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CDCR Announces End to Mass Hunger Strike Disturbance: Inmates agree to discontinue their hunger strike initiated September 26
SACRAMENTO – The mass inmate-initiated hunger strike is over, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced today.
CDCR officials in Sacramento were contacted by inmates by letter on October 11. It was the first such contact by inmates or their representatives during the inmate-led action.
Officials agreed to meet with inmate representatives to discuss its ongoing review of and revisions to its Security Housing Unit (SHU) policies that began in May 2011. Similar to its discussions with inmates during a July hunger strike, all agreed the changes to policies would take several months to finalize. The department agreed to continue on its same course.
Inmates initiated a second hunger strike on September 26, and after three days, 4,252 inmates in eight state prisons had missed nine consecutive meals – the point at which CDCR considers an inmate to be on a hunger strike. By October 13, the number of inmates participating had dropped to 580 inmates in three state prisons. There are approximately 160,355 inmates in the state’s 33 prisons, 42 conservation camps, community-based correctional facilities and three out-of-state contract facilities.
CDCR is continuing its investigation into allegations of threats or retaliation against inmates for not participating in the hunger strike.
CONTACT: TERRY THORNTON
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PRESIDENT WILSON SIGNED A SECRET CALLED THE FEDERAL RESERVE ACT… (c) Carrie Devorah :
Somethings are just never intended to get better or balanced like checkbooks Congress created with a secret source of privateers....
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari, speaking Tuesday in Washington, said his regional Fed bank will study ways to toughen U.S. banking laws to prevent another financial crisis. Kashkari said Congress and regulators should consider breaking them up to protect the financial system from another crisis. Kashkari became President at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve following a failed run for governor of California as a Republican in 2014. Kashkari was a Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker before joining the Treasury during the administration of President George Bush, “W.”
Kashkari’s proposed disruption of the banking system is of concern, timing wise. Banks are invested in “dark currency,” bitcoin and blockchain manipulated by Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Banking has gone the way of VC seeded companies- Apple Pay, PayPal. Banking is done online moreso than in person.
Ma Bell was broken up by the Silicon Venture capitalists led by Vint Cerf and Worldcom to make way for the Internet.
Kashkari’s recommendation to break up banking raises red flags to some. To most? Well, people refer to the Federal Reserve as off the cuff as saying they are heading to Starbucks. The Federal Reserve is anything but an laissez Faire. The Federal Reserve began in secret, with secrets. The Federal Reserve is many things, public and open? And California is where the Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists agenda of disruption soon to teeter banking, began.
Kashkari failed as Governor. This Fed breakup idea is another approach to the same idea, from a different zipcode of course....
Nope, not at all.
Something that starts as a secret will always have skeletons in its closets even the Federal Reserve and the littler Feds, the .orgs, not .govs. .org means the entity is a non-profit. The IRS has 29 non profit categories. Charity is one category. Business league is another.
JP Morgan had a history of being a sugar daddy to America. America didn’t have a central bank. The United States had a habit of running short on cash. JP Morgan guided the bailing out of America. Morgan was a mogul. Morgan had the connections. 1895 and then again in 1907, JP organized investments from the private sector. JP Morgan facilitated lines of credit extended to stabilize the banking system.
Panic to JP was cashing in time on the backs of others misfortune.
The Aldrich-Vreeland Act was passed, by Congress, May 30, 1908. The explanation behind this Act was to provide currency in emergencies. An 18 member National Monetary Commission was created. The role of the National Monetary Commission was to figure out what changes were needed by the nation for it’s monetary system. The Commission would look at laws related to banking and currency.
The Commission did a travelling exploratory tour, over the next three years. The Commission went to major cities in Europe. Hearings were held in the USA. Senator Nelson Aldrich chaired the National Monetary Commission. Aldrich revealed, in 1911, the plan the Commission was revising since a secret 1910 meeting on Jekyll Island in Georgia. Investment banker Paul Warburg attended the Jekyll Island meeting as did Treasury official Abram Piatt Andrew, and other financiers and bankers who believed the public would rebel against a plan conceived by bankers. Code names were used, only their first names. Anyone asking where the men had gone, were told, ‘a duck hunting trip.’
The secret plan, the National Reserve Association, presented to Congress, 1912, was shot down accused of giving too much power to bankers running the largest institutions. The plan determined a 46 member board. Six of the board members would be appointed by Government. The head of the board, according to the plan, would be picked from three names the National Reserve Association would put forth.
The First and Second Banks of the United States existed. The idea was, allegedly, the government would have no stake in the National Reserve Association, other than the obvious, Congress authorizing the plan.
The banking community had been behind the Aldrich plan.
Instead, the House Banking and Currency Committee assigned Congressman Carter Glass to head a subcommittee with the purpose of examining reform proposals. Glass asked a Washington and Lee University professor, Henry Parker Willis to help. The subcommittee knew little about banking and finance. Willis wrote a column for the New York Journal of Commerce.
Glass’ plan differed from Aldrich in some ways, one of which was eliminating a central coordinating board along with setting up twenty regional banks throughout the United States. Glass wrote “In the United States, with its immense area, numerous natural divisions, still more numerous competing divisions, and abundant outlets to foreign countries, there is no argument, either of banking theory or of expediency, which dictates the creation of a single central banking institution, no matter how skillfully managed, how carefully controlled, or how patriotically conducted.” Glass’ plan gave the lion’s share of authority to the bankers. Glass, a Democrat, had his committee work in secret, keeping the Republicans distant from the developing legislation. Glass objected to government control. Glass thought a comptroller of the currency would coordinate the function of the system
President Wilson preferred a central board suggesting a governmental oversight agency would get the plan past Congress. The Federal Reserve Board was created to add authority over the banks. The Federal Reserve Board was made up of presidential appointees either out of office or appointed for set terms to the Board. A Federal Advisory Council consisting of twelve bankers elected by the regional banks would meet, from time to time, with the Board. Oklahoma Democratic Senator Robert L Owen came up with the idea of limiting the Reserve Banks to twelve, not more.
Senator Owen’s bill removed the Secretary of Agriculture and the Comptroller of the Currency off the Federal Reserve Board. The capital of the system was 6% of member banks’ capital.
The progressing bill put the Comptroller of the Currency back on the Board. The terms of the Federal Reserve Governors extended to ten years, staggered, the intent being no president could appoint all governors.
Presidential terms, back then, were two years.
President Wilson signed Federal Reserve Act December 23, 1913.
All twelve Reserve Banks opened on the same day, Monday, November 16, 1914, seven months after the Reserve Bank Organization Committee announced the selected sites. There was a sense of urgency to open the Reserve Banks.
Eight months later, August 1914, war broke out in Europe. A financial crisis ensued.... and has continued ever since, with secrets.....
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Your position: Home > Famous Artists > Pierre-Auguste Renoir
A Girl with a Watering Can, 1876, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Please select the size from OPTIONS menu to pay. 16x20 inches=$ 169.99 , 20x24 inches=$ 209.99 , 24x36 inches=$249.99 , 30x40 inches=$ 289.99 , 36x48 inches=$ 329.99 , 48x72 inches=$ 529.99 , Note: 1 inches=2.54 cm
Item Code: TOPPierre-Auguste Renoir-pa7
Artist Introduce.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in Limoges, Haute-Vienne,France, in 1841. His father, Léonard Renoir, was a tailor of modest means, so in 1844, Renoir's family moved to Paris in search of more favourable prospects. The location of their home, in rue d’Argenteuil in central Paris, placed Renoir in proximity to the Louvre. Although the young Renoir had a natural proclivity for drawing, he exhibited a greater talent for singing. His talent was encouraged by his teacher, Charles Gounod, who was the choir-master at the Church of St Roch at the time. However, due to the family’s financial circumstances, Renoir had to discontinue his music lessons and leave school at the age of thirteen to pursue an apprenticeship at a porcelain factory.
Although Renoir displayed a talent for his work, he frequently tired of the subject matter and sought refuge in the galleries of the Louvre. The owner of the factory recognised his apprentice’s talent, and communicated this to Renoir’s family. Following this, Renoir started taking lessons to prepare for entry into Ecole des Beaux Arts. When the porcelain factory adopted mechanical reproduction processes in 1858, Renoir was forced to find other means to support his learning. Before he enrolled in art school, he also painted hangings for overseas missionaries and decorations on fans.
In 1862, he began studying art under Charles Gleyre in Paris. There he met Alfred Art, Frédéric Bazille, and Claude Monet. At times, during the 1860s, he did not have enough money to buy paint. Renoir had his first success at the Salon of 1868 with his painting Lise with a Parasol (1867), which depicted Lise Tréhot, his lover at the time.[6] Although Renoir first started exhibiting paintings at the Paris Salon in 1864,recognition was slow in coming, partly as a result of the turmoil of the Franco-Prussian War.
During the Paris Commune in 1871, while Renoir painted on the banks of the Seine River, some Communards thought he was a spy and were about to throw him into the river, when a leader of the Commune, Raoul Rigault, recognized Renoir as the man who had protected him on an earlier occasion.
In 1874, a ten-year friendship with Jules Le Cœur and his family ended,and Renoir lost not only the valuable support gained by the association, but also a generous welcome to stay on their property near Fontainebleau and its scenic forest. This loss of a favorite painting location resulted in a distinct change of subjects.
The Swing (La Balançoire), 1876, oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (Bal du moulin de la Galette), 1876
After a series of rejections by the Salon juries, Renoir joined forces with Monet, Art, Pissarro, and several other artists to mount the first Impressionist exhibition in April 1874, in which Renoir displayed six paintings. Although the critical response to the exhibition was largely unfavorable, Renoir's work was comparatively well received.That same year, two of his works were shown with Durand-Ruel in London.
Hoping to secure a livelihood by attracting portrait commissions, Renoir displayed mostly portraits at the second Impressionist exhibition in 1876. He contributed a more diverse range of paintings the next year when the group presented its third exhibition; they included Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette and The Swing.Renoir did not exhibit in the fourth or fifth Impressionist exhibitions, and instead resumed submitting his works to the Salon. By the end of the 1870s, particularly after the success of his painting Mme Charpentier and her Children (1878) at the Salon of 1879, Renoir was a successful and fashionable painter.
In 1881, he traveled toAlgeria, a country he associated with Eugène Delacroix, then to Madrid, to see the work of Diego Velázquez. Following that, he traveled toItalyto see Titian's masterpieces in Florence and the paintings of Raphael in Rome. On 15 January 1882 Renoir met the composer Richard Wagner at his home in Palermo, Sicily. Renoir painted Wagner's portrait in just thirty-five minutes. In the same year, after contracting pneumonia which permanently damaged his respiratory system, Renoir convalesced for six weeks inAlgeria.
In 1883, Renoir spent the summer in Guernsey, one of the islands in the English Channel with a varied landscape of beaches, cliffs and bays, where he created fifteen paintings in little over a month. Most of these feature Moulin Huet, a bay in Saint Martin's, Guernsey. These paintings were the subject of a set of commemorative postage stamps issued by the Bailiwick of Guernsey in 1983.
While living and working in Montmartre, Renoir employed Suzanne Valadon as a model, who posed for him (The Large Bathers, 1884–87; Dance at Bougival, 1883)and many of his fellow painters; during that time she studied their techniques and eventually became one of the leading painters of the day.
In 1887, the year when Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee, and upon the request of the queen's associate, Phillip Richbourg, Renoir donated several paintings to the "French Impressionist Paintings" catalog as a token of his loyalty.
In 1890, he married Aline Victorine Charigot, who, along with a number of the artist's friends, had already served as a model for Le Déjeuner des canotiers (Luncheon of the Boating Party) 1881, and with whom he had already had a child, Pierre, in 1885. After his marriage, Renoir painted many scenes of his wife and daily family life including their children and their nurse, Aline's cousin Gabrielle Renard. The Renoirs had three sons: Jean Renoir, who became a filmmaker of note, Pierre Renoir, who became a stage and film actor, and Claude Renoir, who became a ceramic artist.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, c. 1910
Around 1892, Renoir developed rheumatoid arthritis. In 1907, he moved to the warmer climate of "Les Collettes," a farm at Cagnes-sur-Mer, close to the Mediterranean coast. Renoir painted during the last twenty years of his life even after his arthritis severely limited his mobility. He developed progressive deformities in his hands and ankylosis of his right shoulder, requiring him to change his painting technique. It has often been paintinged that in the advanced stages of his arthritis, he painted by having a brush strapped to his paralyzed fingers, but this is erroneous; Renoir remained able to grasp a brush, although he required an assistant to place it in his hand.[16] The wrapping of his hands with bandages, apparent in late photographs of the artist, served to prevent skin irritation.
In 1919, Renoir visited the Louvre to see his paintings hanging with those of the old masters. During this period, he created sculptures by cooperating with a young artist, Richard Guino, who worked the clay. Due to his limited joint mobility, Renoir also used a moving canvas, or picture roll, to facilitate painting large works.
Renoir's portrait of Austrian actress Tilla Durieux (1914) contains playful flecks of vibrant color on her shawl that offset the classical pose of the actress and highlight Renoir's skill just five years before his death.
Renoir died in the village of Cagnes-sur-Mer, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, on 3 December 1919.
Two Sisters, oil on canvas, 1881, Art Institute of Chicago
Girls at the Piano, 1892, Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Renoir's paintings are notable for their vibrant light and saturated color, most often focusing on people in intimate and candid compositions. The female nude was one of his primary subjects. In characteristic Impressionist style, Renoir suggested the details of a scene through freely brushed touches of color, so that his figures softly fuse with one another and their surroundings.
His initial paintings show the influence of the colorism of Eugène Delacroix and the luminosity of Camille Corot. He also admired the realism of Gustave Courbet and Édouard Manet, and his early work resembles theirs in his use of black as a color. Renoir admired Edgar Degas' sense of movement. Another painter Renoir greatly admired was the 18th-century master François Boucher.
A fine example of Renoir's early work and evidence of the influence of Courbet's realism, is Diana, 1867. Ostensibly a mythological subject, the painting is a naturalistic studio work; the figure carefully observed, solidly modeled and superimposed upon a contrived landscape. If the work is a "student" piece, Renoir's heightened personal response to female sensuality is present. The model was Lise Tréhot, the artist's mistress at that time, and inspiration for a number of paintings.
In the late 1860s, through the practice of painting light and water en plein air (outdoors), he and his friend Claude Monet discovered that the color of shadows is not brown or black, but the reflected color of the objects surrounding them, an effect known today as diffuse reflection. Several pairs of paintings exist in which Renoir and Monet worked side-by-side, depicting the same scenes (La Grenouillère, 1869).
One of the best known Impressionist works is Renoir's 1876 Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette (Bal du moulin de la Galette). The painting depicts an open-air scene, crowded with people at a popular dance garden on the Butte Montmartre close to where he lived. The works of his early maturity were typically Impressionist snapshots of real life, full of sparkling color and light. By the mid-1880s, however, he had broken with the movement to apply a more disciplined formal technique to portraits and figure paintings, particularly of women. It was a trip toItalyin 1881, when he saw works by Raphael and other Renaissance masters, that convinced him that he was on the wrong path, and for the next several years he painted in a more severe style in an attempt to return to classicism. Concentrating on his drawing and emphasizing the outlines of figures, he painted works such as The Large Bathers (1884–87; Philadelphia Museum of Art) during what is sometimes called his "Ingres period".
After 1890 he changed direction again. To dissolve outlines, as in his earlier work, he returned to thinly brushed color. From this period onward he concentrated on monumental nudes and domestic scenes, fine examples of which are Girls at the Piano, 1892, and Grandes Baigneuses, 1887. The latter painting is the most typical and successful of Renoir's late, abundantly fleshed nudes.
A prolific artist, he created several thousand paintings. The warm sensuality of Renoir's style made his paintings some of the most well-known and frequently reproduced works in the history of art. The single largest collection of his works—181 paintings in all—is at the Barnes Foundation, in Philadelphia.
Vase with Twelve Sunflowers-Painter: Vincent ..
Impression, Sunrise,1872-Painter: Claude Mone..
Girl with a Pearl Earring-Painter: Johannes V..
Two Sisters ( 1881 ) -Painter: Pierre-August..
Woman With White Socks, 1825-30..
Woman with a Parrot, 1827..
Winter,Juno and Aeolus, 1856..
The Women of Algiers, 1834..
The Natchez, 1835..
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Architecture Serbia Bosnia and Herzegovina Culture
Serbia unveils monument to Franz Ferdinand assassin
Graffiti depicting Gavrilo Princip in Belgrade (Image: Goldfinger under a CC licence)
Text Elise Morton
A statue of Gavrilo Princip, the assassin who shot dead Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in June 1914, has been unveiled in Belgrade.
Hundreds of people attended the ceremony in the Serbian capital on Sunday 28 June, the anniversary of the assassination and St Vitus Day, a Serbian national holiday.
The death of Franz Ferdinand, the Austro-Hungarian crown prince, set in motion a chain of events that led to the outbreak of the First World War.
Princip is a controversial figure in the Balkan region. Many Serbs regard him as a freedom fighter who helped throw off the Austro-Hungarian imperial yoke in the region, whereas outside of Serbia he is often viewed as a nationalist fanatic and a terrorist. Serbian president Tomislav Nikolić described Princip as a “symbol of the idea of freedom”.
The bronze statue was a gift from Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic.
sarajevo gavrilo princip franz ferdinand belgrade
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The Imperial Transition: 44, The Prequel
Did you know that the IBM Center for the Business of Government hosts a "Presidential Transition" blog; that the Council on Foreign Relations has its own "Transition Blog: The New Administration"; and that the American University School of Communication has a "Transition Tracker" website? The National Journal offers its online readers a comprehensive "Lost in Transition" site to help them "navigate the presidential handover," including a "short list," offering not only the president-elect's key recent appointments, but also a series of not-so-short lists of those still believed to be in contention for as-yet-unfilled jobs. Think of all this as Entertainment Weekly married to People Magazine for post-election political junkies.
Newsweek features "powering up" ("blogging the transition"); the policy-wonk website Politico.com offers Politico 44 ("a living diary of the Obama presidency"); and Public Citizen has "Becoming 44," with the usual lists of appointees, possible appointees, but -- for the junkie who wants everything -- "bundler transition team members" and "lobbyist and bundler appointees" as well. (For those who want to know, for instance, White House Social Secretary-designate Desiree Roberts bundled at least $200,000 for the Obama campaign.)
The New York Times has gone whole hog at "The New Team" section of its website, where there are scads of little bios of appointees, as well as prospective appointees -- including what each individual will "bring to the job," how each is "linked to Mr. Obama," and what negatives each carries as "baggage." Think of it as a scorecard for transition junkies. The Washington Post, whose official beat is, of course, Washington D.C. über alles, has its "44: The Obama Presidency, A Transition to Power," where, in case you're planning to make a night of it on January 20th, you can keep up to date on that seasonal must-subject, the upcoming inaugural balls. And not to be outdone, the transitioning Obama transition crew has its own mega-transition site, Change.gov.
Earliest, Biggest, Fastest
And that, of course, only begins to scratch the surface of the media's transition mania -- I haven't even mentioned the cable news networks -- which has followed, with hardly a breath, nearly two years of presidential campaign mania. Let's face it, whether or not the Obama transition is the talk of Main Street and the under-populated malls of this American moment, it's certainly the talk of medialand -- and at what can only be termed historic levels, as befits a "historic" transition period.
Believe me, no one's sparing the adjectives right now. This transition is the earliest, biggest, fastest, best organized, most efficient on record, even as Obama himself has "maintained one of the most public images of any president-elect." It's cause for congratulations all around, a powerful antidote, we're told, to Bill Clinton's notoriously chaotic transition back in 1992. In fact, we can't, it seems, get enough of a transition that began to gather steam many months before November 4th and has been plowing ahead for more than a post-election month now.
It's kind of exhausting, really, just thinking about that awesomely humongous transition line-up. Check out the list of transition review teams and advisors at Change.gov and you'll find that it goes over the horizon. According to the Washington Post, 135 transition team members, organized into 10 groups, all wearing yellow badges, backed by countless transition advisers, "have swarmed into dozens of government offices, from the Pentagon to the National Council on Disability" preparing the way for the new administration. This, like so much else, has been "unprecedented."
And don't get anyone started on the veritable "army" of volunteer lawyers giving "unprecedented scrutiny" to possible administration appointees in a vetting process that began at the moment of Obama's nomination, not election. As the Washington Post's Philip Rucker described it:
"Embarrassing e-mails, text messages, diary entries and Facebook profiles? Gifts worth more than $50? Relatives linked to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG or another company getting a federal bailout? Obama is conducting the vetting much as he managed his campaign: methodically, thoroughly and on a prodigious scale."
That process includes a distinctly unprecedented invasion of privacy via a seven-page, 63-question form that all potential appointees have had to fill out. Imagine, for instance, that after 62 "penetrating" questions on every aspect of your life, you faced this catch-all 63rd question: "Please provide any other information, including information about other members of your family, that could suggest a conflict of interest or be a possible source of embarrassment to you, your family, or the president-elect." (For anyone worried about privacy issues, what this means practically -- as Barton Gelman explained in his book Angler on the vice-presidential 200-question vetting process by which Dick Cheney chose himself as candidate and then used private information sent in by the other candidates for his own purposes -- is major dossiers on about 800 people.)
Everything in this "transition" is, in fact, more prodigious and more invasive than in any previous transition, including, of course, the ongoing media fascination with all those positions Obama is filling with "the best and the brightest." We're not just talking about his vast economic team or his national security team, but the presidential liaison to Capitol Hill, the White House press secretary, the president's speechwriter, his communications director, and his White House staff secretary, not to speak of the First Lady's deputy chief of staff and, of course, that White House social secretary. And then there's always that bout of "fantasy football for foodies," the speculation over who will be the new White House chef.
The Transition Bulks Up
Talk about confident and organized, Peter Baker and Helene Cooper of the New York Times report that Obama invited former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Jones to meet with him and all but offered him a key national security post "a full 13 days before the election." (He clearly felt that he had a pretty good idea of who was going to be president-elect by then.) And the rest of his transition, so efficiently organized by former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta, has been on a (steam)roll ever since. Post-November 4th, it has been rolling out the key appointments at a historically "unprecedented" pace.
Five weeks past victory, according to the Times, Obama had announced 13 of the 24 "most important positions in a new administration," including Jones as his national security adviser. At the equivalent moment in their transitions, Jimmy Carter had filled two of these positions; Ronald Reagan, two; George H.W. Bush, 8 (but his was largely a carry-over administration); Bill Clinton, one; and George W. Bush (distracted by an electoral battle wending its fateful way to the Supreme Court), one.
Bated breath hardly catches the media mood, facing the thrilling almost daily roll-outs of new appointments and record numbers of president-elect press conferences against a backdrop of enough American flags to outfit a parade and announced from a White-House press-room-style podium carefully -- not to say ornately -- labeled The Office of the President Elect." At such moments, the Obama transition can seem anything but transitional.
Given the overwhelming, largely congratulatory focus on specific appointments and their attendant drama -- will the strong personalities of Hillary, Bob, and Jim clash? Are the Obama-ites in a desperate scramble for a new CIA Director? Is Larry Summers next in line for the Fed? -- the larger architecture of this moment, and what it portends for the presidency to come, is ignored.
Think of it this way: After the Imperial Campaign -- that two-year extravaganza of bread and circuses (and money) -- comes the Imperial Transition. Everything in these last weeks, like the preceding two years, has been bulked up, like Schwarzenegger's Conanesque pecs. In other words, since November 5th, what we've been experiencing in the midst of one of the true crisis periods in our history has essentially been an unending celebration of super-sized government. Consider it an introduction to what will surely be the next Imperial Presidency.
As the transition events indicate, whatever its specific policies of change, the administration-to-come is preparing to move, and in force, into an empty executive branch as it already exists. Wherever there's an opening, that is, Podesta's guys are rushing to fill it.
The particular transition moment that caught my eye occurred two weeks ago when the chief strategist of the Obama election campaign, David Axelrod, was appointed senior adviser to the president. To be more specific, he was given Karl Rove's old slot (and, assumedly, office) in the White House. As the Boston Globe's Peter Canelos wrote:
"[I]t's now obvious that there's one part of George W. Bush's political legacy that Obama and Axelrod aren't eager to change: the very dubious notion of having the president's campaign strategist rubbing elbows with all the policy wonks in the West Wing."
True, presidents have often wanted trusted advisors near at hand, but the institutionalization of that urge in an actual office in the White House is a new development that Obama could easily, as well as painlessly, have reversed (and many would have cheered him for it). So consider it a signal.
Barack Obama -- thank goodness -- isn't George Bush. He doesn't arrive in office with a crew wedded to a "unitary executive theory" of the presidency, or an urge to loose the executive from the supposed "chains" of the Watergate-era Congress, or to "take off the gloves" globally. He doesn't have strange, twisted, oppressive ideas about how the Constitution should work, nor assumedly do visions of a "commander-in-chief presidency" (or vice presidency) dance in his head like so many sugar plums.
But don't ignore the architecture, the deep structure of the American political system. Make no mistake, Obama is moving full-speed ahead into an executive mansion rebuilt and endlessly expanded by the national security state over the last half-century-plus, and then built up in major ways by George W.'s "team." Despite the prospect of a new dog and a mother-in-law in the White House, the president-elect and his transition team show no signs of wanting to change the basic furniture, no less close up a few wings of the imperial mansion (other, perhaps, than the elaborate prison complex at Guantanamo).
With so many catastrophes impending and so many pundits and journalists merrily applauding the most efficient transition in American history, no one, it seems, is even thinking about the architecture.
The GM of Governments
The New York Times's David Sanger recently reported on what happened when Obama's mini-transition teams of ex-Clintonistas ventured into the heart of our post-9/11 imperial bureaucracy. Many of the team members had worked in the very same departments in the 1990s. On returning, however, they found themselves to be so many Alices in a labyrinthine new Wonderland of national security. Sanger writes:
"[S]everal say they feel more like political archaeologists. 'The buildings look the same,' one said over coffee, 'but everything inside is unrecognizable.' And as they dig, they have tripped across a few surprises… [F]ew can contain their amazement, chiefly at the sheer increase in the size of the defense and national-security apparatus.
"'For a bunch of small-government Republicans,' [said] one former denizen of the White House who has now stepped back inside for the first time in eight years, 'these guys built a hell of an empire.' Eight years ago, there were two deputy national security advisers; today there are a half-dozen, each with staff."
And don't think for a second that most or all of those half-dozen posts aren't likely to be filled by the new administration, or that, four or eight years later, we'll be back to two deputy national security advisers; nor should you imagine that the Homeland Security Department that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is to run, a vast, lumpy, inefficient, ineffective post-9/11 creation of the Bush administration (which now has its own embedded mini-homeland-industrial complex) will be gone in those same years, anymore than that most un-American of words "homeland" is likely to leave our lexicon; nor will Barack Obama not appoint a Director of National Intelligence, another of those post-9/11 creations that added yet one more layer of bureaucracy to the 18 departments, agencies, and offices which make up the official U.S. Intelligence Community.
Don't hold your breath for that labyrinthine mess to be reduced to a more logical two or three intelligence agencies; nor will that 2002 creation of the Bush administration, the U.S. Northern Command, another militarization of "the homeland" now in the process of bulking up, be significantly downsized or abolished in the coming years.
On all of this, the Bush administration has gone out of its way to lend a hand to Obama's transition team and, in the process, help institutionalize the imperial transition itself. Like the new money arrangements pioneered in the 2008 elections, it surely will remain part of the political landscape for the foreseeable future. From such developments in our world, it seems, there's never any turning back.
There's nothing strange about all this, of course, if you're already inside this system. It seems, in fact, too obvious to mention. After all, what president wouldn't move into the political/governmental house he's inheriting as efficiently and fully as possible?
The unprecedented size of this imperial pre-presidency, however, signals something else: that what is to come -- quite aside from the specific policies adopted by a future Obama administration – will be yet another imperial presidency. (And, by the way, those who expect Congress to suddenly become the player it hasn't been, wielding power long ceded, are as likely to be disappointed as those who expect a Hillary Clinton State Department renaissance under the budgetary shadow of the Pentagon.)
On January 20th, Barack Obama will be more prepared than any president in recent history to move in and, as everyone now likes to write, "hit the ground running." But that ground -- the bloated executive and the vast national security apparatus that goes with it (as well as the U.S. military garrisons that dot the planet), all further engorged by George W., Dick, and pals -- is anything but fertile when it comes to "change."
Maybe if the imperial presidency and the national security state worked, none of this would matter. But how can they, given the superlatives that apply to them? They're oversized, over-muscled, overweight, overly expensive, overly powerful, and overly intrusive.
Bottom line: they are problem creators, not problem solvers. To expect one genuine "decider," moving in at the top, to put them on a diet-and-exercise regimen is asking a lot. After all, at the end of the George Bush era, what we have is the GM of governments, and when things start to go wrong, who's going to bail it out?
© Copyright 2008 Tom Englehardt
Tom Engelhardt, co-founder of the American Empire Project, runs the Nation Institute's TomDispatch.com. His sixth and latest book, just published, is A Nation Unmade by War (Dispatch Books).Previous books include: Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World (with an introduction by Glenn Greenwald). Terminator Planet: The First History of Drone Warfare, 2001-2050 (co-authored with Nick Turse), The United States of Fear, The American Way of War: How Bush's Wars Became Obama's, The End of Victory Culture: a History of the Cold War and Beyond, as well as of a novel, The Last Days of Publishing. To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com here.
Calling for Dignity for All Immigrants, Families Separated by Obama Administration Demand Apology From Biden
Democrats Are Failing the Country by Letting Trump Off the Hook
O-I-L: The Missing Three-Letter Word in the Iran Crisis
Trump Murdered the Iran Deal—And Europe Isn’t Too Happy About It
Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Imperialism, Public Citizen, George W. Bush, Bill Gates
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Homeless young people in Kidderminster put proposals on DVD
March 21, 2007 in Adults, Young people
This article describes how a group of young people, each of whom had been homeless in the past, made a DVD about their experiences with the aim of improving services for people in the future.
It started with a simple idea. A group of young people who have experienced homelessness in Kidderminster started to meet in the local Connexions office each fortnight with the co-ordinator for Wyre Forest Nightstop. All the young people have been homeless and are now living in their own, or in shared, accommodation. But the experience has stayed with them, and they wanted to use this to improve services for other young people in the town.
When the young people decided that they wanted to meet regularly, they were given the option of a fairly informal get together – perhaps a chat and a pizza. But they rejected this offer because they meant business. They wanted agendas, officers and a clear plan.
The group now has an elected chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer and has been meeting as the crisis prevention team for more than a year. Usually, about six or seven attend the meetings.
One of the first tasks that the young people set themselves was to raise awareness of homelessness in Kidderminster. Although not on an inner-city scale, Kidderminster does have a youth homelessness issue – as there is in many medium-sized towns – accompanied by a failure to recognise that it could possibly happen there.
The young people thought the annual Kidderminster Carnival would provide a chance to raise the youth homelessness issue. The summer carnival is a major event for the town, attracting local people and visitors. The group set up a stall on the day to highlight homelessness issues. Members constructed cardboard houses and invited the public to discuss the structures and “buy a brick” to develop better services for the town’s young homeless people. The carnival raised more than £400 for the group.
Raising the profile of the issue was, however, not enough. The crisis prevention team wanted to do something that would actually improve the services to homeless young people who needed services. Buoyed by the success of the carnival, the group members decided to produce a DVD about their experiences. It would be used to demonstrate users’ viewpoints to local managers of services and to suggest changes.
While a great idea, it presented real challenges both for the group and for those offering them support. Some of the young people initially saw it as fun to do which was important if the interest and momentum were to be maintained, it had to be a happy experience for the whole group.
Others saw it as a chance to get things off their chest and “tell the bosses what a crap service they ran”. Again, it is important that the young people’s frustration and anger at what had happened to them is given expression, but in ways that most effectively help bring about better services.
Before finalising the DVD, the young people spent time identifying the experiences they wanted to highlight, writing a script, choosing the locations and the methods to be used, and deciding the practicalities of who would do what. Plus, it had to be fun and it had to be real for them.
A number of meetings were dedicated to these tasks. They all agreed that the outcome would be something that would help other homeless young people. Some local service managers were approached and asked whether, if a DVD were made, they would meet the young people to watch it and consider whether any changes in service delivery were warranted as a result. The managers agreed to meet the group and discuss the ideas raised in the DVD.
Over a series of sessions, a storyboard was developed, locations identified and roles assigned. A colleague who worked in a local youth agency had the equipment and editing skills and agreed to help the young people with some of the more technical aspects.
The filming was done in one day. This ensured that the same group of young people were involved in the filming throughout. Spreading the filming over two or three sessions would not only have affected the continuity, but it would have been difficult to ensure that everyone could take the same days off work or college. Five young people took part in the actual filming, with more helping in the preparation phases.
The finished DVD was viewed for the first time at the annual meeting of Wyre Forest Nightstop in December 2006, with two members of the group enthusiastically answering questions from the audience at a public meeting of more than 50 people.
The young people are due to meet senior managers soon when they will present their material and suggest improvements that can be made to services for homeless young people in Kidderminster. CC
Turn to the next page to find out how people with learning difficulties have written, starred in and produced a DVD about their lives.
The group raised awareness of youth homelessness with a stall at Kidderminster’s summer carnival
Top Ten Recommendations
The DVD has Top Ten recommendations to local managers on ways to improve services for homeless young people:
● Offer young people a private place to explain their situation.
● Understand that young homeless people may be going through a rough time. Put yourself in their shoes and be understanding.
● We understand that respect has to be earned, but that works both ways. Young people deserve the same respect as adults.
● Feel free to use our DVD in training (e-mail wfnightstop@btconnect.com for details).
● When new members of staff are employed, make sure they are aware of the problems that young people face.
● When we were homeless we realised there was a lack of accommodation for young people. We feel a hostel being built would benefit young people.
● Update young people on their situation, so they know where they stand.
● It shouldn’t take bringing adults or support workers to interviews to be listened to. Please do not dismiss what we say.
● Ask young people if help is needed with forms, and if they grasp what they need to do.
● If young people can’t attend meetings, try to be understanding, as young people are expected to understand if services cannot attend.
David Harris is support and development officer for Nightstop UK, a national organisation that works with local communities to try to prevent youth homelessness. In addition to working in the voluntary sector, he has previously worked in local authority children’s services, and as a lay university chaplain.
Sally Perks has been the first co-ordinator of Wyre Forest Nightstop in Kidderminster for just over two years. She is a graduate in community studies and is currently studying for an MA in youth and community studies.
The author has provided questions about this article to guide discussion in teams. These can be viewed at www.communitycare.co.uk/prtl and individuals’ learning from the discussion can be registered on a free, password-protected training log held on the site. This is a service from Community Care for all GSCC-registered professionals.
DVD obtainable from 01562 820110 (Wyre Forest Nightstop)
People with learning difficulties put their experiences in DVD. Supported by United Response
This article appeared in the 23 March issue under the headline “Homeless, young, talented”
Agency working: the pros and cons
Unison anger as council staff offered 2% pay rise
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UN Commends Jonathan For Electoral Reforms, Lauds His Role In Promoting Peace In Africa
Abiola Alaba Peters Published: November 08, 2017
The United Nations has commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for the electoral reforms he initiated during his tenure, and for the good works he has been doing to promote peace and stability in Africa.
In extolling Jonathan’s achievements, the UN prayed that the institutions he built and the high standards he established in organizing credible and peaceful elections are maintained and
sustained in Nigeria.
The global organization made this known during a courtesy call on Jonathan last weekend by a delegation led by Ambassador Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, and Chairman of the
Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC).
Speaking of the 2015 general elections, Chambas who was accompanied by the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Edward Kallon, commended ex-President Jonathan’s roles in stemming the tide of agitations which threatened Nigeria’s unity ahead of the elections.
He said:“What we noticed in 2015 was that there was a display of maturity in the way the elections were handled. There was hardly any major incident between the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The problems were mostly internal to parties.”
According to him, the delegation came to express their appreciation to Jonathan for the good works he has been doing to promote democracy, peace, and stability in Africa, adding that the ex-President "still continues to do good with his decision to serve as the leader of one of the election observation missions to the forthcoming presidential runoff in Liberia.”
Chambas further told the former President that the UN was seeking his support to ensure the success of a scheduled all party stakeholders forum similar to the inter-party peace forum which held under the Jonathan Administration.
In his response, former President Jonathan commended Chambas and his team for the initiative and congratulated the special envoy for moving up to a higher platform, after serving as the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Ex-President Jonathan also commended the UN for its support in election processes in West Africa and in all of Africa, adding that the efforts of ECOWAS leaders had ensured that West Africa had remained relatively peaceful.
He said further: “First let me welcome you and your team. I believe this is a familiar environment for you because you had been with us in ECOWAS. I am happy that you have now gone higher than the ECOWAS level. Let me also, through you and your team, commend what the UN is doing in terms of its proactive approach in sanitizing election processes in Africa.”
Jonathan also noted that electoral processes in Nigeria were getting better compared to what it was in the Second Republic when widespread irregularities forced the military to topple elected civilian leaders.
The former President further made a case for credible elections in Africa stressing that tensions arising from poorly conducted elections and other leadership issues are at the heart of most crises on the continent.
"Elections must be credible. They must not just be free and fair but must be seen to be transparent and credible. That way peace will reign and sustainable development can take place”
Jonathan reiterated his belief in peace and credible election processes, saying that peaceful power transfers remain one of the main focus of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation. He also expressed his readiness to encourage and work with the envoy to achieve its mandate in the area of peace.
Ex-President Jonathan stated further that democracy seemed to have stabilized in some African countries including Ghana, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Abiola Alaba Peters
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Shock of Lancashire's failing schools
Out of the 84 secondary schools Lancashire, 16 require improvement and seven are inadequate
Mike Hill
More than a quarter of secondary schools in Lancashire are inadequate or require improvement, Ofsted figures show.
Out of the 84 secondary schools in Lancashire, 16 require improvement and seven are inadequate, the worst rating for a school. There are 18 rated outstanding, and 43 are classed as good, according to the latest inspections, as of October 31.
Ofsted, the schools regulator, inspects every new school within three years of opening. Inspectors judge education providers on the effectiveness of their leadership, quality of teaching and learning, personal development and welfare, and the outcomes for learners.
If a school is rated as inadequate it will be re-inspected within 15 months, and between one and two years if it requires improvement. Lancashire has two more secondary schools which are inadequate or require improvement now, compared with five years ago. Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said there was "a link between the level of school disadvantage and the outcome of Ofsted inspections".
"A report from the Education Policy Institute found that schools with more disadvantaged pupils are less likely to be judged good or outstanding, while schools with low disadvantage and high prior attainment are much more likely to be rated highly," he said. Mr Courtney explained that a high turnover of teachers, as well as struggles in recruiting specialist staff, contributed to this.
"Naming and shaming schools and labelling them through negative Ofsted judgements is entirely the wrong approach," he added. Out of the 631 schools in Lancashire, 12 are inadequate and 52 require improvement, which equates to 10 per cent. This is below the average for the North West, which is 13 per cent.
In Lancashire, 24 per cent of schools are outstanding, which is above the North West's average, and 65 per cent are rated good. Across England, 21 per cent of schools were classed as outstanding, 65 per cent good, 11 per cent requires improvement and three per cent were ranked inadequate. A Department for Education spokesman said where pupils are not receiving a good education "we will not hesitate to take action, either through the offer of support or intervention, as appropriate".
He continued: "There are 1.9 million more children in good and outstanding schools compared to 2010. This represents 86 per cent of children, compared to just 66 per cent in 2010.
“The number of schools that are rated inadequate or requires improvement has decreased since 2010, going down from 32 per cent to 14 per cent in March of this year."
Ofsted said it would like to inspect schools rated as outstanding, which are exempt from routine inspections unless there is a specific concern about performance.A spokesman explained: "Some schools have now gone for 10 years or more without being inspected, leaving us with a blind spot about the quality of education they offer. We have been clear that we would like this exemption to be removed, and have asked the DfE to look at the policy again. We focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact, so schools with lower grades are inspected more frequently."
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Home » Interviews » Q & A: Emily Rose and Colin Ferguson Talk ‘Haven’, Acting and Chemistry
Q & A: Emily Rose and Colin Ferguson Talk ‘Haven’, Acting and Chemistry
By Lance Carter October 7, 2013 No Comments
The SyFy Channel’s Haven is off to a great start for its 4th season and stars Emily Rose and Colin Ferguson said in a recent conference call that we haven’t even begun to see the craziness.
The interview is a tad long but if you’re a fan of the show, you’ll love it. Even if you’re not, they delve into questions about their careers, acting, working in sci-fi and tons more.
Haven airs Fridays at 10:00 p.m. on Syfy.
What’s been your favorite scene the two of you have filmed together? What’s been the most fun?
Emily Rose: Oh, that’s a tough question.
Colin Ferguson: Well, for sure, without revealing, yes, we did a scene – I really enjoyed a scene that we did, it took place in a hospital, I can say that. And I think that was a fun one for me because I really thought that they were going to write him with a lot more humor, you know, and he – when he was being nice or not nice, it was funny both ways. And I really appreciate that they went that way with him because I so enjoyed doing that sort of stuff. So that was a great eye-opener for me, I enjoyed it.
Emily Rose: Yes. You know, it’s been really fun, like, you know, Colin and I started hanging out at these Syfy, you know, media tour deals and, you know, just sort of like you do with your friends when you hang out — we weren’t friends before that but, you know, had a friendship develop over all those, you know, many times of doing interviews together — but just sort of blast about, hey, it will be so fun to have you on Haven, it’d be so cool if we got to do something together.
And so now looking back with you asking that question, there are so many scenes I feel like we had this opportunity to do, you know, some really fun work. And what’s cool about Colin and I’s scenes, I feel like that we get – the treat we get of doctors is there really is really good, you know, scene work. There’s some great scene work.
And I think for me, you know, it is that trick of not wanting to give it away, there is a scene that takes place where I am in a prison cell, that’s what I want to say, but I think that was a really fun scene to play, because tables were turned and it was really, really enjoyable, the listening that happened and just the scene itself that played out. And I also just really like those early bar scenes in episodes one through four because it’s so early on on the journey and they’re both sort of kind of naïve, or at least you hope they are, to really what’s happening. So those are always fun to play.
Colin Ferguson: And we’ve had a running joke where I would sort of go in before I’m about to do something and I would go, so in this take I’m going to do this and this and this. And Emily was saying like, she would always turn to me and go, you don’t have to tell me ahead of time. I am listening. You (unintelligible).
Emily Rose: Yes. I’m going to choose to listen and be present, Colin, that’s what I’m going to do.
What do you like best about your characters?
Colin Ferguson: What I like most is what they’ve – that they’ve given me so much to play. You know, when you come in to be – to service, you know, a show the way that had been brought in, the fear is that you’re going to be the plot hammer. You’re just going to come in and like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and everybody else with just cool reaction.
But they’ve actually written this great role that has so much subtexts because you’re not really sure what he’s doing from time to time, and that was a huge gift for me. So I think probably that’s what I’m most grateful for and what I like the most, that he does that with humor. And yes, I would say that three times in a row if I could, but that’s where I’m at.
Emily Rose: Yes. I think for me, as far — I just choked a little bit there — I think for me, Audrey is such a fun character to play in general because she gets to be all these different people. And so with Lexie, I feel like one of the fun things for me to play with her was like all of the external things that she was — her hair, her rings, her nose ring, the dark sort of edgier kind of point of view, and just the humor.
I mean Audrey is so serious all the time because she has to be. And so playing Lexie was like a breath of fresh air because she didn’t take anything seriously. She’s like there to have a good time, party a bit. And if she gets freaked out, kind of cool and crazy. But she’s mainly there like razzing everybody and, you know, just kind of a party girl.
So that was like, you know, just the most, I don’t know, the detail and just the thing that always caught me off-guard when I was getting to film was I was like, I get to say that line in a completely different way and it’s hilarious. That’s really fun. So that was part I enjoyed the most with Lexie.
These new characters, is it a challenge for each of you to step into roles that have to be so different from what you played before, or is that just super-easy for each of you?
Emily Rose: No, it was really fun for me. But I think having kind of just had my son, having the baby and then coming straight into like four days of straight shooting in order to kind of catch up with everybody else, there was a little piece in me that was like, is this Audrey or is this Lexie? And I constantly was kind of talking with Colin and just saying like, oh, I kind of maybe want to take that, take it again, it feels a little more Audrey than it was Lexie, I need to make sure that this character is coming through. You know, that’s always your fear, is that maybe one will bleed into the other.
But in my case it’s okay if they do kind of bleed into each other I think, but still you want to make a clear distinction. But no, to me, the externals, the things like my costume and what I’m wearing really help me get caught from one person to the next.
Colin Ferguson: Yes. And I would say the first day is always the worst. I mean, prior to coming in, you have all these ideas about what the character is and how you’re going to play it and all that stuff, but you don’t know if anyone else is going to approve or if it’s going to work. And you don’t really know until you start bouncing off the other person and seeing if any of it lands or if, you know, the writers and the execs and the other actors had a completely different take on the scene.
So prior to that first day, you’re pretty nervous playing someone new, you know, because there’s all this concept discussion. The concept doesn’t really mean anything at the end of the day, it comes down to execution and what that means to everybody involved. So yes, that first day is always nerve-wracking.
But after that, I mean it’s a breath of fresh air because you get to, you know, the good news about playing someone for a bunch of different years is that you learn them so well and it’s such familiar clothing to step into. The downside is that it’s hard to make it fresh.
The good side about getting someone new is that it’s completely fresh, so you’re energized right out of the gate. The scary bit is your bag of tricks is way smaller, so you’re just slowly growing it as the character grows, and that’s a fun, fun exploration. So in a sense Emily and I were doing it together, you know, in the first couple of scenes.
Colin, with these new characters of Lexie and William, how much did you know when you were getting started playing these characters?
Colin Ferguson: Well, the funny thing about that is you’re told things but, you know, whether they’re true or not is the hard bit, because the writers don’t know. You know, they’re writing episode 401 and they say, yes, we think it’s going to do this direction, we’re fairly certain it’s going to go like that. But until they actually write it, it could go another way. And a lot of times, you know, they’re watching. So they see the chemistries, their interaction, where do want to go with it? So you try – or at least I try to prep based upon what they say, but you have to sort of keep the trap door open just in case it’s snakes right or left without you, you know, suddenly.
Emily Rose: Yes, definitely. And I feel like, you know, it is constantly my desire to want to know and to get as much information as I can so I can make, you know, informed choices as an actor. But in some regards, you know, with this particular character of Audrey Parker that I’m playing, the not-knowing is just as relevant. And so I do push at times when there are things that I do need the answers to, I feel. But then there are other times when I realize, you know, you just need to use this, Emily. Use the mystery, use the unknowing, use the, you know, no one knows where a relationship will end up when it starts unless they’re looking back on it in some regard. So from my point of view, you know, it’s constantly trying to open up whatever there is to discover and trying to find out, you know, what there is to know.
And like I tease Colin about trying to be present and to listen and to see what kind of comes from that. But, you know, of course I say that and in other sense of the word, I’m there, you know, as I’m about ready to have my son waiting to have the baby and going, I need to prepare for this character as much as I can. Give me all the information I can. You know?
And so in some ways, that’s beneficial, and in other ways you just kind of have to trust that you’ve done your homework and then forget about it and do the best you can on the day, so.
Colin Ferguson: And I have to say, with this, they — and I think I can say this — there’s something coming that’s pretty big that they did need to sit me down in L.A. and tell me all about before it all started. And that was true. That proved to be true. What they told me in the beginning was what they did ultimately.
So in this particular situation, it was good to sort of follow what they said and believe. So I guess the answer is, yes, they sat me down, and said, this is where this character is going and this is his history. It’s something.
Colin, was anything about William that wasn’t originally scripted for you that you added to this role?
Colin Ferguson: I’d like to think there was something I added to the role. It’d be awfully sad if there was nothing I added to the role. Yes. I mean I think that that’s a funny – it’s a funny line, that you definitely try to shove as much in that box as you can so that it’s a very, you know, rich character. But having said that, they did right – they definitely wrote to my strengths. And either it was just a happy coincidence or, you know, they actually watched what I was doing and knew who I was and wrote to that. So I – it’s a chicken and egg. I don’t know what came first, but it came together really, really well.
As actors, when you get handed these roles, it’s almost like sketches, they’re not quite developed new characters. Do you have to kind of create your own backstory or do you have to kind of play it in the middle because you’re afraid you might not go in the right direction? And how do you tackle something like that?
Colin Ferguson: I think it all depends on how much clout you have, to be honest. That’s my honest answer. It’s, you know, when I started out and I would get a role, I would go in and do it as good as I could. And if they told me to make up a severe change, I would say yes, and I would do it.
At this point it’s so much nicer because I can go in and they say, hey, this is the character and this is the first script. And I’ll say, okay, this is really cool, I really like this. I’m going to lean in to this kind of stuff because I really like that and I hope you guys like what I do with it. And if they do, then it spirals up and just gets really good. And of course they can just ignore me and do what they want.
But I mean that’s how I try to affect change, sort of look at the good in the script that they write and say, yes, I want to lean in to that stuff. And maybe if they’re listening, the character will go that way.
Emily Rose: Yes. I think, you know, I definitely agree with Colin in that it’s kind of like at the beginning you are very much taking your directions from the creatives that are creating this character. But what’s really great is that as, you know, you go on, the character really does become your own. And as you kind of start the conversations with everybody and say, you know, you head in a direction, if they sort of trust you with it, and if you are headed in the wrong direction, then you’ll end up hearing about it.
But I think as the show develops and especially having been in season four, I feel like I have a — I don’t know if I have clout — but I definitely feel like I have a voice in the conversation or if there’s something that needs to be said in terms of, well, Audrey would make this choice, wouldn’t make this choice, things like that. I feel like I definitely have the ear of some people to say, let’s look at this and let’s talk about this before this happens, you know. I’m not sure if that answers your question, but.
Early this season, there was a scene between the two of you that was almost like something romantically was going on there, then it kind of turned – and it became like, oh wait a minute, it got like a little strange because you brought up her past and all that. That must have been blast to kind of play ping pong that way and have a great time doing it.
Colin Ferguson: Yes. That was really – and the funny thing was, you know, you talked about what we were just talking about, and that had been so discussed ahead of time. So you have this meeting where it was like, yes, this is what we want from this scene. We want there to be, you know, some chemistry and people thinking, oh maybe it’s a hookup kind of thing, and then it’s going to go another way. And then as an actors – as actors, you know, we, Emily and I are sort of like, okay, well, how do we do that, you know? So we’d sort of monkey around and find some stuff. So it’s really gratifying to hear that, you know, what we tried to do came across. That’s nice.
Emily Rose: And I mean, it doesn’t really hurt at all that I – that, you know, Colin’s super-charming. I mean for a girl to act across charming, you know, leading guys, it’s always really helpful, because you kind of, like I said, you’re kind of just there in the moment. And, you know, whatever humor comes across, whatever, you know, looks come across, you can talk about it all you want, but on the day, when you’re standing there on your mark, you have to be able to read each other and have fun with it and play around. And then that’s how the scenes come alive.
Colin Ferguson: Yes. And it’s all just conjecture until you’re with another actor and you go, oh, either we can both listen to each other, or it’s one of those where like, no, we just missed. And then you don’t. And there’s nothing you can do. If you don’t have chemistry with someone and – in the scenes, you can use every trick that you want but they’re tricks. You know, if you can’t listen and respond, you’re sort of done.
Emily Rose: Totally. Totally. I definitely agree. That’s why it helps when you like the other person you’re working with, just in, you know, in terms of like, oh, you know, oh yes, this person I enjoy them, it’s fun, I can laugh with them, you know, but then you also feel like you feel safe enough to sort of talk about the scene and that the other person won’t get offended or anything like that. You know, you have to – sometimes you come from different places on a scene, you have to be able to work it through and talk about it along with the director. But it’s definitely worked, that friendship or that base, or that sense of humor all helps the final product for sure.
Emily, tells us about the nose ring.
Emily Rose: Oh wow. That’s such a good question. I fought for that nose ring. I fought for that little nose ring so hard, you find out how stubborn you are when you fight for something like that.
No, we really wanted to have – sorry, here I am. We really wanted to have, you know, some sort of a character, like a signature character, you know, thing. Every single character I have, I try to find what that is that, you know, I can hook on to.
And so for Lexie, just being sort of, you know, this very kind of rocker, you know, bar person, I had played actually a character that was kind of similar to Lexie and I was a little bombed that I never got to play her for longer. So when I saw Lexie and we were kind of dreaming up who she was, I just kept saying to my makeup artist and to my executive producer, man, it would just be so cool if I could get – she could have a nose ring. Nothing huge, nothing enormous that’s going to be distracting, but something delicate and dainty and it’s very her and it’d be very specifically Lexie.
And of course, you know, there were people that were a little afraid that that was too bold of a choice. But lucky for me, I have a network called Syfy that loved it and they loved it and wanted – liked that distinction. And so I was like so excited to have this little tiny thing because very rarely does a little, you know, blond like me get to kind of jump in to kind of characters and make them that sort of, you know, externally outgoing. So I was really, really excited to get a nose ring. And I know everybody online has differing opinions on it, but at least people are talking about it. So I really enjoyed it…
Colin Ferguson: And it’s really funny that. I mean if you think back, there was so much discussion about, you know, because no one – you were like four weeks out of having a baby when all that put together. I don’t know, she’s four weeks at having a baby, and you looked amazing, like ridiculous four weeks of having a baby.
Emily Rose: I think – I think my biggest like triumph was when they took pictures of me in the Lexie look and they sent them to people and everybody was like, that’s great. We would just like to see them with the – with Emily wearing all that stuff now. And everybody was like, that is, that is her. That’s her. She’s transformed into character. And it was like, no way, I can’t believe it, she looks fantastic. So thank you, Colin, that was great. I was very nervous about being on camera that – and after having a baby, but thanks to the amazingness of extensions, it all worked out.
Colin Ferguson: And also like just the breast, you know, we discussed, you know, the first day of having your character on set, the new character, you were also a new mother on set for that first day.
