of protocol, did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication of this story.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirmed earlier this week that it had not filed the privacy impact assessment, but it has not responded to follow-up questions from National Observer about why. In an emailed statement, it said that it has plans to file one in the future, but did not offer a timeline....
Winnipeg Transit gave Peggo card travel history to police without warrants
Winnipeg Transit has handed over the private travel history of bus riders to law enforcement without requiring a warrant, CBC News has learned.
City officials confirmed that on four occasions since March of 2017, Winnipeg police have requested the data generated through the use of Peggo cards for a specific passenger to assist with an investigation.
On each occasion, the transit service provided police with the desired records.....
Mexico Spied on Human Rights Investigators & Families of Missing Students Instead of the Kidnappers
AMY GOODMAN: And explain exactly what happened. You had a key investigator who had his phone infected, and many of the other investigators were using his phone. Is that right? And explain what—
RONALD DEIBERT: That’s correct.
AMY GOODMAN: —the phone was doing and where it was transmitting to.
RONALD DEIBERT: OK. Well, actually, to really understand this, you have to go back. This is the latest in a series of reports that we have done over the last several months, going back to our first report, which found that advocates for a tax on sugary beverages in Mexico—three health scientists had received messages with links to NSO Group infrastructure. Following that, we found that a number of journalists and human rights activists and lawyers, including the other guest on your show, had received messages containing the same type of links, with domains associated with the NSO Group infrastructure. A few weeks ago, we published another report about Mexican opposition politicians.
And this latest one, I think, is the most egregious. It’s a phone belonging to the international investigators into the 2014 mass disappearances in Mexico of students. So this was a phone handled by one of the people involved in this international investigatory group. They received two messages just prior to the release of their major public report. The group, it should be said, had a kind of public falling out with the Mexico attorney general. And the report was quite critical of the Mexican government. So all of this together is adding up to a lot of circumstantial evidence pointing to some agency within the Mexican government or an individual associated with the Mexican government responsible for the targeting.
It should be said also that this type of technology is restricted to government clients. The NSO Group itself says that they only sell to Mexican—to government agencies and restrict the use of their technology to antiterror, national security or criminal investigations. I think, under anyone’s reasonable definition, these targets couldn’t fit into that category.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Pegasus could record anything picked up by your phone microphone, or even its camera. Even when you’re not using the phone, it can be transmitting audio and video back to the government.
RONALD DEIBERT: Absolutely. It’s effectively a very powerful wiretap. It can also be used to spoof messages, to read encrypted messages. In fact, a lot of the inspiration or the driving force for this type of service, this type of technology, comes from the fact that a lot of people are using end-to-end encrypted communications for chat messages, for email. And that drives those who want to intercept those communications to try to get inside the device. So this spyware has become very popular, very lucrative for the companies that sell it to government agencies.
NorthReport
Maybe this one takes the cake though
https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadas-spy-agency-faces-...
Maybe it time to dismantle these secretive policing agencies as they don't seem trustworthy enough or principled enough to get the job done in an appropriate manner
Definitely. Past time. Can't be fixed either when "getting the job done" is amply demonstrated in the cases of Arar and Khadr. Are Canucklheads really content to give these people sweeping new powers?
..more on #323 post
I'm standing with Desmond Cole against anti-Black racism -- and you should too
Desmond Cole sat alone at the end of the long Toronto Police Services Board table, waiting to be arrested.
A throng of reporters documented his words and movements from a few feet away. I and other regular board-meeting attendees were sprinkled among them, watching anxiously.
It was July 27, 2017, and the fourth board meeting in a row at which Desmond was calling out board members and chief Mark Saunders for letting the Toronto police run roughshod over Black residents' civil rights.
This time, the issue was the four-month delay before the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was told about the December 28, 2016 severe beating of Black teen Dafonte Miller by off-duty Toronto cop Michael Theriault and his brother Christian.
The incident was not on the public agenda; instead, the board had discussed it behind closed doors before the public meeting began.
This is one of the rapidly escalating measures the police brass, board and union are using to ensure public participation is an extremely controlled veneer.
The meetings are held in police headquarters; other board meetings, such as those of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), are at city hall. Police screening of every civilian who enters the building started some time last month -- ostensibly because an armed man entered the building and threatened to kill police, although the incident has not been independently verified. Then, in the boardroom itself, a newly erected row of stanchions cuts the public off from the board table and from the far side of the room, except for a small gap that gives access to the chairs where people sit when addressing the board. There are also uniformed police in the room during meetings; they first made their appearance in April.
But the police and board hadn't counted on the courage, confidence, charisma and conviction of Desmond Cole, who's a freelance journalist, activist and radio host. He's a tour de force -- shown, for example, in his article and documentary titled The Skin I'm In......
At the May board meeting, I handed out #IStandWithDesmond lapel buttons I'd made. The topic at that meeting was the School Resource Officer (SRO) program. Chief Saunders unwaveringly maintains that the program is helpful and must remain in place. However, several people -- including Cole and members of Educators for Peace and Justice -- described how the program fuels the "school-to-prison pipeline." They also explained that it results in many children being deported every year, because SROs meet regularly with Canada Border Services Agency officials to report students and their families who do not have their immigration papers in order.
The SRO program was on the agenda again in June. This time, the police stacked the meeting by bussing in dozens of solely pro-SRO students, teachers and administrators from the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Uniformed and armed police physically barred the boardroom doors -- including by using bicycles as barricades -- so that dozens of people who they believed don't support the SRO program couldn't enter. In addition, police sat in many seats in the boardroom and only gave them up for people who were going to speak in favour of the program.
Cole and members of Black Lives Matter Toronto repeatedly interrupted the proceedings to protest these egregious actions.
CSIS Secretly Capturing Phone-Identifying Data Of Terrorism Suspects: Ruling
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/csis-secretly-capturing-ph...
"Canada's domestic spy service has been capturing the phone-identifying data of terrorism suspects for years without judicial knowledge or oversight, according to a ruling released Tuesday. But CSIS's warrantless use of data - capturing devices is legal and proper in most instances, the ruling says...'State objectives of public importance (ie national security) are predominant..."
Introducing 'Haven'
https://youtu.be/Fr0wEsISRUw
Security system for your Android smartphone - Ed Snowden
Thought Police For the 21st Century - by Chris Hedges
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/thought-police-21st-century/
https://theintercept.com/2018/01/19/voice-recognition-technology-nsa/
"Forget about Siri and Alexa - when it comes to voice identification, the 'NSA reigns supreme'
The War Against 'Fake News' Is A War Against Us - by Jonathan Cook
https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2018-01-22/war-on-fake-news-on-us/
"Barely a day passes without a new development in the war on social media - that is, the war on us...The stakes couldn't be higher. Our response needs to match that threat."
Surveillance, Secret Trials and Bill C-59's Attack on the Charter
https://ricochet.media/en/2230/surveillance-secret-trials-and-bill-c-59s...
"The National Security Act creates the legal conditions for mass surveillance in Canada..."
Revealed: Canada Uses Massive US Anti-Terrorist Database at Borders
https://t.co/4x80ia9yOj
"Tuscan is separate from Canada's official no-fly list and has more than 680,000 names provided to every border guard. Database is effectively a second Canadian no-fly list, run by the US..."
On Contact: Tear Gas - A Chemical Weapon
https://youtu.be/XGMyMSU8psA
"US Border Control used tear gas to try and deter asylum seekers - many of whom are women and children - at the US/Mexico border last weekend. But what do we know about tear gas?
Dr Anna Feigenbaum, author of 'Tear Gas: From the Battlefields of WW1 to the Streets of Today', talks to Chris Hedges.
Tear gas isn't too bad in terms of damage it causes. It's an irritant that turns the mucus membrain to acid (so to speak) and it causes you to want to be somewhere else very badly.
Interesting factoid. Soldiers using tear gas against other soldiers or combatants is considered a warcrime under the Geneva convention since it's a "chemical weapon" attack. But the same soldiers can use it against civilians in which case it's a riot control agent.
Tear gas of today is considerably different than what was used in WW1.
I've been exposed to it a lot and I'm just fine.
Top Secret Committee to Study Foreign Meddling, Military Use of Canadians' Info (and vid)
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/top-secret-committee-to-study-foreign-me...
"Over the next year, the top-secret National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians plans to probe the threat foreign interference poses Canada and examine how the military collects and uses information about Canadians. The high-level oversight body was created in 2017 and mirrors similar committees set up in the other 'Five Eyes' alliance countries..."
*May not be exactly as appears in advertisement.
They Spy With Their Little Eye
https://consortiumnews.com/2019/01/18/exclusive-they-spy-with-their-litt...
"The Five Eyes, a part of what the NSA calls internally its 'global network' have their dirty fingerprints all over the latest spying scandal engulfing New Zealand..."
See also #343
"The sprawling, unconstrained, multi-level power of Google, Facebook & Amazon; and their virtual merger with the security-state and law enforcement agencies to build a surveillance state, is one of the most important yet undercovered topics, so I was glad to talk about it last night...(see vid)
https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1095310866235437056
"Regardless of what you think of Rania Khalek, Russia or anything else, this trio - CNN, US-funded Marshall Fund and Facebook, working together to selectively censor is highly disturbing. But this is the inevitable outcome of begging Facebook to censor..."
https://youtu.be/F9pWE_PGSGY
"CNN & Facebook to silence dissenting voices."
Hedges: Worshipping the Electronic Image
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/worshipping-the-electronic-image
"Reality has become stagecraft. We live in a world where fantasy is more real than reality. We are the most illusioned people on earth..."
voice of the damned
^ So, imperialism was less of a thing before the electronic age, when everyone was getting their news from print media?
Hedges wrote:
In fact, it seems clear enough that the first republican institution to go was the citizen’s army. In the wake of the Vietnam War, the draft was thrown out and replaced by an “all-volunteer” force, one which would, as it came to fight on ever more distant battlefields, morph into a home-grown version of an imperial police force or foreign legion.
I never really thought that the idea of a "citizen's army" was connected specifically to the continuation of a draft. I guess all those young men burning their draft-cards in the 60s were really just helping to usher in the triumph of neo-con imperialism?
