pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 41
971k
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.851574
| 0.851574
|
Entries in commander (4)
Commander of US Army Forces in Japan Suspended
http://www.usarj.army.mil/cmdstaffs/CG2.jpg(WASHINGTON) -- The U.S. Army suspended Maj. Gen. Michael Harrison, commander of the U.S. Army Forces in Japan from his duties for alleged failure to report or investigate at least one allegation of sexual assault.
The sexual abuse case in question took place within the last 12 months, says USA Today. While Maj. Gen. Harrison was relieved of his duties by Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Army chief of staff, he is not himself accused of any form of sexual misconduct.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced in a press release that Maj. Gen. James C. Boozer, formerly the deputy commanding general of the United States Army in Europe, will serve as the interim commander in Japan until the Army's investigation is complete.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 11:05AM by Louis Milman Permalink
tagged Japan, Maj. Gen. Michael Harrison, Suspended, U.S. Army, commander in National News General
Obama Welcomes Home US Commander in Iraq
Post a Comment Share Article
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Marking the end of the nearly nine-year war, President Obama Tuesday welcomed home the top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. Lloyd Austin, and witnessed the return of the command flag that flew over Baghdad.
“It is great to be back in the United States of America,” Austin said in an understated ceremony at Joint Base Andrews. “We have honored our commitment and our military-led mission has come to a successful conclusion, and today I am proud to safely return our colors to their rightful place, the United States of America.”
While the president did not deliver formal remarks, both Obama and Vice President Joe Biden greeted Austin and his top command staff on the tarmac.
With his commander-in-chief sitting close by, Austin praised the troops who served in Iraq and highlighted their successes. “I could not be more proud of our men and women in uniform who are unquestionably the pre-eminent military force in the world,” he said. “What our troops achieved in Iraq over the course of nearly nine years is truly remarkable. Together with our coalition partners and core of dedicated civilians, they removed a brutal dictator and gave the Iraqi people their freedom.”
Tuesday’s event came only two days after the last U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq. “Today, we bring home the colors to United States soil, at the same time we embrace many of our own back into the fold just in time for the holidays,” chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey said. “Welcome home.”
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 11:27PM by Carmen Cox Permalink
tagged Iraq, Lloyd Austin, President Obama, commander in Homeland Security, National News General, Politics
Naval Commander Convicted of 9/11 Fraud
Photos.com/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- A decorated retired naval officer who was honored for his heroic actions during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon was found guilty Monday of defrauding a 9/11 victims’ compensation fund.
Cmdr. Charles Coughlin of Severna Park, Maryland was found guilty of making a false claim in order to collect more than $300,000 from the fund. Coughlin claimed he was injured by falling debris when he raced back into the Pentagon to help others. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Meritorious Service Medal for his actions and the injuries he suffered that day.
Soon after, the 52-year-old Coughlin claimed he suffered constant pain in his neck, along with headaches, weakness and numbness in his left hand. He also claimed he could no longer play basketball, work on homeowner projects or run long distance races.
Prosecutors say Coughlin ran in the New York City Marathon two months after the terrorist attack. They also presented photographs of Coughlin playing lacrosse.
The verdict carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, but prosecutors are expected to seek a sentence of three to four years when Coughlin is sentenced on Nov. 21.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 4:19AM by Jeanette Torres Permalink
tagged 9/11, Fraud, Pentagon, Sept. 11, Terrorist Attack, U.S. Navy, commander in National News General
Blue Angels Commander Steps Down After Leading Risky Maneuver
Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images(SAN DIEGO) -- The leader of the Navy's celebrated Blue Angels flight team is stepping down after admitting to leading jets in an "unacceptably" low-altitude stunt.
Navy Cmdr. Dave Koss volunteered to be relieved of his duties after admitting days following a performance at Lynchburg Regional Air Show on May 22, that the movement he carried out "had an unacceptably low minimum altitude" and was not in accordance with airborne standards, according to a statement from the Naval Air Forces.
"This maneuver, combined with other instances of not meeting the airborne standard that makes the Blue Angels the exceptional organization that it is, led to my decision to step down," Koss said in the statement.
Even though the maneuver went off without injuries and all members of the Blue Angels Team landed safely, after a safety review several of the team's shows were cancelled, including a midweek show at the U.S. Naval Academy and performances scheduled over the Memorial Day Weekend.
This Blue Angels also canceled scheduled performances at the Rockford Airfest June 4 and 5, and at the Evansville Freedom Festival Air Show June 11 and 12.
In the meantime, according to the statement, the Blue Angels were to stay in Pensacola, Fla., for more training and air show demonstration practice.
Safety issues are not new for the esteemed flying team. Thousands watched on April 2007 when a Blue Angels' jet crashed during a South Carolina performance. The Beaufort, S.C., crash killed one pilot and injured other members of the team.
In 2004, Lt. Ted Steelman suffered minor injuries after being ejected when his aircraft struck water one mile off Perdido Key in Florida. The accident was the result of engine and structural damage.
Koss will be replaced by Capt. Greg McWherter, who was the previous Blue Angels' commanding officer, for the duration of the season.
Sunday, May 29, 2011 at 8:00AM by Anselm Gibbs Permalink
tagged Navy, blue angels, commander, resigns in National News General
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line1
|
__label__wiki
| 0.791371
| 0.791371
|
PBS Names Dana Golub Vice President, Programs Management, Technology and Operations
Dana Golub, PBS
Arlington, VA; September 18, 2017 – PBS today announced that Dana Golub has been promoted to the newly created role of Vice President, Programs Management. Golub will continue to serve on PBS’ Technology and Operations team, reporting to PBS Chief Technology Officer Mario Vecchi.
Since 2010, Golub has served as the Executive Director of PBS WARN, an innovative program that leverages the television broadcast environment and PBS’s national footprint to enhance the reliability of the national Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. In this capacity, she administered a $55-million grant, which included $28 million in sub-grants to provide power back-up equipment to public television stations.
In her new role, Golub will continue to oversee PBS WARN while also managing a new program, announced in July, that will protect access to PBS for an estimated 38 million Americans in remote and underserved communities. The program stems from a commitment that Golub helped to secure from T-Mobile to cover the costs for the relocation of translators, small broadcasting facilities needed to extend the reach of TV broadcast signals to rural and remote areas, following the FCC’s recent spectrum incentive auction.
“Dana is not only a very skillful program manager and team leader, but she is also always looking for innovative ways to serve stations and deepen public media’s impact in local communities,” Vecchi said. “In particular, she has been at the forefront of advancing the role that PBS and stations play in ensuring public safety through lifesaving emergency communications.”
“From helping to facilitate secure communications among local first responders to serving as impromptu phone banks in times of crisis, local stations’ commitment to keeping their communities safe never ceases to amaze me,” said Golub. “I am excited to explore ways we can support and strengthen this vital function through even greater collaboration, exchange of best practices and innovative approaches.”
In April, Golub was named as one of four finalists for the Digital Entertainment Group’s “Hedy Lamarr Award for Innovation in Entertainment Technology.” She was also appointed this summer to FEMA’s National Advisory Council IPAWS Subcommittee, a body focused on promoting best practices in emergency alerting.
Golub joined PBS in 2002, first serving in Digital Strategic Services, eventually managing more than 360 grants that distributed $119 million to PTV stations in support of digital television broadcast equipment. Before PBS, she held marketing and product management roles at Time Life Music in Alexandria, Virginia.
Golub is a cum laude graduate of Georgetown University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English.
Aparna Kumar, PBS, 703-739-5028, ahkumar@pbs.org
PBS Takes Friday Nights to a New Level With Broadcast ...
PBS Names Jennifer Rankin Byrne Vice President, Corporate Communications
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line2
|
__label__wiki
| 0.868831
| 0.868831
|
Wallen, Robert Elias (1831–1893)
by A. R. Hall
Robert Elias Wallen (1831-1893), stockbroker and journalist, was born on 5 June 1831 at Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies, son of Francis Robertson Wallen, of Donegal, Ireland, and his wife Catherine, née Hobson. He was educated at Foyle College, Londonderry, Ireland, and in 1848 joined a firm of American merchants in Liverpool, England.
On news of gold discoveries in Victoria, the Wallen family decided to migrate. Robert arrived in Melbourne in 1852 in the Rip Van Winkle, the cargo of which was consigned to him, while the rest of the family came in the Great Britain. He set up in business for a few years with his father and brother, trading as F. R. Wallen and Sons, merchants, but by 1860 he had joined William Clarke and Sons, gold-dealers and brokers. In 1860-61 he edited a stock and share journal, which was published by major stockbroking firms in Melbourne to give a record of share prices and to provide informed comment for investors. In 1861 he was secretary and member of the short-lived Stock Exchange. William Clarke and Sons was dissolved in May 1867 and Wallen became a partner with Alfred, one of the sons, in the firm of Clarke & Co. (which still survives). Wallen was the first secretary and later several times chairman of the Melbourne Stock Exchange set up in 1865. On the formation of the new Stock Exchange in 1884 he became its first chairman for two years; later a committee-man, he was a member of a subcommittee in 1889 which initiated the first major redrafting of the rules. Over thirty years he thus played a leading part in stock exchange affairs.
For many years Wallen was also a part-time journalist. Working from 7 or 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. most evenings, he contributed to the Age, the Leader and the Argus; and in 1870-87 as 'Aegles' wrote the shrewd and genial column 'Talk on Change' for the Australasian. He later claimed that his writing had earned him some 12,000 guineas. As well, he edited the Australasian Insurance and Banking Record from its first issue in 1877 until its one-hundredth in mid-1885 when he resigned because of expanding business. His wide financial knowledge and experience, his undoubted journalistic ability and his careful handling of statistics established the Record as a financial journal of the highest quality. In recognition of his standing among professional statisticians and bankers, he was elected a fellow of the Institute of Bankers, London, and of the (Royal) Statistical Society of London.
Wallen was active in civic affairs and in 1877-83 was a member of the Hawthorn Borough (later Municipal) Council and mayor in 1878 and 1879. Keenly interested in art, he was president in 1882 of the Art Union of Victoria and for some ten years thereafter held the posts of president or vice-president. In 1889-93 he was a trustee of the National Gallery, Museums, and Public Library of Victoria. Described as 'Full of tact, considerate in his views, urbane in his manner', Wallen was an active layman of St Columb's Church of England, Hawthorn.
On 21 May 1863 Wallen had married Marian May Pitman (d.1887), the 17-year-old daughter of a solicitor; they had eight daughters and three sons. From about 1892 his health was impaired by his anxiety over the prevailing financial crisis. He embarked on a long sea voyage in 1893, but on 1 October, just out of Auckland, New Zealand, he died of a paralytic seizure. His body was brought back for burial in the Boroondara cemetery. He was survived by seven daughters and three sons of whom Frank (b.1870) joined Clarke & Co. in 1890, purchased his father's seat on the Stock Exchange of Melbourne in 1895 and was a member until 1929.
James Smith (ed), Cyclopedia of Victoria, vol 1 (Melb, 1903)
A. R. Hall, The Stock Exchange of Melbourne and the Victorian Economy 1852-1900 (Canb, 1968)
Australasian Insurance and Banking Record, 14 July 1885, 19 Oct 1893
Australasian, 19 Feb 1887
Argus (Melbourne), 4 Oct 1893
records (Stock Exchange of Melbourne).
A. R. Hall, 'Wallen, Robert Elias (1831–1893)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/wallen-robert-elias-4793/text7983, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 18 July 2019.
Aegles
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
financial writer
general merchant
local government head
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line5
|
__label__cc
| 0.563646
| 0.436354
|
Economics, Sexuality, and Male Sex Work
Author: Trevon D. Logan, Ohio State University
Male sex work generates sales in excess of one billion dollars annually in the United States. Recent sex scandals involving prominent leaders and government shutdowns of escort websites have focused attention on this business, but despite the attention that comes when these scandals break, we know very little about how the market works. Economics, Sexuality, and Male Sex Work is the first economic analysis of male sex work. Competition, the role of information, pricing strategies and other economic features of male sex work are analyzed using the most comprehensive data available. Sex work is also social behavior, however, and this book shows how the social aspects of gay sexuality influence the economic properties of the market. Concepts like desire, masculinity and sexual stereotypes affect how sex workers compete for clients, who practices safer sex, and how sex workers present themselves to clients to differentiate them from the competition.
No other book analyzes male sex work as an economic market
Takes insights from sociological theory and applies them to markets, allowing readers to understand the economic importance of social theory to economics
By taking an economic approach to sexuality, gender and masculinity, this book brings readers who are intimidated by gender studies into the fold, showing them the importance of the field for human behavior
'Firmly grounded in economic theory and modern empirical techniques yet broadly accessible, Logan offers a groundbreaking and comprehensive analysis of this poorly understood market. This book should be required reading for a broad class of social scientists at the intersection of race, class, gender, and sexuality.' Christopher Carpenter, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
'Using an innovative combination of economic and sociological approaches, Trevon D. Logan takes the reader on a fascinating deep dive into the American market for male sex workers. Through a series of careful analyses, he reveals that the inner workings of this understudied market are profoundly shaped by the intersecting social dynamics of masculinity, sexuality, and race.' Rene Almeling, Yale University and author of Sex Cells: The Medical Market for Eggs and Sperm
'We have long needed someone to apply the lens of economics to the market for male sex work. Through these optics, Trevon D. Logan provides some of the first comprehensive empirical analysis of male sex work in the United States. This book advances our collective understanding of this utterly fascinating market.' Manisha Shah, University of California, Los Angeles
'Economics, Sexuality, and Male Sex Work is a beautiful piece of economic sociology accessible to scholars and students across sociology, anthropology, and economics. Logan manages to break new ground in economic sociology and is clearly having fun while doing so. The intellectual curiosity he brings to this book is infectious, and readers will be rewarded for every moment they spend in his company.' Gregory Mitchell, Contemporary Sociology
'Trevon Logan's book is a sophisticated analysis of male sex work based on a blend of economic and sociological analysis of this market. Each chapter begins with a lengthy discussion of a research question, followed by a statistical analysis of Logan's data sources. While a few other scholars have examined sex markets in a limited fashion, Logan's work stands alone in digging deep into this marketplace.' American Journal of Sociology
Introduction: economics, sexuality, and male sex work
Part I. The History and Economics of Male Sex Work:
1. Male sex work: antiquity to online
2. Face value: how male sex workers overcome the problem of asymmetric information
3. Market movers: travel, cities, and the network of male sex work
Part II. Male Sex Work and Sexuality:
4. Illicit intersections: the value of sex work services
5. Show, tell, and sell: self-presentation in male sex work
6. Service fees: masculinity, safer sex, and male sex work
Conclusion: every man a sex worker: commercial and non-commercial gay sexuality.
Trevon D. Logan, Ohio State University
Trevon D. Logan is Hazel C. Youngberg Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ohio State University and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He has won the American Sociological Association's Section on Sociology of Sexuality's Best Article Award. He is a member of the Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession at the American Economic Association and member of the Executive Board of the North American Association of Sports Economists. He is a former president of the National Economic Association, was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar in Health Policy Research at the University of Michigan, and former chair of the Economic History Association Committee on Data and Archives.
Marriage and the Economy
Theory and Evidence from Advanced Industrial Societies
The Economic Organization of the Household
Motivation and the Economics of Information
Economics of Agglomeration
Cities, Industrial Location, and Globalization
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line6
|
__label__wiki
| 0.619394
| 0.619394
|
Disenfranchising Democracy
Constructing the Electorate in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France
Author: David A. Bateman, Cornell University, New York
The first wave of democratization in the United States - the removal of property and taxpaying qualifications for the right to vote - was accompanied by the disenfranchisement of African American men, with the political actors most supportive of the former also the most insistent upon the latter. The United States is not unique in this respect: other canonical cases of democratization also saw simultaneous expansions and restrictions of political rights, yet this pattern has never been fully detailed or explained. Through case studies of the USA, the UK, and France, Disenfranchising Democracy offers the first cross-national account of the relationship between democratization and disenfranchisement. It develops a political institutional perspective to explain their co-occurrence, focusing on the politics of coalition-building and the visions of political community coalitions advance in support of their goals. Bateman sheds new light on democratization, connecting it to the construction of citizenship and cultural identities.
Examines democratization through the lens of disenfranchisement, developing a new theory that connects the two processes
Places American democratization in comparative perspective and sheds new light on democratization in France and the UK
Connects the study of democratization to the study of citizenship, nationalism, and social and cultural identities
‘This exceptionally smart, thoughtful, theoretically and empirically rigorous book breaks new ground on the politics of voting rights and disenfranchisement. Disenfranchising Democracy is critically important to understanding the politics of voting rights and civil rights, both historically and for today.' Paul Frymer, Princeton University, New Jersey
‘This is an important study, theoretically innovative and empirically rigorous. Through careful attention to the history of disenfranchisement, Bateman helps us to conceptualize democracy not simply as a set of neutral mechanisms for selecting leadership, but as a deeply political process of ‘people-making'. Disenfranchising Democracy helps us to understand, in precise and nuanced ways, the role of exclusions in building democratic consensus and demonstrates that the prevalent tendency to view such events as ‘setbacks' obscures critical dynamics in the process of democratization itself.' Amel Ahmed, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
‘Like the best work in American political development, Bateman finds a wellspring of insight into contemporary American politics buried in our past. Writing at time when voting rights are under siege, he reminds us that the electorate has been politically constructed all along, that the pattern of expansion has not been linear, and that democracy is always vulnerable to fears of diversity and its implications for some imagined community.' Stephen Skowronek, Yale University, Connecticut
‘Deeply researched and beautifully written, this landmark work of scholarship presents an extremely original account of the mass franchise during the nineteenth century. For scholars of American politics, a special bonus is the demonstration that black suffrage mattered far more in antebellum party dynamics than we have previously known.' Rick Valelly, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania
‘This is a rich and important book. Bateman explains complex moments of simultaneous enrichments and disenfranchisements, placing the US in a broader nineteenth century, comparative perspective. The book makes many contributions and unearths a treasure trove of political claims-making by a variety of actors - American, British, and French.' Robert Mickey, University of Michigan
contains: 16 b/w illus. 5 tables
1. The puzzle of democratic disenfranchisement
Part I. The United States:
2. Revolutionary democracy
3. The 'monstrous spectacle' of Jeffersonian democracy
4 The white man's republic
Part II. The United Kingdom and France:
5. The fall of the Protestant constitution
6. The republic through the side door
David A. Bateman, Cornell University, New York
David A. Bateman is Assistant Professor of Government at Cornell University, New York. He is co-author of Southern Nation: Congress and White Supremacy after Reconstruction (forthcoming).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line7
|
__label__wiki
| 0.716337
| 0.716337
|
A Concise History of France
Part of Cambridge Concise Histories
Author: Roger Price, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
This is the most up-to-date and comprehensive study of French history available ranging from the early middle ages to the present. Amongst its central themes are the relationships between state and society, the impact of war, competition for power, and the ways in which power has been used. Whilst taking full account of major figures such as Philip Augustus, Henri IV, Louis XIV, Napoleon and de Gaulle, it sets their activities within the broader context of changing economic and social structures and beliefs, and offers rich insights into the lives of ordinary men and women. This third edition has been substantially revised and includes a new chapter on contemporary France - a society and political system in crisis as a result of globalisation, rising unemployment, a failing educational system, growing social and racial tensions, corruption, the rise of the extreme right, and a widespread loss of confidence in political leaders.
Provides an accessible study of a key nation, designed for use by the student or traveller
Covers main themes and personalities from throughout French history, with the aid of numerous illustrations and figures
The third edition has been updated and the final chapter and its illustrations revised to reflect contemporary developments in France
Review of previous edition: '… coherent and eminently readable. It is a major - indeed unique - achievement.' The Times Higher Education Supplement
Review of previous edition: '… a remarkably succinct story.' John Wright, BBC
Edition: 3rd Edition
Part I. Medieval and Early Modern France:
1. Population and resources in pre-industrial France
2. Society and politics in medieval France
3. Society and politics in early modern France
Part II. The Dual Revolution: Modern and Contemporary France:
4. Revolution and empire
5. The nineteenth century: continuity and change
6. A time of crisis, 1914–45
7. Reconstruction and renewal: the Trente Glorieuses
8. A society under stress
A short guide to further reading
Roger Price, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
Roger Price is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He has written extensively on French history. His latest publications include The French Second Empire: An Anatomy of Political Power (2001) and People and Politics in France, 1848–1870 (2004).
European Review
The European Review is a unique interdisciplinary international journal covering a wide range of subjects. It has…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line8
|
__label__wiki
| 0.519674
| 0.519674
|
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
An Annotated Translation of the Principia
c.$299.00 (R)
Real Author: Isaac Newton
Editor and Translator: C. R. Leedham-Green, Queen Mary University of London
Publication planned for: February 2020
availability: Not yet published - available from February 2020
c.$ 299.00 (R)
Pre-order Add to wishlist
This title is not currently available for examination. However, if you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an examination copy. To register your interest please contact collegesales@cambridge.org providing details of the course you are teaching.
Newton's Principia is perhaps the second most famous work of mathematics, after Euclid's Elements. Originally published in 1687, it gave the first systematic account of the fundamental concepts of dynamics, as well as three beautiful derivations of Newton's law of gravitation from Kepler's laws of planetary motion. As a book of great insight and ingenuity, it has raised our understanding of the power of mathematics more than any other work. This heavily annotated translation of the third and final edition (1726) of the Principia will enable any reader with a good understanding of elementary mathematics to easily grasp the meaning of the text, either from the translation itself or from the notes, and to appreciate some of its significance. All forward references are given to illuminate the structure and unity of the whole, and to clarify the parts. The mathematical prerequisites for understanding Newton's arguments are given in a brief appendix.
A translation of Newton's Principia, designed to be more readable than earlier translations which follow the Latin text verbally
Copious notes discuss the meaning, context, and significance of the text, and explore its ambiguities
The first translation into English that is based on an attempt to understand Newton's arguments
The Axioms, or the Laws of Motion
Book One. On the Motion of Bodies: Section 1. On the theory of limits
Section 2. On the calculation of centripetal forces
Section 3. On the motion of particles in eccentric conic sections
Section 4. On the calculation of elliptical, parabolic, and hyperbolic orbits with a given focus
Section 5. On the calculation of orbits when neither focus is given
Section 6. On the calculation of motion in given orbits
Section 7. On the ascent and descent of particles in a straight line
Section 8. On the calculation of the orbits in which particles revolve under any centripetal forces
Section 9. On the motion of particles in moving orbits, and the motion of the apsides
Section 10. On the motion of particles on given surfaces, and the swinging motion of a string pendulum
Section 11. On the motion of particles attracting each other by centripetal forces
Section 12. On the attractive forces of spherical bodies
Section 13. On the attractive forces of non-spherical bodies
Section 14. On the motion of particles attracted by centripetal forces towards the various parts of arbitrarily large bodies
Book Two. On the Motion of Bodies: Section 1. On the motion of particles moving against a resistance that is proportional to the speed
Section 2. On the motion of particles moving against a resistance that is proportional to the square of the speed
Section. 3. On the motion of bodies to which the resistance consists of one part that is proportional to the speed, and another part that is proportional to the square of the speed
Section. 4. On the revolving motion of bodies in resisting media
Section 5. On the density and compression of fluids, and on hydrostatics
Section 6. On the motion and resistance of string pendulums
Section 7. On the motion of fluids and the resistance of projectiles
Section 8. On motion propagated through fluids
Section 9. On the circular motion of fluids
Book Three. On Celestial Mechanics: The rules of Scientific Argument
On the motion of the nodes of the moon
Glossary of Latin terms
Editor and Translator
C. R. Leedham-Green, Queen Mary University of London
C. R. Leedham-Green is an Emeritus Professor of Pure Mathematics at Queen Mary, University of London. He is an algebraist, working mainly in group theory, and most of his publications concern p-groups, pro-p-groups, and computation in matrix groups defined over finite fields. He is a joint author, together with Susan McKay, of The Structure of Groups of Prime Power Order (2002).
Alfred Tarski
Life and Logic
An Edition with Notes and Commentary
The Astronomer as Natural Philosopher
Mathematical Constants
Mathematical Constants II
The G. H. Hardy Reader
Creative Mathematics
A Gateway to Research
The British Journal for the History of Science
This leading international journal publishes scholarly papers and review articles on all aspects of the history of…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line9
|
__label__cc
| 0.553237
| 0.446763
|
Michael Eavis >
China Issues Warning to Glastonbury Festival over Dalai Lama
By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 26 June 2015
Follow Michael Eavis
Michael Eavis Glastonbury Festival
The Dalai Lama will appear in the Green Fields on Sunday.
China has issued a warning to the Glastonbury Festival organisers over their booking of the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan spiritual leader is to give a talk at this weekend's festival to promote a message of "compassion, non-violence and the oneness of humanity."
Dalai Lama's booking at the Glastonbury Festival has caused a stir in China
However, officials in China have warned that the Eavises' booking is tantamount to offering the Dalai Lama a platform to "engage in anti-China splittist activities," Reuters reports. The leader is not scheduled to meet with officials in Britain, though China nevertheless is concerned that he may be intent on promoting his wish for an autonomous Tibet in the UK.
More: Kanye West announced as headliner for Glastonbury 2015
Organiser Emily Eavis said she is "honoured" to welcome the head monk of Tibetan Buddhism, though China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the country is firmly against the "international scuttling about of the 14th Dalai Lama to serve his political aims."
"China resolutely opposes any country, organisation, body or individual giving any kind of platform to the 14th Dalai Lama to engage in anti-China splittist activities," he said at his daily news briefing.
The Dalai Lama fled India in 1959 after fearing for his life in the wake of an uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet. Protestors at Glastonbury are expected to demonstrate against his alleged religious persecution and human rights abuses.
This isn't the first time that the UK has been in hot water on the Dalai Lama's travels. In 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron was forced to delay a trip to China after Beijing became angered over his meeting with the monk.
More: Petition launched to stop Kanye West's Glastonbury headline performance
Michael Eavis opens Glastonbury-on-Sea pier
Glastonbury Festival 2019 will see new 'micro venue' to Silver Hayes area
Michael Eavis hints Paul McCartney could headline Glastonbury 2020
Michael Eavis: It's a great idea for Culture Club to do Glasto legends slot
Glastonbury to change name in 2019
Glastonbury Festival to move from Worthy Farm in 2019
No Longleat move for Glastonbury
First 2017 Glastonbury Tickets Sell Out In 23 Minutes
Is Glastonbury Moving Away From Worthy Farm For 2018?
Michael Eavis Apologises After Glastonbury Sewage Pollutes River
Glastonbury Boss Skipped Kanye West's Set
Michael Eavis wishes Frank Sinatra and Elvis had played Glastonbury
Glastonbury Organiser Plotting Festival Move
Celebrities Index: 0 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
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line10
|
__label__cc
| 0.684138
| 0.315862
|
AEIC Releases Recommendations for Restoring American Energy Innovation Leadership
Posted on February 24, 2015 June 1, 2016 by AEIC Staff
Energy technology innovation is critical for expanding U.S. economic growth, enhancing energy security, and protecting our environment. However, critical federal investments in energy innovation have remained unchanged since 2010, as detailed by the American Energy Innovation Council (AEIC) in its third report, Restoring American Energy Innovation Leadership: Report Card, Challenges, and Opportunities, released today. The report finds that Congress and the Administration have a mixed record on implementing AEIC recommendations to promote energy innovation and urges greater federal investments critical to achieving the country’s economic, security, and environmental goals.
AEIC’s leaders—Bill Gates, Jeffrey Immelt, Chad Holliday, Tom Linebarger, Norm Augustine, and John Doerr—came together in 2010 because of a common concern over America’s insufficient commitment to energy innovation. In previous reports from 2010 and 2011, the AEIC recommended several federal policy actions to promote energy innovation. However, the federal government has a mixed record on these recommendations. Tangible progress has been made towards the development of a comprehensive national energy strategy through the release the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Quadrennial Technology Review and its follow-up Quadrennial Energy Review. Moreover, the Department’s Energy Innovation Hubs, Energy Frontier Research Centers, and Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation provide critical, collaborative forums for the pursuit of energy research, as well as for the development and accelerated commercialization of new manufacturing technologies.
Nevertheless, stagnant government funding for energy RD&D over the last five years represents a major failure in U.S. energy policy. Public investment in energy RD&D remains less than one-half of one-percent of the annual nationwide energy bill. The scale of energy RD&D is still just one third of what AEIC recommends for the United States to compete effectively in global markets, diversify away from foreign oil, and mitigate environmental harms from energy production. Private energy innovation investments, which often build on federally-funded science and RD&D, are flat or declining as well.
Progress on the AEIC Recommendations to Promote Energy Innovation is Uneven
Create an independent National Energy Strategy Board charged with developing a National Energy Plan for Congress and the executive branch. Alternatively, develop and implement a comprehensive, government-wide Quadrennial Energy Review that aligns capacities of the public and private sectors.
Increase annual investments in clean energy research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) by $11 billion to $16 billion per year.
Create Centers of Excellence in Energy Innovation with each center receiving annual funding of $150–$250 million.
Fund ARPA-E at $1 billion per year. At a minimum, ARPA-E should receive at least $300 million per year.
Establish a New Energy Challenge Program for large-scale demonstration projects. Alternatively, develop a first-of-a-kind technology commercialization engine along the lines of a proposed Clean Energy Deployment Administration.
Make DOE work smarter along the ARPA-E model.
Develop a funding regime that is dedicated, consistent, and not beholden to annual appropriations.
Innovation remains an indispensable strategy for meeting the competitiveness, security, and environmental challenges of the American energy system.
Competitiveness. RD&D investments made decades ago form the basis for the country’s competitiveness today. Although the United States maintains a significant lead in energy technology overall, American public investment in energy RD&D also faces increasing competition from other nations. The United States must build a pipeline of scientific discovery and invention that businesses can translate into globally competitive clean energy products. If these investments are not made, other countries have demonstrated they will step in to sell new technologies in energy production and delivery to the world.
Energy Security. By diversifying the energy technologies businesses and consumers rely on, the United States can reduce its economic vulnerability. For instance, U.S. transportation remains almost entirely dependent on petroleum, the price of which is subject to the vagaries of the global market. As such, price volatility remains a threat to American economic wellbeing, and energy technology innovation is critical to diversifying the country’s energy sources. Moreover, it is critical we develop technologies that enhance the resilience of our energy system.
Environment. Climate change is a global challenge. The United States must drive down the cost of clean energy and energy efficiency technologies as fast as possible, not only to make them viable choices worldwide, but also to ensure that American companies lead markets. In that respect, energy innovation is fundamentally a global approach to climate change that is in the best interests of the United States.
Overall, the scale of the energy challenges facing the United States demands a step-change in energy innovation investment. Although the United States counts past progress on clean energy innovation, more cycles of discovery and invention are necessary to produce the solutions that will make full transformation of energy systems attainable. The federal government has a critical role to play in this process, including RD&D as a complement to both regulatory and tax-based approaches. As the federal government steps up and invests in RD&D, businesses and investors are better able to justify and continue their own research, development, and venture investments. All of these actions help to address supply and demand challenges in the energy system and to drive down the unsubsidized cost of clean energy.
The AEIC urges policymakers to:
Increase federal appropriations for energy RD&D across all low-carbon energy sources;
Support increasing authorizations for DOE energy innovation programs, such as through reauthorization of America COMPETES legislation; and
Support large-scale demonstration projects and limited downstream innovation investments, such as through a Clean Energy Deployment Agency or other investment authority, and/or through appropriately targeted tax provisions.
Ultimately, every year that clean energy technologies remain undeveloped or uncompetitive represents lost opportunities to build American companies’ global market share, create jobs, avoid disruptions to the economy, and reduce climate impacts. America’s current energy abundance is in part the product of many years of past energy innovation investments. Future generations should have a rich suite of options to choose from, or they may be swamped by the challenges described in the AEIC report.
“Any serious business leader would recognize that the country needs to take advantage of its current strength and act now to create a clean energy future. Only by investing in ingenuity and restlessness will the United States preserve its global leadership and ensure its future prosperity.”
This entry was posted in Blog, featured. Bookmark the permalink.
← Restoring American Energy Innovation Leadership: Report Card, Challenges, and Opportunities
AEIC’s Letter to Members of Congress on Restoring American Energy Innovation Leadership →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line14
|
__label__cc
| 0.713765
| 0.286235
|
Alison Shuman Photographer
Documentary and travel photographer
the kryashen
minarets and onion domes
growing up positive
books/prints
menugalleries – it takes a village – the kryashen – minarets and onion domes – rites of spring – growing up positive – instagram books/prints bio contact blog
Minarets and Onion Domes: The Book
January 29, 2013 by alison Leave a Comment
I’m delighted to announce that my book Minarets and Onion Domes: The Tatars and Russians of Kazan is now available for sale! Inside you’ll find 76 pages with 53 full-color images printed and bound on premium luster paper.
I first came to Kazan in the summer of 2011 to begin photographing life in the city heralded for religious tolerance amongst its half Muslim, half Orthodox Christian population. In the beginning, I went searching for fleeting moments when representatives of different faiths came together to physically create this “tolerant city.” I realized, however, there is no magic moment and that the truth of the situation is much more subtle and profound. Regardless of governments and religious institutions, it is the people who everyday choose cooperation over conflict. One needs to look no further than Russia’s own boundaries to understand the significance of this endeavor, but the majority of people in Kazan don’t give too much thought to their unique situation. When asked, the response is almost always the same- it’s just the way it’s always been.
Minarets and Onion Domes offers not only an alternative view of Muslims and Christians, but also an alternative view of life in modern-day Russia.
Help me spread the word!
I’ve added a new Alison Shuman Photography page on Facebook. I’ll be posting Instagrams and other tidbits from Russia over there, too. Go on and “like” me!
Tales from the City
June 6, 2012 by alison Leave a Comment
For the past couple of weeks, I decided to take a step back and spend my time looking at the bigger picture of life in the city. If Russia, by its sheer size and geographical location, is said to bridge East and West (although I have heard this noble title used to describe various places around the world), then there would be no greater place to see this bridging than in Kazan. It seems to me however, that Russia won’t give up that easily to either the East or the West, but will remain, at least for now, somewhere defiantly in between.
European-style cafes are starting to slowly sprout up around the city, although despite there being a large pedestrian walkway through the heart of the city center, the culture of lounging in cafes, sipping coffee on the patio has yet to really take hold. It goes without saying that there are numerous McDonald’s around town but many are surprised to hear that there is an IKEA, two H&Ms and…dare I even mention it..even a Coyote Ugly (if you’re not familiar with this establishment, feel free to Google, but I assure you it won’t be pretty). There is a yearning among the youth to bring modern art and international rock concerts to Kazan, and when they do occur the events are met with great passion and excitement. In the warmer months, concerts of local rock groups are held in the Kremlin, sometimes setting up stage on the steps of the Museum of Islam, with the minarets of the Qul Sharif Mosque towering overhead.
As reluctant allies to the West, the government, particularly the Tatarstan government is looking more to the East, especially when it comes to financial matters. Kazan recently hosted a financial summit, inviting guests from Kuwait, UAE and other parts of the Muslim world. There is even talk about setting up Kazan as a center for Muslim banking, a separate banking system with its own laws and regulations. Tatar art often draws inspiration form the East and the various murals that decorate subway stations, Tatar cafes and other sights around town reflect this influence.
Kazan in every way attempts to be balanced in its representation of both the Russian and the Tatar traditions. If a mosque is being built in town, you can bet that a church will follow shortly after. There are numerous theaters in the city where you can see both Russian and Tatar plays, operas, ballets and classical music concerts. All street signs are written in both Tatar and Russian and the streets themselves are named after both Russian and Tatar national heroes. For example, I live on Pushkin Street which runs through Tukai Square, a Tatar national poet; Pushkin Street also runs past Lenin’s Garden, Karl Marx Street and ends at Freedom Square…remnants of the Soviet Era are also alive and well.
Everyday it seems I step out my door and something has changed, physically, in Kazan. Construction sites are everywhere and the traffic rivals mid-town New York at 5pm on a rainy day. All over the city, but particularly in the city’s historical center, old buildings are (sic: regrettably) being torn down and replaced by new ones. Somewhat incongruously, the Tatarstan government is pushing to make Kazan the sports capital of Russia, hosting the 2013 Universiade and the 2017 World Cup, for which a new stadium is being built.
Tales from Tatarstan
May 13, 2012 by alison Leave a Comment
I took a trip last week to the Tatar village Aktanish. It’s located about 400 kilometers from Kazan, any further east and you’d be in the neighboring republic of Bashkortostan. Aktanish the village, you could liken it to a small midwestern town, is the ‘capital’ of the Aktanish region which consists of small clusters of villages spread over the countryside.
The first day we went to the birthday party of a woman turning 80. The festivities began at 10 in the morning and lasted well into the evening. We arrived a bit late and were quickly shuttled into the main room of the house where we were fed a bounty of dishes: carrot salad with mayonnaise, beet salad with mayonnaise, fish salad with mayonnaise, and meat and potato pie, to name a few. I learned early on that the key to surviving a Russian feast is to never take anything for yourself and eat very, very slowly. The first feast I attended, I made the mistake of piling my plate with the 14 various salads on the table, only to learn that this was the first course of four and that a plate cannot remain empty for more than about 15 seconds before someone notices that you’re not eating, plops something in front of you and utters the command “Eat. Eat.”
We finished eating and I thought perhaps that this was the end of the celebration since we had arrived an hour late, but I was greatly mistaken. The party moved outside to picnic bench near the road that leads to and from this very tiny village. In earlier times, this Tatar village had about 40 houses, a small one-room school and corner store. Now there are but 20 houses, the schoolhouse is a ruin of wood and building materials and the corner store is closed. As the elderly villagers pass away one-by-one, the village gets smaller and smaller. Russia is changing. Village life is disappearing. During Soviet times, it was in these very villages where ancestral customs, religion, and language were kept alive. Now people are free to move, free to practice their religion and speak their mother tongue. The young people move to the city and only visit when a certain occasion calls them back. I try not to label this as either “good” or “bad” but just accept it as fact. Perhaps it is from my own romantic views of Russian villages with the ornately decorated wooden houses, multicolored picket fences and miles of green pasture (I will NOT mention the babushkas!), but I feel a certain sadness about this. I guess it’s another reminder of just how fast and how extensively our world is changing.
Back to the party…where the feasting continues. Millet porridge, shashlik-vinegar marinated chicken grilled over an open flame, Tatar blini- similar to pancakes, more salads, fruit, chocolates and a welcomed gift at any Tatar feast..Chak-Chak. It’s difficult to describe chak-chak, so here you can read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Çäkçäk. Accordion playing, singing, dancing, arm wrestling, eating and drinking, a proper feast was enjoyed by all. I would be remiss to not mention that vodka and wine are a part of every feast and toasting is not only customary, it’s obligatory. Each person stands, drink in hand and speaks at length about the person or persons for whom the feast is held. Do not let the age of the guest of honor fool you; she was able to keep up with just about everyone, even strutting her stuff to Russian techno that blasted from a car’s stereo speakers. She was probably one of the most joyful people I have ever encountered. After a number of hours, the weather turned and we moved back inside where were were treated to homemade pilmeni- meat filled dumplings in soup topped with dill and sour cream. And accordion playing, singing and dancing commenced inside. Hours later, leftover chak-chak in hand, we plopped ourselves into the car, bellies distended.
The next day was the May 1st celebration. May 1st is not only International Worker’s Day, but in Tatarstan, they also celebrate their own version of May Day, commencing the beginning of spring. There are various games and antics involving eggs, many of which are brightly colored and ornately decorated like Easter eggs. May Day is celebrated in various parts of the world and has it’s roots in pre-Christian pagan celebrations. I made several attempts to find out where the Tatar tradition of May 1st came from, but nobody seemed to know how or why.
P.S. This post was featured in the June edition of Nazar Look!
Tales of Orthodoxy
April 25, 2012 by alison Leave a Comment
With the Easter season, I found myself photographing many Orthodox Christian services. Parishioners stand for the entire service which lasts anywhere from 1.5-4 hours depending on the occasion. At various intervals they cross themselves with a large, swooping cross from the top of the head to the navel then to each shoulder and then bow their heads. Sometimes the crossing happens once, other times in sets of three, like a solemn choreographed ballet. The priests follow their own choreography in rituals handed down to them from the Byzantine Empire. It feels as if each individual is there alone in the church with only God to bear witness. They celebrate together but each alone in their devotion. The solemnity here is in very stark contrast to most churches in the US, particularly southern baptist or evangelical. It would be almost impossible to imagine Russian Orthodox singing, clapping or sitting for that matter. That’s not at all to say that Russians, even devout Christians, don’t enjoy song, dance and revelry; they do for sure. I realized last week how this branch of Christianity suits the Russian temperament perfectly. On the whole, Russians are more stoic, more reserved people. You can argue that it’s because of the climate or a side-effect of Communism or a host of other variables, but it doesn’t so much matter why. The key is to get past that stern outer layer (often not a difficult task), and there you will find a people that are open, warm and willing to give you everything they have.
Just the other day I was photographing in a church, actually it was in the only church in town for baptized Tatars..most people from Kazan don’t even know that such a thing exists. Anyway, it was my first time in this church and there weren’t many parishioners that day, maybe 10-15. So as a young woman with a large camera, it was difficult to “blend.” Their expressions ranged from blank to stern to one could say downright consternating, but as soon as the prayer service ended, their faces lit up and they started pointing to things that they thought I should photograph.
The second Tuesday after Easter (9 days later), Russian Orthodox celebrate a day to honor the dead. On this day every year, they visit the graves of their ancestors and loved ones, clear off any debris that accumulated over the long winter, perhaps add a fresh coat of paint to grave markers and leave neon-colored flowers, Easter eggs and various snacks and candies. In this way, they are celebrating the bounty of Easter with those who have passed. I spent a couple of hours wandering through the maze-like cemetery in the center of the city taking in all the sights and sounds. It was very quiet, peaceful, sorrowful but also sometimes joyous celebration. Many Russian graves have a wooden benches next to the headstone where people can sit and reflect, but on this day, many bring food and drink and spend time at the grave as a way to ‘be’ with their loved ones. Off in the distance you could hear the sounds of a small band, comprised mostly of wood and wind instruments, playing tunes that wavered between lamenting and marching band. Although the cemetery was predominantly Orthodox, I did find several Jewish and Tatar graves that also looked as though they had been recently visited.
Diving In
For the title of this update, I was scouring my brian for all water-related phrases, as only these could aptly describe my experiences this past week. Russia has begun the great thaw and with temperatures in the 50s (10 C?), this thaw is occurring at an awfully fast pace. Everywhere you look there is water. It flows down streets like rivers, utterly soaking my shoes, socks and feet. Pedestrians walk the obstacle course that are the sidewalks, skillfully sidestepping the vast oceans… also known as puddles.. and occasionally having to jump out of the way before being completely drenched by a passing car. Water is also streaming down the walls of my living room and drips from multiple places in my 100-year-old ceiling. At one point my roommate donned a camouflage rain jacket, flipped the hood over his head and engaged in acts of heroism as he emptied and rearranged the buckets dispersed on the floor. Three days later, things are starting to calm down.
When I wrote last week’s update, I hadn’t yet remembered that Orthodox Christianity follows the Julian calendar, so instead of photographing Easter last Sunday, I photographed Palm Sunday (Easter will occur this Sunday). Part of the ceremony of Palm Sunday involves parishioners having their palm fronds (or in this case, pussywillows) blessed with holy water. Hoards of people crowded the altar as the priest doused them with water using an implement resembling a cat-o-nine tails. I was photographing from a position between the priest and some of the parishioners and was therefore also blessed by this water. The crowd loved every second of it and with every spray of water they became increasingly animated.
In non-water related news, I also photographed a competition of student and professional designers of Muslim clothing. It was a fantastic event and brought back memories of making a short film about the Miss Austin and Miss Austin Teen Pageant. The majority, if not all, of the models were Russian so it was really a great mix of people.
I have been receiving emails about my update from last week, with comments particularly about babushkas. This got me thinking more about babushkas (a general pastime of mine) and why there are so many of them. Yes, Russia has a shorter life expectancy than most countries in the West and you could believe the stereotype that Russia’s people, particularly her men, meet an early death due to alcohol and smoking, but really, what I am actually seeing is the lasting effects of WWII. Russia lost almost an entire generation of men in that war (here it’s known as the Great Patriotic War); a million soldiers died in the battle of Stalingrad- in just one battle! On May 9th, Russia celebrates Victory Day, the day they defeated the Germans in 1945. It’s a very big event in Russia and I’m glad to be here to photograph it.
I’m gearing up for a very big weekend. The archbishop of Tatarstan will take part in Saturday’s midnight service and Tatarstan’s president will attend Sunday’s services. Should be exciting!
Hello Kazan…Again!
April 5, 2012 by alison Leave a Comment
I arrived in Kazan on March 28th to the most picturesque scene straight out of a Russian fairytale. The evening sun was pushing itself through a layer of thick grey clouds, casting a stunning glow of pinks and oranges over the forests, pastures and dachas still engulfed in snow. But instead of a white horse-drawn carriage, I was met by two friends in a tiny red Lada hatchback. We crammed my bags into the trunk area and proceeded towards town. Once on the highway, I leaned back in my seat which then pressed on my bag which then pressed on the latch to the trunk which then opened. The car kept speeding on while I quickly turned around and somehow managed to grab my bag before my things emptied onto the highway. We pulled over, rearranged and carried on…until the car broke down. For half an hour we sat by the side of the road, my friends laughing and chain-smoking cigarettes, as that’s what you do when things break down. As the non-smoker, I was in charge of thinking positive thoughts that would then get the car moving again. And indeed, it did. About 40 minutes later, I arrived safely at my apartment in the city center.
Kazan already feels like a second home and everyone is welcoming me back like family. The past few days I have connecting with friends and acquaintances, finding out all that I’ve missed since I’ve been gone. Just the other day a friend asked me to name a few specific things- sights, sounds, smells- that really give me that feeling of being in Russia. I thought for a moment and came up with a small list: the sound of my neighbors quarreling in Russian, the smell of dill, the experience of riding local transport (to which my friend heartily laughed as it is a subject I wrote about on my blog last year which everyone found quite amusing), and last, but most certainly not least, babushkas. Babushka is the Russian word for grandmother but it is also an affectionate word for elderly women. Now, everywhere in the world there are elderly women, but really only in Russia are there babushkas. It is difficult to list the qualities that differentiate babushkas from all other elderly women. There are the physical aspects- the stalky body, the round face, the floral headscarf tied under the chin, but then there are the more intangible qualities, a very specific Russian-ness that any Russophile would adore. There is something solid and immovable about them, like no matter which direction this country moves in, there has always been and will always be the Russian babushka.
Alas, Easter is this weekend and I’m off to make arrangements to photograph the celebration. It seems a very suiting way to begin.
L’viv and Odessa – Л’вовь и Одесса
October 10, 2011 by alison Leave a Comment
After receiving the final document needed for my Russian visa application, I went to the embassy in Kiev. I was so nervous that they were going to turn me down my hands shook as I handed over my papers (there’s technically a law that says that you can only apply for a Russian visa in the country where you live). The sharply dressed man looked everything over and said ok, it’ll be ready in two weeks. Wow, not a single question! I paid the fee and left. For the next two weeks I couldn’t shake this nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong when I returned to retrieve my passport. Two more weeks in Ukraine. Off to L’viv I go.
In the months leading up to my interview for the Fulbright (all candidates for the Fulbright to Russia must be interviewed in Russian) I worked with a tutor, Nelia, in New York. She was from Ukraine but had been living in New York for many years. We did our lessons over Skype so although we saw each other three times a week for a few months, we never actually met in person. Coincidentally, she was visiting Ukraine at the same time. I took the train to L’viv where she picked me up and drove me to Sambir, about an hour from the city. It was really amazing to finally meet her in person, and in Ukraine of all places! She took me around Sambir and out to the village where her parents live. We went to the border with Poland and walked as far as we could- my passport was still at the Russian embassy so I couldn’t cross. One day we went into L’viv and walked around. I absolutely love this city! While Kiev feels like a “little Moscow,” L’viv feels like an old Austro-Hungarian city. The architecture is stunning. And the food…so delicious! Finally a REAL cup of coffee, too.
As I had suspected, western Ukraine differs greatly from the east. While most people understand Russian, many can’t speak it at all, or at least don’t want to. After the fall of the Soviet Union, western Ukraine went through a rapid de-Sovietization; street names were changed and monuments removed. Sure, Leningrad was changed back to St. Petersburg and Stalingrad to Volgograd, but in Russia streets are still named after Soviet heroes and every town still has its Lenin monument (Stalin passed a law that every city and town in the Soviet Union no matter the size had to have at least one statue of Lenin). In L’viv, the Soviet Union feels like a very distant memory.
After five days in Sambir, I spent one night in a hostel in L’viv and then took an overnight train to Odessa. I was so excited to see the Black Sea again after so many years. When I was backpacking through Russia in 1999, I spent one magical week in Sochi, a Black Sea resort town. Someday I will visit all the countries that line this amazing body of water. Unfortunately, in my last few days in L’viv I was coming down with a cold and by the time I got to Odessa I was quite ill. I managed to see what I could in the three days, but it wasn’t much (hence, the dearth of images). Odessa is a beautiful seaside city, albeit slightly tacky due to the large number of tourists that flock to the warm sea air.
I then hoped an overnight train to Kiev, picked up my passport with my shiny new visa, slept one night at the hostel and then got on a plane back to Kazan. I was in Ukraine for almost one month. It’s not a lot of time in terms of visiting a country, but it was a long time to be away from my work in Kazan. In some respects being back in Kazan has felt like a homecoming, seeing friends and walking around the city, but it also feels a bit like I’m starting over. I’m excited to start working again, but a bit daunted as I write this. I’m certain once I start it’ll feel like I never left.
Kiev – Киев
September 16, 2011 by alison 1 Comment
Yes, it’s been a while. My last few weeks in Kazan were fantastic. I felt as though I finally learned how to avoid running around in circles trying to get the permissions I needed to photograph. I became more adept at speaking with the right person at the right time and all in Russian to boot. All the hard work I put in during June and July really started paying off. Then there was Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Republic Day, two baptisms, and celebration of The Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. So much to shoot!
I have thoughts and photos to share but for now I’m going to share a little of Kiev where I have been for almost two weeks (oh yeah, in the midst of all that shooting I also had to vacate my apartment and plan for my trip to Ukraine). I came to Kiev to apply for another Russian visa. Here I’ve done a mixture of work and sightseeing. I’ve drafted my newest proposal for the Fulbright, edited images from Kazan and searched for ancestral roots (both sides of my family emigrated from what was Imperial Russia but what is now Ukraine). My time in Kiev has been a welcomed break from the grind of working on my project in Kazan. I’m enjoying being a tourist! And with that comes taking touristy photos! I went to the Central Synagogue and spoke with some members of the Kiev Jewish community. I saw a very classical ballet that read like a Ukrainian folk tale. Although I largely took a break from religious institutions, I did visit St. Sophia’s Cathedral. Built in the 11th century, it is the oldest church in Ukraine and the former center of Christianity in Kievian Rus. The church has undergone major restorations and many of the frescoes and mosaics that line the walls are original. Perhaps one of my favorite spots in the city was Hydropark, where I photographed an outdoor gym with machines made from old truck parts. It was quite the sight to see as Speedo-clad, muscle-laden Kievians pumping iron near the bank of the Dnipro River.
Kreschatik is Kiev’s main street. It’s comprised of enormous Soviet buildings with European storefronts. A section of the street has been taken over by two political encampments- one with supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko, the jailed former Prime Minister, and the other with supporters of the current regime. And the two camps have been locked in a competition of who can make the most noise. I was able to photograph freely in Tymoshenko’s camp but as soon as I pulled out my camera in front of the government’s camp, I was immediately questioned. Various protests break out along Kreschatik, most of which are quickly dispersed by the police.
That is one small part of Kiev; life rolls on while political forces battle it out. Kiev feels decidedly Soviet and decidedly European at the same time. Tomorrow I am off to L’viv, a city in western Ukraine. Further from Russia, western Ukraine has more firmly held on to the Ukrainian language and perhaps sentiments as well.
The Synagogue – Синагога
August 25, 2011 by alison 2 Comments
I visited the synagogue today. While the first 13 years of my life were filled with visits to Temple Beth Am, a reform synagogue in Framingham, Mass., I have never visited an Orthodox synagogue. I was hoping to recognize some of the prayers I knew in my youth but I couldn’t quite follow along. Although I have no idea if my Russian ancestors practiced Orthodoxy, it was fascinating to see and hear what it may have been like for them.
Summer is a sleepy time in Kazan and there was only a small gathering at the synagogue this morning. I am very much looking forward to returning in late September and seeing Kazan in a more active state. I have laid important groundwork this summer and I find myself even more dedicated to and passionate about this project.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line17
|
__label__cc
| 0.681929
| 0.318071
|
Home About BEENetwork BEENetwork Countries Lithuania
BEENetwork Countries
Lithuanian Housing Strategy
"Programme for the Modernisation of Multi-family Buildings"
According to recent statistics Lithuania has around 3.37 Million inhabitants.
Approximately 800,000 of the 1.3 million households live in one of more than 30,000 multi-apartment residential buildings.
The majority of the Lithuanian population (66%), live in multi-apartment buildings constructed in the period from 1960-1990.
Population: 3.37 Mio.
Number of multi-family buildings: 38,000
Total number of flats: 1.3 Mio.
Number of flats in multi-family buildings: 800,000
Number of flats per 1000 inhabitants: 385
Ownership share: 97%
Since 1990 Lithuania has been privatising apartments in multi-family buildings. Currently, 97% of the housing stock is privately owned and only 3% of apartments belong to local municipalities and are used as social housing stock.
Institutions responsible for housing are the Ministry of Environment and the Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUDA), which administrates housing refurbishment programmes.
The principal documents for housing sector and refurbishment of the multi-family buildings, are:
Lithuanian Housing Strategy, approved by Lithuanian Government in 2004. The Strategy foresees to renovate 70% of the multi-apartment dwelling houses by 2020, and reduce the cost of heat energy up to 30%. more.
“Programme for the Modernisation of Multi-family Buildings”, which started in 2005. more
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line23
|
__label__wiki
| 0.752464
| 0.752464
|
Dollhouse — Unaired Pilot and "Epitaph One"
I'll be honest: I picked up the Blu-Ray for the first season of Dollhouse as much if not more for the exclusive episodes as it did the season proper. While the back half of the season certainly grabbed my interest and mostly held it through the end, I found myself far more taken with the idea of watching both the original pilot, dumped when the networks called it "too dark and confusing" in favor of that tepid and largely pointless iteration that uneventfully debuted the show, as well as the fabled 13th episode, the post-apocalyptic "Epitaph One." When I got home to my PS3 I didn't even watch any of the aired episodes before diving into these bonus treats, and my thoughts on them are as follows:
[Note: This review avoids spoilers for the two episodes under discussion, but it assumes that you've seen the season's aired episodes]
Unaired Pilot -- "Echo"
The studio notes for this episode cited it as too confusing to appeal to a broad audience, the first sign that FOX would end up meddling with this show just as they had with Firefly before it. It (perhaps justifiably) put people on the defensive months before the show ever came out, and got the ball rolling on all the cancellation talk as well.
For all my love of artistic freedom, though, and especially for someone I adore as much as Joss Whedon, I'd have told him to re-write it as well. Where the studio feared that its tone would turn off the Idol crowd or something, I would have suggested that he simply cut the thing down a tad. For you see, "Echo" is a two-hour pilot extravaganza crammed into your average one-hour time slot. Even with the 5-10 extra minutes offered by that Remote-Free TV business, it simply contains too much plot, too many character moments and far, far too many answered questions.
For example, in this version of the pilot, we see Saunders' hatred of Topher, the Feds knowing too much about the Dollhouse to dismiss it, Boyd saying too much about the Dollhouse's evil before Whedon has fully established what a disgusting organization it is and, worst of all, Echo meeting Ballard. These scenes pepper the first five or six episodes of the season, and condensing them into one hour of TV gives us too much information about what should be a shadowy organization.
Nevertheless, it's a massive improvement over the version we got. "Ghost" didn't even feel like a Whedon-penned episode: its exposition was obvious to the point of cringe-inducing, this interesting world was ill-defined and, most surprising of all, it lacked humor. "Echo," as a strange contrast, contains too much of these elements. It's nice and clever, but it gives us too man details, and a running gag concerning Topher's use of the phrase "man-friend" simply grates (it actually builds to a nice dark one-liner from Boyd, then Topher uses the phrase once more later). Other lines contain real, working humor though, and for all the flaws of the Echo/Ballard interaction, it clearly set up Caroline's story far earlier, something that would have silenced a number of critics who cited the show as misogynistic for not immediately establishing a strong female lead. Rather than a revelation of Whedon's original, assured vision, "Echo" is more the polar opposite of the flaws of "Ghost" -- somewhere between the two lies the perfect pilot, but I'd likely place it on that line far closer to this.
Epitaph One
Now this is what I'm talking about. Joss Whedon is nothing if not bold: his four shows each contain wildly different tones, styles, approaches to humor, and themes, yet they all feature certain flourishes that make them immediately recognizable as his. His best work (as well as the best work of his finest writers) stands in open defiance of what might normally pass on TV, or that which takes him far out of his comfort zone (though the jury's still out on this show, which is one giant removal). I'm of course speaking of episodes such as "The Body," "Hush," "Objects in Space," and "Not Fade Away."
"Epitaph One" belongs on this list. Though neither written nor directed by Whedon, you can feel his guiding hand behind the script more than anywhere in the season's aired episodes, including one of the two that he wrote. It, more than "Man on the Street," "Spy in the House of Love" or either of the two parts of the finale, demonstrates that the show, despite its rocky opening and a continued set of unanswered, important questions (such as "What's the point of this anyway?"), indeed has a direction, and Whedon is a steady hand at the helm.
Set in 2019, ten years after Echo started exhibiting problems with her programming, "Epitaph One" shows us a world in chaos. A small band of filthy survivors moves through the streets of L.A., carrying with them a small child and her wiped father. At some point between now and the first season timeline, the Rossum Corporation (the owners of the Dollhouse) sold or allowed their technology to fall into other hands, and China discovered a way to imprint massive sections of the world populace in a manner similar to the cell call in "Gray Hour."
This group heads for the Dollhouse to find the imprinting chair to see if they can piece together what went wrong. They don't know what the construct really is, and when they discover that the institution that brought about the apocalypse was originally nothing more than a glorified whorehouse they don't know whether to laugh or find something to shoot.
They discover two things, though, that are far more important that the Dollhouse's original design. One is Whiskey, now scar-less and wiped, and the other a set of memories waiting to be uploaded into an Active. Through these memories we are given brief glimpses into the events that link the present with this horrible future, as well as character moments and even some relationship news. My favorite moments involved De Witt and Topher finally accepting the evil of their profession and their role in this cataclysm.
Giving us this information in the form of memories is a masterstroke, because memory is subjective. Some, perhaps all, of the scenes Whedon shows us could be slightly different if not outright false. We know that he's the king of continuity jokes, with callbacks and cross-references abounding in the Buffyverse, but this presentation ups the stakes: now the fans will look not only for these scenes to unfold but check up to see if anything differs.
"Epitaph One" is many things: thrilling, horrific, cerebral, gripping and darkly witty. Most of all, though, it is fearless. Written by his Doctor Horrible cohorts Maurissa Tancharoen and brother Jed Whedon, it's based on a pitch by Joss, one that would bring the high concept of the show to the fore while slashing the budget down to peanuts. Its predominantly hand-held direction (courtesy of David Solomon) lacks the spastic nature of shaky cam footage, and instead successfully creates a feeling of tension and realism without making us reach for the barf bags. Only someone with a firm grasp of a show's direction -- and let's not forget, Whedon also sowed hints for more than one future season in Buffy episodes "Graduation Day" and "Restless" -- would be so bold as to give away so much detail for a show's future. In anyone else's hands, something like "Epitaph One" would cause me worry. With Whedon holding the reins, however, it is a promise to the fans who stuck with this series out of faith in him that Dollhouse is going places, and I for one can't wait until September.
Labels: Amy Acker, Dollhouse, Eliza Dushku, Felica Day, Harry J. Lennix, Joss Whedon, Olivia Williams, Tamoh Penikett
1989 Rewind: Say Anything...
Pushing Daisies — Season 1
S. Darko: A Donnie Darko Tale
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
1989 Rewind: Batman
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman, 1957)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black P...
Mad Men — Season 1
Intolerance (D.W. Griffith, 1916)
1989 Rewind: The Decalogue
I Love You, Beth Cooper
1989 Rewind: Ghostbusters II
1989 Rewind: The Abyss
Evil Dead II
Carpenter's Tools: Halloween
The Unborn
1989 Rewind: Born on the Fourth of July
Carpenter's Tools: Dark Star
1989 Rewind: Casualties of War
Carpenter's Tools: Assault on Precinct 13
1989 Rewind: Lethal Weapon 2
Eastbound & Down — Season 1
Burn Notice — Season 2
Announcement: 1989 Retrospective
Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais, 1961)
My Dinner With Andre
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line25
|
__label__wiki
| 0.60877
| 0.60877
|
Code Unknown
By Overstreet, July 3, 2003 in Film
I highly recommend you all get hold of this film and watch it... at least twice, even if you don't enjoy it the first time. It is vastly rewarding. We had a fantastic discussion here at Cornerstone, and I was amazed at the way the group went from bewildered to excited while we talked. There were some amazing observations made by J. Robert Parks and some of the other folks attending the film.
And since I razzed him so badly about 28 Days Later, I gotta tell you, Stef stepped up to the microphone and hit the ball out of the park with some brilliant observations of his own.
I really think this may be the most complex and important art film of the decade so far. And Juliette Binoche's performance is second only to her work in "Blue", in my opinion.
A teaser: The film is about a group of people living very different lives, experiencing very different economic pressures, possessing very different attitudes toward other types of people. Like "13 Conversations about One Thing", it splinters into many stories. But take note... every scene in this film is a one-take wonder. And the cast is a phenomenal ensemble.
NClarke
Location:Madison WI
I saw this last night and I would be interested in some of the comments that were made in your discussion of the film.
As a whole, I found the film very rewarding, although I do have some feelings of, "What's the point?"
I loved the lack of cuts (except for the film clips) - they really gave me a sense of immersion in the film, as if I was a character. however, because you didn't get traditional edits on things like conversations (like closeups) I found some of the characters, particularly the men, hard to follow.
The film felt like a French version of Short Cuts (and I mean French in style)- a great story of how people interact and how their lives are intertwined. But whereas Short Cuts had some degree of the improbable (the insecticide spraying helicopters and the earthquake - both at the right moments) Code Unknown felt much more "likely." From my perspective, that is a strength for Code Unknown.
I guess what is weird for me is that you have this beautifully acted, choreographed and filmed movie that shows how difficult it is to live in a modern society with other people and then the moral (or perhaps a moral of the film) is be nice to people when you encounter them. This is obviously a simplistic overview of the film and I am sure there were other intentions on the part of the film maker and I would be interested to know what other people thought or took away from the film.
I guess one of the great things about Code Unknown is that I have all these questions (like why did she change the code for her apartment at the end of the film ) that aren't the result of plot holes, but of various different interpretations.
One final note - the film reminds me why I tend to like foreign films so much - they show before they tell.
I have a lot to say about this film, but I'll get back to it when I have time. In the meantim, here's a review from Strictly Film School:
http://www.filmref.com/directors/dirpages/haneke.html
In an age of a borderless, new European economy, the volatile encounter of four people on an anonymous Parisian street underscores the underlying social disparity inherent in any increasingly multicultural, contemporary urban society. A brash, impatient young man named Jean (Alexandre Hamidi) accosts his older brother's girlfriend, an actress named Anne (Juliette Binoche), on the street after being unable to reach her on the telephone. Attempting to gain alliance against their father (Josef Bierbichler) from his brother Georges (Thierry Neuvic), a photojournalist on assignment in the Balkans, Jean, without solicitation, begins to complain to the polite, but hurried and preoccupied Anne, of his objection to his father's unconsented plans to renovate the family's farmhouse with the expectation of apprenticing him to assume eventual responsibility for the farm. Pressed for time and unprepared to appropriately address Jean's personal issues, Anne attempts to placate him with a snack purchased from a nearby vendor and gives him the keys to the apartment, providing a terse reminder that he cannot stay indefinitely. Jean's frustrated attempts to voice his grievance leads to a thoughtless act: discarding his crumpled paper bag into the lap of an undocumented immigrant from Romania named Maria (Luminita Gheorghiu) who is panhandling near the entrance of a cornershop. A principled and tenacious music teacher of African descent, Amadou (Ona Lu Yenke), witnesses the humiliating episode, and confronts Jean to demand an apology. The altercation soon draws the attention of the police who seem to quickly side with the young transgressor, duly noting Jean and an interfering, tangentially aggrieved shop owner's complaints. Eventually, the well-intentioned Amadou and inculpable Maria are officially detained.
Michael Haneke creates an intelligently constructed, compelling, provocative, and relevant observation on social inequity, the untenability of cultural assimilation, and the failure of communication in Code Inconnu. Presented as a series of dissociated (and intrinsically ethnographic) episodes on the lives of the principal characters following the fateful (though seemingly trivial) transection, Haneke examines the ingrained social divisiveness, moral complacency, and created bounds of human interaction. Chronologically indeterminate events, interrupted dialogues (often truncated in mid sentence), prolonged transitional fadeouts, and recurrent episodes of missed (and mis) communication (Jean's unsuccessful attempts to reach Georges and Anne; the mysterious letter left on Anne's door seeking help, perhaps written by an abused child living in a neighboring apartment; Georges' inability to unlock the front door of the apartment building after the access code is changed) pervade the film's fragmented narrative structure, exposing the flawed perception of cultural integration and social equality in the constantly evolving racial and socio-economic demography of a traditionally monoethnic society. The exquisitely wordless, extended final sequence, articulated solely through the consonant rhythm of an outdoor performance by Amadou's deaf music students, illustrates the innately human capacity to transcend the artificially imposed barriers of cultural perception and bias to communicate through the universal language of community and compassion. However, in the frenetic pace and ambient cacophony of a claustrophobic, modern existence, human expression is often only valued for its measured distance and tolerated silence.
I just bought Code Unknown tonight on ebay. Sorry i've been so quiet on the subject lately --
I only caught the last 20 minutes or so at the Flickerings Festival, but even that much stirred me into wanting to see it again. I keep thinking about this movie... I am hoping to review it for the Film forum's DVD section in a few weeks. What a knock-out film.
I also bought The King is Alive, which should arrive next week as well, and i already own
The Celebration. i think these are the best films i've run into since i first discovered Kieslowski seven years ago. Last month i honestly felt like i was on fire with great film experiences, so much that i'm now in a cooling off period and haven't even seen one film yet this month
(aside from the short films at Flickerings).
As far as what came to me personally when i watched the ending and listened to a brilliant discussion that was happening at Flickerings, the realization was that the whole film is shot in side to side, horizontal motion, particularly the scenes on the streets of Paris at the beginning and end. Even the subway scene has the depth of a horizontal line in it, from the back to the front. (what an amazing scene, did Juliette Binoche not perfectly capture the emotional outburst that would've been required there? She was amazing, in my book, her greatest performance ever.) The more i thought about it, even the deaf percussion ensemble was in motion, right to left at the end of the film, while simultaneously communicating with a hearing audience. Most critics have said that a theme in the film was miscommunication. I disagreed. I believe that it's about communication, only without words, as if breaking the bonds of language down and getting to the reality of the message. I saw this in both the horizontal relationships we have in life (thus the sweeping camera motion), as well as the vertical that we are all destined to try to figure out. I believe, and i'm not sure about this so i'll watch again, that the only time a character really looks up is because of a code he cannot crack (in the final scene), and then when he realizes that looking vertically does no good, he's back to the taxi and back to living and communicating solely on his horizontal plane. Did he or will he receive an answer from above? Could be anyone's guess. Will we ever understand the motions of the deaf person in the final frame? Not unless someone translates it for us. It seems to me that if Haneke is saying anything at all, it is that language is sometimes a barrier to meaning more than a help, and in order to get past the problem of language you need to look into person's eyes and see their heart. And who ever bothers in all of this mess of poverty, race and status relations, to check the heart of their creator? ... There's a lot of cruelty presented in the story, too, and i think that with the bulk of the people never finding the relationship that lies on that verical plane, they won't be capable of much more than being cruel to each other.
I guess that could just be my hyper-sensitive spiritual upbringing, but that's one of the things i saw in the film, and i feel i'm onto something here but not quite there yet. Another glance will do me good.
The greatest embrace in the story happened during strong winds that were moving horizontally from the right to the left, as if on that roaring line two found each other, without language, without words, but in a way that had more passion and meaning than a thousand words could muster up.
There's also the theme of the cruelty of watching another's tribulations and not acting in defense of the needy. Sometimes we ask the needy to move down the street to beg -- it's too unsightly outside our store. Sometimes we go to another country to take pictures of another people's trial times in war. Sometimes we take pictures without the permission of a person we don't know. The director plays on this theme and is cruel to his audience a few times as well. In fact, once in our discussion at Flickerings there was a man who was confused as to who Anne was (Binoche's character) and then who Anne's character in her film was.
It's late. I'm rambling. This film does that to me. More later. I'm gone.
-s.
PS - Asher or anyone from the area who hasn't seen this... You need to see it. I'd be willing to have you over or loan it out after i get it next week...
Thanks for the perspective. I've been thinking a lot about the film since I saw it and the more I ponder it, talk with others, and read about it, the more my appreciation of it grows. I do feel that at first glance it can appear to be a simplistic moral tale of being nice to people. But as I mull over the depths of the story (and acting) the more I see this is not so.
I too loved Binoche in the subway scene - amazing!
One question - what was up with the African characters? I didn't quite get the mother talking to what appeared to be a therapist and then the arrival of what I assumed was the taxi driver father in Africa off a boat. I also didn't catch that the man in the opening scene that accosts the brother was the man who was leading the drum band (which I also didn't realize was deaf). Come to think of it, there is probably an awful lot that I missed - I must watch it again.
mike_h
Flickerer
Here's the correct quote I mangled at the Flickerings discussion (but even the mangled version seemed helpful enough to spur Stef to take the discussion to a new level!):
"Morality," Cahiers du cin
yeeeeah boy, mad props to the brutha from anotha mutha
(that's me)
M. Leary
Does this have anything to do with what they often said in Cahiers: Aesthetics should become ethics? (Or something along those lines.) Because this is the only discussion that has helped me to make heads or tails of that statement.
I'm interested in this discussion, but skeptical. The big aesthetics/ethics debate of my generation was "Is the syncopated beat inherently evil?" Or the Schaefferian suggestion that abstract Modern art was primarily an expression of the post-Christian mind. Does anybody here really want to defend the position that the tracking shot is inherently more ethical than the conventional shot-reverse-shot? I wish somebody would, because I'd like to get a little more illumination on how people could think that way.
This is an attempt:
The New Wave is a reaction to the standard mercenary conventions of 1950's cinema. It is as much a socio-political statement as it is an aesthetic one. Thier camera work and production methods say: "To commercalize film is to commercialize humanity."
New Wave techniques are an attempt to reach Bazin's asymptote metaphor. That film and reality are virtually identical, only seperated by the width of a bit of film on the cutting room floor. To "do film" any other way, or to utilize any other aesthetic, is unethical. It is unethical because film is a medium of the real, and thus "doing film" any other way is a lie.
(Short, plot driven tracking shots, fancy editing techniques, contrived sets and scenes, these all are unethical. They manipulate the story and the audience, they are like meaningless statements in analytic philosophy.)
If I understand that literature correctly, this is the argument. And thus aesthetics become ethics because aesthetics are the arbiter of the real. They are our means of contact with the real.
But I don't think I agree with this. There is something slightly askew about it and I think it has to do with the early Cahier's fascination with the "real" and with "existence".
Location:Fairfax, VA
Interests:Film, religion, jazz.
I'll play the "dumb guy" in this discussion.
Jeffrey, I took your strong recommendation and watched "Code Unknown" last night. Like a lot of acclaimed French movies (see my comments on last year's "Time Out"), I found the film interesting aesthetically but, in the end, rather cold and unrewarding.
You say I should see it twice, and I think you may be on to something. I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy "Time Out" more on second viewing, too. But on first viewing, "Code" comes across as self-consciously arty and off-putting. I liked some of the characters, some of their stories, but so what? What does it all add up to? The explanations you have, and that you quoted from the external review, don't really tell me much.
This will probably get you're ire up, but I watched "Code" a couple days after seeing "Thirteen Conversations," and although "Conversations" struck me as gimmicky, it also connected with me on a much deeper level than "Code Unknown." And Alan Arkin's performance in "Conversations" is, I'd argue, just as strong as Binoche's terrific work in "Code Unknown." (OK, maybe Binoche is a little stronger, but I expected her to be great; "Conversations" was the first time I've seen Arkin light it up.)
I'll try "Code Unknown" again some day, down the road. Give it more than 12 hours to sink in, ya know?
Who'd quibble with that? They're both great films.
I do think that 13 Conversations connects with its audience at a more accessible and quicker pace than Code, which is why the token comment around here seems to be "See it twice." Maybe that's a little unfair, as it puts the film in a haughy light, but for some reason it just seems to work better that way.
13 Conversations is also about ethics, whereas Code Unknown is about something more speculative and abstract. 13 Conversations is about the choices we make, Code Unknown is about miscommunication, the various "codes" we require in order to truly connect, how we can be drawn in by certain signs and still have no idea what is going on. It's like the difference between reading short stories and reading a psychology text.
It seems to me that Code Unknown aims to accomplish something extremely difficult, and requires a great deal from the viewer. 13 Conversations, while more challenging than your typical American film, has fairly simple aims and requires some reflection, but is not nearly as complex or demanding. I can think of several films that do what 13 Conversations does, but I've never seen another Code Unknown.
Man, as far as identifying the issues of illegal immigrancy in Europe, Dirty, Pretty Things has nothing on Code Unknown. The way her story specifically plays out is stultifying to me.
It's interesting, too, having just watched La Pianiste and Funny Games, and thinking back to several conversations we've had about how a director can sometimes "stumble upon truth." Haneke's seems to be the kind that either chooses to full-on shock/surprise you (i'm thinking here of when prim and proper piano teacher Isabelle Huppert first walks into the video arcade) or pull the rug out from under audience's feet (i'm thinking here of the nod and winks or the use of the remote control in Funny Games). Regardless, his past indicates to me that he really doesn't care much about truth, and offers less resolution for characters he martyrs than even Von Trier when he constantly abandons his female leads. The difference is that Haneke, in the two films listed above, almost seems to be doing it in the audience's face to mess with their minds. How he managed to create Code Unknown baffles me almost as much as trying to figure out where PT Anderson came up with Magnolia.
Good points all around. I remember being a bit shocked at the integrity of Code Unknown as such a brilliant drama after being exposed to what you have seen in his other films. I remember being pretty miffed at the end of La Pianiste, much more so than at the end of I Stand Alone which although I did not see it coming, seemed fitting. They really are very close to one another in form.
I often wonder too at how something like Magnolia comes about. The sheer amount of themes and identities Haneke stirs up in Code Unknown is mind boggling. Just the juxtaposition of the deaf children trajectory with the Sontag influenced take on human suffering in the media is more than enough for one film. But then you have the Binoche trajectory with the relationship between audience and actor and how that spills over into real life, and the immigrancy discussion that unfolds in the lives of not one but two different families, etc... There is enough for four films here.
There is enough for four films here.
Agreed. And that, I would argue, is a problem with the film. In an era of low expectations for so much commercial cinema, I don't want to fault well-made films that are thematically dense, but this film might have too much in it.
That's my first impression, for what it's worth.
Also, who wants to defend the abrupt editing and chopping up of the various stories? Do we really gain anything from the way the story is told? I don't have a strong feeling about this one way or the other, but when a filmmaker so deliberately engages in an unconventional narrative style, I like to come away with a strong idea of what he or she was trying to communicate. I didn't in the case of "Code Unknown." I could be convinced, though. I suppose it might have something to do with the way our lives are fragmented, but that seems a little obvious, doesn't it?
Do we really gain anything from the way the story is told?
Haneke has made comments in the past about fragmentation, and yes, it is obvious. But juxtapose the fragmentation with another trademark of Haneke's style -- long, even tortuously long takes -- and you have the makings of something really interesting. Especially when, thematically, one of the things he seems to be saying has to do with the problems our fragmented vision causes us -- our lack of context. Hence the discussion about the ethics of the tracking shot.
Great question Christian, I have kicked that one around alot about this film and may have a few fragments of an answer.
For one thing, you are right, the whole "our lives are fragmented" thing is rather cliche. BUT I have never seen it so viscerally expressed as we see it in the editing of Code Unknown. It certainly sets a different standard for trying to make that point in film such that the very form of a film itself can convey that dislocated sense of existence in contemporary culture rather than just the substance of the storytelling (Try "I Stand Alone" for an even more extreme example of this. Ugh.).
The other thing I thought about the way he cuts off the dialogue like that is that he is doing the exact opposite of what Altman does with sound in Nashville, which is one of my favorites just because of the role dialogue plays in it. Nashville is more of a space than it is a storyline, one in which the camera selects particularities to follow. But in Code Unknown, Haneke takes these really long smooth takes and disjoints them and forces them together even though the edges don't match. I think it helps us to see the relevance of the Code Unknown title, that in film we don't always have to have a key that will unlock the "meaning" behind the editing process itself. Editing, just like war photography (a la Sontag), creates different forms of meaning from images through manipulation. It is a key of sorts that allows us to make sense of the images strung together. But Haneke doesn't allow us any distance from his film through this buffer of manipulation. I think the way he edits maintains an objectivity that we wouldn't get otherwise.
Now even though he does the opposite thing from Altman's seamlessness, we end up at the send place. A new sort of objectivity that occupies the storytelling.
Who wants to defend the abrupt editing and chopping up of the various stories? Do we really gain anything from the way the story is told? I don't have a strong feeling about this one way or the other, but when a filmmaker so deliberately engages in an unconventional narrative style, I like to come away with a strong idea of what he or she was trying to communicate. I didn't in the case of "Code Unknown." I could be convinced, though. I suppose it might have something to do with the way our lives are fragmented, but that seems a little obvious, doesn't it?
I was just having this discussion away from the boards yesterday. The biggest difference between La Pianiste and Code Unknown is that the latter is not driven by the characters as much as it's driven by the isolated thoughts of the director. There should be two different motivations for experiencing each of these: In the former, it's the interplay between Huppert, her character's mother, and her student-lover. It's the shock revealed to us at the onset that this character could be functioning from some type of sexual dysfunction, and it's the reaction from others around her (including the viewer) that is appealing. The problem is that Haneke leaves no rhyme or reason as to why the character struggles with this, and he certainly leaves the room underwhelmed in the empty conclusion that lacks a grande finale. No childhood sexual scarring, no dad-was-a-child-molester, no first date-rape scenarios, nada. He offers no why, and that's why i walked away bitter. I guess the question is, does he create the piano teacher only in order to give us controversy and better sell his film, or does he really believe that the beginning and the ending of her struggles are unimportant?
OTOH, Code is not about the characters as much as it's about giving us glimpses at feelings that can turn into deep thought when meditated upon. There was complete resolution, and i felt several points, especially with the deaf children inserted at the intro and the deaf drum choir pacing left to right in the finale. The fact that you were listening to the drum beat thru the entirety of the last sequence really drove the point home, like the mind crushing pulsations at the end of Irreversible. I could feel the snare drum pounding into me: How can we get thru to you. How can we get thru to you. The dialogue, the characters, the narrative structure are all secondary to this central theme of broken people trying to find the ability to really bond, and the crulety some dive into because of the inability to communicate.
Edited August 9, 2005 by stef
To further illustrate the point of my previous post, i just found this, the tagline on the original title of the film:
Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys
Darryl A. Armstrong
Father. Advertiser. Writer. Thinker. Pop philosopher.
Twitter:armstrongda
stef:
The problem is that Haneke leaves no rhyme or reason as to why the character struggles with this, and he certainly leaves the room underwhelmed in the empty conclusion that lacks a grande finale. No
childhood sexual scarring, no dad-was-a-child-molester, no first
date-rape scenarios, nada. He offers no why, and that's why i walked away bitter. I guess the question is, does he create the piano teacher only in order to give us controversy and better sell his film, or does he really believe that the beginning and the ending of her struggles are unimportant?
Say what?!
I think Haneke explains the "why" perfectly -- in a way that I, at least, have never seen it done so powerfully on film. In fact, I'd say the main theme of the film is a study of "why."
I think so many modern films take a simplistic and derivative approach to answering why a character has the psychological make-up that they do. We are told, "Because X happened, this character is Y." But that takes the focus off the actual problems that the character has and puts them on the character's symptoms. If there had been a "dad-was-a-child-molester" scenario revealed through flashback or dialogue or what-have-you, the movie would be pointless, in fact, more than that, it would have been nonesensical.
This film is a character study on the piano teacher's "issues" -- not her symptoms, although those are what are physically manifested.
Her relationship with her mother, which is shown to us without any disclaimers ("This is why I am what I am") lets us study her character and reason for ourselves the "why." She's obviously sexually repressed, but that's only a symptom of her subverting control over her own life. She lets her mother rule her and refuses to stand up for herself or involve herself in a meaningful confrontation. In her own mind she has no respect for herself because her mother doesn't respect her as a person. This is fairly obvious when the contents of her letter to her student are revealed. She seeks control because she has none. But she won't do it in any sort of normal sense because she has no respect for herself. Even at the end of the film she would rather injure herself and "run away" rather than face a confrontation with her rapist.
I'm not sure if he is trying to say at the end that people cannot change -- that they, and in this particular case, the piano teacher, cannot overcome themselves or if he's not concerned with those questions in this piece. In either case, it's a sobering character study of a tragic, and I think all too real character. Although not everyone's problems are manifested in the way portrayed here, I think everyone struggles with the issues at the core of the issue: respect, trust, love, growing up and relationships with parents. If nothing else, I think this film is a wonderful example of the falleness of human nature. At our core we long for love and respect and truth and beauty. But by ourselves we cannot grasp or become or enact these things. We will twist them. And that, of course, is where our faith comes in...
Wow, Darryl. That is a compelling arguement for the why. It really made me stop and think --
i hadn't considered Huppert's character's relationship to her mom in the mix, although it was plain as day they were both a little whack.
I think so many modern films take a simplistic and derivative approach to answering why a character has the psychological make-up that they do.
I agree. There are too many films where there is a pat answer that destroys any of the mystery that had been built up. It really can become as farsical as an evangelical film in which someone gets saved in the final three minutes.
I don't know. If it were about her "issues," then you'd be dealing with more than just a snapshot of a week in her life. We don't ever see her issues or the things that have taken root in her life and made her the way she is. All we see is a bizarre sex fiend who may have been raised sexually repressed, might have some mental problems and ends up in bed kissing her mother.
Great paragraph, except its ending sounded like a third verse tacked onto a major release Nashville ccm hit.
She may be a very real character. And Huppert was brilliant in this role, i'll give you that. But i needed more than just obscure imagery to explain to me why she acted in the ways she did. Perhaps not as wrapped up as you mentioned before that would defeat the honor of the film, but i needed something more in there to make me care. So she goes to video booths and sniffs the tissues men have left behind. I find that repulsive, and don't really care much more about her than that action in itself permits. So she needs to be the one in charge and wants to write down everything that is permissable in a letter to a would-be lover, and then what she writes down is sickening and humiliating. Again, it's really not all that interesting when we only get the quick glimpse of her that we get. In fact, it might not even be that interesting even if we knew more about her.
OK BACK TO CODE FOR A MINUTE
I'm working on a review for Code this week and i have a serious question about this whole tracking shot issue. The quesiton is this: Why should i care what Luc Moullet has to say about morality? What gives him the right to declare a particular kind of shot more "moral" than others? And don't you think it rather entertaining when people try to tackle the subject of morality in film outside the realm of faith? Isn't calling something in film "more moral" actually declaring an absolute standard? And who decides where the standard comes from?
Also this -- in the opening nine-minute shot we see the fight that breaks out between Jean and Amadou over the morality of the way Jean acted towards Maria, the Romanian immigrant. We see all this thru the lens of the "more moral" tracking shot. When Amadou is taken away, what we have just witnessed is clearly a wrong. So now we have a situation where we have something "more moral" that has just happened, and an "absolute wrong" that has just been commited. In viewing this, have we just been forced to come to terms with a morality higher than we are? If we've seen this wrong in progress, aren't we confronted with the hope for something more?
Again, like i mentioned before, the vertical motion is a display of man's relationship to man, but in the way it's presented here on the streets of Paris there is a direct challenge to our notions of absolutes.
...Yet, the harder i think about it, the more confusing it gets...
Anyone have anything else to offer on this?
Great line, except the emot-icon at the end seemed a tacked-on attempt to not sound like such a wise guy.
Why should i care what Luc Moullet has to say about morality? What gives him the right to declare a particular kind of shot more "moral" than others?
I have yet to be convinced of the inherent moral superiority of the tracking shot myself. If it's posited as an absolute, I don't buy it. If it's like a Dogma rule, as more of a thought experiment, I find it intriguing, and worth discussing in that context. If memory serves, there were some great tracking shots in Triumph of the Will...
And don't you think it rather entertaining when people try to tackle the subject of morality in film outside the realm of faith?
But wouldn't you rather have intuitively moral people for neighbors than logically-consistent nihilists?
So now we have a situation where we have mething "more moral" that has just happened, and an "absolute wrong" that has just been commited. In viewing this, have we just been forced to come to terms with a morality higher than we are? If we've seen this wrong in progress, aren't we confronted with the hope for something more? Again, like i mentioned before, the vertical motion is a display of man's relationship to man, but in the way it's presented here on the streets of Paris there is a direct challenge to our notions of absolutes.
Haneke wants us to both question moral judgments (because they are so often jumps to conclusion without all the facts) yet also to make moral judgments (about immigrants, violence, the image, etc) -- so he's in a tough spot, and he obviously knows it. The vertical line you identify as a possible indication of his acknowledgement of a transcendent morality impresses me less than the drumbeat at the climax that suggests there are other channels on which moral reality can be communicated than rational ones. Which, in its way, is an acknowledgement of the possibility of transcendent moral reality.
I like that last paragraph Mike except the oft used term "moral" to describe what is going on in the last scene. It doesn't seem that Haneke is speaking so much there about "ethics" as he is "communication". In the continental post-modern context morality itself isn't necessarily a question, rather the ability for rational communication that is the foundation of ethical "speech/activity" is in question. (The whole: "How can we see face to face until 'till have faces" issue.) So it seems that Haneke is saying in that last beautiful scene that the "code" is not unknown, we can break through, we can communicate across the barriers of contemporary society. And he shows us that this idea is true because he allows us all to see it happening on the screen. That scene really is akin to Linklater's "holy moment" scene in Waking Life.
It seems that he only deals with issues of "ethics" when he is dealing with the Sontag/war photography theme. That last scene addresses our ability simply to get through to each other, which seems to be the answer to the questions that Binoche's acting sequences and the terrible grocery store scene raise rather than the ones about the war photography.
But as far as the "ethics" of the tracking shot are concerned, I am convinced that is a reasonable approach. It has more to deal with the nature of film as a medium than it has to do strictly with "ethics" per se. The New Wave convention that this quote identifies is simply that there are ways to allow cinema to "tell the truth". The very form of a film itself, embedded in the process of editing and ways of tracking and framing determines how closely a film represents reality. A long horizontal pan simply allows us to see a scene unfold. It doesn't direct the viewer's eye, but allows the viewer's eye to become a captain of the viewing process. It allows us to soak up the detail of the scene, it mimics the natural practice of "seeing" itself. So the tracking shot is more "ethical" because it is more "realistic". But to be fair, that quote makes a great point even though it verges on overstating itself.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line26
|
__label__cc
| 0.725013
| 0.274987
|
US Basketball: No Africa trip after Ebola outbreak
(The AP)
The U.S. national team has canceled a trip to Senegal after the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo says Friday the Americans were disappointed to call off what would have been the national team’s first trip to the African continent, but “didn’t have any other choice” because of the risk.
The Americans were scheduled to travel to Dakar on Aug. 27 and conduct a joint clinic with the Senegal national team. They planned to tour Senegal’s Goree Island and attend a reception hosted by the Senegalese government.
More than 1,000 people have died in West Africa in the last six months after the outbreak quickly spread to major cities in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Tags: canceled Senegal trip, Ebola outbreak, U.S. national team, West Africa
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line29
|
__label__wiki
| 0.668081
| 0.668081
|
The Secret Sisters’ Self-Titled Debut Drops Oct. 12
Elvis Costello: “National Ransom” Official Trailer
Album Review: Marshall Chapman – “Big Lonesome” (TallGirl Records)
Hank Williams, Jr. — “Old School, New Rules”
Johnny Cash Birthday Bash, Feb. 24-25 – Brooklyn
Charlie Louvin: July 7, 1927 – Jan. 26, 2011
The Secret Sisters on Letterman TONIGHT! (11-19-10)
Sneak Peek: Gwyneth Paltrow in Upcomng Film ‘Country Strong’
Contest Giveaway: Signed Copies of Marty Stuart’s Ghost Train
News: Elvis Costello to release National Ransom on Nov. 2nd
Q&A with The Secret Sisters – (Way More Than 12 Questions)
Artists, Features, Interviews, The Secret Sisters — By Jim Simpson on October 9, 2010 1:48 pm
Honest and meaningful music is what caught T. Bone Burnett’s ear. The Secret Sisters certainly caught our collective ear with their clean and close harmonies — they really are sisters, after all.
Natives of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Lydia and Laura Rogers learned to harmonize in church and at family picnics performing classic gems by the Everly Brothers and Doc Watson. They recorded their self-titled debut at Nashville’s legendary Blackbird Studios over two weeks, all on analog equipment, singing live into one microphone. Amazing. The album will be released October 12 on T-Bone Burnett’s Beladroit label, produced by Dave Cobb (Waylon Jennings, Jamey Johnson).
I recently spoke with the bright and whipsmart 20-somethings via phone from Nashville, and it was undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable interviews I’ve ever had the pleasure to conduct. They even played along with our off-the-wall 12 QUESTIONS WITH . . . feature. Enjoy! Enjoy!
So, where are you right now?
We’re in Nashville at our media/PR office. We’ve had a busy day of talking to people and trying to get the word out about the [self-titled debut] album that’s coming out next week.
There certainly is a buzz about the album. You first sang as ‘The Rogers Sisters,’ so where did ‘The Secret Sisters’ come from?
Oddly enough, someone else had taken the name ‘The Rogers Sisters’ and they were not willing to let us use it, so because of trademark laws we decided we need to find a different name. We liked the idea of using the ‘sisters’ part of it just because it’s so classic sounding. We dug around for months and months to try to find something that wasn’t already taken, and our manager stumbled across this phrase, ‘The Secret Sisters,’ so we did some research and it was not taken. We thought it worked because up until that time nobody knew who we were — we just kind of walked out of Alabama and became a recording act. It’s become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, so to speak.
I’ve heard that one of you went to business school, or studied business in college. You sound very business savvy — are you that sister?
Yes, I am. I’m the older of the two [Laura]. I graduated last August and I wanted to be a music publisher. [Laughs] Obviously, there were different plans being made for me, so I’m learning about publishing, but I’m learning it in a sort of backwards way. It’s weird how you prepare for something, and you end up using it in a totally different way.
How old were you two when you first started singing together?
We’ve always sung together, but not professionally. We didn’t start until we got this record deal. It’s been a learning process for us. We’d never performed on a stage anywhere, it was always just in our livingroom or family reunions and in church. It was there, in church, that we learned how to sing, but we’ve been singing since we were little. As far as public performances, we didn’t start doing that until January or February of this year.
Did you sing a cappella in church?
The church we grew up in — and we’re still attending — doesn’t use musical instruments at all, so we had to learn to read shaped notes and blend with each other and harmonize. That’s how we trained our ears; we didn’t realize it at the time, but that was what helped us learn to blend our voices and not overpower the people sitting next to us, and to be able to hear the harmonies. Whether or not you’re looking at notes on a page, just to be able to hear which harmony would sound good with a certain note, that was our most formal training.
Do you think this natural ability is stronger in siblings? I mean, look at the Louvin Brothers, Everly Brothers, Andrews Sisters, Wilson sisters of the band Heart, Avett Brothers — do you think genetics play into it?
Definitely. History has proven that some of the tightest harmonies are blood related, that has a huge part in it. The way we talk is similar [Note: I had difficulty distinguishing Lydia from Laura when they answered] and the tonality of our voices are similar, so there are times when it’s hard to depict who is singing which part.
You recently played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. The lineup was amazing, so what was it like for you to perform there?
It was insane. They told us that there were 40,000 people that we were performing in front of, and it was really different for us and humbling as well. We only performed two of our own songs, but we did some background vocals for Karen Elson, T. Bone Burnett and for Elvis Costello. That was cool, like a big party up on stage with people coming and going, and the crowd was super responsive. That was our first open-to-the-public performance, so to have our first show there was pretty exciting.
You had heard of most of the artist who were there, right?
Oh yeah, we were big fans of Jenny Lewis.
Did you get autographs and totally gush over your favorites?
We try not to do autographs. I’m always tempted to say, ‘Hey, can I get a picture with you?’, but we try not to do that because we want to seem like professionals. We still have those moments where we say ‘Oh my goodness, we just recorded with Jack White’ or ‘Jakob Dylan stood beside me.’
I’m sure you’ll have many more moments like that down the road, and it’ll probably become old hat: ‘Yeah, we just recorded with Elvis Costello . . . no big deal.’
[Laughs from both — in harmony!] Right, no big deal.
You recorded your debut at Blackbird Studios in Nashville over only two weeks. Did you feel rushed at all?
No, it was really laid-back and it flowed really well. Our producer [Dave Cobb] was really great; he didn’t put any pressure on us, just said if we happened to finish it in two weeks, then we’re awesome, and if it takes longer, we’ll do that. He just wanted it to be very organic, didn’t want us to be stressed out. We had the best time and really bonded with the musicians. Blackbird is known for its amazing collection of equipment, so everything was really easy and we didn’t have to think about it. They were great sessions.
Did you record there specifically because they have older analog equipment?
That was the main reason we recorded there. We wanted to be true to the era, but another reason we chose to record in Nashville was that we knew we were going to be targeting a country sound, so something about going to Los Angeles or New York didn’t feel right. If we were going to do a tribute to country music, it needs to be recorded in Nashville.
How did you go about choosing the songs for the album?
That was a collaboration between us and Dave. We put our heads together and tried to find songs that we thought would match our voices well. We chose songs by George Jones, Hank Williams . . . there were so many to choose from, it was pretty tough. T. Bone came in and recommended a few songs, but it was just digging through tons of really great material and trying to find, well, how do you find eleven songs out of . . .
Right. It’s like Rosanne Cash’s The List — how do you condense that iconic list of songs down to one album?
Exactly. We got spoiled, because we heard all these great songs and we thought what could we possibly write that would be as good as this? It would be easy to just do cover songs for the rest of our lives, but we are trying to become more proficient at songwriting and we definitely want more originals on the next album.
So there are two originals on the album, right?
‘Tennessee Me’ and ‘Waste The Day.’
I actually heard ‘Tennessee Me’ on the radio the other morning. We have an amazing station in Atlanta, WMLB AM 1690, ‘The Voice of the Arts’ that plays all kinds of stuff, old timey, country, blues, roots, jazz, and now you!
That’s so great! Most of the time we know where we’re going to be appearing, but we have these moments where people say they heard us on the radio or someone saw something on TV about us, and it’s all starting to filter back down to us from the fans who are listening. That’s a really cool thing to hear.
You’re going to be performing soon in Boston at T.Bone’s The Speaking Clock Revue.
Yeah, we’re really stoked. It’s pretty wacky to just have your first album coming out and you get to share a stage with Elton John . . .
Are you nervous at all?
Well, we try not to think about it. If we dwelt too much on those things it gets in our heads too much, so we take things a day at a time and just roll with it.
So I take it you two are comfortable in the spotlight.
[Huge laughter] Umm, we’re still getting used to it. We’re learning how to be comfortable on stage.
When did you first meet T. Bone Burnett?
We met him back in May [2010]. We got wind from our record label that he’d heard our music, and he loved our voices and wanted to meet us. We flew to L.A. and sat around talking, played a few songs for him and then find out that he wants to get completely involved and help promote our career. It was kind of like winning the lottery for us. He’s been a really beneficial ally to have on our side.
What was your first impression of him when you met him?
We were intimidated.
Isn’t he really tall?
Yeah. [Laughs] He’s a tall figure, literally. When we got in the room he was very down-to-earth and normal and very knowledgeable about music history. We’ve hit it off, and he’s become a real dear friend — like our great uncle or something. He’s been a really special person.
So, how was New York City? You recently performed at Joe’s Pub.
That was a cool venue. It’s built over the subway, so every few songs you could feel the subway cars going under and everything was shaking. We’d already had our Los Angeles and Minneapolis showcases, and Nashville, so we didn’t really know how the New York crowd would react to us. It was actually an overwhelmingly positive reaction. We actually got a touring opportunity out if it: we’re doing a few dates with Ray LaMontagne and Levon Helm in a couple of weeks.
And now for our 12 QUESTIONS WITH . . . where we ask 12 off-the-wall questions, not all relating to music. Are you ready?
[Laughs] Let’s go for it. Sounds like fun.
1. What’s for supper?
We’re staying with a friend in Nashville. She’s cooking some sort of soup with chicken and cheese, a homecooked meal courtesy of my best friend here.
2. List five items currently in your refrigerator (or, if you’re on the road, in your cooler, glove compartment, backpack, or suitcase).
Oh, we can talk about what’s in our suitcases. Fake eyelashes [laughter], curling irons, fingernail polish . . . what else . . . a bunch of lanyards from all the festivals we’ve been playing, and bright red lipstick.
3. Buck Owens or Roy Clark?
[In perfect unison] Buck Owens!
4. What are you listening to these days?
I’m listening to Mumford & Sons. And I’ve been listening to a lot of Adam Duritz, and I’m always listening to Brandi Carlile.
Pardon me, but I still can’t tell your voices apart.
[More laughter] This is Lydia: Mumford & Sons. Laura is: Adam and Brandy.
5. What was your first paying job?
[Lydia] I worked at a daycare in town. And this is Laura: I worked at a gas station that was also a bait house, it was right on the river in Alabama. I had to dip minnows and crickets out of the bait house, literally had to stick my hand into a box of crickets and pull them out for fishermen. It was horrible — and glamorous!
6. What was your first paying music gig?
Ohhh. We played a little show at a theater called the Roxy in our hometown. We got paid $25, which was basically gas money to get there.
7. Did you always know you wanted to be professional musicians and singers?
I always — this is Lydia — I always wanted this, but I wasn’t sure if I could make a living from it, so I went to school for graphic design. [Laura]: I never thought I would be a singer; I just wanted to be behind the scenes in music, to be a publisher.
8. What record or artist changed your life when you first heart it or him/her?
[Lydia]: I’m a big fan of Fiona Apple. She really changed the way I think about music. For me — this is Laura — it was definitely Brandi Carlile. I talk about her in every interview, but literally she changed my life musically, unbelievably so. I am so inspired by her, and her stage presence, her writing, her performances . . . just, oh . . . over the top.
9. Prose or poetry? And do you have a favorite writer?
Poetry for both of us. My favorite poet — Laura — is Walt Whitman. [Lydia]: Yeah, me too. [Laura]: Copy cat. [Lydia]: I’m not a copy cat!
10. What does Nashville mean to you?
This is Laura speaking. Nashville means everything to me. I lived here for a few years when I was going to school, and I always think of Nashville as home mainly because this is the town where we were discovered. It was Nashville that offered us the opportunity to be heard, and to know that it all started here . . .
It was where your first audition was held, right?
That was back in October of 2009. They held an open audition here.
11. This may be a bit premature, but . . . If you were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame tomorrow, what would be the opening sentence of your acceptance speech?
Oh . . . interesting, umm, probably ‘Thank you Mom and Dad for everything you’ve ever done for us.’ Our parents are phenomenal people.
That’s without a doubt the most popular answer.
Sweet, oh I’m glad we’re normal!
12. What’s next for The Secret Sisters?
Our album’s coming out a week from today [album drops Oct. 12th] which is kind of a big deal for us. And then we’ll go on The Speaking Clock Revue with T. Bone and friends, and then we have our Ray LaMontagne dates. Next year there’s talk about us being in a movie, perhaps, that T. Bone is directing the music for. So, basically we’re getting down to work and touring, and getting out to meet the people who are buying the record. We’re in it for the long haul.
[mp3 keywords=”The Secret Sisters” tag=”coumuspri-20″ width=”336″ height=”280″]
Tags: Awaiting The Flood, Brandi Carlile, close harmonies, country music, Elvis Costello, Jim Simpson, Nashville, old timey, t bone burnett, the secret sisters
Great chat Jim!
Im super bummed I missed them when they were in LA. Next time I guess.
Ryeaman says:
Above…in an answer, you transcribed their words as “learn to reshape notes and blend”…that’s incorrect. It should have read “learn to read shaped notes and blend”.
The distinction is very important, because shaped notes are just that…so do, re, me have different shapes.
We (Church of Christ and others) don’t learn to read music in the same way as musicians. We learn relative steps from note to note …it’s hard to explain, but beautiful to hear.
ATF says:
Thanks for the clarification. We really appreciate your detailed reading of the interview.
E-Mail (required):
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line33
|
__label__cc
| 0.703117
| 0.296883
|
Tag Archives: health literacy
Health literacy in Australia… as easy as ABC?
Posted on March 30, 2010 by Lisa Burling
Health literacy in Australia... as easy as ABC? Cube PR blog
For all of us working in the healthcare industry, it is easy to focus all our attention on the development and delivery of information to patients and the general public at large. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that we must also pay attention to how that information will be received and understood – a process referred to as ‘health literacy’. At last week’s FROCOMM Health Communications, Marketing & Media Conference, the topic took centre stage – what it is, how Australia is fairing and ways to improve it.
Search the internet and you will find a plethora of information on health literacy, ranging from official Government-funded reports to blogs which ask why Australia, a nation obsessed with health, lags behind, albeit slightly, other first-world countries such as Canada.
Health literacy is described as a person’s ability to use health information effectively. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provides a more detailed definition - “the knowledge and skills required to understand and use information relating to health issues such as drugs and alcohol, disease prevention and treatment, safety and accident prevention, first aid, emergencies and staying healthy”.
Health literacy has become an increasing focus in recent years amongst Government and academics. The latest version of the ABS ‘Health Literacy, Australia’ report delves deep into demographic distinctions and, whilst it’s not hugely surprising that people with higher formal education attainment achieve higher levels of health literacy, age does have a significant impact. Health literacy it increases from 15 to 39 years, then decreases for those ages 40 and over. The ABS report surmises this is because aging causes physical, psychological and social change.
Just last year, two reports into health literacy were released, both unveiling worrying findings. The National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) report found six out of every 10 Australians would experience difficulty in understanding or making the choices necessary to stay healthy, or to find their way round the health system. Similarly, a study by Australian doctors at the University of Adelaide stated many people do not understand basic health information.
That is enough of the problem – what are the potential solutions? At the FROCOMM conference a number of people representing universities and industry associations offered their views. Peter Waterman from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia encourages people to search through the society’s Pharmacy Self Care program online, which has over 80 separate factsheets on topics as diverse as Alzheimer’s, antibiotics and alcohol. The Society also recently set up a Facebook page in an attempt to have as more direct dialogue with consumers.
Deon Schoombie from the Australian Self-Medication Industry (ASMI) agrees consumers should seek to have a direct dialogue with their healthcare professional. He also highlighted social media as the ideal way to engage publicly and directly with people as it is about them and allows the health system to offer a tailored message, bringing the system closer to a real conversation/interaction. ASMI recently launched a Facebook page, Twitter profile and regular blog, demonstrating their tangible belief in this viewpoint.
All FROCOMM panellists agreed that better education in schools is critical as is making the health system more accessible. (Backing up this viewpoint, the NHHRC report also recommends health literacy be included as a core element in the curriculum for both primary and secondary schools).
The provision of information in a consumer-friendly and engaging manner and connecting consumers with HCPs quickly was also discussed. Professor Clare Collins from the Dietitians Association of Australia believes flexibility of information delivery will help ensure it captures the attention of the target population – for example, SMS texting for younger populations.
Is getting Australia’s health literacy levels to the standard they should be as easy as ABC? Not quite, but addressing the issue must remain a priority to ensure Australia remains a truly healthy nation. As part of Australia’s healthcare industry, we have a unique opportunity to help in a tangible way by ensuring we focus on the 3 d’s with all communications materials – developing, delivering and perhaps most importantly, deciphering.
Posted in Industry Perspectives | Tagged ASMI, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Dietitians Association of Australia, Facebook, Frocomm, health literacy, NHHRC, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Twitter
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line34
|
__label__cc
| 0.533565
| 0.466435
|
Posted in: Online Services
PlayStation Vue to offer a la carte subscriptions, coming to San Francisco and Los Angeles
June 16th, 2015, 08:20 by Ansh 6 comments
Sony has announced that in July its Internet TV service PlayStation Vue will begin offering a la carte channel subscriptions, allowing users to choose channels that they wish to subscribe instead of entire bundles. The announcement was made by the company at the ongoing E3 gaming expo.
In addition, the company also announced that the service, which is currently available in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, will now be available in San Francisco and in Los Angeles as well. There was, however, no word on the pricing.
Launched back in March this year, the PlayStation Vue service offers over 80 live cable channels, including NBC, Fox, and CBS. Its subscription packages start at $50 a month.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line36
|
__label__wiki
| 0.643864
| 0.643864
|
2015-16 Foundation Report
The Broad
Home / The Broad
When The Broad opened to the public on Sept. 20, 2015, it not only became Los Angeles’ newest contemporary art museum, it also became the hottest ticket in town. A month before the museum opened, when online ticket reservations debuted, the museum’s website crashed from the demand. Six weeks later, nearly 275,000 free tickets had been reserved. And the museum had only been open two weeks.
The Broad had been a long time in coming. It opened five decades after Eli and Edye Broad moved to Los Angeles, over four decades after they began collecting contemporary art, 31 years after they started The Broad Art Foundation as a public lending library, and five years after construction of the museum’s innovative architectural design began on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. It represented the culmination of the Broads’ lifelong passion for art and the deep desire to share that art with as many people as possible. The public intersection of their collection and an architecturally distinct home to show the art came together with a generous gift to their adopted hometown: a museum, the art within and free general admission.
The museum opened to great fanfare: previews for more than 400 media from around the world, two dinner celebrations for nearly 1,500 artists, civic leaders, national and international museum directors, celebrities and friends, including former President Bill Clinton, and a public dedication with more than 600 civic, community and business representatives, including California Gov. Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The civic dedication featured two 88-foot ribbons that stretched from the top of the museum’s distinct honeycomb façade to the expansive sidewalk below, released when Eli and Edye Broad pushed a giant red button in a symbolic opening of their gift to the city.
artworks in The Broad’s inaugural installation
followers on social media by opening day
visitors in the first 45 days
But the real celebration came on opening day, as people lined up around the block to see the more than 250 works of contemporary art in the museum and under the sublime skylit third-floor gallery. They wanted to ride the 105-foot escalator that would transport them through the sculptural second-floor core of the museum, where the art was stored when not on display or on loan to another museum.
They wanted to peek into that storage to glimpse the art that might be on the gallery walls on a future visit to The Broad.
They came to experience contemporary art: iconic works by Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons’ 12-foot-tall blue Balloon Dog, Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartaanson’s The Visitors—a 64-minute, nine-screen video installation of musicians playing and singing, one to each screen, perfectly and poignantly synchronized. They were drawn to Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room, standing one at a time for a minute on a small platform in a mirrored room, surrounded by LED lights that give visitors an intensely personal experience of space and time, reflection and infinity.
The Broad’s first audience reflected Los Angeles: all ages, residents and tourists alike, and every shape and size and color. The art and the architecture was for them to experience, to share with friends and family on future visits, and to have the freedom to visit favorite artworks, again and again.
All arts articles Next
DOWNLOAD FOUNDATION REPORT (pdf)
Design by 970
© 2016 The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line42
|
__label__wiki
| 0.771471
| 0.771471
|
You can bid on an autographed one of these at the Rock For Kids Auction tonight.
Tomorrow The Moon, the sci-fi oriented band that includes Bad Examples guitarist Steve Gerlach, has a gig tonight at Martyrs’. They'll be playing some new songs as well as tracks from their debut EP The Dim, Distant Now, which will be officially released early next year. The Last Dark Show, Swearwords, and Vultures Are Lovebirds are also on the bill. Show time is 9:00PM.
WXRT air personalities Lin Brehmer and Marty Lennartz will co-host the 23rd Annual Rock For Kids Rock & Roll Auction at the Park West in Chicago tonight. The event never fails to assemble a fascinating bounty of memorabilia from musicians, athletes, and celebrities. This year, some of the items attendees can bid on include autographed guitars from Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Taylor Swift, and other artists; record albums signed by U2, Funkadelic, and The Monkees; autographed concert posters from numerous alt rock bands; a Monty Python poster signed by the troupe members; a Star Wars signed cast photo; and a James Bond poster signed by each of the actors who have played the iconic role.
Of course it will take more than pocket change to nab any of these items, but it’s fun to check them out even if you can’t afford them. Plus, the auction is like a party and it’s entertaining to witness some of the more ferocious bidding wars. There’s an opening reception from 6:00 to 7:00PM. Proceeds help provide music lessons for kids who would have no other way to afford it.
James Moeller and Carla Hayden of Black Forest Theatre are joining forces with the Celebrity Salon in Evanston for a Toys For Tots benefit tomorrow night from 7:00 to 11:30 PM. Moeller and Hayden will be performing with their band WhiteWolfSonicPrincess All Stars, and Moeller will also be rocking out as a member of The Telepaths. Other acts scheduled include The Rut, which is a musical offshoot of the Famous In The Future comedy group; Crocodile Children; Hannah Frank; Longbottom Leaf; and Kavus.
There will be the occasional holiday tune, plus covers of songs by The Monkees, Smashing Pumpkins, Warren Zevon, Bob Dylan, Nirvana. Grateful Dead, and other bands. It’s a BYOB event, and anyone who brings an unwrapped toy (no toy guns or stuffed animals) can get in for free. In related news, James Moeller announced on his jimmydumps/sunnyjimmy blog yesterday that WhiteWolfSonicPrincess has finished its new CD and plans to release it in the Spring of 2012.
On the recent PBS special Women Who Rock, Kathleen Hanna, formerly of the influential riot grrrl band Bikini Kill was shown addressing a class of young girls interested in becoming musicians. She might be pleased to know what’s been going on at the Lamplighter Inn’s Wednesday Open Mic Nights in Palatine. Young girls, as well as young boys are encouraged to hone their musical skills before a live audience in a supportive atmosphere that also features adult performers.
It’s all overseen by Lamplighter employee Rick Albright, who travels throughout the Inn’s upstairs room with his clipboard, making sure every act is ready to go on. This past Wednesday, a trio of boys called Arcade Days was playing energetic grunge rock. The five girl band Serendipity was also on the bill, mixing modern hits with Motown chestnuts by The Jackson Five and Ike & Tina Turner. Serendipity plays on regular basis at the Lamplighter Inn’s Open Mic Nights and exudes poise and confidence. The band is starting to catch on in the northwest suburbs and is now represented by NTD Management. Serendipity keyboards player-vocalist Liz Petitt also joined her parents John (guitarist-vocalist with the band This Is This) and Ruth for a rousing edition of “Expressway To Your Heart” by The Soul Survivors.
Smithereens lead vocalist-guitarist Pat DiNizio has printed up t shirts to commemorate the solo multi-media show he’s currently doing at The Rivieria in Las Vegas. Each limited edition, personally autographed Confessions Of A Rock Star shirt costs $20, plus $6 shipping and handling. Purchases can be made via PayPal, but since delivery can take from 4 to 6 weeks, you might not get it in time for that Smithereens fanatic on your Christmas list.
Power pop veteran Paul Collins recently noted on Facebook that The Kids Are The Same, the 1982 sophomore effort from The Paul Collins’ Beat will soon be re-released on Get Hip Records. The album features classic cuts “That’s What Life Is All About,” “Dreaming,” and “Crying Won’t Help.”
“The Basement” by the newly formed Green Beetles is the lead-off track on an Aussie various artists compilation called Rock Against Bullshit Volume 6 that’s being released today. The band, another international collaboration for Chicago area bassist-vocalist Herb Eimerman, also includes his fellow member of The Britannicas, vocalist-guitarist Joe Algeri.
Don’t look for Aaron Fox & The Reliables to play Christmas carols at their December 23rd gig at Uncommon Ground’s new location on Devon in Chicago. According to lead vocalist-guitarist Fox, the band will be performing stripped down versions of songs from its Late Too Soon CD as well as some new material. Aaron Fox & The Reliables plan to start recording their next CD in the near future; previews of the songs “Unpromised Land” and “What We Think” can be heard on their website.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line43
|
__label__wiki
| 0.695883
| 0.695883
|
The Pretenders With Friends, a concert Chrissie Hynde and her band performed at the Decades Rock Arena in Atlantic City, NJ with special guests Iggy Pop, Shirley Manson, Kings Of Leon, and Incubus, is out today as a Blu Ray + DVD + CD set.
There are a number of festivals taking place this weekend, including Taste Of Chicago, Irish Fest, and Roscoe Village Burger Fest. See my Wednesday post for more details on each of these.
Former Hollies lead vocalist Allan Clarke released the single “Journey Of Regret” today. The song reflects Clarke’s long-held admiration for Bruce Springsteen and is the first taste of a new album titled Resurgence coming out on September 20. It will be Clarke’s eighth solo effort, but the first in almost 30 years.
Tickets went on sale today for the Marcia Ball Band at SPACE on November 8; BoDeans at City Winery Chicago on November 30 and December 1; Ralph Covert’s Acoustic Army at FitzGerald’s on July 20; Robbie Fulks at The Hideout on August 9; Delbert McClinton and Gerald Dowd at Old Town School Of Folk Music on September 21; Lucy Wainwright Roche at SPACE on September 11; and Sarah Shook and The Disarmers, with Senora May at Sleeping Village on October 11. For a full list of upcoming concerts in the Chicago area, check the Early Warnings page of this week’s Chicago Reader.
The next season of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee starts July 19 on Netflix.
The Long Grove Arts and Music Council will stage the first of the four free concerts it has lined for this summer when Corky Siegel and Will Tilson perform this Sunday afternoon on Towner Green.
Pete Townshend was among the famous musicians on social media mourning the passing of Alan Rogan, a highly respected guitar roadie. Rogan had worked with The Who, The Rolling Stones, Graham Nash, and Joe Walsh. Rock In Paradise, Mr. Rogan.
Neo, the iconic new wave club that reigned on Clark Street for so many years, is having a reunion at Metro on Saturday, July 20.
Congratulations to Johnny Marr on selling out all the dates on his current UK tour.
Musicians from the city’s Greek, Mexican, Argentinian, and Bulgarian communities will take part in the world premiere of the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic’s Chicago Immigrant Stories II on July 22 at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Emmy Award-winning trumpeter-composer Orbert Davis will lead the performance, which will feature Athanasios Zervas, Sones de Mexico, Leandro Lopez Varady, Zara Zaharieva, and Petros Dragoumis. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m.
With a lineup of former Friggs, Muffs, and Pandoras members Kim Shattuck, Melanie Varmmen, and Palmyra Delran, it’s a safe bet the new trio The Coolies will be a blast. Their debut effort, the six-song EP Uh Oh! It’s . . . The Coolies will be available in digital format next Friday and the 10-inch clear emerald vinyl version is available for preorder on the band’s Bandcamp page.
Can I have one? While making my weekly trip to the Reckless Records downtown location, I noticed the store’s record bins are decorated with colorful Official Lollapalooza After Show mini-posters, including ones for Sharon Van Etton and Jade Bird at Schubas and Lincoln Hall.
Green City Market’s annual Chef BBQ will take place at the south end of Lincoln Park (approximately 1817 N. Clark) on July 18 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Over 100 Chicago area restaurants and breweries will be involved, including Antique Taco, Bad Hunter, Commons Club at Virgin Hotels Chicago, Eataly, Floriole, Goose Island Brewhouse, Maddon’s Post; Revolution Brewing, Spiaggia, The Gage, and Upstairs at The Gwen. There’s a wide range of ticket prices, which can be found at the Green City Market website.
The Bob Dylan: Electric exhibit has been extended at the American Writers Museum in downtown Chicago.
The Black Harvest Film Festival continues its 2019 run at the Gene Siskel Film Center through July 22.
The Louder Than Words – Rock Politics Power exhibit, which originated at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, continues its run at the Museum of Broadcast Communications here in Chicago through the end of August.
Kokandy Productions’s production of Head Over Heels, the Broadway musical based on songs by The Go-Go’s, continues through August 25 at Theatre Wit on Belmont Avenue.
Posted by Terry Flamm at 10:34 PM , Links to this post , 0 comments
Festivals Straight Ahead
Taste Of Chicago opened today and you might even be rocking out to Courtney Barnett or Sunflower Bean as I’m posting this. The Taste runs through Sunday, with national acts scheduled for each evening. Those shows will get some stiff competition because we’re heading into one of Chicago’s busiest weekends for entertainment. If you’re a tourist who’s scheduled a vacation based around Taste Of Chicago, you might want to consider these other options as well.
The annual Irish Fest takes place at the Irish American Heritage Center on Chicago’s north side. It’s three days of traditional and more rock-oriented live Irish music, dance, a bit of theater, food vendors, and even a traditional tea if you prefer that to Harp and Guinness. Acts scheduled to perform include Tupelo (be ready for some audience participation), the wild and funny Larkin and Moran Brothers, Rory Makem, and The Bagpipes and Drums of the Emerald Society Chicago Police Department.