Emily Rose: Yes. Yes, that was crazy and intense. But it all worked out really well. The production company, you know, obviously has been really fantastic about making sure I get away and get time to feed Miles and get that time in with him as being such a new little guy. So I really do feel really blessed. They worked really hard to make sure I had that time. And it’s amazing I’m not too sleep deprived. That’s because of my fantastic husband taking care of all of that and it’s been really great. It’s worked out great.
Emily, how much input did you have into building this new Audrey character? Were you able to say, I want to go here with this one?
Emily Rose: A little bit. More – a little bit. I mean I more so have the freedom with the characters once they’ve sort of been given to me. I haven’t really, you know, I don’t really get to say this is what kind of character I would like to play. But once they’ve been given to me and we sort of talk about who they are. Like I said, I do tend to fight tooth and nail for some things if I really believed that it’s a really great character choice. But that is about, you know, as much freedom as I have.
And then obviously like her vocal quality and her physicality and all of those things, they pretty much kind of let me run with very – very rarely do they sort of say, no, or, that’s not what we want, or whatnot. They kind of see what happens and then, you know.
It’s kind of interesting. I’ve kind of always been like, has this always been the plan, that I would get to play all these different people? Or what if you hired me and I did just play just one dimension really well, would you want me to do as many characters? Is this a strength of mine? Do you like doing as many? It’s kind of a very, you know, interesting thought.
But they haven’t yet asked me yet, you know, who would you want to play. Actually no, they have, and I have given them that answer. Whether or not that ends up being able to happen is another question. But I’m hoping it does before I’m, you know, done with our time here for sure.
Colin Ferguson: I’m going to weigh in actually on Emily’s question, and just the funny thing about that with execution of a character when you get one, you know, because having been in your own body for, you know, 20, 30, 40 years, you know what works, you know what doesn’t. As much as you’re open to trying new things, you really sort of know how you do it and what works better on you. And that’s what you bring to the table.
So when a character is created for me anyway, I think I’m the same as Emily, where once they create it, you know the version of that that you do well. So you sort of go, oh that’s great. If we can do this instead of that, that will accomplish what you want, this and that, that’s sort of where I like to win, I like to weigh in as well, you know, when it’s coming down to, you know, costume and tone.
Are there any of your own personal personality traits that you put in to these two characters?
Colin Ferguson: Yes. Yes, I do. I throw in as much as I can cram in to the little container. I’m like – yes, I’ll try anything that’ll work with a line. But that – my take on it is you put as much of your – like if it’s a mean guy, you put, how would I be a mean guy? So you put as much of your mean – your version of mean in there as you can, or something that’ll work for camera and all that jazz. So I’m always trying to, you know, discover new things about myself and put them in.
Emily Rose: Yes. I mean I feel like obviously without even knowing you do that, you know, some people – Colin, you were just saying today that it’s hard for you to watch people that you know on TV sometimes and separate that from who they are because you know them so well. So I think naturally you sort of put that, you know, in, in your characters for sure.
And it takes, you know, it takes a lot of work I think sometimes when it comes to like posture and physicality, to really train your body for a prolonged amount of time to sort of do something differently than how you do it. But yes, I think your view of the world is naturally infused in there.
And there is actually a moment in episode five and a scene that I said a line like – and Lexie, you know, was making a joke about something, and I totally threw in something that was a joke of me and my – me and my friends, what we do at home as like a little shout-out to them. So you do get a chance to do that occasionally. And when you do, it’s really, really fun.
Marco DelVecchio on Playing Racing Legend Mario Andretti in Emmy Contender “The Sound of Passion”
‘Days Of Our Lives’ Casting Director Marnie Saitta on the Hardest Parts to Cast and Her Advice to Actors
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Tutu bodice making course
Prescott & Mackay will be holding a two-day course in making boned bodices for ballet tutus. Running on March 7 to 8, 2013, the course will be taught by costume and dancewear specialist Amanda Hall. Prescott & Mackay is the only school in the UK providing short courses in the construction of classical ballet dancewear.
The two-day course will teach you how to make a fitted bodice for tutus – a fitted shape that has much less constraint than a traditional corset. Techniques learned on the tutu course can also be used to make bridalwear and decorative corsets. The course would also be useful for students who have completed Prescott & Mackay’s two-day tutu-making course, and would like to complete their costumes.
Amanda Hall graduated from Wimbledon School of Art in 1987, and has worked ever since making costumes for theatre, film, television, West End musicals and with Mr Pearl, for couturiers Christian Lacroix and Thierry Mugler. As a freelance costume maker, she has made tutus for The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, and has also worked for English National Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish Ballet.
The course will run at the Prescott & Mackay Studio, 52 Warren Street, London W1T 5NJ from 10am to 6pm on March 7 to 8. For more information, see www.prescottandmackay.co.uk.
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AFP snooped on a journo, but it was your pollies and media that let it happen
The Australian Federal Police's casual dismissal of a serious breach of data retention laws is appropriate given the way those laws were passed.
Bernard Keane
Even if you ignore the evidence about ineffectiveness of data retention and believe it is necessary, there are a number of ways in which the Australian Federal Police's "accidental" breach of the journalist information warrant requirements for investigating journalists could have been avoided, or handled differently.
In a supplementary submission to the Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security inquiry into the data retention bill in 2014, Professor George Williams responded to a request from the committee during his evidence about the use of a "Single Point of Contact" (SPoC) within an organisation, as occurs under the United Kingdom's data retention regime. Such a scheme would be a "useful addition", according to Williams, even if it didn't address the major flaws of data retention. "For example, if a junior police officer wanted to access communications data under Part 1, Chapter 2 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (UK), he or she would first submit an application to the SPoC. The SPoC would then consider the merits and lawfulness of that request, and provide advice on its drafting, before sending it to a senior designated officer to be authorised."
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Schools workshop competition
Pupils learn how the heart works as part of the initiative.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is offering schools across the UK the chance to win a unique fun-filled workshop with a BHF-funded researcher to inspire pupils to learn about how their hearts work.
The competition is open to all primary and secondary schools, and is simple to enter. All each school need to do is sign up to one of the BHF’s school fundraisers; AllStar Games, Jump Rope for Heart or Ultimate Dodgeball before midnight on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
By taking part in one of these fundraisers, the pupils will be in with a chance to have one of the BHF’s cutting-edge researchers come into your school and lead a fun-filled, interactive day of activities about what the heart does and how it works.
The BHF runs three school fundraising initiatives which show children and young people how to keep fit and maintain a healthy heart through exercise. The money raised goes towards the BHF’s life saving research, and the school can also keep 20 per cent of the money raised to put towards new equipment and resources to promote a healthy lifestyle for its pupils.
Last year’s winners enjoyed crawling through blood vessel tunnels, learning about blood clots through volleyball, cell activities and playing an operation game.
Jessica Rose, programme manager for school fundraisers at the BHF, said: “Our school fundraisers are a great way to get pupils involved in energetic, heart healthy exercise whilst having fun and raising money for life saving research. We’re delighted to be offering a school the chance to win a workshop with one of our BHF-funded researchers, who work tirelessly to help fight heart disease.
“We’re calling on teachers across the country to get involved and sign their school up.”
By signing up to one of these school fundraisers before the end of February 2018 you will automatically be eligible for a chance to win. The winners will be notified by email by no later than Thursday 31st May 2018 and the workshop will be arranged during the Summer Term.
For more information on AllStar Games, Jump Rope for Heart or Ultimate Dodgeball and be in for a chance to win, sign up for free by visiting www.bhf.org.uk/researcherday
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Demonstrators seek to mute R. Kelly
#MuteRKelly supporters protest outside R. Kelly's studio - AAP
R. Kelly protesters went to the singer's recording studio to amplify the #MuteRKelly movement. And then a few Kelly supporters pulled up, amplifying his music.
Following the damning Lifetime documentary series Surviving R. Kelly, protesters gathered outside the Chicago studio for a second time on Saturday morning to share stories of survival, call for an end to Kelly's career and bring attention to the young women at the centre of his alleged "cult".
A small group of protesters passed around a megaphone. One colourful sign raised in the air said: "Age ain't nothing but a number. Well jail ain't nothing but a room."
"I couldn't stand by and be silent," Dawn Valenti said through the megaphone. "It's important for us as survivors to stand up."
Chants of "R Kelly, your time is up!" and "Black girls matter!" were directed at the brick building.
Protester Tebitha Kulikowska, 26, of Belmont Cragin, said she came to the protest to help give voice to those who don't have an outlet.
"I want there to be a future that girls can look forward to," Kulikowska said. "The documentary really opened up my eyes."
The six-hour documentary - watched by almost 20 million viewers earlier this month - covers decades of abuse allegations against the Grammy winner, including the six-year legal battle that culminated with Kelly being acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008.
Kelly, 52, has long denied all allegations of sex abuse and of running a "cult."
But a wave of backlash followed release of the documentary. Kelly is reportedly under criminal investigation in Georgia, and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx this past week asked alleged victims to come forward.
On Wednesday, a protest was held outside the studio, and Thursday, a proposal for a local concert hosted by Kelly was denied due to security concerns, while a radio station banned his music.
On Friday, Kelly was ordered to allow city building inspectors to check out the recording studio after reports that people were living in the industrial warehouse space in violation of city codes.
On Saturday, as protesters chalked messages on the slick sidewalks, Tyler Thompson, 22, talked about what brought her to the studio.
Thompson said that growing up, she knew people who knew Kelly, and she was invited to his residence. But she never asked her mum if she could go, because Thompson knew her mum would say no.
"If I didn't have a mom who put that fear in me," Thompson said, "I could have been one of those women."
Thompson said she has friends who defend the singer, but she sees the current moment as a turning point.
"A lot of this wouldn't happen if the documentary wasn't made," she said. "I will definitely keep coming out if there's more protests. I just hope everyone keeps their energy and focus on the women."
But soon two white cars arrived in front of the studio, blasting Kelly's music.
Signs popped out of the windows with messages of "forgiveness" for Kelly and Bible verses. "R. Kelly We (heart) U," one sign read.
The supporters and protesters shouted back and forth. One supporter left a car with a megaphone and tried to speak as the crowd attempted to drown him out with cries of "Mute R Kelly".
By about 11.30 am, the white cars were gone.
"I prayed with them," Clark said. "I circled up and prayed with them because I don't hate anyone.
Clark said there's a Monday protest at Trump Tower in the works. Police went to Kelly's residence at the building on Friday on a tip that women were being held hostage but left after finding no evidence of wrongdoing.
"We're not going to stop, because you see how pervasive it is," Clark said. "They're playing his music, they've got the signs out, look, even more cars coming now. It's pervasive. Every time you play a song, how many more women and girls are being impacted and victimised?"
The cars circled back, windows open, music playing.
"This is exactly what I was talking about," Thompson said. "These are supposed to be the men who protect women like me."
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Covestro (India) inaugurates new Strategic Market Development Center in Mumbai
New center to focus on ‘Innovation inspired by Sustainability’ and contribute towards the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Covestro, the global manufacturer of high-performance polymer materials, today inaugurated the Strategic Market Development Center in Mumbai at the hands of Michael Friede – Head of Coatings, Adhesives & Specialities Business Covestro AG and in the presence of Ajay Durrani, Managing Director, Covestro (India), Peter Kruppa, Global Head of Application & Technology Development, Covestro AG and Linda Liu, Product Technical services - Covestro APAC. The chief guest for the inauguration ceremony was Prof. Dr. GD Yadav, Vice Chancellor, Institute of Chemical Technology. The center located in the new office of Covestro India’s Mumbai premises will enable driving more innovative solutions for the Indian market. The launch of the new center further bolsters the company’s commitment towards the Indian market and helps strengthen its global position as the market leader in the supply of innovative solutions.
Speaking on the inauguration of the center, Mr. Ajay Durrani, MD, Covestro (India) highlighted how innovative and ideal offerings to the Indian market is the need of the hour, “We have always been at the forefront in supporting nation building initiatives such as the Make In India and the Smart City Mission introduced by the Government. The smart city mission demands new age solutions which will help build energy efficient buildings. The new center will provide enhanced capabilities to cater to this need with localised solutions using our raw material in the technology. The true test of capability comes when one is able to replace existing technology with cutting edge superior technology that is seamless. Having a center of this scale will enhance our capabilities to spawn innovative solutions.”
“This is a one of its kind center in the country and represents our confidence in India and its growth story. Rapid technological advancements demand courageous innovations to address the needs of global challenges. Sustainability is our biggest innovation driver for which we rely on cutting edge research across the globe. The center will help develop solutions for infrastructure, mobility, energy and technology which will require sustainable products in the near future. Through the regional presence of our innovation hubs we understand the local needs and can develop tailor-made solutions.” said Michael Friede – Head of Coatings, Adhesives and Specialities business Covestro AG at the inaugural ceremony.
The center will help speed up local innovation that will enable in catering to the demands of the Indian market. It will also help create customized PU solutions which can be used in industries such as construction, automotive, furniture, footwear, etc.
The center will work closely with Covestro’s global centers offering services to meet international standards and state-of-the-art center that is equipped with advanced capabilities to match global standards.
About Covestro:
With 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,200 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2017.
Find more information at: www.covestro.in and www.covestro.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CovestroGroup
Chintan Joshi
E-Mail: chintan.joshi@covestro.com
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
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Race, Ethnicity, Indigenous Peoples and Politics
L00(i) - Women In Political Science Leadership Program - Concurrent Workshops: Building Community and Survival Strategies
Date: Jun 3 | Time: 02:00pm to 03:30pm | Location: ESB 2012/1012
This event will take place in either room ESB2012 or ESB 1012 (TBD by the organizers).
Cet événement aura lieu dans la salle ESB2012 ou salle ESB 1012 (à déterminer par les organisatrices).
Although 40.9% of all Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) members identify as women (Abu-Laban, Sawer and St. Laurent, 2017: 7), women are still underrepresented in key leadership roles. For example, CPSA has only had 11 women presidents since its establishment in 1912 (Ibid: 9). While important strides have been made to address gender and diversity concerns -- most notably through the establishment of the Women and Politics Section in 2000, concerns about gender equity in the professional abound. Every year, discussion at the Women, Gender and Politics workshops reveal that many female political scientists experience incidents of gender discrimination, which run the gamut from being underpaid to facing gender discrimination in the criteria used for tenure and promotion (e.g., student teaching evaluations, citation indices), to experiencing sexual harassment and assault. The situation is direr for black and Indigenous women of colour. Although CPSA does not collect data disaggregated by race, by indigineity, and by gender, the experiences of racialized and Indigenous women in the profession have been documented by scholars such as Malinda Smith, who, in her groundbreaking co-written book, "The Equity Myth," highlights how diversity initiatives have done little to improve the everyday working conditions of Indigenous and racialized faculty members, and in particular, racialized and Indigenous women (Kobayashi, et al.: 2017). The purpose of this one-day pre-conference leadership program, to be held on June 3, 2019, the day before the 2019 CPSA Annual Conference starts, is to provide women in political science a dedicated space to build community with each other and to identify ways to improve the situations of women and BIWOC in the academy. By having individual workshops related to professional development (e.g., addressing issues related to career options, research, teaching, and navigating the 'academy'), and to work-life balance (e.g., parenting while 'professoring,' working as activist-scholars), this leadership program will provide both junior, mid-career, and senior scholars the opportunity to learn from each other. Junior scholars will also have the opportunity to be paired with senior scholar 'mentors' who share similar research interests and who can help 'demystify' the ins and outs of political science. Please note: this is a preconference workshop, which will take place the day before the start of the 2019 CPSA Annual Conference. References: Abu-Laban, Yasmeen, Marian Sawer and Mathieu St. Laurent (2017). IPSA Gender and Diversity Monitoring Report. Kobayashi, Audrey, Car James, Enakshi Dua, Frances Henry, Howard Ramos, Malinda S. Smith and Peter Li (2017). The Equity Myth: Racialization and Indigneity in Canadian Universities. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.
Nisha Nath (Athabasca University)
Rita Dhamoon (University of Victoria)
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PCC funds extra speed enforcement in response to safety concerns
Home > News Archive > Police Dog Petition gets the Support of the Deputy PCC
Police Dog Petition gets the Support of the Deputy PCC
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa is backing a petition for a change in the law that could help protect police dogs from attack.
Mr Dhindsa said: “Attacking a police officer is treated as a serious crime, but there are no laws in place to specifically protect against attacks on Police Dogs. At the moment, an assault against a Police Dog is merely treated as Criminal Damage and I don’t think that’s right.
“Thankfully, in Derbyshire it is rare to hear of a serious assault on police dogs, but they are obviously at risk of being hit or kicked as they carry out their duties.
Mr Dhindsa added: “I wholeheartedly support this petition and urge members of the public to sign up too.
“Police dogs are valuable members of the police team and they work hard on behalf of the public. I believe that a crime against a Police Dog should be treated as seriously as a crime against a regular Police Officer. They earn that every day.”
Mr Dhindsa has joined PCCs Paddy Tipping (Nottinghamshire), Bob Jones (West Midlands) and Matthew Ellis (Staffordshire) in signing the petition, which currently stands at around 10,000 signatures.
The Petition can be accessed here.
Media Enquiries: Sallie Blair - 01283 821012 / 07702 541401
Posted on Thursday 16th January 2014
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Irving Shipbuilding
tidal power
N.S. gov’t announces fourth test tidal power in Bay of Fundy
Lockheed Martin Canada, Irving Shipbuilding to build and deploy massive one-megawatt turbine.
Comments Off on N.S. gov’t announces fourth test tidal power in Bay of Fundy February 11, 2011
by Canadian Press
Halifax – A fourth consortium announced it had won approval to test one of the world’s most powerful tidal turbines in the Bay of Fundy. Tim Cornelius, the CEO of Atlantis Resources Corp., told a news conference that the London-based project development company will work with at the province’s Minas Passage test site.
“We have elected to partner with what we think to be the best possible consortium members to not just … develop Atlantis technology, but to try and start building an industry in Nova Scotia predicated around tidal power,” Cornelius said.
The group represents the fourth consortium to commit to testing tidal turbines in the bay. The three others are: Alstrom Hydro of France, in partnership with Vancouver’s Clean Current Power Systems; Nova Scotia Power, in partnership with Open Hydro of Ireland; and Minas Basin Pulp and Power, working with U.K.-based Marine Current Turbines.
Cornelius said his group has committed to including 50 per cent local content in the latest project, though he said it was too early to disclose how much money would be raised for the venture.
Lockheed Martin, which branched out from the aerospace industry two years ago, already has 130 people working in Nova Scotia. As for Irving Shipbuilding, it has 1,200 employed in the province.
Deployment of the Atlantis AK-1000 Mark II turbine is slated for the summer of 2012, a process the company says will be “environmentally benign.” The turbine is 22 metres tall and has a twin set of 18-metre blades that produce enough electricity to supply 1,000 homes.
So far, only one test turbine has been lowered into the bay, which is famous for having the highest tides in the world. Twice a day, more than 160 billion tonnes of water flow in and out of the bay.
Last month, engineers suggested the strength of the currents may have been too much for the experimental machine, which quit working shortly after it was deployed in November 2009.
All 12 blades from the unit were missing when the 400-tonne turbine was lifted from the floor of the bay, about a kilometre off Parrsboro, N.S.
Officials from Nova Scotia Power said it appears the one-megawatt turbine was overloaded when it came apart.
The damaged turbine, which is 10 metres in diameter, looks like a giant jet engine standing on a tripod base. By contrast, the proposed Atlantis turbine looks more like two, giant airplane propellers facing away from each other.
An Atlantis AK-1000 turbine deployed last August off the Orkney Islands of Scotland was damaged before it started generating power. It was pulled from the water to have its blades replaced, but the company expects to put it back when the weather improves in the months ahead.
The company also has a tidal turbine project underway in India. In Australia, its shallow-water turbines have been connected to the power grid since 2008.
The tidal energy experiments in Nova Scotia are part of the provincial government’s aggressive bid to generate 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
This summer, subsea transmission cables will be installed to connect test turbines to the province’s electrical grid.
Heroux-Devtek awarded multi-year contract from Bombardier
Recycling electronics creates 200 jobs
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Q&A: OPIC's Ray Washburne on the proposed US development finance institution
By Adva Saldinger // 14 June 2018
OPIC Chief Executive Officer Ray Washburne at Devex World 2018.
WASHINGTON — As the BUILD Act makes its way through the legislative process, concerns remain about exactly how the proposed United States development finance institution would work with the U.S. Agency for International development, what its social and environmental standards would be, and how its mandate will be interpreted.
The Better Utilization of Investment Leading to Development Act was introduced in late February by a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bill is currently awaiting a markup in the Senate committee. If passed, the landmark legislation would create a new agency combining the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and USAID’s Development Credit Authority, as well as expand U.S. development finance capabilities. But much remains unanswered, including how, precisely, the new agency will work with USAID.
More coverage from Devex World:
► At Devex World, development leaders begin to embrace what they don't know
► Tedros talks Ebola, neglected CAR
On Tuesday, at Devex World in Washington, D.C., Devex sat down with Ray Washburne, OPIC’s chief executive officer, to discuss his first nine months on the job and the issue of USAID linkages, as well as some of the other concerns that are being raised as the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations prepares to markup the bill.
You’re somewhat new to development; you started on the job in August, and you didn’t come from a development background. Tell us something that surprised you about development finance as you’ve sunk your teeth in?
I built a business of more than 3000 employees. I’ve been in manufacturing, the restaurant business, real estate — so I’ve had a long, long experience. I helped found three different banks, so I brought a lot of things that I think have helped transform OPIC’s goals and what we’re trying to be.
When I showed up, as all you know, OPIC had been zeroed out in the president's budget, and a lot of people asked, especially in my Senate confirmation, why am I taking a job that's being eliminated.
I was former finance chairman of the Republican Party, and so I had a lot of relationships up on the Hill, I had a lot of relationships within the White House from my experience on working on the campaign. And so I was able to go in and really sell to the administration what OPIC is and should be and can be.
“I've been to over 20 countries, I've seen a lot of projects that we would have liked to have participated in that we couldn’t, because other countries cut us out.”
Since that time, there's new legislation going through called the BUILD Act that's not only going to strengthen OPIC, but going to double our size from $29 billion to $60 billion, give us equity authority, and also give us the ability to do feasibility studies and other things.
So, I didn't come in from the bureaucratic side or the academic side, I came in from the practical business side and I think that's done a lot to help propel us forward.
You mentioned some of the new authorities that are featured in the BUILD Act. Tell us a little bit about what these new authorities — the equity authority, grant-making ability to do some technical assistance, and raising this cap — would mean for OPIC. Why do you need these new tools? Why does U.S. development finance need to be transformed?
OPIC was established in 1971 and really hasn't changed in almost 50 years. The world has changed in every way — including the finance world — and so we were cut out of a lot of deals.
Coming from the private sector — realizing a lot of projects just can't sustain, having all debt on the project or a lot of senior debt — you had to have equity. Plus, we needed to play on the world stage with other DFIs, other governments, and their development authorities.
I've been to over 20 countries, I've seen a lot of projects that we would have liked to have participated in that we couldn’t, because other countries cut us out. What brought this to the forefront was in 2008: OPIC was always senior debt, and as other countries just got their equity absolutely wiped out, OPIC went along its merry way as being senior. I was at the G-7 meeting this past weekend and met with a lot of the DFIs and they couldn't be more happy to have us in there as part of the brotherhood now to go forward.
At the G-7, there was an announcement that G-7 countries will be joining an OPIC initiative in some way and also making commitments to investing in women's economic empowerment. OPIC made this commitment earlier this year with its 2X initiative. Can you tell us a little bit about OPIC’s priorities today, where you’re going to focus your funds, and how you're deciding what's important to focus on?
Sure. Well, I'll speak to the women's initiative. First thing I did, when I was sworn in last August, was set up a women’s initiative — I staffed it and came in, and we committed $350 million to get it started. The very first loan we did was to a bank in Costa Rica where it was going to small- and medium-sized business — a $60 million commitment — and we required 20 percent of it to go to women businesses.
We did that the first week I was there; we since have catalyzed that up to about a billion dollars worth of investment. As I announced at the G-7, with other DFIs we're going to put $3 billion to work this year in women-based and women-owned businesses.
You've also announced other commitments in some other focus areas, including the Northern Triangle...
OPIC is really a tool of foreign policy for the U.S. government and so you need to have a much more focused investing philosophy. To this administration, the important areas are the Northern Triangle, Central America, which has a 50 percent unemployment rate for men under 30, so what happens, they get in activities they shouldn't be, doing things because they need jobs.
Yesterday, I had a group from El Salvador in our office — I was in Honduras two weeks before that. We just financed a geothermal plant in Honduras. It will provide electricity for 40,000 homes and businesses, so getting economic activity in the Northern Triangle is top priority.
Indo-pacific is also a big priority for us, Pakistan all the way around to Vietnam. We've been very active there — and also in Africa. I leave in two weeks to go on a two-week trip throughout Africa, that's our largest concentration right now.
I want to go back to the BUILD Act because there have been some concerns in the development community about some aspects of the BUILD Act and how the new DFC would be built and run. USAID Administrator Mark Green said “our focus continues to be making sure that it's not simply about the money than it is about sound development outcomes” and so I wanted to ask: How do you interpret the mission of the new DFC and ensure that it retains a strong development focus?
We look at a multiplier effect on everything we do and every new job created in a country creates between 5 to 7 ancillary jobs around it, so the important thing to us is how can we create jobs — jobs create stability in a country and that creates stable political environments. So unlike just going out and building a highway, we want to be sure that that actually has an effect — such as bringing agriculture out of the mountains and into a port, getting it out of there. So we don't look at things as just a pure aid, it's got to have the multiplier effect attached to it.
“We don't look at things as just a pure aid, it's got to have the multiplier effect attached to it.”
One of the other issues that's been raised is about what the relationship will be between USAID and the new DFC. What do you think that relationship will look like? What do you think needs to be done to incentivize teams to work together to ensure that USAID’s vision on development policy is guiding the work of the new DFC?
As you know USAID has offices throughout the world in almost every country. OPIC is open in 130 countries, we currently do business in 90. I have 675 projects in 90 countries but with this new authority, we have to have the ability to sell ourselves. We have to be much more outward facing in looking for projects. OPIC, for so many years, haven’t been proactive, they've been reactive on taking phone calls, I've completely turned it around, we're a very outward facing agency now to business and to governments.
I need USAID — all our 300 employees are based here, in D.C. I don't have field offices. In the past USAID, as well as the commerce department in each embassy, don't know what OPIC is or what OPIC can do.
In the past, USAID had really one thing to do, and now, with all the different authorities, they'll be able to do more. It's going to take USAID and expand their capabilities by a factor of seven.
There was an op-ed in The Hill last week that talked about how OPIC has, over the years, developed some fairly strong environmental and social policies that help prevent or limit its support of harmful projects and protect local communities and the environment. It went on to say that that progress is in jeopardy with this new legislation because the legislation does not require the new DFC to follow those safeguards. So how will OPIC policies and procedures — from the development matrix it uses to make investment decisions, to environmental impact assessments to the office of accountability — translate to the new DFC?
Everything we do is looked at through the lens of the highest international standards whether it's environmental, labor practices — all those. And so that article was interesting to me, in that I don't think they really understood the processes as we go through at OPIC. The standards that are set there and also the board directives that we get.
I think the concern was that those policies wouldn't carry over into the new DFC if they weren't required to. So if you're leading the new DFC, assuming this legislation is passed, do you commit to following the same standards that we have today?
Oh, absolutely. OPIC has always followed the highest standards and will continue to do so.
So the bill has made it through the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and is awaiting a markup in the Senate. You mentioned your close relationships on the Hill and with the White House, what do you think the chances are that this bill will pass? Where do things stand?
We're very encouraged by the bipartisan support we have on both sides, both D’s and R’s are very enthusiastic behind it. The bill is gonna be marked up here in the next week or two by the Senate — you know we're out of the house, which is great — and then once that is done hopefully we get voted out of committee pretty quickly.
We've got the support of Sen. Bob Corker and Sen. Chris Coons, really pushing hard to get it get it done. The bill expires December 31 so we're pushing to get it voted on by the summer recess or early fall. We're planning ahead, hoping, especially with this equity authority — that’s the big thing when we're in these conversations with people, that's the question everyone has.
I've heard some rumors that you might have interests or might be in the running for a cabinet position down the line. Do you think you'll be around to lead the new DFC if the bill passes?
Well look, I’ve got so much work to do this fall. I mean not only do I have to get the bill passed, with equity authority, I have to build an entirely new department within OPIC. So I've got a lot to do this summer.
USAID, OPIC team up on women's finance in 'preview' of new DFI era
Q&A: USAID RED teams and working 'outside the wire'
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The Dennis Kucinich Incident: Ufo Encounters By Politicians And Celebrities
Shirley MacLaine had some things to say about Dennis Kucinich and UFOs in her new book, Sage-ing While Age-ing. According to Ms MacLaine, Dennis Kucinich had a UFO sighting while he was visiting her home in Graham, Washington, about fifteen years ago. She writes, “And then the smell of roses drew him out to my balcony, where he looked up. He saw a gigantic, triangular craft, silent and observing him. He said it hovered, soundless, for ten minutes or so and sped away with a speed he couldn’t comprehend.” Kucinich was later asked if he really did see a UFO by Tim Russert of NBC News during a debate involving the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate hopefuls and replied, “I did…you have to keep in mind that Jimmy Carter saw a UFO.” I’m guessing that the Congressman felt a need to play the Carter card to add credibility to his answer.
There are a number of important politicians and celebrities connected to the UFO subject in one way or another. Former U.S. Presidents Reagan and Carter have openly talked about experiencing UFO sightings, while President John F. Kennedy had a close encounter that was a little too close for comfort. Carter saw a classic nocturnal light while standing around waiting for a meeting to begin with ten members of the Lion’s Club of Leary, Georgia in October of 1969. The object appeared to change color and shape during the roughly ten to twelve minutes they watched it.
During the 1976 Presidential Campaign, Jimmy Carter talked about his sighting and promised to reveal anything he could find out about UFOs if elected. Although a former Navy Officer, he was considered a dove by members of the military hierarchy. They didn’t trust him and believed Carter was trying to starve them down into smaller and less influential departments through funding cuts. It’s assumed that he was never told anything of substance about UFOs by military insiders.
While many historians choose to paint Carter as having a cozy relationship with intelligence gathering agencies because of his less threatening assessment of the Soviet Union’s military abilities that agreed with some of theirs, this doesn’t mix well with the facts. During his first briefing by then CIA Director George H.W. Bush, President Elect Carter asked to see documents related to UFOs. Bush told him that any documents which might exist about such things were classified above his immediate need to know. If he wanted to see any, he would have to ask the appropriate congressional committee to declassify them. As president, Carter sought to dismantle the CIA superstructure into smaller agencies, but failed.
Ronald Reagan was a completely different story. As a member of Army Air Force Intelligence during World War II, a supporter of military modernization and a president with a vice president that once served as CIA Director, we assume he was told more about UFOs than most elected officials. Reagan’s own interest in and experience with the phenomenon is well known. His daughter, Patti Davis, said he was “fascinated with stories about unidentified flying objects and the possibility of life on other worlds.”
Ronald Reagan had two UFO sightings that we know about. The first occurred while he was still acting in films sometime during the 1950s. After showing up late for a dinner party attended by other Hollywood celebrities, Ronald and Nancy Reagan said they saw a UFO. This story was later confirmed by the Kitty Kelly, Lucille Ball and Steve Allen. The second sighting occurred in 1974 while he was Governor of California.
Less than a month after leaving the presidency in 1989, Ronald Reagan reiterated a story he first told to a Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal in 1974:
“I was in a plane last week when I looked out the window and saw this white light. It was zigzagging around. I went up to the pilot and said, ‘Have you seen anything like that before?’ He was shocked and said, ‘Nope.’ And I said to him: ‘Let’s follow it!’
We followed it for several minutes. It was a bright greenish-white light. We followed it to Bakersfield, and all of a sudden to our utter amazement it went straight up into the heavens. When we got off the plane, I told Nancy all about it.”
During his first summer as President, John F. Kennedy retreated to the Kennedy compound along the Nantucket Sound in Hyannis, Massachusetts, for some rest and relaxation. While cruising around in one of the Kennedy motor boats, the president and a few guests reportedly saw a classic disc-shaped object suddenly appear at a low altitude near their vessel. At one point, the disc may have been as close as one hundred feet away. This sent secret service agents in nearby launches scrambling to get the president’s boat to safety. After the object vanished and the motor boat was back on shore, the president told his guests not to talk about what happened.
While Carter, Reagan and Kennedy saw unidentified flying objects and George H.W. Bush probably knew all about them, UFO stories involving Presidents Truman and Eisenhower have become legendary. The story of an alleged meeting between Alien dignitaries and President Dwight D. Eisenhower is one that refuses to die. It stems from a report that the president disappeared briefly during a trip to a Palm Springs resort which occurred in February of 1954.
On Saturday, February 20, 1954, some members of the white house press corps noticed that President Eisenhower missed a planned event. They contacted his spokesperson who seemed unable to provide an immediate explanation for the absence. After it became obvious that the president was no longer at the Palm Springs resort, rumors flew that he might have become seriously ill and been moved to a military infirmary or hospital for treatment. Finally, a besieged spokesperson told the press that the president chipped a tooth during a meal and was taken to visit a nearby dentist.
A steak barbeque was held a few days later and the dentist who allegedly treated Eisenhower was introduced to the press. The man seemed embarrassed and nervous. Years later his widow was unable to provide any particulars about the president’s visit to the dentist’s office that was located in their home. Instead, a number of stories have surfaced about a late night trip that President Eisenhower made to Edwards Air Force Base.
Eisenhower’s alleged visit to Edwards has always been a point of conspiratorial contention. Some say it had to do with an invitation to view some new super weapon or secret military aircraft. Others claim that Eisenhower actually met and signed agreements with some type of Aliens. Personally, I believe he was shown what remained of a crashed UFO and its occupants from any one of several crashes that may have taken place in the Southwest USA during the late 1940s or early 1950s.
President Harry Truman has become an enigmatic figure within UFO research thanks to a series of documents that tell the tale of a quickly-formed scientific advisory committee known as Majestic Twelve. The committee was ordered into existence by Truman in 1947 and consisted of twelve people which included prominent scientists, members of the military and elected officials. Originally created to study all available evidence that UFOs might be extraterrestrial crafts and offer advice to the President, the group may have evolved into a government within a government to deal with UFOs and Aliens in a manner that was completely separate from other U.S. Government departments or agencies.
John Lennon’s UFO experiences are among the most popular and controversial celebrity UFO events ever discussed and all are said to have occurred in New York City. Most people have heard about the August, 1974 sighting, so I will relate that story first. It began with the return of Lennon and May Pang from a long day at the Record Plant East where Lennon was working on tracks for his upcoming Walls and Bridges album. The two were staying at his 52nd Street Apartment which had a commanding view of the East River and the sky.
Sometime after 8:30pm, May was taking a shower while Lennon went up to the roof. After a few minutes, he began yelling for her to come up there. May rushed to the roof and found John pointing to what looked like a classic disc-shaped UFO that was silently hovering about 100 feet from them. The object seemed to change shape as it rotated and moved slowly towards the United Nations Building and out over the East River. Before it moved away, May ran and retrieved a 35mm camera from the apartment. She was able to get back to the roof in time to snap off a few photos of the object.
After the disc moved away, Lennon and May returned to the apartment. John made arrangements to have the film developed immediately by a photographer who was also a friend. Bob Gruen came and picked up the film. He returned to his studio and developed the film along with two rolls of his own. Gruen’s film developed perfectly, but he said that Lennon’s was blank. Fortunately, Lennon started making sketches of what he and May saw while it was all still fresh in his mind.
Another story about Lennon and a possible UFO experience comes from Uri Geller. He met Lennon in November of 1974 during a concert that Elton John was giving at Madison Square Garden. Geller was a kind of mystic to the Stars in those days and Lennon was in need of any help he could find. Distraught over his separation from Yoko, he wanted her back and asked Geller to use his alleged psychic powers to help. Yoko phoned John within thirty-six hours, the lovers reunited and John and Uri became friends.
Sometime after their reconciliation, Geller was eating with John and Yoko in a New York City restaurant. Yoko was pregnant, so it had to be sometime before Sean Lennon was born in October of 1975. Geller says that John became very serious and asked him to step over to a smaller table in a quiet corner of the restaurant. Once seated, Lennon spoke in discreet tones and told Uri about an incident that happened six months before. He and Yoko were asleep in bed when John suddenly woke up and noticed a blazing light shining through the cracks and keyhole of their bedroom door.
Thinking there was a fire or someone with a powerful flashlight trying to get into the room; he jumped out of their bed and opened the door. He was confronted by four beings. Lennon said, “They were, like, little. Bug-like. Big bug eyes and little bug mouths and they were scuttling at me like roaches.” He tried to resist the beings, but they kept coming at him. Lennon said that his next memory was of being back in bed with Yoko.
Yoko didn’t wake up during the incident, but later when she did it was obvious that John was very upset and confused. He couldn’t tell her what happened right away and waited for an unspecified period of time before he did. Exclaiming that he was sober and wasn’t doing any drugs at that time, Lennon said it wasn’t some sort of hallucination or lucid dream. According to Geller, John’s assertion about the reality of what happened was backed up by physical evidence.
When Lennon woke up, he claimed to be holding a small egg-shaped object in his hand. After eventually telling Yoko about the incident, he showed it to her. He also showed it to Geller. None of them had ever seen anything like it. However, apart from the golden color and egg shape, little is none about the object and it would be up to Geller to proceed with any investigation of its properties. Many abductees have told stories of being given various objects by their Alien abductors, only to have them taken back later
Having met many celebrities over the years, I can appreciate their need to weigh any statement they might consider making about anything carefully in the balances before speaking or writing it for public consumption. A fickle public and press can easily turn on someone famous for the smallest indiscretion. Imagine how they might react to news that a famous celebrity or important politician has had a UFO or other paranormal experience.
Used with permission from: http://plrplr.com/32933/the-dennis-kucinich-incident-ufo-encounters-by-politicians-and-celebrities/
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Is it Time to Establish an Iraqi Sovereign Fund?
KTFA:
Samson: Is it time to establish an Iraqi sovereign fund?
27th April, 2019 by Dr Jawad Kazem al-Bakri
The Sovereign Fund is a collection of public financial surpluses and their investment in interest in foreign financial assets.
Most of the sovereign wealth funds were originally created to diversify the sources of income in oil-producing countries with surplus funds. These funds existed in developed countries with surplus sources of income Need in the state budget.
The need for these funds to invest in them has been underscored to alleviate the crises experienced by countries to preserve the future of future generations that have the right to live in dignity. For example, Saudi Arabia and its Strategic Plan 2030 will depend on 30% of the sovereign fund's revenues without oil.
So we know what kind of funds we want to grow up we should know the purpose of the establishment of the fund, the objectives of sovereign funds are:
1. Protection of the national economy and the general budget of the State from the risk of external crises that result from fluctuations resulting from export earnings.
2. The principle of justice, which is achieved through the distribution of wealth between generations through the maximization of savings that goes to future generations.
3. Diversify the country's income and thus reduce dependency on non-renewable audio exports.
4. Increase the returns of reserves for foreign exchange
5. Help the monetary authority to withdraw unwanted liquidity.
6. Provide a tool to finance economic development programs.
7. Achieve sustainable long-term growth in the countries that own the Fund.
8. Achieve political, economic and strategic goals
9. The treatment of negative effects due to financial flows resulting from natural wealth, which is known as (Dutch disease) The Dutch disease, which causes undesirable effects in the productive sectors, especially the industrial result of oil discoveries that created a state of laziness and laxity in the job that hit the people The Netherlands from 1900-1950 after the discovery of oil and gas in the north as they went to luxury and comfort, until they reached the stage of depletion of the natural resource from the wells, which depleted by the consumption of unfair and unproductive.
The majority of public institutions take the form of a commercial company and are subject to commercial law. This is different for sovereign wealth funds, which are investment funds. The main function of the company is to produce goods and services. This is different for sovereign wealth funds.
• Types of sovereign wealth funds based on the purpose of:
1. Stability funds: The first objective is to protect the budget and the economy from the fluctuations in the prices of the most necessary commodities.
2. Provident funds: the transfer of non-renewable assets into portfolios of diversified assets and the basis for the operation of these funds is to increase the return of reserves.
3. Investment institutions: their assets are calculated as reserves and the reason for the construction is to increase the return of reserves.
4. Development funds: to encourage the financing of economic and social projects and to strengthen industrial policies to increase the supposed production of the state.
5. Emergency funds: are pension reserves that are not associated with pension obligations and are in the state's general budget.
• Types of sovereign wealth funds based on income source:
1. Reserves of raw materials: Oil is one of the main sources of the countries that depend on it, but keeping oil reserves in the wells as a kind of generations rights, but created the idea of sovereign funds as a good opinion to preserve the rights of future generations.
2. Surplus funds of current payments: Many countries, especially in South America, have achieved non-oil financial surpluses as a result of export competitiveness at the level of international markets, which exceeds the need for domestic investment, which drives these countries to turn this surplus into a sovereign fund.
3. Special funds for the proceeds of privatization: Many countries privatized the government sector and received large financial returns. These countries differed in the use of these revenues. Some direct them to finance the general budget, while others financed programs to restructure the economy and repay debts. But the high returns from privatization have scared these countries to expand government spending and the economy is out of absorptive capacity and eventually inflation out of control, and as the institutions allocated to the public domain for all generations will turn the proceeds allocated to sovereign wealth funds.
4. Funds from the surplus budget: Some countries go to a surplus in the state budget to convert excess investment in financial assets to achieve positive returns and to guide economic data for the long run, which these surpluses and high level will lead to the establishment of a sovereign fund.
• Types of sovereign wealth funds on the basis of the work of the Fund:
1. Local sovereign funds: Funds whose investment and savings activities are concentrated in the country.
2. International sovereign funds: Funds whose investment and savings activities are concentrated outside the country.
3. Mutual sovereign funds: Funds whose investment and savings activities are concentrated both outside the country and within the country.
• Types of sovereign wealth funds based on the degree of independence:
1. Non-independent sovereign funds: These funds are directly managed by the government and do not enjoy the independence of decision. Most of these funds are not subject to independent monitoring, accountability and disclosure.
2. Sovereign sovereign funds: They are directly managed by government. Others, like central banks and independent bodies, are involved in their management. What distinguishes them is that they have a relatively independent decision-making and are subject to independent oversight, accountability and disclosure.
• The difference between the sovereign fund and the central bank reserve:
The picture is clear in this comparison between the sovereign fund and the reserves of the central bank when considering how to finance and build each.
1. Reserves of the Central Bank (SAMA), these reserves accumulate and fall from one year to another through the differences between oil income and government spending.
2. The funds or reserves directed to the sovereign fund come from a government decision to save for the future and to find another source of income. A national savings program for the future that is parallel and complementary to oil income.
3. It is applicable in this area when establishing sovereign funds in the world to issue a government decision:
Firstly. To transfer part of the reserves available to the Central Bank for the establishment and financing of the sovereign fund.
Second. A savings mechanism that includes the transfer of a portion of the state's income to the sovereign fund. For example, the sovereign fund in Kuwait is financed by transferring 25% of the oil income directly to the sovereign fund.
Third. It is also necessary to establish a mechanism to control government spending, so that the state budget (government spending annually) is consistent with the long-term potential of the state.
• Santiago Principles
Following the annual meeting of the World Bank and the World Bank in Washington in 2008 and at the Santiago meeting in Chile, a group of countries reached an agreement on customary practices and principles called GAPP (Generally Accepted Principles and Practices)
• Details of the principles of Santiago: It is divided into three axes:
First: It includes the objectives, the legal framework and the quantitative economic policies. This pillar is the cornerstone of a strong institutional framework and a stable governance structure. The process of formulating appropriate investment strategies is coordinated with declared political objectives.
Second: It includes the structure of governance and the institutional framework that separates the functions of the owner, the governing body and the management team, leading to autonomy in managing the sovereign wealth fund to ensure investment decisions are taken without political interference. The investment policy shows the commitment of the Fund to a disciplined investment plan and investment practices.
Third: It includes risk management and the investment framework, which is a core of principles aimed at promoting the integrity of the investment process of sovereign wealth funds.
• The negative effects of sovereign wealth funds on the sovereign countries:
1. Lost employment opportunities: which can be created for young citizens of the countries that own these funds instead of investing them abroad, providing job opportunities for foreigners (the host countries of those investments).
2. Lost Domestic Product: Any lost opportunities in the form of lost GDP, especially the petroleum product, which could be generated if these funds were invested locally in real productive assets.
3. Risks of the opportunity to invest real assets in favor of financial assets: any risk of low returns achieved by these investments, which are limited to a fixed rate of interest, there is a difference between the investment of funds in financial assets in real assets.
• Some facts about global sovereign funds:
1. The largest sovereign fund in the world is the State Pension Fund in Norway, with assets of up to $ 825 billion. It was established in 1990 to support the Norwegian economy after the oil period. The Fund's investments (50%) in the United States, In Europe, the assets in which the Fund invests are distributed as follows: 60% in shares, 35% on fixed debt, 5% on real estate. The Norwegian government pension fund has shares in Apple, Microsoft and Google.
2. The world's second-largest sovereign fund is the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) with assets of US $ 773 billion, the fund's investments (35% -50%) in the US and the rest in Europe and emerging markets.
3. The third largest sovereign fund is China Investment Corporation with assets of US $ 747 billion, 5% of which are in the United States and the rest in developed markets.
4. The fourth largest sovereign fund is the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) with assets of $ 592 billion, which includes two funds, the General Reserve Fund and the Future Generations Fund.
5. According to Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia intends to establish a sovereign fund with assets of $ 2 trillion, half of which is for domestic investments and half for foreign investments.
• The reasons for establishing an Iraqi sovereign fund:
The Iraqi economy today desperately need a sovereign fund for development to encourage the financing of economic and social projects and strengthen industrial policies to increase real production within the Iraqi economy.
This type of funds will bring a number of positive effects of the Iraqi economy, the most important of which are the reduction of unemployment rates and the development of productive sectors, Industrial and agricultural, and improving services.
1. Internal causes:
A) Oil is a depleted and unreliable resource, whether it is long-term or near-term in terms of depletion.
B - Oil is a financial asset after it is converted from in-kind assets.
Reducing reliance on oil makes Iraq prepare for the post-oil period, as Saudi Arabia does in its Strategic Plan 2030, which is to rely on 30% of fund revenues for the budget without oil.
2. External causes:
A - Unstable oil prices globally: the instability of oil prices globally and fluctuating randomly and as a result of a range of political and economic factors and it is natural for Iraq to rely on a fund coming from oil surpluses if they exist.
B - Withdrawal of surpluses: This fund withdraws surplus funds derived from the export of oil to overcome the volatile world oil prices and can take advantage of the negative oil shocks and the process of any collapse may occur at world oil prices.
• Foundations for establishing an Iraqi sovereign fund:
A - The legislative and legal system: This element is the basis for the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund for Iraq through the legislation of the Iraqi parliament and is the element is the first element in terms of importance and without this legislation no project already proposed.
B- Fund financing: The Iraqi Ministry of Finance initially finances this fund and is responsible for this fund for a few years.
C - Management of the Fund: The Central Bank of Iraq direct management of the Fund and provide cadre of experienced management and specialized in the field of investment (direct and portfolio) in particular can benefit from the experiences in foreign financial institutions and therefore the lack of experts in this area as the Iraqi stock market narrow market and lack Private financial institution as insurance funds and investment funds.
We believe that creating such a fund reflects the current generation's recognition and recognition of the right of future generations to the equal distribution of wealth from the oil resource that belongs to all Iraqis, To achieve justice in its distribution between the present generation and future generations. LINK
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Our Fellow Americans
Why calling Puerto Ricans “Americans” will not save them.
Frances Negrón-Muntaner ▪ January 10, 2018
Flags in the wreckage of Hurricane Maria, San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 18 (Lorie Shaull / Flickr)
Nearly four months after Hurricane Maria obliterated the entire electrical grid, destroyed or damaged 472,000 homes, and killed at least sixty-four people in Puerto Rico, half of households remain in the dark, 250,000 people have left, and the estimated death toll has soared above 1,000. The darkness, however, has clarified what over a century of legal euphemisms have tried to obscure: that living as non-voting American citizens on an unincorporated territory that “belongs to, but is not part of” the United States not only spells disaster. It can also spell death.
While Puerto Ricans have met this realization with a mixture of outrage, resignation, and indifference, some Americans have responded with a historically rare gesture: rhetorical incorporation. As the hurricane approached, mainstream media outlets started to describe Puerto Ricans as “3.4 million American citizens living in Puerto Rico.” After the storm devastated the island and the federal government failed to fully assist, journalists and other public figures started to drop the distinction altogether. Perhaps echoing governor Ricardo Rosselló’s mournful address to “my fellow Americans” on the eve of Maria’s landfall, they started to simply call Puerto Ricans “Americans” and, even more unexpectedly, “our fellow Americans.”
One of the first outlets to do so was the Weather Channel, whose anchors and reporters, especially Paul Goodloe, repeatedly mentioned that Puerto Ricans were Americans. CBS correspondent David Begnaud, who emerged as the most compelling and dedicated journalist of the post-Maria predicament, routinely did the same. Reporting about island conditions on October 5, for example, he stressed with exasperation: “these are Americans sitting in line, sleeping in their cars, desperately trying to get fuel.”
MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow was at times still more emphatic. Discussing the infamous “spa day” story where a U.S. doctor quit after seeing medical personnel turn a hospital triage into a manicure station, Maddow remarked in an alarmed tone: “You have people starting to die, Americans starting to die, in Puerto Rico because of treatable bacterial infections . . . This storm is no longer killing Americans—the federal government’s response to the storm is now killing Americans.”
For U.S. journalists, this was a way to keep people watching and maintain pressure on the federal government to step up support. Yet it often went further. In the New York Times, two writers made the case that what Puerto Ricans were called was a question not just of semantics but also of survival. Commenting on a Morning Consult poll about U.S. perceptions of Puerto Ricans shortly after the hurricane struck, they noted that Americans in general—including Trump supporters—were more comfortable with the idea of providing aid to Puerto Ricans if aware that they were U.S. citizens. The finding was reported as both a conclusion and a plea: “Our sympathies for other people depend in part on whether we see them as fellow members of our tribe. Without more coverage, it may be easy to forget that the people suffering are our fellow Americans.”
Nor were journalists alone in adopting this strategy: corporate America also got in on the act. Perhaps the most striking example was a public service announcement by the megastore Walmart, which began running on primetime television on October 9. Called “United,” the PSA was not Walmart’s first on a hurricane-related theme. The company had released another one a month earlier to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. The 30-second Texas spot began with a photograph of Houston partly underwater and ended with a written message: “To the Lone Star State, you are not alone.” According to adland.com, this message helped to raise over $25 million.
The Puerto Rico version was of similar length and style, suggesting that in the eyes of Walmart, the island was equal to any state. It opened with images of the hurricane’s impact under an instrumental arrangement of Ben King’s classic “Stand By Me.” While the lyrics are not part of the PSA, the song was likely chosen to allude to the destruction of the power grid and ensuing darkness: “When the night has come/And the land is dark/And the moon is the only light we’ll see/No, I won’t be afraid/Oh, I won’t be afraid/Just as long as you stand, stand by me.” In the English rendition, the PSA’s male voiceover, heard during most of the spot’s duration, declares: “To our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico, we may be separated by an ocean, but we are united.”
Politicians eventually joined in too. In an October 16 address to the legislature after a visit to Puerto Rico, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson repeated the phrases “our fellow Americans” or “fellow citizens” six times, ending with: “Our fellow Americans are dying, and they desperately need our help. . . . I’m here to urge this Congress and the administration that we have to act.” While Puerto Ricans used it less often, New York Congress member José Serrano similarly pressed his House colleagues the following week: “[The people of Puerto Rico] are our fellow Americans; they’ve served in our wars, they do pay taxes, and they should be treated equally.”
The rhetorical explosion of “our fellow Americans” raises the question of why the sudden adoption of this phrase, and why now. Part of the answer lies in the shifting meaning of the term “American,” as a product of constant struggles over who can claim full national belonging and access the benefits of U.S. citizenship. This is evident in Puerto Rico’s case. Although rarely invoked until the aftermath of Maria, the phrase has been applied to island residents for over a century to emphasize political inequality and injustice. A 1900 Washington Times article offers a succinct, and still current, example: “the crime against our suffering fellow-Americans in Puerto Rico, and against the Constitution of the United States, is complete.”
Another clue lies in the idiom’s relationship to presidential rhetoric. It emerged from “my fellow-citizens,” in use since the republic’s early period and employed by the nation’s first president, George Washington. The present turn of phrase was taken up in the twentieth century by various presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1933 was the first to employ it in an inaugural speech. Yet the expression’s contemporary resonance can perhaps best be credited to Lyndon B. Johnson, who included it in opening every State of the Union and other key speeches on divisive subjects in which American lives were at stake. Among these were Johnson’s last two addresses to the nation: “Good evening, my fellow Americans,” he began, before announcing that he would first limit, then halt bombing in Vietnam, and not seek reelection.
The phrase’s association with presidential addresses and their effect of rhetorically constituting the “American people” in times of crisis partly explains its surge after Maria. The repetition aims to affirm that given the failure of both the president and Congress to act, Americans themselves have the power to incorporate Puerto Rico as part of the national body politic and dictate that Puerto Ricans are deserving of care as U.S. citizens. To the extent that President Trump has explicitly claimed the category of “American” for whites, “our fellow Americans” also seeks to refuse the president’s racist rhetoric by taking over presidential speech. The phrase, then, is a declaration of democratic inclusion—the chosen version is, after all, “our” and not “my” fellow Americans—and a form of protest against the nation’s head of government.