Michael Moriarity
voice of the damned wrote:
It's an interesting point, but I have to agree with Hedges on this one. The idea is that a universal (except for the most wealthy families, and even many of them would submit to appear patriotic) draft forces everyone to pay attention to what wars the country gets involved in. In the current system, most of those who volunteer are poor or otherwise disadvantaged, and have few other career choices. Thus, the comfortable middle class can support whatever foreign adventures the neo-cons propose without risking their own precious offspring being sent to the front.
The burning of draft cards in the 60s wasn't so much a protest against the draft as it was a protest against the Vietnam war in particular. However, the existence of the draft, like a scheduled execution, had a marvelous focussing effect on the minds of those who might be forced to fight. Had the armed forces of the day been "all volunteer", the protests would have been much less widespread, and much less successful.
kropotkin1951
Michael Moriarity wrote:
Fascinating discussion and I also think that the the anti-Vietnam War movement would not have a mass movement without the draft.
My part of the country welcomed many draft dodgers and some of them are still my friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9zbia8-dVg
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HomeNewsRADAR-base platform being used to measure atrial fibrillation
RADAR-base platform being used to measure atrial fibrillation
The RADAR-base platform, developed as part of RADAR-CNS, is now being used to study patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
The University of Birmingham, which is a project partner of the BigData@Heart consortium, is conducting a year-long study as part of the follow-up phase of the RAte control Therapy Evaluation in permanent Atrial Fibrillation (RATE-AF) trial.
Like RADAR-CNS, BigData@Heart is supported by the Innovative Medicines Initiative. Its aim is to improve patient outcomes and reduce the societal burden of atrial fibrillation, acute coronary syndrome and heart failure in Europe and globally. To this end, it is developing a data-driven translational research platform to deliver clinically relevant disease phenotypes, scalable insights from real-world evidence, best-practices in drug development, and personalised medicines through advanced analytics.
The Hyve, which provides professional services for software development, data loading, and consultancy for open source biomedical informatics solutions, played a key role in facilitating the use of the RADAR-base platform for this trial, in which sensor data is collected from a wrist device and a smartphone via an app. For the RATE-AF trial, an application to measure PPG (photoplethysmography) measurements using a phone’s flashlight and camera was integrated into the existing app.
The data collected using RADAR-base will supplement clinical measurements such as heart rate, walking distance and blood samples to determine the added value of having data on day-to-day physical activity.
RATE-AF is funded through a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Career Development Fellowship to Dr Dipak Kotecha, Chief Investigator of the trial at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham. Dr Kotecha comments: “Atrial fibrillation is the commonest heart rhythm disorder and leads to poor quality of life for patients and a high risk of hospital admissions. We urgently need better ways to assess patients in their daily lives, and this collaboration allows us to test new technology against current clinical practice”. Around 50 of the trial’s original 160 participants are taking part in the wearable devices study during their follow-up in the RATE-AF trial, and the team expects to publish its findings in early 2020.
Philip, who is participating in the trial, commented: “I like wearing the wristband as it prompts me to get moving and do things that I wasn’t doing before, and I feel better for it. I also like the feedback and encouragement I get from the device and feel it acts like a morale booster. I will keep wearing one even after the trial has finished.”
Richard Dobson, Professor of Medical Bioinformatics at King’s College London, oversees the group leading on the technical packages for both RADAR-CNS and BigData@Heart. He said: “The incorporation of RADAR-base into BigData@Heart trials is a great opportunity for both projects. It helps the RADAR-base community to grow and demonstrates the usability of the platform in areas other than the central nervous system, and it also lets the cardiovascular community collect data types that are complementary to clinical data, which will deepen the understanding of cardiovascular phenotypes and disease mechanisms.”
RADAR-CNS research uncovers what patients want (and don’t want) from wearables
RADAR-CNS team seeks views of health professionals
Welcome to the fourth issue of our e-newsletter
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A doctoral degree from an Irish university earns a broad range of successful professional careers. With this article, discover the various PhD programs offered by Ireland.
Study Abroad: Study in Ireland
PhD in Ireland
Ireland is an attractive destination not just for the marvelous beauty and fascinating lifestyle, but also for international students desiring to accomplish a satisfying and fulfilling professional life. The world class universities present in Ireland have gone far in earning international recognition and reputation. The government of Ireland has played a major role in contributing towards technological developments, inventions, and research, and continues to do so. In fact, much of the investments and funds are utilized in enhancing and improving the research centers of the Irish universities and colleges; thus, giving students a better platform for carrying out their studies and research programs. The most advanced form of graduate education in Ireland is the doctoral program. A wide range of disciplines are offered for potential doctorate students to perform research and study in order to boost their professional profiles. Browse on further to know the various courses offered for a doctoral program and the requirements for obtaining admission in a well-known and distinguished Irish university.
Degree Recognition
The kind of knowledge advancement and thorough research is provided by universities in Irish is highly acclaimed and appreciated across the world. Pursuing a PhD degree from an Irish institution is likely to open up an extensive range of both academic and non-academic careers.
Degree Structure
Most universities in Ireland have international partnerships and exchange programs which assist in boosting the coursework and research undertaken in a doctoral program. PhD programs in Ireland typically run for duration of minimum three years wherein students work under an academic supervisor for guidance to perform the necessary research, thereby completing the thesis as required by the curriculum. Depending upon the applicant’s area of specialization, he is provided with an academic supervisor and a place to perform his thesis and research work. In Irish universities, doctorate takes three different forms, namely, PhD, professional doctorate, and higher doctorate. A PhD program is characterized by working on a thesis through original research, thereby extending the student’s knowledge and professional practice parameters. A professional doctorate is relatively shorter than a PhD and the research thesis generally contains professional environment context. Unlike a doctoral degree that awards a PhD, a professional doctorate is a doctoral level award which is distinguished by a title referring to the profession of the student. Students who exhibit exceptional contribution to their respective fields and provide new knowledge through published work are awarded with a higher doctorate degree. As such, no formal coursework or program of study is designed for this degree, and the awardees are usually highly experienced and senior researchers.
Universities in Ireland follow an academic calendar, typical to most other countries. An academic session is generally divided into two or three semesters, running from September through June. Students are granted holidays in December for Christmas and in March/April for Easter.
Subjects for Doctoral Degree
Biochemistry; Bioinformatics; Biophysics; Biotechnology; Botany/Plant Science; Cell Biology/Development; Genetics; Medical/Biomedical Physics; Medical/Clinical Science; Microbiology; Molecular Biology; Analytical Chemistry; Biochemistry; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Science; Physical Chemistry; Synthetic Chemistry; Electrical & Electronic Engineering; Semiconductors; Software Engineering; Telecommunications Engineering; Applied Mathematics; Computer Science & IT; Data Analysis; Information Science; Mathematics; Operational Research; Statistics; Fluid Dynamics
A high primary honors degree serves as the minimum qualification for admission to a PhD program in an Irish university. Alternatively, applicants can produce any such evidence that will convince the head of the department or faculty of their eligibility for obtaining admission. Ideally, a master’s degree is considered apt for applying to a PhD program.
Depending upon the applicants’ study background and the subject chosen for research, they will be required to submit a review of minimum 10,000 words to justify their eligibility for seeking admission in their desired subject of research, within 12 to 18 months of registration. They may then have to undergo an oral presentation as well.
An up-to-date resume indicating the details of previous work experience, achievements, and future goals
A letter of motivation outlining the interests in the specific subject
Certified copies of academic transcripts
Evidence of proficiency in English, either through TOEFL or IELTS score
Online postgraduate application form on the university’s website must be duly completed and submitted for admission to a PhD program in Ireland. You can either fill the form online along with attached scanned documents or download the form and use it as a normal application form.
As per the university’s requirements, gather all the necessary documents and send your application to the admissions office of the university before the closing date of receiving applications.
Some universities in Ireland accept application only through PAC (Postgraduate Applications Centre) system. In case you are applying to one of such universities, you should fill the application form provided on PAC’s website and forward it with the requirements documents within 10 days of application.
Accommodation Expense
Plentiful accommodation facilities are available in Ireland as per students’ needs, requirements, and affordability, with a range from €1700 to €5400 per year.
Self catering accommodation provides options of living in a room in shared house or large private apartment. Costs from €380 to 700 per month.
Family based accommodation gives the privilege of staying with an Irish family and enjoying basic benefits. Costs from €95 to €120 weekly.
On-campus lodging is also made available by many universities and colleges, with diverse options, ranging from a single room to shared room in a large apartment to a one-bedroom apartment. Costs from €1700 to €2500 per academic year (usually nine months).
Cost of Education
The cost of studying in Ireland largely depends upon the university you are seeking admission in and the study program you have taken up. Pursuing a doctoral degree from an Irish university can cost you between €4000 and €5000.
More in Study in Ireland
Top Universities of Ireland
Ireland has some of Europe's best higher-learning institutes. Scroll through this write-up to discover the top universities of Ireland.
Internship in Ireland
Expose yourself to a challenging international industry in a uniquely stimulating location. Explore this article to get all information about internship programs in Ireland.
Irish MBA programs encompass personalized and tutorial style of learning. Scroll through this piece to know the different MBA programs offered in Ireland.
Masters Degree in Ireland
Pursue your graduate studies in a university with international acclaim. Explore this article to discover the different courses offered at postgraduate level in Ireland.
Undergraduate Courses in Ireland
Admissions for different courses in Ireland vary upon the university. Go through this article to find information about undergraduate courses in Ireland.
University Admission in Ireland
Obtaining admission in an Irish university requires you to follow a certain set of rules. Explore this article to know about the university admission procedure in Ireland.
Study Cost in Ireland
If you've decided to pursue education amidst the emerald landscapes of Ireland, knowing the cost of studying is highly essential. With this piece, know the study costs in Ireland.
Student Visa for Ireland
Apply for an Irish visa and fix your career growth to new heights. Go through this piece to find all information on student visa for Ireland.
Education System in Ireland
The education system of Ireland is ranked among the world's best. Go through this write-up to learn all about the educational structure followed in Ireland.
