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MUSIC CONTENT
PRODUCTION COMPANY + CREATIVE THINK TANK
Matthew Mishory
Co-Founder & Director
"Matthew Mishory has managed to capture an austere beauty of a kind little known and little understood by all but the likes of Baudelaire." -- Film International
Film/commercial director + Iconoclastic co-founder Matthew Mishory was named a “rising talent” by Variety. He recently Matthew shot the national "Powerful Performance" campaign for TCL, starring NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, which featured during the 2019 Super Bowl broadcast. He has also directed TV and digital spots for top brands such as Turkish Airlines (on-location in Turkey, Serbia, and Romania), August Home, and Roku. His acclaimed documentary Absent was filmed in the remotest reaches of rural Moldova in the former Soviet Union. It was designated a “must-see” film by Cineuropa and named one of the top ten films of the year by Cinemaldito.
Matthew's 2018 television film No Place of Exile, about the modernist composer and pianist Artur Schnabel, premiered on the Arte network. The film was shot in Switzerland, Italy, Vienna, and Berlin, utilizing unexpected textures (super8, drone footage, back-projection) and the great German actor Udo Samel to chart Schnabel's course through the emotional and physical landscapes of the European 20th century. Matthew's feature film debut, the 35mm Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean was released theatrically in the United States, the UK, and Germany. The San Francisco Chronicle declared Joshua Tree “mesmerizing and sexy”, and Artforum pronounced it “a nuanced portrayal of an entire era.” Previously, Matthew's short film, Delphinium, about the legendary artist Derek Jarman, was permanently installed in the British Film Institute's National Film Archive. The film was subsequently re-released in the UK by the BFI as part of the year-long Jarman2014 celebration. In 2017, it was presented by the Tate Britain Museum in London.
Edward Singletary, Jr.
Co-Founder & Producer
Born and raised in Southern California, Iconoclastic co-founder Edward Singletary, Jr. is an award-winning commercial, film, and branded content producer with over twenty years experience developing and delivering content. He has successfully shepherded and produced projects of all sizes all over the world, including commercials, web content, and feature films. As head of Sales and Development at Iconoclastic Media, Edward has handled projects for clients around the globe, including TCL, Roku, Philips, and August Home.
Edward has also specialized in raising capital for feature and web content, forming strategic partnerships with production entities in Indonesia, the EU, and the Middle East. His film producing credits include Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean, Absent, Delphinium, and Adam. Edward's projects have been presented at hundreds of film festivals and sold worldwide for theatrical, digital, and DVD distribution. An early proponent of crowdfunding platforms and social media, he has helped adapt film finance and fundraising models to the digital marketplace.
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PARIS BAGUETTE Launches on the Broadway
HOME HOME Issue & Technology
SPC Group(www.spc.co.kr) announced that it opened its 5th ParisBaguette(www.paris.co.k) store on the 96th Broadway Avenue of Upper West Side, known for Manhatten’s luxury residential neighborhood.
The store is a bakery with an area of 353.1㎡, which sells bread and coffee as well and located in the commercial complex including luxury residential buildings and offices.
This area, also known as Upper West Side, has a large floating population since it is close to Hudson River and Central Park. There are many banks like City Bank, Chase Bank, Bank of America and HSBC as well as various global franchises like Starbucks, McDonald, Dunkin’ Donuts and so on.
“The Paris Baguette store on 96th Broadway Avenue is decorated considering that it is located in Manhatten’s luxury residential neighborhood,” said an official of PARIS BAGUETTE, U.S, “As there come many Paris Baguette stores in a row, Paris Baguette is becoming more popular in the region.”
Meanwhile, Paris Baguette pushed ahead with its outpost strategy in major commercial areas in Manhattan, NY since 2013, expanding its coverage to Times Square, Midtown and Upper West Side. Paris Baguette has a plan to start its franchise business in the U.S. based on the successful operation in Manhattan, the arena of global brands.
By Kim Min-ji
Kim Min-ji 다른기사 보기
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End of the Trump Era: Chapter Eight
Copyright J. S. Raynor 2017
Chapter Eight : A new way of life
Alex awoke to an unexpected smell. Initially confused by his strange surroundings, he sat up and sniffed the air. “Bacon!” The salty aroma of bacon cooking was unmistakable. He pulled on his clothes and wandered through to the kitchen, where Cassy was busy preparing breakfast. This was nothing like the spoiled girl he had first met on the previous day’s flight from Manchester. Eggs were frying, while bacon sizzled gently on the grill.
“Can I help?” Alex felt that he should do something useful.
“You could find some knives and forks and lay the table. I think you should waken Danny and let him have some breakfast with us.”
Obediently, Alex returned to the bedroom. “Danny!” the boy stirred, his eyes flickered open and he looked at Alex, with an obvious question in his mind.
“Where’s my mummy and daddy?”
“I don’t know, Danny. Cassy and I will look after you, for now. Are you hungry?”
The boy looked so sad that the main people in his life had just literally vanished. Alex could see the pain in his young face. He climbed, wearily, out of the bed and followed Alex silently into the dining area.
“Would either of you like some toast?” Cassy had assumed the role of mother, seemingly accepting this strangest of situations, without question.
“Yes, please.” Alex knew that all of them needed to eat while they had food, since they had no idea where their next meal would come from. Danny did not respond to Cassy’s question. “He seems traumatised, but I would give him some to build up his reserves. How is the baby?”
“She seems alright, but she did wake me up several times during the night. I mixed a biscuit with milk to feed her and it seems to have worked.”
Alex was impressed by Cassy’s determination to be responsible for their welfare. “You are doing a great job, Cassy. How is your back after your fall into the tree?”
The teenage girl blushed at his praise. “Oh, it’s not bad. A few scratches and a few aches, but that’s all.” At that moment, cries from the bedroom indicated that the baby was now awake. Alex offered to bring her in, while Cassy was finishing preparing breakfast.
As Alex brought the child in, he said, “We don’t even know what she is called.”
“I have been thinking about that. She looks so angelic, I thought it would be nice to call her Angela. She’s young enough to adopt a new name.”
Alex took a seat at the table with the now, quietened child on his knee. “I’m certain that’s okay. It sounds as though you accept that adults are not coming back?”
“What else can we assume?” Cassy was about to say something else, when she realised that, to say anything more, would upset Danny. Instead, she finished organising breakfast and piled the food on the three plates. “Let’s just make the most of what we’ve got, okay?”
“Yes, of course.” Alex was hungry and enjoyed the breakfast Cassy had prepared for them. His mind was in a turmoil and he wondered what they should do next.
Noticing his absent look, Cassy asked, “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking what we should do, next. We could stay here, but, eventually, the food will run out. And then what?”
“There must be some stores where we can find food. At least we don’t need to worry about money.”
Alex knew this could be only a short-term solution. “At some stage, the food will still run out. Don’t forget, there will be thousands of hungry children just like us, with the same idea.” To emphasise his point, he added, “And any fresh food will rot without being replaced.”
“So, what should we do, then?”
Alex knew there were few options open to them and said, despairingly, “I wish I knew. I just wonder if we should try to get somewhere, instead of staying here for the rest of our lives.”
Shortly after eating, Alex went into the bedroom and picked up his i-phone which had survived the fall. Since it had been in a zipped-up pocket in his jacket, it was damp, but still showed signs of life.
Nervously, he switched it on and tried dialing his home number in England. He was hoping beyond hope that his parents may still be alive. With no answer from his mother, he tried his dad’s mobile, but, again, the response was the same. Even allowing for the time difference, he knew that they would have answered if they were able. There was a heavy feeling in his heart as he walked back into the kitchen, saying, “I’ve just tried phoning home – it does seem that it is not just restricted to America but a global problem.”
Cassy knew he had been trying to make contact and was dis-heartened by his findings. She did not want to say too much in front of Danny and chose her words carefully. “I was afraid of this. Do you have any teenage relatives?”
Alex’s heart lifted at this question. “Cassy, you’re brilliant!” He quickly returned to the bedroom and scrolled through the contact list on his phone. He selected his cousin, Robert and waited, with rising impatience, as the number was called.
His heart lifted as the familiar voice answered. “Hi, Alex – I thought you were in the States.”
“I am. Bob, are your mum and dad there?”
“I think they must still be in bed. I’ve not seen them, yet. Why?”
Alex realised that his cousin was not yet aware of the disaster and chose his words carefully. “Can you go and see if they are there?”
He could hear Bob running up the stairs. “Why? Is there a problem?”
“Just look first and then I’ll explain.”
He could hear the knock on the bedroom door, followed by a gasp of surprise as he pushed the door open. “They’re not here! Where have they gone? How did you know they were not here?”
Again, Alex took a deep breath. “You have just confirmed my worst fears. While I was flying here, last night, all the adults disappeared and I only managed to avoid death by jumping from the plane. I needed to know if this is more than just in America.”
There was a stunned silence from Bob and, then, finding his voice, he said, “you must be joking!”
Patiently, Alex replied, “I wish I was. If you don’t believe me, look through the window and tell me if you can see any adults.”
He heard Bob pulling back the curtains in the bedroom. After a pause, he asked, “You mean there are no adults anywhere in the world?”
“I wish I could say that it was an April fool joke. Something happened last night and it looks as though there are only children left here on earth.”
“So what are we going to do?”
“I don’t know, but, at least, there will not be any schools as there are no teachers.”
Bob laughed. “That is a definite bonus, but there are also no farmers, engineers or anybody who helps to keep the world running.”
“True. Listen, Bob. See what you can find out, keep your mobile charged and send me texts when you can. It does mean that I will have to stay in Florida as there is no way of getting back. I have a friend in Singapore, so I will phone her next and find out if the same has happened to her.”
“Wish I was stuck in Florida, you lucky devil! Bye, Alex.”
Alex scrolled down the list on his mobile and found Jasmine, a fourteen year old Indian Singaporean who he met on holiday two years earlier. When she answered, it was obvious she was pleased to hear from him. She did confirm that all adults in her area had disappeared, that morning. Jasmin and her five younger siblings were struggling to accept their new, precarious situation. She agreed to keep in touch with Alex by text messages and wished him good luck.
Alex decided to tell Cassy about his findings later and looked around the house, searching for a bag. Anything which they could use to carry enough food to last them for a while. He felt triumphant when he found a rucksack, pushed into the back of a bedroom cupboard. It looked quite old, as though it had not been used for many years. He tipped it upside down, allowing the contents to spill out onto the floor. Numerous photographs lay in an untidy heap and, unable to conceal his curiosity, he gathered a few photos together and scanned through them. They were photos of a soldier, back from the Vietnam War in the late sixties. It seemed so sad that someone who had survived such a terrible war, had now vanished as though they had never existed. Alex picked up the rucksack and took some of the photos to show Cassy. “Look at these, Cassy.”
She found it equally interesting to discover the history of the occupants of the house they had taken over, just like squatters. “She picked out one of the photographs and held it close to a photograph hanging on the wall. “You can see the likeness with this photo which, I think, was taken only a few years ago.”
Alex looked at the picture on the wall. It showed a man and woman, probably both in their late eighties, taken on a cruise ship. The features of the man, compared with the old photos were definitely the same allowing for, probably sixty years of aging.
Cassy looked more closely at the picture. “They looked so happy.”
“Yes. It’s so sad that, after all they must have been through, they are no longer here.“
“I don’t know who is luckier. At least they don’t have an uncertain future, like us.” The look of despair in Cassy’s eyes was unmistakable.
Alex put his arm around the girl’s shoulder. “Listen Cassy, don’t give up. We have to do what we can to survive. It’s not going to be easy, but we have got to try.”
Encouraged by his words, Cassy took the rucksack into the kitchen. “Okay, let’s see what we can find.” The couple began to open cupboards, drawers until every storage space had been checked. Fortunately, the couple who had lived in the house had quite sweet tastes and many chocolate bars and cookies were found. Cassy handed everything to Alex who began to fill the bag with their plundered goodies. Oranges, apples, bananas, fruit juice and anything else suitable were added. The bag was not full, but still quite heavy.
Alex, thinking aloud, said, “Perhaps we should stay here one more night, Cassy. It’s already mid afternoon, so we may be better waiting until tomorrow.”
Cassy agreed and started checking what she could cook for an afternoon meal. In a way, she was pleased to wait another day, as her injuries from the fall were still painful. After a dinner of steak and potato fries, Alex took charge of Danny and Angela, while Cassy enjoyed a relaxing bath. She managed to find cream to apply to her scratched skin and, that evening, she fell into a very sound, restful sleep.
After breakfast, the following morning, they collected all their provisions together and prepared for a long journey into the unknown.
Mindful of the small baby in their care, Cassy filled a flask with milk, which, with some crushed biscuits would provide sustenance for a short while.
Alex pulled the bag onto his back and, together with Cassy, Danny and baby Angela, left the house they had borrowed for the past two days.
As they turned onto the road, Alex stopped. “What’s wrong, Alex?”
“I can’t decide which way we should walk. I’ve no idea where we are, so, left or right?”
Cassy understood his dilemma. The choice of direction could affect their future, whatever was left of it. Boldly, she said, “I think Left.” She pointed along the road. “Before you ask, I don’t know why, but let’s try it, anyway.”
Accepting her decision, Alex began walking, holding Danny’s hand, while Cassy carried Angela.
They had not walked very far before evidence of the previous night’s catastrophe could be seen. Many cars, which, presumably, were being driven at speed when the drivers disappeared had crashed, some more violently than others. Two cars had crashed head-on, leaving a burnt-out mangled wreck in the middle of the road. It seemed so sad that all these vehicles, once prized possessions of their owners were now useless heaps of scrap metal.
After walking for about ten minutes, Alex was surprised to hear the sound of a powerful engine disturbing the strangely, silent world. He turned round to see an open-topped sports car heading towards them. He was even more surprised when the car horn sounded and the vehicle drew up beside them.
It was Charles, the boy who had volunteered to jump first out of the aircraft. “Hey! I never thought I would see you guys again.”
Alex smiled. “I’m pleased you landed safely.”
Charles laughed. “I was lucky. I fell into a lake. Got very wet but, thankfully, nothing broken. Spent a while in a house. Had to break in, but there’s nobody to stop us, now.”
“We also found a house to stay for the last two nights. But, where did you find the car?”
“I didn’t fancy hanging around here and was lucky to find a car which hadn’t been wrecked. The key was in the ignition and it’s an automatic. Really easy to drive. Can I give you a lift?”
Alex looked at the small sports car and realised that it would be quite a crush for them all to fit. “Thanks, but you have given me an idea. If we can find a larger car with keys, then I am certain I can drive it. Do you want to help us find one so we can stay together?”
Charles looked uncertain at this suggestion. “Sorry, guys, but I don’t fancy being held back by small kids. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll stay on my own.”
“Okay, it’s up to you.” Alex felt a little disappointed that, after meeting up with Charles, he did not want to stay with them.
“Good luck!” Charles waved and sounded his horn as the car accelerated along the road, gradually disappearing from view.
The children continued walking, Alex looking at every abandoned vehicle, hoping to find something suitable. After walking for about thirty minutes, he spotted an eight-seater Ford. The door was partly open, as though the driver was either getting in or out when he had disappeared. “Yes!” Alex found the key in the ignition and felt triumphant at discovering something suitable for the group.
“Are you certain you can drive this thing?” Cassy felt uncertain about using such a large vehicle.
“I think so. What have we got to lose?”
“Our lives?” Cassy answered sardonically.
“Listen, Cassy, we jumped out of a plane, last night and, somehow, we survived it. Driving a car is going to be quite tame by comparison. Just give me a chance to try to get us somewhere.”
“Okay, but please don’t drive fast.” Cassy slid the passenger door open and lifted Danny inside. She fastened his seat belt and then sat beside him. Without a child’s car seat, she had no option but to hold Angela on her lap.
Alex was familiarising himself with the controls and instruments. Thankfully, it was an automatic drive.
“I hope it has plenty of petrol or we won’t get very far”, remarked Cassy.
“Diesel”, corrected Alex. “Just a minute and I will know.” He checked the drive was in neutral and turned the ignition key. The dials on the dashboard lit up. Another quarter turn and the engine started. Alex looked at the fuel gauge. “The tank’s about two-thirds full, which should take us quite a distance.”
“But, where shall we go?”
Alex smiled at his doubtful companion. “I have been thinking about that. Why don’t we look for Universal Studios? After all, that’s where we would have gone if the adults hadn’t disappeared. I’m certain there must be plenty of signs to get us there.”
Cassy had to admit that his idea was a good one and the thought of still going to Universal Studios excited her. “Okay, I’ll look out for signs.”
“Right, hold on tight.” Alex had to admit to himself, that the prospect of driving frightened him a little, but thought better of mentioning this. He released the hand brake and pushed the lever in to the drive position. His foot pressed the accelerator pedal and they began to move forward, albeit a bit faster than Alex had anticipated. “Sorry.” He eased the pressure off a little and they drove along the road at about thirty miles an hour. After a few minutes he gained confidence and skillfully maneuvered around the many abandoned cars.
“Alex! Stop!” Cassy shouted.
He slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden halt. “What is it?”
The girl pointed to a crashed car. He followed her gaze and then realised why this car was different from all the hundreds of other crashed vehicles they had already passed. It was Charles in the nippy sports job. The front of the car was badly damaged after hitting a fire hydrant and Charles looked unconscious. Alex turned off the engine and jumped out. He ran over to the wreck. “Charles!” He threw the door open and began to drag the heavy boy out. He had not been wearing a seat belt and Alex was worried about the extent of his injuries. There was heavy bruising to his face, but, thankfully, he slowly began to regain consciousness. “What happened, Charles?”
In a somewhat groggy voice, he answered, I was trying to avoid a car on the road and skidded. I think I was going a bit too fast.”
“I can imagine. Think you might be safer travelling with us, Charles.”
His voice sounded very groggy, as he replied, “You might be right.” He smiled weakly and then winced as the bruising made itself known to the teenager. “Don’t worry, it will soon heal.” He slid the door back and sat behind Cassy. Alex started the engine again and they pulled away onto the freeway.
“Where are you heading?” Charles asked.
“Universal Studios. You can help by looking out for signs. I’m certain it can’t be far away.”
“That sounds a great idea.”
“Is your seat belt fastened, Charles?” Alex knew that, as a novice driver, the chances of an accident were quite high, with or without any other drivers on the road.
Charles obediently fastened his belt. “Yes, Sir!”
Alex liked Charles’ jovial nature and hoped that the group could survive a world without adults.
It was amazing how many cars had crashed. Some had collided head-on, resulting in tangled wrecks, while others had careered off the road, ending up in the middle of a neat, manicured lawn, like some strange piece of artwork. Alex’s driving skills were put to the test as he was forced into tight maneuvers around the wreckage strewn across the road.
Suddenly, Alex slammed on the brakes and screeched to a halt. “What’s wrong, Alex?” Cassy was holding on tightly to the children.
“I can’t get through. There are cars all across the road.” He unfastened his seat belt and was about to leave the vehicle to check the situation, when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. A group of at least fifteen teenagers, all brandishing baseball bats, began to emerge from behind bushes. “Hold on tight”, shouted Alex. He jumped back into the driving seat, put his foot hard on the accelerator and headed towards a small gap between the line of cars. There was a terrific noise of grinding metal on metal as the people carrier roughly pushed its way through the barricade of lighter cars. Some of the threatening teenagers jumped back as they realised that Alex did not intend stopping for them. It was a great relief when the people carrier finally crashed its way through and accelerated along the road. Alex could, through his rear-view mirror, see some of the teenagers angrily waving their baseball bats at the fast-disappearing vehicle.
“Phew! That was close. They did not seem very friendly.” This under-statement from Charles made them aware of how dangerous the world had suddenly become with the demise of adults.
“What do you think they want?” asked Cassy.
Alex shrugged. “Who knows? It could have been our transport or worse, the food we brought with us.”
Cassy was shaken at the thought that, even with the disappearance of adults, violence was still a disturbing feature of this modern world.
They drove in silence for about twenty minutes, when Alex exclaimed, “I think I know where we are. I recognise that group of shops over there, which means that my uncle’s house is not far from here. Hope
you guys don’t mind if we stop there?”
Cassy and Charles could not understand why Alex wanted to stop, knowing that his relatives would not be around, but had no objections.
As if reading their minds, he said, “I know they won’t be there, but I just want to see their home for the last time.” He was gaining confidence in his driving and skillfully avoided all the crashed vehicles as he turned off the main road. A few minutes later, he pulled up into the drive of a smart, single-storey house, so typical of many found in Florida. “Do you guys want to come in with me?”
Cassy had already unfastened her seat belt and was helping Danny out of his seat. “Yes, I think we should stick together.”
Charles seemed undecided, but then, still in obvious pain from his injuries, stiffly followed Alex. The entrance to the house was from a covered car-port, but, when Alex tried the door, it was firmly locked. Undaunted, he walked around the back of the house and lifted a plant-pot from a plastic tray. With a triumphant cry, he picked up the key which had been hidden under the plant. Returning to the kitchen door, he inserted the key and turned it.
Nervously, he pushed the door open wide and entered, followed by the others. Alex half-expected to find his uncle in the reclining chair, sipping a cool beer, watching war documentaries on television in the living area, while Susie would be busy in the kitchen, preparing some delicious, typically American meal, but, of course, there were absolutely no signs of any life.
Sadness could be heard in his voice as he said, “They were probably visiting friends when they disappeared.”
Sensing the anguish at his loss, Cassy laid a comforting hand on his arm. As he turned to face her, she could see the sadness in his large, brown eyes. “You were very close to your aunt and uncle?”
He nodded. “I hoped that, one day, I may live here with them. It’s been a lifetime ambition for me to live in America.”
Cassy had always loved England and could not imagine living anywhere else, but, now, it seemed that her chances of returning home were extremely remote. The closest person in Cassy’s life was her mother as her parents had divorced when she was only three years old. Although her father had access rights, she had seen very little of him over the years and felt that he did not want any contact with her.
“Food!” Snapping out of his sad thoughts, Alex decided action was necessary. “My uncle always made certain that there was plenty of food in the house, so we might as well stock up.”
He walked to a door at the back of the kitchen area and pushed the door open wide. The larder was stacked high with every type of food possible. “My uncle was in the army before he went into business and believed in always having plenty of provisions in stock.”
It really was like an Aladdin’s cave, with hundreds of tins of beans, soups, meat and puddings, while there were countless boxes of cereals and biscuits. Best of all, there were many packets of dried fruits, like mango and pineapple which were highly nutritious. It would be impossible to take everything, but, very soon, Alex and Charles had packed several boxes full of the most useful foods and drinks.
Cassy was looking after Danny and Angela, cradling the baby in her arms. Aware of a sudden noise outside the house, she looked through the front window and gave a scream.
“What’s wrong, Cassy?”
She pointed to the window. “Someone’s trying to damage our car. Look! It’s rocking!”
As Alex looked through the window, he saw three large figures coming round the near side of the vehicle. “Bears!” he shouted. As the three teenagers looked on in horror, the bears were using their enormous strength to try and tip the car over. Alex rushed into the larder and quickly returned, carrying a shotgun.
Cassy looked alarmed. “What are you going to do?”
“My uncle always had a problem with bears around here and used his shotgun to scare them away. They come hunting for something to eat. Did anyone leave any food in the car?” He had brought the rucksack into the house and wondered why the bears were still attacking the car.
Charles coughed nervously. “I think I might have left a couple of chocolate bars in the pocket near my seat.”
“And was the car door open?” Alex thought he knew the answer before Charles replied.
“Afraid so. I didn’t think it mattered.” Charles looked very guilty.
Alex was quickly checking if he had a good supply of pellets for the shotgun. “Stay here and keep the door shut. Alex opened the kitchen door and, quietly closing it behind him, crept towards the front of the house. As he turned the corner, he could see the three bears pushing hard against the vehicle. Aiming his shotgun at the backside of the nearest bear, he pulled the trigger. He fired at the hungry bear. It dropped down on all fours and scampered away back to the forest. Before Alex had chance to aim for the second bear, the car fell over on its side with a heart-rending grinding crash of glass and metal. It must have shocked the bears as they quickly scampered away, to join the first bear.
Alex looked at the vehicle which had been their means of escape with an anxious feeling gnawing at the pit of his stomach. This was not supposed to happen. Universal Studios was, above all else, the place where he wished to be, but how?
He entered the kitchen and looked gloomily at the others. “I don’t think that car is going to be of any use to us, now.” The three of them stood in silence and then Alex shouted, “The garage! There may be another vehicle in there!” He rushed back into the carport and pushed a door on the far wall. He ventured inside and shouted to the others, “It’s okay. My uncle had two cars and there’s one still in the garage.” It was a smaller car than the first, now-ruined one. It was a Chevrolet, five-seater saloon. Alex found the keys for the vehicle and switched on the ignition to check the fuel level. It was just over half full of gas, which should be plenty to get them to universal.
Cassy had a sudden thought. “Why don’t we stay here for tonight? It’s already mid-afternoon.”
Alex liked the idea of staying in his aunt and uncle’s house. Just one more night would do no harm. “It’s not as though we have to get to universal so soon”, Alex thought.
Cassy found it easy to make a meal for them on the modern hob, with the assistance of Charles while Alex looked after Danny and Angela.
They relaxed for the rest of that day, watching recorded documentaries on the large television in the living area. A second night in a comfortable bed helped to recover the group for the next day’s journey.
Cautiously looking for any wandering bears, Alex and Charles made several journeys between the kitchen and the garage, loading the car with as many boxes as they could fit. Alex returned to the larder where his uncle had hidden the shotgun and took all the boxes of pellets. He then wandered into the bedroom and slid open a drawer at the side of the bed. Alex knew, from what his uncle had told him, that he always kept a loaded revolver by his bed and Alex felt that it may be necessary to arm themselves. Not far away was a box of cartridges, which he picked up and slipped into his pocket.
Cassy looked scared when she saw the heavy revolver in Alex’s hand as he returned to the kitchen. “Do we really need a gun?”
“I… I don’t know,” Alex faltered. “I just don’t know what we are going to find, but I think it may be better to be prepared for the worst. You saw that mob of kids at the road block, yesterday, so it’s best to take precautions” He opened the garage doors wide and hurried back into the driver’s seat.
Charles sat next to Alex, while Danny and Cassy, with Angela on her knee were in the back of the car.
John Raynor Short story 22 May 2017
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How Do We Create a New Definition of Business Value Which is Supported by the Financial Community?
Oct 28, 2014 11:00 AM ET
Hear thoughts from @CokeCCE CFO Nik Jhangiani about redefining business value in the financial community http://3bl.me/3k9v27
In October 2014, Coca-Cola Enterprises teamed up with the Financial Times to host the Future for Sustainability Summit. The summit included a panel discussion on redefining business value, which featured Nik Jhangiani, Chief Financial Officer of Coca-Cola Enterprises. Here he explores further how companies can change investor perceptions of sustainability and better communicate its long-term value.
As the Chief Financial Officer of a publicly-listed company, I often find that the worlds of finance and sustainability speak different languages, particularly when it comes to our definitions of ‘value’. Yet we are all aware that our world is changing - as resource issues and social challenges become more pressing, expectations on business are higher than ever before. With the entry of the millennial generation to the workforce, these expectations will continue to grow. Business leaders must find a way to bring the worlds of finance and sustainability closer together and build a common interpretation of value.
At Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), we believe that companies have a responsibility to contribute to society and the environment, and that every investment a company makes should return value to the business – these two beliefs don’t have to be at odds. Recently, we hosted the Future for Sustainability Summit in London in partnership with the Financial Times to discusshow business can better combine profit with purpose.
I took part in a panel discussion exploring how we can create a new definition of business value which is supported by the financial community – one which extends beyond shareholder value and into societal and environmental value. For many years, the financial community saw sustainability purely as a compliance issue. From my position as CFO, I see sustainability as a central part of running an efficient and productive business, and that it plays a critical role in managing risk.