This strategy has had some tangible effects. Brigades of nurses, pilots, cooks, celebrities and even The Simpsons’ cartoon bartender Moe have sent money and supplies to Puerto Rico or donated their time. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that a month after Maria hit, 62 percent of Americans agreed that Puerto Ricans were not getting the help they needed. More notably still, according to a Fox News poll, the percentage of Americans who support admitting Puerto Rico as a state of the union jumped, from 30 percent in 2007 to 41 percent in the month after Maria. If the numbers are reliable, this is a remarkable outcome, as it is now widely known that the island is experiencing a massive debt crisis hinging on $120 billion in bond and pension obligations, that it will require additional billions to recover, and that nearly half the population lives below the poverty line.
At the same time, the embrace of “our fellow Americans” is more vexed than it appears. A good example is Walmart’s PSA. While the company may have intended to raise money for relief, many Puerto Ricans saw the ad as hypocritical PR given Walmart’s impact on the island. The reason is simple: Walmart is Puerto Rico’s largest private employer and its highest-grossing retailer, with upwards of $2.75 billion in annual revenue and more stores per square mile than anywhere else on earth. Accordingly, in the last two decades, Walmart has destroyed the vast majority of local competition, including independent pharmacies, and has been a factor in over 800 small business bankruptcies. Its near monopoly of the market has likewise driven up unemployment: for every new job that Walmart creates, the economy loses an average of 2.3. Equally significant, the types of jobs that Walmart has generated are mostly part-time, minimum-wage ones, without benefits or the right to organize.
This rhetorical gesture also overlooks that while recognition as Americans may translate into greater attention, the strategy is problematic for what it exacts and omits. Philosopher Nelson Maldonado Torres was among those to object to the “American” appeal by pointing out that Puerto Ricans should “receive help because they are people, not because they are [American] citizens”; citizenship status alone has never guaranteed rights for racialized people, who are not seen as fully human to begin with. Eduardo Bhatia, former president of the Senate of Puerto Rico, argued that while it was legally accurate to say that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, calling them Americans was another matter. From this perspective, “our fellow Americans” erases Puerto Rican national identity and their long history of struggles against U.S. colonialism.
Yet under the current circumstances, the most revealing limitation of the attempt to rhetorically make Americans out of Puerto Ricans is its failure to end the suffering on the ground—highlighting that Puerto Rico’s colonial subjection is thoroughly systemic. Usual responses to disasters in the United States, such as expanding the food stamp program for families in need, were not followed because unlike in the fifty states, there is a cap to the amount of funds the island can receive, even in times of emergency. For still disputed reasons, the mutual aid typically provided by states when catastrophe hits also did not kick in. States like New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts were quick to send personnel, equipment, and other assistance to Texas and Florida after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria but not to Puerto Rico. To further clarify the island’s low status, four weeks after the hurricane, no less than sixty-nine House Republicans voted against additional aid for Puerto Rico, and the approved package was ultimately offered in the form of loans, although state agencies were granted direct relief in the same bills.
In other words, the appeal of “our fellow Americans,” particularly in the absence of political mobilization, is no match against a racist, colonial logic designed to keep resources away from “minorities” deemed to be undeserving. Trump underlined this when he defended his administration’s negligent response by invoking old stereotypes of Puerto Ricans as lazy, responsible for their own financial woes, and unreasonable in their expectations of the U.S. government. In contrast to his September 1 speech on Texas after Harvey, when he stated, “We will support you today, tomorrow and the day after. . . . We help our fellow Americans every single time,” Trump’s October 12 tweet to Puerto Ricans claimed that: “We can’t keep FEMA, the Military & First Responders . . . in P.R. Forever.” Not surprisingly, this assertion is inconsistent with FEMA’s record; the agency sometimes stays engaged in disaster areas for more than a decade after a storm. In fiscal year 2017 alone, FEMA was slated to provide $440 million in relief to Gulf Coast states for damages resulting from 2005 hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, and $1.4 billion to New York and New Jersey for Sandy.
Moreover, while press coverage to date has done much to shift some attitudes, the quantity and quality of journalistic interest itself often replicates existing power dynamics. While reporting about Puerto Rico spiked after Maria, compared to prior coverage on the debt crisis, it has been considerably less than that of hurricane damage in Texas and Florida. The equally devastated U.S. Virgin Islands—where three-quarters of the population is black—received nearly no coverage at all. Attention to Puerto Rico only picked up after Trump visited the island and has faded since. In addition, whereas media on the mainland United States focuses on the needs of residents and the hurricane’s impact on families, Puerto Rico’s is largely related to partisan politics, debt, taxes, and the death toll, underscoring that media interest is often a proxy for anti-Trump or anti-Republican sentiment rather than an actual commitment to resolving urgent problems or ending U.S. colonialism.
But even if the federal government were handling Puerto Rico’s crisis like one in any other U.S. state, the island would not be spared another, harsher American response: disaster capitalism. Well-connected companies receive no bid multimillion-dollar contracts to rebuild at an exorbitant cost; recovery gives way to land grabs, privatization, and more debt. Repeating what happened after Katrina to majority-black New Orleans, whose citizens had a full Congressional representation, the interests of most Puerto Ricans are being sold out with impunity. Yet, as befits colonial governance, a provision of the Republican tax bill passed by Congress in December takes this profiteering to new heights. Though the final bill didn’t include a threatened 20 percent excise tax on goods imported to the mainland—which could have cut as much as one-third of the local government’s revenues—a separate 12.5 percent tax on income from intellectual property could gut Puerto Rican pharmaceutical manufacturing, one of the largest and best-paid sectors of the island’s economy.
Ultimately, in this unnatural disaster made by the intersection of climate change, modern colonialism, and Trumpism, it is not hard to see why an appeal to “our fellow Americans” has not saved Puerto Ricans. For too many, including those who currently control the nation’s resources, the phrase still fundamentally refers to privileged whites. The irony is that the longer the U.S. government deliberately fails in Puerto Rico, the more fleeing Puerto Ricans will technically turn into Americans anyway.
Frances Negrón-Muntaner is a filmmaker, writer, curator, scholar and professor at Columbia University, where she is the founding director of the Media and Idea Lab and founding curator of the Latino Arts and Activism Archive at Columbia’s Rare Books and Manuscripts Library. Her latest book is the edited collection Sovereign Acts: Contesting Colonialism Across Indigenous Nations and Latinx America (2017).
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Free parking under threat
Councillors will consider sweeping changes to the parking strategy
Published: 14:22 Wednesday 28 November 2018
Aberdeenshire towns are poised to lose their free parking under a council revenue drive.
Facing a projected £176,000 car-parking budget deficit for the current financial year, councillors will consider making sweeping changes to the parking strategy.
Under the preferred option going before the infrastructure services committee tomorrow (Thursday), members will be asked to scrap free parking and replace it with a 50p charge for up to one hour across the region.
The recommendations also include the introduction of free parking after 5pm and changes to time bands and tariffs to encourage longer stays and more economic activity.
In a report to councillors, director of infrastructure services Stephen Archer says the current car park tariffs were introduced on December 2, 2014. He states: “Members should note that the key reason for the introduction of the current tariffs was to encourage economic activity in our town centres at a time when the economy was struggling in general.”
The local authority was advised back in January, that prior to the introduction of the free tariffs there were around 800,000 transactions annually in its car parks. But while that has risen to 1.3 million in 2017/18, a considerable 80 per cent were free.
Commenting on the significant impact on revenue that the introduction of free tariffs has had, Mr Archer will advise: “Before the revised tariffs, income from car parking charges was £100,000 to £200,000 greater than all of the expenditure on car parks.
“The revenue budget approved by Aberdeenshire Council on February 8, 2018, set the budget for car parks at zero – ie total expenditure should match total income.
“Whilst efficiencies are always being sought in expenditure, the vast majority of the costs are fixed. Therefore, to balance the budget a significant change in income is required.
“Scenario 3 presents a situation where, even with a 35 per cent reduction in the overall transactions due to any changes in the behaviour of the people parking in our towns, it would still generate sufficient income to cover the budget deficit.”
All six local area committees have offered differing opinions during their discussions on the risks and opportunities the proposals would provide.
Generally, however, councillors want to see some form of free parking being retained and they expressed real concern about the impact that increasing car parking charges to the levels suggested would have on the economic vitality of town centres.
Under the proposals, changes to time bands and tariffs would be introduced to encourage longer stays and more economic activity.
In addition, the council is recomending that off-street parking be made more attractive to those working in town centres, thereby potentially freeing
up on-street parking .
That could mean parking for up to two hours for £1 rather than £1.20,
five hours for £2 rather than £5 and five or more hours for £5.
If the proposals are accepted by councillors, statutory and public consultations will be conducted prior to a final agreement by area committees.
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Dr Uma Hariharan attained her undergraduate medical qualification (MBBS) from the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, Pune (AFMC). During her undergraduate course, she was awarded the Best Speaker at the Bombay Medical Congress (scientific symposium on cloning); College Blues award for exemplary all-round performance; won the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) quiz; distinction in Ophthalmology; first in Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM) and completed an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) project work in Microbiology. Dr Uma Hariharan completed her post-graduation in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care from the world-renowned, Sir Ganga ram Hospital, New Delhi, under the aegis of Diplomate of National Board (DNB). During her postgraduation, she won several awards, including the Best DNB Student award, the Best Paper Award and the Best Medical Debator award. She did her teaching senior residency (registrar-ship) from the famous, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) and PGIMER, New Delhi. She published a lot of papers in various national and international journals. She also won the Best Poster Award at the National ISA conference. She did an extensive Fellowship Training in Oncoanaesthesia from the famous, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi. She also successfully cleared the Diploma in Hospital Management (PGDHM), from the prestigious, National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi. She is also a certified Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Instructor, imparting monthly ATLS provider course training at Dr RML Hospital and AIIMS, New Delhi. Dr Uma Hariharan served the Delhi Government as an Anesthesia and Intensive Care Specialist for a brief period, before joining the prestigious, Dr. RML Hospital and PGIMER as an Assistant Professor of Anaesthesiology, upon topping the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam. She has more than 55 papers published in various national and international journals, apart from several book chapters. She is also the Reviewer of numerous journals as well as part of the editorial board of reputed international journals. Her research interests include: Oncoanesthesia, Difficult Airway, Transplant Anesthesia, Pain Management, Critical Care and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
Oncoanesthesia,Transplant Anesthesia,Pain Management,Critical care management,Advanced Trauma Life Support.
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'Non-traditional' presidencies more common than data shows
Autumn A. Arnett @A2Arnett
A new analysis of presidential pathways conducted by researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, reports that only 54% of college presidents from a sample of 215 career profiles came from tenure or tenure-track positions prior to their hiring. That percentage means a higher rate of appointments than published in previous studies, which placed the rate of presidential appointees without high-level faculty experience between 18.8% and 33%, according to one independent study and another conducted by the American Council on Education, both published in 2017.
Large doctoral universities, predictably, made up the largest contingent of presidents who had come from traditional academic paths; 65% of the presidencies examined in this study with tenure or tenure-track positions in their backgrounds came from these institutions. And while doctoral institutions also accounted for the highest percentage — 37% — of presidents who came from the nontraditional path, the researchers found "the proportion of corporate nodes is significantly higher at 28%."
The researchers told Inside Higher Ed they worry the new path to the presidency may reflect “the cultural shift away from the traditional core mission of the university as an altruistic public good,” moving instead towards more of a corporate model of higher education.
The ultimate role of a university president is to translate the culture and mission of an institution into revenue for the institution, typically in the areas of fundraising, public relations and outreach within its immediate community and throughout different industrial sectors. This is why so much pressure is placed on presidents for athletics, endowment returns and political lobbying efforts to be successful because they are all key drivers of enrollment, research capacity and alumni relations — elements which drive campus growth.
When the University of Texas floats its efforts to recruit former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, or when Paul Quinn College names career lawyer Michael Sorrell as president, trustees at both schools, regardless of their difference in size, station and mission are following the same idea: The next phase of their campus' expansion will be found in vision created outside of the campus. And the presidents who know how to communicate with faculty, make decisions on capital planning, budgeting and PR strategy to meld with the strengths of the campus are typically those who have been in other environments to see how parts of a corporation function together to create a stronger academic enterprise: a common theme in a recent column from former University of Puget Sound President Susan Resneck Pierce who offered insights for presidents facing bleak culture on their campuses.
Some boards subscribe to the notion that you can hire a strong provost for academics but visionary leadership can only come from outside. For some campuses, this works out well, but on others, there is an inherent distrust by faculty of leaders who come in without any knowledge of the academic experience, and many measure one's value in terms of publication and research. And with a proliferation of presidents coming in from the outside, it is easy to see how presidents don't see student affairs as a priority — despite the fact that being out of touch with student experiences and concerns is the surest way to find oneself in the middle of a controversy or submitting a letter of resignation.
Inside Higher Ed By one measure, 'Nontraditional' presidents less rare
Education Dive Finding hope in the bleak outlook of the college presidency
Follow Autumn A. Arnett on Twitter
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Officials battle faculty poaching at Colorado's research universities
apasciuto
Forty-eight faculty and staff members at the University of Colorado at Boulder were approached in the past year by schools including Michigan, Berkeley, Wisconsin, Harvard and Stanford, and it isn't the Centennial State's only research university whose faculty are receiving outside offers.
In order to keep high-caliber faculty from being poached, CSU and CU have raised tuition by 9% and 8.7% respectively, contending that keeping well-known professors around boosts the schools' reputations and adds value to degrees.
Costs of retaining faculty extend beyond salaries, with Colorado's research universities also in an "arms race" with competing schools when it comes to providing faculty with modern labs and equipment, but the star professors can also help bring in millions in research funding.
... Since coming to CU from the University of Wisconsin, Johnson has been approached by four universities.
"It was all pretty nerve-wracking. You're thinking about the research and uprooting family — and there are about 15 people who work under me in the lab, and so you wonder how it would affect them, as well," said Johnson, who estimated his salary was about 15 percent below market. ...
Denver Post Read More
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Southern U. votes to oust chancellor — again
Flickr user StuSeeger
Southern University's Board of Supervisors voted 8-7 Monday in favor of ousting Baton Rouge, La., campus Chancellor James Llorens.
Llorens — who is so popular among students that they, and others, have rallied, petitioned, and staged a sit-in to show supports — needed 9 votes to keep his job.
A previous vote in Shreveport on Feb. 8 had a 9-6 outcome, and yesterday's vote was called by board members using a rule that allows for the calling of a special meeting if requested in writing by five board members.
This wouldn't surprise us so much if the Llorens was unpopular among students and faculty, but the chancellor actually has a significant amount of support among members of the campus community. Yesterday's meeting saw everyone from students to faculty leaders to alumni association officers pleading with the board for him to stay due to his visibility and approachable nature.
Both votes came about as the result of the system's president, Ronald Mason, recommending that Llorens' contract be extended for a year on the conditions that he assist in an evaluation of the Baton Rouge campus and come up with “necessary financial and organizational changes” by July 1. It's unclear whether the divided board's votes are against Llorens or against Mason's perceived power grab and attempts to meddle in individual campuses' affairs.
The Advocate Chancellor Llorens still out at Southern University
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They Might Be Giants Release 'Idlewild'
10-Year Song Compilation, May 27
They Might Be Giants have pulled off the seemingly inconceivable--they have continued to work, create and evolve musically, artistically and uninterrupted for 30 YEARS. During this time, the two-time GRAMMY winning Brooklyn originals diversified into television & film music—often with award-winning results—and have 16 vital studio albums under their belt. All the while, TMBG have remained an active live act, touring across America, Europe and Australia in the last year alone. In celebration of the last 10 years of the band’s remarkable run, They Might Be Giants are releasing Idlewild, a 17-song compilation album named for their own label on May 27 via Idlewild Recordings.
While Idlewild is neither a "best of" nor a “rarities” set, is an ultra-vivid illustration of the bands prodigious output and singular musical vision. From the spare, folkie chug of "Words Are Like", which originally appeared as part of TMBG’s internet-only collaboration with eMusic back in the dot.com era glory days of 2001, to the propulsive, dance floor groove of "You're On Fire", from last year’s Nanobots release, the scope of Idlewild is as wide as it is beguiling.
Remaining true to their highly personal mission statement, from the Dial-A-Song days and beyond, They Might Be Giants value their fans above all: they are currently running a video contest for Idlewild track “Am I Awake?,” open to all those up to the challenge! Stream "Am I Awake?" HERE, and more information about the contest + how to submit is available HERE.
Don’t Miss They Might Be Giants Live In DC!
4/26: Washington, DC @ USA Science & Engineering Festival, 1pm
They Might Be Giants Covers Destiny's Child 'Bills, Bills, Bills'
They Might Be Giants' Dial-A-Song Project Returns
It's Easy Being Green
Conversing with Giants: The Extended Interview
Being John Medeski
Tech Page: Let There Be Light
By Scott Wilkinson
Spitfire Audio's SD01 DustBundle and RedCola Trailer Giant Volume 1
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Cassiopeia Connect the Dots Printout Crux Connect the Dots Printout Hercules Connect the Dots Printout Scorpius Connect the Dots Printout Ursa Major Connect the Dots Printout Today's featured page: The Brightest Stars
Constellations EnchantedLearning.com
Connect the Dots More Connect the Dots
This is a thumbnail of the "Big Dipper Connect the Dots" page. The full-size printout is available only to site members.
The Big Dipper is a group of stars that looks a bit like a ladle. This group of stars is contained in the constellation called Ursa Major (which means "The Great Bear" in Latin).
The two brightest stars in the Big Dipper (Dubhe and Merak, marked numbers 1 and 2 on the picture above) "point" to the North Star. The North Star, which is also called Polaris, is a star that always points north, while the other stars in the northern sky seem to circle around it.
The Big Dipper is pictured on the flag of the state of Alaska, USA.
Throughout history, people have given names to groups of stars in the sky. A constellation is a group of stars that we see in the sky. These stars are not necessarily located together in space, but they look as though they are a group when seen from Earth. See if you can find these stars in the night sky of the Northern Hemisphere.
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Matheos Santamouris
Volume(s):
Adobe Reader PDF
Windows *SE+, Mac OS X+, Linux
Air Conditioning - Energy Consumption and Environmental Quality theme is the component of Encyclopedia of Energy Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The book on Air Conditioning - Energy Consumption and Environmental Quality in the Encyclopedia of Energy Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources considers the following topics on Systems and Equipment for Space Heating, Ventilation Systems, Air conditioning and Refrigeration and Cryogenic Systems. This volume is aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students, Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers and NGOs.
Editor(s) Bio:
Matheos Santamouris was born in Athens in 1956. He acquired his Diploma of Physics at the University of Patras, Greece, in 1979, a Postgraduate Diploma, DEA on Energy Physics. Institute National Polytechnique de Grenoble, France in 1981, and a Ph.D. on Energy Physics at the University of Patras in 1986. He is Visiting Professor to the School of Architecture, Low Energy Unit, University of North London, UK, and Associate Professor at the Physics Department, University of Athens. He has been a member of the Editorial Board and reviewer of the International Journal of Solar Energy since 1989, and of the Annual European Directory of Sustainable and Energy Efficient Building since 1993. He was a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Sun at Work in Europe (1989–91), and is a reviewer for a number of scientific journals. He has written and edited a range of books including, most recently, Energy in the Urban Environment (James and James, London, 2001), Passive Solar Energy in Practice (co-author) (James and James, London, 2001), and Construire Sostenibile il Mediterraneo (coauthor) (ALINEA, Italy, 2001)
1. Air Conditioning - Energy Consumption and Environmental Quality
Price : US$7.50
2. Systems and Equipment for Space Heating
P. Koronakis
Price : US$15.00
3. Temperature and Humidity Conditions for Premises and Buildings
I.P. Koronakis
4. Co-Generation
I.P.Koronakis
5. District Heating
6. Low Capacity Space Heating Systems
7. Heat Pumps for Space Heating
8. Ventilation Systems
C. A. Balaras
9. Indoor Air Quality
C.A. Balaras
10. Natural Ventilation
11. Mechanical Ventilation and Equipment
12. Space Loads & Energy Conservation
13. Filters & Maintenance
14. Temperature and Humidity Balance of Premises
A.A. Argiriou
15. Refrigeration and Cryogenic Systems
A. M. Papadopoulos and C. J. Koroneos
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Artificial Intelligence – “Smarter Than Humanly Possible”
We are in the early stages of a global intelligence revolution. Artificial Intelligence (AI) already permeates many aspects of our lives. All over the world, AI systems filter email spam, recommend things for people to buy, provide legal advice on everything. Portraying AI as adding to a change of society “happening ten times speedier and at 300 times the scale” of the Industrial Revolution. Characterizing AI is troublesome, not slightest on the grounds that ‘knowledge’ itself is hard to characterize.
AI empowers a rush of advancement across numerous divisions of the global economy. It enables organizations to utilize assets all the more proficiently and empowers altogether new plans of action to be created, regularly worked around AI’s powerful ability to interrogate large data sets. Many businesses in low and middle-income countries will benefit from these AI capabilities, converting into more noteworthy open doors for little business visionaries to grow new businesses.
There are a lot of examples where AI is being utilized to make strides conveyance of open administrations and open products in low and center salary nations, running from pilot undertakings to bigger scale take off. AI appears to be especially fit for rearranging exchanges on government sites.
There are three reasons many individuals are befuddled about the term AI:
1) We connect AI with motion pictures. Star Wars. Eliminator. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Indeed, even the Jetsons. What’s more, those are fiction, just like the robot characters. So it makes AI sound somewhat anecdotal to us.
2) AI is a wide point. It ranges from your telephone’s number cruncher to self-driving autos to something later on that may change the world drastically. AI alludes to these things, which is befuddling.
3) We utilize AI all the time in our day to day lives, yet we frequently don’t understand its AI. AI regularly seems like a legendary future forecast in excess of a reality. In the meantime, it makes it seem like a pop idea from the past that never happened as expected
To begin with, quit considering robots. A robot is a compartment for AI, infrequently emulating the human shape, here and there not—but rather the AI itself is the PC inside the robot. AI is the cerebrum, and the robot is its body—on the off chance that it even has a body. For instance, the product and information behind Siri is AI, the lady’s voice we hear is an embodiment of that AI, and there’s no robot required by any stretch of the imagination.
There are various composes or types of AI since AI is a wise idea, the basic classes we have to consider depend on an AI’s caliber. There are three noteworthy AI Calibre classifications:
Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI): Sometimes alluded to as Weak AI, Artificial Narrow Intelligence is AI that represents considerable authority in one zone. AI can beat the world chess champion in chess, however, that is the main thing it does. Request that it make sense of a superior method to store information on a hard drive, and it’ll take a gander at you vacantly.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): Sometimes referred to as Strong AI or Human-Level AI. Artificial General Intelligence alludes to a PC that is as keen as a human in all cases—a machine that can play out any learned errand that an individual can. Making AGI is a considerably harder assignment than making ANI, and we’re yet to do it. The major insight is “an extremely broad mental capacity that, in addition to other things, includes the capacity to reason, design, take care of issues, think conceptually, appreciate complex thoughts, learn rapidly, and gain as a matter of fact.” AGI would have the capacity to do those things as effortlessly as possible.
Artificial Superintelligence (ASI): ASI is “an insightfulness that is considerably more intelligent than the best human brains in essentially every field, including logical innovativeness, general shrewdness, and social abilities.” Artificial Superintelligence ranges from a PC that is only somewhat quicker witted than a human to one that is trillions of times more brilliant—no matter how you look at it. ASI is the reason the theme of AI is such a zesty meatball and why the words “everlasting status” and “eradication” will both show up in these posts numerous circumstances.
As of now, people have vanquished the least gauge of AI—ANI—from numerous points of view, and it’s all over the place. The AI Revolution is the road from ANI, through AGI, to ASI—a road we could possibly survive yet that, in any case, will change everything.
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startup report
How Banks Make It Hard For Sexy Startups
Porn and sex toys aren’t illegal, but banks often treat them that way. Critics say the practice is discriminatory and amounts to censorship.
[Photo: Flickr user Frankieleon]
By Whitney Mallett long Read
Last summer, Zoë Ligon, an erotic artist, was in the early stages of starting an online sex-toy shop she anointed Spectrum Pleasure. She visited a Bank of America branch in Detroit, wanting to open a checking account and take out a line of credit in order to start purchasing inventory. For the latter order of business, a Bank of America banker put her through to a credit specialist. The woman on the other end of the line was disinterestedly running through a list of scripted questions until she saw the word “pleasure” in the LLC title.
“I remember, she just stopped short in the middle of the sentence and was like, ‘Ma’am, what kind of a business is this?’” recalls Ligon. “All of a sudden, her tone totally changed. I was being talked to like I had an illegal business.” With no further explanation, the credit agency refused to extend Ligon a line of credit because her shop qualified as an “adult business.”
Zoë Ligon
Even though she had previously faced repeated rejections trying to start a brick and mortar store, Ligon says, the incident at the bank “might have been the first time I broke down into tears since starting the business.” An added kick in the teeth came later that day when she received a sales call from a Bank of America employee trying to get her to sign up for its new e-commerce platform, only to be denied once more. “Oh, I’m sorry, we don’t offer this service to adult businesses or marijuana businesses,” the salesperson explained to her over the phone.
“I was already emotional. It had been such a long day,” remembers Ligon, who was keen to sign up. “It was incredibly awkward to have a sale retracted from me.”
Sex toy shops are legal but plagued by restrictions that range from municipal zoning laws to financial discrimination. Adult performers have had their personal bank accounts shut down without forewarning. Porn producers are routinely refused standard billing fees. Mainstream financial service providers like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and American Express all treat adult businesses differently from other businesses, acting often under so-called “morality clauses” aimed at legal businesses with taboo reputations. (Gun sellers and marijuana companies also face difficulties getting loans and other services.) Even the new wave of financial tech startups like Paypal and Square prohibit some adult businesses from using their products, both explicitly and in tacit ways.
“We had so much experience in this industry, we knew that if we named the organization something obscure, it would be better.”
Stoya, an adult entertainer and writer, has experienced these restrictions firsthand: After opening an account under the name Stoya Inc. and depositing checks, JPMorgan Chase shut it down without explanation, she says. (JPMorgan Chase and other banks declined to comment.) In 2015, when she and her colleague Kayden Kross decided to start a pay-per-scene porn site, the two knew it was best to give their venture a vague, innocuous-sounding name: TRENCHCOATx.
“We had so much experience in this industry, we knew that if we named the organization something obscure, it would be better,” says Kross. “So we didn’t run into any of the problems setting up a bank account that we would have if we had given the corporation an adult name.”
U.S. banks are regulated to prevent illegal discrimination against individuals: Financial institutions cannot systematically deny loans and other services based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or familial status. But no federal laws explicitly prohibit discrimination against adult businesses. In practice, say critics, this allows for occupational discrimination against adult-industry workers.
In a time of constrained investment across the board, financial discrimination against adult businesses might be most hurtful to small, pioneering ventures, the kind seeking to upend the taboo around sex and porn and promote sexual health and awareness. “The people that these policies hurt most are the small guy or probably more accurately the small woman,” says PJ Rey, a sociology doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland studying digitally mediated sex work. “It is the startup companies that are doing the more progressive stuff, and they are going to be affected more than the really big porn giants.”
In spite of the restrictions, the adult entertainment and sex toy industries are bustling. In the U.S. alone, adult sites generate over $3 billion in revenue a year, according to research firm IBISWorld. (PornHub ranks as the web’s 60th most visited website.) By 2025, is forecast to be a $1 billion business, the third-biggest VR sector after video games ($1.4 billion) and NFL-related content ($1.23 billion), according to estimates from Piper Jaffray. The global sex toy industry is estimated to be worth $15 billion and is growing at a rapid clip.
Still, these businesses can struggle to find banks that will work with them and investors who want to back them. Many VC firms have “morality clauses” that also prevent them from dealing with anything considered adult content.
“We have to think about how straightforward moral stigma informs these policies,” says Rey. But, he adds, it’s unlikely that taboos are the only explanation for the financial discrimination aimed at adult businesses and workers. “The personal politics of the people in the boardrooms has to be a factor to some degree, even if it’s not a conscious thing,” he says.
The perceived stigma of sex and porn not only influences corporate policy at the top, he says, but potentially can be infectious across an industry. “Once some companies start excluding adult businesses, others may want to move toward a conservative policy just to not be sticking out.” A widespread taboo can perpetuate the perception of risk, which can in turn perpetuate the social stigma: “I think it’s probably true that the discrimination itself, in fact, makes adult businesses and sex workers a more risky investment.”
Kayden Kross[Photo: Steve Prue]
While Kross and Stoya managed to avoid some banking problems, there was another way that their fledgling business would be penalized: billing. Most companies that process credit card transactions have a blanket ban on working with adult companies, and the few that will work with adult businesses process their transactions at an exorbitant premium.
“From my perspective, it seems like a cartel,” says Kross, who explains that TRENCHCOATx, like most porn companies, has to pay 15% billing fees compared to the standard rate of 3% or less. To put that rate into perspective, Kross notes that 15% is the kind of rate you are offered “when you file bankruptcy and then go to buy a car the next day.” It drastically affects their bottom line. For every dollar TRENCHCOATx makes, it loses 15¢, while other companies lose 3¢ or less.
“Their rationale is chargebacks,” says Kross. The adult industry has a reputation for customers demanding refunds at a higher frequency than other industries. The cliché scenario is the husband whose wife is outraged by a charge for porn on his credit card bill: The husband cries fraud and calls the credit card company, claiming he never made the adult purchase in question and demanding a refund.
Kross’s experiences—she’s managed TRENCHCOATx since its founding and has run a solo site since 2008—paint a different picture. “I don’t think our rate of receiving chargebacks is higher than other industries,” she says. TRENCHCOATx has only had to process two refunds, she says, and “I don’t even think either of them was fraud-related. One was an issue that the customer didn’t have the internet speed to support streaming the videos and they asked for a refund.”
Merchant banks contend that they also have to charge these rates and enforce restrictions because working with adult businesses carries other risks. Whether warranted or not, porn is perceived as seedy, and therefore a target for money launderers and miscellaneous criminal activity. Some opt for a blanket ban on all porn because they’re concerned that they won’t be able to distinguish legal adult content from content that either features underage performers or trafficked women.
But critics of these broad policies point out that by pushing both legal and illegal adult content into the same shadowy margins, they’re enabling indecent and illegal businesses to proliferate. In spite of these concerns, the current situation is an unpredictable and inconsistent patchwork of regulations that banks are often reticent to articulate or explain.
“Every conceivable, horrible thing that a bank could do, they had been fined for. They have actually fucked people. In my movies, people just pretend to fuck!”
When softcore film producer Marc Greenberg tried to refinance his personal mortgage with JPMorgan, he was told that his application had been rejected on the basis of a morality clause.
“It’s a morality clause that’s buried somewhere in the 160 pages of documents you get when you refinance. I’d never heard of this morality clause, nor did I understand how it applied to me,” explains Greenberg. “When they first denied me, I said, ‘How do I know you’re not denying me because I’m Jewish or because my son is gay? Maybe my son being gay is morally reprehensible to you.’ I didn’t know what the reason was.”
[Photo: Flickr user Travel Nevada]
In the end, it was Greenberg’s occupation that was interpreted as violating the morality clause. A bank employee had looked up his name on IMDB and rejected his application based on the names of the softcore erotica films that his company produced and distributed, movies like Bare Naked Desires, Bad and Busty and Wild Things 2, the direct-to-video sequel to the Hollywood thriller. “I was obviously outraged,” says Greenberg. He asked the employee, “‘Have you ever watched my movies?” The answer was “No.”
“Had anyone else [at the bank] seen my movies?” “No.” “Could you tell me who made this decision?” “No.” “Would you please send me an official document stating that you denied me based upon your morality clause?” “No.” “Would you point out where in the mortgage agreement the morality clause is?” “No.”
Adding to the bizarreness of the situation, JPMorgan had already held Greenberg’s mortgage for 10 years. This was not an application for a new mortgage but an application to refinance his existing mortgage.
Greenberg filed a lawsuit against JPMorgan for occupational discrimination. It was only during the deposition process that he found out the rationale behind the bank’s decision: JPMorgan believed that if they did business with Greenberg and people found out, it would hurt their reputation and their business.
“This to me was the most offensive part,” says Greenberg, explaining how hypocritical he found this position of moral high ground. “In the last two and a half years, JPMorgan has paid $25 billion in fines for violations of federal securities, finance, mortgage fraud, money laundering—every conceivable, horrible thing that a bank could do, they had been fined for. They have actually fucked people. In my movies people just pretend to fuck!”
Greenberg wasn’t satisfied with the explanation that he posed a reputational risk to JPMorgan. “How was their business hurt when they held my mortgage for 10 years?” he asks. He tried to petition the court to find out if JPMorgan did business with telecommunications companies like Time Warner, AT&T, and Verizon, who are responsible for delivering the content that Greenberg produced, which played on networks like Showtime and Cinemax, to people’s homes. “They refused to answer that. They said, based on confidentiality, they couldn’t disclose their clients,” says Greenberg. “So if they can’t disclose their clients, my question is, how would anyone know I was a client?”
The court ultimately dismissed the case because Greenberg had since sold his production company. “The court held that the [occupational anti-discrimination] statutes weren’t violated because Greenberg was a former producer of adult entertainment, and the statutes do not apply against a person’s former occupation,” explains Bradford Child, a lawyer who represented Greenberg. “Would the ruling be the same if Greenberg had been a policeman and was denied a loan because he was a former policeman? I think not. In my opinion, the unspoken truth is that the court is not interested in prohibiting occupational discrimination where the involved occupation is in the adult entertainment industry, even in Los Angeles.” Although Child says an appeal had merit, Greenberg did not pursue it because of the financial burden.
In a one-sentence statement, a spokesperson from JPMorgan Chase said simply, “We do not have policies that would have resulted in such a decision” regarding Greenberg’s loan.
Federal Crackdowns Leave Their Mark
The most compelling case for banking discrimination of adult industries may be a federal one. In 2014, leaked documents revealed a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) program called “Operation Choke Point,” which was designed to pressure banks into denying service to certain disfavored industries including “pornography.” (Payday lenders, ammunition sales, dating services, purveyors of drug paraphernalia, and online gambling sites were also targeted.) Banks, including Chase, complied with the program by closing adult performers’ accounts and denying services to adult businesses, according to Vice News. Earlier that year, Chase even denied payment-processing services through its Paymentech subsidiary to a condom startup (the bank later caved under public pressure and reversed its decision).
In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, American Bankers Association CEO Frank Keating wrote that the banks had been forced either to comply or face penalties. William Isaac, the former chairman of the FDIC, called Operation Choke Point “way out of control.”
According to Lawrence G. Walters, an attorney with the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit focused on sexual and gender diversity, imposing restrictions on legal erotic businesses that are engaged in First Amendment-protected entertainment “constitutes censorship–pure and simple.” In a 2014 blog post, Walters wrote that “denial of banking to adult industry participants at the behest of the DOJ likely violates federal civil rights conspiracy laws, [which] prohibits two or more individuals (or government actors) from conspiring to deprive a person’s civil rights or equal protection under the law.” Those laws have primarily been used in the context of racial discrimination, but could be applied to occupational discrimination. “This sort of retaliation against citizens for participating in constitutionally protected activity,” wrote Walters, “is intolerable, if not illegal.”
[Photo: Elise Mesner]
Rey, the sociologist, says it shouldn’t be surprising that the policies of long-established financial institutions are influenced by vestigial attitudes toward the adult industry and sexual taboos. But when it comes to new financial technology companies, blanket bans on adult businesses seem incongruous with the libertarian ideology that undergirds startup culture.
“The new world order of money still subscribes to the old world order of money. They still say ‘no adult content.'”
“Silicon Valley and the porn industry are more or less on top of each other, and they are coming out of the same libertarian, West Coast ethos,” he explains. “There’s a reason why the porn industry is thriving on the West Coast. The moral sentiment is a little more live and let live.”
It’s telling that West Coast companies like Amazon, PayPal, and Square, Inc. in some cases prohibit adult businesses and sex workers from using their services, Rey says. “Silicon Valley has historically paid lip service, when it’s convenient, to embrace a certain cyberlibertarian ideology, but at the end of the day, those are principles of convenience. They are a veneer that companies will wear when it’s convenient to make an argument in court when it’s financially beneficial to them, but they will readily abandon them as well to make money.”
When Prude Investors Cockblock Sex Tech, No One Gets Off
If sex-based products and platforms seem retrograde (or worse), it may be because white male VCs are holding back innovation.
Cindy Gallop, founder of the social sex platform Make Love Not Porn, argues that even when financial startups want to break the mold and work with adult content providers, they are beholden to the banks and traditional finance partners that underwrite their web-based services. “The new world order of money still subscribes to the old world order of money. They still say ‘no adult content,’” she notes.
These bans have far-reaching consequences. “Every piece of business infrastructure that every other tech startup can take for granted, we can’t because of the small print,” explains Gallop. “It’s massively inhibiting our business in a way that’s rampantly unfair, not least because my partner and I believe we can change the world through sex. We are working our guts out to make the world better for all of us, and the world of business and tech is doing everything it can to stop us.”
Still, she says, there are tech CEOs who are willing to work with adult companies with innovative ideas. “Our entire mission is to make it easier to talk about sex,” explains Gallop, whose site features curated pay-to-rent adult videos of real people having real sex, and aims to fairly share revenues with creators. “We want to take the shame and embarrassment out of sex, and when you do that, you tackle what lies at the heart of rape culture, sexual abuse, sexual violence, trafficking, many broken marriages, and many unhappy relationships.”
To start Make Love Not Porn, Gallop bootstrapped the site with her own savings and support from a single angel investor; the site now claims more than 400,000 sign-ups. With her noble goal, Gallop has got the ear of many financial startup CEOs like Ben Milne of Dwolla, a PayPal challenger, Patrick Collison of Stripe (they provide the credit card transactions), and Bryan Johnson, formerly of Braintree, a PayPal subsidiary that specializes in mobile and web payments. “They want to support us. They want to work with us,” says Gallop. “It’s the banks they are partnered with that don’t.”
Dwolla and Braintree declined to go on the record for this article. A PayPal spokesperson said that the service “does not discriminate against the people or businesses who use our services,” and that it “allows for the sale of certain adult content to account holders, who must be over the age of 18 to use our service and who are in countries where this type of entertainment is legal.”
Stripe referred me to a blog post explaining that their partnerships with payment networks like Visa and Mastercard restricts them from working with certain businesses. The company notes that it tried and failed to convince their partners to make an exception to their restrictions against adult businesses for the women’s pleasure-focused sex-ed startup OMGYes. The company admits that its partners’ restrictions “tend to be broad and, as a result, often pretty confusing.”
Meanwhile, Gallop has found a friendly crowdfunding platform in iFundWomen, where Make Love Not Porn is now kicking off its first-ever crowdfunding campaign. Gallop is also developing an investment fund that, she hopes, with an initial target of $10 million, can do for sex tech what Privateer Holdings did for cannabis, an industry that went from taboo to investment darling in just a few years.
Like Gallop, Kross and Ligon are also attempting to disrupt the status quo with their ventures. As a site created and controlled by two women, TRENCHCOATx is already a refreshing exception in the male-dominated porn industry, and its pay-per-scene “curated smut” has been called thoughtful and artistic—not your standard porn fare.
Ligon has similar progressive ambitions. With her e-commerce shop—she renamed it Spectrum Boutique because of all the trouble caused by the word “pleasure” in the LLC’s original title—Ligon is interested in promoting diverse sexualities and sexual health education, selling educational books, gender-identity products like silicon tackers and gaffs, and medical-grade silicone vibrators, which she affirms are an important part of giving women access to tools and knowledge to achieve sexual pleasure.
While financial policies have come to be seen as a simple cost of doing business in the adult industry, that cost also represents a big opportunity for someone willing to go against the grain, Gallop says. “The first bank that says, ‘We welcome honest, legal, decent adult ventures’ is going to clean up!”
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Born Jenifer Jeanette Lewis
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
American actress, comedian, singer and activist. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in films Beaches (1988) and Sister Act (1992).
Page last updated 8 months ago by RockHunter69
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Georgia inspired to have an impact on ag8 months, 1 week ago
Young gun Georgia Reid inspired to have an impact on ag
MOLLIE TRACEY
8 Nov 2018, noon
At 25-years-old, Georgia Reid, Boyup Brook, is well on her way to achieve her dream of making a difference in agriculture with her current role as a livestock systems consultant at AgPro Management.
There's been no stopping 25-year-old young gun Georgia Reid in the four years since Farm Weekly caught up with her.
IT has been full steam ahead for Georgia Reid since she last spoke to Farm Weekly four years ago.
The 25-year-old from Boyup Brook has since graduated university, travelled overseas and started an exciting career in agriculture.
When talking to Georgia, it’s clear that she has a love for agriculture, but what stands out even more is her desire to have an impact on the industry.
Georgia was 21 when she last featured as a young gun and at the time said: “Like any young, hopeful person entering the workforce, I want to change the world.”
While she said it as a joke, she is well on her way to achieving that goal.
After university, Georgia worked for the Royal Agricultural Society of WA where she helped organise and run agricultural education projects.
“This was a great way to help the general public learn about ‘country life’ and farming with an in-school program and interactive exhibits at the Royal Show,” Georgia said.
Having been in her current job for two years, Georgia works alongside Ed Riggall, director of AgPro Management, as a livestock systems consultant based at Narrikup.
“My work at AgPro Management is hard to define,” she laughed.
“As most professionals in the (agricultural) industry do, a lot of time is on the road – running between trials, field days, LifeTime Ewe Management groups, demonstration sites, benchmarking groups and managing projects.”
A favourite project that she has been working on looks at different pasture manipulation timing, with sites in Moora, while she is also preparing for a chaff cart project over summer, which involves looking at chaff carts as a sheep management tool.
Seeing as she spends a lot of her time around Lake Grace, Georgia also has a key part in facilitating the local grower group, Lakes Information and Farming Technology (LIFT).
When reflecting on her comment four years ago on “wanting to change the world like any young person” she said, “Surprisingly, my work is all about this – as a consultant you are helping to share ideas, information and new ways of doing things, as well as identifying ways to improve business and production performance”.
The characteristics of farmers and those who work in this industry is one of agriculture’s biggest strengths and why I love my work. - Georgia Reid
Like many young guns starting out in the workforce, Georgia said her new role had challenged her while enabling her to grow, despite her mission to put her stamp on WA’s agriculture industry being sown at a young age.
“The past two years have been a steep but very rewarding learning curve,” she said.
As part of the fifth generation of her family to be involved in the farm, Georgia’s appreciation for country WA blossomed when she went to boarding school, which intensified when it was made clear to her what a special industry it is.
Back in 2014, during her fourth and final year at The University of WA, Georgia geared her agricultural science honours project to help advocate for the ag industry through research.
“I decided to do my honours as a social study, looking at the impacts of the media during the 2011 live export ban, because there was a knowledge gap,” Georgia said.
“Within the industry, the impacts of live export were known, however there was nothing concrete to point to, (just) producers’ stories.”
“Putting this into a peer-reviewed scientific study could give (the industry) more to stand on.”
With a love for the land, sheep and all things agriculture, Georgia said she is most inspired by the producers that she has met along the way.
As part of the research process, Georgia ventured across the State, including the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley through to the southern region, interviewing farmers and pastoralists.
“Back in 2014, as a university student, I was really humbled by the producers I spoke to,” she said.
“They were so open about what was an extremely emotional and controversial topic and obviously still is.”
Other than making her professional debut in the agricultural industry, a major highlight of Georgia’s past four years was being part of the two-year MLA Donor Company-supported Livestock Consulting Internship, which gave participants industry experience, skills and knowledge to accelerate their careers.
As part of the program, Georgia also undertook a graduate certificate in agricultural consulting with the University of New England, focusing on meat production, wool and finance.
Between finishing university and working for AgPro Management, Georgia has also been an AgConnectWA committee member and was a finalist for the 2018 LambEx Young Guns Competition.
For her fellow young guns who are aspiring to make it in agriculture, Georgia said it’s important to put yourself out of your comfort zone.
“One piece of advice I’ve found that serves pretty well is ‘if unsure, throw your hat in the ring and then take the opportunities with two hands’,” she said.
For a woman in her mid-20s, Georgia certainly has a lot of drive behind her with inspiration and motivation which comes from interacting with so many people who are just as passionate about agriculture as she is and she had a message for them.
Telstra Business Women’s Awards entries close Thursday
Touching campaign to save country kids
“If any producers I’ve worked with are reading this, that’s you!” she said.
“Producers inspire me and keep me on my toes.
“Interacting with these people every day is a highlight of my job.
“The characteristics of farmers and those who work in this industry is one of agriculture’s biggest strengths and why I love my work – it’s about helping open, generous and hard-working business people.
“Thank you so much for your support for us young’ns and for sharing your knowledge.
“I love the work, the people, the animals and increasing innovation in mixed enterprises means I don’t know what the next four years will hold, but I know you’ll find me in this industry, probably surrounded by sheep.”
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About Us - Company Overview
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES
About Us: Our Story
"We're obsessed with providing a terrific experience.
If not, we'll make it right - guaranteed."
Chris McCann, CEO & Jim McCann, Founder
The doorbell rings. From outside,
a friendly voice says,
"Delivery from 1-800-Flowers.com!"
There's a sudden feeling of excitement and anticipation.And then you
see it-a beautiful arrangement of fresh, colorful flowers.You're surprised.
You're delighted. And most important of all, you're smiling!
Making people smile is no small accomplishment. It's a passion that's been in our family for 40 years. It's what drove Jim McCann to open his first flower shop in 1976, with the belief that each of us has a special power inside to connect with the important people in our lives. What starts as a single thought can end with someone feeling loved, appreciated, remembered—and having a better day because of it. It's not just in our business plan; it's actually how we see the world.
And it's this core belief which has continued to grow with us as a company over the last four decades, forever changing the way people send flowers & gifts. From milestone occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries, to life's just because moments, we've been your trusted source for the finest selection of floral arrangements, blooming plants, one-of-a-kind keepsakes and delicious gourmet food—all designed to help you express yourself perfectly to those who mean the most.
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Fujitsu Wins IT Services and Digital Learning Solution Contract with City of Stockholm
News facts:
Fujitsu awarded contract by City of Stockholm to deliver Digital Workplace Services and its Service Desk solution to more than 108,000 students and teachers in 780 schools and preschools
New services contract is part of the City of Stockholm’s vision to become the world’s smartest city by 2040
Contract starts immediately and runs until end of 2023, with a possible extension until the end of 2029
Munich, January 23, 2018 - Fujitsu has been selected by the City of Stockholm as the new ICT service supplier for the city’s 780 schools and preschools. Under the agreement, Fujitsu and the City of Stockholm are co-creating an IT environment to help Stockholm realize its ambition to become the world’s smartest city by 2040. Fujitsu will support digital learning in Stockholm by delivering Digital Workplace Services, including its next generation Service Desk (Social Command Centre), to more than 108,000 students and teachers.
The City of Stockholm awarded the contract to Fujitsu based on the proven high quality of its services, and close alignment with the city’s strategic goals. In particular, Fujitsu demonstrated a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in creating a digital learning environment for Stockholm’s school system, and it presented the city with a future-proof solution.
Stockholm’s Digital Learning vision is to provide an inspiring environment for students and teachers, as well as meeting each student’s personal learning requirements, with technology playing a key role in achieving this. For example, the Fujitsu Social Command Center supports inclusivity by allowing end users to select their preferred channel for IT support – including phone, email, or an interactive self-service portal with chat functionality and a virtual chat agent.
Johanna Engman, Director of IT at the City of Stockholm, says: "We look forward to working with Fujitsu to launch next-generation IT services to Stockholm's pre-schools and schools. With this new technology support, the city of Stockholm is getting a digital uplift and will be able to provide new, equal opportunities for every child and student."
Conway Kosi, SVP and Head of Managed Infrastructure Services at Fujitsu EMEIA, comments: “Underlining its digital ambition, the City of Stockholm recognizes the crucial role played by next-generation Digital Workplace Services such as the Social Command Center, an integral part of Fujitsu Service Desk. By embracing and incorporating state-of-the-art technologies, powered by Artificial Intelligence, the City of Stockholm is sending a clear signal of its intent and taking significant steps towards becoming the world’s smartest city.”
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EnPro Industries Inc (NPO) Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call Transcript
NPO earnings call for the period ending December 31, 2018.
Motley Fool Transcribers
(MFTranscribers)
Feb 14, 2019 at 3:01PM
Image source The Motley Fool.
EnPro Industries Inc (NYSE:NPO)
Q4 2018 Earnings Conference Call
Feb. 14, 2019, 10:00 a.m. ET
Prepared Remarks
Call Participants
See all our earnings call transcripts.
Prepared Remarks:
Greetings. Welcome to EnPro Industries 2018 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. (Operator Instructions)
Please note this conference is being recorded. I will now turn the conference over to our host, Mr. Chris O'Neal, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Corporate Development and Investor Relations. Thank you. You may begin.
Chris O'Neal -- Senior Vice President, Strategy, Corporate Development and Investor Relations
Thank you, Diego. Good morning and welcome to EnPro Industries' quarterly earnings conference call. I remind you that our call is also being webcast at enproindustries.com, where you can find the slides that accompany the call. Steve Macadam, our CEO; Marvin Riley, our COO; and Milt Childress, our CFO, will begin their review our fourth quarter performance and our outlook in a moment.
But before we begin our discussion, I'll point out that you may hear statements during the course of this call that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not historical facts. These statements are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events and results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties are referenced in the Safe Harbor statement, included in our press release and are described in more detail along with other risks and uncertainties in our filings with the SEC, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made in this conference call to reflect any change in management's expectations, or any change in assumptions or circumstances in which such statements are based.
Our earnings release and conference call presentation materials contain additional disclosures regarding the following; first, non-GAAP financial information; second, collective references to EnPro and our subsidiaries; third, the deconsolidation of Garlock Sealing Technologies or GST and OldCo, LLC or OldCo, during relevant periods until the reconsolidation effective as of July 31, 2017, and finally, pro forma illustrative financial information for the year ended December 31, 2017, presented as if GST and OldCo were reconsolidated for financial reporting purposes throughout that period.
These disclosures are important to understanding comments we will make on today's call and we urge you to read them carefully. Consolidated results for the period after July 31, 2017, reflect the reconsolidation of GST, its subsidiaries and OldCo as a result of the completion of the Asbestos Claim Resolution Process. Pro forma results for the periods prior to July 31, 2017, have been prepared as the GST and OldCo had been reconsolidated on the basis described in our earnings release.
Most of the difference between consolidated and pro forma segment information is in Sealing Products with only small differences in Engineered Products and Power Systems stemming from foreign operations of those segments included in GST foreign subsidiaries. We believe that investors will find comparisons of consolidated results for 2018 to pro forma results for 2017 to be most illustrative of the year-over-year performance of all EnPro's businesses. For clarity, throughout this call, we will compare consolidated results for full year 2018 to pro forma results for the full year 2017.
Finally, I want to announce that we will be hosting an Investor Day on Wednesday, March 13th, at the Parker New York Hotel. During the meeting, we will provide a comprehensive review of EnPro and each of our operating divisions and we will share our strategy for enhancing the value of the Company. We believe that the day will be informative for anyone who wants to understand our business and our strategy better. The presentation will start at 9 o'clock in the morning and will also be webcast at enproindustries.com. I hope you will join us.
And now, I'll turn the call over to Steve.
Steve Macadam -- President and Chief Executive Officer
Thanks, Chris. Good morning, everyone, and thanks for joining us today. Before we jump into the quarter, I'd like to kick off our time today by stepping back and reflecting on our full-year results. I'll then turn the call over to Marvin and Milt for additional comments on our performance and a discussion of our fourth quarter results. All in all, as I reflect on 2018, EnPro had a great year with many accomplishments. With the exception of two very specific and isolated problem areas in Sealing Products, namely our exit of the gas turbine business and challenges in our brake products group, our business -- businesses posted strong sales and earnings growth.
Excluding those two business units, our total sales and adjusted EBITDA grew approximately 11% and 10% respectively over 2017, as a result of favorable market conditions, success launching new products, winning new customer programs and diligent cost control. The semiconductor, food and pharma, aerospace, heavy duty tractor and trailer build, metals and mining, refining and processing, oil and gas and marine engines in aftermarket parts and service, all performed strongly during the year.
In Engineered Products, full-year sales grew by 7.4% and EBITDA margins improved 120 basis points versus last year. We introduced several new products in CPI, including the new Emissions Guard suite of products. We also advanced our development of new coatings technologies to our joint venture in GGB and achieved operational and SG&A cost improvements in the segment.
In Power Systems, despite being capacity constrained due to the production of engines for the EDF program, our business delivered a record $37.2 million of EBITDA. This included $4.2 million of negative impact related to the EDF program and $7.3 million in R&D expense for the continued development of the Trident OP engine. Given a robust backlog at the end of the year, we believe Power Systems is positioned for another year of strong results in 2019.
In Sealing Products, the vast majority of business performed very, very well. As I mentioned, we had a couple of very specific issues that posed challenges for us and Marvin and Milt will describe those in a minute. The rest of the business, which represents nearly 90% of Sealing Products revenue, benefited from market tailwinds that drove strong sales growth and EBITDA margins held steady at a healthy rate of approximately 19%. Demand in semiconductor, aerospace, food and pharma, metals and mining, refining and processing and heavy-duty truck OE markets were favorable, and continued -- we continued to win program new programs in semiconductor, aerospace, and food and pharma.
While we are beginning to turn the corner and recover from the challenges in our brake products group, we anticipate that business unit will improve throughout the year.
Now, I'll turn the call over to Marvin to discuss some additional comments on our performance.
Marvin Riley -- Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Thanks, Steve, and good morning, everyone. As we've demonstrated by our turnaround of Engineered Products over the past several years, the EnPro team has built the capability to take action when necessary to expand the operating margins of our segments. As we began highlighting in Q2, we're taking swift action in the Sealing Products segment to reduce costs and expand our margins.
Last quarter, I discussed that our ability to identify, isolate and resolve operational issues is a direct result of the robust and flexible operating system we have developed over time. And we saw this in action during the year as we exited the industrial gas turbine market in the second quarter, which is now fully complete, and again, in the second half of the year, as we address the challenges in STEMCO'S Brake Products Group.