If you’re cool with a trip to Arlington Heights, Soundtracks Of A Generation will present A 50th Anniversary Tribute To The Woodstock Era on Friday night at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center. The show will cover songs by Santana, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Jefferson Airplane.
The Roscoe Village Burger Fest takes place Saturday and Sunday at Belmont and Damen. Local bands performing include The Handcuffs, School Of Rock, JC Brooks, The Empty Pockets, Michael McDermott, and Cat Fight.
Son Volt, Camper Van Beethoven, and Cracker are the headline acts at this year’s Square Roots Festival being held in Lincoln Square this Saturday and Sunday. Local indie label Bloodshot Records will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary on Saturday with a Tribute To Andre Williams featuring The Mekons, Vandoliers, and Murder By Death. Other acts scheduled include Southern Culture On The Skids, Tommi Zender, Steve Dawson’s Funeral Bonsai Wedding and as the finale, a tribute to Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder. Be sure to visit the Laurie’s Planet Of Sound record store while you’re in the area.
You can wrap up this busy weekend by catching Steve Forbert at City Winery Chicago on Sunday night.
Posted by Terry Flamm at 9:25 PM , Links to this post , 0 comments
Critically acclaimed Aussie singer-guitarist and free spirit Courtney Barnett kicks off this year’s Taste Of Chicago concert series tomorrow night on the Petrillo Music Shell. Barnett will likely be showcasing her latest release Tell Me How You Really Feel, which features offbeat but catchy, guitar-based tracks like “City Looks Pretty,” “Nameless, Faceless,” and “Crippling Self-Doubt And A General Lack Of Confidence.” It’s available in various formats via her own label Milk! Records. Sunflower Bean, an indie rock band that’s garnering attention with its Twentytwo In Blue album, will be her opening act. Taste of Chicago wraps up Sunday night an impressive double bill of rhythm and blues stars India.Arie and Meshell Ndegoecello.
The Long Grove Arts and Music Council has four events scheduled for the suburb’s 14th season of free Sunday afternoon outdoor concerts on Towner Green. Corky Siegel and Will Tilson will perform on July 14; followed by Creole Stomp on August 4; Sons Of The Never Wrong on August 11; and The Don Sternberg Quartet on August 18. All shows start at 4:00 p.m.
The Unswept - Minor Blemishes
Leave it to those clever transplanted Brits of The Unswept to title their third full-length effort Minor Blemishes; as though these dozen tracks are somewhat inconvenient or embarrassing. Rather, the album brims with offbeat charm, chiming guitars, and infectious melodies. Founding members Charlie and Ryan O’Brien have lived in Chicago for a few years now but their power pop songs are still influenced by the 1960s British Invasion.
Much of Minor Blemishes concerns pining for or losing relationships, although the opening track “Sunshining” celebrates the simple pleasures (“paperbacks and cups of tea”) of sharing your life with the right person. Bassist-vocalist Liz O’Brien—I’m not how or if all the members are actually related—joins Charlie on the rollicking breakup song “I’m Still Here,” and provides spirited back-up singing throughout the album. Liz, Charlie, and Ryan combine their vocals on the Bob Dylan flavored “You Ain’t On My Mind,” and they nail the off-beat satire of The Bevis Frond’s “He’d Be A Diamond.”
“The Boy Who Wakes You Up” is simultaneously innocent and creepy, while “She Just Knows It’s Over” depicts a wife leaving her husband and kids because she’s bored with that lifestyle. “Brown Line” is another breakup song, as a couple decides to call it quits while commuting on the CTA. On a different note, the very Beatles-like “Fake It” deals with how difficult it can be just trying to survive the average workday.
4th Of July Barbecue
There will be no Slumgullion this week because I have to work tomorrow, and Pam and I are going to a neighborhood party in the evening. So here’s a Thursday night, 4th Of July Barbecue in its place. I hope everyone has a safe and fun celebration right through the weekend.
The 38th Annual American Music Festival continues through this Saturday at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn. Tomorrow and Saturday’s schedule includes Brave Combo; Tab Benoit; EXPO ’76; Girls Of The Golden West; Alejandro Escovedo; Marcia Ball; Terrance Simien and The Zydeco Experience; Amazing Heebie Jeebies; and The Iguanas.
Chicago Innerview continues its tradition of covering the city’s major rock events with the publication of its Know Before The Show issue devoted to Pitchfork Pitchfork Music Festival. I picked up a copy at the Reckless Records location downtown, but I’m sure copies are available in other local stores and venues. Pitchfork takes place July 19 – 21, with Mavis Staples, Haim, Low, The Isley Brothers, Belle and Sebastian, Stereolab, and Neneh Cherry among the acts scheduled.
The Petty Kings will be performing Tom Petty songs this Sunday, July 7 at the Mount Prospect Lions Club Festival and on July 12 at the 210 Live venue in Highwood.
The Handcuffs will be performing at 5:45 p.m. next Saturday on the Main Stage at the Roscoe Village Burger Fest. Sunday’s lineup includes The Empty Pockets at 3:30 p.m. and Michael McDermott at 6:00 p.m.
Steve Forbert will be performing at City Winery Chicago next Sunday, July 14. Sonny Landreth will be at that same venue on July 28.
Irish Fest returns to the Irish American Heritage Center on Chicago’s northwest side next weekend with a packed schedule of music, dance, comedy, merchandise, food vendors and a bit of theater. Baal Tinne: A Tribute To Noel Rice is sure to be a highlight—Rice was a founding member of this band and a respected teacher of Irish music. He passed away earlier this year. Other highlights include Tupelo (be ready for some audience participation), the wild and funny Larkin and Moran Brothers, Rory Makem, and The Bagpipes and Drums of the Emerald Society Chicago Police Department.
Son Volt, Camper Van Beethoven, and Cracker are the headline acts at the Square Roots Festival taking place next weekend in Lincoln Square. Chicago-based indie/roots rock label Bloodshot Records will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary as part of Square Roots on Saturday, July 13. Murder By Death, The Mekons, and The Vandoliers will take part in a tribute to the late Andre Williams. The Bloodshot All-Stars Band and other special guests will also be on hand.
The Kokandy Productions presentation of The Go-Go’s inspired musical Head Over Heels continues its run at Theatre Wit on Belmont Avenuet hrough August 25.
Former Hollies lead vocalist Allan Clarke is due to release the single “Journey Of Regret” next Friday, July 12. It’s from Clarke’s latest album, Resurgence, which is coming out on September 20.
Actress Ellie Kemper’s book My Squirrel Days came out in paperback this past Tuesday. Among other things, it covers her time on the TV shows The Office and The Unsinkable Kimmie Schmidt.
The Louder Than Words – Rock Politics Power exhibit continues its run at the Museum of Broadcast Communications through the end of August.
Wish me luck, part 2. Last Saturday, I attended the Writing Workshop Of Chicago event on Michigan Avenue and was able to pitch my YA/Paranormal/Romance/Rock and Roll novel to three literary agents. Each has given me the green light to submit the book for consideration.
In last Friday’s Slumgullion column, whilst mentioning Monty Python is celebrating its 50th birthday, I joked that if people drank enough of the official Monty Python’s Flying Circus IPA, they could end up talking like the TV show’s Gumby character. Now The Guardian is reporting the remaining five members of Monty Python are organizing a Guinness World Record-setting Gumby gathering on October 5. That’s the date my wife and Pam celebrate our wedding anniversary. There must be a way to combine these two momentous occasions.
Things will get pretty eclectic at the Arlington Heights Frontier Days this Friday night, with performances by the Alanis Morissette tribute band Jagged Little Pill; soul music legends War celebrating their 50th Anniversary; and the My Metal Heart hard rock cover act. In nearby Mount Prospect, the Tom Petty tribute band Petty Kings and Jay Goeppner and Backdated will be rocking on Sunday.
The Alarm will share a bill with Modern English on August 16 and 17 at House Of Blues in downtown Chicago.
According to this month’s issue of the Illinois Entertainer (with Perry Farrell on the cover), we can expect new albums this month from Imperial Teen (Now We Are Timeless) and New Order (∑(No,12k,Lg,17Mif): Live at Manchester International Festival) on July 12. Radiohead leader Thom Yorke’s ANIMA comes out July 19; and Violent Femmes will drop Hotel Last Resort on July 26.
That issue of I.E. is also where you’ll find a full-page ad for the Jay O’Rourke Band’s August 9 CD Release Party Party for Cover Tracks at SPACE. The album features renditions of classic rock and blues songs. It’s a safe bet the band will also be selling copies of its earlier 2019 release Sumpthin Good. The Dick Dale influenced instrumental act Spies Who Surf will be the opening act.
Wish me luck. I’ll be pitching my two my rock and roll novels (and possibly a Middle Grade fantasy) to literary agents at the Writing Workshop Of Chicago tomorrow at the Congress Plaza Hotel on south Michigan Avenue. I’ve gone to this event the past two years and found it a very rewarding experience. Aspiring writers tend to think of literary agents as cold and unsympathetic, but engaging with them in a friendly, informative face-to-face meeting certainly changes that outlook.
Pete Townshend has written a novel. It’s called The Age Of Anxiety and is coming out on November 19.
Mike Skill and ’67 RiOT with Brad Elvis; The Differents; and Acoustipunks will share a triple this coming Tuesday at Montrose Saloon on Chicago’s north side. Skill and Brad Elvis are well known as members of The Romantics, and Brad Elvis is also a founding member of the Chicago-based indie rock band The Handcuffs. Show time is 8:00 p.m.
Tickets went on sale today for Black Flag at Reggies’ Rock Club on August 25; the Dave Brubeck Tribute Project at SPACE on August 28; Shemekia Copeland at SPACE on October 11; Elvis Costello and The Imposters at Chicago Theatre on November 22; Marshall Crenshaw at SPACE on December 12; Morrissey and Interpol at Ravinia on September 14; and New Pornographers and Lady Lamb at The Vic on October 2. These listings, and several others, can be found on the Early Warnings page of this week’s Reader.
Megan McDonough has a gig coming up next Saturday, July 6; at SPACE in Evanston.
Monty Python is celebrating its 50th Birthday this year and it’s going to be a (British accent) silly party. Fully restored episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus will be coming out on November 19, a BBC Takeover is in the works, and the group will be reissuing its books and records. Monty Python’s Flying Circus IPA will be available via Black Sheep Brewery in September and October. Drink enough and you can talk like a Monty Python Gumby character.
Former Hollies lead vocalist Allan Clarke is due to release the single “Journey Of Regret” on July 12. It’s the first taste of Clarke’s new album Resurgence, which is coming out on September 20. It will be Clarke’s eighth solo effort, but the first in almost 30 years.
The Petty Kings will be performing Tom Petty songs on July 7 at the Mount Prospect Lions Club Festival and on July 12 at the 210 Live venue in Highwood.
The Kokandy Productions presentation of Head Over Heels opens on Monday, July 1 and runs through August 25 at Theatre Wit on Belmont Avenue. The gay-centric and anachronistic musical is based on songs by The Go-Go’s.
Former Doctor Who star David Tennant and current Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker are among the English stage and film performers taking part in the BBC Children In Need: Got It Covered CD project. Each of them will record a cover version of a hit song. Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent will also be contributing. There will also be a 60-minute programme showing the rehearsals and recordings.
Matt Smith of Doctor Who and The Crown fame and Keira Knightley of thousands of movies fame will be co-starring in a political thriller titled Official Secrets.
Chicago-based indie/roots rock label Bloodshot Records will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary at the Square Roots Festival in the Lincoln Square area on July 13. Murder By Death, The Mekons, and The Vandoliers will take part in a tribute to the late Andre Williams. The Bloodshot All-Stars Band and other special guests will also be on hand.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line44
|
__label__wiki
| 0.527128
| 0.527128
|
Yeo, Sara K., Michael A. Xenos, Dominique E. Brossard and Dietram A. Scheufele. 2014. "Disconnected Discourses." Materials Today. 17(2):48-49. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2014.01.002
Youtie, Jan and Luciano Kay. 2014. "Acquiring Nanotechnology Capabilities: Role of Mergers and Acquisitions." Technology Analysis & Strategic Management. p. 26(5). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2013.872773
Zhang, Yi, Alan L. Porter, Zhengyin Hu, Ying Guo and Nils Newman. 2014. "'Term Clumping' for Technical Intelligence: A Case Study on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells." Technology Forecasting & Social Change. 85:26-39. doi: http://dx.doi.org/1 0.1016/j.techfore.201 3.12.019
Zhou, Xiao, Yi Zhang, Alan L. Porter, Ying Gue and Donghua Zhu. 2014. "Nano-enabled Drug Delivery: A Research Profile." Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine. 10(5):889-896. doi: http://dx.doi.org/l0.1016/j.nano.2014.03.001
Allenby, Braden and Peter de Marneffe. April 19, 2013. "Privacy in the Nano City: Humans and nano- enabled Communication Technologies." CNS-ASU Science Café.
Anderson, Derrick. 2013. "The Cochlear Implant Controversy: Lessons Learned for Using Anticipatory Governance to Address Societal Concerns of Nano-scale Neural interface Technologies." Yearbook of Nanotechnology in Society, Volume III: Nanotechnology, the Brain, and the Future, ed(s). Sean A. Hays, Jason S. Robert, Clark A. Miller and Ira Bennett, p. 147-158. New York: Springer.
Anderson, Ashley A., Dominique E. Brossard and Dietram A. Scheufele. 2013. "Nanoparticle-related Deaths: Science News and the Issue Intention Cycle in Print and Online Media." Politics and the Life Sciences. 31(1-2):87-96.
Anderson, Ashley A., Dominique E. Brossard, Dietram A. Scheufele, Michael A. Xenos and Peter Ladwig. 2013. "The “Nasty Effect”: Online Incivility and Risk Perceptions of Emerging Technologies." Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. doi: 10.1111/jcc4.12009
Anderson, Ashley A., Jiyoun Kim, Dietram A. Scheufele, Dominique E. Brossard and Michael A. Xenos. 2013. "What’s in a name? How we define nanotech shapes public reactions." Journal of Nanoparticle Research. 15(2):1-5. doi: 10.1007/s11051-013-1421-z
Anderson, Derrick and Catherine P. Slade. 2013. "Agenda Setting in Emergent R&D Policy Subsystems: Examining Discourse Effects of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act." Review of Policy Research. 30(5):447-463. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12033
Arora, Sanjay, Alan L. Porter, Jan Youtie and Philip Shapira. 2013. "Capturing Developments in an Emerging Technology: an Updated Search Strategy for Identifying Nanotechnology Research Outputs." Scientometrics. 95(1):351-370. doi: 10.1007/s11192-012-0903-6
Arora, Sanjay, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira, Lidan Gao and TingTing Ma. 2013. "Entry Strategies in an Emerging Technology: a Pilot Web-based Study of Graphene Firms." Scientometrics. 95(3):1189-1207. doi: 10.1007/s11192-013-0950-7
Barker, Anna and Denise Meridith. May 17, 2013. "Healing in the Nano City: Designing Equity into Transformative Healthcare." CNS-ASU Science Café.
Brossard, Dominique E. and Dietram A. Scheufele. 2013. "Science, New Media, and the Public." Science. 339(40):40-41. doi: 10.1126/science.1232329
Brossard, Dominique E. and Dietram A. Scheufele. 2013. "This Story Stinks." The New York Times,
Cacciatore, Michael A. 2013. "Differentiating the Applicability of Constructs from their Accessibility: Returning to a Narrow Conceptualization of Framing Effects in Communication Research." Doctoral Dissertation. Department of Mass Communications. University of Wisconsin - Madison. Madison, WI.
Cacciatore, Michael A., Dietram A. Scheufele and Elizabeth A. Corley. 2013. "Explaining Attitudes toward Nanotechnology: The Interaction between Risk Perceptions and Regulatory Trust on Public Support." Presentation. Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the Society for the Study of Nanoscience and Emerging Technologies. Boston, MA.
Cacciatore, Michael A., Dietram A. Scheufele, Sara K. Yeo, Michael A. Xenos, Doo-Hun Choi, Dominique E. Brossard and Elizabeth A. Corley. June 2013. "Misperceptions in Polarized Politics: The Role of Knowledge, Religiosity and Media." Presentation. Annual Convention of the International Communication Association. London, United Kingdom.
Cacciatore, Michael A., Sara K. Yeo, Dominique E. Brossard, Dietram A. Scheufele, Kristin K. Runge, Leona Yi-Fan Su and Elizabeth A. Corley. 2013. "Partisan Amplification of Nuclear Energy Risk in the Wake of the Fukushima Daiichi Disaster." Presentation. The Annual Conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Washington, DC.
Choi, Doo-Hun, Michael A. Cacciatore, Youngjae Kim, Dietram A. Scheufele and Dominique E. Brossard. May 2013. "Issue Publics in Nanotechnology in the New Media Environment." Presentation. Annual Convention of the American Association for Public Opinion Research. Boston, MA.
Choi, Doo-Hun, Michael A. Cacciatore, Michael A. Xenos, Dietram A. Scheufele, Dominique E. Brossard and Elizabeth A. Corley. 2013. "How do Individuals Develop Attitude Extremity in the New Media Environment? The Interplay between the Internet, Schemas, and Information Seeking." Presentation. Annual Conference for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Washington, DC.
Choi, Doo-Hun, Anthony D. Dudo and Dietram A. Scheufele. 2013. "U.S. News Coverage of Neuroscience Nanotechnology: How U.S. Newspapers Have Covered Neuroscience Nanotechnology During the Last Decade." Yearbook of Nanotechnology in Society, Volume III: Nanotechnology, the Brain, and the Future, ed(s). Sean A. Hays, Jason S. Robert, Clark A. Miller and Ira Bennett, p. 67-78. New York: Springer.
Corley, Elizabeth A. 2013. "The Science of Science Communication II: Creating Collaborations for Communication about Nanotechnology Regulation." Presentation. The National Academy of Sciences. Washington, DC.
Corley, Elizabeth A., Youngjae Kim and Dietram A. Scheufele. 2013. "The Current Status and Future Direction of Nanotechnology Regulations: A View from Nano-Scientists." Review of Policy Research. 30(5):487-509. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12036
Cozzens, Susan. March 2013. "Invited Lecture." Presentation. Tshwane University of Technology. Pretoria, South Africa.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line49
|
__label__wiki
| 0.79181
| 0.79181
|
Night Moves (1975) / Scarecrow (1973) Blu-ray Reviews: The WAC Gets Hacked
The Warner Archive Collection rescues two neglected classics with Gene Hackman, including his one and only pairing with Al Pacino.
By Luigi Bastardo on January 26, 2018 10:00 AM |
One of the most difficult acts to follow from 20th Century film history, the great Gene Hackman returns to astonish classic filmgoers (and maybe a few Millennials curious as to why everyone else shakes their head over the mere mention of Welcome to Mooseport or Heartbreakers) in two recent Blu-ray releases from the Warner Archive Collection.
Night Moves (1975, Warner Bros.)
The inimitable Mr. Hackman ‒ at the height of his career as a leading man here ‒ stars in this gripping neo-noir from director Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde, The Chase). One of several thrillers written for the silver screen by Scottish novelist Alan Sharp (Sam Peckinpah's The Osterman Weekend), Night Moves finds Hackman as a former professional football player who now works as a private detective in Los Angeles, where there is certainly never a shortage of sleazy characters to sort through. Indeed, his latest assignment ‒ tracking down a missing underage actress, as played by young (and sometimes nekkid) Melanie Griffith ‒ he discovers there is, quite literally, more lurking below the surface than he initially realizes. Susan Clark (as Hackman's unfaithful wife), Jennifer Warren, Edward Binns, Harris Yulin, Kenneth Mars, John Crawford, and a young James Woods co-star.
A commercial failure when first released in 1975, Night Moves has gained more attention (and with it, acclaim) over the years. In fact, Penn's mini-masterpiece was one of the most commonly requested titles when the Warner Archive began manufacturing Blu-rays several years ago. Now, thanks to the diligence of the WAC, Night Moves has received a new 4K scan from the original camera negative, which had to be meticulously restored for this release. Fortunately, all of their hard work was well worth it, as Night Moves looks fresher than ever. The feature film's accompanying DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono soundtrack is just as magnificent, and English (SDH) subtitles are included in case Gene's big fuzzy 'stache proves too distracting. Extras for this must-own downer of a detective story consist of a vintage promotional featurette and the original theatrical trailer (the latter of which is also presented in 1080p).
Scarecrow (1973, Warner Bros.)
One might expect the only cinematic pairing of Gene Hackman and Al Pacino to become an instant hit across the nation. And, while Jerry (The Panic in Needle Park) Schatzberg's road picture may have done just that internationally (it shared the grand prize at Cannes that year along with Alan Bridges' The Hireling), Scarecrow bombed in America. Fortunately ‒ like Night Moves ‒ it has managed to eke its way into cult status over the years, and definitely deserves a look. The story centers on two drifters ‒ an abrasive Hackman and a surprisingly innocent Pacino ‒ agreeing to start a car wash in Pittsburgh. But first they have to make it there from California, which proves to be harder than it sounds as they encounter several setbacks along the way, most notably a brief prison farm stint, where classic B-movie villain extraordinaire Richard Lynch (The Premonition) tries to rape Pacino!
Though it may echo a few other films throughout its rather slow-moving 112-minute running time, Scarecrow nevertheless deserves a spot on the '70s road movie map (for Hackman's hilarious, impromtu striptease in a bar if nothing else), so the recent Blu-ray appearance of the title from the Warner Archive Collection is nothing short of a godsend in that sense. Better still is this WAC encode itself, presenting us with a beautiful new 2K transfer from a recently struck and restored interpositive. Photographed by cinematography god Vilmos Zsigmond, Scarecrow has never looked better, and the DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono soundtrack is just as perfect ‒ which is really saying something considering the audio was recorded on the spot. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included with this release, along with a vintage making-of promo piece and the original theatrical trailer rounding things up.
(For even more Gene Hackman from the Warner Archive Collection, be sure to check out the newly restored three-hour widescreen TV cut of Richard Donner's Superman.)
Recommended. The both of 'em.
Blu-ray,
al pacino,
arthur penn,
detective,
james woods,
jerry schatzberg,
neo noir,
nudity,
prison,
rape,
road movie,
road picture,
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line53
|
__label__cc
| 0.677354
| 0.322646
|
Home | St. Croix and Vieques
St. Croix and Vieques: Remapping the Archipelago
Katherine Miranda
Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
Until a recent fieldwork trip to St. Croix as a doctoral student of Caribbean literature from the University of Puerto Rico, what I knew of the island had been filtered through a Vieques lens. About forty miles northwest of St. Croix, the history of Vieques (the island-municipality “isla nena” of Puerto Rico) is intricately linked to that of her U.S. Virgin Island neighbor. Working as a newspaper editor and bartender and volunteering with efforts to stop U.S. military bombing practices in Vieques in 2001, I learned about St. Croix from the Viequenses I worked and volunteered with. I had, of course, heard of St. Croix before arriving in Vieques—I had seen the island on a map—but like many, I knew little of the Virgin Islands aside from tourist brochures. I first learned about Vieques’ connections with St. Croix through informal exchanges: tidbits of conversation about family members who lived there, the cousin of a friend who was visiting Vieques introduced to me as “Crucian” (the first time I heard the term for a St. Croix resident). Activists I worked with told me of the massive Viequense migrations to St. Croix when the U.S. navy expropriated two-thirds of the isla nena in the 1940s. And I saw Diego Conde’s photo exhibition “De Papa Dem” at the Fuerte Conde de Mirasol, which showcased Portocruzans (Crucians of Puerto Rican descent) and how popular Puerto Rican iconography—pinchos, güiros, guayaberas—manifested itself in this neighboring island with a different cultural, linguistic and historical background. But in Vieques, this vision of St. Croix centered around the many whose relatives and friends had migrated, for whom St. Croix symbolized a hollow, a blurry rim on the horizon, a hazy outline that meant disjuncture and loss. And then this vague introduction was cut short when I left Vieques and relocated to San Juan. For years in Puerto Rico’s capital, I learned nothing more about St. Croix, its history or its connection to Vieques or Puerto Rico—not through pieces of anyone’s conversation, not in any art exhibit, not in any of the textbooks I used during four years as a middle-school teacher. If St. Croix was an infrequent and informal topic of conversation in Vieques, in San Juan it disappeared altogether. References to las islitas (the “little islands” as Puerto Ricans often call the Virgin Islands) were made only in passing to describe cruise ship destinations visited for a day or two, a trip to a Crucian reggae festival. But aside from vacation, I heard no other mention of the connections between Puerto Rico and St. Croix. Ever.
The invisibility of these connectionscompels a remapping of the archipelago. While a map of the Caribbean draws a slew of islands that slope in an arc between two hulking continents, the hinge of this larger chain—the nub of islands that lie between the larger Windward Antilles and the more numerous, smaller Leeward Antilles—is an archipelago unto itself. Divided into territorial units by the flat ink of a map, the demarcations that separate the U.S. Virgin Islands (U.S.V.I.) of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, the British Virgin Islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda, and Puerto Rico’s two island-municipalities of Vieques and Culebra say little of the interconnectedness between these places and the ways they continue to influence each other. Two seemingly unrelated spots on a Caribbean map, the relationship between St. Croix and Vieques urge a rethinking of the way this map is geographically constructed, and insists on broader definitions of connectivity. The fixity of names on paper unravels in the ways the development of these two islands continues to be lived. Here is one place to begin a new map.
Remapping the Archipelago Part II
Remapping the Archipelago Part III
Remapping the Archipelago Part IV
Remapping the Archipelago Part V
Relaciones Históricas
Remapping the Archipelago Part II ›
| | Login to post comments | | | Tags: St. Croix
St. Croix Index
Relaciones históricas...
Tres Experiencias...
Narratives of People...
St. Croix and Vieques...
De Puerto Rican...
St. Croix and Vieques
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line55
|
__label__cc
| 0.559038
| 0.440962
|
Discovery to Pre-candidate
Inflammation and Immunology
Partnering Models
Candidate Through Commercialization
Consumer Healthcare
Cheladv74 Ventures
Partners / Discovery to Pre-candidate / Focus Areas / Vaccines
Vaccines are one of the greatest public health advancements of all time, resulting in the control, elimination, or near-elimination of numerous infectious diseases that were once pervasive and often fatal. Cheladv74 has a rich history in vaccine research and development. Over the years, we’ve played a pivotal role in eliminating or nearly eliminating deadly infectious diseases like smallpox and polio globally. We have designed novel vaccines based on new delivery systems and technologies that have resulted in vaccines to prevent bacterial infections, like those caused by S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis.
Today, more people are benefiting from safe and efficacious vaccines to prevent infectious diseases than ever before, and vaccines provide essential health benefits at all ages, from maternal and infant populations to seniors. However, our work is not done given the many infectious diseases remaining with a high unmet medical need and a growing list of vaccine preventable diseases.
It is an exciting time in vaccine research and development, as scientific discoveries, technological advancements and regulatory paradigms are paving the way for novel vaccines. While Cheladv74’s Vaccine Research and Development scientists continue to extend our leadership position in pneumococcal and meningococcal disease prevention, they are also working on vaccines against other major infectious diseases while striving to bring the benefits of vaccines into previously unexplored areas. We are at the forefront to usher in a new era of vaccine innovation, both to prevent and treat disease, with special focus on maternal/neonatal, hospital-acquired infections (HAI), and cancer.
Cheladv74’s current Vaccines pipeline includes:
Phase 3 (Links to Clinicaltrials.gov)
Primary Clostridium difficile infection
Invasive and non-invasive Pneumococcal infections
Invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal infections (PF-06842433)
Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection in older adults
Prostate Cancer (PF-06753512)
Respiratory Syncytial Virus infection (PF-06928316)
Invasive Group B streptococcus infection (PF-06760805)
Serogroups ABCWY meningococcal infections (PF-06886992)
Multiple Cancers (PF-06936308)
Cheladv74 Vaccines is interested in partnering opportunities in preclinical Vaccines R&D:
Focus on bacterial vaccines, viral vaccines, and cancer vaccines that are in the strategic scope of Cheladv74 vaccine portfolio
Specific areas of interest in Vaccine Research include:
Research tools, reagents, and materials to aid in vaccine discovery
Novel viral and bacterial antigens (peptides, proteins, DNA, RNA, glycoconjugates) and expression systems
Immunomodulators, adjuvants, delivery platforms, and vector systems to enhance vaccine immune responses
Needle-free alternative delivery methods and devices
Broad platform technologies for application across multiple programs
Vaccine technologies and approaches for non-infectious diseases such as cancer
Technology for rapid DNA synthesis and amplification
Specific areas of interest in Vaccine Development include:
Formulation compositions and methods to increase vaccine stability and potency
Process and assays for vaccine development, testing, and release
Improved expression and purification processes to increase production efficiencies
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line56
|
__label__cc
| 0.727677
| 0.272323
|
P2P Lending Buzz, Peer to Peer Lending
Venture Capital Investors Lining up to Cash in on a Trillion Dollar Marketplace Lending Industry
By Joseph · On May 13, 2015
Some call it a gold rush, but one thing is for certain – venture capitalists and seed funders are looking to cash in on what has obviously become a strong, growing and permanent segment of the financial marketplace.
The alternative lending industry has hit the Trillion dollar mark, and all signs lead to continued growth in what has become a mainstream lending marketplace.
In the US, two of the largest peer to peer lending platforms both saw huge IPOs (a total of $10.3B combined) recently, spawning a wave of investment activity. The reality of such successful capital investment served as a signpost for venture investors who want to see more of a profit margin in their portfolios.
According to a CrunchBase data report, $340 million was poured into alternative lending start-ups by venture capitalists in the first two months of this year. There were a total of 17 fundings, with an average of $23 million each, quite a jump from the average of $14 million seen in 2014.
Marketplace Lending Success Paved by Peer to Peer Lenders
Peer to peer lending has succeeded because the loan platform is easy to navigate and the overall process is organized and competent. More borrowers are able to find financing for their needs, even those who would be declined by banks or suffer under the weight of high fees and interest rates. The peer to peer lending platform is online, accessible, stress-free, moves quickly, and the results are much more favorable.
The stability of the marketplace lending industry, with its proven track record of success, has allowed personal lending platforms, such as Peerform, to expand their menu of offerings to fit the full range of consumer needs, such as mortgage, debt consolidation, medical debts, automobile financing and military loans. Qualified borrowers can obtain unsecured loans ranging between $2,000 to $35,000, which can be used to consolidate debt, remodel his home, take care of an uninsured medical procedure, or relocate to a better city.
Marketplace Lending is Transparent
Investors have recovered from the 2008 meltdown, but more than ever they are looking for results and for investments that will weather any downturns that may come up in the near-term. Investors want transparency: statistics, and hard data about a platform’s business dealings and success. The alternative lending market platforms provide all of this to venture investors, giving them a level of comfort to make big investments in this growing industry.
Marketplace Lending Better than Banks
Following the 2008 crash, the federal government put strict regulations in place requiring banks to hold more cash on their balance sheets, which resulted in less lending, a move that hurt individuals and small businesses. The government also lowered interest rates in an effort to get the economy going again, which depressed investment yields. Around this time, the internet was continuing to flourish, with new technologies emerging that made it easier and safer to conduct financial transactions online. This combination created fertile ground for an online, non-traditional loan platform to emerge and thrive, satisfying both the demands of consumers looking for loans and investors looking for better yielding investments.
Peer to Peer has Grown Up: Marketplace Lending
As more institutional investors have become the source for peer to peer loans, the term “marketplace lending” has become much more appropriate for this dynamic industry. Investors searching for higher returns are finding them in the alternative lending marketplace. For instance, according to Bloomberg, at the end of last week P2P loans were yielding around 7.6%, while two-year Treasury notes were returning at best 0.6%.
Forbes’ 2015 top eight “Midas” list of emerging venture capital firms included two who were investing heavily in alternative marketplace lending: Canvas Venture Fund and Foundation Capital. American Banker named marketplace lending as its “Innovation of the Year” in 2014, noting the solid rise and flood of capital going into alternative marketplace lending companies. According to American Banker in 2014, 80% of alternative marketplace loans were funded by institutional investors.
The marketplace lending industry has changed the face of lending throughout the world. The future is only brighter with boundless benefits for consumers, investors and marketplace lenders.
How to Budget Your Money So You Have More of It
Can You Build Your Credit Score With a Personal Loan?
When Should You Get an Online Personal Loan?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line57
|
__label__cc
| 0.74447
| 0.25553
|
Education Week's blogs > College Bound
Caralee Johnson Adams has worked as a journalist for nearly 25 years, covering education, health, parenting, and other issues. She received her journalism degree from Iowa State University and her master’s degree in political science from the University of New Orleans.
« Colorado Mulls Tying College Progress to Financial Aid | Main | National High School Graduation Rate Climbs »
Dartmouth to Stop Accepting AP Credit in Fall 2014
By Caralee Adams on January 20, 2013 10:27 PM
Part of the appeal of taking Advanced Placement classes in high school is that students can save time and money in college.
But Dartmouth College decided to stop the practice of granting college credit based on AP test scores, after faculty members voiced concern that the high school courses weren't as rigorous as what the college offered, according to an Associated Press story Thursday.
Dartmouth won't give credit, but it will continue to offer exemptions and placement in some subject areas based on AP exam scores, according to a newly updated policy on the school's website. The policy is slated to go into effect in the fall of 2014.
The Dartmouth faculty had been mulling over a change in AP policy for more than a decade before this vote, the AP reports. Dartmouth officials point to an experiment on campus as an illustration of how the AP preparation in high school does not match college-level courses.
Instead of giving credit for an introductory psychology course to freshmen who got the highest score on that subject's AP test, Dartmouth administered a condensed version of its own final psychology exam. Ninety percent of students failed. When those high-scoring AP students went on to take the introductory course, Dartmouth found they performed the same as those without high AP test scores, the AP story says.
That is an anecdote, not a research study, says Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and college readiness for the College Board. "Researchers are quick to point out that is a probably a highly problematic methodology," to give students a test on a subset of the college course material long after they look the AP course in high school, says Packer.
The Dartmouth findings are in contrast to peer-reviewed evidence that demonstrates AP courses to be comparable to the finest introductory college courses, he says. Packer cited a study that found students who scored a 5 (the highest grade) on the AP exam earned a full grade higher in subsequent courses than their peers.
The College Board learned of the Dartmouth news through media reports. "We are eager to hear details about any potential AP policy change. There are a number of questions and we are eager to talk with Dartmouth and learn more," says Packer, adding that the College Board had prepared a letter Friday to send to the New Hampshire Ivy League college about the issue.
The College Board, which administers the AP, markets the value of the exam in part on the premise that most four-year colleges give credit or placement on the basis of AP exam performance.
In light of the Dartmouth policy change, will there be modification in how the College Board portrays AP courses as a way to obtain college credit? "Absolutely not," says Packer. "AP courses are college-level courses, designed by college faculty, scored by college faculty. Any description to the contrary would simply be false."
Policies regarding the acceptance of AP credits vary by college. To search for the AP policies at a certain school, the College Board has an online tool for students.
Each year, about 2 percent of colleges change their AP policieshalf making them more liberal, half changing them to be more restrictive, says Packer,
AP exams courses are offered in 34 subjects and last year, 3,308 colleges received AP scores from students for credit, placement and/or consideration in the admissions process, according to the College Board.
After Five-Year Run, College Bound Blog Sunsets
Preparing Students for Reality of College With Advice and Inspiration
Changes to Common App Roll Out Aug. 1
Financial Aid Professionals Propose Three Paths for FAFSA Forms
Range of Summer Experiences Can Benefit High School Students
--- Select a Category --- 529 Plans (3) academic performance (20) ACT (39) Advanced Placement (16) African-American students (4) apprenticeships (3) Asian American and Pacific Islander students (1) assessments (10) campus safety (1) career exposure (8) career planning (66) career technical eduaiton (3) career technical education (15) career technical education (4) certificate programs (4) college access (33) College Admissions (162) college and career readiness (98) college applications (97) college benefits (58) College Board (27) College Completion (137) college costs (26) college experience (47) College experience in high school (39) College faculty (7) College Graduation Trends (48) college life (10) college persistence (20) college persitence (6) College Preparation (86) college rankings (25) college ratings (6) college readiness (35) college reforms (60) college retention (13) college savings (3) college scholarships (13) College Search (66) college transfer (2) college transfer (1) college transfers (4) College Transition (59) college transition (6) college trustees (2) college visits (7) Common Application (16) Common Core (4) common core state standards (1) Community Colleges (85) consumer financial protection bureau\d category (1) data collection (9) data collectiono (1) developmental education (12) disadvantaged students' (27) diversity (8) Dropouts (7) dual enrollment (5) dual enrollment (4) early action (1) early college (3) early college high schools (2) early decision (1) economy (27) education reform (13) employer engagement (2) Enrollment Trends (42) excellence gap (1) FAFSA (16) financial aid (71) first-generation college students (8) first-generation students (5) For-Profit Colleges (25) GED (2) gender gap (2) gender issues in education (3) global collaboration (1) Graduate School (7) HBCU (1) high school counseling (29) high school equivalency exam (1) high school equivalency exams (1) high school exit exams (1) High School Graduation Rates (34) high school rankings (7) high school redesign (9) high school reforms (17) High School Standards (20) Higher Education Act (2) higher education policy (4) IB (1) international baccalaureate (2) international higher education (3) international students (1) internships (5) internships (1) interships (6) Job Market (50) latino students (12) learning in college (10) life skills (3) mentoring (6) mentoring programs (5) middle school (2) middle school (4) middle years (4) minority and low-income students (44) Net price calculators (5) non-cognitive skills (1) online learning (1) online learning (4) parenting (1) Paying for College (175) Pell grants (43) placement tests for community college (1) private student loans (7) promise scholarships (1) PSAT (2) PSAT/NMSQT (1) Regulation and Legislation (69) remedial education (4) research (7) SAT (36) scholarships (22) school counseling (6) school counselors (3) social media (8) soft skills (1) state funding for higher education (12) state leglslation (3) STEM careers (9) Student Employment (3) student engagement (8) student loans (32) students with disabilities (1) study abroad (5) tax credits (5) technology (9) technology (2) texting (1) transfer (2) value of college (2) wait lists (1) workforce and career training (33) workplace partnerships (6)
Select a Month... July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line63
|
__label__wiki
| 0.819822
| 0.819822
|
Enemies All Around—The Medieval/Modern Game of Thrones
A new season of art-history recaps begins
Bryan C. Keene | June 16, 2017 | 11 min read
Lydia Ordering the Death of Her Sons (detail), 1467–72, Loyset Liédet and Pol Fruit, cutting from History of Charles Martel. Tempera colors, gold leaf, and gold paint on parchment, 9 1/4 x 7 1/2 in. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XIII 6 (83.MP.149), leaf 12
“Enemies to the east, enemies to the west, enemies to the south, enemies to the north. Whatever stands in our way, we will defeat it.” —Queen Cersei Lannister
The penultimate season of Game of Thrones is here, and our medieval/modern episode recaps will return each week as well (see previous seasons here).
The rhetoric of “enemies all around”—expressed in the words of fiery Queen Cersei Lannister—resonates across time. This historical echo is but one way in which the HBO series, based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice, appeals to our sensibility that the present mirrors the past, or the ways that propaganda promotes alternative views about current events (at times playing up, exaggerating, or overlooking prejudices or precedents from bygone eras).
Just as our own world has changed radically in the year since the previous season, so too did the fictional worlds of Westeros and Essos witness significant political upheaval: a fraught election pitted mansplaining greatness over an attempt to shatter an iron ceiling for female rule; an unstable imperialist state witnessed the obliteration of numerous competing factions; a wealthy foreign power attempted to cut its ties with other realms; proponents and opponents of defending a great wall clashed; humanitarian rule was challenged in the face of a refugee crisis and commercialism; and changes in the world’s climate were ruthlessly debated (you can’t make this stuff up, right?).
Medieval/modern passions merge. My research into the global Middle Ages has taken me to Ireland and Spain, where Game of Thrones has filmed. (Incidentally, both form part of my family heritage.) Images: Inch Abbey, 1180s, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland (Photo: Bryan C. Keene); The Dark Hedges, 18th century, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland (Photo: Bryan C. Keene); Girona Cathedral, 1417, Spain (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
As a specialist of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, I’m interested in GoT for several reasons: the ways in which the narratives and visuals draw upon our ideas (real or imagined) about those historic periods; the use of architecture or world heritage sites as settings that help to create a dystopian fantasy world (much as artists drew upon their surroundings to stage ancient events in contemporary environments); the roles that costume and dress play in character development and storytelling; and of course, because of the resonance with the medieval (even if by “medieval” we mean a collision of ancient to Victorian time that sometimes resembles the late Greco-Roman empires + the Crusades + the War of the Roses + a smattering of other events that took place around the world during the traditionally thousand-year moment known as the Middle Ages, with a touch of dragon fire and White Walker ice fantasy of course).
A Game of Thrones — A Clash of Kings — A Storm of Swords — A Feast for Crows — A Dance with Dragons — The Winds of Winter… Game of Thrones as imagined in medieval manuscripts at the Getty
Our aim in recapping GoT episodes with art has been to share rarely seen objects from the collection (due to the light sensitivity of manuscripts, in particular), to inspire curiosity about history, to present a more global view of the Middle Ages, to be more inclusive and diverse in the stories we tell, and of course to have fun!
This post will expand each week of season seven, and we have a few surprises to share from our collection and from other museums around the world. Teaser: the exquisite early-twentieth-century manuscript below.
“If we don’t put aside our enmities and band together, we will die—and then it won’t matter whose skeleton sits on the Iron Throne.” —Ser Davos Seaworth
A Human Skeleton at the Foot of a Rock Face, Florence Kingsford Cockerell, from The Story of a Hunter by Olive Schreiner, 1908. Tempera, watercolors, gold leaf, and silver and gold paints on parchment, 8 9/16 x 5 5/16 in. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XV 12, fol. 17
GoT Medievalisms and the Real Middle Ages
Chained Libraries and Map Rooms
In university cities and religious institutions across medieval and Renaissance Europe, the most valuable manuscripts were at times chained to bookcases or desks to prevent loss or theft (books would not have been easily removable, if at all, despite what we saw in the first episode of the season).
Chained Library, Biblioteca Malatestiana, Cesena; Sala del Mappamondo (Sala delle Carte Geografiche), Palazzo Vecchio, Florence [Photos: Bryan C. Keene]
This manuscript at the Getty was once part of a chained library in Cologne. Several of these so-called chained libraries still survive, one of the most famous of which is at Hereford Cathedral but others survive at the Malatestiana Library in Cesena and the Librije of Zutphen in the Netherlnds, among others. On a recent research trip to Cesena, I had the pleasure of studying several manuscripts in the chained library, which was organized by subject or language (law and ecclesiastical history, for example, or Hebrew and Greek texts).
World maps were another kind of prized possession in the premodern world, as rulers desired the most up-to-date information about cartography and political, national, and religious boundaries. Hereford Cathedral also features a mappamundo, as these maps are known, as does the Vatican Museum and the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Designed by Giorgio Vasari for Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Sala del Mappamondo (or Sala delle Carte Geografiche) in Florence contains fifty-three map panels attached to cabinet doors, effectively presenting the entire known world of the mid- to late-16th century, including representations of China, Japan, Mexico, and California.
Some scholars believe that the cabinets behind the maps contained objects from around the world, supposedly organized based on an items’ geographic origin. The giant terrestrial globe was originally conceived to descend from the room’s ceiling (together with an armillary sphere, very much like the floating orbs in the Citadel of Old Town in GoT).
Pharmacies and Surgery
The transmission of medicinal knowledge in the Middle Ages was a global phenomenon, as Arab and Jewish scholars translated and wrote commentaries on Greek, Persian, and Southeast Asian texts (writers in Europe were also engaged in the copying and translating of similar texts). The study of planetary and astral movements was closely associated with theories about bodily fluids, personality, health, and regimen. The signs of the zodiac, for example, were believed to hold great power over all aspects of life, from socio-political events to interpersonal relationships (and sex).
Healing a Diseased Man from The Book of Theriacs, Mosul 1199. Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms. Arabe 2964, fol. 27; A Pharmacy from The Book of Surgery, Amiens, 14th century. London, The British Library, Ms. Sloane 1977, fol. 49v
Plants were highly prized for their healing properties, and some organic matter and minerals—such as saffron and lapis lazuli—could be consumed as a remedy or made into pigments. Pharmacies and some aristocratic homes often had gardens of simples, or medicinal plants, which could be dried and stored in earthenware jars, as seen in the image above (the Getty has several examples of these vessels, such as a jar from Santa Maria della Scala in Siena or one with pseudo-Kufic script, highlighting the links to medicinal science in the Islamic world).
Anatomy and surgery were also fields of study and practice in the medieval world, in hospitals, hostels (travelers’ hospitals), ecclesiastical structures, and universities. Numerous illuminated treatises on pharmacopeia, astronomy/astrology, and surgery survive, such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France’s Ms. Arabe 2964 (medicinal text of The Book of Theriacs; Mosul, 1199) or the British Library’s Sloane 1977 (surgical texts by Roger Frugardi of Salerno and Mattheus Platearius; Amiens, 14th century).
The Scriptorium
The word “manuscript” derives from the Latin words manus (hand) and scriptus (written), and is therefore applied to hand-written texts (versus printed books). The scriptorium was the place where writing took place in medieval monasteries, universities, and libraries. There, scribes copied, transcribed, translated, edited, corrected, glossed (commented on), and updated texts. An amanuensis or pupil (literally one who copies by hand) could also be involved in the preservation of texts. Prior to the wide-scale use of paper in Europe, modest and luxury manuscripts alike were composed of animal skin, called parchment or vellum.
Scribes at work in manuscripts from the Getty Collection.
After the writing surface was prepared, it was ruled for text, which would have been written before the drawn and painted decoration was undertaken. Once a book was completed, it was often presented to its patron, as visualized in chronicles, legal texts, and romances, among other genres.
Within the pages of illuminated or decorated manuscripts across Afro-Eurasia (from Germany to Armenia and from Constantinople to Tigray), there was a long tradition in the Middle Ages of depicting scribes or the supposed author of a text holding the tools of their trade in hand: quills for writing and knives for scraping away errors (sometimes these individuals are shown dictating to a scribe). The convention of showing these authors at times writing directly into a bound volume is inaccurate, as scribes would work on individual sheets of parchment before gathering them to be bound (edits or glosses could, of course, be added to bound volumes). If a grave mistake was made in copying the text, a scribe could either begin again (likely discouraged due to the expense of parchment) or find a creative way to cover his or her error.
Worlds Together, Worlds Apart
Henry III before Tivoli, Witnessing a Supernova, Hagenau, about 1450, Workshop of Diebold Lauber, Heidelberg, Bibliotheca Palatina, Cod. Pal. Germ. 149, fol. 5; Chaco Canyon Culture Wall Painting; Map Rock Petroglyph, Southwestern Idaho, Givens Hot Springs, Canyon County; Photo: Kenneth D. and Rosemarie Keene; Ibn Butlan, Table of Health, 11th century
In 1054, people around the world witnessed a supernova (SN 1054, the Crab Nebula). Texts describing the fantastic cosmic event have been found in Japan (the diary of Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241)), China (in the Lidai mingchen zouyi, about 1414), and Iraq (Ibn Butlan (1038-1075)). The Shoshone-Bannock peoples of Idaho’s Snake River Valley may have carved the 1054 event into the so-called Map Rock and surrounding basalt deposits, and the Anasazi peoples of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico may have memorialized the sighting through pictographs. Archeoastronomers and archivists continue to piece these clues together, effectively finding connections between distant communities in the medieval world. There is much potential to expand this kind of study within the framework of the Global Middle Ages, as long as we are willing to think creatively and expansively about the remit of our fields of study.
Marriage and Annulment
By the thirteenth century, the Christian Church (West and East) considered marriage to be a sacrament, that is, a religious ceremony regarded as sacred. The age of puberty generally determined the marriageability of young women. Arranged marriages could serve to form or strengthen social or political alliances. Marriage also regulated sexual activity: intercourse was vital for procreation but pleasure embodied the vice of lust (and any form of copulation that did not result in childbirth could be deemed sodomitical, and therefore sinful).
The Family of Berthold VI; The Marriage of Saint Hedwig and Heinrich in The Life of the Blessed Saint Hedwig, Silesia, 1353. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XI 7, fol. 10v; The Marriage of Louis de Blois and Marie de France in Froissart’s Chronicles, Master of the Getty Froissart, Bruges, about 1480-83. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XIII 7, fol. 288v; Table of Consanguinity and Table of Affinity in Gratian’s Decretals, Paris, about 1170-80. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. Ludwig XIV 2, fols. 227v-228; Pope Clement VII, Sebastiano del Piombo, Rome, about 1531. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 92.PC.25; Letter to Pope Clement VII from English Noblemen urging the pope to annul King Henry VIII’s marriage. Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana
Illuminated manuscripts preserve scenes of weddings, where couples join hands in the presence of a priest or celebrant and various witnesses. Hands were joined to symbolize the lifetime oath of union—similar to the homosocial bonds formed between monks or nuns—and rings were sometimes exchanged. Complex diagrams or charts—such as the Tables of Consanguinity and Affinity—determined the degrees of separation that needed to exist between two individuals intending to marry or to represent the ways in which two individuals’ blood lines intermingled. Too much mixed blood could be grounds for divorce, as could accusations of impotency against either spouse. Perhaps the most famous case of an annulled marriage in the premodern period is that of King Henry VIII of England and Catherine of Aragon: the English monarch desired to marry Anne Boleyn and thus petitioned Pope Clement VII for an annulment. Manuscripts are essential documents for the study of marriage in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Dragons, Demons, & Death
“Death is the enemy. The enemy always wins, but we still need to fight.” This line from the Game of Thrones recalls the premodern preoccupation with death and the arsenal of spiritual practices necessary for combating the death’s power.
The Figure of Death Riding a Dragon, Moulins, Bibliothèque municipale, Ms. 89, fol. 88; Dante and Virgil Observing Satan Swallowing His Victims, with the Treacherous Frozen in Ice Below, London, Add. MS 19587, fol. 58; The Wheel of Death, Antonie Vérard for André Bocard, L’Art de bien vivre et de bien mourir, Washington, D.C., Library of Congress; Denise Poncher before a Vision of Death, Los Angeles, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. 109, fol. 156
Books of hours—personalized prayer books—contained readings specifically intended to focus one’s attention on salvation or to provide prayers for one’s soul and for the souls of the deceased. By the fifteenth and early sixteenth century, the illuminations accompanying the so-called Office of the Dead (as this series of texts was known) were especially macabre: a skeletal rider atop a dragon tramples four dead bodies in one book, while in another the specter of Death stands proud before the young Denise Poncher—who holds open her prayer book—as three youths lie slashed and bleeding on the ground before her.
In Inferno by Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), the Florentine writer is led by the Roman poet Virgil (70-19 BC) to the depths of Hell. The lowermost circle—the ninth—is frozen by the flapping of Satan’s wings, trapping those who have committed treachery and the Devil itself in ice.
Hell is also a place in which artists visualized horrible torments for the eternally damned. In the Art of Living and Dying Well, the artist Antoine Vérard envisioned souls bound to a spiked wheel that forever turns while dragons breathe fire or await opportunities to devour the decaying flesh.
Medieval Westeros
The dystopian medievalism of Game of Thrones comes to life through exquisite costumes, intricately detailed sets, and perhaps especially through the filming locations. Each season has featured a blend of Late Antique (Greco-Roman), medieval, and early modern sites, from which emerge the worlds of Westeros (and Essos).
Staircase of the Hermitage of Saint John the Baptist, 10th century, Gaztelugatxe, Basque Country. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Phillip Capper); Hermitage of Saint John the Baptist, 10th century, Gaztelugatxe, Basque Country. Photo: Wikimedia Commons; Castillo de Almodóvar del Río, 8th century, Córdoba, Spain. Photo: Wikimedia Commons; Amphitheater, 2nd century AD, Italica (Santiponce), Spain. Photo: Diego Delso, delso.photo, License CC-BY-SA
Natural and archeological sites in Ireland have long been highlighted in the series, from the Dark Hedges to Inch Abbey and many others (which this medievalist recently visited). As an undergraduate student studying abroad in Spain over a decade ago, I walked the streets, visited gardens, and marveled at palaces and churches from Córdoba to Gerona that have since become the stage for assassinations and alliances in Dorne or sites of militant faith and cataclysmic explosions in Kingslanding.
This season, we were treated to additional medieval architectural spaces in Spain, and especially in the Basque Country: the Hermitage of Saint John the Baptist in Gaztelugatxe, with its majestic winding stone staircase, was recast as Dragonstone, and the hilltop Castillo de Almodóvar del Río in Córdoba formed the backdrop of Highgarden. And high on my bucket list of places to visit is Italica (Santiponce), whose ancient Roman arena became the Dragonpit, where our dramatic season ended.
Winter is here.
Season 7 Episode Recap Guide
Episode 1: Dragonstone
Episode 2: Stormborn
Episode 3: The Queen’s Justice
Episode 4: The Spoils of War
Episode 5: Eastwatch
Episode 6: Beyond the Wall
Episode 7: The Dragon and the Wolf
“We’re all on the same side… We’re all breathing.
There is only one war that matters: the Great War. And it is here.” — Jon Snow
Manuscripts and Books
Bryan C. Keene
I’m associate curator in the Department of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. I specialize in Italian manuscript illumination, choir book production and art for the altar, and the global Middle Ages, with a particular focus on the nexus of Afro-Eurasian book culture, portable objects, and materials. I am currently working on exhibitions about calligraphy in medieval manuscripts, and the celestial realm in the Middle Ages. I hold a PhD from The Courtauld Institute of Art in London and am an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University.
Imagining the Culinary Past in France: Recipes for a Medieval Feast
Join Three Color Experts for a Twitter Chat about Red
Giovanni di Paolo’s Shimmering Worlds on Parchment and Panel
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line64
|
__label__wiki
| 0.741227
| 0.741227
|
New Online Resource to Reveal Stories about Nazi-Looted Art, Wartime Art Market
Annelisa Stephan | January 24, 2013 | 3 min read
Paintings in storage at the Munich Central Collecting Point, ca. 1945–49, Johannes Felbermeyer. This was one of several sites used by the Allies to identify, photograph, and restitute Nazi-seized artworks after the war. Photo Study Collection. The Getty Research Institute, 89.P.4
Six decades after the end of World War II, thousands of artworks stolen by the Nazis from Jews and other victims remain unidentified in private collections and in museums, libraries, and archives around the world. A new, free online resource may help unite these with their rightful owners, as well as advance art historical scholarship.
Available via the Getty Provenance Index®, German Sales Catalogs, 1930-1945 is a searchable trove of over 2,000 newly digitized sales catalogs published in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and German-occupied territories between 1930 and 1945. Starting in Germany in the early 1930s and continuing across Europe throughout the war, the Nazis engaged in massive-scale looting of art and objects from homes, galleries, and museums. Many of the objects not kept for Hitler’s planned museum, including artworks declared to be “degenerate,” were sold at auction, and the catalogs from these sales provide critical evidence for objects’ prewar ownership as well as clues to their trajectories and even possible current whereabouts. The catalogs—many of which include detailed object descriptions and handwritten annotations about sale prices and buyers’ names—are also rich primary sources for art historians, helping reveal the stories of galleries, dealers, and collectors whose influence continues to resonate in the art world.
The project brings together holdings from 35 German, Swiss, and Austrian institutions, with the bulk of the catalogs drawn from the collections of the Getty Research Institute’s project partners, the art library (Kunstbibliothek) of the National Museums in Berlin and University Library at Heidelberg. The Heidelberg library used a rigorous process (detailed here) to digitize some 150,000 pages and make them searchable using text generated via optical character recognition (OCR). All this data was then incorporated into the Getty Provenance Index®, the Research Institute’s open-access collection of databases on the history of artwork ownership from 1600 to 1900.
Editors at the Research Institute worked for two years to make the data more complete and easier to use, correcting OCR errors and entering sales prices from art journals such as Weltkunst and Internationale Sammlerzeitung. The addition of these combined records not only brings the Provenance Index firmly into the 20th century, but also increases its volume to over 1.5 million records.
Saint John the Baptist, about 1515, Master of the Harburger Altar. Partially polychromed limewood, 59 7/8 in. high. The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2012.1
The Nazi-era provenance of the Getty Museum’s collection has been extensively researched, but the database will help us understand the story of certain objects more fully. For example, the Museum recently purchased the beautiful south German wood sculpture shown above from the heirs of its original owners, to whom it was restituted in 2011 at the initiative of the Landesmuseum Württemberg in Stuttgart. A 1937 auction catalog lets us trace the sculpture to the Galerie Altkunst in Berlin, owned by prominent German-Jewish gallerists Jacob and Rosa Oppenheimer. It also reveals the value estimated by the auction house of Dr. Walther Achenbach, where it went under the hammer: 1200 Reichsmark, or $482 (some $8,000 in today’s dollars). Another catalog tells us much more about the Galerie Altkunst, including its areas of focus; and still others show that the Achenbach auction house was busy throughout the 1930s selling not only artworks, but also the entire contents of Jewish homes, from furniture and rugs to dishware and even the occasional Frigidaire.
Title page of a 1937 catalog from the Achenbach auction house showing the date for the auction of the St. John and other items from the Galerie Altkunst. The pink sticker indicates that the auction was postponed from its original date due to air-raid drills. (Auktionshaus Dr. Walther Achenbach, Berlin, ed: Aus den Restbeständen der Altkunst. GmbH i. Liqu. Berlin, September 30 and October 1 and 2, 1937.) Image: Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 DE
Detail of Plate 20 from the 1937 Achenbach auction catalog showing lot 823, the St. John. Image: Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 DE
All this information is now findable in the Getty Provenance Index via a simple keyword search. The screen capture below shows how we can find the St. John by entering targeted search terms—in this example, a keyword from title of the artwork (Johannes, John in German), a medium (sculpture), a date range (1933 to 1940), the country of sale (Germany), and the subject.
Among the many results from this query, we find a link to the following record with the full digitized text of the St. John catalog entry, which also indicates that the catalog has an illustrated plate (Tafel). A link for “Catalog PDF” provides direct access to the scanned original.
A major art historical and technical achievement, the German Sales project is the culmination of a decision made in 1998, when 44 nations, including the U.S. and Germany, promised to uphold eleven principles for the proper handling of Nazi-looted art, including making relevant records accessible for research. Fifteen years later, we’re proud to say that this is now a promise kept.
Getty Publications
Getty Research Institute (GRI)
Annelisa Stephan
I’m editor-in-chief of the Getty Iris and assistant director for digital content strategy. My background is in 20th-century art history, linguistics, and digital storytelling.
BOBBY COX on January 3, 2016 at 2:46 pm
I WAS LEAD TO YOUR SIGHT THROUGH A DREAM . I WOKE UP AND WROTE DOWN THE INFO GOT TO A COMPUTER AND STARTED TO SEARCH, TO FIND WHY I WAS LEAD HERE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I WAS SENT HERE TO LOOK. I AM A VERY RELIGIOUS PERSON AND THE NAZI ART CAUGHT MY ATTENTION . ARE THERE OTHERS LIKE ME SENT TO THIS SIGHT ???????
Getty Voices: Photographing the Dream
PODCAST: Rainer Maria Rilke on the Life of August Rodin
Two “Tipsy Medievalists” Share Their Passion for Illuminated Manuscripts
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line65
|
__label__wiki
| 0.628038
| 0.628038
|
Air Potato Challenge: Leaf Beetles Available for the Public
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — UF/IFAS Extension St Lucie County and the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center are teaming up with the UF/IFAS Extension Bay County for the Air Potato Challenge event from 9 a.m. to noon June 6.
Florida residents and public land managers are invited to come out to the UF/IFAS Extension Bay County office to learn more about invasive air potato and the air potato leaf beetle and pick up a supply of beetles for use on their properties.
Preregistration is required.
Air potato is one of Florida’s most problematic invasive plants. The air potato leaf beetle is a small but formidable enemy of this invasive plant. The insect is bright red, about the size of a pinky fingernail and has a big appetite for the invasive air potato plant whose vines can completely consume natural areas, smothering other plants and native habitat.
Researchers have shown that air potato leaf beetles are host-specific to air potato and will not feed on other plants. The beetles chew through air potatoes leaves, leaving them riddled with holes.
During this event, residents and public land managers struggling with invasive air potato can come to the UF/IFAS Extension Bay County office to learn about this invasive pest plant and receive a supply of air potato leaf beetles for use on their properties. There is no charge for this program.
The insects will only be available for pick up during this event. Residents are encouraged to bring a cutting of air potato for confirmation.
What: Air Potato Challenge
Where: UF/IFAS Extension Bay County
Address: 2728 E 14th Street, Panama City, Florida
Date: June 6
Time: 9 a.m. – noon
Costs: Free
Registration: http://bcrcl.ifas.ufl.edu/airpotatobiologicalcontrol.shtml
Information: Julie McConnell at 850-784-6105 or juliebmcconnell@ufl.edu
Contact: Julie McConnell, 850-784-6105, juliebmcconnell@ufl.edu
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS works to bring science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. Visit the UF/IFAS web site at ifas.ufl.edu and follow us on social media at @UF_IFAS.
by Brad Buck
Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Air potato, air potato beetle, Bay County, Indian River County, News, St. Lucie County
← Tasty tomatoes and other produce: A UF/IFAS expert urges scientists to breed for flavor
Air Potato Challenge: Leaf Beetles Available for the Public – May 18 in Leon County →
Brad Buck
A huge Gator fan, Brad grew up in Gainesville, loves movies, sports and finding great stories to tell. He also derives great satisfaction from completing the New York Times crossword puzzle.
Search by Date Select Month July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 November 1999 October 1999 September 1999 August 1999 July 1999 June 1999 May 1999 April 1999 March 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 September 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 1998 May 1998 April 1998 March 1998 February 1998 January 1998 December 1997 November 1997 October 1997 September 1997 August 1997 July 1997 June 1997 May 1997 April 1997 March 1997 February 1997 January 1997 December 1996 November 1996 October 1996 September 1996 August 1996 July 1996 June 1996 May 1996 April 1996 March 1996 February 1996 January 1996
Explore by Category Select Category 4-H & Youth Agribusiness Agriculture Camp Clubs & Volunteers Coasts & Marine Community Volunteers Conservation Crops Curriculum Disaster Preparation Events Farm Management Florida-Friendly Landscaping Food Safety Forests Fruits & Vegetables Health & Nutrition Home Landscapes Home Management Horticulture Invasive Species Lawn Livestock Money Matters Natural Resources Pests & Disease Pests & Disease Professional Development Recreation Relationships & Family SFYL Hot Topic Turf UF/IFAS UF/IFAS Extension UF/IFAS Research UF/IFAS Teaching Water Wildlife Work & Life
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line66
|
__label__cc
| 0.742412
| 0.257588
|
How long is 330,000 leas?
It's about three-fifths as long as The Circumfrence of Earth.
In other words, 330,000 leas is 0.602374340 times the length of The Circumfrence of Earth, and the length of The Circumfrence of Earth is 1.66009730 times that amount.
The Earth — not a perfect sphere, but rather an oblate spheroid with bulged middle — has an Equatorial circumference of approximately 547,832.10 leas. The first airplane trip around the circumference of the Earth (with a few stops along the way), was completed in 1924 by the United States Army Air Service, and took 175 days.
It's about one-and-nine-tenths times as long as The Diameter of Earth.
In other words, 330,000 leas is 1.89241480 times the length of The Diameter of Earth, and the length of The Diameter of Earth is 0.528425370 times that amount.
The Earth — not a perfect sphere, but rather an oblate spheroid with bulged middle — has a diameter of approximately 174,380.370 leas at the Equator. The first complete view of Earth's diameter was in a photograph taken from a V-2 rocket launched in 1942 by the United States Army, which reached an altitude of 1,430 leas.
It's about two-and-a-half times as long as The Great Wall of China (total).
In other words, 330,000 leas is 2.730 times the length of The Great Wall of China (total), and the length of The Great Wall of China (total) is 0.3660 times that amount.
The Great Wall of China, including all branches and trenches, is 121,000 leas. Built and maintained in multiple sections over about eleven centuries, the Great Wall is currently suffering the effects of erosion, especially in the older sections made primarily out of mud.
It's about four times as long as The Amazon River.
In other words, 330,000 leas is 3.750 times the length of The Amazon River, and the length of The Amazon River is 0.26670 times that amount.
The Amazon River has an approximate distance of 87,990 leas. Although by most measures it is the largest and one of the most significant rivers in the world, the region surrounding the Amazon is mostly sparsely populated and the river itself has no bridges across it at any point.
It's about four times as long as The Great Wall of China (wall only).
In other words, 330,000 leas is 3.8570 times the length of The Great Wall of China (wall only), and the length of The Great Wall of China (wall only) is 0.25930 times that amount.
The Great Wall of China has total wall segment length of 85.560 leas. Built and maintained in multiple sections over about eleven centuries, the Great Wall is currently suffering the effects of erosion, especially in the older sections made primarily out of mud.
It's about five times as long as I-80.
In other words, 330,000 leas is 5.204830 times the length of I-80, and the length of I-80 is 0.1921290 times that amount.
Interstate 80, crosses the continent of North America from Teaneck, New Jersey to San Francisco, California and covers a total length of 63,402.60 leas. A 820.210 leas stretch between mile marker 318 in Grand Island, Nebraska and mile marker 390 in Lincoln, Nebraska is the longest straight path in the US Interstate system.
It's about five-and-a-half times as long as The Distance from L.A. to New York.
In other words, 330,000 leas is 5.380 times the length of The Distance from L.A. to New York, and the length of The Distance from L.A. to New York is 0.1860 times that amount.
(Los Angeles, California to New York City, New York) (via I-10 E, I-15 N, I-70 E, I-76 E, I-80 E, I-280 E)
The total length of the freeway route from Los Angeles, California to New York City, New York via Interstate 80 is 61,400 leas long. This route intersects eleven states and several major cities, including Las Vegas, Nevada; Denver, Colorado; Lincoln, Nebraska; Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa; South Bend, Indiana; and Cleveland, Ohio.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line70
|
__label__cc
| 0.556143
| 0.443857
|
Great power struggles in Asia
This is my Perspective column from this week’s Fund Strategy magazine.
Some global trends get little attention in the British media. Those who only follow domestic television channels or newspapers would struggle to find news about the fraught relations between the world’s three largest economic powers.
This tension manifested itself in a recent visit by Shinzo Abe, the new Japanese prime minister, to see Barack Obama in the White House. Although relations between the two leaders were fairly cordial the trip indirectly strained ties between Japan and China still further.
An interview Abe gave to the Washington Post in advance of the trip acted as a catalyst for the row. The prime minister apparently accused China of having a “deeply ingrained” need to spar with other Asian countries over territory.
Unsurprisingly the comments evoked a furious response from Beijing. Such blatant criticisms of what is officially a friendly nation are taboo in diplomacy.
Japan responded by claiming that the newspaper had misquoted Abe. But even if that is the case the misunderstanding signals a deep rift between the two countries. Otherwise one comment would not prompt such a strong response.
In any case the spat did not end there. The China Daily, one of China’s main newspapers, raised the spectre of Japan’s behaviour during the second world war to discredit Abe’s recent calls for a strong Japan. In an editorial it referred to Japan being “in a region that vividly remembers his country’s brutal rampage across Asia 70 years ago”.
In a way this can be seen as an extension of the row over some tiny islands in the East China Sea that did get some coverage in Britain last autumn. Japan, which has controlled the islands since the second world war, calls them the Senkaku. Mainland China, which claims them as its own, refers to them as the Diaoyu. To make matters even more complicated Taiwan, which also claims them, names them the Tiaoyutai.
But the conflict did not stop in the autumn. Japan recently scrambled F15 fighter jets to follow Chinese surveillance aircraft. Tokyo has also alleged that Chinese warships have targeted Japanese vessels with fire-control radar.
Despite what some experts claim, it would be wrong to see the dispute as primarily over natural resources such as fish or crude oil. The islands are important for their symbolic value. Japan wants to retain its role as a leading player in Asia whereas China has become the region’s largest economic power.
That is why it cannot be dismissed as simply a sideshow. The conflict is already souring relations between the world’s second and third largest economies. In addition, some Japanese firms have already suffered as a result of a boycott by Chinese importers.
Nor is America absent from the row even though it is not playing a direct role. Washington is acting as mediator between the two sides as a way of underlining its continuing importance to this vital region.
America has used its mutual security treat with Japan as a way of reassuring Tokyo that it is on the same side. However, it has steered clear from offering Japan unequivocal support in its territorial disagreement over the islands. No doubt the invitation for Abe to visit Washington was at least partly designed to placate Japan.
For America too this dispute has a broader context. It is determined its retain its role as a key player in East Asia in the wake of China’s rise.
This concern has informed what the Obama administration has called its “pivot” to Asia over the past two years. This involves giving relatively more attention to Asia while giving correspondingly less to Europe and the Middle East. Indeed it is probably part of the reason why America is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. Such deployments give it fewer resources to devote to other places including East Asia.
Washington denies that the pivot amounts to a “containment” strategy akin to the way it handled the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Officially America and China maintain friendly relations. But there is no doubt that America wants to cement its own role in the region and that this involves being a counterweight to China’s influence.
America’s pivot to Asia also reflects the changing face of the world economy. It is shifting towards the Pacific. The Chinese economy on its own is bigger than that of the entire eurozone and growing faster. China and Japan together are larger than America.
European trade has also come to play a smaller role within the American economy. America’s largest import partners in 2011 were China followed by Canada, Mexico and Japan. Its largest export partners were Canada and Mexico followed by China and Japan. Europe does not get much of a look in.
Although Europe still accounts for a large part of the world economy an important shift has already occurred. In many respects trans-Pacific relations have become more important than trans-Atlantic ties.
If the key Pacific powers fall out with each other it would have serious consequences for everyone.
Tags: America, Asia, china, economics, Fund Strategy
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line73
|
__label__cc
| 0.720209
| 0.279791
|
Branch Clubs
Branches on Facebook
GWR's Harry Patch at Penzance Train Station
How Do You Wear Your Poppy
Every One Remembered
Great Pilgrimage 90
GP90 I Was There
Great Pilgrimage 90 - highlights of the battlefields tour and parade to the Menin Gate
Legion in the Community
Donate To RBL While You Shop
2018 Falmouth War Memorial Project
1928 Original Pilgrimage of Party D
Surf Action - Making Waves with Military Families
Treasured Keepsakes of a WW1 Nurse
iTea and Biscuits
Cornwall Legion Newsletter Archives
Photos of Legion in the community
2019 Devon & Cornwall RBL Ypres & Battlefield Tour
2019 The Rifles Regiment Parade as Freeman of The City of Truro
Welcome to The Royal British Legion in Cornwall
We are here to administer and support the delivery of welfare services and the membership and fundraising activities of the Legion's branches and clubs throughout Cornwall.
Membership of The Royal British Legion is available to all adults, not just members or ex-members of the forces and we always welcome new members. Drop into your local branch or click here to find out how you can join.
The Legion Magazine
The Legion Magazine, free to all members, provides in-depth stories on our welfare services, beneficiaries and the latest news from our branches.
There are five issues a year which as well as exclusive news articles, include the following regular features:
News - pictures and news snippets from the world of the Legion.
Lost Trails - tracing friends and comrades, also available online.
Letters - members’ views and stories
As you will be aware it is the 50th anniversary this year of the deployment of British troops onto the streets of Northern Ireland in 1969.
Over 300,000 service personnel were deployed to Northern Ireland over the subsequent 38 years. In total 1441 UK Armed Forces personnel died as a result of operations in Northern Ireland or paramilitary actions in other countries.
To mark this significant anniversary we will be hosting a commemorative event at the NMA on the 14th August 2019.
The event will be open to recipients of the General Service Medal ( Northern Ireland). Representatives from families of British Armed Forces personnel killed as a result of operations in Northern Ireland are also invited to register their interest. Registration for the event will be open in Spring 2019 however people are being encouraged to register their interest for this event now.
Please see the link below to the page on the website which provides more information as well as the link to register. The event is also being promoted via the Regimental Associations.
https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/op-banner-50/
This is a very significant event for us this year and will be of profound importance for many veterans and their families. Please do all you can to promote this event by passing it around your members, especially those who served in Northern Ireland.
This book is available for a minimum donation of £5
For more information and to obtain a copy email
Emma Stevenson
Annie Binding
View our News & Events calendar for more information on what's happening.
To find out who to contact in your area please see the list of Branches on our branch information page.
The Royal British Legion is the nation's leading Armed Forces charity providing care and support to all members of the British Armed Forces past and present and their families. It is also the national Custodian of Remembrance and safeguards the Military Covenant between the nation and its Armed Forces. It is best known for the annual Poppy Appeal and its emblem the red poppy.
Visit www.britishlegion.org.uk for details of our national initiatives.
If you would like to join the Royal British Legion, you can now join online, just click on the red "Join Now" link below.
The Royal British Legion - Cornwall Registered Charity No. 219279
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line76
|
__label__wiki
| 0.658651
| 0.658651
|
Khanbahadur Ahsanullah’s thoughts on Education and Society
S. M. Rayhanul Islam
[Khanbahadur Ahsanullah: Shikkha o Samajchinta (Khanbahadur Ahsanullah: His Thoughts on Education and Society) by Muhammad Abdul Mazid, Published by Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2012, Pages 243, ISBN: 978-984-512-003-6]
From time to time, we get people who glorify societies through their knowledge, intellect, dedication and works. Khanbahadur Ahsanullah (1873 - 1965) was such a great person. He was a renowned educationist, writer, social reformer, philanthropist, literary figure and Spiritual saint of national and international repute. In his book ‘Khanbahadur Ahsanullah: Shikkha o Samajchinta’, Dr. Muhammad Abdul Mazid, a former secretary to the Bangladesh Government, presents Khanbahadur Ahsanullah’s thoughts on education and society as well as his contribution to the social development and educational reforms. The book, which is basically a review and research by the author, also discusses Ahsanullah’s spiritual life.
The author begins the book with a discussion on ‘Khanbahadur Ahsanullah and Contemporary Society’. Ahsanullah was born in a time when the Muslim community was at the critical situation. Specifically, Muslims were lag behind in the education sector as they had been ignoring learning English. Born in Nolta village in the district of Satkhira, Ahsanullah completed his MA in Philosophy from presidency college, Kolkata in 1895. He started his career in 1896 as a supernumerary teacher at Rajshahi Collegiate School. During his entire working life, a kind of political, social and religious unrest was prevalent in the society. Ahsanullah did not involve himself with any organization or politics; rather he created his own world with the knowledge and intellect he acquired. Khanbahadur Ahsanullah’s pioneering role could be comparable, the author observes, with the roles played by Ramtanu Lahiri and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar for the reformation of Hindu community; and the contributions made by Sir Syed Ahmed khan, Nawab Abdul Latif and Syed Ameer Ali for the advancement of Muslim community.
Khanbahadur Ahsanullah’s unparallel contribution for the development and reformation of education as well as his philosophy of education are explored in the second, third and fourth chapters of the book. The entire service life of Ahsanullah was spent in the Department of Education. During his career of 34 years, he not only served the government dutifully but also was devoted to the welfare of the neglected and backward people of his community. He undertook various reforms for their educational development. By reforming the Secondary and Higher Madrasa curriculum and syllabus, he enabled students who passed Madrasa examinations to go to the university. He played an active role in creating the post of Maulvi, (equivalent to the post of Pundit), in schools and colleges. He also contributed to the creation of the New Scheme Madrasa.
Khanbahadur Ahsanullah established many educational institutions during his lifetime. He also played a major role in establishing many student hostels in and outside Kolkata, including the famous Baker Hostel of Kolkata. The Fuller Hostel of Rajshahi is a glowing witness to his immortal contributions. He was especially active in the movement to establish the University of Dhaka. When the Dhaka University Bill was first presented to Calcutta University Senate, it faced stiff opposition. Later, a special committee was formed to review this bill, and Ahsanullah was made one of its members. As an outstanding member of the committee, highlighting the need for such an institution, he recommended that the bill be passed.
During the culminating phase of his service life, when he was promoted to the higher ranks, he put the experiences derived from years of dedication and hard work to the best use. During his time, there was the tradition of writing the names of the students in the examination papers. Many people believed that this open-identity went against the interests of a section of the students. For this reason, Ahsanullah went all out to introduce the system of writing the roll numbers of students instead of their names. This was first applied in the Honours and M.A examinations and later also followed in the I.A and B.A examinations of the time. For his contributions for the development of the Department of Education and as a recognition for his sincere and praiseworthy initiatives, he was conferred the “Khanbahadur” title by the then British Government.
Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah was a prolific writer and wrote more than seventy books. Many of his books, specifically, ‘Shikkha Khetre Bongio Musolman’, ‘Teacher’s Manual’ and ‘Calcutta University Commission Report 1917 – 1919’, present his philosophy of education. Ahsanullah would believe that education’s main objective should be creating enlightened human being. He also put great emphasis on women education.
In the subsequent chapters of the book, Dr Mazid attempts to present Ahsanullah’s social thoughts and works as well as their impact on society. He also focuses on this great saint’s spiritual life. On 15 March, 1935, Khanbahadur Ahsanullah founded the famous organization - Ahsania Mission. Ahsania Mission is the outward manifestation of Ahsanullah’s faith, ideals and mirrors the inherent beauty of his being. It was he who set the aims and objectives of the Mission: Praying for the grace of the Creator and serving those created by Him. Country’s leading development organization ‘Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM)’ was the brainchild of Khanbahadur Ahsanullah which he founded in 1958. Selfless service was one of the most distinct features of his life. He wrote in his autobiography on this: “I have set my life’s goal to serve people living far away from the cities. The pleasure that offering of service gives, cannot be found in personal aggrandizement. Boundless love will not come unless the element of ‘self’ is negated. If there is no love for the creation, there cannot be any love for the Creator. The only aims of my life are to extend brotherhood, fraternity and spread the message of peace.”
In the concluding chapter the author draws our attention: “Khanbahadur Ahsanullah was an extremely pious man and a Sufi. He was blessed with a long life and sacrificed his total life for the betterment of mass people and society. Although his life and activities are now a part of history, this nation and its people will continue to be indebted to him in many ways.”
The writer is an independent researcher.
Rashid Khan sings Bangla with Blues
Amitabh Reza’s short film on child nannies
Debi premieres in Canada
“Oh My Sweet Land” staged
Protecting migrant, displaced and refugee children
Education Science and Educational Practices in Bangladesh
Advancing environmental sustainability to ensure decent work
Educational Thoughts of Major Bengali Reformers
Examining the politics of producing ideal educated Muslim girl
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line80
|
__label__wiki
| 0.66062
| 0.66062
|
Advertisement -- Packard Motor Car Company.
Life_ad_59_1528_Packard.jpg
Full page advertisement for Packard Motor Car Company.
Packard was an American luxury automobile brand built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. Packard was founded by James Ward Packard, his brother William Doud Packard and their partner, George Lewis Weiss, in the city of Warren, Ohio. James Ward Packard believed that they could build a better horseless carriage than the Winton cars owned by Weiss and had some ideas for improvements in automobile design. In September, 1900, the Ohio Automobile Company was founded as the manufacturer, while the cars themselves were sold as Packards. The automobiles quickly gained an excellent reputation, and the company name was soon changed; on October 13, 1902, it became the Packard Motor Car Company. From the very beginning, Packard automobiles introduced a number of innovations in its designs, including the modern steering wheel and, years later, the first air-conditioning in a passenger car. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last in 1958.
Life, New York, NY: Life, 1883-1936
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line82
|
__label__cc
| 0.610805
| 0.389195
|
Eric Roberson – DJBeTray.com
Posts Tagged ‘Eric Roberson’
Love and Blessings
[DJBeTray at 2012-6-19 in: Listen/Download Free Mixes, Neo-Soul Mixtapes, Slow Jam Mixes]
Love is a blessing. Not just having love, but the path to it is what’s most extraordinary. Wanting love, having it and losing it again are all blessings. When we are patient within our journeys, we allow God to show His most awesome power. So often we are in such a hurry to get to our destinations that we miss the lessons and the beauty in our walk.
This mixtape is a celebration of this concept. Love and Blessings is filled with some of the best in independent Neo-soul. You’ll also hear some jazz and inspirational music in this mix as well. I think it’s perfect for a Sunday morning around the house or a nice weekend drive. The artists featured are reflective as they explore love, God and His blessings in their lives. I hope you will enjoy this compilation and remember, it’s all LOVE!
Tags: Café Soul All-Stars and Maysa, Conya Doss, Dira (feat. Omar), DJ BeTray, Don-E & Azure (feat. D’Angelo), Eric Roberson, Frank McComb, Jill Scott, Jose James, Julie Dexter, Kem, Neo-Soul, Neo-soul mixtape, new Neo-soul, Omari Shabazz, Ramel, Robert Glasper (feat. Musiq & Chrisette Michele)(feat. Erykah Badu), Terisa Griffin, Zo! (feat. Eric Roberson & Phonte), Zoe Spencer
Something New (Spring 2011)
[DJBeTray at 2011-5-15 in: Listen/Download Free Mixes, Party Mixtapes]
Every once in a while, a lot of good music drops at one time. It doesn’t happen often enough, but when it does, I am moved to mix it!
That’s the concept behind Something New (Spring 2011). We have some heavy hitters who have recently released some fantastic albums and more are on the way in coming weeks. Beyonce is back and killing it with her new single, Who Run the World (Girls). Jill Scott is refreshed and rejuvenated with a new label and new album. Musiq is hotter than ever and teaming up with Swizz Beatz on his new single. Bilal, one of my favorites, has some great new remixes from his recent album. And the queen of Hip-hop and R&B, Mary J. Blige is doing it to death with Looking for Someone to Love Me; whenever Mary and Diddy collaborate, it’s magic. I hope you will enjoy this mix of new music that features all of these artists and more. Could it be… is R&B on the comeback? If so, it’s going to be a great summer!
Tags: 2011, Anthony David, Avery Sunshine, Beyonce, Bilal, Carolyn Malachi, Cee Lo Green, DJ BeTray, Dwele, Eric Roberson, Estelle, Floacist, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, Kelly Rowland, Kindred Family Soul, Marsha Ambrosius, Mary J Blige, Mary Mary, Musiq, new music, new R&B, Raphael Saadiq
Top 5 Neo-Soul Males
[DJBeTray at 2010-12-16 in: Neo-Soul]
D’Angelo
They say there are events in life so significant that you can remember exactly where you were and what you were doing when they happened. For me, one of those moments would be the first time I heard D’Angelo’s “Brown Sugar” on the radio. I, like so many others, knew in that moment that I was hearing greatness. D’Angelo had one of the most short-lived yet influential musical careers of my generation. Like with the absence of Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo has also left us with a void that has yet to be filled. He was a musician, singer-songwriter who was so significant that they had to come up with a new genre to categorize his sound… that genre was called neo-soul.
Maxwell is the smooth side of neo-soul. Because there was a D’Angelo there had to be a Maxwell in order to present that perfect balance and demonstrate the possibilities of this genre. Maxwell’s sound was a like a fresh breeze cleansing us of the blasé music of the late 90’s. I remember hearing the “Urban Hang Suite” album everywhere; I literally couldn’t walk from my college apartment without hearing it blasting through the windows of dorms or passing cars. It was music so good and so different that we couldn’t stop listening to it; not just one or two cuts, but the entire album. It is a classic, and today we are lucky enough to have this creative singer-songwriter giving us more and more.
Dwele
I was a Dwele fan long before I even knew his name. When he was just “that guy” on the keys and singing in the Slum Village video, I thought, I want to hear more from “that guy.” Then when his first single dropped I was able to piece a name together with the distinct sound that is Dwele’s. I took a similar path on my way to a love affair with the music of producer J-Dilla. Detroit just keeps blessing us with the best. If you don’t own a Dwele album, get one immediately. This brother is a fantastic singer-songwriter, and musician with a sound that is unmistakably brilliant.
From the very first time I heard him hum the opening to “Just Friends,” I knew Musiq would be a star. I lived in North Carolina at the time and the radio stations there were limited, at best, when it came to R&B. I remember thinking the DJ made a mistake by playing Musiq and the song would never be played again. I’m very pleased to say that radio airplay has never been a problem for Musiq. Born out of the Roots Crew, this Philly native represents oh so well. I enjoy Musiq’s music consistently.
Eric Roberson
Eric Roberson is one of the most under-rated talents in neo-soul. Man I’m a fan! Some call him the King of indie soul, I call him the Prince of neo-soul because he’s so versatile. His sound ranges from R&B, to hip-hop, to house, to neo-soul and beyond. If you ever get the chance to see Roberson live – run, don’t walk, to the show. This brother takes words and or quotes from the audience and comes up with spontaneous songs that jam; it’s so amazing to watch. He also plays guitar and has a fantastic band backing him up… he’s just a musician’s musician. I love how he has consistently stayed true to his style of music and waits for the fans to come to him instead of vice versa. He’s a true artists and I feel like DC can kind of claim this Philli native since he graduated from Howard University, wrote his first hit there (The Moon) and visits DC so often.
Raheem DeVaughn
And while this is a top 5 list; I’m going to break my own rule this one time and mention the number 6 artist on my list, Grammy nominated singer, songwriter Raheem DeVaughn. He’s a Washington, DC native so there is no way I can’t give him props. Raheem was a stand out as a member of the local DC group Crossroads in early 2000 and has since hustled his way to the top of his game. I remember him selling his mixtapes out of his backpack on U-Street back in the day. People often call Raheem a throw back to Marvin Gaye, but I think that’s the easy way out of really describing his complex sound. Raheem does walk the line between social commentary and sensuality as Marvin did and he does have a banging falsetto as well. But I believe DeVaughn, like so many of these neo-soul artists, is an amalgamation, as am I and so many other 70’s babies who are music fans.
We are a grand mix of all the R&B, soul, gospel, pop, jazz, blues and rock music that our parents, aunts and uncles listened to. And it just so happens to be some of the best sounding music ever produced in American culture. Thus the need for NEO-soul; there had to be a new genre created to categorize this gumbo that we play, sing and listen to.
Tags: D'Angelo, DJ BeTray, Dwele, Eric Roberson, J-Dilla, Maxwell, Musiq, Musiq Soulchild, Neo-Soul, Raheem DeVaughn, Raheem DeVauhn Grammy nominated, Roots Crew, Slum Village, U-Street, Urban Hang Suite
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line83
|
__label__cc
| 0.612434
| 0.387566
|
Publisher description for In search of Bill Clinton : a psychological biography / John Gartner.
What makes Bill Clinton tick?
William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States is undoubtedly the greatest American enigma of our age -- a dark horse that captured the White House, fell from grace and was resurrected as an elder statesman whose popularity rises and falls based on the day’s sound bytes. John Gartner's In Search of Bill Clinton unravels the mystery at the heart of Clinton’s complex nature and why so many people fall under his spell. He tells the story we all thought we knew, from the fresh viewpoint of a psychologist, as he questions the well-crafted Clinton life story. Gartner, a therapist with an expertise in treating individuals with hypomanic temperaments, saw in Clinton the energy, creativity and charisma that leads a hypomanic individual to success as well as the problems with impulse control and judgment, which frequently result in disastrous decision-making. He knew, though, that if he wanted to find the real Bill Clinton he couldn’t rely on armchair psychology to provide the answer. He knew he had to travel to Arkansas and around the world to talk with those who knew Clinton and his family intimately. With his boots on the ground, Gartner uncovers long-held secrets about Clinton's mother, the ambitious and seductive Virginia Kelley, her wild life in Hot Springs and the ghostly specter of his biological father, Bill Blythe, to uncover the truth surrounding Clinton’s rumor-filled birth. He considers the abusive influence of Clinton's alcoholic stepfather, Roger Clinton, to understand the repeated public abuse he invited both by challenging a hostile Republican Congress and engaging in the clandestine affair with Monica Lewinsky that led to his downfall. Of course, there is no marriage more dissected than that of the Clintons, both in the White House and on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign trail. Instead of going down familiar paths, Gartner looks at that relationship with a new focus and clearly sees, in Hillary’s molding of Clinton into a more disciplined politician, the figure of Bill Clinton’s stern grandmother, Edith Cassidy, the woman who set limits on him at an early age. Gartner brings Clinton’s story up to date as he travels to Ireland, the scene of one of Clinton’s greatest diplomatic triumphs, and to Africa, where his work with AIDS victims is unmatched, to understand Clinton’s current humanitarian persona and to find out why he is beloved in so much of the world while still scorned by many at home. John Gartner’s exhaustive trip around the globe provides the richest portrait of Clinton yet, a man who is one of our national obsessions. In Search of Bill Clinton is a surprising and compelling book about a man we all thought we knew.
Library of Congress subject headings for this publication:
Clinton, Bill, -- 1946-
Clinton, Bill, -- 1946- -- Psychology.
Presidents -- United States -- Biography.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line85
|
__label__wiki
| 0.503946
| 0.503946
|
Dignitatis Humanae
The Interpretive Principles
In the history of the Church no magisterial document has generated as much controversy and contradiction among its interpreters as the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Liberty Dignitatis Humanae. By some it has been exalted as the Council's choicest fruit, by others contemned as a flagrant departure from preconciliar teaching. It has been reviewed, analyzed, critiqued, and defended in countless books and articles.
What business is it of mine, then, to dare to add another essay to this ever-growing pile? The answer is this. Most treatments begin from such an entrenched predisposition of favoritism or antagonism that they fail to come to grips with perennially valid interpretive or hermeneutical principles that a reader must bring to the document if it to be read as a magisterial text, that is, one that must be in harmony with the Catholic tradition rather than in opposition to it (whether the rupture be rejoiced in or lamented). Put differently, what is lacking is a clear introduction to the method of interpretation of this conciliar document. My goal, therefore, is both modest and ambitious. I do not attempt a detailed interpretation; thus for modesty. But I do offer a perspective according to which Dignitatis Humanae can, without intellectual contortions, be seen by anyone as a logical extension of the preconciliar Magisterium on the question of a man's right to pursue the truth in freedom; thus for ambition.
Preambles to magisterial interpretation
We must begin with certain preambles without which any attempt to understand an ecclesiastical document will falter.
1. The fundamental principle of all magisterial interpretation, especially when it comes to the Second Vatican Council, is what Pope Benedict has called a "hermeneutic of continuity," in contrast to a "hermeneutic of rupture."1 One always grants the benefit of the doubt, so to speak, to any substantive doctrinal assertion in a document that is promulgated by legitimate authority -- that is, one presumes its continuity with the preceding tradition even where this is not apparent, or where the opposite seems apparent. One then endeavors to understand the later teaching in continuity with preceding tradition, as part of a larger tradition that encompasses it, and in light of analogous, parallel, or subsequent texts which flesh out the meaning. No text is to be read in a vacuum, since there is a tradition that serves as context; no merely circumstantial evidence (e.g., what so-and-so, when interviewed, says is the meaning of a certain statement) is to be taken as definitive; preference is given to clearer authoritative expressions of doctrine, earlier or later.
2. The Church, in the person of her legitimate pastors, is the living agent of interpreting her own Magisterium. There is no detached, "scientific" perspective outside of her, on the basis of which the Magisterium can be determined apart from its own self-elucidation. However, as Pope Benedict has also stressed, the Church is a servant of revelation and in no way its author of final measure; the Holy Spirit abiding in the Church is the font of all authentic interpretation. This opens up the real possibility of greater or lesser fidelity, clarity, and competence on the part of pastors, even the Supreme Pastor. While error in faith and morals is categorically excluded, no such guarantee of Divine assistance extends to inappropriate silence or omission, ambiguity or vagueness, insufficient elaboration, and so forth. Because the Church's understanding of her teaching is always expressed at the specific historical moments with specific intellectual resources, an ongoing process of reflection and clarification will be desirable, even unavoidable. Finally, as we known, individual Bishops can falter and require correction -- and even the Pope, in regard to prudential applications or personal opinions.2
3. While it does not address every difficulty that interpreters have raised in connection with Dignitatis Humanae, the Catechism of the Catholic Church contains a number of crucial clarifications manifestly intended to banish unacceptable postconciliar appropriations of the teachings of Dignitatis Humanae, for example those that skew it in the direction of legal positivism.3 For his part, John Paul II left a rich body of teaching on the intrinsic connection between freedom and truth, which is the key to unlocking the deepest intention of Dignitatis Humanae. Without this key, its is a document that must remain a closed door -- or worse, a door that leads into another world than that of unanimous Catholic teaching prior to 1965.4
Preambles to Dignitatis Humanae
1. By its own admission, Dignitatis Humanae does not intend to address every aspect of the problem of religious liberty.
Russell Hittinger has often drawn attention to two facts: the geopolitical situation at the time of Dignitatis Humanae, with the still-fresh memory of the towering totalitarianisms of the Second World War as well as the ever-present threat of militant atheistic Communism, and the document's deliberate silence regarding the thesis-hypothesis debate (the "thesis" being that the Catholic Church, as the embodiment of the one true religion, must be the approved public religion of the State; the "hypothesis," that the evil of non-establishment or of pluralism could be tolerated to avoid a greater evil such as civic unrest).5 In that sense, Dignitatis Humanae is not first and foremost an abstract or theoretical treatment but a practical assessment of and approach to a current world situation, in which the Church is often persecuted and denied her legitimate freedom. Although it expresses general principles that are always valid, it does not take up some of the more complex questions as to diverse ways in which these principles could or should be realized in particular situations.
The immediate background in the 1960s is, of course, the de facto triumph of "liberal" democracies in one part of the world, and the ominous threat of their militant opponents, the Marxist-communist "people's republics." In this scenario, the points made by Pope Pius XII in his 1953 address Ci Riesce to the National Convention of Italian Catholic Jurists stand out all the more boldly: in some historical situations, the best -- in the sense of most prudent -- policy can be one of a broad toleration of religious half-truths and errors. But Pius XII insisted on an essential condition, as did Leo XIII: such toleration can only be justified by the general well-being of society, its common good, which may suffer more from attempts at suppression.6 The controversy over Dignitatis Humanae is largely a controversy over whether it is ever legitimate, in principle, for a government to oppose, prohibit, or prosecute religious errors. We shall return to this point.
2. At the insistence of Pope Paul VI, the final version of Dignitatis Humanae includes, near the beginning, the following unambiguous statement, intended as a hermeneutical principle for the remainder of the document: "Religious freedom, in turn, which men demand as necessary to fulfill their duty to worship God, has to do with immunity from coercion in civil society. Therefore, it leaves untouched traditional Catholic doctrine on the moral duty of men and societies toward the true religion and toward the one Church of Christ.7 While the conciliar text does not expand upon or explain this affirmation, much less attempt to resolve apparent contradictions between it and other statements that follow in the document, the statement nevertheless makes it plain that however those other statements are to be interpreted, neither they nor the document as a whole may be interpreted in contradiction to the constant teaching of the preconciliar Roman Pontiffs, above all Leo XIII.8
General points on the "right to religious liberty"
According to unanimous papal teaching, no right of an individual is absolute and unconstrained; the natural moral law, as well as the Divine law, is always the measure of human actions and of the exercise of any right. In Pope John XXIII's formulation of this truth, man "has a right to freedom in investigating the truth, and -- within the limits of the moral order and the common good -- to freedom of speech and publication, and to freedom to pursue whatever profession he may choose."9 A right is understood as a "moral power," that is, a power, rooted in reason and free will, to pursue the good according to a well-formed conscience. Again John XXIII speaks to the point:
Also among man's rights is that of being able to worship God in accordance with the right dictates of his own conscience, and to profess his religion both in private and in public. According to the clear teaching of Lactantius, "this is the very condition of our birth, that we render to the God who made us that just homage which is His due; that we acknowledge Him alone as God, and follow Him. It is from this ligature of piety, which binds us and joins us to God, that religion derives its name."10
Accordingly, the right to religious freedom is nothing other than the right to pursue the truth about God and man without external interference or coercion. Hence, the freedom in question is a freedom from coercion, not a freedom from any social regulation whatsoever, much less a freedom of total indifference toward truth. The explanation just given is exactly what one finds in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
In itself, the human will cannot be coerced, precisely because it is free by its very nature; it is a first cause of action within the human soul. It can, of course, be moved by God, the creator of man and all his powers, and such an internal motion is not only not contrary to the will's nature but most deeply in accord with it -- in fact, liberating, for grace heals and elevated the human will wounded and bent low by sin. Thus, metaphysically speaking it is not possible to coerce the will. For this reason, it is also not possible for any government to control what a man is thinking, what he thinks to be true, his search for truth, his silent prayer -- anything that takes place within his soul.
Attempts can be made and have always been made, however, to regulate the exercise of liberty as regards its outward manifestations, its social or public expression. It is necessary also to make a distinction between actions that are domestic (within the family circle) and actions that are civic or public, that is, open to a wider circle. The distinction is not always easy to make, but it has evident consequences for the understanding of law. Legal regulations governing the outward actions of men -- their speech and publications, their worship and works of art, and so forth -- are not only not contrary to human dignity, but are demanded by the very goods that civil society is designed to promote, such as order, peace, and justice. Put differently, it is never the case that men are, or should be left free to do or say absolutely anything at any time and in any place. On the contrary, the social exercise of free will is limited by the society's common good -- the good that pertains to and redounds to each and every member of that society. Thus John XXIII insists in Pacem in Terris that for every right there is a corresponding obligation or duty both to use the right well and to respect the rights of others. The right is bound internally by its purpose and externally but the freedom that must be guaranteed to others who are also pursuing legitimate ends:
The natural rights of which We have so far been speaking are inextricably bound up with as many duties, all applying to one and the same person. These rights and duties derive their origin, their sustenance, and their indestructibility from the natural law, which in conferring the one imposes the other. Thus, for example, the right to live involves the duty to preserve one's life; the right to a decent standard of living, the duty to live in a becoming fashion; the right to be free to seek out the truth, the duty to devote oneself to an ever deeper and wider search for it.11
Shortly after this passage John XXIII extends his analysis to interpersonal relations: "Once this is admitted, it follows that in human society one man's natural right gives rise to a corresponding duty in other men; the duty, that is, of recognizing and respecting that right."12 He draws the following conclusion: "Since men are social by nature [natura congregabiles], it is necessary for them to live together and to seek one another's good [alii aliorum quaerant bonum]. That men should recognize and perform their respective rights and duties is imperative to a well-ordered society."13 From this perspective, then, the question is not so much whether laws can be made to govern public actions, but which and what kind of laws are best in any given set of circumstances. The question of limits to the outward or public exercise of rights is always a question of the prudential order, and never a purely theoretical question.
If freedom, properly understood, is not mere freedom from constraint but freedom to embrace the good and the true, then free human actions can be either in accord with the good and the true, or directly opposed to them in varying ways. Prior to the invention of supposedly moral neutral political philosophies in the modern period, civil law -- together with its means of implementation, such as courts and punishments -- had always been understood as an instrument admittedly limited, by which at least the worst excesses of liberty against the moral law could be restrained and at the same time dispositions favoring virtuous actions could be formed in the citizens, so that they would be responsible members of society who actively contribute to its common good. This remains the Church's understanding of civil law, which is nothing other than a concrete specification of precepts of the natural law; for us there can be no morally neutral political philosophy or system of government.
A correct frame of interpretation
These things being premised, we are now in a position to see why John Paul II's constant teaching on the indissoluble link between freedom and truth is the key to a correct and consistent understanding of religious liberty. The only reason freedom is a good thing is that it is ordered to, and capable of attaining, truth. Freedom is only as worthwhile as its achievement of the goal. Thus, men are always and everywhere to be allowed the freedom -- to do what? To seek out and adhere to the truth. Why does Jesus say those sobering words about Judas, that "it would have been better for that man if he had not been born" (Mt 26:24)? Because Judas had received from God the gift of freedom but had then abused it radically, so that ultimately he gained nothing, indeed lost the very beatitude that is man's gained nothing, indeed lost the very beatitude that is man's end. Freedom is not a self-justifying, self-fulfilling good; it is, through and through, a power of seeking and adhering to the beloved. It is a noble power because, unlike a heavy object's falling without knowledge or spontaneity to a center of gravity, freedom implies the consciousness and movement from within or "motivation" of the one who is seeking and adhering.
The teaching that error has no rights remains untouched; one finds it not only in Leo XIII's social encyclicals but also in Pius XII's Ci Riesce and in John Paul II's Veritatis Splendor and Evangelium Vitae. But the Church adds (and this is a central point in Dignitatis Humanae): Although error as such has no rights, the erring person does have rights, and his errors do not strip away those rights.14 The reason is that the erring person is, as a human person equipped with intellect and free will, naturally ordered to the truth by his conscience and by the author of his nature; no external agent can force him either to reach that truth or to renounce his errors, although certain errors may be judged sufficiently harmful to the common good that the expression and inculcation of these errors may be lawfully prohibited. Any attempt to force the recognition of revealed truth or the internal renunciation of religious error is contrary to human dignity as such, for man can only adhere to truth or renounce error from within. Note well that this statement is not incompatible with the efforts of civil power -- efforts always necessary -- to impose just limits on the way in which the right to search for the truth (as with any right to act publicly) is exercised, as well as on the public manifestations of the truth people believe they have found. On these points, the unsurpassed magisterial treatment remains that of Pius XII's Ci Riesce.
Catholic social teaching fundamentally repudiates the secularism according to which the State has no responsibility for the moral and religious formation of its citizens, even as the same teaching rejects the totalitarianism that sets up the State as final arbiter of moral and religious truth. This arbiter remains the Catholic Church (Dignitatis Humanae does not shy away from making strong statements to that effect), to which the State owes at least full freedom of action.15 Human governance, for its part, can indeed make it easier to attain the truth and easier to avoid error. For example, the State must do all it can to promote healthy family life and prohibit practices or vices that undermine it, such as fornication, polygamy, divorce, contraception, in vitro fertalization, abortion, and sodomy. All of this pertains to the natural law, which, on the one hand, it is the State's proper responsibility to uphold and promote, and which, on the other hand, it is the Church's province to interpret and clarify in accord with the full truth about man. Pace Justice Scalia, the role of civil authority and jurisprudence is ineluctably bound up with interpreting and appling the precepts of natural law; it is precisely these precepts that justify or even require that limitations be placed on the public exercise of human freedom. The Church has never adopted the enlightenment ideology of absolute rights -- rights that are foundationless, unrestrainable, autonomous. Instead, in Dignitatis Humanae itself, not to mention a host of other documents, she indicates that rights are correlative with duties and that no rights can be absolute but all are subject to the measure of the common good.16
Sources for a better understanding
When all is said and done, Dignitatis Humanae remains a problematic document if only because its own scope and method are left unclear to the reader and, as a result, its interpretation has been terribly, but predictably, vexed. It has given rise to acrimonious debate, intense partisanship, and even to real or emergent schism: leaders of the Society of Saint Pius X have pointed above all to Dignitatis Humanae as undeniable proof of the doctrinal discontinuity that justifies skepticism about the Second Vatican Council. It little helps most of us who are neither proficient in French nor have leisure for vast amounts of reading that a learned monk of the traditional Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux, Dom Basile Valuet, O.S.B., has published a 3,000-page definitive study of Dignitatis Humanae, responding to both Lefebrvist and liberal/modernist interpretations by documenting and defending the doctrinal continuity of Dignitatis Humanae with the entire preceding Catholic tradition. It is true that Dom Basile prepared a one-volume synopsis, which he personally told me he wishes to see translated into other languages than French, but to my knowledge, an English edition has not yet appeared.
Still, there are many good readings that shed light on the quetion of the interpretation of Dignitatis Humanae. I highly recommend the following.
1. Thomas Storck has taken up the Dignitatis Humanae question three times: first, with an article in Faith & Reason, then with an article in Homiletic & Pastoral Review, and most recently with a chapter and appendix in his book Foundations of a Catholic Political Order.17 This last treatment is the best short treatment I know of.
2. For historical background and common sense textual analysis, see Russell Hittinger's "Dignitatis Humanae, Religious Liberty, and Ecclesiastical Self-Government," a chapter in his book The First Grace (Wilmington: ISI Books, 2003). Related articles by the same author are "What Kind of Caesar?"; "The Pope and the Liberal State"; and "Making Sense of the Civilization of Love: John Paul II's Contribution to Catholic Social Thought."18 Although I am not completely convinced by some of Hittinger's arguments, I find his approach refreshingly uncluttered and certainly much better than interpretations that do not pay sufficient attention to historical context.
3. A goldmine of background and documentary information is contained in Michael Davies' The Second Vatican Council and Religious Liberty.19 Davies' approach is handicapped by methodological flaws that make it impossible for him to avoid drawing an unacceptable conclusion, namely, that Dignitatis Humanae fundamentally conflicts with the prior Magisterium of the Church. A review by Father Brian Harrison, O.P., exposes these flaws quite clearly, while praising aspects of Davies' work in other respects.20
4. It is important to aquire a good grasp of the nineteenth-century historical situation and the way in which the papal teaching on State and society was precipitated and influenced by the fierce battle waged against the Church by rampant liberalism. Again, while not endorsing all their views, I recommend E.E.Y. Hales' Pio Nono, especially the chapter on the Syllabus of Errors,21 and Canon Roger Aubert's essay, "Religious Liberty from Mirari Vos to the Syllabus."22
At the Second Vatican Council, the idea of a state that aimed to give public honor to God by privileging the Catholic religion was called into question. Some were saying: "We can't retain a double-faced policy (thesis/hypothesis) such that, if you are in power, you must grant freedom to us, but if we're in power, we don't need to grant freedom to you. How illogical!" In truth, this is no counter-argument at all; it is symptomatic, rather, of a sociologically eviscerated notion of "religion" that fails to give due primacy to the fullness of truth revealed by God and entrusted to the Catholic Church. Of course the Church has unique rights over civil society, even as she has a unique right to interpret the natural law without error. She is unique, period. The Catholic Faith is not one religion among many but the one true religion, of which all others (excepting, in a certain sense, the Jewish religion) are partial and groping images that arise principally from man and are inherently non-salvific. Hence a common political theory of the relationship between religion and civil society -- one that would take in the Catholic religion on equal terms with all other religions and treat them as if politically indistinguishable -- is impossible in principle, and so cannot be applied in practice.
In the end, there are two mutually exclusive political paradigms and paths, one of which must be taken while the other is left behind: Leonine Thomism and Lockean-Murrayite secularism. According to the first, the civil and ecclesiastical or kingly and sacerdotal powers are intended by God, their Creator and Redeemer, to stand in the correct hierarchical relationship, so much so that the very well-being of society and of culture depends intimately on the concrete realization of this relationship; according to the second, the two powers have no formal relationship at all, at best a tenuous material one. The contrast is like that between a marriage intended and sanctified by God, open to the gift of new life in the synergetic activity of procreation, and a couple without vows, living together for mutual convenience. In spite of superficial similarities, which may even include offspring, these avenues tend to go in opposite directions and, barring perversion or conversion, will end in opposite destinies.
Vatican II, from Australian EJournal of Theology, August, 2003.
Fathers of the Latin Church by Abraham Bloemaert
The Cardinal in His Study by Giovanni Paolo Bedini
From the Holy Father's address to the Roman Curia, December 22, 2005. [back]
A well-known example of a false papal opinion was Pope John XXII's view, expressed in a sermon, that the righteous dead would not behold God until after the Last Judgment -- a view he later retracted. His successor Benedict XII solemnly defined the Church's teaching on this matter in 1336. It is, of course, important to distinguish between magisterial and non-magisterial statements of our pastors, since they are still legitimate pastors even when they do (as John XXII did) speak erroneously. [back]
See the Catechism, esp. 2104-9 (2109 specifically excludes conceiving of "public order" in a "positivist or naturalist manner") and 2136, but also 1731-33, 1738, 1747, 1782, 1884, 1887-88, 1898, 1907-12, 1925, 1930, 2084, 2235, 2244-46, and 2257. [back]
DH is a document misread by many not only because they have little familiarity with magisterial documents preceding it but also because they do not understand the canons of interpretation. The main canon is this: anything that has been repeatedly taught by the popes at a high level of authority and as pertaining to the essence of the Faith cannot, in principle, be contradicted by any later pronouncement. As one can see from reading Immortale Dei or Libertas Praestantissimum (an encyclical to which John Paul II was particularly fond of drawing attention), Leo XIII's main conclusions are presented not as prudential judgments but as timeless truths flowing from revelation and from first principles of reason. It is impossible that the Magisterium teach that the Catholic Church or the Catholic religion ought to be treated in exactly the same way as other religious bodies or opinions and that civil authorities/regimes have no positive responsibilities toward the one true religion. Indeed, Paul VI's crucial addition to the final draft of DH (discussed below) had no other purpose than to remind the reader of this point. [back]
I am speaking of a state that is predominantly Catholic in its population and rulers. Some have objected to this line of argument by saying that "the state is not competent to judge about religion." True but irrelevant. When Catholics who are competent to judge about religion form the majority, obviously -- if they really believe in Christ as king and savior of men and of societies -- they will desire to form a Catholic state. Consequently, it is not the state per se that makes the judgment, but Catholics who already know that theirs is the true religion. [back]
Recall that for Leo XIII, an increasing toleration of evils -- an increasing "liberalization" of society -- is a sign of weakness and imperfection of its government and its populace (Libertas Praestantissimum 33-35). [back]
Fourth paragraph of section 1. [back]
This is Thomas Storck's point of departure in the treatment given in Foundations of a Catholic Political Order (Beltsville, Maryland: Four Faces Press, 1998) as well as in his other publications on DH. [back]
Pacem in Terris 12. [back]
Pacem in Terris 14. Implied in the phrase "right dictates of conscience" is that the worship be given according to objectively true criteria, not merely what seems true to this or that person. Inevitably, a state will have to tolerate a certain amount of error in order to leave people sufficiently free to discover truth if they have not already found it. [back]
Pacem in Terris 28-29. [back]
See John XXIII, Pacem in Terris 157-60; John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, passim, esp. 32-35, 42, 61-64, 84, 93, 95=97, 104; Evangelium Vitae, passim esp. 18, 19, 24, 70-72; cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life. [back]
See, inter alia, DH Introduction and 14. In the former place we read: "God Himself has made known to mankind the way in which men are to serve Him, and thus be saved in Christ and come to blessedness. We believe that this one true religion subsists in the Catholic and Apostolic Church." In the latter place: "the Church is, by the will of Christ, the teacher of the truth. It is her duty to give utterance to, and authoritatively to teach, that truth which is Christ Himself, and also to declare and confirm by her authority those principles of the moral order which have their origins in human nature itself." [back]
People have sometimes argued that DH replaced the old standard of "common good" with a new, positivistic standard of "public order." Apart from the salient fact that DH 7 does invoke the common good and the "objective moral order," such an interpretation is in any case expressly ruled out by the Catechism (see note 3 above). [back]
The first is available at http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/FR89103.HTM; the second used to be available but the link perished, while the third is out of print. There is a high likelihood that Foundations, which is quite simply essential reading for all who are eager to understand Catholic social teaching, will soon be made available online. [back]
The first appeared in Catholic Dossier; the second appeared originally in First Things and was published subjequently in A Free Society Reader, ed. Michael Novak (Lanham/New York: Lexington Books, 2000), 185-98; the third may be found in The Legacy of Pope John Paul II,Geoffrey Gneuhs, ed. (New York: Crossroad, 2000), 71-93. [back]
Long Prairie, MN: Neumann Press, 1992. [back]
Published in Living Tradition, January 1993, the review may be accessed at http://www.rtforum.org/lt/lt44.html. Father Harrison also has a set of very revealing essays called "Is John Cortney Murray a Reliable Interpreter of Dignitatis Humanae?? Here he documents cases of equivocation and mendacity on the part of Murray, who did all that he could to advance his own theory after the Council, in spite of the fact that the final text differed with him on a number of points. [back]
E.E.Y. Hales, Pio Nono: A Study in European Politics and Religion in the Nineteenth Century (New York: P.J. Kennedy, 1954), 255-73; in the Doubleday Image Book papaerback edition, 265-86. [back]
The essay was printed in Historical Problems of Church Renewal, vol. 7 of Concilium (Glen Rock, NJ: Paulist Press, 1965), 89-105. [back]
[Dr. Peter A. Kwasniewski is Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy at Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyoming. The present article, "Dignitatis Humanae: The Interpretive Principles," was originally published in Latin Mass: A Journal of Catholic Culture and Tradition, Vo. 18, No. 1 (Winter 2009), pp. 12-17, and is reprinted here by permission of Latin Mass Magazine, 391 E. Virginia Terrace, Santa Paula, CA 93060.]
Posted by Pertinacious Papist at 8:59 AM 1 comments
Labels: Church and society, Tradition, Vatican II
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line86
|
__label__cc
| 0.529052
| 0.470948
|
How Sweet are Thy Words
How the Old Mass Shaped the New World
By Michael P. Foley
The fortieth anniversary of the Novus Ordo is a few weeks away, as it was Pope Paul VI’s wish that his new form of the rite take effect on the first Sunday of Advent in 1969.1 While the Pauline Missal was not published until the following year (and its translations much later), this date is as good as any to reflect on a momentous change to the Roman Church’s worship. Because forty is the biblical number for a generation, I would like to devote this column to a reflection on what we may have subsequently lost, not theologically or spiritually, but culturally. My point of departure is a brusque statement from Doctor John Senior: “from the cultural point of view, the new Catholic Mass established in the United States has been a disaster.”2 What could Senior have meant by such a harsh conclusion, and is there any justification for his opinion?
Sacrifice and Civilization
To understand Senior’s position, we must first surmise his view of Western culture:
Whatever we do in the political and social order, the indispensable foundation is prayer, the heart of which is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the perfect prayer of Christ himself, Priest and Victim, recreating in an unbloody manner the bloody, selfsame Sacrifice of Calvary. What is Christian Culture? It is essentially the Mass. That is not my or anyone’s opinion or theory or wish but the central fact of two thousand years of history. Christendom, what secularists call Western Civilization, is the Mass and paraphernalia which protect and facilitate it.3
Senior goes on to describe the Mass as emanating outwards to all aspects of life. What is done on a stone altar inspires the construction of a beautiful church. The church inspires a garden and clerics to tend the church and the people who flock to it. Next to the church and the garden is built a cemetery for those who died as faithful servants of what is done on that altar; and around the church-grounds people build their houses and sow their fields, until a community is formed. That community needs laws, and the laws cannot help but be influenced by the sense of justice that radiates from the center of its citizens’ lives. And before you know it, you have a Christian world built around the Mass.
What Senior calls the “central fact of two thousand years” can indeed be confirmed in the history of several towns and cities in Europe, the most famous of which is Munich, Germany, which honors the Benedictine abbey that led to its creation with its very name, Munchen or Munich being German for “monk.” Nor is this a phenomenon unique to the Middle Ages. Fittingly, it is being enacted by several of John Senior’s former students who converted to Catholicism and became Benedictine monks observing the traditional Roman rite. At the invitation of the local bishop, they founded Clear Creek Monastery in a remote corner of Oklahoma ten years ago, and already neighboring lands are being bought and developed by lay Catholics as the monks build a Romanesque church they wish to last a thousand years. If you want to see how the new West, the West not of ancient Greece and Rome but of Christian Europe, became the most astounding civilization in the history of the world, take a trip to rural Oklahoma.
And if you want to know why, then consider more closely the nature of Christianity. As Father Frederick Faber points out, Christianity is “eminently a religion of sacrifice,” and hence, he says, "Where there is no Mass, there is also no Christianity.” Faber sees all of Christian life as an extension of the sacrifice that is the Mass. All of the Church’s charitable works, all of her vows of religious life, all of her teachings, are “nothing but a glorious and unmistakable preaching of sacrifice,” a sacrifice that flows from “the vital force and omnipotent energy of the Mass. That far reaching Sacrifice is everywhere, and does everything for everyone.”4
It certainly did something for architecture. Romanesque and Gothic architecture, the Spanish mission style of the American Southwest, the Baroque style of seventeenth-century Europe: all flow from the Mass. The beauty, order, and proportion of the traditional Latin Mass is reflected in the beauty, order, and proportion of the churches in which it was celebrated, and this in turn went on to inspire architecture outside the church. Even basic architectural terminology owes a debt to the Mass. Romanesque and Gothic churches had several levels of allegorical pictures, reliefs, and sculptures on their façades that each told a story. And since several levels of these representations told several stories, it became the custom to indicate the height of a building by how many “stories” it had.5
We also see the impact of the Mass on the Western legal tradition, not only in the weighty matters of jurisprudence and the rule of law but in the tiniest of details. Have you ever noticed a striking similarity between a traditional church design and a courtroom? Public seating in a courtroom gallery, for example, is akin to the pews in the nave of a church; the space for the lawyers and judge is similar to the sanctuary where traditionally only the clergy would be allowed (note that many courtrooms demarcate this space with a “bar” similar in appearance and function to a communion rail); the judge’s bench, elevated and set apart, assumes the same importance as the high altar, which only certain members of the clergy are permitted to approach and only at certain times; the jury benches resemble the choir stalls found in many medieval churches; and the personnel who move in and out of the bench area, such as the bailiffs, resemble the acolytes serving the priest.
And then there is music. It is not just that without the august sacrifice of the Mass, we would be missing out on two of the grandest and most magnificent categories of classical music, the Missa and the Requiem, categories that have been filled with awesome splendor by the likes of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Verdi, Berlioz, Fauré, and Dvorak. It is not just that we would be missing out on Passion music or Lamentations pieces.
No, it is more basic than that. Without the Mass, there would probably be no Western tonal scale as we know it, for it was the Gregorian chant enshrining the Mass that preserved the eight modes of ancient Greek music, and it is on two of those modes that our major and minor keys are based. Without the Mass, there would probably be no musical notation, which developed in the Middle Ages because the body of Gregorian chant for the liturgical year was growing too large for any one person to remember in its entirety. Without the Mass, there would be no polyphony, no oratorios such as Handel’s Messiah (a genre invented by the founder of the Oratorians, Saint Philip Neri), and no opera as we know it, which developed with the help of the early Jesuits. Without the Mass, there would be no solmization, that is, no simplified way of reading music by sight with the use of the do-re-mi scale, for this method was invented by an Italian monk using the hymn for the Feast of Saint John the Baptist.