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The Streak Continues: Houston Defeats Buffalo to Extend Winning Streak to Three Games
Brian Barefield | 10/19/2018, 10:03 a.m.
Photography by Rudy Hardy-Spring Branch Sports Line
No matter whether you like it or not. The Houston Texans are finding ways to win games. They defeated the Buffalo Bills 20-13 to extend their winning streak to three games as they head into a divisional showdown next week with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“As a team, this is a very, very tough, competitive, resilient football team that will do anything to win and that’s what I’m most proud of relative to coaching these guys,” Head coach Bill O’ Brien responded when reporters asked him about bouncing back from a 0-3 start.
Houston’s special teams came up huge for them by creating two early turnovers that were converted into scores. OLB Brennan Scarlett and ILB Tyrell Adams made a great contribution on special teams. Adams who was signed to the team from the practice squad on October 6th blocked a punt, which was the first time in four years that has happened since 2014.
Running back Alfred Blue was the last one to do it. Talk about being in the right place at the right time, Scarlett recovered both fumbles and was elated to help this team win. He could not contain himself at his locker during post-game interviews knowing that every possession in a game counts.
“That was huge. We always talk about playing complementary football. It takes all three phases of the game, and as a special team’s unit, we take a lot of pride in going out there and doing our part.”
In a game where the offense was not clicking on all cylinders and quarterback Deshaun Watson wasn’t as sharp as he usually is. The defensive unit stepped up to provide the extra boost the team needed to complete the win by forcing the Bills’ second-string quarterback Nathan Peterman into back-to-back interceptions to end the game. The first was a pick-six to veteran cornerback Jonathan Joseph for the game winning touchdown. That was his fourth interception returned for a touchdown since joining the Texans in 2011, which is a franchise record. Joseph was asked what his thought was once he intercepted the ball and was he thinking about scoring.
“I kind of thought for a second to get there and just hold the ball so we can run the clock out, but then I was like chances like that don’t come by so often, I’ve got to score this.,” he said.
Not to be outdone was the longest tenured Texan, Kareem Jackson who one-upped Joseph by getting his 16th interception to break the tie (Joseph 15) and become the franchise leader. That interception sealed the game and brought out the offensive victory formation from the Texans. That also lead Joseph to comment on how happy he was for his teammate.
“Kareem and I are basically like brothers. We’ve been here forever. So, I’m just as happy for him as he is for me any time we make a play, any time a guy on this team makes a play. We were kind of going back and forth on this interception lead, so we have to put a little wager or something on it.”
The Texans travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars looking to extend their winning streak.
Moral Victory: Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans
Home Cooking: Houston Texans Defeat the Cleveland Browns
Almost Doesn’t Count: Texans Fall to 0-3 After Another Slow Start Against the New York Giants
Let's Go Streaking: The Houston Texans host the Buffalo Bills looking to extend their winning streak
Houston Texans Face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Annual Battle Red Day Game
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Baseball drops game one again, earns series win
By Peter Scamardo February 26, 2018
Junior starting pitcher Ryan Randel earned the win in game three as the Cougars outscored the Titans 10-5 to take the series after dropping game one. | Thomas Dwyer/The Cougar
The baseball team faced a scare in their opening game Friday, but came back in the next two to preserve their winning record.
For the second year in a row, the Cougars faced the Cal State Fullerton Titans, this time in Fullerton, California. For the second straight series, the team dropped their opening game but took games two and three, improving their record to 4-2 on the season.
The Cougars and Titans played each other last year at Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park, each team taking a game a piece. The third game was cancelled due to inclement weather, leaving the series even. The weather proved favorable this weekend as the Cougars were able to win on the road.
Junior starting pitcher Trey Cumbie took to the mound on Friday and again had a statistically strong appearance. In 6.2 innings pitched, he struck out 10 batters while giving up only one hit and no runs.
Cumbie dropped his earned run average to 1.50 on the year but again left the mound without a decision after the offense failed to produce any runs. The Cougars would eventually drop game one by the score of 1-2 in 15 innings.
Games two and three were stark contrasts to game one. Junior starting pitchers Aaron Fletcher and Ryan Randel both earned wins despite giving up at least five hits in their respective starts.
The offenses came alive for both teams in the final two games, but the Cougars were able to do just a bit more to secure their wins.
Winning 9-4 and 10-5, respectively, the Cougars were actually outhit by the Titans in the final two games, 22 to 24. But the Cougars were able to be more productive in scoring runs, recording 18 runs batted in to seven for the Titans.
Over the series, the Cougars outscored the Titans 20-11 and outhit them 30-25.
Junior first baseman Joe Davis was the most productive hitter over the weekend. Davis scored four runs on five hits and had two RBIs. Game three was capped by Davis hitting his first home run of the season.
Freshman right fielder Drew Minter was second in hits, recording four and scoring two runs with two RBIs.
Sophomore left fielder Lael Lockhart, senior second baseman Connor Hollis and sophomore designated hitter Landon Etzel each had three hits over the weekend and scored at least one run. All of Etzel’s hits came in game three where he scored two runs with two RBIs and a home run.
The baseball team returns to Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park Tuesday to host the Texas Southern Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
Tags: baseball, Cal State Fullerton, Joe Davis, Trey Cumbie
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Reviews 樂評 > CD Reviews 唱片評論 > She Spoke In Tongues, I Spoke Incompetence by OH! NULLAH
She Spoke In Tongues, I Spoke Incompetence by OH! NULLAH
Oh! Nullah is a new project headed by Ben Tse of TheLoveSong. She Spoke In Tongues, I Spoke Incompetence is its first product, a conventional eight-song album made available by less conventional means: free download. Artwork, titles and syntax suggest Godspeed! You Black Emperor and I wonder if I’m in for some abstract post-rock.
Instead, the opening two tracks, “Everything Looked So Simple” and the title track, are tight, peppy, guitar-driven rock. Duelling left/right guitars, Dinosaur Jr-esque noodling, complex and creative drumming, and assertive if not aggressive vocals add up to a big sound which welds power to energy. Production is conspicuous and slightly blown out, which is kind of cool until you realize you may not make it through the record without picking up a headache – think OK Go’s Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky. We’re also introduced to Ben’s unique vocal style, which is strong but largely atonal and barking. The decision to frequently double up the vocal on this recording contributes to its muddiness – it’s a problem when lyrics are clearly important but can’t be clearly discerned.
The juxtaposition of this vocal approach against the chord progressions and subject matter can be somewhat dissonant, as in the otherwise intriguing closing track, “First Heard At Missing Link”, or plain jarring, as in “Jardine’s Lookout Taught Us” and “This Style Erodes”. The latter two tracks, appearing mid-album, are pulled back, slower tempo numbers. While they’re not quite in the band’s comfort zone in terms of composition, arrangement and restraint, these tracks are generally well-executed and provide a welcome break from hard-charging drums and guitars.
Perhaps the most natural school for this group is punk – both in terms of lyrical concerns and musical style – and they get to stretch their legs in the more sarcastically-toned “Chinese Flag Raises Void Of Surprises” and “Critical Analysis With A Grain Of Salt”. Chinese Flag is a Bad Religion-style foray where the voice has the right quality but its flatness in pitch dishes off the melody to the guitar. The effect is something like Zack de la Rocha fronting a punk band and singing an octave down. Critical Analysis is essentially an exhortation to have the courage to take control of your own life. It’s a contemporary take on personal concerns which adds another layer to the album’s social and civic themes.
The high point of the album may be the fifth track, “Long Walk Home From Arnos Grove”. A punchy, nicely accented riff and anthemic feel are aided by slighter crisper production on the vocals. The message is both positive, about human nature and resilience, and critical, of the struggles created by established wealth and entrenched privilege. Guitars and bass still have to do the heavy lifting when it comes to melody, but this one just about works and the slightly off-kilter ending is a nice touch.
If you’re looking for categories, Oh! Nullah is essentially punk prog rock. It’s interesting, complex and creative, but unclear and uncompromising vocals combined with a lack of variety in dynamic makes it a difficult task to judge the mood and message of individual songs. Very probably an acquired taste, but it could well be worth acquiring. And if the musicians on this record could reproduce it live, it would definitely be worth seeing.
Download She Spoke In Tongues, I Spoke Incompetence at: http://ohnullah.bandcamp.com
Review by Brendan Clift
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By: Eric Van Dril | Aug. 24, 2017
Unfortunately, The Public League won’t continue this high-school season.
I launched an online business called Contact College Coaches in April, and I’ve decided to put my full effort and energy into growing it. Balancing this site and Contact College Coaches, which sells databases of college coaches’ contact information that help athletes get recruited, just isn’t possible.
The decision to put The Public League on an indefinite (possibly permanent) hiatus was a difficult one to make, and it’s really started to set in on the eve of the high-school football season. But I’m so thankful to have been able to write for a sizable, passionate audience, and the experience of covering football and basketball in Chicago was great. Truly.
I amassed a multitude of memories during the 2016-17 season. There were thrilling games and outstanding performances. There were so many unforgettable stories that I had the opportunity to tell. As I sit at my computer and type this, I can think of at least 20 stories that are distinctly etched in my memory. Those stories — examples of perseverance, hard-work, heartbreak, tragedy and triumph — will stick with me for a long, long time.
There are two other things that will also stick with me forever.
The first is all of the different parts of Chicago that I had the opportunity to see — places I likely wouldn’t have under any other circumstance. Places like Stagg Stadium on 74th street, with the train tracks running right alongside it, and beautiful Winnemac Stadium on the North Side. Places like Simeon, where NBA players worked tirelessly before stepping onto the national stage, and Lane Tech with its gorgeous murals lining the hallways as you walk toward the school’s gymnasium.
The second thing that will stick with me forever is the people I met.
Launching this site allowed me to witness a side of Chicago that many don’t see, or even hear about. Stories of people doing positive things in their neighborhoods often get ignored, especially in a city with so many examples of violence, dysfunction and tragedy.
But I saw, and met, a countless number of people who care about being a positive presence, and then back that up by doing things that can change lives.