We previously discussed that we exited our industrial gas turbine business after a thorough evaluation of trends in that market. It became clear that our prospects with the business had fundamentally changed due to disruption in the OEM competitive landscape and end-market demands. Typically, exiting a business in similar circumstances results in large asset impairments and expenses. However, through diligent project management and partnership with our largest customer, we were able to minimize the impact to our P&L and actually generated net cash gain from the restructuring . I would like to thank our project team that led the effort and congratulate them publicly on a positive outcome in a difficult situation.
At STEMCO, we launched a campaign to significantly improve our brake products group. Beginning in July, we asked one of our most seasoned leaders to take on the President's role in STEMCO. Since then, we have been working collaboratively to put into place a comprehensive improvement program that has included talent upgrades within the business unit leadership teams, pricing initiative, should cost analysis to support make versus buy decisions and a detailed review of the competitive position of our smaller business units. This detailed work has led to the recently announced exit of our brake drum friction manufacturing. Our should cost analysis and our competitive sourcing work demonstrated that it's cheaper to source this product than it is to manufacture in-house. Our exit from friction manufacturing was swift and while we have reliable sources of this product, we anticipate that it may take a few months for our newly established supply chain to reach maturity and cost efficiency. We are roughly 50% complete with our margin expansion campaign in the STEMCO Brake Products Group.
Now shifting to the Power Systems segment. As a result of our previously mentioned focus on expanding margins and the significant increase in demand for our military, marine engines and parts, we are prioritizing our marine engines and aftermarket parts business in addition to completion of the EDF production engines above accelerated investment in the Trident OP. This does not change our perception of the opportunity provided by the Trident OP engine; however, we are currently capacity constrained in most adjusted pace at which we bring the new product to market and in order to meet the robust demand for our marine engines and parts. We're currently in discussion with our Trident OP launch customer about adjusting the timeline for production and installation of the field test engine.
Overall, we believe that the actions we have taken across the Company will lead to cost improvements as the year progresses. These actions are evidence of how we leverage our unique operating system to address challenges and drive value in our businesses. We look forward to further discussing our operating system and improvement capabilities during our upcoming Investor Day in March, and now I'll turn the call over to Milt.
Milt Childress -- Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Thanks, Marvin. We continue to experience favorable conditions throughout the fourth quarter in many of our core markets. Demand in aerospace, food and pharma, heavy-duty tractor and trailer builds, marine engines, parts and services, and metals and mining were strong during the quarter, although year-over-year growth in Sealing Products and Engineered Products was muted by strong prior-year results, also about the Company's exit from the industrial gas turbine market earlier in the year and softness in the automotive, nuclear and US oil and gas pipeline construction markets.
As we mentioned throughout the year, we expected Power Systems military and marine engine and aftermarket parts and service revenue to be heavily weighted to the second half of the year. And during the fourth quarter, Power Systems achieved record levels of aftermarket parts and service sales, as well as increased engine revenue.
In total, for EnPro, organic sales, which we define as excluding the impact of acquisitions, divestitures and currency translation, were up approximately 6% over the prior-year period, driven primarily by strong 32% growth in Power Systems. For the full year, organic sales were up about 8%. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA was $54.5 million in the fourth quarter, up 11.9% compared to results for the same period in the prior year, primarily due to year-over-year strength in Power Systems, offset by the previously noted challenges in our heavy-duty trucks and brake products group. For the full year, pro forma adjusted EBITDA was $217.4 million, up 0.9% versus 2017. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange on the EDF contract, however, adjusted EBITDA was up 16.5% and 6.6% respectively in the fourth quarter and full year compared to prior-year periods.
We finished the year within the guidance range provided on our Q3 earnings call despite an approximate $1.2 million negative currency impact in the fourth quarter. Gross profit margin for the fourth quarter was 30% down about 4 percentage points compared to the gross margin in the fourth quarter of last year. There were two primary drivers of the year-over-year decline; first and foremost, our margins were affected by the challenges in Sealing Products related to our brake products business, Steve and Marvin had discussed; second, and to a lesser degree, margins were affected by an improved allocation in 2018 of IT costs, which resulted in moving certain costs from SG&A to cost of goods sold. We estimate that these two items explain 3.7 percentage points of the total 4 percentage points year-over-year margin decline.
In the Sealing Products segment, despite overall sales being down in the quarter, we were encouraged by strong sales performance in many of our core markets . Sales were down 1.3% compared to the prior-year period driven primarily by the wind down of industrial gas turbine production and to a lesser degree by reduced nuclear shipments due to the timing of customers maintenance cycles. This softness was mostly offset by continued strength in the aerospace, food and pharma, heavy-duty tractor and trailer builds and metals and mining markets.
Segment adjusted EBITDA, which excludes the impact of restructuring and acquisition expenses, was $33.8 million, down 14.4% compared to last year. The decrease year-over-year was driven primarily by the aforementioned cost challenges in the brake products business of STEMCO. A large portion of which pertain to an increase in friction material warranty costs. At the end of the third quarter, we communicated that we believe we had adequately reserved for friction quality issues related to product source from a past supplier. The friction quality problems affected one specific style of friction material that is used in only a single niche market. In the fourth quarter, we revised our estimates to cover all potentially affected products for this friction application, which led to an increase in our warranty reserve.
Sales in the Engineered Products segment were up 1.9% over the prior-year period excluding the impact of foreign exchange translation. Strength in the oil and gas and North America in general industrial markets was partially offset by weakness in automotive and European general industrial markets. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange translations, segment adjusted EBITDA decreased 0.5% in the fourth quarter over the prior year, primarily due to increased raw material and manufacturing costs, partially offset by increased sales volumes. Segment adjusted EBITDA margins in the fourth quarter were 12.1% compared to 12.6% in the prior-year period. For the full-year, adjusted EBITDA margins were 17.4% up from 16.2% in 2017.
In the fourth quarter, sales in Power Systems were $90.7 million, up 31% over the prior-year period. The increase was due to record levels of aftermarket parts and service sales, as well as increased engine revenue. Results for the quarter included $1.2 million of sales related to the EDF program. Through the end of the quarter, we had shipped 10 production engines and expect to ship the remaining 10 production engines by the end of 2019. Additionally, we expect to ship two spare engines in 2020.
Production of the 22 EDF engines was approximately 81% complete at the end of the quarter and we had billed approximately 52% of the total contract value. Due to the timing of billings, which is mostly after individual engine are delivered, we had a net working capital investment in the EDF program at the end of the year of approximately $36 million. We expect to convert much of this net working capital to cash in 2019, as we complete and deliver the remaining production engines.
Segment adjusted EBITDA on Power Systems was $20.1 million, up 97% over the fourth quarter of 2017. Results for the quarter include a program loss of $3.1 million for the EDF program. Foreign exchange on the EDF contract had a negative impact of $600,000 in the fourth quarter compared to a positive impact of $1.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the quarter of $0.98 was up 46.3% compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. Fourth quarter increase was driven by a $3.4 million increase in adjusted segment profit, a $2.2 million decrease in corporate and other costs, a $1.7 million decrease in net interest expense and a decrease in diluted shares outstanding, partially offset by $1.2 million increase in adjusted income tax expense.
Average diluted shares outstanding were 21 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to 21.8 million shares for the same period a year ago. The reduction was primarily driven by share repurchases. For the full year, adjusted diluted earnings per share were $3.91, up 12.4% compared to the prior year. As a reminder, when we refer to adjusted diluted earnings per share, we are adjusting for items such as environmental reserve changes or charges and select legacy litigation, restructuring costs, impairment charges, acquisition expenses and normalized tax rates, all were shown in the tables attached to our earnings release.
Slide 17, summarizes our major uses of capital in the quarter. In the fourth quarter, we invested $25.6 million in facilities, equipment and software, driven primarily by spending in Power Systems to support military and marine programs. We also paid a $0.24 per share dividend, totaling $5 million, and yesterday, we announced a $0.01 per share or 4.2% increase to our quarterly dividend starting in March of this year.
In connection with the legacy ACRP related loss in 2017 and our subsequent filing in the 10-year loss carryback return, we received federal tax refunds of $97 million in 2018. We had previously communicated expectations for receipt of an additional $32 million in the fourth quarter. The processing by the IRS was delayed by the federal government shutdown.
We've updated our estimate of the remaining refund to be $36 million and we now expect to receive the refund in two separate payments sometime in 2019, although we do not have an estimate of timing of receipt.
At December 31, our cash balance was $130 million and our borrowings totaled $463 million, down from $189 million and $618 million respectively at December 31, 2017. The reduction in cash resulted from the repatriation of overseas cash facilitated by tax reform. In total, we repatriated $11 million and $125 million of earnings from foreign subsidiaries during the fourth quarter and full year, respectively, without any incremental taxes. The reduction in borrowings is primarily a function of repatriation and the federal tax refund received in the second quarter of last year.
We outlined on Slide 19, our net debt and leverage ratio at the end of the fourth quarter. As you can see, our trailing 12-month leverage ratio at the end of the fourth quarter was approximately 1.5 times full year 2018, adjusted EBITDA. Including the approximate $36 million tax refund that we expect to receive, the adjusted net debt to full-year adjusted EBITDA multiple would have been approximately 1.4 times, which is in line with the year-end leverage estimate provided during our last earnings call.
Now, I'll turn the call back to Steve.
Thanks, Milt. We'll close with a discussion of current market conditions and our outlook for 2019 and then take questions. As we've always explained, we have limited visibility of future demand. With the exception of Power Systems, most of our businesses have relatively short order to shipment cycles and typical backlogs range from a handful of days to a couple of months. Additionally, the component nature of many of our products often obscures correlations with macro end market indicators.
Our guidance excludes changes in the number of shares outstanding, impacts from future acquisitions and acquisition-related costs, restructuring costs, incremental impacts of tariffs or trade tensions on market demand, and costs subsequent to year-end -- the cost of the trades in tariff, the impact of foreign exchange rates as well from the year-end numbers, and environmental and select legacy litigation charges.
Given the current macroeconomic forecasts, planned improvements in STEMCO's Brake Products Group and anticipated weakness in semiconductor, automotive, heavy-duty truck OE demand, we expect our 2019 full-year adjusted EBITDA to be between $225 million and $233 million. This translate to an adjusted diluted earnings per share outlook of $4.28 to $4.55 for the year.
Now, we'll open your line for questions.
Thank you. (Operator Instructions) Our first question comes from Joe Mondillo with Sidoti & Company. Please state your question.
Joe Mondillo -- Sidoti & Company -- Analyst
Hi guys, good morning.
Good morning, Joe.
Couple of questions on the Sealing segment and the brake sort of restructuring. First off, how much was -- how much of the $15 million -- sort of one-time expenses was cash as opposed to non-cash?
It was all all non-cash in the quarter, Joe.
Okay. And so -- just could provide a little more color on where we are today. I think, I heard you say that you're sort of 50% sort of complete in terms of the integration of the new supplier. Just walk us through how you're thinking about sort of the inefficiencies. Are most of the inefficiencies behind us, or do we still see some inefficiencies in the first quarter as you sort of ramp up that volume with the supplier?
Yes. So Joe, this is Steve. So here we go and I'll -- I might ask Marvin to build on this as well when I'm done. But if you reflect on the brake products group, right, so this is one business unit within heavy-duty trucking. There were primarily three issues that we had to deal with last year -- three cost issues, right. The first was that Duroline warranty issue. So let me explain this. So, Duroline was the supplier from Brazil that we picked years ago to be our supplier and supplied product over the course of time. Well, early last year, we discovered that there was one particular type of friction; it happened to be a thinner type. So it's used in the shipping container chassis only. And we only have four customers in that business and unfortunately one of them is pretty sizable and so we started to incur warranty cost at an accelerated rate basically, the friction was cracking in this application. Again, this is only one type; we didn't see any change in performance of anything outside of this particular type.
So when we took the, we were -- so our team -- our engineering team was trying to estimate, OK, how much of this friction in this particular application is failing, because when it fails, it's expensive. We have to not only replace it, we have to pay the cost of the labor that it takes to replace it. And so it's costing us -- it cost us a lot of money. And so, over the course of the year, leading up -- as you know, we had a lot of cost in a bigger reserve in Q2 and then we had another -- we added to that reserve in Q3. We were always estimating the ultimate percentage of that application and that type of friction that could potentially fail over the life of the warranty, right. And so in Q4, we just concluded -- I concluded I'm just tired of chasing this problem. We're going to just reserve 100% -- we're just going to assume a 100% of it fail ultimately during the life of the warranty. So we took another warranty reserve in Q4, which kind of maxed this out, if you will, to a 100%. That warranty cost alone in Q4 was how much, Milt?
It was over $3 million.
Another $3 million and so for the full year that was essentially $8 million of total warranty cost of which obviously some is still on the books as it reserve, right?
Yes. It was about little -- of roughly $6.5 million on the friction issue, if you want to half --
Okay, $6.5 million total just on that friction problem. So that was one issue and that is done now. That does not mean that -- I mean, obviously EnPro Industries in total has a lot of product out there. So I'm not guaranteeing to the investor community that we'll never see another warranty outside of that, but we haven't seen any tick-up in issues. We're just, -- we're following our normal process and this was all isolated as I said to this particular type of friction in this one application, which is now literally 100% reserve. Okay, so that's one of the one. I'm sorry, this is going to be a long answer to your question, probably too long, but that's one.
The second one is in another brake products-related product, early in the year, we started to have issues with one customer on a particular product. It was our brake adjuster product -- automatic brake adjuster product. We jumped into that and we figured out how to resolve that and so forth and so on, and we took a couple of million dollar reserve, I believe that was in Q2. And we did that, kind of -- we did -- obviously, we tried to get our best number, but we also wanted to lean toward the conservative side because we didn't want the same thing to happen with the brake products -- sorry, with friction where we were continuing to chase and increase in warranty reserve. So we got that reserve. We have not changed that reserve and in the second half of the year, for all other customers other than one, which were out of the woods there, but we haven't seen a change in the failure rate of this product in any other customer in the second half of the year so far. Whether we see one or not, we still feel like we're easily adequately reserved because we haven't seen any more -- we haven't seen any other issues with that. So we actually believe at this point that issue was contained with one particular customer, having a fair bit to do with how they install the product in the factory to be honest with you, but that's, that still disputed -- we still pay the warranty. So that's what led to that $2 (ph) million charge at STEMCO through the year.
The third issue was productivity ramp up and productivity on our own friction manufacturing capability. We spent over a lot -- too many years and put in a what we thought was a very automated world-class line to produce this friction product ourselves in our Rome -- in our existing Rome, Georgia facility. And we have struggled -- all year, we struggled with the ramp up of that line, where the productivity was well below where it needed to be, the waste was too high, just on and on and on with technical engineering issues associated with that.
So with -- with the work Marvin (ph) described, we really got very deep on should cost. We looked at a number of different suppliers that could produce our formulation of this, and in Q4, we decided, you know what, even though we got a lot of capital invested in this damn thing, let's shut it down, because we can buy it -- we can basically buy it cheaper even if we get the line to where we were now think or where at least in Q4, we thought we could get the productivity.
So we shut the line down in Q4 and took the restructuring cost that Milt just indicated was a non-cash charge, right. And we ended up obviously reducing the workforce there associated with that and whatnot. So that's done. So, what we have left to do in brake products is to ramp up the supply chain. We've got actually a couple of suppliers that are supplying this product now, and the one that is going to supply us most of the friction product is actually in India. We've got a contract that we've just recently signed with them. We've got them started, but obviously it takes a while for this product to get produced on the water over to us and so forth, which is why we won't be at a full run rate with our new supplier and new supply base.
In total, we do have other suppliers that we're meeting customer needs. It's just not the way we would like to be able to meet the customer needs and that will take another couple of months to get that ramped up. So that's what we mean by that. So that's the detail on brake products, which is why it leads us to have a fairly high degree of confidence that these issues in brake products are substantially behind us. Marvin, you want to add anything to that?
The only thing I would add to that is, as Steve mentioned, we are working pretty hard to focus on the productivity and quality improvements within the brake products group, and we do have a small team deployed there providing them additional resources to accelerate the improvement. So we do expect to see that -- start to show up in their P&L starting actually in Q1 and it will improve throughout the year.
And that's basically the other products that we continue to produce like drums and shoes and ABAs and so forth.
Okay. That was really helpful. I appreciate the color there. Just a follow-up, as you still need to ramp up the supply chain, like you said, does that weigh on productivity or margins a little bit and ...
It weighs on -- it weighs on margins because we're basically trying to keep customers -- we're trying to meet and fulfill our customer commitments through contracts with high-cost supply, Joe; that's the implication.
Okay. Okay. And by the end of the first quarter, is that's something that we can expect in terms of ramping up or is that going to be ...
I think it's into 2Q because the team is just literally in the last few weeks gotten this whole arrangement lock down, the product qualified et cetera, et cetera. My understanding is it takes a couple of months to get our -- probably three months to get our -- to get the first shipments here and get the supply chain flowing. It's big heavy friction, so you got to bring it over the water. We can't fly and enter its high cost, so you know.
Okay, thank you for that. Just last question and I'll jump back in queue to let other people have a chance, but just in terms of the Sealing segment overall, looking at your guidance for 2019, is there any way you can quantify how much the inefficiencies related to everything you just talked about with the brake products as well as the losses that you saw early in the year before the divesting the gas turbine business and then any other inefficiencies or costs, is there any way you can quantify, what's not going to reoccur ...
Yes. Sure. Let me help you with that. You can give figure this out. In my prepared remarks, right, so the brake products group in total and and the IGT business in the year 2018 was a little bit around 10% of the revenue of the Sealing Products segment, OK. If you look at the 90% of Sealing Products, the margin was basically 19%, what we've -- what we've seen historically. So, other than kind of mix moving around, hey, we saw more semi last year than -- I am talking about the rest of business, et cetera, et cetera. There is no reasonable to -- and we still continue to see reasonable growth, although that gets down to the very specific end markets that we serve. There is no issues in the rest of it, so there is no reason to believe that that wouldn't continue to crank along at a reasonable level of improvement throughout the year. Obviously, a lot of it depends on the macros. And IGT is done and what we just described where we are with brake products. So, that's pretty easy math to do. Milt, do you want to add something to that?
No, it's all puts and takes. There's no question, Joe. You're correct and I think what you're thinking is that if you look at a restated 2018 performance assuming some of these problems are behind us, then obviously we would finish the year at a higher level. But it's all puts and takes. So the adjustments that will be favorable going into the year would be -- we would not expect to have the year-over-year decline in earnings from the industrial gas turbine business. We would not expect to have these warranty charges is being talked about, and then hopefully, as the year progresses, we'll get some productivity improvements in our manufacturing. So those were all positive.
And then, it's all against the macros of the year, as Steve talked about, which is what's happening in semiconductor, what's happening in auto, what's happening in Europe, and so forth.
In China.
China. So -- it's -- our guidance takes all those things into account and you also need to keep in mind as you're thinking about your adjusted '18 number that we talked about in our last quarter a $4 million benefit that we received in Sealing Products in connection with a litigation settlement; that was a positive impact on our results and 2018 will not be recurring in 2019. So, there are lot of factors as you think about -- think about guidance. I hope that gives you a little bit of color to think through it.
No. Yes, it does. And just lastly, the 19% margin that you sort of cited, that's the EBITDA margin, correct?
Okay. Okay, great. Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
Thank you. Your next question comes from Charley Brady with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Please state your question.
Charley Brady -- SunTrust Robinson Humphrey -- Analyst
Hi. Thanks. Good morning, guys. I just wanted to go back to your comment on the Trident engine and talk with the customer about changing I guess some of the delivery schedule on that. Can you just flush a little bit more about what's going on there and is there any potential penalty involved with changing that timing at all or what's happening there?
No. Just the high level is, the Power Systems segment, effectively, the Fairbanks-Morse business is in really, really good shape and has seen significant increase in engine orders, as well as aftermarket parts and services orders. So, the demand is extremely strong in that business, which puts us in a pretty precarious situation in that we are effectively capacity constrained in totality. So, we had to make some really difficult decisions in terms of what to do and what we've decided is, we obviously have to service the customers we have today and that has to take sort of the resource considerations as a primary course of action.
And as it relates to Trident OP, we'll continue our development work. We will work with the customer to resolve the customer delivery schedules. I don't anticipate there will be any penalties at all. We run the risk of cancellation, but we don't run the risk of any cost.
The fact and the matter is, Charley, to get the first Trident in the field, we're not going to make any money on it, right? In fact, we're going to -- I mean, we're going to build the engine to get it out in the field test. That was our plan. We really still want to do that, but it's pretty hard for us to stomach the idea of using factory capacity to build something we're not making any money on, in fact, losing money on when we can be building and need to have to really build engines for the US Navy. So that's our dilemma. So we're working with the customer to try to see if we can maintain -- try to figure out how that's kind of thread this needle. But again, it's nothing that's going to lead to any penalties.
Okay, thank you. Yes, I just wanted to clarify that. Can you have some little bit more about price-cost dynamic as you go into '19 and kind of where you are on covering raw material increases and kind of tariff impacts at all is? Are you there now or does that ramp as you go to '19?
No, no. I think we're there and we're starting to see it go the other way, where we get a little bit of relief on the raw material side frankly going into '19 now. Your guess is as good as ours on what happens with the next wave of tariffs and so. So, we're not making any -- I'm not making any comment on that. I have no -- who knows what's going to happen. But, in terms of the status quo right now, we are adequately covered and we started to see some moderation particularly in steel prices, but in commodity prices overall.
Last year was a tough environment for industrials like ours, right. I mean, we were working throughout the year. The catch-up not only -- I mean, this is very, very hard for us to separate how much of it, quote-unquote, tariff impact versus other, because, obviously, there was a huge ripple effect through other commodity prices that didn't have tariff directly on them, like steel and aluminum. But it was a tough raw material environment last year, kind of, just broadly, right, economy was doing so well. And that is definitely leveled off at least in the case of steel, has begun to moderate.
Are you able to assess in any way that if the tariff was to go to 25%, what sort of impact that would have on your business, on your margin?
I think we're -- I think the short answer is, we're more ready now. So last year, everything happened so quickly that I think we got caught a little bit behind eight ball in terms of anticipating. But we know that if it happened, it would have $1.2 million immediate impact and then the question would be, would we -- how quickly could we get that covered as well, but the mechanics and many of the customer conversations and this has become such a visible issue in the industry that I think that would -- I think we'd be able to get that covered much quicker than we did last year which we really, really struggled to do primarily in the STEMCO business, which is where we consume a lot of steel.
Great. Thanks for the color. I appreciate it.
Our next question comes from Justin Bergner with Gabelli & Company. Please state your question.
Justin Bergner -- Gabelli & Company -- Analyst
Hi, good morning Steve, Milt and Marvin. How are you guys?
Good, Justin.
Hi, Justin. Hope you are.
I want to start off by revisiting Trident OP. I just want to make sure that the customer in question is from a launch customer and why would you take any risk, if they are from -- sorry, firm launch customer in pushing back the timeline such that they could see reason to not continue as the launch customer potentially?
That's a really good question. We do feel like if we ended up in a bad situation with this particular customer, we have other options, that would be the easy answer, that we could pursue, feel fairly confident that we could solve that problem if we ever ran into that problem. As you know, as we mentioned in the last call, we did sign an LOI with this customer and established an arrangement or sort of conditions satisfaction to conduct this launch testing. But, we have alternatives that we can pursue, feel fairly confident about that. And we also are fairly confident as it relates to the penalty situation.
Okay. But they are a firm launch customer or still at the LOI stage?
Well, we did not want to sign a firm contract because we knew we were facing in terms of our ability to execute.
Conversation is ongoing. That's a conversation, Justin, that's ongoing is, they've got a project to do, I think, it was four or five total engines of which we had one, it was going to be side-by-side with the ...
Competitor's engine.
Competitor's engine and we're just trying to work out now, is that -- is that timing is still going to work with them, is it still makes sense for us and so forth. Now, remember, we were still -- and the development work for the engine is still ongoing. We were really trying to close the gap as tightly as we could kind of putting the complete bow around the development and getting the first one out in the field, right. And so, the fact of the matter is, the development team would love to have a little bit more time to make sure that everything is fully complete and done. So this is not -- this is -- that's why -- it's not a real a real problem. It really just indicates more how busy we are in the shop, quite frankly.
Okay, understood. As we look into 2019, I just sort of want to make sure I understood that puts and takes or versus '18 where the $8 million warranty expense, the small expense and IGT before you shut that part of Sealing Products business down and the $4 million litigation benefit. Those -- that it in terms of the sort of one-time non-recurring puts and takes?
That's in terms of the one-time. Obviously, we were -- we've been hurt by the price cost issues that we talked about, which related to tariffs we got and that was early in the year. We've got hurt obviously about these productivity issues that Steve and Marvin discussed around our friction manufacturing, but those are ...
That's the big movers.
Yes. So -- but the ones you noted are really the ones that with shortfall (ph) and say, yes, we shouldn't have those items.
Okay. And then, are any mix impacts going to be beneficial or negative of note as we look into '19 either OE versus aftermarket or different end markets?
I mean, that's it -- it's a very complex question, Justin. I mean, it's -- as we said with the short cycle of what we got, it's very, very difficult to predict how mix is going to move. Because we don't know what Q2 and Q3 have in store, much less to full year. So, semiconductor, we know has as shown signs of weakness, that's not one of our higher margin businesses. We do know that the nuclear demand for both '18 and '19 is kind of the bottom, if you will, of the long-term trend and scheduled refuelings and maintenance cycles of our customers. So we do have a visibility on that '19 will look about like '18, shouldn't get any worse, but it won't get any better. We do think it'll start getting better in '20 and '21.
Fairbanks is in -- as Marvin said, in very, very good shape. There's more ship avails (ph) planned in 2019. And we've seen recently and that drives aftermarket demand. We've also based on what we've communicated to you all over the years, the new programs that we won, two years ago, last year, et cetera have kicked in. It drove a big capital spend as Milt said in 2018, a lot of that was for test stand capacity and expansion and modification because these -- the Navy has high requirements for how much testing needs to be done on each engine, just because of the nature of the application and so, we had to spend a fair bit of capital in 2018 just on those test and modifications to get ready for these programs.
Again that capital spend is behind us in Power Systems. So, anyway, on balance, we feel pretty good about the year with the caveat that there's still feels like there's a lot of uncertainty, just in general, but in terms of the direct communications we've had with customers, the orders that are on the books right now, which again it's not huge visibility. Yes, it's pretty good feels better in Q4 '18, but so, who knows what's going to happen.
Okay, thanks. I'll hop back in the queue.
Our next question comes from Ian Zaffino with Oppenheimer & Company. Please state your question.
Mark -- Oppenheimer & Company -- Analyst
Hi, good morning guys. This is Mark on for Ian. Thanks for taking our questions. So I guess just looking a little bit more detail -- feeling. Aerospace demand has been a fairly consistent, strong driver for the segment, that seems our indications are for us, I guess, year-over-year slowdown beginning in 2019. Can you just speak to what's, I guess, like from those four drivers there and what's the expectation for the balance of 2019 and how can we expect this four to impact the segment? Thanks.
Yes. Once again, I'll like the same comment. Mark, this is Milt, that Steve made earlier on general market demand. We know the programs that we're on, and so we have some visibility on aerospace, but we're -- I think our view right now is that we're probably in the kind of the upper part of the cycle and we're not expecting a lot of growth. We think it's going to be -- continue to be a good market for us, but we're not expecting strong growth year-over-year. I would call it relatively flat small, low single-digit growth in that market. But that's -- that's based on somewhat limited visibility. Steve, I don't know if you or Marvin have anything else on aerospace here?
Okay, great. Thanks, guys. And then in terms of the outlook on 2019 and long-term, can you just speak a little bit on the M&A pipeline and areas of interest and any details on capital allocations with buybacks and capital investments will be great. Thanks.
Sure. We're -- we have a very active look at strategic acquisitions. It's ongoing. It's not something we stop as you know, we've been very disciplined this year. You haven't seen us spend a lot of our capital on M&A this year in a pretty high-priced environment. We've communicated previously and this remains to be the case where we're focused on select opportunities in the semiconductor space, in the aerospace space, and food and pharma our Sealing Products business, if we can find opportunities to grow there. So that's taking priority as we look for inorganic growth opportunities.
Other uses of capital we -- Steve just mentioned that we've spent pretty heavily this year on test and support, the big wins that we've had in Power Systems. And we would expect our capital spending to be meaningfully lower in 2019. So, year-over-year that will be, I think, that you'll see a noticeable change there. I would guess we'll probably end up at least based on our plans, $15 million or $20 million below where we were in '18, always subject go though to other opportunities coming up that we say that have a good return on investment that we might decide to invest in, but that's how we see it now, and yes, we do expect to be repurchasing shares as the year goes on.
Okay, terrific. Thank you guys very much.
Thank you. Next question comes from Jeffrey Hammond with KeyBanc. Please state your question.
Jeffrey Hammond -- KeyBanc Capital Markets -- Analyst
Hey, good morning guys.
Hi, Jeff.
So, just back on the drum friction, is there a revenue headwind that's associated with that in '19 that we should be thinking about?
No. There is no revenue headwind at this point, nothing, we know about. Still a healthy business. We just need to work on the cost side.
Okay. And then just on the drum brake business, it seems like we've been hearing more shifts to air disc and just kind of speak to how you're seeing that play out in kind of reaction to that.
Well, it's definitely a long-term trend. Jeff. We have that in front of us. It's on our our plate of strategic things to look at. We did buy a company, you may remember, just a small -- relatively small, but it's a factory in China -- a business in China that we make air disc friction, and we've introduced through a supplier, we're introducing a router as well. So we're going to be selling air disc brake systems as well. And our goal is to help customers do this migration. So I don't -- I think it'll be a long-term thing, just because I mean these tractors and trailers, as you know, have have a long life and there is a massive installed base.
So what we've seen so far is the conversion mainly happening with very trucks that really carry a lot of heavy in danger stuff like tanker trucks. Those are the -- those have been the first ones to shift over. So the fleets are obviously resisting it, because they like -- they have an installed base and they're going to have to continue to service that. So our hope, at least as we sit here today, this is obviously subject to ongoing review and change, but our hope is to be -- to have both types of technologies so that we can help our customers do that migration and transition over time.
Okay, and then just back on OP too, I just want to make sure we're clear. So, this is a kind of short-term capacity issue, I guess, are you thinking about the long-range opportunity any differently and kind of the R&D spend associated with it? Thanks.
Yes. I mean, the capacity issue that we're experiencing in the Power Systems business, my guess is going to be at least 18 months to two years. What -- I'm trying to be mindful, and not super excited about how much demand we are seeing, but it is quite substantial in the Power Systems business. So, their backlog is quite strong for this year and next year. So, what that means for us as it relates to the Trident OP is, we have to really think through what the options are, whether we want to exercise other ways to get the product to market. Those are the kinds of things we're experimenting with now. We know we have to get the product to market, so we're looking at other alternatives on how to do that.
Okay, and then just -- Marvin, can you give us a sense of how you think the growth rates look in Power Systems in '19, '20, you know, kind of big picture?
Well, let's say for '19, it will be north of 8% for sure, could be 12% based on shipments, but it's north of 8% for sure, could be 10% or so. And then '20 I don't, have that number in front of me right now for '20. We could probably get back to you.
And how does that growth fallout in terms of margin mix?
Well, we have a fair amount of EDF to get out of the system this year. So, once the EDF units come out of the system in its entirety, you'll see that margin start to walk up from where we ended the year last year, was at 14.5% EBITDA in Power Systems in 2018. I expect to see some improvement in that as you go forward into '19 and '20. High level, we'd like to start moving that business up to 18%, 19% EBITDA.
Okay, great. Thanks guys.
Thank you. Our next question comes from Joe Mondillo with Sidoti & Company. Please state your question.
Joe Mondillo -- Sidoti & Company. -- Analyst
Hi guys, just a couple quick -- hopefully, quick follow-up questions. Could you give us expectations on sort of working capital needs and CapEx for the year?
Yes, CapEx, Joe, as mentioned just a little bit ago, we expect CapEx to be $15 million or $20 million less in '19 than what's the case in 2018. So -- and that's because we won't have to repeat some of the heavy capital spending we had in Power Systems in 2018. And, on the working capital front, we had about $30 million -- I think, I said $36 million at the end of the year tied up and the EDF program alone of the working capital. And, with us expecting to ship all of the production engines, so there will be shipping another 10 production engines in 2019, and the shipment of those, the primary trigger for being able to invoice, we expect to convert a big chunk of that $36 million to cash, not all of it, but a significant portion of the $36 million in cash -- in working capital to the cash during the course of 2019. That's the biggest movement. You also saw some pretty large increase year-over-year in accounts receivable on our balance sheet at year-end compared to year-end '17 and the largest part of that was just very strong quarter in the month of December that we had in Power Systems due to the aftermarket parts and service demand and parts and services we've provided at the end of the year that we're still on our books as receivables. So, we would expect some of that to come down as well.
Okay, great. And then, Steve, if you sort of commented on sort of the visibility that you have, I think you sort of mentioned, it seems like things currently or maybe you feel a little better than maybe going back to December. Specifically -- my question specifically has to do with Engineered Products, given sort of the exposure that you have to European auto and some of the GGB business that's exposed to, I think, some of the heavy capital equipment markets. Just wondering sort of what your sort of take is on that segment and sort of where we are, and how the outlook looks?
Yes, I mean. Be very honest with you, Joe, we, -- the back -- the bookings that we have, the orders that we have looked very, very good. Now, that said, the way that business works in particular, I'm speaking of GGB, and this is across the board, automotive and industrial customers, right. That's the one that can turn very, very quickly. Because, it's mostly OE demand, almost all OE demand. And so the way that market behaves is there is an order on the books for delivery in March or April. And if the world changes, they'll push the order out or reduce the quantities or anything else.
So barring that from happening, the orders are there. They've been placed there on the books. But then, like I said since we have in most of -- many, many, many of the GGB applications, we essentially have 100% of the business on any given platform, whether it's in automotive platform or an equipment platform and if we're selling into a particular pump style or gearbox style or whatever, wherever it's going, we typically -- that part is typically engineered into the product and we have 100% of the demand.
So, if the customer starts selling less cranes or less whatever it's going in, less cars, less cranes, less snowmobiles, less whatever it is, that ripples through to our ripples demand and we don't have a lot of visibility into, that's why it's hard to predict. So -- but right now, if you look at the actual orders on the books, we're above where we were a year ago. So hopefully -- it will be hopefully (inaudible). It's not just phantom orders.
Right, sure. And so the revenue ex currency over the last several quarters has slowed significantly, was under 2% in the fourth quarter. When you say, very good, is that defined as improved from the 2% or sort of low single digits? Is that sort of the outlook? I am just trying to get ...
No, no, no. I think, we're still looking at low-single digit outlook for sure, yes.
The comps, as you know, are pretty tough because we've had a couple of strong years.
Yes. Okay. Just wanted to make sure there. And then lastly, Milt. I just wanted to clarify the -- all the sort of tax receivables, and Asbestos insurance receivables what you have going forward, I think, there was three different buckets that you mentioned last quarter, and I know you mentioned this in your prepared commentary, but just wondering if you could sort of just work that out for me?
Well, on taxes, let me just talk about the cash part of, OK? That's probably what you're most interested in. We expect to receive about $36 million in the tax refund in 2019. It's likely going to come in two different payments, that's probably not relevant. You probably -- that doesn't matter. But I think we should get roughly $17 million relatively soon whenever things go back to normal, the IRS with all their processing and so forth, and that's what we don't (ph) know for sure we, we would have expected that were -- not for the government shutdown. There is another $19 million piece that we also expect to get in 2019. That part is subject to just some additional auditing, final auditing, sign-off procedures by the IRS. So that's $36 million.
On the Asbestos-related insurance receivables, we expected to get about $10 million in cash in 2019. And that, I guess, beyond 2019, yes, we have a little bit of additional amount on our balance sheet. But the additional amount we expect would come in over quite a few years, as the Trust starts to make payments over a period of time.
Okay. All right. Great. Thanks a lot.
Thank you. Our next question comes from Justin Bergner with Gabelli & Company. Please state your question.
Thank you for the follow-up. Just had one clarification question. On EDF, I think you mentioned the $600,000 FX loss and then the $3.6 million, I guess, operating loss. Can you just clarify if I heard that correctly and what the $3.6 million refers to?
Yes. The true-up on the P&L -- the P&L impact every quarter is a function of two things primarily. It's one, what's our estimated cost to complete the contract at the end of the quarter, as well as what the euro-dollar exchange rate is. So in the fourth quarter, we had $600,000 of an earnings hit related to the change in currency and we had an additional, call it, $2.5 million, a little bit above that, but $2.5 million or so increase in our estimate of the cost to complete the program. So that's the reason for the -- that's the difference between the $3.2 million that resided (ph) and the $600,000 for currency.
Okay, but when you talked about meeting your guidance despite the FX hit, you're also absorbing a $2.5 million increase in the cost to complete. Could you anticipate that cost being incurred in the fourth quarter or was that additional headwind?
No, no. That's how we provided guidance in Q3, we did not anticipate that.
And Justin, it's important to understand not all of the $3.2 million was cash costs in Q4. I don't even know if we have that split, but we certainly would have had some increased costs, but we didn't do a ton of EDF work in Q4. That is a P&L basically reserve -- I mean, I don't know if you -- can it as reserve, but how we can it, but it's basically a cost that we have to book at the end of the quarter because that's our -- because the core contract is essentially every quarter mark to market, if cost don't change and if currency don't change, we make zero margin, and so as soon as our cost -- as soon as our view of the cost to complete the rest of the engines goes up, we have to book that in the current quarter, even though we didn't incur those costs in the quarter, those costs will be actually incurred through the balance of fabricating the engines. You follow?
Yes, thank you. That's all I have. Thank you.
Okay. Yes.
We all be very, very thrilled when we get to the last damn EDF engine on the water, trust me. And we're getting very, very close. We're halfway done and -- we are halfway done with the shipments. We're 80% of the way done with the actual work associated with it in terms of hours. Number 11 goes out any day now, and yesterday -- yesterday went out 11 and 12 will the on the just stand and 13. So, hopefully, well before the end of the year, we'll be able to say sayonara to the last one. I'am going to celebrate.
Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, there are no further questions at this time. I'll now turn the call back over to Chris O'Neal for closing comments. Thank you.
Thank you, Diego. And thank you all for joining us this morning. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to give me a call at 704-731-1527. Have a great day.
Thank you. This concludes today's conference. All parties may disconnect. Have a great day.
Call participants:
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Changes in leadership for Airgas in US
Airgas, Inc. has announced that Douglas L. Jones has been named Airgas Division President - West Division, replacing Max D. Hooper who has resigned after 17 years of dedicated service to Airgas and its West Division.
Effective immediately, Jones reports to Michael Molinini, Airgas President and CEO, and is responsible for managing the West Division’s three regions - Nor Pac, NCN, and West - which encompass California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and north western Idaho.
“Max Hooper has had a very successful career at Airgas, beginning in 1996 when he joined as President of our Airgas West regional company,” Molinini said. “He served as our Division President for the West Division since 2005 and we all wish him the very best for success in the next chapter of his career.”
Jones most recently served as President - Intermountain Region. The Intermountain region includes Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, as well as the western areas of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and the majority of Idaho.
“Doug has been with Airgas for more than 24 years,” Molinini continued. “In fact, he has spent his entire career in the packaged gas industry, starting as a medical gas driver while still in college at the University of Utah. Doug’s management of the Intermountain region has led to the significant success the region has experienced over the past several years. We look forward to his continued success as President of our Western Division.”
Jones joined Airgas in 1989 with the acquisition of Utah Welders Supply and went on to manage medical and industrial gas sales before becoming Airgas Intermountain’s Director of Marketing in 1998. He became the region’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing in 2001 and then President of Intermountain in 2006. Jones is a graduate of the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business.
Mike Eatmon replaces Jones as President - Intermountain Region. Eatmon is a 14-year Airgas veteran and most recently served as an Area Vice President for the Intermountain region. Eatmon was recognised last year with the Airgas Area Vice President of the Year Award for the Airgas Central Division for leading his area in outperforming sales, earnings, and safety goals. Eatmon began his career in the industrial gas industry in 1994 when he joined Scott Specialty Gases as the Western Regional Sales Manager. He joined Airgas Mid South in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1999 and worked in a variety of sales and management positions.
In 2003, Eatmon became Vice President of Sales with Airgas Southwest in Houston, Texas, managing all sales activity for the business unit and helping integrate the acquisitions of BOC, Aeriform, and Union Gas during his tenure. He became Area Vice President for Airgas Intermountain in 2007, managing all sales and branch operations in Colorado. Eatmon is a graduate of Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
“Mike is very qualified to take the reins and continue to guide the Intermountain region,” said Terry Lodge, Airgas Division President - Central Division.
“He has solid industry experience, an excellent track record in meeting and exceeding goals, and proven leadership skills managing his area within the Intermountain region.”
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Board Games » Features » Lists » 20 Nostalgic Children’s Halloween Games From The Past
Board Games Features Lists
20 Nostalgic Children’s Halloween Games From The Past
October 17, 2015 October 17, 2015 Eric Mortensen 0 Comments Canada Games, Denys Fisher Toys, Golden, Halloween, Hasbro, Ideal, Lakeside, Marvin Glass, Marx Toys, Mattel, Mego Corp, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, Paul J. Gruen, Pressman Toy Corporation, Schaper, Sid Sackson, Toltoys, Transogram, Waddingtons
With Halloween just two weeks away every website on the internet is starting to do their obligatory Halloween posts for the year. At first I thought about doing a post about the scariest board games ever made. That fell through pretty quickly for two reasons. First I am kind of a coward when it comes to scary things so I wouldn’t want to play any truly scary games. A lot of board game players also debate whether there are any truly scary board games since board games can’t really create the atmosphere that a movie or video game can.
Loving quirky board games I decided to take a different approach. Since Halloween is a holiday for children and adults who are children at heart, I decided to look for some unique children’s Halloween games from days gone by. Boy did I find some unique games. I probably could have made another list just as long as this one. The only rule for games on this list is that they had to be released before 1990 since any board game younger than me is not nostalgic. So here is my list of 20 Nostalgic Children’s Halloween Games From the Past.
Image credit: BoardGameGeek | The Doctor
Bats in Your Belfry
Publisher: Milton Bradley
Price: $50+
BoardGameGeek Page
In Bats In Your Belfry the objective of the game is to use your monster claw to catch bats that are launched out of the top of the castle. Players would drop marbles through the chimney which would either land on a space that gave the player a direction or they could activate the trigger that would launch the bats into the air.
Before finding the game on BoardGameGeek I had never heard of it before. It reminds me a lot of games like Grabbin’ Grasshoppers which I enjoyed a lot as a child. You don’t really see these type of games being created anymore. The game looks like it could be quite a bit of fun for children and I am guessing a lot of children from the 1960’s and 1970’s had a lot of fun with it.
Due to being released in the 1960’s this game appears to be somewhat rare. Currently there is only one copy on sale on EBAY and the seller is looking for $70. One copy of the game recently sold at an auction for almost $200.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NraUg137Wd4)
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | C Gomez
Beetlejuice Bone to Pick
Publisher: Canada Games
Price: $10-$90
Beetlejuice Bone to Pick reminds me a lot of the 1979 version of Don’t Tip the Waiter (Amazon ). Like in Don’t Tip the Waiter, you need to balance bones on the hands of Beetlejuice. You spin the spinner to determine how many bones you have to place and on what part of Beetlejuice you have to place them on. You need to be careful when placing bones because you don’t want to tip Beetlejuice over or you will lose one of your tokens.
Maybe it is just me but I found Beetlejuice to be an overrated movie. While not terrible I wouldn’t consider it to be very memorable. Bone to Pick looks like it could be a pretty fun game for children though. It looks easy to play and has enough interaction to keep children interested. The biggest problem with the game was probably the fact that it is made out of cardboard which could present some problems if part of Beetlejuice would get torn.
Placing a value on Beetlejuice Bone to Pick is kind of hard to do. Recently one copy of the game sold on Ebay for only $10 but it was missing pieces. The lowest price on Amazon right now is around $90. I would guess that a complete copy of the game would settle somewhere in the middle.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Giovanni Messina
Beware the Spider
Publisher: Milton Bradley, Ideal
Do you think Operation is tense? What if one wrong move would launch a spider at you?
That is the basic premise behind the 1980 Milton Bradley game Beware the Spider. The game works a lot like Operation. You use a pair of metal tweezers to try and remove critters from a metallic spider web. If you mess up and touch the web though it would launch a spider at you. Whoever collects the most spiders wins the game.
While the threat of a spider launching out at you might make your hands shaky, looking at the game it doesn’t look that hard. Unlike Operation the critters seem to sit on top of the web so you don’t have to squeeze the tweezers into tight spaces. I am terrible at Operation though so I probably would also struggle with Beware the Spider.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3InPJIvmMY)
Beware the Spider appears to be uncommon but not rare. The game seems to regularly sell for $20-$40.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Chris Brua
Creature Features
Publisher: Research Games, Inc. / Athol / RGI / ARC
Well I would like to call Creature Features a blatant Monopoly ripoff but I don’t really have to since the game itself mentions it right in the instructions. The game essentially plays like Monopoly but with the properties being replaced with actors and monsters from classic horror movies. The game has a couple unique mechanics but I don’t think Creature Features would be that unique of an experience.
Despite just being a Monopoly clone, Creature Features is actually pretty well liked. While I doubt the game ever got the licenses to actually feature the characters used in the game, fans of classic horror and monster movies seem to like the game more for the theme than the actual gameplay. Fans of the game have even tried to make their own sequels to the game (MovieFanFare).
Despite being a Monopoly clone, Creature Features is actually worth quite a bit of money. I attribute that to the classic Hollywood monsters featured in the game. While copies missing pieces can sell for less than $50, most complete copies sell for around $100 and even more if in really good condition.
Doorways to Horror
Publisher: Pressman Toy Corporation
Designer: Sid Sackson
Back in the 1980’s there was a fad of VHS themed board games. The “horror” genre in particular seemed to really like these type of games with games such as Atmosfear/Nightmare having grown a cult following over the years. A lesser known game in this genre was Doorways to Horror.
Like most VCR games the game mostly plays like a normal roll and move game. The objective of the game was to try and collect gold by fighting various monsters. Players had strength chips and if you lost all of them you would be eliminated from the game. Players would roll the dice which would indicate what would happen next. After the clip played, players could use spells to fight monsters featured in the “horror” clip and if successful they would receive some gold. Players could steal monsters which subjected players to losing strength chips. When the VHS tape ended or all but one player lost all of their strength chips, the game would end.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcwDh7C7GAw)
For the most part these VHS games tried to take advantage of a piece of technology without really building much gameplay behind it. Having played Atmosfear before I have to say that these games are not much more than simple roll and move games. They are well known for being really cheesy (I can attest to that after playing Atmosfear) as you can tell from this YouTube video that shows footage from the VHS tape.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WETRPUZZF_M)
What really surprised me about Doorways to Horror was that is was made by Sid Sackson who has a reputation for making some classic board games. Doorways to Horror doesn’t appear to be one of them. If you want to find out more about the game and see a complete list of the films featured in the game check out GravediggersLocal.
Like a lot of the VHS tape games, Doorways to Horror wasn’t that popular. While these games have kind of a cult following, like a lot of other VHS games Doorways to Horror is not particularly valuable. You can pick up a copy of the game for around $10-$25.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Ken Spontelli
Green Ghost
Publisher: Transogram, Marx Toys
Price: $40-$100
The object in Green Ghost is to help the Green Ghost find his child Kelly. The main mechanic in the game involved spinning a spinner and moving your character around the board. When you reached a pit you could grab a small ghost from it but each pit also contained bats (feathers), snakes (rubber bands) and bones. When all of the little ghosts are collected from the pits, they are placed on the ghost spinner. The Green Ghost is spun and whichever ghost it points at is Kelly. Whoever rescued that ghost wins the game.
Green Ghost for the most part seems like a typical spin and move game. You move around the board collecting things and a final spin of the spinner would determine who would ultimately win the game. The winner is determined by who is luckiest since you could get a lot more ghosts than the other players and lose just because the spinner chose one of the other player’s ghosts.
Since most of the game was glow in the dark, the game was meant to be played in the dark. The one unique thing the game offered was the “pits”. While it might be somewhat creepy/scary for children playing the game in the dark, I want to know who thought feathers would feel like bats and rubber bands would feel like snakes. Although the game looks really cheesy now, you have to give the game some credit for being kind of charming.
The prices for copies of Green Ghost can vary significantly. Some copies with missing pieces can sell for $30-$40 while complete copies regularly sell for around $100. What seems to really affect value is how well the glow in the dark components work. This game was apparently notable for the glow in the dark feature not really working so copies where it actually works are worth quite a bit more. Green Ghost was re-released in 1997 by Marx Toys so that might give you a cheaper option if you want to try out the game.
The Haunted Mansion Game AKA Ghost Train
Year: 1972 (Haunted Mansion), 1974 (Ghost Train)
Publisher: Lakeside (Haunted Mansion), Denys Fisher Toys and Toltoys (Ghost Train)
Price: $150-250 (Haunted Mansion), $50-$150 (Ghost Train)
BoardGameGeek Page: Haunted Mansion, Ghost Train
Do you like dark rides like The Haunted Mansion? Well in the Haunted Mansion board game and later the Ghost Train game you can experience all of the “excitement” of these type of rides without ever having to leave the house and go to the amusement park. Despite being made by different companies, I have lumped these two games together because they apparently play similarly.
In both games you roll the dice in order to move your piece through the ride. Simulating dark rides, the tracks regularly spin as you try to make progress towards the rides’ exit. Check out this review on BoardGameGeek for more information on how the game is played.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX02j5dN4vc)
Despite looking like a cash in, the Haunted Mansion game is actually well liked. Players seem to like the spinning game board mechanics and actually think the game does a good job recreating the ride. The game seems to have a lot more strategy to it than your typical roll and move. Despite not really liking roll and move games I would really like to try the game but at its’ current price there is no way that is going to happen.
While the Ghost Train is considerably cheaper than the Haunted Mansion game, both games appear to be very rare since both are typically worth at least $100. Most Haunted Mansions go for much more. Finding a complete copy is really hard which is probably one of the reasons that the game is so expensive.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Jeffrey D Myers
I Vant To Bite Your Finger
Publisher: Hasbro, Ideal
Designer: Charlie Light, Charles Phillips
In I Vant to Bite Your Finger players would move around the board without using a dice. Players would choose how many spaces they wanted to move but they had to turn the handle on the clock the corresponding number of spaces. When the vampire’s cape opened up players could be exposed to getting bit. Players would put their finger in the vampire’s mouth and sometimes his teeth (felt tipped marker) would bite down on your finger leaving two red marks. This would force players to return to the start. Whichever player escaped the castle first would win.
While people for the most part seem to think that the game wasn’t very good, I give the designers some credit for trying to create a unique board game experience. The game seems really simple. While the game doesn’t look that interesting for adults, I kind of want to try it out because of its’ quirkiness.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkbgypiAZ3k)
Value wise the game seems to be in the $30-$50 range so it is a moderately rare board game. Good luck finding a copy where the felt tip marker still works though.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxAhMe86OS4)
Monster Game
Publisher: Ideal
Price: Around $70-$100
In the Monster Game you and the other players are trying to build your own monster. Players try to collect cards for all of the different parts of the monster. After they collected all of the necessary parts, players would try to reanimate the monster. Players would use one of their crank cards and turn the crank the corresponding number of times. If players turned the crank the correct number of times the monster would awake and the player would win the game. If the crank was turned too many times though the monster would explode.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG_gBUyE_Qw)
While the game looks pretty simplistic you have to appreciate these older games that utilized some cool mechanical components. The game seems like a pretty simple card collection game and thus relied pretty heavily on luck. There is just something about the monster and the crank that makes this game look more fun than it probably is.
Like a lot of older games, The Monster Game is somewhat rare at this point. The game usually sells for around $70-$100.
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Price: Around $30-$40
Buy Monster Mash on Amazon
Review on Geeky Hobbies
In the 1987 game Monster Mash players compete to capture/grab different creatures/monsters. One of the players presses the button on the machine which randomly spins the three panels. When the panels stop spinning all of the players try to find the card that matches the monster on the machine. When spotted players use their “thwackers” to slap the card which makes the card stick to the thwacker. The player who thwacked the card first gets to keep it. Whoever collects the most cards wins the game.
Unlike a lot of the games on this list I have actually played Monster Mash. While the game has some issues I actually had fun with the game. The game is obviously made for children but it has enough challenge that adults can have some fun with it. For some reason it is satisfying to slap the cards with your thwacker. The game can become really competitive if you are playing against other competitive people.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8janDA9DE4)
As this time Monster Mash appears to be uncommon but not rare. You can usually pick up a copy of the game for around $30-$40 on Amazon. It might be hard to find a copy where the cards aren’t damaged though due to the abuse of getting regularly hit by the thwackers.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | thoia
Munsters Drag Race Game
Publisher: Hasbro
Price: Around $700
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of the Munsters? I bet it wasn’t drag racing. For some reason someone at Hasbro decided that it was a good idea to make a whole board game around that one episode of the Munsters that involved drag racing though.
The game appears to be for the most part a simple spin and move game. You spin the spinner and move your character around the board. Unfortunately I couldn’t find out much more about the game since it is extremely rare. Other than the Munsters theme there doesn’t appear to be anything else special about the game.
The main reason I put it on this list is due to its’ rarity. The game is highly sought after by collectors and can fetch up to $700 (yes I did type that correctly). I am guessing a combination of the theme and the rarity is why this game is so expensive. All I know is that I will never own this game and if I do ever find it, it will be quickly finding a new home.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Steven Dennis
Mystic Skull: Game of Voodoo
Designer: Marvin Glass
In Mystic Skull: Game of Voodoo players are witch doctors who are competing to be the last player standing. Players use a plastic bone to spin a cauldron which would spin a skull. Whatever space the skull landed on instructs players on what action to take during their turn. Each player would have their own voodoo doll that gets filled with pins. Whenever a player’s voodoo doll was filled up with pins, that player would be put under a spell and eliminated from the game. For more information on how the game played check out this post on SweetSkulls.