And without the Mass, there would not be even some popular secular music, such as carnivale, which developed as a way of bidding adieu to fun right before Lent, and jazz, which developed because slaves in New Orleans were allowed to assist at Mass and express their culture on Sundays and holy days, which in turn allowed for a new synthesis of African and European sounds to emerge at the beginning of the twentieth century. Without the Mass, there would also not be the current style of tobacco auctioneering, which was developed in the nineteenth century after its creator heard Gregorian chant at a High Mass.
Reply to an Objection
At this point we might wonder whether what I have been saying could apply to any form of the Mass, that it need not have been the extraordinary form of the Roman rite behind these developments. While I do not deny this possibility, I would nevertheless indicate three reasons why the traditional Latin Mass, and not some other form of the Eucharistic liturgy, has proved to be such a powerful leavening agent.
1. Stability
First, the extraordinary form is the product of slow and gradual change which gives it stability and continuity, and all without being fossilized like a butterfly in amber. This stability, in turn, provides a reliable springboard for dynamic cultural change. As the philosopher Michael Oakeshott points out, in order to undertake vast new projects, even the most progressive of dreamers must be conservative with his tools, for it is familiarity with one’s tools that enables one to effect sweeping changes successfully.6 Think of how little Microsoft or Apple would accomplish if the order of the letters on their employees’ keyboards were changed every week, an order that has remained the same since it first appeared on a manual typewriter in 1874.
In this analogy, the liturgy is not the project but the tool: it should not be the object of change, but the agent of change, and as such it should not be subject to much change itself. You would think that a changing liturgy would be good for a changing culture, but it is not. For it is not the liturgy that should change dramatically at the hands of the faithful; it is the faithful that should change dramatically at the hands of the liturgy. It is they that should be shaped and reshaped by the sacred mysteries made present in divine worship, a reshaping that goes on to affect the way they perceive reality, make decisions, and live their lives—in other words, the way they produce a culture and a civilization. Conversely, when the liturgy changes all the time, people do not, and the culture suffers accordingly.
2. Manliness
Second, the traditional Latin Mass exudes a healthy understanding of Christian manhood. This is important from a cultural perspective, not because men are the only contributors to human culture (for they are not), but because great cultures thrive when its men view themselves as called to protect the things and persons that produce great culture. This male presumption, I hasten to add, is in no way prejudicial against women; on the contrary, a world in which biological fathers act as good spiritual fathers and in which even single men comport themselves not as predators or playboys but as potential fathers would be a world which allows both sexes to flourish, protected from the evils that uncivilized manliness brings.7
But encouraging the right kind of manliness is difficult because men do not have the same obvious cues from nature as women do about how precisely they are indispensable to the flourishing of the human race; they are thus more prone to overlook their higher, noble calling or, to put it in more modern jargon, they are more likely to have an identity crisis. This is a point I would like to develop in a later article, but let me for the moment simply state that traditional, apostolic liturgy helps greatly in promoting the Christian notion of chivalry that goes so far in resolving this crisis. This is obvious in the Byzantine rite: while the West is seeing fewer and fewer men in the pews, Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches consistently retain roughly equal numbers of men and women, in large part because their liturgy is demanding, hierarchical, non-pandering, and disciplined, all the things that appeal to a manly spirit.8 And while lay women are active in the life of the Eastern churches, their sanctuaries are generally reserved to male priests, male servers, and male lectors.
This is apparent in the Tridentine rite as well, which not only has a clear hierarchical structure and sense of discipline that boys and men find appealing, but is guarded by boys and men in the form of the priest and his ministers. The new Mass, by contrast, does not send the same clear signal. A focus on meal rather than sacrifice, for instance, deprives men of an important manly concept, for it was men and men alone who sacrificed rams and bullocks and calves to the Lord God in the Old Testament, and it was the Son of Man who offered the ultimate sacrifice of Himself on the cross in what is world history’s greatest manly act. Second, Mass facing the people gives the impression that Mass is about the people rather than God, and with this comes the loss of a vertically-oriented hierarchy. And third, the relatively few rubrics of the new Mass give it less structure and less discipline, especially where reverence of the Eucharist is concerned.
These are all internal characteristics of the Missal which have been magnified by external modifications to its execution, namely, the inclusion of female lectors, distributors of Holy Communion, and altar servers. Father James McLucas has written eloquently in this magazine of the effect that this “outsourcing” of the celebrant’s privileges has had on the priesthood: “The notion that the Church can offer the work of the priest to others without doing harm to both his masculinity and personality is a gross presumption.”9 Others are quick to point out that using female altar servers is bad for priestly vocations, since boys are naturally drawn by the example of other males serving and protecting God’s sacred things, and if you add even one girl to the mix, it spoils the entire ethos of a chivalrous band of brothers. But I would go one step further: having female ministers in the sanctuary is not only bad for priests and for potential priests, it is bad for the men and boys who have no vocation to the priesthood whatsoever. And what is bad for men and boys is bad for the culture.
3. God at the Center
The third and final reason is the simple fact that the extraordinary form makes it unmistakably clear that, in the other words of my pastor Father David Leibham, “it is about God—period.” This is true about the traditional Latin Mass even when it is celebrated, as Father Jonathan Robinson puts it, “carelessly, stupidly, or perhaps, sometimes, wickedly.”10 Robinson, who does not write as a friend of the extraordinary form, nevertheless admits that “the perennial attraction of the Old Rite is that it provided a transcendental reference, and it did this even when it was misused in various ways.”11 His example is Mass with the king of France at the palace of Versailles, in which the king sat in a tribune that was more prominent than the altar. The king’s nobles would sometimes form a circle around him at the foot of the altar, their backs to the sanctuary as they gazed attentively at their monarch. Needless to say, this is “messed up,” but Robinson notes that even here the “Mass held its own” against this twisted arrangement. The nobles were there to worship their earthly king, not God, and yet the king they were worshipping was worshipping the true God. Hence, even if they were there to fulfill a worldly end, the king’s orientation “was a living testimony that there was another power that even the absolute monarch was forced to acknowledge.”12
By contrast, Robinson observes, while the Novus Ordo can be celebrated in a reverent way that directs us to the transcendent, “there is nothing in the rule governing the way the Novus Ordo is to be said that ensures the centrality of the celebration of the Paschal mystery.”13 Indeed, there are professional liturgists who prefer the new form of the rite because it allows them to engraft all sorts of non-liturgical agenda onto the liturgy. One priest, for example, sees the Mass as a great opportunity to bolster ethnic self-esteem, address ecological degradation, and encourage economic empowerment.14 Note that he prefers the ordinary form because it is a more malleable vehicle for cultural development; yet ironically, great culture has not exactly sprung from the celebration of the ordinary form.
We are now in a better position to understand Senior’s harsh remark about the new Mass. Without denying that significant cultural goods may yet come out of the Pauline Missal, we can at least identify the secret behind the old Missal’s influence. That secret is found in Luke 12:31—“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” As we approach the fortieth anniversary of a kind of wandering in the wilderness, let us at the beginning of a new liturgical year renew our appreciation for the extraordinary form and the paradox behind it: When you seek God first and find Him in a Mass that points to Him vividly, the results are simply marvelous.
November 30, 1969. Cf. Paul VI’s Apostolic Constitution, Missale Romanum. [back]
The Restoration of Christian Culture (Ignatius Press, 1983; reprinted, Roman Catholic Books), 38. [back]
Ibid., 16-17. [back]
Father Frederick Faber, The Blessed Sacrament , bk. 2. [back]
For more details on the historical facts mentioned in this article, see my Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Friday?: The Catholic Origin to Just About Everything (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). [back]
Michael Oakeshott, “On Being Conservative,” in Rationalism in Politics , ed. Timothy Fuller (Liberty Fund, 1991), 179f. [back]
Cf. Harvey Mansfield, Manliness (Yale University Press, 2006), 242. [back]
For a fascinating discussion on men and Eastern Orthodoxy, cf. the prologue of Frederica Mathewes-Green’s Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy , available at http://www.frederica.com/facing-east-excerpt-1/, and “Men and Church,” available at http://www.frederica.com/writings/men-and-church.html. [back]
22. [back]
Jonathan Robinson, The Mass And Modernity (Ignatius Press, 2005), 308. [back]
Ibid., 307. [back]
Ibid., 311, italics added. [back]
Reverend David William Antonio, An Inculturation Model of the Catholic Marriage Ritual (The Liturgical Press, 2002), 98-100. [back]
[Michael P. Foley is associate professor of patristics at Baylor University. He is author of Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Friday?: The Catholic Origin to Just About Everything (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005). Dr. Foley's article, "How the Old Mass Shaped the New West," Latin Mass: The Journal of Catholic Culture and Tradition Vol. 18, No. 4 (Fall 2009), pp. 38-41, is reproduced here by kind permission of Latin Mass, 391 E. Virginia Terrace, Santa Paula, CA 93060, and the author.]
Posted by Pertinacious Papist at 11:53 PM
Labels: Church and society, Church history, Liturgy
SwagBucks is the best work from home site.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line87
|
__label__wiki
| 0.816058
| 0.816058
|
Best moments from the 2018 American Music Awards
Kassandra Carrillo Oct 17, 2018
The 46th annual American Music Awards was held on October 9, 2018, at the Microsoft theatre in downtown Los Angeles, California with some of music’s biggest stars all under one roof. Taylor Swift had an unforgettable come back after nearly three years of not performing in an awards-show by kicking off the night with her song “I Did Something Bad.” Swift went on to win four awards, breaking Whitney Houston’s record for most AMA wins by a female artist. She took home the trophies for Tour of the Year, Favorite Pop/Rock Album for “Reputation,” Favorite Female Artist Pop/Rock and Artist of the Year.
Following, “Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross hosted the show for the second successive year. She wore custom grills, a sparkly black jumpsuit, and performed an energized dance number from a melody of hits like Bruno Mars’s “Uptown Funk” and Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”. At one point, Ross appeared out of breath and said: “J.Lo I don’t know how you do that all the time, I am not a dancer I think I’m just lady who moves”.
The performances were a mix of the spectacular and the subtle. Cardi performed “I Like it” for the first time on national television along with J. Balvin, and Ozuna. Jennifer Lopez brought the house down by performing her new song “Limitless” and worked the stage in a silver sparkly ensemble with the help of some dancers. Other artists such as Benny Blanco, Khalid, and Halsey kept it laid-back, and performed their debuting single “Eastside.”
Many chose to stress the idea of voting and becoming more involved in politics. Upon receiving awards, many stars took up the opportunity to mention their personal choices of government officials. “Before I go, shout out to the 915, to El Paso, Texas, shoutout Beto. Thank you,” Khalid mentioned getting briefly political during his acceptance speech for Soul/R&B Male. For the grand finale, the show recruited soul icon Gladys Knight as well as Ledisi, Mary Mary and Donnie McClurkin for a perfect celebration of the Queen of Soul’s legacy.
Although most of the viewers are on the younger side, the American Music Awards took up the importance of dedicating a tribute to Aretha Franklin. The energy was amplified through the air, and all the soul divas got the last word in remembering the idol that Aretha Franklin was and still is to this day.
Venom Takes the Theaters
Taylor Swift Breaks Her Silence
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line103
|
__label__wiki
| 0.554645
| 0.554645
|
Movie Club - 'The Artist'
This month the Movie Club will be screening 'The Artist'. A 2011 film made in the style of the silent-era: black-and-white and no talking (in this case, minimal talking). The film traverses many genres – comedy, romance, tragedy and melodrama – to form a coherent story of George Valentin.
George is at the top of his game as a silent film actor, he is famous and in-demand. He meets Peppy at a film premiere, and again later when she begins working as a film extra. There is chemistry between the two and Peppy continues to get work as an actor. When talking movies become popular, George refuses to perform in them, insisting silent film is an art form unlike the ‘talkies’. As a consequence of this George loses his career, wife and money, while Peppy becomes a star of the new talking films.
The film is entertaining from the start, with a tight opening scene of a ‘film-within-a-film’, to George and Peppy shooting a dance sequence over and over while slowly and beautifully realising they are falling in love, to George firing his chauffeur because he hasn’t paid him in a year.
There is no need for talking in this film, the actions speak clearly for themselves, and they are beautiful. It is clear the film is a ‘love letter to cinema’, as director Michel Hazanavicius intended.
'The Artist' will be showing on Wednesday 12 April, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.
Book Review - 'Seven walks: Cape Leeuwin to Bundee...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line107
|
__label__cc
| 0.510658
| 0.489342
|
What Comic Books Have You Read Today?
Posted by Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man on June 8, 2009 at 9:04am in General Comics Discussions
Report what comic books you have read today--and tell us a little something about it while you're here!
Permalink Reply by Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man on August 8, 2018 at 4:16pm
I read Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #3, the one Rob alluded to a couple days ago. This isn't the one set in present-day featuring Jamm. This is the one that sets up the Timber Wolf storyline, which was its own limited series.
I remember both of these stories, both the Timber Wolf as well as the one about Garth and Imra's christening their twins. What I didn't remember was that neither of them were written by Keith Giffen. The first was written by Al Gordon (the writer of the Timber Wolf mini), and the second was by Tom and Mary Bierbaum.
The first one, with art by Rob Haynes, wasn't too bad. First off, the art could easily be taken as either Giffen or Jason Pearson at the time, which blended in well. It brought in a character who looks a lot like Phantom Girl (her name is Gemini or Aria or something...she's called both) who seems to be kind of a ghost guide known to Brin "Timber Wolf" Londo. This story is kind of based around Brin's transformation back from "Furball" or "Frisky" back into his less hirsute form as Timber Wolf.
The second story is drawn by Brandon Peterson, and it's also pretty okay. The main part of the story is like The Big Chill in comic form, with the familiar characters of the Legion taking the places of the cast. The big takeaway from this story is the fact that Garth has actually been Proty I ever since they performed a ceremony of some kind years earlier in order to bring Garth back to life. They never really did succeed in that quest, and instead Proty just took his place, and, according to this story, impregnated Garth's wife. It's too bad the 5YL storyline didn't last any longer, because it would have been interesting to see what became of those half-Proty twins.
Permalink Reply by Richard Mantle on August 9, 2018 at 4:57am
I've been reading the Dark Nights Metal trades and must say I've enjoyed them.
Crossovers/Events generally leave me underwhelmed these days (I'm trying to avoid anything Marvel adds an 'Infinty' label on) but this had real heart to it.
(Did anyone else have trouble reading the various fonts used for the bad-Batmen?)
Permalink Reply by Jeff of Earth-J on August 9, 2018 at 9:51am
POGO: After Animal Comics> came to an end in 1947, Walt Kelly found himself art director of the short-lived New York Star. According to R.C. Harvey: “When it folded after a meteoric seven-month run, the New Yorker said of it that it had been the ‘semi-official outlet of advanced liberal thought’ put out by ‘a staff of indefatigable crusaders.’” In any case, art director Kelly hired cartoonist Kelly to produce a comic strip version of Pogo which ran in the New York Star from October 4, 1948 until the paper’s last issue, January 28, 1949. NOTE: The New York Star strips are not included in IDW’s Library of American Comics but they are in the first volume of Fantagrphics’ Pogo (1992).
BLOOM COUNTY: “Best Read on the Throne” was released yesterday and immediately shot to the top of my “to read” pile. The highlight has got to be the Berke Breathed/Bill Watterson jam of “Calvin County” in which Calvin has traded Hobbes to Opus for Bill the Cat.
LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE – AUGUST 1931: Warbucks sends Bill to Maw Green’s boarding house and to Jake’s store to check up on Annie. Warbucks figures she’s doing fine n her own, but has Bill type up a back-dated letter, which Warbucks signs, saying he’s in China and encloses $100.00. He then gives it to a Chinese friend of Bill’s to hand deliver. He learns of Annie’s bank account and “surreptitiously” deposits $5000.00 into it, which she discovers almost immediately. Annie is then bombarded with offers of real estate, stocks, insurance and get rich quick schemes, but she keeps her money in the bank.
Warbucks is now worth millions, and J.J. Shark is on the run. Shark is convinced that Warbucks is behind his business reversal and has him investigated. We learn that it was Shark who had Warbucks’ mansion burned down. Shark’s detectives trace Warbuck’s whereabouts, but the trail goes cold after he left the hospital. They confirm that he’s blind and broke, though. Then Warbucks uses Spike Marlin, currently in Singapore, to attack Shark’s Chinese shipping company, which Shark thought was safe and that no one knew about, and what he was using as a fallback.
Shark learns that Flophouse Bill is the one buying up the stock he dumped on the market, but he still suspects Warbucks is behind it. He orders two of his men to go t Bill’s office and kill whoever they find there. They see Warbucks and are so frightened of his reputation they skip town. Shark has no idea what’s going on, but he vows revenge.
The August Sunday strips are reserved for Sandy and Pat’s antics.
Permalink Reply by Wandering Sensei: Moderator Man on August 9, 2018 at 11:54am
I read Action Comics #1001. You know, I find it really refreshing that Bendis is not making gigantic, sweeping changes to the Superman world. I like how it feels just old-school enough to be comfortable, but it moves quickly under Bendis's writing. I've always found his work to be wordy but smooth, if that makes any sense.
Permalink Reply by Richard Willis on August 9, 2018 at 1:49pm
I haven't read Bendis' Superman stories but I have a theory that he loves the character and this is why he isn't going off the rails. Plus likely editorial mandate.
I read the latest issue of Flash. It started in an interesting way, with Barry conducting a meeting of Flashes from all over the 52 Earths. Other than that, I'm kind of surprised that they dropped Bart Allen in a couple issues ago, but still have yet to mention him again after that. I hope he pops up again soon, otherwise it seems like kind of a bait-and-switch.
I thought it was interesting the way Commander Cold is making a return to the book, as kind of an in-the-way hero who might be a villain.
I also read Batman #51-52. It's the courtroom storyline, and I have to say it's pretty fascinating. But what I think I loved most about these issues is the way Dick Grayson has slipped so effortlessly into the Batman role. Tom King is playing off of the fact that Dick has been Batman a few times already--I'm thinking of Prodigal and Morrison's Batman & Robin at least.
Permalink Reply by Lee Houston, Junior on August 9, 2018 at 11:28pm
First, a thank you to Power Book Pete for fixing my previous typo.
Now then, am I wrong or is DC silently phasing out its bi-weekly program?
It seems like once a bi-weekly title hits issue 50, 51 on is at the monthly price of $3.99.
Have those books gone monthly, or are they still bi-weekly and DC is just charging an extra $1 per issue now like they are for the new Justice League series?
Permalink Reply by Richard Willis on August 10, 2018 at 1:36am
The indicia for Flash #52, buried on the bottom of the last page, still says bi-weekly. I think it's actually semi-monthly (twice a month) rather than every two weeks.
Permalink Reply by Richard Mantle on August 10, 2018 at 4:20am
Just read a story from Superman 372 via the 'by Gil Kane' collection.
It is a future set tale of elderly Jimmy Olsen and the grandson of our Superman.
It is full of hover cars and future tech as it takes place in the distant days of...2021. !
Permalink Reply by Jeff of Earth-J on August 10, 2018 at 9:04am
HEY, KIDS… COMICS!: The latest series by Howard Chaykin deals with the comic book field throughout history. It features a large cast of characters and the story follows each of them from the 1940s through the present day. It’s a gritty, depressing story but it manages to avoid Chaykin’s usual excesses. It’s roman a clef, and it’s… well, I won’t say “fun” but “challenging”… to figure out which character is based on which writer, artist, editor or publisher. I think it is a series everyone on this board should be reading.
POGO: I’ve long known that Pogo started as a comic book before becoming a comic strip, but what I didn’t realize until recently is that Pogo continued to be featured in original comic books even after the strip had begun. Yesterday I noted the comic strip which appeared exclusively in the New York Star from October 1948 through January 1949. The next comic book to appear was Pogo Possum #1, 52 pages, cover-dated OCT-DEC 1949.
LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE – SEPTEMBER 1931: J.J. Shark goes to Bill’s office and finds warbucks working their alone. Shark pulls a gun, but Warbucks turns off the lights, disarms him and beats him mercilessly. After turning him over to the police, Warbucks’ secret is out in the open and he directs Bill to rent offices and a penthouse in a high rise skyscraper.
Meanwhile, Pat becomes ill and Annie picks a society Doctor at random, Dr. Lens, to help her. Annie didn’t know it, but Dr. Lens is a specialist who gave up his practice to become a consultant (which is just as well; Annie didn’t want a doctor who was still practicing). He certainly doesn’t make house calls, but Annie persuades him to in this case. He pulls Pat through, but advises she needs more fresh air and sunshine. He offers Annie a job as his assistant and will let them both live at his house, which is in te city but has a garden on the roof.
Wanting what is best for Pat, Annie tells Maw Green and Jake that she will be moving away. They are both sorry to see her go, but they understand. Once there, she discovers a locked room which the maid tells her no one but Doctor Lens ever goes into, and sometimes he stays there all night. One day, Annie finds the door to the room unlocked and goes in to investigate. She discovers a laboratory and frightens herself when she literally fins a skeleton in the closet.
Warbucks is now worth billions rather than millions. He wants to help Maw Green, but he knows she won’t accept charity. He hires an investigator to research her family history, then fabricates a long lost uncle who has left her inheritance. I don’t know how much he gave her, but she was able to buy a little bungalow and a car, and hire a chauffeur to drive it. Jake s also doing well, without any help from Warbucks. He now wears a coat and tails, but only when he’s on the floor. When Annie comes to visit, he takes off his coat in the back office and outs on his favorite straw hat.
Now that Warbucks is back on top, he decides to leave Bill in charge and take his yacht to Europe to seek a specialist who might cure his blindness. (He doesn’t know that Annie is now living with Dr. Lens.)
One day, while Annie and Pat are out for a walk, a woman in a car seems to recognize Pat. She orders the driver to turn around, but it’s a narrow street and by the time he does, Annie and Pat are gone.
Permalink Reply by Travis Herrick (Modular Mod) on August 10, 2018 at 11:48am
DC still has a few series that are bi-monthly. Like, Justice League, Batman, and Wonder Woman. There are a few titles holding on at $2.99, but most of the line is at least $3.99. A quick flip through Previews I didn't see any of the bi-monthly titles at that $2.99, but there could be.
Lee Houston, Junior said:
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line110
|
__label__cc
| 0.70647
| 0.29353
|
Benjamin Britten wrote the score to Instruments of the Orchestra, which would become the concert work, Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra. The theme to the score was based on a hornpipe from Purcell’s Abdelzer. Britten commented to the producer, Basil Wright, that “I was never really worried that it was too sophisticated for kids – it is difficult to be that for the little blighters.”
The film was made with the London Symphony Orchestra/Malcolm Sargent. First shown 29 Nov 1946.
Source: Classic FM, April 2010, p.65.
Benjamin BrittenYoung Person's Guide to the Orchestra
Previous PostThe current state of the recording industryNext PostGlinka’s compositional priorities
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line117
|
__label__cc
| 0.663822
| 0.336178
|
Home -- > News -- > Detail
The first solar tower heating system put into operation in China
On October 5, 2018, the small centralized solar heating demonstration system developed by Solar Thermal Energy department of Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IEECAS), in the absence of any auxiliary energy, has been running for more than three months to supply clean heat for Jianguo Hotel located in Zhangjiakou city of Hebei province, with a heating area of 3,000-5,000 square meters. IEECAS has successfully promoted the centralized solar heating technology developed for many years to demonstration applications.
Solar tower heating system
The heating system is mainly composed of a solar tower concentrating system (heliostat field), a cross-season water storage system, and an automatic control system, which can realize solar energy collection and storage throughout the year, and effectively solve the problem of clean heating in the winter for the buildings. The heliostat has a aperture area of 760 m2 and a cross-season water storage capacity of 3000 m3, which meets the winter heating requirements of the 3000 m2 building in the park. The cross-season heat storage mode was operated from April to the beginning of October 2018, and the heating mode was operated from the middle of October 2018 to the present. The all key components involved in the system are from the proprietary intellectual property of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Compared with other solar heating systems, the designer fully uses the mountain topography to deploy the heliostats as the solar concentrator, at the same time, the volumetric heat absorbers and tube-tube heat absorbers have been developed to use porous materials for high efficient heat collection. According to the calculation, when the outlet water temperature of the system reaches 90℃, the thermal efficiency in winter can reach more than 50% (converted to the solar aperture area).
Secondly, the system uses an optimized water storage system to achieve efficient and low-cost heat storage. Through the inter-season hot water storage system, coupled with inclined layer control technology and low heat loss technology, the system is able to reduce the mixed heat loss of the hot water storage body. Ensuring that the construction cost of the hot water storage body is not higher than 330 yuan/m3, the discharged (taken) heat can reach more than 80% of the stored heat. Taking this heat storage body as the experimental research object, IEECAS established the dynamic heat transfer model of natural convection and soil coupling in large space, which lays a technical foundation for the thermal design of large-capacity and inter-season hot water storage.
In addition, IEECAS also developed a full-system dynamic thermal performance simulation optimization platform from solar radiation, heat collection to building load. The platform can reflect the real-time changes of key parameters of the system when the conditions of solar irradiance changes and building load changes, system parameter configuration and simulation platform with precise control logic.
The solar thermal energy department led by Prof. Wang Zhifeng, researcher of IEECAS has long been committed to the research of solar thermal power generation technology (CSP).In this project, he learned from some CSP technology and applied the solar concentration and heat absorption technology to the building heating system, which played a leading role in the domestic industry. The stable operation of the demonstration project laid the foundation for the smooth implementation of the renewable energy supply of the Zhangjiakou Winter Olympics in 2022 and the pilot project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Solar collection system
800MW Noor Midelt I expected to begin construction in the last quarter of 2019
The 4th Council Congress of China STE Alliance democratically elected a new leadership group
Introduction to CSP performance models and their uses 5 days of training
Concrete base of CSP tower for 4th phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park now complete
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line119
|
__label__wiki
| 0.674794
| 0.674794
|
HunterNews
political and military news, world events, analysis
It is necessary to eliminate the centers of terrorism in Syria and work on the return of refugees
Washington supports terrorist organizations in Syria
Putin and Trump discussed the situation in Syria and Ukraine
Day: 20.02.2019
UKRAINE: PRE-ELECTION SITUATION
Ukraine continues to prepare for the presidential elections on March 31 this year. Kiev celebrates the fifth anniversary of the so-called “revolution of dignity”, which resulted in bloodshed and a coup d’état. The past five years have greatly changed Ukraine. The civil war in the South-East, exorbitant utility bills and gas tariffs — the way to Europe turned out to be a fraud. Many things have changed, but not the…
Her Majesty’s terrorists
According to the middle East news Agency SANA, about four hundred British terrorists are still fighting in Syria on the side of ISIS. At the same time, all of them submitted by her Majesty, therefore, can freely return home at any time. At the same time, Syrian observers note that it is impossible to underestimate the potential risks of the sudden return of the British crown Islamists to their homeland….
HunterNews на русском
© HunterNews
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line120
|
__label__cc
| 0.706691
| 0.293309
|
January 22, 2019 admin 0 Comments
An Introduction To Infant Car Seat Covers
Specially-designed car seat covers provide protection for infants and toddlers. These car seat covers are different from those used for adults and older children as they are front facing allowing the baby to rest in comfort while traveling. The most important aspect of an infant car seat cover is the security it provides. The best infant car seat covers are those that have five-point strap-on attachments: one for each shoulder, one for each thigh and one between the legs of the infant. Such covers provide maximum protection for the baby while the car is in motion. Another car seat cover is available which has a T-strap; however it is not very secure or comfortable for the movement of the baby. Car seat covers for infants are made from a very soft material so as not to harm the baby’s skin. Some better quality seat covers are water and snow resistant and thermally insulated. Infant car seat covers come in a wide variety of colors and patterns which make them look very attractive. Infant car seat covers are designed in such a way that they can be easily extracted from the seat of the car along with the baby in it. Hence, infant car seat covers can be used in prams and also while rocking babies to sleep.
Earlier infant car seat covers had buckle arrangements at the rear of the seat. However this was cumbersome as they required moving the baby and exerting oneself to strap and detach the cover. Recent car seat covers for infants have their strapping arrangements at the front end. Most infant car seat covers are available in the range of $30 to $50. Their basic design and structure is the same, but their prints and patterns vary. They have slight modifications to attract customers. Used infant car seat covers are available, but they are not advisable to purchase for both hygienic as well as security reasons.
Unique Car Seat Covers
Unique car seat covers are essential car accessories for making the interior of a car attractive as you can use ford thunderbird covers to retain the outer look of your car. They have a special place among car accessories as they enhance comfort and driving pleasure. A car seat cover should ensure comfort under all conditions and they are necessary for all those who want to maintain their car in impeccable condition. They are unique in the sense of having extra value, function and utility, and are considered special features of various cars. Most unique car seat covers have visual appeal as they provide a snug fit with no sagging ends. These seat covers are tailored to fit over the seats of the cars. Manufacturers providing unique car seat covers incorporate several ingredients to make them unique. There are many manufacturing units offering unique car seat covers of various materials and sizes. High quality unique seat covers are available in standard universal sizes as well as custom patterns for most vehicles. They come in a wide variety of fabrics, designs, patterns, styles and colors. Seat covers are available in neoprene, poly, cotton, tweed, and nylon. Like simple car seat covers, unique car seat covers protect the original car seats from dirt, liquid, stains, food and other elements. Unique car seat covers are obviously more expensive than standard car seat covers available in the car accessory showrooms. A common car seat cover may cost about $30 to $70 depending on the finish and the material with which it has been made. But in the case of unique car seat covers, they will be more expensive. Increase in the production of unique car seat covers implies that car seat covers are today not just a matter of security, but also a matter of vehicle enhancement.
Custom Car Seat Covers
Some manufacturers provide custom tailoring of car seat covers for particular vehicles. Customized car seat covers provide a snug fit with no sagging ends and therefore make the car seat look more visually appealing. Custom car seat covers are a viable solution for hard-to-fit seats like 40/20/40 seats, 70/30 seats, 60/40 seats, as well as difficult-to-fit seats in jeeps, trucks, tractors and SUVs. The company first sends some representatives to take accurate measurements of the car seats and then builds up an estimate. This service is most often free of charge. A wide variety of materials may be used for making custom car seat covers. The person ordering the car seat covers gets to choose from among cotton, vinyl, neoprene, sheepskin, denim, velour cloth, tweed cloth and several other materials. Specific colors and patterns can also be chosen. Materials can be chosen according to the climatic factors and the amount of wear and tear the car seats may be subjected to. The client may have to pay for the material in advance. At other times, the company quotes a lump sum charge, with the cost of the material included.
While customizing a car seat cover, the customer can seek any combination. The cover can be tailored as aesthetically as designed, creating a sense of fashion consciousness within the car. Different kinds of fasteners like Velcro, zippers, buttons or strings can be decided upon to enhance the look and durability of the cover. Custom car seat covers are obviously more expensive than standard car seat covers available in the stores. While standard car seat covers may be available at $30 to $70 per cover, customized car seat covers are sold at anywhere upwards of $60 per cover. Car seat cover providers also provide other accessories such as car covers and floor mats. Floor mats are provided complementary by some companies with a custom order of car seat covers.
An Introduction To Dog Car Seat Covers
Dog car seat covers are used to protect seats of the car from dog-related problems. Dogs are known to shed their hair, drip their saliva and bring their muddy paws into cars. All of these are reasons enough to permanently soil car seats. Hence, dog car seat covers are used as protection for the seats. Car seat covers designed for dogs are usually made for the rear seats. They are better suited to vehicles such as SUVs. These covers do not drape over the seat completely; rather they are like mats over the seats over which the dogs can rest. Some covers can also fit over the seats; whether they are bucket or bench seats. They can be attached to the seats by means of straps, strings, Velcro fasteners or zippers. They may also have elastic straps with hooks with which to secure the pet onto the car seat cover.
Dog car seat covers are available in a wide variety of materials. Some popular materials are synthetic vinyl, neoprene, rubber, etc. The material should provide a grip to the dog so as to prevent its slipping down. Moreover, the material should also be stain-resistant and easy to wash. These dog car seat covers can be machine washed and hang dried quite conveniently. It is important to wash dog car seat covers regularly and also fumigate them to secure hygiene of both the dog and the people traveling in the vehicle. Dog car seat covers have a firm grip, but an inner foam lining which provides more comfort to the dog as it travels. Some dog aficionado’s custom-design their car seat covers for their pet dogs. By doing so, they get a choice of material and patterns. Some manufacturers design car seat covers in a standard size that can fit all vehicles. The price of a standard dog car seat cover is $30 or more; custom-designed covers may cost much more.
An Introduction to Car Seat Covers
Car seat covers are essential upholstery for the car if one wishes to maintain their car in impeccable condition. These covers can be put over the seats and they protect the seats from undesirable external and internal elements of the car. These covers are tailored to fit over the seats of the cars. They can be custom made to make a perfect fit. They are held in place by zippers or Velcro fasteners or buttons. Velcro fasteners are the most popular as they do not cause any discomfort to the person sitting on the seat. They can be made of cloth, leather or any synthetic material and are washable. Rustproof and stain-proof materials such as neoprene are selected to make better quality car seat covers. Though some covers are custom designed to fit particular car seats, most of them available in the market are of standard sizes and can fit all types of seats in all kinds of vehicles. They are marginally cheaper than custom designed covers. Covers are made with a foam lining, which may be three to eight inches thick to provide added comfort for the person sitting on the seat. The foam lining also provides insulation to the person.
The basic function of car seat covers is to protect the seats from spoilage. Expensive seats of cars can be saved from animal marks, food marks, sweat stains, etc. by using car seat covers. Car seat covers are a small investment considering they protect precious car seats. It is necessary to wash car seat covers frequently especially after long drives and after the car has been kept in the garage for a long time with the covers on. While buying a car seat cover, it must be checked if the covers are easy to remove and put on so that they can be washed regularly. Each car seat cover may cost about $30 to $70 depending on the finish and the material with which it has been made. Car seat covers are now available in several patterns and colors. It becomes aesthetically important to match the car seat cover with the rest of the interiors of the car. Car seat covers are today not just a matter of security, but also a matter of vehicle enhancement.
Car Seat Covers Are Worth the Investment for Your Vehicle
Car seat covers are utilized by many car owners. They come in many various colors and fabrics. Car owners use them mainly to preserve the wear and tear on seats. Each and every time you enter your car you are causing wear to the seats. Weather you have leather seats, vinyl or fabric they will eventually wear out. In order to assure that you get the most out of your car seats, covers are a terrific idea. In addition, for resale value the condition of the interior of your car is just as important as preserving the exterior. If you have small children and pets many feel that seat covers are definitely a must. When transporting either of these, you can expect wear and tear. Small children often have accidents with drinks, snacks or their little shoes have mud, snow or dirt. You are not able to clean their shoes each time they are placed in car seats and sitting in car seats or booster seats puts their small shoes directly on the car seat. Animals are just as rough for a car interior. Instead of 2 feet you have four feet and dog hair or cat hair.
Many recommend sheepskin car seat covers. Sheepskin car seat covers have several benefits. They are comfortable and great insulators. The will keep your seats warm throughout the winter months and cooler during the summer heat. Even the driver gets an additional layer of support that some drivers need. However, there are disadvantages. Sheepskin covers can be fairly expensive compared to other forms of car seat covers. If you decide to bypass a uniform type of cover and go for covers manufactured specifically for your car you can expect to pay quite a bit. Looking at two bucket seats in the front and a bench seat cover in the back, universal covers usually cost a reasonable amount for all of the seats in the car. If you can afford custom made covers, you can expect to pay exceptionally more. If you are driving certain vehicles that have side airbags that are not standard, you may not be able to have standard sheepskin covers. There are several manufacturers that need to modify the covers to allow for the side airbags.
Copyright © 2019 by engineerssolutionbd.com - All rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line123
|
__label__cc
| 0.609126
| 0.390874
|
Pirates of the Caribbean 4 3D
You’ll be watching Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow wearing funny glasses next year, as Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be arriving in 3D clothes…
This, sadly, makes something of a refreshing change.
It's been confirmed that Disney's forthcoming Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, is the latest movie to be jumping aboard the 3D bandwagon. So what's the change? Namely, that the film will actually be shot in 3D, rather than having to endure the increasingly dreaded post-production bolt-on which has become so favoured in recent times.
[3D Video after the jump]
What's sad about Pirates' 3D being tackled in such a manner is that it's very much in a minority. Love or loathe the trend towards 3D filmmaking, it still makes sense to commit to the process properly if you're going to do it. As such, 3D needs to be catered for at all stages of the shoot, and not in the editing suite.
That said, we still don't remember the first three Pirates movies appearing to cry out for 3D in the first place. But when there's a premium that can be added to the ticket price, it's a brave studio in the current climate that resists the call.
Disney has also confirmed that its decision to add 3D at this stage will not be delaying the release of the film, which is still set for May 20th 2011.
"Use a TOYin3D to watch this video in PARALLEL-VIEW on your mobile"
http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/487027/pirates_of_the_caribbean_4_commits_to_3d_properly.html
Labels: Trailer3D
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line124
|
__label__wiki
| 0.76823
| 0.76823
|
Super typhoon Lan hits Japan, with flooding rains and mudslides
World (Tokyo) - Super typhoon Lan was bearing down on Japan Saturday, a day ahead of national elections, with experts predicting severe winds and heavy rains as the country goes to the polls, vying for a majority of the 465 seats in the Lower House of the Diet. Japan's Meteorological Agency described it as 'very large' and 'very strong' packing ...
Puerto Rico still 80% dark a month after Hurricane Maria
WORLD (San Juan) : Puerto Rico is still in the dark one month after Category 4 Hurricane Maria slammed into the U.S. territory on September 20, the strongest to hit in nearly a century. According to ABC news, it killed at least 48 people, destroyed tens of thousands of homes and left tens of thousands of people without a job. There's estimate...
Victory for US-backed SDF in the city of Raqqa, next is Deir al Zor
World : The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that its military operations have ended against the Islamic State in its Syrian stronghold of Raqqa, a city that was seized by the extremists group in 2014 and which became the center of caliphate and has been used as a base to plan overseas terror attacks. According to SkyNews, clearing o...
Massive protests in Catalonia after police violence at referendum
WORLD ( Barcelona ) : Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Catalonia in a massive general strike on Tuesday to protest police violence at referendum that was held on Sunday. METRO News reports that the huge protest blocked motorways, closed schools and halted businesses as workers and students joined the strike. People were seen playi...
Bali under state of emergency, Mount Agung eruption imminent
WORLD ( Bali, Indonesia ) : EXPRESS reports that Bali is in a state of emergency over fears the island’s highest volcano Mount Agung is on the brink of erupting. Governor I Made Mangku Pastika ordered provincial, district and municipal governments in Bali to take steps to provide assistance to people who have been evacuated from their homes in re...
Mass shooting at Las Vegas concert, 59 dead and more than 500 injured
WORLD ( Las Vegas ) : Authorities reported that a lone gunman unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of bullets from the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino hotel late Sunday, killing at least 59 and injuring 527 others attending a country music festival show at the Route 91 Harvest Festival just outside the Las Vegas hotel. According to NBC N...
Trump to visit Asia in November, attends ASEAN meet in Manila
WORLD ( Washington) : Donald Trump will travel to Asia for the first time since becoming president, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, Reuters reported. His visit, scheduled from November 3 to 14, will include attending two major summits, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association...
‘Historic day’ as Saudi Arabia lifts age-old ban on women driving cars
WORLD (Saudi Arabia ): King Salman on Tuesday ordered that women be allowed to drive cars, ending a conservative tradition seen by women rights activists, campaigning for more than 25 years, as an emblem of the Islamic kingdom's repression of women. IndiaToday reported that despite gradual improvement on some women's issues in recent years, the kin...
Mumbai railway station stampede kills 22, injures 35
WORLD (New Delhi ) : At least 22 people have been killed and 35 injured in a stampede at a train station during Friday morning rush hour in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai, according to Deepak Deoraj, spokesman for the Mumbai police department, CNN reported. The death toll was likely to rise, a disaster management spokesman warned, with several ...
Massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Mexico, killing over 100
MEXICO CITY — A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Mexico at 1:15 pm on Tuesday afternoon, toppling buildings, rattling the capital and sending people flooding into the streets for the second time in just two weeks after the devasting and stronger 8.1 magnitude on September 8 in the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. N...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line130
|
__label__cc
| 0.559004
| 0.440996
|
The North Wall Arts Centre
Programme Manager: Amy Walters
Website: www.thenorthwall.com
Facebook: Visit our Facebook »
Twitter: @thenorthwall
Features: Disabled Access,
Address: The North Wall Arts Centre, South Parade, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 7JN
Based on the campus of St Edward’s School, The North Wall Arts Centre first opened to the public in 2007, and offers a fully flexible 200-seat theatre, a public art gallery and studios for dance and drama. The programme of events at The North Wall places emphasis on new and innovative work.
The North Wall exists to provide opportunities for artists, young people and the general public to make and experience art of the highest quality. We aim to promote the notion of art as a tool for living; timely, relevant and socially engaged. Our residential artist development programme, ArtsLab, offers a space for artists of different ages, experience and disciplines to come together, make connections and explore new ideas and aesthetics.
We have a focus on nurturing talent in young and emerging artists, and removing the barriers that prevent them from achieving meaningful careers in the arts. The North Wall Trust provides a platform for this work, managing a range of home-grown artistic outputs, including vocational training and outreach projects, productions, co-productions and a range of participatory and educational initiatives for children, young people and the wider community.
There was an error while connecting to Feed server, please, try again!
Name Date Time Booking Information
Square Go 08/10/2019 8pm - 9pm Book here
Still No Idea 04/10/2019 8pm - 9.20pm Book here
Log in to edit your venue details.
Who’s listed?
Venues listed on this page represent venues in the South East and East of England. They have registered on the house website voluntarily and are responsible for updating their details.
Register your venue
To get involved, input into and benefit from house just click on the button below, fill out the form and upload some images. It’s as easy as that.
Register your venue »
View a map of all registered house venues
house and Farnham Maltings are not responsible for the content of third party sites.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line131
|
__label__cc
| 0.556538
| 0.443462
|
HSP47: Isoforms
Overall structure of the Hsp47/procollagen complex.
Hsp47 is a procollagen-specific molecular chaperone, crucially involved in the biogenesis and structural assembly of collagen 2, 3. Hsp47, also termed Serpin H1, is a non-inhibitory serpin belonging to clade H of the SERPIN superfamily of proteinase inhibitors. The human SERPIN superfamily comprises 35 putatively functional protein-coding genes and six pseudogenes, while in mice 60 protein-coding genes and 12 pseudoegenes have been described 34. The corresponding gene products differ from each other by expression level, subcellular location and amino acid constitution (see also section “Family Members“ and Table 2). Serpins are classified into clades due to their sequence similarity and phylogenetic relationship. 16 Clades have been defined (termed A–P), with 9 clades (A–I) covering human serpins (Table 2). The two largest clades of serpins identified so far are the extracellular ‘clade A’ members and the intracellular ‘clade B’ serpins. Hsp47/Serpin H1 is the ER-resident representative of the huge SERPIN superfamily and one of the predominant ER polypeptides.
In-depth investigations have been done to identifying Hsp47/serpin isoforms and their relation to physiology and pathophysiology. Three isoforms as the result of alternative splicing have been described for Serpin A1 and Serpin A3. However, no experimental confirmation is available for the shorter isoforms apart from the canonical sequence. Interestingly, seven isoforms have been reported for Serpin A9 with isoform 9 bearing an additional amino acid stretch of 18 amino acid at the N-terminus compared to the canonical sequence. Multiple isoforms have also been characterized for Serpin B1, -B3, -B5, -B7, -B11, ‑13 as well as Serpin E1-3, Serpin F2, and Serpin G1. For instance, isoform 3 of Serpin G1 harbors a GFLEPQ insertion at position 17 yielding a putative protein 505 amino acid residues in length. Isoform 2 of Serpin F2 bears an LAL → VQP substitution at position 120 – 122 and lacks the amino acid stretch 56 – 119 of the canonical sequence. Further serpins with amino acid insertions comprise isoform 3 of Serpin E2, and isoform 2 of Serpin B12, respectively. Deletions yielding shorter amino acid stretches can be found, e.g. in isoform 2 of Serpin B1, -B3, ‑B5, ‑B7, ‑B11 and ‑13 as well as in isoform 3 of Serpin B11. As mentioned earlier, no data are available on the biological or pathological significance of these serpin isoforms. For more detailed information on serpin isoforms please refer to the UniProt data base. Noteworthy, a variety of human diseases have been attributed to SERPIN gene and/or protein variations. Mutations in SERPINA1 have been linked to emphysema, hepatitis, and hepatocellular carcinoma 97-99 whereas mutations in SERPINA10 and SERPINC1 have been found as being associated with pregnancy complications 100 and familial venous thromboembolic disease 101, respectively. Mutations in SERPINH1 and SERPINF1 have been linked to osteogenesis imperfecta 102, 103. A single nucleotide exchange in the SERPING1 gene has been identified to cause type II hereditary angioneurotic edema 103. The expression of modified serpins has been described in various pathologies, including renal and cardiovascular injury 104, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 105, autoimmune disease 58, insulin resistance 106, 58, neurodegeneration 20, 58, and cancer 94, 95, 107-109. In this context, down-regulation and/or intracellular location of Serpin B5 (maspin) has been linked to tumor progression and prognosis, indicating its putative function as a tumor suppressor110. A single amino acid substitution in Serpin I1 has been reported to cause serpin polymerization leading to familial dementia 93, 111.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line133
|
__label__cc
| 0.650659
| 0.349341
|
Hands On Classrooms
Support Hands On
Hands On: Culinary and Nutrition
Hands On: Food Fundamentals
Hands On: Food Safety
Curriculum Store
A New Resource for Teachers
Funding for the Hands On: Food Fundamentals program was provided by the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association Science Institute.
To access the student links for the Food Processing unit visit this page.
For Food Systems links, click here.
The food processing unit instructs students on what a processed food is. Students learn processing methods for various commodities, as well as work to identify and debunk misconceptions related to food processing. The unit concludes by allowing students to identify processing variations used in different countries around the world.
Food systems aims to teach students how their food makes it from the farm to the fork. Students are given the opportunity to research the major areas of the food system in the United States and report on their findings. Students analyze the steps a commodity goes through in the process of being a ready to eat food item.
The Hands On: Food Fundamentals curriculum was reviewed by a panel of experts from academia and industry. Meet the advisory panel below.
Dr. Phil Perkins Dr. Phil Perkins is a consultant with over 35 years of experience working for world class companies. Phil retired from Bush Brothers & Company in September of 2016 where he served as Senior Vice President of Research, Development & Innovation. Prior to this, Phil’s career includes positions at Whitbread PLC (once the United Kingdom’s third largest brewing company now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev), M&M Mars (United Kingdom), and Grand Metropolitan / Pillsbury / Diageo (United Kingdom and the United States of America). In a professional capacity, Phil has worked with more than 150 food, ingredient and packaging companies in 20 countries throughout Europe, Central & South America, Africa, Australia, India, and the Far East. Phil enjoys playing golf, boating, and scuba diving and is actively involved in Special Olympics Golf. In 2014 he became a co-owner of Knox Whiskey Works a new micro-distillery in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he conducts whiskey tasting classes; provides distillery tours and develops new products (whiskey, gin, vodka, rum and liqueurs).
June Wasser, Executive Director, Reagan-Udall Foundation June S. Wasser, MA joined the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration in May of 2016. In this role, Ms. Wasser provides leadership, oversight and strategic direction for the Foundation’s development and implementation of programs and initiatives intended to foster advances in regulatory science in support of the FDA’s mission. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Wasser served as a consultant to leading academic non-profit organizations and academic medical centers specializing in translational science programs. Ms. Wasser has extensive experience in the development of continuing medical education programs, creating start-up organizations and program/business development for healthcare entities including the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) of Tufts Medical Center, the American College of Cardiology Foundation, WebMD and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Dr. Shauna Henley, University of Maryland Extension Dr. Shauna C. Henley is entering her 4th year as a tenure-track Family & Consumer Sciences Agent at the University of Maryland Extension. She covers 2/3rd of the Original Maryland FoodNet Counties. Shauna is better recognized for her dissertation under Dr. Jennifer Quinlan at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for “Don’t Wash Your Chicken!” Her position at Maryland focuses is on nutrition, physical activity, and food safety. She regularly teaches workshops on food preservation and Food for Profit. Shauna’s current research interest is learning where consumers’ knowledge gaps are in understanding various aspects of the farm-to-fork continuum, and creating educational materials to bridge these knowledge gaps. She’s assisted Dr. Rohan Tikekar with Produce Safety Rule training, and is certified in ServSafe, GAPs, HACCP, and a lead instructor for PCQI.
Sarah Engstrom, University of Wisconsin-Madison Sarah Engstrom is a Research Specialist and concurrent Ph.D. food science student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Food Research Institute (FRI). Sarah joined FRI in 2016, where she works under the direction of Dr. Kathy Glass on challenge studies with Listeria, Clostridium, Bacillus, Enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Staphylococcus, and Salmonella in a wide range of refrigerated and shelf-stable foods. Prior to FRI Sarah worked as a corporate microbiologist for Oscar Mayer / Kraft Heinz from 2014-2016 and for Land O’Lakes / rtech Laboratories from 2013-2014. Sarah has an MS in food science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BS in food science from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Harry Richards, University of Tennessee Dr. Harry Richards is in his 13th year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Currently, he is the Research and Proposal Development Coordinator for the John D. Tickle College of Engineering. Dr. Richards received PhD from UNC-Greensboro in Nutrition Science and Biotechnology and completed a postdoc with the UTK Food Science Department. His research has included the impact of engineered functional foods, GMO environmental and food safety, and genetic diversity of foodborne pathogens. Dr. Richards is no stranger to the Hands On program as he was a Co-Investigator on the original USDA grant project where he assisted with writing and pilot testing the Hands On: Food Safety curriculum. In his current position, Dr. Richards works with faculty to identify appropriate funding agencies for their research and develop compelling proposal narratives.
Dr. Janie Burney, University of Tennessee Extension Dr. Janie Burney holds a PhD in Nutrition Science and Public Health from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Currently, she is in her 29th year with UT Extension and holds the rank of Professor. Dr. Burney was involved in the development of the Hands On: Food Safety program as a co-PI and assisted with the development of the 4-H edition of the curriculum. She has also been involved in several other projects related to nutrition and food saftey during her tenure at UT,
Copyrights 2018 Hands On Classrooms | Theme by Themeegg
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line136
|
__label__wiki
| 0.585241
| 0.585241
|
Rehabilitation periods changing
From 10 March, a number of changes are being made to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA) by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment Act 2012.
Under the ROA, after a specific period of time has passed, cautions and convictions are regarded as spent. Once a caution or conviction becomes spent, an individual is treated as rehabilitated with regards to that offence, and they don’t have to declare it for most purposes, for example when applying for employment or insurance.
All the changes are retrospective. This means that those convicted before the new rules come into force will be affected by the changes, although no convictions which are already spent will become unspent.
The main changes to the ROA are as follows:- New guidance on the changes to the ROA has been issued by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974.
an increase in the maximum sentence capable of becoming spent, so that prison sentences of up to and including four years can become spent
for convictions resulting in a custodial sentence, the rehabilitation period will start from the end of the sentence and not at the point of release from prison
most rehabilitation periods will be reduced. For example, a two year adult prison sentence has a rehabilitation period of ten years from conviction. Following the changes, this will now have a four year period starting at the end of the two year sentence. Therefore, the rehabilitation period has been reduced from ten to six years from conviction
some rehabilitation periods will be increased, for example, further convictions for summary offences. These will no longer run separately from other unspent convictions and following the changes will not become spent until the rehabilitation periods for both offences are over. This means that both convictions have to be declared until the longer of the two periods is over
the UK Border Agency (UKBA) can take account of spent convictions in their immigration and nationality decisions.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line138
|
__label__wiki
| 0.799185
| 0.799185
|
Are Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Heading For A Divorce
Over the past, few days there have been lots of talk regarding Hollywood’s most glamorous couple, that is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. The talk surrounding the two has been on their relationship and whether they are actually heading for a divorce after spending 10 years together. So where…
Bollywood Heroines Breaking Stereotypes
Time was when Bollywood heroines would be about sugar and spice and all things nice, exuding clichés in everything from their style of dressing to their mannerisms to the dialogues they delivered. Think damsel in distress, whimpering, as her dream lover beats the baddies to pulp in an attempt…
Kylie Jenner Cut Off Financially at Age 14
Kylie Jenner, the youngest of the Kardashian clan recently said in an interview that she was financially cut off by her mother when she was only 14. This means, explains Kylie, that she has been buying her food, gas, clothes and everything else she needed for the last three years. In the article…
Caitlyn Jenner Had Been Welcomed to Womanhood
Bruce Jenner had been part of the media attention ever since he had started with the show named Keeping up with the Kardashians. He had been a frequent part of the show as Kim’s stepfather. He had been married to Kris Jenner for about 24 years before their divorce in 2015. He had been an…
Kendra Flips Out During ‘Marriage Boot Camp’
The season 3 of “Marriage Boot Camp” kicked off recently with many surprises including the fact that the only married couple in the show was Kendra Wilkinson and her husband Hank Basket. So lets jump right into season three of the “Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars”. For the…
Manager on Padalecki’s Absence: “He Needs to Spend Time with His Family Now"
Following media reports that Supernatural star Jared Padalecki had to cancel a number of appearances due to exhaustion, his manager finally spoke out about the state of affairs surrounding this huge teen star. "Jared wanted everyone to know he loves meeting his fans around the world and was…
Cinando, DFCN Link To Streamline Film Biz
Cinando, the film industry’s premier data base/B2B VOD site, has just teamed up with Digital Film Cloud Network, in a deal that will see TV/film content creators having the ability to streamline business processes. This new move from Cinando, the film industry’s premier data base/B2B VOD…
Britney Spears’ Piece of Me Show in Las Vegas Wins Two Awards
Britney Spears' show Piece of Me playing at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas has been sold out since its premiere on December 27, 2013. Sin City has been kind enough to reward Britney's excellence and professionalism by presenting her with two awards – Best of Las Vegas and…
What Did Princess Diana Leave to Her Sons?
A new British site has archived public documents from 1858 onwards, and for mere USD 15 you can have an insight into Princess Diana's will. The originals of 41 million wills are kept in a temperature-controlled building in Birmingham. The document states that Diana left USD 30 million to her…
I Knew Dum Laga Ke Haisha Would Work, Says Ayushmann Khurrana
Multi-talented actor, Ayushmann Khurrana said that he always know that the DLKH would be a hit because of its distinct script. During the press conference at the post success of the movie, the versatile actor told to media, “When I was first narrated that script, I was surprised to know the…
Keeping up with Kim Kardashian
Kimberely Noel Kardashian, age 33 has been the epicenter of all the Hollywood Gossip. She is an American socialite, a model, reality TV star and also a small time actress. Before her career took off as a reality TV star, she became notorious for a leaked sex tape that earned her $5 Million in law…
Vin Diesel (born July 18, 1967), is an American filmmaker and actor. He was born as Mark Sinclair Vincent, in New York, along with his twin brother, Paul. Beside him, Diesel has a younger brother Tim and a sister Samantha. Their mother Delora Sherleen Vincent is an astrologer. His biological father…
Kylie Jenner Makes Her Fashion Debut
17-year-old Kylie Jenner made her modeling debut at Kanye West’s fashion show this Thursday, February 12 during New York Fashion Week. West’s show was called “Yeezy: Season 1,” and Jenner’s success at her brother-in-law’s show spread throughout the fashion…
Kristen Stewart works with Alzheimer patients for new film role
Kristen Stewart has put in a lot of research for her new film role. She is working with Julianne Moore in the movie Still Alice Kristen Stewart knew Julianne Moore long before they filmed Still Alice. " Stewart was just 10 years old when Freundlich (Moore’s Husband) directed her in the…
Angie Everhart ties the knot with Ferro
The former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Angie Everhart got married to her fiancé Carl Ferro in a very fitting location: a beach in Santa Monica, California. The lovely couple got engaged on their second anniversary as a couple in April, when Ferro proposed in an elevator – the same…
Kristin Cavallari's unbelievable Skinny Selfie
Looking at Kristin well-toned body that too so soon after giving birth will definitely make you regret that Thanksgiving FeastKristin Cavallari took to Instagram on Sunday to show off her insane post-baby bod, proving she's not only a multitasking mom, but also a fitness lover."Just got a nice…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line139
|
__label__wiki
| 0.91299
| 0.91299
|
Loading Jaylenmoore.com...
Drama Reel
Comedy Reel
Six Season 1 Reel
Actor Jaylen Moore
Jaylen Moore, born of Afghan and Spanish descent, is known for an impressive resume of memorable television and film roles. They include The History Channel’s breakout drama series Six. Moore starred as Armin “Fishbait” Khan, the team sniper who is also relied upon for his fluency in several Middle Eastern languages. His role of Armin “Fishbait” Khan made history as the first Afghan American Muslim SEAL on national television.
SIX is from father/son duo William and David Broyles and follows members of Navy SEAL Team Six, whose covert mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan goes awry when they uncover a U.S. citizen working with terrorists. It’s currently available on digital streaming services worldwide.
Other television credits included guest recurring roles on Showtime’s Emmy-winning drama HOMELAND in the role of Eric Baraz, a recurring role on RED BAND SOCIETY opposite Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer, CW’s THE ORIGINALS, FOX’s award-winning series BONES, NBC’s Dick Wolfe series CHICAGO MED, ABC’s QUANTICO, and MTV’s comedy film LADIES MAN: A MADE MOVIE, (and six episodes of Conan’s “Wolfboy” spoof of Taylor Lautner) among others.
In film, Moore has shared the screen with A-listers such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara and more. His film credits include BAD MOMS, HOT PURSUIT, MAN DOWN, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, ESCAPE PLAN, OBLIVION, THE HOST, SONS OF LIBERTY, RANDOM, and many others.
A man of healthy living and discipline, he boasts extensive training in the world of fitness and martial arts. This training has equipped Moore with the agility and flexibility to perform his own stunts when needed. Not to mention, he boasts extensive weapons training from his experience of being trained by Navy Seals, and military veterans in his own family.
Moore was raised in Oakland, California and Omaha, Nebraska, but started his career in theatre where he studied at Chicago’s Second City, eventually bringing him to Los Angeles. Moore appeared in the Ovation Award-winning musical “City Kid”. That musical is also where he met his wife, actress/screenwriter/director Britt Logan. He’s the father of a beautiful daughter and son and resides in Los Angeles.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: Overdrive Public Relations, Inc.
Watch The Drama Reel
Contact Jaylen Moore
Watch The Comedy Reel
Created by JK Dreaming Web Design © Jaylen Moore 2017
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line143
|
__label__wiki
| 0.804975
| 0.804975
|
Climate’s smoky spectre
Published online on July 1, 2009, in Nature.
With their focus on greenhouse gases, atmospheric scientists have largely overlooked lowly soot particles. But black carbon is now a hot topic among researchers and politicians. Jeff Tollefson investigates.
Steve Warren spent his spring break island-hopping with a couple of friends, but they didn’t go to bask in the sun. Instead, his team from the University of Washington in Seattle toured the Canadian Arctic, digging pits in the snow and collecting hundreds of samples to take back to the lab. The targets of their expedition, hidden in all the whiteness, were specks of something called black carbon.
These dark particles, the major constituents of soot, are the legacy of incomplete combustion in diesel engines, coal power plants, agricultural burning and wildfires far to the south. Prevailing winds sweep black carbon and other pollutants into the Arctic, where they circulate in a dirty yellow haze until storms wash them out of the air. Warren’s team was collecting those that fell among the snow flakes.
The aerosol haze has long plagued the Arctic, but scientists are only now taking stock of a different and potentially uglier dimension of soot. As its name would suggest, black carbon absorbs sunlight. These particles heat the atmosphere while aloft; when they settle on the snow, they hasten its melting. This exposes the dark land and water, which absorb more of the sun’s energy and thereby drive up the region’s temperature. Recent research1 suggests that black carbon could be responsible for a large fraction of the Arctic warming. Soot also takes a toll elsewhere. In southeast Asia, studies suggest2 that it is choking the moisture supply for the Indian monsoons and contributing to the retreat of mountain glaciers that provide fresh water for more than a billion people.
At this point, scientists lack enough data to definitively conclude how strongly black carbon is affecting the climate. But some studies suggest that it could be second behind carbon dioxide in terms of its contribution to global warming. There is a crucial difference between the two pollutants, however: soot particles hang in the atmosphere for just a few weeks, whereas CO2molecules can remain in the air for centuries. This means that efforts to curb soot emissions could reap immediate climatic benefits. That possibility has recently pulled soot, which has conventionally been seen as a public-health issue, into the climate-policy arena.
“There’s an urgency about this: we still don’t have a viable way of cutting down CO2,” says Veerabhadran Ramanathan, an atmospheric scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. By comparison, reducing soot emissions seems remarkably simple and cheap. “It’s not going to take 30 or 100 years to do it. If you halt the black carbon now, it will be gone in two weeks.”
Hazy data
Long before the current interest in black carbon, an accidental observation by Warren led him to do some pioneering work on the pollutant. In 1980, he and Warren Wiscombe of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, were having trouble developing a mathematical model of snow reflectance, or albedo. The two couldn’t make their calculations align with the latest albedo measurements in the Arctic because the snow in their study was reflecting less light than expected. “It turned out the snow was being collected downwind from a diesel generator,” Warren says.
Warren went on to collaborate with Antony Clarke at the University of Washington, who organized the first survey of black-carbon deposition in the Arctic, largely using samples collected by researchers who were going there for other reasons. On the basis of those data, Clarke concluded in 1985 that soot could have a measurable effect on the Arctic climate3. But his paper had little influence until Jim Hansen, the man known for alerting the world to the threat of CO2 pollution, pressed the issue years later.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line144
|
__label__wiki
| 0.902252
| 0.902252
|
Dr. Arash Simchi
Dr. Simchi is the head of the International Affairs’ Office and oversees the planning and implementation of the university’s internationalisation strategy.
Dr. Abdolreza (Arash) Simchi received BS (1991), MS (1993) and PhD (1999) with the highest rank from the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Sharif University of Technology (SUT, I.R.Iran). He holds the rank of Distinguished Professor at SUT and Distinguished Researcher in Engineering Sciences at national level.
Dr. Simchi has acquired more than five years international work experiences in a capacity of Visiting Professor and Academic Visitor in accredited universities and institutes including University of Toronto (Toronto, Canada), Imperial College London (London, UK), Vienna University of Technology (Vienna, Austria), Max-Planck Institute (Potsdam, Germany), and Fraunhofer Institute IFAM (Bremen, Germany). He is a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Bonn, Germany) and holds the 2002 Kawrazmi International Award (the highest national award) and World Intellectual Property Award (as the best young inventor, United Nation Organization). Dr. Simchi has received many other international and national awards and fellowships such as EPMA Award to Materials Development, Dr. Mojtahedi Award for Technology Development, Royal Society fellowship, Nano Award, etc.
Dr. Ahmad Sharbatoghlie
Dr. Sharbatoghlie is director of strategy at the Office of International Affairs. Prior to joining the IA office in 2015, for sixteen years he was a lecturer, project manager, and systems consultant in the United States. After returning to Iran in 2003, he served as a faculty member of the Graduate School of Management and Economics and Dean of the Language Center at Sharif University of Technology. He holds an M.C.P. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Boston College.
Mr. Alireza Kazemi
Student Mobility Program
Alireza is the Head of Student Recruitment at SUT’s International Affairs Office and aims to attract students from all over the world to attend the No. 1 ranked university in Iran. Joint degree programs and collaboration between universities help to improve the quality of education in every university and so increasing international relations with other universities is one of his top priorities. He is also in charge of updating the content of the English website of SUT (www.en.sharif.edu) and preparation of MoUs and other international documents. Alireza joined the office in 2016 and holds a master’s degree in philosophy of science, from SUT, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.
Mr. Amirhosein Bagheripour
Head of Brand, Marketing and Communications
Amirhosein joined the office in 2016. He has received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Sharif University of Technology so he knows SUT by heart. He is in charge for University’s ranking and branding at the office. He also specializes in social networks and content management systems, and he is the designer/administrator of the International Affairs’ Office website (www.ia.sharif.edu) and the English website of SUT (www.en.sharif.edu).
Ms. Fariba Torabi
Head of Administration
Ms. Torabi is the head of administration at the International Affairs’ Office (IA) responsible for the day to day running of the office and managing the director’s affairs. She monitors everyday affairs and assigned duties of the colleagues and follows them up to reach the result. She also assists in the coordination of visits. She is responsible for the incoming and outgoing emails, as well. She joined in 2012 and holds a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) from Sharif University of Technology.
Mr. Pooria Soltani
Regional Director, East Asia
Pooria has received his Bachelor and Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from here at Sharif. He recently joined the IA Office to improve Sharif’s position in global university ranking systems.
After a successful boost to SUT’s rank in the QS World University Ranking (from 480 in 2018 to 432 in 2019 ranking) using a data-driven approach, Pooria is now in charge of scientific relations with Chinese academic institutions and helps Sharif to plat for “The 1st Iran-China Scientific & Technology Collaboration Meeting”, a major international convention to further the academic and technological relations between the countries to be held in Nov. 2018.
Mr. Ali Orooji
Head of executive affairs
Ali obtained his Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Islamic Azad University north Tehran Branch, then graduated in Master of Political Science from Wroclaw University, Poland and continuing his Ph.D. in International Law at Allameh Tabatabei University, Tehran. In the office, he is responsible for executive affairs including exhibition and seminar attending, internship IAESTE, dormitory, and hospitality service for international guests .
Ms. Sepideh Memarbashi
Ms. Memarbashi joined the office recently to assist the ranking and branding team continue to keep the upward trend of Sharif’s position in the global university ranking systems. After her five-year experience in organizing the series of International Conferences of Nanostructures at Sharif, now she helps the office with organizing international conferences, seminars, schools, etc. as well. She holds a Master’s degree in Material Science and Engineering from Tarbiat Modares University and a Bachelor’s degree in the same major from University of Tabriz.
Mr. Arash selk ghaffari
International Executive
Arash selk ghaffari joined the international Affairs’ office (IA) in 2018. He has received his Bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering and Master’s degree in Nano electronics from Tabriz University. He is the representative of Sharif University of Technology International Campus (SUTIC) in IA. He is in charge of international connections and helps the International Affairs’ Office in its activities such as holding conferences, seminars, and etc.
Ms. Maryam Bilbaso
Ms. Bilbaso received her Bachelor’s degree in Management from Islamic Azad University, North-Tehran branch. She joined the office recently and is in charge of all clerical and administrative works of the office such as daily correspondence and document storage. Before joining the IA office, she worked for five years at the secretariat of Sharif presidency office.
Mr. Morteza Maghsoudi
Mr. Maghsoudi joined the office in 2011 as an administrator and is in charge of visa applications.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line145
|
__label__cc
| 0.651438
| 0.348562
|
Taneen Sufi Music Ensemble: Formed in 1996 under the guidance of Sufi Masters Shah Nazar Seyed Ali Kianfar and Dr. Nahid Angha, founders of the International Association of Sufism, the members of Taneen reside in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, U.S.A. Sufism is the mystical heart of Islam. As seekers on the Sufi path, Taneen’s music springs from the heart of prayer, inner practice, and spiritual discipline and is a celebration of heart’s longing to feel connected to the source of mystery behind this reality and the source of peace within us all. Taneen sings as an offering and a service intended to increase tranquility in the world. With an authentic fusion of Middle Eastern and Western influences, Taneen creates new, original melodies; yet their music is deeply rooted in the Sufi tradition in its intention and inspiration. Taneen primarily sings the love poetry of the great masters (such as Jalaleddin Rumi, Hafiz, Omar Khayam and Shah Maghsoud) in English translation, making the profound message of unity and love accessible to all audiences. Taneen has performed locally and internationally at events that focus on peace-building, human rights, and interfaith understanding and cooperation, including such events as the Sufism Symposium; Women’s Partnership for Peace in the Middle East Inaugural Conference, Oslo, Norway; and at the Parliament of World’s Religions conference in Barcelona, Spain.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line146
|
__label__wiki
| 0.69042
| 0.69042
|
This Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) is designed to help you understand generally how Gray Matters Capital, Inc. and Gray Matters Charitable Foundation, Inc. (GMC) and their affiliated entities use and disclose information about you in connection with the website on which this Privacy Policy is posted (the “Site”). This Privacy Policy has also been adopted by WWV Holdings, LLC and its affiliated entities ( “WWV”).
By using or accessing the Site, you expressly consent to our collection, use and disclosure of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy is effective upon your first use of or access to the Site and shall apply to all future uses.
Personal Information. “Personal Information” means information that personally identifies you, such as your name, phone number, mailing address or email address.
Submitted Information. GMC and WWV may collect Personal Information about you when you submit such information to us through the Site or otherwise along with other information you select to submit through various forms for our programs (“Submitted Information”).
GMC and WWV may use your Submitted Information to send you emails that you have requested and for general administrative, technical, marketing, human resource, legal and other purposes related to our programs and operations.
Disclosure of Personal Information.
Except as otherwise noted below, we do not disclose Submitted Information to non-affiliated third parties unless you have given us permission to do so. We may disclose Personal Information to non-affiliated third parties: (i) to fulfill specific requests that you have submitted; (ii) to allow for your full participation in our programs as you have requested; (iii) when required by law or under the good-faith belief that such disclosure is necessary in order to conform to applicable law, comply with or legal process served on GMC and WWV; or (iv) to establish or exercise GMC’s or WWV’s legal rights or defend against legal claims, and to protect the property or interests of GMC and WWV, their respective agents and employees, portfolio companies, personal safety, or the public. Under certain circumstances, GMC and WWV may be prohibited by law, court order or other legal process from providing notice of the disclosure, and GMC and WWV reserve the right to not provide such notice in their sole discretion.
GMC and WWV cannot ensure that your Submitted Information will not be disclosed to non-affiliated third parties due to reasons beyond our reasonable control.
Updates to Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as the Site grows and changes. If updated, the updated Privacy Policy will be posted on the Site. Unless otherwise provided, the revised terms will take effect on the date they are posted. Once such changes become effective, your continued use of the Site will signify your acceptance of the new Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, or any revised Privacy Policy, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using the Site.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us by email at _______________.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line149
|
__label__wiki
| 0.744603
| 0.744603
|
MOST RECENT PUBLICATION
A new hotel borrows from 20th-century Modernism to fit into a gritty landmarked district
Out of The Loop!
By: James Gauer
A river and a 10-lane expressway separate the Loop, Chicago’s highrise downtown, from the Fulton Market area, a gritty low-rise backwater to the west whose brick warehouses used to provide storage for wholesale-food businesses like meatpacking, in a city Carl Sandburg described in 1914 as “hog butcher for the world.”A century later, the hog butchers are long gone, replaced by hipsters living in condo lofts, techies working at Google, foodies flocking to upscale restaurants, and fashionistas navigating the cracked sidewalks in 6-inch heels. The streetscape is scruffy, but it’s only a 10-minute walk from the Loop, so developers have been descending into the area en masse, and today 52 projects are either under construction or on the drawing board. Many are for hotels, which the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood needs, including new outposts for Hyatt, Hoxton, Nobu, and Equinox. Last August, the Portland-based boutique hospitality chain Ace opened the $44 million, 159-room Ace Hotel Chicago, designed by Chicago based GREC Architects with interiors by Los Angeles COMMUNE Design, firms that had previously collaborated on the Ace in downtown L.A.
Trying to fit into a historic cityscape can lead architects into pastiche, but GREC sidestepped this trap with a sensitive modernist intervention. “Our practice has long been rooted in the principles of early Modernism,” explains principal Don Copper. “A design language inspired by the legacy of the Bauhaus and Mies van der Rohe yet informed by the local warehouse vernacular seemed harmonious with the Ace brand, compatible with the area’s industrial aesthetic, and firmly rooted in Chicago’s architectural continuum.”
The Ace is situated directly opposite Google—a company with enough clout to demand a clause in its lease that stipulated the construction of a hotel across the street. The property was controlled by the same developer that built the tech giant’s offices in a renovated 1920s cold-storage facility. Ace was selected in part because of its track record transforming emerging neighborhoods.
Download Full Article View Project
Inside One Bennett Park
Inside One Bennett Park, architect Robert Stern’s first Chicago high-rise
By: Jay Koziarz
Chicago’s current building boom has delivered dozens of high-end rental buildings over the past five years, but few so far rival One Bennett Park when it comes to pushing the upper edge of the luxury envelope. Under construction since early 2016, the 70-story apartment and condo tower now stands head-and-shoulders above its Streeterville peers with an Art Deco-inspired design from New York’s Robert A. M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) and Chicago-based executive architect GREC.
Although the building’s upper-floor condominiums—which will have their own exclusive lobby, motor court, and amenity space—won’t open until next year, Curbed Chicago stopped by the 836-foot-tall high-rise for a first look at its newly completed rental lobby, model apartments, and common areas.
Renters at One Bennett Park are separate from owners, but that doesn’t relegate them to second-class status by any means. Even the rental lobby’s porte-cochere facing North Peshtigo Court makes use of high quality materials and design elements like star-shaped columns, metal detailing, and oversized lanterns.
The inside of the apartment lobby continues the Deco-influenced conversation with its stepped ceiling, oversized windows, and hand-brushed plaster walls. Here, a relatively traditional cream-on-cream palette is elevated with splashes of color from a red lacquer folding screen designed with the functional aim to block headlights from the drop-off area. There’s also a swirl-shaped accent piece from Chicago artist Nick Cave crafted from multicolored wire and glass beads.
Unlike some residential towers where the design architect has limited involvement with the interiors, One Bennett benefits from a more holistic approach by RAMSA. “It’s really two buildings in one,” said Ann Thompson of project developer Related Midwest. “We developed two compatible identities for the spaces. The condo and apartment lobbies are aesthetically different but they received the same level of sophistication and attention to detail from Stern’s team.”
RAMSA had a hand in the design of the 279 apartments, too, custom-creating or hand-selecting everything from bespoke door handles to kitchen cabinetry. The firm even consulted on the floorplans which are open and contemporary yet feel very residential with their high ceilings and cased openings between rooms.
Read Full Article View Project
Lexus Art Series: New Design, New Spaces, New Cities
By: Eliza Jordan
On Wednesday morning at Design Miami/, Whitewall hosted a series of talks in partnership with Lexus. The first was entitled “New Design, New Spaces, New Cities, and a New Way of Living and Working,” featuring founder of wHY architecture, Kulapat Yantrasast; Kara Mann, interior designer; Roy Alpert, Founder of RAP; and Don Copper, Managing Principal of GREC.
The way we live, work, and play has drastically changed over the years. The ideas of a typical day job, a house in the suburbs, and a daily commute have more or less disappeared. With that in mind, the panel of experts behind various design methods and techniques discussed new ways and ideas of how co-working, co-living, and co-existing is the future.
The conversation began with a discussion on the biggest changes and challenges we are seeing in how we live and work today.
“There’s a much larger desire, particularly in my generation, for accessibility and flexibility,” said Alpert. “More often, people are living with roommates for not just 2 years; now it’s 15. There’s currently about 65 million Americans living with roommates. It’s about 40 percent up just over the past 20 years. I don’t think the housing product offer is reflective of that change. So, when you think about the product for that mindset, does it really make sense for them to own furniture? Do they have to commit to a one-year lease? Find roommates and figure out how to navigate all that?”
Copper chimed in with an idea he’s working on with his firm in Chicago, where a mixed-use building for both residential and commercial tenants share amenities to build a new type of community living.
“The line between working and living is becoming a bit blurred,” said Copper. “And the definition to where you work and how you work is expanding and being redefined…or perhaps undefined. We have a project in Portland that we’re really excited about, which is a mixed use building with four levels of office space with eleven stories of apartments above. And the residents and the commercial tenants all share the amenities—the lobby, the fitness center, the conference center, and the outdoor recreational space. That sort of breaks down the boundary between residential and commercial working space. For us, that’s super exciting because it starts opening up new possibilities of how a building can be configured.”
Configuring a building from the beginning is a new and unique first step but building a shared space can go beyond just the structure. As we’re seeing in new types of programming, is extended and exemplified by communal spaces and the engagement of its occupants.
“There’s always private space, public space, and communal space in a whole environment,” said Mann. “And I think that idea of communal space is really going to amplify with the idea of kitchen being the hub of the home. That’s kind of filtered into commercial spaces, as well, with restaurants that now have these open kitchens. And that’s filtered into work places. It’s all becoming much more communal.”
To add, Yantrasast spoke about how he lived in Japan for 10 years and how, there, amenities were shared due to necessity; it was not for novelty. Not everyone had the luxury of having their own shower or electricity, so members of the village gathered to help each other, showering and cooking together. He also mentioned that designing for permanence today is different than that of the past.
“There are amazing conversions of industrial buildings into things like lofts and Apple stores, so people from previous generations decided something had a sense of gravitas. It might not fully have the same programming when you convert it because this is the DNA of the building. But I think, as a designer, our bodies still look the same. We have a scale, we have dimension, we have experiences, and the spaces, designed with that in mind, have a longer way of living,” said Yantrasast. “It’s our motto that if architecture has power, it should have power to connect people now. People are more isolated, and a sharing community is one way to get people together on that empathy aspect that we need to somehow bring into the world.”
Building Good Vibes
Building Good Vibes - Product details shine at GREC's new residential project
GREC Architects creates projects that feel youthful: from the Conde Nast offices in theMART, which cultivates collaboration and energy using colorful palettes and diverse spaces, to the Ace Hotel, which has garnered attention for its slick, inviting public plazas that are both industrial and playful. Their most recent work, EMME (pronounced like the letter “M”) is a good vibe unto itself: vibrant plant life, unique textiles and recycled materials make for a contemporary multifamily residence.
The firm calls its design process responsive: each material is selected in relation to the client’s desired atmosphere and ethos. At EMME, the final design is materialforward, making simple activities like lounging in the lobby more serene and connected to the outdoors.
Knowing that residents’ building entry experience is a priority, the materials for EMME’s lobby were selected to reflect the entire property’s exceptional quality of design, creating a simple space. A large Hopes window system set into a plaster wall creates the harmonious relationship between the outdoor garden plaza (which features the historic Haymarket monument) and the lobby living room. These windows also allow natural light into the space, highlighting the dimensional stone floor (Pietra Cardoza from Tuscany) and Venetian plaster wall finish.
Creating a sense of community for residents, the lobby loft overlooks the two-story lobby space, and glass is employed to unify the spaces. The leasing office is enclosed by frameless clear glass to provide acoustical privacy and to allow the space to be visually connected to the lobby. This further allows the building staff to enjoy copious natural light and the landscaped entry plaza.
The loft “bridge” is meant to further connect the two levels. The clear glass guardrail is a visually minimal barrier, while the frosted glass walking surface conveys hints of people moving above the concierge desk.
In collaboration with developer Gerding Edlen’s environmentally conscious ethos, GREC’s primary design driver for EMME incorporated a high level of sustainable initiatives to encourage a green lifestyle among residents. Several materials were selected to reflect this, such as:
• Wood structural members salvaged from the existing building, which were demolished for the construction of EMME. These members are employed as end-grain flooring in the resident mail room and as treads of the stairs connecting the lobby and loft library.
• A heavy timber column was salvaged and incorporated into the concierge desk fabricated by local artists at Icon Modern.
• GREC collaborated with local fabricators and vendors on a number of materials, including ceramic tiles from Flux Studios in the Ravenswood neighborhood, and the concierge desk was fabricated by Icon Modern.
Tour of the Ace Hotel in Chicago by GREC Architects and COMMUNE Design
A boutique hotel borrows from 20th-century Modernism to fit into a gritty landmarked district in Chicago.
Click link below for video tour.
West Loop’s Emme Chicago apartments pull green space from thin air
West Loop's Emme Chicago apartments pull green space from thin air
By: Pamela Dittmer McKuen
In a neighborhood better known for concrete hardscapes and urban bustle, Emme Chicago has pulled green space literally from thin air.
Smack-dab in front of the new 14-story, glass-and-brick apartment building in the West Loop is a landscaped pocket park, which residents and the public are welcome to enjoy. Growing on the roof are farm crops of tomatoes, peppers, basil and apples. In between, on the third-level outdoor deck, are a sunning lawn and flowering gardens.
“We wanted to create a bit of a sanctuary in an area that doesn’t have much in terms of trees and public open space,” said the building’s architect, Don Copper of Chicago-based GREC Architects.
(The name Emme is pronounced “em,” like the letter M, and it has no significant meaning other than the development team liked it, Copper explained.)
The units
Emme Chicago’s 199 apartments range from studio to two bedrooms configured into 18 floor plans. Apartments are located on the third through 14th floors.
All apartments have engineered wood flooring, in-unit clothes washer and dryer, roller shades, exposed concrete ceilings and some exposed concrete walls. Kitchens have duo-tone cabinetry with beige wood-grain uppers and white glossy lowers, stainless steel appliances with integrated refrigerators, quartz counters, a porcelain backsplash and under-cabinet lighting. Baths have stone counters, wood-grain vanities and the choice of tub or shower. Units on the third floor have terraces that merge into the outdoor deck.
The 604-square-foot model apartment on the 12th floor is designed with one bedroom and a full bath. From the front door, a hallway leads past the laundry and coat closets. An open floor plan for the main living space positions the kitchen appliances and counters against one wall and nearly full-height windows on the opposite wall. The bath has an oversized shower and counter-to-ceiling mirror. The bedroom has a linear closet.
The two-story, glass-fronted lobby frames the view of the pocket park and the Haymarket Memorial on the sidewalk. The memorial is a sculpture that commemorates the 1886 labor demonstration and bombing that killed about a dozen police officers and civilians. From the exterior, passers-by can’t help but notice the enormous vivid orange-and-yellow painting that is a backdrop for the lobby’s contemporary sectional seating.
Tucked into the mezzanine above the concierge desk is the library, where a wood community table is flanked by bookshelves and banquette seating.
The third floor features an indoor lounge with cushy seating, a billiards table, full kitchen, flat-screen television and workstations. The fun continues outdoors to grilling and dining stations, pergolas, fire pits and conversation seating.
The fitness center and yoga studio are on the 14th floor, along with a semi-enclosed swimming pool and well-appointed indoor and outdoor lounges.
“One of the things we like to do is spread the amenity spaces throughout the building instead of having just one dedicated amenity floor,” Copper said. “We think that provides different experiences for people, depending on their mood or if a special event is happening.”
The Food Crop, an eco-friendly urban farming organization, is growing and distributing 8,000-square-feet of produce on Emme EME Chicago’s rooftops. The crops are sold to area restaurants and bars and at local farmers markets. They also are shared with the building’s residents, like at the recent tomato-tasting event.
“People in this neighborhood are foodies,” said Chelsea Zivkovic, community manager at Emme Chicago. “You live in the West Loop because you want to walk to the restaurants. To say we participate in that with our roof crop, people love it.”
Additional amenities include doggy bathing stations and indoor and outdoor play areas, complimentary bicycle storage, package storage, and dry cleaning pickup and delivery.
The folks behind it
Emme Chicago was developed and is owned by Gerding Edlen of Portland, Ore. The architect is GREC Architects, and the managing agent is Greystar, both in Chicago. The first residents arrived in September 2017.
Emme Chicago
165 N. Desplaines St.
www.emmechicago.com
Apartments: Prices based on availability and subject to change. Studio, 489 to 500 square feet, from $1,895; convertible, 460 to 475 square feet, $2,070; one bedroom, 582 to 660 square feet, from $2,595; two bedroom, 927 to 965 square feet, from $3,420.
Lease terms: 14- to 24-month lease terms; $50 application fee and $500 administration fee.
Renter’s insurance: Required.
Utilities: Monthly utility charge ranges from $115 to $150, depending on apartment size. It includes water, trash, cooking and heating gas, cable and internet. Tenant pays separately for electricity.
Parking: Covered and reserved space in a private, attached garage for $300 a month.
Pets: Two-pet limit, $350 dog fee, $250 cat fee plus $25 a month per pet. Breed restrictions apply but no weight limits.
Smoking policy: Nonsmoking.
The Agrihood
By: R.J. Weick
The urban landscape of yesteryear has been replaced with a picture that is growing much more varied and nuanced in recent years. With the population growth in the top metropolitan areas across the country almost rivaling that of suburban migration between 2010 and 2015, according to the Urban Land Institute; the rich, diverse, and often dense landscape of the urban environment paired with growing interest and awareness in fresh, local food is driving innovation and creativity on the part of designers, developers, and investors. There has been a renewed interest in agriculture, use of land, and sustainability; and an exploration in the intersection of food and real estate, where food-centric amenities are integrated or leveraged through residential or commercial development. While many metropolitan areas are making an intentional effort at the city level to program rich green, public spaces for its community to gather, there are still areas that remain heavily concrete with limited access to fresh, local agriculture.
In Chicago’s West Loop Gateway neighborhood, which is built on a history of industry and technology, EMME was intentionally designed as a green sanctuary. At nearly 233,000 square-feet and 14 stories, EMME is a U.S. Green Building Council LEED Gold Certified mixed-use development project featuring 199 residential units, a 3,000-square-foot retail space, and more than 8,000 square-feet of roof area dedicated to urban farming. “Sustainability to us, and to the client, is not just a LEED checklist,” said Don Copper, principal at GREC Architects, an architecture and design firm in Chicago, Illinois. “It’s not just making sure you check all of these things off. Gerding Edlen likes it to become part of the identity of the building and the residents as well.”
Gerding Edlen Development, an Oregon-based vertically integrated real estate investment, development and asset and property management firm, acquired the site of the then future mixed-use apartment building in 2015. The firm is dedicated to developing a portfolio of vibrant and sustainable projects that positively enhance communities, neighborhoods, and the planet; and has cultivated more than 75 LEED Certified projects in its portfolio, including 23 LEED Platinum, 49 LEED Gold, and five LEED Silver.
GREC Architects – Top 300 Design Firms 2018
2018 TOP 300 ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
GREC Architects was named a Top 300 Design Firm of 2018 by Architectural Record.
Avec gets veggies from this apartment’s rooftop farm
Emme, a rental building that opened in 2017 in the West Loop, has a total of about 8,000 square feet of food-producing green roof
By: Dennis Rodkin
Green roofs are not uncommon in Chicago, with succulents carpeting the tops of buildings to cool them and save energy. Now comes the next iteration of the concept: Growing food on roofs.
Exhibit A: A new West Loop luxury apartment building, Emme, with an 8,000-square-foot rooftop farm that supplies vegetables to some of the hottest local restaurants.
Tomato plants, apple trees, edible cornflowers and other crops grow on the parking garage’s third-floor roof, adjacent to a landscaped sundeck. On the 15th floor, beds of peppers eggplant and more fill two broad panels of roof that overlook the 14th-floor swimming pool. This drone video shows all the farmed areas.
Nearby restaurants including Avec, Bad Hunter and the Publican have contracted to buy the crops from The Roof Crop, an urban farming company.
The building’s tenants will be able to “watch how it happens, be more connected with how tomatoes are grown, more aware of where the food they’re eating comes from,” said Tracy Boychuk, a co-founder of the five-year-old firm, based on Carroll Street on the Near West Side. The Roof Crop has eight rooftop farms in the city. This is its first on a residential building.
Because of food safety regulations, tenants can only look but not touch, Boychuk said, but down the line, “if there’s interest from the tenants, this could evolve into something where they’re involved in the farm,” from planting through harvesting and eating. If that happens, it would require separating the renters’ farm from the restaurants’ farm, to preserve food safety. Her firm will also host at least four farm-based events a year in the building, serving food or cocktails that contain roof-grown produce.
For now, the farm is essentially a visual amenity, like the art in the lobby.
Renters at the building on Des Plaines can “experience (the plants) growing and be curious and feel they’re integrated into their community by it,” said Greg Randall, a principal at GREC Architects, which designed the 199-unit apartment building for developer Gerding Edlen, based in Portland, Oregon.
GREC’s thrust is that “sustainability is mainstream, not an add-on,” Randall said.
Randall said he envisioned setting aside space for farming from the beginning of the design process for the building, which stands on the site where labor groups and police clashed in the seminal Haymarket Riot of May 1886. GREC had previously designed the Ace Hotel on Morgan Street, with a smaller piece of rooftop farmed by the Roof Crop. GREC has also designed a condo building for a site at 845 W. Madison where 7,500 square feet of 20,000 total will be devoted to crops.
With Sophy, the South Side Gets a Boutique Hotel
By: AJ LATRACE
As Chicago’s boutique hotel boom continues well into another year, the city’s next high-profile launch will touch down in Hyde Park this July, a departure from the offerings in recent years which have seen the rise of new upscale hotel offerings crop up in trendy North Side neighborhoods and throughout the city’s downtown. Dubbed Sophy, the upscale 98-room hotel being wrapped up at the corner of 53rd Street and Dorchester Avenue will become the first of its kind for the South Side neighborhood, but is just one of several big developments underway in Hyde Park.
Similar to its peers, such as The Robey in Wicker Park and possibly even the Hotel Zachary in Wrigleyville, the new hotel’s theme riffs off of historic events and figures with a connection to the area. It’s an approach that has become popular with boutique hotels—one in which developers believe will lure visitors seeking a more authentic neighborhood experience. But the hotel project comes at the request of the University of Chicago, says Mike Zimmerman, Vice President of Development for The Olympia Companies.
“When we had looked at the Hyde Park market in 2010, the University of Chicago suggested that we do a boutique hotel as there was very little hotel inventory in the area. We advised the university at the time that it was too big a leap and start with a franchise hotel,” Zimmerman says, noting that his company and partner Smart Hotels were the team behind the Hyatt Place Chicago-South which was completed in the summer of 2013.
In addition to delivering nearly 100 rooms to the neighborhood, the hotel will boast amenities such as a restaurant and cocktail bar on the ground level. Decor and imagery in these spaces will highlight science and music luminaries such as Enrico Fermi, Mahalia Jackson, and Herbie Hancock, says Zimmerman, suggesting that the figures all played an important role in putting Hyde Park on the map. And while hotel’s identity and interior themes takes cues from prominent Hyde Park figures, Greg Randall of GREC Architects, a firm which has been busy with projects in the West Loop, says that the building’s exterior design also nods to the neighborhood’s diversity in architectural styles.
“Every single building as you go east to west on 53rd Street has a very different look and feel, but one thing that was thematic was masonry,” Randall says, while adding that the choice of using a Norman-style brick for the exterior is a reference to the nearby Robie House by Frank Lloyd Wright. “There are some really successful buildings and archetypes we want to nod to but not mimic—we’re trying to be a little more innovative in our choices.”
Exemplary Design in Multi-Unit Housing – EMME
Exemplary Design in Multi-Unit Housing - EMME
GREC Architects was honored by The Illinois Chapter of the International Interior Design Association with a RED award- Recognizing Exemplary Design for EMME.
GREC Architects Offices – Chicago
GREC’s studio is located in the modernist 1960 John Blair Building, overlooking Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. The interior design juxtaposes highly polished materials and finishes including terrazzo and structural glazing. The design also features exposed base building construction such as coffered concrete slab and concrete columns, as well as tactile materials like raw steel and handmade glass tiles. The soaring 15’ ceiling height allows stunning views and abundant natural light; conference rooms and all partitions stand as individual objects within the volume of the space. Consistent with the firm’s culture, the working environment is an open studio that facilitates team collaboration.
The Green Beyond
By: Lisa Skolnik
In the world of luxury residential real estate, building techniques and design features mimic fashion trends, changing ever more quickly as the materials and amenities du jour come into vogue. But Chicago’s current crop of luxury towers makes one thing clear: Green residences are here to stay.
It’s clear from the success of Fifield Realty Corp.’s recent buildings that luxury renters are equally enamored with sustainability. River North’s NEXT Apartments (347 W. Chestnut St., 312.883.5775, nextapts.com), a striking, amenity-laden luxury high-rise completed in late 2016, recently became the first Chicago building to earn the Green Building Initiative’s Three Green Globes certification, equivalent to the better known and always hard-won LEED Gold.
But the prolific developer isn’t stopping here; Green Globes certification is pending for its new Gold Coast luxury project, The Sinclair. “Today, most buildings are already efficient thanks to modern construction methods—they already meet the initial levels for green certifications like LEED and Green Globes. But that’s not enough for us,” says Fifield Companies project manager Givi Peradze. “Our residents are concerned with this, and we are too and our buildings are becoming increasingly more sustainable.”
So are Chicago’s current crop of luxury residential projects. Cases in point include the West Loop’s EMME (165 N. Desplaines St., 312.930.6605, emmechicago.com) from GREC Architects, which attained LEED Gold certification—a process that usually takes at least a year—an astonishing three months after opening, and two high-profile, design-driven projects still under construction from world-renowned starchitects Helmut Jahn (1000M in the historic Michigan Avenue Boulevard District, 1006 S. Michigan Ave.,312.313.7841, 1000southmichigan.com) and Robert A.M. Stern (One Bennett Park in Streeterville, 451 E. Grand Ave., 312.832.2300, onebennettpark. com).
While all of these buildings incorporate state-of-the-art green features, from energysaving technologies such as high-efficiency mechanical systems, appliances, fixtures and lighting to low impact, zero-VOC renewable materials, and sport desirable amenities galore, they also set new benchmarks with innovative features that enhance residents’ lifestyles, improve their health, and foster and broaden their sense of community. At EMME, an 8,000-square-foot roof—”a space that’s traditionally underutilized,” notes GREC Architects principal Don Copper—has been ceded to The Roof Crop for on-site urban farming. The yields will be made available to residents and sold to local chefs, who will be part of a cooking demonstration program EMME is developing thanks to its state-of-theart demonstration kitchen.
Association Office Design for the Future
By: Gregg F. Witt
Recently, several Chicago-based associations have relocated from long term homes to newer and more forward-thinking office headquarters. Having been in their locations for 10 to 30 years, C-level leadership are seeing their organizations housed in dated facilities which no longer support their mission and are a detriment to attracting and retaining talent. There is a desire by many to make significant and important adjustments to their workplaces, which will resonate for the next 10 to 20 years and support a new generation of staff and style of work.
To gain insight into what associations are seeking in their new office designs, we connected with three architects from Chicago firms, each of whom have designed new offices for several associations. Michael Berger, director of interiors at GREC Architects, Diana Pisone, principal at Ted Moudis Associations and Liz Potokar, senior designer at Gensler, discussed the ways designing for associations differs from corporate and technology clients, incorporating and enhancing an association’s brand and mission through creative design, and embracing new technology and a changing workforce.
Download Full Article
American Marketing Association Offices – Chicago
The American Marketing Association relocated from traditional perimeter office space at 311 South Wacker to open, collaborative space on the 22nd floor of 1 Prudential Plaza. The AMA’s vision for a change in company culture inspired a design that promotes employee engagement and creativity. GREC’s major objectives of the new design are to provide a welcoming, personal space for both employees and members, to create a connected office environment with a variety of meeting spaces, and to showcase the AMA’s new culture with a comfortable and playful workplace aesthetic.
With views of both Lake Michigan and Millennium Park, the open office area features open huddle spaces that foster casual collaboration. Small conference rooms and themed huddle rooms are sprinkled throughout the plan, strategically placed to maximize their convenience. The boardroom is directly adjacent to the reception area and is suited for more formal large meetings. Perfect for impromptu conversations and all-hands gatherings, the lunch room features a cozy fireplace nook, large seating island and bleacher stair.
In addition to these key social spaces, the use of vibrant and textural materials reinforces the AMA’s new culture. Colorful upholstery and bright tile backsplashes energize collaboration spaces while patterned wall coverings add a touch of playfulness. The imperfect, exposed concrete floors and ceilings create a relaxed, comfortable feel. This combination of materials, careful space planning and overarching cultural vision create an office environment that aims to attract and retain top talent at the AMA.
2018 Best Places to Work in Chicago: GREC Architects
GREC Architects was named one of the Best Places to Work in Chicago by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Architecture meets storytelling in upcoming Hyde Park hotel
With its grand opening months away, an upcoming South Side boutique hotel known as Sophy Hyde Parkhas released a new batch of renderings previewing the project’s unique, narrative-driven approach to design.
Located at the corner of 53rd Street and Dorchester Avenue, the development hopes to deliver site-specific boutique lodging to an underserved market while simultaneously embracing the area’s diverse mix of architecture and its rich intellectual legacy. No easy task.
“We didn’t want to mimic historic Hyde Park buildings by copying a specific style like Prairie School or Collegiate Gothic,” Greg Randall, principal at Chicago-based GREC Architects, told Curbed Chicago. “But we also didn’t want to land a spaceship on the corner. We tried to find a blend.”
Sophy’s exterior treatment is subtle when it comes to contextualism. The masonry facade uses Norman brick, reminiscent of the elongated blocks used by Frank Lloyd Wright on the nearby Frederick C. Robie House. The design also embraces more contemporary elements such as metal beams and casement windows, mirroring the “industrial chic” aesthetic common in Chicago’s West Loop.
The Sophy project derives its name from sophia—the Greek word for wisdom and knowledge which forms the root of philosophy. The choice is not only a reference to the South Side neighborhood’s major institutions such as the University of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry, but also a nod to some of the area’s most influential minds.
Condé Nast and Pitchfork Come Under One Roof in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart
By: Mallory Jindra
When two entities decide to coexist in the same workplace, design teams move from helping one client to juggling a balance of two clients. How disparate those entities are when they come to the table varies. An acquisition by one company of another with the same business model or similar processes, and with slightly different cultures, presents its own set of challenges. But there are more complex, more mosaic-like partnerships out there.
When media giant Condé Nast decided to combine its Chicago teams – a Condé Nast sales branch and Pitchfork, a recently acquired online music magazine – under one roof, they started down a road with little common ground. So where to start?
“There’s two different cultures there, and people working on two different products,” said Michael Berger, director of interiors at local Chicago firm GREC Architects. “Our design needed to create a place for both of them to exist and grow symbiotically.”
GREC Architects began by guiding Condé Nast groups through site selection. In this project, site selection was critical. The two entities worked in starkly different circumstances in their previous offices, and their new building would set the tone for the identity the two groups would share in the future.
“We walked the Hancock Center space and the Logan Square offices to see how each side worked, and then worked with them to choose the space that would be the right connection for both sides,” said Mr. Berger.
The Bauhaus Spirit – Ace Hotel Chicago
The Bauhaus Spirit
“Our role and obligation to our clients is to solve functional challenges in an efficient way,” said Don Copper, principal at GREC Architects. “We like to see design as taking that charge to another level; of using those solutions to functional requirements in ways that create meaningful experiences for the people who live there, work there, or are within the city who will experience it just by living in the city.”
When the Chicago-based architecture and design firm was brought on board for developer Sterling Bay Companies’ proposed new hotel in the Fulton Market Historic District in Chicago, the team was tasked with not only integrating the design with the surrounding neighborhood context, but also to develop a concept re-envisioning the traditional hotel model—while remaining authentic to its property site—for long-time client Ace Hotel Group.
Located at 311 N. Morgan St., the Ace Hotel Chicago is nestled within a designated landmark district regarded for its wholesale market, meatpacking, loft manufacturing, and warehousing industries that contributed to the city’s economic development. While many of the buildings historically reflected a function-driven design aesthetic prioritizing utilitarian use over decoration, typologically speaking; there are notes of architectural detailing from movements such as Romanesque Revival, Chicago School, Tudor Revival, and Art Deco among the facades.
“It was our priority to find a way to harmonize with the scale and material palette of the neighborhood, yet at the same time we wanted to create a building that was notable and was unique. We didn’t want it to look like we were trying to recreate a 100-year-old warehouse, so that is when the early-modern-Bauhaus concept became part of the project,” Copper said.
“It was a way to acknowledge the modern architectural legacy of those early modern movements in Chicago and how that changed the face of the city—and do it in a way that would be commensurate with the scale and the materials of the neighborhood,” Copper added.
Condé Nast / Pitchfork Offices – Chicago
Chicago’s Condé Nast branch and Pitchfork (recently acquired by Condé Nast) moved into their new office in the Merchandise Mart this past summer. Employees of Chicago’s Condé Nast office previously sat in perimeter offices on the 35th floor of the John Hancock Center, while the Pitchfork team was housed in a garage in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.
The Condé Nast group decided to combine its Chicago teams under one roof, and now calls a 12,000-square foot, full-floor space on the 21st floor of the Merchandise Mart home. Led by local Chicago architecture studio, GREC Architects, the design breaks away from the typical ‘glossy media’ office space and joins the Condé Nast and Pitchfork teams in a creative, open workspace with loads of natural light. To streamline operations and blend the two organizations into one coherent workspace, customized neighborhoods are created to accommodate their unique needs. The Condé Nast team is arranged with medium-height partitions and shelving to house publications and provide acoustic relief. Pitchfork’s team space features a studio layout for artistic endeavors and open sight lines across all desks.
Key design aspects of the space include an elevated stage for performers (staying true to the Pitchfork brand), a lounge and kitchen with home-style amenities, and huddle spaces and phone rooms to accommodate for privacy in the open office environment. GREC employed a warm color palette featuring brass accents and inviting lounge furniture to create a relaxed office environment. Revealed elements of the original Mart structure compliment new polished concrete floors. GREC also left walls blank as a canvas for the creative brands’ teams to display original artwork.
A look inside Emme apartments: A modern building that respects its historic site
Stepping inside Emme, the lobby area is sleek and modern and features a notable amount of negative space, allowing its artwork to take center stage. “We were constantly challenging ourselves to remove one more thing and let what was left shine through,” said Copper. Gerding Edlen commissioned Haymarket memorial artist Mary Brogger to design a sculptural piece comprised of twisted industrial wire suspended in a niche.
The lobby’s seating area is adorned with an oversized orange and yellow painting visible from outside through a large, Mondrian-inspired picture window. The opening allows for an unobstructed view of the memorial and is joined by an additional plaque explaining the significance of the Haymarket event.
The materials here are high quality: real stone floors, and plaster instead of drywall. The lobby incorporates elements from the Crane Company building that was partly demolished to make way for the apartment development. A beam from the old industrial structure is embedded into Emme’s front desk while the floor of the mail room features salvaged wood stained and arranged in a chevron pattern.
Above, a glass catwalk connects the building’s management office, its large indoor and outdoor dog runs, and a lofted library and co-working space stocked only with books containing the word “light” in the title.
Streeterville’s One Bennett Park Reaches Its Record-Setting Height
The under-construction One Bennett Park skyscraper in Streeterville hit an important milestone this month by topping out at 836 feet, becoming the tallest all-residential building in Chicago. It’s an encouraging sign that ambitious projects proposed during this development cycle are well on their way to completion. According to developer Related Midwest, the new 70-story tower is the tallest constructed in Chicago since 2009—and there are taller towers still on the way.
Unveiled in July 2014, the tower proposal from Related and partner LendLease immediately garnered attention for its height and the design team behind the project. Prominent New York firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects was announced as the lead architect and Michael Van Valkenburgh—the landscape designer behind Maggie Daley Park and the 606—was selected to shape the new park at the tower’s base. Chicago’s GREC Architects is serving as the architect of record, a role which helps coordinate all teams involved in design and construction.
Related Midwest president Curt Bailey and David Ervin of GREC Architects highlight Chicago’s role in modern architecture and engineering and how the new One Bennett Park will contribute to the city’s legacy by becoming the first—and perhaps only—Chicago skyscraper designed by Stern, an architect who gained prominence during the postmodernist movement.
“If you appreciate architecture and design, this is where you’re going to want to live,” says Bailey. “In the end, we’re in the business of developing legacy buildings.”
That notion was reiterated by Ervin: “From our standpoint, a legacy building is one that stands the test of time,” he says.
EMME has opened in the West Loop
GREC Architects’ latest residential project, EMME, has opened in the West Loop. The building provides landscaped green spaces at the building entry and its 5,000-square-foot roof will be dedicated to urban farming.
Best Office Design – Condé Nast/Pitchfork
Best Office Design - Condé Nast/Pitchfork
After being acquired by Conde Nast, Pitchfork (pitchfork.com) – the indie music brand that started in Chicago as a quarterly music review with annual festivals in Union Park and Paris – recently moved from its gritty Logan Square garage into a brand-new office in the Merchandise Mart. Merging with its new Conde Nast team, previously located in a corporate environment in the John Hancock Center, required a space that could accommodate two very different work cultures. Micahel Berger, of local frim GREC Architects transformed the entire 12,000-square-foot 21st floor of the Merchandise Mart by breaking away from a glossy media office and focusing on the creativity of Pitchfork’s roots. The large, open workspace makes the most of the natural light and features a condo-like kitchen and lounge areas. Custom huddles and rooms provide privacy for phone calls and meetings within the shared space, and there is an elevated stage for hosting impromptu intimate concerts. Walls were left blank to offer a gallery for original artwork such a record covers and band posters. The result is “a more interactive environment allowing for a greater communication among teams and across groups,” says Berger.
Best New Boutique Hotel: ACE Hotel Chicago
This Year’s Best New Buildings and Developments
The new Ace Hotel in the Fulton Market area continues Chicago’s boutique hotel trend that serves Chicagoans as much as the tourists. Designed by GREC Architects, the hotel combines a thoughtfully designed new structure with a preserved façade, bridging the neighborhood’s historic, landmarked character with a contemporary yet tasteful aesthetic. Its sixth-floor rooftop features a landscaped outdoor prairie terrace that also serves as a venue for film screenings and local DJs. — Anjulie Rao
Ace Hotel has opened in the West Loop
GREC Architects’ new project, the Ace Hotel, has opened in the West Loop. The building preserves the existing Fulton Market landmark cheese factory façade on the south side of the building.
ACE Chicago – Landmark award for Excellence in New Development in a Landmark District
Landmarks Commission Honor Chicago’s Best Preservation Projects For 2017
RECIPIENT: Sterling Bay
The light‐warehouse buildings in the Fulton‐Randolph Market District form important anchors to this oldest surviving food marketing district in Chicago. The district functioned as a meatpacking area, one of the city’s most historically significant industries. The Ace Hotel project included rehabilitation of a historic commission house at 311 N. Morgan and adjoined 4 to 7‐story new construction to the north for a boutique hotel. Constructed in 1921, the 2‐story former Aroma Cheese Company commission house was rehabilitated with masonry repairs on the front façade and decorative parapet, new windows and doors to match the historic fenestration pattern, new storefront, and a rooftop addition setback from the front façade. The 4‐story central portion includes a courtyard enclosure at the front to continue the street wall, and is clad in a combination of grey brick, steel, and glass. The 7‐story portion at the north end of the site is clad in a white brick with concrete columns and window configurations similar to the historic windows in the district. The new construction design exhibits a contemporary expression while maintaining a compatible massing and height to the surrounding buildings of the district. The Ace Hotel houses 159 guest rooms, restaurant and coffee shop, event spaces, and a rooftop bar. This combined new construction and adaptive reuse project showcases the joint efforts of preservation and compatible development within a Landmark District. The Fulton‐Randolph Market District was designated a Chicago Landmark on July 29, 2015.
“Its glass-and-concrete aesthetics nod to the New Bauhaus”
Ace Hotel review - Chicago, USA
By: PEI-RU KEH
Since opening its first property in Seattle in 1999, the Ace Hotel Group has steadily claimed strongholds in nine other major cities. The latest to join the ranks is Chicago, where the hotel stands within a newly constructed building – a first for the group.
Located in the historic Fulton Market district, a hotbed of watering holes and restaurants in the West Loop, the 159-room property was designed by local firm GREC Architects. Its glass-and-concrete aesthetics nod to the New Bauhaus, while the preserved brick façade of a former cheese factory, on the building’s southern wing, helps anchor the new build in the listed neighbourhood.
Once inside, the hotel’s fusion of past and present hits a sophisticated tone with interiors designed by Commune. Inspired by the city’s most famous architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, his buildings at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and other key Bauhaus émigrés, the firm used simple materials such as polished steel, brass, plywood and linoleum as the grounding elements of the space.
GREC Architects – Top 100 Green Buildings Design Firms 2017
ENR 2017 Top 100 Green Buildings Design Firms
The market growth for green design and construction can be seen from the results of the ENR Top Green Buildings survey. As a group, the Top 100 Green Design Firms in 2016 generated $5.99 billion in design revenue from projects registered with and actively seeking certification from third-party ratings groups under objective sustainable-design standards, such as the USGBC’s LEED standards. For the group, this revenue is a healthy 11.6% increase from the $5.37 billion in 2015. Domestically, green design revenue rose an impressive 13.1%, to $4.83 billion, in 2016, from $4.27 billion in 2015. The Top 100 had $1.17 billion in revenue from green projects outside the U.S. in 2016, up 5.6% from 2015.
Condé Nast and Pitchfork Come Together Under one Roof
Two Brands, One Contemporary Space
By: DAVID GRIFFORD
The publishing world isn’t always the glamorous and chic one portrayed in the movies: the crisp white offices and skyline views in The Devil Wears Prada certainly did not represent the offices that housed Chicago’s Condé Nast branch and their recently-acquired Pitchfork properties. Condé’s sales teams sat in the Hancock Tower’s 35th floor perimeter offices where no natural light entered, making for a dreary and dark setting. The Pitchfork brand was at home for years in a Logan Square residential property. While the homey feeling was perfect for their laid-back style in the contemporary music journalism and festival business, its design team was working out of the garage.
The Condé group decided to bring all of its Chicago teams together under one roof, soliciting the expertise of GREC Architects to design a new home for them on the 21st floor of the Merchandise Mart. Led by Project Designer
Liz Potokar, LEED AP; Director of Interiors and Project Manager Michael Berger; and Project Designer Cameron Laabs, LEED AP, GREC technical designer, the team worked closely with the client to solve major challenges of integrating these different groups.
A 17-Story Highrise Will Soar Over the Burnside Bridgehead
By: Matthew Korfhage
The Eastside skyline keeps climbing higher.
Portland’s Design Review committee has approved another massive high-rise project at the east end of the Burnside Bridge, a 17-story mixed-use building called 5 MLK. It’ll be constructed on the site of the old Fishel’s furniture space just across the street from the 21-story Yard and the Fair-Haired Dumbell. The blog Next Portland was the first to report the approved plans.
The new project will be only one of many projects changing the entire human landscape on the east side of the Willamette–rapidly transforming Portland into a city with skylines on both sides of the river. Other large projects approved along the Burnside corridor include the forthcoming avant-bulbous Jupiter Hotel expansion, and the six-story Burnside Delta that will loom over Michael’s Italian Beef at Southeast Sandy Boulevard and 12th Avenue.
But the 5 MLK project–designed by Chicago’s GREC Architects for Portland developer Gerding Edlen–will be the tallest piece of skyline alongside the Yard, cut into multi-level terraces and horseshoed blocks of glass. For those keeping track of Portland’s dwindling parking options, there will also be space for 158 cars and 334 bicycles. There will also be a yoga studio, a rooftop pool and ground-level retail.
5MLK Approved by Design Commission
5 MLK APPROVED BY DESIGN COMMISSION
The Design Commission has approved 5 MLK, the 17 story Burnside Bridgehead tower. The design of the project is by Chicago based GREC Architects, for Portland based developer Gerding Edlen. The 200′ tall building will include approximately 112,000 sq ft of office space, 220 residential apartments and 14,000 sq ft of retail space. Parking for 158 vehicles and 344 bicycles will be provided.
The main entrance to the building, shared by the office and residential uses, will be at the corner of E Burnside and SE MLK. A series of large rooftop terraces, with with landscape designed by PLACE, are proposed at levels 3 through 6. Amenity features including a fitness center, yoga studio and lounge will open onto the level 6 terrace. A roof deck with a pool is proposed at level 17.
The skin for the tower will be a window wall system, with a pattern of vision glass, spandrel glass, porcelain panels in two colors, and projecting mullions. Other materials proposed include metal soffits and stone masonry at the ground level planters.
“GREC is spinning a symphony of modernism that threatens to infect the building’s common areas”
GREC Architects
By: IAN SPULA
In 2014, Chicago’s GREC Architects made the expansionist move into a background building on the Magnificent Mile. It was a sign of health and ambition—that a firm cut to half its 2007 size by the recession was back on the warpath. From a generic office floor, GREC is spinning a symphony of modernism that threatens to infect the building’s common areas.
Founded in 1989, GREC counts a growing staff of 30. The three managing principals hail from corporate America, easing the courtship with large clients like Related Midwest, John Buck Company, and Chicago newcomer Gerding Edlen Development. Every client large and small gets principal involvement from start to finish.
Their work fans out programmatically, with hospitality and multifamily residential as the sweet spots. “We’re trying to find the strengths of living in an urban high-rise and bleed that into our hospitality work,” said principal Don Copper. “Conversely, we want to bring hospitality’s social component into our residential work. How can we promote people coming out of their units for a greater sense of community?”
2015 Chicago’s Coolest Offices: GREC Architects
2015 Chicago's Coolest Offices
No cubicles here. This Mag Mile architecture firm designed its own digs, relying on an open concept to stress efficiency and collaboration. Glass interior windows and doors encourage a culture of transparency—literally and figuratively. Recycled materials make up a sizable portion of the design, from fluorescent light tubes and handcrafted glass tiles to sections of carpet from the company’s previous office.
“Ace Hotel is a tribute to the tradition of the Modern Movement”
Old Style, New Life
By: Elviro Di Meo
Located in the West Loop of Chicago, the neighborhood that, over the last decades, has been able to reshape its image, the Ace Hotel – a 159-room facility, plus common spaces for events and meetings – is a tribute to the tradition of the Modern Movement, reinterpreted with an unprecedented contemporary taste. A reference to the spirit of the New Bauhaus, of European origin, which, at the beginning of the Twentieth century, in the state of Illinois found fertile ground for a prolific creative activity. The building is full of suggestions and references to authors such as Louis Sullivan, John Wellborn Root and Frank Lloyd Wright. Architects who contributed, since the end of the nineteenth century, to making Chicago the main city of American architecture. The teachings of the Prairie School of Architecture, from which the Ace Hotel seems to have taken its linguistic code, come back strongly today. The style characterized by horizontal lines, flat or terraced roofs, protruding cornices are the canons of a new functional aesthetics. More design studies contributed to the construction of the hotel.
The architectural project is signed by GREC Architects, a Chicago-based practice, which for the same client has transformed the Ace Downtown of Los Angeles. The link with the context is the starting point of the design research, which is expressed through pure volumes, linear geometric shapes, sharp cuts that mark the facades, finished with bricks, in harmony with the signs of the industrial city. The West Loop district, in fact, after having been until the first half of the twentieth century an important center for import and production, with a rich entrepreneurial fabric, has reconverted its urban vocation, regenerating all those empty spaces left by factories and warehouses disposed of in new workspaces, including restaurants and entertainment venues. The traces of the past are used as identifying elements of the oncoming novelties. The Ace Hotel is a good example. It can be understood both from the formal aspect that organizes the internal spaces, and from the organization of the facades along the sidewalk that runs along the block. To the already existing facade of the old Italian-American dairy industry, carefully recovered in all its parts, with the typical red bricks, the designers added two other buildings: the seven-story one, covered with white bricks, and the four-story one – the central body – clad with black bricks, aligned with the existing front, but set back from the first two, so as to leave room for the large panoramic terrace, designed like a promenade overlooking the neighborhood.
“The Main is what transit-oriented development is supposed to be: urban and urbane”
1 suburban transit-oriented development sparkles, another's just dull — here's why
By: Blair Kamin
Instead of creating a conventional building whose walls loom over the street, Chicago’s GREC Architects designed an L-shaped structure that frames the urban space of Chicago Avenue and is appropriately set back from less-busy, lower-scaled Main Street. At street level, the design meets Evanston’s requirement for a small setback, but above, the architects were free to shape stacks of glass window bays that sweep sculpturally across the facade. Light rather than plodding, the design is also respectful of its surroundings, with handsome brickwork that pays homage to the craft and texture of the building’s older neighbors.
Step inside and you see that the saw-toothed glass wall isn’t just an empty flourish. The architects riff on it in the ceiling and walls of the lobby, even in the hallway signs that identify each apartment. From within the apartments, the bay windows combine with floor-to-ceiling glass to create a dramatic sense of expansiveness. Thermal, double-paned glass seals off train noise.
With the exception of an unleased corner retail space that is a dull pocket in an otherwise lively ensemble, The Main is what transit-oriented development is supposed to be: urban and urbane; a mix of uses rather than a dormitory; not simply occupying a site but engaging its surroundings. The suburbs — and the city of Chicago, which has more than its share of mediocre transit-oriented design — need more buildings like this.