We have been embedding sustainability into our core business for about a decade: we launched an ambitious sustainability plan three years ago and sustainability is at the heart of our ‘operating framework’ which expresses our core business purpose to every employee.Sustainability brings us many benefits, helping to capture operational efficiencies, eliminate waste, drive innovation, deliver for our customers, and significantly drive employee engagement.
There is sometimes a perception that ‘investors don’t care’ about sustainability – at least until it becomes a significant issue with negative bottom line impact. In my experience, the financial community expects well-run companies to have a solid management-led response to these issues. At CCE we incorporate sustainability into the vast majority of the presentations we make to the wider financial and investor community. But is the financial community looking beyond pure business performance in how they value a company? Not yet, or at least not consistently.
The financial community will likely continue to evaluate companies on the basis of financial performance. So the challenge will be for forward-thinking businesses to make a clear link between long-term financial performance and their sustainability actions or their social purpose. Business can do more to define and communicate the value gained from investments in sustainability – especially where investments may have longer pay-back periods. At CCE, resource scarcity has driven our sustainable packaging strategy for many years and, as CFO, much of this agenda has also made strong financial sense – eliminating waste, light-weighting our packs, our increased use of recycled materials. Yet, our approach has also required significant investment.
We are starting to see some interesting examples of organisations communicating the value that can be derived from such an approach. Kering’s Environmental Profit and Loss accounting system is an interesting approach – an attempt to value the natural capital they rely on. Last month, the Rockefeller Foundation announced its intention to switch its investments from fossil fuels to clean energy, while many of the world’s largest institutional investors recently made a clear call for carbon pricing – recognising that carbon emissions come at a cost.
There is little doubt that those companies that are embracing and embedding sustainability will be more resilient over time – they just need to clearly define and better communicate the value they are realising in the long-term. Ultimately, it is these stories of success in combining profit and purpose that will help the worlds of finance and sustainability to talk a common language.
Nik Jhangiani
Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Nik Jhangiani became CCE’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in November 2013, having joined CCE as Europe Group CFO in September 2012.
He Joined The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in September 1998. While there, Nik worked first as International Audit Manager in Atlanta before moving to Vienna, Austria to take up the position of Director of Corporate Audit for the newly formed Coca-Cola Hellenic. In 2002, he moved to Athens, Greece to assume the role of Corporate Controller and was appointed to the role of Chief Financial Officer in 2004. In 2007, he took on the additional responsibility of Director of Strategy. In May 2009 Nik became Group Chief Financial Officer at Bharti Enterprises in New Delhi, India, where he won CFO of the year in 2010.
Future for Sustainability Summit
redefining business value
Environmental Profit and Loss
Profit and Purpose
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On The Road With Taylor: The Soundtrack to My Life
Wow. When faced with the task of writing up an ultimate album/ soundtrack to my life, I wasn’t sure where to start. To me, asking to pick a favorite song is what I imagine being asked to pick a favorite child is like. I started perusing my music and reminiscing on my favorite concert memories. Coincidence or not, most of the songs that made it on my list, I have seen performed live. Ever since I was young, I was raised on music and concerts. I’ve been to somewhere around 50 concerts (I’ve lost count to be completely honest). When asked what I would save in a fire I confidently answer that I would take my book of concert ticket stubs because those are some of my most precious memories.
Without further ado… here’s what you would be listening to if I have the aux cord:
“Iris” Dizzy Up the Girl (1998)—The Goo Goo Dolls
My all time favorite song. No rhyme or reason, just a very powerful song. It strikes a chord in me. The Goo Goo Dolls is one of the bands that I will never get tired of listening to. My freshman year here at the U of R, I had to write a paper on my seven favorite songs and why I liked them and I never really came up with a reason for this one. Lead singer/ guitarist John Rzeznik hits a killer riff toward the end of this song that I never fail to put my all into an air guitar solo for.
“Bloodstream” X (2014)— Ed Sheeran
Now for my top artist of all time—I get so excited whenever I talk about Ed Sheeran and how talented he is. I’ve seen him live five times and each time is a new and unique experience where I am blown away by his amazing talent. I chose to go with my underrated favorites because I know everyone has heard “Thinking Out Loud” and “The A Team.” Bloodstream is one of the songs that really captures his use of the loop pedal. If you haven’t had the privilege of seeing this guy live, it’s literally just him on stage. He uses the loop pedal to record loops of him singing or guitar chords to play while he performs which adds depth and uniqueness to his music.
“Human” Human (2010)—Darren Criss
One of the lesser-known artists on my lists, but one of the top ones. Made famous by his role on the hit TV show, Glee, Darren Criss also writes and plays music of his own. With only two EPs to his name as well as an EP with the band he created with his brother, “Computer Games,” he’s definitely not a Top 40 artist like most of the others on my list. Human is the title track off of his first EP. I remember first hearing this song my sophomore year of high school and thinking, “Wow if I ever ran a coffee shop, this would be the type of music I played.”
“This is Gospel” Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! (2013)—Panic! At the Disco
Panic! At the Disco. Big fan. The pop punk angst inside of me loves to head bang to them on long road trips. Also amazing live (I feel like I’m beating a dead horse here). One of my favorite things about music is the memories that can be attached to certain songs. This song in particular reminds me of a weekend three summers ago at my friend’s beach house. That is where I first heard the song and that weekend will always be associated with this song from now on. Aside from that, just a really chill song—not one of their head bangers as I mentioned before—but still a winner in my book.
“Mr. Brightside” Hot Fuss (2004)—The Killers
Who doesn’t love this song?
“Aftertaste” Handwritten (2015)—Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes is tied with Mr. Sheeran as my favorite artist and ask anyone who knows me and they would report back the same information. With both artists, I have many favorite songs, but I chose one of his earlier less widely known songs for my album. This was my favorite of his when I first discovered his music because of the passion in the lyrics as well as the melody. Back in the day when he didn’t play huge stadium tours like he does now, he would sing the chorus of this off mic and the whole venue would be able to hear it—such a powerful moment that would just send chills down the spines of every audience member.
“Same Love” The Heist (2012)—Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert
Macklemore may not fit in with the genre of most of the other artists on my lists, but hey, who said this album had to be coherent? This song in particular has such a great message and Macklemore truly used his power and platform to spread such an important message in a really respectful and beautiful way. I saw him live in San Francisco, the perfect place for this song might I add, and wow did I feel this song. The whole room was just full of love and support. A feeling I wish this whole country could share.
“Mr. Jones” August and Everything After (1993)—Counting Crows
Such a fun happy song! This one reminds me of my mom and my childhood—all happy and pure things. A lot of the lyrics in this song seem like nonsense to me, which is why I think the song is so fun! Just a good tune to sing along to in the car or in the backyard on a nice summer day. In general a good vibe song.
“Blackbird” The Beatles (1968)—The Beatles
How could I not include a song by The Beatles? Another classic icebreaker question, “If you could travel back to any decade where would you go?” For me, the 60s, no hesitation. Those years weren’t perfect, but man do I wish I was a hippie circa the 1960s. One of my dreams would be to see The Beatles live (via that time travel). I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Sir Paul McCartney live and that’s the closest I’ll ever get to the Fab Four themselves. Blackbird is a beautiful song and never fails to put me in a good mood. I love the use of the bird chirping and the guitar, it just feels so peaceful. The song also has a good take away message.
There you have it folks. My ultimate album—what you’d hear on the road with me!
~Taylor, Social Media Director
Newer PostSongs for the Traveler: June's Ultimate Playlist
Older PostSongs I Cry To: Kat's Ultimate Playlist!
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MainAll NewsTechnology & HealthFlu Pandemic 'Violent, But Not Deadlier'
Flu Pandemic 'Violent, But Not Deadlier'
Medical professionals call on public to be vaccinated as patients begin to flood hospitals with complications from flu-like virus.
Tova Dvorin, 28/02/14 09:04
Flash90
Medical experts warned the public Thursday night that fever and cold-like symptoms signify another violent flu outbreak traveling across Israel, according to Ma'ariv.
"This virus is especially violent, especially since the public is under the impression that we're talking about a few days of fever-like symptoms and that's it," Dr. Tzahi Grossman, Secretary General of the Pediatric Association noted to the daily. "This impression is incorrect, and crops up again year after year."
"This is a virus which could potentially become severe," he clarified.
The medical professional noted that Israeli doctors have been treating the virus as a flu outbreak. "If you look at flu outbreaks during this time of year over the past several years, you see similar symptoms. . .all of them have claimed lives."
As of Thursday night, at least five patients were being hospitalized at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv due to complications from the influenza outbreak. Four of the patients are over 80 and being treated in different departments in the hospital; one is a 25 year-old woman, who has been treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the past several days.
On Sunday, four year-old Guy Zeidan died of flu complications after he was admitted to the emergency care center showing signs of organ failure. A medical team attempted to revive him unsuccessfully; the staff speculate that he was suffering from heart failure or septicemia due to the virus.
A 15 year-old boy from central Israel was also admitted to the ICU Wednesday after showing similar symptoms of multi-system organ failure. Like Zeidan, the boy had suffered from common flu-like symptoms before collapsing. He was rushed to Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer; he is being treated in the ICU in isolation and is currently on a respirator.
"He is in very critical condition, and he has even worsened slightly since he was admitted here," Professor Asher Barzilai, director of Safra Children's Hospital stated Thursday. "It is impossible for him to be sicker than he is now."
Common complications of the flu include an ear infection, sinus infection, muscle aches, fatigue and sore throat. More serious complications include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain and heart - like Zeidan and the teenager suffered.
"Their complications are very rare," admitted Barzilai. "We urge the public to get vaccinated." According to Barzilai, only 18 percent of the population has been vaccinated so far.
Last month, a 38 year-old woman was hospitalized in critical condition at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa with a variety of "swine flu."
"The woman was suffering from multiple comorbidities, and [the flu was] probably contracted from one of her family members," Rambam hospital stated at the time.
Tags:Flu, Rambam Hospital, pandemic, influenza, flu shot
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Tweets Attacks on US, Israel (Daily Caller News Foundation)
November 11, 2014 / Ivan Plis
(As printed by The Daily Caller. Thumbnail photo via Nick Taylor on Flickr.)
A U.S.-sponsored agreement on Iran’s use of nuclear energy may be near, but that hasn’t stopped Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from assailing Israel and the United States on Twitter.
On Tuesday Khamenei linked to a series of past statements on Facebook, contrasting the U.S., “the only nuclear #criminal in the world,” with Iran’s allegedly “peaceful use of nuclear energy,” and stating that “#Iran considers the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons as a great and unforgivable #sin.” (RELATED: Iran’s Supreme Leader: Jihad Will Continue Until America Is No More)
This comes just days after Khamenei casually asked his Twitter followers: “how can #Israel be eliminated?”
In a series of tweets hashtagged #HandsOffAlAqsa, the senior cleric, who serves as Iran’s head of state, called Israel’s government “barbaric, wolflike and infanticidal.” One tweet included a nine-item chart explaining a step-by-step strategy of hostility and confrontation against Israel.
Why should & how can #Israel be eliminated? Ayatollah Khamenei's answer to 9 key questions. #HandsOffAlAqsa pic.twitter.com/IVPOuNfMQH
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) November 9, 2014
The messages were apparently part of a Twitter campaign protesting Israel’s security-motivated closure of access to the holy sites atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in all of Islam.
The vitriolic tweets came just an hour after a routine announcement appointing a new head to Iran’s national broadcasting agency. Not soon after, Khamenei’s account turned to the subject of the nuclear deal, with a chart explaining the “5 features of Iranian diplomacy,” which include “open, strong and genuine support for the oppressed.”
What are the features of #Iran's diplomacy? #IranTalks #IranTalksOman pic.twitter.com/1woZ6CdLBZ
— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) November 10, 2014
Alex Vatanka, an Iran scholar at the Middle East Institute, is baffled by Khamenei’s tweets. The Supreme Leader chose to blast Israel “at the worst moment you could have imagined,” he told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Having been Supreme Leader of Iran for a quarter-century, he can’t claim ignorance of how sensitive this topic is in Washington. He can’t claim not to know the damage such rhetoric creates for Iran’s international standing.” Moreover, Vatanka said, this hurts Iran’s reputation in countries where it seeks greater legitimacy: “you cannot claim to be a stabilizing force in the Middle East when you go around saying one of the countries in the neighborhood needs to disappear.”
Khamenei has put his support behind the nuclear agreement “for one simple reason: he wants the sanctions to be removed,” Vatanka said. Economic sanctions by the United States and other countries have squeezed Iran’s economy, depreciated its currency, and increased its international isolation, at a time when President Hassan Rouhani is attempting to restore Iran’s legitimacy on the world stage.
“The expectations on the Iranian side for the release of sanctions are very big,” Barbara Slavin, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and Washington correspondent for the news site Al-Monitor.com, told TheDCNF. “I find it difficult to believe that Iran’s leaders will just walk away from a deal,” she said. Yet Slavin is unsurprised by the Supreme Leader’s vitriol against Israel. “I’ve endured Khamenei’s speeches for years — his rhetoric doesn’t really change very much. And if you look at his Twitter feed, what he’s putting out there for an English-speaking audience isn’t different from what he’s doing for the domestic side.”
Slavin also suggested that Khamenei may be operating shrewdly to pacify right-wing objectors to reconciliation with America. “If anything, this may be a positive sign for a deal, in the sense that he’s already preparing the ground” against domestic objectors, signaling his legitimacy by affirming the anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli values of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. (RELATED: U.S.-Iran Nuke Deal Preserves Iran’s Nuclear Program)
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator recently thanked Khamenei publicly for his support and leadership. But Vatanka fears what Khamenei’s tweets may indicate about actions behind the scenes in Tehran: Khamenei appears to be “undermining the same government that he has said for the last year he supports,” and contradicting the tone of such advances as the Rosh Hashanah greeting sent by Rouhani last year. “If this tension continues, then somebody has to give. I don’t see how the two visions, one seeking respectability and one advancing the Revolution, will be reconciled in the long term.”
As the sun is about to set here in #Tehran I wish all Jews, especially Iranian Jews, a blessed Rosh Hashanah. pic.twitter.com/tmaf84x7UR
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 4, 2013
The formal deadline for the talks is Monday, November 24, though the timeline may be extended.
Follow Ivan on Twitter
November 11, 2014 / Ivan Plis/ /Source
Middle East, politics, Iran, Daily Caller News Foundation
French Philosopher: Move UN To ...
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Created: 99-03-15
Last Modified: 99-03-18
Go to Brad DeLong's Home Page
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Forests, Trees, and Intellectual Roots...
J. Bradford DeLong
http://www.j-bradford-delong.net
delong@econ.berkeley.edu
James Scott (1998), Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed (New Haven: Yale University Press: 0300070160).
There is a lot that is excellent in James Scott's Seeing Like a State.
On one level, it is an extraordinary well-written and well-argued tour through the various forms of damage that have been done in the twentieth century by centrally-planned social-engineering projects--by what James Scott calls "high modernism" and the attempt to use high modernist principles and practices to build utopia. As such, every economist who reads it will see it as marking the final stage in the intellectual struggle that the Austrian tradition has long waged against apostles of central planning. Heaven knows that I am no Austrian--I am a liberal Keynesian and a social democrat--but within economics even liberal Keynesian social democrats acknowledge that the Austrians won victory in their intellectual debate with the central planners long ago.
This book marks the final stage because it shows the spread of what every economist would see as "Austrian ideas" into political science, sociology, and anthropology as well.
No one can finish reading Scott without believing--as Austrians have argued for three-quarters of a century--that centrally-planned social-engineering is not an appropriate mechanism for building a better society.
But on a second level, it is an act of displacement. Friedrich Hayek, after all, won the Nobel Prize in Economic Science for making many of Scott's key arguments: that the bureaucratic planner with a map does not know best, and can not move humans and their lives around the territory as if on a chessboard to create utopia; that the local, practical knowledge possessed by the person-on-the-spot is important; that the locus of decision-making must remain with those who have the craft to understand the situation; that any system that functions at all must create and maintain a space for those on the spot to use their local, practical knowledge (even if the hierarchs of the system pretend not to notice this flexibility). These key arguments are well known: they are the core of the Austrian economists' critique of central planning.
From one perspective, this is a compliment to the Austrians: their arguments are powerful and applicable, and it is striking that others looking at the same problem come up with their conclusions. From another perspective, this is odd: we all think better thoughts when we explicitly recognize and acknowledge our intellectual roots.
II. Seeing the Forest
Scott's Seeing Like a State begins with a ride through eighteenth- and nineteenth-century German forestry. In Germany, "scientific" forestry led to the planting and harvesting of large monocrop forests of Norway spruce and Scotch pine. And for the first century or so the pockets of forest-owners bulged as more and more valuable trees were harvested from the increasingly-ordered and managed forests.
But the foresters did not understand the ecological web that they were trying to manage: Clearing of underbrush to make it easier for lumberjacks to move about in the forest "greatly reduced the diversity of insect, mammal, and bird populations" (p. 20); the absence of animals and the absence of rotting wood on the forest floor greatly reduced the replenishment of the soil with nutrients. In places where all the trees are mature, of the same age and of the same species, storms can wreak catastrophe as trees knock each other over like bowling pins. Pests and parasites that attack a particular species find a bonanza and grow to epidemic proportions when they find a monocrop forest.
The result was what Germans call Waldsterben--the death of the forest, as it becomes both a pale shadow of its previous ecological richness and an inefficient source of timber for human use.
Why does Scott begin with such a tale of pseudo-scientific hubris in Germany before 1900? After all, he could have looked across the North Sea at England a century or so before, where the systematic experimentation and analysis of the agricultural revolution had led to a quite sophisticated understanding of what patterns of crop rotation, nutrient addition, and farm diversity could produce maximum sustainable and maximum economic yield. Why not tell a story about how human communities successfully managed a sustainable agriculture, rather than one about how human communities unsuccessfully created an unsustainable forestry?
Scott opens with his tale of German foresters because he argues that this type of interaction--people in rooms lined with green silk lay out complicated plans, which are then approved by the politically powerful, implemented with no regard for local conditions or local knowledge, and wind up as disasters--is typical of how states have dealt with problems and people in the twentieth century. When states--bureaucrats in offices in the capital--try to assess what is going on, they use maps: maps of territory, often with the demarcations between plots or regions made to be straight lines that meet at right angles, whether or not such lines of demarcation make any sense for those who live on the ground; maps of people--the lists of names and relationships that allow the state to track those from whom it will claim "obligations"--maps of laws, that fit human relationships of gift, exchange, and indebtedness that have both economic and emotional facets into a few well-defined categories of right and wrong.
But the map is never the territory. Scott reports that the first railroad from Paris to Strasbourg ran straight east from Paris across the plateau of Brie, far from the populated Marne, because the bureaucrat Victor Legrand drew the line so. The consequence was that the railroad was ruinously expensive because Victor Legrand forgot that to be useful a railroad has to carry goods and passengers from where they are to where they or their owners want them to go--not look like a pretty straight line on a map back in Paris (p. 76). By page 87 the reader is well-prepared to agree with Scott that the map is never the territory, and that what the state "sees" is only a very small slice of reality.
III. The Critique of "High Modernism"
However, these discussions of forests and maps are just the warm-up. Scott's main argument begins on page 87 as he lets twentieth-century states have it with both barrels. Scott then mounts a vicious, powerful, and effective fangs-bared critique of what he calls "high modernism": the belief that the bureaucratic planner with a map--whether Le Corbusier designing a city, Vladimir Lenin designing a planned economy after what he thought he knew of the German war economy, or Julius Nyerere "villagizing" the people of Tanzania--knows best, and can move humans and their lives around the territory as if on a chessboard, and so create utopia. Scott sees the "idea of a root-and-branch, rational engineering of entire social orders in creating realizable utopias" as a twentieth-century idea that has gone far to making this century a dystopia.
A. High Modernism in Urban Planning
Scott's critique of "high modernism" as a mode of urban planning focuses on Brazil's capital, the now more than one generation-old planned city of Brasilia. As far as they possibly could, the designers of Brasilia tried to achieve the spatial segregation of different aspects of life--housing in a different place from work, recreation, traffic, public administration in different districts as well--as high-modernist guru Le Corbusier had commanded.
The consequences of the plan--as far as it could be carried out--are insane. As Scott writes of the central square of Brasilia:
...what a square! The vast, monumental Plaza of the Three Powers, flanked by the Esplanade of the Ministries, is of such a scale as to dwarf even a military parade... In comparison, [Beijing's] Tien-an-Men Square and [Moscow's] Red Square [both of which are too large a scale for the foot and vehicle traffic through them on a normal day] are positively cozy and intimate.... If one were to arrange to meet a friend there, it would be rather like trying to meet someone in the middle of the Gobi desert. And if one did meet up with one's friend, there would be nothing to do.... This plaza is a symbolic center for the state; the only activity that goes on around it is the work of the ministries... (p. 121)
Scott draws heavily on the excellent work of Jane Jacobs to criticize this planned, surprise-free, every-apartment-building-looks-the-same high-modernist order of pre-planned Brasilia. Jacobs argued that rigid spatial segregation of functions made for visual regularity from the bird's-eye view of the architect but made the city damn hard to live in. By contrast, it is the mingling of residences with shopping areas and workplaces that makes an urban neighborhood interesting--and livable. And this urban diversity of uses cannot be planned by the high-modernist architect. At best it can be planned for--by the government providing a framework and infrastructure for urban development instead of specifying land use down to the last square centimeter.
As Scott argues, even planners who recognize diversity will never plan it. You cannot spend your life at the office, and bureaucratic budgets are limited. Thus:
...the logic of uniformity and regimentation is well-nigh inexorable [in comprehensive urban planning]. Cost effectiveness contributes to this tendency. Just as it saves a prison trouble and money if all prisoners wear uniforms of the same material, color, and size, every concession to diversity [in the urban plan] is likely to entail a corresponding increase in administrative time and budgetary costs.... [T]he one-size-fits-all solution is likely to prevail (pp. 141-2).
B. High Modernism, the Revolutionary Party, and the Planned Economy
Scott's second example of "high modernism" run amuck at enormous human cost is Lenin's attempt to design the revolution, the society, and the economy of Russia.
To Lenin, "the party is to the working class as intelligence is to brute force, deliberation to confusion, a manager to a worker, a teacher to a student, an administrator to a subordinate, a professional to an amateur, an army to a mob, or a scientist to a layman" (p. 149): the vanguard party possesses the scientific theory--Marxism--that allows it to plan the revolution. And the transmission of information and commands must be one-way only: the only thing that the party could learn from the workers would be petty-bourgeois ideologies that would infect it as with a disease (p. 155).
After the revolution, according to Lenin, utopia will be built through use of the state. Quoting State and Revolution, Scott draws out of Lenin's ideas for economy and society the image of a gigantic ocean liner, captained by the party's politburo:
The revolution ousts the bourgeoisie from the [controlling] bridge of the "ocean liner" [of society], installs the vanguard party, and sets a new course, but the jobs of the vast crew are unchanged. Lenin's picture of the technical structure... is entirely static. The forms of production are either set or... [their] changes cannot require skills of a different order (p. 162).
Or as Lenin put it in his "Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government:
...large-scale machine industry... the foundation of socialism... calls for absolute and strict unity of will, which directs the joint labors of hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of people.... But how can strict unity of will be ensured? By thousands subordinating their will to the will of one.... We must learn to combat the public-meeting democracy of the working people--turbulent, surging, overflowing its banks like a spring flood--with iron discipline while at work, unquestioning obedience to the will of a single person, the Soviet leader, while at work (p. 163).
And the end of the process that Lenin sees in State and Revolution--an end that Scott calls "chillingly Orwellian"--no one will be able to move an inch from their assigned place:
Escape from this national accounting will inevitably become more difficult... and will probably be accompanied by such swift and severe punishment... that very soon the necessity of observing the simple, fundamental rules of social life in common will have become a habit (p. 163).
Scott contrasts the communism of Rosa Luxemburg and Alexandra Kollontai to that of Lenin. Luxemburg did see that when one was exploring new social territory: "only experience is capable of correcting and opening new ways. Only unobstructed, effervescing life falls into a thousand new forms and improvisations, brings to light creative force, itself corrects all mistaken attempts" (p. 174). And Luxemburg did see that Lenin's "socialism... decreed from behind a few official desks by a dozen intellectuals" was headed for complete disaster:
...with the suppression of political life in the land as a whole, life in the soviets must also become crippled. Without general elections, without unrestricted freedom of the press and assembly, without a free struggle of opinion, life dies out in every public institution.... Public life gradually falls asleep... an elite of the working class is invited to applaud the speeches of the leaders, and to approve proposed resolutions unanimously--at bottom then, a clique... a dictatorship... (p. 174).
We all know the economic and human consequences of Lenin's centrally-planned soviet vision. Scott writes that the high estimates--20 million or so--of deaths from the collectivization of agriculture have "if anything, gained more credibility as new archival evidence has become available" (p. 202). Yet he notes that from Stalin's perspective collectivization was certainly a success:
Collectivization proved a rough-and-ready instrument for the twin goals of traditional statecraft: appropriation and political control. Although the Soviet kolkhoz may have failed badly [at efficient produciton], it served well enough as a means whereby the state could determine cropping pattersn, fix real rural wages, appropriate a large share of whatever grain was produced, and politically emasculate the countryside (p. 203).
C. "Villagization" in Tanzania
Scott's third major example of destructive high modernism is Julius Nyerere's attempt from 1973 to 1976 to move all the rural inhabitants of Tanzania into villages. Five million farmers and their families were moved into newly-constructed villages set up so that the state could easily deliver social services to (and levy taxes from) the populations.
Nyerere believed that Tanzanians should live in villages--rather than scattered across the countryside where agricultural resources were to be found--because:
... unless we [live in villages] we shall not be able to provide ourselves with the things we need to develop our land and to raise our standard of living. We shall not be able to use tractors; we shall not be able to provide schools for our chldren; we shall not be able to build hospitals, or have clean drinking water; it will be quite impossible to start small village industries, and instead we shall have to go on depending on the towns for all our requirements; and if we had a plentiful supply of electric power we should never be able to connect it up to each isolated homestead (p. 230).
And what if the farmers did not want to live in villages, or did not want to grow the crops that Nyerere's bureaucrats back in The House of Peace thought that they should grow? Then: "[i]t may be possible--and sometimes necessary--to insist on all farmers in a given area growing a certain acreage of a particular crop until they realize that this brings them a more secure living, and then do not have to be forced to grow it" (p. 231).
The consequences of Nyerere's policies were predictable. As Scott summarizes:
Peasants were... shifted to poor soils on high ground... moved to [houses near] all-weather roads where the land was unfamiliar or unsuitable for the crops... village living placed cultivators far from their fields, thus thwarting crop watching and pest control... the concentration of livestock and people... encourag[ed] cholera and livestock epidemics... pastoralists [found that]... herding cattle to a single [village] location was an unmitigated disaster for range conservation and pastoral livelihoods.... [Bureaucratic] insistence that they had a monopoly on useful knowledge and that they impose this knowledge set the stage for disaster... (pp. 246-7).
The only bright spots were "the Tanzanian state's relative weaknesses... as well as the Tanzanian peasants' tactical advantages, including flight, unofficial production and trade, smuggling, and foot dragging" which "combined to make the practice of villagization" less destructive than it might have been (p. 247).
IV. Trees, Forests, and Roots
A. Deja Vu
Well before the middle of the book this non-Austrian liberal-Keynesian economist was--any economist would be--struck by a strong sense of deja vu. Scott's declarations of the importance of the detailed practical knowledge possessed by the person-on-the-spot--of how such knowledge cannot be transmitted up any hierarchy to those-in-charge in a way to do any good--of how the locus of decision-making must remain with those who have the craft to understand the situation--of how any system that functions at all must create and maintain a space in which there is sufficient flexibility for craftsmen to exercise their local, pratical knowledge (even if the hierarchs of the system pretend not to notice this flexibility)--all of these will strike any economist as very, very familiar.