If you think it’s weird that a board game designer would make a voodoo game for children, this just so happens to not be the only voodoo game on this list.
Mystic Skull seems to rely more on its’ theme than its’ gameplay. The mechanics in the game seem to have little to no strategy. You pretty much just spin the spinner and the winner is determined by who spins the best. The game’s components are pretty cool though. The spinning skull in particular probably really entertained kids in the 1960s.
Prices for Mystic Skull: Game of Voodoo can vary quite a bit. Some copies on EBAY sell for $40 while others sell for up to $100.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Loomis
Unofficial Website
It’s a sad day. Your Uncle Everett recently died. The good news? Your uncle was filthy rich. Being the greedy niece/nephew that you are, you and your other relatives flock to his house in order to see what you inherited. Since your uncle never left a will, you must contact him from the great beyond in order to find out what you got.
The game begins with each player receiving some money which they would use to bid on some of Uncle Everett’s possessions. Players would hear a message from Uncle Everett (from the included record) to see what item they would receive. Players would keep bidding until all of Uncle Everett’s possessions were bought. After all of the possessions were collected it was time to sell them back to Uncle Everett. I don’t know what need a ghost would have for possessions but you probably shouldn’t question game logic in a game where you talk to your dead uncle. Taking turns players would listen to the record which would tell them what they can sell their items for. At the end of the game whoever had the most money would win the game. For more information on how the game was played check out this link (Owl Works LLC).
How in the world could you not love this game? Predating terrible VHS and cassette games, this game used a record and even included its’ own record player. On top of that who doesn’t want to perform a seance just to get a dead relative’s possessions? While I am joking, I actually think this game could be pretty interesting. I would definitely try it if I ever found a cheap copy. I am guessing that the game isn’t very good since it looks like it relied heavily on luck but it is so strange that you can’t not want to try it out. How could you not love a game where you could lose the game to your dead uncle’s parrot?
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the game is far from cheap. Completed copies of the game regularly sell from $90-$200. Incomplete or non working copies can sell for $40-$50. Unfortunately I don’t think I will ever see how much money I can inherit from Uncle Everett.
Shrieks & Creaks
Publisher: Golden
Geeky Hobbies Review
You and your fellow players have entered Sir Simon’s mansion. In order to escape the mansion, players need to move through the mansion and make it to the tower. It’s not that easy though since the mansion is haunted. Players enter their key along with the room key to see if the room was haunted. If the speaker played, the player would have to follow the directions given by Sir Simon. If no sound played, players would be safe.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDbkZFyZ0Pw)
While I am not going to go into much detail here (check out my full review), I will just say that Shrieks & Creaks is not a good game. The game is a generic roll and move game with the cassette mechanic adding even more luck into the game. The winner of Shrieks & Creaks will be whoever guesses the best.
While the gameplay is pretty terrible, Shrieks & Creaks has a couple things going for it. The box and game board have some nice artwork. The cassette is also really cheesy and contains plenty of cheesy horror puns. If you are looking for a cheesy horror game, this is probably it.
At this time Shrieks & Creaks is a moderately rare game. On Amazon the game regularly sells for around $60. Due to the price this isn’t a game that I would buy for the game play but as more of a curiosity/collectible.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Bryan Arroyo
Slime Monster Game
Publisher: Mattel
Designer: Erick Erickson
The world is in danger. A slime monster has invaded the town and you have to try and stop it. You start in the high school and have to make your way to the armory in order to pick up a mine that you will use to kill the monster and win the game.
As a whole the game appears to play a lot like your typical spin and move game since all movement of the monster and your character is determined by the spinner. The one unique mechanic in the game appears to be the use of slime. Slime would be put into the monster which would constantly ooze out. If your player got trapped under the monster they would get slimed on. When the monster moved on the next turn the slime could drag your character with the monster knocking it over. Any characters knocked over by the slime would be sent back to the High School.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF_MqJvjM8I)
While the spin and move mechanics look pretty generic, the slime mechanic looks interesting. It probably doesn’t add a lot to the game but it is something that I would want to try out sometime. I can’t imagine how much of a hassle it is though to pick up all of the slime that oozes out of the monster.
At this time the game seems to regularly sell from $20-$50. Most copies don’t have any working slime though which is not surprising given the game’s age.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhEwHLwWaM8)
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Tony Nardo
Them Bones
Publisher: Mego Corp
Price: Approximately $50
Them Bones is the second “Operation” style game to appear on this list. In Them Bones your goal is to collect different types of bones from inside a skull. If you successfully removed a bone without touching the sides you would get to move forward on the game board. If you failed you would light up the skeleton’s eyes and lose your turn. Since most of the components glowed in the dark for an extra challenge you could play the game in the dark. Operation wasn’t difficult enough with the lights on so lets just play the game in the dark.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhigWxNlPcw)
For the most part Them Bones seems to play a lot like Operation. One thing that I found interesting about Them Bones is that they tried to add a traditional game board to Operation. While I suck at Operation, at least Them Bones requires some skill which makes it better than most children’s roll and move games.
It is kind of hard to pinpoint the exact value of Them Bones since no copies of the game have sold recently. All of the copies of the game that were up for sale were missing pieces. I would estimate that the game is probably worth around $50.
The Vampire Game
Publisher: Waddingtons
In The Vampire Game you play as a brave hero who is trying to save princesses from the evil vampire who has locked them up. Each player rolls two dice with one dice controlling your movement while the other controls the movement of the vampire. Players would head toward the castle in order to save the princess while the vampire hunts the players. If the vampire lands on your spot and you don’t have any garlic to protect yourself. You would get bit by the vampire which entailed being stamped with a stamp hidden in the vampire piece. Three bites and you would be eliminated from the game.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZf_gAHV0GI)
The Vampire Game took quite a bit of inspiration from I Vant To Bite Your Finger since it kind of borrowed the vampire bite idea. Other than the biting mechanic though, the game doesn’t look highly original. The game for the most part looks like a typical roll and move game. That didn’t stop some people from BoardGameGeek from creating a drinking version of the game.
Unlike a lot of the games on this list, The Vampire Game isn’t all that valuable. You can regularly find copies of the game on EBAY for around $20. I attribute the low price to The Vampire Game being the most recent games on this list.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | SkoT StarK
VooDoo Doll Game
Publisher: Schaper
Schaper the game company most known for classics such as Cootie, Ants in the Pants, Don’t Break the Ice, and Don’t Spill the Beans for some reason decided to make a board game based on voodoo dolls, for children. Yes this was an actual game. I wonder why it never caught on?
In the VooDoo Doll Game players would choose, in secret, one of the holes in the voodoo doll in which to place a small metal peg. Players would then take turns pushing plastic needles inside the doll. When a player places a needle into one of the holes that a metal peg was placed in, the witch doctor would race out of the their shack.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CKBBkGMHIQ)
I think is it strange that not one but at least two children’s games were made about voodoo. I am curious how this game ever made it through the whole process of being made with no one questioning why a game was being made for children that featured poking needles into a voodoo doll. I know you would never see a game like this being made today.
While the game is probably pretty dumb, since all you are doing is randomly guessing a spot on the doll, if I ever found the game for cheap I would really like to try it out. The whole idea behind the game is so weird that I am curious how the game actually plays.
Despite being so strange, I am surprised that the Voodoo Doll game is actually not that valuable. At this time the game appears to only retail for around $10-$20.
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Niels B.
Which Witch? AKA Haunted House AKA The Real Ghost Busters
Buy on Amazon: Which Witch? , The Real Ghostbusters
BoardGameGeek Page: Which Witch?, The Real Ghostbusters
In Which Witch? You play as a child that has wandered into a witch’s house and you need to try and escape. The game works basically like your typical roll and move game. You roll the dice and move around the house the number of spaces rolled. After moving you draw a card that either turns you into a mouse, turns you back into a child, or unleashes the traps within the house. When a trap card is drawn a metal ball is dropped down the chimney which goes down one of four paths that sets off one of the traps around the house. If you character is hit by the trap they are sent back to the closest safe spot.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYy-0_JXj3g)
While the game seems really simplistic, I have a feeling that the trap mechanic is why people still enjoy the game even after all of this time. The game’s mechanics seem similar to Mouse Trap except that it doesn’t appear to take forever to put together. These type of games are not made that much anymore and sometimes it is nice playing a game that relies on some simple mechanics. Which Witch is a game that I would like to try sometime even though I doubt I will really like it.
The game must have been pretty popular back in the 1970’s because it was actually been reprinted several times. First it was renamed Haunted House and it eventually became the Real Ghostbusters game (Wikipedia).
Being a 40+ year old children’s game that was made out of cardboard, it is not surprising that it is pretty hard to find a complete version of the game. Pieces are regularly missing and due to the nature of the game the cardboard pieces are regularly torn or creased. Due to the fact that it is hard to find a complete version of the game it can get pretty expensive. Complete copies of the game usually sell for at least $50 or more depending on the condition of the components.
Video Link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw3hKxsD3EM)
Image Credit: BoardGameGeek.com | Tim Johnson
Witch Pitch
Designer: Paul J. Gruen
Witch Pitch seems like it is a pretty rare Parker Brothers game. The game must have sold poorly since you can’t find much information about the game online.
BoardGameGeek.com mentions that the objective of the game was to try and throw your chips into the top of the house which would rotate. The game is compared to a combination of Tiddly Winks and Loopin’ Louie. Being a huge fan of Loopin’ Louie as a child I probably would have loved playing this game.
With how rare the game appears you can’t really even find a proper value for the game. There is an old EBAY listing from a year ago that was looking for $160 but it didn’t appear to sell. Due to how rare the game appears to be I would guess that the game is probably worth around $100.
GOG: Preserving Gaming’s Past & Future Documentary Review They Really Made That 10 Weird Children’s Board Games That Defy Explanation Complete History of Board Games: Schaper Manufacturing Company 2018 Halloween TV Specials and Movies Schedule Nine Christmas and Holiday Themed Board Games to Play At Your Holiday Party Clue and Cluedo: The Complete List of All Themed Games and Spinoffs How to Spot Valuable Board Games Ten Valuable Milton Bradley Games You Might Have In Your Attic UNO Games: The Complete List of All Themed Decks and Spinoffs Hasbro’s U-Build Line of Board Games: The Complete List and Guide
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Biopolitical News of 2018
https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/biopolitical-times/biopolitical-news…
The biggest biopolitical news of the year was also the most significant, as is not always the case. Despite the perpetrator’s hype, it was also apparently a failure.
The big shock was the revelation on the eve of the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing that the Chinese researcher He Jiankui had already (probably) “created CRISPR babies” – although the Summit was supposedly convened to discuss whether, when, how, and why scientists might make inheritable alterations in the human genome. In retrospect, the news should perhaps have not been so surprising: There were harbingers of it throughout the year, in human gene editing and also in several related fields of activity. And a number of US and UK scientists and bioethicists had heard intimations from He Jiankui that it was coming.
The Center for Genetics and Society, which advocates for keeping human germline modification legally off limits, continues to work to raise public awareness, inform policy debates, and ensure that a wide range of public interest perspectives shape the way human assisted reproduction and biotechnologies develop. Here is a brief overview of some of the most important developments of 2018, roughly grouped by topic.
Human Germline Gene Editing
Eugenics and Race
Assisted Reproduction, Etc.
Genetic Testing and Forensics
Stem Cells and Business
Calls for public dialogues about gene-editing technologies were the most constant leitmotif of the year, though opinions differed about what that means. Marcy Darnovsky, Leah Lowthorp, and Katie Hasson, all of CGS, emphasized in February that reproductive gene editing imperils universal human rights and called for both discussion and formal prohibitions.
Meanwhile, the UK Royal Society had been conducting an investigation into human applications of gene editing. They interpreted their survey as indicating that the UK public was “cautiously optimistic about genetic technologies.” However, they also conducted focus groups that were less enthusiastic.
Sheila Jasanoff and J. Benjamin Hurlbut called in Nature for a global observatory for gene editing, to consider “what questions should be asked, whose views must be heard, what imbalances of power should be made visible, and what diversity of views exist globally.” Simon Burall simultaneously but separately called for “a new architecture for democratic debate.” Also in March, a mostly European gathering of scientists launched the Association for Responsible Research and Innovation in Genome Editing (ARRIGE) to promote global governance on behalf of all stakeholders.
In July, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, an advisory body partly funded by the UK government, raised the stakes with a report on “Genome editing and human reproduction: social and ethical issues” that essentially green-lighted germline intervention. As Marcy Darnovsky wrote, it “has given its blessing to an unneeded and societally dangerous biotechnology.”
Meanwhile a Pew survey showed that “Americans are more likely to anticipate negative than positive effects from widespread use of gene-editing technology,” and consider that testing on human embryos would be taking technology too far. Like many other samplings of public opinion, this survey did not offer pre-implantation genetic diagnosis as an alternative to gene editing of embryos, a pattern that casts considerable doubt on other surveys that find public support for using germline modification to prevent transmission of disease. Chinese researchers, however, went right ahead and did base editing in viable embryos, and Shoukhrat Mitalipov, of Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, continued to defend his work in the same area. Next up was gene editing of embryonic mice in the womb.
So the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing, held in Hong Kong on November 27–29, seemed to be well timed and well placed for a thorough discussion of the issues around human germline gene editing. But on the 26th, the news broke that Dr. He Jiankui had tried to edit babies to make them resistant to HIV, and two baby girls had been born. Shortly thereafter, based largely on testimony presented by He, it became clear that the experiment had failed on its own terms; even when the targeted gene was altered it was apparently accompanied by unwanted edits. No peer-reviewed publication has yet appeared, though some American scientists had already seen at least some data before the news broke.
The Scandal and the Summit, in Biopolitical Times, describes reactions to the announcement. The most troublesome came from scientists, including several influential ones, who worried that “the startling claim will lead to knee-jerk regulations and damage the public’s trust in gene editing.” The concluding statement by the Organizing Committee of the Summit tut-tutted over He’s irresponsible procedure, but focused on establishing a “translational pathway to germline editing.”
This view was opposed by many scientists, bioethicists, public interest advocates, and others. It is also contrary to the prohibition on germline intervention enacted as law by some 40 countries, and detailed in the Oviedo Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine.
Human Genetics Alert and the Center for Genetics and Society organized a statement signed by 136 individuals and 13 organizations (which a participant read to the Summit in the Q&A that followed their closing statement) expressing “dismay and outrage” and calling for “enforceable moratoria prohibiting reproductive experiments with human genetic engineering.” Human Genetics Alert launched a new campaigning organization in the UK: Stop designer babies!
Critical reactions were also quickly penned by a number of those who have long followed the issue, including Françoise Baylis in Impact Ethics and J. Benjamin Hurlbut, Sheila Jasanoff and Krishanu Saha in the Washington Post. Baylis, one of those who have provided particularly incisive commentary over the last couple of years, followed up quickly with Landon J. Getz and Graham Dellaire in The Conversation and later in Bioethics Forum. Sheldon Krimsky in Nature Biotechnology [paywall] identified “Ten ways in which He Jiankui violated ethics.” Hurlbut in Nature rightly and eloquently insisted that the proper question to consider is “whether, not how.”
While it is clear that many scientists are cautious, skeptical, or outright opposed to proceeding with human germline modification, how many will be willing to go public with their views remains to be seen. Pressure from famous figures in the field is a strong force. There is certainly a lot of work to be done, and soon.
Eugenic attitudes were explicitly and usefully discussed throughout the year, which got off to a good start with a discursive and positive review in Nature by historian Nathaniel Comfort of Social by Nature: The Promise and Peril of Sociogenomics by sociologist Catherine Bliss.
David Reich provoked a brief but major controversy in the spring with an article in the New York Times Sunday Review titled “How Genetics Is Changing Our Understanding of ‘Race’.” A professor of genetics at Harvard, he was promoting his new book Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past. His science was fine, naturally, but his understanding of ‘race’ was “seriously flawed,” as a substantive rebuttal signed by 67 experts explained. (Signatories included people associated with CGS – Marcy Darnovsky, Osagie Obasogie, Dorothy Roberts – and many close allies.) Several letters to the Times (including one co-written by Darnovsky) also took Reich to task, but there was one ironic exception: Former staff writer for the Times Science section Nicholas Wade, whose book Reich specifically criticized, wrote to say how much he appreciated Reich’s defense of the concept that there are indeed genetic differences between human races.
There were also attempts at atonement for past governmental eugenic practices. In Japan, one woman sued the government for redress for her 1972 involuntary sterilization under the “Eugenic Protection Law” that was in force until 1996. Lawyers set up hotlines in five cities to encourage other victims to come forward. Similar efforts are being made in Peru, where forcible sterilization was widespread in the 1990s in poor and indigenous communities; the number of victims is unclear but certainly reached many tens of thousands. In California, a bill to compensate survivors of twentieth-century state-sponsored eugenic sterilization was introduced and unanimously approved by the state Senate, but eventually stalled in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. There was a lot of support for the bill, which may be reintroduced this year.
There were also a number of less encouraging episodes. The Silicon Valley city of Mountain View formally commemorated the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, avoiding talk of Shockley’s racist history. The University of Arizona was revealed to have been accepting, at least until very recently, grant money from the Pioneer Fund, which was founded in the service of “race betterment.”
University College London, however, chose to re-examine its past links to eugenics and students there are campaigning to remove Francis Galton’s name from a lecture theatre and a laboratory. PBS produced a documentary and website about the 20th-century eugenics movement in the US, which is a valuable, if flawed, resource. And some enterprising San Francisco high school students completed a project to document on two websites the history of eugenics and California’s important part in it.
In the UK, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) confirmed in February that they had given permission in 2017 for researchers to create two “three-parent babies” by nuclear genome transfer to avoid mtDNA disorders; there still has been no announcement of success or failure. In Ukraine, one clinic was already selling this procedure for infertility (no mitochondrial disease involved), as was John Zhang in New York, who had earlier flouted US law by going to Mexico to use the risky experimental technique.
Ukraine is also a growing center for commercial surrogacy for the international market, and is notorious for “scams and shoddy practices.” Business is also both booming and problematic in China, Cambodia, and elsewhere; Canada has been considering legalizing payment above expenses for surrogacy, though there is significant opposition.
Armenia is now another country with “missing women” due to sex selection. In the US, the infamous fertility clinic entrepreneur Jeffrey Steinberg continues to sell sex selection, and has again being talking about selling choices of hair, eye and skin color and maybe other traits. Some in the assisted reproduction industry, which is already facing questions about health risks and unnecessary procedures, are clearly hoping to be the commercial purveyor of modern eugenics.
A shocking new way to use DNA samples in forensics emerged in 2018: instead of searching databases maintained by police departments and the FBI, police investigators used public databases that were mostly set up to enable people to find ancestors and relatives. The “Golden State Killer,” who was wanted for 12 murders and at least 51 rapes committed between 1974 and 1986, was apparently caught (the suspect awaits trial) because a DNA sample from one of the old crime scenes was similar to the DNA of a close relative that was included in a public genealogy website. Amid much relief at the long-delayed apprehension of a serial murderer and rapist, there were widespread ethical concerns; indeed, the first suspect tested in the investigation was innocent.
The Center for Genetics and Society and the Equal Justice Society, represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Law Office of Michael T. Risher, sued the State of California for retaining the DNA of innocent people, after the State Supreme Court upheld mandatory DNA collection from arrestees. The editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle immediately supported the suit, which was filed in December.
In a development that is supposed to be unrelated, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the All of Us Research Program, to gather massive amounts of data at enormous expense from, eventually, a million people. Privacy is of course an issue, though NIH insists that personal data will be protected. Dubai went further, unveiling plans to sequence the DNA of its entire population.
Senator Elizabeth Warren stirred up a different, but related, controversy by taking and publicizing a DNA test to “prove” her claims of Cherokee ancestry, much to the righteous annoyance of many Native Americans. Suspicions about other possible abuses of genetic databases have started to grow. By the end of the year, there were calls for a “Genetic Data Protection Act.”
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is gradually loosening the legal limits it placed on, specifically, 23andMe. Many direct-to-consumer companies are pouring money into advertising, and the industry as a whole seems still to be growing, despite widespread comments that their tests don’t work very well and perhaps never will. Consumer sale of full-genome sequencing is on the way, using Blockchain technology. Finally, as MIT Technology Review said, “DNA tests for IQ are coming, but it might not be smart to take one.”
The FDA began to move against some of the hundreds of dubious stem-cell clinics in the US, and not a moment too soon. A further crackdown this year is likely to follow the warning letters already sent.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is running out of money. Apparently Robert Klein, the man behind 2004’s Proposition 71 that financed the agency, is planning to gather signatures for a 2020 proposition that will ask the California public to pony up an even larger investment than the $3 billion already provided (actually, something like $6 billion when the financial costs of the bond sales are included). The San Francisco Chronicle is among those who are skeptical; it editorialized that “The results to date don’t argue for expanded public spending.”
Biotech stocks slumped late in the year, along with others, but that followed a run of successful public offerings. There were also suggestions that gene therapy as currently envisaged is not a viable business model.
The fight over CRISPR patents ended with victory for the Broad Institute over the University of California at Berkeley. How much difference this makes is unclear, but a good bet is, not much. The Nobel, if that happens, would be a much bigger deal.
Dog cloning made a comeback, and apparently is becoming a fad in China. Monkey cloning may be more significant for future research on humans, and the gene editing of monkeys with brain disorders and fetal mice even more so. Reports of disturbing side effects in gene-edited animals – extra vertebrae, enlarged tongues, and the like – could also be very important for the prospect of human applications. So, presumably, could Neanderthal “minibrains” grown in a dish.
The European Court of Justice ruled that gene-edited crops are genetically modified, thus blocking an end-run against regulation. The regulation of gene drives has become an urgent question. Some scholars have proposed using patents to regulate gene editing, for a variety of applications including in humans.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working on genetically modified viruses that could be a breach of the Biological Weapons Convention, but no one seems surprised.
Finally, pet genetic testing companies are making promises they can’t keep. Well, why should they be different?
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Ashley takes two steps back
by Nick Howson
Upon taking over at Newcastle United, it took little time for Mike Ashley to achieve popularity among the clubs' supporters.
After saving the club from financial ruin, Ashley sought to bridge the gap between the boardroom and those who sat in the Gallowgate, by donning a Newcastle shirt and joining the rest of the home faithful in the stands.
The move came at a time when foreign ownership in the Barclays Premier League was becoming the norm. Malcolm Glazer had plunged Manchester United into debt, while the following year Tom Hicks and George Gillet took control of Liverpool - both achieving unpopularity with supporters before a dime had even be spent.
Even with Freddy Shepard ousted from the club, Ashley took to the stands to improve relations with, whether he liked it or not, those who's business he needed to keep the club alive. And for at least the short-term, it worked.
Ashley's maintained favourability as he appointed Kevin Keegan as manager; he could seemingly do no wrong.
Fast-forward a three years that has included five managers, the sale of the club's best players, one relegation and numerous supporter protests, the club is in a very different place.
Ashley now refrains from sitting with the rest of the home support, not because he can't get a seat, but because he's afraid of being lynched by 50,000 Toon supporters baying for blood.
After 11 games in the league this season, Ashley and Newcastle were edging closer to the relationship they enjoyed at the start of his tenure at the club.
After a summer littered with hasty sales of the club's best and biggest earners, and even hastier purchases of several unknown, injury prone replacements from across the English channel meant expectations plummeted.
Attempts to balance the books at Newcastle also saw the appointment, not a big name, but Alan Pardew, whose managerial career had taken a turn following his FA Cup heroics with West Ham United five years ago. He could have been accused of being out of touch.
An uncertain transfer policy has produced the most remarkable of starts to the season, with seven wins, amid an unbeaten run, the longest held by any in the top flight, has left many in the north-east scratching their heads; has Ashley pulled a rabbit out of the hat?
However, any confusion over how Ashley has turned around the club's fortunes will have been replaced by anger, a common emotion during the 48-year-old's time at the Magpies, after it was revealed the club will be trading in their 119-year-old stadium name.
St James' Park, at least to the corporate big-wigs, with be known for the remainder of the season as the Sports Direct Arena, the company owned by Ashley.
The move will, according to the club, showcase future sponsorship opportunities, a package which will also include sponsoring the team's shirt.
The move appears to be poorly calculated, not least because, as former-chairman Shepard has already noted, the new sponsor will be fighting against a name that's been installed for over a century, and it's unlikely to stick.
Supporters won't be ushered into calling the ground a different name, it'll still be known as St James' Park to them. However, the move does nothing to improve relations between the two, at a time when Ashley had begun to turn the tide.
Events on the pitch had at last overshadowed the currently ownership, but this latest move has brought it right back into focus.
Derek Llambias' claim that the money the club can gain from the deal, in the region of £8-10 million, can be spent on a new player won't sit well with supporters either, as just this summer they refused to shell out big money for a replacement for Andy Carroll, despite having £35 million sitting in the bank.
Why fans should now believe they'll spend they money from this sort of deal I'm not sure. It's a feeble attempt to get them on side.
And that's what Ashley's policy was from the off, get the fans on side. Unfortunately, of late, his decisions have been littered with unpopular responses. He'll do well to recover from this.
by Scott Wilson an hour ago
Juventus have won the 2019-20 summer transfer window
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Category Archives for "London Zone 1 & 2"
Lambeth Property Investment Guide
Regeneration and gentrification are behind South London's most impressive transformation
Lambeth has roughly equal amounts of residential and office space so it’s a perfect place to live and work. Many companies are now attracted to the area due to the lower rentsthatLambeth offers while still being an inner city borough within easy reach of central London. Waterloo Station is also a massive transport hub and major artery to the south-west of England and Clapham Junction is the UK’s busiest train station proving Lambeth’s superior connectivity. Read More
8 months ago
Investment Research, London Zone 1 & 2, Property Investment Guides
Kensington & Chelsea Property Investment Guide
Small and beautiful Kensington & Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is the smallest borough in London at just 4.68 square miles. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 158,649 making it one of the most densely populated areas in the United Kingdom.
The borough is located to the west of Westminster and east of London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham containing many of the most expensive residential properties in London.... and the world. Read More
last year
Elephant and Castle Property Investment Guide
£3bn of regeneration is creating London’s newest cluster of sky-high living
London is entering the age of the skyscraper and Southwark’s £3 billion regeneration is putting Elephant and Castle ahead of the herd with many new residential towers built, or being built there. Elephant and Castle were once on the outskirts of Zone 1, but as the tower buildings move outwards from The City, Central London is spreading further south, creating great yield potentials for investors. Read More
Investment Research, London Property Investment, London Zone 1 & 2, Property Investment Guides, Regeneration Hotspots
Tower Hamlets Property Investment Guide
A high-flying economy with high-earning tenants
Tower Hamlets includes much of London’s redeveloped Docklands area, together with the capital’s financial centre of Canary Wharf, which is home to some of London’s tallest buildings. One Canada Square, also known as Canary Wharf Tower, stands at an impressive 244 metres high, and is the second tallest habitable building in Britain. Read More
East London Investment, Investment Research, London Zone 1 & 2, Property Investment Guides
Property Investment Guide Southwark
40% of the borough is undergoing regeneration
The London Borough of Southwark is undergoing dramatic regeneration. From The Shard in the north right down to Peckham in the south-east, billions of pounds are flowing into huge development projects.
Investment Research, London Property Investment, London Zone 1 & 2, Property Education, Property Investment Guides, Regeneration Hotspots
Elephant & Castle property no longer a white elephant for buy-to-let investors
When hearing the words “Elephant & Castle”, most Londoners immediately think of a run-down and ramshackle area dominated by a double roundabout of traffic turmoil and two large and loathsome estates – the Heygate and Aylesbury, both of which look, feel, and smell of decades of decay and neglect. Read More
a couple of years ago
Growth Areas, Investment Research, London Zone 1 & 2, Property Investment Guides, Regeneration Hotspots
Southall Waterside – 21st century lifestyle with Crossrail on the doorstep
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Evelyne Brochu (A.K.A. Delphine From Orphan Black) Talks Season 3, Loving Cosima, and Breakup Hair
I have been an Orphan Black junkie since the beginning. But even I couldn't have predicted the madness that went down last season. (OMG, male clones?) If this trailer is any indication, season three will have our adrenaline soaring too. Speaking of soaring: That's exactly what shady/beautiful/good-hearted Delphine, Cosima's girlfriend and lab partner, appears to be doing at Dyad this season. Homegirl got a blowout and a promotion—here's hoping she uses her newfound power for good. To celebrate Delphine's success and the return of the series (the season three premiere airs Saturday at 9 P.M. on BBC America), we talked with actress Evelyne Brochu about Cophine 'shipping and bossing up. I've always wanted to ask you this: Everyone asks Tatiana Maslany how she manages playing so many people. But how do you, playing opposite her, deal with such a unique acting experience? Tatiana is a genius. All her characters are different humans—they have different souls. So it's actually easy to play off of that. When Tatiana walks in the room as Rachel, something already feels different than when she is Sarah or Cosima. She is that good. Delphine is a character people have a strong reaction to, I think in
Megan Angelo
I have been an Orphan Black junkie since the beginning. But even I couldn't have predicted the madness that went down last season. (OMG, male clones?) If this trailer is any indication, season three will have our adrenaline soaring too. Speaking of soaring: That's exactly what shady/beautiful/good-hearted Delphine, Cosima's girlfriend and lab partner, appears to be doing at Dyad this season. Homegirl got a blowout and a promotion—here's hoping she uses her newfound power for good. To celebrate Delphine's success and the return of the series (the season three premiere airs Saturday at 9 P.M. on BBC America), we talked with actress Evelyne Brochu about Cophine 'shipping and bossing up.
I've always wanted to ask you this: Everyone asks Tatiana Maslany how she manages playing so many people. But how do you, playing opposite her, deal with such a unique acting experience?
Tatiana is a genius. All her characters are different humans—they have different souls. So it's actually easy to play off of that. When Tatiana walks in the room as Rachel, something already feels different than when she is Sarah or Cosima. She is that good.
Delphine is a character people have a strong reaction to, I think in part because people love Cosima so much and are protective of her. But Delphine loves her too.
You're right. Cosima is a mega-brain geek girl who's also a pothead and a gamer. And she looks like Ani Difranco. Who wouldn't fall for her?
The Internet is full of tributes to you guys, as Googling "Cophine" quickly demonstrates. This romance is rather stressful to watch—why do you think people are invested in it anyway?
I think it's because they weren't meant to fall for each other, and they sit on opposite sides of a dilemma that should separate them. Yet the attraction is stronger than anything. There is a lot of beauty in that.
Season three will find Delphine taking over the clone program. What was your reaction when you found out that she'd be getting more power?
Having power means a lot of things: getting closer to the truth and, therefore, to danger... having to make sacrifices... having to accept that difficult decisions you make will be misunderstood. Basically she's in a tough spot. It used to be science versus love. Now she has to manage Dyad, Leda, Castor—and love is still at the center of it all. But it's fun to play a character who is fighting for and against many forces, so I was excited. I couldn't wait to jump into the power suits!
Yes! Let's talk about her new look. She's all bossed up! And her curls have been straightened.
The hair transition is very symbolic to me. It happens all the time when you're trying to accelerate a change that hasn't quite happened yet on an inner level. Like when you're going through a breakup and you're not over the person, but you cut your hair and bleach it to tell the world, "This is a new beginning." I think Delphine is trying to force herself into a transition.
This show is all about power shifts. Sometimes they happen so quickly they make your head spin. Tell me about a time you felt powerless and how you took your power back.
Once, I was going to a film event and someone told me not to wear high heels to it. They said that it might intimidate the men. For some reason, I was ready to take their cue, but about an hour later something in my head started ringing and I thought, That is the worst advice anybody's ever given me. I wore the highest heels I've ever worn to that event. If someone needs me to belittle myself in any way to make themselves feel better in my company, f— them.
What have you learned from getting to play someone who's climbing such a competitive corporate ladder? What would you tell girls who want to do the same thing in real life?
I've fictionally climbed the ladder on the set of a super-feminist, super-empowering show. Graeme Manson and John Fawcett have really conceived a world where all women can strive. All I can say is: Let's follow their lead. Let's build that all around us. The more men and women creating those environments, the better.
Follow Evelyne on Twitter here. Catch up on all of Orphan Black on IFC starting Friday, April 17, at midnight ET. Or find out where to watch here. BTW, if you love Cosima's look as much as Evelyne does, check out how much her wig weighs and read this awesome piece on how the show's makeup artist conceives new clone's looks.
Topicsorphan blacktv
J.Lo and A-Rod’s Fourth of July Celebration Was an Adorable Family Affair
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CAIR Leader Repeats U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Themes At Annual Dinner
By gmbwatch on December 11, 2008 Daily
In his opening remarks at the annual fund-raising dinner for the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR leader Nihad Awad alleged that American Muslims were being denied the right of “giving legitimate charitable work for needy people.” Awad also echoed other familiar Brotherhood themes- that American Muslims are being “targeted” and should be included in the governmental decision making process. According to a VOA news report:
The CAIR director also urged Obama to “restore the rule of law” that Awad said has been eroded over the past eight years by the Bush administration. Awad expressed the hope Obama’s administration will be, as he put it, more respectful of the rights of people of all faiths. “American Muslims feel left out. American Muslims feel [they are]being selectively targeted by certain agencies, and American Muslims should not be deprived from giving legitimate charitable work for needy people, and also American Muslims have to be part of the decision-making process when it comes to domestic policies and foreign policies, especially when it is pertaining to the Muslim world.” Awad said the “politics of fear” had failed to distract American voters from the real issues during the November national elections. He noted how a controversial documentary film linking Islam with terrorism was widely distributed across the United States by some conservative American political groups, just weeks prior to the November presidential election. But the tactic failed to excite much public interest, and it did not discourage American Muslim voters from going to the polls in record numbers.
The reference to being denied the right to give to legitimate charities is likely in relation to the recent conviction of the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) and its leaders for the financing of Hamas terrorism. CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in that case and the organization is an outgrowth of the U.S. Hamas infrastructure and member of the U.S Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee along with HLF. A CAIR statement blamed the conviction on “fear-mongering.”
CAIR, along with the rest of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood, has a long history of claiming that U.S. Muslims are the victim of organized campaigns of hate and discrimination, often identifying the U.S. Jewish community as being responsible. Despite this portrayal of the treatment of U.S. Muslims, U.S Brotherhood organizations have consistently pleaded for the chance both to represent the Muslim community inside and outside the U.S. claiming they are the “best ambassadors” for the U.S.
Rabbi and Congressman Are Keynote Speakers At CAIR Annual Dinner The first U.S. Muslim Congressman and the leader of the...
CAIR Leader Meets with OIC in Saudi Arabia Arab News reported that Nihad Awad, the executive director of...
U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Leader Repeats Doctrine Of Defensive Jihad ...
CAIR Canada Dinner Attended By High Ranking Public Officials In one more among a myriad of signs that Muslim...
CAIR Leader Statement On Holy Land Consistent With Past Position On Anti-Terror Efforts A statement published by Ahmad Rehab, the director of the...
Scottish Muslim Brotherhood Group Announces Agreement with CAIR - 06:26 PM Muslim Council of Britain Writes Letter In support of INTERPAL - 06:48 PM
Saudi Arabia Bans Works By Muslim Brotherhood Ideologue - 08:21 PM Video Reveals Discovery Of Holy Land Documents - 08:25 PM
CORRECTION: Yesterday's Post on Saudi Arabia - 11:04 AM Leader of Pakistani Group Calls On Pakistanis To Unite Against India - 07:56 PM WAMY Awards Graduate Scholarships - 08:12 PM
Grand Mufti Of Bosnian Awarded Prestigious German Prize For Religious Tolerance - 07:57 PM Court Upholds $156 Million Judgment Against U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Organizations - 08:35 PM
U.S. Congressman Accused Again Of Accepting Campaign Contributions From U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Leaders - 04:23 PM Pentagon Aid Who Supported U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Groups To Depart - 05:45 PM
European Muslim Brotherhood Condems Israel Over Gaza - 08:20 PM
Jaamat-e-Islami Conference Features Muslim Brotherhood Leaders; Speakers Say Islam To Rule The World - 08:13 PM
Muslim Brotherhood Demands Investigation Over Al Azhar Invitation To Israelis - 08:11 PM
CAIR Leader Repeats U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Themes At Annual Dinner - 08:15 PM
RECOMMENDED READING: "The Role Of Consensus In The Contemporary Struggle For Islam" - 12:16 PM
Muslim Brotherhood Members Deported From Southern Africa - 05:02 PM
Qaradawi Issues Fatwa Against New Zealand Meat - 12:48 PM ICNA Expands Advertising Campaign To Use of Highway Billboards - 05:55 PM
ANALYSIS: Law Journal Article On Terrorism Highlights U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Position On Terrorism - 07:47 PM Son Of Youssef Qaradawi May Have Converted To Shia Islam - 10:46 PM
Jamaat-E-Islami Leader Says Party WIll Launch Mass Protest Against U.S. Drone Attacks - 07:26 PM Italian Government Official Rules Out Accords With Italian Muslim Brotherhood - 07:47 PM
Global Muslim Brotherhood Steps Up Gaza Blockade Efforts - 09:36 PM Mecca Pilgrimage Of First Muslim Congressman Paid For By U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Group - 10:09 PM
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Identifies Global Brotherhood Organizations - 07:04 PM Pastor Close To Obama Speaks At MPAC Convention - 07:11 PM
Jamaat-e-Islami Leader Threatens To Block Key Supply Route For NATO/U.S Forces - 06:59 PM Leader Of Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood Calls For Slaughter Of Jews - 07:05 PM
UK Muslim Delegation Close to Muslim Brotherhood Visits Saudi Arabia - 06:06 PM French Muslim Brotherhood Leader Says Government Must Pass Law Against Islamaphobia - 06:16 PM
U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Leader To Host Radio Talk Show In D.C. - 06:02 PM Global Muslim Brotherhood Reacts To Israeli Air Strikes On Gaza - 06:51 PM
IslamOnline Opens Washington Office - 05:35 PM Largest Muslim Conference In Canada Features Muslim Brotherhood Speakers - 05:51 PM
Global Muslim Brotherhood Reacts To Israeli Air Strikes On Gaza (Part 2) - 06:11 PM Italian News Portal Fails To Identify Muslim Brotherhood Leader - 07:21 PM
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Home :: Military :: Agencies :: Army :: USAREUR :: V Corps :: 1st Armored Division :: Engineer Brigade ::
HHC "Havoc"
A Company "Gators"
B Company "Maddogs"
C Company "Rock"
16th Engineer Battalion
"Catamounts"
In 2007, as part of a continuing drawdown of US forces in Europe, the 1st Armored Division began both transformation to the US Army's modular force structure and redeployment of some of its brigades to the United States. 16th Engineer Battalion was inactivated as part of the modular transformation, with engineering missions being passed to the modular brigade special troops battalions.
The 16th Engineer Battalion's mission was to form and train the team and on order deploy to provide mobility, countermobility, survivability, and general engineering support to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, or other designated maneuver forces. It would then, on order, redeploy, reintegrate, recover, and prepare for future operations.
The Distinctive Unit Insignia was originally approved for the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion on 25 April 1952. It was redesignated for the 16th Engineer Battalion on 12 September 1957. On 5 December 1984 the insignia was amended to correct the symbolism. On 21 October 1994 it was revised to change the description and the symbolism. The insignia consists of a shield blazoned: Per chevron reversed Argent and Gules, on a bar in base Sable fimbriated of the first a cat-a-mountain salient guardant of the third, armed, langued, collared and lined of the second, in sinister chief a mullet voided and fretted Vert. Attached below the shield a silver scroll inscribed "SEMPER ULTIMO" in red letters. Red and white are the colors used for the Corps of Engineers. The bar symbolizes a treadway bridge, the construction of which was a major combat mission of the organization. The cat-a-mountain, a European wildcat, indicated the stealth and swiftness required in combat engineer operations, and the soldiers of the battalion were known as "Catamounts." The black cat also connoted the darkness in which operations were conducted. The star from the flag of French Morocco represented service in that area during World War II. The inverted chevron symbolized the Battalion's spearheading of armored engineer activity in World War II.
The 16th Engineer Battalion was first constituted on 11 December 1935 in the Regular Army as the 16th Engineer Regiment. It was redesignated on 15 July 1940 as the 16th Engineer Battalion and was concurrently assigned to the 1st Armored Division and activated at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
The unit was redesignated on 1 January 1942 as the 16th Armored Engineer Battalion. Its D and E Companies were disbanded on 20 July 1944 in Italy while the remainder of the Battalion was inactivated between 10-13 April 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey.
The 16th Armored Engineer Battalion was reactivated on 7 March 1951 at Fort Hood, Texas. Company D had been reconstituted on 27 February 1951. The Battalion was redesignated on 15 February 1957 as the 16th Engineer Battalion. Soon thereafter it was inactivated, less Company A, on 23 December 1957 at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
It was reactivated, less Company A (active), on 3 February 1962 at Fort Hood, Texas.
It was relieved on 16 June 1991 from assignment to the 1st Armored Division and assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. It was relieved on 16 November 1993 from assignment to the 3rd Infantry Division. The Battalion was reassigned on 16 February 1997 back to the 1st Armored Division.
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STR Obtains China Metrology Accreditation
August 20, 2009 21:34 ET | Source: Specialized Technology Resources (STR)
SHENZHEN, CHINA--(Marketwire - August 20, 2009) - Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. (STR) today announced that its Shenzhen laboratory has received the China Metrology Accreditation (CMA) from the Administration of Quality and Technical Supervision at the Municipal Levels. STR's Shanghai laboratory obtained the CMA one year ago. STR, a U.S.-based global company, is one of only a few independent laboratories to receive the Metrology Accreditation from the Chinese government.
CMA is a mandatory accreditation system designed to assess the metrology capabilities of testing or calibration laboratories that will test products being sold into the Chinese market. This accreditation allows STR to issue test reports and certificates bearing the CMA mark, which verifies that the tested products conform to China's mandatory quality and safety standards. Test reports bearing the CMA mark are accepted as legal documents in China.
For example, textile companies that intend to sell products in China must obtain CMA certification. The most common requirement is the GB 18401 standard, which is the National General Safety Technical Code for textile products. By having STR test for conformance to this standard and issue a report with the CMA mark, a textile manufacturer is then able to sell its products in China.
"CMA is very important for our clients who are seeking entry to or are expanding their operations in the Asia Pacific region," said Mr. W.H. Kwok, Managing Director, STR Asia Pacific region. "This accreditation enables us to help our clients successfully grow their businesses."
STR recently doubled the size of its quality assurance testing laboratories in China, with a new 75,000 s/f facility in Shenzhen and a 30,000 s/f facility in Shanghai. The company tests garments/textiles, toys/toy premiums, hazardous substances, general merchandise, and electronics/electrical equipment in these facilities. Services include: product testing, product safety evaluations, factory capabilities audits, quality assurance inspections, fair labor and social compliance monitoring programs, and customized quality assurance programs.
About STR
Specialized Technology Resources, which was founded in 1944, provides testing, audit, accreditation, and responsible sourcing services to help ensure that clients have the highest level of confidence in the quality, safety, and social standards of their products and systems. Based in Enfield, CT, STR has sophisticated laboratories and offices in over 30 countries across six continents, and the reach to provide audit services in over 140 countries around the world. Visit STR at http://www.STRQuality.com.
Contact Information: Contact: Amy Blumenthal Blumenthal & Associates 617-879-1511
Specialized Technology Resources (STR)
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Gloucester City Council
The six-point plan to make Gloucester better - and a land train is on the list
Cafe culture, street entertainers and, of course, the land train
A comprehensive six-point plan has been drawn up to improve Gloucester city centre and a land train is very much a part of the thinking.
Gloucester City Council has created an action plan to help improve the centre with plenty of bright ideas.
These are the plans the council has to breathe new life into Gloucester.
Gloucester's Toys R Us is looking very sad indeed as it prepares to close
1. To positively manage the city centre environment, ensuring it’s clean, safe and accessible
An image of Gloucester
In short, keep the place tidy and crack down on antisocial behaviour.
Improvements are set to be made to the conditions of car parks in the city and toilet provisions.
Toilets and baby changing facilities are still seen as an issue by the council but the new bus station will offer seven more and a baby changing facility will be added to the refurbished King’s Walk.
The council is planning to work closely with the police to reduce anti-social behaviour in the city. As a part of this, they will continue to encourage the City Safe scheme, in which 128 businesses are now signed up.
General improvements will be made with grants between £5,000 and £20,000 available to spruce up buildings. Westgate Street will get a facelift with £100,000 ring-fenced for numbers 26, 39, 41 and 109 in the road.
The LED lights have been installed in the Gate Streets and the county-wide upgrade is expected to save £17million over 12 years.
Move over Mr Tee you can get these amazing freaky sundaes right here in Gloucester
2. To animate the Gate Streets, making the most of the city’s unique heritage
Cafe culture is on the lips of the council and they want to bring it to Gloucester along with street entertainers.
The council are pushing traders to put table and chairs outside their store and on the Gate Streets to create a Mediterranean-style experience in the West Country.
As a result, licenses for tables and chairs are being given free of charge.
There are also plans to promote Gloucester as a venue for quality street entertainers which will add to the desired cafe culture.
The council also want to make better use of its historic site and there are plans to develop Blackfriars as an events venue and visitor attraction. A feasibility study is due to go ahead at 11 Ladybellgate Street with further work being considered to this end.
How a lick of colourful paint breathed new life and a sense of community into this Gloucester street
3. To ensure the city centre links seamlessly with Gloucester Quays and acts as a single, cohesive destination
The Gloucester land train on trial
The old conundrum – how to draw visitors to the Quays into the city centre and vice-versa.
It has been trialled before and plans for the land train remain in the council’s thinking. In the report they suggest there is a ‘keen appetite’ for it and a second trial has already been discussed.
However, issues persist over the financial viability of the land train.
4. To improve the marketing of and information about the city centre in order to increase footfall
Signs, basically.
The council wants to review the signage across the city and there are proposals to put seven new signs in the Docks area.
Gloucester's Pride of Britain winner begins his next EPIC mission today
5. To improve the retail offer of the city centre
Gloucester city centre
Does what it says on the tin, bring a greater range of retailers to Gloucester.
The council want a bit of everything here, retailers, independents, restaurants and other food outlets.
The regenerated King’s Walk site is earmarked as a chance to bring new stores into the city.
6. To engage and support city centre retailers and other stakeholders, share information and encourage them to play an active role
This aims to give traders in the city centre effective representation and bring them in line with one another.
It would look to create a clear voice for the business community and give them are chance to air their views to the council.
Gloucester Quays
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PHILOMENA A. SCAMUFFA
Philomena A. Scamuffa Philomena A. (Petruccio) Scamuffa of Lambertville, N.J., passed away peacefully Friday, Dec. 21, 2018, at Hunterdon Medical Center, Flemington, N.J. She was 91. Born in Falls Township, Mrs. Scamuffa lived in Morrisville, for 75 years before moving to Lambertville 10 years ago. Prior to her retirement, she was employed as a lab technician. She attended Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Morrisville, and St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Lambertville. Daughter of the late John and Elvida (Giano) Petruccio, and wife of the late Anthony T. Scamuffa, she is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Elvida and Richard Peregoy of Plano, Texas, and her son and daughter-in-law, Nicholas and Ann Scamuffa of Lambertville, N.J.; her grandchildren, Anthony Peregoy, and Gina and Nicholas Scamuffa were the light of her life. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate her funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 27, at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 44 Bridge St., Lambertville, N.J. Her interment will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Bensalem. Friends may call from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday, at the J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, 41 W. Trenton Ave., Morrisville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at www.Alz.org J. Allen Hooper Funeral Chapel, Morrisville www.hooperfuneralchapel.com
© Copyright 2006-2019 GateHouse Media, LLC. All rights reserved • GateHouse Obituaries
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Physiatrists restore hope
Erin McCracken
Jun. 9, 2011 8:00 a.m.
Physiatrist Dr. Paul Winston: “It’s a very humbling field.'
Being able to use both hands to type, load the dishwasher and swing a golf club were never possible for brain tumour survivor Craig McKinnon before he met Dr. Paul Winston.
Winston is a physiatrist (pronounced phys-eye-atrist), which is a medical doctor who specializes in rehabilitating patients suffering from neurological conditions.
After a large tumour was removed from McKinnon’s brain in 2005, the 32-year-old Oak Bay resident was left with severe weakness on his left side. That changed his world forever – or so he thought.
Thanks to Winston, who has been injecting botulinum toxin, or Botox, into McKinnon’s hand, arm and leg, he can keep up with his 21-month-old son, among other basic but essential life tasks.
“It’s shocking to me that no one recommended this to me back in Ontario (where he had his surgery). It feels like someone missed the ball on this.” McKinnon said.
Winston, who has an Esquimalt practice and clinics at Victoria General Hospital, said he spends a lot of time explaining what a physiatrist does.
“It’s a very humbling field,” said Winston, a Saanich resident. “No one ever hears of you, and they think you’re a podiatrist or a physiotherapist or a psychiatrist.”
There are about 10 neuro-rehabilitation doctors in Greater Victoria who, through medication and aids such as orthotics and braces, work to improve quality of life for patients after amputation, stroke and neurological-related chronic pain, among other conditions.
Winston is one of two physiatrists on the Island to sub-specialize in spinal cord injuries.
“I’m often told, ‘You’re my last hope,’” said Winston, who sees more than 70 patients a week and has a three- to four-month waiting list.
Such demand for physiatrists isn’t surprising considering the scope of their abilities – something McKinnon is reminded of every time he swings a golf club.
“I equate it to seeing again,” he said of his progress. “It’s night and day.”
emccracken@vicnews.com
Suicide-prevention services extended six months
Colwood rolls out home energy retrofits
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Michèle Flournoy is the former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP file photo
How the main candidates for Defense chief differ
Chuck Hagel and Michelle Flournoy, both haunted by the ghosts of Vietnam, represent a stark choice for Obama.
Michael Hirsh,
Michael Hirsh
Chuck Hagel is, by his own admission, haunted by Vietnam. When asked to explain his early opposition to George W. Bush’s 2003 Iraq invasion in an interview in 2011, the former Nebraska senator harked back to his experience as an Army private fighting the Tet offensive in 1968. That maverick stance cost Hagel his reputation as a leading Republican, and it may be one reason why President Obama is now considering him as his next Defense secretary, with Leon Panetta set to retire. “We sent home almost 16,000 body bags that year," Hagel told me. "And I always thought to myself, ‘If I get through this, if I have the opportunity to influence anyone, I owe it to those guys to never let this happen again to the country.’”
When President Obama mounted a Bush-like “surge” in Afghanistan in 2009, Hagel wasn’t happy either. “I’m not sure we know what the hell we are doing in Afghanistan,” Hagel told me in 2010. “It’s not sustainable at all. I think we’re marking time as we slaughter more young people.” Previously Hagel also opposed the surge in Iraq. In a dramatic moment on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2007, he implored his fellow Republicans to stop avoiding the truth about what Hagel called the futile “grinder” of Iraq, and asked them not to send in more troops. “Don't hide anymore; none of us!” Hagel declared, raising his voice. Although several Republicans expressed misgivings, in the end only Hagel voted in favor of the nonbinding resolution.
All of which raises a question: is Chuck Hagel a pacifist? Hagel, a warrior who earned two purple hearts in Vietnam, would say certainly not. And he can lay claim to a certain amount of prescience; like Obama himself, who first came to national renown in 2002 by speaking against the planned Iraq invasion as a “dumb war,” Hagel saw earlier than most in Washington the pitfalls of launching a new war (Iraq) in the middle of an ongoing one (Afghanistan). "Many of those who want to rush this country into war and think it would be so quick and easy don't know anything about war," he told me in the summer of 2002. "They come at it from an intellectual perspective versus having sat in jungles or foxholes and watched their friends get their heads blown off. I try to speak for those ghosts of the past a little bit."
Michelle Flournoy, the former under secretary of Defense who is also a leading candidate to replace the soon-to-depart Leon Panetta, is also somewhat haunted by the ghosts of Vietnam, by her own account, but in a very different way than Hagel. Though far too young (she turned 52 on Friday) to have served there with the 66-year-old Hagel, Flournoy warned in a speech this week that military planners might still be too “risk-averse” because of the Vietnam experience. She said the military was endangered by a new "Vietnam syndrome" in which planners might seek to avoid the lessons of counterinsurgency and guerrilla warfare simply because the last decade of this kind of conflict has been so costly in Iraq and Afghanistan.
At a time when Hagel was worried about the cost of the Afghan surge in bodybags, Flournoy was promoting the idea as a leading supporter of counterinsurgency strategy in 2009. During this period, a fierce debate occurred inside the Obama administration over whether to pare down the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan to mere “counterterror operations”—the position taken by Vice President Biden, a longtime Hagel ally—or whether to mount a larger counterinsurgency or “hearts-and-minds,” nation-building-type war. After leaving the Pentagon, Flournoy took over the Center for New American Security, known as “COIN central.”
Yet Flournoy is no neocon hawk, says her former Pentagon aide, Janine Davidson. “She knows what battles to choose,” says Davidson, who worked as deputy assistant secretary for plans under Flournoy. “She’s very pragmatic about the application of military in an engagement and prevention role… think she has a very grounded sense of what America’s role in the world should be should be and how the military should support that role.”
Hagel’s blunt views are also a reminder that, if Obama is hoping to look bipartisan in naming a Republican to a top post, he’s not picking a man in good standing with the GOP. Hagel, who was once seen as a potential Republican presidential nominee, became persona non grata inside the party after his opposition to Iraq and never regained his standing. Nor has he ever let up in his criticism of what he called “mad, wild dash into Iraq,” which he blamed on “the lack of any clear strategic critical thinking” about the causes of 9/11. “I think when history is written of this 10-year period, it will record the folly of great-power overreach,” he said in 2011.