© COPYRIGHT GREC 2019
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line150
|
__label__wiki
| 0.603149
| 0.603149
|
Tata International Ltd vs. DCIT (ITAT Mumbai)
Posted on June 29, 2012 by editor — 2 Comments ↓
CORAM:
SECTION(S):
CATCH WORDS:
COUNSEL:
DATE: (Date of pronouncement)
AY:
As per GKN Driveshafts 259 ITR 19 (SC) and the rules of natural justice, the AO was bound to furnish reasons within a reasonable time so that the assessee could file objections against the same. The adherence to this procedure is a necessity because at the preliminary stage itself, the AO may be satisfied with the explanation of the assessee. A reassessment completed without furnishing the reasons actually recorded by the AO for reopening of assessment is not sustainable in law. The subsequent supply of the reasons would not make good of the illegality suffered at the stage of reopening of the assessment. On facts, though the assessee asked for the recorded reasons, the same was supplied to him only after the passing of the reassessment order. This failure on the part of the AO renders the reassessment order invalid (Fomento Resorts & Videsh Sanchar Nigam 340 ITR 66 (Bom) (SLP dismissed) followed (included in file))
Chimanlal Manilal Patel vs. ACIT (ITAT Ahmedabad)
The AO had not disputed the consideration received by the assessee & the addition had been made solely on the basis of the deeming provisions of s. 50C. The assessee had furnished all the facts of the sale which had not been doubted by the AO. The fact that the assessee agreed to the additions because of the deeming provisions of s. 50C does not mean that he filed inaccurate particulars of his income. The assessee’s acceptance of the addition on the basis of the valuation made by the stamp valuation authority is not conclusive proof that the sale consideration as per the sale agreement was incorrect and wrong and so s. 271(1)(c) penalty cannot be levied (Renu Hingorani (ITAT Mumbai) followed)
DIC Asia Pacific Pte Ltd vs. ADIT (ITAT Kolkata)
Articles 11 & 12 of the DTAA provide that the “tax” chargeable in India on interest and royalties cannot exceed 15% and 10% respectively. The expression ‘tax’ is defined in Article 2(1) to include ‘income tax’ and includes ‘surcharge’ thereon. Article 2(2) extends the scope of the ‘tax’ by laying down that it shall also cover “any identical or substantially similar taxes which are imposed by either Contracting State after the date of signature of the present Agreement in addition to, or in place of, the taxes referred to in paragraph 1”. “Cess” was introduced by the Finance Act, 2004 and it is described in s. 2(11) of the Finance Act 2004 as “additional surcharge for purposes of the Union, to be called the “Education Cess on income-tax”. Accordingly, the “education cess” is in the nature of an “additional surcharge” and is covered by Article 2. Accordingly, education cess cannot be levied in respect of the assessee’s tax liability
Avshesh Mercantile P. Ltd. vs. DCIT (ITAT Mumbai)
hough the proceeds of the premium notes on which the redemption premium was paid had been invested in the shares/debentures of RUPL and although the dividend income and LTCG from the said investment was exempt u/s 10(23G), the premium cannot be regarded as expenditure incurred exclusively in relation to earning of exempt income so as to invoke s. 14A because the said investment had the potential of generating taxable income in the form of STCG etc
DCIT vs. Andaman Sea Food Pvt Ltd (ITAT Kolkata)
The department’s argument that if the sum is not assessable as “fees for technical services”, it is assessable as “other income” Article 23 of the DTAA is not acceptable because that Article applies only to “items of income which are not expressly mentioned in the foregoing Articles of this Agreement”. Article 23 does not apply to items of income which can be classified under Articles 6-22 whether or not taxable under these articles. Therefore, income from consultancy services, which cannot be taxed under articles 7, 12 or 14 because the conditions laid down therein are not satisfied, cannot be taxed under article 23 either
CIT vs. M/s.Delite Enterprises (Bombay High Court)
The assessee, a partner in a firm, borrowed funds and advanced it to the firm on terms that the firm would pay interest if it made a profit. For one year, the firm paid interest which was offered as income by the assessee while for the second year it did not pay interest as it made a loss. The assessee claimed the interest paid on the borrowing as a deduction u/s 36(1)(iii). The AO disallowed the claim on the ground that as the borrowings had been invested in the firm and the income from the firm was exempt u/s 10(2A), the interest expenditure was not allowable u/s 14A. This was reversed by the CIT (A). On appeal, the Tribunal upheld the CIT (A) on the ground that as there was no exemption claimed u/s 10(2A) by the assessee and there was no tax-free income, s. 14A could not apply. The department filed an appeal in the High Court in which it argued that as the profits derived by the assessee from the firm was exempt u/s 10(2A), the interest on the borrowed funds used to invest in the firm was disallowable u/s 14A. HELD by the High Court dismissing the appeal
Dongfang Electric Corporation vs. DDIT (ITAT Kolkota)
Posted on June 25, 2012 by editor — 1 Comment ↓
As regards the assessee’s claim, relying on Ishikawajima-Harima, that offshore supply contracts cannot be taxed, there is a school of thought as advocated in Alstom Transport SA (AAR) that in view of the later & larger bench judgement in Vodafone International 341 ITR 1, the Ishikawajima-Harima is not good law and a “dissecting approach” cannot be adopted. While it is arguable that the observations in Vodafone regarding “looking at the transactions as a whole and not adopting dissecting approach” cannot be applied in all cases where separate contracts are entered into for offshore supplies and onshore services, the observations are applicable in cases where the values assigned to the onshore services are prima facie unreasonable vis-à-vis values assigned to the offshore supplies, which make no economic sense when viewed in isolation with offshore supplies contract. The transactions have to be looked at as a whole, and not on standalone basis, when the overall transaction is split in an unfair and unreasonable manner with a view to evade taxes. In order that such a situation can arise, it is sine qua non that while the assessee submits the bids for different segments (e.g. offshore and onshore) separately, these bids are considered together, as a single cohesive unit, by the other party, and this fact must be apparent from material on record. The fact that there is a “cross fall breach clause” which provides that a breach in one contract will automatically be classified as breach of the other contract give an indication that the “offshore supplies” contract and “onshore supplies” contract have to be viewed as an integrated contract, this fact by itself does not indicate that the onshore services and supplies contract is understated so as to avoid tax in the source country. That would be the situation in which while offshore supplies show unreasonable profits while onshore supplies and services result in unreasonable losses
ACIT vs. Shree Ram Lime Products Ltd (ITAT Jodhpur Special Bench)
S. 158BE (1) prescribes the time limit for completion of the block assessment with reference to the end of the month in which the “last of the authorisations for search” was executed. Explanation 2 provides that the authorisation shall be deemed to have been executed “on the conclusion of search as recorded in the last panchnama drawn“. The “panchnama” referred to in Explanation 2 (a) to s.158BE is a panchnama which documents the conclusion of a search. If a panchnama does not reveal that a search was at all carried out on the day to which it relates, it would not be a panchnama relating to a search and consequently would not be relevant to determine the time limit for passing the assessment order (SK Katyal 308 ITR 168 (Del), White & White Minerals 239 CTR 330 (Raj) & C. Ramaiah Reddy 244 CTR (Kar) 126 followed
A Kowsalya Bai vs. UOI (Karnataka High Court)
U/s 139A, only persons whose income is chargeable to tax are required to obtain a PAN. However, s. 206AA compels even persons without a taxable income to obtain a PAN to avoid TDS. This creates difficulty for poor and illiterate persons who make small investments and discourages them to invest money. S. 206AA runs counter to s. 139A and is discriminatory. Though the Legislature’s intention is to bring maximum persons under the income-tax net, it may not insist that even persons whose income is below the taxable limit have to compulsorily obtain a PAN. If any tax avoidance is detected, that can be taken care of by penal provisions. Accordingly, s.206AA is read down as being inapplicable to persons whose income is less than the taxable limit. Banks & financial institutions should not insist upon PAN from such small investors. It continues to apply to persons whose income is above the taxable limit
Van Oord ACZ Marine Contractors BV vs. ADIT (ITAT Chennai)
While it is true that reimbursement of expenditure is not income, the payment made by the subsidiary to the assessee cannot be regarded as a “reimbursement” because (a) the subsidiary had no technical expertise to carry out the contract & the assessee had rendered technical services to it such as arranging the dredgers from abroad & choosing appropriate parties to execute the work. The facilities arranged by the assessee to support the operations of the subsidiary are not layman’s activities and require technical know-how. The argument that the dredgers were simply brought from outside India and taken back is over-simplified, (b) though it is claimed that the expenses were reimbursed at par with the invoices issued by third parties, there is nothing on record to show that the price negotiated between the assessee and the third parties are prices comparable to similar services provided by international parties. It is not established that the assessee offered services to the subsidiary on cost to cost basis at best reasonable and competent prices available at that point of time. Therefore, an element of profit in the invoices raised by third parties cannot be ruled out even though what was paid by the subsidiary to the assessee is the amount reflected in the invoice. Therefore, the fact that what has was paid by the subsidiary to the assessee was only the amount reflected in the invoices issued by the third parties, does not go to support the argument that the payments were only reimbursement of expenditure and there was no element of profit in those amounts. As the subsidiary had no technical expertise, the inevitable conclusion is that the assessee rendered technical services to its subsidiary and the payments are in the nature of fees for technical services
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line153
|
__label__cc
| 0.5562
| 0.4438
|
Millennium Convention
Created on Sunday, 14 April 2019 04:02
The Islamic Azad University (IAU) – Lebanon campus officially started its activities in 1990.
The efforts made by the authorities of the both countries, Iran and Lebanon, led into setting up this international campus in Lebanon.
The IAU, in this branch, offers 22 courses through 5 campuses in different levels of studies. The mentioned courses include theology and Islamic education, educational sciences, political sciences, and computer engineering.
Address: بیروت – تقاطع المشرفیه- اوتوستراد الشهید السید هادی نصرالله
Telephone/Fax: +9613730925 , +9611545625
Admision_Form
Arshad_form
General Information (2014-2015)
of Islamic Azad University
**Internationalization of Islamic Azad University
In line with the guidelines from the Head of Board of Trustees and Founding Board of the University, His Excellency Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, regarding the vital role of internationalization for Islamic Azad University in securing a strong global presence, it is essential to outline a comprehensive internationalization strategic plan for the University. This of course requires to be in agreement with the overall University strategic plan. It is therefore essential to strengthen and enhance the activities of the University overseas and international branches (campuses) as a top priority.
Declaration of the 68th Bi-Annual Meeting of the IAU Central Council, Article 8.
Created on Tuesday, 08 April 2014 15:46
Dr. Seyed Javad Angaji, the Vice President for International Affairs of IAU, announced the establishment of new branches in Islamic and Persian Speaking neighboring Countries.
Dr. S. J. Angaji, also mentioned to the future plans of the Vice-Presidency for Int’l Affairs according to the Slogan of the Year by the Supreme Leader, "The Year of Economy and Culture with National Determination and Jihadi Management".
The vice-President for Int’l Affairs, referred to the three decades of Islamic Azad University’s life as the World's largest Attending University including Alumni, Students, Faculties and staff within over 450 branches around the country and in overseas which considered as an determining factor in financial and economic matters.
He also emphasized the development of overseas branches along with admission of more international students as a power to the financial growth of the IAU. In this regard, the IAU seeks to settle mutual co-operation and relation with the scientifically expert countries which specifically, perused through the IAU, Oxford branch in England.
Dr. Angaji, said “The IAU is a member of the seven Internationally known Associations, and the matter is of overriding importance to the University in conducting research-based activities” and aimed at internationalizing internal abilities via using the full potential of the Iranians in abroad along with the localization of successful projects and utilizing the capacities of Int’l Organizations such as UNESCO, ISESCO and etc.
He also mentioned to the close collaboration of industry and university and the role of Int’l branches in setting such relations especially in economical regions that ultimately, providing part of expenses of the University and helps the Country’s economy.
*** Statement of Condemnation of Israeli’ Barbaric Aggression in Gaza: A Great Tragedy of Humanity
** LEADHR Project
** Higher Education Policy Quarterly
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line154
|
__label__cc
| 0.604328
| 0.395672
|
Brunei to push tourism arrivals with new offers
by Arno Maierbrugger - Mar 15, 2019
Brunei is looking to capitalise on its natural attractions and institutions such as hospitals and international schools to promote medical, educational and eco-tourism, according to a government official.
Brunei’s Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Haji Ali said that they were looking to cooperate with “various parties” to strengthen Brunei’s tourism sector. He named the Jerudong Park Medical Center as an opportunity for the country to draw in medical tourists.
“We have also successfully discussed with international schools like the Jerudong International School and International School Brunei to attract students from countries like China, South Korea and Japan to attend summer school here for English courses,” he said.
Haji Ali also spoke of the ministry’s plans to highlight the heavily forested areas in the small nation to promote eco-tourism in Brunei. The minister pointed out that this project will feature “a new tourism concept that is sustainable, responsible and inclusive,” likening it to sanctuaries or forest reserves.
“We will not disturb the wildlife, forests, existing villages and the architecture of the areas,” he said, emphasising that no damage will be done to the natural environment.
Apart from that, Brunei will also keep organising a number of festivals and sports events, including a speedboat race, a midnight run, as well as cycling and treasure hunt events.
Brunei welcomed around 260,000 international visitors arriving by air as per latest available figures in 2017, most of which came from Malaysia, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. Other important source countries are South Korea, Japan and Australia. Some 11,000 visitors arrived by cruise ship.
Cambodia targets 15 million tourist arrivals by 2030
Medical tourism to Asia-Pacific to cross $20bn-mark by 2019
Myanmar´s tourism revival at risk amid Rohingya crisis
Cambodia seeks to double tourism arrivals by 2025
Laos misses out on its five-million tourists target this year
Chinese keen on Thai property
Lessons from the cold in Bangkok
Singapore, US to share data on tax dodgers
Thai tourism numbers down another 9%
Japan grants Myanmar $5b development loan
Laos launched its tourist e-visa service on July 11, a move aimed at increasing tourism arrival numbers...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line155
|
__label__cc
| 0.517485
| 0.482515
|
HOME | Science, Nature & Technology
Eight Scientists Embark on Antarctic Exploration to Discover More about Continent
UNION GLACIER CAMP, Antarctica – A group of eight scientists chosen to embark on a special expedition to Antarctica has been conducting experiments in a bid to discover more about the vast southernmost continent and the planet as a whole.
It is difficult to obtain access to Antarctica. Only a select number of tourists, scientists and military personnel in charge of expedition logistics have a chance of setting foot there.
The Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), which manages and coordinates scientific activities in the Chilean Antarctic Territory, organizes a Scientific Antarctic Expedition on an annual basis, giving researchers a chance to participate in a series of field trips in the austral summer between October-March.
Along with the three branches of the Armed Forces of Chile, INACH operates a polar station called the Union Glacier Camp, a temporary summer base located on the giant Union Glacier in the Ellsworth Mountains, just over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the South Pole.
This year, INACH selected eight scientists via a public contest to take part in four field trip projects involving land and air outings in order to conduct a range of experiments, such as recording measurements and collecting data, looking at rudimentary forms of life and taking samples of snow, ice and sediment.
Chilean scientists Sandra Troncoso and Sebastian Vega have been exploring the ecophysiology of Antarctic lichens, a life form that develops a crust on the surface of rocks on which it grows, and their possible use in pharmacology and cancer treatment.
The pair is studying the survival capabilities of these organisms, able to grow in such a harsh environment with few nutrients, is extremely cold and endures intense ultraviolet and gamma radiation under the constant daylight of the Antarctic summer months.
Venezuelan researcher Juan Manuel Carrera and his Chilean colleague Jose Jorquera have also been evaluating reflectivity.
They have been computing something known as the albedo effect, the value of the reflection of solar radiation on the surface.
The data they collect as part of an ongoing project would be used to compare and complement the information provided by meteorological satellites and can be used to improve and redesign climate models.
Chilean glaciologists Ricardo Jana and Francisco Aguirre have been analyzing the weather conditions of the past year using snow samples, and are checking the general movement of the glacier itself using Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS).
Their work helps to improve the accuracy of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) measurements provided by satellites from the current level of up to 15 meters (49 feet) of a nominal accuracy to within 10 centimeters (3.9 inches).
Chilean researchers Nicolas Bruna and Matias Vargas have been collecting sediment in various areas around the Union Glacier in search of nanoparticles; microorganisms in bacteria capable of catalyzing chemical reactions in an extreme environment.
Such nanoparticles have previously been produced artificially in a chemical reaction, which is a highly toxic and expensive process.
But now, scientists are looking to create nanoparticles in a natural and more cost-effective way.
Nanoparticles are used in medicine and in the renewable energy sector.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line163
|
__label__wiki
| 0.854208
| 0.854208
|
Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions – FREE Giveaway!!!
February 19, 2016 by larrytt
Yes, it’s true – I will be giving away free, signed copies to eight lucky winners. All you have to do is go to the Goodread’s page, and click on the “Enter Giveaway” link. Make sure to mark the novel as “to read” in your goodreads page!
The novel comes out on March 8 from World Weaver Press, but the kindle version is already up on Amazon for pre-orders. (Print version should be up in days.)
18 days until publication . . .in the novel, which covers the election for president of Earth in the year 2100, where the world has adopted the American two-party electoral system, Afghanistan and Egypt both have 18 electoral votes. (There are 1333 total, with each country given electoral votes based on population.) They are both part of Islam Nation, which combined as a political entity in 2050 to consolidate their power as a voting block. Unlike other continental voting regions, it was a mishmash of countries from three continents, Africa, Europe, and Asia, with 31 countries and 211 electoral votes. The big prize is Pakistan, with 49.
How can our moderate extremists (i.e. the third-party challenge to the worldwide conservative and liberal parties) win in these highly conservative Islamic states? Well, let’s just say a highly disloyal member of the conservative president’s inner circle sends them a video of the president doing a highly embarrassing and very unconservative thing – but should they release the tape and win unethically on what they consider a non-issue? All our moderate challenger has to do is take some Eth, the drug that removes ethical constraints, and then he’ll have no trouble doing so!
So what should he do? The world is watching . . . and so is the alien ambassador!
In related new, World Weaver Press will have a new Editor-in-Chief. Co-Founder and outgoing Editor-in-chief Eileen Wiedbrauk will be leaving after four years. A great thanks goes to her for all the work she did in editing Campaign 2100! The incoming Editor-in-Chief is Sarena Ulibarri, who takes over on March 1. She, along with publicist Elizabeth Wagner, have already been a great help in getting the novel ready for publication and in publicizing it. Here’s the World Weaver Press News Release on this.
Here’s a little about the incoming Editor-in-Chief: Sarena Ulibarri earned an MFA from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and attended the Clarion Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers’ Workshop at UCSD in 2014. Her short fiction has appeared in Lightspeed,NewMyths.com, The Colored Lens, Kasma SF, and elsewhere. She currently lives in New Mexico with her husband and their Welsh Corgi. See her web page at sarenaulibarri.com.
The Cover for Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions!
Here’s the cover! The novel will be out on March 8, from World Weaver Press. It’s also up on Goodreads, where we’ll have a Giveaway – more info on that soon. It’ll be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Books-a-Million, and Omnilit.
Cover Reveal in Two Days!
February 8, 2016 by larrytt
I normally blog here every Monday, but I’m going to postpone it two days until Wednesday – that’s when we’ll have the big cover reveal for Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions
!!! It’s gone through many variations and iterations, but we’ve pretty much finalized it now. See you in 48 hours!
Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions – Press Release
The following press release just went out to 382 media outlets. (Side note – the cover is almost ready, and will likely be unveiled next week. Here’s the World Weaver Press page for the novel.)
BY LARRY HODGES
Alpena, MI (February 4, 2016) – World Weaver Press has announced Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions, a satirical drama by Larry Hodges that covers the election for president of Earth in the year 2100, will be available in trade paperback and ebook Tuesday, March 8, 2016.
Praise for Campaign 2100:
“Larry Hodges is an insightful political commentator and a kick-ass science-fiction writer. A dynamite novel full of twists and turns; this futuristic House of Cards is both entertaining and thought-provoking.”
— Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Quantum Night
Platt ran the successful 2095 campaign of the Frenchman Corbin Dubois for president of Earth. Toby soon realizes it was a horrible mistake.
Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions will be available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, WorldWeaverPress.com, and other online retailers, and for wholesale through Ingram.
Larry Hodges, from Germantown, MD, was going to be a math professor (bachelor’s in math), but science fiction writing and table tennis (yes, ping-pong) sidetracked him, and now he writes (and coaches the latter) for a living. He is an active member of Science Fiction Writers of America with over 70 short story sales. Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions is his third novel, and combines three of his favorite things: science fiction, politics, and table tennis. He’s a graduate of the six-week 2006 Odyssey Writers Workshop and the 2008 Taos Toolbox Writers Workshop, and is a member of Codexwriters.com. His story “The Awakening” was the unanimous grand prize winner at the 2010 Garden State Horror Writers Short Story Competition. He’s a full-time writer with eleven books and over 1600 published articles in over 150 different publications. He also writes about and coaches the Olympic Sport of Table Tennis, is a member of the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame (Google it!), and once beat someone using an ice cube as a racket. Visit him at larryhodges.org.
World Weaver Press is an independently owned publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. We believe in great storytelling.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line168
|
__label__wiki
| 0.726304
| 0.726304
|
Home » Context of 'January 2000: Musharraf Unwiling to Act on Zubaida, Who Is Living Openly in Pakistan'
Context of 'January 2000: Musharraf Unwiling to Act on Zubaida, Who Is Living Openly in Pakistan'
This is a scalable context timeline. It contains events related to the event January 2000: Musharraf Unwiling to Act on Zubaida, Who Is Living Openly in Pakistan. You can narrow or broaden the context of this timeline by adjusting the zoom level. The lower the scale, the more relevant the items on average will be, while the higher the scale, the less relevant the items, on average, will be.
1998-2001: Pakistani ISI Allegedly Protects Al-Qaeda Leader Zubaida from Capture
By 1997, al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaida is living in Peshawar, Pakistan, near the border to Afghanistan. He runs an al-Qaeda guest house there called the House of Martyrs, where all foreign recruits are interviewed before being sent to Afghanistan. As a result, Zubaida soon knows the names of thousands of al-Qaeda recruits. [Rashid, 2008, pp. 224-225] In 2006, author Gerald Posner will write that beginning in 1998, Pakistan receives several requests from US intelligence to track down Zubaida. Beginning by October 1998, the US and other countries have been monitoring Zubaida’s phone calls (see October 1998 and After), and will continue to do so through the 9/11 attacks (see Early September 2001 and October 8, 2001). But according to Posner, “Pakistan’s agency, the ISI, had claimed to have made several failed attempts, but few in the US believe they did more before September 11 than file away the request and possibly at times even warn Zubaida of the Americans’ interest.” [Posner, 2003, pp. 184] In 2008, Pakistani journalist and regional expert Ahmed Rashid will repeat the gist of Posner’s allegations, and further explain that Zubaida directly worked with the ISI. Some of the militants he directs to al-Qaeda camps are militants sent by the ISI to fight in Kashmir, a region disputed between India and Pakistan. Presumably, handing Zubaida to the US could hinder Pakistan’s covert war against India in Kashmir. [Rashid, 2008, pp. 224-225] After Zubaida is arrested in 2002, he allegedly will divulge that he has personal contacts with high-ranking officials in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (see Early April 2002).
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Abu Zubaida
Timeline Tags: Complete 911 Timeline
October 1998 and After: Multiple Countries Monitor Zubaida’s Phone Calls
Counterterrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna will later write that after the US embassy bombings (see 10:35-10:39 a.m., August 7, 1998), surveillance of al-Qaeda is stepped up around the world. “One intelligence officer attached to the French embassy in Islamabad, [Pakistan], urged his counterparts in foreign missions in Pakistan to detail the recipients of phone calls made by… al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaida, then living in Peshawar, to individuals in their various countries.” As a result, “several governments [launch] investigations of their own.” [Gunaratna, 2003, pp. 245] A close associate of Zubaida in Peshawar at this time is Khalil Deek, who is actually a mole for the Jordanian government (see 1998-December 11, 1999). One such investigation is launched by the Philippine government on October 16, 1998, after being asked by French intelligence to gather intelligence on people in the Philippines in contact with Zubaida. Code named CoPlan Pink Poppy, the investigation reveals connections between al-Qaeda and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a Philippine militant group. On December 16, 1999, Abdesselem Boulanouar and Zoheir Djalili, two French Algerians belonging to the Algerian al-Qaeda affiliate the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), are arrested due to information learned from monitoring Zubaida’s calls to the Philippines. Boulanouar is arrested at an airport carrying a terrorist training manual he admitted writing for the MILF. Both men also are arrested carrying explosive devices. French intelligence says Boulanouar had ties to Ahmed Ressam (see December 14, 1999), and like Ressam, may have been planning to carry out attacks at the turn of the millennium. He will be deported to France and imprisoned on terrorism related charges. CoPlan Pink Poppy will be canceled in 2000 for lack of funds. [Gulf News, 3/14/2000; Ressa, 2003, pp. 132-133; Gunaratna, 2003, pp. 245] However, while details are murky, it appears other governments continue to monitor Zubaida’s calls. Around the same time as the Philippines arrests, one militant in Jordan is even arrested while still in the middle of a phone call to Zubaida (see November 30, 1999). US intelligence will remain intensely focused on Zubaida before 9/11 (see Late March-Early April 2001 and May 30, 2001), and just days before 9/11 the NSA will monitor calls Zubaida is making to the US (see Early September 2001). It appears his calls will continue to be monitored after 9/11 as well (see October 8, 2001).
Entity Tags: Khalil Deek, Zoheir Djalili, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, Abdesselem Boulanouar, Philippines, Abu Zubaida, Al-Qaeda, Ahmed Ressam, Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
October 1999: Joint US-ISI Operation to Kill Osama Falters
The CIA readies an operation to capture or kill bin Laden, secretly training and equipping approximately 60 commandos from the Pakistani ISI. Pakistan supposedly agrees to this plan in return for the lifting of economic sanctions and more economic aid. [Washington Post, 10/3/2001] Pakistan proposed the plan in December 1998 (see December 2, 1998). US officials were said to be “deeply cynical” of the plan, knowing that Pakistani intelligence was allied with bin Laden (see Autumn 1998). They figured that if Pakistan really wanted bin Laden captured or killed, they could just tell the US when and where he would be, but Pakistan never revealed this kind of information. But the US went ahead with the plan anyway, figuring it held little risk and could help develop intelligence ties with Pakistan. [Coll, 2004, pp. 442-444] After months of training, the commando team is almost ready to go by this month. However, the plan is aborted because on October 12, General Musharraf takes control of Pakistan in a coup (see October 12, 1999). Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ties to use the commando team to protect himself during the coup, but the team dissolves rather than fight on what they judge to be the losing side. Musharraf refuses to reform the team or continue any such operation against bin Laden despite the promise of substantial rewards. [Washington Post, 10/3/2001; Coll, 2004, pp. 442-444, 478-480] Some US officials later say the CIA was tricked, that the ISI just feigned to cooperate as a stalling tactic, and never intended to get bin Laden. [New York Times, 10/29/2001]
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Pervez Musharraf, Central Intelligence Agency, Nawaz Sharif, Osama bin Laden
October 12, 1999: General Musharraf Takes Control of Pakistan
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. [Source: Government of Pakistan]Gen. Pervez Musharraf becomes leader of Pakistan in a coup, ousting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. One major reason for the coup is the ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence agency) felt Sharif had to go “out of fear that he might buckle to American pressure and reverse Pakistan’s policy [of supporting] the Taliban.” [New York Times, 12/8/2001] Shortly thereafter, Musharraf replaces the leader of the ISI, Brig Imtiaz, because of his close ties to the previous leader. Imtiaz is arrested and convicted of “having assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.” It is later revealed that he was keeping tens of millions of dollars earned from heroin smuggling in a Deutsche Bank account. [Financial Times, 8/10/2001] Lieutenant General Mahmood Ahmed, a close ally of Musharraf, is instrumental in the success of the coup. Ahmed actually secured the capital and detained Sharif, but then honored the chain of command and stepped aside so Musharraf, as head of the military, could take over. Ahmed is rewarded by being made the new director of the ISI. [Guardian, 10/9/2001; Coll, 2004, pp. 504-505]
Entity Tags: Taliban, Pervez Musharraf, Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Deutsche Bank, Mahmood Ahmed, Brig Imtiaz
November 30, 1999: Jordan Thwarts Al-Qaeda Connected Millennium Plot
On December 5, 1999, a Jordanian raid discovers 71 vats of bomb making chemicals in this residence. [Source: Judith Miller]Jordanian officials successfully uncover an al-Qaeda plot to blow up the Radisson Hotel in Amman, Jordan, and other sites on January 1, 2000. [PBS Frontline, 10/3/2002] The Jordanian government intercepts a call between al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaida and a suspected Jordanian terrorist named Abu Hoshar. Zubaida says, “The training is over.” [New York Times, 1/15/2001] Zubaida also says, “The grooms are ready for the big wedding.” [Seattle Times, 6/23/2002] This call reflects an extremely poor code system, because the FBI had already determined in the wake of the 1998 US embassy bombings that “wedding” was the al-Qaeda code word for bomb. [Miller, Stone, and Mitchell, 2002, pp. 214] Furthermore, it appears al-Qaeda fails to later change the system, because the code-name for the 9/11 attack is also “The Big Wedding.” [Chicago Tribune, 9/5/2002] Jordan arrests Hoshar while he’s still on the phone talking to Zubaida. In the next few days, 27 other suspects are charged. A Jordanian military court will initially convict 22 of them for participating in planned attacks, sentencing six of them to death, although there will be numerous appeals (see April 2000 and After). In addition to bombing the Radisson Hotel around the start of the millennium, the plan calls for suicide bombings on two border crossings with Israel and a Christian baptism site. Further attacks in Jordan are planned for later. The plotters had already stockpiled the equivalent of 16 tons of TNT, enough to flatten “entire neighborhoods.” [New York Times, 1/15/2001] Key alleged plotters include:
Raed Hijazi, a US citizen who is part of a Boston al-Qaeda cell (see June 1995-Early 1999). He will be arrested and convicted in late 2000 (see September 2000 and October 2000). [New York Times, 1/15/2001]
Khalid Deek, who is also a US citizen and part of an Anaheim, California al-Qaeda cell. He will be arrested in Pakistan and deported to Jordan, but strangely he will released without going to trial.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He will later be a notorious figure in the Iraq war starting in 2003. [Washington Post, 10/3/2004]
Luai Sakra. The Washington Post will later say he “played a role” in the plot, though he is never charged for it. Sakra apparently is a CIA informant before 9/11, perhaps starting in 2000 (see 2000). [Washington Post, 2/20/2006]
The Jordanian government will also later claim that the Al Taqwa Bank in Switzerland helped finance the network of operatives who planned the attack. The bank will be shut down shortly after 9/11 (see November 7, 2001). [Newsweek, 4/12/2004]
Entity Tags: Raed Hijazi, Abu Zubaida, Al-Qaeda, Al Taqwa Bank, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Khalil Deek, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Abu Hoshar, Jordan, Luai Sakra
Timeline Tags: Complete 911 Timeline, 9/11 Timeline
Shortly After December 11, 1999: Al-Qaeda Operative Based in California Allegedly Is Turned or Works as Mole for Jordanian Government
Khalil Deek, a US citizen accused of helping to plot an al-Qaeda linked millennium attack in Jordan, reportedly cooperates against al-Qaeda shortly after being deported to Jordan (see December 11, 1999). Journalist Jonathan Randal will later assert that “a highly placed American in [Jordan] did claim that early on Deek had sung,” meaning he revealed all that he knew. [Randal, 2005, pp. 6] The Los Angeles Times reports in March 2000 that Deek “reportedly has cooperated with US investigators in deciphering [al-Qaeda] computer disks.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/29/2000] The London Times will later report the same thing. [London Times, 11/4/2001] Deek will be mysteriously released from Jordanian prison in mid-2001, fueling speculation about his cooperation (see May 2001). In 2003, journalist Jason Burke will claim in a book that Deek “was, in fact, an agent for the Jordanian secret services.” Burke mentions this in passing and does not explain how he would know this. [Burke, 2004, pp. 317] In 2005, Randal will echo Burke’s claim in a book, saying, “If [Deek] indeed did sing, one possible explanation is that Deek may have been a Jordanian intelligence mole all along and had tipped his masters off to the impending millennium plot and perhaps much more about al-Qaeda. That would elucidate why he was jailed, but never charged or tried.” [Randal, 2005, pp. 6] If true, it would suggest that Jordan had great insight into al-Qaeda for many years. Deek has been considered an important al-Qaeda leader with knowledge about many other al-Qaeda operatives. For instance, one US official calls him a “concierge” or “travel agent” for al-Qaeda. [New York Times, 2/4/2000] He is also considered a close associate of high ranking al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaida. If Deek is a Jordanian mole, this might explain why it will later be reported that US intelligence has been investigating Zubaida and Deek since the late 1980s (see Late 1980s). It also might explain why US intelligence was seemingly uninterested in intelligence that Deek was running militant training camps in California in the early 1990s (see Early 1990s), running an al-Qaeda sleeper cell in California for most of the 1990s (see March 1993-1996 and December 25, 1999), and why the US never officially charged Deek with any crimes (see Spring 2004). But it would be harder to explain why Deek’s associates have yet to be been arrested or deported from the US (see January 2002) or why Deek apparently moved to remote areas of Pakistan dominated by al-Qaeda after it was reported he helped decipher al-Qaeda’s computer codes (see Spring 2004).
Entity Tags: Jordan General Intelligence Department, Khalil Deek, Al-Qaeda
January 2000: Musharraf Unwiling to Act on Zubaida, Who Is Living Openly in Pakistan
Karl Inderfurth. [Source: Harikrishna Katragadda Mint]Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth, accompanied by State Department counterterrorism expert Michael Sheehan, visits Pakistan, shortly after Pervez Musharraf took power in a coup (see October 12, 1999). Inderfurth meets with Musharraf, and is disappointed with Musharraf’s reluctance to take any action against al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Al-Qaeda leader Abu Zubaida is living openly in the Pakistani town of Peshawar, and the previous month was implicated in an attempted bomb plot in Jordan (see November 30, 1999). A number of intelligence agencies are monitoring Zubaida’s communications (see October 1998 and After), and one of his top aides, Khalil Deek, appears to be a Jordanian intelligence mole (see Shortly After December 11, 1999). There are allegations that the Pakistani ISI intelligence agency has been protecting Zubaida (see 1998-2001). Musharraf indicates to Inderfurth that he is unwilling to act on US intelligence about Zubaida. [Levy and Scott-Clark, 2007, pp. 295] US ambassador to Pakistan William Milam will later say: “The Pakistanis told us they could not find him, even though everyone knew where he was. The ISI just turned a blind eye to his activities.” In fact, there is evidence Zubaida was working with the ISI, helping them vet and train militants to later fight in the disputed region of Kashmir (see 1998-2001). [Rashid, 2008, pp. 48] Musharraf also tells Inderfurth that he is unwilling to support any program to capture Osama bin Laden, as his predecessor, Nawaz Sharif, had been willing to do (see October 1999). And asked to pressure the Taliban, Musharraf sends ISI Director Lieutenant General Mahmood Ahmed to meet Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Mahmood is well known to be a supporter of the Taliban, so his visit is considered an empty gesture. [Levy and Scott-Clark, 2007, pp. 295] Robert Einhorn, a specialist on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Clinton administration, does not go on the trip. Inderfurth will later say Einhorn’s absence showed a lack of interest by the administration in non-proliferation: “The fact that Mike [Sheehan] was included and Bob left out showed our priorities at that time. Our agenda was counterterrorism, al-Qaeda, and democracy. We had somehow divorced these from the nuclear threat and A. Q. Khan.” [Levy and Scott-Clark, 2007, pp. 292]
Entity Tags: Robert Einhorn, Pervez Musharraf, Michael Sheehan, Abu Zubaida, Osama bin Laden, Karl Inderfurth, Mahmood Ahmed, Khalil Deek, William Milam
Timeline Tags: Complete 911 Timeline, A. Q. Khan's Nuclear Network
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line170
|
__label__wiki
| 0.748512
| 0.748512
|
Home » Context of 'February 27, 2003: ABC, Pentagon Air ‘Reality TV’ Series about Afghanistan Fighting'
Context of 'February 27, 2003: ABC, Pentagon Air ‘Reality TV’ Series about Afghanistan Fighting'
This is a scalable context timeline. It contains events related to the event February 27, 2003: ABC, Pentagon Air ‘Reality TV’ Series about Afghanistan Fighting. You can narrow or broaden the context of this timeline by adjusting the zoom level. The lower the scale, the more relevant the items on average will be, while the higher the scale, the less relevant the items, on average, will be.
March 24, 2000: CNN Executive Admits Allowing Military Psyops Personnel to Intern at CNN Was Mistake
CNN logo. [Source: CNN]After the San Jose Mercury News reports on a February symposium where the commander of an Army psyops (psychological operations) unit discussed how Army psyops personnel have worked closely with the US news network CNN (see Early February, 2000), journalist Amy Goodman discusses the issue with three guests: Dutch journalist Abe De Vries, who first broke the story; liberal columnist Alexander Cockburn, who wrote about it in the Mercury News and in his own publication, Counterpunch; and CNN senior executive Eason Jordan. De Vries says he originally read of the symposium in a newsletter published by a French intelligence organization, and confirmed it with Army spokespersons. Cockburn says that after he wrote about it in his publication, he was contacted by an “indignant” Jordan, who called the story “a terrible slur on the good name of CNN and on the quality of its news gathering.” Cockburn says that he, too, confirmed that Army psyops personnel—“interns,” Jordan told Cockburn—worked for several weeks at CNN, but the network “maintains stoutly, of course, that these interns, you know, they just were there making coffee or looking around, and they had no role in actually making news.” Goodman asks Jordan about the story, and he insists that the Army personnel were nothing more than unpaid interns who “functioned as observers” and were “always under CNN supervision. They did not decide what we would report, how we would report it, when we would report something.…[T]hey had no role whatsoever in our Kosovo coverage and, in fact, had no role whatsoever in any of our coverage.” Jordan says that allowing them into CNN was a mistake that the network will not repeat. Jordan says that the psyops personnel merely wanted “to see how CNN functioned, as a lot of people from around the world do. We have observers here from all over the world.” He insists that no one in his division—news gathering—knew about the psyops personnel serving as interns until the program was well underway, and that once they found out about it, they brought it to a halt “within a matter of days.” Cockburn points out that from De Vries’s reporting, the Army was “obviously pleased” by their ability to insert personnel inside one of the nation’s largest news organizations. Cockburn says that it isn’t a matter of the Army personnel conducting some sort of “spy novel” operation inside CNN, but a matter of building relationships: “[T]he question is really, you know, the way these things work. If people come to an office, and they make friends at the office, then the next time they want to know something, they know someone they can call up. A relationship is a much more subtle thing than someone suddenly running in and writing [CNN correspondent Christiane] Amanpour’s copy for her.” Jordan says the entire idea of the US military influencing news coverage is “nonsense” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Goodman counters with a quote from an Army psyops training manual: “Capture their minds, and their hearts and souls will follow.… Psychological operations, or PSYOP, are planned operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning and ultimately the behavior of organizations, groups and individuals. Used in all aspects of war, it’s a weapon whose effectiveness is limited only by the ingenuity of the commander using it. A proven winner in combat and peacetime, PSYOP is one of the oldest weapons in the arsenal of man. It’s an important force, protector, combat multiplier and a non-lethal weapons system.” [Democracy Now!, 3/24/2000]
Entity Tags: US Department of the Army, Abe De Vries, Amy Goodman, Eason Jordan, CNN, Alexander Cockburn
Timeline Tags: US Military, Domestic Propaganda
May 2001: Public Relations Expert Joins Pentagon
Victoria “Torie” Clarke joins the Defense Department. She is a public relations specialist who served as press secretary for President George H. W. Bush’s 1992 re-election campaign, worked closely with Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and was an Assistant US Trade Representative during the first Bush’s presidency. In the private sector, she was president of Bozell Eskew Advertising, Vice President of the National Cable Telecommunications Association, and the Washington director for the PR firm of Hill & Knowlton, the firm so heavily involved in promoting and selling the 1991 Gulf War (see January 16, 1991 and After). She brings strong ideas to her new position about achieving what she calls “information dominance” in both the domestic and foreign “markets” (see February 2003). She directs what John Stauber, the executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy, calls the “twin towers of propaganda” for the Pentagon: “embedding news media with the troops, and embedding military propagandists into the TV media” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). [Stennis Center for Public Service, 8/17/2007; New York Times, 4/20/2008; Bill Berkowitz, 5/10/2008]
Entity Tags: Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, John Stauber, US Department of Defense, Bush administration (43), Center for Media and Democracy, Reagan administration
Timeline Tags: US Military, Events Leading to Iraq Invasion, Iraq under US Occupation, Domestic Propaganda
Early 2002 and Beyond: Pentagon Uses Military Analysts to Shape Opinions of Upcoming Iraq War
Pentagon chief of public relations Victoria Clarke. [Source: Department of Defense]While detailed plans for the upcoming invasion of Iraq are well underway, the administration realizes that the American people are not strongly behind such an invasion. They aren’t convinced that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the 9/11 attacks, and unsure about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction. White House and Pentagon officials decide that using retired military officers as “independent military analysts” in the national media can help change hearts and minds (see April 20, 2008). Assistant secretary of defense for public affairs Victoria “Torie” Clarke, a former public relations executive, intends to achieve what she calls “information dominance.” The news culture is saturated by “spin” and combating viewpoints; Clarke argues that opinions are most swayed by voices seen as authoritative and completely independent. Clarke has already put together a system within the Pentagon to recruit what she calls “key influentials,” powerful and influential people from all areas who, with the proper coaching, can generate support for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s agenda. After 9/11, when each of the news networks rushed to land its own platoon of retired military officers to provide commentary and analysis, Clarke saw an opportunity: such military analysts are the ultimate “key influentials,” having tremendous authority and credibility with average Americans. They often get more airtime than network reporters, Clarke notes. More importantly, they are not just explaining military minutiae, but telling viewers how to interpret events. Best of all, while they are in the news media, they are not creatures of the media. Reporter David Barstow will write in 2008, “They were military men, many of them ideologically in sync with the administration’s neoconservative brain trust, many of them important players in a military industry anticipating large budget increases to pay for an Iraq war.” And even those without such ties tended to support the military and the government. Retired Army general and ABC analyst William Nash will say: “It is very hard for me to criticize the United States Army. It is my life.”
'Writing the Op-Ed' for the War - As a result, according to Clarke’s aide Don Meyer, Clarke decides to make the military analysts the main focus of the public relations push to build a case for invading Iraq. They, not journalists, will “be our primary vehicle to get information out,” Meyer recalls. The military analysts are not handled by the Pentagon’s regular press office, but are lavished with attention and “perks” in a separate office run by another aide to Clarke, Brent Krueger. According to Krueger, the military analysts will, in effect, be “writing the op-ed” for the war.
Working in Tandem with the White House - The Bush administration works closely with Clarke’s team from the outset. White House officials request lists of potential recruits for the team, and suggests names for the lists. Clarke’s team writes summaries of each potential analyst, describing their backgrounds, business and political affiliations, and their opinions on the war. Rumsfeld has the final say on who is on the team: “Rumsfeld ultimately cleared off on all invitees,” Krueger will say. Ultimately, the Pentagon recruits over 75 retired officers, though some only participate briefly or sporadically.
Saturation Coverage on Cable - The largest contingent of analysts is affiliated with Fox News, followed by NBC and CNN, the networks with 24-hour cable news coverage. Many analysts work for ABC and CBS as well. Many also appear on radio news and talk broadcasts, publish op-ed articles in newspapers, and are quoted in press reports, magazine articles, and in Web sites and blogs. Barstow, a New York Times reporter, will note that “[a]t least nine of them have written op-ed articles for The Times.”
Representing the Defense Industry - Many of the analysts have close ties with defense contractors and/or lobbying firms involved in helping contractors win military contracts from the Pentagon:
Retired Army general James Marks, who begins working as an analyst for CNN in 2004 (until his firing three years later—see July 2007) is a senior executive with McNeil Technologies, and helps that firm land military and intelligence contracts from the government.
Thomas McInerney, a retired Air Force general and Fox News analyst, sits on the boards of several military contractors.
CBS military analyst Jeffrey McCausland is a lobbyist for Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, a major lobbying firm where he is director of a national security team that represents several military contractors. His team proclaims on the firm’s Web site, “We offer clients access to key decision makers.”
Shortly after signing with CBS, retired Air Force general Joseph Ralston became vice chairman of the Cohen Group, a consulting firm headed by former Defense Secretary William Cohen (also an analyst for CNN). The Cohen Group says of itself on its Web site, “The Cohen Group knows that getting to ‘yes’ in the aerospace and defense market—whether in the United States or abroad—requires that companies have a thorough, up-to-date understanding of the thinking of government decision makers.”
Ideological Ties - Many military analysts have political and ideological ties to the Bush administration and its supporters. These include:
Two of NBC’s most familiar analysts, retired generals Barry McCaffrey and Wayne Downing, are on the advisory board of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, an advocacy group created with White House encouragement in 2002 to push for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. [New York Times, 4/20/2008] Additionally, McCaffrey is chief of BR McCaffrey Associates, which “provides strategic, analytic, and advocacy consulting services to businesses, non-profits, governments, and international organizations.” [Washington Post, 4/21/2008] Other members include senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), and prominent neoconservatives Richard Perle and William Kristol. [Truthout (.org), 4/28/2008] Both McCaffrey and Downing head their own consulting firms and are board members of major defense contractors.
Retired Army general Paul Vallely, a Fox News analyst from 2001 through 2007, shares with the Bush national security team the belief that the reason the US lost in Vietnam was due to negative media coverage, and the commitment to prevent that happening with the Iraq war. In 1980, Vallely co-wrote a paper accusing the US press of failing to defend the nation from what he called “enemy” propaganda—negative media coverage—during the Vietnam War. “We lost the war—not because we were outfought, but because we were out Psyoped,” he wrote. Vallely advocated something he called “MindWar,” an all-out propaganda campaign by the government to convince US citizens of the need to support a future war effort. Vallely’s “MindWar” would use network TV and radio to “strengthen our national will to victory.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Ironically, Clarke herself will eventually leave the Pentagon and become a commentator for ABC News. [Democracy Now!, 4/22/2008]
Seducing the Analysts - Analysts describe a “powerfully seductive environment,” in Barstow’s words, created for them in the Pentagon: the uniformed escorts to Rumsfeld’s private conference room, lavish lunches served on the best government china, embossed name cards, “blizzard[s] of PowerPoints, the solicitations of advice and counsel, the appeals to duty and country, the warm thank you notes from the secretary himself.” Former NBC analyst Kenneth Allard, who has taught information warfare at the National Defense University, says: “[Y]ou have no idea. You’re back. They listen to you. They listen to what you say on TV.” Allard calls the entire process “psyops on steroids,” using flattery and proximity to gain the desired influence and effect. “It’s not like it’s, ‘We’ll pay you $500 to get our story out,’” Allard says. “It’s more subtle.”
Keeping Pentagon Connections Hidden - In return, the analysts are instructed not to quote their briefers directly or to mention their contacts with the Pentagon. The idea is always to present a facade of independent thought. One example is the analysts’ almost perfect recitation of Pentagon talking points during a fall and winter 2002 PR campaign (see Fall and Winter 2002). [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Richard Perle, Paul Vallely, Thomas G. McInerney, William S. Cohen, Wayne Downing, US Department of Defense, William Nash, William Kristol, New York Times, Joseph Ralston, Kenneth Allard, CBS News, Bush administration (43), Brent T. Krueger, Barry McCaffrey, ABC News, CNN, Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, David Barstow, Don Meyer, Joseph Lieberman, John McCain, NBC, Jeffrey McCausland, Fox News, Donald Rumsfeld, James Marks, Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke
Timeline Tags: US Military, Events Leading to Iraq Invasion, Domestic Propaganda
January 2002-May 13, 2008: Pentagon Analysts Make over 4,500 Appearances between January 2002 and May 2008
The “military analysts” named by the New York Times as participants in the Pentagon’s propaganda operation to manipulate public opinion on the Iraq war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) appear over 4,500 times on network and television news broadcasts between January 1, 2002 and May 13, 2008. The news outlets included in the May 13, 2008 count, performed by the media watchdog group Media Matters, includes ABC, ABC News Now, CBS, CBS Radio Network, NBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR. Media Matters uses the Lexis/Nexis database to compile their report. Media Matters releases a spreadsheet documenting each analyst’s appearance on each particular broadcast outlet. [Media Matters, 5/13/2008] Salon columnist Glenn Greenwald notes, “If anything, the Media Matters study actually under-counts the appearances, since it only counted ‘the analysts named in the Times article,’ and several of the analysts who were most active in the Pentagon’s propaganda program weren’t mentioned by name in that article.” [Salon, 5/15/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, New York Times, National Public Radio, Media Matters, CNBC, CBS News, ABC News, NBC, Fox News, MSNBC, Glenn Greenwald, CNN
Fall and Winter 2002: Pentagon Sends Analysts to Networks, Press with Talking Points about Iraq War
As the administration’s push to convince Americans that the Iraq war is necessary is reaching its height, the Pentagon sends its military analysts out to the television networks and the press (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) with talking points portraying Iraq as an imminent threat. The analysts are to emphasize that Iraq has chemical and biological weapons that it can and will use, that it is developing nuclear weapons, and that it is sure to provide these weapons to al-Qaeda. A military invasion, the talking points state, is not only a necessity, but will be a relatively quick, relatively bloodless, and relatively inexpensive “war of liberation.” Pentagon public relations chief Victoria Clarke and her staff are thrilled at how well the analysts incorporate Pentagon talking points into their own presentations. Clarke’s aide Brent Krueger recalls: “You could see that they were messaging. You could see they were taking verbatim what the secretary was saying or what the technical specialists were saying. And they were saying it over and over and over.” Some days, “We were able to click on every single station and every one of our folks were up there delivering our message. You’d look at them and say, ‘This is working.’” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Bush administration (43), Brent T. Krueger, Al-Qaeda, US Department of Defense, Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke
October 22, 2002: New York Times Columnist Accuses Iraq of Collaborating with bin Laden
As part of the orchestrated media blitz to make the case for war with Iraq (see October 10, 2001, November 6-8, 2001, Late 2001 and After, and Early 2002 and Beyond), former Nixon speechwriter William Safire writes in the New York Times, “It is absurd to claim… that Iraq is not an active collaborator with, harborer of, and source of sophisticated training and unconventional weaponry for bin Laden’s world terror network.” [Unger, 2007, pp. 228]
Entity Tags: William Safire
Timeline Tags: Events Leading to Iraq Invasion, Domestic Propaganda
Early 2003: Analysts Repeat Talking Points about Iraqi WMD While Personally Dismayed at Lack of Evidence
Former Green Beret Robert Bevelacqua, a Fox News military analyst and a part of the Pentagon’s propaganda operation to promote the Iraq war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), is, along with other analysts, briefed about Iraq’s purported stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. When he asks his briefer about “smoking gun” proof, the briefer admits, “We don’t have any hard evidence.” Bevelacqua and the other analysts are alarmed by the concession. Another analyst, retired Army lieutenant colonel Robert Maginnis, who works in the Pentagon for a military contractor, is at the same briefing. Maginnis later confirms Bevelacqua’s recollection, saying that he felt “very disappointed” and that he and the other analysts were being “manipulated” to believe in weapons that were not proven to exist. Yet Bevelacqua, Maginnis, and other analysts are firm in their on-air insistence that these weapons do indeed exist. Bevelacqua has started a new defense contracting business, the wvc3 Group, and hopes to win lucrative government contracts. “There’s no way I was going to go down that road and get completely torn apart,” he will later say. “You’re talking about fighting a huge machine.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Fox News, Bush administration (43), US Department of Defense, wvc3 Group, Robert Maginnis, Robert Bevelacqua
Jerry Bruckheimer. [Source: Thomas Robinson / Getty Images / Forbes]ABC airs the first of a six-episode reality series entitled Profiles from the Front Line, which purports to document the war in Afghanistan from the soldiers’ point of view. It was conceived and produced with the extensive help and oversight of the Pentagon. [Chicago Tribune, 2/26/2003] Filming for the show began in May 2002. [Los Angeles Times, 2/6/2003] ABC executives say that the show will tell the “compelling personal stories of the US military men and women who bear the burden of the fighting” in Afghanistan. The series was quickly approved by Victoria Clarke, the head of the Pentagon’s public relations office (see Early 2002 and Beyond), and by Rear Admiral Craig Quigley, the public relations commander of US Central Command. Clarke and Quigley granted the series producers unprecedented access to the troops, technical advice, and even the use of aircraft carriers for filming. In return, the Pentagon received the right to review and approve all footage before airing (in the interests of national security, Pentagon officials said). [Rich, 2006, pp. 32-33] The Pentagon denies that it asked for any changes in the series’ broadcast footage. [Washington Post, 3/9/2003]
Producers Insist Show Not Propaganda, No Censorship from Pentagon - Though the show is widely considered to be tied in to the Bush administration’s push for war with Iraq (some question the fact that the show was shelved for months before suddenly being approved just as news of the impending invasion began hitting the news), series producer Bertram van Munster says he came up with the idea after 9/11. “We were all kind of numb, I certainly was extremely numb for two or three weeks,” he will recall. “And I said I’ve got to do something.” Van Munster and his co-producer, famed movie and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer (an acknowledged Bush supporter best known for his action-film blockbusters such as Top Gun, Black Hawk Down, and Pearl Harbor, as well as the CSI television series), put together a proposal that van Munster says does not necessarily support President Bush’s war plans. Instead, he says, the show is intended to personalize America’s fighting forces. “There’s nothing flag-waving about death. We have people getting killed on the show,” he says. “In many ways, I see this thing as much anti-war as it is a portrait of what these people are doing out there.” Bruckheimer insists that the Defense Department did not exercise any censorship whatsoever except in minor instances, such as the withholding of a Special Forces soldier’s last name. “They didn’t use any censorship whatsoever,” Bruckheimer says. “They were very cooperative.… They were very receptive to the concept of showing what US forces were doing in Afghanistan.” The show’s own film, shot on location in Afghanistan, is bolstered by Defense Department footage. [Los Angeles Times, 2/6/2003; Chicago Tribune, 2/26/2003; Washington Post, 3/9/2003; Progressive, 4/1/2003; Rich, 2006, pp. 32-33] The Progressive’s Andrea Lewis calls the show “reality television, war movie, documentary video, and military propaganda all rolled into one.” Other critics call it “a Pentagon infomercial.” Bruckheimer denies that the show is propaganda, but admits that he ensured the show would present the positive face of the military: “Put it this way. If I were to rent your apartment, I’m not going to trash it. It wouldn’t be right. So I’m not going to go and expose all their blemishes.” [Progressive, 4/1/2003; Television Week, 7/14/2003]
Documentary or Reality TV? - Chicago Tribune reviewer Allan Johnson writes of the first episode: “Stirring orchestral music and editing, framing and [quick] pacing… succeed in instilling enough patriotic feelings so that Bush should give the producers a cheer. Which raises the question of whether such advocacy is appropriate in these sensitive times.” The first episode provides what Johnson calls a reflection of standard reality-show characters: the serious-minded father figure (a captain who commands 150 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division); a gung-ho aircraft mechanic who tells the camera that the terrorists “had better be ready for some payback, and it’s going to continue until we end it;” a roguish Special Forces sergeant who says his job is to “find and kill all al-Qaeda;” the stockbroker-turned-soldier whose wife weeps uncontrollably as he leaves for Afghanistan; and others. One soldier says with a smile, “I couldn’t think of any place I’d rather be than right here doing my job, knowing I’m doing my part to keep America free.” Lewis calls the soldiers who are profiled for the series “good looking, articulate, and enthusiastic about what they’re doing… archetypes of characters you’d expect to see in a big-budget Bruckheimer film.” Answering the question of whether the show is reality television or straight documentary, Bruckheimer says, “I think it’s a little bit of both.” Van Munster adds: “I think documentary and reality are actually brother and sister. And it’s also cinema verite.” [Chicago Tribune, 2/26/2003; Progressive, 4/1/2003] Others disagree. “It raises all sorts of questions, which are exacerbated by the entertainment factor,” says Robert Lichter, president of the Center for Media and Public Affairs. “One check on war news becoming propaganda is the professionalism of journalists, which will be ostentatiously lacking.… Documentaries are inherently more informative than entertainment. ‘Reality’ programming turns the tables.” [Los Angeles Times, 2/6/2003]
Journalists Shocked at Wide Access Enjoyed by Show's Producers, Camera Teams - Many war correspondents are shocked at the level of access, and the amount of cooperation, between the Pentagon and ABC, especially considering the difficulties they routinely encounter in getting near any battlefields. Even a complaint from ABC News regarding the show’s broad access as contrasted to the restrictions forced upon their reporters is rejected by ABC’s parent company, Disney. “There’s a lot of other ways to convey information to the American people than through news organizations,” Quigley says. [Rich, 2006, pp. 32-33] Lewis writes: “During the months when Profiles was filmed, ‘real’ journalists weren’t allowed anywhere near the front lines, and news organizations had to survive on a limited diet of highly coordinated military briefings. Meanwhile, Profiles camera crews were given nearly unlimited access to US soldiers in Afghanistan.” CBS anchor Dan Rather says: “I’m outraged by the Hollywoodization of the military. The Pentagon would rather make troops available as props in gung-ho videos than explain how the commanders let Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda leaders escape or target the wrong villages.” [Progressive, 4/1/2003]
Show Used to 'Train' Pentagon for Embedding Journalists in Iraq - The Pentagon’s project officer for the series, Vince Ogilvie, later says that the interactions of the Profiles film crews and military personnel provided “a prelude to the process of embedding” media representatives in military units for war coverage in Iraq. The series had a number of different crews in different military units over its shooting schedule, Ogilvie will say: “Though they were not reporting on a daily basis, they were with the unit—living with the unit and reporting on what different individuals or units were involved in. With each passing day, week, month came a better understanding.” [Washington Post, 3/9/2003]
Show Not Renewed - The show will do extremely poorly in the ratings, and after its six-episode run is completed, it will not be renewed. [Rich, 2006, pp. 32-33] Van Munster will become involved in a shadowy Pentagon-driven project to document the Iraq occupation, of which little will be known. A Cato Institute official will say of that project: “This administration is fighting a PR battle over weapons of mass destruction and whether we’re getting bogged down in a quagmire. So maybe they want to frame their own message and own history about their time in Iraq.” [Television Week, 7/14/2003]
Entity Tags: American Broadcasting Corporation, Allan Johnson, Andrea Lewis, Cato Institute, Bush administration (43), Craig Quigley, Bertram van Munster, Robert Lichter, Jerry Bruckheimer, Dan Rather, Vince Ogilvie, Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, US Department of Defense
Timeline Tags: Domestic Propaganda, War in Afghanistan
President Bush holds a press conference—only his eighth since taking office—in which he conflates Iraq and Saddam Hussein with the 9/11 attacks and the global war on terror at least 12 times. For instance, he says: “Iraq is a part of the war on terror. It’s a country that trains terrorists; it’s a country that could arm terrorists. Saddam Hussein and his weapons are a direct threat to this country.” Perhaps his most alarming statement is, “September the 11th should say to the American people that we’re now a battlefield.” [White House, 3/6/2003; Salon, 5/4/2006; PBS, 4/25/2007] Bush insists that he has not yet decided to take military action against Iraq (see March 6, 2003). [Salon, 5/4/2006]
Scripted and Orchestrated - Oddly, none of the 94 assembled journalists challenge Bush’s conflations, no one asks about Osama bin Laden, and no one asks follow-up questions to elicit information past the sound bites Bush delivers. There is a reason for that. In 2007, PBS’s Bill Moyers will report that “the White House press corps will ask no hard questions… about those claims,” because the entire press conference is scripted. “Sure enough, the president’s staff has given him a list of reporters to call on,” Moyers will report. Press Secretary Ari Fleischer later admits to giving Bush the list, which omits reporters from such media outlets as Time, Newsweek, USA Today, and the Washington Post. After calling on CNN reporter John King, Bush says, “This is a scripted—” and then breaks into laughter. King, like his colleagues, continues as if nothing untoward is happening. Author and media commentator Eric Boehlert will later say: “[Bush] sort of giggled and laughed. And, the reporters sort of laughed. And, I don’t know if it was out of embarrassment for him or embarrassment for them because they still continued to play along after his question was done. They all shot up their hands and pretended they had a chance of being called on.” Several questions later, Bush pretends to choose from the available reporters, saying: “Let’s see here… Elizabeth… Gregory… April.… Did you have a question or did I call upon you cold?” The reporter asks, “How is your faith guiding you?” Bush responds: “My faith sustains me because I pray daily. I pray for guidance.” Boehlert will later say: “I think it just crystallized what was wrong with the press coverage during the run up to the war. I think they felt like the war was gonna happen and the best thing for them to do was to get out of the way.” [White House, 3/6/2003; Salon, 5/4/2006; PBS, 4/25/2007]
Defending the Press's Complicity - New York Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller, a participant in the conference, will later defends the press corps’ “timid behavior,” in Boehlert’s characterization, by saying: “I think we were very deferential because… it’s live, it’s very intense, it’s frightening to stand up there. Think about it, you’re standing up on prime-time live TV asking the president of the United States a question when the country’s about to go to war. There was a very serious, somber tone that evening, and no one wanted to get into an argument with the president at this very serious time.” [Salon, 5/4/2006]
Compliant Media Coverage - The broadcast news media, transmitting the live feed of the conference, could not have been more accommodating, author and media critic Frank Rich will later note. “CNN flashed the White House’s chosen messages in repetitive rotation on the bottom of the screen while the event was still going on—‘People of good will are hoping for peace’ and ‘My job is to protect America.’” After the conference, Fox News commentator Greta van Susteren tells her audience, “What I liked tonight was that in prime time [Bush] said to the American people, my job is to protect the American people.” [Rich, 2006, pp. 70]
Follow-Up Coverage Equally Stage-Managed - Boehlert notes that the post-conference coverage is equally one-sided. On MSNBC’s flagship news commentary show, Hardball, host Chris Matthews spends an hour discussing the conference and the upcoming invasion. Matthews invites six guests on. Five are advocates of the war, and one, given a few moments for “balance,” questions some of the assumptions behind the rationale for war. The five pro-war guests include an “independent military analyst,” retired General Montgomery Meigs, who is one of around 75 retired military officers later exposed as participants in a Pentagon propaganda operation designed to promote the war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). [Salon, 5/4/2006]
Entity Tags: Montgomery Meigs, USA Today, Washington Post, Time magazine, MSNBC, George W. Bush, Greta Van Susteren, Ari Fleischer, Bill Moyers, CNN, Chris Matthews, Elisabeth Bumiller, John King, Frank Rich, Eric Boehlert, Newsweek
US broadcast and cable news outlets begin covering the first US strikes against Iraqi targets (see March 19, 2003 and March 19-20, 2003), but, as author and media critic Frank Rich will later note, their coverage often lacks accuracy. News broadcasts report “a decapitation strike” (see March 20, 2003) that lead US viewers to believe for hours that Saddam Hussein has been killed. CNN’s title card for its strike coverage reads, “Zero Hour for Iraq Arrives”; during its initial coverage, CNN features New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who credits “a slew of information from defectors” and other “intelligence sources”—those who had provided the foundation for Secretary of State Colin Powell’s “impressive speech to the United Nations” (see February 5, 2003)—with the imminent discovery and destruction of Iraq’s WMD stockpiles. “One person in Washington told me that the list could total more than 1,400 of those sites,” Miller says. Pentagon PR chief Victoria Clarke, who had created both the Pentagon’s “embed program” of reporters going into battle with selected military units (see February 2003) and the “military analysts” program of sending carefully selected retired flag officers to the press and television news programs to give the administration’s views of the war (see Early 2002 and Beyond), has overseen the construction of a briefing room for press conferences from US CENTCOM headquarters in Qatar: the $200,000 facility was designed by a production designer who had worked for, among others, Disney, MGM, and illusionist David Blaine. Clarke and the Pentagon marketing officials succeed in having their term to describe the initial assault, “shock and awe,” promulgated throughout the broadcast and cable coverage. (Fox and MSNBC will soon oblige the Pentagon by changing the name of their Iraqi coverage programming to the official administration name for the invasion, “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”) During the assault, as Rich will later write, “the pyrotechnics of Shock and Awe looked like a distant fireworks display, or perhaps the cool computer graphics of a Matrix-inspired video game, rather than the bombing of a large city. None of Baghdad’s nearly six million people were visible.” Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon later says, “If you had hired actors [instead of the network news anchors], you could not have gotten better coverage.” [Rich, 2006, pp. 73-75]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, CNN, David Blaine, Frank Rich, Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, Judith Miller, Kenneth Bacon
Timeline Tags: Iraq under US Occupation, Domestic Propaganda
Technical Details Vs. Analysis - The retired officers do “reasonably well” in explaining what Cushman calls “the nuts and bolts of an operation, the technical details of weapons, the decisions facing American and British commanders.” Their speculations about what the Iraqis might be doing and thinking are more problematic. One analyst, retired Marine General Bernard Trainor, almost seemed to invite chemical or biological retaliation from the Iraqis when he told an MSNBC audience: “If he moves, we kill him; if he stays put, we kill him. And regardless of what they’re told to do over the network, whatever is left of the command and control, unless it comes down to using chemical weapons, then the rest of it is just ancillary. If this is going to be the communication of red telephone, if you will, to tell people to launch chemical weapons—and we’re reaching that point in the operation—if they’re going to use their stuff, they’d better start thinking about it, because pretty soon we’re in downtown Baghdad.” Clark, considered the most polished and urbane of the analysts, takes a different tack, and notes repeatedly that the analysts are careful not to give away details of current operations and thus endanger American troops. All of the analysts, Cushman writes, “emphasize the gravity of what the military is up to in Iraq.” As Clark told an audience, “It’s not entertainment.” [New York Times, 3/25/2003]
Entity Tags: MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, CBS News, Bernard Trainor, ABC News, Gregory Newbold, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Thomas Franks, US Department of Defense, Wayne Downing, Wesley Clark, NBC, New York Times, John Cushman, Jr
Self-Indoctrination - Rampton notes that while the Bush administration’s propaganda efforts often fail to produce the desired effects, at least to the degree desired, such persistent propaganda practices often have more success in “indoctrinating the propagandist themselves.… The discipline of ‘ensuring message consistency’ cannot hope to succeed at controlling the world’s perceptions of something as broad, sprawling, and contradictory as the Bush administration’s foreign policy. However, it may be successful at enabling people like George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld to ignore the warnings coming from Europe and other quarters. As our leaders lose their ability to listen to critics, we face the danger that they will underestimate the risks and costs involved in going to war.” [PRWatch, 4/2003]
Entity Tags: Donald Rumsfeld, Joshua Green, Sheldon Rampton, Bush administration (43), Clinton administration
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, pleased with the propaganda effort of his assistant Victoria Clarke and her use of retired military officers as media analysts to boost the administration’s case for war with Iraq (see Early 2002 and Beyond), sends a memo to Clarke suggesting that the Pentagon continue the propaganda effort after the war has run its course. He writes, “Let’s think about having some of the folks who did such a good job as talking heads in after this thing is over.” As the occupation lasts through the summer and the first signs of the insurgency emerge, the Pentagon quickly counters with its military analysts to reassure the American populace that everything is going well in Iraq (see Summer 2003). [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Donald Rumsfeld, Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, US Department of Defense, Bush administration (43)
Timeline Tags: US Military, Iraq under US Occupation, Domestic Propaganda
Fox News analyst Robert Scales, Jr. [Source: New York Times]Washington Post columnist Colman McCarthy notes that there are at least a dozen retired military officers giving supposedly independent opinion and commentary on the Iraq war to the various news networks. McCarthy writes: “Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been unhappy with the criticism of their war effort by former military men appearing on television. So am I, but for a different reason. The top people at the Pentagon are wondering why these ex-military talkers can’t follow the company line on how well the war has been fought. I’m wondering why these spokesmen for militarism are on TV in the first place.” McCarthy lists twelve: Lieutenant General Bernard Trainor, Major General Robert Scales, Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold, Major General Donald Shepperd, General Barry McCaffrey, Major General Paul Vallely, Lieutenant General Don Edwards, Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, Colonel Tony Koren, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, Major Jack Stradley, and Captain Chris Lohman. He asks rhetorically, “Did I miss anyone?” [Washington Post, 4/19/2003] In 2008, after the story of the massive and systematic Pentagon propaganda operation using at least 75 retired military officers to promote the war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) becomes public knowledge, Editor & Publisher’s Greg Mitchell answers the question, “[H]e sure did.” [Editor & Publisher, 4/20/2008]
For Us or Against Us - McCarthy concludes: “George W. Bush lectured the world that you’re either with us or against us. America’s networks got the message: They’re with. They could have said that they’re neither with nor against, because no side has all the truth or all the lies and no side all the good or evil. But a declaration such as that would have required boldness and independence of mind, two traits not much linked to America’s television news.” [Washington Post, 4/19/2003]
Entity Tags: NBC, Paul Vallely, Rick Francona, Ted Koppel, Robert Scales, Jr, Tony Koren, Thomas G. McInerney, Jack Stradley, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Greg Mitchell, Barry McCaffrey, Bernard Trainor, Brian Williams, Gregory Newbold, CBS News, ABC News, CNN, Chris Lohman, Don Edwards, Geraldo Rivera, George W. Bush, Fox News, Donald Shepperd, Donald Rumsfeld, Colman McCarthy
CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan reveals on the air that he had secured the Defense Department’s approval of which “independent military analysts” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) to give commentary on the invasion of Iraq. In 2000, Jordan vehemently denied that the Pentagon had any influence on the network’s choice of military analysts (see March 24, 2000). Jordan says: “I went to the Pentagon myself several times before the war started and met with important people there and said, for instance—‘At CNN, here are the generals we’re thinking of retaining to advise us on the air and off about the war’—and we got a big thumbs-up on all of them. That was important.” [CommonDreams (.org), 8/16/2007]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, CNN, Eason Jordan
Little Concern at the Networks - The networks are relatively uninterested in any potential conflicts of interest or possible promotions of ideological or financial agendas. Elena Nachmanoff, vice president of talent development at NBC News, dismisses any such concerns: “We are employing them for their military expertise, not their political views.” She says that the analysts play influential roles behind the cameras at NBC, helping producers decide on what to report and how to report it. But, she says, defense contracts are “not our interest.” Hume says that Fox “expect[s] the analysts to keep their other interests out of their commentary, or we stop using them.” Hume admits that Fox has never severed its connection with any analyst, though it is aware of Cowan’s, Bevelacqua’s, and Vallely’s ties to their respective defense firms. Interestingly, Vallely, the expert on so-called “psyops” warfare, developed a concept he called “MindWar,” a psychological propaganda strategy that uses, in his words, “electronic media—television and radio” in the “deliberate, aggressive convincing of all participants in a war that we will win that war.” Nation reporters Daniel Benaim, Priyanka Motaparthy, and Vishesh Kumar muse, “With the televised version of Operation Iraqi Freedom, we may be watching his theory at work—and at a tidy profit, too.” [Nation, 4/21/2003]
Entity Tags: The Nation, Raytheon, Priyanka Motaparthy, Veritas Capital, William Cowan, wvc3 Group, Vishesh Kumar, Wayne Downing, Robert Bevelacqua, NBC, Donald Rumsfeld, Daniel Benaim, Elena Nachmanoff, Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, Barry McCaffrey, Ahmed Chalabi, Bush administration (43), New York Times, Paul Vallely, Iraqi National Congress, Fox News, MSNBC, Metal Storm Ltd, Mitretek, Kim Hume, Integrated Defense Technologies
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Victoria Clarke lambasts Los Angeles Times columnist Robert Scheer for his reportage on the Jessica Lynch story (see April 3, 2003 and May 30, 2003). Scheer is frankly disbelieving of the sensational reporting surrounding Lynch’s capture and rescue, especially in light of recent reports that indicate the Pentagon’s version of events is anything but accurate (see May 4, 2003). In a letter to the Times, Clarke calls Scheer’s recent work a “tirade” and adds: “Scheer’s claims are outrageous, patently false and unsupported by the facts.… Official spokespeople in Qatar and in Washington, as well as the footage released, reflected the events accurately. To suggest otherwise is an insult and does a grave disservice to the brave men and women involved.” [Nation, 5/30/2007] It is later shown that Clarke, who heads the Pentagon’s military analyst (see Early 2002 and Beyond) and journalist embed (see February 2003) programs, is entirely wrong about her claims as to the accuracy of the Pentagon’s depiction of events (see June 17, 2003).
Entity Tags: Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, Jessica Lynch, US Department of Defense, Robert Scheer
As the first signs of the insurgency in Iraq begin emerging, and journalists begin reporting on the increasing violence in that supposedly liberated country, the Pentagon quickly counters with propaganda from its proven cadre of “military analysts”—returned military officers who proved during the run-up to war that they could present the Pentagon’s message about the invasion and occupation in an independent, authoritative, and effective manner (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). An internal Pentagon memo encourages its public relations officials to “re-energize surrogates and message-force multipliers,” beginning with its military analysts. The PR staff, led by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Victoria Clark, suggests taking a group of analysts on a tour of Iraq timed to coincide with President Bush’s upcoming request for $87 billion in emergency war financing. [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, US Department of Defense, George W. Bush
Late September 2003: Pentagon Sends Media Analysts on ‘Tour’ of Iraq for Propaganda Purposes
Fox analyst Paul Vallely. [Source: The Intelligence Summit]The Pentagon sends a group of retired military generals and other high-ranking officers—part of its team of “independent military analysts” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) on a carefully arranged tour of Iraq (see Summer 2003). The idea is to have the analysts counter the negative images being reported from Iraq about the upsurge in violence from the burgeoning insurgency. The Pentagon also wants the analysts to present a positive spin on Iraq in time to bolster President Bush’s request to Congress for $87 billion in emergency war financing. The group includes four analysts from Fox News, the Pentagon’s go-to media outlet for promulgating its propaganda and spin, one analyst from CNN and ABC, and several prominent members of research groups whose opinion articles appear regularly in the editorial pages of the largest US newspapers. The Pentagon promises that the analysts will be given a look at “the real situation on the ground in Iraq.”
Two Very Different Views of Reality - While the situation is rapidly deteriorating for the US—the American administrator, L. Paul Bremer, later writes that the US only has “about half the number of soldiers we needed here,” and has told Bush, “We’re up against a growing and sophisticated threat” at a dinner party that takes place on September 24, while the analysts are in Iraq (see September 24, 2003)—the story promoted by the analysts is starkly different. Their official presentation as constructed on a minute-by-minute basis by Pentagon officials includes a tour of a model school, visits to a few refurbished government buildings, a center for women’s rights, a mass grave from the early 1990s, and a tour of Babylon’s gardens. Mostly the analysts attend briefings, where one Pentagon official after another provide them with a very different picture of Iraq. In the briefings, Iraq is portrayed as crackling with political and economic energy. Iraqi security forces are improving by the day. No more US troops are needed to combat the small number of isolated, desperate groups of thugs and petty criminals that are spearheading the ineffective insurgency, which is perpetually on the verge of being eliminated. “We’re winning,” a briefing document proclaims. ABC analyst William Nash, a retired general, later calls the briefings “artificial,” and calls the tour “the George Romney memorial trip to Iraq,” a reference to former Republican governor George Romney’s famous claim that US officials had “brainwashed” him into supporting the Vietnam War during a tour there in 1965. Yet Nash, like the other analysts, will provide the talking points the Pentagon desires to his network’s viewers. Pentagon officials worry, for a time, about whether the analysts will reveal the troubling information they learn even on such a well-groomed and micromanaged junket, including the Army’s use of packing poorly armored Humvees with sandbags and Kevlar blankets, and the almost laughably poor performance of the Iraqi security forces. One Fox analyst, retired Army general Paul Vallely, later says, “I saw immediately in 2003 that things were going south.” But the Pentagon has no need to worry about Vallely or any of the other analysts. “You can’t believe the progress,” Vallely tells Fox News host Alan Colmes upon his return. Vallely predicts that the insurgency would be “down to a few numbers” within months. William Cowan, a retired Marine colonel, tells Fox host Greta Van Susteren, “We could not be more excited, more pleased.” Few speak about armor shortages or poor performances by Iraqi security forces. And all agree with retired general Carlton Shepperd’s conclusion on CNN: “I am so much against adding more troops.”
'Home Run' - The Iraq tour is viewed as what reporter David Barstow will call “a masterpiece in the management of perceptions.” Not only does it successfully promote the administration’s views on Iraq, but it helps fuel complaints that “mainstream” journalists are ignoring what administration officials and war supporters call “the good news” in Iraq. “We’re hitting a home run on this trip,” a senior Pentagon official says in an e-mail to the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Richard Myers and Peter Pace. The Pentagon quickly begins planning for future trips, not just to Iraq but to Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay (see June 24-25, 2005) as well. These trips, and the orchestrated blitz of public relations events that follow, are strongly supported by the White House.
Countering 'Increasingly Negative View' of Occupation - Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita will later explain that a “conscious decision” was made to use the analysts to counteract what Di Rita calls “the increasingly negative view of the war” coming from journalists in Iraq. The analysts generally have “a more supportive view” of the administration and the war; and the combination of their military expertise and their tremendous visibility make them ideal for battling what Di Rita and other Pentagon and administration see as unfairly negative coverage. On issues such as troop morale, detainee interrogations, inadequate equipment, and poorly trained Iraqi forces, Di Rita will say the analysts “were more likely to be seen as credible spokesmen.”
Business Opportunities - Many of the analysts are not only in Iraq to take part in the Pentagon’s propaganda efforts, but to find out about business opportunities for the firms they represent. They meet with civilian and military leaders in Iraq and Kuwait, including many who will make decisions about how the $87 billion will be spent. The analysts gather inside information about the most pressing needs of the US military, including the acute shortage of “up-armored” Humvees, the billions needed to build new military bases, the dire shortage of translators, and the sprawling and expensive plans to train Iraqi security forces. Analysts Cowan and Sherwood are two of the analysts who have much to gain from this aspect of their tour. Cowan is the CEO of a new military firm, the wvc3 Group. Sherwood is the executive vice president of the firm. The company is seeking contracts worth tens of millions of dollars to supply body armor and counterintelligence services in Iraq. The company has a written agreement to use its influence and connections to help Iraqi tribal leaders in Al-Anbar province win reconstruction contracts from the Americans. “Those sheiks wanted access to the CPA,” Cowen later recalls, referring to the Coalition Provisional Authority. And he is determined to provide that access. “I tried to push hard with some of Bremer’s people to engage these people of Al-Anbar,” he recalls. Fox military analyst Charles Nash, a retired Navy captain, works as a consultant for small companies who want to land fat defense contracts. As a military analyst, he is able to forge ties with senior military leaders, many of whom he had never met before. It is like being “embedded” with the Pentagon leadership, he will recall. He will say, “You start to recognize what’s most important to them…. There’s nothing like seeing stuff firsthand.” An aide to the Pentagon’s chief of public relations, Brent Krueger, will recall that he and other Pentagon officials are well aware of their analysts’ use of their access as a business advantage. Krueger will say, “Of course we realized that. We weren’t naïve about that…. They have taken lobbying and the search for contracts to a far higher level. This has been highly honed.” (Di Rita will deny ever thinking that analysts might use their access to their business advantage, and will say that it is the analysts’ responsibility to comply with ethical standards. “We assume they know where the lines are,” he will say.) [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: William Nash, wvc3 Group, US Department of Defense, Richard B. Myers, Peter Pace, William Cowan, Lawrence Di Rita, Coalition Provisional Authority, Charles Nash, Carlton Shepperd, CNN, Brent T. Krueger, David Barstow, ABC News, Alan Colmes, Fox News, Paul Vallely, George Romney, George W. Bush, Greta Van Susteren, L. Paul Bremer
2005 and Beyond: Private Firm Monitors Media Performance of Pentagon’s Military Analysts
Omnitec corporate logo. [Source: Omnitec Solutions]Since the Pentagon began using retired military officers as media “military analysts” to promote the Iraq war and occupation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), it has closely monitored the performance of those analysts. Among other methods, it retains the services of a private contractor, Omnitec Solutions, to scour databases for any mention of military analysts in the broadcast and print media. Omnitec uses the same tools as corporate branding experts to tabulate and evaluate the performance of those analysts. One Omnitec report, issued this year, assesses the impact of the analysts in the media after they were given a carefully programmed “tour” of Iraq by the Pentagon. According to the report, upon their return, the analysts echoed Pentagon themes and talking points throughout the media. “Commentary from all three Iraq trips was extremely positive over all,” the report concludes. [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Omnitec Solutions
January 14, 2005: Pentagon Official Wants ‘Core Group’ of Analysts Who Will ‘Carry Our Water’ in TV Appearances
A portion of Merritt’s e-mail discussing a ‘core group’ of analysts to ‘carry our water.’ [Source: US Department of Defense] (click image to enlarge)Pentagon official Roxie Merritt, the Director of Press Operations, sends a memo to several top Pentagon officials, including Larry Di Rita, the top public relations aide to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The memo reports on Merritt’s conclusions and proposals in the aftermath of a Pentagon-sponsored trip to Iraq by a number of military analysts. The trip is part of the Pentagon’s propaganda operation, which uses retired military officers to go on broadcast news shows and promote the administration’s Iraq policies (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). The memo is in several sections:
'Background' - “One of the most interesting things coming from this trip to Iraq with the media analysts has been learning how their jobs have been undergoing a metamorphosis. There are several reasons behind the morph… with an all voluntary military, no one in the media has current military background. Additionally we have been doing a good job of keeping these guys informed so they have ready answers when the networks come calling.”
'Current Issues' - “The key issue here is that more and more, media analysts are having a greater impact on the television media network coverage of military issues. They have now become the go to guys not only for breaking stories, but they influence the views on issues. They also have a huge amount of influence on what stories the network decides to cover proactively with regard to the military…”
'Recommendation' - “1.) I recommend we develop a core group from within our media analyst list of those that we can count on to carry our water. They become part of a ‘hot list’ of those that we immediately make calls to or put on an email distro [distribution] list before we contact or respond to media on hot issues. We can also do more proactive engagement with this list and give them tips on what stories to focus on and give them heads up on issues as they are developing. By providing them with key and valuable information, they become the key go to guys for the networks and it begins to weed out the less reliably friendly analysts by the networks themselves…
3.) Media ops and outreach can work on a plan to maximize use of the analysts and figure out a system by which we keep our most reliably friendly analysts plugged in on everything from crisis response to future plans. This trusted core group will be more than willing to work closely with us because we are their bread and butter and the more they know, the more valuable they are to the networks…
5.) As evidenced by this analyst trip to Iraq, the synergy of outreach shops and media ops working together on these types of projects is enormous and effective. Will continue to exam [sic] ways to improve processes.”
Response from Di Rita - Di Rita is impressed. He replies, “This is a thoughtful note… I think it makes a lot of sense to do as you suggest and I guess I thought we were already doing a lot of this in terms of quick contact, etc… We ought to be doing this, though, and we should not make the list too small…” In 2008, Salon commentator Glenn Greenwald will sum up the plan: “So the Pentagon would maintain a team of ‘military analysts’ who reliably ‘carry their water—yet who were presented as independent analysts by the television and cable networks. By feeding only those pro-government sources key information and giving them access—even before responding to the press—only those handpicked analysts would be valuable to the networks, and that, in turn, would ensure that only pro-government sources were heard from. Meanwhile, the ‘less reliably friendly’ ones—frozen out by the Pentagon—would be ‘weeded out’ by the networks (see May 10-11, 2007). The pro-government military analysts would do what they were told because the Pentagon was ‘their bread and butter.’ These Pentagon-controlled analysts were used by the networks not only to comment on military matters—and to do so almost always unchallenged—but also even to shape and mold the networks’ coverage choices.” [Salon, 5/10/2008]
Entity Tags: Donald Rumsfeld, US Department of Defense, Lawrence Di Rita, Roxie Merritt, Glenn Greenwald
January 17-18, 2005: Military Analysts Attribute Iran Article to ‘Disgruntled CIA Employees Who… Should be Taken out and Shot’; Report Back to Pentagon with Results
Chris Matthews. [Source: Montgomery College]Chris Matthews, the host of MSNBC’s Hardball, asks three of the Pentagon’s most reliable “military analysts” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond)—retired generals Montgomery Meigs, Wayne Downing, and Kenneth Allard—on his show to pillory a recent New Yorker article by Seymour Hersh that reveals Pentagon plans for an attack on Iran (see (Early January 2005)). Matthews calls the three “Hardball’s war council.” After the broadcast, Allard writes an e-mail to Pentagon public relations official Larry Di Rita, in which he says, “As you may have seen on MSNBC, I attributed a lot of what [Hersh] said to disgruntled CIA employees who simply should be taken out and shot.” [Salon, 5/10/2008]
Entity Tags: Wayne Downing, Seymour Hersh, Lawrence Di Rita, MSNBC, Montgomery Meigs, US Department of Defense, Chris Matthews, Kenneth Allard
June 21, 2005: Pentagon Looks to ‘Expand the [Media] Echo Chamber’
Jed Babbin. [Source: The Intelligence Summit]Three days before a group of military analysts are taken to Guantanamo by the Pentagon for an orchestrated “tour” (see June 24-25, 2005), one planning e-mail from Pentagon official Dallas Lawrence gives weight to the belief that the tour was arranged to prepare the analysts to deliver scripted talking points before the cameras (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Lawrence notes the importance of scheduling the Guantanamo trip to ensure that an analyst for the American Spectator, Jed Babbin, can participate: “He is hosting a number of radio shows this summer. I would have to think he would have every member of Congress on to talk about their trip together—a definite plus for us looking to expand the echo chamber.” Babbin will respond with a Spectator article lambasting Democratic critics of Guantanamo, and will be given an invitation to appear on Bill O’Reilly’s Fox News talk show. Pentagon public relations official Lawrence Di Rita is quite pleased by Babbin’s work, and in an e-mail to other Pentagon officials, says: “We really should try to help [Babbin]. He is consistently solid and helpful.” [Salon, 5/9/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, American Spectator, Bill O’Reilly, Dallas Lawrence, Fox News, Lawrence Di Rita, Jed Babbin
Timeline Tags: US Military, Torture of US Captives, Iraq under US Occupation, Domestic Propaganda
June 24, 2005: Pentagon Celebrates Analyst’s Performance on CNN
Pentagon official Dallas Lawrence, tracking military analyst Donald Shepperd’s performance on CNN (see June 24-27, 2005) as part of the Pentagon’s Iraq propaganda operation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), gives his one-word assessment of Shepperd’s performance: “Yes!!!!!” [Salon, 5/9/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, CNN, Donald Shepperd, Dallas Lawrence
June 27, 2005: Military Analyst Accuses Guantanamo Detainees of Abusing Soldiers, Follows Pentagon Script
Gordon Cucullu. [Source: The Intelligence Summit]“Independent military analyst” Gordon Cucullu, a former Green Beret, is an enthusiastic participant in the Pentagon’s Iraq propaganda operation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Cucullu has just returned from a half-day tour of the Guantanamo detention facility (see June 24-25, 2005), and is prepared to give the Pentagon’s approved message to the media.
Talking Points Covered in Fox Appearance - In an e-mail to Pentagon official Dallas Lawrence, he alerts the department to a new article he has written for conservative Website FrontPage, and notes that he has appeared on an early-morning broadcast on Fox News and delivered the appropriate talking points: “I did a Fox & Friends hit at 0620 this morning. Good emphasis on 1) no torture, 2) detainees abuse guards, and 3) continuing source of vital intel.” [Salon, 5/9/2008]
Op-Ed: Pampered Detainees Regularly Abuse Guards - In the op-ed for FrontPage, entitled “What I Saw at Gitmo,” he writes that the US is being “extraordinarily lenient—far too lenient” on the detainees there. There is certainly abuse going on at Guantanamo, Cucullu writes—abuse of soldiers by the detainees. Based on his three-hour tour of the facility, which included viewing one “interrogation” and touring an unoccupied cellblock, Cucullu says that the detainees “fight their captors at every opportunity” and spew death threats against the soldiers, their families, and Americans in general. The soldiers are regularly splattered with “feces, urine, semen, and spit.” One detainee reportedly told another, “One day I will enjoy sucking American blood, although their blood is bitter, undrinkable.” US soldiers, whom Cucullu says uniformly treat the detainees with courtesy and restraint (see August 8, 2002-January 15, 2003), are constantly attacked by detainees who wield crudely made knives, or try to “gouge eyes and tear mouths [or] grab and break limbs as the guards pass them food.” In return, the detainees are given huge meals of “well-prepared food,” meals which typically overflow from two styrofoam containers. Many detainees insist on “special meal orders,” and throw fits if their meals are not made to order. The level of health care they are granted, Cucullu says, would suit even the most hypochondriac American. Cucullu writes that the detainees are lavished with ice cream treats, granted extended recreational periods, live in “plush environs,” and provided with a full array of religious paraphernalia. “They are not abused, hanged, tortured, beheaded, raped, mutilated, or in any way treated the way that they once treated their own captives—or now treat their guards.” The commander, Brigadier General Jay Hood, tells Cucullu that such pampered treatment provides better results than harsher measures. “Establishing rapport” is more effective than coercion, Hood says, and, in Cucullu’s words, Hood “refers skeptics to the massive amount of usable intelligence information [the detainees] produce even three years into the program.” In conclusion, Cucullu writes, the reader is “right to worry about inhumane treatment” at Guantanamo, but on behalf of the soldiers, not the detainees. [FrontPage Magazine, 6/27/2005]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Dallas Lawrence, Fox News, FrontPage Magazine, Gordon Cucullu, Jay W. Hood
July 5, 2005: Pentagon Lists Specific Talking Points for Analysts, Pleased with Results
The Pentagon, tracking every bit of media coverage provided by the “independent military analysts” who are part of its Iraq propaganda program (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), is particularly pleased with the results of its half-day tour of Guantanamo for selected analysts (see June 24-25, 2005). Its tracking (see 2005 and Beyond) finds that Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Cucullu (see June 27, 2005) receives the most coverage during the almost two weeks after the tour, followed by Major General Donald Shepperd (see June 24-27, 2005). In all, the analysts made 37 media appearances. They emphasized the following talking points:
Prisoner/Guard Abuse -
“Most abuse is either toward US military personnel and/or between prisoners.”
“US military guards are regularly threatened by prisoners.”
“Some analysts stated there may have been past abuses at Gitmo but not now.”
'Prisoner Interrogations' -
“Interrogators are building relationships with prisoners, not torturing them.”
“We are still gaining valuable information from prisoners.”
Interrogations are very professionally run.”
'Quality of Prisoner Care' -
“Prisoners are given excellent treatment, including provision of any and all religious paraphernalia.”
“Special dietary requests are routinely granted.”
'Closing Gitmo' -
“Gitmo exceeds Geneva Convention requirements.”
“We should not close this facility and let dangerous terrorists out.” [Salon, 5/9/2008]
Entity Tags: Gordon Cucullu, Geneva Conventions, Donald Shepperd, US Department of Defense
August 3-4, 2005: Military Analyst Fired for Criticizing US Strategy in Iraq
William Cowan. [Source: The Intelligence Summit]Fourteen Marines die in Iraq. Hours after their deaths, William Cowan, a retired Marine colonel and Fox News analyst (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) who has grown increasingly uncomfortable with what he will later call the Pentagon’s “twisted version of reality” being pushed on analysts in briefings, telephones the Pentagon to advise officials that his upcoming comments on Fox “may not all be friendly.” He is then given a private briefing, quickly arranged by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s senior aides. But Cowan then tells Fox host Bill O’Reilly that it has been “a bad week” in Iraq, that many military officials he has talked to were “expressing a lot of dismay and disappointment at the way things are going,” and the US is “not on a good glide path right now” in Iraq. The repercussions are almost immediate. According to Cowan, he is “precipitously fired from the analysts group” for this appearance. The Pentagon “simply didn’t like the fact that I wasn’t carrying their water.” Cowan later recalls: “Suddenly, boom, I never got another telephone call, I never got another e-mail from them.… I was just booted off the group. I was fired.” Cowan will say that he and other analysts were given special access only “as long as they thought I was serving their purposes.… I drink nobody’s Kool-Aid.” The next day, the other analysts take part in a conference call with General James Conway, the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where he urges them not to let the Marines’ deaths erode support for the war. Conway is blunt, saying directly that the US citizenry is the main target of Pentagon propaganda. “The strategic target remains our population,” he tells them. “We can lose people day in and day out, but they’re never going to beat our military. What they can and will do if they can is strip away our support. And you guys can help us not let that happen.” An analyst chimes in, “General, I just made that point on the air.” Conway says, “Let’s work it together, guys.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008; Washington Post, 4/21/2008]
Entity Tags: Fox News, Bill O’Reilly, Joint Chiefs of Staff, William Cowan, James Conway, US Department of Defense
November 2-9, 2005: Military Analyst Claims Wilson Frequently Mentioned Wife’s CIA Status in Casual, Public Conversations; Claim Goes Uncorroborated
Retired Army General Paul Vallely, a military analyst employed by Fox News (see Early 2002 and Beyond, Late September 2003, April 14-16, 2006, and April 18, 2006), says that former ambassador Joseph Wilson revealed his wife’s status as a CIA official over a year before she was exposed by conservative columnist Robert Novak (see July 14, 2003). Vallely’s claims are published by WorldNetDaily (WND), an online conservative news site, after Vallely makes the claims on an ABC Radio talk show hosted by conservative commentator and blogger John Batchelor. Fox News has described Vallely as an expert on psychological warfare (see April 21, 2003). Vallely says Wilson openly discussed his wife, Valerie Plame Wilson, as a CIA official between three and five times in 2002, while the two waited to appear on various Fox News broadcasts. Both Vallely and Wilson served as analysts for Fox News during the US’s run-up to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. Vallely says the first time Wilson discussed his wife’s CIA status was in the spring of 2002. “He was rather open about his wife working at the CIA,” Vallely says. “He was a total self promoter,” Vallely continues. “I don’t know if it was out of insecurity, to make him feel important, but he’s created so much turmoil, he needs to be investigated and put under oath.” Vallely also says that several acquaintances of his at the CIA have said Wilson routinely introduced his wife as a CIA official at Washington cocktail parties and social events. “That was pretty common knowledge,” he says. “She’s been out there on the Washington scene many years.” If she were a covert agent, Valley says (see Fall 1992 - 1996), “he would not have paraded her around as he did.” Vallely concludes, “This whole thing has become the biggest non-story I know, and all created by Joe Wilson.” Conservative lawyer Victoria Toensing agrees that Plame Wilson is most likely not a covert agent for the agency. WND does not report Wilson’s response to Vallely’s charges, and in several critical references to a Vanity Fair interview given by the Wilsons (see January 2004) the blog misidentifies the date of the interview publication as 2005, not 2004. [WorldNetDaily, 11/5/2005]
CIA Confirmed Plame Wilson's Covert Status - The CIA has repeatedly confirmed Plame Wilson as a covert official, and many observers both inside and outside the agency have noted the extensive damage caused by her exposure (see Before September 16, 2003, October 3, 2003, October 11, 2003, October 22-24, 2003, October 23-24, 2003, and February 13, 2006).
Fox News, Conservative Blogs Report Claims - Three days after Vallely’s claims appear on WND, Fox News reports Vallely’s statements. [Fox News, 11/8/2005] And a day after the WND article, Batchelor announces on prominent conservative blog RedState that another analyst will confirm Vallely’s claims. Batchelor says that on November 7, Vallely and retired Air Force General Thomas McInerney will “repeat and expand upon Vallely’s memory that Joe Wilson more than once in 2002 in the green room at Fox New Channel in Washington, DC, boasted about his wife the ‘CIA desk officer.’ McInerney has the same memory and more, since both he and Vallely were on FNC between 150 and 200 times in 2002 each.” [John Batchelor, 11/6/2005]
Wilson Demands Retraction, Counters Claim - Wilson’s attorney, Christopher Wolf, e-mails both Vallely and WND demanding that they retract Vallely’s statements, writing that “the claim that Ambassador Wilson revealed to you or to anyone that his wife worked for the CIA is patently false.” In the e-mail, Wolf includes a message Wilson sent him: “This is slanderous. I never appeared on [TV] before at least July 2002 and only saw him maybe twice in the green room at Fox. Vallely is a retired general and this is a bald faced lie. Can we sue? This is not he said/he said, since I never laid eyes on him till several months after he alleges I spoke to him about my wife.”
Vallely Modifies Original Claim, Others Refuse to Confirm - Progressive media watchdog organization Media Matters notes that in subsequent days, Vallely modifies his original claims, backing down to claim that Wilson revealed his wife’s CIA status on “only one occasion,” which “probably was in that summer, early fall” of 2002. And promises that two other military analysts, retired generals McInerney and Barry McCaffrey, will back up his claims go unfulfilled, as neither is willing to publicly state that Wilson ever spoke to them about his wife. Vallely later says he has not spoken to the FBI about his claims, and tells conservative talk show host Sean Hannity that he waited two years to make the claims because “I figured Joe Wilson would self-destruct at some point in time.” He tells Hannity that he has been “upset” by Wilson’s opposition to the Bush administration’s strategy in Iraq. [Media Matters, 11/9/2005] Batchelor’s promise that fellow conservative commentator Victor Davis Hansen will also confirm the claim also goes unfulfilled. [John Batchelor, 11/6/2005] WND notes, “But contrary to a report, Hanson said Wilson did not disclose his wife’s CIA employment” during their conversations. [WorldNetDaily, 11/8/2005]
Fox News Schedule Shows Vallely, Wilson Never Appeared Together - Progressive blogger John Amato and former CIA agent Larry Johnson pore through the Fox News schedule for the time period Vallely cites—the spring of 2002—and find that Vallely and Wilson never appeared together during that time. Johnson writes: “They were never in the studio on the same day, much less the same program. Vallely is lying or maybe having a senior moment.” [John Amato, 11/7/2005]
Entity Tags: Sean Hannity, Robert Novak, Thomas G. McInerney, WorldNetDaily, Victoria Toensing, RedState (.com), Victor Davis Hansen, Paul Vallely, Valerie Plame Wilson, Larry C. Johnson, Barry McCaffrey, Christopher Wolf, Central Intelligence Agency, Fox News, John Amato, Joseph C. Wilson, Media Matters, John Batchelor
Timeline Tags: Niger Uranium and Plame Outing
April 14-16, 2006: Rumsfeld Counters ‘Generals’ Revolt’ with Military Analysts
After several of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s former generals go public with devastating critiques of Rumsfeld’s strategies and planning in Iraq in what comes to be nicknamed the “Generals’ Revolt,” Rumsfeld determines to use the Pentagon’s “military analysts” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) to counter the storm of negative publicity. He has his aides summon a clutch of analysts for a briefing with him (see April 18, 2006); his office reminds one aide that “the boss” wants the meeting fast “for impact on the current story.” Pentagon officials help two Fox analysts, former generals Thomas McInerney and Paul Vallely, write an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal entitled “In Defense of Donald Rumsfeld.” Vallely sends an e-mail to the Pentagon, “Starting to write it now,” and soon thereafter adds, “Any input for the article will be much appreciated.” Rumsfeld’s office quickly forwards Vallely a list of talking points and specifics. Shortly thereafter, a Pentagon official reports, “Vallely is going to use the numbers.” But on April 16, the New York Times, which has learned of the plan, publishes a front-page story about it, sending Pentagon officials into damage-control mode. They describe the session with McInerney and Vallely as “routine,” and issue internal directives to keep communications with analysts “very formal.” One official warns subordinates, “This is very, very sensitive now.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008; Washington Post, 4/21/2008]
Entity Tags: New York Times, Donald Rumsfeld, Fox News, Wall Street Journal, US Department of Defense, Thomas G. McInerney, Paul Vallely
April 16, 2006: Three Military Analysts Defend Rumsfeld from Other Generals’ Call for Resignation, Echo One Another’s Arguments
David Grange. [Source: CNN]CNN airs commentary from three of its “independent military analysts,” some of whom will later be cited as participants in the Pentagon’s Iraq propaganda operation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). The analysts are retired Army Brigadier General James “Spider” Marks (whom CNN will later fire for conflicts of interest—see July 2007), retired Air Force Major General Donald Shepperd, and retired US Army Brigadier General David Grange. The topic is Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and whether he should resign. After Marks confirms that Rumsfeld repeatedly refused requests from field commanders to send more troops into Iraq during critical battlefield moments (see April 16, 2006), CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer raises the issue of other retired generals calling for Rumsfeld’s resignation.
Grange - Grange dismisses the resignation demands as coming from “a small number of general officers…” Grange says he does not have a close relationship with Rumsfeld, but admits that he participates in “occasional” briefings with Rumsfeld and Pentagon officials. Grange says “it would be inappropriate [for Rumsfeld] to step down right now,” and adds that it really isn’t the generals’ business to make any such recommendations.
Shepperd - Blitzer plays the commentary of retired Army Major General Paul Eaton, who blames Rumsfeld for not putting “enough boots on the ground to prosecute” the Iraq war and has also called for Rumsfeld’s resignation, then asks Shepperd for his commentary. Shepperd, one of the most reliable of the Pentagon’s “independent analysts” (see June 24-25, 2005), says while Rumsfeld made some “misjudgments,” he should not resign. Like Grange, he questions the “propriety” of the retired generals’ speaking out on the subject. “It steps over, in my opinion, the line of the role of military general officers, active or retired, calling for the resignation of a duly appointed representative of the government by a duly elected government. That’s the problem I have with all of this. And it’s hard to have a rational discussion because you quickly get into, is the war going well or not, do we or do we not have enough troops, when the question is one of propriety about these statements.”
Marks - Marks adds his voice to the chorus, saying that “it’s not the place of retired general officers or anyone to make that statement.…[T]he country’s at war. You need to rally around those doing their best to prosecute it.” Though Marks stands with both Grange and Shepperd in defending Rumsfeld from calls for his resignation, he does note that he retired from the Army in part because of Rumsfeld’s cavalier treatment of two of his close friends, retired General Eric Shinseki (see February 25, 2003 and February 27, 2003) and General David McKiernan. [CNN, 4/16/2006]
Entity Tags: Wolf Blitzer, David Grange, David D. McKiernan, CNN, Donald Rumsfeld, Donald Shepperd, Eric Shinseki, James Marks, Paul Eaton, US Department of Defense
April 18, 2006: Military Analysts Confer with Rumsfeld on How to Shape Perceptions of War
Smarting from the media criticism sparked by the “Generals’ Revolt” and the subsequent revelation of Pentagon attempts to manipulate the media in response (see April 14-16, 2006), about 17 military analysts (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) meet with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Peter Pace. The subject, according to a transcript of the session, is how to marginalize war critics and pump up public support for the war. (Only Rumsfeld and Pace are identified by name in the transcript.) One analyst says bluntly: “I’m an old intel guy. And I can sum all of this up, unfortunately, with one word. That is Psyops [psychological operations]. Now most people may hear that and they think, ‘Oh my God, they’re trying to brainwash.’” Rumsfeld cuts the analyst off with a sarcastic comment: “What are you, some kind of a nut? You don’t believe in the Constitution?” Rumsfeld’s words draw laughter. Few of the participants discuss any of the actual criticism from the former generals.
'Illegal or Immoral'? - Interestingly, Rumsfeld acknowledges that he has been warned that his “information operations” are possibly “illegal or immoral.” He retorts: “This is the first war that’s ever been run in the 21st century in a time of 24-hour news and bloggers and internets and emails and digital cameras and Sony cams and God knows all this stuff.… We’re not very skillful at it in terms of the media part of the new realities we’re living in. Every time we try to do something someone says it’s illegal or immoral, there’s nothing the press would rather do than write about the press, we all know that. They fall in love with it. So every time someone tries to do some information operations for some public diplomacy or something, they say oh my goodness, it’s multiple audiences and if you’re talking to them, they’re hearing you here as well and therefore that’s propagandizing or something.” [US Department of Defense, 4/18/2006 ]
Iraq Losses 'Relative' in Comparison to 9/11 - The analysts, one after the other, tell Rumsfeld how “brilliant” and “successful” his war strategy is, and blame the news media for shaping the public’s negative opinion about the war. One participant says, “Frankly, from a military point of view, the penalty, 2,400 brave Americans whom we lost, 3,000 in an hour and 15 minutes [referring to the 9/11 attacks], is relative.” An analyst says: “This is a wider war. And whether we have democracy in Iraq or not, it doesn’t mean a tinker’s damn if we end up with the result we want, which is a regime over there that’s not a threat to us.” Rumsfeld agrees with the assessments. The biggest danger, the analysts agree, is not in Iraq, but in the public perceptions. The administration will suffer grave political damage if the perception of the war is not altered. “America hates a loser,” one analyst says.
'Crush These People' - Most of the session centers on ways Rumsfeld can reverse the “political tide.” One analyst urges Rumsfeld to “just crush these people,” and assures him that “most of the gentlemen at the table” would enthusiastically support him if he did. “You are the leader,” the analyst tells Rumsfeld. “You are our guy.” Another analyst suggests: “In one of your speeches you ought to say, ‘Everybody stop for a minute and imagine an Iraq ruled by al-Zarqawi.’ And then you just go down the list and say, ‘All right, we’ve got oil, money, sovereignty, access to the geographic center of gravity of the Middle East, blah, blah, blah.’ If you can just paint a mental picture for Joe America to say, ‘Oh my God, I can’t imagine a world like that.’” Several of the analysts want to know what “milestone” they should cite as the next goal; they want to, as one puts it, “keep the American people focused on the idea that we’re moving forward to a positive end.” The suggestion is to focus on establishing a new and stable Iraqi government. Another analyst notes, “When you said ‘long war,’ you changed the psyche of the American people to expect this to be a generational event.” They are also keenly interested in how to push the idea of a war with Iran. When the meeting ends, an obviously pleased Rumsfeld takes the entire group and shows them treasured keepsakes from his life.
Desired Results - The results are almost immediate. The analysts take to the airwaves and, according to the Pentagon’s monitoring system (see 2005 and Beyond), repeat almost verbatim the Pentagon’s talking points: that Rumsfeld is consulting “frequently and sufficiently” with his generals; that Rumsfeld is not “overly concerned” with the criticisms of his leadership; and that their briefing focused “on more important topics at hand,” including the next milestone in Iraq, the formation of a new government. Days later, Rumsfeld will write himself a memo distilling the analysts’ advice into bullet points. Two are underlined: “Focus on the Global War on Terror—not simply Iraq. The wider war—the long war” and “Link Iraq to Iran. Iran is the concern. If we fail in Iraq or Afghanistan, it will help Iran.”
'Total Disrespect' - At least one analyst is not pleased. ABC’s William Nash, a retired general, will recall, “I walked away from that session having total disrespect for my fellow commentators, with perhaps one or two exceptions.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: William Nash, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Donald Rumsfeld, Peter Pace, US Department of Defense
After April 18, 2006: Rumsfeld: Iraq and Iran Must be Linked in Public Perceptions
After a meeting (see April 18, 2006) with a selection of military analysts, retired officers chosen by the Pentagon for their ability to promote the administration’s Iraq policies on television (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld makes an interesting note to himself concerning the briefing. In his memo, which distills the analysts’ advice into bullet points, he writes: “Focus on the Global War on Terror—not simply Iraq. The wider war—the long war,” and “Link Iraq to Iran. Iran is the concern. If we fail in Iraq or Afghanistan, it will help Iran.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld
May 2006: Military Analyst Denied Access After Airing Criticism of Rumsfeld
Many of the retired military officers who appear on television news shows as “independent media analysts” are willing participants in the Pentagon’s Iraq propaganda operation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). However, not all are as compliant as the Pentagon would like, and as a result, they are denied the kinds of access that other, more “reliable” analysts receive. One analyst, Greg Kittfield, writes a cover story for the National Journal that features criticism by several retired generals of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. In return, Pentagon official Bryan Whitman e-mails his colleagues, saying, “Given this cover story by Kittfield, I don’t think we need to find any time for Kittfield on the Secretary’s calender.” [Salon, 5/9/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Bryan Whitman, Greg Kittfield, Donald Rumsfeld
May 23, 2006: Evidence Indicates Karl Rove May be Involved in Pentagon Propaganda Operation
Memo from Dallas Lawrence citing “karl and dorrance smith.” [Source: US Department of Defense] (click image to enlarge)Pentagon official Allison Barber circulates a memo destined for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Dorrance Smith. The memo suggests that “[b]ased on the success of our previous trips to Iraq with the Retired Military Analysts, I would like to propose another trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. Smith is referencing the Pentagon’s Iraq propaganda operation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), which uses retired military officers as “military analysts” for the various television news channels to promote the Pentagon and White House’s Iraq policies. The same day, Pentagon official Dallas Lawrence, who is directly involved in the propaganda operation (see June 21, 2005 and June 24, 2005), replies to Barber’s memo. Lawrence advises Barber to drop the request for an Afghanistan tour because it may not happen, and by leaving it out of the proposal, “we (you) won’t find yourself having to explain why it didn’t happen after he briefed it to karl at the weekly meeting.” The reference to “karl” cannot be proven to be White House political adviser Karl Rove, but, as Salon columnist Glenn Greenwald will note in 2008, “In the documents I reviewed, I haven’t seen any other ‘Karl’ referenced who works at the [Defense Department]. These are fairly high-ranking [Defense Department] officials and there aren’t many people they’re worried about having to explain themselves to (Smith’s position as Assistant Defense Secretary was one requiring Senate confirmation and he reported to Rumsfeld). Given the significant possibility that this program was illegal (see April 28, 2008 and May 6, 2008), and given [White House Press Secretary Dana] Perino’s denial of the White House’s knowledge of it (see April 30, 2008), this question—whether the ‘karl’ being briefed on the program was Karl Rove—certainly seems to be one that should be asked.” The likelihood that Rove is indeed involved in the propaganda program is bolstered by other Defense Department e-mails from Lawrence and other officials noting that they are attempting to have both President Bush and Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley (see April 30, 2008), an idea that “was submitted to karl and company from dorrance smith last week.” Greenwald will write that due to the proposed involvement of Bush and Hadley, the “karl” of the memos must by necessity be Karl Rove. If true, Rove’s involvement means that the White House is directly involved in a highly unethical and probably illegal (see April 28, 2008) domestic propaganda operation. [Salon, 5/16/2008]
Entity Tags: Dana Perino, Allison Barber, Bush administration (43), Dallas Lawrence, US Department of Defense, Dorrance Smith, Stephen J. Hadley, Karl C. Rove, Glenn Greenwald
Late 2006: Some Analysts Repeat Pentagon Talking Points despite Qualms, Disbelief
Thomas McInerney. [Source: New York Times]Several military analysts who serve as part of the Pentagon’s propaganda campaign to push the Iraq war and occupation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) emphasize their willingness to cooperate with the program even as they come to believe that they are being manipulated and deceived. NBC analyst Kenneth Allard, who has taught information warfare at the National Defense University, will later say that he has discerned an ever-widening gap between what he and his fellow analysts are being told and what subsequent investigation and book analyses will later reveal. Allard will say, “Night and day, I felt we’d been hosed.” Yet Allard continues to repeat Pentagon talking points on NBC. Other analysts feel fewer qualms. Thomas McInerney, a retired Air Force general and Fox News analyst, writes to the Pentagon regarding the talking points they have given him: “Good work. We will use it.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Kenneth Allard, Thomas G. McInerney, Bush administration (43), Fox News, NBC
Late December, 2006: Rumsfeld Derides Iraqi Prime Minister and US Ambassador; Misrepresents His Resistance to Sending More Troops
Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (see November 6-December 18, 2006) holds one of his final meetings with a group of retired military officers who serve as “independent analysts” for various television news broadcasts. The analysts are integral parts of a widespread Pentagon propaganda operation designed to promote the Iraq war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond).
Vitriolic Comments - Rumsfeld, who is accompanied by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter Pace, is unrestrained in his contempt for a number of Iraqis and Americans involved in the occupation. According to Rumsfeld, Iraq’s interim Prime Minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, is an ineffectual “windsock.” Anti-American Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is “a 30-year-old thug” who wants “to create a Hezbollah” in Iraq; al-Sadr, in Rumsfeld’s estimation, is “not a real cleric and not well respected. [Grand Ayatollah] Sistani has, of course, all the respect… and he doesn’t like him.… He opposes what he does, but he at the present time has (a) survived (b) does not have perfect control over the Sadr elements.” He lauds former US ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, a fellow neoconservative who now serves as the US ambassador to Iraq, but in the next breath lambasts Khalilzad’s successor in Afghanistan, Ronald Neuman. “The guy who replaced him is just terrible—Neuman,” Rumsfeld says. “I mean he’s a career foreign service officer. He ought to be running a museum somewhere. That’s also off the record. No, he ought to be assistant to the guy… I wouldn’t hire the guy to push a wheelbarrow.”
Rewriting History - When Rumsfeld is asked about former Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki’s statement that he believed it would take several hundred thousand US troops to keep the peace in post-invasion Iraq (see February 25, 2003), Rumsfeld attempts to rewrite history, suggesting that he was ready to send more troops, but the commanders on the ground did not want them. He is asked: “What’s become conventional wisdom, simply Shinseki was right. If we simply had 400,000 troops or 200 or 300? What’s your thought as you looked at it?” Rumsfeld replies: “First of all, I don’t think Shinseki ever said that. I think he was pressed in a congressional hearing hard and hard and hard and over again, well, how many? And his answer was roughly the same as it would take to do the job—to defeat the regime. It would be about the right amount for post-major combat operation stabilization. And they said, ‘Well, how much is that?’ And I think he may have said then, ‘Well maybe 200,000 or 300,000.’” Both Pace and an analyst tell Rumsfeld that Shinseki’s words were “several hundred thousand,” and Rumsfeld continues, “Now it turned out he was right. The commanders—you guys ended up wanting roughly the same as you had for the major combat operation, and that’s what we have. There is no damned guidebook that says what the number ought to be. We were queued up to go up to what, 400-plus thousand.… They were in the queue. We would have gone right on if they’d wanted them, but they didn’t, so life goes on.” [Chicago Tribune, 5/7/2008] In reality, Rumsfeld and his deputy Paul Wolfowitz publicly derided Shinseki’s estimation, and hounded him into early retirement for his remarks (see February 27, 2003). And one of the commanders in the field that Rumsfeld cites, General James “Spider” Marks, has already noted that Rumsfeld personally denied multiple requests from the field for more troops (see April 16, 2006).
Entity Tags: Sayyid Ali Husaini al-Sistani, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Hezbollah, Eric Shinseki, Donald Rumsfeld, James Marks, Ronald Neuman, Moqtada al-Sadr, Zalmay M. Khalilzad, Peter Pace, Paul Wolfowitz
Early 2007: Fox Analyst Asks How He Can Help Promote Surge
John Garrett, a retired Marine colonel, Fox News analyst (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), and lobbyist who helps defense firms win Pentagon contracts in Iraq, contacts the Pentagon just before President Bush announces the “surge” in Iraq (see January 10, 2007). Garrett tells Pentagon officials, “Please let me know if you have any specific points you want covered or that you would prefer to downplay.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Fox News, John Garrett, George W. Bush
May 10-11, 2007: CBS Fires Military Analyst for Participating in Anti-War Advertisement
John Baptiste, appearing on a CBS News broadcast. [Source: CBS News]CBS News fires retired Army Major General John Batiste as a paid “military analyst” after Batiste takes part in an advertisement that criticizes the Iraq strategy of President Bush. CBS says Batiste’s participation violates the network’s standards of not being involved in advocacy. CBS spokeswoman Linda Mason says if Batiste had appeared in an advertisement promoting Bush’s policies, he would have been fired as well. “When we hire someone as a consultant, we want them to share their expertise with our viewers,” she says. “By putting himself… in an anti-Bush ad, the viewer might have the feeling everything he says is anti-Bush. And that doesn’t seem like an analytical approach to the issues we want to discuss.” Batiste retired from the military in 2003, and since then has been an outspoken critic of the conduct of the war. In the advertisement, for the VoteVets Political Action Committee, Batiste said: “Mr. President, you did not listen. You continue to pursue a failed strategy that is breaking our great Army and Marine Corps. I left the Army in protest in order to speak out. Mr. President, you have placed our nation in peril. Our only hope is that Congress will act now to protect our fighting men and women.” [United Press International, 5/11/2007; CBS News, 5/11/2007] Two days after the ad aired, CBS fires Batiste. [Oregon Salem-News, 5/16/2007] Batiste, an Iraq veteran who describes himself as a “diehard Republican,” tells MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann that he and his colleagues at VoteVets are “patriots… VoteVets is not an antiwar organization. We’re focused on what’s best for this country. We’re focused on being successful and winning the effort against global terrorism.” He says he agreed to make the ad with VoteVets “because I care about our country, and I care about our soldiers and Marines and their families.” He says that because he is retired, he has the freedom to speak out. [MSNBC, 5/10/2007] The progressive political organization MoveOn.org calls the firing “censorship, pure and simple.” The Oregon Salem-News notes that CBS routinely employs analysts and commentators who advocate for the Bush administration, including former White House communications director Nicolle Wallace, who is, the Salem-News writes, “known for using her position to push White House talking points.” Wallace is also a consultant for the presidential campaign for Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and according to the Salem-News, CBS did not object when Wallace appeared on its broadcasts to promote his candidacy. [Oregon Salem-News, 5/16/2007] Batiste is not a participant in the Pentagon’s propaganda operation to promote the Iraq war that uses retired military officers as “independent analysts” to echo and elaborate on Pentagon and White House talking points (see April 20, 2008, Early 2002 and Beyond, and May 1, 2008).