All of these seem familiar to economists because they are the points made by Ludwig von Mises (1920) and Friedrich Hayek (1937) and the other Austrian economists in their pre-World War II debate with socialists over the possibility of central planning.
Hayek's adversaries--Oskar Lange and company--argued that a market system had to be inferior to a centrally-planned system: at the very least, a centrally-planned economy could set up internal decision-making procedures that would mimic the market, and the central planners could also adjust things to increase social welfare and account for external effects in a way that a market system could never do.
Hayek, in response, argued that the functionaries of a central-planning board could never succeed, because they could never create both the incentives and the flexibility for the people-on-the-spot to use the immense amount of knowledge about the actual situation that only people-on-the-spot can know.
As Hayek argued in his "Impossibility of Socialist Calculation," the enormous amount of dispersed knowledge that individual producers know and act on in a market economy can never be mobilized by a central planner. That a central planner could--that he or she could ever "possess a complete inventory of the amounts and qualities of all the different materials and instruments of production" available to the manager of a single plant--is "a somewhat comic fiction."
In Hayek's view, as he wrote in "The Use of Knowledge in Society," the fundamental economic problem is:
...the fact that knowledge of the circumstances of which we must make use never exists in concentrated or integrated form, but solely as the dispersed bits of incomplete and frequently contradictory knowledge which all the separate individuals possess.... It is rather a problem of how to secure the best use of resources known to any of the members of society, for ends whose relative importance only these individuals know. Or, to put it briefly, it is a problem of the utilization of knowledge...
All of Scott's examples are cases illustrating that the centrally-planned social-engineering that Scott calls "high modernism" is definitely not a way to solve this fundamental economic problem. The bulk of Scott's book is spent adducing evidence for the critique of centrally-planned social engineering that had been made by Friedrich Hayek back before World War II.
Yet a casual reader of the book would not find any significant pointers to the Austrian intellectual tradition--no references to works like "The Impossibility of Socialist Calculation," "The Use of Knowledge in Society," or "Competition as a Discovery Procedure" that are directly on point for Scott's critique of centrally-planned social-engineering (the only works referred to are The Road to Serfdom and the collection Studies in Philosophy, Economics, and Politics, with no references to the individual works collected in the volume).
B. Where Is Hayek?
So how is it that Scott can see the trees and the overall forest so very very well, but does not see his own intellectual roots?
I should note that today almost every single economist--even those who (like me) are profoundly hostile to many of Hayek's arguments (that government regulation of the money supply lies at the root of the business cycle, that political attempts to reduce inequalities in the distribution of income are likely to lead to totalitarianism, that the Federal Reserve should be abolished, that the competitive market is the "natural spontaneous order" of human society)--agrees that Hayek and his company (including Scott) hit the particular nail that is Scott's central theme, the critique of high-modernist centrally-planned social-engineering, squarely on the head.
Scott's Seeing Like a State's index contains no references to Ludwig von Mises. It does contain six references to Friedrich Hayek:
A favorable reference on page 256 to Hayek for pointing out that a "command economy, however sophisticated and flexible, cannot begin to replace the myriad, rapid, mutual adjustments of functioning markets and the price system."
A critique in a footnote of Hayek's belief that the market economy is a spontaneous form of social order. Instead, Scott believes, the market economy "had to be imposed by a coercive state in the nineteenth century, as Karl Polanyi has convincingly shown." But this is coupled with an admission that "Hayek's description of the development of common law" as "I believe, somewhat closer to the mark."
An approving reference in a footnote to Hayek's skepticism about the usefulness of economic theory (p. 427); a reference to the "curious unanimity" between "such right-wing critics of the command economy as Friedrich Hayek and such left-wing critics of communist authoritarianism as Price Peter Kropotkin" who call, in Albert Hirschman's word, for "more 'reverence for life'... less straitjacketing of the future... more allowance for the unexpected... less wishful thinking" in economic development (pp. 344-5); and a supporting footnote stating that Hayek--"the darling of those opposed to postwar planning and the welfare state"--makes the same point as Michel Foucault, who said in a lecture that was then published in 1991 that: "political economy announces the unknowability for the sovereign of the totality of economic processes and, as a consequence, the impossibility of an economic sovereignty," and that this was one of the main points of liberal political economy (pp. 101-2, 381).
And, finally, a preemptive strike against Hayek in the introduction: "Put bluntly, my bill of particulars against [the high-modernist centrally-planning social-engineering] state is by no means a case for politically unfettered market coordination as urged by Friedrich Hayek or Milton Friedman. As we shall see, the conclusions that can be drawn from the failures of modern projects of social engineering are as applicable to market-driven standardization as they are to bureaucratic homogeneity" (p. 8).
The first two references I agree with. Hayek is write in criticizing the inflexibility of the command economy, and Scott is right in arguing that the market economy is not the "natural" form of human social order.
The third, fourth, and fifth references seem to me to miss the point: no one reading Hayek should be surprised that he is skeptical about claims to useful theoretical knowledge, the unanimity between the left and right branches growing out of the anarchist tradition is not "curious" but a result of these two branches' common roots, and the late Foucault (even though correct, and at the time of his death a serious student of liberal political economy) is not the expert of choice on liberal political economy.
The sixth reference may be the key. Scott cannot cite Edmund Burke in Seeing Like a State--and much of Scott's book consists of praise for the wisdom embodied in community practices in a Burkean vein--except as an "apologist... for... power, privilege, and property." And Scott cannot embrace Friedrich Hayek out of the fear that it will turn his book into a "case for politically-unfettered market coordination." Instead, he believes that his argument is as much a critique of "market-driven standardization" as of "bureaucratic homogeneity."
C. Rubber Tomatoes
How can market-driven standardization have the same consequences as the commands of architects who have never lived in the cities they design, or as the collectivization of Soviet agriculture, or as the forced "villagization" of Tanzanian peasants?
It is unclear.
Scott has a long critique of agricultural extension services and agricultural development programs in the third world, and the scorn their "experts" had for the practical knowledge of the rural peasant (pp. 270-306). But any Austrian would agree with all of it: the claims of the experts from the center that they know everything and the peasant knows nothing about how to grow crops in Ghana is ludicrous.
Woven into the critique of agricultural development programs are asides about the destructiveness of DDT, the effect of sterile hybrid seeds in diminishing the autonomy of the farmer, the vulnerability of American monoculture farms to pests and epidemics, and the pre-packaged relatively-tasteless--but overwhelmingly cheap--rubber tomatoes developed to be machine-sprayed and machine-picked. However, people bought (and buy) rubber tomatoes because they are cheap--because relatively little social labor is required to produce them. Overall we have the "unparalleled agricultural productivity" of the industrial West, in which the U.S. is a major exporter of food products even though its economy now employs fewer farmers and farm laborers than gardeners and groundskeepers.
The argument that market-driven processes are as harmful to human freedom as state-led high modernism appears suddenly at the end of a discussion of the importance of practical, local knowledge and expertise. Scott calls this practical, local knowledge "metis," taking the word from the skill traditionally attributed to Odysseus. Takes it to be a counterweight to the type of theoretical or technical knowledge held by bureaucrats, scientists, and others (pp. 309-341). Most such practical knowledge cannot be easily summarized and simple rules, and much of it remains implicit: the devil is in the details.
In the middle of this discussion of "metis" we suddenly read that:
The destruction of metis and its replacement by standardized formulas legible only from the center is virtually inscribed in the activities of both the state and large-scale bureaucratic capitalism (p. 335).
But when we look around at modern large-scale bureaucratic capitalism, we see what Scott calls "metis" everywhere. Everything from the flick of your wrist so that the supermarket laser-scanner reads the bar code (try it some time) to the virtual experience at flying 747's that airline pilots gain in simulators to knowing when you have lost your lecture audience and need to back up to knowing when it too risky to drive the moving van over Donner Pass--all of these are forms of metis. Attempts to design-out metis--to turn workers into efficient, pre-programmed automatons as in the imagination of Frederick W. Taylor--usually fail. They fail precisely because they do not make allowance for the importance of local, practical knowledge. And when they fail businesses that recognized the importance of their workers' skills take up the slack.
We have lost many forms of metis. But as Scott points out, many of them are well-lost:
Once matches become widely available, why... know... how to make a fire with flint and tinder. Knowing how to scrub clothes... on a stone in the river is undoubtedly an art, but one gladly abandoned.... Darning skills were similary lost, without much nostalgia, when cheap, machinemade stockings came on the market... (p. 335).
And overall local, practical knowledge does not seem to be vanishing because of large-scale bureaucratic capitalism. Indeed, the modern forms of metis whose destruction Scott mourns on pages 337-339 were the creations of (previous generations of) large-scale bureaucratic capitalism.
V. Conclusion
The key fault of what Scott calls "high modernism" is its belief that details don't matter--that planners decree from on high, people obey, and utopia results. Note that Scott's conclusion is not just that attempts at high-modernist centrally-planned social-engineering have failed. It is--as von Mises argued 70 years ago--they are always overwhelmingly likely to fail. As Scott puts it:
... [the] larger point [is that]... [i]n each case, the necessarily thin, schematic model of social organization and production animating the planning was inadequate as a set of instructions for creating a successful social order. By themselves, the simplified rules can never generate a functioning community, city, or economy. Formal order, to be more explicit, is always and to some degree parasitic on informal processes, which the formal scheme does not recognize, without which it could not exist, and which it alone cannot create or maintain (p. 310).
Yet even as he makes his central points, Scott appears unable to make contact with his intellectual roots--thus he is unable to draw on pieces of the Austrian argument as it has been developed over the past seventy years. Just as seeing like a state means that you cannot see the local details of what is going on, so seeing like James Scott seems to me that you cannot see your intellectual predecessors.
That the conclusion is so strong where the evidence is so weak is, I think, evidence of profound subconscious anxiety: subconscious fear that recognizing that one's book is in the tradition of the Austrian critique of the twentieth century state will commit one to becoming a right-wing inequality-loving Thatcher-worshiping libertarian (even though there are intermediate positions: you can endorse the Austrian critique of central planning without rejecting the mixed economy and the social insurance state).
And when the chips are down, this recognition is something James Scott cannot do. At some level he wishes--no matter what his reason tells him--to take his stand on the side of the barricades with the revolutionaries and their tools to build utopia. He ends the penultimate chapter of his book with what can only be called a political pledge-of-allegiance:
Revolutionaries have had every reason to despise the feudal, poverty-stricken, inegalitarian past that they hoped to banish forever, and sometimes they have also had a reason to suspect that immediate democracy would simply bring back the old order. Postindependence leaders in the nonindustrial world (occasionally revolutionary leaders themselves) could not be faulted for hating their past of colonial domination and economic stagnation, nor could they be faulted for wasting no time or democratic sentimentality on creating a people that they could be proud of (p. 341).
But then comes the chapter's final sentence: "Understanding the history and logic of their commitment to high-modernist goals, however, does not permit us to overlook the enormous damage that their convictions entailed when combined with authoritarian state power" (p. 341).
Friedrich Hayek, ed. (1935), Collectivist Economic Planning: Critical Studies on the Possibility of Socialism (London: Routledge: 0678007659).
Friedrich Hayek (1937), "Economics and Knowledge," Economica 4, pp. 33-54.
Friedrich Hayek (), "The Impossibility of Socialist Calculation,"
Friedrich Hayek (1945), "The Use of Knowledge in Society," American Economic Review 35, pp. 519-30.
Friedrich Hayek (), "Competition as a Discovery Procedure"
Jane Jacobs (1961), The Death and Life of Great American Cities (New York: Vintage).
Jane Jacobs (1965), The Economy of Cities (New York: Vintage).
Frank Knight (1936), "The Place of Marginal Economics in a Collectivist System," American Economic Review 26:2, pp. 255-6.
Abba Lerner (1934), "Economic Theory and Socialist Economy," Review of Economic Studies 2, pp. 51-61.
Ludwig von Mises (1920), "Die Wirtschaftsrechnung im sozialistischen Gemeinwesen," Archiv fur Sozialwissenschaften und Sozialpolitik 47:1, pp. 86-121.
Professor of Economics J. Bradford DeLong, 601 Evans Hall, #3880
University of California at Berkeley
http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/
This document: http://www.j-bradford-delong.net/Econ_Articles/Reviews/Seeing_Like_a_State.html
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The B.I.T. Group
Louis Patler
Innovating for Results
New York Times and Amazon best-selling author, speaker and consultant Louis Patler is President of The B.I.T. Group, a strategic business consulting and training company.
Two of his innovation books were on the recommended reading list of Apple’s Steve Jobs.
The J. Walter Thompson Agency named him one of "The 20 Most Creative Minds in America."
He was named Sociology Alumnus of the Year/Commencement Speaker, Wayne State University (April, 2017)
He has been chosen to be the Author-in-Residence at the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center (July, 2016).
His new innovation-training program, Innovating for Results, is offered worldwide.
He has written more than 100 articles, and authored five books:
Make Your Own Waves: The Surfer’s Rules for Entrepreneurs and innovators (July, 2016). American Management Association Books (AMACOM) links the preparation and passion of elite Big Wave surfers to the world of business. It was named “Book of the Month” by NASDAQ, and Amazon #1 (July 2016).
The Consistent Consumer: Predicting Customer Behavior Through Lasting Values (2006 & 2013) offers fresh research into generational differences.
TrendSmart: The 21 Trends That Will Change the Way You Do Business (2002) on macro business trends.
Don’t Compete, TILT the Field: Irreverent Lessons For Leading Innovation in the New Economy (1999) a “Top 10 Business Book of the Year”.
If It ain't broke . . . BREAK IT! Unconventional Wisdom for a Changing Business World (1991), a New York Times bestseller. Excerpts have been translated into 17 languages and 28 million copies.
Louis’ diverse client list includes American Express, Dell, Joie de Vivre Hotels, Bank of America, General Dynamics, Barclays, BAE Systems, Sun Microsystems, Safeway, and dozens more. He has led projects in South Africa, England, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Latin America, and the United States.
He arranged the first meetings of the United States’ and the Peoples Republic of China’s Supreme Court Justices.
He has twice received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts for his writing, and was the editor of the prestigious American Trend Report.
He received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to integrate leadership and innovation among educators.
He is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and has served on three corporate and many community not-for-profit boards, as well as 12 years on the Board of a liberal arts college.
With a PhD in Sociology, he has held faculty positions at three universities, and lectured at such institutions as Stanford University, the University of San Francisco, Mendoza School of Business at Notre Dame University, and multiple voyages on the Semester at Sea program at the University of Virginia and Colorado State University.
A former professional baseball prospect, he plays on amateur baseball teams that have recently won five World Series Championships.
Speak To Louis Now!
A must Read, Louis New Book, "MAKE YOUR OWN WAVES, The Surfer's Rules for Innovators and Entrepreneurs"
Innovation has to be everybody’s everyday job
— Louis Patler
Always following an unconventional path to knowledge, after years of examining the mindset, skillset and toolset of Big Wave surfers, he offers entrepreneurs, innovators and companies a roadmap to success.
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“You absolutely captivated our audience with your concepts, illustrations and humor. In my opinion, yours was one of the best programs that the Chapter has had in several years.”
—Paula Swanson, President
American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), Golden Gate Chapter
“Your presentation for our Professional Growth Weekend has quite quaked our complacency. Your message registered high on our personal Richter scales!”
—Joan Emerson, President
International Furnishing and Design Association
“Your presentation really set the tone for the entire symposium. I was quite pleased that many of the speakers referred to your concepts and ideas in their own presentations.”
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McLaren School of Business, University of San Francisco
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Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce
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“Louis Patler’s keynote address was the most riveting content of the entire day (which comprised Fortune 100 speakers, mind you). His ability to personalize the message that “innovation is everybody’s job/transform through simplicity” went across multiple industries in the convention hall – not an easy task when you have the world’s largest retailer, hundreds of consumer packaged good executives, education, banking, hospitality, and startups all listening in for relevancy. He will always be welcome to participate in this annual event!”
— Bill Akins, President, NWA Tech Council
What Louis is thinking about...
Copy of Great Place to Stay and Great Place to Work Have Much in Common
Now's The Time to Bet on the Little Guy
Earlier this year, I read something coming out of the defense industry that has a much wider application. (https://www.defensetech.org/2017/02/17/special-operations/ ) The article is entitled, “Executive to Military: Be Like SOCOM and Bet on the Little Guy,” and it raises the perennial issue of staying with the so-called tried and true vs. taking a strategic risk on a new idea or product.
IN the name of LOVE, raise your arms...
My first visit to South Africa came in the 1970s at the height of apartheid. As a young and somewhat idealistic professor on the Semester at Sea program, when the ship docked I was shocked to see “coloured only” signage echoing the racist attitudes and policies there. As was true at every port, after the bow lines were tied off, a group of customs and government officials came on board to review all the paperwork and passports before clearing the passengers to disembark.
Le Tour de France: 5 Lessons Learned about Leadership and Innovation
I will be the first to admit that I have watched Le Tour De France bicycle races sporadically for many years and always mildly intrigued. I mean, it’s a sporting event that lasts TWENTY-ONE DAYS! Not only that but each day is a called a “stage” and meanders through amazing scenery over a period of up to 5 hours during which I found myself looking at the castles and vineyards and of course the bystanders running alongside the cyclists in their bizarre outfits in search of their 15 minutes of televised fame.
Millennials, Motorcycles and Marketing Gibberish
Today I was reading about who is and who is not buying Harley-Davidson motorcycles (http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/millennials-are-wrecking-americas-most-iconic-motorcycle-brand/ar-BBEicIs?li=BBnbfcN ). The article contained the following quote about millennials from an industry market analyst:
What people are saying about Louis...
Dr. Patler was the keynote speaker for our recognition event for Baroswky Business School undergraduates. The themes he shared from his N.Y. Times bestselling book, "Make your own Waves," were extremely motivational, challenging and relevant for the students. We received lots of positive feedback on Dr. Patler's remarks from students and faculty, alike. I highly recommend Louis if you want someone who can connect with and inspire young professionals! - Nancy Rehkopf, Adjunct Faculty, Barowsky School of Business, Dominican University of California
"Louis Patler is immersed in the real world--he takes the time to understand, he rolls up his sleeves and becomes part of the solution." - Linda Parker Hudson, CEO Emeritus, BAE Systems
“Louis Patler’s keynote address was the most riveting content of the entire day (which comprised Fortune 100 speakers, mind you). His ability to personalize the message that “innovation is everybody’s job/transform through simplicity” went across multiple industries in the convention hall – not an easy task when you have the world’s largest retailer, hundreds of consumer packaged good executives, education, banking, hospitality, and startups all listening in for relevancy. He will always be welcome to participate in this annual event!” – Bill Akins, President NWA Tech Council
More of What people are saying about Louis...
Louis Patler gives us strategies to let us change with the times and accomplish our goals" - Millie Hughes-Fulford, NASA astronaut
Louis Patler tells it like it will be, his ideas both a crystal ball and a magnifying glass. By focusing on the present, he writes a history of the future." - Jay Conrad Levinson
The B.I.T. Group is the proud sponsor of the Tibetan Women's Soccer Team, first of its kind and training for the 2020 World Cup!
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Home » Newsroom » News Stories » Search the News Archive » 1999 News » October 28, 1999
Middlebury College Appoints Librarian for New Science Library -- Louise Zipp to fill post at Armstrong Library in Bicentennial Hall
Louise S. Zipp has recently been appointed to the position of librarian for the James I. and Carol Aymar Armstrong Library, the science library located in Middlebury College's newly opened academic facility for the sciences, Bicentennial Hall. The Armstrong Library will support the natural sciences, geography, and psychology departments.
Zipp received a bachelor's degree from Knox College, and a master's degree in geography at the University of Iowa, where she has also completed coursework toward a doctorate in geography. She has served as the botany-chemistry librarian, and the geology librarian at Iowa. Subsequently, Zipp held the positions of department head for collection development, and principal bibliographer for the sciences for the Iowa State University Library. She received a second master's degree, in library science, from the University at Albany, in New York.
Zipp has been a publication contributor for the Geoscience Information Society, and has edited proceedings for that organization. A member of the Geological Society of America and the American Library Association, she has also written for society and library journals, and served on various university committees while at Iowa State University. Zipp recently presented a paper on the information preservation priorities of geologists and geology librarians at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver, and is now preparing it for publication in next spring's issue of Geoscience Information Society Proceedings.
"Ms. Zipp brings to the College a strong background of library service to the sciences," Middlebury College Librarian Ron Rucker said of Zipp's appointment. "I am very pleased that she has joined us," Rucker added.
Zipp comes to Addison County from Ames, Iowa, and now lives in the town of Middlebury.
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S.A.M.E. tour a tremendous success raising awareness of migrant issues
UFCWCanada
UFCW
S.A.M.E. tour a tremendous success raising awareness of migrant issuesToronto – April 22, 2014 – Students Against Migrant Exploitation (S.A.M.E.) recently concluded their 2014 tour in support of Migrant Worker Awareness Month. Conducting workshops at more than 70 colleges, universities, elementary schools and community centres, S.A.M.E. activists directly engaged more than 15,000 students across Ontario and Quebec. Gathering support from teachers and community leaders, the tour enlisted hundreds of new volunteers to the movement to end migrant exploitation.
During the tour, S.A.M.E. produced daily reports and weekly video reviews of inspiring messages of support for migrant workers. #NotMyTomato was launched – an interactive campaign where people can tweet their demand that fruits and vegetables should be harvested under conditions where the rights of agricultural workers are respected. The campaign has generated tweets and photos from supporters across Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala and the Philippines.
S.A.M.E. is supported by UFCW Canada, the nation’s most progressive union and the leading voice for migrant farm workers. Together with S.A.M.E. and the Agriculture Workers Alliance, UFCW Canada is engaged in a monumental struggle to secure the rights of migrant workers across the country.
“When we talk with young people about the necessity to achieve social justice for migrant workers, they get it immediately,” explains Pablo Godoy, coordinator for S.A.M.E. “They understand that labour rights are human rights and that they can make a difference in the lives of migrant workers right here at home.”
http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3972:s-a-m-e-tour-a-tremendous-success-raising-awareness-of-migrant-issues&catid=524&Itemid=6&lang=en
National relevance
Students Against Migrant Exploitation (SAME)
Workers union - federation
UFCW/TUAC Canada
(Im)migrant workers association
AWA/ATA - Canada
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Giallo Zafferano: an average of 5,000 votes each month on Facebook to choose the magazine’s cover
Users as protagonists in the making each issue
Giallo Zafferano, the Mondadori Group’s online leader in the cookery segment – with over 6 million unique users every month (source: Audiweb View, Total Audience, January-May 2017), a fan base of more than 5.2 million users and an app that has recorded almost 7 million downloads – confirms its appeal on both newsstands, with an average annual circulation of 200,000 copies and social media.
These results are based on Italy’s leading cookery web site’s ability to engage its audience, in a continuous interconnection between the web, social networks and the printed magazine, as can be seen from the extraordinary participation in the making of the magazine edited by Laura Maragliano, who leaves the choice of the magazine’s cover to the brand’s audience.
This means that the readers are active protagonists in the creation of every issue. In fact, every month, Giallo Zafferano uses Facebook to propose two possible covers for the magazine and users are invited to express a preference using the standard Facebook tools “like” and “love”. In April, this initiative involved more than 1 million people, with and average of 5,000 votes for each issue. Among the most popular challenges was the May cover, “Four pasta dishes to prepare in a flash” against ”Six varieties of sandwich”, which was the victor in the meal par excellence in Italy, with 55% of the votes, out of a total of more than 12,000. The same making of mechanism was used to select the cover of the latest issue of Giallo Zafferano, dedicated to “8 spaghetti dishes for the Ferragosto national holiday”, chosen by 74% of the voters over the competing “Ferragosto picnic “.
But user engagement doesn’t stop at the choice of the cover. The magazine’s readers are also offered the opportunity to vote for their favourite recipe of the month published in the section entitled “A three-way challenge“, in which the three section chiefs of Giallo Zafferano battle it out on a common culinary theme. The July competition, which focused on pasta salads, also received over 1,000 votes and declared Aurora’s “Farfalle alla rucola” the winner. Readers and users also enthusiastically participate in the contest organised by Giallo Zafferano. For each challenge more than 100 recipes are sent in by users with the aim of winning the award for the best dish based on three ingredients proposed by the editorial team and published in the subsequent issue. The latest issue of Giallo Zafferano, on newsstands now, features the winning dish of the contest with August’s three ingredients: green olives, chicken and red onions.
Italian brands
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Last post on : September 5, 2017
Indiana Jones 5 Screenwriter Reveals Shia LaBeouf’s Character Will Not Return
Published On September 5, 2017 » 633 Views» By Z-rowe »
We got some bad news for you Shia LaBeouf fans out there. Indiana Jones 5 screenwriter David Koepp had an interview with Entertainment Weekly, and he revealed Shia’s character will not be featured in the next chapter of the franchise.
“The Shia LaBeouf character is not in the film,” he said, refusing to actually say the character’s name. He didn’t seem like he wanted to address the Shia issue, but he did talk about Harrison Ford, “Harrison plays Indiana Jones, that I can certainly say,” he revealed.
Both Koepp and Spielberg are happy with the current version of the screenplay and production could get started very soon…
“We’re plugging away at it. In terms of when we would start, I think that’s up to Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Ford. I know we’ve got a script we’re mostly happy with. Work will be endless, of course, and ongoing, and Steven just finished shooting The Post …. If the stars align, hopefully it’ll be his next film.”
As some of you may remember, Shia slammed 2008’s Crystal Skull during an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2010. He told the paper he felt as if he dropped the ball “on the legacy that people loved and cherished,” he also claimed Ford wasn’t happy with the final product either.
Ford’s response? Well, he called Shia a “f**king idiot”
charactercrystal skullharrison fordIndiana Jones 5Screenwritershia labeouf
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One Response to Indiana Jones 5 Screenwriter Reveals Shia LaBeouf’s Character Will Not Return
He seemed decent enough in the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. If he could stay out of trouble I bet Labeouf would have made it to Indiana Jones 5. Still excited about Speilberg and Ford teaming up again for the movie.
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The time now is Thu 18 Jul 2019, 12:04
All times are UTC - 4
Forum index » Advanced Topics » Additional Software (PETs, n' stuff) » Browsers and Internet
Importing Bookmarks from F/f to Seamonkey
Page 1 of 1 [4 Posts]
kuman11
Posted: Mon 01 Apr 2019, 11:41 Post subject: Importing Bookmarks from F/f to Seamonkey
How to Import Bookmarks from F/f for Android to Seamonkey. There's no an option for exporting them in this F/f.
mikeslr
Location: 500 seconds from Sol
Posted: Mon 01 Apr 2019, 15:25 Post subject: Seamonkey Bookmarks
To import or export book marks in Seamonkey, click the Bookmark Tab on the Menu. Then Click Manage Bookmarks. A Bookmark Manager GUI opens. Under its Tools Menu are the tools for Backup, Restore, Import and Export. The first two handles json files, the latter two html.
Regarding exporting bookmarks from Android Browsers -- Welcome to the Club. I can't figure out how. As far as I can tell, all Android Browsers expect you to sync to their accounts. Maybe ask on an Android forum?
Posted: Mon 01 Apr 2019, 19:11 Post subject: Re: Seamonkey Bookmarks
mikeslr wrote:
'Welcome to the Club' lol
I spent an hr this morning trying to find a clue ...
Semme
Location: World_Hub
Posted: Mon 01 Apr 2019, 19:59 Post subject:
As I told Mike in PM, "Easy-Peasy-Japanesy!" Not that "eyes-blind" would acknowledge any of it..
>>> Living with the immediacy of death helps you sort out your priorities. It helps you live a life less trivial <<<
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Can you keep a national secret?
It's finally here – head over to Apple NOW to check out the brand new OFFICIAL TRAILER for Focus Features' upcoming film, KILL THE MESSENGER. Two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (“The Bourne Legacy”) leads an all-star cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb. Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation’s streets…and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings from drug kingpins and CIA operatives to stop his investigation, Webb keeps digging to uncover a conspiracy with explosive implications. His journey takes him from the prisons of California to the villages of Nicaragua to the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. – and draws the kind of attention that threatens not just his career, but his family and his life.