I met high-school basketball coaches willing to sacrifice their evenings in order to unlock their school’s gym so one of their players can work out. I saw high-school football coaches do whatever it takes to get as many of their players to college as possible. I saw parents who are always there, supporting their children. I saw security guards dedicated to keeping everybody safe. I saw student-athletes grow into leaders, overcome adversity and demonstrate tremendous poise — even when I asked them tough questions after a loss, or after something tragic had happened in their lives.
I saw a lot of games during my year covering Chicago Public League football and basketball. But games, ultimately, are just games. To me, it was the people and the places that I’ll remember the most.
By Eric Van Dril| 2017-08-24T13:03:09-05:00 August 24th, 2017|Announcements|
Starting today, subscribers to ThePublicLeague.com will have the option to receive one high-resolution photo for free each month.
Any photo on ThePublicLeaguePhotos.com can be obtained for free, if you are a subscriber. There are over 1,000 photos on the site, currently. The list price for one high-resolution photo is $14.99 on ThePublicLeaguePhotos.com.
All subscribers have to do to request a high-resolution photo is fill out a photo request form. You can find it here.
Once you do that, your photo request will be processed and you will receive your photo via email.
Click here, if you would like to subscribe to The Public League and start receiving high-resolution photos.
By Eric Van Dril| 2017-04-13T12:00:54-05:00 April 13th, 2017|Announcements, Basketball, Football|
What The Public League will cover in the spring and summer
The 2016-17 basketball season has ended, but The Public League will continue to be very active in the spring and summer.
I might cover a handful of city championships later this spring. However, the vast majority of The Public League’s coverage in the coming months will continue to focus on football and boys basketball.
It will shift slightly, however. This site will be more feature-oriented in the spring and summer. The plan is to produce feature stories on the city’s athletes, coaches, alumni and others.
I will attend AAU events, 7-on-7 passing league events and showcases to do so. I’m always looking for story ideas, however. If you have a story idea you’d like to share, please send an email to thepublicleague@gmail.com.
With all of that being said, the Public League won’t publish any stories this week, and possibly all of next week. I am in the process of building a recruiting database of CPS basketball players. The goal of the database, as I wrote earlier this week, is to help Chicago Public League basketball players connect with college coaches and find the right college program.
Once the database is built and marketed properly, The Public League will return to what I think it’s done since launching in July of 2016: provide the type of in-depth, unique content that the Chicago Public League deserves.
Please sign up for a subscription, if you’re interested in consuming that type of content in the ensuing months. The cost is minimal — only $5-per-month — and each subscription helps ensure that this independently-run website lasts for a long time.
Eric Van Dril
Founder/editor, The Public League
By Eric Van Dril| 2017-03-23T14:51:16-05:00 March 23rd, 2017|Announcements|
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The calm before the great excitement!
Taking a brief Easter break before the big stuff happens!
Regular readers of the Rubbish Diet will probably recognise that nervous grin by now. It's the one that says 'oh heck, it's too late now, it's happening and there's no going back now'.
A bit like this one, taken in January 2008, when I signed up to St Edmundsbury's Zero Waste Week, agreed to become their community champion, panicked and then set up this blog.
Yes, this old blog, with just me and my bin!
Then you and your bins....
It really has been fun and I am truly grateful for everyone who has followed and interacted with the blog over the last five years.
But things are about to change bigtime!
So, please hang onto your seats for the next stage of The Rubbish Diet adventure, because very soon it's not going to be just me and this little blog anymore. There's a whole team of people behind the scenes, who have been working hard to take the bin-slimming experience to an all new level.
And over the next week, we will be announcing a brand-spanking-new Rubbish Diet website (yep - a proper website - at long last!) and the very exciting launch of The Rubbish Diet challenge which will soon be taking place across three counties (Shropshire, Suffolk and Powys).
I would love you to be a part of that too, whether it's following the story, tweeting the new links or encouraging your friends to get involved. There will be lots of stuff happening with some fantastic local projects, including teaming up with BBC Radio Suffolk to launch the BBC Radio Suffolk Rubbish Diet in my own area, which is both very exciting and equally daunting.
We are really just days away from the launch of the new website, followed by the actual Rubbish Diet challenge which launches on 15th April, inviting participants to slim their bins over 8 weeks. There will be new blogs too, enabling local followers to keep up with stories from their respective counties.
But there's no rest for the wicked! There's much to do between now and then - including another visit to landfill, delving into some prestigious bins around the county.... and judging by that photo, I'd better fit in another haircut as it looks like a spider has landed on my head!
Well there's definitely no going back now! So do watch out for imminent announcements and all those luscious bin-slimming links coming VERY SOON!
Meanwhile, if you are on Twitter, do follow @TheRubbishDiet, which will feature all the latest news as it happens. Local updates will also be available via @RDShropshire, @RDSuffolk @RDPowys.
Fr. Peter Doodes said...
Utterly well done and congratulations for your non-stop mission; it could not have been easy.
Thanks Peter and it's been great having your support all the way from way back when! Who'd have guessed eh, especially those moments when I thought I couldn't juggle it any longer. It's really great to have a team of people and the funding to push it further along now. It's going to be hard work but the next few months are going to be pretty exciting too. Better get a rest while I can. :) x
Nick Palmer said...
Almost Mrs A. Great to hear about the developments!
ram kishan said...
The paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a modern nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years which ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture and grain-based diets. In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet
Benefits of paleo diet
Please vote for The Rubbish Diet in celebration of...
The new Rubbish Diet Challenge website is now LIVE...
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Tenzin Tsomo, Tibet Post International
Previous Article Regional Tibetan Women’s Association of Kollegal shares stories of hardship
Next Article Central School for Tibetans in Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, Kollegal
Kollegal In Focus: Part Six
Brussels, Belgium — Dhondenling, Karnataka- Dhondenling Van Thiel Charitable Trust Hospital is the only hospital within 45km radius in Dhondenling. The hospital was established in 1974 by MYRADA which is an India based NGO.
The administration and legal rights were transferred to Department of Health, Central Tibetan Administration in 1986.
The settlement, being very remote and therefore far from urban cities, heavily depends on this hospital to provide them with basic and immediate medical care. Here Namkhang Lhamo, a senior nurse at the hospital, speaks about the hospital's journey since the beginning.
"The hospital was founded more than 40 years ago with the financial support of Mr Van Thiel and I have been working here since 2004. Prior to that i was working in Kamagere hospital and i did my graduation in Bangalore. At the beginning, volunteers for nurses were taken in from the people and they were trained for four months by an Indian doctor in vaccination and other basic first aid practices.
This has been the only hospital in the region. There are 22 staff working in the hospital which include both medical and non-medical staff. The hospital has been situated such that it is in the heart the settlement. Although the hospital is affiliated to CTA, it is not only for Tibetans. We treat both Tibetan and Indian patients. The hospital is open for everyone. The hospital is equipped to give basic diagnosis and treatment. We try our best to treat our patient but when it is beyond our reach, we refer them to higher centre in Mysore or Bangalore.
The hospital has various departments. These include Ophthalmic, dental department, physiotherapy, laboratory, pharmacy, eye theatre and X-ray. It also had a female and a male ward which can accommodate ten patients each and a maternity ward. On an average day, we have 60 patients and the most common report are of upper respiratory tract infection, diabetes, hypertension and diarrhea. These days, there have been more reports of diarrhea. When a serious case comes in, as in the case of a road accident, we perform the required first aid and then refer the patient to higher centres. In the case of poisoning, the doctor treats the patient.
"We have a medicare program in the hospital. It is called Tibetan Medicare System (TMS) and it covers five people in a family. To avail this, one had to pay an annual fee of 3590 rupees. The benefit of this program is that if three of the five member in the medicare fall ill, the family can claim 1,20,000 rupees. There is also a condition that is the patient has to be admitted within 24 hours.
If the patient is in need of a surgery, there is another package system. Many Tibetans have Yashasvini health insurance scheme but I think TMS has much more benefits to offer in our Tibetan society. We also support the destitute people by giving them medicine on credit and their bill is sent to the Health Department which covers the bill. Also a patient with mental disorders get a benefit of 50% and an HIV patient gets 100% benefit. Pregnant women get iron and calcium supplements for none plus two months and a benefit of two ultra sound and the necessary vaccinations of the child is taken care by the hospital.
"We have built new infrastructure where we have shifted the hospital to. The walls of the old hospital because of rain, had become a breeding ground for fungus. Prolong exposure to fungus can lead to all kinds of diseases even cancer and therefore with the aid of Vimala association, an Italian based, we were able to built a new hospital.
"Our hospital does not only treat patients but also educate them about healthy lifestyles and various diseases that are prominent in the society, so as to help prevent it. The medical staffs visit all 22 villages, the school and various monasteries within the settlement, carrying out health talks about disease control and prevention. We celebrate HIV day, Hypertension day and other days of serious diseases and use them to spread awareness about them. Also when a disease like dengue becomes epidemic, we visit the villages and educate the people about it and the prevention methods. It is a must that we give at-least one health talk in a month.
Tibet Kollegal Tibetan Medicare System Dhondenling Van Thiel Charitable Trust Hospital
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Home News #MeToo founder gives keynote speech at Rowan’s feminist symposium
#MeToo founder gives keynote speech at Rowan’s feminist symposium
Matt Kass
#MeToo founder Tarana Burke speaks to assembled students at the Feminist Activist Symposium on March 29, 2018. -News Editor/Matt Kass
Thursday Afternoon in the Eynon Ballroom, Tarana Burke, the founder of the #MeToo movement delivered the keynote address to the Feminist Activist Symposium which was presented by the Rowan University Women’s Center.
Burke spoke about her experiences in life that led her to the creation of the movement, including growing up in a house in the Bronx where her parents surrounded her with black feminist ideals. She said that growing up she saw things happening in her community that she wanted to change, but she didn’t have the skills to do so at that point in her life. Becoming a community organizer was her plan to change that.
She then went on to describe the start of her career as a community organizer in 1989 and talked about some of the work she did, including protesting against then real-estate developer Donald Trump for his stance on the Central Park Five case. But the genesis of what would later become the movement was birthed while Burke was working at a camp. One of her campers told Burke she had been molested by her mother’s boyfriend. While Burke admitted she didn’t have the skills to properly deal with the situation then, the conversation with the camper became the catalyst for what would eventually be the #MeToo movement.