Entity Tags: CBS News, George W. Bush, John Batiste, Bush administration (43), Linda Mason, John McCain, Move-On [.org], Nicolle Wallace, VoteVets, Keith Olbermann
July 2007: CNN Fires Military Analyst for Blatant Conflict of Interest
James Marks. [Source: Military Information Technology]CNN fires one of its “independent military analysts” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), retired Army general James “Spider” Marks, for using his position to help secure government contracts for his business. In 2004, Marks was hired as an analyst by CNN; about the same time, he took a senior management position at McNeil Technologies, where his job is to land military and intelligence contracts. As per CNN’s requirements, Marks disclosed that he received income from McNeil. But he was not required to describe what his job entailed, and CNN did not check any further. “We did not ask Mr. Marks the follow-up questions we should have,” CNN will admit in a written statement. For himself, Marks will say that it was no secret at CNN that his job at McNeil is about landing government contracts. “I mean, that’s what McNeil does,” he will say. But CNN will deny being aware of McNeil’s military business or what Marks does for the company. Marks was bidding on Pentagon contracts at the same time he was analyzing and commenting on the Pentagon’s military strategies for CNN, a clear conflict of interest. CNN will say that Marks should have been disqualified from working for the network as an analyst. During the summer and fall of 2006, for example, Marks regularly commented on the conditions in Iraq—lavishing glowing praise on the US military and the White House—while working to secure a $4.6 billion Pentagon contract for McNeil. In December 2006, Marks became president of a McNeil spin-off that won the huge contract. Marks will claim that he kept his analysis separate from his contracting work—“I’ve got zero challenge separating myself from a business interest”—but when CNN learns about his role in landing the contract, the network fires him. CNN will say, “We saw the extent of his dealings and determined at that time we should end our relationship with him.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: McNeil Technologies, CNN, US Department of Defense, James Marks, Bush administration (43)
March 27, 2008: Author Demonstrates Pro-War Bias of National Public Radio Reporting
Norman Solomon, author of War Made Easy, a study of the military’s influence on the US media and American public opinion, observes that while some commercial news networks are pointed out as unduly biased in favor of the administration’s viewpoint on Iraq, National Public Radio (NPR) is often viewed as a source of left-wing, anti-administration opinion. Solomon shows that just the opposite is usually the case. He begins by noting an NPR reporter’s comment on the Iraqi government’s large-scale military assault against Shi’ite insurgents in Basra today: “There is no doubt that this operation needed to happen.” Solomon writes, “Such flat-out statements, uttered with journalistic tones and without attribution, are routine for the US media establishment.” Solomon observed in the documentary film made from his book: “If you’re pro-war, you’re objective. But if you’re anti-war, you’re biased. And often, a news anchor will get no flak at all for making statements that are supportive of a war and wouldn’t dream of making a statement that’s against a war.” Solomon says that after considerable examination of NPR’s flagship news programs, “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” “the sense and sensibilities tend to be neatly aligned with the outlooks of official Washington. The critical aspects of reporting largely amount to complaints about policy shortcomings that are tactical; the underlying and shared assumptions are imperial. Washington’s prerogatives are evident when the media window on the world is tinted red-white-and-blue.” Like other news networks, NPR routinely uses Pentagon-approved “military analysts” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) to give commentary and analysis that is almost always supportive of the administration’s Iraq operations and strategies. Solomon writes: “Such cozy proximity of world views, blanketing the war maker and the war reporter, is symptomatic of what ails NPR’s war coverage—especially from Washington. Of course there are exceptions. Occasional news reports stray from the narrow baseline. But the essence of the propaganda function is repetition, and the exceptional does not undermine that function. To add insult to injury, NPR calls itself public radio. It’s supposed to be willing to go where commercial networks fear to tread. But overall, when it comes to politics and war, the range of perspectives on National Public Radio isn’t any wider than what we encounter on the avowedly commercial networks.” [CommonDreams (.org), 3/27/2008]
Entity Tags: National Public Radio, Norman Solomon
Early April, 2008: Gen. Petraeus Confers with Pentagon Media Analysts
David Petraeus. [Source: Princeton ROTC]General David Petraeus, the newly named commander of CENTCOM and the supreme commander of US forces in the Middle East, takes time out from testifying to Congress to speak in a conference call to a group of the Pentagon’s carefully groomed “military analysts,” whom it uses regularly to promote the occupation of Iraq and sell the administration’s Middle East policies (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). John Garrett, a retired Marine colonel and Fox News analyst, tells Petraeus to “keep up the great work.” In an interview, Garrett reaffirms his intention to continue selling the occupation of Iraq: “Hey, anything we can do to help.” [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, David Petraeus, John Garrett
Timeline Tags: US Military, Iraq under US Occupation, Domestic Propaganda, 2008 Elections
April 20, 2008: Pentagon Domestic Propaganda Campaign Revealed; Relies on ‘Military Analysts’
Former NBC analyst Kenneth Allard. [Source: New York Times]The New York Times receives 8,000 pages of Pentagon e-mail messages, transcripts and records through a lawsuit. It subsequently reports on a systematic and highly orchestrated “psyops” (psychological operations) media campaign waged by the Defense Department against the US citizenry, using the American media to achieve their objectives. At the forefront of this information manipulation campaign is a small cadre of retired military officers known to millions of TV and radio news audience members as “military analysts.” These “independent” analysts appear on thousands of news and opinion broadcasts specifically to generate favorable media coverage of the Bush administration’s wartime performance. The group of officers are familiar faces to those who get their news from television and radio, billed as independent analysts whose long careers enable them to give what New York Times reporter David Barstow calls “authoritative and unfettered judgments about the most pressing issues of the post-Sept. 11 world.” However, the analysts are not nearly as independent as the Pentagon would like for Americans to believe. Barstow writes: “[T]he Bush administration has used its control over access and information in an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse—an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.… These records reveal a symbiotic relationship where the usual dividing lines between government and journalism have been obliterated.”
Administration 'Surrogates' - The documents repeatedly refer to the analysts as “message force multipliers” or “surrogates” who can be counted on to deliver administration “themes and messages” to millions of Americans “in the form of their own opinions.” According to the records, the administration routinely uses the analysts as, in Barstow’s words, “a rapid reaction force to rebut what it viewed as critical news coverage, some of it by the networks’ own Pentagon correspondents.” When news articles revealed that US troops in Iraq were dying because of inadequate body armor (see March 2003 and After), a senior Pentagon official wrote to his colleagues, “I think our analysts—properly armed—can push back in that arena.” In 2005, Ten analysts were flown to Guantanamo to counter charges that prisoners were being treated inhumanely; the analysts quickly and enthusiastically repeated their talking points in a variety of television and radio broadcasts (see June 24-25, 2005).
Ties to Defense Industry - Most of the analysts, Barstow writes, have deep and complex “ties to military contractors vested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air.” The analysts and the networks almost never reveal these business relationships to their viewers; sometimes even the networks are unaware of just how deep those business connections extend. Between then, the fifty or so analysts “represent more than 150 military contractors either as lobbyists, senior executives, board members or consultants. The companies include defense heavyweights, but also scores of smaller companies, all part of a vast assemblage of contractors scrambling for hundreds of billions in military business generated by the administration’s war on terror. It is a furious competition, one in which inside information and easy access to senior officials are highly prized.” Some of the analysts admit to using their special access to garner marketing, networking, and business opportunities. John Garrett, a retired Marine colonel and Fox News analyst, is also a lobbyist at Patton Boggs who helps firms win Pentagon contracts, including from Iraq. In company promotional materials, Garrett says that as a military analyst he “is privy to weekly access and briefings with the secretary of defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other high level policy makers in the administration.” One client told investors that Garrett’s access and experience helps him “to know in advance—and in detail—how best to meet the needs” of the Defense Department and other agencies. Garrett calls this an inevitable overlap between his various roles, and says that in general, “That’s good for everybody.”
Exclusive Access to White House, Defense Officials - The analysts have been granted unprecedented levels of access to the White House and the Pentagon, including:
hundreds of private briefings with senior military officials, including many with power over contracting and budget matters;
private tours of Iraq;
access to classified information;
private briefings with senior White House, State Department, and Justice Department officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.
Conversely, analysts who do not cooperate take a risk. “You’ll lose all access,” says CBS military analyst and defense industry lobbyist Jeffrey McCausland.
Quid Pro Quo - Fox News analyst and retired Army lieutenant colenel Timur Eads, who is vice president of government relations for Blackbird Technologies, a rapidly growing military contractor, later says, “We knew we had extraordinary access.” Eads confirms that he and other analysts often held off on criticizing the administration for fear that “some four-star [general] could call up and say, ‘Kill that contract.’” Eads believes that he and the other analysts were misled about the Iraqi security forces, calling the Pentagon’s briefings about those forces’ readiness a “snow job.” But Eads said nothing about his doubts on television. His explanation: “Human nature.” Several analysts recall their own “quid pro quo” for the Pentagon in the months before the invasion (see Early 2003). And some analysts were far more aboveboard in offering quid pro quos for their media appearances. Retired Army general Robert Scales, Jr, an analyst for Fox News and National Public Radio, and whose consulting company advises several firms on weapons and tactics used in Iraq, asked for high-level Pentagon briefings in 2006. In an e-mail, he told officials: “Recall the stuff I did after my last visit. I will do the same this time.”
Repeating White House Talking Points - In return, the analysts have, almost to a man, echoed administration talking points about Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran, even when some of them believed the information they were given was false or inflated. Some now acknowledge they did so—and continue to do so—for fear of losing their access, which in turn jeopardizes their business relationships. Some now regret their participation in the propoganda effort, and admit they were used as puppets while pretending to be independent military analysts. Bevelacqua says, “It was them saying, ‘We need to stick our hands up your back and move your mouth for you.’” Former NBC analyst Kenneth Allard, who has taught information warfare at the National Defense University, calls the campaign a sophisticated information operation aimed, not at foreign governments or hostile populaces, but against the American people. “This was a coherent, active policy,” he says (see Late 2006). The Pentagon denies using the military analysts for propaganda purposes, with spokesman Bryan Whitman saying it was “nothing other than an earnest attempt to inform the American people.” It is “a bit incredible” to think retired military officers could be “wound up” and turned into “puppets of the Defense Department,” Whitman says. And other analysts, such as McCausland, say that they never allowed their outside business interests to affect their on-air commentaries. “I’m not here representing the administration,” McCausland says. Some say they used their positions to even criticize the war in Iraq. But according to a close analysis of their performances by a private firm retained by the Pentagon to evaluate the analysts, they performed to the Pentagon’s complete satisfaction (see 2005 and Beyond).
Enthusiastic Cooperation - The analysts are paid between $500 and $1,000 per appearance by the networks, but, according to the transcripts, they often speak as if the networks and the media in general are the enemy. They often speak of themselves as operating behind enemy lines. Some offered the Pentagon advice on how to outmaneuver the networks, or, as one said to then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, “the Chris Matthewses and the Wolf Blitzers of the world.” Some alerted Pentagon officials of planned news stories. Some sent copies of their private correspondence with network executives to the Pentagon. Many enthusiastically echoed and even added to administration talking points (see Early 2007). [New York Times, 4/20/2008] Several analysts say that based on a Pentagon briefing, they would then pitch an idea for a segment to a producer or network booker. Sometimes, the analysts claim, they even helped write the questions for the anchors to ask during a segment. [New York Times, 4/21/2008]
Consequences and Repercussions - Some of the analysts are dismayed to learn that they were described as reliable “surrogates” in Pentagon documents, and some deny that their Pentagon briefings were anything but, in the words of retired Army general and CNN analyst David Grange, “upfront information.” Others note that they sometimes disagreed with the administration on the air. Scales claims, “None of us drink the Kool-Aid.” Others deny using their access for business gain. Retired general Carlton Shepperd says that the two are “[n]ot related at all.” But not all of the analysts disagree with the perception that they are little more than water carriers for the Pentagon. Several recall being chewed out by irate defense officials minutes after their broadcasts, and one, retired Marine colonel Wiliam Cowan of Fox News, recalls being fired—by the Pentagon, not by Fox—from his analyst position after issuing a mild criticism of the Pentagon’s war strategies (see August 3-4, 2005). [New York Times, 4/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Thomas G. McInerney, Stephen J. Hadley, Timur Eads, wvc3 Group, William Cowan, Robert Scales, Jr, US Department of Defense, Robert Bevelacqua, Robert Maginnis, Richard (“Dick”) Cheney, CBS News, CNN, Carlton Shepperd, David Barstow, David Grange, Bush administration (43), Bryan Whitman, Fox News, Jeffrey McCausland, Alberto R. Gonzales, New York Times, Donald Rumsfeld, National Public Radio, Kenneth Allard, John Garrett, NBC, Rick Francona
April 21, 2008: Media Pundit Dismayed at Lack of Response from Media on Pentagon Psyops Campaign
CNN media critic Howard Kurtz writes a scathing op-ed expressing his dismay at the extent of the Pentagon’s secret propaganda operation to sell the Iraq war, and its use of retired military officers to promote its agenda and make its case on nightly news broadcasts (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Kurtz observes: “It’s hardly shocking that career military men would largely reflect the Pentagon’s point of view, just as Democratic and Republican ‘strategists’ stay in touch with aides to the candidates they defend on the air. But the degree of behind-the-scenes manipulation—including regular briefings by then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other officials—is striking, as is the lack of disclosure by the networks of some of these government and business connections. With an aura of independence, many of the analysts used their megaphones, and the prestige of their rank, to help sell a war that was not going well.… [T]he networks rarely if ever explored the outside roles of their military consultants.” While both the Pentagon and the various networks have defended their use of the military analysts, and the networks have tried to explain their failure to examine their analysts’ connections to an array of defense firms—“it’s a little unrealistic to think you’re going to do a big background check on everybody,” says Fox News executive producer Marty Ryan—the reality, as Kurtz notes, is far less aboveboard. Kurtz adds, “The credibility gap, to use an old Vietnam War phrase, was greatest when these retired officers offered upbeat assessments of the Iraq war even while privately expressing doubts,” a circumstance reported on the part of numerous analysts in the recent New York Times expose. [Washington Post, 4/21/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, CNN, Fox News, Howard Kurtz, Marty Ryan
April 22, 2008: Media Willing Participant in Pentagon Psyops Campaign, Experts Say
Peter Hart. [Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer]Following up on the New York Times’s story of the Pentagon “psyops” campaign to manipulate public opinion on the Iraq war in 2002 and beyond (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond), Democracy Now! examines the almost-total lack of antiwar voices “analyzing” the Iraq war and occupation on the mainstream news broadcasts and in the nation’s newspapers.
Disdain for Democracy - Retired Air Force colonel Sam Gardiner, who has taught at the National War College, says the program—which is still in effect—shows a “painful… disdain of the Pentagon for democracy.… They don’t believe in democracy. They don’t believe that the American people, if given the truth, will come to a good decision. That’s very painful.” He is disappointed that so many retired military officers would present themselves as independent analysts without disclosing the fact that they were (and still are) extensively briefed by the Pentagon and coached as to what to say on the air. The networks and newspapers function as little more than cheerleaders for the Pentagon: “[t]hey wanted cheerleaders, and they could have—without knowing the background that the analysts were being given inside information, they wanted cheerleaders, and they knew that cheerleaders gave them access.”
Media Complicity - Peter Hart, a senior official of the media watchdog organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), says that the Pentagon’s propaganda operation isn’t as shocking to him and his organization as is the level of complicity and enthusiasm from the news media. “They didn’t care what military contractors these guys were representing when they were out at the studio,” Hart says. “They didn’t care that the Pentagon was flying them on their own dime to Iraq. Just basic journalistic judgment was completely lacking here. So I think the story is really about a media failure, more than a Pentagon failure. The Pentagon did exactly what you would expect to do, taking advantage of this media bias in favor of having more and more generals on the air when the country is at war.”
Psyops Campaign - Gardiner says that the way he understands it, the Pentagon’s psychological operations (psyops) campaign had three basic elements. One was “to dominate the news 24/7.” They used daily morning briefings from Baghdad or Kuwait, and afternoon press briefings from the Pentagon, to hold sway over televised news programs. They used embedded journalists to help control the print media. A Pentagon communication consultant, public relations specialist John Rendon, said that early in the program, the Pentagon “didn’t have people who provided the context. We lost control of the military analysts, and they were giving context.” The Pentagon quickly began working closely with the networks’ military analysts to control their messages. The Pentagon’s PR officials rarely worked with analysts or commentators who disagreed with the administration’s stance on the war, Gardiner says, and that included Gardiner himself. “People that were generally supportive of the Pentagon were the ones that were invited.” Gardiner notes: “We’re very close to violating the law. They are prohibited from doing propaganda against American people. And when you put together the campaign that [former Pentagon public relations chief] Victoria Clarke did with these three elements, you’re very close to a violation of the law.” [Democracy Now!, 4/22/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Victoria (“Torie”) Clarke, Peter Hart, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Sam Gardiner
April 23, 2008: Former Washington Post Editor Asks Probing Questions about Pentagon Propaganda Operation
Barry Sussman. [Source: Nieman Watchdog]Former Washington Post editor Barry Sussman, the head of the Nieman Watchdog project at Harvard University, asks a number of pertinent questions about the recently exposed Pentagon propaganda operation that used retired military officers to manipulate public opinion in favor of the Iraq occupation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Sussman notes that “[t]he story has implications of illegal government propaganda and, possibly, improper financial gains,” and asks the logical question, “So what happened to it?” It is receiving short shrift in the mainstream media, as most newspapers and almost all major broadcast news operations resolutely ignore it (see April 21, 2008, April 24, 2008, and May 5, 2008). Sussman asks the following questions in hopes of further documenting the details of the Pentagon operation:
Does Congress intend to investigate the operation?
Do the three presidential candidates—Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and Republican John McCain, have any comments (see April 28, 2008)?
Since the law expressly forbids the US government to, in reporter David Barstow’s words, “direct psychological operations or propaganda against the American people,” do Constitutional attorneys and scholars have any opinions on the matter? Was the operation a violation of the law? Of ethics? Of neither?
Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld created the Office of Strategic Influence in 2001 (see Shortly after September 11, 2001), which was nothing less than an international propaganda operation. Rumsfeld claimed the office had been closed down after the media lambasted it, but later said the program had continued under a different name (see February 20, 2002). Does the OSI indeed still exist?
Did the New York Times wait an undue period to report this story? Could it not have reported the story earlier, even with only partial documentation? Sussman notes: “Getting big stories and holding them for very long periods of time has become a pattern at the Times and other news organizations. Their rationale, often, is that the reporting hasn’t been completed. Is reporting ever completed?”
Many of the military analysts cited in the story have close ties to military contractors and defense firms who make handsome profits from the war. Is there evidence that any of the analysts may have financially benefited from promoting Pentagon and Bush administration policies on the air? Could any of these be construed as payoffs? [Barry Sussman, 4/23/2008]
Entity Tags: Free Press, Office of Strategic Influence, Nieman Watchdog, Donald Rumsfeld, David Barstow, Barry Sussman, Barack Obama, John McCain, US Department of Defense, New York Times, Hillary Clinton
April 24, 2008: Armed Services Committee Chairman Angered by Reports of Pentagon Propaganda Operation
Ike Skelton. [Source: Washington Post]Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, says he is angered by the allegations of a secret Pentagon propaganda operation using retired military officers as supposedly independent media analysts (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). “There is nothing inherently wrong with providing information to the public and the press,” Skelton says. “But there is a problem if the Pentagon is providing special access to retired officers and then basically using them as pawns to spout the administration’s talking points of the day.” Skelton adds that he is deeply disturbed by the ties between the retired officers and various defense contractors. “It hurts me to my core to think that there are those from the ranks of our retired officers who have decided to cash in and essentially prostitute themselves on the basis of their previous positions within the Department of Defense,” he says. [Stars and Stripes, 4/26/2008]
Entity Tags: House Armed Services Committee, Ike Skelton, US Department of Defense
April 25, 2008: TV Networks Violated Journalistic Standards, Betrayed Audiences by Participating in Pentagon Propaganda Operation, Say Media Observers
The Center for Media and Democracy’s John Stauber and author Sheldon Rampton lambast the Pentagon for its recently revealed propaganda program that, in their words, “embed[s] military propagandists directly into the TV networks as on-air commentators” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). But Stauber and Rampton are even more critical of the media’s refusal to deal with the story. They note, “In 1971, when the [New York] Times printed excerpts of the Pentagon Papers on its front page (see March 1971), it precipitated a constitutional showdown with the Nixon administration over the deception and lies that sold the war in Vietnam. The Pentagon Papers issue dominated the news media back then. Today, however, [New York Times reporter David] Barstow’s stunning report is being ignored by the most important news media in America—TV news—the source where most Americans, unfortunately, get most of their information. Joseph Goebbels, eat your heart out. Goebbels is history’s most notorious war propagandist, but even he could not have invented a smoother PR vehicle for selling and maintaining media and public support for a war…”
Journalistic Standards Violated - According to the authors, the news outlets who put these analysts on the air committed “a glaring violation of journalistic standards.” They cite the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, which enjoins journalists and news outlets to:
Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived;
Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility;
Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity;
Disclose unavoidable conflicts;
Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable;
Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage; and
Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money.
Networks' Silence a 'Further Violation of Public Trust' - The networks who used these analysts observed none of these fundamental ethical guidelines. “They acted as if war was a football game and their military commentators were former coaches and players familiar with the rules and strategies,” Stauber and Rampton write. “The TV networks even paid these “analysts” for their propaganda, enabling them to present themselves as ‘third party experts’ while parroting White House talking points to sell the war.” Stauber and Rampton call the networks’ decision to almost completely ignore the story a further “violation… of the public trust…” They fix much of the blame for the Iraq debacle on the media, noting that the war “would never have been possible had the mainstream news media done its job. Instead, it has repeated the big lies that sold the war. This war would never have been possible without the millions of dollars spent by the Bush administration on sophisticated and deceptive public relations techniques such as the Pentagon military analyst program that David Barstow has exposed.” [PRWatch, 4/25/2008]
Entity Tags: Joseph Goebbels, Society of Professional Journalists, New York Times, John Stauber, David Barstow, Center for Media and Democracy, Nixon administration, Sheldon Rampton, US Department of Defense, Bush administration (43)
April 26, 2008: Pentagon Suspends Military Analysts Briefings for Review
The Pentagon temporarily halts its program of briefing “independent military analysts” for their appearances on US television news broadcasts after a New York Times article alleges that the military analysts are part of a systematic propaganda and disinformation campaign (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). The announcement comes from Robert Hastings, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. Hastings says he is concerned about allegations that the Pentagon’s relationship with the retired military officers may be improper, and is reviewing the program. “Following the allegations, the story that is printed in the New York Times, I directed my staff to halt, to suspend the activities that may be ongoing with retired military analysts to give me time to review the situation,” Hastings says. He says he did not discuss the matter with Defense Secretary Robert Gates before making his decision. [Stars and Stripes, 4/26/2008; New York Times, 4/26/2008]
Entity Tags: Robert Hastings, Robert M. Gates, US Department of Defense, New York Times
April 28, 2008: Democrats Call for Investigations, Further Information about Pentagon Propaganda Operation
Rosa DeLauro. [Source: Washington Post]A group of Democrats in Congress, dismayed and angered by recent revelations of a secret Pentagon propaganda campaign to manipulate public opinion regarding Iraq (see April 20, 2008, Early 2002 and Beyond, and April 24, 2008), calls for explanations from the parties involved. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, asks Defense Secretary Robert Gates to investigate the program. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) writes to the heads of the five major television networks, asking each to provide more information about their practices for vetting and hiring so-called “independent military analysts” to provide commentary and opinion about Iraq and other US military operations and strategies. DeLauro writes, “When you put analysts on the air without fully disclosing their business interests, as well as relationships with high-level officials within the government, the public trust is betrayed.” [New York Times, 4/26/2008] Senator John Kerry (D-MA) calls on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct its own investigation. Kerry asks for “the names of all senior Pentagon officials involved in this effort, and the extent of that effort; [t]he extent of the contact between Pentagon officials and the military analysts in question regarding what was said by the analysts over the public airwaves”; what financial interests the analysts had “that were in some way linked to their analysis, including a list of federal contracts that are in any way linked to the companies that employ any of the analysts in question”; to what extent those financial interests were used by Pentagon officials “to promote misleading, inaccurate or false information through the media”; how much, if any, of those interests were disclosed to the media outlets and to the public; if the propaganda program is in any way illegal; what procedures ensure that the analysts aren’t using their access to further their own business interests; and what steps Congress and the Pentagon can take “to ensure that this type of effort is not repeated.” [Senator John Kerry, 4/28/2008]
Entity Tags: John Kerry, Robert M. Gates, Rosa DeLauro, US Department of Defense, Carl Levin, Government Accountability Office
April 29, 2008: NBC Anchorman Defends Network’s Military Analysts
Brian Williams. [Source: The Onion.com]NBC News anchor Brian Williams staunchly defends NBC’s use of two military analysts, Barry McCaffrey and the late Wayne Downing, in his response to recent stories about the Pentagon’s well-orchestrated propaganda campaign using retired military officers to promote the Bush administration’s agenda in the mainstream media (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Williams notes that he quickly became friends with both analysts, and toured Iraq four times with Downing. Williams says that neither Downing nor McCaffrey ever “gave what I considered to be the party line,” and both, particularly McCaffrey, often criticized the administration’s policies in Iraq. He calls them “tough, honest critics of the US military effort in Iraq,” “passionate patriots,” and “honest brokers” of information. He says that when they went to the Pentagon for briefings, “[t]hey never came back spun, and never attempted a conversion.” He calls them “warriors-turned-analysts, not lobbyists or politicians.” Williams also lauds a third military analyst, retired Army colonel Jack Jacobs. Jacobs, a Medal of Honor winner, is a “rock-solid” analysts who “has never hesitated to take a whack at the Pentagon brass.” After his defense of NBC’s analysts, Williams writes: “I think it’s fair, of course, to hold us to account for the military analysts we employ, inasmuch as we can ever fully know the ‘off-duty’ actions of anyone employed on an ‘of counsel’ basis by us. I can only account for the men I know best. The Times article was about the whole lot of them—including instances involving other networks and other experts, who can answer for themselves. At no time did our analysts, on my watch or to my knowledge, attempt to push a rosy Pentagon agenda before our viewers. I think they are better men than that, and I believe our news division is better than that.” [MSNBC, 4/29/2008]
Entity Tags: Bush administration (43), Barry McCaffrey, Brian Williams, US Department of Defense, Jack Jacobs, NBC, Wayne Downing
Late April, 2008: Five Military Analysts Dispute Their Participation in Pentagon Propaganda Operation
Five retired military officers respond harshly to a recent New York Times article that revealed a systematic propaganda operation conducted by the Pentagon and carried out, in part, by retired military officers serving as military analysts for the print and broadcast media (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). All five have performed as analysts for a variety of US media outlets; some still do. The five are:
Retired Air Force general Thomas G. McInerney;
Retired Army general Paul Vallely;
Retired Navy captain Charles Nash;
Retired Marine lieutenant colonel William Cowan; and
Retired intelligence officer Wayne Simmons.
Intelligence Summit Members - All five are part of an organization called the International Intelligence Summit, which describes itself as “a non-partisan, non-profit, neutral forum that uses private charitable funds to bring together intelligence agencies of the free world and the emerging democracies.” McInerney and Vallely are executive board members, as is retired Navy commander Richard Marcinko, author of the Rogue Warrior series of pulp fiction novels.
Criticism of NYT Article - The five accuse the Times article, by reporter David Barstow, of “malign[ing] virtually all military analysts, accusing some of being tools of a Pentagon propaganda machine,” an assertion that they state “is flatly wrong.” They state: “We have never stated anything about defense or national security that we did not believe to be true. Equally important, we also have served the essential wartime function of helping civilians be better informed about our military, our enemies, and how the war is being conducted.” They note that some of them had “similar arrangement[s]” with the Clinton administration.
'Unconscionable Libel' - They accuse Barstow of reporting “old news,” and call his assertion that they “intentionally misled the American people for partisan political purposes or some quid pro quo personal gain… an unconscionable libel of our honor and long service to this nation.” They explain their participation in Pentagon public relations briefings as stemming from the Pentagon’s belief that “we had the credentials to do so as military professionals,” and argue, “When it comes to discussing needs and tactics of the US military, who is better suited to give advice and reliable commentary on war and peace issues than those who have spent so much of their lives in this profession?” They assert their belief that the US must “defeat Radical Islam which threatens our nation and the Free World,” and say that they “will continue to speak out honestly to the American people about national security threats” because it is “our duty.” [Tom McInerney, Paul Vallely, Charles Nash, Bill Cowan, and Wayne Simmons, 4/2008]
Entity Tags: Charles Nash, Paul Vallely, Richard Marcinko, Wayne Simmons, William Cowan, Thomas G. McInerney
May 1, 2008: Former CBS News President Calls Pentagon Propaganda Operation ‘A Deliberate Attempt to Deceive the Public’
Former CBS News president Andrew Heyward calls the recently revealed Pentagon propaganda program for the promotion of the Iraq war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) “a deliberate attempt to deceive the public,” adding, “Analysts whose real allegiance was to the Pentagon and who apparently were given at least special access for that allegiance were presented as analysts whose allegiance was to the networks and, therefore, the public.” Heywood left CBS News in 2005. Former Army Major General John Batiste calls the operation “a very deliberate attempt on the part of the administration to shape public opinion.” Batiste, who commanded an infantry division in Iraq before retiring from the military in 2005 to speak out against Bush administration policies in the Middle East, was an analyst for CBS News for a brief time. However, unlike the analysts in the propaganda operation, Batiste was never invited to any Pentagon briefings and thus not exposed to the full brunt of the Pentagon’s public relations messaging offensive. “It also sounded to me as if they were parroting administration talking points,” he says. “It sounded very much to me like I was up against an information operation. I had no idea that it was so extensive.” National Public Radio’s managing editor, Brian Duffy, says that in light of the revelations about the propaganda operation, NPR is reviewing its policies towards using retired military officers as analysts and “asking more rigorous questions about anyone that we’re paying as a consultant.” [PBS, 5/1/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Andrew Heyward, Brian Duffy, National Public Radio, John Batiste, CBS News
May 5, 2008: Media Commentator: Networks ‘Ducking’ Pentagon Propaganda Story ‘Big Time’
CBS News and Washington Post media commentator Howard Kurtz is asked during an online question and answer session about the Pentagon’s recently reported propaganda campaign mounted through the mainstream news media (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). The questioner asks, “Why do you think the networks still are silent on this?” Kurtz replies, “I can only conclude that the networks are staying away from what would otherwise be a legitimate news story because they are embarrassed about what some of their military analysts did or don’t want to give the controversy more prominence.” Another questioner asks if he has missed coverage of the story, and Kurtz replies: “You didn’t miss it. It’s just not there. The networks are ducking this one, big time.” [Washington Post, 5/5/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Brian Williams, NBC, Howard Kurtz
May 6, 2008: Democrats Request FCC Investigation of Pentagon Propaganda Operation
John Dingell. [Source: MSNBC]Democratic representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and John Dingell (D-MI) write a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin J. Martin, urging that his agency begin an immediate investigation of the Pentagon’s recently revealed propaganda operation (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). DeLauro has already written requests for explanations to five different networks, and has received only two responses (see May 2, 2008 and April 29, 2008). DeLauro and Dingell want to know whether the operation violated the Communications Act of 1934 and/or FCC rules, particularly the sponsorship identification requirements. “While we deem the DoD’s [Defense Department’s] policy unethical and perhaps illegal,” they write, “we also question whether the analysts and the networks are potentially equally culpable pursuant to the sponsorship identification requirements in the Communications Act of 1934… and the rules of the Federal Communications Commission.… It could appear that some of these analysts were indirectly paid for fostering the Pentagon’s views on these critical issues. Our chief concern is that as a result of the analysts’ participation in this [Defense Department] program, which included the [Defense Department]‘s paying for their commercial airfare on [Defense Department]-sponsored trips to Iraq, the analysts and the networks that hired them could have run afoul of certain laws or regulations.” DeLauro and Dingell conclude: “When seemingly objective television commentators are in fact highly motivated to promote the agenda of a government agency, a gross violation of the public trust occurs. The American people should never be subject to a covert propaganda campaign but rather should be clearly notified of who is sponsoring what they are watching.” [US House of Representatives, 5/6/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Federal Communications Commission, John Dingell, Kevin J. Martin, Rosa DeLauro
May 8, 2008: FCC Commissioner Decries Pentagon Propaganda Operation
Michael J. Copps. [Source: Cable's Leaders in Learning (.org)]The Pentagon’s propaganda operation—using military analysts in media outlets to promote the administration’s policies in Iraq (see Early 2002 and Beyond), as recently revealed in the New York Times (see April 20, 2008)—draws a sharp reaction from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Michael J. Copps. Copps, a Democrat, applauds the efforts of Democratic lawmakers and political bloggers to keep pushing for accountability (see May 8, 2008), saying: “President Eisenhower warned against the excesses of a military-industrial complex. I’d like to think that hasn’t morphed into a military-industrial-media complex, but reports of spinning the news through a program of favored insiders don’t inspire a lot of confidence.” The propaganda operation was “created in order to give military analysts access in exchange for positive coverage of the Iraq war,” Copps adds. [Politico, 5/8/2008]
Entity Tags: Federal Communications Commission, Michael J. Copps, US Department of Defense
May 9, 2008: Pentagon Posts Military Analyst Documents
The Pentagon posts the more than 8,000 pages of documents, transcripts, and audio tapes it was forced to release to the New York Times as evidence of its ongoing propaganda campaign to manipulate public opinion concerning Iraq (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). The only explanation given on the Web site is, “These documents were released to the New York Times regarding the Pentagon’s Military Analyst program.” [Staff, 5/9/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, New York Times, Office of the Secretary of Defense
May 12, 2008: Editorial Decries Pentagon’s ‘Spin Operation,’ Labels TV News Providers ‘Enablers’
An editorial from the St. Petersburg Times rails against the recently revealed Pentagon propaganda operation that uses retired military officers to promote the administration’s policies in Iraq (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). “We were duped,” the editorial begins, and calls the Pentagon program a “spin operation.” The retired military officers serving as network analysts “are not as independent or as objective as they are portrayed,” the editorial continues. “They are feeding the public the Bush administration line just as they have been encouraged to do. The shilling then bought them plum access to the Pentagon that could be traded on later, giving them a leg up in securing large military contracts for their companies and clients.” The editorial calls the networks and cable news outlets that hired and televised these analysts “enablers in this propaganda campaign,” and lambasts them for not bothering to investigate their analysts’ connections to either the Defense Department or to defense contractors with vested interests in Iraq: “These former military officers were unlikely to give a fair reading of the war in Iraq when their corporate clients were paying huge sums for friendly Pentagon access so they could win business off the war.” [St. Petersburg Times, 5/12/2008]
Entity Tags: Bush administration (43), St. Petersburg Times, US Department of Defense
May 14, 2008: Washington Post Columnist: ‘Hard to Imagine’ White House Was Not Involved in Pentagon Propaganda Operation
Washington Post political reporter and columnist Dan Froomkin, in an online chat with Post readers, gets the following question: “It looks like the Pentagon may have been behind ‘planting’ retired officers as analysts for news outlets (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Do you think this can be tied to the White House? Is their any evidence of White House involvement?” Froomkin responds, “There’s no question at all that the Pentagon organized it. As for White House involvement, that’s a very good question. There’s no hard evidence thus far, but I’m not sure anyone’s really digging for it—and it’s hard to imagine they weren’t plugged in to some extent.” [Washington Post, 5/14/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Bush administration (43), Dan Froomkin
May 19, 2008: Former NSA Director ‘Shocked’ by Pentagon Propaganda Operation
William Odom. [Source: Brendan Smialowski / Bloomberg News]Retired Lieutenant General William Odom, former director of the National Security Agency (NSA) under Ronald Reagan, says that he is “shocked” by the revelations of a propaganda campaign mounted by the Pentagon to manipulate public opinion regarding Iraq (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). Odom says: “Well, I was a little shocked by it.… My own sense of my obligations and my officer’s honor in the past would make me think that’s not a proper thing to do.… But I don’t think they’ll be able to defend that position publicly very well, particularly because of its sort of conspiratorial nature. I think it’s quite legitimate for military officers to talk to a number of people in the Pentagon, but to be part of a recurring meeting that is designed to shape the public opinion—that’s a strange thing for officers to be willing to do, in my view.” [WAMU-FM American University, 5/19/2008; Think Progress, 5/19/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, National Security Agency, Ronald Reagan, William Odom
May 22, 2008: House Votes to Prohibit Pentagon Propaganda Operations, Authorizes GAO Investigation
The House passes an amendment to the 2009 Defense Authorization Bill; the amendment, written by Representative Paul Hodes (D-NH), will, if it becomes law, prohibit the Pentagon from engaging in propaganda programs like the one revealed by the New York Times (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). The amendment also requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch an investigation of the Pentagon’s propaganda program. Hodes says on the floor of the House: “In a free and democratic society, our government should never use the public airwaves to propagandize our citizens. Congress cannot allow an administration to manipulate the public with false propaganda on matters of war and our national security.… This amendment will ensure that no money authorized in this act will be used for a propaganda program, and require a report to Congress by both the Defense Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office on whether previous restrictions on propaganda have been violated. It’s time for the American people to finally know the truth.” [US House of Representatives, 5/22/2008]
Entity Tags: US Department of Defense, Government Accountability Office, Paul Hodes, New York Times
April 8-9, 2009: Retired General Promotes Defunded Fighter during Fox News Appearance
Retired Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney appears on Fox News to discuss piracy off the coast of Somalia. During the discussion, McInerney offers a plug for the F-22 Raptor fighter plane currently facing defunding (see March 17, 2009). McInerney says: “I’d put F-22s and combat air patrol out there, two of them, with tankers.… The reason I’d put the F-22s is because they can go 1.6 to Mach 2, and they have a very quick reaction time and a 20 millimeter cannon.” Neither McInerney nor Fox News informs their viewers that McInerney is a former consultant to Northrop Grumman, the defense contractor who builds the F-22. [Think Progress, 4/9/2009] The day after McInerney’s appearance, reporter Ryan Tate observes that McInerney has been involved in previous instances of promoting defense contractors’ interests on television news shows (see Early 2002 and Beyond, April 19, 2003, April 14-16, 2006, Late 2006, and Late April, 2008). Of the F-22, Tate writes: “He neglected to mention virtually every US fighter made in the last 30 years carries such a cannon (usually the six-barrel M-61 Vulcan), including the F/A-18 Hornet already in use by the US Navy.… He also fails to mention that, no matter how fast the F-22 might be, it can’t be based off an aircraft carrier. So its reaction time could never be as good (from a land base on, say, the Arabian Peninsula) as a Hornet or other existing Navy jet floating in the waters nearest the pirates. Finally, McInerney fails to mention that, though capable of ground attack, the F-22 is optimized for air-to-air operations, i.e., shooting down other fighters.” [Gawker, 4/9/2009]
Entity Tags: Thomas G. McInerney, Fox News, Northrop Grumman, Ryan Tate, US Department of the Navy
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line171
|
__label__wiki
| 0.923652
| 0.923652
|
This page can be viewed at http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=military_analysts_tmln&startpos=300
Domestic Propaganda and the News Media
Project: Domestic Propaganda and the News Media
previous | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 | next
Mid-January 2003: Pentagon White Paper Proposes Creation of a ‘Rapid Reaction Media Team’ to Control Iraqi Media
Two Pentagon offices—the Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict Office and the Office of Special Plans—prepare a white paper and slide presentation recommending the creation of a “Rapid Reaction Media Team” (RRMT) that would maintain control over major Iraqi media organizations while still projecting an Iraqi “face.” The first phase of the one-to-two-year “strategic information campaign” would last six months and cost $51 million. The paper states that the “RRMT concept focuses on USG-UK [“USG” stands for US government] pre-and post hostilities efforts to develop programming, train talent, and rapidly deploy a team of US/UK media experts with a team of ‘hand selected’ Iraqi media experts to communicate immediately with the Iraqi public opinion upon liberation of Iraq.” The “hand-picked” Iraqi experts would help “select and train the Iraqi broadcasters and publishers (‘the face’) for the USG/coalition sponsored information effort,” the paper explains. Media stories produced by this campaign would be based on US-approved information and would focus on topics like “the De-Baathification program”; “recent history telling (e.g., ‘Uncle Saddam,’ History Channel’s ‘Saddam’s Bomb-Maker,’ ‘Killing Fields,’ etc.)”; US government-approved “Democracy Series”; “Environmental (Marshlands re-hydration)”; “Mine Awareness”; “Re-starting the Oil”; “Justice and rule of law topics”; “War Criminals/Truth Commission”; “prisoners and atrocity interviews”; “Saddam’s palaces and opulence,” and “WMD (weapons of mass destruction) disarmament.” For its “Entertainment and News Magazine programming,” the plan says the media should do stories on “Hollywood,” “Arab country donations,” and “Sports.” According to the paper, “having professional US-trained Iraqi media teams immediately in place to portray a new Iraq (by Iraqis for Iraqis) with hopes for a prosperous, democratic future, will have a profound psychological and political impact on the Iraqi people.” It is not clear whether or not this particular plan is implemented. However, after the invasion of Iraq, the Pentagon will contract a firm called the Lincoln Group to plant stories in the Iraqi media (see September 2004-September 2006) and will purchase an Iraqi newspaper and take control of an Iraqi radio station, using them to disseminate pro-American messages to the Iraqi public. (US Department of Defense 1/2003 ; Lobe 5/9/2007)
January 20, 2003: Wall Street Journal Editoralist: Fox News’s ‘We Report, You Decide’ Slogan a ‘Pretense’
Robert Bartley. [Source: Slate]The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page editor emeritus, Robert Bartley, acknowledges that Fox News’s slogan, “We report, you decide,” is a “pretense.” Bartley, a staunch conservative, writes: “Even more importantly, the amazing success of Roger Ailes at Fox News (see October 7, 1996) has provided a meaningful alternative to the Left-establishment slant of the major networks.… His news is no more tilted to the right than theirs has been on the left, and there’s no reason for him to drop his ‘we report, you decide’ pretense until they drop theirs” (see October 13, 2009). (Jamieson and Cappella 2008, pp. 49) In May 2003, ABC News president David Westin will say: “I like ‘We report. You decide.’ It’s a wonderful slogan. Too often, I don’t think that’s what’s going on at Fox. Too often, they step over the line and try and help people decide what is right and wrong.” Fox News pundit and host Bill O’Reilly will agree. Asked whether a more accurate tag line for Fox might be “We report. We decide,” he will reply, “Well, you’re probably right.” Todd Gitlin of the Columbia Journalism School will add: “I find it hard to believe many Fox viewers believe Bill O’Reilly is a ‘no-spin zone,’ or ‘We report. You decide.’ It’s a joke. In Washington it reinforces the impression of ‘we happy few who are members of the club.’ It emboldens the right wing to feel justified and confident they can promote their policies.” (Auletta 5/26/2003)
January 21, 2003: Bush Formally Approves Office of Global Communications
President George Bush signs an executive order formally creating the Office of Global Communications (see July 30, 2002) to coordinate efforts among various federal agencies to “disseminate truthful, accurate, and effective messages about the American people and their government” to audiences around the world. (White House 1/21/2003; Stevenson and Dao 1/22/2003) The office has actually been in existence since before July 2002 (see July 30, 2002). Its first publication is also released on this day. Titled, “Apparatus of Lies,” the 32-page white paper argues that Iraq is using a carefully calibrated system of propaganda and disinformation to gain international support for the regime and to hide development of its weapons of mass destruction programs. In its executive summary, it states that Iraq’s foreign relations consist primarily of “a highly developed, well disciplined, and expertly organized program designed to win support for the Iraqi regime through outright deceit.” It goes on to say that the “elaborate program is one of the regime’s most potent weapons for advancing its political, military, and diplomatic objectives. In their disinformation and propaganda campaigns, the Iraqis use elaborate ruses and obvious falsehoods, covert actions and false on-the-record statements, and sophisticated preparation and spontaneous exploitation of opportunities. Many of the techniques are not new, but this regime exploits them more aggressively and effectively—and to more harmful effect—than any other regime in power today.” (Office of Global Communications 1/21/2003 )
January 23, 2003: New York Times Publishes Op-ed by Rice on Iraq
The New York Times publishes an op-ed piece written by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, titled, “Why We Know Iraq is Lying,” in which she writes that “Iraq has filed a false declaration to the United Nations that amounts to a 12,200-page lie,” citing among other things its failure “to account for or explain Iraq’s efforts to get uranium from abroad.” She says that Iraq has reneged on its commitment to disarm itself of its alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Instead of full cooperation and transparency, Iraq has “a high-level political commitment to maintain and conceal its weapons,” she claims. Iraq is maintaining “institutions whose sole purpose is to thwart the work of the inspectors,” she adds, asserting that the country is not allowing inspectors “immediate, unimpeded, unrestricted access” to the “facilities and people” involved in its alleged weapons program. (New York Times 1/23/2003)
February 2003: Pentagon PR Chief Proposes Idea of ‘Embedding’ Reporters with Troops
Victoria “Torie” Clark, the head of public relations for the Defense Department (see May 2001), develops the idea of embedding reporters with troops during the US invasion of Iraq. In a memo for the National Security Council, Clarke, with the approval of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, argues that allowing journalists to report from the battlefields and front lines will give Americans the chance to get the story, both “good or bad—before others seed the media with disinformation and distortions, as they most certainly will continue to do. Our people in the field need to tell our story. Only commanders can ensure the media get to the story alongside the troops. We must organize for and facilitate access of national and international media to our forces, including those forces engaged in ground operations.” (US Department of Defense 2/2003 ; Bill Berkowitz 5/10/2008)
February 2003: Neoconservative Author Defends Claims of 9/11-Iraq Connection to Skeptical Journalist
Authors Laurie Mylroie and Peter Bergen appear on a Canadian news broadcast to discuss the impending war with Iraq, and Iraq’s supposed connections to 9/11. Mylroie has long argued that Saddam Hussein was behind every terrorist attack on the US (see 1990) from the 1993 World Trade Center bombings (see October 2000) to 9/11 (see September 12, 2001); Bergen, like many in the journalistic and intelligence communities, believes Mylroie is a “crackpot” (see December 2003). According to Bergen, Mylroie opens the interview by “lecturing in a hectoring tone: ‘Listen, we’re going to war because President Bush believes Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11. Al-Qaeda is a front for Iraqi intelligence… [the US] bureaucracy made a tremendous blunder that refused to acknowledge these links… the people responsible for gathering this information, say in the CIA, are also the same people who contributed to the blunder on 9/11 and the deaths of 3,000 Americans, and so whenever this information emerges they move to discredit it.’” Bergen counters by noting that her theories defy all intelligence and “common sense, as they [imply] a conspiracy by literally thousands of American officials to suppress the truth of the links between Iraq and 9/11.” Mylroie does not like this. Bergen will later write that by “the end of the interview, Mylroie, who exudes a slightly frazzled, batty air, started getting visibly agitated, her finger jabbing at the camera and her voice rising to a yell as she outlined the following apocalyptic scenario: ‘Now I’m going to tell you something, OK, and I want all Canada to understand, I want you to understand the consequences of the cynicism of people like Peter. There is a very acute chance as we go to war that Saddam will use biological agents as revenge against Americans, that there will be anthrax in the United States and there will be smallpox in the United States. Are you in Canada prepared for Americans who have smallpox and do not know it crossing the border and bringing that into Canada?’” Bergen calls Mylroie’s outburst typical of her “hysterical hyperbole” and “emblematic of Mylroie’s method, which is to never let the facts get in the way of her monomaniacal certainties.” (Bergen 12/2003)
Early February, 2003: Limbaugh: Antiwar Protesters are ‘Anti-American’ ‘Communists’
Conservative radio pundit Rush Limbaugh says of antiwar protesters, “It is beyond me how anybody can look at these protesters and call them anything than what they are: anti-American, anti-capitalist pro-Marxists and communists.” (Signorile 2/4/2003; Unger 2007, pp. 290)
February 1, 2003-February 4, 2003: Powell Refuses to Include Certain Material in His Speech Linking Iraq to Islamic Militants
On February 1, Secretary of State Colin Powell begins rehearsing for his February 5 presentation to the UN Security Council (see February 5, 2003). Powell is assisted by members of his staff, including his chief of staff, Larry Wilkerson, and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage (see January 30-February 4, 2003). (Auster, Mazzetti, and Pound 6/9/2003; Bamford 2004, pp. 368-9; Hylton 4/29/2004)
Discredited Items Keep Reappearing - One item that keeps reoccurring is the discredited claim that 9/11 hijacker Mohamed Atta met with Iraqi officials in Prague (see September 14, 2001 and September 18, 2001). Cheney’s people keep attempting to insert it into the presentation. It takes Powell’s personal intervention to have the claim removed from the presentation. “He was trying to get rid of everything that didn’t have a credible intelligence community-based source,” Wilkerson will later recall. But even after Powell’s decision, Cheney loyalist Stephen Hadley, the deputy national security adviser, tries to have it reinserted. “They were just relentless,” Wilkerson will recall. “You would take it out and they would stick it back in. That was their favorite bureaucratic technique—ruthless relentlessness.” An official (probably Wilkerson) later adds: “We cut it and somehow it got back in. And the secretary said, ‘I thought I cut this?’ And Steve Hadley looked around and said, ‘My fault, Mr. Secretary, I put it back in.’ ‘Well, cut it, permanently!’ yelled Powell. It was all cartoon. The specious connection between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, much of which I subsequently found came probably from the INC and from their sources, defectors and so forth, [regarding the] training in Iraq for terrorists.… No question in my mind that some of the sources that we were using were probably Israeli intelligence. That was one thing that was rarely revealed to us—if it was a foreign source.” Powell becomes so angry at the machinations that he throws the dossier into the air and snaps: “This is bullsh_t. I’m not doing this.” But he continues working on the presentation. (Auster, Mazzetti, and Pound 6/9/2003; Bamford 2004, pp. 370-1; Burrough et al. 5/2004, pp. 230; Unger 2007, pp. 278-279) The same official will add that every time Powell balks at using a particular item, he is “fought by the vice president’s office in the person of Scooter Libby, by the National Security Adviser [Condoleezza Rice] herself, by her deputy [Stephen Hadley], and sometimes by the intelligence people—George [Tenet] and [Deputy CIA Director] John [McLaughlin].” (Bamford 2004, pp. 370)
Mobile Bioweapons Claim Survives Editing Process - One of the allegations Powell rehearses is the claim that Iraq has developed mobile biological weapons laboratories, a claim based on sources that US intelligence knows are of questionable reliability (see Late January, 2003 and February 4, 2003). Referring to one of the sources, an Iraqi major, Powell later tells the Los Angeles Times, “What really made me not pleased was they had put out a burn [fabricator] notice on this guy, and people who were even present at my briefings knew it.” Nor does anyone inform Powell that another source, an Iraqi defector known as Curveball, is also a suspected fabricator (see January 27, 2003). (Drogin and Goetz 11/20/2005) In fact, the CIA issued an official “burn notice” formally retracting more than 100 intelligence reports based on Curveball’s information. (Ross and Schwartz 3/13/2007)
Powell 'Angry, Disappointed' in Poor Sourcing of Claim - In March 2007, Powell will claim he is “angry and disappointed” that he was never told the CIA had doubts about the reliability of the source. “I spent four days at CIA headquarters, and they told me they had this nailed.” But former CIA chief of European operations Tyler Drumheller will later claim in a book that he tried and failed to keep the Curveball information out of the Powell speech (see February 4-5, 2003). “People died because of this,” he will say. “All off this one little guy who all he wanted to do was stay in Germany.” Drumheller will say he personally redacted all references to Curveball material in an advance draft of the Powell speech. “We said, ‘This is from Curveball. Don’t use this.’” But Powell later says neither he nor his chief of staff, Larry Wilkerson, were ever told of any doubts about Curveball. “In fact, it was the exact opposite,” Wilkerson will assert. “Never from anyone did we even hear the word ‘Curveball,’ let alone any expression of doubt in what Secretary Powell was presenting with regard to the biological labs.” (Ross and Schwartz 3/13/2007)
February 3, 2003: Britain Releases ‘Dodgy Dossier’ Plagiarized from Grad Student’s Magazine Article, Other Sources
The British government releases a dossier titled “Iraq: Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception, and Intimidation.” The government says the dossier is based on high-level intelligence and diplomatic sources and was produced with the approval of Prime Minister Tony Blair; it also wins praise from US Secretary of State Colin Powell (see February 7, 2003). Unfortunately, the dossier is almost wholly plagiarized from a September 2002 article by university student Ibrahim al-Marashi. (Rubin 2/23/2003) Al-Marashi was doing postgraduate work at Oxford University when he wrote it. (International Policy Fellowships 10/1/2006) The article is entitled “Iraq’s Security and Intelligence Network: A Guide and Analysis,” and was published in the Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal (MERIA). (Rubin 2/23/2003) The British dossier plagiarizes two other articles as well, both from Jane’s Intelligence Review (see February 8, 2003), some of which were published as far back as 1997. MERIA is based in Israel, which even moderate Arabs say makes it a suspect source, and all the more reason why the origin of the information should have been cited. (White, MacAskill, and Norton-Taylor 2/7/2003) MERIA, an Internet-based magazine with about 10,000 subscribers, is edited by Jerusalem Post columnist Barry Rubin. (Davis 2/8/2003) Rubin will responds dryly: “We are pleased that the high quality of MERIA Journal’s articles has made them so valuable to our readers.… As noted on the masthead of each issue and all our publications, however, we do appreciate being given credit.” (Rubin 2/23/2003) Al-Marashi, currently working at California’s Center for Nonproliferation Studies, describes himself as an opponent of Saddam Hussein’s regime: “As an Iraqi, I support regime change in Iraq,” he says. (Reuters 2/8/2003; Lawless 2/7/2007)
Article Used Information from 1991 - He examined Iraq’s secret police and other, similar forces in detail, using captured Iraqi documents from the 1991 Gulf War and updating that information to be more timely. (al-Marashi 9/2002) The dossier contains entire sections from al-Marashi’s article quoted almost verbatim, including typographical errors contained in the original. When asked about the plagiarism, al-Marashi says he was not approached by the British government for permission to use his work. “It was a shock to me,” he says. Chris Aaron, editor of Jane’s Intelligence Review, says he had not been asked for permission to use material from his article in the dossier. The dossier uses the three articles to detail methods used by the Iraqi government to block and misdirect UN weapons inspectors’ attempts to locate weapons stockpiles in Iraq. The dossier claims that while the UN only has 108 weapons inspectors inside Iraq, the Iraqi government has 20,000 intelligence officers “engaged in disrupting their inspections and concealing weapons of mass destruction.” The dossier claims that every hotel room and telephone used by the weapons inspectors is bugged, and that WMD-related documents are being concealed in Iraqi hospitals, mosques, and homes. Powell will cite the dossier as part of his presentation to the UN detailing evidence of Iraqi weapons programs (see February 5, 2003). (Lawless 2/6/2003; BBC 2/7/2003) When the media exposes the origins of the dossier, Blair officials will concede that they should have been more honest about the source material (see February 6, 2003).
British 'Inflated' Some Numbers, Used More Extreme Language - Al-Marashi, who learns of the plagiarism from a colleague, Glen Rangwala (see February 5, 2003), says the dossier is accurate despite “a few minor cosmetic changes.” He adds: “The only inaccuracies in the [British] document were that they maybe inflated some of the numbers of these intelligence agencies. The primary documents I used for this article are a collection of two sets of documents, one taken from Kurdish rebels in the north of Iraq—around four million documents—as well as 300,000 documents left by Iraqi security services in Kuwait.” (BBC 2/7/2003) Al-Marashi and Rangwala both note that the dossier uses more extreme language. “Being an academic paper, I tried to soften the language” al-Marashi says. “For example, in one of my documents, I said that [the Iraqi intelligence agency known as the Mukhabarat] support[s] organizations in what Iraq considers hostile regimes, whereas the [British] document refers to it as ‘supporting terrorist organizations in hostile regimes.’” (White, MacAskill, and Norton-Taylor 2/7/2003; Lyall 2/8/2003)
Third Attempt to Pass Off Old Information as New Evidence - This is the third time in recent months that Downing Street has tried to pass off old, suspect information as damning evidence against Iraq. In September, it released a 50-page dossier, “Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Assessment of the British Government,” that used years-old information from the Foreign Office and British intelligence to make its case (see September 24, 2002); UN inspectors and British journalists visited some of the “facilities of concern” and found nothing (see September 24, 2002). In December, Downing Street released a 23-page report, “Saddam Hussein: Crimes and Human Rights Abuses,” that was heavily criticized by human rights groups, members of Parliament, and others for reusing old information. When that dossier was released, the Foreign Office put forward an Iraqi exile who had been jailed by Hussein for 11 years. The exile displayed handcuffs he said had been placed on him while in captivity. Afterwards, the exile admitted that the handcuffs were actually British in origin. (White, MacAskill, and Norton-Taylor 2/7/2003)
Dossier Product of Heated Debate - The Observer writes of the current “dodgy dossier” that discussions between Blair’s head of strategic communications, Alastair Campbell, foreign policy adviser David Manning, senior intelligence officials, and the new head of British homeland security, David Omand, resulted in a decision to “repeat a wheeze from last autumn: publishing a dossier of ‘intelligence-based evidence,’” this time focusing on Iraq’s history of deceiving weapons inspectors. The dossier had to be released before chief UN inspector Hans Blix could make his scheduled report in mid-February. The previous dossier, about Iraq’s dismal human rights record, had led to what The Observer calls “several stand-up rows between Omand and Campbell, with the former accusing the latter of sprinkling too much ‘magic dust’ over the facts to spice it up for public consumption.” That dossier left “the more sensationalist elements” in the forward, but for this dossier, “there was no time for such niceties. Led by Campbell, a team from the Coalition Information Center—the group set up by Campbell and his American counterpart during the war on the Taliban—began collecting published information that touched on useful themes.” Al-Marashi’s work became the central piece for the cut-and-pasted dossier, which The Observer says was compiled so sloppily that, in using the al-Marashi report and one of the Jane’s articles, two different organizations were confused with one another. (Hinsliff et al. 2/9/2003)
February 5, 2003: Author Learns of British Government Plagiarism of His Work for ‘Dodgy Dossier’
Glen Rangwala, a lecturer in politics at Cambridge University, realizes that a just-released dossier on Iraqi WMDs released by the British government is almost wholly plagiarized from the work of his colleague, graduate student Ibrahim al-Marashi. Rangwala alerts al-Marashi to the dossier in an e-mail after being sent a copy of the online version by researchers in Sweden. A Cambridge undergraduate student forwards a copy of Rangwala’s e-mail to journalists. “I found it quite startling when I realized that I’d read most of it before,” Rangwala later tells the press. “Apart from passing this off as the work of its intelligence services, it indicates that [Britain] really does not have any independent sources of information on Iraq’s internal policies. It just draws upon publicly available data.” (White and Whitaker 2/7/2003; Hinsliff et al. 2/9/2003) In his e-mail, posted on the discussion board of the organization Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq, Rangwala cites numerous identical passages in the dossier and in al-Marashi’s article. (Glen Rangwala 2/5/2003) Rangwala notes that in the article al-Marashi acknowledged using 12-year old data, but “the British government, when it transplants that information into its own dossier, does not make that acknowledgment.” Al-Marashi says that when he learned his material had formed the basis for the dossier: “[I was] flattered at first, then surprised that they didn’t cite me… It was a case of cut and paste. They even left in my mistakes.” (Davis 2/8/2003) Al-Marashi also comments, “I’ll be more skeptical of any British intelligence I read in future.” (Monaghan and Bennett 2/7/2003)
February 6, 2003: Media Exposes Plagiarized ‘Dodgy Dossier,’ Notes Information Is 12 Years Old
The British media learns that a dossier entitled “Iraq: Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception, and Intimidation” that was released by the British government to bolster its case for Iraqi WMD is plagiarized from publicly available magazine articles (see February 3, 2003). Prime Minister Tony Blair’s office initially stands by the report, which becomes colloquially known as the “Dodgy Dossier” (a term apparently coined in an editorial by The Observer—see February 8, 2003), saying the dossier had been “put together by a range of government officials.” It also says, “We consider the text as published accurate.” However, Blair officials will eventually admit that the government should have credited the article. (Lawless 2/6/2003; BBC 2/7/2003) A Channel 4 news report notes: “None of the sources are acknowledged, leading the reader to believe that the information is a result of direct investigative work, rather than simply copied from pre-existing internet sources.… Apart from the obvious criticism that the British government has plagiarized texts without acknowledgment, passing them off as the work of its intelligence services, there are two further serious problems. Firstly, it indicates that [Britain] at least really does not have any independent sources of information on Iraq’s internal politics—they just draw upon publicly available data. Thus any further claims to information based on ‘intelligence data’ must be treated with even more skepticism. Secondly, the information presented as being an accurate statement of the current state of Iraq’s security organizations may not be anything of the sort. [Ibrahim Al-]Marashi—the real and unwitting author of much of the document—has as his primary source the documents captured in 1991 for the Iraq Research and Documentation Project. His own focus is the activities of Iraq’s intelligence agencies in Kuwait, Aug 90-Jan 91—this is the subject of his thesis. As a result, the information presented as relevant to how Iraqi agencies are currently engaged with UNMOVIC is 12 years old.” (Channel 4 News (London) 2/6/2003)
February 7, 2003: ’Dodgy Dossier’ a ‘Cut-and-Paste Job’ By Downing Street, Coalition Information Center; Authors Instructed to Focus on Obstruction
The so-called “Dodgy Dossier,” a report on Iraqi attempts to deceive UN weapons inspectors recently released by the British government (see February 3, 2003), is discovered to be, in the words of The Guardian, a “journalistic cut-and-paste job” compiled largely from public sources, written by four junior officials in Alastair Campbell’s communications office, and published with “only cursory approval from intelligence or even Foreign Office sources.” (White and Whitaker 2/7/2003; Bennett and Monaghan 2/8/2003) A “well-placed source” tells The Guardian that the dossier is the work of Downing Street and the Coalition Information Center, the organization set up after 9/11 to push the US-British case for the war on terrorism. The source calls a key section of the dossier riddled with “silly errors.” The report was apparently not vetted by British intelligence. (White and Whitaker 2/7/2003) A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair says that neither he nor nor Alastair Campbell, one of his advisers, had actually seen the report before it was released, instead saying that it had been “seen by the relevant people.” Campbell’s aides told communications staffers that they wanted a report that drew together evidence “proving” Iraq was obstructing UN officials in finding Iraqi WMD; they did not want a more even-handed report acknowledging that UN weapons inspectors were nowhere near to finding a so-called “smoking gun” proving Iraq possesses such weapons. Former defense minister Peter Kilfoyle says: “It just adds to the general impression that what we have been treated to is a farrago of half-truths, assertions and over-the-top spin. I am afraid this is typical of the way in which the whole question of a potential war on Iraq is being treated.” (Bennett and Monaghan 2/8/2003) Responding to criticisms of the report as being propaganda, a Downing Street source says, “What we are absolutely determined is that this will not stop us sharing information with the public as and when we think we can.” (Hinsliff et al. 2/9/2003)
February 7, 2003: Antiwar Group Identifies 1999 Book as Another ‘Dodgy Dossier’ Source
The so-called “Dodgy Dossier,” a report on Iraqi attempts to deceive UN weapons inspectors recently released by the British government and quickly proven to be plagiarized from out-of-date articles from publicly available sources (see February 3, 2003), has already been shown to have been compiled from a graduate thesis and several magazine articles. Now the anti-war group Voices in the Wilderness says it has identified a passage from the dossier as being lifted directly from a 1999 book, Saddam Secrets, written by Tim Trevan. (White and Whitaker 2/7/2003) Trevan is a former UN weapons inspector who wrote on February 4 that a war with Iraq is necessary: “When you have an advanced state of cancer, surgery becomes a better option than slow lingering death. For me, horrible though war is, it is the equivalent of surgery.” (Jeffery 2/4/2003)
February 8, 2003: British Press Blasts ‘Dodgy Dossier’
The London Times pens a scathing editorial regarding the so-called “dodgy dossier,” a report on Iraqi attempts to deceive UN weapons inspectors recently released by the British government, which was quickly proven to be plagiarized from out-of-date articles from publicly available sources (see February 3, 2003). The editorial sarcastically envisions the scene in Downing Street in the weeks before the dossier’s release, with frantic staffers saying: “What do you mean, there’s no smoking gun? Haven’t MI6 [British intelligence] got anything? No photographs? No defectors? TB [Tony Blair] is expecting a dossier next week. We promised. He said the Americans liked the last one—quoted everywhere, robust stuff, saved the CIA from having to go public with any sources. So they want another one—Colin Powell’s thinking of a spot of show and tell at the UN (see February 5, 2003), and wants to point to independent work by the Brits. So, we better get something—and quick.… Well, one of you had better put something together. Get on the Internet. Just type in ricin and Iraq and see what you find on Google. 20 pages, at least. By tomorrow.” The editorial notes that while “[g]overnmental plagiarism is nothing new… plagiarizing intelligence is more difficult. There isn’t much of it around. And the best is all secret—not easy for a media studies undergraduate to prise out of GCHQ overnight. But what TB wants, TB gets. A Downing Street unit is there to provide it. And as any student knows, extracts from American social anthropology dissertations add the required note of pedantic obfuscation to any jejune essay, with a provenance that is virtually undetectable. What better way to triple the value of intelligence assets with a thesis from California? It was regrettable that the author had so obvious an Arab name: far less convincing as a footnote than a reference to the trajectory of a military satellite. But perhaps the report could simply say it was a mix of private and public. Isn’t that the normal pattern nowadays?” (London Times 2/8/2003) The Observer writes a similarly harsh editorial, noting that such “[d]eception can only corrode public trust,” and apparently coins the term “dodgy dossier.” The Observer editorial calls the dossier “an Internet cut-and-paste exercise largely lifted from a Californian post-graduate thesis focused on evidence from the invasion of Kuwait 13 years ago” and “sprinkl[ed with] unfounded exaggerations… inserted to strengthen the claims made in the thesis.” The editorial says: “Plagiarism is not the main issue. The central issue is that of public trust. At best, this episode demonstrates incompetence and the failure to oversee the most important claims which the government puts into the public domain. At worst, a deliberate attempt to hoodwink and mislead the public will undermine trust in anything the government says about the Iraqi threat at this vital time.… It is not only the government which has access to the Internet. Every claim made will be scrutinized more closely, and by more people, than ever before. Nothing will corrode trust more than to be caught out trying to insult the intelligence of the British public.” (Observer 2/9/2003)
February 8, 2003: Jane’s Says 1997, 2002 Articles Used for ‘Dodgy Dossier’
Jane’s Information Group, the firm that publishes the Jane’s series of journals about global military affairs, says three of its articles were used without credit in a recent dossier released by the British government on Iraq (see February 3, 2003). The articles are from July 1997, August 1997, and November 2002, according to the publishing firm. Jane’s Intelligence Review editor Chris Aaron says, “That open sources should be used to compile such a report is not in itself surprising,” noting that the dossier’s introduction acknowledged the use of some previously published material. “However, the direct copying of entire paragraphs casts some doubt on the processes used to create dossiers of this type.… [W]hen an agency produces a report for classified consumption it will usually identify the nature of the sources used. The fact that the [British] dossier does not identify the source for each bit of evidence in the report could be taken as misleading, or taken to be an effort to disguise the classified material included in the dossier. The real mistake seems to have been to copy sections wholesale, thus making it obvious which parts of the report come from open sources and which are based on information from the intelligence community.” A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair says that the central argument of the dossier—that Iraq is systematically blocking the efforts of UN weapons inspectors to locate and document Iraq’s WMD programs and stockpiles—remains unchallenged. He calls the work “a pull-together of a variety of sources,” and says government officials should have specified which sections came from public material and which were from intelligence sources. (Aaron 2/2003; Associated Press 2/8/2003) The articles from Jane’s Intelligence Review are “Can the Iraqi Security Apparatus Save Saddam?”, published in November 2002 and written by international security expert Ken Gause, and a two-part article, “Inside Iraq’s Security Network,” published in July and August 1997 and written by Sean Boyne. (Channel 4 News (London) 2/6/2003)
February 10, 2003: Labour Party Lawmaker Calls for Emergency Debate on Plagiarized Dossier
A Labour Party lawmaker storms out of the House of Commons after saying the Blair administration lied about a recent dossier it released that purported to show Iraq’s deceiving UN weapons inspectors about its presumed cache of WMD (see February 3, 2003). Tam Dalyell, the longest-serving member in the Commons and a member of Tony Blair’s Labour Party, thunders, “To plagiarize an out of date Ph.D. thesis and to present it as an official report of the latest British intelligence information, surely it reveals a lack of awareness of the disastrous consequences of such a deception.” Dalyell calls for an emergency debate on the issue. “This is not a trivial leak. It is a document on which is the basis of whether or not this country goes to war and whether or not young servicemen and servicewomen are to put their own lives at risk and indeed thousands, tens of thousands of innocent civilians.” (Johnson 2/10/2003)
February 14, 2003: Fox Television Successfully Argues in Court that Media Outlets Have Legal Right to Falsify News Reports
Florida’s Second Court of Appeals overturns a wrongful-firing ruling against Fox Television by a lower court (see August 18, 2000), finding in favor of the network against two citizen plaintiffs who claim they were fired by Fox News for refusing to falsify a news segment they were producing for a local affiliate. In essence, the court rules that Fox, and by extension other media outlets, can legally lie to their consumers: that there is no law against distorting or falsifying the news in the US. The appeals court holds that the plaintiffs’ threat to report the network to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not deserve protection under Florida’s whistleblower statute, because a whistleblower must report “an employer breaking an adopted law, rule, or regulation.” The FCC has a policy against falsification of the news, but the court, in what the St. Louis Journalism Review will call “a stunningly narrow interpretation of FCC rules,” rules that the policy does not rise to the level of a “law, rule, or regulation.” Therefore, Fox Television’s Fox News Channel or any other news producer can produce willfully false stories and claim they are true, without fear of reprisal. In their court arguments, lawyers for Fox Television asserted that no rules or laws exist that prohibit distorting or falsifying news reports: that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on the public airwaves. The attorneys did not dispute that network officials pressured the plaintiffs to produce a false story; instead, they argued that it was the network’s right to do so. Fox Television won “friend of the court” support from five major news owners: Belo Corporation, Cox Television, Gannett, Media General Operations, and Post-Newsweek Stations. (St. Louis Journalism Review 12/1/2007) After the verdict, the local Fox affiliate, WTVT-TV, airs a news report saying it is “totally vindicated” by the verdict. (Gaddy and Casten 2/28/2009)
February 23, 2003: Fox News Labels France a Member of ‘Axis of Weasels’
New York Post cover labeling the United Nations ‘weasels.’ [Source: New York Post]When it becomes clear that France will oppose the US resolution at the UN for war with Iraq (see September 28, 2002 and October 26, 2002), Fox News anchor Bob Sellers sarcastically describes France as a member of the “axis of weasels.” The phrase first appeared in the New York Post (both Fox News and the Post are owned by media magnate Rupert Murdoch), and over the following days the phrase often appears in a banner at the bottom of the screen. Later in the year, Fox executive Roger Ailes will be asked if he approved of the banner; he answers: “We shouldn’t have done that, if we did. I would call that bad journalism.” The practice will continue. (Auletta 5/26/2003)
February 25, 2003: ’Donahue’ Cancelled by MSNBC, Replaced by Clutch of Right-Wing Commentators and Hosts
’Donahue’ show logo. [Source: American Renaissance (.com)]MSNBC, the cable news channel owned by NBC, cancels Phil Donahue’s nightly talk show. MSNBC cites “disappointing ratings” for “Donahue.” The show, originally conceived as a more liberal alternative for Fox News’s overtly conservative “O’Reilly Factor,” started very slow and never came close to challenging either O’Reilly’s ratings or CNN’s Connie Chung, whose show is also in the same time slot. But in recent weeks, Donahue’s ratings have steadily increased to the point where it is the top-rated show on the network, even beating MSNBC’s flagship political show, “Hardball With Chris Matthews.”
'Tired Left-Wing Liberal' - An internal report commissioned by the network’s executives, later obtained by media analyst Rick Ellis, calls Phil Donahue “a tired, left-wing liberal out of touch with the current marketplace.” The report says that Donahue’s show presents a “difficult public face for NBC in a time of war.… He seems to delight in presenting guests who are anti-war, anti-Bush, and skeptical of the administration’s motives.” If the show continues on the air, the report warns that it could become “a home for the liberal anti-war agenda at the same time that our competitors are waving the flag at every opportunity.” As Donahue exits the lineup, MSNBC brings aboard former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey and former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough as commentators, and radical right-wing talk show host Michael Savage and libertarian Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota, as hosts. Donahue’s time slot will be taken temporarily by the expansion of another show, “Countdown: Iraq,” to two hours. Nation columnist John Nichols writes: “Talk about adding insult to injury. Getting canceled is bad enough; getting canceled to make way for a program devoted to anticipating an unnecessary war is just plain awful.” (Carter 2/26/2003; Ellis 2/26/2003; Nichols 2/27/2003) In 2007, Donahue says he knew nothing of the internal memo at the time (see April 25, 2007). “I didn’t know about that till I read about it in the New York Times.” When asked: “What did you think? What does that say to you? That dissent is unpatriotic?” Donahue will reply, “Well, not only unpatriotic, but it’s not good for business.” (Moyers 4/25/2007)
MSNBC 'Tak[ing] the Coward's Road' - A source close to Donahue says that Donahue’s cancellation is “no coincidence.” The MSNBC executives are “scared,” the source says, “and they decided to take the coward’s road and slant towards the conservative crowd that watch Fox News.” Ellis, a veteran media analyst with strong connections in the TV news industry, writes that MSNBC, “[r]ather than building a unique voice, the news channel has opted to become a lesser alternative to the Fox News Channel.” Interestingly, the NBC report recommended against such a course: “The temptation is to chase the audience that is already out there and play to what seems to be working at Fox. But there is another road, and if we build our unique voices from within, we have a chance to develop a loyal and valuable audience.” Nichols writes, “[I]t is a pretty good bet that, now that ‘Donahue’ is going off the air, we will not soon see another show like the one where he featured [consumer advocate] Ralph Nader and [progressive columnist] Molly Ivins in front of a crowd of laid-off Enron employees.” Nichols adds that while Donahue’s show may have been conceived as a liberal alternative to O’Reilly, it was never allowed to be such: “For every program that featured Ralph Nader and Molly Ivins, there were ten where Donahue was forced to ask polite questions of second-string conservative pundits. Where his conservative competitors never worry about fairness or balance, Donahue was under constant pressure to clog his show’s arteries with deadly dull apologists for all things Bush. And when that got too boring, he was pressured to steer the show away from politics and toward the glitzy and the maudlin.” Only in its last few weeks did MSNBC allow Donahue to do what he does best—interview interesting guests in front of a live audience. The show’s ratings began climbing rapidly. Whether the show could have challenged O’Reilly or other conservative shows’ ratings can never be known.
Never Trusted the American Viewing Audience - Nichols concludes: “Now that ‘Donahue’ has been ditched, conservative commentators and network executives will tell themselves that there is no audience for progressive voices on television. They will, of course, be wrong on the broad premise—some of O’Reilly’s best shows feature feisty progressives like US [Representatives] Jan Schakowsky and Bernie Sanders. And they will be wrong more specifically about Donahue. We will never know for sure whether Phil Donahue could have seriously competed with conservative hosts like Bill O’Reilly or Sean Hannity. What we do now, for sure, is that MSNBC executives were never willing to trust Phil Donahue—or the American television viewing audience.” (Carter 2/26/2003; Ellis 2/26/2003; Nichols 2/27/2003)
Jerry Bruckheimer. [Source: Thomas Robinson / Getty Images / Forbes]ABC airs the first of a six-episode reality series entitled Profiles from the Front Line, which purports to document the war in Afghanistan from the soldiers’ point of view. It was conceived and produced with the extensive help and oversight of the Pentagon. (Johnson 2/26/2003) Filming for the show began in May 2002. (Los Angeles Times 2/6/2003) ABC executives say that the show will tell the “compelling personal stories of the US military men and women who bear the burden of the fighting” in Afghanistan. The series was quickly approved by Victoria Clarke, the head of the Pentagon’s public relations office (see Early 2002 and Beyond), and by Rear Admiral Craig Quigley, the public relations commander of US Central Command. Clarke and Quigley granted the series producers unprecedented access to the troops, technical advice, and even the use of aircraft carriers for filming. In return, the Pentagon received the right to review and approve all footage before airing (in the interests of national security, Pentagon officials said). (Rich 2006, pp. 32-33) The Pentagon denies that it asked for any changes in the series’ broadcast footage. (Gillies 3/9/2003)
Producers Insist Show Not Propaganda, No Censorship from Pentagon - Though the show is widely considered to be tied in to the Bush administration’s push for war with Iraq (some question the fact that the show was shelved for months before suddenly being approved just as news of the impending invasion began hitting the news), series producer Bertram van Munster says he came up with the idea after 9/11. “We were all kind of numb, I certainly was extremely numb for two or three weeks,” he will recall. “And I said I’ve got to do something.” Van Munster and his co-producer, famed movie and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer (an acknowledged Bush supporter best known for his action-film blockbusters such as Top Gun, Black Hawk Down, and Pearl Harbor, as well as the CSI television series), put together a proposal that van Munster says does not necessarily support President Bush’s war plans. Instead, he says, the show is intended to personalize America’s fighting forces. “There’s nothing flag-waving about death. We have people getting killed on the show,” he says. “In many ways, I see this thing as much anti-war as it is a portrait of what these people are doing out there.” Bruckheimer insists that the Defense Department did not exercise any censorship whatsoever except in minor instances, such as the withholding of a Special Forces soldier’s last name. “They didn’t use any censorship whatsoever,” Bruckheimer says. “They were very cooperative.… They were very receptive to the concept of showing what US forces were doing in Afghanistan.” The show’s own film, shot on location in Afghanistan, is bolstered by Defense Department footage. (Los Angeles Times 2/6/2003; Johnson 2/26/2003; Gillies 3/9/2003; Lewis 4/1/2003; Rich 2006, pp. 32-33) The Progressive’s Andrea Lewis calls the show “reality television, war movie, documentary video, and military propaganda all rolled into one.” Other critics call it “a Pentagon infomercial.” Bruckheimer denies that the show is propaganda, but admits that he ensured the show would present the positive face of the military: “Put it this way. If I were to rent your apartment, I’m not going to trash it. It wouldn’t be right. So I’m not going to go and expose all their blemishes.” (Lewis 4/1/2003; Hibberd 7/14/2003)
Documentary or Reality TV? - Chicago Tribune reviewer Allan Johnson writes of the first episode: “Stirring orchestral music and editing, framing and [quick] pacing… succeed in instilling enough patriotic feelings so that Bush should give the producers a cheer. Which raises the question of whether such advocacy is appropriate in these sensitive times.” The first episode provides what Johnson calls a reflection of standard reality-show characters: the serious-minded father figure (a captain who commands 150 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division); a gung-ho aircraft mechanic who tells the camera that the terrorists “had better be ready for some payback, and it’s going to continue until we end it;” a roguish Special Forces sergeant who says his job is to “find and kill all al-Qaeda;” the stockbroker-turned-soldier whose wife weeps uncontrollably as he leaves for Afghanistan; and others. One soldier says with a smile, “I couldn’t think of any place I’d rather be than right here doing my job, knowing I’m doing my part to keep America free.” Lewis calls the soldiers who are profiled for the series “good looking, articulate, and enthusiastic about what they’re doing… archetypes of characters you’d expect to see in a big-budget Bruckheimer film.” Answering the question of whether the show is reality television or straight documentary, Bruckheimer says, “I think it’s a little bit of both.” Van Munster adds: “I think documentary and reality are actually brother and sister. And it’s also cinema verite.” (Johnson 2/26/2003; Lewis 4/1/2003) Others disagree. “It raises all sorts of questions, which are exacerbated by the entertainment factor,” says Robert Lichter, president of the Center for Media and Public Affairs. “One check on war news becoming propaganda is the professionalism of journalists, which will be ostentatiously lacking.… Documentaries are inherently more informative than entertainment. ‘Reality’ programming turns the tables.” (Los Angeles Times 2/6/2003)
Journalists Shocked at Wide Access Enjoyed by Show's Producers, Camera Teams - Many war correspondents are shocked at the level of access, and the amount of cooperation, between the Pentagon and ABC, especially considering the difficulties they routinely encounter in getting near any battlefields. Even a complaint from ABC News regarding the show’s broad access as contrasted to the restrictions forced upon their reporters is rejected by ABC’s parent company, Disney. “There’s a lot of other ways to convey information to the American people than through news organizations,” Quigley says. (Rich 2006, pp. 32-33) Lewis writes: “During the months when Profiles was filmed, ‘real’ journalists weren’t allowed anywhere near the front lines, and news organizations had to survive on a limited diet of highly coordinated military briefings. Meanwhile, Profiles camera crews were given nearly unlimited access to US soldiers in Afghanistan.” CBS anchor Dan Rather says: “I’m outraged by the Hollywoodization of the military. The Pentagon would rather make troops available as props in gung-ho videos than explain how the commanders let Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda leaders escape or target the wrong villages.” (Lewis 4/1/2003)
Show Used to 'Train' Pentagon for Embedding Journalists in Iraq - The Pentagon’s project officer for the series, Vince Ogilvie, later says that the interactions of the Profiles film crews and military personnel provided “a prelude to the process of embedding” media representatives in military units for war coverage in Iraq. The series had a number of different crews in different military units over its shooting schedule, Ogilvie will say: “Though they were not reporting on a daily basis, they were with the unit—living with the unit and reporting on what different individuals or units were involved in. With each passing day, week, month came a better understanding.” (Gillies 3/9/2003)
Show Not Renewed - The show will do extremely poorly in the ratings, and after its six-episode run is completed, it will not be renewed. (Rich 2006, pp. 32-33) Van Munster will become involved in a shadowy Pentagon-driven project to document the Iraq occupation, of which little will be known. A Cato Institute official will say of that project: “This administration is fighting a PR battle over weapons of mass destruction and whether we’re getting bogged down in a quagmire. So maybe they want to frame their own message and own history about their time in Iraq.” (Hibberd 7/14/2003)
March-April 2003: Some Journalists Criticize Recent ‘Scripted’ White House Press Conference
Several journalists question a recent White House press conference that was entirely scripted and orchestrated by the White House with the knowing complicity of the reporters present (see March 6, 2003). Journalist Russell Mokhiber, who attends the conference, later says it “might have been the most controlled presidential news conference in recent memory.… The president had a list of 17 reporters who he was going to call on. He didn’t take any questions from reporters raising their hands.” White House communications director Dan Bartlett later retorts, “If you have a message you’re trying to deliver, a news conference can go in a different direction.” However, “In this case, we know what the questions are going to be, and those are the ones we want to answer.” (Rampton 4/2003)
'Deferential Reporters' - ABC political reporter and commentator Sam Donaldson, a fixture of the White House press corps during the Reagan, Bush I, and Clinton administrations, later recalls “wincing” as he watched “deferential reporters” questioning President Bush during the “scripted” conference. Donaldson will say: “People ask me, ‘Do you wish you were back at the White House?’ And I say, ‘No, not really.’ [But] there are moments like Thursday night when—yeah—I want to be there!” Veteran White House reporter Larry McQuillan of USA Today says Bush’s “call sheet” of preselected reporters “demeaned the reporters who were called on as much as those who weren’t.” Another correspondent at the conference later says: “They completely played us. What’s the point of having a press conference if you’re not going to answer questions? It was calculated on so many different levels.” New York Observer commentator Michael Crowley notes that the press corps itself must share some of the blame: “Although some asked reasonably pointed questions, most did with a tone of extreme deference… that suggested a skittishness, to which they will admit, about being seen as unpatriotic or disrespectful of a commander in chief on the eve of war. Few made any effort to follow up their questions after Mr. Bush’s recitation of arguments that were more speech-like than extemporaneous: Saddam Hussein is a threat to America, Iraq has not disarmed, Sept. 11 must never happen again.… The press corps seemed mainly to serve as a prop, providing Mr. Bush with an opportunity to deliver another pro-war speech while appearing to bravely face the music.” ABC’s Terry Moran reflects that he and the rest of the press corps shirked their duty: “The point is to get [the president] to answer questions, not just to stand up there and use all the majesty of the presidency to amplify his image.” (Crowley 3/16/2003)
'Kabuki' Conference - Salon’s Eric Boehlert will later write: “The entire press conference performance was a farce—the staging, the seating, the questions, the order, and the answers. Nothing about it was real or truly informative. It was, nonetheless, unintentionally revealing. Not revealing about the war, Bush’s rationale, or about the bloody, sustained conflict that was about to be unleashed inside Iraq. Reporters helped shed virtually no light on those key issues. Instead, the calculated kabuki press conference, stage-managed by the White House employing the nation’s most elite reporters as high-profile extras, did reveal what viewers needed to know about the mind-set of the [mainstream media] on the eve of war.” (Boehlert 5/4/2006)
March-April 2003: Embedded Journalists Face Restrictions on Reporting
The Columbia Journalism Review reports on the procedures and constraints that so-called “embedded” reporters must agree to follow if they are to accompany US military units into Iraq (see February 2003). They can write about what they like, but must:
Refrain from reporting “about ongoing mission (unless directed to do so by the on-site commander)”;
Refrain from “reporting on the specific results of completed missions, or on future, postponed, or canceled missions”;
Refrain from “breaking embargoes imposed on stories for ‘operational security’ reasons”;
Refrain from “traveling in their own vehicles”;
There are also some other, more technical restrictions. (Unger 2007, pp. 293)
President Bush holds a press conference—only his eighth since taking office—in which he conflates Iraq and Saddam Hussein with the 9/11 attacks and the global war on terror at least 12 times. For instance, he says: “Iraq is a part of the war on terror. It’s a country that trains terrorists; it’s a country that could arm terrorists. Saddam Hussein and his weapons are a direct threat to this country.” Perhaps his most alarming statement is, “September the 11th should say to the American people that we’re now a battlefield.” (White House 3/6/2003; Boehlert 5/4/2006; Moyers 4/25/2007) Bush insists that he has not yet decided to take military action against Iraq (see March 6, 2003). (Boehlert 5/4/2006)
Scripted and Orchestrated - Oddly, none of the 94 assembled journalists challenge Bush’s conflations, no one asks about Osama bin Laden, and no one asks follow-up questions to elicit information past the sound bites Bush delivers. There is a reason for that. In 2007, PBS’s Bill Moyers will report that “the White House press corps will ask no hard questions… about those claims,” because the entire press conference is scripted. “Sure enough, the president’s staff has given him a list of reporters to call on,” Moyers will report. Press Secretary Ari Fleischer later admits to giving Bush the list, which omits reporters from such media outlets as Time, Newsweek, USA Today, and the Washington Post. After calling on CNN reporter John King, Bush says, “This is a scripted—” and then breaks into laughter. King, like his colleagues, continues as if nothing untoward is happening. Author and media commentator Eric Boehlert will later say: “[Bush] sort of giggled and laughed. And, the reporters sort of laughed. And, I don’t know if it was out of embarrassment for him or embarrassment for them because they still continued to play along after his question was done. They all shot up their hands and pretended they had a chance of being called on.” Several questions later, Bush pretends to choose from the available reporters, saying: “Let’s see here… Elizabeth… Gregory… April.… Did you have a question or did I call upon you cold?” The reporter asks, “How is your faith guiding you?” Bush responds: “My faith sustains me because I pray daily. I pray for guidance.” Boehlert will later say: “I think it just crystallized what was wrong with the press coverage during the run up to the war. I think they felt like the war was gonna happen and the best thing for them to do was to get out of the way.” (White House 3/6/2003; Boehlert 5/4/2006; Moyers 4/25/2007)
Defending the Press's Complicity - New York Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller, a participant in the conference, will later defends the press corps’ “timid behavior,” in Boehlert’s characterization, by saying: “I think we were very deferential because… it’s live, it’s very intense, it’s frightening to stand up there. Think about it, you’re standing up on prime-time live TV asking the president of the United States a question when the country’s about to go to war. There was a very serious, somber tone that evening, and no one wanted to get into an argument with the president at this very serious time.” (Boehlert 5/4/2006)
Compliant Media Coverage - The broadcast news media, transmitting the live feed of the conference, could not have been more accommodating, author and media critic Frank Rich will later note. “CNN flashed the White House’s chosen messages in repetitive rotation on the bottom of the screen while the event was still going on—‘People of good will are hoping for peace’ and ‘My job is to protect America.’” After the conference, Fox News commentator Greta van Susteren tells her audience, “What I liked tonight was that in prime time [Bush] said to the American people, my job is to protect the American people.” (Rich 2006, pp. 70)
Follow-Up Coverage Equally Stage-Managed - Boehlert notes that the post-conference coverage is equally one-sided. On MSNBC’s flagship news commentary show, Hardball, host Chris Matthews spends an hour discussing the conference and the upcoming invasion. Matthews invites six guests on. Five are advocates of the war, and one, given a few moments for “balance,” questions some of the assumptions behind the rationale for war. The five pro-war guests include an “independent military analyst,” retired General Montgomery Meigs, who is one of around 75 retired military officers later exposed as participants in a Pentagon propaganda operation designed to promote the war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). (Boehlert 5/4/2006)
March 10, 2003 and After: Country Music Band Attacked for Criticism of Bush
The cover of an April issue of Entertainment Weekly featuring nearly-nude depictions of the Dixie Chicks, all with words written on their skin used in commentaries about the band. [Source: Associated Press / Guardian]The Dixie Chicks, a modern country band from Texas, plays a concert in London. The band consists of three singers and multi-instrumentalists, Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, and Emily Robison, and backing musicians. During the show, Maines says to the audience: “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.” The London Guardian, in a review of the show, reports the comments on March 12. Within days, Maines and the Dixie Chicks become the targets of intense and heavy criticism from conservative commentators and Bush supporters in the United States. Country music radio stations across the nation begin dropping their songs from their playlists, even though the Chicks currently have the top song in country music airplay, “Travelin’ Man.” Radio stations set up trash cans outside their stations for listeners to publicly discard their Dixie Chicks CDs, and some radio stations hold “disc-burning” and “disc-smashing” festivals featuring bonfires and tractors. Two radio station chains, Cox and Cumulus, ban the Chicks from being played on all the stations they own. Critics on Fox News and conservative radio shows nickname the band “the Dixie Sluts,” “Saddam’s Angels,” and other monikers. Country musician Toby Keith, a conservative and frequent guest on Fox News and radio talk shows, begins using a backdrop at his concerts featuring a photo montage putting Maines together with Saddam Hussein. Maines reluctantly accepts 24-hour security from the barrage of death threats she receives. She quickly issues an apology, saying, “Whoever holds that office [the presidency] should be treated with the utmost respect,” but the apology makes little difference to many. Indeed, the band does not back away from its position: Robison will later say: “Everybody talks about how this war was over quickly and not that many people died. Tell that to the parents of people coming home in body bags.… Natalie’s comment came from frustration that we all shared—we were apparently days away from war (see March 19, 2003) and still left with a lot of questions.” Maines will later say: “The thing is, it wasn’t even a political statement. It was a joke made to get cheers and applause and to entertain, and it did. But it didn’t entertain America.” Maines will later say the controversy starts on a right-wing message board and blog called Free Republic. Music producer and comedian Simon Renshaw, a close friend of the band members, agrees with Maines, saying: “The extreme right-wing group, for their own political reasons, are attempting to manipulate the American media, and the American media is falling for it. The Free Republic is very well organized. There’s definitely a Free Republic hit list with all of the radio stations they’re trying to affect, and they are totally focused, and the girls are going to get whacked.” Documentary maker Barbara Kopple, who is making a film about the group, will later say: “[The c]ountry music [industry] put[s] sort of their musicians in a box, and they’re expected to be very conservative in their leanings, and these were three all-American girls that nobody ever expected this from. So when Natalie made her statement, it was as if she had betrayed country music. There was a massive boycott on playing any of their music. There was this group called the Free Republic that immediately got on Web sites and blogs and everything else to make sure that their music was not shown, their CDs were trampled, and for this, they even got death threats. So they had to have bomb-sniffing dogs, they had security, and nothing could stop these women from playing.” Kopple cites one example of a very specific and credible death threat issued for a July 6, 2003 concert in Dallas, but the three band members insist on playing, and the concert goes off without incident. In April 2003, Maines says: “People think this’ll scare us and shut us up and it’s gonna do the opposite. They just served themselves a huge headache.” (Clark 3/12/2003; Guardian 4/25/2003; Democracy Now! 2/15/2007) Eventually, their CD sales begin to rebound, and in 2007, they will win five Grammy awards, an accomplishment many will see as a vindication of the Dixie Chicks’s music and their right to freedom of speech, as well as something of a repudiation of the Nashville-based country music industry. Music executive Jeff Ayeroff will note that “the artist community… was very angry at what radio did, because it was not very American.” Music executive Mike Dungan, a powerful member of the country music industry, says of the awards, “I think it says that, by and large, the creative community sees what has happened to the Dixie Chicks as unfair and unjust.” (Leeds 2/13/2007)
March 16-19, 2003: Washington Post Buries Reporting Questioning Evidence Justifying Iraq War
Walter Pincus. [Source: Publicity photo]By mid-March 2003, Washington Post journalist Walter Pincus is skeptical of Colin Powell’s speech to the UN (see February 5, 2003) and develops material for an article questioning Powell’s evidence. However, his editors are not interested.
Page A17 - But thanks to pressure from his colleague Bob Woodward, the Post runs his story on March 16, but only on page A17. The article reads, “US intelligence agencies have been unable to give Congress or the Pentagon specific information about the amounts of banned weapons or where they are hidden….” It notes that senior US officials “repeatedly have failed to mention the considerable amount of documented weapons destruction that took place in Iraq between 1991 and 1998.” (Massing 2/26/2004) Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. will later say, “In retrospect, that probably should have been on Page 1 instead of A17, even though it wasn’t a definitive story and had to rely on unnamed sources. It was a very prescient story.” (Kurtz 8/12/2004)
Follow-up - Two days later, the Post publishes another critical story by Pincus, this one co-written with Dana Milbank. It reads, “As the Bush administration prepares to attack Iraq this week, it is doing so on the basis of a number of allegations against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein that have been challenged—and in some cases disproved—by the United Nations, European governments and even US intelligence reports.” However, this story only appears on page A13. (Massing 2/26/2004)
Third Story Held Until After Start of War - Around the same time, Post journalists Dana Priest and Karen DeYoung turn in a story that says CIA officials “communicated significant doubts to the administration” about evidence tying Iraq to attempted uranium purchases for nuclear weapons. But the story is held until March 22, three days after the Iraq war begins. (Kurtz 8/12/2004)
Post's Editors Did Not Want to "Make a Difference" - Pincus will later comment, “The front pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times are very important in shaping what other people think. They’re like writing a memo to the White House.” But the Post’s editors “went through a whole phase in which they didn’t put things on the front page that would make a difference.” (Massing 2/26/2004) Downie will later say, “Not enough of those stories were put on the front page. That was a mistake on my part.” (Kurtz 8/12/2004)
March 18, 2003: Fox ‘Military Contributor’ Reports False Rumors that French Diplomats Destroying Documents Proving Complicity with Iraqi WMD Programs
Former Marine colonel and convicted felon Oliver North (see May-June, 1989), now a conservative radio host, is embedded with a Marine unit by Fox News. North reports “rumors” that French officials at the Embassy in Baghdad are destroying documents proving French complicity in Iraq’s chemical—and biological—weapons programs. The report is quickly proven false. Fox spokeswoman Irena Steffen tells a newspaper that North is “a military contributor to Fox. He is neither a reporter nor a correspondent.” (Auletta 5/26/2003)
March 19-20, 2003: Networks Begin Extensive Coverage of Military Strike against Iraq; Washington Post Declares War’s ‘First Victim’ to be ABC News
Peter Jennings. [Source: ABC / Pop Stars Plus]While CBS and NBC begin covering the US strikes against Iraqi targets almost from the outset (see March 19, 2003), ABC News delays its coverage for 11 minutes after its broadcast competitors, leading Washington Post media correspondent Lisa de Moraes to mockingly declare ABC to be the “first victim” of the war. In a March 21 analysis, de Moraes will note that ABC waits while its show The Bachelor: Where Are They Now? completes its broadcast. ABC news anchor Peter Jennings shows up to lead the network’s coverage almost a half hour later than his colleagues at NBC and CBS, leading de Moraes to ask if Jennings was not aware of the “scheduled” 8 p.m. deadline laid down by President Bush. “[W]asn’t anyone at ABC News watching that MSNBC countdown clock?” she asks. It is NBC that officially breaks the news of the military strike, with correspondent Peter Arnett informing NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw of the attack at 9:32 p.m. Jennings, whom de Moraes speculates “was at a dinner party,” finally takes to the air at 10:05 p.m, just a few minutes before, de Moraes writes, “President Bush went on the air to formally cut the ribbon on the war.” An ABC News spokesman later confesses that when the war broke, “our correspondent was out of position.” De Moraes is equally bemused that Jennings left the news desk at 11:01 p.m, surprising some local affiliates who plan to continue running ABC’s national news transmission instead of their own local programming. One affiliate’s news director later says, “There was a sense that the coverage was going to continue for some time, and when it ended so abruptly it caught all of us off guard.” The next day, ABC officials Alex Wallau and David Westin issue a joint statement: “We decided around 10:55 p.m. ET last night to end Special Report coverage.… We felt that we had covered this story in Iraq to that point and that we should allow for your late local news broadcasts. We were not aware that there had been Network Alert System communications sent to your stations saying that there would not be a local news opportunity last night.” (de Moraes 3/21/2003; Rich 3/30/2003; Rich 2006, pp. 73)
March 19, 2003: Neoconservative: ‘Iraq Is a Battle, Not a War’
Neoconservative Michael Ledeen, in an op-ed entitled “One Battle in a Wider War,” echoes the thinking of other neoconservatives when he writes that other Middle Eastern countries, specifically Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, must also be invaded by the US. “Once upon a time, it might have been possible to deal with Iraq alone, without having to face the murderous forces of the other terror masters in Tehran, Damascus, and [Riyadh], but that time has passed,” he writes. “Iraq is a battle, not a war. We have to win the war, and the only way to do that is to bring down the terror masters, and spread freedom throughout the region.” (Ledeen 3/19/2003)
US broadcast and cable news outlets begin covering the first US strikes against Iraqi targets (see March 19, 2003 and March 19-20, 2003), but, as author and media critic Frank Rich will later note, their coverage often lacks accuracy. News broadcasts report “a decapitation strike” (see March 20, 2003) that lead US viewers to believe for hours that Saddam Hussein has been killed. CNN’s title card for its strike coverage reads, “Zero Hour for Iraq Arrives”; during its initial coverage, CNN features New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who credits “a slew of information from defectors” and other “intelligence sources”—those who had provided the foundation for Secretary of State Colin Powell’s “impressive speech to the United Nations” (see February 5, 2003)—with the imminent discovery and destruction of Iraq’s WMD stockpiles. “One person in Washington told me that the list could total more than 1,400 of those sites,” Miller says. Pentagon PR chief Victoria Clarke, who had created both the Pentagon’s “embed program” of reporters going into battle with selected military units (see February 2003) and the “military analysts” program of sending carefully selected retired flag officers to the press and television news programs to give the administration’s views of the war (see Early 2002 and Beyond), has overseen the construction of a briefing room for press conferences from US CENTCOM headquarters in Qatar: the $200,000 facility was designed by a production designer who had worked for, among others, Disney, MGM, and illusionist David Blaine. Clarke and the Pentagon marketing officials succeed in having their term to describe the initial assault, “shock and awe,” promulgated throughout the broadcast and cable coverage. (Fox and MSNBC will soon oblige the Pentagon by changing the name of their Iraqi coverage programming to the official administration name for the invasion, “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”) During the assault, as Rich will later write, “the pyrotechnics of Shock and Awe looked like a distant fireworks display, or perhaps the cool computer graphics of a Matrix-inspired video game, rather than the bombing of a large city. None of Baghdad’s nearly six million people were visible.” Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon later says, “If you had hired actors [instead of the network news anchors], you could not have gotten better coverage.” (Rich 2006, pp. 73-75)
March 20 - April 9, 2003: Studies Find that TV Coverage of Iraq Invasion Heavily Sanitized
A study by George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs examines the 600 hours of war coverage by the nation’s broadcast news organizations between the coverage of the first strikes (see March 19, 2003) and the fall of Baghdad (see April 9, 2003). The study shows that of the 1,710 stories broadcast, only 13.5 percent show any images of dead or wounded civilians or soldiers, either Iraqi or American. The study says that television news coverage “did not differ discernibly” from the heavily sanitized, Pentagon-controlled coverage of the 1991 Gulf War (see August 11, 1990 and January 3, 1991). “A war with hundreds of coalition and tens of thousands of Iraqi casualties” is transformed on US television screens “into something closer to a defense contractor’s training video: a lot of action, but no consequences, as if shells simply disappeared into the air and an invisible enemy magically ceased to exist.” A similar study by Columbia University’s Project for Excellence in Journalism finds that “none of the embedded stories (see February 2003 and March-April 2003) studied showed footage of people, either US soldiers or Iraqis, being struck, injured, or killed by weapons fired.” In fact, only 20 percent of the stories by embedded journalists show anyone else besides the journalist.
Focus on Anchors - Author and media critic Frank Rich will later write: “The conveying of actual news often seemed subsidiary to the networks’ mission to out-flag-wave one another and to make their own personnel, rather than the war’s antagonists, the leading players in the drama.… TV viewers were on more intimate terms with [CNN anchor] Aaron Brown’s and [Fox News anchor] Shep Smith’s perceptions of the war than with the collective thoughts of all those soon-to-be-liberated ‘Iraqi people’ whom the anchors kept apothesizing. Iraqis were the best seen-but-not-heard dress extras in the drama, alternately pictured as sobbing, snarling, waving, and cheering.”
Fox News - Rich will say that Fox News is the most egregious of the lot, reporting what he mockingly calls “all victory all the time.” During the time period analyzed, one Fox anchor says, “[O]bjectively speaking [it is] hard to believe things could go more successfully.” Another Fox anchor reports “extraordinary news, the city of Basra under control” even as that city is sliding into guerrilla warfare and outright anarchy. Neoconservative Fred Barnes, one of Fox’s regular commentators, calls the competition “weenies” for actually reporting US casualties. (Rich 2006, pp. 78)
March 20 or 21, 2003: Billionaire Predicts that War Will Drive Stock Prices up ‘Like a Rocket’
As enthusiasm for the war in Iraq permeates the US business community as well as mainstream television news outlets (see March 19-20, 2003), billionaire Donald Trump predicts on Fox News that because of the war, “I think the market’s going to go up like a rocket!” (Rich 3/30/2003; Rich 2006, pp. 75)
March 23, 2003: Arab Television Shows Footage of Slain US Soldiers, US POWs in Iraq
Photos of five US captives broadcast by Al Jazeera. The soldiers are, clockwise from the left: Spc. Shoshana Johnson, Spc. Edgar Hernandez, Spc. Joseph Hudson, Pfc. Patrick Miller, and Sgt. James Riley. [Source: Al Jazeera / CNN]The Arab television network Al Jazeera broadcasts graphic close-up shots of dead US soldiers taken during the same ambush that saw the capture of Private Jessica Lynch (see March 23, 2003). The bodies are sprawled on a concrete floor; a smiling Iraqi fighter points out the individual bodies for the camera. At least two of the soldiers appear to have been shot, one between the eyes. In the same broadcast, four exhausted and shaken captured US soldiers, also members of Lynch’s unit, are shown giving short and uninformative answers to their captors. Still photos of five soldiers are shown by the network. (Priest, Booth, and Schmidt 6/17/2003) The still images of the prisoners are shown on at least one US news show, NBC’s “Dateline.” (Wilgoren 3/28/2003) The parents of one of the captives, Shoshana Johnson, learned of their daughter’s capture from a Spanish-language news broadcast on Telemundo before they were informed by the Pentagon. Joseph Hudson’s mother learned of her son’s capture from a Filipino television broadcast. Johnson’s sister, Army Captain Nikki Johnson, says that it is not necessarily wrong for footage of American POWs to be broadcast because “[y]ou get to see the condition the soldiers are in now. It’ll be very hard for them to mistreat them and try and say, ‘Oh, we found them that way.’” Johnson’s father, Claude, who fought in the 1991 Gulf War as an Army sergeant, says, “The instant we found out they were prisoners, we should have been talking to the people in the Red Cross and ensuring that somebody got out there. We can’t turn the clock back. What is done is done. Now is the time to get the people from the Red Cross or whatever organization is available to go in and make a true assessment, and then we can go from there.” Miller’s half-brother Thomas Hershberger says, “We are glad he wasn’t killed. We hope he makes it back. We all love him, and we hope he is treated humanely.” Hudson’s mother Anecita says tearfully, “I just would like [to say] to the president of United States of America [to] do something about it—to save my son. And I want him to come home.” (CNN 5/25/2003) Excluding Lynch, the US soldiers will be freed 22 days later; Lynch will be rescued from a Nasiriyah hospital nine days later (see June 17, 2003).
March 23, 2003: US Private Jessica Lynch, Six Other Soldiers Captured during Iraqi Ambush
Privates Jessica Lynch and Lori Piestewa. [Source: CNN]US Army Private First Class Jessica Lynch, a supply clerk, is injured in a Humvee crash in the city of Nasiriyah. Lynch’s convoy had become separated from its mates and wound up lost in Nasiriyah, where it came under attack. An Army investigation later shows that Lynch and her colleagues were lost due to exhaustion, several wrong turns, and faulty communications (see July 10, 2003), all of which contribute to the convoy’s misdirection. Eleven US soldiers die in the ambush; Lynch and five others, including her close friend Private Lori Piestewa, are taken captive (see October 24, 2003). Piestewa is mortally wounded and will die within a few hours. Besides Lynch and Piestewa, the others taken prisoner are Sergeant James Riley; Specialists Edgar Hernandez, Joseph Hudson, and Shoshana Johnson; and Private First Class Patrick Miller. (Dorsey 11/11/2003; POW Network 6/22/2006)
March 23, 2003: Pentagon Says Publication, Broadcast of Images of Dead or Wounded US Soldiers Violates ‘Principles of Geneva Convention;’ Media Limits Coverage
A photo of a slain US soldier as broadcast on Al Jazeera. [Source: Al Jazeera / TheWE (.cc)]With the first broadcast of graphic, disturbing images from the Iraq war on Al Jazeera television news shows, the media coverage of the US strike begins turning away from what media critic Frank Rich will later call “cheerleading” (see March 19-20, 2003) to a more somber assessment of the events taking place in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation, is embarrassed when host Bob Schieffer shows part of an Al Jazeera film clip of US troops being killed. (The Pentagon is also denying media reports that around ten US soldiers were either captured or missing. The juxtaposition is inopportune for Rumsfeld and the “shock and awe” story he and the Defense Department wish to tell.) The Pentagon will quickly decide that for the US media to show such images violates “the principles of the Geneva Conventions” and attempt to stop them from being shown in the American press. The Pentagon’s proscription of such images being published and broadcast is only partially successful. ABC news anchor Charles Gibson engages in an on-air discussion of the propriety of airing such images with reporter Ted Koppel. Gibson says to broadcast such disturbing images would be “simply disrespectful,” a point with which Koppel, embedded with the Third Infantry Division, disagrees. The news media is “ginning up patriotic feelings” in covering the war, Koppel says: “I feel that we do have an obligation to remind people in the most graphic way that war is a dreadful thing.… The fact of the matter is young Americans are dying. Young Iraqis are dying. And I think to turn our faces away from that is a mistake.… To sanitize it too much is a dreadful mistake.” However, Koppel’s is not a popular argument. CNN decided at the onset of the war to minimize its broadcast of graphic imagery in deference to “the sensibilities of our viewers.” The other US television news outlets make similar decisions, leaving it to the BBC and other non-American news organizations to show what Rich calls “the savagery and blood of warfare.” Ex-Marine Anthony Swofford, who wrote the bestseller Jarhead about his experiences during the 1991 Gulf War, later says the television coverage is so sanitized that he quickly shut off his TV “and stayed with the print.… [T]he actual experience of combat doesn’t make it to the other side of the screen.” (Rich 2006, pp. 76)
Technical Details Vs. Analysis - The retired officers do “reasonably well” in explaining what Cushman calls “the nuts and bolts of an operation, the technical details of weapons, the decisions facing American and British commanders.” Their speculations about what the Iraqis might be doing and thinking are more problematic. One analyst, retired Marine General Bernard Trainor, almost seemed to invite chemical or biological retaliation from the Iraqis when he told an MSNBC audience: “If he moves, we kill him; if he stays put, we kill him. And regardless of what they’re told to do over the network, whatever is left of the command and control, unless it comes down to using chemical weapons, then the rest of it is just ancillary. If this is going to be the communication of red telephone, if you will, to tell people to launch chemical weapons—and we’re reaching that point in the operation—if they’re going to use their stuff, they’d better start thinking about it, because pretty soon we’re in downtown Baghdad.” Clark, considered the most polished and urbane of the analysts, takes a different tack, and notes repeatedly that the analysts are careful not to give away details of current operations and thus endanger American troops. All of the analysts, Cushman writes, “emphasize the gravity of what the military is up to in Iraq.” As Clark told an audience, “It’s not entertainment.” (Cushman 3/25/2003)
Self-Indoctrination - Rampton notes that while the Bush administration’s propaganda efforts often fail to produce the desired effects, at least to the degree desired, such persistent propaganda practices often have more success in “indoctrinating the propagandist themselves.… The discipline of ‘ensuring message consistency’ cannot hope to succeed at controlling the world’s perceptions of something as broad, sprawling, and contradictory as the Bush administration’s foreign policy. However, it may be successful at enabling people like George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld to ignore the warnings coming from Europe and other quarters. As our leaders lose their ability to listen to critics, we face the danger that they will underestimate the risks and costs involved in going to war.” (Rampton 4/2003)
April-May 2003: New York Times Reporter Judith Miller Effectively Hijacks US Army Unit Searching for WMDs in Iraq
Jamal Mustafa Sultan Tikriti, photographed at Chalabi’s ANC headquarters on April 21, 2003. [Source: Reuters / Corbis]New York Times reporter Judith Miller is embedded with Mobile Exploitation Team Alpha (MET Alpha), a US Army unit charged with trying to find weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq. Miller had written a number of front-page Times stories before the war, strongly suggesting Iraq was pursuing WMD programs; all those stories will later be proven incorrect (see November 6-8, 2001, September 8, 2002, April 20, 2003, September 18, 2002, and July 25, 2003). Miller plays what the press will later call a “highly unusual role” with the unit. One US official will later claim that she turns the unit into a “rogue operation.” (Kurtz 6/25/2003)
Accepting Military Restrictions - Miller accepted an unusual set of restrictions from the military in order to embed with MET Alpha. Most embedded journalists agreed not to report on forthcoming military tactics and to conceal sensitive information about troop movements and positions. Miller, on the other hand, agreed to allow the military to censor her work, and agreed not to publish items until they were approved by military officials. MET Alpha public affairs officer Eugene Pomeroy, who works closely with her, will later recall the agreement, saying that Miller helped negotiate the terms, and will recall the agreement being so sensitive that Defense Secretary Donal Rumsfeld signed off on it. According to the agreement, Pomeroy will recall: “Any articles going out had to be, well, censored. The mission contained some highly classified elements and people, what we dubbed the ‘Secret Squirrels,’ and their ‘sources and methods’ had to be protected and a war was about to start.” Miller’s copy is censored by a colonel, presumably MET Alpha commander Colonel Richard McPhee, who, according to Pomeroy, often reads her work in his sleeping bag, clutching a small flashlight between his teeth. Sometimes, while traveling with the unit, Miller wears a military uniform. (Foer 5/21/2005)
Threats and Connections - Miller, who has the reputation of being a “diva,” is friends with powerful neoconservatives such as Rumsfeld, his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, Pentagon adviser Richard Perle, and other figures in the Pentagon and the Bush administration. One military officer will later claim Miller sometimes “intimidated” Army soldiers by mentioning her relationship to Rumsfeld or Feith, saying, “Essentially, she threatened them,” to get the unit to do her bidding. Another officer says Miller “was always issuing threats of either going to the New York Times or to the secretary of defense. There was nothing veiled about that threat.” This officer adds that MET Alpha “was allowed to bend the rules.” (Kurtz 6/25/2003; Foer 5/21/2005) In 2005, reporter Franklin Foer will write: “While Miller might not have intended to march in lockstep with these hawks, she was caught up in an almost irresistible cycle. Because she kept printing the neocon party line, the neocons kept coming to her with huge stories and great quotes, constantly expanding her access.” (Foer 5/21/2005)
Miller Influences Where the Unit Will Go - On April 21, MET Alpha is ordered to withdraw to the southern Iraqi town of Talil, but Miller objects in a handwritten note to two public affairs officers. Her note says: “I see no reason for me to waste time (or MET Alpha, for that matter) in Talil.… Request permission to stay on here with colleagues at the Palestine Hotel till MET Alpha returns or order to return is rescinded. I intend to write about this decision in the [New York] Times to send a successful team back home just as progress on WMD is being made.” Miller challenges the plan to go to Talil, and takes her concerns to Major General David Petraeus, commander of the 101st Airborne. Petraeus does not have direct authority over McPhee, the commander of the 75th Exploitation Task Force, which contains the MET Alpha unit. But McPhee rescinds the withdrawal order after Petraeus advises him to do so. (Kurtz 6/25/2003; Foer 5/21/2005)
Redirecting the Unit's Mission - Miller is also friends with Iraqi National Congress (INC) leader Ahmed Chalabi, who gave her leads for many later-debunked stories. More than half a dozen military officers will later claim that Miller acts as a go-between between Chalabi and the unit. On one occasion in April she takes some unit leaders to Chalabi’s headquarters, where the unit takes custody of Jamal Mustafa Sultan Tikriti, Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law, number 40 on the US’s most wanted list. She also sits in on his debriefing. None of the members of the unit have any experience in interrogation. Several US military officials will say they are upset that completely untrained officers led the debriefing of Tikriti. One Chalabi aide will explain why they turned Tikriti over to the MET Alpha unit instead of using the ANC’s usual contacts with the US miliary, saying, “We told Judy because we thought it was a good story.” When Miller later writes a story about Tikriti’s capture, she will claim that the handover was pure coincidence, as leaders of the unit “happened to be meeting” with Chalabi to “discuss nonproliferation issues.” One official will later complain that the unit became the “Judith Miller team” when she effectively redirected it from finding WMDs to holding and interrogating high-ranking prisoners. A military officer will later say: “This was totally out of their lane, getting involved with human intelligence.… [Miller] came in with a plan. She was leading them.… She ended up almost hijacking the mission.” A senior staff officer of the 75th Exploitation Task Force will similarly complain, “It’s impossible to exaggerate the impact she had on the mission of this unit, and not for the better.” (Kurtz 6/25/2003)
Guarding Her Access - Pomeroy and another witness will recall Miller jealously guarding her access from other reporters. In one instance, when Washington Post reporter Barton Gellman travels with the unit for a day, Miller orders the unit’s troops not to speak to him. According to Pomeroy, “She told people that she had clearance to be there and Bart didn’t.” (Foer 5/21/2005)
Miller Has Unit Investigate Dubious Tips from Chalabi - In other cases, the unit apparently follows leads given to Miller by Chalabi or his aides. For instance, it discovers Iraqi intelligence documents and maps related to Israel, and Miller writes a story about this. Chalabi aide Zaab Sethna will later say: “We thought this was a great story for the New York Times.… That came from us.” While embedded with the unit, Miller writes stories for the Times strongly suggesting the unit has discovered WMDs. For instance, one of her headlines is “US Analysts Link Iraq Labs to Germ Arms,” and another is “US Experts Find Radioactive Material in Iraq.” But like her pre-war stories about WMDs in Iraq, these stories also will be completely discredited. It is unclear how long Miller hijacks the MET Alpha unit for, but the Washington Post will publish an expose about these connections in late June 2003. (Kurtz 6/25/2003) In late 2003, Miller will say that her reliance on Chalabi’s information is “exaggerated.” (Massing 2/26/2004) In 2005, Foer will call Miller one of “Chalabi’s credulous allies” along with a number of Bush administration officials. The Times will not acknowledge the breadth of Chalabi’s influence on the reports it published by Miller until May 2005, but will refuse to connect Chalabi and Miller. Foer will note that although Miller had more access to MET Alpha than any other reporter, “she was the only major reporter on the WMD beat to miss the story so completely.” (Foer 5/21/2005)
A Mouthpiece for the Administration? - In 2004, Miller tells columnist and media expert Michael Massing that as an investigative reporter in the intelligence area, “my job isn’t to assess the government’s information and be an independent intelligence analyst myself. My job is to tell readers of the New York Times what the government thought about Iraq’s arsenal.” Massing will write, “Many journalists would disagree with this; instead, they would consider offering an independent evaluation of official claims one of their chief responsibilities.” (Massing 2/26/2004)
Admission of Error - In late 2005, Miller will admit that her reporting on Iraqi WMD issues was almost “entirely wrong” (see October 16, 2005).
April 1, 2003: Fox News Pundit Says Antiwar Figures Are Traitors
Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly says that those who oppose the Iraq war, such as actor Sean Penn and journalist Peter Arnett, are traitors. (Unger 2007, pp. 290)
April 1, 2003: US Military Briefs Reporters on Jessica Lynch’s Rescue, Shows Carefully Edited Video
General Vincent Brooks briefing reporters, with a photograph of Jessica Lynch displayed in the background. [Source: Reuters / Corbis]Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, at US CENTCOM headquarters in Qatar, shows reporters a video clip of the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch (see April 1, 2003), filmed with night-vision lenses. The clip shows Lynch on a stretcher and being rushed to a helicopter. Brooks says that before the raid, the hospital was apparently doubling as a military command post for Iraqi forces. (Schmidt and Loeb 4/3/2003) “We were successful in that operation last night and did retrieve Pfc. Jessica Lynch, bringing her away from that location of danger, clearing the building of some of the military activity that was in there.” Brooks says. “There was not a fire-fight inside the building I will tell you, but there were fire-fights outside of the building getting in and getting out. There were no coalition casualties as a result of this and in the destruction that occurred inside of the building, particularly in the basement area where the operations centers had been, we found ammunition, mortars, maps, a terrain model, and other things that make it very clear that it was being used as a military command post. The nature of the operation was a coalition special operation that involved Army Rangers, Air Force pilots and combat controllers, US Marines and Navy Seals. It was a classical joint operation done by some of our nation’s finest warriors, who are dedicated to never leaving a comrade behind.” (Mitchell 7/14/2008)
Reporters Given Video - Within hours, reporters are given a slickly produced five-minute edited version of the video of Lynch’s rescue, edited by a Defense Department production crew. Author and media critic Frank Rich later calls it “an action-packed montage of the guns-blazing Special Operations raid to rescue Lynch, bathed in the iridescent green glow of night-vision photography.” The video vies with a still photo of a barely conscious Lynch lying on a stretcher, with an American flag on her chest, for the most-broadcast image of the day. (Rich 2006, pp. 80-82) (In a tragic corollary to the video of Lynch’s rescue, the father of James Kiehl, a fellow soldier killed in the March 23 assault, was unable to find his son in the video footage. He will eventually find a shot of his son, dead and laid out behind the hospital, in a picture on the Al Jazeera Web site. The Defense Department videographers had left footage of Kiehl on the cutting room floor.) (Rich 2006, pp. 80-82; Moore 3/19/2006)
Some Reporters Dubious - CNN’s veteran war correspondent, Tom Mintier, later says, “I was a bit upset that [the Pentagon] spent so much time giving us all the minute-by-minute, this happened, that happened, she said this, we said that… and on a day when you have forces going into Baghdad, it wasn’t part of the briefing. Seems like there is an effort to manage the news in an unmanageable situation. They tried it in the first Gulf War, this time it was supposed to be different.” (Rich 2006, pp. 80-82)
Pentagon's Story Almost Entirely Fictitious - Subsequent interviews with Iraqi hospital staffers and nearby residents show that almost every aspect of the Pentagon’s story is fabrication (see May 4, 2003, May 23, 2003, May 25, 2003, and June 17, 2003).