Don't miss out—visit Apple NOW to watch the heart-pounding trailer, featuring music from KID CUDI!
Check out the OFFICIAL TRAILER:
KILL THE MESSENGER – opens in theaters on October 10th, 2014!
Story: Two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (“The Bourne Legacy”) leads an all-star cast in a dramatic thriller based on the remarkable true story of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb. Webb stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation’s streets…and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings from drug kingpins and CIA operatives to stop his investigation, Webb keeps digging to uncover a conspiracy with explosive implications. His journey takes him from the prisons of California to the villages of Nicaragua to the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. – and draws the kind of attention that threatens not just his career, but his family and his life.
Director: Michael Cuesta (“Homeland”)
Writers: Peter Landesman, based upon the books Dark Alliance, by Gary Webb, and Kill the Messenger, by Nick Schou
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ray Liotta, Tim Blake Nelson, Barry Pepper, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen, Paz Vega, Michael Kenneth Williams, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Andy Garcia
KILL THE MESSENGER Official Assets:
Official Poster: http://pr.mammothnyc.com/KillTheMessenger/Client_53877232/Poster.zip
Official Film Still: http://pr.mammothnyc.com/KillTheMessenger/Outreach/Still.zip
KILL THE MESSENGER Official Social Pages:
Official Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/KillTheMessengerMovie
Official Twitter Page: @FocusFeatures
Official Instagram: @KillTheMessengerMovie
Labels: Andy Garcia Barry Pepper jeremy renner Kill The Messenger Mary Elizabeth Winstead Michael Kenneth Williams Michael Sheen Oliver Platt Paz Vega Ray Liotta Rosemarie DeWitt Tim Blake Nelson Trailers
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General Asia
Taiwan: EVA air flight attendants’ strike shakes society
Parson Young
On 20 June 2019, the flight attendants of Taiwan’s private commercial airline EVA Air went on strike. Under the leadership of the Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union, with over 2,300 workers joining the strike, this is already the largest private sector strike in Taiwan since the end of the KMT dictatorship’s martial law in 1987. The strike has thus far caused more than 700 flight cancellations.
Farcical Thai election prepares future crises
A massive ten-and-a-half weeks after Thailand’s first general election since 2014’s military coup, the leader of said coup, Prayut Chan-o-cha, was voted in as Thailand’s prime minister by the new parliament on 5 June. His victory was about as surprising as discovering that the next pope will be Catholic, since the military junta has spent the last five years engineering the Thai constitution to guarantee they are never out of power. The process has been as bizarre as it was farcical.
Hong Kong protests force extradition bill suspension: movement must go forward!
Parson Young, reporting from Hong Kong
On 16 June, only a week after the last, million-strong march that took place in Hong Kong, a second mass protest occurred. According to the leading organisers of the Civil Human Rights Front, as many as two million people joined the march yesterday. Judging from the images and figures available, as well as what I’ve seen, it is entirely credible that this protest is larger than that of the previous Sunday.
Hong Kong: a million march against extradition bill
Daniel Morley; additional reporting by Parson Young
Today, hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers marched in militant defiance of the ‘extradition bill’ that would grant China the power to take anyone in Hong Kong into custody on the mainland. Only three days earlier, Sunday 9 June, saw what may be the biggest demonstration in Hong Kong’s history. According to organisers, one million marched through the city’s humid streets, meaning one-in-seven Hong Kongers demonstrated!
Myanmar (Burma): peasant tortured to death by authorities
Ko Tun Myint Win, a peasant from Aung Thabyae village in the Patheingyi township, Mandalay Region, died in police custody on 5 May. The authorities claimed that he died due to a high fever and alcohol withdrawal syndrome, and said the family members had to request a medical record of the autopsy from them as well.
The Call of Democracy: fellow students, do you know what June 4th represents?
Hsiao Yu in Taiwan
We are publishing the text of a leaflet produced by a sympathiser of the IMT in Taiwan and aimed at the students there, which explains what the Tiananmen movement in 1989 was about, how it was destroyed and what workers and students in both China and Taiwan should be working towards today.
Help build the forces of Marxism worldwide!
Join the IMT!
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Great interest in Trotsky at the Havana Book Fair
Frederick Engels Foundation
Now that the Havana Book Fair is over we can give a general overview of the event. Over half a million people attended, and for the second year running we, the Spanish Frederick Engels Foundation, were there with our publications. Again there was keen interest in Trotsky’s works. The Cuban edition of Reason in Revolt is selling very well, and there are plans for a Cuban edition of Alan Woods’ book on Venezuela.
We have not yet received the final figures of attendance for the 2006 Havana International Book Fair, which has reached its 15th year, but it is clear to us that even more people than last year’s half a million went to the huge Book Fair situated in the picturesque La Cabaña fortress overlooking the bay of Havana.
The immense popularity of the Fair is itself a living proof of one of the main conquests of the Revolution. Cubans are a highly educated people and are rightly proud of their cultural level in a country that made eradication of illiteracy one of their main achievements. The Book Fair has grown massively, from a small event in Havana 15 years ago to a huge event attracting millions of people and touring 35 cities around the island.
For the second year running the Spanish Frederick Engels Foundation (FFE) was present with a stand. Once again, our presence there was in breach of the “cultural embargo” decreed by imperialism and supported by the Spanish Federation of Publishers (which sees no problems in attending book fairs in countries with repressive and dictatorial regimes like Morocco). Our presence there was therefore also a statement of solidarity with the Cuban Revolution and of opposition to imperialism.
Our stand was presided by the joint pictures of Leon Trotsky and Che Guevara, who made of La Cabaña fortress his first headquarters when he entered Havana in January 1959 after the victory of the Cuban Revolution. We also had two big posters of the FFE designed specially for the Book Fair, calling for a Socialist Federation of Latin America. The stall attracted a lot of attention.
As was the case last year, the material that attracted most attention were books and pamphlets by Trotsky or about his life and ideas in the Spanish language. Apart from The Permanent Revolution and The Revolution Betrayed, we were selling a number of other works by Trotsky, including the recently republished Terrorism and Communism and 1905. Many people commented that they had always heard negative comments on Trotsky but had never had the chance to actually read anything by him.
Interest in Trotsky’s ideas was also shown by the fact that we sold out of the 140 copies we had of an A2 size poster of Trotsky with an extract from his political testament. We had brought the poster because of the interest it had generated the previous year, but we never thought we would sell so many! Our global sales were up by more than 50% from last year, and a number of titles were completely sold out, particularly Trotsky books, and Alan Woods’ pamphlet Stalin, 50 years since the death of the tyrant.
Apart from Trotsky, the other issue that attracted people to our stand was the Venezuelan revolution. Alan Woods’ book on the Bolivarian Revolution was our best seller showing the keen interest that the Venezuelan revolution has generated in Cuba. Venezuela was this year’s guest country and president Chavez was present at the opening ceremony. The presence therefore of Venezuelan ambassador Adán Chávez at the launch of the Cuban edition of Reason in Revolt was a major event of the Book Fair and it was widely covered by the Cuban and Venezuelan media.
The Ciencias Sociales publishing house has now expressed an interest in publishing Alan Woods’ book on Venezuela in a Cuban edition. They also told us that Reason in Revolt has been selling very well and that they were considering a second edition.
Celia Hart and James Petras
Cuban Communist Celia Hart also accompanied us on the stand a number of days. Her book Apuntes revolucionarios - Cuba, Venezuela y el socialismo internacional (Revolutionary Notebooks - Cuba, Venezuela and international socialism), which has been published by the F. Engels Foundation, was our other best seller. In her articles Celia has opened the debate about Trotsky and his ideas in Cuba, and this is the first time that these articles have been published in book form and made available to the Cuban public. Another book by Celia Hart was also on sale at the Book Fair, Haydée, del Moncada a casa (Haydée, from the Moncada to home), which is a remembrance of her mother, Haydée Santamaria, the legendary revolutionary leader of the Cuban revolution who participated in the assault on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.
Among the many who came to the stand were veteran Cuban revolutionary Ydalberto Ferrera, active in the Cuban Trotskyist movement since the 1930s, and US-based left wing intellectual James Petras. Also presented at the Book Fair were some previously unpublished works by Che Guevara. These are collected in one volume called Apuntes Críticos sobre Economía Política (Critical Notes on Political Economy). Some of the texts had never been published before and contain a devastating criticism of the old Stalinist Manual of Political Economy published in the USSR.
Che Guevara wrote some of these texts in Prague on his way back from his experience in the Congo. His criticism of the USSR was also based on his experience as Minister of Industry and the debates he had had with Soviet advisers and his experience in the Soviet Union. He was particularly opposed to the policy of “peaceful coexistence” which he considered to be nothing more than “vulgar opportunism”. The publication of these texts is very important because it allows us to know more about the evolution of the thinking of Che Guevara in his last years.
Rafael Polanco, Armando Hart and Alan Woods
Another book that was published for the Book Fair is Del socialismo real al capitalismo real (From real existing socialism to real existing capitalism) a very interesting work by Ariel Dacal and Francisco Brown on the reasons and the consequences of the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union. The book, which contains a prologue by Alan Woods, explains how it was the old bureaucracy of the CPSU that restored capitalism and how they themselves became capitalists.
Apart from all the book launch meetings we held at the Book Fair and the universities of Havana and Santiago, we also had a meeting with Armando Hart, an historic figure of the Cuban revolution, now in charge of the Office of the Martí Programme, together with Rafael Polanco from the Sociedad Cultural José Martí. He was extremely friendly and insisted that a dialogue must be opened.
Someone who was very interested in the Cuban edition of Reason in Revolt was Dr. Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart, Fidel Castro’s son, who is a scientific advisor to the Council of State and a nuclear physicist. He insisted in getting Alan Woods to sign his copy. Again he was very friendly and expressed an interest in discussing more about issues of the relationship between science and socialism. He expressed regret that Alan had not been able to participate in a conference he had organised on this subject the previous week and presented him with a signed copy of one of his books on nuclear power.
Fidel Castro's son and Alan Woods
In short, this was a spectacular success. We would like to thank all those who have made this visit possible, including the director of the Book Fair and all those working with her, the staff at Ciencias Sociales, and particularly Celia Hart who insisted we should be present.
Last leg of Alan Woods' speaking tour in Santiago de Cuba (February 21, 2006)
Another successful meeting to launch Reason in Revolt at the Havana Book Fair (February 14, 2006)
Cuban researchers meet Alan Woods (February 13, 2006)
Major Latin American news agencies take up Alan Woods’ speech in Havana (February 10, 2006)
Keen interest and enthusiasm at launch of Reason in Revolt at Havana Book Fair (February 9, 2006)
Alan Woods to launch Cuban edition of Reason in Revolt in Havana (February 6, 2006)
Cuba: Trump's threats, constitutional reform and the economic situation 14 May 2019
Notes on the ideas of Che Guevara 9 Oct 2017
Cuba: Critical Thought in the Socialist Transition 6 Jul 2017
IMT statement on the death of Fidel Castro 30 Nov 2016
Fidel Castro has died - the Cuban revolution must live! 28 Nov 2016
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Courtyard of St. Dominic's Monastery in Linden, Va. (www.lindenopnuns.org)
| May. 11, 2013
Protestant South Becoming a New Catholic Stronghold
Dixie Catholics credit the strong Southern sense of community, and dialogue with faithful Protestants, with helping to power the Church’s growth there.
STEPHEN BEALE
LINDEN, Va. — In the waves of turbulence that rippled throughout the Catholic Church in the 1970s, the nuns of St. Dominic’s Monastery found themselves forced to leave their longtime home in Wisconsin in search of a new one.
The nuns moved to a temporary residence in Washington, D.C., while looking for a permanent setting conducive to the cloistered, contemplative life they sought to lead. It would be more than two decades before they found one. When they did, it was in what may seem a most unlikely place: the rural northeast of Virginia, considered one of the Protestant Bible Belt states of the South.
The story of St. Dominic’s Monastery’s southern move may be the story of U.S. Catholicism. New data shows that some of the fastest-growing dioceses in the country are deep in the U.S. South.
The third-fastest-developing diocese is Atlanta, which saw the number of registered parishioners explode from nearly 322,000 in 2002 to 1 million in 2012 — an increase of more than twofold, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. Atlanta also has the largest Eucharistic Congress in the country, with an annual attendance of about 30,000, according to an archdiocesan official.
Atlanta is not alone. Charleston, S.C., has seen a 50% increase in parishioners over the last decade. Charlotte, N.C., grew by a third, as did Little Rock, Ark. The Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn., established just 25 years ago, is now the 25th-fastest- growing diocese in the nation — and would rank near the top if those official figures counted as many as 60,000 unregistered Hispanic congregants, according to a diocesan official.
Dioceses like Knoxville stand in stark contrast to former Catholic strongholds like Boston and Philadelphia, where parish consolidations, school closures and dwindling priests are the norm.
“Instead of us closing parishes and closing schools, we’re doing the opposite. We’re in total growth mode,” said Deacon Sean Smith, chancellor for the Diocese of Knoxville.
When Knoxville was established as a diocese in 1988, it had 37 parishes. It has since added 14, including four mission parishes. It has also expanded three parishes, built a new high school and opened one middle-elementary school. Meanwhile, the number of parishioners has doubled.
Bountiful Vocations
One telling indicator is vocations to the priesthood. Knoxville expects to have 23 men in graduate seminary next year. Contrast the Archdiocese of Chicago, which has 37 times as many parishioners but only three times as many graduate seminarians next year, at an anticipated enrollment of 70. Boston, which is nearly 30 times the size of Knoxville, will have 60.
“There’s excitement here in Tennessee and I would say in the Southeast in general,” Smith said.
That sentiment is shared by the nuns at St. Dominic’s Monastery, who have found a thriving local Catholic community that boasts nearby Christendom College as another institutional gem.
“We ourselves are astounded by the depth and beauty of the Catholic culture and community that surrounds us,” said one nun, permitted to speak only on the condition of anonymity because of rules governing the cloistered life of the monastery. “We never felt so loved by the surrounding community.”
The Southeast does not have a monopoly on exponential growth. Among the top 25 high-growth dioceses, nearly half are in the U.S. Southwest, stretching from Fresno, Calif., the second-highest-ranking diocese, to Laredo, Texas, the first. But there, Hispanic immigration is behind most of the growth, according to Mark Gray, a research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
In the Southeast, however, something different is happening. In a region where churches sit on seemingly every street corner and billboards belt out Bible verses and calls for repentance, local Catholics say they have found fertile ground for the renewal of the Church.
“Our Protestant brothers and sisters have done us a great favor. Talking about faith here in the South is like eating, breathing and sleeping,” said Randy Hain, a managing partner at Bell Oaks Executive Search in Atlanta and co-founder of The Integrated Catholic Life, an online magazine. “There’s an openness about faith here, which makes it easier to be open about your faith if you’re Catholic.”
Smith, who grew up in Colorado, suggested that it is easier for Northern Catholics to take their faith for granted because most of their friends belong to the Church.
“It doesn’t really challenge the Catholics there to know their faith as well or be able to explain it clearly,” added Lisa Wheeler, founder of Carmel Communications, a Catholic marketing firm in the Atlanta area.
But in the South, where they are a decided minority in a predominantly evangelical-Protestant population, Catholics must constantly defend their faith. As a result, they come to cherish it, Smith said.
Streams of Converts
Dialogue with Protestants has produced a steady stream of Catholic converts, who now constitute one of the driving forces of growth in the region, Wheeler said.
When Hain, himself a convert, was received into the Church in 2006, there were 27 members of his confirmation class. His wife’s class, in the same year, had 33. At the time, there were 1,900 registered families in his parish, St. Peter Chanel in Roswell, an Atlanta suburb. Now, there are more than 3,000, according to Hain.
Converts do more than just fill pews: They bring enthusiasm and passion for their faith with them into the Church, said Hain and Wheeler, a fellow parishioner at St. Peter Chanel. Such energy is reflected in the breadth of ministries at the parish, which number more than 60 — and that’s not counting the many independent ministries run by parishioners. The Integrated Catholic Life is one example of the broad reach of the parish: The other co-founder of the site is a deacon at St. Peter Chanel.
Besides converts, transplants are a second source of growth. In Knoxville, many out-of-state arrivals are known as "halfbacks": people who moved from the cold North to Florida, only to move halfway back, settling in eastern Tennessee, where they can enjoy four seasons, without the cold weather, Smith said. Atlanta has the added allure of being a major transportation hub for business, Wheeler said.
Hispanic immigration is still a factor in regional growth, but it is mentioned more as a secondary contributor than as the leading cause.
Another potential advantage working in favor of the South: a greater sense of community associated with the predominantly rural character of the region, as contrasted with the dense urbanization of many Northern states.
The difference between rural and urban dioceses can be measured in terms of vocations. “I have seen a trend over the last 10 years, where the most rural dioceses are tending to generate more seminarians per capita than the major rural metropolitan dioceses,” said Father Thomas Baima, the vice rector at Mundelein Seminary in the Chicago area. He says higher-density cities have greater mobility, meaning young people don’t put down roots and make those long-lasting connections to parish communities out of which vocations arise.
Every single state in the U.S. South has a lower population density per square mile than each state along the Boston to D.C. urban corridor, U.S. Census data shows. At the extreme ends, New Jersey has just over 1,195 residents per square mile, against 56 in Arkansas, as of the 2010 Census. In the middle, Pennsylvania has nearly 284 residents per square mile, while Virginia has just over 202.
Even a large city like Atlanta is more decentralized. Most of the metro population is in the suburbs outside the city limits, where communities coalesce around church and school, Hain said.
Lessons for the North
Catholics in the South say their experience holds lessons for their Northern counterparts. Wheeler says Southern hospitality has also rubbed off on local Catholics.
“I think that is something that is missing from many parishes in the North,” Wheeler said. She noted that some of her extended relatives in the Northeast have moved to Protestant churches due to a lack of hospitality in their local parishes.
Hain believes that if Catholics in other areas were as open about their faith as Southerners are, there would be a resurgence in the Church.
“Let’s worry less about offending others,” Hain said. “Let’s worry more about practicing our faith.”
Stephen Beale writes from Providence, Rhode Island.
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Books Unbound Festival - Hammersmith
Set in the historic grounds of Godolphin and Latymer School in the heart of Hammersmith, Books Unbound Literary Festival offers something for everyone with two days of exciting talks and interactive forums across a wide range of topics set to educate, challenge and appeal to all interests.
It is non-profit-making community event, supporting the work of local charity Doorstep Library literacy initiatives in local state primary school Lena Gardens and the bursary programme at Godolphin & Latymer.
Novelists, scriptwriters, historians, poets, journalists, musicians, industry specialists, food writers, comedians and many more, so don’t miss your chance to attend this exciting NEW festival from 25th – 26th June for a literary weekend in Hammersmith.
When? 25th – 26th June, 2016
Where? Godolphin and Latymer School in the heart of Hammersmith, London
Who? 2016 -
Former Blue Peter presenter, actress and broadcaster Janet Ellis, speaking about her debut novel The Butcher’s Hook
Psychologist and behavioural scientist, Dr. Linda Papadopoulos, (from Big Brother on Channel 4, ITV’s LK Today, The Wright Stuff on Channel 5 ) will speak on the increased pressures women are undergoing in their life and careers
Helena Coggan, inspiring young author of The Catalyst, written when she was just 13 years old
Wellbeing expert and contributing editor to Vogue magazine, Calgary Avansino, author of Keep It Real: Create a Healthy, Balanced and Delicious Life - For You and Your Family
Food historian, Tasha Marks, discussing Dictators’ Dinners: A Bad Taste Guide to Entertaining Tyrants by Melissa Scott and Victoria Clark
Acclaimed foreign correspondent, Ben Judah, turns his journalistic gaze on his home city in This is London
Financier, David Lough, delves into the former Prime Minister’s precarious finances in No More Champagne: Churchill and His Money
There will also be a Saturday Night Book Jam of music and comedy featuring singer-songwriter Emma McGrath and a line-up of top comedians.
Website? Books Unbound Festival
Twitter? @BooksUnbound
Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/booksunboundfestival
Established? 2016
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Home » Posts Tagged "axis dance company"
AXIS Performance Celebrates Dance for Every Body
Posted By Becca on Mar 9, 2016
As demonstrated by wedding receptions and Seinfeld reruns, dancing is a pretty democratic form of expression. When it’s time to hit the dance floor, it’s not about perfection. It’s about bringing your signature moves and shaking what you’ve got. But that freedom of expression doesn’t always carry over into the world of professional performance, where casting often comes down to physical characteristics rather than creative passion. Thankfully, modern dance organizations are breaking those barriers. In our community, the Fort Wayne Dance Collective (FWDC) offers dance and creative movement programs for people of all ages and abilities – from preschoolers to Parkinson’s patients. This weekend, FWDC is hosting a performance by Oakland-based AXIS Dance Company, a contemporary dance company that’s spent the last few decades pioneering a form of expression they call “physically integrated dance.” Instead of closing the door on creative expression, AXIS is about access. The company includes dancers with and without disabilities. Performances creatively integrate dancers’ varied abilities, turning wheelchairs into choreography elements and showcasing each individual’s unique physical form. By celebrating the different ways people can dance, AXIS embraces a technique that breaks from tradition. The company’s innovation has earned national and international awards and acclaim. “I’m excited to see how the dancers from AXIS use their unique physicality to do innovative movement and choreography,” says John Byrne, Creative Director at FWDC. “They’ve taken something that had long been a stigma in dance, disability, and proved that it can be an advantage in creativity. The physicality and extreme athleticism of the dancers is quite impressive!” AXIS will perform as Fort Wayne Dance Collective’s 2016 guest artist on Saturday, March 12th at 8:00pm at the Arts United Center. The performance will include three original dance pieces, including a new dance theater work by choreographer Joe Goode called “To Go Again”. As Goode explains, “To Go Again” honors the resilience of our country’s veterans in the face of difficult and catastrophic circumstances. Prior to Saturday’s performance, Arts United will host a Creative Cocktails reception beginning at 5:30 pm at Club Soda. Following the show, AXIS dancers will interact with audience members in a relaxed Q&A session. FWDC’s weeklong guest artist activities also include a Creative Workshop with AXIS on Thursday, March 10th at Turnstone Center and a Master Class on Friday, March 11th at the Fort Wayne Dance Collective. “I hope that the community will feel empowered after the performance and workshop,” says Byrne. “I hope that they see that there is no excuse to not pursue their desires, despite what they may perceive as a roadblock! We want to send the message that Fort Wayne supports artists of all abilities.” Every year,...
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Making Britain
Discover how South Asians shaped
the nation, 1870-1950
Augustus Edwin John
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
Date of death:
Augustus John was widely known as the archetypal bohemian artist at the beginning of the twentieth century. He left the quiet seaside town of Tenby in 1894 to attend the Slade School of Fine Art in London, followed the next year by his sister, the artist Gwen John. After an accident in 1895, he cultivated a ‘wild’ persona and established his place within the progressive cultural circles of fin-de-siècle London. As well as being a radical student, he was also a prolific one, and his art was widely admired by his contemporaries. He married Ida Margaret Nettleship, a fellow Slade student, on 24 January 1901, and they went to live in Liverpool where John was employed in an art school affiliated to University College, London.
It was during this period that John became acquainted with the Gypsy scholar, John Sampson. Nomadic life on the open road was to become something of a fascination to John, and he took his family retinue (which included his wife, his mistress Dorothy McNeill, known to the family as Dorelia, and all their children) on various trips in a Romany caravan. On moving back to London, John established himself as a central figure in the progressive faction of the London art world, opening the Chelsea Art School with William Orpen (1903-7). He was also an enthusiastic member of the New English Art Club. John was very close to William Rothenstein and his wife, Alice. John is the male figure in Rothenstein’s enigmatic The Doll’s House (1899-1900). Rothenstein praised John’s work highly, going as far as to call him a ‘genius’ in his autobiography, Men and Memories (vol. 1, p. 3). It was most probably through his friendship with Rothenstein that John became a member of the India Society. He is listed as a member from the outset of the Society in The India Society: Report for the year ending December 31, 1911 (London: Chiswick Press, 1912). John did not publish his opinions on Indian art but must have been acquainted with it through his connections with Rothenstein and the India Society. In 1908, he worked on a canvas entitled Nirvana (sketches are in the Tate Collection; presented by William Rothenstein in 1917) which might suggest a closer personal interest in eastern spiritual ideas. This was exhibited at the ‘Twenty Years of British Art, 1890-1910’ exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1910.
From 1920, John travelled through Europe, Jamaica and the US in a bid to revive his reputation which had rapidly declined after the war. In the 1930s and 1940s, he knew the Ceylonese M. J. Tambimuttu and contributed a portrait of the poet and editor to his Out of this War (1941). In September of 1961, a seriously-ill John went to London to take part in a demonstration against nuclear weapons. He died a few weeks later at home in Hertfordshire.
William Rothenstein, M. J. Tambimuttu.
Meary James Tambimuttu
Horizon: Review of Literature and Art
India Society
Poetry London
Published works:
Autobiography (London: Cape, 1975)
Secondary works:
Holroyd, Michael, Augustus John: The New Biography (London: Chatto & Windus, 1996)
Rothenstein, John, Modern English Painters: Sickert to Smith, vol. 1, rev. edn (London: Macdonald & Jane's, 1976)
Rothenstein, W., Men and Memories: Recollections of William Rothenstein, 2 vols (London: Faber & Faber, 1931-2)
Shone, R., Augustus John (Oxford and New York: Phaidon, 1979)
Archive source:
Augustus John Papers, National Library of Wales, Cardiff
Correspondence and sketches, Harry Ransom Centre, University of Texas, Austin
Correspondence, British Library, London
Correspondence with William Rothenstein, Houghton Library, Harvard University
Correspondence with the Gypsy Lore Society, University of Liverpool
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Oporto, Portus Cale
By tourist on July 26, 2015
Portus Cale (Latinised version for "Port of Cale", from the original Celtic name Callaici and Cale) was an ancient town and port in current-day northern Portugal, in the area of today's Grande Porto.
Portus Cale (Latinised version for “Port of Cale”, from the original Celtic name Callaici and Cale) was an ancient town and port in current-day northern Portugal, in the area of today’s Grande Porto.
Cale was an early settlement located at the mouth of the Douro River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean in the north of what is now Portugal.
The mainstream explanation for the name is that it is an ethnonym derived from the Castro people, also known as the Callaeci, Gallaeci or Gallaecia, a people who occupied the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. The names Callaici and Cale are the origin of today’s Gaia, Galicia, and the –gal in Portugal. The meaning of Cale or Calle is, however, not fully understood.
The medieval Scottish historian Hector Boece thought the name Portugal was derived from Porto Gatelli, the name Gatelo gave to Braga when he settled there, while others say he gave it to Porto.
Other historians have argued that Greeks were the first to settle Cale and that the name derives from the Greek word Καλλις kallis, ‘beautiful’, referring to the beauty of the Douro valley. Others have hypothesized that the word Cale came from the Latin word for ‘warm’ (Portus Cale thus meaning ‘warm port’).
The Roman general Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus conquered the region and founded the Roman city Portus Cale in around 136 BC.
At the end of Brutus’ campaigns, Rome controlled the territory between the Douro and Minho rivers plus probable extensions along the coast and in the interior. It was only under Augustus, however, at the end of the 1st century BC, that present north Portugal and Galicia were fully pacified and under Roman control. During the Roman occupation, the city developed as an important commercial port, primarily in the trade betweenOlisipo (the modern Lisbon) and Bracara Augusta (the modern Braga).
As the Roman Empire declined, these regions fell under Suebi dominion, between 410 and 584. These Germanic invaders settled mainly in the areas of Braga (Bracara Augusta), Porto (Portus Cale), Lugo (Lucus Augusti) and Astorga (Asturica Augusta). Bracara Augusta, capital of Roman Gallaecia, became the capital of the Suebi. As trade collapsed, Portus Cale went into decline.