Speaking after the meeting, Burke said that the reason she goes to Rowan and other schools to speak is to inspire the next group of leaders.
“I think that this generation is going to be where the movement lives,” Burke said. “So it’s incredibly important to speak directly to young people, who are going to carry this work. I don’t even think in five years I’ll be at the forefront of this, and I shouldn’t be. It should be these people and people younger than them. And so it’s important for me to share our vision for a way forward so that when they take over, they can carry that vision out. And if I can leave something that motivates people to be active either in this work or work that’s going to change our world, I absolutely want to do that.”
Along with Burke’s keynote speech, the symposium included several other activities, including group discussion sessions and safe zone training. Bri Ozalas, a senior communication studies major, was one of the student volunteers who helped with the discussion session. She said that being able to work with social justice organizations on campus is a worthwhile pursuit.
“Just being a part of this kind of collective organization on campus is important for representation, and also being able to provide a platform for people who don’t usually get a voice,” Ozalas said.
When asked for her thoughts on Burke’s speech, Ozalas said that it was insightful to hear Burke speak about her journey in life and how it shaped her.
“Listening to Tarana speak was incredible and it provided a lot of insight to her journey,” Ozalas said. “And to show that she has been working this whole time, but it just took the spark of a hashtag to really get people talking, and I think that that’s just incredible.”
Burke’s speech and the symposium itself was a highlight of the Office of Social Justice, Inclusion and Conflict Resolution’s programming for Women’s History Month. For more information of programs offered by SJICR, visit their website.
For questions/comments about this story, email news@thewhitonline.com or tweet @TheWhitOnline.
Bri Ozalas
Feminist Activist Symposium
Rowan University Women's Center
Tarana Burke
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Posted in British Army
Don Walster (SAS Regiment)
shane August 8, 2018 Leave a comment
Don was born in Coddington, Newark, his father was George Rowland and his mother was Ruth Annie (nee Hough), Don was the youngest of five children.
Don was educated at Coddington School and the Grammar School in Newark.
He joined up a week before the war when he was seventeen (he lied about his age but was determined to join the forces) and joined the Sherwood Rangers (no.557905). Previously, he had been in the Territorials. He was made up to Corporal before they left for France this was the first time he had travelled abroad. They travelled to Marseilles by train and took eight hundred horses. Many of the horses suffered during the journey and several of them died. The regiment was shipped across to Palestine although they didn’t see any fighting there. He saw Jerusalem and Galilee. By this time, he was the most senior corporal in his unit but he wasn’t promoted because of his age.
He heard that they were recruiting for the SAS and volunteered. He joined Dett 1st SAS Regiment at Kabrit, Egypt. He had to drop rank to trooper but that didn’t bother him and his training began at Bitter Lakes at Kabrit. Part of his training was unarmed combat, desert survival, attaching bombs to underside of ships & tanks etc and parachuting. He parachuted a number of times behind enemy lines.
He served under the command of David Stirling; they lived in the desert for months at a time mostly in the Qatari Depression. Don went on many raids, the “Malta Convoy Raids”, he also went on many raids inside German held Territory. He was on the Benghazi raid and took a bullet. He was taken prisoner at the same time as Col. Stirling during the final push up the desert near Tripoli. They were taken to an Italian compound (Camp number 70 Monturano (Parma), postal mark number 3300) where he and other SAS were beaten and some killed. They were then taken to German headquarters where Rommel was in command. The order from Berlin was that all captured SAS were to be executed Rommel fortunately disobeyed the order. They were moved out of Tripoli and shipped to a prisoner of war camp outside of Capua. He was then taken by truck into Germany to Dachau where he spent ten months of hell. He was then sent to another prisoner of war camp Stalag 344, Lamsdorf, Poland POW 220843. When the Russian advance drew nearer, the men were given two days warning that they were marching west as were thousands of other prisoners. Eventually they arrived at Gorlitz near Hanover and were rescued by the allies, taken to a Belgian airport and flown back home. During his service abroad of six years and 186 days he had served in Palestine (19-1-40 to 1-10-40), Cyprus (2-10-40 to 13-1-41), Egypt (14-1-41 to 26-1-41), Crete (27-1-41 to 31-5-41), Egypt (1-6-41 to 16-12-42) Libya, Italy & Germany (POW)(17-12-42 to 20-4-45) and received two medals (The King George VI 1939 – 1945 Star & The Africa Star).
Don was in poor state of health by this time having been beaten, starved, travelled in cattle trucks with eighty-six men other men, made to dig out mass graves, walk for miles & miles in feet of snow and ice, and starved again. By now he was attached to the Royal Armoured Corps.
The army classified him as ‘Ceasing to fulfil Army Physical Requirements’ and he was finally invalided out in March 1946 with a disability pension of £2 a week. The pension continued for two years! On his discharge Certificate his military Conduct was stated as Exemplary.
It took him almost a year to get well enough to work again and he decided to start his own painting and decorating business with his father to help him. Donald and his father did all the joinery work on the village hall (Coronation Hall) when it was built in the early fifties. Years later he launched his own taxi service and eventually worked in the car industry at Wadham Stringer until he retired.
He married Kathleen Mavis Burton in July 1947 at St. Mary Magdalene church in Newark. Kathleen died April 1989. There were no children…
His nieces & nephew took his Ashes to be scattered at the SAS Regiment in Hereford on the 29.07.1993
Don’s Goddaughter Barbara Horton wrote this article. August 2000
The Walster family:- Don’s grandfather George Henry, his grandmother Mary and their thirteen children.
Back:- John Thomas b. 1878, James Robert b. 1879, George Rowland b. 1880 Middle:- Louisa b. 1899, Sarah b. 1888, Margaret b. 1886, Edith b. 1884, Fred b. 1882 Front:- William b. 1892,Helena b.1896, George Henry b. 1856. Mary (nee Roberts) b. 1854 Harry b. 1899, Annie b. 1894, Arthur b. 1890 Four of the boys served in the Great War:- John Thomas, Fred, Arthur W (Joe) and William (Billy)
Four of Don’s uncles served in WW1
Walster, Fred
Aged 32, Notts & Derby Regiment
George Henry Walster married Mary Wood Roberts in Coddington Church on 17 Nov 1877. George Henry was a carpenter and Mary had been Sewing Mistress(when her father John Roberts was headmaster). The family lived initially with John Roberts on Chapel Lane, but later moved to Charity Farm.
Frederick, the fourth child, was christened at Coddington Church on 12 Nov 1882. The children attended Coddington School. By 1901 Fred was a baker, living in Newark with his employee. In 1911 he was a grocery salesman aged 28, lodging at Southwell.
Military Service record: Regt no 15418, 616162 Sgt.
Fred served in the Gallipoli campaign. Medals: 1914 – 15 Star, British Victory. The 9th Bn Notts & Derby Regt sailed from Liverpool in early July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay 7 Aug 1915. It took part on the assault on Scimitar Hill. They were evacuated in December 1915, and moved to Egypt via Imbros. Later they moved to France in July 1916.
Walster, John Thomas MM
Aged 36, Royal Field Artillery
John Thomas, the eldest child of George and Mary Walster he was christened at Coddington Church on the 8 Sep 1878. In 1901, he was a professional cricketer, aged 22, still living with his parents. Later he was a groom. By 1911 with wife and four children he was living at Barnby in the Willows, Newark. John was now a gardener aged 33.
Military Service record: John enlisted on 19 Jan 1915 Regt No L23207, trained in England until 12 Jan 1916. He disembarked at Havre, Army B213 France, was promoted to Corporal 2 May 1915 and transferred to the Royal Field Artillery. On 29 June 1918 admitted to hospital Boulogne with an RI Hernia injury. He returned to England 31 Mar 1919. Medals, MM (London Gazette 29.8.18)L/23207 Cpl, but A/Sgt Royal Field Artillery), British, Victor
WALSTER, Arthur W. (“Joe”) MM
Aged 23, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
Arthur W (“Joe”), the sixth child of George Henry and Mary Walster, was christened at Coddington Church on 22 Mar 1891
Arthur married Nellie and they had two children. The photo shows Billy and “Joe” (Arthur W) Walster.
Military Service record: Sergeant Arthur W Walster served with Major Hugh Tallents in the Gallipoli Campaign, and was mentioned in the regimental memoirs Hugh wrote. They arrived
Suvla Bay 18 Aug 1915. 27 Aug, on patrol with Maj Tallents to select the position of a new line, Sgt Walster climbed a willow tree to get a better view of the Turkish positions 300 yds away. Unfortunately he left his rifle in the tree, and trying to recover it ‘afforded good sport’ to the enemy riflemen, watched by his compatriots in Poplar House. The Regiment were evacuated on 2 Nov 1915 to Alexandria, and served in Egypt (1915 -16), Macedonia (1916 – 17) and Palestine (1917 – 18). On the way to Palestine the troop ship Cestrian was torpedoed and sank. Arthur was wounded at Mosque Hill near Suffa on 28 Nov 1917, in an action to retake the crest against machine guns. Heavy losses meant the force had then to be withdrawn into regimental reserves. Arthur was wounded again on 30 Apr 1918 in an action at Shunet Nimrim on the east side of the Jordan Valley. Sgt. 275025 William A Walster was awarded the MM: London Gazette 10.4.1918. Page 4392.
WALSTER, William (Billy) Aged 22, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
William, the ninth child of George and Mary Walster, was christened at Coddington Church on 31 Jul 1892. By 1911 Billy was a groom aged 19, living at The Stables, Stanford Hall, Loughborough. He married Daisy Crampton and they had two children.Military Service record:
Regt No. 1744 Pte; Corps of Hussars Regt no 275182 Pte, Egypt. Medals: 1914 -15 Star, British, Victor.
His relation who also served in WW2
Dernie, James H2nd Lieutenant Sherwood Foresters.