In the end, if Hagel is chosen, his views may be more in tune with the American public’s—and Obama’s. The American public is clearly war-weary. According to a new Pew poll, only about a quarter of Americans (27 percent) say the U.S. has a responsibility to do something about the fighting in Syria, while more than twice as many (63 percent) say it does not.
Yet Hagel’s blunt criticism of the Afghan surge, which has already been wound down (some 68,000 pre-surge U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan), would put him directly at odds with the president he would serve. In a 2010 interview, he also criticized the president’s decision to send in additional armor with the troops. “It’s a huge mistake to get bogged down with over 100,000 American troops. And this latest decision to bring in armor, that’s astounding to me at a time when we’re trying to work our way out. When you sink in a battalion of armor, sophisticated tanks, you’re going in deeper. You’re not getting out. The optics of that go back to Vietnam. When people see tanks in their country, they think occupation. That’s not something that’s winnable.”
NEXT STORY: Don't trust 'Zero Dark Thirty'
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Up and Running!
New Co-ops Opened in this Past Year
By Stuart Reid
179-p14-18.pdf
Eleven new food co-ops have opened since we reported last year, and as always, it’s a diverse group. The strong interest in food co-ops in New York City is reflected by two openings, and more are on the way. Larger startups in Durham, N.C. and Portland, Me., benefitted from the expertise of the National Co+op Grocers Development Cooperative. And on a small island off the coast of Seattle, the Orcas Co-op is showing how even a small, remote community can open a food co-op that exceeds expectations.
New Co-op
Our Table Co-op
http://www.ourtable.us
Valley Co-op
http://valleycoop.org
Marsh River Co-op
Brooks, ME
http://marshrivercoop.org
Arroyo Food Co-op
https://www.arroyofoodcoop.com/index.html
Portland Food Co-op
http://www.portlandfood.coop
Grain Mill Grocery Co-op
https://www.grainmill.coop
Lefferts Community Food Co-op
http://leffertsfoodcoop.org
Orcas Food Co-op
Eastsound, WA
http://www.orcasfood.coop
Durham Co+op Market
http://durham.coop
Gardiner Food Co-op
Gardiner, NY
http://gardinerfood.coop
Open since
Store size
Retail: 8,500 ft2 Gross: 10,000 ft2
Early sales trend
40-50% above projection
Projected sales
At opening: 1,700 Now: 2,200
No. of staff
Full time: 25 Part time:14
Membership $
$100 indiv., $40 each additional,
$250 bus., $15 SNAP recipeints
Durham Co+op Market (DCM) opened in March with overwhelming support from the community. Commitment, perseverance, and patience pay off! Since 2007, this community has never lost sight of its vision and has been rewarded with a beautiful new store that is exceeding expectations. Sales in the first weeks have been running up to 50% above projections, and 500 new member-owners joined in the first 6 weeks.
Durham Co+op Market contracted with NCG’s Development Cooperative for support during their final stages and early operations. Leilah Wolfrum, Durham’s general manager, says, “I consider working with the Development Co-op was absolutely essential. They more than made up for the cost by helping us avoid a lot of mistakes.”
DCM is located in a food desert, and to make healthy food more available to area residents the co-op offers a $15 “Food for All” membership and a 10% discount to EBT/SNAP (food assistance) recipients.
WINDSOR TERRACE FOOD CO-OP
Retail: ft2 Gross: ft2
At opening: Now: 460
Full time: Part time:
$100 membership fee
In the summer of 2012, Windsor Terrace residents packed into a community meeting, furious that the Brooklyn neighborhood’s sole supermarket, Key Food, was being replaced by a giant Walgreens drugstore. One man raised his hand with a suggestion: “Maybe we should start a food co-op.”
The Windsor Terrace Co-op will follow the Park Slope model. Members will be required to work a set amount of hours a month, and only members will be able to shop there.
The Windsor Terrace Co-op is expecting that the same demographic that has driven the co-ops in other NYC neighborhoods will make up the core of its membership.
Jack O’Connell, who had lived in the area since 1985, said he liked the idea of affordable organic produce, but saw the opportunity for something bigger. “This is a community-building experience where food is the vehicle,” he said, “rather than a food experience with the community building as the vehicle.”
Retail: 850ft2 Gross: 1,500ft2
At opening: 155 Now: 329
Full time: 2 Part time: 6
$35 membership fee
The Valley Co-op, located in southeast Washington County, Md., has walked a 5-year path that has been quite unconventional. Valley Co-op began operations as a buying club in April 2010, delivering food biweekly out of successively larger spaces generously lent to them. After 4 years of growth (250+ families), they were forced to choose between ceasing operations or renting store space of their own, and chose the latter path.
In the year they have been in the store, their numbers have grown to over 700 families. An impressive 69 percent of their sales are from local suppliers.
The transition from buying club to storefront has not always been easy, and the core team has put in long hours with limited resources. Now they are focusing on figuring out how to transition into a “far more than a store” cooperative model and educate their community about what they can be.
Retail: 4,000 ft2 Gross: 4,900 ft2
40% below projection, but rising
Individuals $100 equity, $15 annual fee, Family $150 equity,
$15 annual fee, Producer $100 equity, $15 annual fee + min. 12 hours/mo. volunteering
The Marsh River Co-op is located in tiny Brooks, Me., with a population of only 1,078. Members form the backbone of the co-op, both by investing financially through share purchases and by volunteering time to help the co-op thrive. Marsh River Co-op is one of a handful of hybrid ownership co-ops with both consumer and producer classes. Consumer owners receive a minimum 5 percent discount on (most) in-store products and the potential for patronage refunds. Volunteer workers receive an additional 10 percent discount.
Producer members are persons (or entities) who reside within a 10-mile radius of the Marsh River Cooperative and who undergo a juried review process to become members of the cooperative in order to provide goods for sale at the cooperative.
Producer members volunteer a minimum of 12 hours per month at the co-op, and receive full membership benefits. The co-op will purchase goods for sale in the store first from producer members before seeking other sources. Producer members are also given priority “real estate” in the store for sale of their consignment craft items.
At opening: Now:
The Arroyo Food Co-op started as a community project in late 2009, gathering together people in the Altadena and Pasadena communities who wanted a place to purchase local, sustainable, and organic foods in their neighborhood. Early sales at the store are well below the goal needed for long-term sustainability; however, that is likely to improve when the co-op is able to sell produce and bulk items. The Arroyo Co-op is in conversation with the Pasadena Public Health Department to clear hurdles so that they can start selling fresh organic produce and bulk bin items.
Joy Lam, Arroyo’s general manager, says, “Our mission is to make local sustainable food available and actively participate in community building. To do that, we collaborate with many like-minded local organizations. For instance, Transition Pasadena helped us to create and maintain the free food garden outside of our co-op. We partner with Muir Ranch CSA (community-supported-agriculture) program to support a local farming/business training program at our local high school. We also actively look out for local artisan food and cottage food producers and make the co-op a friendly place to sell their products.
PORTLAND CO-OP
45% above projections
$2.2M (now at $3.2M pace)
At opening: 2078 Now: 3200
Full time: 25 Part time:
Startup budget
The momentum for the Portland Food Co-op started in the spring of 2006. In reaction to the closure of a locally-owned natural food grocery in Portland, community leadership decided to create a cooperative grocery.
In 2008, the co-op created an all-volunteer buying club operation, branded “Food Now,” to provide access to food until a store could be opened. The “Food Now” operation eventually expanded to about $200,000 in annual sales (of which about 60 percent were local foods and products), with 150 member-owners volunteering for work shifts. The development of the retail storefront stayed on the back burner until 2012. After that, everything started coming together. Over 2,000 community members joined the co-op, they found a great site, and the co-op’s capital campaign raised the $1.6 million needed to open the store. Portland Food Co-op also contracted with NCG’s Development Cooperative for implementation and post-opening support.
$25 annual (family)
In Wake Forest, N.C., the Grain Mill Grocery Cooperative originally opened in June 2010 as a resource for local whole grain bakers called The Grain Mill of Wake Forest.
On March 10, 2015, with the financial and volunteer assistance of their first 390 member owners, the co-op opened its interim location, a 2100-square-foot launch pad towards creating the final vision of 8,000—10,000 square feet of cooperative community grocery shopping. Member benefits include 5 percent reward on in-store purchases and 10 percent off website bulk purchases.
GARDINER FOOD CO-OP & CAFE
Retail: 2,200 ft2 Gross: ft2
The Gardiner Co-op & Cafe project evolved from the nonprofit Kennebec Local Food Initiative, whose mission is “to grow the edible economy in the greater Gardiner, N.Y., area.”
The Gardiner Food Co-op & Cafe was awarded a $90,000 Community Development Block Grant, which was used to provide working capital and to acquire much needed equipment for the storefront. About a fourth of the 2100-square-foot storefront is used for the café, and the remainder for groceries. It’s a welcoming space for the community to shop and gather.
$1.9M 2014, above projections
$ 2.2M in 2015
The Orcas Food Co-op is in the San Juan Islands, north of Seattle and only a stone’s throw from British Columbia. What at first glance might seem to be an unlikely place for a successful co-op has become an inspiring example of a community embracing their new store.
Learner Limbach, general manager at Orcas, puts it well: “One of the biggest priorities for us as a co-op is to create a sustainable local food system with strong regional connections. In just our first year of operation we have become the single largest buyer of local farm products in San Juan County, just recently surpassing $100K in direct purchases. Our member-owners, who consist of greater than 25 percent of Orcas residents, know that when they shop at the co-op they are participating in not only a great place to buy their groceries; they are contributing to a shift toward greater sustainability and resilience for our community and food system as a whole. The consistent dedication to these values throughout the entire organization from the get-go has been a huge key to success for our co-op thus far, and we feel it’s just the tip of the iceberg."
LEFFERTS COMMUNITY FOOD COOPERATIVE
Retail: ft2 Gross: 900 ft2
At opening: 80 Now: 212
$100, $25 for low income
Lefferts Community Food Co-op opened after five years of planning at 324 Empire Blvd. in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is currently open two days a week. The co-op is modeled after the Park Slope Co-op, and only members can shop at the store. Members contribute 2.75 hours of labor per month as part of their member-owner commitment.
The core group of organizers moved to open the shop before they had many members, under the belief that if they built it, the members would come. “Space is the largest issue in New York,” said Karen Oh, who started the Lefferts Co-op. She found a “super-generous” landlord who required minimal rent, and then had a “Field of Dreams moment.”
“People like to shop locally,” said Oh, an organizer and former Park Slope cooperator. “Not in a trendy way. They just like to put money and resources into their own neighborhood.”
The co-op is currently open to members on Thursdays from 4 p.m.–8:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. To join, members pay a $25 fee and a refundable $25–$100 investment sum, and pledge to work a 2-hours-and-45-minutes shift every month. The model is based on the member-worker approach of the Park Slope co-op.
OUR TABLE COOPERATIVE
Retail: 800 ft2 + commercial kitchen
Near targets, $5,000/week
100 consumer, 4 worker, 11 probationary producers
$150 consumer; $500
Our Table is “a regional cooperative creating handcrafted, thoughtful and delicious food”—a unique entry in this year’s new food co-ops. The co-op has three membership classes: worker members from the farm, producer members from the region, and consumer members. The retail operation is essentially a farmstand with additional inventory to round out the mix. The co-op partners with two other businesses to create an integrated system: Community by Design, LLC, owns “Our Farm” and holds it as a land trust. The Manav Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3 organization that provides outreach and education, using Our Farm as a classroom.
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Syria evacuation postponed after blast kills 80 kids
The evacuation of more than 3,000 Syrians that was scheduled to take place Sunday from four areas as part of a population transfer has been postponed, opposition activists said, a day after a deadly blast that killed more than 120 people, many of them government supporters.
The reasons for the delay were not immediately clear. It came as shells fired by the Islamic State group (ISIS) on government-held parts of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour wounded two members of a Russian media delegation visiting the area, according to state-run Syrian news agency SANA.
Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian journalists enjoy wide access in government-held parts of the country.
Russia's Anna-News military news service, which employs the journalists, said one was wounded in the arm while the other suffered leg and stomach wounds. The news service said the two were evacuated adding that their condition was "satisfactory."
The United Nations is not overseeing the transfer deal, which involves residents of the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfarya and the opposition-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani. All four have been under siege for years, their fate linked through a series of reciprocal agreements that the U.N. says have hindered aid deliveries.
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV, earlier said that 3,000 people will be evacuated from Foua and Kfarya, while 200, the vast majority of them fighters, will be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya.
Abdurrahman and opposition activist Hussam Mahmoud, who is from Madaya, said the evacuation has been delayed. Abdurrahman said no permission was given for the evacuation to go ahead while Mahmoud said it has been delayed for "logistical reasons."
It was not immediately clear if the evacuees feared attacks similar to Saturday's bombing.
Abdurrahman said Saturday's blast --which hit an area where thousands of pro-government evacuees had been waiting for hours -- killed 126. He said the dead included 109 people from Foua and Kfarya, among them 80 children and 13 women.
No one has claimed the attack, but both ISIS and the Al Qaeda-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front have targeted civilians in government areas in the past.
A wounded girl, who said she lost her four siblings in the blast, told Al-Manar TV from her hospital bed that children who had been deprived of food for years in the two villages were approached by a man in the car who told them to come and eat potato chips. She said once many had gathered, there was an explosion that tore some of the children to pieces.
Anthony Lake, UNICEF's executive director, said in a statement Sunday that after six years of war and carnage in Syria "there comes a new horror that must break the heart of anyone who has one."
"We must draw from this not only anger, but renewed determination to reach all the innocent children throughout Syria with help and comfort," he said.
After the blast, some 60 buses carrying 2,200 people, including 400 opposition fighters, entered areas held by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, Abdurrahman said. More than 50 buses and 20 ambulances carrying some 5,000 Foua and Kfarya residents entered the government-held city of Aleppo, Syrian state TV said, with some of them later reaching a shelter in the village of Jibreen to the south.
U.N. relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said he was "horrified" by the deadly bombing, and that while the U.N. was not involved in the transfer it was ready to "scale up our support to evacuees."
He called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to "facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the U.N. and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need."
Residents of Madaya and Zabadani, formerly summer resorts, joined the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. Both came under government siege in the ensuing civil war. Residents of Foua and Kfraya, besieged by the rebels, have lived under a steady hail of rockets and mortars for years, but were supplied with food and medicine through military airdrops.
Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved across battle lines over the next 60 days, amounts to forced displacement along political and sectarian lines.
In eastern Syria, an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition on the village of Sukkarieh near the border with Iraq killed eight civilians who had earlier fled violence in the northern province of Aleppo, according to Deir Ezzor 24, an activist collective, and Sound and Picture Organization, which documents IS violations.
Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition had killed dozens of civilians over the past several weeks as the battle against the extremists intensifies in Syria and Iraq.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/syria-evacuation-postponed-after-blast-kills-80-kids
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Judge strikes down Trump administration's plan to add a citizenship question to 2020 Census
A federal district judge Tuesday struck down the Trump administration’s plan to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 Census.
Judge strikes down Trump administration's plan to add a citizenship question to 2020 Census A federal district judge Tuesday struck down the Trump administration’s plan to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 Census. Check out this story on Freep.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/15/supreme-court-citizenship-question-census/2579017002/
Richard Wolf, USA TODAY Published 10:03 a.m. ET Jan. 15, 2019 | Updated 3:34 p.m. ET Jan. 15, 2019
Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross was shielded by the Supreme Court from having to tell lawyers why he wants to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP)
WASHINGTON – A federal district judge Tuesday struck down the Trump administration’s plan to add a question on citizenship to the 2020 Census, ruling that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross exceeded his authority under federal law.
The much-awaited decision by Judge Jesse Furman is likely to wind up at the Supreme Court, which next month is scheduled to consider a portion of the case – whether Ross can be required to give a deposition about the reasons for his decision. But Furman’s ruling temporarily makes that question moot.
Ross announced the addition of the citizenship question last March, but it has been tied up by a half dozen lawsuits. The government has not asked about individuals' citizenship on the Census since 1950.
Opponents, including California, New York, the American Civil Liberties Union and immigration rights groups, contend fears of deportation among undocumented immigrants will cause them to be undercounted.
In his 277-page ruling, Judge Furman discounted Ross's contention that he made his decision based on the Justice Department's request. Instead, Furman said, Ross opted for the citizenship question for other reasons and then tried to conceal his motives by getting the Justice Department to ask for it.
"The court can – and, in light of all the evidence in the record, does – infer from the various ways in which Secretary Ross and his aides acted like people with something to hide that they did have something to hide," Furman said.
Opponents of the citizenship question allege that Ross made his decision after conversations with White House officials, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, as well as former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
“The court’s finding that the administration concealed its true motives further attests to its hostile intentions,” said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League.
Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, welcomed Furman's decision, calling it "a forceful rebuke of the Trump administration’s attempt to weaponize the Census for an attack on immigrant communities."
"The evidence at trial, including from the government's own witness, exposed how adding a citizenship question would wreck the once-in-a-decade count of the nation's population," Ho said. "The inevitable result would have been – and the administration’s clear intent was – to strip federal resources and political representation from those needing it most.”
Furman's ruling is sure to be appealed, most likely to the Supreme Court, unless the administration drops the issue. That did not seem likely Tuesday.
“Our government is legally entitled to include a citizenship question on the Census, and people in the United States have a legal obligation to answer," Justice Department spokeswoman Kelly Laco said. "Reinstating the citizenship question ultimately protects the right to vote and helps ensure free and fair elections for all Americans.”
The ultimate court decision could affect the political and financial clout of immigrant communities for the next decade. What's at stake is an accurate count of immigrants in the Census, including the more than 22 million noncitizens. Challengers fear a citizenship question could prompt many to avoid being counted.
That, in turn, could cause parts of the country with large percentages of immigrants – mostly in states dominated by Democrats – to be undercounted, which in turn could result in a loss of federal funds and, potentially, seats in Congress.
The Supreme Court previously refused the Trump administration's request to delay the district court trial. It gave both sides a partial victory when it ruled that Ross did not have to give a deposition concerning his decision-making process before the trial, but other federal officials could be questioned out of court.
Now the question will be whether the high court delays or cancels its Feb. 19 oral argument on whether Ross can be deposed to assess his motives. The court could decide instead to hear the full case on the citizenship question this spring, since preparations for the Census are scheduled to begin this summer.
More: President Trump bets big on Supreme Court to uphold controversial policies after lower court losses
More: Supreme Court turns down Trump request to restart asylum ban
More: Federal appeals court rules against Trump administration effort to end DACA program
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/15/supreme-court-citizenship-question-census/2579017002/
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12:23 p.m.: The hearse bearing Wahlenmaier's body has arrived at Clovis District Cemetery. The graveside service is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
11:50 a.m.: The casket has been borne out of the church. Squad cars are making their way to Clovis District Cemetery, where a graveside service will be held.
The cemetery service will include a message from Monsignor John Moreton of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church. The family will be presented the flag from the casket, and a bagpiper will play "Amazing Grace."
After an aerial salute -- a helicopter flyover by law-enforcement helicopters -- and a release of doves, the ceremony will end with the traditional "logoff" for a fallen officer.
11:38 a.m.: Troy Stokes is among a crowd of people gathered at Herndon and Willow avenues, waiting to watch the funeral procession when it passes from Peoples Church to Clovis District Cemetery.
Asked why he felt it was important to watch the procession, Stokes cries. He says his father once worked in law enforcement, his brother is a Fresno County sheriff's deputy, and that one of his close friends was Erik Telen, a Fresno County deputy killed in an ambush in 2001.
"I take it kind of personally," Stokes says. "It was important to honor them."
Many in the crowd are friends and family of law enforcement or retired law enforcement personnel. Others said it was just important to be there to honor the fallen officers.
They stood and watched as Fresno firefighters used two ladder trucks to raise a 30-foot-wide American flag over Herndon Avenue.
11:27 a.m. Service ends. Family leaves their seats. Pallbearers gather around the casket.
11:25 a.m.: After Hale finishes his message, two members of the Sheriff's Office come forward, stand in front of the casket and salute.
11:15 a.m.: Sheriff's chaplain Bill Hale speaking. He asks rhetorically why God would allow the shooting to happen. The answer, he says: Freedom. Freedom to make choices and to follow your own path. "Sometimes," he says, "we suffer from the bad decisions other people make."
11:10 a.m.: Video tribute to Wahlenmaier is played to the tune of the Eagles' "Best of My Love."
11 a.m.: Terrance: "I as try to make sense of the events of the last week, I'm so thankful that Wally was in my life. I'm so thankful for his family. ..."
10:55 a.m.: Sheriff's Sgt. Arley Terrance is speaking. He remembers briefings with Wahlenmaier. "Wally could go on, as you've heard. ... He'd tell you what the guy was doing in first grade."
10:50 a.m.: Deputy Kent Jones is speaking. "The words 'I'm tired, I can't do it, I quit' were not in this man's vocabulary."
He says "Wally" loved to compete. He shares an anecdote about a pickup basketball game. Jones says even though Wahlenmaier was "a horrible basketball player," it didn't matter -- he competed on the court like a hockey player.
10:45 a.m.: McCormick says Wahlenmaier loved the outdoors and understood the wilderness. He talks about a memorable hunting trip he took with him.
"I wanted this to be a tradition, but now you're gone," McCormick says of the trip. "And I promise, buddy, that I will play the game just like you did."
10:35 a.m.: Deputy Jared McCormick talks about he and Wahlenmaier playing around with iPhones they had just received. A picture McCormick took of his friend that day is the last he has of Wahlenmaier.
10:30 a.m.: Deputy Joe Smith speaking. He says he was one of the law-enforcement officers who went to Wahlenmaier's family last Thursday to tell them of his death. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," Smith said.
He said Wahlenmaier's wife, Bev, said, "Joe, he was my rock. He was my everything." Smith, addressing Bev in the church's front row, said, "I didn't know what to say then, other than to hug you."
10:15 a.m.: Deputy Chris Curtice sings "I Believe," accompanied by guitarist Tony Quinn.
"I raise my hands, bow my head
I'm finding more and more truth in the words written in red
They tell me that there's more to life than just what I can see
Oh i believe"
10:18 a.m.: Chaplain Bill Hale offers a scripture and prayer.
10:12 a.m.: Sheriff Margaret Mims opens the service: "Today, we will offer a glimpse into a man who was kind, brave, honest and true."
9:05 a.m.: Up to 6,000 people are expected to attend the services for Joel Wahlenmaier. The capacity of Peoples Church is 2,500; tents are set up outside to handle the overflow. Attendees in the tents will be able to watch the service on video.
9:04 a.m.: Vehicles headed to this morning's service are affecting traffic throughout northeast Fresno. Traffic is backed up on northbound Highway 41 and on Herndon Avenue from Highway 41 to Highway 168.
Sheriff Margaret Mims will make an opening statement this morning at services for Fresno County sheriff's deputy Joel Wahlenmaier.
The service, which starts at 10 a.m. at Peoples Church, 7172 N. Cedar Ave., in Fresno, will include a funeral procession and prayers from Chaplain Bill Hale of the Sheriff's Office.
Wahlenmaier, 49, a Fresno resident and father of two, was one of two officers slain in a shootout Feb. 25 in Minkler.
A musical tribute will be presented by deputy Chris Curtice and Tony Quinn, followed by words of remembrance from deputies Joe Smith, Jared McCormick and Kent Jones, as well as Sgt. Arley Terrence.
Burial will take place after the service at Clovis District Cemetery. The procession route east from Peoples Church to the cemetery will mostly follow Herndon Avenue. The Highway 168 ramps to Herndon Avenue will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Motorists are advised to use the onramps and offramps at Bullard and Fowler avenues.
The Fresno County Sheriff's Office released a map of the procession: From Peoples Church, it will head east on Fir Avenue to Maple Avenue, south to Herndon Avenue, east to Peach Avenue, south to Sierra Avenue, east to Villa Avenue and north to the cemetery, located at the southwest corner of Villa and Herndon avenues.
Internment is scheduled for 2 p.m. Access to the cemetery will be limited.
According to the sheriff's office, eastbound traffic along Herndon between Cedar and Villa will be closed to through traffic following the funeral service and until the last member of the procession has turned south on Peach. Closures will occur at other intersections.
There also will be a private reception at the Veterans Memorial Building in Clovis at 3 p.m.
Contributions to the Joel Wahlenmaier Family Memorial Fund can be sent in care of the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Association, 1360 Van Ness Ave., Fresno, CA 93721.
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The “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” TV show reboot is coming to Clovis, California, in July, 10 years after it filmed in Fresno. “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson will host the HGTV program.
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Clovis double murder trial on hold: Judge rules McCann incompetent, sets drug therapy
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Sheikh Baqi: Our visit to Başûr was positive
General Secretary of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria, Jamal Sheikh Baqi, said, "our visit to Başûr Kurdistan was positive," noting that they discussed several important things for the unity of the Kurdish class and Afrin.
POLITICS 29 Jun 2019, Sat - 09:41 2019-06-29T09:41:00 AL-HASAKAH-OLVA HAJ MENSOR
Two days ago, the delegation of the Kurdish parties returned from Başûr Kurdistan, and during a press conference held in Başûr it confirmed that the visit was positive, and put forward several important things for the benefit of the Kurdish people and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.
On this visit, Hawar News Agency(ANHA) conducted an interview with the Secretary-General of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria, Jamal Sheikh Baqi, to highlight the results of their visit.
Sheikh Baqi explained at the outset that this visit came after a long period of resistance and victories that took place in the north and east of Syria, and reached a new stage, the occupation of Turkey to Afrin on the one hand, and the elimination of Daesh mercenaries on the other hand,
"Therefore, this requires the unity of the Kurdish forces of all the Kurdish parties who have regional and international connections, and have a great role in the political solution in Rojava, so that our visit's goal was to discuss these points, as well as to meet with other parties in the four parts of Kurdistan and to strengthen the development of political solutions. "
"The main topics discussed were the occupation of the territory of Afrin by the Turkish state, and how to stand up against these massacres and violations and the demographic change pursued by the Turkish occupation state in Afrin and to develop solutions to return Afrin to Syrian territory."
Turkey's plans extend beyond the boundaries of Başûr Kurdistan
Sheikh Baqi noted that the recent attacks on Başûr Kurdistan by the Turkish occupation under the pretext of fighting the Kurdistan Freedom Movement and the fight against the Democratic Union Party in Rojava, "Therefore, these attacks are not in Başûr on Kurdistan Freedom Movement and not on the Democratic Union Party in Rojava, but these the attacks are on the Kurdish movement and the Turkish state through these attacks aims to annihilate the Kurdish people in the four parts of Kurdistan. "
"Because its plans in Kirkuk and its attacks on Shengal and Başûr and its occupation of Afrin all show us that Erdogan, the AKP and the Turkish occupation state policy are to thwart the victories of the Kurdish people, especially after the message of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan."
The Secretary-General of the Kurdish Democratic Party of Syria, on their visit wanted to clarify these points and Erdogan cannot occupy Başûr and Iran can not occupy Rojava, "we must stand against the schemes of these countries, and unite our ranks and support each other and hold Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Conference."
He stressed that they discussed with many parties that the Kurdish people in Rojava is the victim of treacherous attacks and the responsibility of protecting the borders is not only on the people here, but it is the responsibility of all the forces of Kurdistan, and said, "we met with 20 political parties, some of them agree with our ideas, Rojava is now different from the old Rojava according to their ideas and opinions.
In conclusion, he said: "We will re-visit Başûr Kurdistan because our recent visit was positive."
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Stressful Events Can Age the Brain by up to 4 Years
Poorer thinking skills, a decline in memory—this is your brain on stress, a new study finds.
By Amanda MacMillan
Yuri Arcurs/Getty Images
Stressful life events—like being fired from a job, getting divorced, or fighting in a war—can age the brain by up to four years, according to a study presented yesterday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London. And the more stressful experiences people in the study had, the poorer their cognitive functioning was later in life.
The study, which has not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, also found that African Americans seem to be most at risk for stress-related brain changes. Not only did African-American study participants report more than 60% more stressful events than their white counterparts, but each individual experience was also linked to worse cognitive results.
RELATED: How to Stop Multitasking and Lower Stress
In white participants, each stressful experience was associated with brain changes equaling about a year and a half of normal brain aging, according to a report from NPR. In African Americans, each event aged the brain an average of four years.
While the study didn’t look for dementia symptoms specifically, the authors point out that the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is rising—and that minority communities are affected at disproportionate rates. "Adversity is a clear contributor to racial disparities in cognitive aging, and further study is imperative," said lead author Megan Zuelsdorff, PhD, a research associate at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in a press release.
The study involved a total of 82 African-American adults and 1,232 non-Hispanic white adults. All participants answered questions about stressful experiences throughout their lives, including educational difficulties, interpersonal conflicts, financial insecurity, legal or justice-system issues, serious health events, and psychological or physical trauma. They also completed cognitive tests that measured memory and problem-solving abilities.
Both groups—the African American participants and the white participants—were highly educated, and the groups did not differ in terms of average age (58), years of school, or the percentage of people who carried the APOE-e4 gene, a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
Despite these similarities, the African Americans reported an average of 4.5 stressful events throughout life, compared to just 2.8 reported by white participants. Such experiences were linked to poorer memory and thinking skills for people in both groups, but the effect was magnified for African Americans. In fact, Zuelsdorff said, past adverse events predicted African Americans’ cognitive function more strongly than well-known risk factors like age, education, and genetics.
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"Our findings reaffirm the effect of stress on cognitive health and disparities,” the authors wrote in their study abstract. They emphasize the need for “targeted interventions” to eliminate differences in risk factors across racial groups, and specifically for people in disadvantaged populations.
This isn’t the first study to link stress and cognitive problems, or to suggest that it may raise the risk of dementia. A 2015 study in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders found that adults who perceived themselves to be under the most stress were 30% more likely to have early cognitive impairment, even after accounting for depression symptoms, age, gender, race, education, and genetic risk factors.
RELATED: 25 Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Stress can affect hormone levels in the body and reduces the density of nerve cells in the brain, the study authors said at the time. It can also impair immune functioning and may contribute to the development of protein “plaques” in the brain, both of which have been linked to Alzheimer’s development.
But the 2015 findings also suggested that a person's perception of stress may have more influence on future brain health than the actual events themselves, the authors added. That means that finding ways to reduce stress—including cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation and yoga, biofeedback, or even just getting enough sleep—may have a protective effect.
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As one of Texas’ largest news organizations, Houston Chronicle publishes print and online products in English and Spanish, including mobile apps and sites, direct mail, commercial print and experiential marketing programs.
U.S. Oil Production Surpasses 12 Million Barrel a Day Mark
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As the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first man on the moon this week, the Houston Chronicle explores the future of space exploration and NASA's future missions.
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Hearst Buzz
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@HoustonChron
Houston church turns into Shift Christian Lounge at night https://t.co/sFUms20JEY
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The Houston Chronicle, one of the largest newspapers in the United States, was founded in 1901 and was acquired by Hearst in 1987. In addition to delivering in-depth coverage of local issues, the Houston Chronicle is committed to covering state, national and international news. The newspaper operates a news bureau in Washington, D.C., that provides coverage of issues of special interest to residents of Houston and Texas. As one of Texas’ largest news organizations, it publishes print and on-line products in English and Spanish including mobile apps and sites, direct mail, commercial print and experiential marketing programs.
In addition to the Houston Chronicle's 825,000 daily readers and 1.4 million readers on Sunday, Chron.com, is widely regarded as one of the top newspaper websites and averages nearly 95 million page views and 15 million unique visitors each month.
John C. McKeon
Executive Vice President, Hearst Newspapers & President, Texas Newspapers
Jack Sweeney
Chairman, Houston Chronicle
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CJS is a premier center for the advanced study of Jewish history, literature and culture. Our graduates pursue careers in academia, the rabbinate, education, and community service.
Students in this concentration study Jewish history, culture, and literature from antiquity until the present. Students are trained in theoretical approaches such as literary and cultural criticism as well as historical and sociological analysis. Students acquire general competence in the history of Judaism from late antiquity to the present. Resources are particularly strong for study in rabbinics, medieval Jewish history, Jewish-Christian interactions, and Eastern European Jewish literature and culture. Students may focus on themes such as language, translation, secularization, gender,...
Students in this concentration focus on a comparison of two or more theological approaches to topics in the field of ethics. Using descriptive and/or conceptual methods, students explore major moral teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other traditions; engage in studies of social, business, health care, feminist, or sexual ethics; and address specific concerns or particular moral problems across these traditions.
Students in this concentration study literature, literary theory, and religious studies, paying special attention to the intersections among these disciplines. Students are expected to demonstrate mastery of a literary genre or period (e.g. Romantic poetry, the modernist novel) and critical methodologies relevant for studying religion and literature. Resources are available for study in fields such as literary theory, philosophy and literature, poetics, the Bible and Western literature, literature and the environment, American literature, the novel, Yiddish literature, and translation...
(-) Remove Naomi Sheindel Seidman filter Naomi Sheindel Seidman
(-) Remove Deena Aranoff filter Deena Aranoff
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What's Your Manny IQ?
Nicollette Sheridan has won a worldwide audience with her past television and film roles. She has exploded on the small screen with her Golden Globe nominated role of Edie Britt, the hilarious and audacious bombshell of Wisteria Lane, on ABC's hit show "Desperate Housewives." Sheridan was honored in her native England, receiving the 2006 Glamour Women of the Year Award for Best U.S. TV Actress, adding to her back-to-back 2005-2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Born and raised in England, Sheridan discovered a passion for ballet as a small child and studied furiously, broadening her love of the arts as a student at the Arts Educational School in London. In addition to theatre, she nurtured her talents as an avid equestrienne along with a rigorous thirst for reading and a love of Shakespeare.
Moving to Los Angeles and being courted to explore her talents was a natural progression. Sheridan became a household name portraying the beautiful, powerful, and manipulative Paige Matheson on "Knots Landing." This led to a myriad of other roles, including those in "The People Next Door" with Faye Dunaway, "A Time To Heal" opposite Gary Cole, "Indictment: The McMartin Trial" with James Woods, and "Dead Husbands" with John Ritter, along with a special guest appearance on the season finale of "Will & Grace."
Sheridan was first introduced to film audiences in Rob Reiner's "The Sure Thing" opposite John Cusack, going on to appear in other film comedies such as "Noises Off" opposite Michael Caine, "Spy Hard" opposite Leslie Nielsen, and "Beverly Hills Ninja" with Chris Farley and Chris Rock. With an affinity for the animated world, she has brought her English accent to the Disney animated series "Tarzan and Jane" and was also heard as a Russian fly in the animated feature "Fly Me to the Moon" with Tim Curry, Kelly Ripa, Christopher Lloyd, and Buzz Aldrin. Sheridan starred in the Hallmark Channel Original Movie "Honeymoon for One" and the recently released "Jewtopia."
Additionally, Sheridan completed voicing the role of "Zenna" in Promenade Pictures' animated film "Noah’s Arc: The New Beginning," in which she stars opposite Michael Keaton, Rob Schneider, Marcia Gay Harden, and Sir Ben Kingsley.
Generous with her time, Sheridan has lent her devotion and star presence to philanthropic causes including those focused on cancer, women and children at risk, and natural disaster relief, as well as such entities as the Red Cross, Humane Society, Last Chance for Animals, Best Friends Animal Society, and The Amanda Foundation. Sheridan teamed up with Natural Balance Pet Foods to raise money for National Guide Dog Awareness Month.
She currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
All Yours Cast
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Is Homefront Possible?
The controversial plot is more plausible than you think.
By Colin Moriarty
Posted: 10 Mar 2011 12:59 am
Predicting the future can be a precarious ordeal. Just ask the developers at Kaos Studios, the minds behind the upcoming first-person shooter Homefront. In Homefront
Homefront - PC
, gamers are exposed to a dark, dreary world set in the late 2020s where a unified Korea has overtaken the United States.
In this fictional future, the United States has declined, its power and prestige completely disintegrated. The world's economy has spiraled out of control, largely due to a war between Iran and Saudi Arabia that sends gas prices sky-high. Meanwhile, the most unlikely of foils rises to the fore in the form of a unified Korea under the leadership of the North Korean cult of personality. After taking over much of East Asia, Korea sets its sights on the United States. And by detonating a space-borne EMP, obliterating the United States' electronic infrastructure, Korea is easily able to land troops in Hawaii, along the western seaboard and in the midwest.
North+Korean+Power
But could North Korea really pull off an invasion of the United States? Even in fifteen years when the events of Homefront take place, it seems at best to be an extremely unlikely scenario. Yet, there's a level of plausibility here that can't be ignored. After all, no one could have expected that Nazi Germany would take over much of Europe only 10 years after suffering from crippling inflation the likes of which the world had never even remotely seen before. If history has proven one thing, it's that the unlikely and implausible can quickly turn into something all too real.
North+Korea,+as+it+looks+today.
North Korea has been an officially-recognized sovereign nation ever since the 1953 armistice cooled the Korean War and split the peninsula in two. After losing its only steady trading partner upon the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, however, North Korea's situation went from somewhat steady to outright horrific. Twenty years later, North Korea is unable to feed its own population without huge amounts of foreign aid, create industry for any sort of cohesive economy, or prove to the international community that it can be trusted. The country contains a rogue nuclear program and, worse yet, prison camps that purportedly hold hundreds of thousands of its own citizens. How can a country as impoverished, despised and friendless as North Korea possibly rise to the level of a successful imperial force?
Tae Kim, an ex-CIA intelligence officer who worked closely with Kaos Studios in developing the game's fictional future history, explained to me that it's not quite as unlikely as you'd think. It all starts with reunifying the Korean peninsula. "Some may argue that peaceful unification would be impossible," Kim said, "but it was only 11 years ago that Koreans thought the two countries were just a few steps from peaceful unification." Kim is referring to the Inter-Korean Summit that occurred in 2000, when "Kim Jong-Il enjoyed a higher approval rating in South Korea than the South Korean president." In Homefront, unification happens peacefully, premised on the what-if that nearly happened back in 2000. "In the future history of Homefront, a unified Korea elects Kim Jong-un. By the time people realize that he is a worse dictator than his father, it's too late."
Rapid+Annexation
With the idea of reunifying the fractured Korean peninsula out of the way, Korea begins to annex weaker countries all around it. As Tae Kim explained to me, the Korean model is based off of Japan's imperial activities in East Asia during World War II. But there's a difference between the Japanese experience and North Korea's hypothetical conquest.
Korea+takes+a+similar+imperial+path+as+Japan+in+World+War+II.
Kim cleared this up. "In Homefront's fiction... countries join not out of fear, but due to a necessity brought on by an ongoing global crisis. Major economic downturn and an oil crisis caused by the war between Iran and Saudi Arabia leaves the Asian countries with no one to turn to." That's where a unified Korea comes into play, offering a degree of stability in an ever-decaying world. Korea's power is derived from newfound strength in numbers, and they use it to collectively make themselves a player on the world stage.
The+Ultimate+Oil+Crisis
The interrelated oil crisis and economic downturn play key parts in the fiction leading up to the events of Homefront. The trailer released some time ago talks about heinously expensive gas that foreshadows armed conflict between Korea and the United States, but David Votypka, the general manager of Kaos Studios, explained that it was during the creation of their first game that oil's affect on foreign policy was fully realized by the development team. "When we worked on Frontlines, we studied peak oil a lot," Votypka told me, "and we came to understand how deeply that would affect the world." Once America has been victimized by a tangible economic interruption due to difficulties in obtaining affordable oil, it's likely that everything would unravel from there. And that's precisely what happens in Homefront.
Homefront imagines a domino effect that could destroy America's economy and make it susceptible to outside forces in a way it would have never been possible otherwise. Expensive fuel would be the catalyst. "There would be a breaking point in the economies of scale," Kim explained, "where it no longer makes sense to produce various good or provide services. It would trigger a massive inflation followed by a massive devaluation of currency." Kim admits that the outlook for a society dependent on oil would be bleak in the situation Homefront describes. "If we took out both Iran and Saudi Arabia's oil production in the world," Kim admits, "$20 for gas may actually turn out to be a bargain."
And+you+thought+gas+was+expensive+in+2008.
Clearly, Kaos' fictional timeline is far more likely than some might expect. Failing economies, worthless currency and a bona fide oil crisis are more threatening than any foreign army. And in a situation where all three are occurring at full-steam and at the same time, the U.S. would be at its weakest.
DeveloperKaos Studios
PublisherTHQ
Release DateMarch 15, 2011
PlatformsXbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
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You are here: HMC > Featured > Schools call in therapists as stress soars among pupils
Schools call in therapists as stress soars among pupils
23 March 2015Posted by Heidi Salmons
The Sunday Times, 22/03/15, head teachers said this weekend that, as well as hiring counsellors and holding mindfulness and meditation lessons, they were working with psychiatrists and therapists at private hospitals such as the Priory clinics.
Former HMC Chairman Bernard Trafford, headmaster of The Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and HMC member Andrew Halls, headmaster of King's College School, Wimbledon are quoted.
Bernard Trafford, headmaster of the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne, said he employed two full-time counsellors and mental health problems were affecting almost every school.
“At least one in 10 children will suffer from a mental health disorder in their school career,” he said. “That’s three in every class in every school. It’s getting worse. All the top private schools are seeing an increase. We are dealing with a very concerning situation.
“We are seeing new cases every week. Every year we will have one child on suicide watch and we sit with them until help arrives. We use experts all the time.”
Andrew Halls, head at King’s College School, Wimbledon, said: “All heads think, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’ You would be amazed how many schools have a significant number of pupils seeing someone at the Priory.” It is not only teenagers who are suffering. The first prep schools conference to address the issue will take place in London this week and will hear that young children are also affected. Gerard Silverlock, headmaster at King’s College Junior School and the event organiser, said high anxiety levels had been seen among six-year-olds tutored to pass entrance tests for elite schools. Silverlock has taken on a psychotherapist who works with pupils at 10 schools.
The expressions of concern come as The Sunday Times continues its campaign to improve the mental health of Britain’s schoolchildren. More than 17,000 children were admitted as emergency psychiatric cases last year, twice the number of four years ago.
The government yesterday announced an extra £1.25bn to improve mental health services, including children’s treatment programmes.
Halls said the mounting mental health problem was, in part, driven by children in leading schools being “surrounded by a culture of extraordinary achievement. They want to go to Oxford or Cambridge. They want to get excellent A-levels. They want to get a first,” he said. “They live their lives online 24/7. They worry about jobs. The pressures on them of 21st century life are enormous.”
Other children suffer as a result of their parents battling in bitter divorces.
Annie Hart, 18, a high-achieving pupil from West Sussex, believes the pressure exerted on her to take some of her GCSEs at the age of 13 precipitated her mental illness which led to self-harm.
“It just wasn’t age appropriate to enter a child for GCSEs age 13. It was a big stress,” said Hart, who had to wait 10 weeks before being seen by the school counsellor and spent time on an adult ward in hospital because there was no space in a children’s unit.
Kate Marshall, 19, was a pupil at a private girls’ school in London when, at the age of 13, she began having panic attacks. Seven years on and about to go to Cambridge University, she is still having therapy. “I was withdrawn and very stressed about things in school in my early teens,” she said. “There was a lot of pressure on pupils to get good grades. We were expected to be perfectly formed adults but we were just children.”
As well as sessions with a NHS therapist, Marshall’s father, who works in the City, paid for private treatment at a Priory clinic. She believes the problem of mental illness among children is widespread. “There is pressure from schools because you are expected to do well. You are told that if you do not pass your exams you are a failure and you will not do anything in life,” she said.
Dr Nihara Krause, a consultant psychologist who works with about 60 state and private schools, said early intervention was critical.
“One case I am working with involves a 17-year-old who first developed depression at the age of 13 after being bullied,” she said. “Now she is self-harming and has developed bulimia. That’s a serious condition that could take a long time to sort out. If it had been picked up earlier, it might not have got to this stage.”
Early intervention helped Marcus, a pupil at the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, when he tried to take his life two years ago. The teenager, a brilliant pupil from a broken home, was referred first to the school’s doctor and then an emergency response team after a concerned friend sounded the alarm. Weekly therapy sessions have helped — though it took 18 months for Marcus to feel better and he is now at university.
“Depression can be caused by lots of things — if you are not confident, if you haven’t got friends, if you have been bullied,” he said.
“A major factor can be expectation, which is why a lot of high achievers have the same struggle. I got a string of top grades at GCSE, but I just felt like I’d done what I had to do and so I wasn’t happy or proud. You end up always considering yourself a failure.”
The Sunday Times is campaigning for teachers to receive training to spot the early signs of mental health problems and to ensure that every child at risk is seen by a mental health specialist within a fortnight.
The campaign also calls for every pupil to have access to a counsellor who will liaise with specialist NHS mental health services if a child is at risk.
Some names have been changed to protect pupils’ identities.
Read the full article © The Sunday Times
RT @rgsheadmaster: This is just one more example of partnership and outreach work being part of our every day commitment to the wider commu…
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Adelaide Philosophical Society. Subject "The Comet"…
Adelaide Philosophical Society. Paper read on Tuesday evening, January 31, 1865 by C. Todd, Esq., F.R.A.S. Subject - "The Comet".
TODD, Charles.
Adelaide: W.K. Thomas, 1865.
Quarto, single leaf, fine.
Grumblings towards an Adelaide observatory
Fascinating and rare separately-printed paper on the state of science in colonial Australia. This short yet detailed report was prepared by Charles Todd (1826–1910), formerly assistant mathematician at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, who emigrated to South Australia to assist the implementation of the overland telegraph. Todd reports that due to his huge workload on the telegraph he has not been able to identify the comet recently observed in Adelaide with any previously recorded.
The article is effectively a proposal for a proper observatory in Adelaide, to be fitted out with telescope and transit circle at the cost of £1200, plus expenses associated with freighting this delicate equipment from London and installing it in a suitable premises. The article mentions another Adelaide scientist of note, Benjamin Herschel Babbage (son of the inventor of modern computing) who likewise laments the lack of a proper telescope in Adelaide.
This printing is rare and is held in only two Australian public collections (State Library of South Australia and the National Library). Ferguson mentions a third copy held by the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at the University of Sydney, although the status of this copy cannot be readily ascertained.
Ferguson, 17191.
Price (AUD): $550.00 other currencies Ref: #4008992
Add to Cart Inquire Copy Link Add to Wish List
See all items by Charles TODD
Discreet stamp of the New York State Library to reverse blank margin.
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HouseOfNames > Maniscalco
Maniscalco History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Maniscalco
The Maniscalco name is derived from the word "maniscalco," meaning "marshall," from medieval Latin mariscalcus, marescalcus; as such it was likely an occupational name.
Early Origins of the Maniscalco family
The surname Maniscalco was first found in Bergamo in Lombardy, capital of the province of Bergamo, home to the Romanesque church of S.Maria Maggiore that is filled with fine art. The Piazza Garibaldi has notable architecture. From 1264 it was under Milan, but in 1428 it became Venetian. In those ancient times only persons of rank, the podesta, clergy, city officials, army officers, artists, landowners were entered into the records. To be recorded at this time, at the beginning of recorded history, was of itself a great distinction and indicative of noble ancestry.
Early History of the Maniscalco family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maniscalco research.
Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1418, 1425, 1819 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Maniscalco History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Maniscalco Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Miniscalchi, Maniscalchi, Manicucci, Manniscucci, Minicucci and many more.
Early Notables of the Maniscalco family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Maniscalco Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Maniscalco family to the New World and Oceana
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Maniscalco Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
Antonino Maniscalco, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from Roccamena, in 1897
Antonio Maniscalco, aged 15, who immigrated to America, in 1897
Benedetto Maniscalco, aged 15, who immigrated to the United States from Burgio, in 1899
Antonino Maniscalco, aged 47, who landed in America from Villavranca Licula, in 1902
Alberto Maniscalco, aged 18, who immigrated to America from Sciacca, in 1903
Accursio Maniscalco, aged 44, who settled in America from Sciacco, in 1906
Antonino Maniscalco, aged 35, who settled in America from Alessandria Rocca, Sicily, in 1908
Agata Maniscalco, aged 11, who immigrated to the United States from Palermo, Sicily, in 1909
Contemporary Notables of the name Maniscalco (post 1700)
Sebastian Maniscalco, American stand-up comedian
Anthony C. Maniscalco, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Gurnee, Illinois, 2009 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Albert V. Maniscalco (1908-1998), American Democrat politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Richmond County 2nd District, 1939-42; Borough President of Richmond, New York, 1955-65 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Fabio Maniscalco (1965-2008), Italian archaeologist
Maniscalco Family Crest Products
Maniscalco Armorial History With Coat of Arms
Maniscalco Coat of Arms & Surname History Package
Maniscalco Family Crest Image (jpg) Heritage Series
Maniscalco Coat of Arms/Family Crest Key-chain
Maniscalco Coat of Arms/Family Crest Coffee Mug
Maniscalco Armorial History with Frame
Maniscalco Framed Surname History and Coat of Arms
^ The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Alan Singer, Contributor
Social studies educator, Hofstra University, my opinions, of course, are my own
Opposition Rallies Against Plan To Put Unqualified People In Classrooms
BigEducationApe
“Non-profit” charter school networks with support from hedge fund investors and political allies push to grow at expense of public schools.
Politically influential charter school operators in the State of New York are on the verge of pushing through an administrative ruling that eliminates the requirement that children attending their schools be taught by certified teachers. This is happening at the same time that support for charter schools across the nation is in steep decline, probably because of Donald Trump’s endorsement of charter schools and private-school vouchers. According to a recent public opinion poll the growing opposition to charter schools is bipartisan. Support among Republicans declined by 13%. Democratic support for charter schools dropped by 11%.
The Network for Public Education and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) are organizing parents, teachers, and the public to flood the SUNY Trustees and the SUNY Charter Schools Institute with protests against the certification waiver proposal. Their opposition to the waiver is supported by the Deans of Schools of Education at eighteen colleges in the State University of New York system.
Comments can be submitted online or mailed to Charter Schools Institute, State University of New York, 41 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207 by September 10. You can also sign the NYSUT email letter. More information is available at the United University Professionals website.
The Charter School teacher “decertification plan” is under review by political appointees on a sub-committee of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY). The SUNY Charter Schools Institute is interpreting its authority to ensure the “Governance, structure and operations of SUNY authorized charter schools” as authorization to eliminate teacher certification requirements. It calls the proposal alternative certification, but it allows charters to declare anyone they want to be a teacher. In a series of Huffington Posts I explained why this decertification proposal is a threat to public education and the political forces and financial donors behind the charter school plan. In this post I examine whether the people hired under this waiver are qualified to teach children.
The SUNY Charter Schools Institute is mandated to authorize, oversee, and assess charter school applications and performance. It is supposed to approve and renew charter schools that demonstrate “they can improve student performance and operate in a fiscally and organizationally sound manner,” requirements that suggest decisions will be made based on hard data, not political expedience.
Below are excerpts from the proposed Teacher Certification Compliance waiver. My comments, in italics, follow each section.
1. Education corporations may submit to the institute an Instructional Program . . . for teachers that meets the requirements of this Section. The requirements of an approved Instructional Program under this section are to be considered equivalent to the certification requirements applicable to other public schools of the state . . . Are they equivalent?
2. If the institute has denied an application or revoked or closed an Instructional Program, the applicant must wait at least 120 days before any reapplication . . . Failed charter school networks and totally inadequate certification plans can reapply for the waiver every four months.
3. At least one of the applicant’s schools must have received a renewal of at least three years; or if none of the applicant’s schools has been renewed, but at least one school has completed its third year of operation, such school must demonstrate that it: as met 75 percent of its accountability plan measures; or, if that standard is not applicable, is on track for at least a renewal of three years as determined by the institute . . . The entire charter school network can be failing, but if one of the network’s schools looks like it may satisfy 75% of its accountability plan, the network can get the teacher certification waiver.
4. The applicant shall maintain high standards for candidates including completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (or the equivalent thereof). Provided that, an exception may be made for extraordinary candidates with a cumulative grade point average below 3.0 . . . You can hire anyone you want as long as you call them “extraordinary.” The grade requirement for teacher certification does not apply to your employees.
5. 30 instructional hours of classroom instruction, including content core study and pedagogical core study, which shall provide the necessary knowledge base, understanding, and skills for teaching students in the respective grade levels, and in the respective subject area(s), for the certification being sought . . . Equivalence? University-based teacher certification programs for Master’s degree candidates who already satisfy content area requirements are 250 hours plus 100 hours in conjunction with course work plus full-time student teaching of approximately 450 hours of supervised by people who are certified to teach in the area.
6. 100 hours of field experience appropriate to the certification being sought, with the candidate primarily responsible for classroom instruction, and under supervision of an experienced teacher including someone who has successfully completed an Instructional Program approved by the institute . . . uncertified teachers . . . and people who have two years of satisfactory experience through the Teach for America or similar programs . . . . Field experience supervisors do not have to be certified teachers.
7. Instructional Program instructors must . . . be an uncertified teacher with three years teaching experience who possesses a track record of success based on student outcomes; or, be an administrator of the applicant . . . Instructors can be uncertified teachers or your boss who may have never taught or taken an education class.
8. Assessment methods may include, but need not be limited to, testing, portfolio reviews, or demonstration of pedagogical knowledge and skills, and shall include a final assessment utilizing one or more such method to determine whether the candidate has satisfactorily demonstrated the competencies included in the Instructional Program . . . Waiver “teachers” can be exempted from state certification exams.
9. Applicant shall obtain a signed affirmation from each candidate acknowledging that the candidate has been informed by the applicant and is aware that the certification the candidate will receive pursuant to this Section is not transferrable to any education corporation / charter school not authorized by the board of trustees or to any district school, and may not be recognized as a teacher certification under regulations of the state commissioner of education . . . This is not a genuine teacher certification so you will not be eligible to use it to teach in regular public schools.
No grade requirements. No exams. No real classes or supervision. Not real certification. Not qualified teachers. This is not done for the kids.