April 1, 2003: US Soldier Jessica Lynch Rescued in ‘Dramatic’ Special Operations Mission
Still photo from Defense Department video of Lynch’s rescue. [Source: Associated Press]US Special Operations forces rescue captured Private Jessica Lynch from Saddam Hussein Hospital hospital near Nasiriyah (see March 23, 2003). According to the Pentagon, the rescue is a classic Special Forces raid, with US commandos in Black Hawk helicopters blasting their way through Iraqi resistance in and out of the medical compound. (Dorsey 11/11/2003) The Associated Press’s initial report is quite guarded, saying only that Lynch had been rescued. An Army spokesman “did not know whether Lynch had been wounded or when she might return to the United States.” (Chinni 6/23/2003)
'Shooting Going In ... Shooting Going Out' - Subsequent accounts are far more detailed (see April 3, 2003). Military officials say that the rescue was mounted after securing intelligence from CIA operatives. A Special Forces unit of Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and Air Force combat controllers “touched down in blacked-out conditions,” according to the Washington Post. Cover is provided by an AC-130 gunship circling overhead; a reconnaissance aircraft films the events of the rescue. One military official briefed on the operation says: “There was shooting going in, there was some shooting going out. It was not intensive. There was no shooting in the building, but it was hairy, because no one knew what to expect. When they got inside, I don’t think there was any resistance. It was fairly abandoned.” (Schmidt and Loeb 4/3/2003) CENTCOM spokesman General Vincent Brooks says he is not yet sure who Lynch’s captors were, but notes: “Clearly the regime had done this. It was regime forces that had been in there. Indications are they were paramilitaries, but we don’t know exactly who. They’d apparently moved most of them out before we arrived to get in, although, as I mentioned, there were buildings outside of the Saddam Hospital, where we received fire—or the assault force received fire—during the night.” (Broder 4/2/2003)
'Prototype Torture Chamber' - According to a military official, the Special Forces soldiers find what he calls a “prototype” Iraqi torture chamber in the hospital’s basement, equipped with batteries and metal prods. US Marines are patrolling Nasiriyah to engage whatever Iraqi forces may still be in the area. (Schmidt and Loeb 4/3/2003)
Secretive Intelligence Sources - CENTCOM officials refuse to discuss the intelligence that led them to Lynch and the 11 bodies. One official says, “We may need to use those intelligence sources and collection methods again.” (Broder 4/2/2003)
Pentagon's Story Almost Entirely Fictitious - Reporters are given a detailed briefing about the rescue, as well as copies of a video of the rescue shot by the soldiers as they performed the mission (see April 1, 2003). Subsequent interviews with Iraqi hospital staffers and nearby residents show that almost every aspect of the Pentagon’s story is fabrication (see May 4, 2003, May 23, 2003, May 25, 2003, and June 17, 2003).
April 2, 2003: Jessica Lynch Flown to US Military Hospital in Germany; Gunshot Wounds Reported
Army Private Jessica Lynch, rescued from an Iraqi hospital by US Special Operations forces (see April 1, 2003), arrives at a US military hospital in Landestul, Germany. Military officials describe her as in “stable” condition, with multiple broken limbs and multiple gunshot and stab wounds. Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke tells reporters that Lynch is “in good spirits and being treated for injuries.” Another military officer tells reporters that she is conscious and was able to communicate with her rescuers, but “she was pretty messed up.” Lynch has spoken with her parents by telephone, who describe her as in good spirits, but hungry and in pain. (Schmidt and Loeb 4/3/2003) The New York Times reports that Lynch suffered from gunshot wounds: “Details of what happened to Private Lynch were scarce. An Army official said Tuesday night that Private Lynch had been shot multiple times. The official said that it had not been determined whether she was shot during the rescue attempt or before it.” The Associated Press reports, “Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said she was suffering from broken legs, a broken arm, and at least one gunshot wound.” (Chinni 6/23/2003) It is later determined that Lynch was not, in fact, shot (see April 15, 2003).
April 3, 2003: Washington Post Prints Tale of Jessica Lynch’s Heroic Resistance and Rescue in Iraq
A barely conscious Lynch lies on a stretcher. An American flag is draped over her chest. This will become one of the iconic photos of the Lynch saga. [Source: Reuters / Corbis]The Washington Post prints a story purporting to detail the trials and tribulations of Private Jessica Lynch, captured in a recent ambush by Iraqi fighters (see March 23, 2003). The Post headline: “She Was Fighting to the Death.” According to the story, Lynch fought valiantly to defend her injured and killed comrades, herself killing several of her attackers and suffering repeated gunshot and stab wounds. (Schmidt and Loeb 4/3/2003; Dorsey 11/11/2003)
'Talk about Spunk!' - According to the tale, provided to Post reporters by unnamed US officials, Lynch continued firing until she ran out of ammunition, and even after suffering “multiple gunshot wounds.” An official says: “She was fighting to the death. She did not want to be taken alive.” One military official, senior military spokesman Captain Frank Thorp, tells reporters from the Military Times that Lynch “waged quite a battle prior to her capture. We do have very strong indications that Jessica Lynch was not captured very easily. Reports are that she fired her [M-16 rifle] until she had no more ammunition.” (This is not true, but Thorp will later deny that any deliberate deception occurred—see April 2007 and March 18, 2008.) Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) is fulsome with his praise of Lynch after being briefed by Pentagon officials: “Talk about spunk! She just persevered. It takes that and a tremendous faith that your country is going to come and get you.” Initial reports indicated that she had been stabbed to death at the scene, but those reports were incorrect. Officials warn that “the precise sequence of events is still being determined, and that further information will emerge as Lynch is debriefed.” Pentagon officials say they have heard “rumors” of Lynch’s heroism, but as yet have no confirmation from either Lynch or other survivors. Eleven bodies were found at the hospital during her rescue; at least some of those bodies are believed to be those of US servicemen. Seven soldiers from Lynch’s 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company are still listed as missing in action; five others were captured after the attack. Iraqi broadcasts have shown video footage of the five, along with pictures of at least four US soldiers killed during the attack. Because of debriefing and counseling, it may be some time before Lynch is reunited with her family in West Virginia. (Schmidt and Loeb 4/3/2003; Mulrine 3/18/2008; Mitchell 7/14/2008) Other media stories add to the Post’s account. The New York Daily News reports: “Jessica was being tortured. That was the urgent word from an Iraqi man who alerted American troops where to find Pfc. Jessica Lynch—and her injuries seem to bear out the allegation.… Her broken bones are a telltale sign of torture, said Amy Waters Yarsinske, a former Navy intelligence officer and an expert on POW and MIA treatment. ‘It’s awfully hard to break both legs and an arm in a truck accident,’ Yarsinske said.” The Daily News is almost certainly referring to Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief, the Iraqi who told US forces about Lynch being at an Iraqi hospital (see June 17, 2003). The Los Angeles Times reports Lynch was “flown to a US military hospital at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where she was reported to be in stable condition, recovering from injuries said to include broken legs, a broken arm and at least one gunshot wound.” (Chinni 6/23/2003)
Discrepancies in Story - An Iraqi pharmacist who was at the hospital during Lynch’s captivity says as far as he knew, Lynch only suffered leg wounds. He recalls her crying about wanting to go home. “She said every time, about wanting to go home,” the pharmacist recalls. “She knew that the American Army and the British were on the other side of the [Euphrates] river in Nasiriyah city.… She said, ‘Maybe this minute the American Army [will] come and get me.’” (Schmidt and Loeb 4/3/2003)
Story Almost Pure Fiction - According to subsequent investigations by reporters, the Pentagon tale as reported by the Post is almost pure fiction (see May 4, 2003 and June 17, 2003). Author and media critic Frank Rich will later write that at this point in the narrative, “Jessica Lynch herself, unable to speak, was reduced to a mere pawn, an innocent bystander in the production of her own big-budget action-packed biopic.” (Rich 2006, pp. 82)
April 4, 2003: Doctors Find No Gunshot Wounds on Jessica Lynch; Cousin Tells Different Story to Press
Colonel David Rubenstein, a spokesman for the US military’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, confirms that Army Private Jessica Lynch was neither shot nor stabbed as previously reported (see April 3, 2003). Rubenstein says, “While the mechanism of injury is still unclear at this point, the most recent evaluations by our staff do not suggest that any of her wounds were caused by either gunshots or stabbing injuries.” According to Rubenstein, Lynch’s injuries include fractures to her right arm, both legs, right foot and ankle, and lumbar spine. She also has a head laceration. She has already undergone several surgeries and is scheduled for more. She will “require extensive rehabilitative services” even after the surgeries. Rubenstein says he cannot tell if Lynch’s injuries were sustained during the ambush or while she was in Iraqi custody. Doctors have not discussed the care she received while in an Iraqi hospital (see May 4, 2003). (CNN 4/4/2003) Around the same time as Rubenstein’s press conference, Lynch’s father, Greg Lynch, confirms that his daughter suffered no gunshot wounds. (Dorsey 11/11/2003) “We have heard and seen reports that she had multiple gunshot wounds and a knife stabbing,” he says, but “[t]he doctor has not seen any of this.” Contradicting Lynch’s father’s statement, an Associated Press story reports: “Dan Little, a cousin who held a news conference Friday night in West Virginia, said he had talked with her doctors and they had determined she had been shot. He said they found two entry and exit wounds ‘consistent with low-velocity, small-caliber rounds.’ They also found shrapnel, Little said.” Little’s statement would continue to fuel the story of Lynch’s gunshot wounds. The New York Times presents both sides of the tale, writing: “Pfc. Jessica Lynch shifted overnight from victim to teenage Rambo: all the cable news shows ran with a report from the Washington Post that the 19-year-old POW had been shot and stabbed yet still kept firing at enemy soldiers (see April 3, 2003).… Later yesterday, her father said she had not been shot or stabbed.” Numerous media reports also cite “an Iraqi lawyer named Mohammed” who helped the US rescue team secure Lynch. The lawyer, Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief, tells of Lynch being interrogated and slapped by a black-clad Fedayeen (see June 17, 2003). (Chinni 6/23/2003)
April 5, 2003: Associated Press Continues to Report Jessica Lynch Wounded by Gunfire
The Associated Press reports that questions remain about how Army Private Jessica Lynch was injured (see March 23, 2003 and April 1, 2003). While US military doctors are reporting that Lynch did not suffer from gunshot wounds as originally reported (see April 4, 2003), the Associated Press report reads in part: “Lynch’s family in West Virginia said doctors had determined she’d been shot. They found two entry and exit wounds ‘consistent with low-velocity, small-caliber rounds,’ said her mother, Deadra Lynch.” (Chinni 6/23/2003)
April 7, 2003: Newsweek Cover Story on Jessica Lynch Rescue Emphasizes Story of Gunshot Wounds, Raises Question of Mistreatment after Capture
Newsweek cover featuring Jessica Lynch. [Source: Newsweek]The American US edition of Newsweek released this day features a cover story about US Army Private Jessica Lynch, recently rescued from captivity by US forces (see April 1, 2003). While the story mentions her doctors’ statements that she was not shot (see April 4, 2003), it focuses on the accounts of some of her family members (including members in West Virginia who have not seen Lynch). The Newsweek story repeats a cousin’s claim of gunshot wounds from “low-velocity small arms,” and goes on to say, “The unpleasant implication was that she might have been shot after she’d been captured, rather than wounded in combat.” The account also questions her treatment at the Iraqi hospital, alleging the possibility of mistreatment and quotes her father as saying “she survived for part of her time in the hospital on nothing but orange juice and crackers.” (Adler 4/14/2003; Chinni 6/23/2003) An unnamed senior administration official says, “The possibility of mistreatment has been very much on the mind of President Bush.” Author and media critic Frank Rich later writes that the Newsweek story is an illustration of the saying, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” (Rich 2006, pp. 81-82)
April 7, 2003: Senator: Homosexual Rights Lead to Legalized Incest, Pedophilia, Bestiality
Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) makes a controversial statement concerning gay rights. He makes the statements in an interview with an Associated Press reporter on April 7; the interview will be published on April 20. Santorum, a fervent anti-gay activist, explains his opposition to gay rights, saying: “I have no problem with homosexuality. I have a problem with homosexual acts. As I would with acts of other, what I would consider to be, acts outside of traditional heterosexual relationships. And that includes a variety of different acts, not just homosexual. I have nothing, absolutely nothing against anyone who’s homosexual. If that’s their orientation, then I accept that. And I have no problem with someone who has other orientations. The question is, do you act upon those orientations? So it’s not the person, it’s the person’s actions. And you have to separate the person from their actions.” Asked if the law should ban homosexual acts, Santorum responds by criticizing a recent Supreme Court decision striking down a Texas anti-sodomy statute, saying: “We have laws in states, like the one at the Supreme Court right now, that has sodomy laws and they were there for a purpose. Because, again, I would argue, they undermine the basic tenets of our society and the family. And if the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society? I would argue yes, it does. It all comes from, I would argue, this right to privacy that doesn’t exist in my opinion in the United States Constitution, this right that was created, it was created in Griswold—Griswold was the contraceptive case—and abortion. [Santorum is referring to Griswold v. Connecticut, wherein the US Supreme Court threw out a Connecticut ban on contraception.] And now we’re just extending it out. And the further you extend it out, the more you—this freedom actually intervenes and affects the family. You say, ‘Well, it’s my individual freedom.’ Yes, but it destroys the basic unit of our society because it condones behavior that’s antithetical to strong healthy families. Whether it’s polygamy, whether it’s adultery, where it’s sodomy, all of those things, are antithetical to a healthy, stable, traditional family. Every society in the history of man has upheld the institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Why? Because society is based on one thing: that society is based on the future of the society. And that’s what? Children. Monogamous relationships. In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing.” The unidentified reporter interrupts Santorum by saying, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think I was going to talk about ‘man on dog’ with a United States senator, it’s sort of freaking me out.” Santorum defends his juxtaposition by saying: “And that’s sort of where we are in today’s world, unfortunately. The idea is that the state doesn’t have rights to limit individuals’ wants and passions. I disagree with that. I think we absolutely have rights because there are consequences to letting people live out whatever wants or passions they desire. And we’re seeing it in our society.” Santorum says that if elected president, he would let “the democratic process” decide on a state level whether to limit or remove the constitutional right to privacy. “If New York doesn’t want sodomy laws, if the people of New York want abortion, fine. I mean, I wouldn’t agree with it, but that’s their right. But I don’t agree with the Supreme Court coming in,” he says. (Associated Press 4/23/2003; Loughlin 4/23/2003) Santorum’s remarks will draw heavy criticism. The Associated Press reporter who interviews Santorum is later identified as Lara Jakes Jordan; the AP often does not identify reporters with a byline (see April 23, 2003 and After).
April 9, 2003: Saddam Hussein’s Government Collapses; US Orchestrates Propaganda Stunt with Toppling Statue
A US military vehicle pulls down a statue of Saddam Hussein in front of a small crowd. [Source: Fox News] (click image to enlarge)The government of Saddam Hussein collapses as US troops take control of Baghdad. To mark the occasion, a statue of the former dictator in downtown Baghdad’s Firdos Square is pulled down, seemingly by a group of average Iraqi citizens and US soldiers. (Nessman and Espo 4/9/2003) The celebration is later revealed by the Los Angeles Times to be a psychological operation managed by US forces and not Iraqi citizens. (Zucchino 7/3/2004) The entire event is a carefully staged photo op. The tightly cropped pictures sent out by the Pentagon, and subsequently broadcast and published around the world, show what appears to be a large crowd of celebrating Iraqis. However, aerial photos show that the square is nearly empty except for a small knot of people gathered in front of the statue. The square itself is surrounded by US tanks. And there is some question as to the authenticity of the celebrating Iraqis. Al-Jazeera producer Samir Khader later says that the Americans “brought with them some people—supposedly Iraqis cheering. These people were not Iraqis. I lived in Iraq, I was born there, I was raised there. I can recognize an Iraqi accent.” (Unger 2007, pp. 302) Fox News anchors assure viewers that images of the toppling statue are sure to persuade the Arab world to see America as a liberator. Correspondent Simon Marks, reporting from Amman, Jordan, reports that “the Arab street” is angry, and it will take careful diplomacy to convince the majority of Arabs that this is not “an American war of occupation.” In response, Fox anchor David Asman, a former Wall Street Journal editorial writer, says, “There’s a certain ridiculousness to that point of view!” (Auletta 5/26/2003)
April 9, 2003: Mainstream Media Reporters Echo Rumsfeld’s Description of Firdos Square Statue Toppling
The toppling of the Firdos Square statue (see April 9, 2003) is presented as an iconic moment in history by many US media outlets. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld cues the news analysts by saying of the “spontaneously” celebrating Iraqis, “Watching them, one cannot help but think of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Iron Curtain.” NBC analyst Tim Russert says shortly afterwards, “Not since the fall of the Berlin Wall have I seen anything quite like this.” CNN’s Bill Hemmer says, “You think about seminal moments in a nation’s history… indelible moments like the fall of the Berlin Wall, and that’s what we’re seeing right now.” David Asman of Fox News tells viewers, “My goose bumps have never been higher than they are right now.” Fox anchor Brit Hume says, “This transcends anything I’ve ever seen.” (Rich 2006, pp. 83) Al-Jazeera news producer Samir Khader will later say: “The Americans played the media element intelligently.… It was a show. It was a media show.” Al-Jazeera producer Deema Khatib will agree. Referring to various elements shown on American news broadcasts, he will say: “I bet you they brought in those teenage guys who broke the statue, they brought them in with them, because if you notice, they are all sort of the same age, no women, and they all went in and it was the same people on the square. You couldn’t see more people gathering from the houses around. No one came down to the street to see what was happening, because people were scared. And those people who came in, how come one of them had the flag of Iraq before 1991 in his pocket? Has he been waiting there for 10 years with the flag on that square? I don’t think so. But this is not something the US media will talk about.” (Rich 2006, pp. 84) Most US news outlets dramatically cut back on their war reporting after the fall of the statue (see April 9, 2003).
April 9, 2003: US Television News Organizations Scale Back War Coverage after Statue’s Fall
While the iconic Firdos Square photo op dominates US news broadcasts (see April 9, 2003), the fighting throughout Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq goes almost unreported. CNN’s Paula Zahn makes a passing reference to “total anarchy” in Baghdad; CNN reporter Martin Savidge and CBS reporter Byron Pitts give brief oral reports on the fighting, but no film is shown to American viewers. The Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media will later note: “Despite the fact that fighting continued literally blocks from Firdos Square, apparently no camera crews were dispatched to capture those images. According to CNN and FNC [Fox News Channel], in other words, the war ended with the collapse of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square.” After that, the Journal will conclude, “the battlefield itself disappeared”; author and media critic Frank Rich will note that war coverage dropped “precipitously on every network, broadcast and cable alike.” War footage will drop 76 percent on Fox and 73 percent on CNN. (Rich 2006, pp. 84)
April 10, 2003 and After: Iraqi Who Helped Rescue Jessica Lynch Given Asylum, Lobbying Job, and Book Deal in US
Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief. [Source: Yuri Gripas / Reuters / Corbis]Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief, the Iraqi lawyer who provided intelligence leading to the rescue of Army Private Jessica Lynch (see June 17, 2003), arrives in the US with his wife and daughter. Al-Rehaief is granted political asylum under the “humanitarian parole” program, which is usually used to expedite entry into the US for medical emergencies. A spokesman for the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services says, “Quite honestly, it was the fastest way to get him and his family to safety in the United States.” Al-Rehaief is provided a job with the Livingston Group, a Washington lobbying firm headed by former US representative Bob Livingston (R-PA). He is also given a $500,000 book contract by HarperCollins, which as reporter Robert Scheer notes, is “a company owned by Rupert Murdoch, whose Fox network did much to hype Lynch’s story, as it did the rest of the war.” (Murphy 5/2/2003; Scheer 5/20/2003)
April 10, 2003: Some Print Journalists Begin Writing More Skeptically of Statue Toppling
While television news anchors and analysts continue to follow the lead of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in comparing the toppling of the Firdos Square statue to the fall of the Berlin Wall (see April 9, 2003 and April 9, 2003), press reporters and editorial writers begin to express some skepticism. An unphotogenic photo of the statue being covered by an American flag prompts the New York Times’s Alessandra Stanley to note that this was a “powerful reminder that, unlike the Soviet empire, Iraq’s regime did not implode from within.” Noting that an American tank had been required to eventually push the statue over, Stanley adds, “In 1989, East Germans did not need American help to break down their wall.” The Washington Post’s Tom Shales observes that “of all the statues of Saddam Hussein scattered throughout the city, the crowds had conveniently picked one located across from the hotel where most of the media were headquartered. This was either splendid luck or brilliant planning on the part of the [US] military.” (Rich 2006, pp. 83) Two days later, the Toronto Star will report, “Never mind how that video was tightly framed, showing a chanting crowd, when wider shots would have revealed a very different picture: a very large, mostly empty square surrounded by US tanks.” (Zerbisias 4/12/2003)
April 11, 2003: Deputy Defense Secretary Dubbed ‘Wolfowitz of Arabia’ by Press
Some in the press, overtly admiring of Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz as the “architect” of the Iraq invasion, have given him an interesting nickname. During a press conference in Washington, Wolfowitz is asked: “And on a lighter note, sir, some people are calling you Wolfowitz of Arabia. How would you respond to that?” After the laughter subsides, and answers to more serious questions are given, Wolfowitz says, “Oh, and on your last question, I think it’s amusing but not very accurate.” (US Department of Defense 4/11/2003) Apparently the sobriquet was first given to Wolfowitz by the New York Times, which published an article with that title in recent days. (Lyden 5/3/2003)
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, pleased with the propaganda effort of his assistant Victoria Clarke and her use of retired military officers as media analysts to boost the administration’s case for war with Iraq (see Early 2002 and Beyond), sends a memo to Clarke suggesting that the Pentagon continue the propaganda effort after the war has run its course. He writes, “Let’s think about having some of the folks who did such a good job as talking heads in after this thing is over.” As the occupation lasts through the summer and the first signs of the insurgency emerge, the Pentagon quickly counters with its military analysts to reassure the American populace that everything is going well in Iraq (see Summer 2003). (Barstow 4/20/2008)
April 14, 2003: CBS News Anchor Dan Rather Says His News Coverage Has Pro-US Bias
On CNN’s Larry King Live, CBS news anchor Dan Rather says: “Look, I’m an American. I never tried to kid anybody that I’m some internationalist or something. And when my country is at war, I want my country to win, whatever the definition of ‘win’ may be. Now, I can’t and don’t argue that that is coverage without a prejudice. About that I am prejudiced.” (Rendall and Broughel 5/2003) On September 17, 2001, Rather said he would “line up” with the president (see September 17-22, 2001). In May 2002, he said that fear of being seen as unpatriotic was affecting news coverage (see May 17, 2002). In 2007, Rather will admit to not staying objective after 9/11 (see April 25, 2007).
April 15, 2003: Washington Post Reports Lynch Neither Shot Nor Mistreated While in Iraqi Care
For the first time, a major American news organization runs an article on Army Private Jessica Lynch that questions the initial versions of her capture and rescue (see April 1, 2003), though it places the story towards the very back of its main section, on page A17. The Washington Post’s lede compares the US military’s version to “a Hollywood script” with “Hollywood dazzle” and “little need for real action.” The story is based on interviews with Iraqi doctors who treated Lynch. One, Haitham Gizzy, says of the US military: “They made a big show. It was just a drama. A big, dramatic show.” Gizzy and others at the hospital say that Iraqi soldiers and guerrilla fighters had fled the hospital the night before the US launched its rescue attempt. According to Mokhdad Abd Hassan, a hospital staffer, most of the fighters in the area, and the entire Ba’ath Party leadership, including the governor of the province, came to the hospital earlier that day, changed into civilian clothes, and fled. “They brought their civilian wear with them,” Hassan says. Pointing to green army uniforms still piled on the lawn, he says: “You can see their military suits. They all ran away, the same day.” Gizzy adds: “It was all the leadership. Even the governor and the director general of the Ba’ath Party.… They left walking, barefoot, in civilian wear.… [I]t look like an organized manner” of retreat. When the US rescue team arrived, Gizzy says: “there were no soldiers at our hospital, just the medical staff. There were just us doctors.” Like US doctors currently treating Lynch (see April 4, 2003), Gizzy says Lynch was neither shot nor stabbed, as initial accounts stated (see April 3, 2003). “It was a road traffic accident” that caused her wounds, Gizzy says. “There was not a drop of blood.… There were no bullets or shrapnel or anything like that.” At the hospital, he says, “She was given special care, more than the Iraqi patients.” (Richburg 4/15/2003) Subsequent media accounts will begin backing off of the claims of multiple gunshot wounds. (Chinni 6/23/2003) Post ombudsman Michael Getler, who will write highly critical analyses of the newspaper’s coverage of the Lynch story (see May 25, 2003 and June 29, 2003), later notes that while the Post deserves recognition that it was one of the first media outlets to interview the Iraqi doctors and tell their side of the story, the newspaper chose to print this story “way back in the paper.” Since it “was based on Iraqi sources” and buried so deep in the paper, “it didn’t get the attention that it otherwise might have gotten.” He adds, “I think in general, the press was quite slow to try and go back on this story which seemed fishy, almost from the start.” (Goodman 7/23/2003)
Fox News analyst Robert Scales, Jr. [Source: New York Times]Washington Post columnist Colman McCarthy notes that there are at least a dozen retired military officers giving supposedly independent opinion and commentary on the Iraq war to the various news networks. McCarthy writes: “Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been unhappy with the criticism of their war effort by former military men appearing on television. So am I, but for a different reason. The top people at the Pentagon are wondering why these ex-military talkers can’t follow the company line on how well the war has been fought. I’m wondering why these spokesmen for militarism are on TV in the first place.” McCarthy lists twelve: Lieutenant General Bernard Trainor, Major General Robert Scales, Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold, Major General Donald Shepperd, General Barry McCaffrey, Major General Paul Vallely, Lieutenant General Don Edwards, Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney, Colonel Tony Koren, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, Major Jack Stradley, and Captain Chris Lohman. He asks rhetorically, “Did I miss anyone?” (McCarthy 4/19/2003) In 2008, after the story of the massive and systematic Pentagon propaganda operation using at least 75 retired military officers to promote the war (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) becomes public knowledge, Editor & Publisher’s Greg Mitchell answers the question, “[H]e sure did.” (Mitchell 4/20/2008)
For Us or Against Us - McCarthy concludes: “George W. Bush lectured the world that you’re either with us or against us. America’s networks got the message: They’re with. They could have said that they’re neither with nor against, because no side has all the truth or all the lies and no side all the good or evil. But a declaration such as that would have required boldness and independence of mind, two traits not much linked to America’s television news.” (McCarthy 4/19/2003)
CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan reveals on the air that he had secured the Defense Department’s approval of which “independent military analysts” (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond) to give commentary on the invasion of Iraq. In 2000, Jordan vehemently denied that the Pentagon had any influence on the network’s choice of military analysts (see March 24, 2000). Jordan says: “I went to the Pentagon myself several times before the war started and met with important people there and said, for instance—‘At CNN, here are the generals we’re thinking of retaining to advise us on the air and off about the war’—and we got a big thumbs-up on all of them. That was important.” (Solomon 8/16/2007)
Little Concern at the Networks - The networks are relatively uninterested in any potential conflicts of interest or possible promotions of ideological or financial agendas. Elena Nachmanoff, vice president of talent development at NBC News, dismisses any such concerns: “We are employing them for their military expertise, not their political views.” She says that the analysts play influential roles behind the cameras at NBC, helping producers decide on what to report and how to report it. But, she says, defense contracts are “not our interest.” Hume says that Fox “expect[s] the analysts to keep their other interests out of their commentary, or we stop using them.” Hume admits that Fox has never severed its connection with any analyst, though it is aware of Cowan’s, Bevelacqua’s, and Vallely’s ties to their respective defense firms. Interestingly, Vallely, the expert on so-called “psyops” warfare, developed a concept he called “MindWar,” a psychological propaganda strategy that uses, in his words, “electronic media—television and radio” in the “deliberate, aggressive convincing of all participants in a war that we will win that war.” Nation reporters Daniel Benaim, Priyanka Motaparthy, and Vishesh Kumar muse, “With the televised version of Operation Iraqi Freedom, we may be watching his theory at work—and at a tidy profit, too.” (Benaim, Motaparthy, and Kumar 4/21/2003)
April 23, 2003 and After: Anti-Gay Comments by Republican Senator Draw Fire
Patrick Guerreiro, the head of the Log Cabin Republicans, whose organization objects to Rick Santorum’s rhetoric about homosexuals. [Source: Americans for Truth about Homosexuality (.com)]Recent remarks by Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) alleging that granting rights to homosexuals would also grant Americans the right to commit incest, child rape, and bestiality (see April 7, 2003) draw heavy criticism from both pro-gay organizations and political opponents. Winnie Stachelberg of the gay advocacy organization Human Rights Campaign says: “Senator Santorum’s remarks are deeply hurtful and play on deep-seated fears that fly in the face of scientific evidence, common sense, and basic decency. Clearly, there is no compassion in his conservatism.” Stachelberg asks Republican Congressional leaders to repudiate Santorum’s remarks. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) calls on Santorum to resign as chairman of the Republican Senate Caucus, the number three position in the GOP leadership; Santorum does not do so. The DSCC’s Brad Woodhouse says, “Senator Santorum’s remarks are divisive, hurtful, and reckless and are completely out of bounds for someone who is supposed to be a leader in the United States Senate.” Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) says Santorum’s position is “out of step with our country’s respect for tolerance.” Senator John Kerry (D-MA), a Democratic presidential contender, criticizes the White House for not speaking out against Santorum’s statements, saying, “The White House speaks the rhetoric of compassionate conservatism, but they’re silent while their chief lieutenants make divisive and hurtful comments that have no place in our politics.” Democratic presidential contender Howard Dean (D-VT) joins in calls for Santorum to step down from the RSC post, saying: “Gay-bashing is not a legitimate public policy discussion; it is immoral. Rick Santorum’s failure to recognize that attacking people because of who they are is morally wrong makes him unfit for a leadership position in the United States Senate. Today, I call on Rick Santorum to resign from his post as Republican Conference chairman.” Patrick Guerriero of the Republican pro-gay group, the Log Cabin Republicans, says that Santorum should either apologize or step down from his post as RSC chair: “If you ask most Americans if they compare gay and lesbian Americans to polygamists and folks who are involved in incest and the other categories he used, I think there are very few folks in the mainstream who would articulate those views.” Santorum’s remarks make it difficult to characterize the GOP as inclusive, Guerriero adds. (Loughlin 4/23/2003; CNN 4/23/2003) Guerriero later tells a gay advocacy newspaper: “Log Cabin Republicans are entering a new chapter. We’re no longer thrilled simply about getting a meeting at the White House. We’re organized enough to demand full equality. I’ve heard that vibration since I’ve been in Washington—that people in the party are taking us for granted. To earn respect, we have to start demanding it.… One of the most disappointing things about this episode is that we’ve spent a lot of time with the senator trying to find common ground. This is how he repays us? There is a sad history of Republican leaders choosing to go down this path, and he should’ve known better.” Another, less prominent Republican pro-gay organization, the Republican Unity Coalition, denounces Santorum’s views but stands by his right to hold them. (Bull 6/10/2003) Some Republican senators join in criticizing Santorum. Susan Collins (R-ME) says Santorum’s choice of words is “regrettable” and his legal analysis “wrong.” Olympia Snowe (R-ME) says, “Discrimination and bigotry have no place in our society, and I believe Senator Santorum’s remarks undermine Republican principles of inclusion and opportunity.” Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) says: “I thought his choice of comparisons was unfortunate and the premise that the right of privacy does not exist—just plain wrong. Senator Santorum’s views are not held by this Republican and many others in our party.” Gordon Smith (R-OR) says that “America and the Republican Party” no longer equate “sexual orientation with sexual criminality. While Rick Santorum intended to reiterate the language of an old Supreme Court decision, he did so in a way that was hurtful to the gay and lesbian community.” And John McCain (R-AZ) says: “I think that he may have been inartful in the way that he described it. I believe that—coming from a person who has made several serious gaffes in my career—that the best thing to do is to apologize if you’ve offended anyone. Because I’m sure that Rick did not intend to offend anyone. Apologize if you did and move on.” (Salon 4/26/2003) The only openly gay member of the House of Representatives, Barney Frank (D-MA), says of Santorum: “The only surprise is he’s being honest about it. This kind of gay bashing is perfectly acceptable in the Republican Party.” Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), calls Santorum’s remarks “stunning” and adds: “Rick Santorum is afflicted with the same condition as Trent Lott—a small mind but a big mouth. [Gandy is referring to Lott’s forcible removal from his position as Senate majority leader in 2002 after making pro-segregation remarks.] He has refused to apologize and Republican leaders have either supported or ignored Santorum’s rants blaming societal ills on feminists, liberals, and particularly gays and lesbians. Far from being a compassionate conservative, Santorum’s lengthy and specific comments expose him as abusive, intolerant, and downright paranoid—a poor combination for a top Senate leader.” (People's World 5/7/2003)
Santorum: AP Story 'Misleading' - Santorum says the Associated Press story reporting his remarks was “misleading,” and says he was speaking strictly about a recent Supreme Court case striking down a Texas anti-sodomy law. “I am a firm believer that all are equal under the Constitution,” he says. “My comments should not be construed in any way as a statement on individual lifestyles.” When questioned by a gay Pennsylvanian about his remarks, he says his words were “taken out of context.” (The questioner says to Santorum: “You attacked me for who I am.… How could you compare my sexuality and what I do in the privacy of my home to bigamy or incest?” Santorum denies being intolerant of homosexuality, but repeats his stance that if states were not allowed to regulate homosexual activity in private homes, “you leave open the door for a variety of other sexual activities to occur within the home and not be regulated.”) However, CNN reports that, according to unedited excerpts of the audiotaped interview, “Santorum spoke at length about homosexuality and he made clear he did not approve of ‘acts outside of traditional heterosexual relationships.’ In the April 7 interview, Santorum describes homosexual acts as a threat to society and the family. ‘I have no problem with homosexuality,’ Santorum said, according to the AP. ‘I have a problem with homosexual acts.’” (Loughlin 4/23/2003; CNN 4/23/2003) In an interview on Fox News, Santorum says: “I do not need to give an apology based on what I said and what I’m saying now—I think this is a legitimate public policy discussion. These are not, you know, ridiculous, you know, comments. These are very much a very important point.… I was not equating one to the other. There is no moral equivalency there. What I was saying was that if you say there is an absolute right to privacy for consenting adults within the home to do whatever they want, [then] this has far-reaching ramifications, which has a very serious impact on the American family, and that is what I was talking about.… I am very disappointed that the article was written in the way it was and it has been construed the way it has. I don’t believe it was put in the context of which the discussion was made, which was rather a far-reaching discussion on the right to privacy.” (Salon 4/26/2003; Fox News 4/28/2003)
Bush Defends Santorum - After three days of remaining silent, President Bush issues a brief statement defending Santorum’s remarks, calling Santorum “an inclusive man.” In response, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) issues the following statement from chairman Terry McAuliffe: “President Bush is awfully selective in which American values he chooses to comment on. Rick Santorum disparaged and demeaned a whole segment of Americans and for that President Bush praises him. Three young women in the music business expressed their views and it warrants presidential action. I would suggest that rather than scold the Dixie Chicks (see March 10, 2003 and After), President Bush would best serve America by taking Rick Santorum to the woodshed.” (People's World 5/7/2003; Bull 6/10/2003)
Other Support - Some senators come to Santorum’s defense. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) says in a statement, “Rick is a consistent voice for inclusion and compassion in the Republican Party and in the Senate, and to suggest otherwise is just politics.” Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) blames the media for the controversy, saying: “He’s not a person who wants to put down anybody. He’s not a mean-spirited person. Regardless of the words he used, he wouldn’t try to hurt anybody.… We have 51 Republicans [in the Senate] and I don’t think anyone’s a spokesman for the Republican Party. We have a double standard. It seems that the press, when a conservative Republican says something, they jump on it, but they never jump on things Democrats say. So he’s partly going to be a victim of that double standard.” Santorum’s Pennsylvania colleague, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), says, “I have known Rick Santorum for the better part of two decades, and I can say with certainty he is not a bigot.” Asked if Santorum’s comments will hurt his re-election prospects, Specter says: “It depends on how it plays out. Washington is a town filled with cannibals. The cannibals devoured Trent Lott without cause. If the cannibals are after you, you are in deep trouble. It depends on whether the cannibals are hungry. My guess is that it will blow over.” Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) says, “Rick Santorum has done a great job, and is solid as a rock, and he’s not going anywhere.” A number of Republican senators, including Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), the only openly gay Republican in Congress, refuse to comment when asked. (Salon 4/26/2003) Gary Bauer, a powerful activist of the Christian Right who ran a longshot campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, says that “while some elites may be upset by [Santorum’s] comments, they’re pretty much in the mainstream of where most of the country is.” (Bull 6/10/2003) The conservative advocacy group Concerned Women for America says Santorum was “exactly right” in his statements and blames what it calls the “gay thought police” for the controversy. Genevieve Wood of the Family Research Council agrees, saying, “I think the Republican Party would do well to follow Senator Santorum if they want to see pro-family voters show up on Election Day.” (Loughlin 4/23/2003) Joseph Farah, the publisher of the conservative online news blog WorldNetDaily (WND), says that Santorum was the victim of a “setup” by the Associated Press, and Lara Jakes Jordan, the reporter who wrote the story should be fired. Santorum’s remarks “were dead-on target and undermine the entire homosexual political agenda,” Farah writes. “Santorum articulated far better and more courageously than any elected official how striking down laws against sodomy will lead inevitably to striking down laws against incest, bigamy, and polygamy. You just can’t say consenting adults have an absolute right to do what they want sexually without opening that Pandora’s box.” He accuses the AP of launching what he calls a “hatchet job” against Santorum, designed to take down “a young, good-looking, articulate conservative in the Senate’s Republican leadership.” The AP reporter who interviewed Santorum, Lara Jakes Jordan, is, he says, “a political activist disguised as a reporter.” Farah notes that Jordan is married to Democratic operative Jim Jordan, who works for the Kerry campaign, and in the past Jordan has criticized the AP for not granting benefits to gay domestic partners. Thusly, Farah concludes: “It seems Mrs. Jordan’s ideological fervor is not reserved only for her private life and her corporate politicking. This woman clearly ambushed Santorum on an issue near and dear to her bleeding heart.” (Farah 4/28/2003)
April 27, 2003: Report: ‘Key Elements’ in Jessica Lynch Story ‘Appear to Have Been Wrong’
As part of a story about media errors and exaggerations in Iraq, the St Louis Post-Dispatch cites fundamental problems in earlier coverage of the Jessica Lynch story (see April 1, 2003, April 3, 2003, and April 15, 2003). The story reads in part: “Key elements in the story appear to have been wrong. Lynch’s father and her Army doctor have both said there is no evidence that she was shot or stabbed. There is as yet no substantiation of any torture. Doctors at the hospital say that when the rescue team swooped in the building was undefended; militia forces had fled the day before.” (Chinni 6/23/2003)
April 28, 2003: London Times Reporter Says Pentagon Used Jessica Lynch Story as ‘Good News’
London Times reporter Richard Lloyd Perry, who has covered the Jessica Lynch story from the outset (see April 1, 2003 and June 17, 2003), explains why he believes the Pentagon seized upon inaccurate and false reports of Lynch’s actions during and after her convoy was ambushed and she was captured (see April 3, 2003). In a radio interview, Perry says that the fabricated story about Lynch “came at a stage in the war when [the US military was] a bit short of good news to put out. And I remember at the time that clearly a lot of thought and preparation had gone into this—this presentation. You know the story was told from the point of view of the rescuing forces. There was very little mention made of any—any of the Iraqis in the hospital or both on the Iraqi side. And it was portrayed as a—a very dangerous mission carried out to save this, you know, this young rather attractive young woman. And it was clearly a PR coup at the time. But [Lynch’s rescue] wasn’t like that. As far as I can remember, no one at the time really questioned the Pentagon account that had been put out. And because there was fighting still going on, it was difficult at that point to get to the other side. But it struck me as interesting and significant that these doctors had their own story to tell” (see April 15, 2003). (Goodman 7/23/2003)
April 28, 2003: ABC News Anchor Doubts Rumsfeld’s Veracity on Camera, Called ‘Anti-War Agitator’ by New York Post
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lauds “the humanity” of US weapons pinpointing non-civilian targets in Iraq. ABC News anchor Peter Jennings, reporting Rumsfeld’s statement, observes, “No offense to the secretary, but at this moment we simply do not know if that is the case.” The New York Post calls Jennings’s comment “America-bashing, pessimism, and anti-war agitation.” (US Department of Defense 4/28/2003; Rich 2006, pp. 79)
Before May 1, 2003: Bush Administration Arranges ‘Mission Accomplished’ Banner
The Bush administration will later deny that it planned the “Mission Accomplished” banner that was used during Bush’s public relations event aboard the USS Lincoln (see May 1, 2003), and instead blame the banner on the crew of the Lincoln, who supposedly want to celebrate the end of their own uneventful mission. However, aside from the careful, micromanaged stagecraft used in every moment of the presentation, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will later tell reporter Bob Woodward that the banner was a Bush administration PR element. According to Rumsfeld, he had the words “mission accomplished” removed from Bush’s speech: “I took ‘mission accomplished’ out,” he will recall. “I was in Baghdad and I was given a draft of that thing and I just died. And I said, it’s too inclusive.… They fixed the speech, but not the sign.” (Unger 2007, pp. 305) Five years later, the White House will still insist that it had nothing to do with the creation of the banner (see April 30, 2008).
May 2003: Study Finds Most Guests on US Television Networks Were Pro-Iraq War in First Three Weeks of Conflict
In May 2003, the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) reports the results of an analysis of media coverage of the start of the Iraq war. The study looked at the main news programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and PBS between March 20, 2003, one day after the Iraq war began, through April 9, three weeks later. The study found that 1,617 on-camera sources appeared in stories about Iraq. Sixty-four percent of all sources were pro-war, while ten percent were anti-war. Current and former US or British officials made up 57 percent of all sources. Pro-war sources tended to be interviewed at length in the studio. Whereas, the study’s authors note: “Guests with anti-war viewpoints were almost universally allowed one-sentence soundbites taken from interviews conducted on the street. Not a single show in the study conducted a sit-down interview with a person identified as being against the war.” (Rendall and Broughel 5/2003)
May 1, 2003: Judith Miller: Ahmed Chalabi Was Main Source for New York Times’ Major WMDs Stories
In an email to New York Times Baghdad bureau chief John Burns, reporter Judith Miller defends a story she filed on Ahmed Chalabi, which had scooped a major story being written by another Times reporter. In her email she reveals that Chalabi was the source of most of her reporting on Iraq’s alleged arsenal of WMD. She writes: “I’ve been covering Chalabi for about 10 years, and have done most of the stories about him for our paper, including the long takeout we recently did on him. He has provided most of the front page exclusives on WMD to our paper.” (Kurtz 5/26/2003) Miller has long relied on Chalabi as a primary source for information about Iraq. She has also proven more than willing—“eager,” in author Craig Unger’s words—to pass along information and disinformation alike from Chalabi and the White House about Iraq and its supposed WMD program. However, she will later retract her admission. (Unger 2007, pp. 252)
May 1, 2003: Bush: ‘Mission Accomplished’ in Iraq
Bush on the USS Abraham Lincoln. [Source: Associated Press]President Bush, wearing a custom-made flight suit, is ferried in a Navy S-3B Viking jet to the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln anchored off the coast of San Diego, where he declares the cessation of major combat operations in Iraq. A banner unfurled behind the president reads, “Mission Accomplished.” (CNN 5/2/2003) Bush begins his speech by saying: “Officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans, major combat operations have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.” (White House 5/1/2003; Unger 2007, pp. 304-305) Bush praises a military victory “carried out with a combination of precision and speed and boldness the enemy did not expect and the world had not seen before.” He celebrates “the images of fallen soldiers” and “the images of celebrating Iraqis” (see April 9, 2003, April 9, 2003, and April 10, 2003), and continues, “[T]he battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the eleventh, 2001, and still goes on.” The invasion “removed an ally of al-Qaeda,” he asserts. Because of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Bush says, “no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because the regime is no more.” Bush gives his listeners a dose of belligerence: “With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States, and war is what they got.” (White House 5/1/2003; Rich 2006, pp. 90)
Perfectly Staged - The presentation itself is a triumph of stage-managed spectacle. The Lincoln, only 39 miles offshore, is held out at sea for an additional 24 hours, forcing the crew to wait another day to see their families after their lengthy sea tour. The carrier shifts position several times to ensure that the television cameras only film expanses of ocean as backdrop for Bush, and not the Southern California skyline. Bush’s handlers decide not to have the president fly in by helicopter—standard procedure for such a visit—but instead opt for a far more dramatic flight in a fighter jet making a high-speed tailhook landing. The jet is renamed “Navy One” and Bush is designated co-pilot. (Unger 2007, pp. 304-305) The Secret Service balks at allowing Bush to fly in “one of the sexier fighter jets,” but eventually relents enough to allow Bush to “pilot” a four-seat S-3B Viking (specially dubbed “Navy One” and with the legend “George W. Bush, Commander-in-Chief” stenciled on the cockpit). (Rich 2006, pp. 88-90) The crew wears uniforms color-coordinated with the banner and other props the White House public relations staff have deployed. (Rich 2006, pp. 88-90) Bush makes a dramatic exit from the fighter jet wearing, not civilian clothes, but a flight suit. As he greets the crew, he shouts in response to a reporter’s question: “Yes, I flew it! Of course I liked it!” The idea that Bush, whose time in fighter planes was strictly limited and 30 years out of date, would have been allowed to fly a state-of-the-art fighter jet without training or certification is absurd on its face, but by and large the press swallows Bush’s claim without question. Three hours later, Bush emerges from below decks, this time wearing a business suit. His entrance is timed to coincide with the California sunset, called by Hollywood cinematographers the “magic hour” for the lovely, glowing low light it bathes upon its subject. The huge “Misson Accomplished” banner, produced by Bush public relations staffers and designed to match other event banners and graphics, stretches high above Bush’s head. (One of the chief producers of the event, former ABC producer Scott Sforza, had boarded the Lincoln days before to ensure that production values were met. Sforza made sure that the banner would be visible to the cameras during Bush’s speech—see Before May 1, 2003.) (Unger 2007, pp. 304-305)
Iraqi Captives No Longer POWs - US military officials will subsequently say that the event means captives being held in Iraq will no longer be treated as prisoners of war under the third article of the Geneva Conventions, but instead as civilians being held by an occupying power under the fourth article of the Geneva Conventions—which allows long-term detentions for prisoners deemed a threat to governing authorities. (Smith 5/21/2004) White House aides tell reporters that Bush will not officially declare the war “over” because, under the Geneva Conventions, that would require the US to release some 6,000 prisoners of war taken during and after the invasion. (Rich 2006, pp. 88-90)
'Hubris, Arrogance, and Cowboy Swagger' - Author and public administration professor Alasdair Roberts will later write: “President Bush attempted to clothe himself in the garb of the military with the hope of drawing on the esteem with which it was regarded. He did this figuratively—and also literally when… he landed on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln.… This was taken as hubris, arrogance, and cowboy swagger. But it is more accurately regarded as a sign of weakness. The heads of other developed democracies do not feel the need to meet the media in military garb. This was evidence of the president’s inability to command authority on his own account.” (Roberts 2008, pp. 21) Some have a different opinion (see May 1-4, 2003 and May 7, 2003). Immediately after the event, Fox pundit Morton Kondracke says, “This was fantastic theater.” (Rich 2006, pp. 89)
May 1-4, 2003: Many in Media Give Enthusiastic Endorsement to Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ Event
MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. [Source: Broadcatching (.com)]The media response to President Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” event (see May 1, 2003) is overwhelmingly positive. Of his entrance in a fighter jet, the Detroit Free Press writes that Bush brought his “daring mission to a manly end.” The Washington Post’s David Broder, the dean of the Washington press corps, says that the “president has learned to move in a way that just conveys a great sense of authority and command.” (Unger 2007, pp. 304)
Matthews Lauds Bush's 'Guy' Status - One of the most effusive cheerleaders for Bush is MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. On an episode of his Hardball broadcast, Matthews gushes about Bush’s “amazing display of leadership” and his appearance as a “high-flying jet star.” Bush “deserves everything he’s doing tonight in terms of his leadership. He won the war. He was an effective commander. Everybody recognizes that, I believe, except a few critics. Do you think he is defining the office of the presidency, at least for this time, as basically that of commander in chief?” Matthews compares Bush, who sat out Vietnam in the Texas Air National Guard, with former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, who commanded US forces in Europe during World War II. But, Matthews observes: “He looks great in a military uniform. He looks great in that cowboy costume he wears when he goes West.” His “performance tonight [is] redolent of the best of Reagan.” Guest Ann Coulter, a staunch conservative, calls Bush’s performance “huge,” and adds: “It’s hard to imagine any Democrat being able to do that. And it doesn’t matter if Democrats try to ridicule it. It’s stunning, and it speaks for itself.” Democratic pollster Pat Caddell says when he first heard about it, he was “kind of annoyed” because “[i]t sounded like the kind of PR stunt that Bill Clinton would pull. But and then I saw it. And you know, there’s a real—there’s a real affection between him and the troops.… He looks like a fighter pilot.” Matthews continues, “[H]e didn’t fight in a war, but he looks like he does.” Later that night, on Keith Olbermann’s Countdown, Matthews waxes poetic about Bush’s manly qualities: “We’re proud of our president. Americans love having a guy as president, a guy who has a little swagger, who’s physical, who’s not a complicated guy like Clinton or even like [former Democratic presidential candidates Michael] Dukakis or [Walter] Mondale, all those guys, [George] McGovern [whom Matthews does not identify as a pilot during World War II]. They want a guy who’s president. Women like a guy who’s president. Check it out. The women like this war. I think we like having a hero as our president. It’s simple. We’re not like the Brits. We don’t want an indoor prime minister type, or the Danes or the Dutch or the Italians, or a [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Can you imagine Putin getting elected here? We want a guy as president.”
'Fighter Dog' - CNN’s Wolf Blitzer refers several times to Bush’s days as a fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard, without referring to the swirling controversy over whether he used the Guard to get out of serving in Vietnam, and calls Bush “a one-time fighter dog.” Other media pundits and journalists use Bush’s appearance and service record to laud his performance. NBC’s Brian Williams says: “And two immutable truths about the president that the Democrats can’t change: He’s a youthful guy. He looked terrific and full of energy in a flight suit. He is a former pilot, so it’s not a foreign art farm—art form to him. Not all presidents could have pulled this scene off today.” Fox News’s Jon Scott says that Bush “made just about as grand an entrance tonight as the White House could have asked for.… Now, of course, President Bush flew fighters in the Air National Guard, but no pilot, no matter how experienced, can land on an aircraft carrier first time out. The president did take the stick for a short time during his flight, but he let another pilot handle the landing.” Fox’s Wendell Goler continues the tale of Bush actually flying the fighter plane by saying that Bush “took a 20-minute flight to the ship during which he briefly called on his skills as a pilot in the National Guard.” Goler quotes Bush as saying “he flew the plane about a third of the way from North Island Naval Air Station to the carrier Lincoln. He says the pilot asked him if he wanted to do some maneuvers, but he flew it mostly in a straight line.” (DeYoung 5/2/2003; Media Matters 4/27/2006)
Dowd's Rhetorical Excesses - One of the more extreme reactions comes from New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd. She writes of the jet landing and Bush’s exit from the plane: “The tail hook caught the last cable, jerking the fighter jet from 150 mph to zero in two seconds. Out bounded the cocky, rule-breaking, daredevil flyboy, a man navigating the Highway to the Danger Zone, out along the edges where he was born to be, the further on the edge, the hotter the intensity. He flashed that famous all-American grin as he swaggered around the deck of the aircraft carrier in his olive flight suit, ejection harness between his legs, helmet tucked under his arm, awestruck crew crowding around. Maverick [a reference to the iconic action film Top Gun] was back, cooler and hotter than ever, throttling to the max with joystick politics. Compared to Karl Rove’s ‘revvin’ up your engine’ myth-making cinematic style, Jerry Bruckheimer’s movies [Bruckheimer produced Top Gun] look like Lizzie McGuire (a Disney Channel show). This time Maverick didn’t just nail a few bogeys and do a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28 at a range of two meters. This time the Top Gun wasted a couple of nasty regimes, and promised this was just the beginning.” (Mitchell 5/3/2008)
Press Coverage and Later Response - The next day’s press coverage is equally enthusiastic. PBS reporter Gwen Ifill says Bush was “part Tom Cruise [another Top Gun reference], part Ronald Reagan.” The New York Times’s Elisabeth Bumiller calls Bush’s speech “Reaganesque.” New York Times reporter David Sanger writes that Bush’s entrance echoed the movie Top Gun. The Washington Post also reports Bush’s claim of having actually flown the fighter for a period of time. On CBS’s Face the Nation, host Bob Schieffer calls the image of Bush in the flight suit “one of the great pictures of all time,” and adds, “[I]f you’re a political consultant, you can just see campaign commercial written all over the pictures of George Bush.” Schieffer’s guest, Time columnist Joe Klein, adds: “[T]hat was probably the coolest presidential image since Bill Pullman played the jet fighter pilot in the movie Independence Day.… And it just shows you how high a mountain these Democrats are going to have to climb.” Fox News anchor Brit Hume says Bush was brave for risking the “grease and oil” on the flight deck while “[t]he wind’s blowing. All kinds of stuff could have gone wrong. It didn’t, he carried it off.” Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham tells CNN viewers: “Speaking as a woman… seeing President Bush get out of that plane, carrying his helmet, he is a real man. He stands by his word. That was a very powerful moment.” (DeYoung 5/2/2003; Media Matters 4/27/2006; Mitchell 5/3/2008)
May 4, 2003: Iraqi Doctors, Nurse Tell of Caring for Injured US Soldier Jessica Lynch
IKONOS satellite image of Saddam Hussein Hospital in Nasiriyah. [Source: GlobalSecurity.org]Toronto Star bureau chief Mitch Potter reports a very different version of events surrounding the capture and hospitalization of Army Private Jessica Lynch (see March 23, 2003). Whereas US military officials have claimed that Special Forces rescued her in a dramatic battle with Iraqi resistance forces (see April 1, 2003), Potter finds that Iraqi soldiers had actually left the hospital two days before the rescue. In fact, Iraqi doctors had attempted to return Lynch to US units once before, but were fired on by US forces and forced to return to the hospital. (Dorsey 11/11/2003)
Shootout Never Happened - Potter calls the story of Lynch’s rescue a “flawless midnight rescue… in true Rambo style” that “rais[ed] America’s spirits when it needed it most. All Hollywood could ever hope to have in a movie was there in this extraordinary feat of rescue—except, perhaps, the truth.” Potter quotes three hospital doctors, two nurses, a hospital administrator, and several local residents, and presents a far different story than the one released by US officials. Dr. Harith al-Houssona says he came to consider Lynch a friend as he cared for her injuries. He says the story of the rescue is almost complete fiction: “The most important thing to know is that the Iraqi soldiers and commanders had left the hospital almost two days earlier. The night they left, a few of the senior medical staff tried to give Jessica back. We carefully moved her out of intensive care and into an ambulance and began to drive to the Americans, who were just one kilometer away. But when the ambulance got within 300 meters, they began to shoot. There wasn’t even a chance to tell them ‘We have Jessica. Take her.’”
Staged Rescue - On April 1, US Special Forces soldiers descended on the hospital. Hassam Hamoud, a waiter at a nearby restaurant, was approached by some of the soldiers. “They asked me if any troops were still in the hospital and I said, ‘No, they’re all gone,’” Hamoud recalls. “Then they asked about Uday Hussein, and again, I said ‘No.’ The translator seemed satisfied with my answers, but the soldiers were very nervous.” At midnight, the sound of helicopters circling the hospital’s upper floor prompted the staffers to take cover in the X-ray department, the only part of the hospital with no windows to the outside. The soldiers cut the power, then blew the locked doors and stormed inside. The staffers heard a male voice shout: “Go! Go! Go!” Seconds later, the door smashed open and a red laser targeting light found the forehead of the chief resident, Dr. Anmar Uday. “We were pretty frightened,” Uday recalls. “There were about 40 medical staff together in the X-ray department. Everyone expected the Americans to come that day because the city had fallen. But we didn’t expect them to blast through the doors like a Hollywood movie.” Another doctor, Mudhafer Raazk, noticed that two cameramen and a still photographer, all in uniform, accompanied the strike teams into the hospital. The tension quickly dropped after the soldiers realized no Iraqi fighters were in the building. A US medic was taken to Lynch’s room and the soldiers secured the hospital without incident. Several staffers and patients were immobilized with plastic handcuffs, including, al-Houssona recalls, one Iraqi civilian already motionless from abdominal wounds suffered in an earlier explosion. One group of soldiers ask about the bodies of missing US soldiers, and are led to a grave site opposite the hospital’s south wall. All were dead on arrival, the doctors say. After four hours, the soldiers departed, taking Lynch with them. Raazk says: “When they left, they turned to us and said ‘Thank you.’ That was it.” The staff went through the hospital to assess the damage: 12 doors were broken, a sterilized operating theater was contaminated, and Lynch’s bed, the hospital’s only specialized traction bed, was damaged beyond repair. “That was a special bed, the only one like it in the hospital, but we gave it to Jessica because she was developing a bed sore,” al-Houssona says.
'We All Became Friends' - Al-Houssona recalls that, far from ominous hints of torture and abuse, the hospital doctors and staff became friends with the injured American soldier. “We all became friends with her, we liked her so much,” he says. “Especially because we all speak a little English, we were able to assure her the whole time that there was no danger, that she would go home soon.” Though the hospital had an acute shortage of food, the staffers scrounged to find her extra juice and cookies. She was also assigned the most nurturing, motherly nurse on staff, Khalida Shinah. She has three daughters of her own, some close to Lynch’s age. Through a translator, Shinah recalls: “It was so scary for her. Not only was she badly hurt, but she was in a strange country. I felt more like a mother than a nurse. I told her again and again, Allah would watch over her. And many nights I sang her to sleep.” Houssana recalls Lynch being frightened in her first hours in the hospital. “Everybody was poking their head in the room to see her and she said ‘Do they want to hurt me?’ I told her, ‘Of course not. They’re just curious. They’ve never seen anyone like you before.’ But after a few days, she began to relax. And she really bonded with Khalida. She told me, ‘I’m going to take her back to America with me.”
No Gunshots or Stab Wounds - Far from suffering “multiple gunshot” and stab wounds detailed in previous Pentagon reports (see April 5, 2003), Lynch was suffering from injuries resulting from the wreck of her Humvee. Houssana believes she was hurt when she was thrown from the vehicle. “She was in pretty bad shape,” he recalls. “There was blunt trauma, resulting in compound fractures of the left femur and the right humerus. And also a deep laceration on her head. She took two pints of blood and we stabilized her. The cut required stitches to close. But the leg and arm injuries were more serious.” Lynch was only one casualty among many in the hospital, almost all suffered in the intense fighting around Nasiriyah. The hospital lists 400 dead and 2,000 wounded during the two weeks bracketing Lynch’s stay. Almost all were civilians, but Raazk does not blame the Americans alone for the carnage. “Many of those casualties were the fault of the fedayeen, who had been using people as shields and in some cases just shooting people who wouldn’t fight alongside them. It was horrible.” By March 30, Lynch had regained enough strength that the doctors were ready to operate on her badly broken left leg. She required a platinum plate on both ends of the compound fracture. The doctors were preparing similar surgery for her broken arm when the Americans rescued her. On April 4, an American military doctor visited the hospital. The doctors say he came to thank them for the superb surgery. “He was an older doctor with gray hair and he wore a military uniform,” Raazk recalls. “I told him he was very welcome, that it was our pleasure. And then I told him, ‘You do realize you could have just knocked on the door and we would have wheeled Jessica down to you, don’t you?’ He was shocked when I told him the real story. That’s when I realized this rescue probably didn’t happen for propaganda reasons. I think this American army is just such a huge machine, the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing.”
Angered at Reports of Abuse - The US media’s reports that Lynch was abused and perhaps even tortured sadden and anger the hospital staffers. When Shinah is told of the reports, her eyes fill with tears. She composes herself and answers: “This is a lie. But why ask me? Why don’t you ask Jessica what kind of treatment she received?” That is not currently possible; the Pentagon is restricting access to Lynch as she continues to recuperate at Washington’s Walter Reed Army Medical Center. A spokesman says, “Until such time as she wants to talk—and that’s going to be no time soon, and it may be never at all—the press is simply going to have to wait.” (Potter 5/4/2003)
May 6, 2003: New York Times Columnist Breaks Story of Joseph Wilson’s Trip to Niger
Nicholas Kristof. [Source: Women's Conference]New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, citing unnamed sources, breaks the story of former US diplomat Joseph Wilson’s February 2002 trip to Niger (see February 21, 2002-March 4, 2002). Kristof’s source for the story is Wilson, who he recently met at a political conference in Washington that was sponsored by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee (see Early May 2003). The following morning, they met for breakfast, and Wilson recounted the details of his trip. Kristof writes in part: “I’m told by a person involved in the Niger caper that more than a year ago the vice president’s office asked for an investigation of the uranium deal, so a former US ambassador to Africa was dispatched to Niger.… In February 2002, according to someone present at the meetings, that envoy reported to the CIA and State Department that the information was unequivocally wrong, and that the documents had been forged.” (Kristof 5/6/2003; Burrough et al. 5/2004, pp. 282) In response to the column, Patrick Lang, the former head of the DIA’s Middle Eastern affairs bureau, tells Kristof that the office of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld had pressured the US intelligence community before the war, asking analysts “to think it over again” when they filed reports skeptical of Iraq’s WMD programs. Lang also says that any intelligence warning “that Iraqis would not necessarily line up to cheer US troops, and that the Shi’ite clergy could be a problem,” was also unwelcome at the Defense Department. (Rich 2006, pp. 97) In 2007, author Craig Unger will write: “Now the secret was out with regard to the Niger documents. Not only had the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] determined that they were forgeries (see February 17, 2003), but it was clear that the administration knew the Niger deal was phony even before Bush cited them in the State of the Union address” (see March 8, 2002 and 9:01 pm January 28, 2003). (Unger 2007, pp. 309) Wilson expects a certain amount of criticism and opprobrium from the White House and its allies in the media over the column, but as his wife, senior CIA case officer Valerie Plame Wilson, will later write, “In retrospect, if anything, he underestimated the potential for those in the administration, and their allies, to change the subject from the lies in the president’s address to lies about us.” (Wilson 2007, pp. 108)
May 7, 2003: MSNBC Guest Lauds Bush’s ‘Manly Characteristic’ during ‘Mission Accomplished’ Speech
Bush wearing his flight suit. The equipment below his belt is a portion of his parachute harness, which is normally removed upon landing. [Source: Associated Press]Many in the media are still gushing over President Bush’s recent “Mission Accomplished” PR presentation from a week before (see May 1, 2003). One of Bush’s most enthusiastic supporters has been MSNBC host Chris Matthews (see May 1-4, 2003). Matthews and his guest G. Gordon Liddy, the convicted Watergate criminal (see March 23, 1973) and current right-wing radio host, discuss the event. Liddy calls the backlash against the stunt “envy,” and says that Bush’s 2000 Democratic opponent “Al Gore had to go get some woman to tell him how to be a man.” (It is not clear to what Liddy is referring.) Liddy goes on to extol Bush’s manly virtues, noting that the flight suit he wore “makes the best of his manly characteristic. You go run those—run that stuff again of him walking across there with the parachute. He has just won every woman’s vote in the United States of America. You know, all those women who say size doesn’t count—they’re all liars. Check that out. I hope the Democrats keep ratting on him and all of this stuff so that they keep showing that tape.” (Media Matters 4/27/2006)
May 8, 2003: Jessica Lynch Does Not Recall Ambush, US Military Reports
US military officials report that Private Jessica Lynch, who was captured after an Iraqi ambush (see March 23, 2003) and rescued from an Iraqi hospital (see April 1, 2003, May 4, 2003, and June 17, 2003), has no recollection of what happened after her unit was attacked and she awoke in the hospital. (Dorsey 11/11/2003) The Pentagon continues to deny media access to Lynch, who is recovering from her wounds in Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. (Potter 5/4/2003)
May 15, 2003: BBC: Jessica Lynch Story ‘One of the Most Stunning Pieces of News Management Ever Conceived’
The BBC airs a documentary “Saving Private Lynch,” that attempts to present the facts behind the much-hyped story of Private Jessica Lynch’s capture and rescue (see April 1, 2003 and June 17, 2003). The documentary is as much about the Pentagon’s manipulation of the story, and the American media’s enthusiastic cooperation in that manipulation, as it is about the events of the capture and rescue. (Kampfner 5/15/2003)
Interview with Iraqi Doctors - Prominently debunked is the story that Lynch was shot and stabbed while attempting to fight off her captors (see April 3, 2003). In an interview with Iraqi doctor Harith al-Houssona, who works at the Nasiriyah hospital that cared for Jessica Lynch (see May 4, 2003), al-Houssana says that no Iraqi troops had been at the hospital for two days when US forces raided the building to rescue Lynch. “There was no [sign of] shooting, no bullet inside her body, no stab wound—only road traffic accident,” al-Houssona says. “They want to distort the picture. I don’t know why they think there is some benefit in saying she has a bullet injury.” Hospital staffers add that Iraqi military and civilian leaders had fled the area before the raid occurred. Another doctor, Anmar Uday, even speculates that the rescue was staged. “We were surprised,” he recalls. “Why do this? There was no military, there were no soldiers in the hospital. It was like a Hollywood film. They cried ‘go, go, go,’ with guns and blanks without bullets, blanks and the sound of explosions. They made a show for the American attack on the hospital—action movies like Sylvester Stallone or Jackie Chan.” (The BBC correspondent who compiled the report, John Kampfner, will state that he does not believe the rescue was staged—see May 20, 2003). Al-Houssana says that two days before the rescue, on March 30, he put Lynch in an ambulance and attempted to return her to a US outpost. He was forced to return to the hospital when American soldiers fired at the ambulance. (Kampfner 5/15/2003; Roeper 6/18/2003; Dorsey 11/11/2003)
Media Response and 'News Management' - The documentary shows how quickly American broadcast journalists and news anchors were to seize upon the story and sensationalize it even more. CBS anchor Dan Rather uses the phrase, “Saving Private Lynch,” in a comparison to the movie Saving Private Ryan, a fictional treatment based on the actual rescue of an American soldier during World War II. Another news correspondent even refers to Lynch as “Private Ryan” in a segment. Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Richard Roeper says of the documentary: “In the Meg Ryan movie Courage Under Fire, a (fictional) female American soldier in the heat of battle became either brave and heroic, or overmatched and frightened, depending upon which account you believed. Something tells me Jessica Lynch might have been all of the above. Her story is not the clean and simple movie it seemed to be two months ago. But the truth is undoubtedly a whole lot more real and a whole lot more interesting.” (Roeper 6/18/2003) The BBC concludes that the Lynch story is “one of the most stunning pieces of news management ever conceived.” (Kampfner 5/15/2003; Dorsey 11/11/2003)
May 15, 2003 and After: Gay Activist Uses Internet to Retaliate against Negative Comments by US Senator
Dan Savage. [Source: The Advocate]Gay activist Dan Savage, angered at recent comments by Senator Rick Santorum equating gay sex with bestiality and child rape (see April 7, 2003) and Santorum’s refusal to apologize for his remarks (see April 23, 2003 and After), decides to strike back. Writing on the online news blog The Stranger, Savage relays the following suggestion from a commenter: “I’m a 23-year-old gay male who’s been following the Rick Santorum scandal, and I have a proposal. Washington and the press seem content to let Santorum’s comments fade into political oblivion, so I say the gay community should welcome this ‘inclusive’ man with open arms. That’s right; if Rick Santorum wants to invite himself into the bedrooms of gays and lesbians (and their dogs), I say we ‘include’ him in our sex lives—by naming a gay sex act after him. Here’s where you come in, Dan. Ask your readers to write in and vote on which gay sex act is worthy of the Rick Santorum moniker.… You pick the best suggestions, and we all get to vote! And then, voilà! This episode will never be forgotten!” Savage agrees, and asks readers to send in their suggestions. (Dan Savage 5/15/2003) One reader writes, “Specifically, I nominate the frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter that is sometimes the byproduct of anal sex,” and the suggestion wins Savage’s poll. (Dan Savage 5/29/2003; Dan Savage 6/12/2003) In November 2003, Savage creates a Web site, “Spreading Santorum,” featuring the definition as its home-page content. Many other Web sites begin linking to it, and soon the site becomes Number One in Google search results, giving Savage’s rather crude definition as the first result Web surfers get when searching for information about Santorum. Savage, other gay activists, and others continue linking to the site, keeping the “Spreading Santorum” site on top of the Google listings for several years. (Spreading Santorum 2003; Dwyer 5/10/2011; McGlynn 7/27/2011) Savage’s technique for achieving and keeping a top ranking in Google is known as “Google bombing” the search engine. Google will refuse repeated requests to purge Savage’s blog from its rankings. In February 2011, Santorum will say: “It’s one guy. You know who it is. The Internet allows for this type of vulgarity to circulate. It’s unfortunate that we have someone who obviously has some issues. But he has an opportunity to speak.… You want to talk about incivility. I don’t know of anybody on the left who came to my defense for the incivility with respect to those things.” (Peoples 2/16/2011)
May 19, 2003: Right-Wing Journalist Attacks BBC Story on Lynch Coverage
Andrew Sullivan. [Source: BBC]Right-wing journalist Andrew Sullivan attacks the BBC’s John Kampfner over Kampfner’s recent piece on the Jessica Lynch media coverage (see May 15, 2003). Without refuting the details of the story, Sullivan calls the BBC report a “smear” and writes: “I remember the reporter, John Kampfner, from my Oxford days. He was a unreconstructed far-lefty. No doubt these days he’s a reconstructed one.” (Chinni 6/23/2003)
May 20, 2003: BBC Correspondent Discusses Reports Questioning Pentagon’s Version of Jessica Lynch Capture and Rescue
John Kampfner. [Source: John Kampfner]BBC correspondent John Kampfner discusses his recent report disputing the original coverage of the capture and rescue of Army Private Jessica Lynch (see May 15, 2003). Kampfner’s report is the basis for a recent BBC documentary as well as a news article. An Iraqi doctor stated in Kampfner’s report that he believed the entire rescue had been staged; Kampfner does not believe that. “Credit where it is due,” Kampfner says. “The Americans had a legitimate right in getting Lynch out of the hospital in Nasiriya. They had no way of knowing what her fate was, whether she was being well or badly treated. So, it is entirely legitimate for any country to want to get its own out as quickly and as safely as possible. Where we took issue with the official version as put out by Central Command, in Doha [Qatar], to the world’s press, was the way the Americans did it. They went in, all guns blazing, helicopters, a great, heroic rescue mission.” Kampfner wants to know why the Pentagon will only allow the BBC and other news organizations to see its edited version of the film of the rescue instead of “the rushes,” which Kampfner explains is “the unedited film, the real-time film, as shot by the US military cameraman who was with the rescue mission.… They declined to do that.” Kampfner also notes that British government officials were worried from the outset “about the way the Americans conducted the whole media operation from Doha. [A] British military spokesman… told us on camera that he was deeply unhappy with the American media handling.” (CNN 5/20/2003)
May 23, 2003: Washington Post Columnist Takes Paper to Task for Not Acknowledging Mistakes in Jessica Lynch Story
Richard Cohen. [Source: Washington Post]Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen acknowledges that the Post published a largely fictional account of the capture and rescue of US soldier Jessica Lynch (see April 1, 2003): “This newspaper told its readers that she had been shot and stabbed, that she had fought off her Iraqi attackers—her gun blazing—until she went down and was taken prisoner, hospitalized, and then rescued eight days later. Trouble is, much of that may be false. Lynch apparently was not shot. Lynch was not stabbed. Lynch may not have put up much of a fight, maybe none at all. The lights may have gone out for her the moment her unit was attacked and her vehicle went off the road. It was then, probably, that she suffered several broken bones. This information, too, was in the Post—sort of.” The lurid, action-hero details were published on the front page, Cohen notes, while the subsequent updates that contradicted the original story were buried deep in the later pages of the newspaper. “You are forgiven, therefore, if you do not have the facts on Jessica Lynch,” he writes. “They were extremely hard to get.” He does not blame the Post for doing “anything unethical or wrong—or, for that matter, different from what is done elsewhere.” The two reporters who wrote the original story were likely “misled or misinformed by their sources in the military. They were only reporting what they had been told.” He is not sure whether the Pentagon deliberately reworked the story into more dramatic form, or whether Pentagon officials simply made a series of mistakes. Where the Post went awry, Cohen writes, was in refusing to acknowledge its errors. The Post sent a reporter to the hospital in Nasiriyah where Lynch had been cared for; that reporter learned from the doctors there that Lynch had neither been shot nor stabbed. That story was confirmed by the commander of the military hospital in Germany where Lynch was initially taken after being rescued and by Lynch’s father, Greg Lynch (see April 4, 2003). But the Post buried these contradictions and opposing versions in its back pages, instead merely “fold[ing] them into other stories. The reader, like a CIA analyst, had to read everything to understand what the Post was saying. It seemed to be backing off its original account, but not in a forthright way.” Why does this happen? Cohen asks. “Partly it’s a matter of pretense. Journalism is alchemy with words. We turn nuances, lies, denials, spin, and unreturned phone calls into something called The Truth. Often we succeed. When we don’t, we don’t want anyone to notice. We would like to appear omniscient.… But the public is on to us. Our aloofness, our defensiveness, our sheer inability to concede uncertainty (which goes beyond merely correcting factual mistakes) has cost us plenty. Instead and too often, we add invisible asterisks of doubt to stories and then commend ourselves for our exemplary professionalism.” (Cohen 5/23/2003)
May 25, 2003: Washington Post Ombudsman Blames Use of Anonymous Administration Sources for Errors, Fabrications
Michael Getler. [Source: PBS]Washington Post ombudsman Michael Getler joins his Post colleague Richard Cohen in admitting that the Post published a largely fictional account of the capture and rescue of Army Private Jessica Lynch (see May 23, 2003). Getler writes that one of the biggest problems journalists face is their increasing reliance on anonymous sources, such as the unnamed Pentagon officials who provided the fabrications used by two Post reporters to create the original Lynch story. Additionally, Getler worries that “intelligence information is being politicized and that reporters aren’t probing hard enough against the defenses of an administration with an effective, disciplined, and restrictive attitude toward information control.” The problem goes far beyond the fictional story of a single US Army private, Getler writes. The justifications for the invasion of Iraq—weapons of mass destruction and connections between Iraq and al-Qaeda—have not yet been confirmed. Many of those came from unnamed government officials. New allegations by unnamed officials point to hostile acts by Iran and Syria, and even to unfriendly acts by the US’s European ally, France, which led the opposition to the Iraq invasion. Whether those stories cite “intelligence officials,” “senior administration officials,” or others of what Getler calls “useless descriptions,” the upshot is the same: lurid, alarming, and potentially baseless allegations and stories are regularly making their way into print without anyone taking responsibility for them, or advancing incontrovertible proof of their veracity. The Post continues to be the primary source of the largely fictional account of Lynch’s capture and rescue. Getler pleads, “If there is a different version, or a confirming version, of this that is authoritative, I hope somebody will write it, along with a more probing account of her rescue.” (Getler 5/25/2003)
May 26, 2003: Survey Shows News Owners and Producers Feel Fox News Has Influenced News Reporting
The New Yorker reports the results of an Annenberg survey of 673 mainstream news owners, executives, editors, producers, and reporters. Among the survey’s findings is the strong belief that Fox News (see 1995, October 7, 1996, and October 13, 2009)) has had a strong influence on the way broadcasters cover the news, as well as how others present the news on network and cable television programs. In 2002, when the CEO of General Electric, Jeffrey Immelt, was asked how he wanted to improve his own cable news network, MSNBC, he said: “I think the standard right now is Fox. And I want to be as interesting and as edgy as you guys are.” (Auletta 5/26/2003; Jamieson and Cappella 2008, pp. 52)
May 27, 2003: Fox News Pundit O’Reilly Smears Patriotism of Columnist Who Questions Official Pentagon Story on Jessica Lynch
Fox News political pundit Bill O’Reilly savages the journalists and commentators who question the official story of Army Private Jessica Lynch (see April 3, 2003). O’Reilly characterizes the Los Angeles Times’s Robert Scheer (see April 10, 2003 and After and May 30, 2003) as a “radical columnist who [sic] many perceive to be a hater of [the] USA,” “despises President Bush,” and has “anti-American motives.” The Times itself is “extremely left-wing in its editorial presentation.” The BBC, which along with the Toronto Star was one of the first news organizations to question the official story (see May 4, 2003 and May 15, 2003), “was stridently against the war in Iraq and chastised by one of its own correspondents for slanting its reports.” O’Reilly says that while he “does not know the truth in this matter… we have no reason to doubt the mission’s original report. However, if it turns out that the US military is lying, it will be a terrible scandal.” (O'Reilly 5/27/2003) As far as can be ascertained, when the more accurate chain of events is reported, essentially validating the reports by the BBC and Scheer (see June 17, 2003), O’Reilly will not respond to or investigate what he calls the potential “terrible scandal.”
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Victoria Clarke lambasts Los Angeles Times columnist Robert Scheer for his reportage on the Jessica Lynch story (see April 3, 2003 and May 30, 2003). Scheer is frankly disbelieving of the sensational reporting surrounding Lynch’s capture and rescue, especially in light of recent reports that indicate the Pentagon’s version of events is anything but accurate (see May 4, 2003). In a letter to the Times, Clarke calls Scheer’s recent work a “tirade” and adds: “Scheer’s claims are outrageous, patently false and unsupported by the facts.… Official spokespeople in Qatar and in Washington, as well as the footage released, reflected the events accurately. To suggest otherwise is an insult and does a grave disservice to the brave men and women involved.” (Nation 5/30/2007) It is later shown that Clarke, who heads the Pentagon’s military analyst (see Early 2002 and Beyond) and journalist embed (see February 2003) programs, is entirely wrong about her claims as to the accuracy of the Pentagon’s depiction of events (see June 17, 2003).
May 30, 2003: Los Angeles Times Columnist Counters Pentagon Attacks on Credibility Regarding Jessica Lynch Reporting
Los Angeles Times columnist Robert Scheer, one of the first American political reporters to question the official Pentagon version of the capture and rescue of Private Jessica Lynch (see April 3, 2003), provides an overview of the personal and professional attacks launched against him by the Pentagon and by right-wing pundits (see May 27, 2003). Scheer, an unabashed liberal, notes that many of the attacks come from newspapers and news broadcasters owned by Rupert Murdoch, whose HarperCollins book publishing firm is preparing a book to be written by Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief. Al-Rehaief is the Iraqi lawyer who provided key information leading to Lynch’s rescue and was rewarded by being granted asylum in the US, given the book deal, and given a job with a Washington lobbying firm (see April 10, 2003 and After). Scheer is more discomfited by the attack from the Pentagon, whose public relations chief, Victoria Clarke, called Scheer’s reporting a “tirade… unsupported by the facts” (see May 29, 2003). Further reporting will show that the official story did not accurately reflect the events (see June 17, 2003). Scheer observes, “[W]hat is a grave disservice is manipulating a gullible media with leaked distortions from unnamed official sources about Lynch’s heroics in battle.” He notes that the Pentagon refused to allow the BBC or any other news organization to view the complete, unedited video footage of the April 1 rescue (see April 1, 2003), instead insisting that the media use only the edited footage provided by the Pentagon. Scheer adds that Clarke and other Pentagon officials continued to insist that the original reporting—Lynch had fought fiercely with her attackers and finally succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds—was accurate long after reports from US military doctors disputed those claims, and even after top US military officials began questioning that version of events. The Pentagon, Scheer writes, was intent on producing what “quickly became the main heroic propaganda myth of the US invasion of Iraq.” Scheer concludes: “What is particularly sad in all of this is that a wonderfully hopeful story was available to the Pentagon to sell to the eager media: one in which besieged Iraqi doctors and nurses bravely cared for—and supplied their own blood to—a similarly brave young American woman in a time of madness and violence. Instead, eager to turn the war into a morality play between good and evil, the military used—if not abused—Lynch to put a heroic spin on an otherwise sorry tale of unjustified invasion.” (Nation 5/30/2007)
As the first signs of the insurgency in Iraq begin emerging, and journalists begin reporting on the increasing violence in that supposedly liberated country, the Pentagon quickly counters with propaganda from its proven cadre of “military analysts”—returned military officers who proved during the run-up to war that they could present the Pentagon’s message about the invasion and occupation in an independent, authoritative, and effective manner (see April 20, 2008 and Early 2002 and Beyond). An internal Pentagon memo encourages its public relations officials to “re-energize surrogates and message-force multipliers,” beginning with its military analysts. The PR staff, led by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Victoria Clark, suggests taking a group of analysts on a tour of Iraq timed to coincide with President Bush’s upcoming request for $87 billion in emergency war financing. (Barstow 4/20/2008)
Summer 2003-2006: Al-Zarqawi Blamed for Nearly Every Major Bombing of Civilians in Iraq; but Evidence Is Doubtful
Destruction after the bombing of the UN building in Baghdad. [Source: US Army]In the summer of 2003, Islamist militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi moves his operations to the Sunni areas of Iraq. Soon he is linked to a number of bombings of civilians.
On August 7, his group al-Tawhid allegedly car bombs the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad, killing 17 people and wounding more than 60.
On August 19, a car bomb hits United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, killing 24 people and wounding more than 100. UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello is one of those killed.
On August 29, two suicide car bombs explode outside the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, one of the most sacred shrines for Shi’ites, killing 125 people. Ayatollah Mohammed Baqr al-Hakim, a revered Shia cleric, is one of those killed. (MSNBC 5/4/2005; Weaver 6/8/2006)
A former Jordanian intelligence official who studied al-Zarqawi for a decade will say in 2006 of this time period, “Even then—and even more so now—al-Zarqawi was not the main force in the insurgency. To establish himself, he carried out the Muhammad al-Hakim operation, and the attack against the UN. Both of them gained a lot of support for him—with the tribes, with Saddam’s army and other remnants of his regime. They made al-Zarqawi the symbol of the resistance in Iraq, but not the leader. And he never has been.” (Weaver 6/8/2006) Over the next several years, the US government blames nearly every major bombing of civilians in Iraq on al-Zarqawi. For instance, an MSNBC article in early 2005 lists 35 attacks attributed to him. (MSNBC 5/4/2005) But there is rarely any evidence definitively determining who was behind any given attack, and arrests or prosecutions of the bombers or their associates are even rarer. In late 2004, a Daily Telegraph article will claim that several US military intelligence sources complain that the importance of al-Zarqawi “has been exaggerated by flawed intelligence and the Bush administration’s desire to find ‘a villain’ for the post-invasion mayhem. US military intelligence agents in Iraq have revealed a series of botched and often tawdry dealings with unreliable sources who, in the words of one source, ‘told us what we wanted to hear.… We were basically paying up to $10,000 a time to opportunists, criminals, and chancers who passed off fiction and supposition about al-Zarqawi as cast-iron fact, making him out as the linchpin of just about every attack in Iraq’” (see October 4, 2004). (Blomfield 10/4/2004) But despite this, the blaming of nearly all attacks on al-Zarqawi will continue. The Jordanian intelligence expert on al-Zarqawi will complain in 2006, “The Americans have been patently stupid in all of this. They’ve blown Zarqawi so out of proportion that, of course, his prestige has grown. And as a result, sleeper cells from all over Europe are coming to join him now.… Your government is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.” (Weaver 6/8/2006) In April 2006, the Washington Post will report that the US military has been deliberately exaggerating the importance of al-Zarqawi in order to link the war in Iraq to al-Qaeda for the US public, due to al-Zarqawi’s alleged al-Qaeda ties (see April 10, 2006).
Summer 2003 - November 2004: Gay Prostitute and Fake Journalist Helps GOP Win Key Senate Contest
’Jeff Gannon’ taking part in a White House press briefing. [Source: C-SPAN / Media Bistro]Gay prostitute James Guckert, who moonlights as conservative “journalist” Jeff Gannon (see January 26, 2005), writes a series of articles for the conservative Internet news site Talon News in an attempt to discredit the South Dakota Argus Leader and its veteran political writer, David Kranz. Gannon/Guckert writes a series of articles falsely alleging that Kranz, who had gone to college with Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD), was not only sympathetic to Daschle’s re-election campaign, but was actually working for Daschle. (The National Journal later writes that the blog assault “opened a new and potentially powerful front in the war over public opinion.”) The stories get a tremendous amount of play on right-wing blogs and conservative news Web sites, and the resulting barrage of complaints to the Argus Leader results in that newspaper altering its coverage to more strongly favor Daschle’s opponent, Republican John Thune. Thune’s campaign manager Dick Wadham is an old political crony of White House political guru Karl Rove. Several of the so-called “independent” bloggers decrying the Argus Leader’s coverage are actually working for Wadham. The bloggers and Gannon/Guckert continue their string of allegations, with Gannon/Guckert alleging that Daschle had claimed an improper tax exemption on his Washington home, a story instantly picked up on by Wadham’s cadre of “independent” bloggers. Thune uses the story as the basis of a political ad claiming Daschle is a resident of Washington, not South Dakota. Daschle aides call Gannon/Guckert “the dumping ground for opposition research.” Gannon/Guckert, who also hosts an Internet radio show called “Jeff Gannon’s Washington,” has Thune on as a guest; already having some experience as a member of the White House press corps (see February 18, 2005), he is touted as South Dakota’s “resident DC expert” by Wadham’s paid bloggers. Thune, who narrowly defeats Daschle, later gives interviews touting the impact of independent Internet bloggers and correspondents—without revealing the fact that neither Gannon/Guckert nor the bloggers were actually independent agents. (Lynch 2/18/2005; Conason 2/18/2005)
June 12, 2003: Washington Post Article Uses White House Claims that CIA Did Not Inform Bush Officials of Iraq-Niger Doubts
Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus publishes an article noting that President Bush’s claim of an active Iraqi nuclear weapons program, and his allegation that Iraq tried to buy enriched uranium (see Mid-January 2003 and 9:01 pm January 28, 2003), was called into question by what Pincus calls “a CIA-directed mission to the central African nation in early 2002.” The story has caused some consternation in the Office of the Vice President, which became suspicious of Pincus’s questioning of White House officials about the matter (see Early June 2003 and June 3, 2003). The “senior administration officials” Pincus quotes, likely either Vice President Cheney’s communications director Cathie Martin or Cheney’s chief of staff Lewis Libby (see March 5, 2004), told Pincus that the CIA never told the White House the details of its investigation, and Pincus uses that in his story. Pincus quotes a “senior intelligence official” as saying that the CIA’s failure to inform the White House of its doubts regarding the Iraq-Niger claim was “extremely sloppy” handling of a key piece of evidence against Iraq. The official continued: “It is only one fact and not the reason we went to war. There was a lot more.” The failure, said a CIA analyst, “is indicative of larger problems” involving the handling of intelligence about Iraq’s alleged chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs and its links to al-Qaeda, which the administration cited as justification for war. “Information not consistent with the administration agenda was discarded and information that was [consistent] was not seriously scrutinized,” the analyst said. Pincus notes that a “retired US ambassador” went to Niger in February 2002 to investigate the uranium claims; Pincus is referring to the trip by former ambassador Joseph Wilson (see February 21, 2002-March 4, 2002), though he writes that his sources—current and former government officials—“spoke on condition of anonymity and on condition that the name of the former ambassador not be disclosed.” Pincus’s sources told him that the CIA did not inform the White House of the details of Wilson’s trip (see March 5, 2002 and March 8, 2002). One of Pincus’s sources, a “senior intelligence official,” said of Wilson’s trip: “This gent made a visit to the region and chatted up his friends. He relayed back to us that they said it was not true and that he believed them.” Pincus does note that the International Atomic Energy Agency reached the same conclusion as Wilson—that the Iraq-Niger uranium claims were false (see March 7, 2003). Pincus also reports that Cheney’s staff did not know about the mission until well after its conclusion, when a New York Times article alluded to it (see May 6, 2003). (Pincus 6/12/2003 ) This claim is false (see March 5, 2002 and March 9, 2003 and After), though Pincus does not know it. Pincus’s article will later be used as a basis for questioning Libby in the Plame Wilson leak investigation. Libby will claim not to remember if he was one of Pincus’s sources, though he will testify that he did not divulge Plame Wilson’s CIA status to the reporter (see March 5, 2004).
June 13, 2003: Senior State Department Official Tells Reporter that Valerie Plame Wilson Is a CIA Agent
Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward meets with Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who informs him that Valerie Plame Wilson is a CIA officer working on the issue of WMD in the Middle East. Plame Wilson is the wife of Joseph Wilson, who was sent to Niger to determine the truth behind the Iraq-Niger uranium claims (see February 21, 2002-March 4, 2002 and July 6, 2003). (Woodward 11/16/2005; Shenon 8/23/2006; MSNBC 2/21/2007) Armitage has just received the information from State Department intelligence officers, who forwarded him a memo marked “Secret” that included information about Wilson’s trip, his findings, and the fact that his wife is a CIA agent (see June 10, 2003). (Hamburger and Efron 8/25/2005)
Revealing Plame Wilson's Identity - Woodward asks Armitage why the CIA would send Wilson to Niger. “It was Joe Wilson who was sent by the agency,” Woodward says, according to an audiotape Woodward plays for the court during the Lewis Libby trial (see February 12, 2007). “I mean, that’s just—” Armitage answers, “His wife works in the agency.” The two then have the following exchange:
Woodward: “Why doesn’t that come out? Why does—”
Armitage: “Everyone knows it.” (It is unclear who or what Armitage is referring to. Columnist Byron York will later write that Armitage is referring to Wilson being the anonymous foreign ambassador criticizing Bush in the press.)
Woodward: “That have to be a big secret? Everyone knows.”
Armitage: “Yeah. And I know [expletive deleted] Joe Wilson’s been calling everybody. He’s pissed off because he was designated as a low-level guy, went out to look at it. So, he’s all pissed off.”
Woodward: “But why would they send him?”
Armitage: “Because his wife’s a [expletive deleted] analyst at the agency.”
Woodward: “It’s still weird.”
Armitage: “It’s perfect. This is what she does—she is a WMD analyst out there.”
Woodward: “Oh, she is.”
Armitage: “Yeah.”
Woodward: “Oh, I see.”
Armitage: “[Expletive deleted] look at it.”
Woodward: “Oh, I see. I didn’t [expletive deleted].”
Armitage: “Yeah, see?”
Woodward: “Oh, she’s the chief WMD?” (asking if Plame Wilson is the head of the Iraqi WMD bureau within the agency—see April 2001 and After).
Armitage: “No, she isn’t the chief, no.”
Woodward: “But high enough up that she can say, ‘Oh yeah, hubby will go?” (see February 19, 2002, July 22, 2003, October 17, 2003, and July 20, 2005).
Armitage: “Yeah, he knows Africa.”
Woodward: “Was she out there with him?”
Armitage: “No.”
Woodward: “When he was an ambassador?”
Armitage: “Not to my knowledge. I don’t know. I don’t know if she was out there or not. But his wife is in the agency and is a WMD analyst. How about that [expletive deleted]?” (New York Sun 6/13/2003; Apuzzo 2/12/2007; York 2/13/2007)
Woodward Does Not Report Plame Wilson's Identity - Woodward does not report this information. But Armitage’s divulgence may be the first time an administration official outs Plame Wilson, an undercover CIA agent, to a journalist. Woodward will later call the disclosure “casual and offhand,” and say the disclosure “did not appear to me to be either classified or sensitive.” He will note that “an analyst in the CIA is not normally an undercover position.” Woodward tells fellow Post reporter Walter Pincus that Plame Wilson is a CIA agent, but Pincus will say he does not recall the conversation. Woodward will note that on June 20, he will interview a “second administration official” with a notation to ask about “Joe Wilson’s wife,” but according to the recording of their conversation, the subject never comes up. Woodward enjoys extraordinary access to the White House for preparation of his second book on the Bush administration, Plan of Attack. (Woodward 11/16/2005; Shenon 8/23/2006; Unger 2007, pp. 310; MSNBC 2/21/2007)
June 13, 2003: Defense Department Confirms Jessica Lynch Neither Shot nor Stabbed
Defense Department spokesman Lieutenant Colonel James Casella confirms that, contrary to previous reports (see April 1, 2003 and April 3, 2003), rescued POW Jessica Lynch was neither shot nor stabbed (see May 4, 2003 and June 17, 2003). “She wasn’t stabbed,” Casella says. “She wasn’t shot and she has some broken bones.” Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where Lynch is currently undergoing treatment, says only that Lynch has had surgery to repair a broken foot and otherwise “remains in satisfactory condition, undergoing occupational and physical therapy.” (Kilborn 6/13/2003) It is not explained why it took so long to confirm this.
June 13, 2003: Jessica Lynch’s Hometown Preparing for Her Return
A banner welcoming Jessica Lynch home. [Source: Reuters/ Corbis]Neighbors of 19-year old Army Private Jessica Lynch (see May 4, 2003 and June 17, 2003) in her hometown of Palestine, West Virginia have entirely rebuilt and added on to her family home, where she lived with her parents and siblings before being sent to Iraq. Everything is accessible by wheelchair, as Lynch is expected to be confined to a wheelchair, or a bed, for months to come. None of the controversy over the apparent propagandizing of her story (see April 1, 2003 and April 3, 2003) should reflect on Lynch herself, say residents. Her friends and fellow townspeople are working hard to prevent speculators and others from profiting from Lynch’s ordeal by selling merchandise designed to cash in on the national outpouring of sympathy and support for the wounded soldier. On the other hand, the town has already put up signs on the highways leading into town that read, “Home of Jessica Lynch, Ex-P.O.W.” One Palestine resident says of Lynch, “She’s going to be on a pedestal the rest of her life. Palestine’s going to be on the map. It’s made a place in history.” (Kilborn 6/13/2003)
June 13, 2003: Columnist Contradicts Rice’s, Cheney’s Disavowal of Knowledge of Iraq-Niger Forgeries
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof contradicts National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice’s recent statement that no one in the White House ever suspected that the documents “proving” Iraq sought to buy uranium from Niger were forged (see May 6, 2003). Rice recently said, “Maybe someone knew down in the bowels of the agency, but no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions that this might be a forgery” (see June 8, 2003). Kristof also notes that the White House claims Vice President Cheney learned of its own role in using the forged documents as “evidence” of the Iraq-Niger claim from reading Kristof’s May 6 column in the Times. Using information from what he calls “two people directly involved and three others who were briefed on” the story, Kristof writes that the truth is quite different from what Rice and Cheney say. He writes, “while Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet may not have told [President] Bush that the Niger documents were forged, lower CIA officials did tell both the vice president’s office and National Security Council staff members. Moreover, I hear from another source that the CIA’s operations side and its counterterrorism center undertook their own investigations of the documents, poking around in Italy and Africa, and also concluded that they were false—a judgment that filtered to the top of the CIA” (see January 28-29, 2003 and March 23, 2003). Kristof also notes that “the State Department’s intelligence arm, the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, independently came to the exact same conclusion about those documents, according to Greg Thielmann, a former official there. Mr. Thielmann said he was ‘quite confident’ that the conclusion had been passed up to the top of the State Department.” Kristof also quotes former CIA analyst Melvin Goodman, who says, “It was well known throughout the intelligence community that it was a forgery.” Kristof adds that Tenet and the US intelligence communities “were under intense pressure to come up with evidence against Iraq.” As a result, “[a]mbiguities were lost, and doubters were discouraged from speaking up.” A former military intelligence officer says: “It was a foregone conclusion that every photo of a trailer truck would be a ‘mobile bioweapons lab’ and every tanker truck would be ‘filled with weaponized anthrax.’ None of the analysts in military uniform had the option to debate the vice president, secretary of defense, and the secretary of state.” Kristof concludes: “I don’t believe that the president deliberately lied to the public in an attempt to scare Americans into supporting his war. But it does look as if ideologues in the administration deceived themselves about Iraq’s nuclear programs—and then deceived the American public as well.” (Kristof 6/13/2003)
June 16, 2003: Media Working Hard to Secure Interviews with Jessica Lynch
The New York Times reports on the frenzy among news outlets to secure interviews with Army Private Jessica Lynch, currently recuperating from wounds suffered when her Humvee overturned and her unit was attacked by Iraqi forces (see April 1, 2003 and May 4, 2003). Such attempts at wooing a subject are called “the get.” NBC’s Katie Couric, the co-host of its flagship morning broadcast Today, sent Lynch a bundle of patriotic books. Diane Sawyer of ABC News sent Lynch a locket. CBS News sent her a letter promising a two-hour documentary, an offer from MTV for a possible news special, a music-video program or a concert in her honor with “a current star act such as Ashanti” in her hometown, and a potential book deal with Simon & Schuster. (CBS News president Leslie Moonves will later call that letter a mistake.) In May, CBS News correspondent Jane Clayson sent Lynch a birthday greeting noting that they shared the same astrological sign. (Rutenberg 6/16/2003; Susman 8/7/2003; Dorsey 11/11/2003) Sawyer and ABC will eventually win out for Lynch’s first media interview (see November 11, 2003).
June 17, 2003: Washington Post Reporter Discusses Inaccuracy of Initial Reports about Jessica Lynch
Washington Post reporter Dana Priest, one of the writers of the exhaustively researched and far more accurate account of Army Private Jessica Lynch’s ambush and capture in Iraq (see June 17, 2003), is interviewed on National Public Radio. Priest tries to explain why the original version of events as chronicled by the Post (see April 3, 2003) and other media outlets were so luridly incorrect: interviewer Neal Conan says that Priest and her colleagues now know “that were caused in the Humvee accident during the attack by Iraqi troops and the fact that probably Jessica Lynch was not the second coming of Audie Murphy, not that anybody should have expected her to be that. But nevertheless, The Washington Post and National Public Radio and many other news outlets reported a very heroic version of the story. How did that come to be?” Priest says that Lynch and her fellow soldiers indeed performed like heroes, fighting for their lives against an unsuspected and ferocious onslaught.
Relied on Presumably Credible Sources - According to Priest, she and two other Post reporters, relied on “people that we believe are credible and that have access to the sort of information that you would rely on in the very first instance to figure this out, which means intelligence information.… Three of us, in fact, gathered the information that made our story and which said she might have been shot and stabbed, and she fired off all her rounds. And these were people who we trusted over the months and years that we’ve dealt with them, and they were reading from classified, in most cases, intelligence reports. They were initial reports from the field that were both intercepted or eavesdropped conversations with Iraqi soldiers in which these soldiers were talking to one another through their cell phones or radio systems saying that there was a white female who was acting very brave and fighting them. And we went back several times to those sources and repeated—to find out the reliability of that. They thought it was pretty good, although still initial. Same with the stabbing and wounding. You were getting a lot of eyewitnesses on the ground as well. Some of them we quoted in our story, too, her bones had been so badly shattered in some cases that they were actually protruding out of the skin, and so there were some blood marks on her skin that you would have been able to see if you had gotten up close. And perhaps that’s why some people thought she was shot, but it could be other reasons as well.” Priest says “the fog of war and the fog of reporting during war” often causes inaccurate reporting. She does not believe that the initial reporting “was somehow staged and managed by the Pentagon… ”
Filming of Rescue Routine - As for the filming of the rescue by the covert commando unit, Task Force 20, that entered the hospital and took Lynch out, Priest says that all such units “carry cameras with them wherever they go, in part to learn lessons for themselves, but in this case they made some of that footage available. And as one public relations officer from Central Command told me, they were eager to get that film. It was edited when it came to them. When they saw it they thought it told a certain part of the story. And then, as he said, it was such an awesome story that we didn’t need to embellish it, which it was.”
Pentagon Allowed Inaccurate Media Stories to Spread - Priest says that she believes the Pentagon did not correct the story once it was reported because “it was such a positive story for them, and it was the media’s mistake, if you want to read it that way, for going with unreliable information, or information that turned out to be unreliable. So they may not have wanted to really correct the record in that regard. They did say some things that should have indicated to us that not everything was quite as we reported, but they usually said them on background. They never officially came out.” (Conan 6/17/2003)
June 17, 2003: Washington Post Pieces Together More Accurate Version of Jessica Lynch’s Capture, Rescue
Jessica Lynch being carried from a transport plane to a hospital in Ramstein, Germany, April 2, 2003. [Source: Associated Press / Baltimore Sun]The Washington Post publishes a much more exhaustively researched attempt at telling the accurate story of US Army Private Jessica Lynch’s capture, rescue, and subsequent recovery. The Post printed a dramatic tale of Lynch’s guns-blazing capture, her abuse at the hands of her captors, and the firefight that resulted in her rescue (see April 1, 2003). That story turned out to be almost entirely fictional, most likely a product of Pentagon propaganda (see May 4, 2003, May 23, 2003, and May 25, 2003). In a very different front-page story, it now attempts to tell the story directly and without embellishment.
Brief Propaganda Victory - The original story, featuring Lynch emptying her M-16 into her assailants until finally succumbing to multiple gunshot wounds, quickly made Lynch into what the Post calls “the story of the war, boosting morale at home and among the troops. It was irresistible and cinematic, the maintenance clerk turned woman-warrior from the hollows of West Virginia who just wouldn’t quit. Hollywood promised to make a movie and the media, too, were hungry for heroes.” That story was quickly exposed as a fraud. This Post story, its reporters assert, is far more extensively researched: “The Post interviewed dozens of people, including associates of Lynch’s family in West Virginia; Iraqi doctors, nurses and civilian witnesses in Nasiriyah; and U.S. intelligence and military officials in Washington, three of whom have knowledge of a weeks-long Army investigation into the matter. The result is a second, more thorough but inconclusive cut at history.” At least one similarity with the original story remains, the reporters acknowledge: most of the US officials who spoke to the reporters insisted that their identities not be revealed.
The Real Story of the Capture - According to military officials, Lynch indeed tried to fight her assailants, but her weapon jammed. She did not kill any Iraqis. She was neither shot nor stabbed. Her unit, the 507th Maintenance Company, fell prey to an ambush outside Nasiriyah after getting lost. Army investigators believe that Lynch and her colleagues became lost because they were not informed that the column they had been following was rerouted. Lynch was riding in a Humvee when it crashed into a jackknified US truck. She was severely injured in the crash, including multiple broken bones and compression of the spine. The other four soldiers in the Humvee were killed or mortally wounded. She was captured by Iraqi guerrillas. In what may be a continuation of the government’s attempt to inflate the tale, two US officials familiar with the Army investigation say that Lynch was mistreated by her captors but refuse to give details.
Eyewitness Account - Sahib Khudher, an Iraqi farmer, saw a large US convoy of trucks, trailers, wreckers, and Humvees pass by his house before dawn on March 23. A few hours later, he saw trucks again pass his house, this time fighting off an ad hoc assault force of Iraqi irregulars in pickup trucks. The Iraqis were firing into the US vehicles and at their tires. “There was shooting, shooting everywhere,” Khudher recalls. “There were accidents, too. Crash sounds. You could see and hear the vehicles hitting each other. And yelling. Screaming. I could hear English.” Khudher was witnessing the tail end of the 507th Maintenance Company’s convoy, 18 Humvees, trailers, and tow trucks. Most of the soldiers were part of a Patriot missile maintenance crew.
Missed Route Change - The 507th missed a route change and quickly became separated from their larger 3rd Infantry unit. Because of truck breakdowns, 18 vehicles of the 507th split off from the rest of their convoy, and became entirely separated. Lynch was with these vehicles, which entered Nasiriyah around 6:30 a.m. Unfamiliar with the streets, the commander became lost, and eventually ordered the convoy to attempt to turn around and backtrack. By that point, around 7 a.m., the streets were filling with Iraqis, and the commander ordered the troops to lock and load their weapons.
Assault - As the convoy attempted to drive into central Nasiriyah, Iraqi forces launched an attack. The assailants were both uniformed soldiers and civilians, according to accounts by the American survivors of the assault. The attackers fired on the convoy with small arms, hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars. The situation worsened for the Americans when an Iraqi T-55 tank appeared, and the assailants positioned sandbags, debris, and cars to block the convoy’s path. The senior military officer later described the battle as “very harrowing, very intense.” Lynch may have been one of the soldiers returning fire, but she may not have gotten off a single round: “We don’t know how many rounds she got off,” says the official. “Her weapon jammed severely.” While details are unclear, it is believed that Lynch’s vehicle broke down, and she clambered into a soft-top Humvee driven by Private First Class Lori Piestewa, Lynch’s best friend in the unit. Another occupant, Master Sergeant Robert Dowdy, pulled two more soldiers into the Humvee. Lynch rode the transmission hump between the two seat. The senior military officer says that Dowdy was encouraging his four soldiers “to get into the fight” as well as “trying to get vehicles to move and getting soldiers out of one broken-down vehicle and into another.” The four soldiers in the Humvee “had their weapons at the ready and their seat belts off,” says the senior officer. “We assume they were firing back.” (Priest, Booth, and Schmidt 6/17/2003) (Lynch will later confirm that her weapon and others’ were jammed with sand and useless.) (Time 11/9/2003)
Collision - During the firefight, a US tractor-trailer with a flatbed swerved around an Iraqi dump truck and jackknifed. As the Humvee sped towards the overturned tractor-trailer, it was struck on the driver’s side by a rocket-propelled grenade. Piestewa lost control of the Humvee and plowed into the trailer. The senior defense official calls the collision “catastrophic.” Dowdy was killed instantly, as were the two soldiers to either side of Lynch. Both she and Piestewa were severely injured. Lynch’s arm and both legs were crushed; bone fragments tore through her skin. Khudher recalls seeing a Humvee crash into a truck. Watching from a safe distance, he saw “two American women, one dark-skinned, one light-skinned, pulled from the Humvee. I think the light one was dead. The dark-skinned one was hurt.” The light-skinned woman was apparently Lynch. She and Piestewa, who was Native American, were both captured by Iraqi guerrillas.
Garbled, Contradictory Reports - Understandably, the reports of the ambush in the hours after the attack were garbled, contradictory, and confused. Arabic-speaking interpreters at the National Security Agency intercepted Iraqi transmissions referring to “an American female soldier with blond hair who was very brave and fought against them,” according to a senior military officer who read the top-secret intelligence report when it came in. Some of the Iraqis at the scene said she had emptied her weapon at her assailants. Over the next few days, numerous reports are received by the commanders at US CENTCOM in Doha, Qatar. Some of the reports are relayed Iraqi transmissions concerning a female soldier. The stories are contradictory. Some say she died in battle. Others say she was wounded by shrapnel. Others say she was shot and stabbed during the firefight. The only ones to receive these reports were generals, intelligence officers, and Washington policymakers, all of whom must be cleared to read the most sensitive information the US government possesses. The initial tale of Lynch’s “fight to the death” came from these high-level officials. (Priest, Booth, and Schmidt 6/17/2003) Another possible explanation later given forth was that the Army had intercepted Iraqi radio chatter about a yellow-haired soldier from Lynch’s unit who fought bravely before falling; that soldier was later identified as Sergeant Donald Walters. Interpreters had confused the Arabic pronouns for “he” and “she” and thought the radio transmissions were about Lynch. (Lipsky 12/14/2003)
Initial Treatment - Lynch and Piestewa were taken to a small military hospital in Nasiriyah, where both are initially treated for their wounds. That hospital is nothing more than a burned-out ruin today, but on the morning of Lynch’s captivity, it was the scene of frenzied activity, overwhelmed with Iraqi soldiers and irregulars fleeing, fighting, and bleeding from wounds. US soldiers were coming in from Kuwait in heavy numbers. The hospital’s director, Adnan Mushafafawi, remembers a policeman bringing in two female American soldiers about 10 a.m. Both were unconscious, he remembers, severely wounded and suffering from shock. According to their dog tags, they were Lynch and Piestewa. “Miss Lori had bruises all over her face,” he remembers. “She was bleeding from the eyes. A severe head wound.” Piestewa died soon after arriving at the hospital. Though Piestewa may have been shot, Mushafafawi says, Lynch had been neither shot nor stabbed. Mushafafawi and medical staffers cut away Lynch’s uniform, lay her on a gurney and began working on her. She had major fractures of her arm and both legs, and a minor head wound. They sutured the head wound, and gave her blood and intravenous fluids. After X-raying her fractures, they applied splints and plaster casts. “If we had left her without treatment, she would have died,” Mushafafawi says. Lynch briefly regained consciousness during the treatment, but was disoriented. “She was very scared,” he says. “We reassured her that she would be safe now.” She resisted having Mushafafawi reset her leg, he remembers. Two or three hours later, Lynch was sent to Nasirayah’s main civilian facility, Saddam Hussein General Hospital. Mushafafawi believed at the time that his hospital would be attacked by US military forces (it was overrun two days later). He had both Lynch and Piestewa’s body sent to the civilian hospital. Mushafafawi says he does not know what happened to either of the soldiers between the time they were captured and when they were brought to his hospital.
Hospitalized - Lynch arrived at Saddam Hussein hospital that afternoon in a military ambulance. The doctors there were shocked to find a severely injured, nearly naked American woman, wearing heavy casts, beneath a sheet. Hospital officials say that during her time there, she was given the best possible care they could provide. They do not believe it was possible for Iraqi agents to have abused her while at the hospital. A member of Iraq’s intelligence service was posted outside the door to her room, but the staff never saw anyone mistreat her, nor did they see evidence of any mistreatment. Her condition was grave, the doctors and nurses recall, unconscious and obviously in shock. The hospital was overloaded with casualties and barely staffed; only a dozen doctors from a staff of 60 were on duty. Many nurses had not come to work either. The roads were unsafe, the electricity came and went, medical supplies were stretched thin, and casualties kept pouring in. “It was substandard care, by American standards, we know this, okay?” says Dr. Harith al-Houssona. “But Jessica got the best we could offer.” Lynch began to improve after several days of treatment. She was moved from the emergency room to an empty cardiac care unit, where she had her own room, and was tended to by two female nurses. She was in terrible pain, and was given powerful drugs. Though she was hungry, she was leery of the food being offered her, insisting that the food containers be opened in front of her before she would eat. Her mental state fluctuated. Sometimes she joked and smiled with her doctors and nurses, sometimes she would weep. “She didn’t want to be left alone and she didn’t want strangers to care for her,” Dr. Anmar Uday recalls. “One time, she asked me, ‘Why are you standing in front of me? Are you gong to hurt me?’ We said no, we’re here to help you.” Her primary nurse, Khalida Shinah, weeps herself when describing Lynch’s misery. Shinah recalls singing her to sleep and rubbing talc into her shoulders. Dr. Mahdi Khafaji, an orthopedic surgeon, says that there was more than mere sympathy and camaraderie responsible for the decision to give Lynch the best care they could. Everyone knew that the Americans would soon come for Lynch, he says, and “we wanted to show the Americans that we are human beings.… She was more important at that moment than Saddam Hussein.” Besides, he adds, “You could not help but feeling sorry for her. A young girl. An American. A prisoner. We did our best. Believe me, she was the only orthopedic surgery I performed.” The hospital staff were not the only ones interested in ensuring the Americans would be happy with Lynch’s treatment. At the time, the hospital had between 50 and 100 Iraqi fighters in or around the site at any one time, though the number steadily dwindled as US forces came ever closer. Senior Iraqi officials worked and lived out of the basement, clinics, and the doctors’ residence halls and offices. They all knew the Americans were coming, al-Houssona recalls, “and toward the end, they were most worried about saving themselves.”
Suspicious Wounds - Khafaji was suspicious of Lynch’s wounds. He had trouble believing they came from an auto accident, no matter how severe. The fractures were on both sides of her body, and there was no glass embedded in her wounds. US military sources believe most if not all the fractures could have been caused by the accident. Khafaji says, “[M]aybe a car accident, or maybe [her captors] broke her bones with rifle butts or by stomping on her legs. I don’t know. They know and Jessica knows. I can only guess.”
Interrogation - Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief, a lawyer, says he learned about Lynch’s capture on March 27, when he went to visit his wife Iman, a nurse at the hospital. Al-Rehaief saw numerous Fedayeen in the “traditional black ninja-style uniforms that covered everything but their eyes,” as well as “high army officials there.” Al-Rehaief says one of his friends, a doctor, told him of Lynch. Curious, he peered through a glass panel into her room and, he says, “saw a large man in black looming over a bed that contained a small bandaged woman with blond hair.” The man wore epaulets on his shirt, indicating that he was a Fedayeen officer. Al-Rehaief recalls, “He appeared to be questioning the woman through a translator. Then I saw him slap her—first with the palm of his hand, then with the back of his hand.” After the Fedayeen officer left, al-Rehaief slipped into Lynch’s room and told her he would help. He left the hospital and sought out US soldiers, soon finding a group of US Marines. He told them about Lynch. (The Marines corroborate what they know of al-Rehaief’s story.) They sent him back to the hospital several times to map it out and routes in and out of the hospital. He also counts the number of Iraqi troops there.
Fabrication? - While the hospital doctors and staffers believe al-Rehaief did tell the Marines about Lynch, they dispute other portions of his story. There is no nurse named Iman at the hospital, they say, and no nurse married to a lawyer. “This is something we would know,” says one nurse. Al-Houssona believes little of al-Rehaief’s story. “Never happened,” he says. As for the Fedayeen slapping Lynch in her hospital bed, “That’s some Hollywood crap you’d tell the Americans.” Al-Houssona believes al-Rehaief embellished his story for his listeners. Al-Rehaief and his wife were taken to a military camp in Kuwait, and later received political asylum. He now lives in northern Virginia, where he is working on a book for HarperCollins and a television movie for NBC about his version of events (see April 10, 2003 and After).
Task Force 20 - The Special Operations unit given the assignment of rescuing Lynch, Task Force 20, is a covert Special Ops unit assigned the highest priority tasks. There was a larger reason than Lynch for that unit to be interested in the hospital: pre-mission briefings indicated that the hospital had been repeatedly visited by Ali Hassan Majeed, the infamous “Chemical Ali,” in recent days. Ground sources and images from Predator drones indicate that the hospital might be a military command post. There was every reason for Task Force 20 to go into the hospital heavily armed and taking full precautions, or as one Special Ops officer puts it, “loaded for bear.” A force of Marines, with tanks and armored personnel carriers, was ordered to mount a feint into Nasiriyah to draw off Iraqi forces near the hospital.
Rescue - Around 1 a.m. on April 1, commandos in blacked-out Black Hawk helicopters, protected by AC-130 gunships, entered the hospital grounds. Marines established an exterior perimeter, and Army Rangers set up a second perimeter just outside the hospital walls. These forces were fired upon from adjacent buildings, military sources say, though the fire was light. Commandos burst into the hospital, set off explosives meant to disorient anyone inside, and made for Lynch’s room. Uday says that the doctors and staffers fled to the X-ray room, where they might be more secure. Though the soldiers quickly burst into the X-ray room, no shots were fired and no resistance was offered. “It was like a ‘Rambo’ movie,” Uday recalls. “But we were not Rambo. We just waited to be told what to do.” Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, who gave American reporters video footage of the rescue mission, says, “There was not a firefight inside of the building, I will tell you, but there were firefights outside of the building, getting in and out.” The commandos found Lynch in a private bed, lying on the hospital’s only bed used to ease bedsores. A male nurse in a white jacket was with her. One of the soldiers called out, “Jessica Lynch, we’re the United States soldiers and we’re here to protect you and take you home.” She answered, “I’m an American soldier, too.” The commandos find “ammunition, mortars, maps, a terrain model and other things that make it very clear that it was being used as a military command post,” Brooks says. It is unclear if the hospital had indeed been used as any sort of military headquarters, but it is certain that the last of the Iraqi soldiers had fled the day before.
Recovering the Dead - The commandos retrieve two American bodies from the morgue. Staff members lead soldiers outside, where seven other soldiers were buried in shallow graves. They tell the soldiers that they buried the seven because the morgue’s faltering refrigeration couldn’t slow their decomposition. All nine bodies are from Lynch’s unit. Navy SEALs dug up the bodies with their hands, military officials say.