In the 1930s Jim joined the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry as a trooper. He went with the regiment (including their horses) to Palestine in 1940 as part of the 2nd Cavalry Division (read Lady Ranfurly’s book “To War with Whitaker”). He was in Palestine for his 21st birthday and was selected for Officer training, I think this was in Egypt. He was then assigned to the Sherwood Foresters and ended up in Tobruk where he was taken prisoner at the end of the siege. Thereafter he was taken to Italy and then Germany. I believe he was on the same transport as the late Col. Derry. Whilst in prisoner of war camp he took his Land Agency exams courtesy of the Red Cross. He also learnt to play bridge! He was repatriated at the end of the War. There is a photograph taken in Newark Town Hall by the Newark Advertiser, at the end of the war, of the men of the Newark area who had been in prison camp and returned home. Uncle Jim is on that. He died quite young in 1973 but his Widow, Monica (Pacey) is still with us aged 88 and I speak to her every Sunday.
Military Service record:-
Reg No 235300. In 1943 he was a Prisoner of War in Italy:- P.O.W. Camp Number 21, Cheiti Old Convent, Postal Mark Number 3300
Sue Kitchen 21/8/13
More details of Coddington Men who served in WW1 can be found on the internet:-
Coddington History Group – Timeline – 20th Century – Book “The Great War Coddington Remembers”. Scroll down.
Fred Reed July 2018
shane April 24, 2018 Leave a comment
Harry Rawling [Royal Corps of Signals]
shane June 15, 2018 1 Comment
John Gardiner [12th (Airborne) Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment]
Kenneth Oldham [British 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion]
← The Wartime Memories of Christopher Rigg
Joan Midgley (Voluntary Aid Detachment : Royal Navy) →
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After three decades, Nordeng retires
By Tina Foreman
Farmer Staff Writer
After more than three decades at the Watford City Post Office, Phyllis Nordeng has decided it’s time to move on to a new chapter in her life.
“I’ve been with the Post Office for 33 years,” says Nordeng. “I’m retiring, but not really. I’m ready for a change of pace, but it’ll be a while before I’m ready to shut down for good.”
Nordeng’s last day as the Watford City Postmaster was Tuesday, March 31, 2009. She wasn’t eligible for retirement for one more year, but due to the economic state of the nation, the United States Postal Service offered those employees close to retirement a chance to take early retirement instead of laying off workers.
“I was planning to retire next year,” adds Nordeng. “But when they offered the early outs I decided to take it, especially if I can help keep other people in their jobs.”
According to Nordeng, the USPS needs to cut down on staff because the amount of mail has dropped due to the economic troubles.
“Companies aren’t advertising as much and that has affected the USPS,” states Nordeng. “Mail from advertising is something we always seem to have, so it has been a big change to see so much less.”
During her 33 years, Nordeng has noticed other changes, like postage and automation.
“Postage was 13 cents when I first started,” comments Nordeng.
When Nordeng began her postal career as a part-time clerk, systems were much different than the high-tech computer systems they use today. There was no online postal service or scanners, everything was done by hand.
“The Postal Service has changed with the times,” says Nordeng. “I think the automation changes with all of the computerization have been the biggest change.”
Working in a small post office, Nordeng had the privilege of working in all areas of the office, which she says kept her job interesting, because every day was different.
“The best part of my job is my customers,” says Nordeng. “Although I will miss my customers, I think I will miss my employees the most. They’ve become like family to me and I’m sure I’ll have to stop in and visit a lot.”
Nordeng has never considered herself to be an inside person and she always thought she would work outdoors.
“I never expected to stay at the post office for 33 years, but it was a good career for me,” comments Nordeng. “At this point I am excited to do something outside. I have a couple of offers that will allow me to work outside when it warms up a little more. I am looking forward to that and also to being able to volunteer for different things.”
After 33 years of seeing Phyllis at the post office, residents of Watford City should expect to see some different faces around. But Nordeng is sure that the good customer service that residents have come to expect from the employees of the Watford City Post Office will stay even after she has left.
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President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points
President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. World War I speech delivered in Joint Session, January 8, 1918, in which Wilson enunciated what he considered the basic premises of a just and lasting peace.
Once more, as repeatedly before, the spokesmen of the Central Empires have indicated their desire to discuss the objects of the war and the possible basis of a general peace. Parleys have been in progress at Brest-Litovsk between Russsian representatives and representatives of the Central Powers to which the attention of all the belligerents have been invited for the purpose of ascertaining whether it may be possible to extend these parleys into a general conference with regard to terms of peace and settlement.
The Russian representatives presented not only a perfectly definite statement of the principles upon which they would be willing to conclude peace but also an equally definite program of the concrete application of those principles. The representatives of the Central Powers, on their part, presented an outline of settlement which, if runch less definite, seemed susceptible of liberal interpretation until their specific program of practical terms was added. That program proposed no concessions at all either to the sovereignty of Russia or to the preferences of the populations with whose fortunes it dealt, but meant, in a word, that the Central Empires were to keep every foot of territory their armed forces had occupied -- every province, every city, every point of vantage -- as a permanent addition to their territories and their power.
It is a reasonable conjecture that the general principles of settlement which they at first suggested originated with the more liberal statesmen of Germany and Austria, the men who have begun to feel the force of their own people's thought and purpose, while the concrete terms of actual settlement came from the military leaders who have no thought but to keep what they have got. The negotiations have been broken off. The Russian representatives were sincere and in earnest. They cannot entertain such proposals of conquest and domination.
The whole incident is full of signifiances. It is also full of perplexity. With whom are the Russian representatives dealing? For whom are the representatives of the Central Empires speaking? Are they speaking for the majorities of their respective parliaments or for the minority parties, that military and imperialistic minority which has so far dominated their whole policy and controlled the affairs of Turkey and of the Balkan states which have felt obliged to become their associates in this war?
The Russian representatives have insisted, very justly, very wisely, and in the true spirit of modern democracy, that the conferences they have been holding with the Teutonic and Turkish statesmen should be held within open not closed, doors, and all the world has been audience, as was desired. To whom have we been listening, then? To those who speak the spirit and intention of the resolutions of the German Reichstag of the 9th of July last, the spirit and intention of the Liberal leaders and parties of Germany, or to those who resist and defy that spirit and intention and insist upon conquest and subjugation? Or are we listening, in fact, to both, unreconciled and in open and hopeless contradiction? These are very serious and pregnant questions. Upon the answer to them depends the peace of the world.
Labels: Woodrow Wilson
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SOME OF IT Eric Church
Charlie Daniels Band- July 25
The Charlie Daniels Band at Innsbrook After Hours | July 25th
997 CYK has your chance to win tickets to see The Charlie Daniels Band.
Enter below to win. Good Luck
Register to Win Charlie Daniels Band Tickets 2019
* By entering this contest you will be added to the 997 CYK Email Club.
Your Birthday*
Your ZIP / Postal Code*
BUY Tix
Thu. Jul 25
GATES 5PM / SHOWTIME 6PM
During Charlie Daniels 50-year career, he has scored hits on the rock, country, pop and Christian charts and counts his awards from the Country Music Association (CMA), Academy of Country Music (ACM), TNN/Music City News Awards, and the Gospel Music Association (GMA) among his many accolades. Born in Wilmington, NC, he was raised on a musical diet that included Pentecostal gospel, local bluegrass bands, rhythm & blues, and country music from the radio, including Nashville’s 650 WSM.
His signature song, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” topped both country and pop charts, bringing him international acclaim.
The CDB’s current release is Off the Grid-Doin’ It Dylan, a tribute to Bob Dylan. Little could Charlie Daniels have imagined in the late ’60’s as a young studio musician answering a call from producer Bob Johnston to add his creativity on guitar to three of Dylan’s Nashville produced projects (Nashville Skyline, Self Portrait, and New Morning,) that he was on the first steps of the journey to his own destination as a musical icon.
His first new album project release since 2007, Off The Grid is Dylan the Daniels way and the result is sheer musical genius.
“It was about 50 years ago when I first became aware of Bob Dylan-and no, I was not naïve enough to think I could swim in the same stream, try to emulate what he had done, or cop his licks. Nobody could do that,” notes Daniels. “My ambitions were to provoke some thought, to color the imagery of my songs, to think outside the box of conformity-in other words to be myself.”
Charlie feels the Dylan sessions not only did a lot for his confidence, but helped legitimize him in Nashville circles and beyond as a serious musician. He amply repays the debt of gratitude on this new project.
“Whatever it was Bob Dylan meant by his lyrics, they grabbed the attention of the world and changed the face of music forever,” notes Charlie. “He inspired musicians to knock down the restrictive, bubble gum, three minute a side, Tin Pan Alley world that set the parameters of popular music and turn their creative minds loose in a thousand new directions.”
Charlie Daniels has managed to do just that. During his 50 plus years of creating his own new definitions of music, he has scored hits on rock, country, pop and Christian charts. Skilled on guitar, fiddle, and mandolin, his contributions to country and southern rock are legendary on the path of platinum that’s carried him to virtually every music industry award and accolade presented across multi-genres.
Off The Grid is yet another example of the seemingly endless reservoirs of musical creativity that the now 77 year young Daniels can effortlessly draw upon. The “playing the legend forward” beauty and respect in his tribute to Dylan doesn’t go unnoticed in the tracks.
For the future? “Bob Dylan basically defies description and trying to figure out what he may do next is tantamount to trying to guess which number a roulette ball is going to land on. After 50 years he remains the unrivaled free thinker with the talent and the nerve to follow his musical star wherever it takes him,” notes Daniels.
A note to which a world of listeners of Off The Grid can easily echo, “Back at you Charlie.”
http://www.charliedaniels.com/
www.facebook.com/charliedanielsband
10:49 pm SOME OF IT Eric Church
10:39 pm ONE NUMBER AWAY Luke Combs
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Octogenarian Charged with Sexual Assault of Teen
Written by MC Prosecutor's Office
FREEHOLD, NJ - An 86-year-old man is charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy following a joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Tinton Falls Police Department, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
Albert DeCresci, formerly of Rumson but a resident in Tinton Falls at the time of the incident, is charged with one count each of second degree Sexual Assault and third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, after he was found in the act of the sexual assault. DeCresci is currently being held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, Freehold Township, on $250,000 bail with no 10 percent option, as set by Monmouth County Superior County Judge Honora O’Brien Kilgallen, J.S.C., who also ordered he have no contact with his victim and not return to the scene of the crime if he is released.