Follow Alan Singer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReecesPieces8
U.S. News New York 7 12 Education Computer Certification State University Of New York
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borrowing & borrowing & lending borrowing & lending
pledge of shares pledge of shares of stock pledge of shares of stock
Pledge of Shares of Stock
BE IT KNOWN, for value received, the undersigned___________________ (Pledgor) of ______________________ hereby deposits, delivers to and pledges with ______________________ (Pledges) of_______________________ as collateral security to secure the payment of the following described debt owed to Pledgee:
The share of stock, described as ________ shares of stock of _____________________________________________ (Corporation) represented as Stock Certificates No(s) ___________________.
It is further agreed:
1. Pledgee may assign or transfer said debt and the collateral pledged hereunder to any third party.
2. In the event a stock dividend or further issue of stock in the Corporation is issued to the Pledgor, the Pledgor shall pledge said shares as additional collateral for the debt.
3. That during the term of this pledge agreement, and so long as it is not in default, the Pledgor shall have full rights to vote said shares and be entitled to all dividends income, except that stock dividends shall also be pledged.
4. That during the pendency of this agreement, the Pledgor shall not issue any proxy or assignment of rights to the pledged shares.
5. The Pledgor warrants and represents it has good title to the shares being pledge, they are free from liens and encumbrances or prior pledge, and the Pledgor has full authority to transfer said shares as collateral security.
6. Upon default of payment of the debt, or breach of this pledge agreement, the Pledgee or holder shall have full rights to foreclose on the pledged shares and exercise its rights as a secured party pursuant to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code; and said rights being cumulative with any other rights the Pledgee or holder may have against the Pledgor.
The Pledgor understands that upon foreclosure the pledged shares may be sold at public auction or public sale. The Pledgor shall be provided reasonable notice of any said intended sale and the Pledgor shall have full rights to redeem said shares at any time prior to said sale upon payment of the balance due hereunder, and accrued costs of collection. In the event the shares shall be sold for less than the amount then owing, the Pledgor shall be liable for any deficiency.
Upon payment of the obligation for which the shares are pledged, the shares shall be returned to the Pledgor and this pledge agreement shall be terminated.
This pledge agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors, assigns and personal representatives.
Upon default the Pledgor shall pay all reasonable attorneys' fees and cost of collections.
Signed this _____ day of _________________, 20_____.
Pledgor
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Trailers from Hell: Joe Dante on John Gilling’s Odd & Underappreciated ‘The Gamma People’
Trailers from Hell: Joe Dante on John Gilling's Odd & Underappreciated 'The Gamma People'
It's "Strange People!" week at Trailers from Hell, and director Joe Dante introduces "one of the oddest and least appreciated of all '50s genre films": John Gilling's "The Gamma People." Trailer and commentary below.
John Gilling's odd Euro sci-fi-fantasy has pretty much slipped through the cracks since it was issued as a co-feature to the (pretty good) CIA-funded 1956 incarnation of 1984. This used to be a late night tv staple but today it's missing in action even on homevideo. Politics, parody and horror collide in what still ranks as one of the oddest and least appreciated of all 50's genre films, despite some engaging contributions by cast and crew.
This Article is related to: News and tagged Joe Dante, Trailers, Video
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Iranian Woman Protest Mandatory Hijab Sentenced to Two Years in Prison
London, 08 Mar - An Iranian woman who publically removed her headscarf in Tehran has been sentenced to two years in prison, according to Iran's state-run news agencies.
Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said that the woman, who he did not identify, was attempting to "encourage corruption through the removal of the hijab in public."
The Mizan Online news agency, which is affiliated with the Iranian judiciary, also didn’t name the woman in its reports, but indicated that she would appeal.
Iran Detains 35 Women Attempting to Attend Football Game
London, 02 Mar - Iran has detained 35 women for attempting to attend a football match on Thursday, March 1.
The match, between Tehran teams Esteqlal and Persepolis at the Azadi (Freedom) stadium, was being attended by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and Iranian Sport Minister Masoud Soltanifar, which is why women's rights activists called for female football fans to attend.
They believed that this protest against the sexist ban on women attending men’s football games, which has been in place since the mullahs took power in 1979, would have extra prominence with Infantino there and attract the FIFA chief’s attention to the issue.
Why Maryam Rajavi Believes That Compulsory Veiling Is Wrong
In a previous piece on the Iranian Resistance's commitment to gender equality, we highlighted the ten areas that Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) believe are essential to achieving equality of men and women in Iran.
One of those areas was clothing, specifically the right of women to choose their own attire without interference from the government, and we want to explain why Maryam Rajavi believes it is essential to gender equality in Iran.
Mandatory hijab introduction
Following the 1979 revolution, the Iranian Regime introduced mandatory hijab in Iran, which meant that women needed to be veiled in public. At the time, Iranian women rallied against the introduction of the law and the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), a member group of the NCRI, organised demonstrations against it.
Violent Attacks Against Women Protesting the Hijab Continue
London, 28 Feb - In recent days, women have been brutalized and arrested by the regime’s forces as they protest wearing the compulsory veil.
These actions are vehemently condemned by Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in an article published on February 27th, 2018.
Calling on Iran’s youth, and the sisterhood of women, The NCRI Women’s Committee are pleading that the Revolutionary Guard and the regime’s security forces not be allowed to apprehend the protesting women.
Paris Conference Entitled, "Women Force for Change, Iran Uprising and the Role of Women"
London, 19 Feb - Dozens of prominent women including political personalities, lawmakers, jurists, judges, and women’s rights advocates from five continents participated in a conference entitled, “Women Force for Change, Iran Uprising and the Role of Women,” held in Paris on Saturday, February 17, 2018, in the presence of the President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi. A delegation of mothers of martyrs, a delegation of Iranian women’s associations and rights activists, as well as a delegation of youth supporting the Iranian Resistance were among the speakers to the conference.
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SWIFT scandal exposes privacy vulnerabilities
Briony Smith
Published: April 3rd, 2007
The Privacy Commissioner says her investigation into the SWIFT cross-border data flow debacle has revealed a loophole that has some privacy advocates — and the Commissioner herself — flustered.
A New York Times article last June revealed that, according to Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart’s Report of Findings, “the United States Treasury used administrative subpoenas to access tens of thousands of records from (financial messaging services and interface software vendor Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication)” for anti-terrorism purposes.
Stoddart found that SWIFT had a substantial connection to Canada through its dealings with Canadian financial institutions. Last August she launched her first investigation into an organization outside of Canada, according to Kris Klein, litigation counsel for the Privacy Commissioner’s office. “This was groundbreaking in that we were dealing with a multinational company,” he said.
The American government obtained the information via a subpoena. Under PIPEDA, this made it acceptable, according to the Report of Findings. “Our Act has a provision that we respect subpoenas. We determined that these subpoenas were indeed valid and legal subpoenas,” said Klein. “PIPEDA provides for exceptions. It’s not as if SWIFT is selling the information.”
Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic executive director Philippa Lawson commended Stoddart’s work. “The finding that SWIFT is subject to Canadian privacy law is a real step forward, and the fact that (Stoddart) did such a thorough investigation is commendable,” said Lawson.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has at times come under fire for being ineffectual, but Terry McQuay, president of the Toronto-based privacy risk management firm Nymity, said that these findings indicate that the Privacy Commissioner can do a thorough investigation. “She is tough but fair, with a balanced approach to business and consumers,” he said.
Klein said that the Privacy Commissioner herself, however, is still “very troubled” by the fact that Canadian information was distributed to the United States Treasury using this method. The Privacy Commissioner would prefer to make use of the more privacy-protective guidelines of existing regimes like Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) to prevent countries from using subpoenas and other legal methods to get around PIPEDA breaches, he said.
Lawson feels that the Privacy Commissioner “hasn’t really acknowledged the enormity of the loophole in the law. This interpretation of Canadian law allows for foreign governments to do an end-run around Canadian privacy law. If the abuse comes from foreign governments, we’re out of luck, as long as the foreign government requires it. There’s nothing we can do about it, even if it violates PIPEDA. It’s a big loophole,” she said.
McQuay, however, said that there is no loophole in PIPEDA. “(The Act’s) fine. There isn’t a loophole — it reflects how (subpoena) laws work around the world.”
Lawson also said that she was unhappy with the lack of thoroughness in inspecting the actual subpoenas from the United States Treasury. She said, “They needed to inquire in a meaningful way whether, in fact, the were lawful. They left it up to the Americans to challenge that.”
Threats can come from the homefront, too, Lawson said, as Canadian companies can outsource to countries whose questionable data protection laws could be compromise Canadians’ information. “We can be very vulnerable. The law does a reasonably good job protecting us from foreign non-state privacy invasions, but not from foreign states,” said Lawson.
The Privacy Commissioner plans on writing a letter to the Minister of Finance to advocate using FINTRAC-type regimes in dealing with these types of situations, and, in turn, encourage the United States government to abide by them as well. Said Klein: “Our ultimate goal is to encourage America to use the existing (FINTRAC) framework.”
He admits that such a change is a hard one to effect. Klein said, “There is no overnight mechanism. FINTRAC isn’t perfect either. But we need better built-in privacy mechanisms than the private sector (provides).”
While Lawson commends the Privacy Commissioner’s office for its commitment to putting pressure on the Minister of Finance to effect change, she is leery of the outcome. “I don’t think the United States is going to care,” she said, although she thinks that encouraging public discourse about the matter-including public forums and research done by academics and public interest groups-could raise awareness about the issue and perhaps help effect change.
The tide of data breaches seems to be rising; Klein admits that there are “more and more” problems with trans-border data flow. He said that the Privacy Commissioner is making a real effort to work with other Privacy Commissioners to try and keep on top of these types of situations, but that, for now, “we’ll have to do our best in the existing regime,” he said.
Comment: info@itbusiness.ca
Xerox launches 40GB
Tumbling along
Microsoft Teams gets new features, now has 13 million daily active users
Most SMBs still terrible at developing an online presence despite obvious benefits, BDC study says
CATA appoints Suzanne Grant as interim CEO following passing of John Reid
Hashtag Trending – Elon Musk and your brain, sneaky TurboTax, robots eyeing our jobs
Change and Unlearning in a world swiftly moving towards data collaboration
Mastercard and Zoho expand partnership to provide tools on a global scale
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Official blog of writer James J. Caterino, author of "Fireflies", "Fantastic Stories", "Watch the Skies", "The Last Neanderthal", the "Caitlin Star" series, and much more.
Newest Book
Books by James J. Caterino
Kate Beckinsale a triple threat talent
She is a serious, dramatic actress who has carried epic blockbusters, shined in quirky, independent films and has a track record of delivering consistent, high level, Oscar caliber performances.
She is a formidable action hero with an electric presence who can lead a franchise. She is capable of performing wicked stunt sequences and fight scenes with a savage, visceral intensity that deifies her diminutive physical size. There is a simmering eroticism to her action sequences that is seductively unique.
Oh, and yes, she is also one of the most photographed women in the world, a Maxim Magazine superstar, and a yearly top contender for just about any “sexiest woman” contest or list that exists.
It almost seems to defy reality that one woman can possess each of these attributes, but Kate Beckinsale embodies all of the above and more. The London born actress is one of the most versatile talents ever to arrive in Hollywood. The only other actress working today with even a comparable range would be the equally formidable Milla Jovovich.
After garnering praise for a variety roles in her native Britain, including a starring role in an adaptation of Jane Austen's “Emma”, Beckinsale came to Hollywood.. The British beauty showed her impressive acting chops right away by taking on an unsympathetic character and delivering a nuanced and complex a performance in Whit Stillman’s 1998 independent film “The Last Days of Disco”.
A year later she co-starred with recent Emmy winner Claire Danes in “Brokedown Palace”, a harrowing drama about two teenage Americans forced to deal with the Thai justice system on a post-graduation trip over seas. But it was two years later in “Pearl Harbor” (2001) where Beckinsale’s rising star went supernova.
“Pearl Harbor” was one of the most aggressively promoted films of all time. The knockout trailer set to Hans Zimmer’s music from “The Thin Red Line” (1998) was immensely popular and seemed to play endlessly starting more than a year out from the release date. With its premise of a passionate love triangle set against the backdrop of the WWII Pearl Harbor invasion, Touchstone Pictures and producer Jerry Bruckheimer were hoping for another “Titantic” (1998).
Although the Michael Bay directed “Pearl Harbor” did not break box office records or garner the critical praise of James Cameron’s classic, it was a huge box office hit. Kate Beckinsale gave a terrific performance and showed a knack for making even the most melodramatic and mushy love scenes ring true. Her luminous presence helped carry the film and the actress won over a legion of new fans and she became an A-list superstar.
In 2002 Beckinsale returned to the world of independent film and starred alongside Frances McDormand and Christian Bale in “Laurel Canyon”, a sexually charged drama set against the backdrop of the music business. “Laurel Canyon” is a superb piece of cinematic art with fully realized characters. The arc of Beckinsale’s character from timid and uptight to bold and experimental is flawlessly executed by the actress.
In 2003 Beckensale showed us a completely new side of her as she took on the role of a vampire action hero in the “Underworld”. The actress demonstrated a fierce physical presence. She seemed to relish in the physicality of the role as created an iconic character and became the anchor of a new franchise.
In 2004, Beckinsale returned to epic drama and portrayed Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic “The Aviator”. Then after a sequel to “Underworld”, “Underworld: Evolution” in 2006, it was back to intimate character focused drama with “Snow Angels” (2007) and “Winged Creatures” (2008). Then it was on to another action oriented lead in the underrated genre thriller “Whiteout” (2009).
2012 has been another banner another year for the actress. She co-starred in “Contraband” with Mark Wahlberg, returned to her role as Selene in “Underworld: Awakening”, has been a cover girl on countless magazines and was named on numerous sexy and most desired lists.
Also in 2012 the talented actress showed off yet another aspect of her versatility by playing the villain and stealing the show in her husband Len Wiseman’s re-imagining of “Total Recall”. As she did in the “Underworld” movies, Beckinsale amps up the sexual charisma and shows a knack at performing killer fight scenes and riveting stunt work.
An independent film actress playing quirky and complex characters, a romantic lead in a blockbuster, a sought after glamorous cover girl and sexual siren, a fierce action hero with deadly moves, Kate Beckinsale is a versatile talent who can all of these things and so much more. Her fans cannot wait to see she what she has in store for them next.
Suggested by the author:
Kate Beckinsale steals the show in ‘Total Recall’ remake
Emotions unmasked in 'The Dark Knight Rises'
Beware of the Beast Man
Techno noir ,‘Total Recall’ 2012 style
Erotic Noir, the music of Basic Instinct
Posted by James J. Caterino at 8:24 PM
Labels: fun, Mia Kirshner, Movies, pop culture
'Watch the Skies', epic and emotional UFO saga
If you like stuff like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "E.T.", and "The X-Files", I promise you are ...
'Super 8 Images: A Time Travel Story', is part of the epic collection 'Fantastic Stories'
Now available as a stand-alone on Amazon Kindle and as part of the new anthology book, " Fantastic Stories". Jenna lives in...
'Fireflies', a moving, suspenseful story of the fantastic
The year is 1983 and something strange is going on in Cross Creek, Pennsylvania.After a devastating family tragedy, Emma moves across th...
'Rollercoaster', a wicked thrill ride of a short story and an added bonus to "Fireflies"
Sixteen year-old Gina Zeneski is leading a good life. She is smart, beautiful, a track star, and has a sweet gig babysitting the Robinso...
'Fantastic Stories', epic collection of action-packed, page-turning, suspenseful short stories
A girl from the year 2080 travels back in time to the present to save us from ourselves in the mind-blowing epic “Super 8 Images: A Time...
The ‘Outer Limits’, “Valerie 23” episode review
In another review series here I have been taking a look at “Amazing Stories” as a homage to its 30 th anniversary. There is another ...
Caterino Books and Art
Check out my new Esty shop , Caterino Books and Art. Available right now: A personalized, signed copy of " Fantastic Stories " ...
Ten best guest stars on ‘Fantasy Island’
Since Discovery’s Science Channel seems to have forsaken ‘How the Universe Works’ and “Through the Wormhole” marathons in favor of non...
'Fantastic Stories', bold, imaginative, addictive
I have a new book out, “Fantastic Stories”. This is the anthology I have been dreaming about all my life; eight rip-roaring tales of e...
I am not economically viable, I am obsolete
If ever there was a relevant time to rediscover a film, the time is now, and the film is 1993’s Falling Down . An insightful masterwork of ...
http://Twitter.com/Jimcaterino
The making of an Action Figure
Five greatest James Bond songs ever
History of the hominid, legend of the Bull Mongoni...
It is a mythology, it is an attitude, it is a phil...
My top ten soundtracks and why
The Photon and the Flesh
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Results 76 - 100 (of 526)
Craik, Georgiana M. (Mrs A.W. Way)
Patience Holt
Caldwell, Erskine and Margaret Bourke-White.
Say, is this the U.S.A.
New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, [1941]. First edition. A follow-up to the successful formula of You Have Seen Their Faces. Read More about Say, is this the U.S.A
[Cameron, Julia Margaret].
Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1866.
[London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1893]. One of 400. One of 25 photogravure portraits published in ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON AND HIS FRIENDS, a posthumous appreciation of Julia Margaret Cameron. Read More about Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1866
Mrs. Thackeray Ritchie.
[London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1893]. One of 400. One of 25 photogravure portraits published in ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON AND HIS FRIENDS, a posthumous appreciation of Julia Margaret Cameron with “Reminiscences” by Mrs. Thackeray. Read More about Mrs. Thackeray Ritchie
Campbell, Mrs Patrick (Beatrice Stella Cornwallis-West).
My Life and Some Letters.
Hutchinson & Co. Number 72 of 100 copies of the Edition De Luxe, signed with her signed card laid in. Mrs Patrick Campbell (February 9, 1865 – April 9, 1940) was one of the most successful British stage actresses of her generation. Her first marriage, from which she took the... Read More about My Life and Some Letters
Carlisle, Helen Grace.
Photograph signed “Helen Grace Carlisle”.
N. P: n.d. The British author of “See How They Run,” “The Wife,” “The Mayflower Men,” “Merry Merry Maidens,” and “Together Again.”¶ Seymour Halpern was a Representative from New York. From 1931 to 1933 he was a reporter and feature writer for the Long Island Daily Press and the Chicago..... Read More about Photograph signed “Helen Grace Carlisle”
Kitty Carlsle, 1933
(Carlisle, Kitty) Van Vechten, Carl.
Portrait photograph of Kitty Carlisle as the Prince in "Fledermaus"
New York: November 1, 1933. Published in PORTRAITS: the Photographs of Carl Van Vechten, (1978), edited by Saul Mauriber. Kitty Carlsle, 1933. Read More about Portrait photograph of Kitty Carlisle as the Prince in "Fledermaus"
With Photo of School
Catalogue of the Miss Robinson's School Orange N.J. 1870-1871.
Newark, N.J: Dodd, Starbuck & Anderson, Printers, 785 Broad Street, 1871. First edition. With Photo of School. Read More about Catalogue of the Miss Robinson's School Orange N.J. 1870-1871
Cather, Willa.
A Lost Lady. With an Introduction by John Hollander.
New York: Limited Editions Club, 1983. No. 780 of 1500 copies, signed by the artist. Read More about A Lost Lady. With an Introduction by John Hollander
Shadows on The Rock.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1931. First edition. Signed and Limited. No. 589 of 619 copies on Croxley hand-made paper. Read More about Shadows on The Rock
The Troll Garden.
New York: McClure, Phillips & Co, 1905. First edition, second issue with Doubleday Page & Co at foot of spine. Inscribed. Inscribed "To Judge James S. Young. Willa Sibert Cather, Pittsburgh November 13, 1910" and signed Linda B. Young beneath on the front free-flyleaf - a rare inscription of this... Read More about The Troll Garden
Spiritualist's Poems, Inscribed
Chafa, Sara Generva.
Napoleon Bonaparte and other Poems.
Cambridge: Printed at the Riverside Press, 1872. First Edition. Spiritualist's Poems, Inscribed. Inscribed on flyleaf "Hiram B. Croisby With the Regards of the Author, June 17, 1872." Miss Chafa went on to become Mrs. H.S. Lake, speaker at the First Spiritual Temple. Her life was quite spirited. Her husband Mr. Lake... Read More about Napoleon Bonaparte and other Poems
The Ancient Love of Women for Fools
[Champcenetz, Louis René Quentin de Richebourg marquis de].
Petit traité de l'amour des femmes pour les sots. [with:] Petit commentaire sur le titre de la petite brochure; Petit...
Bagatelle: 1788; and Saint Lazare, Chez Donat Gourdin, n.d. First editions. The Ancient Love of Women for Fools. Attributed by Barbier to the marquis de Champcenetz, an unrepentant anti-revolutionary and acerbic wit, who was guillotined in 1790. Barbier cites Grimm with the following identifications: Mme de Valée ( i.e., de..... Read More about Petit traité de l'amour des femmes pour les sots. [with:] Petit commentaire sur le titre de la...
Chapin, Katherine Garrison.
Lament for the Stolen. A poem for a Chorus.
Philadelphia: The Centaur Press, 1938. First Edition. Poem written for music by Harl McDinald, intended “to be a major work for a woman’s chorus and orchestra, a poem that had vigor and passion, a poem that voice a deep emotion in the hearts of contemporary American women.” (Author’s note). First..... Read More about Lament for the Stolen. A poem for a Chorus
Chapone, Mrs. [Hester].
Miscellanies in Prose and Verse, by Mrs. Chapone, Author of Letters on the Improvement of the Mind.
London: Dilly, 1787. "New [Third?] Edition", preceded by editions of 1775 and 1777. Hester Chapone was member of Lady Montagu's "bluestocking" circle and the author of a book of advice to young ladies (LETTERS ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MIND), singled out by Mary Wollstonecraft as one of the few... Read More about Miscellanies in Prose and Verse, by Mrs. Chapone, Author of Letters on the Improvement of the Mind
Chase, Mary, American playwright.
Typed letter signed “Mary Chase”.
Denver: 22 November 1959. Replying to Hartley's enquiry about her writing and education. High school was of importance to her due to her English and Latin teachers. The Latin helping her understand English grammar and the Latin teacher reciting poetry and the English teacher introducing her to Shakespeare. Of college... Read More about Typed letter signed “Mary Chase”
Cheney, Ednah Dow.
Reminiscences of Ednah Dow Cheney (born Littlehale).
Boston: Lee & Shephard, 1902. First edition. c. INSCRIBED on the flyleaf: “Miss Estelle M. H. Merrill “Pres. of the ___ (?) Association “from ED Cheny “January 13, 1903” A rare inscription from this Boston abolitionist (1824-1904), ardent women’s suffragist, secretary of the New England Freedmen's Aid Society, author of many books, friend of Ralph..... Read More about Reminiscences of Ednah Dow Cheney (born Littlehale
(Children’s Books) Bonner, Mary Graham.
Five Typescripts of short stories, each signed.
New York: 1921-23. Mary Graham Bonner was a children's book writer and for some years wrote the daily bedtime stories syndicated by the Associated Press, and collected in her book "365 Bedtime Stories". These are 5 of the daily stories collected there, from the author's series in newspapers called "Daddy's... Read More about Five Typescripts of short stories, each signed
(Civil War) Rowland, Kate Mason, and Mrs. Morris L. Croxall, eds.
The Journal of Julia LeGrand. New Orleans 1862-1863.
Richmond [VA]: Everett Waddey Co, 1911. First edition. Read More about The Journal of Julia LeGrand. New Orleans 1862-1863
One of 26 Copies
Clampitt, Amy.
A Homage to John Keats.
New York: The Sarabande Press, 1985. First Edition, one of 26 lettered copies, Signed by Clampitt, Laurens & Freeman on the colophon page. One of 26 Copies. First edition of Clampitt’s Homage, consisting of 8 meditative poems on Keats, each of which utilizes as a theme, a place central to... Read More about A Homage to John Keats
Clark, Eleanor (Warren), American novelist, essayist and short story writer.
Manuscript letter, signed “Eleanor Clark Warren,” with notation at top “Dictated-not my handwriting”.
Cambridge, Mass: 1 April 1993. Responding to Hartley's letter asking about some biographical details and also about the importance of her education to her writing. She writes “of course there have been many fine writers from all sorts of backgrounds short of the usual high education. But I think it... Read More about Manuscript letter, signed “Eleanor Clark Warren,” with notation at top “Dictated-not my...
Clarke, Mary Anne.
The Rival Princes; or, a Faithful Narrative of Facts, relating to Mrs. M. A. Clarke's Political Acquaintance with Colonel Wardle...
London: Printed for the Author, and Published by C. Chapple, 1810. First edition. Clarke published other works about this scandal under her initials, M.A.C. She was the mistress of the Duke of York and here she defends herself from charges that she used the liaison for her own advantage. Read More about The Rival Princes; or, a Faithful Narrative of Facts, relating to Mrs. M. A. Clarke's Political...
Collection of autographs from a group of noted female journalists congratulating Sally Kirkland and Serge Obolensky on their 25th anniversary.
n.p: [1943-48]. A volume of signatures and occasional inscriptions by 83 noted female journalists of the 1940s. Laid in is an original ink drawing that is likely to be a caricature of Kirkland. Sally Kirkland, to whom the volume is dedicated, was a manager at Lord & Taylor, a fashion editor..... Read More about Collection of autographs from a group of noted female journalists congratulating Sally Kirkland...
How to Nag, and other Courtesies
[Collier, Jane].
An Essay on the Art of ingeniously Tormenting; with Proper Rules for the Exercise of that Pleasant Art. Humbly addressed...
London: Millar, 1753. First edition. How to Nag, and other Courtesies. A choice mid-eighteenth century courtesy book and a classic of black humor whose guiding principle is: “Remember always to do unto to every one, what you would least wish to have done unto yourself; for in this is contained... Read More about An Essay on the Art of ingeniously Tormenting; with Proper Rules for the Exercise of that...
Collins, Wilkie.
The Law & The Lady. A Novel.
London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1875. First edition. Read More about The Law & The Lady. A Novel
The Queen of Hearts.
London: Hurst & Blackett, 1859. First edition. A collection of ten short stories connected by a framing narrative. "Brother Owen's Story of Anne Rodway" features one of the earliest female detectives in fiction. Read More about The Queen of Hearts
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Zachary Quinto Slams The Way Kevin Spacey Came Out As A Deflection From Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Kimberley Spinney
On October 29 news broke that Kevin Spacey was being accused of sexual misconduct by Anthony Rapp of Star Trek: Discovery. According to Rapp, the incident took place at a party held at the other man’s apartment in 1986, when he was just 14-years-old. In the aftermath of Anthony Rapp’s reveal, Kevin Spacey chose to issue a statement on Twitter in which he not only said he did not remember anything because he was drinking at the time, but he also chose to come out and tell the world that he was gay. This decision to come out in light of the sexual misconduct allegations has led many to slam Spacey for choosing this moment to tell the world he was gay, including another Star Trek star, Zachary Quinto.
In a statement posted by Quinto on his own Twitter page, he slammed Kevin Spacey for what he feels is a deflection from the matter at hand. As People Magazine reported, Zachary Quinto had a lot to say about Spacey’s own statement about the accusation.
According to Quinto, “it is deeply sad and troubling that this is how Kevin Spacey has chosen to come out.” The Star Trek actor pointed out that Spacey did not choose to come out as a “point of pride” after his many years of accomplishments and awards. Instead, he called the other man’s coming out a “calculated manipulation to deflect attention” from the very serious allegations that have been levied against him by Anthony Rapp.
Look! We found a Saru bus ad! @actordougjones is amazing in @startrekcbs -- wait until you see him! pic.twitter.com/LaTe5iE25Z
— Anthony Rapp (@albinokid) September 24, 2017
Zachary Quinto followed up his statement against Kevin Spacey by then lending his support to Rapp. In fact, he made it clear that his hope is that it is Anthony Rapp’s voice who is heard, rather than Spacey’s in this instance.
Quinto said that he is “sorry to hear of Anthony Rapp’s experience and subsequent suffering,” while also being upset that Kevin Spacey only felt the need to acknowledge his truth “when he though it would serve him.” According to Zachary Quinto, this acknowledgment that he is gay is serving Spacey in much the same way as his apparent “denial served him for so many years.”
Zachary Quinto ended his statement by saying that his hope is that it is Anthony Rapp who has his voice amplified in this situation. As the actor pointed out, it is the victim’s of sexual assault, rape, and other instances of sexual misconduct who should and deserve to have their voices heard.
pic.twitter.com/pg2PLnHpXt
— Zachary Quinto (@ZacharyQuinto) October 30, 2017
[Featured Image by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images]
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Antarctica Holidays
Be Inspired by our Incredible Antarctica Holidays and Book Your Once in a Lifetime Journey to the White Continent Today.
Nov - Mar
Approx. 20 hours
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Home Luxury Holidays South America Antarctica
The White Continent is often described as Earth’s ‘final frontier’, the last uninhabitable, inhospitable place on the planet where few are able to tread. Antarctica holidays are the ultimate trip for adventure seekers, wildlife lovers and fans of maritime history, taking you on a voyage to the ends of the Earth.
Most holidays to Antarctica begin in the Argentine city of Ushuaia; located in the southern reaches of Patagonia, it is the most southerly city in the world. It is from here that most cruises depart, heading across the infamous Drake Passage from Cape Horn to the iceberg-studded waters around the Antarctic Peninsula. Depending on the weather conditions you may encounter the ‘Drake Lake’, when the water appears mirror-smooth and calm, or the ‘Drake shake’; at the opposite end of the spectrum, this is the other side of the channel’s split personality, with towering waves and lashing rains. Whatever conditions you encounter on your Antarctica holidays – they won’t pose an issue to our expedition ships. Luxury cruise liners these are not: perfectly comfortable for weeks at sea, our ships have all the modern conveniences for your enjoyment, such as gyms, lounges and libraries, however, they are first and foremost ice-breakers, designed to withstand the harshest conditions the ocean can throw at them.
You can avoid the Drake Passage altogether, if you haven’t got sea legs or if time is of the essence. In season, charter flights depart from the Chilean city of Punta Arenas and land on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands some two hours later. Although expensive and occasionally liable to delays due to the harsh and changeable weather, flying to Antarctica not only allows travel to the coast, as with ships but also unlocks the vast interior, including the South Pole.
During Antarctica holidays you will stay on board your expedition ship, leaving the boat via Zodiacs – inflatable motor boats – on daily excursions, usually two or three a day. Onboard lectures will ensure that you have all the knowledge required to enjoy the excursions to the full, including camping on the Antarctic ice, kayaking around the coast and snowshoeing in the interior. During your trip you are likely to spot many species of penguin, including Adelie, chinstrap, emperor, Gentoo and king penguins, whales, fur seals, crabeaters and several species of bird; the petrel, albatross and skua are seen regularly. Expert guides on board the ships range from biologists to professional photographers, so you could learn about the wildlife one day, and perfect your framing of the bright blue glaciers the next.
As well as stunning landscapes and enthralling wildlife, holidays to Antarctica also explore the region’s fascinating history. Follow in the footsteps of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton to South Georgia, an almost-submerged continuation of the Andean mountain range. Barren shores and glacier-carved coves provide a dramatic first impression, home to vast and noisy colonies of seals and penguins. It’s possible to view the grave of Shackleton himself in Grytviken; the small settlement is also home to the remains of a Norwegian whaling station, where families once lived until its closure in 1966. You may also get to visit the Falkland Islands, one of the far-flung outposts of the British Empire. Here you’ll not only find red post and phone boxes, but also a quaint capital and some 70 species of wildlife.
The South Shetland Islands, just a few miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula, are the very last windswept scraps of land between the Antarctic Peninsula and Cape Horn. Many sheltered harbours and bays offer breeding land for Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins, and most of the animals have very little fear of humans; it’s a delight to sit and watch the animals go about their daily lives.
For first-hand inspiration on holidays to Antarctica and beyond, call our Travel Specialists for advice and booking information.
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Antarctic Adventure
The frozen wilderness of Antarctica is like nowhere else on Earth. On this adventure, you will venture down to one of the most unexplored places on th...
Itineraries from £7,095 per person
Other South America Destinations
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University Of Louisville Business School Ranking
In the Nov. 4 weekly edition of Louisville Business First, we ranked the area’s largest. Eastern Kentucky University and Morehead State University. The top out-of-state school where Kentucky.
Dare, Act, engage, share: Being an entrepreneur is much more than a profession, it is a life experience. In a tense context, entrepreneurship is also a tremendous growth driver for our economy and a real opportunity for success for those who know how to surround themselves, understand the inner workings and mechanics of the company, approach new markets, develop a vision and transmit.
is a direct response to a finding by the council that U of L has the largest classroom space shortage of any public university in the state. The Kentucky General Assembly approved and issued bonds to.
Want to attend law school in a city that will go easy on your bank account? We’ve identified the highest-ranked law schools. Good bets for your buck: Knoxville, Louisville and Tulsa. 1. Knoxville,
SPRING VALLEY – When the University. schools. The engineering building I really liked. It’s a great football program and it’s close to home." Louisville struggled to a 2-10 record this year, but.
May 8, 2019 The University of Kentucky College of Law and the UK Law Alumni Association will induct three new members into its Hall of Fame and present five Alumni Awards at a celebration in Louisville on June 12 in conjunction with the Kentucky Bar Association Convention.
Mar 20, 2019 · U.S. News & World Report ranked the College of Engineering and Computer Science 148th among the 205 schools responding to the magazine’s survey.The magazine based its engineering school rankings on quality assessments by peers and recruiters, student selectivity, faculty resources, and research activity.
Back from the brink the school that gave Ida B. Wells her start is now ranked ahead of University of Louisville according to a new report from BestColleges.com. In fact BestColleges.com has placed the.
You may like: Scott County tops Trinity in battle of Kentucky’s top-ranked teams 2. Trinity (10-5) — The Shamrocks started 8-0 but are 2-5 since University of Louisville signee David Johnson (15.7 ppg.
University of Chicago Law School is considered to have a Highly Favorable student to faculty ratio. The average class size for 1L sections is approximately Above Average compared to other law schools. Student diversity at Chicago is Average.
Four-star prospect JJ Weaver — a standout defensive player at Moore High School in Louisville — announced his commitment to the Wildcats on Friday, becoming the first player in the Rivals 250 national.
Wake Forest the university is a special school.” But after his afternoon of driving down memory lane – which included a stop at his old fitness center for a workout – it was back to business for Mack.
Universities typically allow staff to retain their contracts and, thus, their pay if they leave the university for fellowships that are approved by school leaders. according to Louisville Business.
* Institutions within the same rank range are listed alphabetically. World Top 500 Universities. World Top 500 Universities; Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Chile China Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iran Hong Kong Ireland Israel Italy Japan Malaysia Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Spain South Africa South Korea Sweden Switzerland.
Frost Brown Todd LLC has named nine new members in its 12 markets, and two of them are in Louisville. business torts and general commercial disputes in state and federal courts, according to a news.
I graduated Grantham University and landed an Electrical Engineering job for the Air Force. To all those Grantham doubters all I can say is you were wrong.
University of Louisville is a public institution that was founded in 1798. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 15,547, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 287 acres.
List of United States business school rankings is a tabular listing of some of the business schools and their affiliated universities located in the United States that are included in one or more of the rankings of full-time Master of Business Administration programs. Rankings are typically published by magazines or websites. This list is not a comprehensive list of business schools in the.
William and Mary Law School is considered to have a Favorable student to faculty ratio. The average class size for 1L sections is approximately Above Average compared to other law schools. Student diversity at Wm is Below Average.
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky, a member of the Kentucky state university system.When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains.The university is mandated by the Kentucky General Assembly to be a "Preeminent Metropolitan Research.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Return with me, for just a moment, to my rather limited basketball playing days for some insight into the University of Louisville’s 79-69 loss to North Carolina on Saturday.
San Francisco Bay Area Colleges And Universities St. Mary’s College of California–Solid Liberal Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area Yesterday I was glad to be able to visit St. Mary’s College in the Bay Area of Northern California. As regular readers know, I spend a lot of time visiting colleges, and every time I think I’ve seen it all, I’m reminded
Schools in the National Universities category, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University, offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs.
As Lyle Sussman, Ph.D., former Chairman and Professor Emeritus of Management, College of Business and Public Administration at the University of Louisville. graduated at the top of his class from.
Making its fifth all-time appearance in the NCAA Championships, A-State is one of 13 teams that will compete in the Louisville Regional at the University of. are the second most in school history.
Though online communications has seeped through nearly every aspect of how we conduct business in the 21st century. Colin Crawford, dean of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law,
Atlanta-based PulteGroup Inc.(NYSE: PHM) said this week that it has started work on Ferndale Place, a 24-home subdivision in south Louisville, and Fairways at Cardinal Club, a 36-home subdivision that.
Instead of continuing to root for Louisville despite the removal of his name from the university’s stadium and business school. incredible seat for a ranked match-up at the home of one of the.
Writing An Application Letter For A Teaching Job Nyu Liberal Studies Core Program Acceptance Rate Part Two Tight Tearing Trollopbr After seeing the fragrant Satine sucking my cock with gusto it was difficult to imagine that only weeks ago she was on her bended knees in front of the Pontiff Anyway all that pent up repression had turned Satine into a sex crazed
JC RIDLEY University of Miami They made school history. are 22-5 and tied with Louisville and Notre Dame for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 10-2 league record. They moved up.
Learn the ranking of the best university and business school in U.S.A. Make the right choice with Eduniversal Ranking !
This year also saw Purdue score a huge victory over then-No. 2 ranked. University for three seasons, compiling 30 wins for the Hilltoppers. His overall head coaching record is 43-22. A Louisville.
The University. The school said the most comprehensive arrangement it has with Miller is an offer letter from U of L President Neeli Bendapudi that was not signed by Miller. That disclosure came.
ALBANY, N.Y. (WDRB) — University of Louisville women’s basketball. ️ — Jeff Walz (@CoachJeffWalz) March 30, 2019 Louisville’s women will face No. 2 ranked Connecticut on Sunday at noon, before.
Free Animated Powerpoint Templates For Teachers PowerPoint presentations are low-cost or free, painless to create and easy for your audience to see. Pick simple templates that won’t detract from your presentation, and avoid unprofessional or overly. What Are The Competitive Exams After Graduation Jul 7, 2010. But they will be appointed only after they complete the internship. to attend the interview
San Francisco Bay Area Colleges And Universities
Magnavox Universal Remote Control Instructions
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Louisiana to hunters: Deer urine lures might spread disease
Posted: Aug 6, 2018 / 09:25 PM CDT / Updated: Aug 6, 2018 / 11:59 PM CDT
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Louisiana wildlife officials are cautioning hunters that deer urine lures might carry malformed proteins that can spread a fatal brain infection called chronic wasting disease.
A Department of Wildlife and Fisheries news release noted that seven states have banned such lures, which are used to attract deer.
Agency veterinarian Jim LaCour says there’s no fast, cost-effective urine test for the malformed proteins called prions.
Prions can be found in an infected deer’s saliva, feces, urine, blood and antler velvet, and can be shed during the year or two before symptoms show.
The lures are made by collecting captive animals’ urine through grates. The agency says that allows mixing with saliva and feces, which typically hold more prions than urine.
The agency’s statement says no state or federal agency regulates urine production and sale.
So far, the disease hasn’t shown up in Louisiana.
More Louisiana Stories
(Tulane University)- A team of researchers, including two from Tulane University, have identified a new species of pocket shark, following careful study of a pocket shark that made international headlines in 2015 after it was brought to the Royal D. Suttkus Fish Collection at the Tulane University Biodiversity Research Institute.
The 5½-inch male kitefin shark has been identified as the American Pocket Shark, or Mollisquama mississippiensis, based on five features not seen in the only other known specimen of this kind. That specimen was captured in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in 1979 and is now housed at the Zoological Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
METAIRIE, La. (LED)- Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Hubig’s Pies owner Andrew Ramsey announced the company plans to relaunch production of its famous fruit pies with a $1.37 million capital investment in a Jefferson Parish manufacturing facility. The project initially will create 14 full-time direct jobs, with an average annual salary of more than $40,600, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 16 new indirect jobs, for a total of 30 new jobs in the Southeast Region of Louisiana.
Located in the Faubourg Marigny district of New Orleans for 90 years, Hubig’s Pies revived after Hurricane Katrina but its Dauphine Street pie factory succumbed to a devastating fire in 2012. Hubig’s has navigated a number of challenges since then to restructure the company and identify a new production site. Real estate solutions in Jefferson Parish are being finalized now, and Hubig’s LLC secured a small business loan guaranty today from the Louisiana Economic Development Corp. board that will assist the company in securing financing from Hancock Whitney Bank.
BATON ROUGE, La. (Office of the Gov.) – Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ request that the federal emergency disaster declaration be expanded to include six additional parishes was approved by President Donald J.Trump. The parishes that have been added include: Allen, Beauregard, Catahoula, Concordia, Evangeline and Vernon.
“I’m very thankful to the Trump administration for approving this request so quickly,” said Gov. Edwards. “It means that the affected parishes will be able to receive federal assistance as the amount of the damage is determined and our citizens work to recover. In addition, teams from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness are preparing to travel to the various parishes and will continue the formal process of assessing the storm damage.”
National / 4 mins ago
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[REVIEW] “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” reboots franchise with solid script and amazing performances.
By Brent Hankins August 6, 2011
BEWARE – MINOR SPOILERS.
I remember seeing the Tim Burton remake of Planet of the Apes about ten years ago, and after seriously considering writing an angry letter to the studio and demanding they refund the cost of my ticket, I decided to cut my losses and move on, hoping that studio execs would see the error of their ways and leave the franchise alone. So earlier this year, when I saw the first (terribly underwhelming) trailer for Rise of the Planet of Apes, I shook my head in sorrow, wondering how badly Hollywood would screw it up.
Then came the revised trailer, which gave a much clearer indication of the story’s trajectory, as well as the overall tone of the film. I decided that there might be a chance for the film to turn out alright. I certainly didn’t expect a masterpiece, but I was no longer ready to write it off as a train wreck like Burton’s attempt. I caught Rise early this morning, and walked out of the theater convinced that it is easily among the best films of the summer movie season.
James Franco is effective as Will Rodman, a scientist working for a large pharmaceutical corporation to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease (Will has a particularly personal connection to finding success, which I won’t give away). Testing of ALZ-112 on chimpanzees not only begins to produce positive results, but an unexpected side effect: in the absence of disease, the brain cells of the test subjects are repairing and regenerating themselves, resulting in accelerated intelligence. Before Will can begin human trials, an unfortunate incident bred from a misunderstanding leads to the termination of the project, as well as the test subjects themselves, save for an infant chimp named Ceasar that Will manages to smuggle out of the lab.
When Will discovers that the effects of the drug have been passed on to Ceasar by his mother, he decides to raise the chimp himself in order to monitor his progress. As Ceasar grows older, his intelligence increases at an almost exponential rate, and he learns to communicate via sign language. He understands human speech and is capable of experiencing a wide range of human emotions, but still struggles from time to time with his primal nature. One such struggle results in Ceasar being taken from Will and placed into a primate sanctuary, where he is subjected to the cruelty of the owner’s son (Tom Felton, playing a character even more despicable than Draco Malfoy), as well as the mistrust and misunderstanding of his own kind.
As Ceasar devises a plan to use his intellect as a means of establishing himself amongst his species, the data Will has collected over the past few years leads to the ALZ-112 project being reopened. However, as testing on primates resumes, Will struggles with his own personal feelings and ethics, and ultimately must make a difficult choice about his own future, leading to a tense, emotional third act.
First things first: the visuals, brought to life by the team at WETA Digital. What they have managed to achieve here is unprecedented, and there is no amount of praise I could begin to heap upon this talented team that would ever be anything close to what they deserve. They breathe more life and humanity into the computer generated primates in Rise than the human actors manage to convey with their own performances (more on that in a moment). WETA’s work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar have continued to advance the field of visual effects, but this will surely raise the bar into the stratosphere.
But WETA could not have made such believable characters without the help of an amazing assembly of motion-capture actors, particularly Andy Serkis. With an award-worthy portrayal of Ceasar, Serkis delivers a performance that runs the gauntlet of nearly every human emotion, and by the end of the film we are so completely invested in Ceasar that we have long since forgotten that he doesn’t truly exist. The same can be said of Maurice, Koda, Rocket, Buck, and the rest of the digitally-created primates – they each have distinctive personalities and characteristics, and the audience feels a connection to each of them.
Unfortunately, with the the notable exceptions of James Franco and John Lithgow, the rest of the human cast are criminally under-utilized, completely overshadowed by their digital costars and becoming little more than basic archetypes who serve no purpose other than to appear in a scene and advance the plot when necessary. But in a movie that gets so many other things right, this turns out to be a very small gripe.
Rupert Wyatt’s direction, as well as the decision of the screenwriters to cast the primates as the empathetic characters, results in a film that is enjoyable from start to finish. Rise of the Planet of the Apes feels at once familiar and original, and by the time the credits roll, the stage has been set to fully re-create the Planet of the Apes universe (via a few well-placed Easter eggs for fans). If the inevitable sequel can maintain the same level of quality and entertainment that’s on display here, then count me in.
Hail Ceasar.
[REVIEW] Leggo My Eggo you damn…dirty…ape!
*SPOILER ALERT* And while there were many opportunities to hate Tom Felton’s character, there weren’t enough moments of “Aw, he got HIS, that effing bastard!”. I’d have preferred a more intentional ending to his life, but I suppose they didn’t want Cesar’s character to show bloodlust, no matter how well deserved.
clipless pedals says:
Eugh, seriously, where did you learn how to write. I know to each his (her) own but I can’t follow you writing style :s I am sure you will delete this but I just thought you should know. Monica
Brent Hankins says:
On the contrary – I have no intention of deleting this comment. It amuses me far too much to get rid of it.
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German Translation Services: German to English and English to German
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At Language Scientific, we are driven by the mission to set the new Standard of Quality for technical translation and localization. It is this mission that drives our success and sets us apart as a company. When you need precise global communication, Language Scientific is the clear choice.
German Language Statistics/Facts:
German is the official language of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. German is identified as a minority language in Denmark, Hungary, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Russia and Romania. German does not have an official status but is spoken in certain regions of Poland, Slovakia, Brazil and the United States. There are approximately 110 million native German speakers and another 80 million people who speak German as a second language worldwide.
German is categorized under the Indo-European language family and belongs to the West Germanic subgroup. The Amish communities in the American Midwest are descendants of German immigrants from the 19th and 20th centuries.
German Dialects:
Dialect Region
Niederdeutsch or (Low German)
Saxon, Westphalian, Eastphalian, Brandenburgisch and Mittelpommersch North Germany including Hamburg and areas along the Dutch/German border
Mitteldeutsch (Middle German) Middle Germany including Dresden, Cologne and Luzembourg
Friesisch Communities along the North Sea. Also spoken in parts of Holland and the Frisian islands.
Bavarian-Austrian or Bairisch-Österreichisch Southern Germany including Munich and Vienna
Alemmannisch Areas in Switzerland
There are 16 states in Germany:
Countries where German is spoken:
Germany Economic Data:
Capital: Berlin
Population: 80,594,017
Federal Parliamentary Republic: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
GDP (ppp): $48,100
Unemployment: 4.3%
Industries: World’s 4th largest economy by nominal GDP and 5th largest by purchasing power parity. It is the 3rd largest exporter and 3rd largest importer of goods. Focus on engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, solar energy, financial services, tourism, manufacturing, iron and steel, automotive, ships, electrical engineering products and tools
Capital: Vienna
Federal Parliamentary Republic: President Alexander Van Der Bellen
Government Type: Federal Parliamentary Republic.
Industries: Strong economy with focus on steel, chemicals, electronics, machinery, metallurgical products, textiles, renewable energy and tourism.
Capital: Bern
Federal Republic: President Doris Leuthard
Currency: Swiss franc
Government Type: Federal republic.
Industries: Trade has been the key to prosperity in Switzerland. Focus on machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles (wool, cotton, silk and synthetics), agriculture, precision instruments and tourism.
German Institutions
Germany’s Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)
Federal Joint Committee (G-BA)
Germany’s Statutory Health Insurance Funds Association (GKV-Spitzenverband)
Nomadic tribes of Germanic descent migrated from northern Europe into the lands of modern day Germany during the 1st century BC. Throughout this migration, the Germanic people began to expand their geographic boundaries and in the process, were exposed to several other tribal communities in northern and central Europe. Communities of Slavic and Saxon people joined the Germanic tribes to create the foundations of many of today’s central European countries. Germania was the historical geographic region of modern day Germany, Netherlands and Belgium where these ancient tribes settled. The Germanic people developed the foundations for all of the Indo-European languages including German, English, Spanish Punjabi among several others.
During the first millennia in central Europe there were multiple language shifts that affected the early form of German. Initially Old Saxon, or Old Low German, was the language spoken by the people in Germania starting in the 3rd century and was not completely replaced until the 12th century. In the 10th century BC, German territories were invaded and taken over by the Holy Roman Empire. During the period of Roman rule over much of central and eastern Europe, Germania continued to be the name that was applied to the region of Germany. An event known as the High German consonant shift starting in the 3rd century produced Old High German which grew as a separate language from Old Saxon. From Old Saxon came Middle Low German, a language variety that was spoken between the 12th and 17th centuries in Germany.
During World War II, the Berlin Wall was constructed to divide Berlin into two separate areas, the east and west. The political and social climate between the two regions were distinctly different; East Berlin was communist and West Berlin was based upon capitalism and thus anti-communist. The Berlin Wall acted as a barrier to keep the communist movement from penetrating into anti-communist West Berlin. It wasn’t until 1990 that a political shift in Eastern Berlin led to the physical destruction of the wall by the German government and the public. Small sections of the Berlin Wall still stand today as a historical reminder of the political past and as a tourist attraction. Berlin is currently a prosperous city with a rich history and is known for its strong business climate.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, millions of German speakers immigrated to the United States. Most of the German immigrants settled in the Midwestern states with large concentrations in Pennsylvania, the Midwest and the Dakotas. Today, many people belonging to Amish communities in the United States are descendants of German and speak any number of dialects that evolved from the German language. Approximately a quarter of American citizens claim to have some degree of German heritage.
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James O'Brien Takes Apart Daily Mail's "Brexit Bonus"
The Daily Mail has printed a "Brexit Bonus" a good news story about leaving the European Union. James O'Brien takes just 90 seconds to dismantle it.
The tiny article, entitled Staff Sickie Slump, claimed that people are taking fewer days off ill because of Brexit.
James read out the piece - and then laid into it.
James said: "Here is the first paragraph of something that the Daily Mail is telling you today is good news, Brexit-related. Good news.
"Once you've scraped the bottom of the barrel, what are you left with? Splinters I suppose. In the context of news, these are the splinters from the bottom of a barre that's been scraped clean.
"'Growing fears over job security and Brexit have fueled a slump in sickies, with the average worker taking just 1.67 days off for illness this year, a study has revealed.'
"If you read down into it a little further, it turns out that three in four people, just just over 73% of us have admitted going to work despite feeling ill enough to stay at home because they're frightened about their job security and the economic situation created by Brexit.
"So today's scrapings from the bottom of the barrel are sick people are going to work because they're scared. And that is a Brexit bonus."
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Nigel Farage On Catalonia: Fighting For Independence Sometimes Means Jail Time
Those that are fighting for independence sometimes frankly have to go to prison en route to get what they want, said Nigel Farage as he gave his assessment on the latest developments in Catalan.
Eight former members of the Catalan government are being kept in custody while they're investigated over last week's declaration of independence.
Spain's state prosecutor has also asked for a European arrest warrant to be issued for the region's sacked leader Carles Puigdemont, who is currently in Belgium.
Broadcasting from New York, Nigel said Mr Puigdemont was “wrong” to “disappear off to Brussels”.
He said: “One minute he declares a [Unilateral Declaration of Independence] the next he's slapped down by Mariano Rajoy and the Spanish government and before you know it he's on a plane and off in Brussels.
“I don't think that of itself is particularly impressive.
“I think those that are fighting for independence sometimes frankly have to go to prison en route to get what they want.”
Watch his take in full above and tune in to LBC for the latest on this story.
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Home ● About
Improving inclusivity in the built environment combined with a passion for design is our foundation.
Since the firm's inception in 1996, LCM intentionally chose to embrace both architecture and accessibility consulting to serve owners and the professional community. The firm continues to blend these specialties, building new and renovated spaces and consulting on the applications of accessibility standards and inclusive design nationwide.
LCM has more than 50 architects, designers, and accessibility specialists. Many of them are licensed architects, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals, Certified Access Specialist Program professionals, Registered Accessibility Specialists, and Certified Accessibility Inspectors/Plan Examiners.
Disability Owned Certifications
Persons with Disabilities Owned Business Enterprise, State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services
Disability Owned Business Enterprise, Disability:IN (formerly U.S. Business Leadership Network)
U.S. Access Board
The U.S. Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. LCM Partners Jack Catlin and Doug Anderson served by presidential appointment on the U.S. Access Board.
Jack was the first practicing architect to be elected Chair of the Board. He also served on the Executive Committee and chaired the committee responsible for revising the 1991 ADA Accessibility Guidelines.
Doug participated in the development of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessibility Design and held the positions of Chair of the Board, Vice Chair of the Board, and Chair of the Executive Committee.
Current Wok
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Supporting characters and gore
In Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, which I finally got to watch last week, bandmates Thom (played by Aaron Yoo) and Dev (played by Rafi Gavron) set up their heartbroken bass player and friend Nick Yidiaris (Michael Cera) with Norah Silverberg (Kat Dennings) whom they see as the perfect girl to get Nick's mind off his ex Tris. After a party, Thom and Dev separate the two to give them "the pep talk." Nick relays to Thom how he plans to get some answers from Norah about his ex Tris because she's friends with her, but Thom dissuades him.
Norah, on the other hand, expresses to Dev how she's worried it's not going to work because Nick is still hung up on her ex, to which Dev responds, "Nicky is definitely worth the underwire (referring to the underwire bra that Dev made Norah wear to improve her look). He just needs a little push, that's all."