Another Germanic people, the Visigoths, also invaded the Iberian Peninsula and would eventually conquer the Suebi kingdom in 584. The region around Cale became known by the Visigoths as Portucale. Portus Cale would fall under the Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711.
In 868, Vímara Peres, a Christian warlord from Gallaecia and a vassal of the King of Asturias, Léon and Galicia, Alfonso III, was sent to reconquer and secure from the Moors the area from the Minho River to theDouro River, including the city of Portus Cale, and founded the First County of Portugal or Condado de Portucale. Portus Cale is thus the former name of current-day Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia’s riverside area, that would be used to name the whole region and, later, the country.
Origin of Portugal’s name
Portugal’s name derives from the Roman name Portus Cale. Portucale evolved into Portugale during the 7th and 8th centuries, and by the 9th century, Portugale was used extensively to refer to the region between the rivers Douro and Minho, the Minho flowing along what would become the northern border between Portugal and Galicia.
The origin of the name Galiza (Calecia, Gallaecia) may be found in the root cale, which also appears in words like kallaikoí or galaicos. Many scholars believe that the origins of the name Galaicos was in the area around the mouth of the Douro river and the Romans then used this name to refer to all the Celtic-speaking Castro people of the Iberian Peninsula’s north-west, an area they named Gallaecia.
Some southeastern Indo-European tongues name the orange after Portugal, which was formerly the main source of import of sweet oranges. Examples are Bulgarian and Macedonian portokal, Greekportokali , Romanian portocală, and Persian porteghal.
Also, in southern Italian dialects (e.g. Neapolitan), an orange is portogallo or purtuallo, literally “(the) Portuguese (one)”. Some non-European languages also refer to the fruit and/or tree similarly: Turkish portakal,Arabic al-burtuqal, Georgian phortokhali, and Amharic birtukan.
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Bill Moggridge on Interaction and Service Design
IDEO's Bill Moggridge was on campus this week, giving a series of design talks and doing some recruiting. I sat in on two of the talks, on interaction and service design.
Moggridge, along with Bill Verplank, coined the term "interaction design" (after "SoftFace" was deemed too weird) to take the values that design had to computer science. Interaction design is about feeling results more than knowing them. Designers, unlike other disciplines, are able to move toward solutions that aren't wholly understood.
Interaction design, for Moggridge, is at two levels. At the broad level is that it's the design of everything that has technology in it. At the narrow level, it's about the subjective and qualitative in technology design. The main quality that determines something's interactiveness is its responsiveness.
Moggridge defined six categories of interaction design: games, screens (software), products (screens in an object), places, internet, and services. Games have the best feedback for failure in interaction design, because they vanish quickly if they don’t work well.
Services are the next frontier in design. The reason service design has become a design subject is because of technology--balancing technology with humans. Services are things we pay to use, not own. They are environmentally good.
Each service design project will have a different way of mapping it. Finding that "map" and analyzing it is part of designing.
Failing frequently means you are going to succeed sooner, so prototype things as quickly as possible. Don't worry about it being crude.
Couch important decisions as the client's. Put the information in front of them and let them choose. You can tell them you disagree, but you need to be modest--it's important that clients comes to the decision themselves.
Innovating Healthcare Services
Ryan Armbruster, director of operations and design at the Mayo Clinic, was our guest speaker today in Service Design class. He was here to discuss a new initiative at Mayo called SPARC that's about designing healthcare services.
Healthcare has basically been delivered the same way for the last 50 years with little changes; there's very few industries you can say that about. Amazingly, more than 50% of patient satisfaction about healthcare comes through the delivery of that care, not necessarily how effective it was.
SPARC is a program to design better healthcare. It's a program to provide live-environment (read: real patients, real doctors) exploration and experimentation for the development of innovations in healthcare delivery. It's also an attempt to fuse design techniques with scientific rigor. All of the solutions SPARC comes up with need to be measured in some manner.
Started about three years ago, SPARC is both a physical space (a laboratory, although it's never called that, especially around patients), and a methodology. SPARC stands for See (user research, context, stories) Plan (translate stories into opportunities, brainstorming) Act (rapid prototyping) Refine (feedback from the prototypes) and Communicate (disseminate knowledge). SPARC's space was created for doing all these steps. It's embedded within a clinical practice inside the hospital. Modular furniture and movable walls allow for lots of flexibility. It was designed with the Wow Factor in mind; they like it when people say, "I didn't believe the Mayo Clinic could do things like this." It's staffed with people willing to accommodate and execute prototypes, which is very rare in medicine. The staff is mainly a blend of physicians and business professionals, with only a small number of people called designers there. The designers act more as facilitators than as traditional designers. "Design" here is about connecting the needs (especially the latent needs) of the patients with the resources of the Mayo Clinic. It's in the latent needs where true innovation lies.
SPARC isn't about the vision of the future. There are lots of initiatives around "the operating room of the future," but SPARC isn't one of them. It's not concerned with long-term vision; it's a learning lab environment. When something works, they ship it out like any traditional product release. This is how they create value--for patients and for the hospital.
Tony Golsby-Smith
We had a visit from former Nierenberg Chair Tony Golsby-Smith. He's a design consultant in Australia, facilitating what he calls "strategic conversations" with "big organizations that don't usually hire design firms or even know about design." One of these is Price Waterhouse Coopers, and he brought along a client, Luke, from PWC.
Tony has these conversations so that by thinking together with him, the organization can better design their worlds. They are a way of turning on design thinking in organizations. During these sessions, they tackle big, strategic issues, examining them in a designer-ly way, not just an analytical way. This doesn't happen in most businesses.
In the past, organizations were much more focused internally, pushing products out into the market. But over the last 20 years, power has shifted to the markets, and the markets have turned organizations from inside --> out to outside --> in. Organizations now need to focus much more on the areas that design knows a lot about: products, services, and customers (users).
Luke talked about how PWC was trying to use design to create a competitive advantage by creating new products and services, forming better relationships with clients, and utilizing different capabilities from across the firm. To do this last item, PWC has created MindLab, a shared physical space that brings together their three service lines in order to better co-create solutions with clients using expertise from all three lines.
Waiting for Mok
Once every couple of years, the Design Advisory Board pays a visit to the School of Design to make sure we're on track. This week was one of those times. After a flurry of frantic activity, cleaning studios and hanging posters, most of the grad students hung out in studio all afternoon Tuesday, waiting for a studio tour that never happened. Oh well. Hopefully the visit went well.
I crashed a session of Shelley Evenson's Designing for Service class to hear Mark Jones, head of service design for IDEO Chicago, talk about service design.
Service design is at the cutting edge of design, and it's not easy. Traditional design is about the relationship between a user and a product. Service design, in contrast, has multiple touchpoints (environments, processes, people) and is about these touchpoints interacting with users over time. Users can be exposed to multiple experiences via repeated exposure to the service, and it requires multiple stakeholders to make a service come alive, usually through complex choreography. Moreover, there are multiple pathways through a service; it's usually bigger than any one pathway, so you can't design the service in a controlling way. You won't be able to control the entire experience.
Most services involve person-to-person interactions in real time, thus the point of consumption is the same as the point of production. This is tricky and the stakes are high. You can't plan for every contingency or for the entire experience. However, you can design service moments, or small parts of the experience, which, when hung together, constitute the service and its experience.
There are four types of service design at IDEO. For new services: service validation and service innovation. For existing services: service audits and service improvements. Alongside traditional design research methods, role playing plays a significant part of their design process. Prototyping a service typically means finding service moments (granular parts of the experience), then creating scenarios around those moments and acting them out with clients and stakeholders.
It's important to remember that you aren't just designing for the end user, but also for the people doing the service. You need to resolve issues with all stakeholders for a successful and satisfying design. The earlier you get the entire team and stakeholders involved, the better the outcome and buy-in will be. If your designs involve significant operational changes, you are going to need internal champions to enact those changes.
In service design, small details can have power and impact to delight customers, and that's what you are looking for: to give users something extra that resonates with the company's brand. You can't really do service design with dealing heavily with brand. There's very little that's random in service environments. Even spoken words can be designed.
Chaos Theory for Sustainable Design
John Body, assistant commissioner for information management for the Australian Taxation Office and CMU School of Design research fellow, gave a really interesting talk on understanding design through chaos theory yesterday. I'll summarize his thoughts.
The discipline of design is changing its face because design thinking is being applied to more complex challenges, challenges with multiple intents and many stakeholders that have to deal with experiences, products and services, processes, technologies, and people. The bigger the system you are dealing with, the more design needs different tools and techniques.
There are currently several ways of working with this complexity: strategic conversation, systems thinking, systems mapping and modeling, management theory, complexity theory (systems of many agents), and what John discussed: chaos theory. Chaos theory really began in 1961 with Edward Lorenz and really took off thanks to computing. Computers could run the many simulations and iterations that chaos theory requires. It could be shown over time that small changes have large consequences to systems (the famous butterfly effect).
There are four principles of chaos theory:
Order and Chaos. Both things are in all systems, but too much of either thing is a bad thing. You need the proper balance. Too much chaos leads to being out of control. Too much order is equally unsustainable and leads to rigidity, a lack of variety, and ultimately death. Things get more interesting as they reach the edge of chaos, because there are more states the system or object can move into. Chaos has more variety. A glass on the edge of the table is more interesting than a glass in the center of the table.
Attractors. Attractors are things within a system around which other things, people, or activities cluster. Attractors give order and form to systems. It is much easier to work with attractors than against them.
Fractals. Fractals are about zooming in and out, showing a macro view, then a micro view. The two views are similar, but not identical. You don't find simplicity by zooming it; there is always more depth. Too high a view is bad. So is too low.
Non-Linear - Bifurcation. Systems are non-linear and seemingly direct paths often diverge, going in different places than what you expect. Expect the unexpected.
So what does this mean for design? Here's some lessons that came out of the discussion.
Working at extremes, too high or too low, isn't very effective. You can either get locked into categories or else get out of control. You need to dip in and out of chaos and order.
Sometimes a design team needs to stir things up, sometimes it needs to provide order. You need to know which one is required and use different strategies for each. If a product is too stable and at the end of its useful life, it might need to be disordered.
In any project, define the attractors. Seek out what attractors have been missed and which have operative force. Find the relevant ones and use them. Look for attractors that offer opportunities because they are neglected. There are often unspoken attractors like values that can affect a project and put blinkers on evaluation. Formal structure in organization can be a key factor of attractors, but isn't often the primary one.
If something is becoming more stable, that usually means it's working.
At what level do you begin looking? You need to zoom in and out during the design process so that you can see multiple levels of the project. Zooming can break down the scope of the project. If you are too high, you get scope creep. If you are too low, you get lost in the weeds of detail.
Encourage people to push towards instability. Non-linear shifts can lead to new innovations and inventions.
Design for the rare 1% of the time, not just the 99% normal times. You have to design for sub-optimal environments. Not efficiency, but redundancy.
By understanding chaos theory and its implications, you can design so that the system continues to be successful, not just one product of the system. Chaos theory helps us understand how you can sustain a system over a long period of time: by getting the right balance of order and chaos, by working with attractors, by looking at multiple levels of the project, and by expecting the unexpected.
We can use chaos theory to support what we already know. But we can also use it to add something extra. In all systems, there are a whole lot of elements working randomly, but somehow all working together. Everything is interconnected, therefore unpredictable things happen.
Courting the Nerd Vote
First it was VP candidate John Edwards' visit to campus a few weeks ago. Today it's the presidential candidate himself, John Kerry at a rally, accompanied by a cavalcade of B-level stars: CMU alumnus Ted Danson, Pittsburgh Steeler great Franco Harris, Liz Berlin and Jen Wertz of Rusted Root, and, as the opening act, Bon Jovi!
Some 10,000 people were expected, but I'm guessing it's about half that, and only a couple hundred or so get to see the actual proceedings; the rest stand around.
The campus is still a circus. Crowds chanting, secret service agents on rooftops, unctuous political operatives gladhandling each other, and news crews with their truck satellite dishes atop. It is a sight to see.
And the fun doesn't end here. Tomorrow: Condoleezza Rice! Tuesday: Michael Moore! CMU has become a swing-state stop on the campaign trail.
Robert Reimann Visit
Robert Reimann, co-author of About Face 2.0 and currently the manager of User Interface Design at Bose, visited Carnegie Mellon last week for a few days, sitting in on classes and thesis meetings and giving at talk at the HCII seminar series. I got to sit in on a Q&A session and went out to lunch with and a group of interaction design students.
I jotted down some of Robert's answers to some questions that were asked by the master's students:
What makes a good interaction designer is someone who can take inspiration from all different areas of life. It makes sense for us to cast as broad an eye as possible in finding solutions. We're synthesizers of everything. A good interaction designer is all about finding creative solutions to human problems.
Nuance in interaction design is about reading between the lines in what you observe in research to make solutions.
Letting users decide everything [as far as personalization/customization] is abdicating design responsibility.
Look for places within your organization to provide design assistance. This will help forge personal relationships with people and demonstrate the usefulness of design. This is a critical part of the design role and the best designers all do it.
If you can solve users' top two problems in a product, you are doing really well and will be ahead of most of the competition.
Personas. Personas need to be based off actual user data. You need to use qualitative research methods to build personas. They are really a method of analyzing user data to understand usage behaviors and goals of actual people. The ability of personas to communicate outside the design team is very significant. The picture of the persona is a critical component that really makes the persona come alive. Personas by themselves aren't very useful. They are the end of the research process, but just the beginning of the design process. They only help translate needs into solutions. You need to do cognitive walkthroughs using the personas as your guides. Personas are a yardstick to use throughout the process to measure all design decisions against.
At Cooper, they found over time that there were two different types of interaction designers: interaction designers and design communicators. The two types work well in combination.
Reading Images
VCU professor Ben Day is here for the week with us as we work on our Unfamiliar Place poster. We're picking images to go with other text for our poster, so he gave a talk on how to read images today.
There are multiple readings of any image; its content is slippery and malleable. A rope can signify a rodeo, nautical references, a hangman, etc. You should look for what Ben calls sign indexes: what the images are pointing to. A windsock is a way of capturing the wind. A cake at a wedding isn't food, it's content signaling celebration.
Gather your images, then start labeling them. Put down the pointers: where it comes from, what could it signify, what were your assumptions when you collected it, what could it mean metaphorically. Are there any contradictions or oppositions of content? So much of good design has to do with juxtaposition, Ben told us. Find interesting juxtapositions of images: explicit vs. implicit, before and after, time and movement, linear and non-linear.
A Place You've Never Visited
Ben Day, co-author of Typographic Design: Form and Communication and communication design professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, is visiting CMU all next week and will be working my graduate typography course. We'll be creating a poster about a place we've never visited. It can be a real or imaginary place.
The poster is supposed to be very impressionistic. That is, we're not to get images of the actual place, but instead gather images and words about the texture, smell, architecture, and culture of the place. How we imagine it to be.
I've chosen a place I've always wanted to visit but have never gotten around to it: Iceland.
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By registering in our parish, you officially join the Our Lady of the Assumption parish community. Membership requires signing up, formally enrolling yourself (and your children) in our parish. Registration is a commitment to a community, a way to be included in the religious, social and ministerial activities of Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Registration shows you belong. It is a statement of faith and confidence in the life and work of your parish.
Registration is also necessary for certain benefits, like scheduling sacraments, obtaining sponsor certificates, and receiving donation statements for taxes. Oftentimes, people believe that if they attend Mass at a particular parish they automatically belong. And while we all belong to God’s holy Church, we as a parish community want to get to know who you are.
Additionally, young adults who are 21 years or older or have moved away and return years later, thinking that they are still registered under their parent’s registration. That is simply not the case. When they want to plan their wedding or look to obtain a sponsor certificate, the parish is unable help since they are not officially registered with the parish — causing much frustration and hurt feelings on the part of the young adult. The easiest way to avoid all of that is by registering.
Please complete a parish census/registration form (pdf file) and return it to the parish office.
Your registration affects the parish in many ways. Census numbers can determine how many priests are assigned to a church, what benefits and obligations the community has to the diocese, and how Masses, confessions and devotions are planned and scheduled.
What are the benefits of registering in our parish?
Registered parish members may receive the following benefits:
You become an official member of a vibrant, dynamic, and faithful community
You may receive the following: The Sacrament of Marriage; Sponsor Certificate(s); Funeral Mass
Your children may receive the following: Sacraments of Baptism, First Reconciliation, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation
Be placed on the parish mailing list for important parish updates, events, and letters
Receive a free subscription to the monthly diocesan newspaper, the Fairfield County Catholic
Receive end-of-year statement for their recorded contributions for income taxes
Be provided with numbered contribution envelopes for weekly, monthly, and special collections at Church
Receive a special rate on tuition at local Catholic schools
In the case of an emergency situation, the parish staff/clergy will know whom to contact
What are the benefits of using the parish support envelope?
Our parish mails collection envelopes to member households. Using the envelope system is one way that a parish can verify your participation in weekly Mass should you request a sponsor certificate. When you use the envelopes provided for the parish collections, all your contributions are recorded so that an end-of-year summary may be sent to you for income tax preparation. If you receive envelopes and no longer wish to or if you receive envelopes but do not use them, please contact the office.
Must I live in a certain area to register as a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Church?
While most of our parishioners come from the Fairfield and Bridgeport areas, we have a number of parishioners from outlying areas as well. So, no, it is not necessary to live within the official parish boundaries to be a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Church. All are welcome here!
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In Lagos, gentrification can mean midnight demolition
The ambitious plans produced by the Lagos state government to redevelop the most populous city in Africa are often lauded in Nigeria. Moving around in this buzzing yet often dysfunctional commercial capital is often tortuous, with thick traffic and poor connectivity problems across the city.
The current state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, wants to remake the city’s image, turning it from a sprawling bottleneck of a city to a better structured and more functional one. But his plans to improve infrastructure and redevelop large parts of the city have had sinister consequences for swathes of the city’s population: the urban poor, who seem to have no place in Ambode’s vision.
The last few years have seen an alarming trend of state-backed destruction of small businesses, markets and especially informal housing settlements, “regenerating” areas with new expensive housing and development. Last year a large fishing community in Lagos informally called the ‘waterfronts’, housed over 300,000 people. But in the last five months, three rounds of demolitions have ruthlessly left more than 35,000 people homeless.
In November, the homes of over 30,000 people were destroyed by bulldozers. Last week a further 4,700 people were the victims of sudden midnight demolitions. According to residents, the destruction was supervised by state officials and police. A High Court ruling the previous January had said that previous demolitions by the state were “inhumane” and against the residents’ human rights, mandating all parties to enter mediation. All the same, residents were woken up by the sound of bulldozers which destroyed their homes, with no notice to collect their belongings.
Demolitions like this have become increasingly commonplace in Lagos, where land is scarce and valuable. By some estimates, over two thirds of people in Lagos live in informal housing settlements. And not only is there a premium on expensive housing projects; many of the state’s big infrastructure plans, like the desperately needed bridge connecting the Island to the mainland, cut through areas filled with such settlements.
After demolitions, many residents simply move to the outskirts of their destroyed communities or to other informal settlements. The cost of setting up shelters to live in is far more is feasible than formal housing costs.
Too often the government prefers to evict and demolish rather than mediate. It rarely provides assistance for tenants to move, or regulates and redevlops those areas with them in mind. After a kidnapping near the waterfronts, the governor of Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, described the communities as “the abode of miscreants/street-urchins, kidnappers, touts, street traders and hawkers”. In his vision of a modern Lagos, slums and street sellers have little place.
A closing market
Government policies have also made it increasingly hard for the urban poor to work. In many settlement areas, small markets spring up to cater to the communities that live there. Small businesses also set up in other areas that aren’t approved, or in complexes rented from landlords who aren’t transparent with tenants about ownership disputes.
On side streets, women sell items laid on fabric or stools. And on the streets of Lagos, young men and women, and sometimes children, weave dangerously between impatient motorists: the gridlocks that hurt the city present a ready market for those selling anything from drinks and snacks, to underwear or household furniture.
Officially a ban on street trading has been in place in Lagos since 2003, but in the last year, in certain key areas, it has been more keenly enforced. Millions of families rely on street trading for income, yet its dangers and problems are clear. Here too, instead of reforming a system that millions of people rely on, the government wants to end it entirely. State officials have in the last year targeted key areas, arresting street sellers and confiscating their goods.
The government claimed that, after the ban, street traders would be able to access loans to start more formal businesses. But poor capacity, access and loan requirements have made it a out-of-reach for many traders.
Gentrification is a hallmark of major cities all over the world. But in Lagos, to many of the city’s poor, it’s manner is particularly violent and cruel.
The governor is keen to be the face of a new Lagos, attracting and administering new redevelopment projects. But he is not prepared to work out how to rehouse or compensate the people whose lives are being torn apart by such plans. He wants Lagos to be more ordered, for selling on the street to move into more regulated areas. But as the space for those areas diminishes to make way for shopping malls, and the costs outstrip people’s resources, there are many reasons why people aren’t selling there in the first place.
Regenerating and reforming Lagos is not a problem in itself. But the disregard for many of the people who live there is fuelling needless suffering.
Will Tekno Be the Next Nigerian Pop Star to Break In North America? Nigeria faces vaccine shortfall amin meningitis outbreak
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HomeResources7 Crippling Power Gaps That Keep Women From Reaching Their Highest Potential
7 Crippling Power Gaps That Keep Women From Reaching Their Highest Potential
Founder and President, Ellia Communications, Inc.
Career Issues Employees
In the past 13 years of coaching and training professional women around the globe, I’ve seen firsthand that thousands of women have spent years building careers they thought would make them happy, only to wake up and realize they are very far from where they want to be, without a clue as to what’s in the way.
Thousands are expending great amounts of energy hiding the fact that they’re scared, sad and demoralized, shuffling through each day trying in vain to build a better, happier professional life. Many have achieved some degree of success, but they’re still not thriving in their work or in their roles. And they feel they’re not where they should or could be in terms of impact, responsibility, leadership, or compensation.
My research has revealed that, while there are irrefutably numbers of critical institutional, organizational, cultural and societal barriers to ultimate success for women today, most professional challenges, are related in some core way to a lack of internal or external power that causes steady “leaks” in confidence, vision, and authority. These leaks affect women’s ability to make the headway necessary towards building a more authoritative and rewarding professional life with the impact and fulfillment they long for. I’ve made it my life’s work to help women close those power gaps, for good.
I’ve found that while some men experience these specific gaps, they hit women harder and have more long-lasting negative effects for women than for men. And women process these gaps very differently from men.
I refer to these challenges as “power gaps” because I see them as just that – gaps in our power that steal from us what we need most to succeed: energy, confidence, clarity, commitment, connection, and influence.
The longer the gap remains unaddressed, the wider it comes, and the more damage it does to our internal sense of confidence and control.
The 7 most damaging power gaps I’ve experienced in my own life and witnessed in thousands of professional women around the world are:
Power Gap #1: Not Recognizing Your Special Talents, Abilities and Accomplishments
What you tell yourself: “I’m not special or talented in any way.”
A corollary to this gap: The impostor syndrome: “I feel like an impostor for what I don’t know and how I don’t fit in here. I’m afraid I’ll be found out and fired.”
In reviewing thousands of responses to my Career Path Self-Assessment survey, I’ve seen the number of women who simply can’t answer this question: “What are my special talents and abilities, and how do I stand apart from others in my field?” Literally over 90% of the professional and executive women who come to a coaching or training program with me leave this question blank and tell me that they have no idea how to answer it.
If you can’t name your special abilities and talents, then you can’t leverage them fully or effectively monetize them. And you won’t thrive in your work.
Further, the “impostor syndrome” that so many women live with today is a corollary to this gap. When we believe deep down that we’ll be “found out” (ridiculed, punished, rejected or fired, for example) for what we DON’T know, or what we believe or value that goes against the grain, then we live in fear. And that fear prevents us from being able to leverage what we DO know, and what we’re passionate about and believe in.
Power Gap #2: Communicating From Fear Not Strength
What you tell yourself: “I can’t speak up confidently or with authority.”
A corollary to this gap: “It feels wrong to take the credit, even when I deserve it.”
Women often struggle with how to communicate their accomplishments and abilities in a clear, confident way. They fear they’ll sound like they’re “bragging” or that they’re trying to grab too much of the credit for the great outcomes they produced or supported. Our society does indeed have a clear gender bias when it comes to how we view forceful, assertive women, but we need to address that through power, not weakness.
I’ve seen that so many women were raised by parents (sometimes well-meaning and sometimes not) who taught them not to be too “showy,” not to appear too confident or to try to stand out. I had this in my own upbringing – the message that it was unseemly for me to think too highly of myself. Sadly, this is so very damaging to women’s psyches, and this message is the opposite of what many men are taught in their childhoods.
If you shy away from speaking compellingly about what you’ve done and achieved, you’ll lose critical chances to claim new roles, projects and opportunities that will grow your influence and impact. And I guarantee you that many of your male colleagues and competitors are not shying away from speaking up powerfully about what they’ve accomplished.
Power Gap #3: Reluctance to Ask For What You Deserve
What you tell yourself: “I feel I deserve a raise and promotion, but I’m afraid to ask and don’t know how.”
A corollary to this gap: “Do I truly deserve more? I’m not sure.”
The majority of women I work with are stymied as to how to ask for a raise or promotion, or even how to determine the very first step to figuring out what they should be asking for. And no matter how much they’ve accomplished, many are not sure they deserve to be rewarded and recognized through higher compensation and promotion.
Research has shown that 57% of men negotiate the first very salary out of school, whereas only 7% of women do so, which creates an inequity from the very first step in our careers. Without believing in your worth, knowing how to ask for what you deserve, or building a strong case for it, you’ll very quickly fall behind your competitors and colleagues, and have to work years more than they do to ever catch up.
Power Gap 4: Isolating From Influential Support
What you tell yourself: “I’m hate networking and connecting with strangers. It’s so awkward and uncomfortable.”
A corollary to this gap: “I have nothing important to share or contribute.”
This year, as I’ve increased my focus on how introversion versus extroversion is viewed in our workplaces, I’ve started to track the number of introverts who are asking to join a career coaching program or course with me. This year alone, over 90% of my clients and course members have self-reported as “introverted” and shared their belief that their introversion is perceived negatively by their bosses and colleagues. They also feel that their introversion has gotten in the way of their networking and expanding their sphere of influence and connection.
But many professionals – both introverted and extroverted alike – can’t stand to network and feel it’s fake and uncomfortable. Part of the issue is that many women cannot recognize what they’ve done as valuable or exciting, so they feel they have nothing to share when they’re networking or connecting with others.
I realized (after leaving my own corporate life and my VP role that crushed me) that the reason I hated networking and struggled to talk about my job was threefold: 1) I didn’t connect at all with the actual work I was doing, 2) I wasn’t proud of the business outcomes I was supporting, and 3) and finally, I was ashamed of the type of leader and manager I felt I was forced to become in that role. That made networking and talking about my work with others very difficult.
In the end, it’s impossible to network powerfully when you hate what you do.
But without building a powerful support community that can help you grow, and without expanding your network of colleagues past and current, you’ll severely limit your access to exciting new opportunities and roles. So you need to find at least one aspect of your work that you can feel excited to talk about.
Power Gap 5: Acquiescing Instead of Saying “STOP!”
What you tell yourself: “It’s so unfair what I’m going through, but I can’t challenge it.”
A corollary to this gap: “I don’t have control or influence over what happens to me in my life.”
I regularly speak to large groups of women and when I ask attendees to raise their hands if they’ve ever experienced or witnessed behavior that they feel is unfair, unethical or worse, virtually all respondents’ hands shoot up in affirmation, every time. Most of us who’ve ever worked in an organization for any amount of time have personally witnessed behavior that made us deeply uncomfortable or afraid, and we went home that night struggling with how best to handle it. A recent study revealed that 81% of women and 43% of men had experienced some form of sexual harassment during their lifetimes.