Investigators are urging any additional victims to come forward by contacting Detective Delisa Brazile, of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-620-4045, or Detective Robert Wilson, of the Tinton Falls Police Department at 732-542-3400 ext. 443.
If convicted of Sexual Assault, DeCresci faces a sentence of 10 years in a New Jersey state prison without parole, subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and Community Supervision for Life following his release from state prison.
If convicted of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, DeCresci faces a sentence of three to five years in prison.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fichter, Director of the Office’s Special Victims Bureau.
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College of Physical Education, police martyrs
Under the patronage of Mr. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Salah Qaraa, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education held a student meeting attended by college and Mr. A. Dr. Ahmed Salah Qarah, Dean of the faculty and Mr. A. D/Saleh Mohammed Saleh, undersecretary for community service affairs, Environment Development and Mr. Prof. Dr. Imad Samir Mahmoud Vice dean for graduate and research affairs.
They all stood a minute of mourning for the spirit of the martyrs of the police, who died after the senseless terrorist incident in the oases.
Mr. A. Dr. Ahmed Salah Qaraa expressed his condolences to the martyrs of the incident, asking them to accept them as martyrs and inspire their patience.
Mr. Prof. Ahmed Salah Qaraa, Dean of the faculty, delivered a speech during the seminar, which included the assertion of patriotism and the protection of the nation's capabilities by the police in concert with the army.
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Berkeley Actor returns in Marin Theatre Co. "TOPDOG/UNDERDOG"
By John A. McMullen II
Sunday October 07, 2012 - 08:38:00 AM
KevinBerne.com
Bowman Wright (Lincoln) left, and Biko Eisen-Martin (Booth) right
Biko Eisen-Martin (on right in photo) is a Bay Area native who has returned to co-star in Marin Theatre Company’s "TOPDOG/UNDERDOG" by Suzan-Lori Parks directed by Timothy Douglas.
He will reprise the role of Booth, the younger brother and hustler, who tries to draw older brother Lincoln back into his scams. Lincoln has gone straight and has a steady job as a black Abraham Lincoln impersonator.
Eisen-Martin taught history at Berkeley High. As a youth, Eisen-Martin attended the prestigious Branson School in Ross, arising before dawn to catch the bus from San Francisco. He was a member of “Youth Speaks,” Bay Area's first spoken word artists and educators.
Eisen-Martin received his MFA from the National Theatre Center in April, earned his Actors’ Equity card at the Denver Theatre Center, and is represented by the Hardin/Curtis agency.
He auditioned for the role while in town; he had played the role in a conservatory production at the Denver's National Theatre Center.
Here is the phone interview I had last week with the 28 year old actor:
You play Booth, the younger brother, the hustler. Did you ever hustle?
No (he laughs).
Have you thought about running a 3-card Monte to prepare for the role?
No, I’m not that much of a method actor (more laughter).
How are you preparing for the role?
Script analysis, trying to get the language right and in my body… with close attention to the punctuation….there is something bubbling…like when the scansion is off or over punctuated in Shakespeare.
Who plays your older brother Lincoln?
Bowman Wright. He recently got his MFA down at UC San Diego, and he's Equity, also.
How are you working on this together?
Sending it at each other….kind of a call and response. We’re trying to get in synch in support and familiarity more than in physical traits like walking or talking.
Do you have brothers?
Yes, a big brother.
How do you see the character of Lincoln (your brother)?
As a street god…a legend…a father figure.
How do you see Lincoln (the President)?
I don’t think the play is about Abraham Lincoln, so that hasn’t changed in the process of the show. I know how my character feels about him, and you can come to the play to find out how. I know how I feel about him, and…well, that’s irrelevant to my performance.
Have things changed for African-Americans since Suzan-Lori Parks wrote this almost a decade ago?
This play is not just about African-Americans …it’s about brothers who are poor which transcends race.
But to answer your question, there are negatives and positive: Katrina exposed a lot of the actions of what the government will do. Young brothers get killed at an alarming rate. A black person is killed by law enforcement every 36 hours. Rising price of higher education is limiting Black communities.
But kids are making positive contributions, showing up to school facing some of the worst circumstances. Just like Lincoln shows up every day at work.
“TOPDOG/UNDERDOG” is a family story. Rich brothers have crazy/competitive/loving relationships, too. The specificity of the demographic makes it a good story, but it’s still universal.
But, like I said, the point of this show is not to educate you about black people….
Who are your theatrical influences and teachers?
Two men, mainly.
L. Peter Callender--I took his class at Cal Shakes and he directed me in PATRICIDE REVISITED at the SF Theatre Festival in 2009.
And my mentor SF Poetry Grand Slam Winner Marc Bamuthi Joseph who is now the director of performing arts at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Do you still teach?
I still do workshops on spoken word poetry…I still try to rap (he laughs). Still perform in high schools sometimes…but it doesn’t pay the bills.
Do you come from a bi-racial background?
How is that relevant? I am, but type-casting is difficult, once you get pigeon-holed.
There are so many actors who don’t get shots. I’m trying to stretch the limits, but race and casting are still an issue.
Who is directing it and what can you tell us about the direction?
Timothy Douglas. He’s a perfect blend of natural, less intellectual, and one of the smartest directors I’ve had in the way he breaks down moments for us while keeping us in the moment.
What’s in your future professionally?
More auditions. Waiting to be called.
“TOPDOG/UNDERDOG” is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of its Pulitzer Prize for Drama win, and the first and only for an African American woman. The play was seen in the Bay Area in 2003 when the Broadway production toured through San Francisco. Marin Theatre Company is producing the first local professional production of the play.
“TOPDOG/UNDERDOG” plays at the Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley through October 21st.
For more info & tickets, go to http://marintheatre.org/
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In Ohio, Fiscal Conservatism Means Slamming The Gays
The Ohio Senate just passed a bill that Republican supporters claim is essential to balancing the state’s budget. The bill, which now goes on to the House, limits collective bargaining rights for unions of state and local employees, including police and firefighters. It also includes this indispensable and essential component for balancing the state’s budget:
Sec. 3101.01 of S.B. 5: … A marriage may only be entered into by one man and one woman. Any marriage between persons of the same sex is against the strong public policy of this state. Any marriage between persons of the same sex shall have no legal force or effect in this state and, if attempted to be entered into in this state, is void ab initio and shall not be recognized by this state. The recognition or extension by the state of the specific statutory benefits of a legal marriage to non-marital relationships between persons of the same sex or different sexes is against the strong public policy of this state. Any public act, record or judicial proceeding of this state, as defined in section 9.82 of the Revised Code, that extends the specific statutory benefits of legal marriage to non-marital relationships between persons of the same sex or different sexes is void.
Ohio already passed one of the nation’s most draconian constitutional amendments prohibiting marriage equality in 2004. This bill goes further by stripping LGBT workers (mostly of state universities and a handful of municipalities) of their domestic partnership benefits. It’s a good thing the Tea Party only cares about fiscal matters.
Tags: Domestic Partnerships, Ohio
K in VA
What Ohio juristictions or state universities currently offer DP benefits?
Stefano A
Bowling Green State University (BGSU)
University of Cincinatti
In addition, this bill will impact:
the Columbus School District which offers same-sex domestic partner benefits.
All Franklin County employees who are offered domestic partner benefits.
All Columbus city workers which are offered domestic partner benefits.
And, all State employees, which are provided sick-leave and bereavement benefits.
Note: The original bill was over 688 pages. The amended bill, which is the one the Senate passed, is over 475 pages (the amendment itself alone is 99 pages), which makes it very difficult to determine exactly what all this will impact.
It should also be noted that in this bill a public employer is any state, county, township, or municipal body including any political sub-body and public contractor, and also affects any public hospital, day-care center, park and recreation agency, etc which is operated by a one of the above public employers.
Sen Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond), fought the state sick-leave and bereavement policy. All of these have been challenged in court claiming Ohio’s constitutional amendment banned them, but those arguments were refuted by the Ohio Supreme Court. So, basically, banning these benefits in SB5 is a way to do a run-around the court decision stating there is nothing illegal about Ohio offering such benefits.
Neihaus is the same dude which removed the dissenting Republican from the committee who opposed SB5 in order to appoint a pro-SB5 Republican in order to game the system so he could get the passing committee vote.
Addendum 2:
BTW: I only listed the public employers I personally knew of. I’m rather sure that there are other counties and municipalities outside of Columbus, Franklin County, which offer similar benefits. For example, I’d be surprised if Dayton, Toledo and Cleveland don’t already offer such benefits, and it’s possible Cincinnati and some other medium-size cities do as well; but I don’t know for sure.
From a non-gay related aspect, this cry by republicans of it being an “indispensable and essential component for balancing the state’s budget” is dubious.
A Columbus Dispatch computer analysis showed that the state’s non-university payroll in calendar year 2010 totaled was 1.7 percent less than paid in 2009, in 2010 the total was $105 million less than in 2008, a 3.2 percent reduction, according to analysis of information released by the Ohio Department of Administrative Services in response to a public-records request.
Overtime pay (down 1.4 percent), sick leave (down 7.1 percent), vacation (down 1.8 percent) and comp time (down 13.4 percent) all fell last year.
Blake Alverson
My first instinct is boycott Ohio. Which is a shame because I love roller coasters. This action by the legislature seems particularly extreme. It reminds me of when Exxon bought Mobile. What other states have done similar actions? Is this unprecedented?
-Blake
Kings Island and Cedar Point are private not public employers and I don’t know what their employment policies are as far as benefits goes.
The union-busting SB5 bill, I think, only regulates union collective-bargaining with public employers.
So while the sentiment is appreciated, I’m not sure a boycott would really have much of an impact except to deprive your business from private enterprises, and only indirectly impact Ohio government via sales tax.
I don’t care to pay taxes of any sort to a state that takes a step backwards by removing benefits. I will be happy to visit Cedar Fair properties in other states.
TonyJazz
When did Ohio become the backwards state of the north?
I wonder if the Gay Games in 2014 should be reassigned from Cleveland to a different locale as a result of this idiocy…..?