Propaganda Opportunity - Within hours of the rescue, a second contingent of US tanks and trucks rolled up to the hospital. They were not there to attack anyone. Instead, CENTCOM’s public affairs office in Qatar had seen an opportunity. “We wanted to make sure we got whatever visuals were available,” a public affairs officer involved in the operation recalls. The rescue force had photographed the rescue, and Special Forces had provided video footage of Iraqi border posts being obliterated to the news media. That video footage had received extensive airplay in the US. This, the public affairs officers think, could be much bigger. Lieutenant Colonel John Robinson, a CENTCOM public affairs officer, says, “We let them know, if possible we wanted to get it, we’d like to have” the video. “We were hoping we would have good visuals. We knew it would be the hottest thing of the day. There was not an intent to talk it down or embellish it because we didn’t need to. It was an awesome story.” The Lynch story, if properly presented, could be a boon to the military’s public relations. Stories of US troops bogged down on the way to Baghdad and killed by the dozens in vicious firefights could be erased from the news broadcasts by a feel-good story of heroism and camaraderie. According to one colonel who dealt with the media in the days after the rescue, the story “took on a life of its own. Reporters seem to be reporting on each other’s information. The rescue turned into a Hollywood concept.” No one at CENTCOM ever explains how the details of Lynch’s “heroic resistance,” “emptying her gun” into her assailants, and finally “falling from multiple gunshot wounds” were given to reporters. (Priest, Booth, and Schmidt 6/17/2003)
June 17, 2003: Jessica Lynch Recovering Slowly; Kept Away from Media, Other Patients
The Washington Post reports that Jessica Lynch, the US Army private captured by Iraqi guerrillas and later rescued by American soldiers from an Iraqi hospital (see April 1, 2003 and June 17, 2003), is recuperating from her injuries in a guarded ward in Washington’s Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She receives daily physical therapy by herself, kept away from other patients. Reporters are not allowed near her. Her father, Greg Lynch, rarely leaves her bedside. For 67 days Lynch has remained hospitalized, and her days in Walter Reed will not soon end; her physical condition remains severe. Doctors at Walter Reed put her bones back together with an extensive and delicate network of rods and pins; it sometimes takes an hour for her to move from bed to wheelchair. She is still in severe pain. Her mother, Deadra Lynch, says, “It’s amazing she can walk at all—she is a body full of pins and screws.” She is psychologically traumatized, say people who have seen her, and she is sometimes disoriented. Her father says she remembers nothing of her capture. US military sources say she is either unable or unwilling to speak to any extent about her nine-day stay at a Nasiriyah hospital, nor does she talk about her rescue by a covert US Special Operations unit. “The doctors are reasonably sure,” Army spokesman Kiki Bryant says, “that she does not know what happened to her.” (Priest, Booth, and Schmidt 6/17/2003)
June 19 or 20, 2003: Wilson Tells Reporters Administration Knew Niger Claim ‘a Flat-Out Lie’
The New Republic prints a long analysis of the Bush administration’s misleading use of intelligence to create a false impression that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the US. The article anonymously quotes former ambassador Joseph Wilson commenting on the claim that Iraq had tried to purchase weapons-grade uranium from Niger, saying that White House officials “knew the Niger story was a flat-out lie.” The reporters, Spencer Ackerman and John Judis, identify Wilson as “a prominent diplomat, who had served as ambassador to three African countries,” sent to Niger to investigate the uranium claims (see February 21, 2002-March 4, 2002). “They knew the Niger story was a flat-out lie,” Wilson tells the reporters. “They were unpersuasive about aluminum tubes (see Between April 2001 and September 2002 and January 9, 2003) and added this to make their case more persuasive.” (Note: The date of the New Republic article is June 29, but the issue containing it is published over a week earlier.) (Judis and Ackerman 6/30/2003)
June 21, 2003: Mythologizing of Jessica Lynch Story Detracts from Geniune Heroism, Columnist Argues
Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman writes that the propagandizing of Jessica Lynch’s capture and rescue (see May 4, 2003 and June 17, 2003) has obscured Lynch’s real heroism—that of a survivor putting herself back together after severe physical and emotional trauma. “There is something terrible about the alchemy that tries to turn a human into a symbol,” Goodman writes, calling Lynch’s mythologized saga “fool’s gold.” The story went from what one reporter calls “the first feel-good story of the war” to a sobering examination of truth, lies, fiction, and legend. “[E]verything about this war seems to be up for revision,” Goodman writes, “from the way it began, with declarations of weapons of mass destruction, to the way it hasn’t ended. So Lynch has now become a redefining story of the war, with skeptics asking whether the Pentagon spun the media or the media hyped the story.” She says that the original presentation of Lynch was a “cartoon-like… warrior and prisoner of war… both Rambette and Damsel in Distress. For a military wrestling with women in its ranks, she was the woman fighting ferociously—‘She did not want to be taken alive’—and the slight, blond teenager who needed to be rescued. For the media, she was a human interest story in the world of tanks. She was news—the woman in combat fatigues—and the crossover star who might attract women viewers.” Lynch’s story was strong enough to stand on its own, Goodman says, without embellishment or mythologizing. “The not-so-secret is that media and military and citizens live in a world where war only interrupts our regular programming,” Goodman explains. “We are expected to digest simple story lines about both the reasons for conflict and its heroism. It’s also a world in which a Jessica Lynch is fit into an empty slot between [murder victim] Laci Peterson and [TV personality] Martha Stewart. But to turn a human into a symbol, you have to take away the humanity. In the pursuit of fool’s gold, you burn away the metal. By making Jessica into a cartoon hero, we may have missed the bravery of the young soldier now recovering in Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Pfc. Jessica Lynch didn’t empty an M-16 into the enemy. But she has learned how to take a hundred steps with a walker, one step at a time. That’s heroism enough for one lifetime.” (Goodman 6/21/2003)
June 23, 2003: Libby Outs CIA Official to New York Times Reporter
Lewis “Scooter” Libby, chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, “outs” a covert CIA agent to a reporter. Libby tells New York Times reporter Judith Miller, who has been a reliable outlet for administration leaks and disinformation (see December 20, 2001, August 2002, and May 1, 2003), that Valerie Plame Wilson is a CIA official. Plame Wilson is a covert CIA officer currently working at CIA headquarters on WMD issues in the Middle East. More importantly for Libby, she is the husband of former US ambassador Joseph Wilson, who went to Niger to verify the administration’s claims that Iraq had attempted to purchase uranium there (see February 21, 2002-March 4, 2002), and who has become an outspoken critic of the administration’s war policies both on television and in print (see July 6, 2003).
Libby Blames CIA for 'Slanted Intell' - Miller meets Libby at the Old Executive Building. Her focus is, as she has written in her notebook, “Was the intell slanted?” meaning the intelligence used to propel the US into war with Iraq. Libby is “displeased,” she notes, by what he calls the “selective leaking” of information to the press by the CIA. He calls it a “hedging strategy,” and Miller quotes him in her notes: “If we find it, fine, if not, we hedged.” Miller feels that Libby is trying to use the interview to set up a conflict between the White House and the CIA. He says that reports suggesting senior administration officials may have selectively used some intelligence reports to bolster their claims about Iraq while ignoring others are “highly distorted.” The thrust of his conversation, Miller will later testify (see September 30, 2005), is to try to blame the CIA for the intelligence failures leading up to the Iraq invasion. The CIA is now trying to “hedge” its earlier assessments, Libby says. He accuses it of waging what he calls a “perverted war” against the White House over the issue, and is clearly angry that it failed to, in his view, share its “doubts about Iraq intelligence.” He tells Miller, “No briefer came in [after the State of the Union address] and said, ‘You got it wrong, Mr. President.’”
Joseph Wilson and 'Valerie Flame' - Libby refers to “a clandestine guy,” meaning Wilson, and tells Miller that Cheney “didn’t know” about him, attempting to disassociate Cheney from any responsibility for Wilson’s trip. In her notes, Miller writes, “wife works in bureau?” and she will later testify that she is sure Libby is referring to the CIA. In her notes, she also writes the words “Valerie Flame,” a misspelled reference to Wilson’s wife. (Miller 10/16/2005; Brenner 4/2006; Unger 2007, pp. 310; MSNBC 2/21/2007)
No Story from Interview - Miller does not write a story based on the conversation with Libby. (Miller 10/16/2005; van Natta, Liptak, and Levy 10/16/2005)
Libby a 'Good-Faith Source' - Miller will later recall Libby as being “a good-faith source who was usually straight with me.” (van Natta, Liptak, and Levy 10/16/2005) She will note that she was not accustomed to interviewing high-level White House officials such as him. For Miller, Libby was “a major figure” and “one of the most senior people I interviewed,” she will say. “I never interviewed the vice president, never met the president, and have met Karl Rove only once. I operated at the wonk level. That is why all of this stuff that came later about my White House spin is such bullsh_t. I did not talk to these people.… Libby was not a social friend, like Richard Perle.” (Brenner 4/2006)
Initial Incorrect Dating by Times - In October, the New York Times will initially, and incorrectly, identify the date of this conversation as June 25. (Johnston 10/8/2005)
June 29, 2003: Washington Post Ombudsman Theorizes that Jessica Lynch Story Was a Propaganda Effort by US Government
Washington Post ombudsman Michael Getler writes another mea culpa admitting the Post’s central role in promoting the Pentagon’s propaganda story of the Jessica Lynch capture and rescue (see April 1, 2003 and May 25, 2003). Getler writes that the issue is not Lynch, whose courage is unquestionable, but how the Post and other news providers are systematically manipulated by outside sources with their own agendas, and how these news outlets sometimes enthusiastically cooperate with such manipulation. The Lynch story as originally reported in the Post has been supplanted by a second, more thorough piece (see June 17, 2003) that Getler calls “a corrective to the initial reporting.” Getler notes that the “corrective” account does not address the more fundamental questions of why that first story “remain[ed] unchallenged for so long,” who provided the false information that generated that story, and why reporters simply accepted that account as fact instead of doing their own investigations. “The story had an odor to it almost from the beginning,” Getler writes, “and other news organizations blew holes in it well before the Post did, though not as authoritatively,” apparently referring to articles such as a May 4 piece by the Toronto Star (see May 4, 2003). Was the first version a government attempt to manipulate the news media? Getler asks. He also wants to know why Lynch’s fellow soldiers, including those captured and held as POWs (see October 24, 2003), have not spoken about Lynch. “Certainly, Lynch’s privacy about her ordeal needs to be protected,” he writes. “But the official curtain of silence has extended to everything about the incident from the start. Why?” Getler concludes: “This was the single most memorable story of the war, and it had huge propaganda value. It was false, but it didn’t get knocked down until it didn’t matter quite so much.” (Getler 6/29/2003)
July 2, 2003: Libby Discloses NIE Information to New York Times Reporter
New York Times reporter David Sanger interviews Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, about Secretary of State Colin Powell’s UN presentation in February (see February 5, 2003). As he and Cheney have planned (see August 2002, June 27, 2003, July 7-8, 2003, 8:30 a.m. July 8, 2003, (July 11, 2003), July 14 or 15, 2003, and July 18, 2003), Libby discloses classified information from the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate to Sanger (see October 1, 2002). (US District Court for the District of Columbia 3/5/2004 ; US Department of Justice 2/2007 ; Marcy Wheeler 2/12/2007)
July 6, 2003: Wilson Op-Ed Charges Bush Administration with Deliberately Lying about Iraqi Attempts to Procure African Uranium
Joseph Wilson, the former US ambassador to Gabon and a former diplomatic official in the US embassy in Iraq during the Gulf War (see September 20, 1990), writes an op-ed for the New York Times entitled “What I Didn’t Find in Africa.” Wilson went to Africa over a year ago (see February 21, 2002-March 4, 2002 and July 6, 2003) to investigate claims that the Iraqi government surreptitiously attempted to buy large amounts of uranium from Niger, purportedly for use in nuclear weapons. The claims have been extensively debunked (see February 17, 2003, March 7, 2003, March 8, 2003, and 3:09 p.m. July 11, 2003). Wilson opens the op-ed by writing: “Did the Bush administration manipulate intelligence about Saddam Hussein’s weapons programs to justify an invasion of Iraq? Based on my experience with the administration in the months leading up to the war, I have little choice but to conclude that some of the intelligence related to Iraq’s nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.” Wilson notes his extensive experience in Africa and the Middle East, and says candidly: “Those news stories about that unnamed former envoy who went to Niger? That’s me” (see May 6, 2003). He makes it very clear that he believes his findings had been “circulated to the appropriate officials within… [the] government.”
Journey to Niger - Wilson confirms that he went to Africa at the behest of the CIA, which was in turn responding to a directive from Vice President Cheney’s office. He confirms that the CIA paid his expenses during the week-long trip, and that, while overseas, “I made it abundantly clear to everyone I met that I was acting on behalf of the United States government.” About Nigerien uranium, Wilson writes: “For reasons that are understandable, the embassy staff has always kept a close eye on Niger’s uranium business. I was not surprised, then, when the ambassador [Barbro Owens-Kirkpatrick] told me that she knew about the allegations of uranium sales to Iraq—and that she felt she had already debunked them in her reports to Washington” (see November 20, 2001). Wilson met with “dozens of people: current government officials, former government officials, people associated with the country’s uranium business. It did not take long to conclude that it was highly doubtful that any such transaction had ever taken place.” Wilson notes that Nigerien uranium is handled by two mines, Somair and Cominak, “which are run by French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Nigerian interests. If the government wanted to remove uranium from a mine, it would have to notify the consortium, which in turn is strictly monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Moreover, because the two mines are closely regulated, quasi-governmental entities, selling uranium would require the approval of the minister of mines, the prime minister, and probably the president. In short, there’s simply too much oversight over too small an industry for a sale to have transpired.” Wilson told Owens-Kirkpatrick that he didn’t believe the story either, flew back to Washington, and shared his findings with CIA and State Department officials. “There was nothing secret or earth-shattering in my report,” he writes, “just as there was nothing secret about my trip.”
State of the Union Reference - Wilson believed that the entire issue was settled until September 2002, when the British government released an intelligence finding that asserted Iraq posed an immediate threat because it had attempted to purchase uranium from Africa (see September 24, 2002). Shortly thereafter, President Bush repeated the charges in his State of the Union address (see 9:01 pm January 28, 2003). Wilson was surprised by the charge, but put it aside after discussing the issue with a friend in the State Department (see January 29, 2003). Wilson now knows that Bush was indeed referring to the Niger claims, and wants to set the record straight.
Posing a Real Nuclear Threat? - Wilson is now concerned that the facts are being manipulated by the administration to paint Iraq as a looming nuclear threat, when in fact Iraq has no nuclear weapons program. “At a minimum,” he writes, “Congress, which authorized the use of military force at the president’s behest, should want to know if the assertions about Iraq were warranted.” He is quite sure that Iraq has some form of chemical and biological weapons, and in light of his own personal experience with “Mr. Hussein and his thugs in the run-up to the Persian Gulf war of 1991, I was only too aware of the dangers he posed.” But, he asks, are “these dangers the same ones the administration told us about? We have to find out. America’s foreign policy depends on the sanctity of its information.… The act of war is the last option of a democracy, taken when there is a grave threat to our national security. More than 200 American soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq already. We have a duty to ensure that their sacrifice came for the right reasons.” (Wilson, 7/6/2003)
'Playing Congress and the Public for Fools' - Former Nixon White House counsel John Dean will write in 2004 that after Wilson’s editorial appears, he checks out the evidence behind the story himself. It only takes Dean a few hours of online research using source documents that Bush officials themselves had cited, from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Department of Energy, the CIA, and the United Nations. He will write: “I was amazed at the patently misleading use of the material Bush had presented to Congress. Did he believe no one would check? The falsification was not merely self-evident, it was feeble and disturbing. The president was playing Congress and the public for fools.” (Dean 2004, pp. 145-146)
July 6, 2003: White House Denies Cheney Asked for Wilson Trip to Niger
The Washington Post publishes an article about former ambassador Joseph Wilson’s New York Times op-ed questioning the White House’s claim that Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger (see July 6, 2003). Post reporters Richard Leiby and Walter Pincus report that Wilson says he was told that his mission to Niger (see February 21, 2002-March 4, 2002) was at the request of Vice President Dick Cheney or his staff, and add that, according to “[a] senior administration official,” Wilson was sent to Niger by the CIA, but not at the behest of Cheney or his office. “It was not orchestrated by the vice president,” the official says. The truth of the matter is somewhat less clear, as Cheney asked his CIA briefer to have the agency send him information about the Iraq-Niger allegations (see (February 13, 2002)). It is not clear that Cheney asked for Wilson or anyone else to be sent to Niger, but Cheney did receive the CIA’s report on Wilson’s mission (see March 5, 2002). (Leiby and Pincus 7/6/2003) The denial is part of a larger effort to distance Cheney from the Wilson mission to Niger and discredit Wilson (see July 6-10, 2003).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line172
|
__label__wiki
| 0.927008
| 0.927008
|
Houston Cole Library
Jodi Poe
Jodi Poe: Peer-Reviewed Publications
Publications Toggle Dropdown
Journal and Magazine Publications
Newsletter Articles and Columns
In House Publications
Presentations Toggle Dropdown
State Conferences
University Presentations
State Workshops and Presentations
Awards/Honors/Grants
Latham, Bethany and Jodi W. Poe. “The Library As Partner in University Data Curation: A Case Study in Collaboration.” Journal of Web Librarianship (v.6 no.4, 2012), pp.288-304.
Poe, Jodi. “Common Practices in Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Electronic Reserves.” Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery, and Electronic Reserves (v.18 no.2, 2008), pp.125-28.
>Poe, Jodi and Sonja McAbee. “Electronic Reserves, Copyright, and CMS Integration – Six Years Later.” The Journal of Access Services (v.5 no.1/2, 2007), pp.251-263.
Poe, Jodi and Bethany Skaggs. “Course Reserves: Using Blackboard for E-Reserves Delivery.” The Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery, and Electronic Reserves (v.18 no.1, 2007), pp.79-91.
Poe, Jodi and Paula Barnett-Ellis. “Electronic Reserves for the Nursing Programs at Jacksonville State University.” The Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery, and Electronic Reserves (v.17 no.1/2, 2007), pp.67-81.
Poe, Jodi and John-Bauer Graham. “New Voices: Interactive CD-ROMs for Library Instruction and Discovering a Research Agenda.” The Southeastern Librarian (v.54 no.3, Fall 2006), pp.25-34.
Poe, Jodi. “Marketing Electronic Reserves at a University Library: Start Spreading the News.” The Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery, and Electronic Reserves (v.16 no.4, 2006), po.93-102.
Skaggs, Bethany, Jodi Poe, and Kimberly Stevens. “One-Stop Shopping: A Perspective on the Evolution of Electronic Resources Management.” OCLC Systems & Services: International Digital Library Perspectives (v.22 no.3, 2006), pp.192-206.
Poe, Jodi. "Information and Referral Services: A Brief History.” The Southeastern Librarian (v.54 no.1, Spring 2006), pp.36-41.
>Graham, John-Bauer, Kimberly Weatherford, and Jodi Poe. “Functional By Design: A Comparative Study to Determine the Usability and Functionality of One Library’s Web Site.” Technical Services Quarterly (v.21 no.2, 2003), pp.33-49.
Graham, John-Bauer, Kimberly Weatherford, and Jodi Poe. “Interface-Lift: The Houston Cole Library’s Web Page Redesign Project.” The Southeastern Librarian (v.50 no.2, Summer 2002), pp.33-39.
McAbee, Sonja L., comp., Mary D. Bevis, Jodi W. Poe, and George Whitesel, eds. (2001). Houston Cole Library Collection Management and Development Policy (2nd ed.). Jacksonville, Alabama: Jacksonville State University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 456 843)
Hubbard, William J. and Jodi Welch, "An Empirical Test of Trade Discounts," Library Acquisitions: Practice and Theory (v.22 no.2, 1998), pp.131-34.
Peer Reviewed Columns
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.9 no.4, October – December 2015), p.263-265.
Poe, Jodi W. “Reviews (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.9 no.4, October – December 2015), p.330.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.9 no.4, October – December 2015), p.331.
Poe, Jodi W. “17th Distance Library Conference.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.9 no.4, October – December 2015), p.332.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.9 no.3, July – September 2015), p.189-191.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.9 no.3, July – September 2015), p.260.
Poe, Jodi W. “Seventeenth Distance Library Conference Update.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.9 no.3, July – September 2015), p.261.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.8 no.3-4, July – December 2014), p.91.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.8 no.1-2, January – June 2014), p.1-4.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.8 no.1-2, January – June 2014), p.90.
Poe, Jodi W. “Reviews (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.7 no.4, October – December 2013), p384.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.7 no.4, October – December 2013), p388.
Poe, Jodi W. “Sixteenth Distance Library Conference Update.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.7 no.4, October – December 2013), p389.
Dickinson, Thad and Jodi W. Poe. “16th Distance Libraries Services Conference Award.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.7 no.4, October – December 2013), p390.
Poe, Jodi W. “New ACRL Discussion Group – Library Support for MOOCs.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.7 no.4, October – December 2013), p391.
Poe, Jodi W. “Reviews (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.7 no.3, July – September 2013), p.323.
Poe, Jodi W. “The Sixteenth Distance Library Conference Update.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.7 no.3, July – September 2013), p.327.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.6 no.3-4, July – December 2012), p.131.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.6 no.2, April – June 2012), p.51-52.
Poe, Jodi W. “Reviews (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.6 no.2, April – June 2012), p.129.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.6 no.2, April – June 2012), p.130.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.6 no.1, January – March 2012), p.1-2.
Poe, Jodi W. “Reviews (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.6 no.1, January – March 2012), p.47.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.6 no.1, January – March 2012), p.50.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.5 no.4, October – December 2011), p.127—28.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.5 no.3, July – September 2011), p.81-82.
Poe, Jodi W. “Reviews (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.5 no.1-2, January – June 2011), p.76.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.5 no.1-2, January – June 2011), p.77.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.4 no.4, October – December 2010), p.151-52.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.4 no.3, July – September 2010), p.75-76
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.4 no.3, July – September 2010), p.148-49.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.4 no.1/2, January – June 2010), pp.1-2.
Poe, Jodi W. “Reviews (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.4 no.1/2, January – June 2010), p.72.
Poe, Jodi W. “News (Introduction).” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.4 no.1/2, January – June 2010), p.73.
Poe, Jodi W. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.3 no.3/4, July – December 2009), pp.105-107.
Poe, Jodi. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.3 no.2, April – June 2009), pp.41-42.
Poe, Jodi. “From the Editor.” (Column) Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.3 no.1, January – March 2009), pp.1-2.
Poe, Jodi W. “The Fifteenth Distance Learning Services Conference Update.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.5 no.3, July – September 2011), p.126.
Poe, Jodi W. “2011 Routledge Distance Learning Librarian Conference Sponsorship Award Winner.” Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning. (v.5 no.1/2, January – June 2011), p.79.
<< Previous: Book Chapters
Next: Journal and Magazine Publications >>
Last Updated: Jun 17, 2019 11:11 AM
URL: https://libguides.jsu.edu/jodipoe
Librarian/Staff Login
Report a problem.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line176
|
__label__wiki
| 0.948222
| 0.948222
|
Manganos found guilty on multiple corruption charges
Posted Friday, March 8, 2019 11:59 am
Former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano's attorney Kevin Keating addressed reporters outside federal court in Central Islip after Mangano and his wife, Linda, were found guilty of multiple corruption charges at their second trial.
By Anthony O'Reilly
Former Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and his wife, Linda, were found guilty on a number of charges Friday morning following a second trial on federal charges that they abused their positions for personal benefit.
Ed Mangano was found guilty of bribery, wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice; Linda was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators.
The Manganos were first arrested in October 2016, and went to trial last year. Their co-defendant in 2018, former Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, was acquitted of all charges, while jurors were unable to reach a verdict on the Manganos.
The jury deliberated on the charges for six days before reaching its decision, following a five-week retrial at the federal court building in Central Islip.
The U.S. government told jurors that Ed Mangano accepted bribes from his former friend, restaurateur Harendra Singh, in exchange for political favors and that Linda Mangano lied to investigators about a no-show job she had with Singh. Both were tried last year, in a case that ended in a hung jury, alongside Venditto, who was acquitted of charges that he used the town to guarantee loans for Singh.
U.S. attorneys alleged that Mangano had pressured Oyster Bay officials to guarantee the loans, in order to get from Singh what he wanted.
The defense team, however, characterized Singh as a liar who tried, but failed, to influence Ed Mangano with gifts in an effort to build up his struggling restaurant empire. Singh, the defense attorneys added, only testified against the couple to gain leniency for his own crimes; he pleaded guilty in 2016 to eight charges, including federal program bribery and obstructing and impeding the due administration of internal revenue laws.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Treinis Gatz said the timing of gifts provided to the Manganos by Singh pointed to corruption. Treinis Gatz said Singh never provided the Manganos with gifts before Ed Mangano became county executive in 2010, despite being friends with them for more than 20 years. “Only after Ed Mangano had become Nassau County executive . . . did Mr. Singh bestow anything of value,” she said. “Dates matter. Timing is significant.”
Ed Mangano’s defense attorney, Kevin Keating, did not deny that Singh provided gifts to the Manganos, but said the restaurateur got little to nothing in return for them. The only county contract Singh received was an emergency one to provide food for government workers after Superstorm Sandy.
Treinis Gatz, though, said a county-approved caterer was already approved to do that job and that was the week Singh bought the Manganos’ son a $7,300 watch. She also said Ed Mangano steered a contract to Singh to provide bread and rolls to county jail inmates from a low bidder, who had been doing the work for 10 years.
Keating disputed that the bread and rolls contract was steered by Mangano, saying the late Peter Schmitt, the former presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, wanted to ensure contracts went to local vendors like Singh. Singh, though, later backed out of the contract, as his bakery could not handle the work required.
Keating also called it “preposterous” that Mangano used his power to convince Oyster Bay officials to back Singh on $20 million in loans, saying he would not have the clout to do so as a newly minted county executive in 2010. He also said former town officials were already “doing backflips” for Singh, who ran concession stands on Oyster Bay property, by extending those contracts.
Linda Mangano was questioned three times about a no-show job she had with Singh. John Carman, Linda Mangano’s lawyer, criticized federal investigators for being careless when interviewing her about the position by not recording or taping any of the three discussions.
“There is no word-for-word account of what Linda said in any of the three meetings,” he said, criticizing the “scribbled notes” of FBI Special Agent Laura Spence that prosecutors used to indict his client. “They went low-tech on her. Dare I say, they went no-tech.”
Elected officials released statements reacting to the convictions. "Today is a sad reminder that for too long, Nassau County’s taxpayers paid a high price for a government that did not work for them," said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat and Mangano's successor. "Our residents have footed the bill for a culture of corruption that has been allowed to permeate throughout our County government, enriching the few while betraying the many."
“Today’s verdict is a sad reminder that for too long elected officials have used their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of the public they were meant to serve," State Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat from Long Beach and former federal prosecutor, said. “This should also be a reminder that federal prosecutors cannot be expected to bring all of the necessary corruption cases in New York, and that state prosecutors need to be given the tools to help police the political landscape."
— Erik Hawkins contributed to this story
This story will be updated.
Portions of Route 107 to close for utility work
9/11 responder from Glen Head is seeking pension parity
Adam Pascal revisits his career 'So Far'
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line177
|
__label__wiki
| 0.917397
| 0.917397
|
Police Beat 062119
Cliff Drive | 300 Block | Disorderly Conduct – Alcohol
11:05 p.m. A 40-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested for disorderly conduct related to alcohol. Bail was set at $500.
S Coast Hwy & Cleo St | Disorderly Conduct – Alcohol
10:45 p.m. A 24-year-old West Covina woman was arrested for disorderly conduct related to alcohol. Bail was set at $500.
S Coast Hwy | 600 Block | DUI – Minor, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.01% or Higher, Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content 0.05% or Higher
10:42 p.m. An 18-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested on suspicion of DUI for driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.01% or higher (bail was set at $10,000) and with a blood alcohol content of 0.05% or higher (bail was set at $10,000).
S Coast Hwy | 300 Block | Warrants
1:01 p.m. Donald Douglas Kramer, 48, Laguna Beach, was arrested on an undisclosed warrant (bail was set $500) and on a second undisclosed warrant (bail was set at $2,500).
S Coast Hwy & Cardinal Drive | Disorderly Conduct – Alcohol
10:45 a.m. A 54-year-old Laguna Beach man was arrested for disorderly conduct related to alcohol. Bail was set at $500.
Broadway St | 300 Block | DUI with 1 Prior, Driving with a Suspended License Due to DUI
3:18 a.m. Javier Joaquin Cruz, 33, Westminster, was arrested on suspicion of DUI with one prior (bail was set at $10,000) and driving with a suspended license due to DUI (bail was set at $500).
S Coast Hwy | 1300 Block | Possession of a Narcotic Controlled Substance, Bringing a Controlled Substance into Jail, Warrant
11:28 p.m. Carlos Dominguez Perez, 48, Santa Ana, was arrested for possession of a narcotic controlled substance (bail was set at $500), bringing a controlled substance into jail (bail was set at $500), and on a warrant for DUI (bail was set at $2,500).
Dumond Drive | 100 Block | LBMC Violation
11:07 a.m. LBPD received a report regarding “five people playing beer bong on the beach and vaping at the south end.”
Glenneyre St | 300 Block | Resisting Arrest by an Executive Officer, Threatening Crime with Intent to Terrorize, Battery
10:31 a.m. John Andrew Wilson, 60, Laguna Beach, was arrested for resisting arrest by an executive officer, threatening crime with the intent to terrorize, and battery. Bail was set at $50,000.
Artisan Drive | 300 Block | Possession of Controlled Substance Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Contempt of Court, Driving with a Suspended License
5:47 a.m. Jason Philip Blanchard, 41, Laguna Beach, was arrested for possession of controlled substance paraphernalia (bail was set at $500), possession of a controlled substance (bail was set at $500), contempt of court (no bail was set), and driving with a suspended license (bail was set at $500).
Forest Ave | 500 Block | Disorderly Conduct – Alcohol
Laguna Canyon Road & Canyon Acres | Road Rage
10:34 p.m. LBPD received a report regarding an alleged road rage incident. According to police records, the “RP’s cousin was driving inbound on Laguna Canyon Road. She said she was in road rage with the driver of a gray Honda sedan that pulled next to her cursing at her and pointing a gun at her from the inside.”
Laguna Canyon Road | 20600 Block | Warrant
8:17 p.m. Gregory Allen Munoz, 54, San Clemente, was arrested on a warrant for driving under the influence of drugs. Bail was set at $15,000.
N Coast Hwy & Emerald Bay | DUI with 1 Prior
6:43 p.m. Kendahl Kenson, 27, Villa Park, was arrested on suspicion of DUI with one prior. Bail was set at $10,000.
Broadway St | 300 Block | Possession of Controlled Substance Paraphernalia
3:40 p.m. Robert Martin Kipling, 31, Laguna Beach, was arrested for possession of controlled substance paraphernalia. Bail was set at $500.
Morningside Drive | 1100 Block | Theft
11:07 a.m. LBPD received a grand theft report. According to police records, three laptops were taken from the residence while the homeowner was away by an unknown suspect that gained entrance through an unlocked door in the kitchen.
N Coast Hwy & Jasmine St | DUI
3:04 a.m. A 34-year-old Lake Forest man was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Bail was set at $2,500.
Unknown | Warrant
Brian Kieth Michael O’Connor, 57, Laguna Beach, was arrested on an undisclosed warrant. Bail was set at $2,500.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line182
|
__label__wiki
| 0.916592
| 0.916592
|
Animals Corporation
Animals of automata
History( rights )
Legal approaches
Martin's Act
Moral status
Overview rights
Colour production
Bioluminescence
By chromatophores
By pigments
Structural coloration
Motion dazzle
Embryo Features
Fossilised animal embryos
Overview embryo
Evolutionary reasons
Groups Animals
History of classification
Model organisms
Heterotroph
Auxotrophy
Nutritional groups
Saprotrophic
Basic structure
Body structures
Glass syncytia
Sponge Overview
Chains of extinction
Food, pets
Impact of species
Overview wild
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and independently. All animals are also heterotrophs, meaning they must ingest other organisms or their products for sustenance. Most known animal phyla appeared in the fossil record as marine species during the Cambrian explosion, about 542 million years ago. Animals are generally considered to have evolved from a flagellated eukaryote.[39] Their closest known living relatives are the choanoflagellates, collared flagellates that have a morphology similar to the choanocytes of certain sponges.[40] Molecular studies place animals in a supergroup called the opisthokonts, which also include the choanoflagellates, fungi and a few small parasitic protists.[41] The name comes from the posterior location of the flagellum in motile cells, such as most animal spermatozoa, whereas other eukaryotes tend to have anterior flagella.[42] The first fossils that might represent animals appear in the Trezona Formation at Trezona Bore, West Central Flinders, South Australia.[43] These fossils are interpreted as being early sponges. They were found in 665-million-year-old rock.[43] The next oldest possible animal fossils are found towards the end of the
Precambrian, around 610 million years ago, and are known as the Ediacaran or Vendian biota.[44] These are difficult to relate to later fossils, however. Some may represent precursors of modern phyla, but they may be separate groups, and it is possible they are not really animals at all.[45] Aside from them, most known animal phyla make a more or less simultaneous appearance during the Cambrian period, about 542 million years ago.[46] It is still disputed whether this event, called the Cambrian explosion, represents a rapid divergence between different groups or a change in conditions that made fossilization possible. Some paleontologists suggest that animals appeared much earlier than the Cambrian explosion, possibly as early as 1 billion years ago.[47] Trace fossils such as tracks and burrows found in the Tonian era indicate the presence of triploblastic worms, like metazoans, roughly as large (about 5 mm wide) and complex as earthworms.[48] During the beginning of the Tonian period around 1 billion years ago, there was a decrease in Stromatolite diversity, which may indicate the appearance of grazing animals, since stromatolite diversity increased when grazing animals went extinct at the End Permian and End Ordovician extinction events, and decreased shortly after the grazer populations recovered. However the discovery that tracks very similar to these early trace fossils are produced today by the giant single-celled protist Gromia sphaerica casts doubt on their interpretation as evidence of early animal evolution.[49][50] It has been estimated that 99.9% of animals that have ever existed are extinct
Different Kind of Animals here. Caliburn International sponsored Military Appreciation Day
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line185
|
__label__wiki
| 0.901223
| 0.901223
|
Ichirō Hatoyama Passes Away
Today in Masonic History Ichirō Hatoyama passes away in 1959.
Ichirō Hatoyama was a Japanese politician.
Hatoyama was born on January 1st, 1883 in Tokyo City, Japan. He was the son of a wealthy family and his father was in politics as well. His mother was the founder of Kyoritsu Women's University.
In 1915, Hatoyama was elected into the House of Representatives or the lower house, the upper house is the House of Councilors. Hatoyama served in the House of Representatives until 1946. He would serve various districts in Tokyo. During this time he would also serve as Minister of Education from 1931 to 1934 and Chief Cabinet Minister from 1927 to 1929.
Starting in 1937 Hatoyama served as acting president of Rikken Seiyūkai, one of the chief political parties in Japan. He would serve as acting president until 1939. He was also the president of the Liberal party for one year, from 1945 to 1946. He served as president of the Japan Democratic party starting in 1954 until they merged with the Liberal Party to become the Liberal Democratic Party. He would serve as president of the newly merged organization until 1956.
In 1946, Hatoyama was set to become the next Prime Minister of Japan when Supreme Commander of Allied Powers barred him from politics for five years. This was done because it was believed that he had cooperated with the Authoritarian government of the 1930's and 1940's.
Hatoyama would return to politics in 1951. Recently declassified documents from the United States National Archive reveal a plot that conceived in Japan in 1952 to assassinate the then Prime Minister and replace him with a more hawkish government led by Hatoyama. The plot was never carried out.
In 1954, Hatoyama became the Prime Minister of Japan. During his time as Prime Minister he rebuilt diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union. He also advocated for the parole of some of the Class A war criminals that had been convicted by the Tokyo Trials. At the trials there were three classes of criminals. Class A were those who participated in a joint conspiracy to start and wage war.
Hatoyama received the book The Totalitarian State Against Man written by Richard Nikolaus von Coudenhove-Kalergi, a Freemason. Hatoyama was asked to translate the book into Japanese. After translating the book, Hatoyama became an enthusiastic supporter of fraternity and fraternal organizations. In Japanese they are also known as yūai. Hatoyama would go on to found the Yuai Kyokai (Yuai Association) and would be the organizations first president.
Hatoyama passed away on March 7th, 1959.
Hatoyama was raised on March 26th, 1955 in Tokyo Lodge No. 125. His Entered Apprentice degree was presented in 1951 and it was not until after that he had become Prime Minister that he asked to continue his masonic journey. Due to the fact that at the time Hatoyama was an invalid, the 2nd and 3rd degrees were presented on the same day.
Francesco Bartolozzi Passes Away
Charles Oscar Andrews is Born
The Sword and the Trowel
Luther Burbank is Born
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line188
|
__label__wiki
| 0.507897
| 0.507897
|
NBC's lineup 30 years ago ... yeesh
NBC has been struggling to find hit shows the last few years. "30 Rock" and "The Office" get a lot of hype and are are actually very good, but they don't get great ratings.
But things had to be worse 30 years ago, when NBC was launching its fall season. The promo for it is below, and check out the new shows it was hyping:
Waverly Wonders
Grandpa Goes to Washington
W.E.B.
Dick Clark's Live Wednesday
Who's Watching the Kids
Wow ... those turned out to be classics!
Incorrect hair dye, correct verdict
The economy is in the tank, your 401(k) is looking like a 401(KO'd) and more businesses are expected to layoff employees in the coming months.
But let's look at the bright side. At least your social life hasn't been ruined like that of one Connecticut woman, who suffered through the devastation of having her blonde hair dyed brunette.
She was so traumatized that she needed anti-depressants. Also, she says she suffered "headaches and anxiety, missed the attention that blondes receive and had to stay home and wear hats most of the time."
And because we are in America, this leads to the obvious question:
How much is she suing for?
Actually, I don't know the amount. But a judge nixed her coif complaint.
10-year old drives, but at least he was sober
When a 10-year-old gets behind the wheel, you've got to expect that the car will be driven a little erratically. So when a 10-year-old was clocked doing 90 mph in Tennessee, that made it more frightening.
But hey, his parents were in the car with him. Maybe they were just trying to get a jump on his driving training. You know, so he'll be really ready to go when he gets his learner's permit in about five years.
Or maybe not. According to the story, the 10-year-old crashed the van after his dad had drank about 15 beers. Also, when police in Tennessee arrived, "a woman was trying to swallow as many pills as she could."
Cap it all off with this:
The dad was wearing a T-shirt that said "Buy this dad a beer." Looking at the mug shot, yeah ... I can see him wearing that shirt.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line189
|
__label__wiki
| 0.556672
| 0.556672
|
Humor Me: Neiman Marcus' Christmas Book
The 2009 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book was unveiled a few days ago, and just in time. I mean, it's just three weeks until Halloween. And then we'll only have -- try not to panic -- less than two months to race from store to store, look for gifts and beg store owners to stop playing "Last Christmas" by Wham!
So what's in this year's book?
Well, keeping in mind the state of the economy, Neiman Marcus said it made an effort to offer more affordable options this year. That's why you'll find an electric motorcycle that goes 150 mph and costs $73,000.
I believe there's one out there with a little more power, but it would've been in the $90,000 to $100,000 range. That's just too pricey.
Anyway, the book is out there for you to check out. But I don't think most of the items compare to the 2007 book, which I "reviewed" for The Dallas Morning News. Here it is ...
OK everyone, let's get busy. We need to raise $1.59 million to fund one of Neiman's greatest offerings ever:
A private holiday concert by the world-famous Kirov Orchestra.
The concert features Regis Philbin as host, but more important, piano virtuoso Lola Astanova and maestro Valery Gergiew. I'm told they are incomparable and had nothing to do with "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."
Yeah, $1.59 million is a little steep. But the concert is for 500 people, and if we divvy it up, that's only $3,180 per person. Pretty cheap when compared to some of the other gifts in the Christmas Book.
For example, you'll need $110,000 to have Brazilian artist Vik Muniz create a portrait of you and a friend in chocolate syrup. A lot more, I assume, if you decide it's clothing optional. You'll also need $75,000 for the cutting-edge robot and $73,000 for the mobile phone with 7.2 carats in diamonds.
Even the front-yard dragon topiary is ridiclously expensive. At least for a topiary. It's $35,000, and that doesn't include the legal fees you'll face when you receive this letter in the mail:
"The homeowners association has decided your 100-foot dragon with brown-glass eyes, custom-welded steel frame and gold-leafed horns doesn't abide by the neighborhood covenant."
I'm guessing the HOA also will have a problem if you store your $80,000 Papalotzin ultralight plane in your back yard. Maybe you could cover it with a pair of $9,500 Lippi Cat fur coats, but note that the coats might soon be recalled because they were manufactured in China.
So who buys these fantasy gifts?
Who knows, but the gifts are actually more practical than in the past. Back in 2003, the Christmas Book offered a $555,000 motorcycle so powerful that it was NEVER intended to be driven. Fantastic! I can save a few bucks by not buying a helmet.
In 2005, there was the $3.5 million skycar. Very cool, but there was a minor problem: the skycar was a prototype and had never completed an untethered flight.
Kind of a risky gift. And an inexcusable faux pas if that gift malfunctions while holding someone hundreds of feet in the air.
This year isn't as bad, although the $2 million rocket racing franchise, including a Mark-1 X-racer with 1,500 pounds of liquid oxygen thrust, is a little out there. So is the $1.4 million two-person submarine. But at least the submarine has leather seats, which is a nice upgrade from the cloth seats you find in most two-person subs.
The submarine also comes with a two-day training program, which I'm sure is more than enough time to learn how to operate it.
Hey, who wants to take the first deep dive with me? Don't worry, I'll bring the instructions!
I'll pass on that, but the private concert does sound great. I just need to round up 499 people who want to hear the Nutcracker Suite and the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto. Actually, 500 people, because I can't afford my share.
It's expensive, I know, but what an opportunity. The world-famous Kirov musicians will even allow us to select a third masterpiece for their performance.
That means, in one magical night, you can hear the Nutcracker Suite, the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto and "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."
Truly incomparable.
To be on the list that is sent out when a new column in posted, e-mail mattwixon@gmail.com.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line190
|
__label__cc
| 0.555874
| 0.444126
|
Guido Castagna | Chef
Gino Sorbillo was born into one of the oldest and most revered families of pizza makers in Naples. His grandparents founded the first pizzeria in 1935, on the Via dei Tribunali, described by many as the “Via della Pizza Napoletana”, in the old city center. The spouses of the Sorbillo men gave birth to 21 children, who later all became pizza chefs. They are among the undisputed symbol-figures of the “traditional Neapolitan pizzeria.” He founded “La Casa Della Pizza”, a meeting place and cultural exchange venue for artists from the various Parthenopean arts. Gino was awarded a Master of Arts and Crafts in the category of Pizzaiuoli, by the International School of Italian Cuisine (ALMA) in the presence of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the President of the Republic (2016). The true Neapolitan pizza (and the art of the Neapolitan pizza maker) has become part of the Intangible Heritage of Mankind of UNESCO, a symbol like the Mediterranean Diet, firstly described by Ancel Keys. Witness of an artisanal product and a traditional Neapolitan folk culture, Gino is also the most progressive among the pizza makers of his beloved city. As his new frontier, he employs the use of organic flour, combined with the best raw materials and products of excellence for its condiments that he can find. Frequently seen on television and as a figure of reference in the field of Haute Pizzeria d’Autore, Gino is a participant in many cultural promotional initiatives. From Naples to New York, he has conquered all.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line194
|
__label__wiki
| 0.756666
| 0.756666
|
Europe’s Racial Borders
Nicholas De Genova January 2018
Over the last two decades, human catastrophes at sea have indisputably transformed the maritime borders of Europe into a macabre deathscape. Untold tens of thousands of refugees, migrants, and their children have been consigned to horrific, unnatural, premature deaths by shipwreck and drowning, often following protracted ordeals of hunger, thirst, exposure, and abandonment on the high seas. The most comprehensive database documenting migrant and refugee deaths during attempts to traverse the maritime borders of Europe estimates the total number at more than 30,000 for the period since the year 2000.[1] Although such statistics are imperfect and the records surely involve a significant undercount, that is an average of 4-5 people who died every day during this period. With 4,329 migrant and refugee deaths recorded in the Mediterranean, 2016 became the deadliest year on record: on average, approximately 12 people died every day that year. Although 2017 saw a modest decline in the number of recorded deaths, this figure remained alarmingly high: on average, roughly 9 people died every day.[2] Thus, it is no exaggeration to declare that EU-ropean border enforcement policies and practices have actively converted the Mediterranean into a gruesome mass grave.
Rising numbers of border deaths in the Mediterranean Sea are no mere coincidence or accident of geography, but rather a systemic result of European immigration law-making, as well as a systemic feature of the routine functioning of the increasing physical fortification of the maritime border and the increasing militarization of border enforcement tactics and technologies. The EU-ropean legal frameworks governing travel visas, migration, and asylum, together with the externalization of border policing and transportation carrier sanctions, preclude literally the vast majority of humanity from “legitimate” access to the European Union. The vast majority of people from most of the world who might like to migrate to Europe for labor are ineligible for the sorts of work-related migration programs that actually exist. The vast majority who might like to visit Europe, or who wish to migrate or seek asylum, similarly are effectively ineligible for travel visas and are routinely rejected by consular officials who implement a systematic suspicion with regard to all prospective applicants. Even refugees have virtually no way to apply for asylum from abroad and are required to lodge their petitions on European territory, which requires them to first arrive “illegally” before they ever can be considered for asylum. In terms of their real effects and what they actually produce, this EU-ropean system for governing human mobility operates as a regime for the production of migrant “illegality.” Simply put, the mobility of the vast majority of humanity has been preemptively illegalized. Furthermore, the perfectly predictable lethal effects of border fortification against such “irregular” arrivals on EU territory consign migrants and refugees to disappearance and death by turning border crossing itself into a death-defying obstacle course. The systematicity of this (infra-)structural violence actively converts the sea into a geography that kills.[3] Inasmuch as the borders of Europe have also been effectively externalized across the entire expanse of the Sahara Desert, furthermore, the European border regime has created the conditions of possibility for an escalation in border zone deaths across a vast geography that precedes these perilous maritime journeys — deaths which will ordinarily never be recognized as the result of the European border regime, and which are unlikely to even be counted.
In this light, we are challenged to critically comprehend the increasingly militarized spectacle of border policing in relation to its brute material effects — above all, a ghastly accumulation of dead Black and Brown bodies. The brute racial fact of the increasingly deadly European border regime is seldom acknowledged, because recognizing that the targets of these diverse tactics of bordering are overwhelmingly Black and Brown people immediately confronts us with a cruel fact of (post)coloniality. Migration and refugee movements present Europe with the inevitable and ever-more bountiful harvest of empire, past and present. Like every aspect of European colonialism, that harvest is inevitably a racial one. The fervent fortification of the borders of Europe today should therefore be understood to be nothing less than yet another re-drawing of the global color line, and the postcolonial institutionalization of what Étienne Balibar has tellingly suggested may be “a European ‘apartheid’.”[4]
Europe’s deadly borders, therefore, must be understood as racial borders. The physical barricading and ever more lethal policing of Europe’s borders, likewise, signify an abundantly racialized affair. Rather than perceiving the brute racial (post)coloniality of Europe’s borders as a merely “exclusionary” matter, it is vital that we discern the ways that this profoundly racialized system of immigration and asylum operates in fact in a perfectly predictable way as a machine of inclusion — albeit a form of inclusion that is always one of racialized, postcolonial, illegalized labor subordination. In other words, while some are made to die, many more survive and eventually make their way to Europe, compelled to first endure the severities and outright cruelties of these often perilous border crossings as a protracted apprenticeship that prepares the majority of them for life as Europe’s rejected asylum-seekers and, very commonly, as “unauthorized” workers. Even in the exceptional instances of a large-scale admission of refugees, as transpired in 2015-16 in Germany, the cumulative effect of the immigration and asylum systems of Europe works to discipline and subordinate the refugee newcomers by sorting and ranking them into various hierarchies of deservingness and abjection. Moreover, this admission only came to pass as the effect of a governmental impasse instigated by the sheer volume and momentum of migrant and refugee mobilities that succeeded to circumvent or subvert the European border regime. It is a disgraceful postcolonial injustice that the re-bordering of Europe is so comprehensively targeted against the descendants of those who inhabited for centuries the former colonies of Europe, indeed those who always made up the great majority of Europe’s working class. What is a still more urgent concern is that this re-bordering now serves to re-import the labor of the formerly colonized world to supply an ever more important and constitutive source of labor-power to support Europe’s waning prosperity and prestige in the form of a racially subjugated migrant working class.
Nicholas De Genova is a scholar of migration, borders, citizenship, race and labour. Most recently, he held a permanent position at King’s College London. His last book, “The borders of ‘Europe’: Autonomy of Migration, Tactics of Bordering” was published by Duke University Press (2017).
[1] www.themigrantsfiles.com
[2] https://missingmigrants.iom.int/region/mediterranean
[3] Charles Heller and Lorenzo Pezzani, “Liquid Traces: Investigating the Deaths of Migrants at the EU’s Maritime Frontier.” Pp. 95–119 in Nicholas De Genova (ed.), The Borders of “Europe”: Autonomy of Migration, Tactics of Bordering. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2017.
[4] Étienne Balibar, “Droit de Cité or Apartheid?” (1999). Pp. 31-50 in Balibar (2004), We, the People of Europe? Reflections on Transnational Citizenship. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (Quoted phrase appears at pp.43-4).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line200
|
__label__wiki
| 0.942446
| 0.942446
|
Rate Emily Blunt And Earn Movie Points!
Photos of Emily Blunt
Emily was born under the official name Blunt, Emily Olivia Leah on February 23rd, 1983. Known to her close friends as Em, she has been a credited actor since the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada.
Emily Blunt has yet to establish a position as a bankable star. She has starred in two films including the 2009 biography movie The Young Victoria as the character Queen Victoria and the 2007 drama film Wind Chill playing Girl.
Emily has made such a successful career in supporting roles, that it actually surpasses most leading actor's careers. She has appeared in ten films including: the 2014 action film Edge of Tomorrow as the character Rita, the 2012 comedy movie The Five-Year Engagement playing Violet Barnes and the 2012 action release Looper cast as Sara.
Her most commercially successful project to date has been the 2006 comedy film The Devil Wears Prada, which brought in $125,000,000 at the box office.
Emily is a cultural icon, having been featured on the cover of at least twenty-two magazines, captured in more than two pictorials, interviewed in over two publications and featured in nine magazine articles.
Emily Blunt Roles
She is not related to singer James Blunt .
Review Emily Blunt’s Work
Emily Blunt Movies
Sicario 2015
Kate Macy
Edge of Tomorrow 2014
Looper 2012
The Five-Year Engagement 2012
Violet Barnes
Gnomeo & Juliet 2011
The Adjustment Bureau 2011
Elise Sellas
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line203
|
__label__wiki
| 0.661944
| 0.661944
|
Back Results list
Global Issues in Language, Education and Development Perspectives from Postcolonial Countries Author: Naz Rassool
Ebook(PDF) - 304 pages
Related Formats:
Paperback Hardback
Request an inspection copy
- Assesses language-in-education policy in Sub-Saharan and South Asian regions
- Examines socio-economic problems linked with language policies
- Case studies on language and literacy issues in three developing countries
The question of why the issue of language features increasingly at the centre of debates about education for social and economic development at the beginning of the 21st Century is compelling. Within a rapidly changing world, language, literacy and communication are seen as constituting key elements in the process of lifelong learning. Contemporary technological development and cultural shifts intersect in complex ways with the legacy of colonialism and underdevelopment within developing countries with a colonial history. This book addresses some of these issues related to language and development. Part I explores the relationship between colonial and postcolonial social policies on the unresolved language problems that prevail in many developing countries. Part II comprises case studies of Mali, Pakistan and South Africa. Part III draws on key motifs identified in the previous two sections, and discusses linguistic diversity as an important variable of cultural capital within the interactive global cultural economy. The book’s focus on language, education and development makes it essential reading in Development Studies, International and Comparative Education, Sociology and Educational Policy Studies. Its focus on language issues within the global cultural economy would make it an important text in Applied Linguistic Studies.
Naz Rasool’s work combines academic rigour with sensitiveness. The first comes from a careful study of the empirical data on the use of language in the domains of education and employment; the second from an understanding of how these realities actually impact the lives of ordinary people, especially the disadvantaged. She begins with a theoretical overview of how colonialism impacts the colonized and how language is used to construct new colonial identities and networks of the distribution of power and patronage. Two historical moments have been chosen to examine major transformations in colonized countries: the first, the carving up of Africa at the Berlin Conference in 1884-1885; the second, the partition of India in 1947. The fractures and displacement following these divisions have given rise to conflicts between ethnolinguistic groups which are still with us. The colonial discourse created hierarchies, especially in relation to the acquisition of the colonial language, which is also with us. The way these elites use the education system to perpetuate their privileged status is a theme which occurs several times in the book.
Part-2 comprises case studies of Mali, South Africa and Pakistan. Contributed by scholars specializing in these areas, it provides the empirical evidence which supports the major arguments and conclusions of the book. The last part is about these conclusions, of which the most significant one is about the importance of pursuing multilingual language-in-education policies. This strategy seeks to secure indigenous cultural capital along with the development of knowledges and skills which are needed for operating in a globalized world.
- Dr Tariq Rahman, Distinguished National Professor of Sociolinguistic History, National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
Dr Tariq Rahman, Distinguished National Professor of Sociolinguistic History, National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan It is a rare achievement for scholarship connecting economic, cultural and educational issues to be presented so lucidly. Naz Rassool and her co-authors brilliantly unite the global and the local, the historical and the postcolonial, the theoretical and the practical, general trends and detailed specific case studies. The book maintains a coherent focus on the linguistic dimension of cultural and economic globalisation processes, and the constraints that hinder more equitable and multilingual policies in education. It should be prescribed reading for anyone concerned with educational competence-building worldwide.
- Robert Phillipson, Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
Global Issues in Language, Education and Development delivers a thought-provoking and frequently sobering assessment of linguistic hegemony in multiple postcolonial contexts. It does so by melding macro-theoretical analysis and reflection with case study analysis. Rassool’s perspective is a refreshing one that challenges the notion that the spread of (ex)colonial languages has been, especially in the last 20 years or so, a mostly, if not wholly, positive development characterized almost exclusively by masses of people clamouring loudly and happily for English.
- Journal of Sociolinguistics 12/05/2008 - Christof Demont-Henrich
Author Biography:
Professor Naz Rassool teaches in the Institute of Education at the University of Reading. She has published widely within the fields of the political economy of language in education; literacy and development and language relations within the global cultural economy, New Managerialism in education, and the sociology of technology in education. She is the author of Literacy for Sustainable Development in the Age of Information (1999), co-author, with Louise Morley, of School Effectiveness: Fracturing the Discourse (1999) and co-editor with Kevin Brehony, of Nationalisms Old and New (1999). She is also co-editor of the international journal Pedagogy, Culture and Society.
Readership Level:
Postgraduate, Research / Professional
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line205
|
__label__wiki
| 0.907365
| 0.907365
|
mymusic.icu
music online store
Artist Info: Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. This song was the first single from his gold-certified debut album, which also produced two more Top 20 hits. Although the album was released on Giant Records Nashville, Shelton was transferred to Warner Bros.
male country
download directly & free from the USENET,
the world's largest mp3, music, pictures, software & movie archive!
Top Albums Blake Shelton
Pure BS
Red River Blue
Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill
Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton
Based On A True Story...
Bringing Back the Sunshine
All About Tonight
Sure Be Cool If You Did
Hillbilly Bone
Startin' Fires
Cheers, it's Christmas.
Imprint - Impressum | DATENSCHUTZERKLÄRUNG
Copyright © 2019 mymusic.icu - the passion of my music.
more music downloads:
dlmusic3.xyz , lamusica.space , portalmp3.top , music24.tech
this site is a project by APPS4WEB.BIZ and MUSICAL.SYSTEMS
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line207
|
__label__cc
| 0.748539
| 0.251461
|
by Cody Born 10:54 PM 2 comments
No one seems to notice the largest (70+ million) population of individuals in the United States who are to this day, discriminated against. These people have laws specifically written against them, excluding them from fundamental liberties that we take for granted: the right to vote, to drive, to work. You may have guessed it; I'm talking about children.
Perhaps the reason we're so indifferent to laws hindering children is that by the time we have the ability to do something about it, we no longer fall into their classification. It is an obvious, inherent danger to equality when the parties involved in the outcome of a vote, have no say in the matter. Regardless of how "noble" our intentions are, we put our own needs above others. Throughout history, the party with the most power works to retain that power, creating an exponential snowball effect which can only be broken through slow rigor or revolution. Without perfect checks and balances, the system easily becomes corrupted. "Governments derive their just authority from the consent of the governed. To be legitimate, those who govern and those who legislate must be elected by the people, not a special subset of the people..."
Now I know what you're thinking, "There's no way we can allow children to drive. They don't have the mental capacity to be responsible in a situation involving people's lives." Now imagine I replace the word "children", with "women". If I said, "you know, statistically speaking, women are more likely to be involved in car accidents, and don't have the mental capacity to vote for decisions which impact the rest of society. It's much easier to create a blanket rule instead of worrying about the individual exceptions to this rule." Sadly, this was the reality less than 100 years ago in the U.S. and is still seen around the world. You cannot make broad generalizations about any group of people, be it by gender, race, or age. Each individual is entitled to his or her say in the way the world should be; no perception of reality is more correct than another. I predict that within 100 years from now, youth will have suffrage and driving rights the same as adults.
Raw data courtesy of Wikipedia
For the sake of simplicity, I'll argue for children to be given the freedom to drive on par with the rest of the population. Any point here can be applied in the same manner towards the freedom to vote.
We need to find a balance between giving each person their proper liberties and letting 3 year olds decide the outcome of the next election. There is a glaringly obvious solution to the problem. An 80 year old may statistically, be a worse driver than a 13 year old, but unlike the 13 year old, we give the old guy a chance to prove himself. Instead of taking the easy road by applying a simple heuristic to a population of people, we should do the due diligence to properly test an individual's aptitude to perform a certain function. Determining whether a person can act, by their aptitude at acting. It's not a groundbreaking idea, but it's incredible that this isn't the case. This would not only allow capable children to drive, but remove a majority of incapable adult drivers from the road. By the definition of this test, the roads would be a safer place.
I'm not arguing that children in general are great drivers or thinkers; in fact a proper test will most likely rule out a huge percentage of the population from ever driving or voting. However, we do owe children the right to take the test. The argument is simply this: if you decide we cannot create laws based on generalizations of gender or race, then we cannot make laws based on generalizations of age. If you do decide it is morally just to make laws discriminating by age, you must also agree that it is just to make laws discriminating by gender or by race. The world around us is continuous, not discreet. We are taking something as fuzzy as humans and attempting to classify them using a binary function (Fig 2). The proper driving test should result in a continuous function where the output, the percentage of people allow to drive, is the inverse of the accident involvement rate from a that population (Fig 3). Creating the perfect test is not going to be easy, but we can do a hell of a lot better than the existing simple heuristic model.
*light blue line is a linear estimation
On voting: It sounds like you are recommending creating a test children would need to pass in order to vote. But then I assume you mean this would apply to all people, not just children. This sounds like a scary bad idea because it could so easily be used to disenfranchise people who tend to disagree with those currently in power. Who gets to make the test and decide who passes?
Also: Children taking a test to drive, just like everyone else, sounds like a reasonable idea if anyone is willing to insure them. But I wonder whether you argue that they should not only be allowed the same rights, but also the same penalties as adults? If a kid has passed his driving test, does he get tried as an adult if he recklessly kills someone with a car? If the same kid has not passed his gun test (are we creating a gun test too?) and instead recklessly kills someone with a gun, does he get tried as a kid? If he at age 12 has passed all tests available to him but commits a crime not directly related to any test, is he tried as a kid?
Cody Born February 22, 2015 at 10:09 PM
Thanks for commenting @hatspretty, those are some good points.
I'm cautious not to provide an actual implementation of a test or system following this belief because anything I could possibly come up with would be incorrect. I don't want to compromise the validity of an idea just because there is a flaw in how the idea is practiced, so forgive me if I don't go into specific details.
Regarding voting and the potential for corruption in deciding this test...
I believe the question is fundamentally this: given a minority group and a majority group, what is to stop the majority from completely taking advantage of the minority in a purely democratic state. The majority could even vote for taking the minority's vote away. This is not widely seen in the U.S. today because we've all agreed upon a set of basic human liberties. We have an elementary set of assumptions that we make in every decision we take (ex. the constitutional amendments). It is a painstakingly slow process to raise the bar of human liberties because it rarely pays out in the short term for the majority. However, it's an investment we must make for the benefit of humanity in the long run (ex. the right to due process instead of witch hunts). This is both the solution and the problem; today we see that the majority has taken the vote away from the minority, where the minority is the youth. Raising the bar of basic human liberties is so slow that it gets stuck in these hypocritical positions.
tl;dr It's the job of the people to provide the proper checks and balances.
I agree that the way we try people will also have to change. The two systems: giving people responsibility and holding people accountable for their actions must complement each other but can still remain independent. They are two systems optimizing for two different things, but should share fundamental beliefs. If we don't believe we can hold someone accountable for a certain action, they should not be given the responsibility in the first place. Holding someone accountable for their actions should again, not be based on their age but on the underlying factor that makes us assume that age matters, whatever that may be.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line209
|
__label__wiki
| 0.689934
| 0.689934
|
Farahnaz Ispahani – PPP: The Hope of a New Pakistan
Posted on December 1, 2010 by Editor
The following article by Farahnaz Ispahani was originally published by Huffington Post on 1 December 2010.
As we celebrate the 44th founding day of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) today, it is important to remember and retrace the history and the principles of the PPP — its consistent purpose of progressive, responsible and compassionate government. The PPP, which was launched at its founding convention on November 30, 1967, is the only party with demonstrated strength in all of the four provinces of Pakistan. It is and always has been democratic and egalitarian, committed to equal opportunity for people regardless of class, region, religion or gender. From its founding statement to the party manifesto under which it contested and won the 2008 elections, the PPP is committed to the values of faith, freedom, fundamental human rights, and a society based on the rule of law and human dignity. From its founder, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, to the great martyr of democracy Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, to the current co-chairmen of the party, President Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the party has had an unshakable commitment to parliamentary democracy, accountable government, and democratic civilian oversight of all ministries under the constitution. Some people have talked about change. The PPP has delivered it. Some people have talked about democracy. The leaders of the PPP have lived and died for it.
The PPP encompasses four founding principles: Islam is our Faith; Democracy is our Politics; Social Democracy is our Economy; and All Power to the People. The first principle of the PPP, Islam is our Faith, explains that Islam teaches brotherhood, love and peace. Pakistani’s faith places a responsibility on each citizen to reach out in a spirit of accommodation and tolerance to all religions and sects and to treat people of all faiths with respect, enabling them to enjoy religious freedom and equality before the law. The message of Islam is the message of Peace and are symbolized in the words and verses of great Sufi saints Data Sahib, Shah Abdul Latif of Bhittai, Baba Farid Ganj Shakar and Lal Shahbaz Qalander. The PPP commits itself to religious tolerance. Religious beliefs of individual citizens have little to do with the business of the state, as the Founder of the Nation declared in his inaugural address to the Constituent Assembly on 11 August 1947. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto spent her last years traveling the world, educating people of all religions and on all continents, that Islam was not the caricature it was painted in the west, but a progressive, tolerant, innovative religion that abhors terrorism and violence, and guarantees social equality. She knew that in the end, she was the Jihadists worst nightmare — an enlightened, liberal woman dedicated to equal opportunity for all Pakistanis. She knew what she was confronting, but she bravely moved forward, teaching her country and the world what courage and dignity and true commitment is all about.
The second principle of the PPP, Democracy is our Politics, emphasizes the PPP’s commitment to freedom and fundamental rights, including freedom from hunger and want, is written in the blood of its martyrs and in the red marks of lashes on the back of its workers. It is written in the suffering and sacrifice of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who faced the gallows refusing to bow before tyranny, defending the human rights of our citizens to the last breath. In every age, including today, the PPP leaders and office bearers have been behind bars, in exile, facing political persecution, defending their Party and its principles at great personal cost to their families and themselves. It is written in the suffering and sacrifice of its leaders the greatest of whom was Quaid e Awam Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who gave their lives so Pakistan could be truly free.
The third PPP principle, Social Democracy is our Economy, aims at creating a just
and equitable society with equal opportunity for all its citizens. The growing gap between the rich and the poor must be bridged by supporting the underprivileged, the downtrodden and the discriminated. The PPP is proud of being the voice of the poor, the working classes and the middle classes. These policies, while dedicated to the underprivileged, created conditions that enabled the business and trading classes to compete in the open market and satisfied basic human needs including full employment, national health, universal education, water supply and sanitation. Under Benazir Bhutto’s government 89,000 primary and secondary schools were created; 100,000 women health workers spread out across the country bringing health care to villages that had never seen it before; thousands of villages were electrified for the first time; all political prisoners were freed; labor and student unions were legalized; women were appointed to the Courts for the first time in our nation’s history and allowed to compete in international sports; polio was functionally eradicated. It was a record so distinguished that Pakistan under Benazir was awarded the Gold Medal by the World Health Organization, and declared one of the great emerging economies of the world by the IMF.
The fourth PPP principle, All Power to the People, has taken up the task of safeguarding the liberal, tolerant and enlightened values of the country and has been at the forefront in arresting the trends of extremism with its power of people. It has rendered several sacrifices, the greatest being in the early hours of 19th October 2007 when 170 workers of PPP were martyred and more than 500 injured in a bomb blast during a welcome procession of the party’s chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, on her return to the country after eight and a half year. These workers, mostly young boys, did not just die trying to protect Benazir Bhutto. They died trying to protect democracy in Pakistan. Three and one-half months later, their sacrifice and the sacrifice of our leader Benazir brought free and fair elections to Pakistan, with a democratic government replacing a decade of military dictatorship.
On this day of our founding, we recall both the triumph and the tragedy of our party’s great history — what we have accomplished and what we have sacrificed. Perhaps our greatest substantive and symbolic achievement occurred during this year, when our party led the National Assembly and the Senate to adopt the 18th amendment, purifying our beloved 1973 constitution from the usurpations of dictators. That fight was led by our President Asif Ali Zardari, through an unprecedented, selfless and principled fight to dilute his own power and in the process restore true democracy to Pakistan.
On this sacred day of remembrance and renewal, we reiterate our commitment to follow in the footsteps of our leaders Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to build a modern, progressive and democratic Pakistan in which the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalized sections of society including minorities and women live with honor and dignity.
And finally on this day our thoughts are with the assassinated leaders of the Party Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as well as to the hundreds of martyrs of democracy who gave their lives for the future of our children. As Benazir so poignantly noted:
“It is because of their sweat, blood and tears that the dream of democracy has survived. It is because of them that dictatorship has not been able to talk root in Pakistan”.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s foundation of the PPP was a setback for the reactionary forces in a country long dominated by the Right. The fight goes on…
Farahnaz Ispahani is a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and spokesperson for the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairperson.
This entry was posted in News and tagged democracy, economy, Farahnaz Ispahani, Huffington Post, Islam, political parties, ppp by Editor. Bookmark the permalink.
One thought on “Farahnaz Ispahani – PPP: The Hope of a New Pakistan”
sana ullah khan on June 30, 2012 at 4:05 pm said:
long live ppp
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line210
|
__label__wiki
| 0.902726
| 0.902726
|
Listen to the entire 6th District debate
Patty Wetterling
In Minnesota's sprawling 6th District, the battleground may be TV (10/14/2004)
Kennedy, Wetterling debate issues in 6th District race (10/04/2004)
Congressional candidates debate in St. Cloud
by Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio
This was the second head-to-head debate for the 6th District candidates. (MPR Photo/Tim Post)
The two candidates for Minnesota's 6th Congressional District met for their second debate in St. Cloud over the weekend. Incumbent Republican Mark Kennedy and Democratic challenger Patty Wetterling showed contrasting opinions on topics ranging from Social Security to the war in Iraq.
St. Cloud, Minn. — The race for Minnesota's 6th District was a rather sleepy one through the summer. Now, as Election Day nears, the candidates are quick to trade punches.
In their latest debate, Congressman Mark Kennedy questioned the values of the groups that have given money to Patty Wetterling's campaign.
"Whether you're talking MoveOn.org, that didn't think we should have gone to Afghanistan after 9/11, whether you're talking Emily's List, that believes we ought to have abortion on demand, whether you're talking the Brady anti-Second Amendment group or on down through the list -- Planned Parenthood, NARAL and others -- those are people that do not represent my values," Kennedy said.
Wetterling countered that most of her funding comes from individuals. And she insisted just because she's received money through MoveOn.org, she doesn't endorse all of the group's views.
"I find it offensive to be accused of things that I do not believe in. You've known me for 15 years. I ask that you listen to me directly if you have a question or a concern. It's accusatory and not fruitful where we raise our dollars. The reality is it takes a lot of money to run for Congress and I'm happy that I've had broad base of grassroots support," Wetterling said.
Recent figures show Wetterling has raised nearly $1.3 million for her campaign over five months. The Kennedy campaign says it's raised $2 million.
Patty Wetterling became a nationally known child advocate 15 years ago when her son Jacob was abducted. Throughout her campaign, she's cited this work as the best reason to send her to Washington.
During the debate, Wetterling made several mentions of her son's abduction. It even came up in response to a question about homeland security.
"When Jacob was kidnapped it was like we were under a terrorist attack. Who is the enemy? When will they strike again? What makes our other children safe? We worked very hard to give law enforcement tools. I asked what they needed, they said sex offender registration. They said a central repository of information, we fought very hard for that. We passed state and federal law on sex offender registration," Wetterling said.
For his part, Kennedy pointed to 2,500 votes in Congress as experience.
Kennedy jumped on the issue of terrorism several times during the debate, saying it's one of the biggest issues in this campaign, and that it's not enough to rely on just homeland security.
"With everything we have done to make sure we have taken care of homeland security, we cannot make ourselves safe here at home without compromising the liberties that we've enjoyed, unless we're fighting that war on terrorism overseas so that we're not fighting it over here," Kennedy said.
The two candidates also sparred over Social Security. Wetterling said the government needs to protect the trust fund for Social Security. She doesn't think the system should be privatized, but admits that Social Security may only be a part of what seniors rely on in the future. Kennedy shot back saying that the system is secure and Wetterling was scaring seniors.
The two candidates actually agreed on one topic during the debate. Both Kennedy and Wetterling said the education reform law, No Child Left Behind, is a flawed system and should be fixed.
This was the second head-to-head debate for the candidates.
CAMPAIGN 2004: CONGRESS: 6TH DISTRICT
Patty Wetterling's uncertain political future
Meet the Candidates: Mark Kennedy and Patty Wetterling
Sixth District candidates debate
CAMPAIGN 2004: CONGRESS
Minnesota members of Congress return to Washington
Gutkencht confident of eighth term
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line213
|
__label__cc
| 0.603394
| 0.396606
|
Author: windsorns
What’s happening in the US, November 27, 2018
Morning all.
An interesting day yesterday. The biggest story was probably General Motors announcement that would be closing several US plants along with one in Canada, reducing its overall workforce by 15,000 and generally downsizing as it moves toward more electric and autonomous cars. There was a lot of brouhaha from both Republicans and Democrats in Ohio and Michigan, not to mention Donald Trump trying to sound like Kaiser Wilhelm in his talks with the head of General Motors. Only to be expected.
There will only be more new stories like this, however, in the future. Technology is driving many sectors in the American economy, like automobiles, to face new realities. One of those realities is that people are not buying as many gas-guzzling automobiles as they were in the past.
Let me give you a personal example. Every now and then my 14-year-old Subaru needs to go to the shop for yet another repair. My neighbor across the street lets me borrow her car, an electric/gas hybrid, if I need to make a run for groceries or to take one of my kids to the doctor. On a good day, my Subaru manages about 22 miles to the gallon. Meanwhile, my friend’s car gets 58 miles to the gallon. And her car is about four years old. Newer models of hybrids or electric cars have only gotten better.
That’s why General Motors is closing several plants. People want cars that will give them 58 miles to the gallon. Not to mention someday the phrase “to the gallon” will have the same kind of cultural relevance as “buggy whip.” And Trump’s tariffs have an effect that creates a tipping point. But it was going to happen sooner or later. General Motors decision to concentrate more on autonomous and electric cars is a smart one. Not for politicians, but for consumers. Technology is here to stay. As my mother used to say, “it is what it is.”
Democrats Learn a Big Lesson for 2020 Vote About Taking on Trump
This interesting piece from Bloomberg. The point of the article is that one of the main things the Democrats learned from the 2018 midterms is don’t talk about Donald Trump. Focus on local issues. Yes, Trump will be out there blowing his own horn, rallying his base. But as the midterms proved, Democrats and Independents want to focus on getting things done. I think this will play an enormous role in deciding who will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020.
The case for Beto O’Rourke
Can you win a presidential election after losing another election? It seems unlikely but it has been done before. Richard Nixon lost both the presidential election to Kennedy in 1960 and then the election for California governor 1962. By 1968 he was president. I think it all depends on if it’s your “moment.” Barack Obama knew it was his moment in 2008. America was ready for what he had to offer. Beta O’Rourke came within 2% of defeating an incumbent Republican senator in what is one of the most Republican states in the union. (Or was.) This piece by a former Obama official argues that it may also be O’Rourke’s moment. I think he might be right.
Trump Suggests U.S. Create Network to Take on CNN
Sounds of guffaws and muffled laughter.
Trump says he doesn’t believe his administration’s climate report
Trumpet doesn’t believe in climate change. Trump doesn’t believe his intelligence services. Trump doesn’t believe the teargas affects children. Trump doesn’t believe that his tariff policies had anything to do with the General Motors plant closures in Ohio and Michigan. Trump doesn’t believe that he had anything to do with the Democratic wave in the 2018 midterms.
On the other hand, Trump does believe that Vladimir Putin knew nothing about Russia’s attempts to interfere in the 2016 election. He believes that Mohammed bin Salmon, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, was “shocked, I say shocked” to hear the death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. And Trump believes that he is the only source of truth in American politics.
Need one say more?
U.S. ambassador to Israel says peace plan will come at “appropriate time”
It’s a punchline, right? What he really meant to say was the first of never. This “peace plan” has about as much chance of being successful as the Cleveland Browns have of winning this year’s Super Bowl.
Voter Suppression During the 2018 Midterm Elections
While more people voted in the 2018 midterms than any other midterm in recent elections, millions of other Americans were denied the right to vote because of blatant attempts by Republican politicians to suppress the votes of minorities, college students and anybody else was on their hit list. Their cries of voter fraud have about as much credibility as a Lindsay Graham statement about protecting Jeff Sessions as Atty. Gen.
This is one reason why the runoff election for Secretary of State in Georgia is so important. Georgia Gov. elect Brian Kemp had been Secretary of State and without a doubt put his thumb on the scales to help his own election. This needs to be an office the Democrats focus on in future elections to make sure that everyone has the right to vote.
Study: Concealed Carry Leads to 15% Increase in Violent Crime
And this is why that domestic terrorist organization known as the National Rifle Association doesn’t want anybody to do any studies on gun violence in the United States. Because when studies are carried out they show that more guns mean more violence and more violent deaths.
Researchers ran several regressions analyzing 14 years of data in 11 states that have “right-to-carry” laws, seeing whether there was any movement in crime statistics after the adoption of these laws.
Turns out being able to carry a handgun spikes up crime in states: By the tenth year of these laws, violent crime was up between 13 and 15 percent.
Here’s a statistic I always like to quote. When Canada brought in more extensive gun control in the early 2000s the cry from gun rights advocates was”this means only criminals will have guns!” Well, Statistics Canada, the government’s official statistics agency, found that in the first four years after the legislation was introduced, the number of gun crimes committed in Canada dropped by 25%. When you make guns hard to get for law-abiding citizens, you also make them harder for criminals to get them.
Alabama Mall Cops Blame Shooting Victim for Holding Gun While Fleeing Active Shooter
“If you’re black and you’re a good guy with a gun,” Crump added, “the police [don’t] see you as a good guy. They see you as a criminal and they shoot and kill you.”
And since I like to end the daily news update on a positive note…
The Proud Boys Are Imploding
It couldn’t happen to a creepier, more violent, Trump-loving, idiotic bunch of guys. What these morons represent will not go away, but every now and then is nice to see how their inherent stupidity is exposed. Racist are naturally stupid. It’s a universal fact, like the sun coming up every morning.
Author windsornsPosted on November 27, 2018 November 27, 2018 Categories United States, US and the world, US culture, US politicsLeave a comment on What’s happening in the US, November 27, 2018
What’s happening in the Great White North, Monday, November 26
Since the name of this blog is My Two Countries I am going to try to write as much about my home and native land as I am about what is happening south of 49th parallel.
The red line crossed, Jamal Khashoggi’s life cannot be sacrificed for Canada’s economy
An opinion piece from the Globe and Mail that I strongly agree with. Germany has already halted sales of military weapons to Saudi Arabia. It’s time for Justin Trudeau to do the same. For someone who supposed to care so much about human rights, it is time for Trudeau to back up his words with some action. Mohammed bin Salmon is a murderer. I’m not naïve enough to think that Canada hasn’t done business with murderers before. But this murder was particularly egregious and sets a dangerous precedent. If MBS doesn’t learn that there are consequences to his temperamental fits of pique, other innocent people will die for nothing more than disagreeing with him.
Time to fish or cut bait, Mr. Trudeau.
GM to slash jobs and production, cancel some car models
Welcome to the 21st-century folks. And the death of the fossil-fueled car. This decision has numerous consequences for many people. On the one hand, there are the workers at the Oshawa plant and the many plants in the United States who will lose their jobs. But they are also the people who produce oil in Alberta or other places in the world. When one of the world’s largest automobile makers decides to close up several manufacturing plants in two countries because people aren’t buying fuel-powered cars like they used to, the canary in the coal mine is singing. An opera in fact. Bring on electric cars.
There has been a tendency among people to blame immigrants for “taking their jobs.” Immigrants aren’t the reason that people are losing their jobs. It’s technology. And it’s not going to stop happening.
“I talked to the president of GM last night. The first thing I said is, ‘What can we do? What do we have to do?'” Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters this morning. “And he said, ‘The ship has already left the dock.'”
When it comes to hazing, female athletes are just as vulnerable
I don’t like college sports. Particularly American college sports. Canadian college sports, on the other hand, tends to be far less oriented towards the almighty dollar than its US counterpart. That doesn’t make it any better in many ways. This report that two-thirds of all varsity athletes in Canada have been subject to hazing – and more women than men – is disappointing but not unexpected. I find the tribalism that goes along with being part of a college sports puzzling. I mean, who really cares? I sure as hell don’t.
Scientist refutes notion that gender identity is an ‘unscientific liberal ideology’
Okay, we all know that conservatives don’t believe in gender identity. They also don’t believe in climate change, a livable wage for workers and freedom of the press (if you listen to PC party leader and political screwball Andrew Scheer, who wants freedom of speech on college campuses – he says – but so much for the media). This is an interesting CBC interview with a prof from Queen’s University who has spent her career studying gender identity. This means that she knows of a hell of a lot more about the issue than conservative politicians.
Oh yeah, there was another thing I forgot to mention that conservatives don’t believe in: facts!
Stamps beat Redblacks 27-16 to win 2018 Grey Cup
When I was growing up as a kid in Ottawa many Saturdays about 300 other kids and I would crowd onto a bridge that overlooked the formally named Lansdowne Park and watch the old Russ Jackson-led Ottawa Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. To this day my brother, Jimmy, will not watch the NFL which he considers an inferior league to the CFL. Last night the latest edition of an Ottawa team, the strangely named Red Blacks, lost the Grey Cup to a team I am familiar with, the Calgary Stampeders. Oh well, maybe next year.
The Red Sox won the World Series – I don’t need anything else.
Author windsornsPosted on November 26, 2018 Categories Canada, Canada and the world, Canadian politicsLeave a comment on What’s happening in the Great White North, Monday, November 26
America and the world on Monday, November 26
As I promised when I left Facebook, here are a few of the stories that I think are interesting and worth viewing and commenting on.
White House lacks lawyers to deal with empowered Democrats
I remember reading a few weeks ago how in early 2005 the Bush administration realized that the Democrats were going to take the House in 2006. They literally spent the next year preparing defenses against what they knew would be a tsunami of subpoenas and appearances in front of hostile Congressional committees.
Then there’s the Trump administration. Seemingly unable to believe that the Democratic wave actually happened (and it kind of happened like a tsunami – slow-moving building to a huge surge) this piece by Politico shows the Bush administration is completely unprepared for what is going to start to happen in January. Down to a skeleton staff and still without a permanent leader since October the office of the White House counsel is not prepared to defend President Trump. If you thought he was cranky before, wait until January…
Alan Dershowitz Predicts Mueller Report Will Be ‘Politically Very Devastating’ For Trump
I’m not a fan of Alan Dershowitz. Never have been, never will be. But this is an interesting take on the Mueller Report. While he doesn’t think it will lead to criminal charges against Trump, its effects will be “devastating” on the Trump administration. We can only keep our fingers crossed that he’s right.
Franklin Graham: Trump “defends the faith”
I’m not a Christian, but I know many good Christian people who live their lives in a meaningful Christian way. When I think of what a good Christian is I do not think of Franklin Graham. In this shining example of what it means to equivocate, Graham basically says Trump is a lousy Christian but he “defends the faith.” With friends like these…
The GOP is now the party of neo-Confederates
In this interesting column by neocon Max Boot I find his definition of neoconservatism to be a little…self-serving…but he makes a good point about who the neocons that can be found circling around Donald Trump-neo-Confederates. As he writes, “The neocons who are now in the ascendancy are the neo-Confederates who have been encouraged to come into the open by President Trump’s unabashed appeals to racist and xenophobic prejudices.”
“The neocons who are now in the ascendancy are the neo-Confederates who have been encouraged to come into the open by President Trump’s unabashed appeals to racist and xenophobic prejudices.”
How Southern politicians defended white supremacy — and made the South poorer
To go along with the above piece, here is another good story from the Washington Post about how Southern politicians (both Democratic and Republican) efforts to defend white supremacy ended up making the South the poorest region in the country.
Midterms reveal South split along urban, rural differences
And to go along with those two pieces above here is a Associated Press story on how there is no longer any such thing as the “Solid South.” The voting block that for decades supported Democrats, and then Republicans after the civil rights movement, has been blown up. Now you have an urban and rural split. Urban centers – home to minority voters and college-educated younger voters, while the suburbs that surround them, are filled in particular with college-educated women – are no longer a reliable voting block for the Republicans.
How climate change could be causing miscarriages in Bangladesh
While the Trump administration did their best to bury the US government report on climate change, this is an interesting BBC article that looks on how climate change is affecting women who live near increasingly rising waters in Bangladesh. Basically, the closer they live to the water, the more women suffer miscarriages.
I believe that the attempts by Trump, his administration and conservatives across the United States and the world to ignore the perils of climate change will ultimately be their undoing politically. As I heard discussed on Morning Joe today as increasing numbers of millennials vote (as they did in the last election in huge numbers) their number one issue is climate change followed closely by healthcare. While there are some members of the Republican Party who understand this peril, are reluctant to challenge Trump on the issue speaks to their cowardice. It will be their undoing.
Author windsornsPosted on November 26, 2018 Categories United States, US and the world, US politics1 Comment on America and the world on Monday, November 26
The truth about the 2nd Amendment
West facade of the Supreme Court building in Washington.
by Tom Regan
It’s a pretty common refrain you’ll hear from gun rights activists: The 2nd Amendment gives them the right to own whatever kind of gun they desire and any attempts to place restrictions on ownership, or the size of ammunition clips, or how long you have to wait before you buy a gun, or any kind of a restriction at all, are unconstitutional.
It’s a go-to argument for the guns right movement, and one that is echoed by members of Congress and their pay master, the National Rifle Association. It’s too bad it’s completely bogus.
To get the real story, you need to go back to two Supreme Court cases: Heller vs DC in 2008 and MacDonald vs City of Chicago in 2010.
In 2008, DC had some pretty restrictive laws about handguns, the use of gun locks and keeping them in your home. A group of citizens, of whom Mr. Heller was one, decided to sue the city of DC, arguing that these restrictive bans were anti-2nd Amendment and therefore unconstitutional.
The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where in 5-4 ruling, the Court held the 2nd Amendment protects an individual’s right to “ possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.” But since DC was a federal district, the question was whether the 2nd Amendment protections outlined in Heller were guaranteed under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. This was decided in another 5-4 case, the above-mentioned MacDonald vs The City of Chicago. This ruling “incorporated” the 2nd Amendment.
At first glance, this would seem to back the claims of gun right activists that any restrictions placed on the 2nd Amendment are unconstitutional. Again, this is completely bogus.
In his majority decision in Heller vs DC, Justice Antonin Scalia also wrote that “Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited [my emphasis]. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms. Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those “in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons.” (Wikipedia summary)
More important, in the MacDonald vs The City of Chicago, the Supreme Court left this language intact.
Which brings us to today. In fact, it brings us to just yesterday. The Supreme Court passed on taking up a case challenging California’s mandatory 10-day waiting period to buy a gun, even if you had previously purchased a gun. It was the latest case of the Court refusing to hear a challenge to a law restricting gun rights.
These include the refusal in 2015 to hear a challenge to an ordinance in Highland Park, Ill. that banned the sale and possession of semi-automatic rifles. Eight other states have similar laws, none of which the Court has overturned.
In June of 2017, the Court did not take up a challenge to the constitutionality of a San Dingo ordinance about concealed weapons. The 9th Circuit Court ruled that “the 2nd Amendment does not preserve or protect a right of a member of the general public to carry concealed firearms in public.”
In a February 2017 ruling, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, a much more conservative court, ruled en banc, 10-4, that Maryland’s ban on 45 different kinds of semi-automatic weapons and its limit of 10 rounds on gun magazines were both constitutional and that the 2nd Amendment doesn’t protect “weapons of war.” In November of 2017, the Supreme Court declined to heat the case.
What this tells us is that as far as the current justices are concerned, the matter is settled. It is lawful for people to keep a handgun or a shotgun in their homes for self-protection. The 2nd Amendment protects this right. But states are free to implement restrictions on “weapons of war” or on other aspects of gun rights.
If anyone tells you differently or you hear a politician or NRA official say different, it’s just B.S. Nothing more and nothing less.
Author windsornsPosted on February 21, 2018 February 21, 2018 Categories Uncategorized, United States, US culture, US politics1 Comment on The truth about the 2nd Amendment
Since the Parkland shooting two days ago I’ve been thinking a lot about this bizarre dance that seems to happen after every mass shooting in the United States. And I believe I’ve come to understand that in the end it’s not about the rights of gun owners or the desires of those who want more gun regulations. To quote the song, it’s all about the Benjamins, and the various entities that use these situations for financial gain.
A young man walks into a school and killed 17 people. Several factors that influence the financial outcome of this tragedy kick into high gear. First is the media. Please make no mistake about it while I believe that the vast majority of journalists in this country have chosen the profession because they believe in the right of the American people to know all the facts and truths that they can provide them, they work for gigantic corporations for whom the bottom line is the most important line. (I say that after 40 years of working as a journalist.) Soon incidents like the one in Parkland are all about eyeballs. Endless loops of aggrieved mothers, helicopter shots of children with her arms in the air filing out of active shooter situations, breathless coverage of the funeral of those murdered, revolve endlessly on our TV screens. The cable news networks in particular will milk this coverage as long as they can. It makes money. It is the American way. (Less than a year ago we saw cable TV networks provide endless coverage of Donald Trump because “he was good for the bottom line,” a situation gleefully noted by several top broadcasts executives.)
Next come politicians, who offer “thoughts and prayers” as sacrificial examples of their politically impotency. And why are they politically impotent? Because they need the money from groups like the NRA and the Mercers and the Koch brothers in order to gain that most important thing of all – reelection. For them, mass shootings are also about the Benjamins. Political campaigns cost money. Standing up for principles is fine but it won’t get you the donations that you need especially if you find yourself being primaried by another candidate who cares less about principles and more about money. So they consistently misrepresent the views of their constituents, claiming they believe one thing when actually believe the opposite. These men and women are bought and paid for like trinkets in a gift shop. They will do what they’re told to do.
And then we have the NRA which is really little more than a puppet for the gun manufacturers it represents. It is the NRA who gives the money to the politicians to ensure their political impotency, money they get from the various gun manufacturers who profit wildly after every mass shooting. For it is well known how gun sales surge when innocent people are mowed down in these situations. One could almost argue that gun manufacturers survive on mass shootings and the resulting fear of gun owners that their weapons will be taken away from them. They play all of us for suckers. They love gun control debates because they drive gun sales. They make sure the fire and the tempers are hot to keep us from examining what is really going on, regardless of where we fall on the issue.
Follow the money. It always boils down to that. If we really want to find ways to bring in smarter gun regulations that don’t interfere with gun owners’ legitimate rights to own firearms we have to look at why we continue this sick and twisted dance every time this happens. Follow the money.
Author windsornsPosted on February 16, 2018 Categories United States, US culture, US politicsLeave a comment on Follow the money
Time for Confederate statues and holidays to go
Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis rising from smoke and ashes is depicted in this enormous carving “etched” into the side of Stone Mountain. (By Bryce Edwards, Creative Commons)
About 25 years ago I accompanied my then fiancé, and now wife, to visit friends in the small town she grew up in just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I had never really been in the South before, and so I was unprepared for what I found.
During our visit, one of the tourist attractions that she took me to see was Stone Mountain. In case you have no idea about what Stone Mountain is, it is the Confederacy’s equivalent of Mount Rushmore. In what is apparently the largest bas-relief carving in the world, three of the main figures of the Confederacy are carved into the north face of a huge granite outcropping: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davies.
What is also interesting about Stone Mountain are historical markers and plaques placed around the outcropping. In all these various bits of historical literature, not once was the Civil War mentioned. Instead, the great conflict that took place between 1861 and 1865 is referred to as “The War of Northern Aggression.” It’s also interesting to note that Stone Mountain was the initial meeting place of the second version of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915.
And I remember that my main thought that day was, “Wow. These people have a really problem with historical revisionism.”
It has always puzzled me why so many Southerners, and their sympathizers in other places around the country, are so intent on linking their “heritage” to a bunch of racist losers. Because that is what the Confederacy was. A group of racist losers. But the whole idea of racism, and the whole idea of losing, seems to have been vanished from this pro-Confederacy narrative, better known as the “Lost Cause.”
It has always puzzled me why so many Southerners, and their sympathizers in other places around the country, are so intent on linking their “heritage” to a bunch of racist losers.
The Lost Cause was one of the greatest propagandistic public relations efforts ever conducted. It did not begin until after the Civil War was over. The government in Washington, reeling from the loss of Abraham Lincoln and trying to deal with the inadequacies of his successor Andrew Johnson, was busy just trying to put things back together. Meanwhile southern supporters of the Confederacy saw their chance. They invented the story that went something like this: slavery was on its last legs anyways, it would’ve died of its own heavyweight, and the real fight was about states’ rights. All Conderate leaders were great men, who really didn’t believe in slavery. This is of course nonsense – any legitimate reading of history would show that. There are numerous statements by Confederate leaders made during the Civil War that document th Confederacy was fighting to retain the right to own slaves.
The numerous Confederate statues that sprung up in places like Richmond, Virginia and New Orleans, Louisiana are just one outcropping of this propaganda battle. But they’re more than that. I think New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu really hit the nail on the head in the speech he gave the other day after his city removed the last of four statues of Confederate figures.
The statues, he said, “were designed not to honor the men, not to honor Robert E. Lee, P.G.T. Beauregard, Jefferson Davis. They were put up to send a message [of] who were still in control, notwithstanding the fact the Confederacy lost the war. Now that’s intimidating, and the consequence of that was that people who didn’t feel comfortable here left.”
The message of who is still in control. And that is the real meaning of these monuments. It was a way for the racists who had lost the Civil War to ensure they would continue to terrorize the African-Americans they had fought to enslave. And they did so for almost another century.
But it’s time for them to go. All of them. Stone Mountain. Monument Alley in Richmond, all of the statues of all the Confederate figures scattered throughout the cities and towns of the South. And holidays that celebrate the Confederacy, like the one in Virginia known as Lee-Jackson day. Because it’s time people who claim that the statues and things like the Confederate battle flag are their “heritage” face the truth: they are honoring a group of men who fought to enslave other human beings for purely racist, monetary reasons. Plain, pure, and simple.
And by claiming this is your rightful “heritage” you make yourself no better than they were.
Author windsornsPosted on May 23, 2017 Categories United States, US cultureLeave a comment on Time for Confederate statues and holidays to go
Democrat establishment must pay more attention to grassroots
Democrats need to capitalize on what is happening at the grassroots level. [Illustration by DonkeyHotey, Creative Commons]
In the recent special election in Kansas to replace Rep. Mike Pompeo, President Trump’s pick to head the CIA, it looked like a cakewalk for the GOP. Pompeo had won the seat by 31 points in November, 2016, and Trump easily won the district. It has been called one of the safest Republican districts in the country.
The GOP ran Ron Estes, the state treasurer, a guy who had won two statewide elections in the past. The Democrats’ candidate, James Thompson, had never run for any office of any kind before. But it didn’t turn out to be a cakewalk. Democrats across the US have been energized by the election of Donald Trump, and this energy can be found at town meetings held by GOP reps across the country (at least those not afraid to hold them) or the many demonstrations in front of their offices, or in one of many protest marches. And in Kansas, there was another factor – the wild unpopularity of Governor Sam Brownback, probably the GOP governor with the worst chance of being re-elected in a solid GOP-controlled state in the country.
The GOP candidate won, but only 6.8 points, and only after a panicked GOP poured thousands of dollars and robocalls by prominent Republicans into the state. A win is still a win and a loss is still a loss, but it’s no secret to say that some loses are more meaningful than others. Whittling down the GOP margin of victory by more than 20% points in “one of the safest GOP ridings in the country” was a real lift to many Democrats across the country. Political pundits had said that if the GOP only won by single digits, it would be a problem for them.
So one has to wonder that if the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had paid more attention to the race who knows what might have happened. Its excuse for not getting more involved was, ‘well, if we paid attention to the race, it only would have hurt him,’ which is only so much horse manure. On the one hand, you might understand in the beginning that establishment Democrats were reluctant to get involved in Kansas. It’s a pretty red state. But on the other hand, the signs that something extra-ordinary was happening were seen by lots of people. But other than last-minute phone calls, the DNCC pretty much ignored what was happening. It didn’t even provide a link to Thompson’s website on its home page. And when the GOP launched wave after wave of negative ads against Thompson, he did not have the resources to respond.
If the DNCC had helped Thompson when it mattered, the result would have been even closer, or perhaps a totally unexpected victory. But the organization’s reluctance to throw its weight behind what grassroots Democrats across the country are doing, even in solid GOP districts, is a real mistake and if not corrected will come back to bite them. Right now, there is a real split in the Democrats between the Bernie Sanders “Build the party from the ground up” folks, and the Obama acolytes still running the party in DC who see the special election in Georgia 6th district as more of a target because it’s largely college-educated suburban area that they think will trend against Trump.
Yes, Georgia is promising. But here’s the problem with only that thinking way. When people work hard to make a difference, they need to see that what they do matters. They need small victories. If the Democratic establishment doesn’t help them find those small victories, they will become discouraged and stop what they are doing. They will stop coming out to town meetings and to protests. Even more important, they will stop donating money to the Democrats. Or instead donate it to the Green Party or something similar.
And the DNC can count on primary and convention fights in 2020 that will make what the GOP was afraid of happening in 2016 with Trump look like a slumber party. If the Democrat establishment does not find a way to work with what is happening at the grassroots level, they can forget about taking back the House, they will lose even more Senate seats in 2018 and will not win back the presidency in 2020.
Author windsornsPosted on April 13, 2017 April 13, 2017 Categories United States, US politicsTags Democrats, politics, United StatesLeave a comment on Democrat establishment must pay more attention to grassroots
The problems with Trump’s strike on Syria
RED SEA (Sept. 23, 2014) The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke launches a Tomahawk Cruise Missile. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Carlos M. Vazquez II/Released)
If you want US talking heads, liberal or conservative, to hyper-ventilate for your presidency, it appears you just need to blow something up, preferably somewhere in the Arab world. Suddenly, you become “presidential” and every other misfire, error and mistake of the past few weeks is forgotten about.
Considering the horrific deaths suffered by the people of Khan Sheikhoun, and the images of dead and dying children broadcast around the world, you can understand that people were legitimately horrified when a Syrian (or Russian) jet dropped a deadly Sarin gas bomb on the town. Assad is a butcher and his regime does need to go. President Trump’s bombing of Syria looks like a winner for him on the surface level. But it doesn’t take much digging to find the cracks in its foundation.
1) Until Friday, the Trump administration’s ‘policy,’ if you can call it that, was totally hands off Syria. Trump wasn’t interested in replacing Assad and there had been no expression of horror at the almost half a million Syrians who had died in the preceding years, including ‘beautiful babies’ who had already perished in horrible bombings, or who had drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean to escape Assad. In the past, Trump had suggested that he believed many Syrian refugees were terrorists. While it’s interesting to think that Trump suddenly overwhelmed by a surge of humanitarianism, he hasn’t changed his position on his Muslim ban that includes Syrian refugees, many of whom currently live in abysmal conditions. It’s hard to see his concern as more than a hiccup in his emotional state.
2) Policy? What policy? The world is a complicated place. The leader of the world’s only superpower needs a plan to deal with those complicated matters. It is a somewhat disturbing idea that President Trump will jettison whatever policies he does have every time he sees horrible images on cable news. Did he think about how Russia would respond? Or Turkey or Egypt? Will one attack lead to more? The Syrians already have the base back in operation. Will he bomb it again to ensure it’s not used again for a similar kind of attack? If this attack hinted at more than ‘feel good’ retaliation, it might be more understandable. But it’s hard to see any master design behind the attack. And the sudden “guest” appearance by Rex Tillerson as the Secretary of State only seems to have confused the issue even more.
3) That creeping question of emoluments, domestic and foreign, that just never seems to go away with Trump. Trump ordered that 59 Tomahawk missiles be fired. Raytheon, the company that makes the missile, immediately saw its stock price go up. Guess who has stock in Raytheon – Trump the man who ordered they be used. By taking this action, Trump also made himself a bit of money. The Trump tendency to see the presidency as a cash cow – already under question because of his use of his own properties for cash-payer supported events at Mar-A-Lago, or having the taxpayers support his wife staying at Trump Towers in New York – seems to get worse and worse. Sooner or later, his blatant actions to make himself even richer than he is at the expense of the US taxpayer will blow up in his face.
4) In a different vein, the US media’s reactions were also problematic for the US and the world. In times of conflict, American editors and reporters grow epaulets. And the attack on the Syrian air base was deja vue all over again with the media. Across the board, media talking heads and experts fell over themselves to applaud Trump’s decision to bomb. Fareed Zakaria of CNN said this was the “start” of Trump’s presidency. David Ignatious of the Washington Post said Trump put “credibility” back into American power. And Brain Williams, of MSNBC, practically wrote a love poem on the air describing the beauty of the missiles as they were fired. It was as the American media had learned nothing from the long nightmare of their miscalculations and errors about the Gulf War. Years ago, I had a senior foreign editor at a national media outlet where I worked tell me to be careful of inside-the-beltway journalists. “They are just a pack of lemmings attracted by bright shiny things,” he said. He was right.
Author windsornsPosted on April 11, 2017 April 11, 2017 Categories United States, US and the world, US politicsLeave a comment on The problems with Trump’s strike on Syria
The war to end all wars slowly disappears from history
World War 1 tanks and soldiers, probably British or American. [Great War Observer, Creative Commons]
For Canada and the United States, World War 1 has very different meanings.
In America, it is a barely remembered oddity. Very few Americans know that 100 years ago today, April 6, 1917, America entered the First World War. Buried under the tsunami of the Greatest Generation that won World War II, and wedged in between that war and the Civil War some 50 years beforehand, the war to end all wars rates barely a blip in a country that pays scanned attention to its history at the best of times.
It’s a completely different story in Canada. World War I is very much present in the minds of many older and younger Canadians. And that is primarily because of one battle – Vimy Ridge which started 100 years ago this coming Sunday, April 9. It was the first time that all four Canadian divisions in the war fought together. Both the British and the French tried to take Vimy Ridge but failed. In reality the repeated assaults on the Ridge were little more than diversionary tactics designed to draw German strength away from a more important battle, the battle of Arras. But that did not matter to Canadians, who stormed and captured Vimy Ridge in a battle that became mythologized, true or not, as the “moment” Canada became a country.
In America, World War I was seen as a problem that the United States needed to avoid. The imperial powers of Britain and France fought the imperial powers of Germany, Russia and Turkey for control of the European continent. Although Britain and France upheld democratic ideals that were very close to what Americans believed in, American politicians distrusted their long-term objectives and saw the war as a way for the countries involved merely to increase their territorial holdings. (And in some ways, this was very true, particularly in areas like the Middle East, where the Sykes-Picot agreement on how to divide up that part of the world between the imperial powers continues to haunt us to this day.)
Two events changed America’s perspective on the war. The first was the sinking of the British ship the Lusitania in 1915 where 128 Americans were killed when it was torpedoed in the Irish Sea by a German submarine. After this, American President Woodrow Wilson became much more vocal in his support of Britain and France, despite the attempts of German-Americans to keep America out of the war.
The final straw was the Zimmerman letter. Issued by the German Foreign Ministry in January 1917. The Zimmerman letter or telegram was sent to the government of Mexico and proposed a military alliance between the two countries and Japan if the United States entered the war. (Germany, which had decided to return to unrestricted submarine attacks on merchant shipping, anticipated this would draw in the US.) It called on Mexico to invade United States and Germany promised that it would help recapture and hold the land it had lost in the 1840s including Texas and Arizona and New Mexico. The letter created a firestorm in the United States and after that it was only a matter of time before the Americans went “over there.”
But despite its current low profile, World War I did affect America in many important ways. Perhaps the most important way was how many immigrants, who had always been viewed with suspicion by Anglo-Protestant Americans, came to be seen as “real” Americans for the first time because of their willingness to sign up and fight. It also promoted America’s move from a mostly rural culture to a much more urban one. For many of the thousands of troops who went to Britain and France this was the first time they had been more than 20 or 30 miles away from the spot on which they had been born. And, as the song says, “How ya going to keep them down on the farm after they’ve seen Paris.”
A copy of the Vancouver Sun from April 10, 1917 celebrating Canada’s role at Vimy Ridge. [Vancouver Sun, Creative Commons]
Meanwhile Canada had been involved in the struggle from the very beginning, but always under the command of British officers. Which was what happened at Vimy Ridge was so important because the Canadians won that battle with minimal British help.
There were dark moments. In Newfoundland, which back then was in a colony of Britain and not yet a part of Canada, July 1 does not only mark the day Canada became a country in 1867. July 1 marks the day that 758 Newfoundlanders took the field at Beaumont-Hamel on the first day of the battle of the Somme in 1916. By the end of that day 90% of the Newfoundland Regiment were dead, dying, or wounded. At the next day’s roll call only 68 men were present. There was hardly a town or an outport in all of Newfoundland that was not touched by that day’s events.
For me, World War I is also very present. I was named after a great uncle, my grandmother’s brother, who was killed by a sniper during the war. I have very strong memories of watching First World War veterans taking part in ceremonies at the National Cenotaph in Ottawa when I was growing up. As a youngster, I met several men who had fought in the war. It does not seem like it was 100 years ago to me.
After the war, Canada was different. It no longer saw itself as a colony of Great Britain but as its own country and some 20 odd years later when World War II started, Canada did not declare war on Germany the same day as Great Britain but purposely waited several days before doing it on its own to make the point ‘we call our own shots from now on.’
Taking a more realistic view, World War I was an unnecessary slaughter ofmillions of men on both sides for reasons that are still not very clear. And while Vimy Ridge was an important moment for many Canadians, it’s fair to say that it means more to English Canada than to French Canada, so the claim that it is the moment that Canada became a country needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
I think that after this year’s anniversaries, World War I, the war to end all wars, will continue to disappear into the background, perhaps only commented on in British historical dramas, Canada’s National Film Board documentaries, and maybe some Ken Burns-like filmmaker in America deciding to do a series on PBS. For a war that meant led to so many changes for so many countries, I doubted 50 years from now it will be little more than a few paragraphs in high school history books.
Author windsornsPosted on April 6, 2017 April 7, 2017 Categories Canada, Canadian culture, United States, US cultureLeave a comment on The war to end all wars slowly disappears from history
The danger for Democrats in being ‘ideologically pure’
[Illustration by Georgia Democrats, Creative Commons]
I want to tell you about my mom. She’s the main reason that I’m the outspoken progressive that I am.
Mom been gone for about six years now. She was an advocate for gay rights. She was one of the first people I knew who openly embraced people with HIV in the late 80s. She was pro-immigration. She supported universal health care and public education. She believed in equal pay for women and fought for it her whole life. She was pro-union. She supported left-wing candidates for as long as I knew her.
But there are two other things that you should know about her. She was very anti-abortion, a result of her strong Catholic faith. And she was Canadian and lived in Canada her entire life. Which means that she was never ostracized for her abortion position by other liberals. There was no ideological purity test that you had to vote a straight ticket on every issue of importance for liberals or socialists. That’s just the way it works in Canada.
I’m not so sure my mom would have been so accepted by liberal Democrats in America. And that’s a problem. Not just because it was my mom, but because the dangers of being ideologically pure were on full display last week. The vexed party in this case was the GOP. The major reason the GOP was unable to enact its destructive ‘Trumpcare’ version of health care was that for a group of about 30 Republicans, better known by the misleading name of “The Freedom Caucus,” being ideologically pure was more important than actually governing.
And while I’m personally very glad that the healthcare plan went down in flames, there is a cautionary tale in this failure for Democrats – beware of ideological purity for that way destruction lies.
In opposition, it’s easy to agree with each other and have everybody sing from the same political hymn book. But governing is a whole different animal. Effective governing involves compromise and bipartisanship, especially in the American political system.
The same is true of being an effective political party. If the Democrats want to be the party of women, African-Americans, Latinos, Millennials, Baby Boomers, environmentalists, AND blue-collar whites, that’s going to require some compromise. While there are a lot of issues that all these groups can agree on, there will be disagreements.
If they want to be successful, the Democrats must make room for those disagreements. The leadership, as well as ‘rank and file’ party members, need to listen and respond appropriately. If the Democrats make ideological purity a pre-condition of being a Democrat, then they will fall into the same kind of trap the GOP set for itself.
It’s an exciting time to be a Democrat. A vibrant grassroots movement has sprung up since last November 8 and the election of Donald Trump. Borrowing from the ideas of the conservative Tea Party movement, the Indivisible movement is quickly turning into a real player in American politics.
And that movement is flexing its muscles. It played a role in convincing many moderate GOP members to say they couldn’t vote for Trumpcare. (One GOP rep told a cable news network that the calls were running 1000 to 1 against the bill in his office.) And that effort needs to continue. But Indivisible also needs to be smart about its goals and objectives. It not only needs a view of what’s happening right now, but also a “view from 30,000 feet” as a friend used to say.
If Indivisible borrows too much from the Tea Party playbook, Democrats will end up in the same kind of internally divided boat as the GOP. And I’m not just talking about when they return to power, I’m talking about right now.
GOP factions forgot how to listen to each other. And a significant section of the party came to believe that ideology was more important than doing what many members thought was best for the country.
If Democrats want to be an effective party right now, they must not repeat this fatal mistake. Just because they may not agree on everything, they can still work together to find compromises and move this country forward.
Author windsornsPosted on March 30, 2017 Categories United States, US politicsLeave a comment on The danger for Democrats in being ‘ideologically pure’
Previous page Page 1 … Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Next page
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line217
|
__label__cc
| 0.665813
| 0.334187
|
Home News New Motorbikes Arrive in Torrevieja
New Motorbikes Arrive in Torrevieja
This week, the Torrevieja traffic department of the Guardia Civil took delivery of their new motorbikes, which will take to the roads within the next two months.
These new motorbikes are adapted versions of the powerful Yamaha FJR 1300, which is replacing the traditional and trusted BMW. We went along to the garage this week to check them out and show you what these new vehicles mean for the officers.
The standard BMW R1200RT was first introduced in 2005 to replace the R1150RT model and features a 1,170 cc flat-twin engine with a six-speed gearbox, with 109 hp and a top speed of around 200 kilometres per hour.
The Guardia Civil in Torrevieja currently use the BMW R850RT, an 848 cc, a four stroke, two-cylinder, horizontally-opposed Boxer engine equipped motorbike, offering 73 hp and a top speed of 186.2 kilometres per hour. From a cruising speed of 60 kilometres per hour, the bike can stop in just 14.2 metres and from standing can go from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in just 5.8 seconds.
By comparison, the FJR 1300 has a 1,298 cc inline-four liquid-cooled, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection engine, offering 141.5 hp. The bike under normal conditions has a top speed of around 240 kilometres per hour, although is considered more fuel efficient under normal road speed conditions.
The vehicle is factory adapted with a single seat and panniers to carry the equipment needed on their daily patrols, and has adapted handlebars to enable the rider to sit upright, rather than in the stopped, racing position.
Over the next few months they will gradually be seen on the local road network, but not before a trip to Alicante, one by one, to have new windscreens and radios fitted.
The bikes are equipped with sirens and lights and carry a fire extinguisher. They also have fixed holders and brackets for the PDA personal digital assistant and printers, so that nothing moves whist the bike is in motion. In addition, the officers carry documents to enable them to make reports when there is a minor accident.
The helmets are equipped with Bluetooth which is connected to a radio in the rear of the bike so the officers can communicate with both the central control centre to enable them to request information such as number plate identification whilst riding, as well as checking the status of the ITV, insurance and driving license of the vehicle owner. The radio also allows direct communication with their colleagues.
In order to keep the bikes in premium condition, they are serviced by the official garages, BMW or Yamaha, every 5,000 or 10,000 kilometres depending on what the motorbikes need. In addition, the wheels are changed every 7,000 kilometres for safety reasons.
Some of the bike had been fitted with cameras in the past, but these were part of a testing scheme for Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), they were not hidden speed cameras or radar detectors as some people thought. Although if you think that means they can´t test your speed, think again, the Guardia Civil have a range of speed detectors, so you never know when or from where you are being watched.
Although highly trained on the machines, in fact the training scheme is one of the most highly respected across European police forces, one of the unusual characteristics of the Guardia Civil traffic police is that all of the officers ride motorbikes and drive cars as part of their routine duties, so it is quite normal for the officers to be using different modes of transport on a daily basis.
The Torrevieja department also took charge of a new Fiat multipurpose car this week, which also replaces an older version of the same model, and is fitted with a computerised breathalyser system for performing alcohol tests at the roadside anywhere on the network.
These vehicles are also fitted with a range of safety equipment to enable to officers to respond to any of the challenges they face on a regular basis whilst keeping the roads safe for us all.
Tagsmotorbikesn332police motorbikesTorrevieja
Previous article Prison for Number Plate Manipulation
Next article Traffic Officers Catch Bank Robber
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line218
|
__label__cc
| 0.500982
| 0.499018
|
Korbin Pate
Korbin Pate is in his fifth year in the Athletics Department at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Since joining the department, Pate has helped transform SFA’s digital, social media and live video production area into one of the best in the country.
In 2015, SFA partnered with ESPN to become one of 50 schools in the country to join the ESPN College Initiative. He oversaw the planning, designing, and construction of a centralized, state of the art production control room in the William R. Johnson Coliseum where his team broadcasts over 50 SFA Athletics events each year for ESPN.
As a member of SFA’s external affairs staff, Pate helped SFA capture a gold award in the category of best digital promotion from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) after constructing a promotional video and other elements from the 2016 NCAA Tournament run of the Lumberjack men's basketball team in Brooklyn, N.Y. At the conclusion of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, Pate and the external staff earned the title of most engaged social media program of the 68 participating teams by Medium.com.
Pate also earned Honorable Mention from both Lone Star Emmy and College Sports Video Group for SFA’s documentary, Rosie’s Hope.
A member of NACMA, Pate currently serves on the Strategic Communications Committee as part of the NACMA Strategic Plan. Pate is also the Southland Conference representative for NACMA.
A native of East Texas, Pate earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from SFA in 2012. He and his wife Kelsey, who is also a graduate of SFA, live in Nacogdoches with their three children, Karter, Kinley and Rylee.
Copyright © 2019 Connect. All rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line219
|
__label__wiki
| 0.976741
| 0.976741
|
Train Games Free Download For Windows!Our free Train Games are downloadable for windows 7/8/8.1/10/xp/vista.We provide you with the latest selection of free download Full Games that will bring you lots of fun! Choose any Windows Games you like,free download Games now and enjoy stunning graphics, marvelous sound effect and diverse music of this free PC games.Bookmark our website and come back for downloading and playing PC Games as often as you wish!Free Games Download for pc as you like,just play free Trading Games too.
Download free games now and dive into the bright world of joy! On our website you will find a great number of best free online games to download. Pcgameswindows.com provides more than 50 different game categories: free PC Games, perplexing arcades, dazzling puzzles and brain-twisters, captivating games for boys and girls, absorbing board games, etc.All the PC Games from Pcgameswindows.com are totally free and have no time limits, so that you can have download them at once! Enjoy playing top-class PC games any time you want!
Free Download The Mystery of the Crystal Portal PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
5689 DOWNLOAD
Free Download Autumn’s Treasures – The Jade Coin PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download In Search of the Lost Temple PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Cases of Stolen Beauty PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Sea Legends – Phantasmal Light PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download The Surprising Adventures of Munchausen PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Farmscapes PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Wizards Spell PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download The Witch’s Green Amulet PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Island of Death: Demons and Despair PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Stolen Secrets PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Alexander the Great: Secrets of Power PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Dreamscapes: The Sandman PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Magic Academy PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Christmasville PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Mysteryville PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Living Legends: Ice Rose PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Mushroom Age PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Exorcist PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Mystery of Dragon Prince PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download City Style PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Escape From Lost Island PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Treasure Island Extended Edition PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Dream Hills PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Frankenstein: The Dismembered Bride PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
56814 DOWNLOAD
Free Download Hypnosis PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
Free Download Alice in Wonderland PC Games For Windows 7/8/8.1/10/XP
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line223
|
__label__wiki
| 0.565479
| 0.565479
|
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL CELEBRATE LGBTQ RIGHTS BY MARCHING IN PRIDES
LGBTQ EVENTS IN 14 CITIES ACROSS THE US
Responsible Author: Ruby BIRD & Yasmina BEDDOU (Journalists/Directors) | PARIS - NEW YORK, 06/12/2019, 06:35 Time 11751x read
UK gov. will participate total of 29 LGBTQ+ events Source: Thomas Zamora - VisitBritain
Source: VisitBritain
USPA NEWS - The British Government will celebrate LGBTQ+ rights by marching in Prides and hosting LGBTQ+ events in 14 cities across the US, as well as 5 cities in Canada and 5 cities in Latin America, as part of VisitBritain's Love is GREAT Britain campaign. A major highlight of the campaign is the UK's first-ever LGBTQ Founders' Trade Mission, bringing nine UK-headquartered companies to New York for a bespoke program aimed at accelerating business growth in the US for LGBTQ business founders.
The British Government will celebrate LGBTQ+ rights by marching in Prides and hosting LGBTQ+ events in 14 cities across the US, as well as 5 cities in Canada and 5 cities in Latin America, as part of VisitBritain's Love is GREAT Britain campaign. A major highlight of the campaign is the UK's first-ever LGBTQ Founders' Trade Mission, bringing nine UK-headquartered companies to New York for a bespoke program aimed at accelerating business growth in the US for LGBTQ business founders.
As a leader in LGBTQ+ equality and rights, the UK has proudly celebrated Pride season in America since 2013. Now, UK government leaders have joined with representatives from the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO), the UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) and VisitBritain to organize the UK's widest array of business and public engagement events to date.
Sir Kim Darroch, British Ambassador to the US, said, "The variety of activities and events being organised by our teams across the United States - from Los Angeles to New York - are a clear demonstration of the importance the UK places on equality and LGBTQ rights. Here in Washington, we were the first foreign government to participate in Capital Pride seven years ago. We're honoured to stand with our LGBTQ friends once again."
Paul Gauger, Senior Vice President of the Americas, VisitBritain, said, "Showcasing Britain throughout the Pride season in these cities helps highlight the destination as a welcoming, inclusive, open and accepting place for all people to visit and enjoy. Whether you crave the unexpected or yearn for the undiscovered, VisitBritain's LGBTQ+ campaign 'Love is GREAT Britain captures 365 days of fun, love, culture and so much more."
The UK government will participate in a total of 29 LGBTQ+ events and activities in 14 cities across the US and the Americas in 2019-20, including: Aspen, CO - Atlanta, GA - Boston, MA - Charlotte, NC - Chicago, IL - Denver, CO - Los Angeles, CA
Miami, FL - New York, NY - Palm Springs, CA - Raleigh, NC - Seattle, WA - Tampa, FL - Washington, DC.
In Canada, the UK will participate in 5 cities: Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver.
In Latin America, the UK will participate in 5 cities: Mexico City, Santiago, and São Paolo, Fernando de Naronha and Porto Alegre in Brazil.
Source : VisitBritain
http://www.portfolio.uspa24.com/
http://www.yasmina-beddou.uspa24.com/
Keywords: Ruby Bird, Yasmina Beddou, First Lgbtq Founders Trade Mission, Americas Wide, Love Is Great Britain Campaign, 29 Equality Awareness Events, Tourism Forums, Prides, Film Festivals, Sport
Liability for this article lies with the author, who also holds the copyright. Editorial content from USPA may be quoted on other websites as long as the quote comprises no more than 5% of the entire text, is marked as such and the source is named (via hyperlink).
back download PDF report
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line226
|
__label__wiki
| 0.624036
| 0.624036
|
Afterlight Events: Jews meeting Jews for a good cause
By Sydney Bucksbaum
We’ve all been there before: you want to go out, have a good night, hang with friends, and potentially meet that special someone. So where do you do that? Go to a bar? A friend’s party? Sure you end up meeting a bunch of new people, but how can you meet new, Jewish people? One way is through JUF’s Young Leadership Division, which holds many great events throughout the year. Another place to meet fellow MOTs is parties hosted by Afterlight Events.