The truth is this: If you stay silent in the face of unfair, unethical or illegal behavior — to you or to others around you — you’re contributing to its prevalence and continuation.
And most likely, if you’re a woman, you’ll be on the receiving end of it at some point and it won’t end well. We need to claim more power and influence to speak up against what is unfair, unethical and unjust, and claim more power over what happens to us and around us.
Power Gap 6: Losing Sight of Your Thrilling Dream
What you tell yourself: “I have no idea what would make me happier or how I would even get there.”
A corollary to this gap: “I dream of doing something different, but there’s just no way.”
Many women I hear from know what they don’t want in their jobs and careers but can’t name what they do want. That’s a challenge that will keep you trapped in a miserable career or situation. If you can’t name what you long for, or if you’ve lost sight of a dream or vision that used to excite you, you won’t muster the bravery or power to make the necessary changes to leave this bad situation behind.
When women tell me that they simply have no idea what they want to do, but they know it’s not their current career, I relate deeply because I lived this for years in my corporate life – hating what I was doing but not understanding there is a way out, without losing everything in the process.
But there is a way – and it requires embarking on the “finding brave” path to uncover what you long to do, and break it down into doable, digestible steps to explore and try on that new direction without risking everything.
Power Gap 7: Allowing Past Trauma To Define You
What you tell yourself: “I’m devastated by what’s happened to me and I can’t get over it.”
A corollary to this gap: “I’ll never be truly successful because I failed so miserably before.”
This final power gap is incredibly potent and keeps so many women from moving forward to a happier life and career. They’re shattered by what’s happened to them in the past and simply can’t move beyond it.
This includes dealing with a toxic or narcissistic manager who’s crushed their self-esteem, or being fired or laid off in a way that makes them question everything they’ve ever been or done. It also includes failing at a project or endeavor that leaves them feeling ashamed, insecure, and “less than.”
I’ve found that when we’re experiencing deep challenges in life, we humans tend to look only at what’s at the tip of our noses, and we forget all that we are and all that we’ve accomplished before this moment. We begin to listen more closely to detractors, and take in too much around us that tells us we’re not good enough.
In reality, there’s no way to escape pain and failure in our work-lives – at some point, we’ll all feel it. The question isn’t “How do I avoid failure?” because we can’t.
The key question that will move you forward beyond feeling like a failure is this: “How can I use all that I’ve learned from this, and grow even stronger and more competent?”
When you can access the power necessary to view your failures as opportunities to expand your capabilities and your vision, then nothing can stop you.
Ready to close your power gaps?
The strongest gap-closing step you can take is to review the 7 gaps above, and if any resonate with you, choose the one that generates the most internal pain and shame. Then, starting today, take one small, doable micro step each day to begin to close that gap so that it’s no longer secret, painful, or shameful.
Face it bravely, get outside help to be accountable, and take actions that will finally help you recognize and leverage your special talents and abilities, and feel more confident in all that you are and offer.
As Einstein so wisely said, “We cannot solve a problem on the level of consciousness that created it.” It’s time to shift our consciousness, and “find brave” every day to close the gaps that keep you from your highest and happiest potential.
PasadenaJobs.com
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Posts for tag: orthodontics
Fans of the primetime TV show The Middle were delighted to see that high school senior Sue, played by Eden Sher, finally got her braces off at the start of Season 6. But since this popular sitcom wouldn’t be complete without some slapstick comedy, this happy event is not without its trials and tribulations: The episode ends with Sue’s whole family diving into a dumpster in search of the teen’s lost retainer. Sue finds it in the garbage and immediately pops it in her mouth. But wait — it doesn’t fit, it’s not even hers!
If you think this scenario is far-fetched, guess again. OK, maybe the part about Sue not washing the retainer upon reclaiming it was just a gag (literally and figuratively), but lost retainers are all too common. Unfortunately, they’re also expensive to replace — so they need to be handled with care. What’s the best way to do that? Retainers should be brushed daily with a soft toothbrush and liquid soap (dish soap works well), and then placed immediately back in your mouth or into the case that came with the retainer. When you are eating a meal at a restaurant, do not wrap your retainer in a napkin and leave it on the table — this is a great way to lose it! Instead, take the case with you, and keep the retainer in it while you’re eating. When you get home, brush your teeth and then put the retainer back in your mouth.
If you do lose your retainer though, let us know right away. Retention is the last step of your orthodontic treatment, and it’s extremely important. You’ve worked hard to get a beautiful smile, and no one wants to see that effort wasted. Yet if you neglect to wear your retainer as instructed, your teeth are likely to shift out of position. Why does this happen?
As you’ve seen firsthand, teeth aren’t rigidly fixed in the jaw — they can be moved in response to light and continuous force. That’s what orthodontic appliances do: apply the right amount of force in a carefully controlled manner. But there are other forces at work on your teeth that can move them in less predictable ways. For example, normal biting and chewing can, over time, cause your teeth to shift position. To get teeth to stay where they’ve been moved orthodontically, new bone needs to form around them and anchor them where they are. That will happen over time, but only if they are held in place with a retainer. That’s why it is so important to wear yours as directed — and notify us immediately if it gets lost.
And if ever you do have to dig your retainer out of a dumpster… be sure to wash it before putting in in your mouth!
If you would like more information on retainers, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “The Importance of Orthodontic Retainers” and “Why Orthodontic Retainers?”
Tags: celebrity smiles orthodontics clear aligners
What if you had orthodontic treatments to enhance your smile — and nobody knew about it until it was all done?
That (almost) happened to British singer, cover girl and television personality Cheryl Cole. Since her big break in 2002, on the British reality show Popstars: The Rivals, Cole has had a successful music career, taken turns judging both the British and American versions of The X Factor, and graced the covers of fashion magazines like Elle and Harpers Bazaar.
And somewhere along the way, Cole wore an orthodontic appliance. It very nearly went undetected… until a colleague spilled the beans. That’s when Cole was forced to divulge her secret: For a period of time, she had been wearing clear aligners on her teeth. Until her frenemy’s revelation, only a few people knew — but when you compare the before-and-after pictures, the difference in her smile is clear.
So what exactly are clear aligners? Essentially, they consist of a series of thin plastic trays that are worn over the teeth for 22 hours each day. The trays are custom-made from a computerized model of an individual’s mouth. Each tray is designed to move the teeth a small amount, and each is worn for two weeks before moving on to the next in the series. When the whole series is complete, the teeth will have shifted into their new (and better aligned) positions.
Besides being virtually unnoticeable, aligners are easy to remove. This makes it easy to keep the teeth clean — and can come in handy for important occasions (like cover-photo shoots and acceptance speeches). But don’t remove them too frequently, or they won’t work as planned. If that’s a possibility (with teens, for example), aligners are available with “compliance indicators” to ensure they’re being worn as often as they should be. They can also be made with special tabs to hold a place for teeth that haven’t fully erupted (come in) yet — another feature that’s handy for teens.
So if you need orthodontic work but prefer to stay “under the radar,” ask us whether clear aligners could be right for you. Cheryl Cole did… and the results gave her something more to smile about.
If you would like more information on clear aligners, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more about this topic in the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Clear Orthodontic Aligners” and “Clear Aligners for Teenagers.”
Tags: celebrity smiles orthodontics invisalign clear aligners
Many adults these days are opting for clear aligners to correct orthodontic problems that have long bothered them. Katherine Heigl is a perfect example. She had one tooth that was out of alignment, and wanted to have it fixed before her wedding day.
“I got them [clear aligners] because of this wonky tooth,” Heigl told In Style magazine not long ago. “It's awesome because every two weeks you switch to a new retainer. Pretty much the perfect way to describe Invisalign is Netflix for your teeth.”
That's actually a pretty good way to describe this highly user-friendly form of orthodontic treatment. Clear aligners are transparent, plastic oral appliances that are changed every two weeks so that your teeth can be moved a little bit at a time, according to a carefully staged sequence. Though they cover your teeth completely, clear aligners are barely noticeable.
In fact, when Heigl excused herself before taking out her aligners to eat, her In Style interviewer said, “Who knew you wore them? I guess that's the point of Invisalign.”
Being able to remove the aligners for eating and, more importantly, teeth-cleaning, is another major advantage of this method of straightening teeth. Successful orthodontic treatment for adults depends on good periodontal health (“peri” – around; “odont” – tooth), and the best way to keep your gums and the underlying bone that supports your teeth healthy is to keep up an effective daily oral hygiene routine.
Clear aligners have been improved in recent years to correct more complicated malocclusions (“mal” – bad; “occlusion” – bite) than previously; they can even work well for teenagers. But there are still some cases that call for traditional braces. We would be happy to explore all the different options for orthodontic treatment with you, whether you have crowded teeth, an overbite or underbite, or just one “wonky tooth.”
If you would like more information about clear aligners, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about clear aligners in general by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Clear Aligners For Teenagers.” Dear Doctor also has more on “Wedding Day Smiles.”
Tags: braces orthodontics retainer
Orthodontic treatment (commonly known as braces) can be a lengthy process to re-align your teeth to a more functional and aesthetic position. Once the orthodontic devices are removed, however, the treatment isn't finished. Wearing a retainer is the final step to ensuring that the re-alignment doesn't eventually fail. It's designed to do just what its name implies — to “retain” the teeth's new position and prevent a relapse to the old.
This can happen because of the way teeth fit into the jaw bone. The teeth are joined to the bone by the periodontal ligament, which works somewhat like a hammock: the ligament's fibers act like threads that fit into the tooth on one side and into the bone on the other, and hold the teeth in place.
As living tissue, the ligament's cell structure is dynamic and can adapt to the gentle pressure applied by an orthodontic device. However, once this pressure subsides after the device is removed “muscle memory” can cause the ligament to resist the new position and pull the teeth back to their original setting. The retainer helps hold the teeth in the new position while the bone and ligament continue to mature and stabilize around the teeth.
There are two basic types of retainers; the one recommended for you will depend on your age and the extent of your orthodontic treatment. One type is a removable device that is typically worn around the clock initially, but may eventually only need to be worn at night or for even a lesser interval of time. The other type is attached permanently behind the teeth and can only be removed by an orthodontist. Permanent retainers have the benefit of not being as visible as the removable type, and there's no bother with putting them in and taking them out.
You may consider wearing a retainer a nuisance especially after months of orthodontic treatment. But consider it the last lap in a long race — only by finishing can you achieve that winning smile.
If you would like more information on the use of a retainer, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “The Importance of Orthodontic Retainers” and “Why Orthodontic Retainers?”
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Answers for Tom--- and the Rest of the World, Too.
ANSWERS FOR TOM:
1) A few years back I wrote a series of replies concerning the argument that “US citizens are not protected under the Constitution and Bill of Rights because they were not signatories to the documents” or similarly that “the documents only apply to Federal employees and to Washington DC and its territories only”.
My reply was that every American should SIGN these documents and notarize them and then file such with a County Clerk or other registered authority. This provides a clear statement of jurisdiction and the fact that one has decided to be under “Land Law” and not Admiralty Law. This would in essence negate any and all Federal or corporate law as being binding on that individual.
To date I have not found anyone who can confirm or negate this assertion or are even willing to respond.
The Declaration of Independence is the most important document of our Organic Law so far as the living people are concerned. The function of The Declaration of Independence is that of a Last Will and Testament made for the Future Generations of Mankind by the Testators--the Founding Fathers who in pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor made their bequest to all future generations of Americans, and it must be more fully appreciated, to all Mankind.
The Declaration is the embodiment of our national trust, our inheritance, and our founding document. It remains the form and foundation of our National Will, which we pass on in turn to our children and all those who are born on our shores and to all those people wheresoever they may be, who are willing to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the same cause of freedom and justice for all people everywhere, now, and in the future.
You don't have to be an American and you don't have to be born on our soil to claim The Declaration of Independence as your birthright: The Declaration of Independence stands for all Mankind, throughout all Time. We continue to give its words meaning and we continue to pass it on to an ever-widening progeny of people all over the world who have taken it into their hearts and lived it with their lives and who strive to pass this most important of all inheritances on to their children.
The Constitution is by comparison a trivial document. The Constitution is a tri-lateral treaty of interesting form, also a simple trust indenture binding the new "federal government" entity to guard and respect our national trust, guarantee our Bill of Rights, and other than that, it is a commercial services agreement that sets up the organizational management structure to deliver those nineteen enumerated services all of which are functions to be undertaken in the international jurisdiction of the sea and under the international Law of the Sea.
When Federales call the Constitution "The Supreme Law of the Land" they are looking at it from their perspective--that is, as people who do their duties in the jurisdiction of the sea and who have to respect the agreements of the Constitution when they go ashore on the jurisdiction of the land. The Constitution is their supreme law with respect to us and their interactions with us, not any "supreme law" over us. Similarly, the United States Supreme Court is their supreme court, not ours. The United States Congress is their legislative body, not ours. Ours top legislative body is the Continental Congress---when and if we elect Deputies and seat one.
The Constitution is a treaty and commercial service agreement between the united States of America and the so-called Federal Government created as a result of the agreement---not the people. Except for the Preamble and Bill of Rights, the people have no part in it. The people are not signatories to The Constitution--- the delegates who signed it were all functioning as Fiduciary Deputies for their respective colonies doing business as the united States of America and the focus of the document is so entirely on the business of setting up international representation in the jurisdiction of the sea that it barely mentions the pre-existing Common Law Court System owed to the people--- just a passing nod in Article I and Article 6, and a single direct and explicit directive in Amendment VII.
Many American have grown up with the completely silly idea that The Constitution is the source of their rights, when in fact The Constitution merely recognizes and guarantees pre-existing rights claimed and delivered by The Declaration of Independence. The Constitution limits the Federal Government, not the people.
Many have also grown up with the idea that the Federal Government created by The Constitution is our government, when in fact it is not our government and never has been. The Federal Government is an association of sovereign nation states acting together in mutual self-interest with regard to the nineteen enumerated powers delegated to it--and it has never been a sovereign government with respect to us at all. Our sovereign government is vested in the organic states and the people. That thing in Washington, DC, is under obligation to protect our national trust, to respect the treaties created under The Constitution, and to provide nineteen enumerated services all in the international jurisdiction of the sea and under the Law of the Sea. Period. Put bluntly, the Federal Government works for us under contract. It's our employee, and it has abused its position of trust to commit credit fraud and identity theft against its employers and benefactors.
Signing onto the Constitution would just commit us each as parties to the contract, and our Forefathers purposefully ordained that we should NOT be parties to that contract, so as to not be bound to it and enslaved by it. Only states are bound by treaties and obligated to pay the public debts. We retain subrogated rights through the united States of America, and the actual united States of America are the entities that need to be operated on the land jurisdiction and used to ensure enforcement.
Having covered all this you are prepared to understand that the United States Statutes-at-Large provide the only process by which anyone born on the land of one of the organic states of the Union can ever become a Federal United States Citizen. This process set down in 1804 has numerous requirements including filings and notices and a two year waiting period. It is literally impossible for any American to actually vacate their birthright status without performing this duty--- which voids all claims that we ever did or ever could trade our birthright for a bowl of porridge.
Our own United States Statutes-at-Large adequately protect us from false claims against our true political status despite the best attempts of the perpetrators to deceive the other nations of the world and continue their campaign of Breach of Trust, Mischaracterization, Press-Ganging, Inland Piracy, Identity Theft, Credit Fraud, Unlawful Conversion, Kidnapping, Loan Fraud, Securities Fraud, Currency Fraud, Copyright Theft, and more against us.
We can also formally "Expatriate" from any presumption of foreign political status--- but our position is that we never were and never could be removed from the land jurisdiction of our nation by any fraudulent action undertaken by a private corporate Board of Directors secretively occupying vacant Public Offices and abusing them for private gain.
Please help spread the word throughout the world that we have been the victims of identity theft and credit fraud, undisclosed enslavement, probate fraud, and numerous other crimes and that the same loathsome practices have similarly been applied to other innocent nations worldwide including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the EU, Japan, and more. Every nation on Earth has been victimized by the scourge of these criminal banks and their henchmen, the members of the Bar Associations working as the "Enforcers" of this malicious fraud scheme.
Please also help spread the word that The Declaration of Independence belongs to all Mankind, not just Americans. We welcome our brothers and sisters throughout the world to embrace our heritage and fulfill our pledge to our sons and daughters to their sons and daughters, too.
2) Your recent article on the TRUE REVALUATION of the Dollar is for the most part correct but it stops short of valuing the Dollar in the US only. 80% of all Dollars are OVERSEAS with NO backing. These and all currencies are backed by the Collateral Accounts and agreements that gave rise to the Treaty of Versailles and the Historical Boxes issued by the FEDs in the 30’s and all the fraud that surrounds such a mess.
Currently I am fighting the lodging of USD in T’s into the Malaysian Central Bank in exchange for local currency. This will leave the Central Bank holding what may be toilet paper and a bunch of greedy politicians, bank official and lawyers with real cash and all indebted to the Holder of the bulk of the funds for financing national projects. Basically this is a scam with big pigs at the trough.
My question is what do you really think will happen to all those Overseas Dollars in a revaluation? Particularly since these were not created by the US or by trade, but often through rollover programs and other bank interest outside of the US and often through fraudulent or illegal activities. This also involves derivatives and other market manipulations.
I feel that there will be a lot of “Zeros” written off and the separation of domestic banking from bank fraudulent gambling. I am not for throwing banksters in jail but permanent retirement from the banking industry is a must. They can get jobs at McD’s.
We are in the process of repudiating the odious debt compiled by the IMF and its minions against our credit, and tracking down the American Assets that Secondary Creditors have falsely claimed as "abandoned property"---such as the American portion of the gold reserves being held by the World Bank/IBRD.
Our actual dollar--- the only real dollar there is --- the United States Silver Dollar issued by the Republic will be backed, but not one penny-worth of our assets or credit will go to back any private script of any kind issued by any bank anywhere on Earth. That includes "United States Treasury Notes" and the rest of the "Federal Reserve Notes" that are floating around everywhere--- we won't be buying any of that foreign currency back and we don't suggest that anyone else take any wooden nickels, either. Here's the situation:
In a debt-credit system, as you know, you can't have a debt without an equal credit being created. So how did we wind up with an $18 trillion dollar "National Debt"? Where's the "National Credit" that goes with the debt? Answer: we paid it all as it accrued with our goods and labor, and that National Credit should have been applied to the National Debt. Instead, the criminal banks and the bogus "Treasury Department" siphoned off the National Credit owed to us into their own pockets and simply never paid the debts we thought in good faith that we were paying.
We gave them the labor, the assets, and the resources to pay all our debts plus interest and they just sat there, year after year, letting the debt side of the transactions pile up against the victims. It would be like collecting someone's rent money for years, never paying the landlord, and then pretending that the victim was a deadbeat who still owed the rent when the landlord came to town for an accounting. So the rats owe us $18 plus trillion dollars and they left town, filed for bankruptcy protection for themselves, and left us holding the bag.
Number 1: They did all this with criminal intention and via fraud and malicious, purposeful deceit, including copyright fraud against our given names. They deserve no bankruptcy protection, and they deserve no protection from any "corporate veil". Consider the corporate veil already pierced and picture the outraged American people as well as all the angry creditors--like China-- who haven't been paid by these rats on the other side of the swindle, coming to dinner and going after all these criminal banks and their "governmental services corporations" and the people behind all this crappola.
Number 2: If they didn't make enough profit after stealing us blind for a hundred years to pay their lawful debts including the debts they owe our creditors, that's a problem for them, not for us.
Here's another part of the swindle. The perpetrators gave themselves a fixed exchange rate for their "Federal Reserve Notes" against our actual United States Dollars defined as an ounce of fine silver----one of their worthless I.O.U.'s in exchange for an ounce of fine silver. In this way they quietly emptied out Fort Knox of all our gold and silver reserves in "equitable exchange" for paper they printed using our credit, and then charged us interest for the "loan" of their private bank script. This was only possible because the American people were kept in the dark and trusted what they believed to be their own government.
Number 3: We repeat --- if they didn't make enough profit from this outrageous currency swindle to pay all their lawful debts plus treble damages to the victims, that's a problem for them, not for us. They stole our gold and silver and hoarded it and now plan to sell it back to the people they stole it from at 5000% or better profit margins. Either that, or all the people who have been harmed by their criminality demand that these banks be liquidated and these banker's private fortunes be seized and used to repay the victims. Please note-- we were not the only ones who suffered outright theft of large gold and silver reserves. Almost every nation on this planet suffered the same.
In addition to the exchange rate swindle, we also suffered confiscation of privately held gold in the 1930's. King Rat Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave our gold to the Federal Reserve Banks to hold as collateral backing their phony version of "United States Dollar" used in international trade. For over 80 years our gold sat in their vaults and was used as collateral benefiting them and when the bankruptcy was finally over in 1999--- were we notified as the Priority Creditors and known Heirs of the Priority Creditors to come reclaim our assets? The titles to our land and homes that had been used as collateral backing the debts of the United States of America, Inc. bankrupted by FDR? The gold stolen by jack-booted FBI and Revenue Agents from our Grandmothers and Grandfathers? We were not told a word, not notified at all. Instead, the World Bank/IBRD came forward as Secondary Creditors and claimed our gold as "abandoned assets" belonging to "unknown heirs".
All these banks can find every one of us right smart quick when they have a tax bill or a fee-bearing charge to make against the "persons" they created as franchises benefitting their governmental services corporations and named after us by stealing and copyrighting our given names, but when it came time to pay us the receipts of all the escrow accounts related to the bogus "mortgages" they sold us, they couldn't find us. They didn't even know who we are or where we lived. And they didn't know where to return all the land titles they seized and placed on our property under color of law back in the 1930's, nor did they know where the confiscated gold needed to go, either. So they just seized it all as "abandoned assets" belonging to "unknown heirs" and got ready to sell our property and our inheritance off to the highest bidder to profit themselves some more.
Now they have set up a "Drop Box" and called it the "Global Debt Facility" and put Karen Hudes and the 188 members of the Board of Governors of the World Bank (one of the perpetrators) in charge of getting rid of the stolen loot. They have had the brass cajones to try to pass themselves off as great philanthropists for offering to give our assets and the assets of other victims away, but sorry, nobody is buying it anymore.
Number 4: While the "Federal Reserve" was busy committing all this crime against us and the "IMF" was colluding with the Federal Reserve to pull all this off, and other banks like the World Bank and IBRD and HSB and Bank of Scotland and lots of others were busy getting their fingers extremely dirty, the Priority Creditors didn't come forward because they were never told a word about any of this. God does work in mysterious ways. Not all Americans are crooks and not all were asleep. So a few --- a very few --- claimed back the assets owed to all Americans. Think of it as a Class Action in Commerce.
I hate to tell everyone in America that they have been outrageously swindled by institutions they trusted---by banks, by what they thought was their government, by law firms and judges they trusted--- but such is the case. Because nobody was minding the store after the Civil War, thieves settled in and milked us in ever-increasingly terrible acts of fraud and enslavement and oppression--- and now that the whole fraud is discovered and falling apart, these criminals have offered their "Final Solution"---- kill their creditors. Just like they killed off the hapless Jewish people in Germany. They took out million dollar life insurance policies on each and every one of us Americans, on Germans, on Japanese, on Aussies, on Canadians. They figure that if they kill off six and a half billion creditors, they can save themselves and have the whole planet to themselves.
We have a better solution. We intercept their plans and we tell everyone worldwide what these unspeakable vermin have planned and intended to do, simply because they don't want to pay back what they owe to all the rest of us.
Still think that a job at McD's is an appropriate punishment for what these people have done? Bear in mind that they think they are smart and that the rest of us are just dumb animals, here to serve them and be sacrificed as needed. Bear in mind that they are completely unrepentant, even now, when the guillotines they purchased to use on others are being prepared for them, they remain cocky and arrogant, confident that they are going to live to collect on our life insurance policies and the assets of the public transmitting utilities they recently named after us----which they call "derivatives".
You give the government of Malaysia a message for us---- help us nail these rats to the wall and seize their assets and liquidate their banks and their private fortunes and their foundation shelters----nail them before they murder billions of innocent people they owe money to--- and we will be happy to settle all legitimate debts that any American may have and we will pay those debts in gold or silver or other mutually acceptable commodities having actual value and we will back any script we issue with actual value, too.
And please, give our best to Neil Keenan, too.
Posted by Paul Stramer at 9:50 AM
Labels: Anna Maria Riezinger, Anna von Reitz
robert fredric February 1, 2016 at 1:48 PM
You said, "The Declaration is the embodiment of our national trust, our inheritance, and our founding document." My problem with that is that you are reading "trust" into that document and if I don't see the word trust in writing in the document, I would not insert it. On what basis are you doing so? Is it written somewhere by the authors?
I have not read the entire document. I wanted to ask you about the trust and from whence it came before I forgot.
a declaration is typically a trust indenture. a settlor, trustee and corpus or res of the trust.
sorry and grantor
robert fredric February 6, 2016 at 6:20 AM
Are you saying Anna that I am the backer of the IOUs: the Federal Reserve Notes held by other people? And to claim that I am the backer of these IOUs is a fraud because my grandparents, parents and myself outputted blood sweat and tears and received IOUs as payment.
The number of IOUs issued to PATRICIA (see example below) is listed on the debt side of the balance sheet but my grandparents, parents and my labor was the credit against the debt side. The FEDERAL RESERVE conveniently didn't post the labor (confiscated gold and silver and land titles also) my family paid in exchange for those IOUs. \
PATRICIA'S account should should actually look like the example below. It should show that PATRICIA paid labor and gold and land titles for the IOUs. In essence, if these IOUs I hold cannot be redeemed by me at a bank or anywhere, then my labor (and also confiscated gold and silver and land titles) are still owed to me. They, the Federal Reserve Bank, IMF, World bank, whichever one of them still holds the gold, silver and land titles the government confiscated from me and my grandparents, mom and dad. They are now dead and my inheritance, the gold and silver and land titles and my labor, is still owed to me as the sole living heir.
I am the victim because I have been convinced that worthless pieces of paper my ancestors received in exchange for their labor, their land titles and the confiscated gold in 1933 is still a debt owed by me.
PATRICIA'S ACCOUNT below is still inaccurate because it shows that the Federal Reserve, IMF, World Bank owe me nothing. How is that? I believe it is because the IOUs paid to PATRICIA are worth nothing unless she can redeem them for gold.
That said, my (PATRICIA'S) gold I am the rightful heir to, my land titles stolen from us with worthless IOUs is sitting in the IMF or World Bank's coffers and they want to sell it back to me? That only works, as you said, as long as I am not educated about the swindle. I can't say I have digested this completely but I am trying to wrap my mind around it.
I have questions:
1. Can you please tell me how wrong I am in understanding what you said?
2. If I am correct, then cannot I make a claim to the World Bank or IMF asking for my gold, land titles and unpaid labor? Cannot everyone else do the same individually?
3. If we don't get it, suing in courts where we are the hens guarded by the foxes will not work. What is the remedy, if we all want to claim my family's confiscated gold and labor?
4. Can you tell us to whom we can make those claims to and the form they should take?
PATRICIA'S ACCOUNT
paid to PATRICIA / owed by patricia
Debit Side / Credit Side
1000 IOUs ( FRNs) / 1000 hours of labor
What is a public transmitting utility?
Is there any way to find out what company insures the life of a transmitting utility "named after us which they call a derivative"?
"…assets of the public transmitting utilities they recently named after us----which they call "derivatives". "
Here is the whole quote:
"Bear in mind that they are completely unrepentant, even now, when the guillotines they purchased to use on others are being prepared for them, they remain cocky and arrogant, confident that they are going to live to collect on our life insurance policies and the assets of the public transmitting utilities they recently named after us----which they call "derivatives". "
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Honorable Mr. Justice (R) Karmat Nazir Bhandari
Karmat Nazir Bhandari is the retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and is now a member of visiting faculty of PCL.