Oh, since at least the early 1900’s TonyJazz, and it only keeps getting worse. Ohio affords absolutely no GLBT protections for anything, not even anti-bully legislation.
Paul J. Stein
Ohio is loosing a lot of talent due to the “head up their ass Republicans” What needs to happen is a boycott by gay emergency, hospital, health care workers. To refuse to do any emergency procedures unless the are pro-Ga/Lesbian rights. That might get some response as to what Gas/Lesbian OHIOANS contribute. OHIOAN since 1959.
GDad
The final bill‘s language appears not to include this awful section. I can’t find reference to 3101.01 in this version of the bill.
(Very) small blessings, I guess.
GDad, that’s because what you have linked to is the 99-page amendment.
That document is not a consolidated version of the bill.
The original bill text is Sub. S. B. No. 5.
The amendment is Am. Sub. S. B. No. 5
[AM = Amendment]
I don’t know if there is a consolidated version that is a “Sub” [Submitted] something.
GDad:
I may owe you an apology.
I was checking back on the senate site to see if a consolidated version of the bill was available — it’s not.
So, to be candid, I’m not sure if what you linked to is actually the full text of the bill that was passed (dumping section 3101 and several other sections) or if, as I originally thought, it’s just the amendments to the original language that were passed.
The web site’s not really clear on that.
I thought I’d follow up on whether or not Section 3101 is, indeed, included in the current rendition of SB5.
According to an article published in the Columbus Dispatch today [20 March], as GDad stated Section 3101 was removed from the bill.
The Columbus Dispatch reported:
•Domestic partner benefits eliminated
According to a Feb. 21 e-mail from Equality Ohio, urging opposition to SB 5, the bill “contains language that could impact current and future domestic partner benefits for LGBT employees.” There is nothing, however, in SB 5 that specifically targets the LGBT community. Confusion arose when an earlier version of the bill was under consideration in the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee. That version restated the existing Ohio marriage law, including the state’s policy against extending benefits in same-sex relationships. The latest version of SB 5, as it was passed in the Senate, removed any reference to Ohio’s marriage law. [emphasis added] Equality Ohio remains opposed to the bill because collective bargaining is often the only way members of the LGBT community can receive domestic partner benefits.
My mistake. It wasn’t the Columbus Dispatch that confirmed the removal of Section 3101. The article actually was published by The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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The Theory of Brain-Sign
The Theory of Brain-Sign is a new scientific theory of the brain. Brain-sign replaces consciousness. Its ontology is that of a physical sign, and it functions as the communication mechanism about the world between purely physical brains in collective action. It is derived continuously from the causal orientation of each brain, and represents the world target to which communicating organisms refer. Therefore 'the world' is a neural construct.
The theory's claim to be scientific is that brain-sign is a wholly physical condition fulfilling a crucial neurobiological function. Signs are ubiquitous in biology.
Consciousness, by contrast, is inexplicable as physicality, and is scientifically impenetrable. Moreover, there is no consensus as to what it is ontologically, or does functionally. With brain-sign theory, the 'mystery' of consciousness is removed and neural science can cease to search for psychological states in the brain.
Brain-sign has no direct causal impact on an organism's actions. However, without its communicative function, appropriate organisms could not act together. Brain-sign represents the limit or boundary of an organism's causal orientation. It is not, as is widely assumed of consciousness, knowledge of the world or itself.
The brain-sign model offers neural science a way forward in describing the overall architecture and operation of the brain - although the mechanism remains to be discovered. It will give brain-related disciplines a unified conceptual underpinning, from neuroscience to sociology. Further development of the theory and its application is in progress.
The brain-sign model has been developed by Philip Clapson. Dr. Clapson is on the staff at the Department of Psychological Sciences at Birkbeck, University of London. See web page.
Three current papers outline brain-sign theory and its rationale.
(2014) Knowledge, Science and Death: The Theory of Brain-Sign. Activitas Nervosa Superior, 56 (4): 105-120
(2016) Communication Without Consciousness: The Theory of Brain-Sign. Activitas Nervosa Superior, 58 (3-4): 84-107
(2017) Chapter: The Theory of Brain-Sign: A New Model of Brain Operation, 81-100. Elsevier.
In the Introduction to the 2017 book The Human Sciences After the Decade of the Brain, the editors (Jon Leefmann and Elisabeth Hildt) say the following about this chapter (pp. xiv-xv).
'Th[e] part, entitled "The Neurosciences of Social Science and Ethics," starts out with the delineation of a major theoretical scheme for the role of neuroscience in the explanation of social phenomena. Arguing for an eliminativist approach in the philosophy of mind...Philip Clapson reconstructs consciousness as "the brain phenomenon" and shows how brain-signs, which he conceives of as means of interneural communication, are generated by the brain from its causal orientation toward the world. This allows him to explain cooperative actions of organisms in physical terms and to argue that human beings cannot be conceived of as mental subjects with immediate access to themselves and the world. If the brain is explained as a causal organ, instead, human beings can be fully explained in terms of the natural sciences. As a result, Clapson claims that the natural sciences and the social sciences gain a uniform scientific and practical foundation. It is the language of the natural sciences that can account for everything there is to say about social phenomena.'
Contact e-mail: p.clapson@bbk.ac.uk
Content copyright . BRAIN-SIGN.COM. All rights reserved.
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Broadcast Technology » Computers and Technology
What ps3 game is the easiest to get a platinum trophy
Tags: PS3 games
In which our hero (namely me) compares and contrasts three big-selling adventure games and reports to you, the consumer, which one he likes the best.
1) Assassin’s Creed – Released by Ubisoft in 2007, Creed’s major selling points are twofold; firstly, it has a long and absorbing storyline for players to engage with. A young man is captured by mysterious forces, and placed in a machine that forces him to re-live the past adventures of his ancient ancestor, who belonged to an ancient cult of (you guessed it) Assassins. The second thing is the gameplay; Creed is tremendously playable, evoking memories of such classic games as ‘Metal Gear Solid’ and ‘Prince of Persia.’ What’s more, the story ends on a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more. Fortunately there is now a whole series for you to play, together with at least one more ancestor to inhabit as our young hero struggles for his freedom. It is, in short, excellent.
2) Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – SCE (Sony Computer Entertainment) released this game in 2007 and our second game choice is another story-based romp. In this story, Nate Drake (apparently related to Sir Francis Drake) goes looking for the lost treasure of El-Dorado, accompanied by a journalist and plagued by a series of not-quite-sexy ‘will-they-won’t-they?’ scenarios. The blatant tip of the Stetson to Indiana Jones and out and out rip off of the ‘Tomb Raider’ series notwithstanding, the story is interesting and the graphics are incredible. At times, it’s like watching a movie. Unfortunately, Drake is less fortunate than the aforementioned Dr. Jones, as whoever directed his story is no Spielberg. Far more interested in cinematic camera angles than actual gameplay, Uncharted is frequently mired by the player’s inability to see what is going on right in front of them. It’s fine at first, but gets tedious after the 200th death on a simple jump just because you can’t bloody see where you’re jumping to!
3) Batman: Arkham Asylum – (I’m cheating a little bit here, as this game is two year’s younger than the others, being released by Eidos in 2009). Batman is a mighty game with a style and panache all on its own. While not as engrossing or interesting as Creed, (Comics writer Paul Dini ensures that most of the script is true to the comics but offers little in the way of actual plot) it is still immensely enjoyable. The asylum itself (now an island for creative license purposes) is rendered with such attention to detail that it becomes almost a character in its own right and Mark Hamill’s incendiary turn as The Joker will put chills up your spine. The gameplay is as swift and graceful as Batman himself. Is it any wonder the Batman comics team recently re-designed the Batsuit to resemble the look of this game?
Summing up: Drake loses out on the grounds of poorer camera angles and gameplay. Now to choose between Assassin’s and Batman…hmm…It’s a draw.
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Disputes cast shadow on service tax collections
September, 06th 2010
Govt may lose over Rs 500 crore in service tax this year
The government may lose over Rs 500 crore in service tax this year, as its decision to impose tax on eight new services and amend some existing ones has been challenged in three cases copyright, immovable property and health check-up services provided by insurance companies.
This is about half of the total revenue it had expected from taxing new services. A finance ministry official said it would lose another Rs 800 crore due to deferment in tax on transportation of goods by rail. Builders may also challenge the imposition of service tax on flats under construction.
The revenue department of the finance ministry is expecting about Rs 200 crore and Rs 150 crore from levy of tax on copyright and health services, respectively. The revenue will be collected for a period of nine months as the service tax came into effect from June. Out of Rs 1,000 crore it projected from amendments to existing services, Rs 200 crore was expected from renting of immovable property.
In the Finance Bill 2010, amendments were made in the definition of renting of immovable property to provide explicitly that the activity of renting itself is a taxable service. The change was given retrospective effect from June 1, 2007. This was likely to get the government another Rs 1,000 crore. But the levy of service tax on renting has been challenged on various grounds before the courts.
The ministry had also brought copyright on cinematographic films and sound recording under the scope of existing taxable service Intellectual Property Right. This has also been challenged in various courts by film producers on the grounds that states were already taxing copyright.
The department was expecting Rs 800 crore from service tax on transportation of goods by rail. The levy was to be introduced in April, but was later deferred to June and then to January 2011. This will leave the finance ministry with only Rs 200 crore from the service. The tax may be further deferred, as Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will have Assembly elections in West Bengal next year.
The increase in litigation has become a cause for concern for the finance ministry, with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee constituting a Standing Committee to identify systematic causes for service litigation, prepare a road map for reducing the existing cases, and to avoid it in future.
Low growth in service tax collections has increased the worries of the finance ministry. Service tax collections grew by 11.8 per cent in April-July, against 70.8 per cent and 40.8 per cent growth recorded in Customs and excise duty collections, respectively, in the same period.
I fail to understand why the growth of service tax should be so small. It is an acknowledged fact that the service sector in the country is also growing substantially. I would like those of you concerned with the service tax collection to ponder over this, and find ways and means to increase it, Mukherjee had told revenue officials at a recent review meeting in Mumbai.
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