In The Proposal, after Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock), a Canadian working in New York as a major publishing company's chief editor, confesses that the whole engagement and almost-wedding with her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) was just a scam so she doesn't have to face deportation charges due to her expired visa, Malin Åkerman's character Getrude walks in on Andrew reading a farewell letter from Margaret and asks him if he's okay. Andrew replies how Margaret is "a gigantic pain in [his] ass," elaborates on that statement heatedly and then says, "I'm sorry, I just... She just makes me crazy." Understanding that he actually meant "crazy for her" kind of crazy, Gertrude asks, "So you're just gonna let her go?"
In one of my favorite movies Friends with Benefits, Richard Jenkins' character has Alzheimer's disease and in an airport restaurant right before the denouement, sans pants and over steak, he tells his son Dylan Harper (Justin Timberlake) about Dede Spencer: "She was the love of my life. And I was too stupid to realize it and I lost her because of something so dumb I don't even remember. I never really got over her. And I think that may be one of the reasons your mom left... You know, my friends used to say that when Dede and I looked at each other, it was electric. And I let her go. I just let her go. Because I was too damn proud to tell her how I really felt about her... I'll tell you something that I wish I knew when I was your age. And I know you've heard a million times 'life is short' but let me tell you something. What this (referring to his head), this is teaching me is that life is goddamn short and you can't waste a minute of it."
Dylan Harper then confesses he messed up with Jamie Rellis, Mila Kunis' character, and Mr. Harper Sr. says, "If you think there's even a chance that she might be it, you fix it."
And there was also that scene before the conflict where Annie Harper (Jenna Elfman) tells her brother Dylan how he and Jamie seem really perfect for each other and tries to figure out why Dylan still doesn't want to get into a relationship with her despite that.
Something I've been mulling over lately is how life—or specifically, love—truly is not like the movies, but it's not because of the lack of a happy ending. I believe there is an abundance of happy endings, both in life and love, only they come in different chapters of our lives. My high school graduation was a happy ending and so was my college one, because I never had to wear a uniform ever again afterward and I became closer to people who really matter from both those stages of my life. No, I think what's not like the movies is the lack of Thoms and Devs, Gertrudes, Annies and Mr. Harper Sr.'s in our lives. Supporting characters who at very pivotal moments would tell you with the best intent, probably after slapping your face, to not go down a certain road because it will be a huge mistake. To give a guy a little more push because he's surely worth it. To run after a girl you've obviously fallen in love with despite constantly denying it. Or to fix things with a girl if you think there's even the slightest chance that she might be "the one." Heck, I know I could have used such deeply concerned supporting characters with my past relationships. Especially the last two ones, though the last was just an almost-relationship. It might not have even mattered whether those supporting characters knew the whole story or not, only that they were certain they didn't want me to make a mistake I'll regret in the future. If I'm really being honest, however, I'd have to say the other parties in my past relationships equally could have used such supporting characters. We all do. Which is why I try to do the best I can in being a supporting character for my friends. So that maybe, just maybe, my friends don't miss out on all the other happy endings they could get, those they might never ever get to without that helpful nudge. Those like the ones I didn't achieve.
I know Gossip Girl isn't a movie but in the tenth episode of its first season, Lily van der Woodsen (Kelly Rutherford), seeing a bit of herself when she was young and in love with Rufus Humphrey (Matthew Settle), tells Rufus' son Dan (Penn Badgley) of Serena (Blake Lively): "I'm not sure exactly who my daughter was, but I know who she's become since she met you. She returns home every night at a reasonable hour. She doesn't drink. She doesn't do drugs. I don't know if you're responsible for that, but I don't think it's a coincidence. You belong with my daughter, and I think everyone should know that."
Wouldn't it be nice to have such words said about you right to your face by someone's supporting character like that?
There is one other thing that's not like in the movies—the immensely enjoyable display of gore in films such as I Spit On Your Grave and Carrie.
(Spoiler alert!) The first I heard of I Spit On Your Grave was last year through a co-worker's Facebook profile of sorts I was editing (part of what I do at work, really) where he put it as one of his favorite films. The title interested me so much I decided to download and watch it even though I only had a vague idea of what it was about. And then a couple of days later I found out my friends also just watched it and that it has a sequel. I got to watch the sequel but they didn't, and I think I may have hyped it too much because they really weren't that impressed when I had them watch it with me at my friend Cams' place. I speed-narrated the important scenes because it was already late at night and we all had to go home soon, but I didn't get the reaction I was hoping for. Either I was a very bad narrator or I'm simply alone in my love for gore.
Suspending a villain over a tub of water mixed with lye, one of the acts of revenge performed by Jennifer Hills, the protagonist in I Spit On Your Grave. And this isn't even the most gruesome one.
I enjoyed Carrie even more because of the involvement of the supernatural (who doesn't want a superpower like telekinesis!). The 1976 version was beautifully eerie and the ending was totally unexpected (there was no surprise factor in the 2013 adaptation I saw in the cinema, though it was present in the uncut version I downloaded later on). The 2013 one had more enjoyable scenes, big thanks to their special effects team. One of them was this scene where Chris Hargensen's face crashes through the front window glass of her car after Carrie White stops it with her telekinesis. It was in beautiful slow motion, the marvelous culmination of Carrie finally getting even with the bully Chris. I enjoyed the scene so much I had to stop myself from standing up in the cinema to cheer Carrie on while I was watching with my friends.
1976 Carrie: beautiful approach to filming, fantastic acting and sound effects
2013 Carrie: amazing special effects and of course there were Chloë Grace Moretz (Carrie) and Julianne Moore (Carrie's mother)
I do not actively seek gore films, though I have watched a lot of them (off the top of my head, most in the Saw and Wrong Turn series and the first two Hostel films). I enjoy it whenever it comes along, even in TV series I follow. The most recent ones were Game of Thrones' fourth season and the third season finale of The Walking Dead.
Joffrey Baratheon finally dies, though not as brutally as I have always imagined
A bite out of the neck, hitting a major artery, and he's dead
A stab to the neck after the old man harasses Carl, Rick's son
I realize I'm late once again in watching those, but the two TV series just haven't been doing it for me lately. Their episodes are too full of drama (someone always just has to have a meltdown in The Walking Dead) and too long (an hour for each Game of Thrones episode). Thank goodness for the gore. And thank goodness for the bad guys getting the karma that they deserve in the hands of those they have wronged before.
Posted in Movies, Relationships, Television on Thursday, May 01, 2014 by leeflailmarch | Leave a comment Edit
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AIM-listed company makes multi-million pound acquisition in bid to become UK’s leading conveyancing service
Posted By Neil Rose On January 5, 2017 @ 12:44 pm In Latest news,Market monitor | No Comments
Estate agents: ULS targets market
An AIM-listed provider of online B2B platforms – which white labels MoneySupermarket’s conveyancer search – has bought Conveyancing Alliance (CA) for an initial £7.2m as part of its strategy to become the country’s leading handler of conveyancing.
ULS Technology said around half of all conveyancing is bought by consumers following estate agent recommendations and this deal would help it penetrate that market.
It currently works with lenders and mortgage advisers, giving them access to a panel of 200 conveyancers through its eConveyancer system. ULS also owns 35% of leading property website Homeowners Alliance, which was expected to receive 5m visits last year.
CA operates under three separate brands, Conveyancing Alliance and Agency Convey, targeted at estate agents, and Broker Conveyancing, for mortgage brokers.
Estate agents and mortgage brokers submit new cases via Conveyancing Alliance’s software platform, which then enables them to select and instruct from a panel of solicitors. “The end pricing to customers is highly competitive and typically cheaper than that secured from high street firms,” ULS told the stock market.
In addition to the initial price, the owners of ULS can make an extra £5.3m from an earn-out until 31 March 2019.
CA’s revenue was £4.4m in the year ended 31 December 2015, 16% up on 2014, with profit before tax increasing 17% to £949,000 over the same period.
The statement said: “The management team are committed to continue growing the business and will have a special focus on pursuing new growth in the estate agency sector, complementing and supporting ULS Technology’s core strategy and objectives.
“The directors believe this acquisition delivers ULS significant new growth opportunities in its conveyancing business and supports its stated strategy to become the leading handler of conveyancing in the UK.
“In particular, this acquisition significantly increases the company’s share of the conveyancing market and further diversifies conveyancing revenue sources. The acquisition is also in line with ULS’ strategy to penetrate the estate agent introducer market.”
ULS has built and piloted an estate agency performance website (www.estateagent4me.co.uk) in order to grow its conveyancing market share. This is already provided directly to customers via the HomeOwners Alliance but will also now be used to help CA grow its volumes in the estate agency sector.
ULS chief executive Ben Thompson said: “This acquisition is central to our strategy of growing market share in the UK conveyancing market and pursuing further growth via introductions from the estate agency market. Conveyancing Alliance has shown a strong track record of revenue and profit growth and fits neatly within ULS Technology and its plans for the future.
“Currently ULS has little presence in this sector, which is one of the reasons that the strategic fit with Conveyancing Alliance is so strong. Our combined offering is intended to provide highly competitive pricing and a modern technology service that makes customers’ lives easier, enabling them to complete a home move painlessly and more quickly.”
URL to article: https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/aim-listed-company-makes-multi-million-pound-acquisition-bid-become-uks-leading-conveyancing-service
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John And Yoko's Bed-In Recreated For Peace
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Yoko Ono and John Lennon's Bed-In, the organizing committee of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence will be holding a “Bed-In for Peace and Nonviolence” at the Cherry Hill Fountain Terrace in Central Park on August 16th from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m, where they will pay tribute to John Lennon, and Yoko Ono, and the timeless cause of peace. Cherry Hill Fountain Terrace is located adjacent to Strawberry Field inside the park.
A “Peace Bed” will be set-up where the public can express their thoughts on peace, nuclear proliferation and violence just as Lennon and Ono brought attention to the violence of the Vietnam War from their honeymoon bed. The event will feature activities like sign painting, face painting, poetry reading and a live recording of the new song “We Want Peace on Earth” by Mark Lesseraux and Earthdriver at 3 p.m. The public is invited to sing along.
World March US spokesperson Chris Wells will be on hand to speak to the press. Says Wells, “the Bed-in is a tribute to two remarkable people who dared to dream and used their imagination to promote and support the planet’s most urgent need.” Other Bed-ins have been organized by the World March for Peace and Nonviolence to date in Montreal, Rio, Prague, Helsinki, Ireland, San Clemente, Munich, Madrid and Berlin.
An international team of marchers will kick off the World March in New Zealand on October 2nd, the International Day of Nonviolence and bring together more than one million direct participants in 95 countries on seven continents for thousands of supporting marches, festivals, exhibits, concerts, forums, conferences and social, cultural, educational and athletic events. The goal of the march is to celebrate and demand peace, end wars, dismantle nuclear weapons and eliminate all forms of violence.
The march will arrive in New York City on November 30, 2009, and reach its final destination in Punta de Vacas, Argentina on January 2, 2010.
The World March has been endorsed and backed by more than 500 prominent newsmakers, Nobel Laureates, heads of state, mayors and artists, including Jimmy Carter, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Penelope Cruz and Yoko Ono, who has received a special invitation to attend the anniversary event she so famously brought to the world’s attention 40 years ago.
In a special message to March organizers, Ono writes: “Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world. Power works in mysterious ways. You don’t have to do much. Visualize the domino effect. And just start thinking PEACE. The message will circulate faster than you think. It’s Time For Action. The Action is PEACE. Spread the word. Spread PEACE.”
The World March was launched by the international organization World Without Wars affiliated with the Humanist Movement. For more information, go: www.worldmarchusa.net
The T.J. Martell Foundation Announces 44th Annual New York Honors Gala Jun 20, 2019
The TJ Martell Foundation for Cancer Research, has announced the 44th Annual New York Honors Gala to be held on October 15th at Cipriani in New York. More →
Penélope Cruz and PETA Urge Shoppers to Ditch Fur in New Christmas Ad Campaign Dec 7, 2018
Stars Join The 2018 (RED) Shopathon To Fight AIDS Nov 20, 2018
Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, Jeff Bridges Recreate Historic Bed-In With John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Sep 17, 2018
#IMAGINE a better future for all children I UNICEF
"When the Security Council fails, the United Nations fails"
Mia Farrow's Tribute to Refugees
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Redwood City construction disrupts community life
Community News Top Stories
by Izzy Villa September 22, 2017 September 25, 2017 0530
The Redwood City that was once another quiet Bay Area town has developed into a colossal construction zone, making it inconvenient for the residents and workers who have lived in Redwood City years prior.
Karen Vaughn, the principal planner for current planning in Redwood City, spoke about the construction on Marshall Street. “The plan lays out a vision for downtown Redwood City as a vibrant downtown core consisting of employment, residential, and recreational uses,” Vaughn continued, “Concentrating development in downtown makes sense because of our downtown Caltrain station and easy commute options.”
601 Marshall street was once two low-rise buildings for lease, but by the end of 2017, it will be transformed into a new apartment building available for tenants.
Indigo Apartment Homes was completed and tenants were allowed to move in as of June 2016.
In 2016, the Indigo Apartment Homes building was completed, adding yet another one of many apartment buildings in downtown. Other completed apartment projects include Locale Apartments, Classics, Greystar 1, and The Marston by Windsor.
Broadway Plaza is a project that is still going through the approval process. “The project will provide 120 affordable units, and 1.56 acres public open space,” Peter Tsai, vice president for the real estate development of the Sobrato Organization said.
Throughout these construction projects, Broadway Plaza has been the only projects to cater to the needs of low-income families by providing them rooms with an affordable rent. The 601 Marshall street project has one law firm as one of the main tenants.
Stanford University is following suit and has continued to expand their campus from Palo Alto, already starting their construction on the MidPoint Technology Park. Their project is predicted to finish by 2019.
The Marshall Street apartment building with feature 8 stories of rooms and 255 parking spaces.
Redwood City has more buildings being constructed, however, residents are having a harder time adapting to the new changes. M-A senior Lena Reibstein said, “When I go out to dinner or movies with family or friends, sometimes I have to take a different route because some parts are fenced off at the end of the street.”
Senior Arthur Cuenca said, “There’s some sidewalks I can’t really reach. I go around, and it usually takes longer.”
Cuenca went on to say, “I believe that companies should help families get jobs and that the rent should decrease.”
In the Broadway Plaza project, stores such as Big Lots and Foodsco have been removed completely as of January 2017. Foodsco was a grocery store that provided affordable prices for families in Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont, and East Palo Alto. Upon its removal, low-income families and former Foodsco employees are at a disservice of the construction and now must find an alternative store.
As Redwood City reconstructs to be a dynamic and fast-paced city, elements such as rent, traffic, available parking, and grocery stores for low-income families will become more of a struggle.
Introducing new M-A teachers & staff
Full Court Press Season 2 Episode 1
Izzy Villa
Isabela Villa is a senior, and she is co-editor in chief for the M-A Chronicle. She enjoys writing about student life in the M-A community, and she hopes to spread insightful information through the website and her peers.
Who is Ms. Kleeman?
Danielle Balestra February 8, 2015 September 18, 2015
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“Actors don’t often get roles like this. It’s very special.”
15 September, 2017 | Rebecca Foster | The Ruck: this girl can
“Don’t be getting my double chin from that angle,” admonishes one of the Batley Girls as I gatecrash a photo line-up.
There’s a real buzz tonight at Huddersfield’s Lawrence Batley Theatre (LBT) tonight for the premiere of The Ruck, the much-anticipated story of the Batley Bulldogs Under 16s Girls Rugby tour of Australia.
In the theatre bar with a pint in his hand and a grin on his face team coach Craig Taylor is in no doubt about the potential for this Creative Scene-commissioned collaboration between art and sport.
“It’s great for the girls,” he shouts above the racket his former players are now making on the next table, “but more importantly, it’ll be great for the sport. Hopefully it will inspire other girls to take up rugby.”
The front of house staff do their best to get everyone seated for kick off and, from where I sit in the circle, I can see Craig and the girls getting comfortable in the third row of the stalls, waving at others around the auditorium.
Within minutes of the lights fading, we’re in fits of laughter. And the tissues come out as the characters reveal themselves and the story develops of the team’s preparations for the first ever Australian tour by a girls’ rugby team.
It is, of course, a play of two halves and as the bar staff tackle the interval assault, I ask parents for a reaction. “It’s really good, isn’t it? Really good,” says Casey’s mum as she’s handed a drink, “they’ve got the way Craig would speak to the girls off to a T. We’re really enjoying it.”
With only four actors playing the whole team, writer Kevin Fegan has skilfully combined real and imagined storylines inspired, in part at least, by his time sitting with the girls on the back of the team coach.
One of the girls tells me she recognises the troubled character from the first half who self harms. “To see that played out on stage, I was in absolute tears,” she says, “because I realise now how far I’ve come from that time in my life. It’s brilliant.”
With everyone back in their seats, we’re transported to the Gold Coast for the second half and the whole of the Lawrence Batley Theatre is again in uproar as the team’s challenges on and off the field are played out. The Batley Girls even join in with the chants they’ve made their own.
Later LBT’s Rose Condo introduces a post-show discussion and, to accompanying whoops and hollers, gives a shout out to the Batley Girls as Kevin and Craig clamber belatedly on stage.
“Remember, whatever happened in Oz, stays in Oz,” jokes Kevin, “apart from this play of course.”
Actor Sophie Mercer who plays the young Asian newcomer, speaks on behalf of her collagues: “Actors don’t get roles like this very often. Mostly we play fictional characters so it’s very special when we do something based on true life.
“To be given a story like this where you girls have done something, made footprints that are bigger than your own, it’s been a real privilege.
“And after we came to meet you at the ground and seeing your team bond, then that helped us bond as actors. That was you guys… you are really inspirational.”
More tissues.
Rose takes questions from the audience. “I’m Batley born and bred,” says one woman, “and my father was involved with Batley Rugby Club until the day he died. “He would have been proud to have seen this tonight.
“I go to lots of Creative Scene events,” she continues, “and I think they are fantastic at what they do, bringing everyone from the community along with them. It’s been an unbelievable night.”
An unbelievable night indeed.
“I’ve never been to a theatre before,” says one of the Batley Girls to one of the mums, as they head through the foyer. “I wasn’t expecting it to be half as good as this.”
“Me neither.”
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Periodical U.S. Reports: Nebraska v. Wyoming, 507 U.S. 584 (1993).
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U.S. Reports: Nebraska v. Wyoming, 507 U.S. 584 (1993).
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- Description: U.S. Reports Volume 507; October Term, 1992; Nebraska v. Wyoming et al.
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O'Connor, Sandra Day, and Supreme Court Of The United States. U.S. Reports: Nebraska v. Wyoming, 507 U.S. 584 . 1992. Periodical. https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep507584/.
O'Connor, S. D. & Supreme Court Of The United States. (1992) U.S. Reports: Nebraska v. Wyoming, 507 U.S. 584 . [Periodical] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/usrep507584/.
O'Connor, Sandra Day, and Supreme Court Of The United States. U.S. Reports: Nebraska v. Wyoming, 507 U.S. 584 . 1992. Periodical. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/usrep507584/>.
More Periodicals like this
U.S. Reports: Nebraska v. Wyoming et al., 534 U.S. 40 (2001).
Contributor: O'Connor, Sandra Day - Supreme Court of the United States
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An Act To permit a compact or agreement between the States of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and ... 1268 SIXTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS. SEss. II. CHS. 534, 535. 1925. March 4,1925. [S. 4377. [Public, No. 69.] CHAP. 534.-An Act To permit a compact or agreement between the States of Washington, Idaho, Oregon,...
An act to authorize a preliminary examination of the Coquille River and its tributaries in the ... 334 74T:n CONGRESS. Lpiitation on ex- SESS. I. CHS. 205, 207, 210. JUNE 7,10,11, 1935. terms, except as to payment of tuition, as other children of said school district: Provided further, That...
An act to authorize a preliminary examination of the Umpqua River and its tributaries in the ... 74TH CONGRESS. SESS. I. CHS. 211-213. 335 JUNE 11, 1935. [CHAPTER 211.] AN ACT To authorize a preliminary examination of Umpqua River and its tributaries in the State of Oregon, with a...
An act to authorize a preliminary examination of the Sebewaing River, in Huron County, Michigan, with ... 74TH CONGRESS. SESS. I. CHS. 211-213. 335 JUNE 11, 1935. [CHAPTER 211.] AN ACT To authorize a preliminary examination of Umpqua River and its tributaries in the State of Oregon, with a...
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John Hitchcock
(PRINTS)
John Hitchcock is an Artist, Professor of Art, Department Chair of Theatre and Drama and Associate Dean of Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professor Hitchcock has served as Faculty Director of The Studio Learning Community and Art Department Graduate Chair. He is an award-winning artist who uses the print medium to explore relationships of community, land, and culture. He has taught printmaking at UW-Madison since 2001. Prior to that he was at the University of Minnesota, Morris. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University.
Hitchcock has been the recipient of The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Artistic Innovation and Collaboration grant, New York; Jerome Foundation Grant, Minnesota; the Creative Arts Award and Emily Mead Baldwin Award in the Creative Arts at the University of Wisconsin. Hitchcock’s artwork has been exhibited at numerous venues including the International Print Center New York, New York; Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Museum of Wisconsin Arts, West Bend, Wisconsin; The Rauschenberg Project Space, New York, New York; “Air, Land, Seed” on the occasion of the Venice Biennale 54th International Art at the University of Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy; “Envisioning The Plains” Solo exhibition at the American Culture Center in Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
www.hybridpress.net
I'd like to thank the great print assistants we had on this project: Jason Clark, Shelby Hanson, Darla Pienciak and Carl Largent
This project is made possible with the generous support of the following:
John was the third of four printmaking residencies that culminated in the 2018 exhibition at the Missoula Art Museum of works created at Matrix, surveying contemporary American Indian approaches to abstraction.
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Home > News > Meyer Wins Bankruptcy Award
Meyer Wins Bankruptcy Award
McGeorge student Brent Meyer, ’09, was one of only six law students nationwide to receive a Distinguished Law Student award from the American College of Bankruptcy Conference on March 28 in Washington, D.C.
Meyer represented the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the largest circuit in the country, and was selected out of numerous nominations across nine Western states. Nominations come from bankruptcy college fellows and law professors, and each nominee must have outstanding academic credentials.
A University of Southern College graduate who earned a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in information systems and international business, Meyer is from Clovis, California. He served a clerkship last summer with the law firm of Jones Vargas in Reno, Nevada, and an externship this past fall in the judicial chambers of Judge Michael S. McManus, the chief bankruptcy judge of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California.
The American College of Bankruptcy is an honorary professional and educational association of bankruptcy and insolvency professionals. Its fellows include attorneys, accountants, turnaround and workout specialists, law professors, judges and government officials. McGeorge adjunct professor Steven Felderstein, one of the leading northern California bankruptcy attorneys, is member of the college.
Tags: 2009, student-life
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Campaigning Stockport MP Ann Coffey demands more resources to help convict child abusers
The MP has urged GMP to better resource an overworked hi-tech unit to help convict child abusers
Neal Keeling
MP Ann Coffey has urged GMP to better resource an overworked high-tech unit to help convict child abusers.
As reported by the M.E.N., police officers interviewed by inspectors revealed shocking delays for crucial computer-based evidence against suspected child abusers to be analysed.
The crisis was revealed in a report published by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.
But Stockport MP Ms Coffey, whose report in October revealed that child sexual exploitation had become ‘the social norm’ in parts of Greater Manchester, said the problem of delays had existed for at least two years.
Computers seized from suspects are submitted to the force’s High Tech Unit to scrutinize.
But the HMIC report revealed eight months elapsed before a report on a computer was provided in a case involving a school governor, six months for a report on a computer involving a known sex offender and more than seven months to analyse the phone of an alleged offender said to have recorded two rapes of 14-year-old girls.
At the time of the inspection, in July, there were 174 cases that had not been allocated to a member of staff in the high-tech crime unit for analytical work. One hundred and forty one cases were currently being worked on by 14 staff. Staff in the unit were committed and wanted to ‘get the job done’ but were under extreme pressure and working long hours.
Ms Coffey said: “I had constituency experience of this problem two years ago. One of my constituents came to me and said she was concerned about online grooming involving her child and had handed over a computer to police in Stockport.
“Nothing was done and I spoke to police, but the response was that they hand over computers to the hi-tech unit and it could take months to process. It is not a new problem, the force have been aware of it for some time.
“The public see child protection as a priority. But it is no good GMP saying it is a priority, they have to demonstrate that it is a priority by giving more resources to this high-tech unit to get the evidence.
“While police are waiting for months for evidence to be analysed the suspects could still be grooming and abusing children.
“There is no point in tightening up the statute book with new legislation if we can’t get the evidence.”
“The report has a very clear message for GMP, which is that when a police officer is called to an incident they need to look at the impact on the child. They cannot just deal with a domestic incident and walk out of the door. They must listen to the voice of the child.”
Police: Action is being taken
POLICE insist action is being taken to tackle delays in investigating child abuse cases but blamed the ‘Savile’ effect for increasing their workload.
Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Ian Wiggett said: “The report does highlight a delay in allocating cases to the high-tech crime unit and this is something we have been tackling for some time.
“There is a number of important reasons for the backlog, chief among them are the increasing demands and reporting of child abuse following the Jimmy Savile case, combined with a much greater awareness by police and partner agencies like the National Crime Agency and Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.
"The recent and significant increase in demand and increasing use of encrypted technology by sex offenders has resulted in the current situation.
“This also needs to be put into a wider context of continuing budget cuts. The unit has finite resources and the Public Protection Division, which does the bulk of child protection work, is just one of a number of departments that rely on the unit.
“However, against this difficult backdrop we have managed some significant gains. We have just secured new investment for the unit and a recruitment programme has already started with the aim of having new staff up and running by March 2015.
“Also, due to an investment in mobile phone technology we have reduced the average backlog from 3/4 months to 3/4 weeks.
“In terms of computers, there is still a delay in a number of cases. However, all cases that are deemed critical are still being met in an appropriate timescale and allocated immediately. There is no current delay for critical cases.”
Ann Coffey MP
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Faster broadband
Wednesday, 7 February, 2018
The Government and Gloucestershire County Council have been working to help improve rural broadband speeds in the Forest of Dean and across Gloucestershire.
We are committed to giving everyone access to high speed broadband by 2020 and will make it a legal requirement for high speed broadband to be provided to anyone requesting it. This will give every household the right to request access to broadband with minimum speeds of 10Mbps. Whether by enabling businesses to reach new customers or by helping parents with the weekly shop, investing in better local broadband is creating jobs and making daily life easier.
Part of this commitment is a £1.7 billion Government rollout of superfast broadband to areas deemed ‘not commercially viable’ by industry. So far this has reached more than 4.5 million UK premises that would otherwise have been left in the connectivity slow lane, the majority of which are in rural areas, like the Forest of Dean.
For too long rural areas have missed out on fast broadband speeds, left behind by telecoms companies when investing in new infrastructure, with their focus on larger towns and cities. Access to superfast broadband is great news for families and businesses in the Forest of Dean.
The Fastershire project – a joint scheme between Gloucestershire County Council & Herefordshire Council – has helped to deliver this in practice. Phase 1 of the roll-out delivered faster broadband to the majority of homes and businesses. It has already enabled over 78,000 premises in Gloucestershire with access to faster broadband over 30Mbps. We are now on Phase 2 of the roll out where one of the key areas is the Forest of Dean. More details on this local scheme, and how it affects you, are available at: http://www.fastershire.com/.
There is more to do, but each week faster broadband reaches more homes in the Forest of Dean. By investing in the things that improve people’s day to day lives we will build a Britain that is fit for the future.
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Kennedy Center “Celebrating a Century of Irish Arts & Culture”
The global celebration commemorating the centennial of the 1916 Easter Rising takes center stage (several stages, actually) at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. 17 May to 5 June. The “Ireland 100” festival includes dozens of performances from some of Ireland’s best contemporary musicians, dancers, and theater companies – along with other events ranging from a literature series, documentary screenings, installations and culinary arts.
Fiona Shaw is Artist-in-Residence for the three-week festival, performing and conducting workshops with aspiring actors. Among the festival’s theater offerings are works by Irish playwrights Seán O’Casey (The Plough and the Stars) and Samuel Beckett (the radio play All That Fall), an adaptation from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake performed by Olwen Fouéré (Riverrun), and a performance installation by Enda Walsh (A Girl’s Bedroom).
“The United States and Ireland share a special relationship based on common ancestral ties and shared values,” Festival Curator Alicia Adams said. “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts bears the name of our 35th President, who is especially revered by Ireland as a favorite son.”
See schedule details.
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, who often boasts of his Irish-American heritage, and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny are scheduled to attend the 17 May opening.
This entry was posted in Arts & Culture, Irish America and tagged Enda Kenny, Joe Biden, John F. Kennedy on May 15, 2016 by admin.
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Now on at @ARTBA's #P3s in Transportation Conference: Moderator Deborah Brown of WSP; and panelists Maryland DOT Se… https://t.co/cIuXcnuHiV, 2 hours ago
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Prof. John McRae – Nottingham University
In this fifteen-part course, Professor John McRae (University of Nottingham) explores Shakespeare’s Hamlet, focusing in particular on Hamlet’s development from “a rogue and peasant slave” to the perfect (“most royal”) king. We begin in the first module with a brief introduction to Shakespeare’s life and career, his sources for Hamlet and the intellectual climate in which the play was written, and the idea that Shakespeare structured the play around the numbers three and seven. After that, in the second module, we introduce the concept of soliloquies and meditations. In the third module, we consider Fortinbras’ claim at the end of the play that Hamlet “was likely, had he been put on, / To have prov’d most royal”, before turning in the fourth module to consider the three components of the perfect king according to Renaissance thought.
In the fifth module, we trace events from the beginning of the play to Hamlet’s vow to avenge his father’s death, before turning in the sixth module to consider Renaissance ideas of the perfectly balanced mind.
In the seventh module, we think about the arrival of the players and Hamlet’s mediations of truth and representation, before turning in the eighth module to look in more detail at probably the most famous soliloquy in the history of theatre: “To be, or not to be?”
In the ninth module, we provide an in-depth reading of Ophelia’s soliloquy, which incorporates many of the ideas that we have already encountered, before moving on in the tenth module to consider three meditations and Hamlet’s growing status as an ‘actor’, i.e. someone who acts, rather than someone who is acted upon.
In the eleventh module, we think about revenge and the figure of the revenger, before turning in the twelfth module to two more soliloquies: that of Claudius (4.3.56-66) in which he outlines his plan to have Hamlet murdered in England, and Hamlet’s long final soliloquy (4.4.31-65) in which he castigates himself for taking so long to enact his revenge.
In the thirteenth module, we focus on Hamlet’s encounter with the pirates and his ‘sea-change’ before he return to Denmark, before turning in the fourteenth module to his three encounters with death – first Yorick’s, then Ophelia’s, and finally his own – and how this demonstrates his possession of the three fundamental attributes of the perfect king. Finally, in the fifteenth module, we trace events to the end of the play, focusing in particular on the brief moment in the play in which Hamlet confirms his status as the perfect king by demonstrating his balance of past, present and future.
Note: We use the Arden edition of the play. Students using a different version of the play may encounter slight differences in either the text and/or line numbers.
The Seven Soliloquies and Seven Meditations:
S1: “O that this too too solid flesh would melt” (1.2.129-58)
M1: “The King doth wake tonight and take his rouse” (1.4.8-38)
S2: “O all you host of heaven, O earth – what else?” (1.5.92-112)
M2: “I have of late, but wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth” (2.2.259-276)
S3: “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!” (2.2.485-540)
S4: “To be or not to be – that is the question” (3.1.55-89)
M3: “Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you…” (3.2.1-34)
M4: “Nay, do not think I flatter … In censure of his seeming” (3.2.52-83)
M5: “Why, look you now how unworthy a thing you make of me … you cannot play upon me” (3.2.355-63)
S5: “’Tis now the very witching time of night” (3.2.378-89)
S6: “Now might I do it pat” (3.3.73-96)
S7: “How all occasions do inform against me” (4.4.31-65)
M6: “Alas poor Yorick” (5.1.174-185)
M7: “Not a whit. We defy augury” (5.2.197-202)
John McRae is Special Professor of Language in Literature Studies and Teaching Associate in the School of English at Nottingham University, and holds Visiting Professorships in China, Malaysia, Spain and the USA. He is co-author of The Routledge History of Literature in English with Ron Carter, and also wrote The Language of Poetry, Literature with a Small 'l' and the first critical edition of Teleny by Oscar Wilde and others.
2. Soliloquies and Meditations
3. Hamlet the “Most Royal” King (Part I)
4. The Book, the Sword, and the Flower
5. From Zero to (Avenging) Hero
6. Memory, Proof, and Mirror-Images
7. The Players, Representation and Truth
8. To Be or Not to Be
9. Ophelia’s Soliloquy
10. Hamlet the ‘Actor’
11. Revenge
12. Two Soliloquies: Claudius and Hamlet
13. The Pirates and Hamlet’s ‘Sea-Change’
14. Accepting Death: Head, Heart and Hand
15. Hamlet as “Most Royal” King (Part II)
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Miami Car Accident Lawyers > Blog > Car Accident > Car Crash Ends in Deadly Fire On 163rd Street
Car Crash Ends in Deadly Fire On 163rd Street
One person has been killed in a fiery crash that happened in North Miami Beach on Wednesday night.
In a story that appeared on the Miami CBS Local Website, authorities say that the fatal accident took place at NE 163rd Street and 19th Avenue.
Major Richard Rand with the Miami Police Department said in a statement that the accident occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m. when a 23-year-old woman driving her vehicle westbound on 163rd. The car crashed and the vehicle burst into flames.
Related: Man Injured after Cabin Cruiser Catches Fire from Battery Failure
Emergency crews from Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue responded to extinguish the fire. Eyewitnesses to the accident say that a Good Samaritan helped save another woman who was in the vehicle from the fire. She was transported to North End Trauma Center in critical condition.
The 23-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. No identities have been released pending the notification of next of kin.
Related: Driver and Passenger Go to Hospital after Ramming Fire Truck
Any time you or a loved one gets behind the wheel, the potential for a crash that can cause serious injuries or even the tragedy of death, is always present. No one expects to find themselves involved in an accident, and even when you take every precaution such as wearing a seatbelt and obeying the traffic laws, a tragic accident can happen.
Related: Electrical Fire Leaves Many Homeless
If ever you are involved in an accident where serious injury or even fatalities have been involved, it’s a good idea to have legal representation working for you. If you live in the Miami-Dade area and have been involved in a serious car accident, call our offices today and make an appointment to speak with one of our attorneys.
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Miami Car Accident Lawyers > Blog > Car Accident > Drunk Driver Cruelly Flees the Scene after a Fatal Accident
Drunk Driver Cruelly Flees the Scene after a Fatal Accident
An elderly woman is dead after being struck by a truck as she crossed the street Monday evening. According to officials, the woman was walking to church at around 8 p.m. Monday when she was struck by a truck near the intersection of Northwest 12th Avenue and 60th Street. Family members have identified the victim as Fannie Ash.
Police said Ash was allegedly killed by a drunk driver, who initially fled the scene after the accident. However, the driver was encouraged by his family to return to the scene. “Since that time, he has been arrested for DUI,” said Miami Police Traffic Homicide Sgt. Luis Taborda.
The truck driver has been identified as Howard Marty Leven. Leven failed a field sobriety test before he was taken into custody by police.
Leven has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death and DUI manslaughter. He appeared in bond court Tuesday where a judged assigned him a bond of $130,000.
No one should ever drink and drive. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a crime and even if it is your first time, it can carry a stiff sentence. That sentence worsens if someone is seriously injured or even killed as the result of an accident with an intoxicated driver. The most severe of these occurs when a person is killed in a DUI accident and is referred to in the Florida Courts as DUI manslaughter.
Related: Drunk Driving Car Accident Lawyer in Miami, FL
The charge of DUI manslaughter, this is an extremely serious crime and it is a second-degree felony punishable by loss of license, loss of insurance, along with high fines and a prison sentence of between 2 and 20 years.
Related: Brain and Head Trauma Accident Lawyer in Miami, FL
If you or someone you love has been injured by a drunk driver you need an experienced attorney on your side in the Miami-Dade area. Our highly experienced attorneys will help to insure that justice is served and that you and your loved ones are given compensation for your medical expenses, on-going long-term care costs. We can also help you receive compensation for the tragedy of funeral costs and wrongful death
Related: Car Accident Lawyers in Miami
Give our offices call, and discuss the details of your case with one of our legal professionals. We will take the time to go over your case and outline all possible courses of action for you. We can also act as a liaison between you and the insurance companies and others who are involved in your situation. Call us today to discuss your options. Your initial consultation is free.
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News EDP Sciences signed an agreement to preserve Journals with Portico (April 2015)
EDP Sciences signed an agreement to preserve Journals with Portico (April 2015)
EDP Sciences is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Portico to provide a permanent archive of the e-content for many of their key journals. Through this agreement, institutions participating in Portico’s E-Journal Preservation Service will be assured continued access to EDP Sciences content for generations of their scholars in the future.
Current data will be sent to Portico as soon as the e-journal is published, and a full list of the journals committed to the Portico archive is available at http://www.portico.org/digital-preservation/who-participates-in-portico/participating-publishers/edp.
For more information read Press Release (PDF).
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#tesla #teslacoil #nikolatesla #teslacoin
ELECTRIFY YOUR COLLECTION
Something new has arrived.
INTRODUCING: THE SILVER NIKOLA TESLA COIN SERIES
For the first time in history, the Serbian Mint has created a series of legal tender bullion 1 oz. silver coins! This electrifying new program honors the intricate inventions of Nikola Tesla. Now available is the series' inaugural release which pays tribute to alternating current (AC) via Tesla's induction motor - an invention that sparked massive change in industrial mechanics.
SHOP TESLA COINS NOW
The Electrical Visionary
Born at the stroke of midnight in a dramatic lightning storm in 1856, Nikola Tesla's Mother prophetically proclaimed that he will be a "child of light!"
Dedicated to the study of science and mathematics, Tesla spoke eight languages fluently and was able to visualize his completed inventions in three dimensions.
With over 300 patents, Tesla is best remembered for inventing the first induction motor with a rotating magnetic field. This invention made unit drives for machines and made AC power transmission an economic necessity.
The remarkable thing about Tesla is that he created the induction motor in a way that was essentially perfect. The design has not had to be changed in the last 120 years.
The Second Exciting Release in the Series!
In 2019, the Serbian Mint released the second coin in the series which honors Nikola Tesla's invention of the remote control! Made from .999 fine silver, only 50,000 of these will be minted.
The obverse shares the same design as the 2018 release, featuring the iconic portrait of Tesla. Inscriptions on this side include "Electrical Visionary" and "Powering the Feature."
The reverse features the boat that was used to demonstrate his remote control. The patent number, "120th Anniversary Remote Control," "Wireless Transmission," are inscribed on this face along with the weight, purity, and date.
ModernCoinMart is proud to offer this exciting new release for pre-sale both ungraded rolls and singles, with graded options arriving soon!
Roll of 20 - 2018 Serbia Nikola Tesla - Alternating Current 1 oz Silver Coins GEM BU
2019 Serbia Nikola Tesla - Remote Control 1 oz Silver 100 Dinara Coin NGC MS70 First Release Exclusive Tesla Label
2018 Serbia Nikola Tesla - Alternating Current 1 oz Silver Proof 100 Dinara Coin NGC PF69 UC Tesla Label
Don't miss your opportunity to bring the beginning of this innovative program into your collection.
THE LEGACY OF NIKOLA TESLA
Nikola Tesla was a true visionary, a man before his time, inspired by wonder and awe. He was far ahead of his contemporaries in the field of scientific and technological development, and his inventions and creations literally transformed the world we live in today. We live in an electrical word, almost everything we encounter has electrical power, and it was Tesla who paved the way for the modern conveniences that we enjoy.
Tesla was a man who seemed to be beyond space and time. He was a master of invention, the father of technology, and wizard of light. He shaped the world we live in today, as a prodigy like no other then, and ever since. He is responsible for the AC (alternating current) electricity that we all take for granted today.
Tesla’s innovative mind and epic inventions paved the way for modern lighting, wireless communications, radar, lasers, X-rays, the radio, robotics, free energy, weather manipulation, and much more. He had a fertile imagination, not a disciplined one. He was an idiosyncratic genius, with an innovative mind and luxuriant imagination, which was the source of his genius but was eventually the cause of his downfall.
Tesla was far more mentally advanced than his peers… He discovered that energy is everywhere and that the Earth holds a limitless source of energy. He was on a life crusade to bring free power to the world, but eventually, he was crushed down by the powerful elite, and the rest is history.
Tesla had over 300 patents in his lifetime, many far ahead of his time. Though he was never able to live long enough to see his dreams reach the reality of today’s technology, his many contributions are remembered throughout this brand-new silver coin series.
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Great Service Established in 2004, rest assured knowing you're working with one of the most trusted dealers in the precious metals industry.
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‘Champ’s Law’ Advances
When Zachary Wilbanks allegedly stabbed a Cass County police dog in the neck, it was a misdemeanor punishable by up to 15 days in jail and a fine of $700.
But under a proposed new law, the penalty could be considerably worse: up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,000.
If an attack kills or incapacitates a police dog, the perp would be facing at least three and possibly 10 years behind bars.
The bill was filed a few days after Champ, a Cass County Sheriff’s Department K9, was stabbed in the neck by a man wanted for stealing who was being pursued on foot in Harrisonville.
Earlier this month, Cass County Sheriff Jeff Weber testified in favor of the tougher penalties before the Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee of the Missouri House of Representatives.
“My concern and outrage for the minimum penalty imposed on someone for stabbing a law enforcement K9 was echoed throughout our community and required my action,” Weber said in a statement released by the Sheriff’s Department. “I am hopeful that this bill becomes law and in so doing we recognize the valuable contribution these animals make to our efforts of keeping our community safe.”
About 5 p.m. on Dec. 11, Cass County deputies were called to assist Harrisonville police in a foot pursuit of a wanted man that began near Walmart. A deputy and Champ located the suspect between some businesses and chased him into a field. The deputy lost sight of the suspect and Champ.
“He then heard a bark and a yelp, and K9 Champ returned to him,” according to a news release at the time.
The suspect was apprehended. The deputy later noticed blood covering the kennel area of his patrol car and found a wound to the dog’s neck. A veterinarian in Raymore tended to the 1.5-inch knife wound, and Champ was sent home with his handler to rest.
The next day, 17-year-old Wilbanks was charged with resisting arrest and with assault on a police animal. Court records indicate Wilbanks was staying at the Crittendon Children’s Center in south Kansas City, which tends to mental and behavioral issues of adolescents.
Wilbanks was released on his own recognizance, but he failed to appear at a scheduled court hearing on Jan. 2, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The warrant was still active Tuesday, and Wilbanks remained a fugitive.
The state charge of resisting arrest is a Class A misdemeanor, but assault on a law enforcement animal is a lesser Class C misdemeanor.
State Rep. Robert Cornejo of St. Peters, a St. Louis suburb, filed House Bill 1649 to stiffen the penalties for attacking a K9. Killing or injuring a police animal so that it cannot return to duty would go from being a Class E felony up to a Class C felony. Among four co-sponsors is Rep. Donna Pfautsch of Harrisonville.
On Tuesday, the committee voted to approve the bill and send it on to full House.
Meanwhile, Champ has recovered from his wound.
“He is back to duty,” Sheriff’s Department spokesman Capt. Kevin Teaman said Tuesday. “He returned January 8th, although his training is ongoing.”
Matt Campbell | Kansas City Star
Statement from Governor Eric Greitens:
“Today, after some meetings in Kansas City, I stopped by for a workout with some Kansas City police officers. We were joined by guys from the Cass County Sheriff’s office—and Champ, one of the K-9s who works with them. He’s a German Shepherd who has been with the Cass County Sheriff’s office for four years.
Last month, Champ was stabbed in the side of the neck while pursuing a suspect.
In Missouri, stabbing a police K-9 carries about the same penalty as not returning a library book.
That’s not right.
In Iowa, if you hurt a police animal, you can go to jail for up to five years. If you hurt an FBI dog, you can go to jail for up to 10 years.
We need to strengthen Missouri’s laws. These K-9s do incredible work on behalf of our people. They are trained, tough dogs, and they help keep Missourians safe. There’s a bill to do that working its way through the legislature now. It’s called “Champ’s Law,” and it’s a bill I support.
Champ is a fighter. He’s recovered from his wounds, and he’s back on duty. We’re grateful for him and for the men and women of law enforcement.”
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Borderlands 3 Supports Cross-Platform Co-Op According to Microsoft Store
By: Matt Purslow
The listing for Borderlands 3 on Microsoft’s store page claims that the game will support cross-platform co-op.
So far in the game’s short-but-loud marketing campaign, developer Gearbox has yet to say anything about cross-platform play. And yet here it is, in black and white, under the ‘Capabilities’ section of the Microsoft store listing.
We’ve reached out to Gearbox for comment. Hopefully it refers to full cross-platform compatibility, but chances are it more likely refers to co-op play between PC and Xbox One. A recent example of this kind of co-op is Sea of Thieves, although it should be noted that Rare’s pirate sandbox is a Microsoft exclusive, and thus would naturally be limited to Microsoft platforms. Still, there’s significantly less corporate mess to untangle with PC to Xbox cross-platform play than there is when Sony is involved.
Matt Purslow
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Photo by: Lexis Greene
POSTPONED: Trial for son charged with murder (along with father) that was caught on camera
The trial for Michael Miller has been pushed back.
Author: Lexis Greene
Published: 11:04 AM CDT July 8, 2019
Updated: 11:07 AM CDT July 8, 2019
ABILENE, Texas — New details in the case of the father-son murder of Aaron Howard that took place in the alley behind their house during an argument that started over a mattress.
Michael Miller, the son in the duo, was scheduled to appear in court this morning. According to court officials, his trial date has been pushed back and won’t take place for couple more months.
His father, John Miller, has an upcoming court date set for August 2019.
Both John and Michael Miller were arrested in September 2018 and charged with murder. The case has caused an uproar after the murder was caught on cellphone video.
Their initial bonds were set at $25,000; after they bonded out, they were rearrested, and their bonds to raised 10 times that amount.
In April, there was a meeting held to reduce those bonds and an agreement was reached.
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Glucosamine Sport Complex
Protects from injuries
Strengthens joints and improves lubrication
50 mg hyaluronic acid per daily portion
Glucosamine SPORT Complex is a unique composition of glucosamine, hyaluronic acid and collagen, the components which form the structural elements of cartilage, ligaments and tendons, giving them resilience and increasing their resistance. Glucosamine SPORT Complex supports the regeneration of joint structures: it can prevent their degradation and increase the production of synovial fluid, thus improving their lubrication. The product is recommended for persons exposed to increased joint strain, especially sportsmen practicing the following disciplines: team games, athletics, cycling and strength sports.
JOINT PROTECTION DURING SPORTS ACTIVITIES
Glucosamine SPORT Complex is a specialist dietary supplement, which combines the components with a synergic effect, supporting a comprehensive regeneration of the connective tissue, which is the building material of the most important elements of the motor system and which has unique mechanical characteristics. Glucosamine, collagen and hyaluronic acid form a complex structure of connective tissue, thanks to which it is capable of absorbing shocks and withstand heavy loads; these components also give it its unique flexibility and resilience. The structure of our tendons, ligaments and joint cartilages is subject to continuous micro-damage, which has to be repaired constantly. In the conditions of especially high strain related to a high level of physical activity the organism is not able to produce the required quantities of all building components of the connective tissue on its own. The process of the appropriate post-workout regeneration, which enables the adaptation of cartilages, ligaments and tendons to new, increased strain is thus disrupted. Some associated symptoms may include discomfort and decreased mobility; the prolonged deficiency of components which nurture and strengthen the connective tissue leads to a high risk of injury.
JOINT REGENERATION AND NUTRITION
Our joints, cartilages and ligaments need appropriate regeneration, protection and nutrition so that they can function properly. Just like the muscles need continuous supplies of building components, the connective tissue needs to be regularly supplied with appropriate structural components. The demand for these substances increases if our joints are overexploited, e.g. when we practice sport. In such a situation we should ensure that these components are provided by our diet. In order to avoid unnecessary injury we should not only avoid the excessive strain of the motor system, but also supplement our nutrition with the key components, necessary for muscle functioning. Scientists have been examining the influence of the diet on the functioning of human motor system. Food contains many valuable substances, which, if provided in a concentrated form, have a highly beneficial effect on its regeneration. Glucosamine, collagen and hyaluronic acid are components which are naturally present in food, and their health properties have been confirmed on numerous occasions. Their chemical composition is different, but their supplementation brings similar results. The replenishment of these missing components in the diet leads to the improvement of mobility and the movement range in the joints; it is also an excellent way of preventing injuries; should any injury occur, these components increase the rate of recovery.
It is a substance which belongs to the group of amino sugars, which are the basic structural component of the joint cartilage. As a result of high mechanical loads, which are very frequent in sports, this structure is subject to micro-damage. If the joints are to function properly, they need to be repaired on an ongoing basis; otherwise the rate of degeneration of joint cartilage is drastically increased. Glucosamine sulphate is a highly biologically accessible source of natural glucosamine, which stimulates the cartilage tissue to regeneration processes and effectively fills the damage resulting from workouts.
The most common protein present in the organism, which corresponds to nearly 70% of all human proteins. Due to its specific fibrous structure it has very interesting mechanical properties. It binds the connective tissue and gives it flexibility, resilience, compression and tensile strength. It could seem that due to the large amount of collagen it is not necessary to replenish it; but it is quite the contrary: in order to maintain the required collagen amount it has to be continuously replenished. Sportsmen should ensure that their diet additionally provides them with the required amount of this vital component. Collagen provided in the hydrolyzed form (initially digested by enzymes) is especially recommended for everyday supplementation, since it is characterised by the greatest biological accessibility and effectiveness. This substance accelerates the regeneration of the system of joints and cartilages after an intense physical effort.
An essential component of the connective tissue. It is a special type of a multi-particle biopolymer, which is transformed into a thick and viscous gel in contact with water. Thanks to that, it fills the gaps between the joints, nourishing and hydrating the cartilage. The connective tissue is not supplied with blood and it receives all components by means of water. Hyaluronic acid stimulates the cartilage cells to produce synovial fluid; moreover, it minimizes the friction forces and thus it positively influences joint mobility. Appropriate lubrication and hydration of joint cartilage is essential for its proper functioning and accelerates cartilage regeneration.
WHO IS THIS PRODUCT RECOMMENDED FOR?
Glucosamine SPORT Complex is recommended especially for persons who are prone to increased joint strain, such as sportsmen practicing the following sports disciplines: team sports, athletics, cycling and strength sports. A special composition of natural active components protects the cartilages, ligaments and tendons and supports their comprehensive regeneration.
Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Notify me of availability
Glucosamine Sport Complex 90 tab.
The recommended daily dose is 1 tablet 3 times day, preferably immediately after a meal. Wash down the preparation with 300 ml of water.
The effectiveness of the preparation may be increased by combining it with e.g. Boswelia serrata extract or chondroitin. Glucosamine demonstrates its effects only after 3-6 months of systematic use.
Trec Nutrition is a company offering a wide choice of products for athletes. Products of this brand include carbohydrate-protein supplements, protein and energizers. The offer also includes amino acid supplements, creatine, HMB, fat burners, thermogenics, products supporting metabolism and speeding up the regeneration of joints.
per 3 tablets
Glucosamine Sulphate 2KCl 1950 mg *
Hydrolyzed Collagen 600 mg *
Hyaluronic Acid 50 mg *
Bulking agents (Microcrystalline cellulose, Maltodextrin, Modified starch, Cellulose rubber crosslinked), Collagen hydrolyzate, Carriers (Dicalcium phosphate, hydroxypropylcellulose, polyvinylpolypyrrolidone), Anti-caking agents (Magnesium salts of fatty acids, Silicon dioxide), Hyaluronic acid, Coloring agents (Titanium dioxide, FCF Brillant Blue, Indigo carmine).
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Gold Glucosamine 1000
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Formula designed specifically for women. Massive doses of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Pre-workout booster with creatine. It increases nitric oxide production, boosts energy, and improves concentration.
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Pre-workout supplement for professional athletes. It improves muscle hardness and acts anabolic.
Glucosamine sulphate
Glucosamine sulphate (glucosamine) is an amino sugar present in cartilage matrix; compound needed for the glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans, affecting its structure and flexibility, increasing immunity to overloads. Glucosamine is synthesized in the human body, it can be supplied from the outside (a component of shells of marine crustaceans, and in coatings for fungi) as supplements. Increased demand for glucosamine occurs in sports training (athletes exposed to overload the musculoskeletal system), during convalescence after injuries and contusions, moreover, in the case of older people in prevention and therapeutic of degenerative changes of the locomotor system. Glucosamine occurs as mono-preparation or multiple preparations (including, among others, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin, collagen hydrolyzate and ascorbic acid) in supplementation in supporting the functioning of the musculoskeletal system, such as d-glucosamine sulphate 2KCl; HCL Poly NAG.
Dosage: 500-1500 mg per day.
Collagen hydrolyzate (FORTIGEL)
Collagen hydrolyzate (FORTIGEL) obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of collagen, which is a major ingredient, building up connective tissue (tendons, ligaments cartilage, bone, and blood vessels), from the group of fibrous proteins (i.e. fibrous scleroproteins). Patented formula of collagen hydrolyzate, forming amino acids (such as proline, glycine, hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine) connected by peptide bonds. It is a substance easily digestible and well assimilable . Recommended in sports supplementation and for people, who are particularly active, as well as during convalescence after injuries and certain diseases.
Dosage: 10-20g per day (normally used in supplementing).
Hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate) is a glycosaminoglycan, which do not form covalent bonds with proteins and does not contain sulfate groups. Creates so called proteoglycans aggregates absorbing water and which are responsible for the resistance of cartilage. It is one of the components responsible for the intra-articular fluid viscosity. It takes part in the regeneration of skin tissue. It is synthesized in the body providing a full daily demand. Supplementation applies to athletes exposed to overload of the locomotor system. It is a component of preparations supporting the regeneration of joints and tendons and cosmetics supporting the condition of hair, skin and nails.
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