His main areas of teaching revolve around jurisprudential issues in Constitutional Law and Civil Procedure. He conducts regular visits to the College to teach final year students of LL.B. His contribution and teaching is highly appreciated by the student body.
Honorable Mr. Justice (Rtd.) Nasim Sabir Chaudhry
Barrister Nasim Sabir Chaudhry is a former judge of the Lahore High Court. He completed his post-graduation from the University of Punjab and went on to be called to the Bar from the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn.
Barrister Sabir has several years of legal practice to his credit in which he has developed expertise in areas of civil, criminal and constitutional matters. In the area of teaching, Mr. Sabir conducted Diploma classes in the Department of International Affairs at the University of Punjab. He has been teaching in PCL since its inception and at present he is a visiting Professor of Law. His areas of instruction are Company Law and Conveyancing and Pleadings.
Farooq Amjad Meer
Mr. Farooq Amjad Meer graduated from the University of Punjab and obtained his LL.M from England. He is a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Muhammad Afzal Khan
Mr. Muhammad Afzal is a graduate of the University of Punjab, where he obtained distinction in the University examinations. He is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and is a senior partner in the law firm of Afzal & Associates, Lahore.
Since qualifying as a lawyer, Mr. Afzal has been working as an Associate with such reputable firms as Meer Law Associates along with such senior lawyers as Barrister Maqbool Elahi Malik and Syed Asghar Haider presently, judge of Lahore High Court. At present Mr. Afzal is a visiting Lecturer for Civil Procedure Code at Pakistan College of Law. His specialist areas include, Islamic Jurisprudence, Procedure and Equity. Mr. Muhammad Afzal also has the honor of being the first recruit of Teaching Assistant Programme initiated by Prof. Humayoun Ihsan in PCL.
PCL is very proud of having Mr. Afzal as a Lecturer at the College as the depth and conceptual clarity he will provide to PCL students is a rare quality. His legal experience is also something which will prove to be immensely useful to the students pursuing law as a future career.
Usman Arif
Mr. Muhammed Usman Arif is a graduate of Government College, Lahore and obtained his legal education from the Pakistan College of Law. He went on for higher education by being selected for the prestigious George Washington University's LL.M programme in International and Corporate Law. He is an Advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan and conducts a successful civil law practice in one of the best chambers in Lahore.
Professional interests of Mr. Usman Arif extend to the academic arena. For a number of years, he has developed expertise in the areas of Commercial and Intellectual Property Laws. He has been a visiting faculty at the Institute of Business and Information Technology, Punjab University and is at present a member of faculty in Pakistan College of Law. As a visiting Lecturer in PCL, he teaches Property and Commercial Laws. His ability to impart knowledge and professional approach towards teaching law is highly regarded by the College and the student body.
Adil Aftab
After completing his B.A from Government College, Lahore, Mr. Adil Aftab obtained admission in PCL to pursue his legal education.
During his LL.B studies he proved his merit by securing 2nd position in part II and 3rd position in part III final Punjab University examinations.
Upon receiving his LLB degree, Mr. Aftab pursued a career of a teacher as well as a practitioner to understand better the theory and application of his chosen discipline. Mr. Aftab began his teaching career by taking up the position of visiting faculty in different law colleges of Lahore. However, seeing his merit and commitment to teaching, in 2006, Pakistan College of Law offered him a position of visiting Lecturer for the subject of Contract. At the moment, Mr. Aftab is a regular lead faculty for the subject of Jurisprudence as well as Administrative Law. His areas of interest and specialization are Contract, Jurisprudence and Administrative Law. He is also a practicing Advocate of the High Court and a Partner in the corporate law firm of 'Adil & Bilal Consultants'.
Hassan Kamran Bashir
Mr. Hassan Kamran Bashir is a Harvard Law School graduate and a former Deputy Commissioner Income Tax. He resigned from the service in 2008 to start his own law practice under the name and style of Ernest & Kamran.
He is an Advocate of the High Court of Pakistan and advises clients on issues pertaining to Taxation, Corporate Laws, WTO Laws and other laws involving litigation, opinion and drafting, etc for various judicial fora. He is a visiting faculty of law at PCL where he teaches the subject of Public International Law.
Mian Muhammad Kashif
After doing his graduation from the Government College, Lahore, Mian Muhammad Kashif obtained his degree in law from the Punjab University Law College in the year 2001.
Immediately thereafter he started his law practice in the civil courts of Lahore. He has been practicing as an Advocate of the High Courts since 2004 at Lahore. For the last three years, he is associated with a leading law firm in Lahore, Bhandari, Naqvi & Riaz and is working there as a Partner.
He has a number of reported cases to his credit and specialises in civil, commercial, banking and constitutional laws and handles litigation with respect thereto. He has significant exposure to Arbitration Laws and proceedings and, as an Advocate, has conducted arbitration proceedings between multinational companies.
Ahmed Nazir Warraich
Mr. Ahmed Nazir Warraich is a senior academician and lawyer with vast experience of teaching at various premier institutions of Pakistan. He has a special passion for teaching and after resigning from the civil services of Pakistan, he has taken it up as a higher calling to educate the leaders of tomorrow. He is a recipient of two prestigious scholarships, the Brittania Chevening Scholarship and the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship (Fulbright ).
He did his LL.M in International Law from the prestigious University of Nottingham, UK and a one year non-degree Fellowship in International Human Rights Law, from the celebrated Washington College of Law, American University. He presently teaches the subject of International Protection of Human Rights at PCL. He writes regularly for the national dailies and has periodically written research articles which have been published in Pakistan and abroad.
Ahmed Hasan Khan
Mr. Ahmed Hasan Khan graduated from Government College, Lahore and went onto studying law in the Punjab University before obtaining a Masters in Law from Cornell University, USA. Presently he is teaching the subject of Labour Laws, Equity/SRA to the PCL students.
Iqbal Nabi Nadeem
Mr. Iqbal Nabi Nadeem is a former federal government officer who completed his legal education from the University of Punjab and went on to complete a Masters in English Litrature from the Government College, Lahore. Currently in PCL Mr. Iqbal is teaching the subject of English Litrature.
Hasnain Khalid
Mr. Hasnain Khalid is a British Solicitor who studied Law from the University of Westminster. Currently he is a Partner in the law firm of Jus and Rem. He is teaching the subject of Evidence Law in PCL to the students of the University of London International Programmes.
Zainab Lodhi
Ms. Zainab Lodhi obtained her legal qualifications from the University of the Punjab. She has been for the past seven years practicing law with the law firm of Cornelius, Lane and Mufti. Ms. Lodhi has attended national and international conferences in Pakistan as well as in China. She is permanent faculty in PCL, where her areas of teaching are Property Laws with special focus on Intellectual Property.
Usman Ahmed Ranjha
Mr. Usman Ahmed Ranjha is a graduate of the International Islamic University of Islamabad and obtained his LL.M in Commercial and Corporate Law from Kings College, University of London. Mr. Ranjha is a practicing Commercial lawyer and member of the Lahore High Court.
He presently is teaching the subject of Company Law on the University of London Programmes.
Fatima Rizvi
Ms. Fatima Rizvi is a graduate of the University of London and obtained her LL.M in Corporate and Commercial law also from the University of London. She is currently teaching the subject of Conflict of Laws and Common Law Reasoning and Institutions.
Waleed Khalid
Barrister Waleed Khalid is a graduate of Kings College, University of London and a Barrister of the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn. He is a young practicing lawyer, who combines legal practice with that of teaching law.
Presently, he is a Partner in the law firm of Cornelius, Lane and Mufti, Lahore, where his work involves various commercial laws of Pakistan and international commercial agreements. Barrister Waleed has been a visiting lecturer at PCL for a while and teaches students on the University of London Programme. His area of teaching is that of English Legal Systems and Contract Law. He is a dedicated teacher who is available to students requiring special attention.
Usman Chaudhry
Mr. Usman is a graduate of the University of London and obtained his LL.M from Queen Mary University. He has for a number of years combined his legal practice with teaching the subject of Contract Law. He is an Associate in the Lahore law firm of Shafiq Sons Law Associates.
Omar Asjad Malhi
Mr. Omar Asjad is a graduate of the University of London and obtained his LL.M from University College London. He is at present heading his own law firm and teaches the subject of Trusts to the University of London students.
Shahid Masud
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Qasim Aziz
Mr. Qasim is a graduate of the University of London with a 1st Division. Recently he was appointed as a federal government of Pakistan officer after being selected through the Civil Services examinations. He instructs students in PCL on the University of London International Programmes for the subject of Jurisprudence and Public Law.
Mujtaba Ali Kazmi
Mr. Mujtaba Ali is a graduate of the University of London and an Associate in the law firm of Cornelius, Lane & Mufti (CLM). Presently he is the instructor for the subject of Property Law and Company Law on the University of London International Programmes.
Hamza Gulzar
Barrister Hamza Gulzar is a graduate of the University of London and a Barrister of Lincoln's Inn. He is a practicing lawyer and presently teaches in PCL the subject of Public Law on the University of London International Programmes.
Saiqa Sajjad
Ms. Saiqa is a Graduate of Pakistan College of Law. She is presently teaching the subjects of Islamic Jurisprudence, Muslim Personal Law to LL.B students and teaching Pakistan Studies to the B.A - LL.B students of PCL.
Salman Zaheer Khan
Mr. Salman Zaheer obtained his LL.B degree from Pakistan College of Law and an LL.M in corporate laws from University College London. Presently he is an associate in the law firm of Cornelius, Lane and Mufti. His specialization includes taxation, corporate and trade remedy laws.
Najia Raheem
Ms. Najia Raheem upon completing her graduation from Lahore College for Women obtained her LL.B degree from Pakistan College of Law and is at present part of our visiting faculty taking Criminal Law (Part I) and Muslim Personal Law (Part II) courses.
Saad Amir
Mr. Saad Amir obtained his legal qualifications from the University of London and an LL.M from Kings College London. He is a senior Associate in the law firm of Bhandari, Naqvi and Riaz, Lahore and has been practicing in this firm for a number of years. At present Mr. Saad is a visiting faculty member of PCL and teaches students in the University of London Programme. His subject areas are that of Public Law and Equity.
Dr. Muhammad Javed
Dr. Muhammad Javed obtained his M.A qualification in Arabic from University Oriental College and completed his PhD in Arabic also from University Oriental College, University of the Punjab. Dr. Javed is currently teaching the subject of Arabic to the LL.B students of the College.
Shahab Qutub
Shahab completed his LL.B from the Pakistan College of Law in 2004. He started his practice the same year as an associate attorney in the law firm of the eminent corporate and constitutional lawyer Mr. Salman Akram Raja. In 2005 Shahab was admitted to the New York University's School of Law as a Hauser Global Scholar in the LL.M. Program. Upon his return, Shahab rejoined Mr. Salman Akram Raja working with the firm as a Senior Associate Attorney up until the end of 2011 when he set up his own law firm, Qutub & Qutub (Advocates). In May 2013, Qutub & Qutub merged when he set up his own law firm, Qutub & Qutub (Advocates). In May 2013, Qutub & Qutub merged with Hassan & Rahim to form the law firm of Hassan, Qutub & Rahim where Shahab is now a Partner. Shahab has been a prolific dispute resolution lawyer conducting corporate and commercial litigation for a wide range of industries including the banking, textile, pharmaceutical, cement, fertilizer, construction and power sectors. He specializes in shareholders' disputes, mergers and takeovers and securities regulation.
Muhammad Mustafa Khan upon graduation from University of London. Presently he teaches in PCL the subject of Public International Law, Public Law and Law of Trusts on the University of London International Programmes.
Maryam Akram
Maryam Akram graduated with an LL.B (Hons.) from the University of London. She is instructor of Jurisprudence and Legal Theory on the University of London International Programmes.
Mehak Zaraq Bari
Mehak Zaraq Bari has graduated twice from the University of London and has been appointed as a part of the Pakistan College of Law's permanent faculty. She is teaching the Common Law Reasoning and Institutions on the University of London International Program and she is also teaching Sociology and UK constitution on the University of the Punjab Program. Furthermore, having advanced technical skills she has been the editor of the Legal Maxim and produces most of the cover artwork.
Fayez Qamar Rasheed
Fayez Qamar is a graduate of the University of London. He is a practicing lawyer and he is teaching in PCL as a Tutor for the subject of Criminal Law and Lecturer of the Islamic Law on the University of London International Programmes.
Faizan Daud
Mr. Faizan Daud upon graduating from University of London began his teaching in PCL as a Tutor for the subject of Common Law Reasoning and Institutions in the University of London International Programmes. As a student he has participated successfully in Mooting Competitions and is presently also practicing law in Lahore.
Sheharbano Iqbal
Ms. Sheharbano Iqbal is a law graduate of the University of London and is currently an Associate in the law firm of HaidermotaBNR. Ms. Sheharbano is presently providing Tutorials on the subject of Contract Law to the students of Pakistan College of Law on the University of London International Programmes.
Nauman Qaiser
Mr. Nauman Qaiser is an Advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan and graduated with an LL.B from Pakistan College of Law. He also completed a Diploma in Corporate Law and Practice from the Punjab University. Mr. Nauman is currently teaching Conveyancing and Pleading in Pakistan College of Law.
Muhammad Zubair khalid Ch.ASC
Mr. Zubair Khalid Practicing as an Advocate Supreme Court since 07 years, High Court, 18 Years and Lower Courts 20 years. Two years additional experience to assist Lahore High Court, Lahore as well as represent Govt. of Punjab, since 2009-2011 as an Additional Advocate General, Punjab. Provided legal services to thousands of clients in Criminal, Services, Civil and constitutional matters from the Courts of first instance, Tribunals, High Courts to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Expertise in Criminal Law.
Beenish Irshad Bhatti
Beenish Irshad Bhatti did her graduation with English Literature from Punjab University. She did her M.A in English Literature with Linguistics as a major from Punjab University. She has been working as an English language instructor from past four years. Currently, her M.Phil in English Language Teaching is in progress from Kinnaird College for Women University, with a final dissertation on the effective use of Literature to enhance writing skills of Graduation students. She is actively involved in writing novel, short stories and poems.
Muhammad Shahzad Saeed
Mr. Muhammad Shahzad Saeed is a graduate of Government College University, Lahore and obtained his legal education from Punjab University Law College (PU). He is an advocate High Court and is continuing his legal practice in criminal law and is specialized in murder trials.
Zainab Ranjha
Ms. Zainab Ranjha is a graduate of the University of the Punjab and obtained her LL.M from LSE, UK. Ms. Ranjha is practicing lawyer of High Court. Ms. Zainab teaches English Jurisprudence.
Jawwad Khan Lodhi
Muhammad Jawwad Khan Lodhi, a Law Graduate from the Pakistan College of Law since 2006 and presently working as senior associate at the famous Mazhar Law Associate, with accolades of professionalism, backed by result oriented research work. Jawwad blends the practical approach of our legal system with the theoretical study to maximize the impact of learning to the students, to ensure the fulfillment of the objective of the college to deliver thorough professionals at the end of the study program. He is Teaching Transfer of Property Act.
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January Accidents
Passenger train jumps off and back onto the rails at Liverpool Street station!
Two Train Fires and a train splits into two in January
January 2013 has not been a good month for railway accidents which have caused delays but there were no injuries to passengers it must be emphasised.
On January 23, the 10am train from Liverpool Street to Norwich Abellio Greater Anglia service had an interesting trip out of the station. Several wheels on the nine coach train derailed as the train departed Liverpool Street driven from a Driving Van Trailer (DVT) at the north end of the train while a class 90 locomotive propelled the train from the other end.
The train was travelling at about 15 mph when several wheels on the third and fourth coaches derailed about 180 metres after leaving the platform but the track layout and the continued forward movement of the train led to the wheels climbing back onto the rails within about 35 metres. This is an unusual event on a passenger train but is not unknown away from passenger lines.
The sounds created by the incident were reported and the train stopped and inspected but it went on to Norwich where a second inspection took place and revealed wheel damage consistent with a derailment so the train was withdrawn from service. The track involved had been closed to traffic at 1005am and track damage caused by a derailment was found at 1245 hrs.
The Rail Accident Investigation Board (RAIB) is investigating what happened up to the derailment and will also look at maintenance of track and train as well as the design and condition of these parts as well.
Diesel derailment stops trains for two days in Manchester
The RAIB is also investigating a derailment that happened on the same day between Deansgate Station, in Manchester and Ordsall Lane Junction, Salford.
This caused massive delays for two days as some of the track had been signed out of use beforehand and when the derailment of Class 47 diesel locomotive No. 47500 occurred at 1434hrs the line was blocked with no diversionary route available.
Curiously the locomotive was at the rear of a train returning from maintenance at Ardwick depot and became derailed on the tight curve approaching Ordsall Lane Junction. The train was being pulled by another Class 47 diesel with five empty carriages and No. 47500 at the south end.
The train was going to its base at Carnforth and travelling at 18mph when the derailment happened. The bad news for the railways was that it caught fire and came to a halt on a bridge over a road right outside the ITV news studios so received a lot of media coverage. No. 47500 carried on for around 70 metres off the rails lurching to a halt. Reports suggest that a checkrail was installed immediately after the accident as it was on a tight curve and that there had been engineering works undertaken at that location in the very recent past.
RAIB will be investigating all these aspects and will establish the cause of the derailment but as =ever, will look at the condition of the track, carriages and locomotives as well as the maintenance the train had received at Ardwick and perhaps crucially, if the engineering works had anything to do with the accident.
Tyne and Wear Train catches fire
The RAIB is investigating another train on fire, but this time a passenger service running between South Gosforth and Longbenton stations on the Tyne and Wear Metro system on January 8, 2013.
This happened at 1408hrs when a two-car Metro train departed South Gosforth going to St. James from South Shields. Just after leaving South Gosforth an electrical fault caused severe arcing in the underfloor equipment and a fire developed under the rear carriage. The train stopped, and then a little while later, the overhead electric wire parted and fell on the roof.
The arcing caused the fire, ceased after about 45 seconds, but produced a large amount of smoke inside the rear carriage which had about 45 passengers in it. They escaped using the emergency release handles to open the doors and jumped onto the track and Metro staff made sure they were safely away from danger nearby.
The emergency services damped-down the smouldering train and no-one was hurt in the incident, and there was no significant damage to the interior of the train.
Derailment of a freight train at Castle Donington, Leicestershire, 21 January 2013
The RAIB is investigating a freight train derailment just east of Long Eaton station on a freight line which occurred on January 21, 2013. It happened at 1955hrs when the 18th, 19th and 20th wagons of the train travelling from Crewe Basford Hall to Toton became derailed passing through Castle Donington.
The train was made up of 26 empty wagons hauled by a class 66 locomotive travelling at 47 mph when the derailment took place. It carried on for about a mile when the train split into two after the brake pipe parted causing the automatic brakes to apply. The train split between the 19th and 20th wagons and again, no one was hurt, but the line was closed for repairs to track and signalling equipment for nearly five days.
Written by Phil Marsh
Rail Accident Investigation Branch Website
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Now, controversial National Games to face government audit
by admin - Apr 19, 2015
Pakistani athlete Liaquat Ali warms up during a training session at the Jinnah Stadium Sports Complex in Islamabad. — AFP/File
ISLAMABAD: Following ordering audit of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the federal government, as a step forward, has decided to hold audit of the 2013 National Games on which Rs130 million (approximately) were spent.
“I have directed the Sports Board to conduct audit of the National Games held in 2013,” said Ejaz Chaudhry, federal secretary, Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination.
The ministry of IPC, oversees sports in the country. The secretary said the audit will be completed within few weeks.
After Finance Minister Ishaq Dar’s recent order for audit of PHF’s last five years, there were growing demands in sports circle for special audit of the National Games.
The then Games were conducted by a five member committee comprising Rana Mujahid, now PHF secretary, Asif Bajwa, President Basketball Federation and others.
The taxpayers’ money spent on the 2013 National Games was still unaudited and many believe a huge chunk of amount fell victim to corruption.
Sources in the PSB said that despite repeated attempts, the committee, which organised the National Games, was not ready to provide expenditure statement for auditing.
However, they had submitted expenditure report recently, which according to the sources, was unsatisfactory.
The Games were held in 2013 from June 28 to July 4 at the Pakistan Sports Complex here amid controversy of two Pakistan Olympic Associations, one headed by General Arif Hasan and the other by General Akram Sahi.
The PSB was supporting General Sahi at that time and that was why many genuine federations, which were associated with General Arif Hasan-led POA, boycotted the Games.
Besides, spending around 24 million in the name of renovation and maintenance of the Sports Complex, the PSB handed over 106 million rupees to interim committee for holding the Games, which were boycotted by several sports federations.
According to information gleaned by Dawn, the PSB released 106 million in installments. In the first go, it released Rs56 million on June 6 through a cheque bearing number 072582.
Six days later, Rs22 million were released through cheque number 074437. Then, on June 25, Rs2.2 million and Rs24 million were released through cheque numbers 088157 and 088163 respectively.
Some officials of the PSB, while speaking to Dawn and requesting not be named, claimed that several PSB officials and others plundered millions of rupees in the name of the said event.
“The audit of the money spent on the National Games should have been conducted within a few weeks, but so far, everyone is unmoved … I believe, over 50 million rupees were plundered,” claimed another official of the PSB.
Director General Sports Complex, Akhtar Ganjera could not be contacted for his version on this issue, however, four months ago on Dec 26 he had said that despite repeated attempts the organising committee was not providing him expenditure details.
Ganjera, had claimed that in 2013 Amir Hamza Gilani (late) was the DG and he had nothing to do with the said games.
On the other hand, the officials of the PSB said the Games could have been organised with much lesser amount.
“I hope, during special audit, many faces will be unmasked,” said another officer.
It is also relevant to note that the POA headed by retired Gen Arif Hasan organised the National Games in Lahore in 2012 but at that time the PSB refused to acknowledge the Games and decided to hold new edition of the Games in Islamabad.
Ironically, having spent millions of tax payers’ money on the Games in Islamabad and litigation, the PSB last year had to acknowledge Arif Hasan-led POA which is indeed a genuine POA recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The sources further said a few officers, in a bid to swindle public money, had deliberately helped some federations to make a parallel POA.
“Several federations and PSB officers took full advantage from Gen Hasan and Gen Sahi’s fight and looted millions of rupees,” said a senior official of the PSB.
He added the special audit, as ordered by the IPC secretary, will unearth the truth.
Published in Dawn,
Kashif Abbasi
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Dickey’s Barbecue Pit Franchise system, our extended Family
The energy of the Dickey’s brand, at the Home Office and amongst franchisees, is palpable as we enter the heart of the fourth quarter and the holiday season kicks into full swing. Our system is experiencing a great boost in sales, we’ve engaged new internal and external partners and all the hard work is resulting in greater profitability for our franchisees.
After the restaurant recession in 2016, our system experienced challenges, we believe it is the strength of our family franchise that has enabled the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit brand, and Dickey’s franchise system, to flourish.
Family is at the core of what defines the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit. And at Dickey’s, family means so much more than being a direct descendant of my grandfather, Travis Dickey, or my father, Roland Dickey, or my wife, Laura Rea Dickey. Of course, there would be no Dickey’s Barbecue Pit without the Dickey Family, but there would be no name recognition of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit without Dickey’s franchisees who have embraced my family’s love of Legit. Texas. Barbecue. and shared it with their communities. The Dickey’s brand is comprised of our family, from the Home Office to every single franchisee from Oahu to Omaha, and Akron to Abu Dhabi.
I firmly believe the Dickey’s BBQ Franchise is the biggest and best in the world because of our collective commitment to authentic, Texas-style barbecue. We frequently say that our barbecue is a process, not processed, and I believe the same holds true for our franchise system.
Throughout our 25 years as a franchise, we’ve shared successes and struggles and will continue to do so as we expand both stateside and nationally. As the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit brand, we share more than just my grandfather’s name. We share a passion for barbecue and a drive to master the process of perfecting it, and those who share and espouse these standards are the pulse of our Dickey’s Barbecue franchise family.
Dickey’s barbecue pit franchise, Dickeys bbq franchise, Dickeys franchise, Dickeys barbeque franchise, Roland dickey jr. wife, Larua rea dickey, Laura rea dickey bbq franchise, Laura rea dickey barbecue franchise, Laura rea dickey, Roland dickey jr., Roland dickey jr
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Southeast Asia Traveler
News you can use. No guidebook regurgitations. No tiresome travelogues.
Arnel Pineda of Journey - Youtube Star Philippines
Filipino singer stars in Don't Stop Believin' movie
Don't Stop Believin': Arnel Pineda's journey to global rock star
Arnel Pineda wasn't a breakout Youtube star to the extent that Zee Avi was. But Youtube did play a part in the Filipino singer's discovery by the vintage US rock band Journey in 2007. Now the heartwarming tale of Arnel's unlikely, well, journey is the stuff of a documentary, "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey", made by a Filipina director, Ramona Diaz.
The documentary was released in 2013 and has since been reviewed all over the place with a wide spectrum of reactions. The New York Times reviewer found it a "flabby and repetitive showcase." Other reviewers frequently cite the little guy with a big voice as the redeeming virtue of the film, noting his "enthusiasm" and "ebullience" "clear-eyed pragmatism", "Ingratiating personality" and "a dynamic stage presence."
Scott Tobias of NPR suggests what a better movie could have been: "the richer, more complicated story of a dreamer who learns to become the durable
professional his bandmates expect." Or as another reviewer put it, how does Arnel reconcile his desire to express his own personalty with the band's desire for a clone of the original lead singer, Steve Perry? At least now he's getting a chance to write songs for the band.
Not sure who or what Journey is? Nor was I. Turns out the band has been around in one form or another for 40 years. Think mainstream stadium, blue-collar rock of the early 1980s. Like it or not, you have probably heard "Don't Stop Believin' " (which was played at the finale of "The Sopranos"), "Any Way You Want It", "Open Arms", "Faithfully" and "Only the Young" on the radio or in the karaoke bar.
The hype wasn't exaggerating regarding the world touring. In the past few years Journey toured in huge venues in Singapore, Australia, Japan, China and Chile and, of course, the Philippines. Arnel regularly gives updates on the band's movements on his own website. He's also been serving as a mentor this year on "The Voice Philippines" singing competition TV show. Here are Arnel and Charice Pempengco, probably the Philippines' most widely-known singing stars, dueting and in a 2011 Korean documentary.
Arnel Pineda in Journey concert
Everyman's Journey:
Fact and Fiction
This type of story virtually demands a rags-to-riches Cinderella arc. It's not quite accurate in Arnel's case. As the documentary's website hypes it: "having overcome a lifetime's worth of hardships, [he] must now navigate the immense pressures of replacing a legendary singer and leading a world-renowned band on their most extensive tour in years."
In fact, as a child he was very poor, dropped out of school and even lived on the street for a few years--which explains why today he has a foundation to to help poor children get an education.
But he had been a well-known musician in the Philippines since the 1980s and had a comfortable life and was supporting a family. He began entering singing contests as a teenager and then with bands. His first band, Amo, had a radio hit, "Running Away", in 1990. His other bands were Intensify and New Age, which was based in Hong Kong for several years in the 1990s and again in 2004. (I'm not surprised to hear that he had problems with alcohol and drugs while living in Hong Kong; among the many Filipino musicians and musician families there, smoking the heroin seems to be part of the lifestyle.) He recorded an album of his own songs in the 1990s under contract with Warner.
Just before his Journey discovery, he was playing with a band called The Zoo which had just released an album, "Zoology" with MCA Universal, as he notes in this Q & A with Rolling Stone. The Zoo performed a lot of cover songs by oldie hard and soft rockers, some of which became Youtube videos uploaded by one of the friends of the band. Journey's lead guitarist Neal Schon came across some of them on Youtube and invited Arnel to audition for the lead singer position. Hard to believe from his appearance and boundless energy but Arnel was already 39 at the time.