Comprised of different promoters and party planners and members, Afterlight Events is a group that works to create social scenes and parties for Jews in Chicago. But not only do they work to bring Jews together, they also do it for a cause.
“Our goal is to bring Jewish people together in a networking and social atmosphere, while raising money for Jewish nonprofits,” the group* said. “Our main goal is to help out non profits and charities who don’t have the capacity or the know-how to throw these events.”
Afterlight Events throws about three or four parties a year, including the Matzo Bash, one of the biggest parties in Chicago on Christmas Eve.
“At our Matzo Bash [last] year we had about 1,200 people at Enclave,” the group said. “And we raised thousands of dollars for charities. We also throw a Valentine’s Day party every year. We get sponsored and we raise money and a great portion of the ticket sales get donated to Jewish charities.”
While raising money for Jewish charities is the main goal of Afterlight Events, the fact that they help Jews meet other Jews is a huge benefit of the parties they throw.
“Obviously on Christmas Eve our biggest goal is to bring Jewish people together,” the group said. “We’ve had tons of people tell us that they’ve met their girlfriends or their wives, boyfriends at our parties which is obviously a mitzvah in itself.”
“We wanted to make it clear that understanding our heritage and meeting people in our religion is important and it can be done in a fun and social atmosphere. And up to today’s standards in Chicago, one of the best cities in the world, it’s important to have an opportunity to come together.”
However, sometimes throwing parties like the ones Afterlight Events plans can present a challenge.
“The only obstacle is really getting the word out,” the group said. “And we do a pretty good job of partnering with different organizations and groups to help them spread the word. A lot of times what we’ll do is we’ll throw an event for a charity but then have other non-profits sell tickets and they can make money for it too. So we give non-profits a vehicle to raise money in different capacities.”
The end goal that Afterlight Events is striving toward is to partner with all the different Jewish not-for-profits in the city and to help them raise money, while having every Jewish person in the city come together at these events and have a great time.
“We have a lot of different events that we’re going to be planning in the next couple of years,” the group said. “If anyone has any interest in allowing us to help them raise money just let us know! We’ll be happy to work with you creatively.”
*Afterlight Events is a group of professionals in the Chicago area, and preferred to keep their names confidential.
“It’s not really about us, it’s about what we do,” the group said. “People are not going to come to a party because certain people are there. People are going to come to a party because we’re raising and donating money, and we’re having a good time.”
It’s not too late to get your tickets to The Matzo Bash 2010: Christmas Eve Gala
Enclave, 220 W Chicago Ave on Christmas Eve from 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
Tickets include:
• Complimentary cocktails from 8-10 p.m.
• Complimentary hors d'oeuvres & treats
• Complimentary admission to the after party
• JJ the DJ spinning all night long
Get your tickets through Oy!Chicago here.
Last Edited by Lindsey_1 at 12/22/2010 9:19 AM
26 Reasons to love being Jewish
Can you name two past Jewish Supreme Court justices with last names beginning with the letter “F”?
Did you know the comic strip X-Men was created by Jews? And for the most random Jewish fact you’ll read today and probably this decade...Bet you didn’t know the Q-Tip was invented by a Jewish guy who thought the cotton apparatus would aid his wife cleaning hard to reach places?
You’ll learn these facts and others in the new coffee table book For the Love of Being Jewish: An A-to-Z Primer for Bubbies, Mensches, Meshugas, Tzaddiks, and Yentas (Triumph Books), a fitting book for the holiday season, which lists from A to Z the many reasons to love being Jewish.
The book, written by local Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein, spiritual leader of Congregation Am Shalom in Glencoe, and colorfully illustrated by Mark Anderson, explores key concepts of the Jewish religion and heritage through the lens of culture, history, ethics, and values—like Exodos, ner tamid (eternal flame), and tzedakah (charity, justice), and notes Jewish celebrities like Mel Brooks, Bob Dylan, Albert Einstein, Sandy Koufax, Golda Meir, and Moses. The book is one in a series of For the Love of ______ books that have been published by Triumph Books, including For the Love of the Cubs and For the Love of Golf.
Each page, corresponding with the letters of the alphabet, is the basis for a short rhyme, accompanied by a colorful cartoon as well as terminology, quotes, and factoids starting with that letter.
While the book is whimsical and humorous, it also examines the weightier topics that come with 5,770 years of Jewish history. “The challenge was to make sure it wasn’t all fluff,” Lowenstein said. “The Holocaust had to be in the book, Zionism had to be in there. I wanted to make sure that these types of concepts—the seriousness of Judaism—were not [treated] in a light matter.”
The book opens with a Mark Twain passage from an 1898 issue of Harpers magazine. He writes: “If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race…[The Jew’s] contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers…All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”
Lowenstein replies to Twain’s inquiry. “What is the secret of the Jews’ immortality?” he said. “How come this small people continues to survive and thrive year after year? The secret is perseverance, determination, and the chutzpah of the Jewish people.”
Rabbi Steven Stark Lowenstein
We're giving away THREE copies of For the Love of being Jewish! Tell us why YOU love being a member of the tribe below. Make sure to leave your email in the comment form (it won't be displayed) so we can contact you if you win. If you don't win, and want to pick up the book on your own, check out ForTheLoveOfBeingJewish.com and click on purchase.
Secrets of a Jewish Mother
Oy!Chicago gets real with Jill Zarin of the Real Housewives
By Stefanie Pervos
I’m not ashamed to admit that I am a fan of Bravo’s Real Housewives series. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s something about those women that makes you just want to keep watching. My favorite cast is definitely the Real Housewives of New York City, which includes Jewish housewife Jill Zarin, known on the show for her big heart—which shows in her devotion to her family, friends and her philanthropic work—and her big opinions—which sometimes gets her into trouble.
On Sunday, Jan. 23, Jill and her sister, Lisa Wexler, an award-winning talk radio host and the creator and executive producer of The Lisa Wexler Show, will speak for the first time in Chicago about the book they co-wrote with their mother Gloria Kamen, who currently writes the “Ask Gloria” column on BravoTV.com. The program, presented by Ida Crown Jewish Academy, will take place at Saks Fifth Avenue in Highland Park. Jill and Lisa will speak together about their book, Secrets of a Jewish Mother: Real Advice, Real Stories Real Love (Dutton) released last April, and answer questions about the Real Housewives show, followed by a Saks discounted shopping opportunity.
I had the opportunity to talk to Jill before her visit about Jewish mothers, Real Housewives and not-so-real friendships:
Oy!Chicago: What can we expect at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy event in December?
Jill Zarin: We wrote a book called Secrets of a Jewish Mother that came out in April. The paperback version is actually coming out March 1 and with that we’ve added a chapter dedicated to bullying. The book is geared toward anyone—male, female—you don’t have to be Jewish to read the book and you certainly don’t have to be Jewish to be a Jewish mother as we all know, although it is so much more fun when you are. And we talk about everything like friendship, dating, education, marriage, career, money and my favorite chapter, probably parenting.
[At the event] we’ll talk about the book, we’ll read from it, we do a little quiz at the beginning which is ‘are you a Jewish mother?’ where we ask you 20 questions that sort of warms up the crowd.
What do you hope people will get out of it?
Laughs…and it’s a very relatable book [with] some very good wisdom and advice. What’s great about the book is that you can go to any chapter and pick something up about it…it’s the cycle of life interspersed with some comedy.
What would you say is the best piece of advice you’ve gotten from your Jewish mother?
Well my mother gives me advice every day, something as minimal as like ‘don’t forget your sweater, it’s freezing outside’ she loves to say to me, so I don’t know if there’s particularly one piece of advice.
And best advice you’ve given as a Jewish mother?
Well I’m definitely not done yet and Allyson’s still cooking—although she’s 18 now she might be almost medium well, I don’t think she’s well yet. I do think that whatever I have been doing is working because I think she’s a very well-adjusted, happy, loving, caring person. And what I love most about Ally is the heart she has—my daughter has a heart as big as the ocean.
Obviously being Jewish is a big part of your identity and your book. How and why does being Jewish influence what you do on a day-to-day basis?
I think that culturally what I love about the Jewish faith is that we really focus on family and tradition. And it’s those two things that make us happy and secure. Like my mother said in the show, life goes from Passover to Rosh Hashanah and back to Passover again. It’s always these traditions that make us feel part of a culture and loved and important and special.
Watching you on the show, people feel like they know you—like they are one of your girlfriends. Is that weird for you? Do you think your fans know the real you based on how you are portrayed?
Yes and no. I think overall, yes. I think that I’m not perfect, I think that I have a big heart and sometimes that gets me in trouble because I sometimes might put expectations on people because I would do [something] and they disappoint me. Overall I think that the show really does at the end really show who we are. There might be inaccuracies with particular stories or facts, but I think the overall impression is probably correct.
In your chapter on friendship, you mention your relationships with all the cast mates on Real Housewives—are any of them true friends or “front-row” friends as you call them in the book? How difficult is it to maintain true friendships with people you are filming a TV show with?
It’s very hard on a reality show because you don’t know what they’re saying behind your back, and sometimes you say and do things on the show because it’s good TV, or sometimes you’ll say something and they’ll edit it [so] it’s not really what you meant. It’s hard to not get mad at someone when they say something behind your back but you have to know that you all signed up for this TV show. So, it is hard, but I think at the end of the day clearly LuAnn is my longest friend on the show and I adore her. And I do think we will be lifelong friends—will she shift from the front row to the orchestra? Absolutely…I definitely think some of the girls are in my front row right now, will they stay there? Who knows. Only time will tell.
Last season, we saw your friendship with Bethenny [Frankel] unravel.
You know, it was edited in such a way that you don’t really know what I really did behind the scenes, there’s a lot that didn’t play on the show—a lot. I’m not going to get into specifics—but there was a lot of reaching out from Bethenny to me off camera and vice versa, but when the cameras were up you would never have known that. For example, she sent my daughter a birthday present last year right in the middle of filming, a big beautiful present—why? I found out on camera that day she just bashed me and said she never wanted to be my friend again—wouldn’t you call that a mixed signal?
I’ve heard that filming is underway for the fourth season of RHONY—how is that going? Will we be seeing more of your mom and sister on the show?
Yes. You will see Gloria, you will see Lisa. We’ve already filmed together and it’s going to be great. This season I think people are going to really be happier and it’ll be back to what it was. Which is fun, with a little drama.
Oh my goodness, glad you asked! I have a new line of bedding at Bedbathandbeyond.com which is doing really, really, really well, so I’m very happy. Prices for the set start at like $179 for a full decorator, gorgeous bedding comforter set. Beautiful. The other thing I’m working on is I have a shapewear and legwear line coming out hopefully in spring. I’m excited about it because all my girlfriends are trying them on and loving them asking me for more, so that’s a good sign. It’s very organic—you know I was in the hosiery business for about 15 years, so I feel like I’m going back to my roots, coming home.
Do you have any Chicago connections? Anything you like to do while you’re here?
Oprah!? Isn’t everybody connected to Oprah? I feel like she’s my friend. I’ve [was in Chicago] 15-20 years ago, so it’s been way too long, I’m really excited. It’s a beautiful city. But I’m excited, can’t wait!
To order tickets or learn about sponsorship opportunities, please call 773-973-1450 or go to www.ICJA.org .
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line227
|
__label__wiki
| 0.676015
| 0.676015
|
Pressure Sores, Part 1: "An Incurable Malady?"
Reprinted from PN June 2002
Andrew R., 65, sustained a T4-5 spinal-cord injury (SCI) in an automobile accident in 1955. However, his first pressure-sore experience was not until 21 years later, when he developed an abscess on his hip. After surgery for the sore, he spent six weeks in the hospital.
"I went for ten years before the next one," he says. He estimates he's had only four pressure sores since 1955. His most recent one was this past year, when a blister formed on his tailbone.
He's fortunate to have had so few in all these years. Is he just "lucky?"
"I used to exercise regularly," he says. "And I've always used a foam cushion."
Andrew regularly relieves pressure on high-risk areas. "I take a nap daily. This gets me out of the seated position, takes the pressure off, and lets my skin breathe," he explains.
He also watches for problems. "I inspect my skin daily, or my wife does it for me," he says. "If anything doesn't look right, I see my doctor immediately."
At-risk individuals should be careful, Andrew says, and stay away from hard surfaces. However, he says, you can give people advice, but you can't make them follow it.
Pressure sores have plagued mankind since antiquity. In sixteenth-century Europe, the French surgeon Ambrose Par described pressure ulcers as "an incurable malady" that could be helped only with rest, exercise, and a good diet.
At the end of World War II, the first rehab programs specifically for people with SCI were developed. Improved medical care, new technologies, and the development of antibiotics provided innovative interventions for preventing and treating pressure ulcers.
Pressure Sores 101, taken from the University of Alabama-Birmingham's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation's Spinal Cord Injury InfoSheet #13: "Preventing Pressure Sores" and UAB's "Prevention of Pressure Sores Through Skin Care" CD (part of the SCI Health Education Multimedia Series), provides a crash course in the condition's basics, including risk factors, stages, prevention, and care and treatment. To learn more about these resources, contact Medical RRTC in Secondary Complications in SCI, University of Alabama-Birmingham Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Research Services, SRC 506, 619 19th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35249-7330. (205) 934-3283 / 934-4642 (TTD) / www.spinalcord.uab.edu.
An Orthotic Approach
by Jeffrey J. Beaton, J.D., and Andrew C. Black III
Custom orthotic seating may reduce the risk of decubiti and promote healing of existing ulcers due to sitting conditions—but it also has difficulties and risks.
People with diminished sensation and movement, such as those with spinal-cord injury (SCI), are constantly on guard against decubitus ulcers. As at-risk individuals know, decubiti may lead to serious and costly medical consequences.
Among the primary factors causing ulcers are pressure and friction—natural consequences of sitting. Sophisticated seating techniques to deal with these issues are currently used by at least one facility.
Investigators at Tamarack Habilitation Technologies (Blaine, Minn.) are developing seating standards designed to decrease ulcer-producing factors. Using design features and custom manufacturing techniques called seating orthotics, Tamarack researchers have had excellent results decreasing the incidence of decubitus ulcers. The facility?s orthotists also have been able to help several dozen people sit safely and comfortably, despite their previous inability to do so because of decubiti.
It is fairly common for young adults to be able to sit safely on one of the standard (pneumatic or gel) cushions for 5-10 years after injury. However, without functional paraspinal and abdominal musculature, posture and spine alignment slowly degrade with time. In people without operational musculature, the pelvis tends to tilt and the spine curves, sometimes to the point of severe scoliosis.
Other physiologic symptoms, such as skin elasticity and circulation, progressively worsen with aging. The margin of safe sitting function becomes narrower each year, increasing the likelihood of something triggering a skin breakdown. Scarring, adhesions, and tissue loss in the wake of a decubitus ulcer significantly increase future risk. Intervention must occur as early and as actively as possible to prevent spiraling costs and suffering.
Although many contributing factors exist in addition to those listed above, decubiti are usually preventable with proper care and equipment that addresses these ulcer-generating factors. Sitting-surface materials that have some absorbency and promote air circulation will not only help reduce moisture at the skin surface but also reduce temperature by allowing that moisture to evaporate. Tamarack researchers and engineers have found that a custom orthotic-seat design may be the most reliable means to reduce the risk of decubitus ulcers.
This articles describes Tamarack's methods for achieving optimal seating for each individual they serve. The authors caution that anyone contemplating traveling far to obtain services from Tamarack must keep the difficulties and risks in mind. You must be willing and able to return to the facility to solve problems that may not show up until after you return home. Maintenance visits (at least every two years) should also be anticipated.
Tamarack tries to schedule a block of time ranging from five days in a row up to three to four weeks to have time for trial and follow-up modifications. For nonlocal clients, orthotists must duplicate the most critical system components and spend more time to "prove out" the orthosis before individuals return home. Therefore, the price of Tamarack orthotic services may be inflated, especially for long-distance travelers.
Custom orthotic seating reportedly effectively reduces the risk of decubiti formation and can promote healing of existing ulcers due to sitting conditions. Helping people heal or avoid decubitus ulcers over the long term, however, requires more than effective technology. It also calls for a program of education, monitoring, follow-up, and advocacy.
Jeffrey J. Beaton received his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Virginia. He was spinal-cord injured at C4 in 1977. A former board chairman of Virginia's Department of Rehabilitative Services and numerous disability advocacy groups, he currently practices law and mediation in Virginia Beach, Va. Andrew C. Black III, a native of Chesapeake, Va., is studying exercise physiology and kinesiology at Old Dominion University. He plans to pursue his master's degree in physical therapy. He works part-time with Beaton and is also associated with the Physical Therapy Department of Riverside Hospital, Newport News, Va.
To read more about this, order the June 2002 PN, Click Here.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line231
|
__label__wiki
| 0.947545
| 0.947545
|
Sheila E
Revision as of 22:42, 5 January 2018 by JooZt (Talk | contribs)
Kat Dyson ◄ All Biographies Prince Biography ► Carmen Electra
Sheila E.
Artist details
Birth Name: Sheila Escovedo
Date Of Birth: 12 December 1957: Oakland, CA, USA
Occupation: Singer, Producer, Drummer, Percussionist, occasionally plays violin and guitar.
Endorsement(s): DW Drums (Drums, Pedals and Hardware)
Zildjian (Cymbals)
Toca (Percussions)
Activity with Prince: From 1984 to 1987
First live appearance w/Prince:
27 July 1984 (a.m.) Hollywood, The Palace: Purple Rain Premiere Party
Purple Rain Tour: warm up w/The E. Band
Sign O' The Times Tour: band member
Lovesexy Tour: band member
20Ten Tour: percussions, lead & back vox
Prince Live 2010 Tour: percussions, lead & back vox
Welcome 2 America Tour: percussions, lead & back vox
With Prince:
Singles:
1984: Let's Go Crazy
1984: I Would Die 4 U
1984: Syndicate
1985: Pop Life
1986: Girls & Boys
1987: U Got The Look
1988: Alphabet St.
1988: Glam Slam
1988: I Wish U Heaven
1985: Around The World In A Day
1986: Parade
1987: Sign O' The Times
1988: Lovesexy
1990: Graffiti Bridge
1991: Diamonds And Pearls
1994: "The Black Album"
1998: Crystal Ball
1999: The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale
2004: Musicology
2007: Planet Earth
With Prince's Associates:
1990: Kid Creole And The Coconuts - The Sex Of It
1984: Apollonia 6 - Apollonia 6
1987: Madhouse - 8
1987: Madhouse - 16
1989: Mavis Staples - Time Waits For No One
1991: Eric Leeds - Times Squared
Self Productions with Prince:
1985: Holly Rock
1985: A Love Bizarre
2010: From E 2 U
1984: The Glamorous Life
1985: Romance 1600
1985: Krush Groove
1987: Sheila E.
2013: Icon
Sheila E. became one of the top female musicians during the 1980s due to her fierce drumming style and her Latin rhythms. A former protégé of Prince, Sheila became a drummer in his band before branching off into solo musical projects. In addition to being considered the best female drummer alive, Sheila E. has also expanded into acting roles, most notably in the urban cult classic film Krush Groove (1985).
She's co-founder (along with Lynn Mabry) of the "Lil' Angel Bunny Foundation", an organization that "provides abused, abandoned and severely emotionally disturbed children compassionate care by implementing an alternative method of recreational and education therapy through music and the arts and funding special services and programs that assist the needs of these children using these fundamental methods".
Child prodigy, she starts playing the drums at 5. She attended Oakland High School in Oakland, California. Sheila Escovedo is the eldest child and daughter of percussionist Pete Escovedo. Her two brothers, Juan Escovedo and Peter Michael Escovedo and uncle (Coke Escovedo) are also percussionists.
Early Musical Career
She made her recording debut with jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson, "Yesterday's Dream" (1976). By the time she was in her early twenties, she had played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross.
Work With Prince
Sheila met Prince at an Al Jarreau concert in 1978. After the show, he met her and told her that he and his bassist André Cymone "were just fighting about which one of us would be the first to be your husband". He also prophetically vowed that one day she would join his band. The two would eventually join forces during the Purple Rain recording sessions.
Input in Prince's Discography
She provided vocals on Erotic City b-side to the single Let's Go Crazy. Though taken under Prince's wing, she proved to be a successful artist in her own right. In 1984 she scored hits with The Glamorous Life (1984) (Hot 100 #7, and regarded as something of an 80s classic), and The Belle Of St. Mark (#34). She opened for the Purple Rain Tour. Around the same time, the collaborating duo began a brief romantic relationship, while Prince was still seeing Susannah Melvoin, twin sister Revolution band member Wendy Melvoin.
Sheila also served as a writer and musician on many of Prince's records, as well as on the albums of his protégés such as Madhouse.
In 1985 she released Romance 1600, scored another hit with the track " A Love Bizarre " (#11), and the non album track Holly Rock made it's way to live shows and the film Krush Groove . She was also nominated for an American Music Awards and a Grammy for The Glamorous Life.
Sheila recorded three albums during the '80s, The Glamorous Life , Romance 1600 , and Sheila E. She appeared in four films including Krush Groove with Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Blair Underwood in 1985, Prince's concert film and Sign O' The Times in 1987. Prince and Sheila worked on a fourth album together between early 1987 and late 1988, and planned for release in 1989. The album was abandoned when Sheila E. left Paisley Park Records in early 1989.
Input in Prince's Live performances
During the Sign O' The Times, "The Black Album" (material from it was intended as birthday party music for Sheila E.), and Lovesexy periods of Prince's career (including the Lovesexy Tour), Sheila E. served as his drummer and musical director in his highly regarded '87-'88 backup band, not long after her departure. During the Sign O' The Times era, she released the single Koo Koo from her 3rd album Sheila E., which had Sign O' The Times Tour member Cat as back up dancer in the accompanying video.
Input in Prince's bands
Many musicians played in Sheila E.'s bands before being recruted by Prince in his own live bands : Miko Weaver, Levi Seacer, Jr., Boni Boyer, Kat Dyson, Rhonda Smith, Renato Neto and Cassandra O'Neal.
Work with Prince in the 2000's
Sheila E. appears on three albums released between 2004 and 2007:Musicology,3121 and ,Planet Earth.
In February 2006 Sheila performed with Prince (and Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman once again at the BRIT Awards. She also performed with Prince on Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas in 2002, the 36th NAACP Image Awards in 2005, and Good Morning Show in June 2006. In 2007, she performed at the ALMA (American Latin Music Awards) Awards in June 2007 with Prince. She guested on many of his shows during that era (On 7 July 2007 in Minneapolis, MN she performed with Prince at all three of his shows: first, at the 3121 perfume launch at Macy's, followed by the Target Center concert, and finally, closing it out with Prince, at an aftershow at First Avenue), On 26 April 2008 with Morris Day and Jerome Benton at the Coachella Music Festival). Prince guested on 29 March 2008 on Sheila's performance with her family at Harvelle Redondo Beach, playing keyboard.
Sheila E. joined Prince regularly Prince on stage during the 20Ten, Prince Live 2010 and Welcome 2 America tours. Her last known performance with him was at the 21 May 2011 show given in San Jose.
After Working With Prince
After leaving the Prince camp in 1989 (she actually had a medical problem-collapsed lung), Sheila recorded a few more albums: Sex Cymbal, Writes of Passage, and Heaven. However, the albums garnered little attention. Sheila to continued to tour as a solo artist, band leader or with other artists and stayed a session musican in high demand.
She played on records released by Phil Collins, Beyoncé Knowles among others and has collaborated with Gloria Estefan for whom she played the timbales. Sheila first collaborated with Estefan on Estefan's first Spanish language/Spanish studio album Mi Tierra in 1993, and in 2007 with Estefan's smash hit " No Llores" in which Estefan also collaborates with Carlos Santana and Jose Feliciano.
Sheila E. continued to tour with different artists in the early years of 2000 : she played with a band in Japan backing Namie Amuro for his "Genius 2000" that was released on DVD. Sheila E. has performed three stints with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, in 2001, 2003, and 2006. Her drum "duets" with Starr are a moment of comic relief in the show, where they play the same parts but he quickly falls behind, shrugs and smiles as she takes off on an extended percussion solo. She also toured New Zealand as drummer and percussionist for the Abe Laboriel Band.
With Kat Dyson, Rhonda Smith and Cassandra O'Neal, Sheila E. formed the band C.O.E.D (Chronicles of Every Diva), who toured toured overseas in 2007. For several concerts C.O.E.D was joined by Candy Dulfer as special guest. An album was planned with that band but remains unreleased. A song for that album (Girl Like Me) will be re-recorded with Ledisi and released on Icon in 2013.
Apart from small roles in The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (Morris Day also plays in that movie) and Chasing Papi , Sheila E. also took part on many TV programs. She was the leader of the house band on the short-lived 1998 late night talk show, The Magic Hour , starring Magic Johnson. In 2007, she was a judge on the Fox network's The Next Great American Band alongside Australian Idol judge and marketing manager Ian "Dicko" Dickson and Goo Goo Dolls lead singer John Rzeznik. She also appeared in 2008 on the historic Emmy winning program, Idol Gives Back. It is the most important and significant part of the highly rated American Idol series. Sheila E. took part in the show opener Get on Your Feet with Gloria Estefan. Dance troupe, So You Think You Can Dance finalists joined the stage for the memorable moment.
Sheila E. won the CMT reality show, Gone Country in 2009. This will give her an opportunity to make country music aided by famed country producer, writer, and singer John Rich. A video for the song "Glorious Train" debuted on CMT on 7 March 2009 following the airing of the episode of Gone Country in which Sheila E. was announced the winner. The song was included on the limited release From E 2 UEP.
In 2011, Sheila E. released with her father Pete Escovedo and her two brothers, Juan and Peter Michael Escovedo the album "Now And Forever" under the name "The E Family. The album features contributions by George Duke, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gloria Estefan, Israel Houghton,Raphael Saadiq and Joss Stone.
In 2014, Sheila released her autobiography called "Beat Of My Own Drum".
Sheila E. is the business partner of singer and former The Brides of Funkenstein, Lynn Mabry. They formed a foundation for abused children called the Elevate Hope Foundation. She continues to tour around the world and gave many tribute shows to Prince after his passing.
In 2017, Sheila E. released a cover album called "Iconic: Message 4 America" which contains a cover of America.
The Glamorous Life / The Glamorous Life / Noon Rendezvous / The Belle Of St. Mark
Romance 1600 / Sister Fate / Bedtime Story / A Love Bizarre
Krush Groove / Holly Rock
Sheila E. / Love On A Blue Train / Koo Koo
Sheila E's uncle is Alejandro Escovedo, formerly with Delphine Neid 's first-wave punk rock group The Nuns, Rank and File and The True Believers, followed by a solo career. Coke Escovedo who was in Santana and formed the band Azteca was also her uncle. She is also niece to Javier Escovedo, founder of seminal San Diego punk act, The Zeros. Another uncle, Mario Escovedo, fronted long-running indie rockers, The Dragons. The late Tito Puente was Sheila's godfather.
Escovedo is of Mexican, African American, and Louisiana Creole heritage.
Via her brother Peter Michael Escovedo, Nicole Richie is Sheila E'.s biological niece. Nicole Richie was born Nicole Camille Escovedo on 21 September 1981 in Berkeley, California. She is the adopted daughter of pop legend Lionel Richie and his first wife, Brenda. Her biological father is musician Peter Michael Escovedo (Wayne Brady Show Band Leader), brother of Sheila E. and son of famed percussionist Pete Escovedo. Nicole began living with the Richies as a toddler; the adoption was finalized when she was nine years old.
Sheila E. official website
Biography elements: Wikipedia, IMDB, Drum Solo Artist
Gear: Drummer World, Zildjian, DW Drums, Toca Percussion
◄ Kat Dyson All Biographies Prince Biography Carmen Electra ►
Retrieved from "http://princevault.com/index.php?title=Sheila_E&oldid=206617"
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line236
|
__label__wiki
| 0.817958
| 0.817958
|
#193: NAFTA, Tech, and Trade
The North American Free Trade Agreement was a major sticking point in the 2016 election, with then-candidate Trump criticizing the trade deal for killing U.S. jobs, particularly in manufacturing. But how do policies like NAFTA impact technology and the everyday consumer experience? Recently, Canada, Mexico, and the United States began renegotiating the 1994 trade agreement, aiming to complete a new deal by the end of the year. Should tech stakeholders be worried about changes to NAFTA, or is this an opportunity for improving a deal that was struck long before most Americans had ever used the Internet? What will it mean for cybersecurity, intellectual property, tariffs, and other tech issues? Evan is joined by Ed Brzytwa, Director of Global Policy for the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI). For more, see ITI’s comments on NAFTA modernization.
#192: Cyber Digest
It seems like every week there are more headlines about cyber attacks. Should you be worried about the next Petya or WannaCry? What can we do to protect ourselves from getting hacked? With an endless stream of alarming incidents — Sony, HBO, North Korea, and federal agencies — are we at risk of falling into a “cyber fatigue?” Evan is joined by Heather West, Senior Policy Manager for the Americas at Mozilla, and Austin Carson, Executive Director of TechFreedom. They discuss the latest in cyber news and what Internet users, and their governments, can do to sort through the mess. For more, see TechFreedom’s primer on the PATCH Act and Mozilla’s policy blog.
#191: The Future of Online Music
The Internet has changed a lot over the past 20 years, and so has the music industry. CDs and record stores have been replaced by streaming and the iTunes store. While consumers are benefitting from more content and ways to listen to music than ever before, prominent artists like Taylor Swift have lamented declining revenues for artists in the digital age, even taking their gripes to the halls of Congress. Is streaming a viable future for online music, or will online piracy and low royalties spoil the party? Are websites like YouTube doing enough to combat copyright infringement? Evan is joined by Steven Marks, Chief of Digital Business & General Counsel for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). For a different perspective on copyright, listen to episode #176.
#190: Thinking Outside the (X)Box
What does government have to do with video games? Censorship and the First Amendment may come to mind, but that’s only a small piece of the puzzle. The American video game industry is worth $30 billion, and everything from tax reform to NSA surveillance can have a huge impact on this growing sector of the economy. Why should gamers care about net neutrality and broadband deployment? Are there policy solutions to the dreaded “lag” problem? How do free trade and intellectual property fit in the mix? Evan discusses all this and more with Mike Gallagher, President and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the trade group representing U.S. computer and video game publishers.
#189: Fighting Online Sex Trafficking
Recently, Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA). The bill is gaining co-sponsors and support on both sides of the aisle, and virtually everyone agrees that sex trafficking is a very real problem that Congress needs to address. But the bill is also getting pushback from voices across the spectrum, including right- and left-leaning civil society groups and tech companies big and small.
Supporters of SESTA argue that long-standing intermediary liability protections for web platforms are enabling sex trafficking, citing the website Backpage.com, whose founders knowingly profited from and facilitated sex crimes. Critics of SESTA caution that the safe harbor in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is a bedrock of Internet freedom, and warn that the bill would actually undermine cooperation between law enforcement and tech companies. Evan discusses with TechFreedom’s Berin Szoka and Ashkhen Kazaryan. For more, see our coalition letter.
#188: Sex Offenders and Social Media
Sex offenders are often banned from playgrounds and schoolyards, but what about social networks? Should policymakers treat the virtual world the same as the real world? North Carolina passed a law in 2008 banning sex offenders from accessing websites where information is exchanged and minors can participate, including social media platforms like Facebook. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the North Carolina law violates free speech, meaning sex offenders can use Facebook as long as they’re not using it to commit crimes. What does this case mean for digital free speech? How should policymakers proceed from here? Evan is joined by Katie Glenn, Policy Counsel at the 1st Amendment Partnership. For more, check out their website.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line240
|
__label__cc
| 0.673309
| 0.326691
|
Category Archives: ANIMALS
MAN ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO FEED A SAUSAGE TO A POLICE HORSE
A man was arrested and charged for feeding a police horse some sausage, according to court proceedings.
In a rare case, Francis Kelly was accused of causing a breach of the peace in Glasgow, U.K., earlier this year.
Authorities said that the 41-year-old man broke the law when he ignored police warnings and gave the delicious food to the animal.
However, friends of Mr. Kelly came to his defense and said that he had done nothing wrong. He gave the horse a sausage roll because he thought the animal looked hungry, they said.
Critics said that the case was a waste of taxpayer money and wondered why the case is being taken to court for a trial.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Kelly behaved “threatening or abusive” for trying to feed the horse some meat. The court was also told that Mr. Kelly had adopted an aggressive attitude towards the police officers when they told him to put away the food.
It was however, not clear why the police horses were in the area or when he initially made contact with the animals.
This entry was posted in ANIMALS, PEOPLE and tagged arresting animals, crimes against animals, feeding police horses is a crime, horse arrest, horse crime in wales, meat eating horses on September 3, 2014 by Henry.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line241
|
__label__cc
| 0.621934
| 0.378066
|
Poland’s role in Europe continues to grow. We can all see how important Poland is becoming to the European and global economy and while some find that surprising, others consider it natural, even if remarkable. Many experts believe that Warsaw has outgrown its status as a regional financial hub and can now become a business and economic hub in a broader sense, with a reach extending beyond Central and Eastern Europe. It thus seems that after just four Warsaw—CEE Financial Hub conferences, the event needs to be reinvented.
Seeing how Poland is powering ahead, the organizers and hosts of the annual conference—The Warsaw Voice, the International Herald Tribune, and the Warsaw Stock Exchange—have decided it is time to focus on the broader potential of the Polish economy and of Warsaw as a business hub. It is time for the annual Warsaw—CEE Financial Hub conference to be expanded into a Warsaw—Economic Hub conference. The change will, of course, extend far beyond the name alone.
During the Warsaw—Economic Hub meeting Dec. 6 this year, investors and businessmen from Europe and further afield will be able to get firsthand reports on the role Poland plays in its region, in Europe and globally, and on the country’s modern economy, which keeps growing in strength. Of course, the financial and stock markets in Poland and other countries in the CEE region will remain a key subject at the conference.
Reflecting the rank and professionalism of the conference, this year the organizers have set up a Program Council with two co-chairmen. One of them is Günter Verheugen, who was EU Commissioner for Enlargement when Poland joined the EU. The other chairman is former Polish Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, now chairman of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Economic Council.
Changes introduced to this year’s conference will enable a much broader range of topics to be discussed and allow larger groups of international investors and entrepreneurs to take part. This will be possible thanks to the introduction of several parallel working sessions focusing on different subjects that will precede and then sum up the conference’s plenary sessions. Enclosed you will find the preliminary agenda of topics that will be discussed, with both plenary and working sessions taken into account.
I am confident that by working together to highlight Poland’s role as a multi-faceted European business hub, all partners in the project will benefit in many different ways. Thanks to the range of the topics discussed, the open form of the event and the caliber of its guests and speakers, the conference is carving out a special position for itself among international meetings held in Europe.
Andrzej Jonas
Plenary Session 1
Warsaw Stock Exchange Building - Main Trading Floor
09:15 Opening of debates, welcoming addresses
09:35 Polish Economy in 2012 Compared with Other Economies in the CEE Region and Beyond
09:35 -09:50 Does European Union have a future? Address by Günter Verheugen, co-chairman of the Conference Program Council, former EU Commissioner for Enlargement
09:50 - 10:05 Crisis scenarios. Address by Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, co-chairman of the Conference Program Council, former Polish prime minister, now chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Council
10:05 - 10:20 Address by Mikołaj Budzanowski, Minister of Treasury
10:20 - 10:35 Address by the mayor of Warsaw: Warsaw as the most rapidly developing, innovative capital city in the EU
10:35 - 11:20 Panel discussion with the participation of experts and industry professionals: The Polish Economy Compared to Other Economies in the CEE Region and Beyond - State of Play and Prospects
Invited participants: Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, Gunter Verheugen, Jerzy Buzek, Ludwik Sobolewski, Jan Kulczyk, Henryka Bochniarz
Moderation: Andrzej Jonas, The Warsaw Voice
Working/Themed Session
Main Trading Floor
NewConnect Room
Catalyst Room
1. WSE Block: Financial Emerging Markets. (Warsaw as a New Global Tiger?)
2. WSE Block - continuation (Banking and Financial System)
1. Poland as a Hub for Interregional Cooperation? Yes!
2. Poland as Regional BPO Leader: Prospects for the Future
1. Poland as a Trendsetter for Real Estate Markets in the CEE Region
2. The Heart of Europe: Transport, Logistics, Infrastructure
15:40 Plenary Session 2:Poland in the Eyes of International Partners - Pros and Cons of Doing Business with Poland and in Poland
15:40 - 15.55 Report/dossier
16:10 - 17:10 Panel Discussion: Guenter Verheugen, Danuta Huebner, Xavier Devictor, World Bank, Daniel Roderick, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
Moderation: Jack Ewing, International Herald Tribune, New York Times Global Edition
17:10 -17.25 Summary and closing of the conference
This Agenda is a subject of future updates and changes
Prof. Günter Verheugen, Former Vicepresident of European Commission, Commissioner 1999-2011 He started his political carrier in 1969 after having worked as a journalist and having studied history and political sciences. He was a member of the German Bundestag from 1983 until 1999, where he hold a number of senior postos and was mainly dealing with foreign and security policy and European affairs.He was appointed Minister of State for European affairs in the Foreign Office in 1998. In 1999 he became a member of the European Commission, responsible for enlargement until 2004. In 2002 he also took over the responsibility for the European neighbourhood policy. In his second term in the European Commission, from 2004 to 2011 he served as Vice-President and was in charge of enterprise and industry. In this capacity he was the European chairperson of the Transatlantic Economic Council as of 2007. He is now an honorary professor of Viadrina University in Frankfurt/Oder. He have published a number of books and essays on European and other issues.
Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Council
Former Polish prime minister, minister for European integration, one of the founders of the Liberal-Democratic Congress and Freedom Union parties, and an executive director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London, Jan Krzysztof Bielecki has been a prominent figure in Poland’s political and economic circles for over 20 years. From October 2003 to January 2010 he was president of Pekao SA bank.
In November 2009 he was appointed Chairman of the Council of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). PISM is a leading Central European think tank dealing with foreign policy, European integration, security and international economic relations.
In March 2010, he was appointed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk as chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Council. The main task of the Economic Council is to provide the prime minister with independent and objective advice on the government’s current and planned activities. The Council also assesses Poland’s social and economic situation in reference to developments taking place in Europe and in the global economy.
Since 2010 Bielecki has lectured at the University of Gdańsk. In 2010, Polish President Bronisław Komorowski conferred on him Poland’s highest distinction, the Order of the White Eagle. The same year, he also received the Merito Bene distinction from the foreign minister.
Regular Sponsorship Packages*
Golden Silver Supporting
Participation of the sponsor’s representative in a discussion panel agreed on with the organizer + - -
Advertisement in a special section of The Warsaw Voice about to the conference – issue to be distributed among conference participants (full color) 1 page half page quarter page
Advertisement or a sponsored 1 page/half page/quarter page article in a conference booklet to be published specially for the Conference (full color) 1 page half page quarter page
Presentation of the sponsor’s promotional materials at the conference - in the registration zone - form and scale to be agreed max. space 3m2
The sponsor’s logo to be displayed in the conference room largest space 75% of the Golden Sponsor’s space 50% of the Golden Sponsor’s space
Number of reserved registrations to the conference offered to the sponsor 10 6 3
The sponsor’s logo to be placed:
in The Warsaw Voice issue containing a report from the conference with a thank-you note for the sponsor;
in the conference booklet to be published especially for the conference;
on invitations to be sent to prospective participants in the conference;
on the board to be placed at the entrance to the conference room;
on the official website of the conference (www.warsaweconomichub.eu);
in all press advertisements and promotional materials;
in a multimedia presentation during the conference.
largest space 75% of the Golden Sponsor’s space 50% of the Golden Sponsor’s space
Special discount on the purchase of advertising space in a special section about the conference to be published by the International Herald Tribune daily - global edition. 50% 40% 30%
Price of the Package € 12,000 + VAT € 8,500 + VAT € 6,000 + VAT
To register go to
www.warsaweconomichub.eu
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line242
|
__label__wiki
| 0.717721
| 0.717721
|
King Street Metro, VA Real Estate
The King Street Metro community is located at the bottom of Shooter’s Hill, between the Braddock Road Metro station and the Eisenhower Avenue Station. Until 1991, when the Blue Line was expanded to Van Dorn Street, only the Yellow Line served the community. Today, the King Street Metro community is accessible on both the Blue and Yellow Lines.
The King Street Metro community is predominantly composed of commercial office buildings and several mid to high-rise apartment complexes. There are older townhouses along Harvard and Peyton Streets, and a mix of old and new townhouses on West and Prince Streets.
King Street Metro means convenience. Without saying too much, residents in the King Street Metro community have unprecedented access to metro rail. King Street is seconds away, as well as its numerous restaurants. Take a walk down towards the heart of Old Town for a visit to The Old Town Theatre or The Lyceum. Stop by the Butcher’s Block for fresh meats and The Fromagerie for cheese. Whole Foods is right around the corner.
Forgive us for repeating ourselves. From the King Street Metro community one can easily find their way to the King Street Metro station. The streets of Old Town are easily navigable by car. I-495 is less than five minutes away. Head north on the G.W. Parkway for a ten-minute drive to D.C. Two Metro stops to Reagan National Airport.
View all King Street Metro Listings
SEARCH FOR LISTINGS IN KING STREET METRO
463 OLD TOWN COURT
715 WASHINGTON STREET S B-20
612 COLUMBUS STREET S
There are no open houses.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line245
|
__label__wiki
| 0.744636
| 0.744636
|
Click here to see litigation history
Glaser Business
Club Car Kicks Golf Carts into High Gear
Club Car came into the picture when it was founded in Houston, Texas in 1958. Bill Stevens, Jr. purchased the company shortly after its founding, eventually moving operation operations over to Augusta, Georgia in the 1960s. It is in Augusta where Club Car’s primary headquarters resides to this day. In the 1970s, ownership of Club Car went from Bill Stevens to an executive group from EZGO with goals of operating its own business. It was under this ownership where Club Car flourished, transitioning and building a reputation as a highly regarded and trailblazing player in the golf cart industry. This… Read More
Catherines: Affordable Fashion for Full-Figured Women
The department store Catherines was already concentrating its efforts on carving a distinct name for itself by catering to full-figured women well before everyone else decided to jump on the bandwagon. During the 1960s, a tenacious woman going by the name of Catherine Weaver set her sights on opening a small Memphis based boutique. Being a plus size woman herself, Weaver wanted to create a synthesis of beauty, style, and self-assurance to clients whose options when it came to fashion were significantly limited at the time. Catherine Weaver’s rolling of the dice ultimately yielded positive results. Nearly 400 Catherines stores… Read More
Uncle Julio’s Redefines Tex-Mex Cuisine
Robert V. Glaser’s illustrious career has included his time working with an experienced team that was tasked with making a number of profitable investments, the Mexican food restaurant chain Uncle Julio’s is one of them. Dallas, Texas would serve as the flagship home of the Mexican restaurant chain better known as Uncle Julio’s, which made its debut in the 1980s. Seemingly experiencing few if any of the growing pains restaurants often endure as they develop a loyal customer base and achieve success, Uncle Julio’s achieved a level of popularity quite rapidly after opening for business. With its much-acclaimed margarita/sangria drink… Read More
Atlas Air and Its High Flying Success
The founding of Atlas Air Worldwide took place in 1992 thanks to the efforts of businessman Michael A. Chowdry. In the early 90s, there was very little attention centered around freight hauling in the passenger airline industry, something which drove Chowdry into taking advantage of the opportunity to find success in the air cargo sector. As a result, Atlas Air was born. During its early days, the company began to develop by leasing aircrafts to airlines with contracts based on Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance (ACMI). These types of contracts are referred to as wet leasing. The Boeing 747-200 became… Read More
The Impressive Success of Sur La Table
In 1972, a woman named Shirley Collins took the initiative of launching the retail company Sur La Table in Seattle. Collins oversaw the opening of the inaugural retail location in the downtown area. It was during the late 1980s that Sur La Table would go on to spearhead its first mail-order catalog. Collins eventually sold Sur La Table in 1995 which was also when the company launched its second retail location, this time located in Berkeley, California. I took another four years before Sur La Table established itself online and launched its official website. By the early 2000s, Sur La… Read More
The Colorful History of Club Car
In 1958, the founding of Club Car took place in Houston, Texas. Shortly thereafter, the company fell under the ownership of Bill Stevens, Jr. after he purchased it. Stevens oversaw the transitioning of company operations from Houston to Augusta, Georgia during the early 1960s. Since moving to Augusta, Club Car’s primary headquarters has remained there to this day. Club Car once again switched hands during the 1970s when it was purchased by an executive group from EZGO that was looking to operate its own business. During this tome Club Car eventually became a respected and powerful player in the golf… Read More
The Runaway Success of Uncle Julio’s
Robert V. Glaser’s illustrious career has included his time working with an experienced team that was tasked with making a number of profitable investments, the Mexican food restaurant chain Uncle Julio’s is one of them. It was in Dallas, Texas where Uncle Julio’s first opened its doors back in the late 1980s. Managing to avoid many of the struggled that new restaurants must contend with as they grow in popularity, Uncle Julio’s quickly became a highly frequented eatery shortly after opening. Riding the success of the much-beloved margarita/sangria drink called the “The Swirl”, the restaurant became a Dallas sensation of… Read More
Catherines: Stylish Clothing for Plus Size Women
During the course of his illustrious career, Robert V. Glaser was an integral player in a team that made several high-end investments, one of these investments was the plus size clothing and fashion department store Catherines. Catherines achieved its rightful place in the history books by concentrating its efforts on full-figured women at a time when plus size fashion wasn’t necessarily considered to be “en vogue”. It was the year 1960 when an entrepreneurial woman going by the name of Catherine Weaver took it upon herself to open a small boutique located in Memphis, Tennessee. Since Weaver herself fell under… Read More
The Global Gucci Empire
The famous Gucci name comes from its founder Guccio Gucci, fashion designer and businessman who founded the company in 1921. Gucci was inspired by the luggage guests brought in during his time working at a hotel. His first foray into retail and fashion consisted of a shop which concentrated on selling fine leather goods tinged with an undeniably classic style. Gucci would eventually employ his sons to assist with increasing the company’s reach, broadening its reach into Rome, Milan, and Florence. Thanks to its tremendous, Gucci’s sons took the reins and continued to expand into the 1950s, eventually New York… Read More
Sur La Table’s Ongoing Success
During his career, Robert V. Glaser worked extensively with the company of Investcorp. Investcorp’s portfolio has at one time or another included well over 100 investments totaling nearly $40 billion in transaction value. One of these investments is kitchenware product company Sur La Table. Sur La Table was founded by a woman named Shirley Collins in 1972, who opened the first retail location in the downtown area before moving to the waterfront Pike Place Market in 1980. In the late 80s, the company launched its first mail-order catalog. In 1995, Collins sold Sur La Table. That same year, the company… Read More
COREY CONSULTING
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line249
|
__label__wiki
| 0.896548
| 0.896548
|
Home Sport Sackings and Caretaker Managers: Is Ole Gunnar Go?
Sackings and Caretaker Managers: Is Ole Gunnar Go?
By William Jacks -
Image courtesy of Tor Atle Kleven via Wikimediacommons
With most of the Premier League teams, each has had a moment in which an unpopular or underachieving manager at a club has been harangued by fans, scoured by the press and left an unsatisfying taste in the mouths of the top brass. A manager has become one of the most slapdash positions in all of sports, since most of the clubs expect the next manager to hit the ground running and win them all the silverware there is to offer. The most difficult league to make it as a successful manager that keeps their job for more than three seasons is the most competitive league in the world: The Premier League. I mean let’s face it, if West Ham United beat Manchester City, Pellegrini could still get sacked. If Hertha Berlin smash Bayern München 3-0, Pal Dardai stays as Hertha manager for another 5 seasons and is considered a hero. The torch of the Premier league title is constantly passed around, which always leaves at least six teams disappointed. Claudio Ranieri can’t win another league title at Leicester? Sacked. Antonio Conte can’t make the Champions League spot despite winning the league in his first season? Sacked. Take Huddersfield from the bottom half of the Championship to the top division for the first time since 1972, avoid relegation in the first season but end up in the relegation zone partway through the following season? Sacked.
BBC Sport released an article in November asking if it was weird that no one had been sacked yet. The same BBC Article stated that in the last decade, only one club that sacked their manager by November finished the season without any improvement: West Brom last season. Funnily enough, the day after this BBC article was released (titled ‘Premier League: Is It Unusual That No Manager Has Been Sacked Yet?’), Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked. It’s fair to say that November sackings are a safe bet, since a new manager that can revitalise the squad and the mentality of confidence that may have gone astray with the previous manager. There tends to be a trend with the relegation zone teams in which they desperately need to stay up in the top division for that sweet sweet TV deal money that can completely restructure the club’s facilities and change the club’s future forever. It doesn’t matter if you brought the club from rack and ruin to Premier League mid-table after years of gruelling graft, if you’re 18th by December, with a snap of the fingers all loyalties disappear and you’ve been replaced by Alan Pardew. The website thesackrace.com monitors all management sackings in the football league, from the first sacking Gary Bowyer at Blackpool to the 28th: David Wagner at Huddersfield.
Out of the four managerial outings so far this season, only one was from a side in the top half of the Premier League: Manchester United’s José Mourinho. He didn’t have any chances to win any silverware, they lost to title contenders Liverpool which meant he had to go. Couldn’t give it to Giggsy til the end of the season since he’s living his best life as Wales coach, so step in Ole Gunnar Solksjær. Who else but the ultimate super sub himself, who scored 91 goals in 235 appearances for the Devils. As a caretaker manager, he’s set the club record at United for most consecutive wins within his first games in charge, so he’s hit the ground running in an exciting way for United fans. He recently blasted through a vulnerable Arsenal side to take them to the FA Cup final. Please note that the last time United won the F.A. Cup back in 2016, purple card holders had the chance to catch a selfie with the F.A. cup itself on campus.
However, is Solksjær’s success beneficial for the club’s future? Managers have come and gone at United, and each have been hyper-scrutinised and compared with Fergie’s records and achievements constantly. Mourinho’s style of sitting back, letting the opposing team keep the ball and pressurise them into making mistakes; although wasn’t the most entertaining style for United fans; kept them top six, out of the Champions’ League group stages and kept them in the running in the F.A. Cup. Mourinho’s style wasn’t perfect, in fact it was ironic since it was Lukaku who tended to make all the mistakes compared to opposition sides, but him getting fired wasn’t because of the results in the league. Mourinho fit the anti-hero, controversial and devilish persona, but his style of play wasn’t Fergie’s. The amount of money spent on an underperforming squad was a major factor, don’t get me wrong, but the fans want a Fergie style of Scottish attacking dominance and constant reinvention. Will Solksjær be a plastic Fergie or the next big attacking manager like Jürgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola?
With the aura of a bygone Fergie golden era, you can’t blame United fans for wanting to keep their Norwegian wonder boy in his coach position. I think that it’s safe to say that the biggest fixtures to look forward to in the United fixture calendar are the Champions League legs against PSG, the game at home to Manchester City in March, and most importantly, the game at home to Liverpool at the end of February. How Ole constructs a game plan in the match that lost Mourinho his job is the biggest test. If he wins that game, he’s sure to keep his job at United, especially if they finish top 4. I mean, as caretaker managers go, he’s better than Craig Shakespeare.
Previous articleTanking: A beginner’s guide
Next articleFor Libo: Roma Review
William Jacks
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line253
|
__label__wiki
| 0.677732
| 0.677732
|
Nieuhof, Johannes15
Indonesia--Jakarta Raya--Jakarta [remove]15
Batavia15
hospitals4
government buildings2
You searched for: Image Geographic Information: Indonesia--Jakarta Raya--Jakarta Image Keyword: architecture
1. Voyages and travels, into Brasil, and the East-Indies: containing, an exact description of the Dutch Brasil, and divers parts of the East-Indies; their provinces, cities, living creatures, and products; the manners, customs, habits, and religion of the inhabitants: with a most particular account of all the remarkable passages that happened during the author's stay of nine years in Brasil; especially, in relation to the revolt of the Portugueses, and the intestine war carried on there from 1640. to 1649. As also, a most ample description of the most famous city of Batavia, in the East-Indies Page 310
Nieuhof, Johannes
London, Printed for A. and J. Churchill, 1703, pg. 310
2. Voyages and travels, into Brasil, and the East-Indies: containing, an exact description of the Dutch Brasil, and divers parts of the East-Indies; their provinces, cities, living creatures, and products; the manners, customs, habits, and religion of the inhabitants: with a most particular account of all the remarkable passages that happened during the author's stay of nine years in Brasil; especially, in relation to the revolt of the Portugueses, and the intestine war carried on there from 1640. to 1649. As also, a most ample description of the most famous city of Batavia, in the East-Indies Page 310B
London, Printed for A. and J. Churchill, 1703, pg. 310B
7. Voyages and travels, into Brasil, and the East-Indies: containing, an exact description of the Dutch Brasil, and divers parts of the East-Indies; their provinces, cities, living creatures, and products; the manners, customs, habits, and religion of the inhabitants: with a most particular account of all the remarkable passages that happened during the author's stay of nine years in Brasil; especially, in relation to the revolt of the Portugueses, and the intestine war carried on there from 1640. to 1649. As also, a most ample description of the most famous city of Batavia, in the East-Indies Page 306F
London, Printed for A. and J. Churchill, 1703, pg. 306F
Read page 306F
10. Voyages and travels, into Brasil, and the East-Indies: containing, an exact description of the Dutch Brasil, and divers parts of the East-Indies; their provinces, cities, living creatures, and products; the manners, customs, habits, and religion of the inhabitants: with a most particular account of all the remarkable passages that happened during the author's stay of nine years in Brasil; especially, in relation to the revolt of the Portugueses, and the intestine war carried on there from 1640. to 1649. As also, a most ample description of the most famous city of Batavia, in the East-Indies Page 306C
London, Printed for A. and J. Churchill, 1703, pg. 306C
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line255
|
__label__wiki
| 0.582214
| 0.582214
|
Board index The Films Silents & PreCodes
James Cagney's pre-code films
CoffeeDan
Contact CoffeeDan
Postby CoffeeDan » March 26th, 2018, 11:24 am
Years ago, when I read James Cagney's autobiography Cagney by Cagney, I was rather disheartened by his dismissal of his pre-code work (up to 1934). He complained about how quickly and cheaply they were made -- admittedly, some had only a 2-3 week shooting schedule ("Hell, we could have phoned them in!" he said at one point). But when I read the contemporary reviews of his pre-1934 output, plus a glorifying profile of Cagney in Collier's magazine circa 1932, I got a most different impression of his early work.
I didn't see most of Cagney's early movies until I discovered TCM in 1997, when he was Star of the Month for the first time, but I kept an eye out for his pre-code work. And I was not disappointed. In fact, many of those early films -- pictures like DOORWAY TO HELL, BLONDE CRAZY, WINNER TAKE ALL, TAXI!, and LADY KILLER -- are still among my all-time favorite Cagney performances. They're "full of firecrackers!", as he says in WINNER TAKE ALL. Compared to these, his later performances in ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, THE ROARING TWENTIES, and even EACH DAWN I DIE seem mannered and self-conscious. The Warner Brothers knew what they were doing when they started casting Cagney in these short, snappy, and invigorating pictures early in his career. The later "masterpieces" wouldn't have been possible had he not made these breezy numbers first.
I've been rewatching them a lot in recent weeks and will start discussing my favorites here. You come along, too!
movieman1957
Re: James Cagney's pre-code films
Postby movieman1957 » March 31st, 2018, 9:21 am
It's been awhile since I have seen most of them. I do recall enjoying watching pre-Cagney Cagney. There is enough of the later Cagney to see how he developed. When I found out he could dance, well, that was something quite different.
I will have to get busy if I am going to keep up but carry on.
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
Postby CoffeeDan » March 31st, 2018, 9:45 am
Chris, I've had to fall back and regroup, too. One thing I have found in watching Cagney's pre-codes is how many of them hark back to THE PUBLIC ENEMY, Cagney's 5th film and his first, defining hit from 1931. (As an example, several subsequent Cagney films use the song "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" as background music, and I don't think that's a coincidence.)
It colors a lot of what comes after, so I am taking a fresh look at PUBLIC ENEMY as a touchstone for this thread. After 87 years, I don't know if I can say anything new about it. But I just got the Blu-ray, so we'll see what happens!
THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931): The flash point of Cagney's career
Postby CoffeeDan » April 7th, 2018, 4:05 pm
As I started to watch James Cagney's pre-code films anew, one common aspect stood out -- each one had at least one element that referred back to Cagney's first big hit. I was going to start out with a few sentimental favorites, but then realized I couldn't go on without a look at . . .
THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931). Trailer, opening credits, and we're off:
This is the 1931 film that made Cagney -- and grapefruit -- a star. His four previous pictures cast him in supporting roles, usually as the best friend of the star. The best of these was THE DOORWAY TO HELL, where he played the buddy and triggerman of up-and-coming gangleader Lew Ayres.
THE PUBLIC ENEMY almost repeated that formula. The movie was based on a best-selling novel, Beer and Blood, written by two Chicago newspaper reporters, Kubec Glasmon and John Bright, based on the careers of Chicago beer barons Frankie Lake and Terry Druggan, the inseparable, dapper leaders of the Valley Gang. Glasmon and Bright had come to Hollywood to adapt their novel for the screen, which depicted the rise and fall of gangster Tom Powers, played by Eddie Woods, and his pal Matt Doyle, played by Cagney. However, early in rehearsals, Glasmon and Bright felt the two main roles had been miscast, so they told director William Wellman that Woods and Cagney should switch roles. With an OK from producer Darryl Zanuck, the switch was made -- and so was Cagney's future.
Seen today, Cagney is the main reason for watching this picture. When he is not on screen, the picture looks like the stodgy early talkie that it would have been without his presence. He strides into a scene, steps on the other actors' lines, and generally acts like he owns the joint. His defining gesture is a soft right jab he uses in an affectionate manner (you can see it in the opening credits, above). Even his mother (Beryl Mercer) returns it in one scene.
Several scenes from THE PUBLIC ENEMY became in-jokes in Cagney's subsequent films. For instance, the rising young gangster is fitted for a new suit, a definite pre-code moment:
(This scene was slightly shortened in reissues dating from the 1940's, but was restored for the DVD release in 2005.)
Then there's the grapefruit scene with Mae Clarke, which launched a thousand bad jokes. What amazed me the first time I saw THE PUBLIC ENEMY was how short this scene really is -- about the last 10 seconds of this clip. This scene is actually taken directly from the novel Beer and Blood. Co-writer John Bright says it was inspired by a story he heard from gangster "Little Hymie" Weiss about how he shoved a grapefruit into his girl's face. Cagney relates in his autobiography that Lew Brice, who was married to Mae Clarke at the time, would buy a ticket to see the film every day, leaving just after the grapefruit scene, "grinning from ear to ear."
What's even more amazing is the persistence of that scene -- it followed Cagney for nearly his whole career, right up to his intended final movie ONE, TWO, THREE (1961), where he threatens Horst Buckholz with a grapefruit. Countless people, seeing Cagney eating out, would order grapefruit sent to his table, which he happily ate.
When his pal Matt is killed by Schemer Burns's gang, Tom seeks revenge. First he "buys" a new gun. Note the way he goes back and forth between the "innocent" and his real vengeful self in this scene:
Then he follows the gang to a private function and waits his chance. His thirst for revenge, the rain, and the resultant gunfight force Tom to an uncomfortable conclusion: "I ain't so tough!"
I would post the justifibly famous conclusion, but I'm no party pooper. (And I think I may have reached my limit for video clips, too!)
Critical response to THE PUBLIC ENEMY was mixed. Andre Sennwald described it in The New York Times as "Just another gangster film . . . Weaker than most in its story, stronger than most in its acting." Frederick James Smith said pretty much the same thing in Liberty magazine: "Another gangster yarn -- and rather more of a shocker than most of its predecessors . . . The final kick of THE PUBLIC ENEMY is something to haunt your choicest nightmare." And Variety described the film as "[The] roughest, most powerful and best gang picture to date. So strong as to be repulsive in some aspects, plus a revolting climax. No strong cast names, but a lot of merit."
Well, there it is. Now we can put the rest of James Cagney's pre-code films in their proper context. I may expand or revise this post further as this thread goes on, but for now, I'm done, it's up, and I hope you like it!
One final mystery: The Liberty review quoted above is illustrated by a still of Leslie Fenton and Jean Harlow in a cuddly pose. While both actors are in the final film, they have no scenes together. Was this a subplot that ended up on the cutting room floor?
Last edited by CoffeeDan on June 20th, 2018, 6:46 am, edited 2 times in total.
Postby movieman1957 » April 9th, 2018, 6:47 pm
I watched "Jimmy The Gent." Oddball comedy of sorts with Cagney running a business that finds "heirs" to fortunes that aren't supposed to have any. Bette Davis costars.
Streetwise tough guy with a soft spot for Davis shows there is some charm to him all the while finding a way to get a cut of something no one is entitled to collect. He want to learn to be more proper in his manner and speech but you can't take NY out of the boy. He is a fast talker, as is nearly everyone, who knows how to get things done. Scheming and double crossing are specialties.
Maybe he could be the flip side to "The Public Enemy" as he will double cross you but he isn't going to hurt you. This could be one he might have mentioned phoning in. It runs just over an hour and I read he didn't care for the script he does a good job with what he has to work with. Not enough weight to it to carry it any longer. Alan Jenkins is his usual solid self as his sidekick. Hardly memorable but okay.
Postby CoffeeDan » April 15th, 2018, 1:00 pm
Oh man, I love JIMMY THE GENT! I remember seeing it for the first time on TCM, and thinking it was too much of a good thing -- too many firecrackers going off for me. But then I saw it in a theater, and I really enjoyed it to the point that it's one of my favorite Cagney performances. The big screen actually makes more room for all those firecrackers to go off! And that made all that constant action easier to follow.
By the way, the remastered DVD from the Warner Archive looks great, too. I'll have more to say about this one later . . .
But I do want to mention my favorite line from the film, where Bette Davis tells Cagney, "You can go down deeper, stay down longer, and come up dirtier than any other man I know!"
OTHER MEN'S WOMEN (1931): Cagney's first "turn" on the silver screen
Postby CoffeeDan » May 1st, 2018, 7:14 pm
In OTHER MEN'S WOMEN, railroad worker Regis Toomey and his wife, Mary Astor, takes in Regis's fireman Grant Withers, when he is thrown out of his boarding house. Over the next few months Grant falls in love with Mary, which leads to a confrontation between the two men on a moving train, causing an accident that leaves Regis blind. It's a rather bland melodrama with some nice directorial touches from William Wellman (who would later direct Cagney in THE PUBLIC ENEMY), and some great railroad location shooting (Cagney's first scene is on top of a moving train).
The critics weren't kind. Andre Sennwald called it "an unimportant little drama" in the New York Times and Variety damned it with faint praise: "Good railroad melo for the lesser run theatres."
But for me, OTHER MEN'S WOMEN is notable as the first film where Cagney shows off his dancing talents. He doesn't have much to do as Regis Toomey's best friend, but in this minute-long scene, Cagney outshines everybody else in the film. I love his partner's reaction when he whirls her out on the dance floor!
Last edited by CoffeeDan on June 18th, 2018, 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Postby CoffeeDan » June 15th, 2018, 5:00 pm
Hello, SSO! My apologies for my long absence, due to personal and health reasons. But I haven't forgotten about this thread, and I'd like to thank all my fellow Cagney fans for your interest! I've been working on a few more entries, now in various stages of completion, which I hope to post in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I thought you'd like to see this 1931 conversation with Cagney from the "Intimate Interviews" film series:
THE MILLIONAIRE (1931): "Fool the doctors and live forever!"
James Cagney in a pivotal role in THE MILLIONAIRE (his 4th film), immediately preceding his star turn in THE PUBLIC ENEMY. It's less than four minutes long, but he packs a wallop in that short length of time, and his performance really complements that of the star, the great British actor George Arliss.
In the film, Arliss plays automobile magnate John Alden, who is forced into retirement by his family and board members. Restless at rest, his health suffering as well, Alden fights to find a reason for going on until Schofield, the go-getting insurance salesman (Cagney) literally bounds his way into Alden's life and gives him the will and the way to put his idle hands to work again:
Following Schofield's advice, Alden buys a failing gas station, hires Bill Merrick (David Manners) as a partner, and soon business is booming. Alden later finds out that Merrick is in love with his daughter Barbara (Evelyn Knapp) and wants to marry her, but doesn't know Alden is her father. Alden then plays "foxy Grandpa" to the couple to bring the film to a more than satisfying conclusion.
Seen today, THE MILLIONAIRE is a charming and disarming comedy, well worth your attention, but the high point is definitely Cagney's pep-up scene with Arliss, which plays almost like a movie within a movie. It airs occasionally on TCM -- watch for it.
ARLISS ON CAGNEY: "There was a small but important part in THE MILLIONAIRE -- the part of an insurance agent. The scene was entirely with me, and was the turning part of the story. I knew it depended largely on the actor of this small part whether my change of mental attitude would appear convincing. I saw several promising young men without being much impressed one way or the other; but there was one more waiting to be seen; he was a lithe, smallish man. I knew at once he was right; as I talked to him I was sure he could give me everything I wanted. He wasn't acting to me now; he wasn't trying to impress me; he was just being natural, and, I thought, a trifle independent for a bit actor; there was a suggestion of 'Here I am; take me or leave me; and hurry up.' As I came to my decision I remember saying, 'Let him come as he is -- those clothes, and no make-up stuff. Just as he is!' The man was James Cagney. I was lucky!"
--George Arliss, My Ten Years in the Studios
CAGNEY ON ARLISS: "In THE MILLIONAIRE, my only picture with George Arliss, I played a fast-talking insurance man who has to sell a policy and warn Mr. Arliss that he is getting nothing out of life in his retirement. That was my only scene with this great star, and it lasted just two minutes. I wanted it to be good. In the scene, he sits with a shawl about his shoulders, and during the rehearsal, I said, 'Mr. Arliss, may I adjust your shawl if it falls down off your shoulders?' He said, 'Young man, you do anything you like. I trust your judgment implicitly.' Which I thought was awfully nice coming from a grand old trouper to a young guy just beginning to get warm in the business."
--Cagney by Cagney
Postby movieman1957 » June 18th, 2018, 8:13 pm
Thanks for more stuff. Haven't caught another Cagney film recently but you keep bringing it and I'll follow along.
Postby CoffeeDan » June 20th, 2018, 6:32 am
Hey, thanks for chiming in, Chris! I've got two more posts that I'm working on now, and I hope to get those up soon. James Cagney made 17 films before the new MPPDA code became effective in 1934, so obviously I have a long way to go!
But good news for pre-code Cagney fans -- all but two of those films are now available on DVD or Blu-ray! The only exceptions are THE MlLLIONAIRE (covered above) and HE WAS HER MAN, Cagney's last pre-code film from 1934. So far, the only pre-code Cagney on Blu is THE PUBLIC ENEMY. So pre-code Cagney fans have a lot to enjoy!
moira finnie
Contact moira finnie
Postby moira finnie » July 2nd, 2018, 4:36 pm
I loved that electrifying scene between Arliss & Cagney in that early appearance of the star, too. Thank you for this thread. I hope you will have a chance to post about the wonderfully subversive Blonde Crazy (1931) eventually.
Avatar: Frank McHugh (1898-1981)
TCM Movie Morlocks
Sue Sue Applegate
Postby Sue Sue Applegate » July 2nd, 2018, 6:15 pm
Thanks for this lively, lovely thread, CoffeeDan!
Blog: http://suesueapplegate.wordpress.com/
Twitter:@suesueapplegate
TCM Message Boards: http://forums.tcm.com/index.php?/topic/ ... ue-sue-ii/
Sue Sue : https://www.facebook.com/groups/611323215621862/
Thelma Ritter: Hollywood's Favorite New Yorker, University Press of Mississippi-2018
Avatar: Ginger Rogers, The Major and The Minor
BiggieB
Joined: December 1st, 2015, 12:16 am
Postby BiggieB » July 3rd, 2018, 5:43 am
According to the suit-fitting scene, Cagney had a 37" waist and a 33" inseam! Given that he was 5'5, that gives him a very peculiar physique...
Postby CoffeeDan » July 11th, 2018, 2:47 pm
Thanks for your comments, everybody! I really wanted to make this a dialogue among Cagney fans instead of just me blathering on and on, and I'm glad you all came out! Moira, right now I'm taking a closer look at the films Kubec Glasmon and John Bright wrote for Cagney, and BLONDE CRAZY is one of them (and one of my especial favorites), so you can be sure to see something on it in the near future. Good to see you too, Sue Sue and BiggieB! I pray I will not disappoint you as I continue this thread. More to come shortly . . .
Return to “Silents & PreCodes”
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line256
|
__label__cc
| 0.735315
| 0.264685
|
« Doctoroff: Actually, now let’s build that 41st St. 7 train station
As United investigation continues, what future the Newark PATH extension? »
Straphangers’ best and worst; a 1 train shutdown; weekend work
Earlier this week, the Straphangers Campaign handed out their annual subway rankings, and they mysteriously awarded the 7 line the top spot while knocking the B and 5 train to the bottom. It’s confounding to see this rankings because they don’t make much sense. The C and R trains all perform much worse than the B and 5, and the F and G suffer on seat availability and service consistency. The B I take every day, and it’s an average subway line for what it is (which is complementary service along routes with other express or local trains), and the 7 is a packed train suffering from unreliable service due to an array of issues. But that’s all anecdotal anyway.
I’ve had bones to pick with the Straphangers’ methodology in the past, and the awards are designed to garner headlines more than anything else. That a major riders’ advocacy group claims most subway rides aren’t worth the fare is problematic by itself. If you’d like to read their full report, have at it.
Anyway, as Friday night rolls into Saturday, the weekend service advisories are focused around the 1 train, or lack thereof. The MTA has shut down the 1 train for the entire weekend. Alternate service includes the 2, 3, A and C trains, some regular Manhattan buses and free shuttle buses. It’s not ideal for anyone, and the MTA put out a press release calling the work “absolutely critical in order to provide safe, reliable service into the future.” The work includes brick arch repairs at 168 St and 181 St, repairs in the vicinity of 125 St, track panel installation north of 215 St and ongoing Hurricane Sandy recovery work at the South Ferry station. The 2 and 3 will still run local.
Here’s everything, straight for the pens of the MTA:
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, September 18 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, 1 trains are suspended in both directions between Van Cortlandt Park-242 St and South Ferry. Take the 2/3/A/C trains, M3, M100 and free shuttle buses instead. 3 service operates between Chambers St and 148 St overnight.
From 11:30 p.m. Friday, September 18 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, 2 trains run local in both directions between Chambers St and 96 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18 to 7:30 a.m. Sunday, September 20, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, September 20 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, Crown Hts-Utica Av bound 4 trains run express from 125 St to Grand Central-42 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, 5 trains are suspended in both directions between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St. Free shuttle buses operate all weekend between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St, stopping at Baychester Av, Gun Hill Rd, Pelham Pkwy, and Morris Park. Transfer between trains and shuttle buses at E 180 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall bound 6 trains run express from 125 St to Grand Central-42 St.
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, September 19 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, September 20, Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall bound 6 trains run express from Pelham Bay Park to Hunts Point Av.
From 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday, September 19 and from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday, September 20, 6 trains run every 16 minutes between 3 Av-138 St and Pelham Bay Park. The last stop for some trains headed toward Pelham Bay Park is 3 Av-138 St. To continue your trip, transfer at 3 Av-138 St to a Pelham Bay Park-bound 6.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, A trains are suspended in both directions between Euclid Av and Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd. A service operates in two sections between Inwood-207 St and Euclid Av, and between Rockaway Blvd and Far Rockaway every 20 minutes. Free shuttle buses operate between Euclid Av and Lefferts Blvd, stopping at Grant Av, 80 St, 88 St, Rockaway Blvd, 104 St, and 111 St. Transfer between trains and free shuttle buses at Euclid Av and/or Rockaway Blvd.
From 3:45 a.m. Saturday, September 19 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, September 20, Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound D trains are rerouted via the N line from 36 St to Coney Island-Stillwell Av.
From 6:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, World Trade Center-bound E trains skip Briarwood and 75 Av.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, Jamaica-179 St bound F trains run express from Neptune Av to Smith-9 Sts.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, Jamaica-179 St bound F trains run express from W 4 St to 34 St-Herald Sq.
From 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September, 19 and Sunday, September 20, Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound N trains are rerouted via the R line from Canal St to Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr. Trains stop at City Hall, Cortlandt St, Rector St, Whitehall St, Court St, Jay St-MetroTech, and DeKalb Av.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, Astoria-bound N trains are rerouted via the D line from Coney Island-Stillwell Av to 36 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18 to 10:00 p.m. Sunday, September 20, Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound Q trains run express from Prospect Park to Kings Hwy.
From 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, September, 19 and Sunday, September 20, Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound Q trains are rerouted via the R line from Canal St to Dekalb Av.
From 6:30 a.m. to 12 midnight Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, R service is extended to the Jamaica-179 St F station.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, September 18 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, September 20, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, September 19 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, 36 St-bound R trains stop at 53 St and 45 St.
Categories : Service Advisories, Straphangers Campaign
4 Responses to “Straphangers’ best and worst; a 1 train shutdown; weekend work”
alek says:
Also that the late night 3 train service will be extended to Chambers street.
Finally, we converted each line’s summed raw score to a MetroCard Rating. We created a formula with assistance from independent transit experts. A line scoring, on average, at the 50th percentile of the lines for all six measures would receive a MetroCard Rating of $1.75. A line that matched the 90th percentile of this range would be rated $2.75, the current base fare.
That’s incredibly stupid “methodology”.
I can think of lots of ways to calculate the value of a particular ride. All of them are hard and require judgement calls and data. This is just waving your handle at a table and yelling ‘THE METROCARD PRICE IS TOO DAMN HIGH’ and pretending like “independent transit experts” means anything.
In a response in this thread in July 2014
http://secondavenuesagas.com/2.....full-fare/
The rep from Straphangers – Cate Contino – posted
“the MetroCard rating does not seek to make a subjective value judgment of the worth of subway service”
But again this is exactly what they have done.
So, they’re finally fixing the bricks at 181st now? Considering it collapsed only six years ago, that’s pretty quick for them to get to it!
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line260
|
__label__wiki
| 0.50917
| 0.50917
|
Sennaya.com | Forum | Facebook | Twitter |
Russia Travelers
Welcome to expanded Russian travel information and features!
Russia Travelers »
All About Russia and Russian Travel »
Russian Humor »
Russian Mat as a Russian Culture?
Author Topic: Russian Mat as a Russian Culture? (Read 3489 times)
Mariria
Mat (Russian: мат, матерщи́на, ма́терный язы́к) is an obscene patois language used in Russian and other Slavic language communities. Considered to be the strongest form of profanity, mat is censored in the media and use of mat in public constitutes a form of disorderly conduct and punishable.
Despite the public ban, mat is used by Russians of all ages and in all social groups, with particular fervor in male-dominated military and the structurally similar social strata.
The origins of mat are lost in the mists of time.
It is commonly believed that the name mat derives from мать (Romanisation: mat'), the Russian word for "mother". The term might rather come from a word meaning "loud yell", which is now used in only a few expressions such as благим матом.
The use of mat is widespread, especially in the army, the criminal world, and many other all-male milieus.
That mat belongs to the ancient layers of the Russian language (the first written mat words date to Middle Ages[7]). It was first introduced into literature in the 18th century by the poet Ivan Barkov, whose poetry, combining lofty lyrics with brutally obscene words, may be regarded as a forerunner of Russian literary parody.
Then Mikhail Lermontov ("A Holiday in Peterhof" - "Петергофский праздник", 1834)
And so, I will not pay you
However, if you are a simple blyad'
You should consider it an honour
To be acquainted with the cadet's khuy!
read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_mat
Leningrad, a Russian ska/punk band famous for its vulgar lyrics
Leningrad (Russian: Ленинград) were a Russian ska punk band from Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad).
The band appeared in the late 1990s around singer Sergey "Shnur" Shnurov. They soon became famous for their vulgar lyrics containing Russian mat, the main reason they were avoided by most radio stations at first. But this did not stop their growing popularity. As Shnurov said himself: "Our songs are just about the good sides of life, vodka and girls that is."
Sennaya.com | Forum
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line261
|
__label__wiki
| 0.664601
| 0.664601
|
Take me to the pilots
First, apologies to Fienberg for stealing his subject line. Second, like James Poniewozik, I'm looking for an excuse to procrastinate on actual work (in this case, a "Sarah Connor Chronicles" season two review), and so I'm going to take TV Guide's bait and complain about their list of the 10 best TV show pilots ever. After the jump, I'll have the basic list (follow the link to Poniewozik's site to read author Damian Holbrook's justification for each item) followed by a lot of carping.
So, the list:
• "Lost" (ABC)
• "24" (Fox)
• "The Shield" (FX)
• "The Sopranos" (HBO)
• "30 Rock" (NBC)
• "Football Wives" (ABC, never aired)
• "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
• "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
• "ER" (NBC)
• "Alias" (ABC)
Okay, I should acknowledge some things up front. First, all lists like these are designed to provoke people like me to complain about them, which in turn will inspire more people to shell out for a copy of the new issue. Second, all lists like these are biased towards more recent product, partly by dint of the author's age but mostly so younger readers (or readers without long memories) won't feel left out of the discussion. And, third, this isn't technically a list of the 10 best pilots ever, as "SNL" never had a pilot by the strictest definition, and the "Desperate Housewives" and "30 Rock" premieres changed significantly between the actual pilot and what aired as the series premiere. (And in the story, Holbrook makes it clear he's referring to the aired versions.)
All that aside, several of these shows have no business being on this list, a few others are debatable at best, and there are some glaring omissions.
The "SNL" premiere/pilot/whatever bears virtually no resemblance to the series as it is today, or even to what it was by midway through that first season. "I would like to feed your fingertips to the wolverines" is funny, and Andy Kaufman's "Mighty Mouse" bit was revolutionary for the time, but most of the rest is either George Carlin monologues or musical performances.
I haven't seen the "Football Wives" pilot (with Lucy Lawless and Gabrielle Union in a remake of the UK's "Footballers Wives"), so I can't speak to its quality, but based on the title of this blog, I can think of at least one unsold (but not unaired) pilot I'd rank higher.
The "30 Rock" premiere, either with Rachel Dratch or Jane Krakowski, is funny in spots, but wildly uneven, and the show took about a half-season to come together. I would also argue that "The Sopranos" didn't become "The Sopranos" until "College," and while the "Lost" pilot is impressive, it wasn't until "Walkabout" that (for me, at least) it became an obsession.
I'd put the "ER" pilot at or near the top of the list. That thing was just as much of an astonishing technical achievement and primetime game-changer for its day as the "Lost" pilot was a decade later, and the characters (Benton and Ross in particular) were more fully-formed from the jump. Placement for "The Shield" is just about right: it's one of the classic cases of a pilot changing everything you think about an actor, a genre, a network, etc., and forcing you to watch it every week.
I've always been lukewarm on "Desperate Housewives," and I thought Jennifer Garner needed a while to grow into her role on "Alias," so that'd be out, too.
Obvious omissions: Like Poniewozik, I'd put "Freaks and Geeks" on there in a second. (When I wrote about it last summer, I said it was one of the best pilots I'd ever seen in terms of establishing the characters, the world and the tone it would use for the rest of its run.) "Arrested Development," too, especially since it's rare for a great comedy to have a great first episode. (See "Seinfeld," American "The Office," early "Simpsons," etc.) I want to say the "Cheers" pilot was great, though I may just be thinking of the opening scene where Sam cards the teenager. ("What was (Vietnam) like?" "Gross.")
The two-hour "EZ Streets" premiere was the first pilot I watched as a professional critic, and may still be the best. "Homicide" got off to a brilliant start, and Martin Sheen's entrance alone should have the "West Wing" pilot in the discussion. At least one of the two Bochco/Milch cop pilots ("Hill Street Blues" or "NYPD Blue") should be on there, both for their entertainment value and for what they meant to television in general, and if there's room for another Milch pilot, I loved the "Deadwood" opener, with Bullock hanging his prisoner under color of law and our first encounter with Al Swearengen and Wild Bill.
I was able to pry Rich Heldenfels away from his latest "Beverly Hills 90210" classic recap long enough to pick his brain, and he pointed to the first episodes of both "Mission: Impossible" and "Dragnet," both of them with elements that "24" would borrow liberally a few decades later. He also wanted me to mention "Jake's Journey" (written by and starring Graham Chapman from Monty Python) in the great unsold pilots category.
Okay, so what else am I leaving out? Or what do you think I'm throwing out that I shouldn't?
Byron said...
The O.C. Pilot blew my mind back when it aired and is directly responsible for TV being my primary hobby now, but I'm not sure how well it holds up.
bgt said...
If unaired pilots are eligible, "Heat Vision & Jack" has to be a candidate. I have to disagree on both Alias & Lost, I thought both pilots were extremely strong right out of the box. (Just to prove I'm not a JJ Abrams fanboy, I was not nearly as impressed with the Fringe pilot).
I don't know if "33" would count for BSG since it was preceded by the miniseries, but that has to rank as one of the greatest first episodes of all time. The tension of that episode was incredible.
For ER, it may be because I didn't see the pilot until a year or two into the show's run, but I remember it being very slow compared to the pace the show would achieve by the end of Season 1.
I know "It's Always Sunny" isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the pilot does an excellent job of setting the tone & introducing the characters.
No doubt on "The Shield" - I'd put it very high on the list, if for no other reason than the last 30 seconds when Mackey proves that the show is "so wrong".
Shutter said...
I think the unsold and unaired, but, thanks to the internet, widely seen, pilot for Global Frequency is probably a decent candidate for the list.
TiVo Queen said...
I'm not sure if these pilots meet all the criteria of establishing a world, tone, and characters and given my age I'm also going to bias young but I vote for the following:
Veronica Mars (So what if this ends up on every "best" list I have? It's not a bias, I swear!)
Battlestar Galactica (ok, technically a miniseries)
My So Called Life
TL said...
24? Seriously? A plane blows up, Jack keeps driving back and forth between 2 different buildings, and it ends with two cars driving portentously in opposite directions. That's about it.
While I have seen a lot of good t.v. pilots, there are three shows that when seeing the pilot episode I was hooked for the duration of the show:
The OC pilot really was something, though I agree with byron that I'm not sure if it still works.
And to be fair to the Desperate Housewives premiere, when the camera pulled under the pool as the narration talked about secrets that lay beneath I laughed so hard that I watched the whole first season.
If a good pilot tells a viewer what to expect for the rest of the season/series then other show's that pop into my head without really thinking about it include Twin Peaks, ER, Sportsnight, Veronica Mars, Ugly Betty (seriously, the entire show is spelled out in that first hour) and Mad Men (if the pilot hadn't been so amazing I might not have been able to forgive its terrible second episode).
And, Desperate Housewives reminds me, that Dana Delany's two previous shows (Kidnapped and the awesome Pasadena) both had very strong pilots. Actually, China Beach's two hour pilot was pretty amazing as well.
Oh, how could anybody have forgot Twin Peaks! (And, if we're going to delve into unaired pilots, Mulholland Dr.?)
hazmatzak said...
The series took a wrong turn when they introduced Tess late in the first season, and then the second season went off the tracks (with a few standout eps), but the (aired) pilot was spot-on.
Owen said...
I remember being blown away by the "American Gothic" pilot. I wonder if I saw it today whether I would feel the same.
EZ Streets
China Beach
Freaks & Geeks
DolphinFan said...
"The West Wing" is the best pilot I've ever seen. It was the precursor to what was the probably the best two-year stretch any network TV drama has ever had, but also a reminder that Aaron Sorkin's show was never really the same after the 9/11 attacks.
"My Name Is Earl" is the best comedy pilot in recent years. If Greg Garcia is serious about Season 4 returning to the basics of The List and it's anything like the debut show, that'd be great news.
Other pilots I really liked are "Nip/Tuck", "Futurama", "Survivor" (yeah, they had to buy the entire run in 2000, but it was still the first episode and still kicked ass), "NYPD BLUE" and the original "CSI".
A really bad pilot for a good show was "Friends". It doesn't hold up at ALL and none of the Gang of Six is anywhere near as funny in it as they were later on.
Totally showing my bias here, but Six Feet Under, Dexter, Moonlighting, Northern Exposure should also make the list.
I'd also agree with BSG except for that whole mini-series deal :) Unfair advantage.
I'm undecided about the Cosby Show- that was a bit uneven as well, but it did a lot in the time it had.
Thinking through this, I'm struck by how many shows I've genuinely enjoyed have bad to at best uneven pilots. It's a wonder anything ever gets made.
JustMe said...
"You got spunk...I hate spunk" that entire scene is hilarious - and I don't have to name the show and you know it and you're laughing.
But it's old, and as you said, these lists don't like old.
So, for more recent shows: Mad Men, 24, The Nine (remember that- great pilot, but...), The West Wing & Studio 60 (another but...), Six Feet Under.
Is it that sitcoms take a while to gel? Is that why there are so few memorable sitcom pilots?
My problem with this list is that it's very, very recent shows. What about classics like THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW or TAXI, which had great pilots?
I do love unaired pilots -- I practically memorized both THE GREATEST SHOWS YOU NEVER SAW specials. I have Lee Goldberg's first book of unsold TV pilots, which inspired the specials, though I haven't picked up the second.
One I am obsessed with, though it is hardly brilliant, is SHANGRI-LA PLAZA, a bizarro musical sitcom from 1990 featuring a singing Melora Hardin. The opening credits alone will sear themselves on your corneas.
You can watch it in three parts on YouTube starting here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhOa_i12GtY
I am still waiting for JAKE'S JOURNEY to materialize online -- it was the last project for both Monty Python's Graham Chapman and legendary director Hal Ashby. Anyone know anything about it?
Seconding Twin Peaks. I just rewatched the pilot and it reminded me just how hard my mind was blown when I watched it in 1990.
The Nine had an amazing pilot, too, but the series fizzled out almost immediately.
Does "Rose," the first episode of the new Doctor Who, count as a pilot?
Pushing Daisies, Battlestar Galactica and Friday Night Lights would definitely make my list.
And this talk about TV Guide making a best pilots list got me thinking that someone should make a list of the best TV title sequences. I would list my top 10 here but I think a lot of people would mistake it for a top 10 pilots list. Maybe you could do one, Alan.
Watching Leo's entrance scene into the White House in "The West Wing" Pilot changed everything for me.
Never had I seen such attention to detail as well as an abundance of issues thrown at the viewer to catch up with. It just blew me away.
-Jan
Matthew L said...
What about the pilot for Twin Peaks? You can feel television being reinvented as you watch it. By the end of the episode, you're drawn into a compelling mystery, you've have good introductions to a huge cast, all the key conflicts are set up. It's hilarious in parts, disturbing in others, frequently upsetting and haunting. It's a pretty good representation of what the show turned out like, the show's uncomfortable disorienting mix of comedy and horror (the only significant element of the show that they introduced later was the sheer surreal element of the Red Room). The fact that the show beame such a hit really shows what a great job the pilot did in making an impossible series accessible.
David J. Loehr said...
It's funny, when it comes to unaired pilots, people (including Poniewozik) keep bringing up "Heat Vision and Jack" and "Lookwell." I've seen them both, they're amusing, but it's pretty clear why they never went to series. They don't work for the full length of their pilots, what would episode two be like? Or, as Ken Levine likes to say, what would the seventh season opener be?
And yes, "What's Alan Watching" was a lot of fun. I would have liked to see their seventh season opener.
My favorite pilots, in no particular order:
and I'm grasping for a tenth one...
But in all of those, the pilot really does encapsulate the series. Cheers was a good pilot, but Frasier was a great one in that it had to reinvent and ground the character, and it did so with style and wit.
And worst pilots for great shows? 30 Rock is close, but "Head of the Family," which became the Dick Van Dyke Show, might have to be at the top of the list...
By the way, sorry about that. When I first read the post, noone had mentioned Twin Peaks, but it took me a while to get around to posting, and in the meantime it seems several people raised it. So sorry about the repetition.
That sounds familiar, but I can't think what the show was.
stevie said...
I saw the pilots for Studio 60 and 30 Rock the same night (the one with Dratch, in 30 Rock's case) and remembered thinking "Well, I can't wait to watch the former every week and the latter's terrible!" Of course, I gave up on Studio 60 three episodes in and may as well have a counter on my laptop for 30 Rock's third season premiere. Pilots aren't always good predictors, huh?
My top pilot is definitely Twin Peaks. No matter how many times I've seen it, I still get chills when Jack Nance can barely spit out the words "wrapped in plastic."
Mads said...
Veronica Mars is probably the best pilot I've ever seen (and I agree that the "Freaks and Geeks," and "Arrested Development" pilots were great.) The compelling first season main mystery was laid out, the characters were introduced in a way that was organic and interesting, and the voice-overs were great from the get-go. They also introduced the Veronica-rape story line in a way that felt real and emotional without being over-dramatic. A lesser-show would have turned all that story line into a soap opera, but VM hit all the right notes with it. On many great shows, the pilot is just a starting point that gets you interested and maybe has a hint of the brilliance that's to come (like on one of my favorite shows, "How I Met Your Mother.") But the "Veronica Mars" pilot is one of my favorite episodes of the entire series (and the series was excellent). I'm still holding out hope for a movie.
sueb said...
Mine, and it's recent, was the pilot for The Riches. The writing, the acting, the unusual world that it exposes are just incredible. Unfortunately, the show itself didn't keep up.
Vlada said...
I agree on "My So-Called Life" and "Once and Again," but I'm going to suggest something a bit more left field: "Everwood."
It was beautifully shot, wonderfully acted and thoughtfully written. I got the tone and characters right away. And it wasn't your typical WB family drama. It was raw and sad and angry. You had Ephram calling his father a dick to his face.
Definitely a precursor of Greg Berlanti's bright future.
Firefly, the 2 hour real pilot.
Both "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" are very strong pilots, though both have significant differences from the Star Trek that aired.
I'd definitely agree with both Hill St. Blues and Six feet Under.
And for all the faults of the rest of the series, the original pilot for the original Battlestar Galactica was pretty groundbreaking.
Chip Chandler said...
I remember "Profit" absolutely blowing me away, and I'd agree with the "MTM" and "West Wing" additions.
Some that made me take that second look... or just to see more of the characters:
nfieldr said...
NYPD Blue has to be on any top 10 list of pilots. First, it totally changed network TV dramas (at least, IMHO). And second, it has to be listed just because of the pre-release "hype"... including some ABC stations not showing it and the infamous Widmon (IIRC) led protests.
vman said...
Hmm, for me...
Studio 60 (the series died quick, but damn, I still adore the pilot)
Though number one, for me, would be The West Wing. There are a number of scenes that do it for me, including the reveal of Martin Sheen as the president, but one part has always stuck with me: "POTUS, who's that? The President of the United States", and then the cut to the intro.
Note: In retrospect, I love The Wire pilot, but it took me a while to 'get' the show, just because from the get go it was so intense.
I would definitely keep ER and Lost. I was lukewarm on Doctor shows and ER got me form the beginning to the end. That Pilot alone made it the huge hit is was.
Lost's first episode grabbed me form the opening scene and never let go.
I would add The X Files. Nearly perfect in its introducing the series.
Deep Space 9 had the best of the Star Trek Pilots. Opens with a bang (battle of Wolf 359), good sci fi story and the ending makes you say, "I want to see what happens next week!"
Freaks & Geeks of course, but that goes without saying here :-)
Buffy's pilot was also very solid.
I feel so lame, but I just dragged out the first season West Wing disc, and I see what really got me (I think my mouth was hanging open out of sheer awe) - the ridiculously long walk and talk at the start.
Twin Peaks, absolutely.
Don't know if it's Top 10, but I totally adored the Reaper pilot. Then.... well....
Alan David Doane said...
The Prisoner, Twin Peaks and The Shield would all make my list...
Jeff L said...
Am I reading the right blog? How could you (of all people) not include The Wire, Alan??!?!
Dave S said...
Friday Night Lights might be my all-time favorite pilot. It was just so perfectly filmed.
I also was immediately sucked in by the pilots for Battlestar Galactica (if that counts) and in hindsight the Wire, although I'm not sure anyone was sucked in by the first episode alone, so it probably shouldn't be on the list.
The Sopranos belongs on the list. It might not have been fully formed out of the gate, but it's characters were rich and I was immediately taken with the dialog, the actors, really everything about it. Lost had that going on too, although I agree that I wasn't on board for good until Walkabout. But just because the pilot wasn't the best episode of the series (or even the season) shouldn't disqualify it.
Where the comedy love?
For me the choice is easy. The best pilot ever has got to be Alias. People forget how unconventional it was. It was almost like a feature length movie. By today standards, the whole time-shifting story-telling style is overdone in too many shows. But back then it was still cool. Plus, lets face it. Jenifer Garner really looked hot back then.
"Heroes" grabbed me from the pilot episode.
Of course, I don't watch it any more...
As I said in my review of the penultimate episode of season one, the whole of The Wire is always greater than the sum of its parts, and its besides the point to isolate specific episodes as being stronger than the rest. Plus, it's a show where even the creator admits you needed to get to episode 3 or 4 to really appreciate it, which would automatically disqualify it from this discussion.
Best drama ever, not best pilot ever.
Given that most of my favorites have been named (esp. Twin Peaks, Hill St. and ER), can I go out of the box and nominate the Survivor pilot? *That's* an hour that introduced a new way of storytelling, a cast of compelling characters and grabbed you.
I'll add on to the raves for West Wing's pilot. Is there a better way to introduce the character of Jed Bartlett than having him burst into the room bellowing, "I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before me?"
Also, I'll remind you of one you were just talking about: Titus. The pilot, where Titus is afraid Ken's Dead, might be the best episode in an incredible series. Wussy.
That's a pretty great one. On the other hand, do we disqualify it because Fox was run by a bunch of wussies who were afraid to show it first, and therefore introduced viewers to the series with the one about Erin getting sexually harassed?
You raise a good point. 24 may be yet another show where the run of the series makes you think the pilot was much better than it actually was. Some good things in there, and a cool idea, but not an all-timer.
Cameron Hughes said...
The O.C. (The first sight of Seth alone, playing video games? PERFECT)
Cover Me.
Chuck( I love the pilot)
Nip/Tuck had a great pilot
American Gothic.
What about classics like THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW or TAXI, which had great pilots?
MTM's a great pilot. Taxi's more of a solid episode of a show that would be great down the road. There's a whole lot of time spent on the John Burns character, for instance, who was such a zero that the show dumped him after the first season.
That's a blog post for a different day, but Matt Seitz and I wrote a story along those lines. Maybe I'll dig it up in a while and repost it to NJ.com to get that discussion going.
Cheers was a good pilot, but Frasier was a great one in that it had to reinvent and ground the character, and it did so with style and wit.
Frasier!
(Slaps forehead)
The rare classic sitcom that started off great.
Both of those I wouldn't object to keeping on any top 10 list. After all, a lot of my complaints about the Fringe pilot isn't that it's bad, but that JJ Abrams set such a high standard with his previous two pilots (for shows where he was hands-on, as opposed to What About Brian or Six Degrees).
Part of my reticence about Sopranos isn't just that "College" was the episode where everybody realized how brilliant it was, but that I've talked about it enough with David "perfectionist" Chase over the years that all I see are the (minor) flaws, like the somewhat hackneyed use of doo-wop music in the scene where Tony runs down the HMO guy.
Another good example of a fully-formed comedy right out of the gate. A superb, superb pilot.
"Dude! You hit a cripple!"
p.s. I don't watch this show, didn't see the pilot, but I've heard the pilot for Reaper (which was directed by Kevin Smith) was pretty terrific. I have no opinion on this, just throwing it out there for others to debate.
p.s. Does the film version of M*A*S*H count as a pilot for the series?
No, the film version was completely unrelated to the series, completely different creative team.
And this talk about TV Guide making a best pilots list got me thinking that someone should make a list of the best TV title sequences.
Oh, that's a good one. Off the topic, I know, but I would go with
- Doctor Who (particularly the Patrick Troughton, Tom Baker, and the new series)
- The Wire (okay, I've only watched the first season so far, but I have had an opportunity to see the other seasons titles, and they are all really great)
- Babylon 5 (I think particularly the third, fourth, and especially the fifth season)
- The Sopranos
- M*A*S*H
- Carnivale
- The Avengers (colour Diana Rigg)
- Freaks and Geeks
I would be interested in reading the story Alan mentioned.
Zac said...
My top 10 pilots of all time would be:
Six Feet Under (I am glad they dropped the fake promos, though)
Marty McKee said...
They only made good pilots beginning in the '90s? Amazing.
The pilot script for Studio 60 was much better than the aired pilot, in part because of a deleted scene between Danny and "not Maureen Dowd" where he figures out the scheme. And the "Alias" pilot is great--especially the final moments with Garner and Garber establishing a parental bond for the first time.
"Picket Fences" (which I watched Season 1 of last year) had a solid pilot, establishing the strange balance of weird and heart that was the show. And L.A. LAw scores points if just for killing a major character in Act I.
Studio 60's pilot was unbelievably good. I cannot say how fired up I was for the series after that first episode. Ah, too bad...
The 'Friends' pilot was atrocious in hindsight. People forget that Ross basically asks out Rachel at the end of the episode, which is kind of funny given how the next year (and really, the rest of the series) is spent with them in pursuit of each other.
PamelaJaye said...
I'm so excited that anyone *remembers* Once and Again that i had to dive in early. (we still don't have season 3 on DVD)
ER was great. That one scene with Benton giving the orientation to Carter was shot 24 times before they got it right and twice more for good measure. I don't know how mant pages long it was, but you have to admire it, along with Pres Bartlett's entrance - the West Wing was best early on when there was more humor and personal interaction between the characters.
Of course I would be fond of Grey's pilot, despite the glaaring inaccuracies. Scrubs didn't declare itself till ep 4 - My Old Lady.
Chicago Hope's first 4 or 5 eps were boring gold men debating ethics at a conference table - and then Geiger bit EG Marshall and Adam Arkin freaked out and went Gurney surfing in his undies.
Enterprise's pilot was miles better than most of its first season.
As for how to get and keep an audience, The Pretender set up its two major mysteries in it's first two eps, which really grabbed me in a way that its 1996 classmate, Scott Bakula's Mr & Mrs Smith should have done but, sadly, didn't.
I loved Jorneyman but I was committed before the pilot, so I can't judge. Quantum Leap, anyone?
I also liked Ally and Buffy (though it took me 5 eps for Ally and a while for Buffy - while I saw the pilot of the Practice and didn't watch it again for a yeaar or two)
I was committed to Ally with the pilot, but I didn't fall in love till eps 5 and 6. Buffy took longer (like till she and Angel had sex) The pilot bound me to Willow, but nothing else was holding me. (and mind you, I started watching Buffy on FX in 01)
House was too... orange. the color was just off, and some of the best scenes were cut. Wilson grabbing House's cane in the elevator was awesome - and cut.
Private Practice's backdoor pilot, flashing for Seattle to LA and back gave me whiplash. Last week I edited out all the LA parts (which severely damaged Meredith's closing monologue...
WKRP anyone? The Powers that Be? (I do believe Judge Kittleson slapped the maid and knocked her down the stairs, and that guy from Frasier was suicidal... (our local station replaced it with a Golden Girls rerun and aired it at all odd hours of the morning, forcing me to dredge the (print) TV Guide for it each week).
Veronica Mars had me with the promos (which was tough as it was opposite Scrubs and House)
Mad Men was a curiosity. I think the mystery grabbed me, and that came later. Till then I could just wallow in the way the world was when I was 1.
I was told that the pilot of the Fugitive started six months later, and then they flashed back to the beginning in a later ep. So.. probably not. (I watched it on A&E in the 80's)
I have St Elsewhere and Fame (S1) on DVD and I can't remember the pilots of either.
My brother frequently quotes the pilot of Magnum but I only watched 2 eps of the show. Same with McGyver - when they announced a revelation, I watched it.
Actually, the pilot to Quantum Leap was one of the last eps of it I saw. I was, by then, disappointed that it didn't start earlier in the story (like before Sam leapt - preferably a while before - but i suppose that would not be a great pilot.)
and just for fun, youtube has one ep of Alyson Hannigan's series.. um... the one where the nanny was a witch - (speaking of which - Joan of Arcadia?) um...Free Spirit. It's not a pilot, but I was stunned to see it. I know I watched the show at least once.
Northern Exposure grew on me - I barely remember the pilot, but i missed it when its summer run was over.
The pilot of Studio 60 was better than the whole rest of the series.
Now someday you can do finales we loved/hated! Probably late May...
um... I forgot Chuck (as did everyone else I guess)
I think I saw the aired pilot...
it was Jake 2.0 but much much much better.
for my money the best pilot ever is BOOMTOWN. the show never really lived up to the promise of that episode but it's a masterpiece in and of itself.
the piv said...
MacGruber.
The OC's pilot still holds up really well, in fact the whole 1st season holds up pretty well and I still bust out my season 1 dvds and watch it every once in awhile.
Veronica Mars had a great pilot, and is actually really similar in regards to its quality arc as The OC. Great first season, slightly worse second season, shits the bed 3rd season, and slightly redeems itself towards the end. Veronica Mars hit higher highs, and it probably didn't fall off as badly as Th OC did.
My top 5 list would probably go something like:
Man, I'm just realizing that I'm a total sucker for teen dramas.
R.A. Porter said...
A couple of comments first: @pamelajaye, it's a matter of taste, but I much preferred Jake 2.0 to Chuck. Both the pilot and the show in general. I know I'm in the minority on that.
@matthew l, totally completely agree on the B5 opening titles. Particularly season 4. I get chills just thinking about that one. "The year of pain."
I'd second @anon's vote for ST:DS9. I think that was the best scifi pilot I've seen to this day. I didn't like the show that much going forward - it had a lot of ups and downs - but that pilot was fantastic.
And, because no one else has brought up one of my favorite pilots...Wiseguy. I haven't seen it in a couple of years, and it might really be that it's the entirety of the Steelgrave arc that makes it great, but I remember thinking the pilot was something special when I first saw it.
Rev-Views said...
@Jeff
I suspect it's the same reason no-one else has mentioned it here. The pilot episode for The Wire is not the show at it's finest. It's responsable for a lot of viewers claiming the show is overrated and switching off without giving it a chance.
My favourite pilots are in no particular order:
Prison Break (The tattoo reveal just rocked hard - shame about the show now.)
Beyond those six I'd just be naming shows for the sake of filling a list. It's rare that a pilot grabs me; I kind of think maybe Lost should be on the list, but I got so disillusioned with the show during season three that my memory of the pilot is tainted.
max_headroom said...
The pilots I liked were:
Once & Again
Alan, would you be having a similar post about best series finales? I think that would be cool!
Art Fleming said...
I think Friday Night Lights should not count, i mean its basically the movie with different actors, and i personally wasnt hooked after ep 6 or so.
Lost should be up there based on the first scene alone, just Jake waking up and running away from something unseen and than the first views of the survivors and some poor guy getting killed in the turbine. I still remember that scene and i dont even like that show that much.
Toby said...
In my list would some of the usual suspects:
But here's another one for consideration - Jack & Bobby. That was a very moving episode for me, and I made sure I showed the disk (sent to me by Entertainment Weekly) to all my friends in hopes they'd watch the series.
Lizbeth said...
I'd put "Arrested Development" at the top of the list. The tone and characters were so richly formed from the get go.
I disliked the "30 Rock" pilot and agree it took some time for this show to become the gem it is now. It might be my favorite show on TV.
I also wonder if "Sex and the City" shouldn't get a nod. Yes, it was annoying when Carrie talked to the camera, but I remember watching the pilot and thinking "wow, this is something..."
I agree with a lot of commenters that The West Wing has one of the best pilots. Funny and dramatic and a great introduction to the characters, and great writing - it hooked me right away.
Which reminds me that SportsNight did as well. When Casey calls his son to tell him to turn on the tv, because someone is simply running faster than anyone ever has before... I knew this show was going to be something special. (Also, was it in the pilot that Jeremy gives his great speech in his interview with Dana? If so, brilliant.)
While I love a lot of the shows people are mentioning, I've got to add my support to the Friday Night Lights chorus. That pilot blew me away like nothing else before or since. The scenes of Saracen leading the comeback interspersed with Street on the operating table were simply riveting. After that, I couldn't stop watching.
@susan, I know in his interview in the pilot Jeremy says Spike Lee should sit down and shut up.
What basketball fan could argue with that?
Really? I'm as in the tank for the Bochco/Milch cop collaborations as any guy on the planet, and outside of the opening 10 minutes -- the big action sequence where one cop gets his head blown off -- it's a really slow hour that, like "Raising the Bar," is content to recycle bits from previous Bochco shows.
SATC really didn't get good until the second season. I haven't specifically watched the pilot in a while, but I don't know that I'd be comfortable with holding up any episode from that first season as an all-timer.
Wiseguy. I haven't seen it in a couple of years, and it might really be that it's the entirety of the Steelgrave arc that makes it great, but I remember thinking the pilot was something special when I first saw it.
It's the entirety of the arc. I had never seen the series when it aired (aside from one or two random episodes where Roger LaCoco was the main character), but not too long ago, I got the Steelgrave and Profitt DVD sets as a gift, and Steelgrave takes quite a while to build. It's not a bad pilot, but the classic stuff comes at the end, not the beginning.
@r.a. - now i'm going to have to pull out my homemade Jake DVDs (last eps courtesy of SciFi channel)
afterthought - I really didn't fall for the West Wing till later in season 1 - Celestial Navigation, The State Dinner, He Shall From Time To Time, so despite Martin's entrance, I should remove that pilot from my non-existant list.
The ep I would use to hook a new fan? Celestial Navigation. My brother was doing email, with his back to the TV while I was *watching the tape* and it pushed his desire to see TWW from "sometime soon" to right now.
He caught up on seasons 1 & 2 at the rate of 3 eps twice a week, and filled his interim TWW cravings with fanfic that contained spoilers for eps he had not yet seen.
We once did a network upgrade together and caught ourselves pedeconferencing around the small office... (I was 42 at the time)
I love going back to read :)
Frasier- yes, I'm glad someone else remembered that
Wonder Years- OMG yes, how could I forget that one?
WKRP- Just watched that one a few weeks ago and it was funny, but a little too "pilot-y" and over the top for me to make a best list
Jack & Bobby- didn't see that one, but I remember everyone just loved it...but not enough to keep watching
Reaper- I have to say I don't get this. I thought the pilot was really wonky, uneven and just awkward (except for the Devil). I had to be coaxed into watching it weeks later. It got better, but I still don't love it.
Buffy- I'm a pretty big Buffy fan, and while I think the pilot was great, it had its issues and doesn't stand up agains THE GREAT.
I'm not surprised that no one mentioned The Simpsons. The show didn't hit it's stride until season 2 and peaked in season 4, the season that I would pick as the greatest season in television history.
Watching the early episodes, you can see the writers feeling their way around, seeding the future greatness of the show.
In the category of great pilots for shows that went on to fail (like Studio 60), I would nominate The Black Donnellys. It had a great story, double surprise ending, Joey Ice Cream's hilarious narration, and fantastic performances by Jonathan Tucker, Olivia Wilde and others. The rest of the series' short run was uneven, but that pilot rocked. Paul Haggis should have made The Black Donnellys into a movie centering on the Tommy Donnelly character, instead of a tv show about the 4 brothers.
isaac_spaceman said...
These probably have no business being discussed among the best ever, but two pilots I loved far more than the series themselves were "Heroes" and "The Nine." Heroes did a great job establishing some characters but more than that just establishing the mythology itself. The Nine, which started with the quotidian gathering of people at the bank, skipped the robbery itself, and then launched itself into the post-rescue chaos, had one of the best first acts of any TV show I can remember. It dissipated some of that energy by the end of that first hour, but the highs were so high that it was worth remembering.
The Simpsons didn't hit it's stride until season 2 and peaked in season 4, the season that I would pick as the greatest season in television history.I agree that season 4 is The Simpsons' peak, but it's not even the greatest season 4 in television history... that belongs to The Wire. The Simpsons is second greatest, perhaps :-)
Avster said...
Alias and Veronica Mars are shows where the premises sounded silly to me (student by day and CIA agent/detective by night) but the pilots are what made the difference between me discarding them after the first episode and becoming must see TV for me so both make my list.
I'm going to agree with other posters about Freaks and Geeks, another show where the premise didn't excite me but the pilot made me recommend it to all my friends.
Two shows that haven't been mentioned but rank among my favourite pilots are Wiseguy and Crime Story. They both had such distinct, adult tones that made them unlike anything else on TV.
I disagree about both Boomtown and The Black Donnellys. 2 shows where I actually watched the pilots and was so turned off, that I had no desire to ever watch a second episode. For both shows, the premise did not work for me.
It totally got better later in the season, I swear. I was ready to give up on it, and then they started veering a little from the demon-of-the-week formula and ended up with some veddy interesting revelations in the season ender. I swear!
The best stuff in WISEGUY was at the end of the arcs, but the pilot was still pretty cool with Vinnie getting out of prison.
Also I remember watching the pilot of EZ STREETS when I was 13 years old back in 1996 (and I skipped my then fave show THE X-FILES to watch it) and thinking that I had never seen anything like that before.
Oh my god. I nearly had a heart attack... I had scrolled through nearly the entire list of comments here and no one had yet mentioned my favorite pilot ever: Gilmore Girls! Then finally someone did. (One person!?) Seriously, Amy Sherman-Palladino is a genius. (Or at least she was until she and her husband decided to ruin their own show just to spite the network, and then she made that horrible sitcom. But I digress.)
I'm also a little surprised to see so much Northern Exposure pilot love. Don't get me wrong - that's one of my favorite television shows of all time - but I don't think that show got really great until the finale of season one - their first aurora borealis episode, where Joel meets Adam and Chris meets his brother.
Like most of the posters here, I'd happily throw out half the TV Guide list. Arrested Development, Hill St. Blues, The West Wing, Mad Men and American Gothic are all pilots that blew me away.
A few worthy of consideration that I haven't seen brought up so far:
- Soap
- the *original* Battlestar Galactica. Sure, the new series is infinitely superior to the '70s version, but the pilot movie was a great attempt at doing Star Wars on TV that unfortunately the rest of the season never lived up to.
- The Larry Sanders Show
- Miami Vice
I don't know these pilots well enough to judge, but I'd think you'd have to give serious consideration to:
- I Love Lucy
- The Twilight Zone
- The Honeymooners
- The Flintstones
And on a lower tier (top 100, maybe), I'm personally fond of the pilots/first episodes of:
- All in the Family (the aired pilot)
- The Bernie Mac Show
- Nowhere Man
- Now and Again
- G vs. E
- The Muppet Show (way better than the first SNL)
- Blackadder
- Monty Python
- Kids in the Hall
- Chappelle's Show
- Significant Others (the 2004 one)
- Duckman
- Eerie, Indiana (the series never lived up to the pilot)
- ReBoot
- Space Ghost: Coast to Coast
- The Venture Brothers
- Ren & Stimpy (premiered on MTV in a grown-up timeslot, if memory serves)
- South Park
- The Tick (the live-action one)
And as far as unaired pilots go, I rather liked Babylon Fields.
I love Dexter, Deadwood and The Wire, but none of the pilots won me over.
I agree with many of the pilots listed here, but I haven't heard one mentioned.
Heck, it was a Pie-lotte.
The whole world full blown on your pie plate....
jana said...
Sports Night, Six Feet Under,and even Dirty Sexy Money. Wait...maybe that's my thing for Peter Krause.
Grunt said...
I have to agree with Sports Night and West Wing but NOT Studio 60 when it comes to the sorkin Ovre. Studio 60 was a solid pilot and it was going to depend on which way Sorkin went whether it was going to be any good. As it turned out, when there was a plotting decision to be made Sorkin went in the worst possible direction.
I also would like to agree with ER being an excellent pilot but disagree with those who love the pilots for Buffy and Veronica Mars pilots. Perhaps it is because both of those shows are so excellent that their pilots just don't live up to what they are.
If we're counting first episodes then can we count the first episode of The Prisoner? I know it's the BBC but it was an amazing first episode and it completely sucked you (the viewer) in.
SR-I gotta disagree about the rest of 'Eerie, Indiana' not living up to the pilot. After not watching the show since it aired I bought the DVDs and was shocked at how good it still was.
@anya Not meant as a knock on Eerie, just that they really hit it out with the pilot. I didn't see all the episodes, but my recollection is that it looked like the subsequent episodes' budgets were notably lower and their directors not as good.
H E Pennypacker said...
I'd have to nominate
The Cosby Show - like every other family sitcom right up until Cosby chews out Theo "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard" changed sitcoms forever.
Deep Space Nine - opened with a space battle star trek fans had waited three years to see and closed with the main character using the concept of baseball to solve his predicament, inventive and took the star trek universe to place it had never been before - took the series itself till the end of the first season before it produced an ep that good again - and they never looked back.
The Naked Truth - deserves an award for fitting the whole setup into the first 5 minutes of show without batting an eyelid - the first 13 episodes were pure fun, after that they got the jitters
The Shield, "Game Face": The river in Egypt
Terminator, "Allison from Palmdale": Who am I?
Sepinwall on TV: 'Friday Night Lights' season thre...
Heroes, "One of Us, One of Them": Shoot the hostag...
HIMYM, "The Best Burger in New York": Heads, tails...
Life, "Find Your Happy Place": Boxing day
Chuck, "Chuck vs. the First Date": I used to be a ...
Skins, "Effy": Love thy sister
Sepinwall on TV: 'Chuck' season two review
DVR alert: 'Life' comes back tonight
Mad Men, "Six Month Leave": Be careful what you wi...
Dexter, "Our Father": Killer cravings
Almost forgot: My Name Is Earl
Patches, billboards and memorials
Paul Newman, 1925-2008
Sepinwall on TV: Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
Grey's Anatomy, "Dream a Little Dream of Me": Pain...
The Office, "Weight Loss": Close shaves
'Do Not Disturb' -- ever again?
"Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil": D...
Don't make Dave angry. You won't like him when he'...
Sepinwall on TV: 'Grey's Anatomy' & 'Desperate Hou...
The plan for 'Friday Night Lights'
Fringe, "The Ghost Network": My thoughts to your t...
Sepinwall on TV: 'Knight Rider' review
90210, "Wide Awake and Dreaming": A star is born
The Shield, "Genocide": Answer me my wishes three
House, "Not Cancer": A low-down dirty shamus
Skins, "Michelle": Leave it to beaver
Terminator, "The Mousetrap": Smarter than the aver...
Heroes, "The Second Coming"/"The Butterfly Effect"...
Sepinwall on TV: 'The Mentalist' review
HIMYM, "Do I Know You?": Barney's bimbo bonanza
Busy season question: What to do with 'Friday Nigh...
The busy season begins
Sepinwall on TV: 'Heroes' season 3 review
Sepinwall on TV: 'Worst Week' review
Sepinwall on TV: Recapping the Emmys
Entourage, "The All Out Fall Out": Happy Slapsgivi...
Sepinwall on TV: Handicapping the Emmys
That old ballpark of mine
"Double meat, sir, does not give you license to go...
Burn Notice, "Good Soldier": Ring of Jesus fire
It's always wrong at 'It's Always Sunny in Philade...
Sons of Anarchy, "Fun Town": The Dutch-man cometh
Meditations on an emergency
90210, "The Bubble": The dad that dare not speak i...
The Shield, "Money Shot": It's my life in a box!
Fringe, "The Same Old Story": Lather, rinse, repea...
Terminator, "Automatic for the People": Kim Kelly ...
Sepinwall on TV: 'House' season five review
Mad Men: The waiting is the hardest part
Sepinwall on TV: Diane Ruggiero quits 'The Ex-List...
Mad Men, "A Night to Remember": Make room for Dann...
Entourage & True Blood open thread, week two
Skins, "Maxxie & Anwar": From Russia with love
SNL: Girls who wear Tina Fey glasses
From the archives: The Sitcom Room
Burn Notice, "Double Booked": Eric Stratton, rush ...
Bones, "The Man in the Outhouse": Two guys, a girl...
Sons of Anarchy, "Seeds": Son of a biker man
From the archives: It's all in the title ... seque...
The Shield, "Snitch": Number five with a bullet
Fringe, "Pilot": Hazmat suit up!
90210, "Lucky Strike": This is not 'Nam. This is b...
Sepinwall on TV: 'Fringe' review
Terminator, "Samson and Delilah": Girls in the men...
Skins, "Sid": Dancing cheek to cheek
I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!
Sepinwall on TV: 'Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chr...
Sepinwall on TV: 'Privileged' review
Mad Men, "The Gold Violin": For the man who has ev...
Entourage & True Blood open thread
Sepinwall on TV: 'Entourage' season five review
Sepinwall on TV: 'True Blood' review
Get them to sign on the line that is dotted!
Sepinwall on TV: 'Sons of Anarchy' review
Sepinwall on TV: 'Bones' goes for the funnybone
The Shield, "Co-Efficient of Drag": Project greenl...
90210, "We're Not in Kansas Anymore": That sounds ...
Middleman, "The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome": I...
Sepinwall on TV: 'The Shield' final season review
DVR alert: America's Game (Wednesday at 9)
Skins, "Chris": The naked gun
Sepinwall on TV: 'Gossip Girl,' the CW and critica...
Sepinwall on TV: 'Raising the Bar' review
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0017.json.gz/line262
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.