I don't know if I completely believe the tale that a US Embassy employee in Manila made Arnel sing "Wheel in the Sky" (aka the "Don't Stop Believin'" song) when he applied for a visa with the explanation that he needed to go to the United States to audition for Journey. Rather, I don't believe that said employee supplied the explanation with this audio clip of Arnel singing said song. But, obviously, Arnel has a powerful voice and this is a good quality rendition. I also don't believe, as quoted in the clip above, that the Journey member upon seeing The Zoo Youtube videos, wondered if Arnel could speak English. He's been a professional musician in the US for 40 years and has never encountered Filipino musicians? Right.
Follow Arnel on Twitter @arnelpineda.
Facebook: www.fb.com/officialArnelPineda
Website: http://arnelpinedarocks.com
Movie website: www.everymansjourney.com
Copyright +Susan Cunningham. No republication of text without permission. Contact SoutheastAsiaTraveler @ gmail.com
By Unknown - September 04, 2013
Labels: Arts ≈ Entertainment, Philippines, Youtube star
All Airlines Flying to/from Myanmar (Burma) - International Routes
Here are the 25 airlines that fly to Myanmar (Burma) and their air routes. These airlines fly directly on regularly scheduled flig...
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What is a Rabbit Card? FAQs for new users of the Bangkok Skytrain. Relax. You can continue to pay cash in the machines on either the...
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Nine scheduled airlines now fly out of Bangkok's old Don Muang Airport while the others continue to use Suvarnabhumi Airport ...
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Ice roselle by Chotda Hibiscus drinks, such as agua de Jamaica, are simple to make at home because the main ingredient can ...
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Arnel Pineda of Journey - Youtube Star Philippines...
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Shining Stars Childcare Ground-Breaking Results in a Hobart 3 P’S Project!
The ground-breaking of the new Shining Star Care and Education Center resulted in a new public/private partnership project coming together in Hobart, WI. These partnership projects are often known in the public development sector by the 3 P’s acronym. A 3 P’s project represents the public and private sectors coming together to work on a development. Typically, it solves a problem or provides a need in the community. They often occur when market forces are lacking or an incentive is needed to bridge a funding gap. It’s vital that a “win-win” factor is present.
The ground-breaking event was a classic case of how a public/private partnership project should work. In this case, the problem facing Hobart, is a fast-growing village of 7,000 residents adjacent to the city of Green Bay, with the lack of a daycare facility. Compounding the situation was the Pulaski School District, which serves the Hobart community, had a need in the southern part of its district for after-school programs for children from households with parents who work outside the home. A facility that could handle the community’s growing needs and the school system’s challenges was needed.
For several years, Elaine Willman, Community Development Director for the Village of Hobart, courted owners of Green Bay area daycare centers and encouraged them to expand in nearby Hobart. Elaine pulled out all the stops, contacting everyone she knew and interviewing half a dozen day care providers. Smet sent out the first surveys to village residents. Hobart’s Finance Committee followed up by mailing another survey and then conducted a door-to-door census count of children to verify the need. The village left no stone unturned as to who might be able to help. Elaine said, “We watched all these wonderful families move in and become part of Hobart and we have no daycare. We knew we had to do something. Maybe it was the recession, but the market was just not responding”, she said.
Elaine was not deterred. She got busy. She continued to work with potential daycare providers in assembling their numbers. She coordinated potential providers to review their business plans at the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business Advance Center. She made calls. Lots of calls. She and Greg Runnoe, her business development contact at Smet, continued to put their heads together and diligently worked. They worked out the numbers. They toured the village. They picked out viable sites. They narrowed down locations. They narrowed down prospective daycare operators. They confirmed the numbers. Between the two of them they contacted everyone they knew to locate a daycare center in Hobart and they reviewed their steps to make sure the project became feasible.
Once they found the right operator, they began to explain the situation, how the Hobart community could fit into their plans, how the Pulaski School System needed this type of facility, how the nearby families would support such a business. In the end they succeeded. They came up with a plan, they reworked the numbers, they located a site that fit the criteria (adjacent to Hillcrest Elementary School and coincidentally owned by the Pulaski School District), and with the help of Shining Stars they designed a building and they broke ground.
It took about two minutes to break ground on Thursday. Yet when I asked Elaine when she first began working on the project, she told me it took all of two and a half years to get there. And the impact of her work will last much, much, longer than two and a half years. That’s why this is important. The Shining Stars Childcare and Education Center is expected to serve the Hobart community for twenty years plus. And while the village of Hobart’s effort was a two and a half year effort, once the correct pieces were identified, things came together very quickly. Greg Runnoe of Smet said “There can’t be enough said about how fast this has gone and how good the Village of Hobart was to work with, especially Neighborhood Services Director, Allyn Dannhoff and Development Director, Elaine Willman. In the end, everyone came together to get this done in a fast time table”.
Richard Heidel, Hobart Village President, echoed Runnoe’s comments and said “This is a real asset to the Pulaski School District. But I want to thank the Village of Hobart planning officials who did a nice job on the planning process. They completed a normal six month review process in 45 days and we did what we had to do and then we got out of the way.” Milt Thompson, Superintendent of the Pulaski School District said, “I’m proud to be affiliated with the Pulaski School Board. We are so thrilled to be a part of this project.”
The fast turn-around means the school district will be able to utilize the new facility to operate its after-school program this fall. The facility will be licensed for 125 children; ages 6 months through 12 years. The center plans to employ 7 lead teachers, 7 assistant teachers, a cook and director to manage day to day operations. Commenting on the effort made by everyone, Elaine Willman said it best, “We wanted to be ready for the new school year. This is the first time in 30 years the village and school district have worked together on a project. We just dug in and got the job done!”
Great things can happen and problems get solved when people work together! Sometimes it just takes getting the right people together to make things happen. In this case a public/private partnership project provided a “win-win-win” for the village of Hobart, the Pulaski School District and the Shining Stars Daycare and Education Center.
If you have a potential public/private partnership project that needs some attention or just some new thinking, think of Smet. We aren’t afraid to collaborate. We aren’t afraid to tackle difficult projects. We strive to find the “win-win”, in this case a “win-win-win”, in every project. Give us a call! We’ll work with you. We’ll crunch numbers with you. We’ll find a way to get to the “win-win”.
Greg Polacheck, Director of Market Research
← Another Smet Customer Achieves LEED Certification!
Smet Attends Global RECon Event! →
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Tennis live on Scoreboard.com - tennis scores, results, livescore, draws and statistics. Scoreboard.com offers scores service from more than 2000 tennis competitions from around the world - ATP tournaments, WTA tour, challengers, ITF tournaments and also team competitions - Davis Cup and Fed Cup. Follow ATP and WTA matches point by point! You will find the "Point by point” tab with highlighted lost serves, break points, set- and match points in match details of all ATP and WTA matches.
The players (or teams) start on opposite sides of the net. One player is designated the server, and the opposing player is the receiver. The choice to be server or receiver in the first game and the choice of ends is decided by a coin toss before the warm-up starts. Service alternates game by game between the two players (or teams). For each point, the server starts behind the baseline, between the center mark and the sideline. The receiver may start anywhere on their side of the net. When the receiver is ready, the server will serve, although the receiver must play to the pace of the server.
Even your choice of shoes, socks, and other clothing are important considerations when you learn to play tennis. As opposed to running shoes, tennis shoes are made to withstand side-to-side movement. They should have a herringbone tread for longer lasting protection and grip. Socks should be thick and able to absorb sweat, thereby preventing infections such as athlete’s foot. Generally, tennis clothing is white, a color chosen to best reflect the sun and keep the player cooler. (Wear the appropriate gear even when just beginning to learn to play tennis!)
As it happens, I was reading a ruefully captivating new memoir called “Swimming Studies,” by a onetime contender for the Canadian Olympic team, Leanne Shapton, which explores how growing up a competitive swimmer formed her habits of heart and mind. Years later, her daily rhythms and life choices, her nightly dreams, her understanding of duration, pleasure, pain and reward, remain informed by her hours in the training pool. Swimming strokes carved the contours of her inner life, and it’s not at all clear she is thankful for that. Of course, Andre Agassi, in his memoir, writes of how the aloneness of singles tennis — the very thing that imparted to Kirill a kind of Emersonian self-reliance, as he understands it — just enlarged his loneliness. You never know.
Begin with the grip. The most common grip in tennis is the eastern forehand; the eastern forehand grip is also the best choice as you learn to play tennis. Use it for your forehand drive and the majority of your shots. Place your hand flat on the racket strings, and then slide your hand down to the handle. Wrap your fingers around the racket. Your first finger should be forward slightly as if you were holding the trigger of a gun. Keep all tensions out of your fingers. The eastern forehand grip is often called the “shake hands” grip by those who have just begun to learn to play tennis, because, in essence, you are shaking hands with the racket. For most people, it is the preferred grip for serving — particularly, when you first learn to play tennis.
But would if it’s a doubles game? How do I learn to play tennis then, you wonder?! Who serves? With doubles, the serving position rotates across teams and partners. For instance, if team partners A and B were playing doubles with team partners C and D, partner A would serve first and then it would rotate to partner C and then back to partner B and finally to partner D.
Picking a good one usually depends on your play style. Heavier rackets are slower, but give you more power. Lighter rackets offer maneuverability, but you won’t be able to hit a grand slam. Smaller racket heads concentrate power while larger ones help newer players get a hold of the ball. If you play at the net, you need something light, fast, and large, while baseliners need heavier rackets that give them power and help them drop spin on the ball. You must find the right mix of power and precision to suit your personality. To help you, here is our 7 best tennis rackets.
A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving, and is won by the first side to have won at least four points with a margin of two points or more over their opponent. Normally the server's score is always called first and the receiver's score second. Score calling in tennis is unusual in that (except in tie-breaks) each point has a corresponding call that is different from its point value. The current point score is announced orally before each point by the judge, or by the server if there is no judge.
Earlier this summer, I got to half-watch him play just a couple of courts away from where I was playing. The club had arranged a set of doubles pitting Kirill and another young tennis instructor against two players from the Pelham High School tennis team who had recently won the state championship in doubles. The two of them, terrific teenage players, had been playing together for years; Kirill had had a hand in their development. So what I was mostly interested in, honestly, as dozens of club members gathered on the veranda of the tennis house to watch, was how Kirill would deal with this, what the etiquette was. Would he be nervous or restrained?
Tennis balls were originally made of cloth strips stitched together with thread and stuffed with feathers.[44] Modern tennis balls are made of hollow vulcanized rubber with a felt coating. Traditionally white, the predominant colour was gradually changed to optic yellow in the latter part of the 20th century to allow for improved visibility. Tennis balls must conform to certain criteria for size, weight, deformation, and bounce to be approved for regulation play. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) defines the official diameter as 65.41–68.58 mm (2.575–2.700 in). Balls must weigh between 56.0 and 59.4 g (1.98 and 2.10 oz).[45] Tennis balls were traditionally manufactured in the United States and Europe. Although the process of producing the balls has remained virtually unchanged for the past 100 years, the majority of manufacturing now takes place in the Far East. The relocation is due to cheaper labour costs and materials in the region.[46] Tournaments that are played under the ITF Rules of Tennis must use balls that are approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and be named on the official ITF list of approved tennis balls.[47]
The modern tennis court owes its design to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield. In 1873, Wingfield patented a court much the same as the current one for his stické tennis (sphairistike). This template was modified in 1875 to the court design that exists today, with markings similar to Wingfield's version, but with the hourglass shape of his court changed to a rectangle.[50]
The Tennis Complex (6 courts) is located on the north-west side of campus just behind Dedeaux Baseball Field. Courts are open for general use during Lyon Center operating hours, however, Athletics and Physical Education take priority during the times listed below. Please note that courts are washed on Friday mornings and lights will remain on 30 minutes after Lyon Center closing. Two courts have been newly resurfaced with sport court material. This multi-purpose surface allows individuals to play tennis, soccer, floor hockey, volleyball and basketball.
Good Vibrations: Beginners need not apply with this oddly-shaped modern tennis racket. The 98 square-inch head has the same iconic – which is to say strange – shape that Yonex has been pushing for years, yet this one feels much more normal for intermediate and advanced players. The sweet spot is larger than usual, but still smaller than many choices. It’s a bit weighty at 11.5oz but Yonex seems to have used the extra weight to good effect with their Dual Shut System which uses the grommets near the handle to dampen bad vibrations for cleaner hits. It actually seems to come alive the harder you swing so it works well for playing an aggressive defense. While it shines against power hitters, trying to get the top spin to make a really heavy ball just won’t work. [Purchase: $199]
The track at Astoria Park is currently closed for reconstruction as part of our Anchor Parks initiative to improve the quality of major parks across the city. While the track is under construction, we encourage you to join the New York Road Runners’ free weekly NYRR Open Run, which meets for walks and runs on Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. north of the parking lot, by the pool. You can also look for NYRR Mile Markers to track your distance along a measured course in the park. Please visit our Capital Projects Tracker for the latest on our construction progress.
The tiebreak is sometimes not employed for the final set of a match and an advantage set is used instead. Therefore, the deciding set must be played until one player or team has won two more games than the opponent. Of the major tennis championships, this now only applies in the French Open. In the US Open, a tiebreak is played in the deciding set (fifth set for the men, third set for the women) at 6–6. Starting in 2019, in Wimbledon, a tiebreak will be played if the score reaches 12–12 in the final set. In the Australian Open, a "first to 10" tiebreak is played in the deciding set if it reaches 6–6.[20][21] (When the tiebreak was first introduced at Wimbledon in 1971, it was invoked at 8–8 rather than 6–6.) The US Open formerly held "Super Saturday" where the two men's semi-finals were played along with the women's final on the second Saturday of the event; therefore a tie-break was more prudent where player rest and scheduling is more important.
The head-light balance point is rarer in professional tennis than it once was, as the sport has converted to larger-headed rackets, stiffer rackets, stiffer strings, more western grips and accompanying stroke production, and more topspin. The head-light balance point is most optimal for the serve and volley style with a continental grip. Serve and volley is no longer a viable option for nearly all professionals as the mode of playing for most points in a match. Head-heavy rackets became popular, mainly with recreational players, primarily with the introduction of the Wilson ProFile widebody racket. The head-light balance makes volleys and serves easier to produce, while groundstrokes are less stable. The head-heavy balance makes groundstrokes more stable, which typically increases the player's comfort for swinging harder to add power, but makes serves and volleys more cumbersome. A head-heavy balance also puts more stress on the elbow and shoulder.[12]
Premier events for women form the most prestigious level of events on the Women's Tennis Association Tour after the Grand Slam tournaments. These events offer the largest rewards in terms of points and prize money. Within the Premier category are Premier Mandatory, Premier 5, and Premier tournaments. The Premier events were introduced in 2009 replacing the previous Tier I and II tournament categories. Currently four tournaments are Premier Mandatory, five tournaments are Premier 5, and twelve tournaments are Premier. The first tiering system in women's tennis was introduced in 1988. At the time of its creation, only two tournaments, the Lipton International Players Championships in Florida and the German Open in Berlin, comprised the Tier I category.
I had learned to run by taking long, extended strides. Now, as a result, and even after hundreds of hours with Kirill, I still cannot roam the baseline and routinely get myself in the proper relation to a tennis ball to strike it at just the right arm’s length. It’s a lesson in why you read about pro tennis players who have been playing since age 6. It’s a lesson, too, in limitations.
The third and fourth tier of men's tennis tournaments are formed by the ATP World Tour 500 series, consisting of 11 tournaments, and the ATP World Tour 250 series with 40 tournaments.[90] Like the ATP World Tour Masters 1000, these events offer various amounts of prize money and the numbers refer to the amount of ranking points earned by the winner of a tournament.[83] The Dubai Tennis Championships offer the largest financial incentive to players, with total prize money of US$2,313,975 (2012).[91] These series have various draws of 28, 32, 48 and 56 for singles and 16 and 24 for doubles. It is mandatory for leading players to enter at least four 500 events, including at least one after the US Open.
Again, begin with the grip. Whether you choose to use a one handed backhand or a two handed backhand, it’s important to grip the racket closer to the top bevel with your dominant hand. For a two handed backhand, the non-dominant hand should grip the racket underneath the handle, and keeping your palm rested firmly on the racket handle. Fingers should be free of tension, and not too close together. The grip for the two hander should have your other hand adjacent to the first. It’s necessary to practice both the forehand and backhand tennis strokes as you learn to play tennis.
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Easy to play and extremely maneuverable, this Radical racquet is the ideal choice for all beginners and will allow you to climb the ladder. In this version, the Radical benefits from GRAPHENE XT technology. More power for less effort. Get ready to discover a generation of racquets that will transform your game. From the moment you play with a racquet equipped with the GRAPHENE XT, you’ll never want to do without its natural power again.
I see also that the coaches in US, try to change the natural shots that the children have, by trying to help them to develop the perfect technique. I have seen children with wonderful one hand backhand, that is then changed to a two hand backhand by their coaches. That does not make sense. Coaches should help the children to improve their natural shots and techniques, instead of changing everything. That, in my oppinion, is one of the biggest mistakes the coaches here in US, are doing with the children.
One thing all test players could quickly agree on: The Burn FST 99 can be swung very fast. With all shots the club could be swung and maneuvered extremely fast. This way, we always got the club into the optimum stroke position, even with fast rallies. The comfort is also surprisingly high, considering that the racquet with a frame hardness of 72RA is actually rather hard. The relatively thin frame of the racquet made it possible for the racquet to give way in exactly the right places and thus to cushion the impact well when hitting the ball.
So to answer the question – there are many balls because motor learning (learning how to hit and move) takes many repetitions and the coach is ready for that. He also knows that you will probably miss many times before you get the right feel. It's not a life or death question, it's just learning to move in a new way. Are you ready to start with tennis for beginners and do you have realistic expectations?
By the 1960s, Budge and others had added Pancho Gonzales and Lew Hoad to the list of contenders. Budge reportedly believed that Gonzales was the greatest player ever.[99] Gonzales said about Hoad, "When Lew's game was at its peak nobody could touch him. ... I think his game was the best game ever. Better than mine. He was capable of making more shots than anybody. His two volleys were great. His overhead was enormous. He had the most natural tennis mind with the most natural tennis physique."[100]
During informal play of tennis, especially at tennis clubs in the U.S. (also in other English speaking countries), score announcements are frequently shortened with the use of abbreviations. For example, a score 15 is replaced with "five", or in some cases "fif". "Love" is often substituted to indicate "zero". Similarly, the scores of 30 and 40 may sometimes be spoken as "three" or "four" respectively. A score of 15-all may sometimes be announced as "fives." To further confuse score announcements, a score of 30-all (30–30) may often be called "deuce", and the following point referred to as "ad in" or "ad out" (or "my ad" or "your ad"), depending on which player (or team) won the point. The logic for this is that a 30-all score is effectively the same as deuce (40–40).[34]
The alternation of service between games continues throughout the match without regard to sets, but the ends are changed after each odd game within a set (including the last game). If, for example, the second set of a match ends with the score at 6–3, 1–6, the ends are changed as the last game played was the 7th (odd) game of the set and in spite of it being the 16th (even) game of the match. Even when a set ends with an odd game, ends are again changed after the first game of the following set. A tiebreaker game is treated as a single game for the purposes of this alternation. Since tiebreakers always result in a score of 7–6, there is always a court change after the tiebreaker.
The rules of modern tennis have changed little since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the adoption of the tiebreak in the 1970s. A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point-challenge system, which allows a player to contest the line call of a point, a system known as Hawk-Eye.
Contact us at webmaster@www.superbabyproject.com | Sitemap xml | Sitemap txt | Sitemap
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In memory of Robert Braithwaite
Robert Braithwaite, founder of Sunseeker, sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning…
Robert Braithwaite, who founded prolific British yacht builder Sunseeker, sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning (7 March) at the age of 75 following a battle with Alzheimer’s.
Robert began making powerboats in 1969 in response to the growing demand for sports and leisure vessels, launching the first Sunseeker, the Sovereign 20, in 1971. By the late seventies, Sunseekers were selling well across the UK and northern Europe. And today, Sunseeker has been transformed from a small boat dealer on the UK’s south coast into the fourth most prolific manufacturer of 30m-plus superyachts ever, employing 2,600 people.
“Robert was an inspiration to everyone at Sunseeker and to the wider marine industry, recognised as a boating pioneer, a true visionary and someone who changed the face of boating forever,” said the current CEO of Sunseeker, Christian Marti. “Robert was not only the company’s founder but the father of the ‘Sunseeker’ family here in Dorset, and worldwide through our dealers and clients. He will always live on as the driving force behind our success.”
Robert’s tireless passion has not only been the corner stone of Sunseeker’s success over the years, but served to inspire a whole generation of yachting enthusiasts. Sunseeker remains one of the world’s most iconic yachting brands. Our thoughts are with Robert’s family and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.
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Surf Coast Secondary College Academy Programs
Surf Coast Secondary College is proud to have entered into a partnership with R.I.S.E. (Regional Institute of Sport and Exercise) to deliver a comprehensive set of programs which form the Sports Academy.
Students can choose to enrol in a multitude of after school programs each week as they individually prepare for their own specific sport and fitness goals.
General Sport Academy sessions operate on Wednesday afternoon with other specialist sessions running throughout the week.
For information on the SCSC Sports Academy and opportunities available to our students through this partnership with R.I.S.E. please follow one of the links below.
www.regionalinstitutes.com
www.facebook.com/regionalinstitutessportexercise
www.instagram.com/regionalinstitutessportexercise
The Surf Coast Secondary College Art Academy program offers a diverse range of industry-based experiences designed to enrich and challenge students.
The program provides a platform for students to further their understanding and appreciation of visual art, and to extend their art making practice.
Each fortnight students engage in specialist workshops, artist talks and extended investigations. Twice a term students will partake in an immersive experience of gallery visits, artist talks and studio visits.
A highlight of the program is an overnight visit to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania.
Surf Academy
SCSC’s Surf Academy has been specifically tailored to broaden knowledge & enhance an array of surf skills.
There has been a large focus on the academic aspects of surfing, including the bio-mechanics, board shaping, diet and film making.
Our vision is to be recognised as an exclusive sporting development program within the Surf Coast community & wider Victoria, providing students with a pathway towards sporting excellence & career opportunities.
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Going global with surf coast secondary college
The world gets smaller every day, every hour, every minute.
The constant advancement in technology results in a more globalised world, meaning that anyone with an internet connection can get more and more information about anything they want, whether it be happening in their own town or on the other side of the globe.
At Surf Coast Secondary College, the range of subjects on offer allows those interested to learn about the history, culture and language of predominantly Australia’s neighbouring countries, bearing in mind that a recent Australian Government white paper declared the upcoming period of time as the “Asian century”, referring to the region’s growing economic and industrial might.
A number of students have already participated in an overseas trip as part of their curriculum, with the most recent destination being China and prior to that East Timor.
This all comes as part of Principal Scott Diamond’s plan to equip all of his students with the necessary skills and knowledge to experience all that the world has to offer, should they wish to do so following the completion of the their studies.
“Interaction between other cultures and countries has never been greater so we ensure our students get as much exposure to this as possible, and in addition we have a number of international teachers and students who provide a different perspective on a daily basis,” Mr Diamond said.
Student Jake Hunwick (right) flew into Dili as part of an eight-person Surf Coast Secondary College delegation that visited East Timorese schools and cultural landmarks – a trip that the keen arts student is sure will be the first overseas expedition of many.
“I really loved the experience, despite the poverty and third-world nature of the country,” Jake said.
“We learnt a lot more about the history of East Timor than what you could ever do in a classroom, and what I learnt about their arts scene is that even after colonisation and war, the modern day art remains very close to its traditions – it’s very raw.
“I intend on doing a fine arts degree at RMIT when I finish school, so in my VCE I’ll be focusing on language (Indonesian), art and English, and after that I want to live in Yogyakarta in Indonesia because of the music and art there.
“The more you see of the world, the more you live.”
In May 2014 a SCSC contingent made the trip to its sister-school in Mataram , Lombok, Indonesia. Such trips will continue to occur on regular basis, with reciprocal visits from sister-school students.
In further proof of the school’s global approach, a number of Surf Coast Secondary students, teachers and parents spent more than a week in China in 2012, predominantly in the Xi’an region, experiencing local culture and visiting sites of cultural significance, most notably the famed “Terracotta Warriors”, which date back to the 3rd century BC.
For more information about Surf Coast Secondary College or to book an appointment for a tour of the school call (03) 5261 6633 or email surf.coast.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
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(J.D. Harvard)
Mr. Sirianni is a commercial litigator with 35 years of experience. His practice emphasizes disputes involving: a) attorneys accused of malpractice or ethical violations; b) title insurance coverage and escrow practices; c) partnership and corporate disputes; d) securities class actions and derivative litigation; and e) contract disputes.
After graduating from Georgetown (1972) and Harvard Law (1976), Mr. Sirianni practiced with Bogle & Gates in Seattle. He formed this law firm in 1981, and has practiced with it ever since. He is a member of the Washington and Oregon Bar Associations, and is admitted in various federal courts.
Mr. Sirianni taught at the law schools of Mercer University, the University of North Carolina and Indiana University. Among the courses he taught were commercial transactions, bankruptcy, debtor/creditor relations, and constitutional law.
Mr. Sirianni has been AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell for twenty-five years. For each of the last fifteen years, he has been named a "Super Lawyer"® by Washington Law and Politics, which has also named him a “Top 100” attorney in Washington. He was named a “Best Lawyer” in America, commercial litigation, for 2013 and 2014.
Mr. Sirianni has spoken at seminars on numerous topics, including legal ethics, legal malpractice, title insurance, escrow claims and discovery-related issues. He authored an article on commercial impracticability that appeared in the Uniform Commercial Code Law Journal. He has been selected by parties to serve as arbitrator and mediator.
Mr. Sirianni has represented plaintiffs in numerous cases resulting in awards well in excess of $1 million. He was counsel for plaintiffs in parallel state and federal actions alleging illegal insider trading by officers and directors of a public company. Mr. Sirianni negotiated a settlement of both cases for over $115 million. He has obtained dismissals, usually as a result of a summary judgment motion, as defense counsel in numerous cases.
Steve and his wife Kitty live on Mercer Island, as do their three adult children and two grandchildren.
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New York: Thu 18 Jul 12:05 pm | Save 15% on H&R Block Online
You are here: Home / Investors / Stock Analysts / Kellogg (K) to Buy Brazilian Food Maker, Buyback Trimmed
Kellogg (K) to Buy Brazilian Food Maker, Buyback Trimmed
October 14, 2016 at 9:26 am by SR Staff in: Stock Analysts Comment
As Kellogg Company K continues to foray into emerging markets, it recently signed an agreement to buy a Latin American snacks manufacturer.
Kellogg is buying Ritmo Investimentos, the controlling shareholder of Parati SA, Afical Ltda and Pádua Ltda, known as Parati Group. The latest deal is in sync with its goal of becoming a global snacking giant as well as expanding its presence in emerging markets. It is also Kellogg’s fourth acquisition in emerging markets in the past two years and the largest in Latin America.
Financial Terms
The all-cash acquisition, which is expected to be completed late this year, is valued at R$1.38 billion, or roughly $429 million.
Meanwhile, owing to the all-cash deal, Kellogg is reducing its planned share-buyback program. It now expects to repurchase between $450 million and $550 million worth of shares, compared to the prior estimation of $700–$750 million.
The company expects the buyout to be neutral to earnings in 2016 and 2017 but will contribute to earnings in 2018 and beyond.
Parati Group offers a wide range of iconic regional brands, including Parati, Pádua, Minueto, Zoo Cartoon and Hot Cracker biscuits. This makes up about 50% of the company's business. The rest comprises Trink powdered beverages, Parati Lamen instant noodles and Parati dried pasta.
Parati’s “strong presence” in small to medium high-frequency retail stores in Brazil helps it to reach the country’s growing customers base. In the words of Kellogg Chief Executive John Bryant, "Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and this acquisition will allow us to accelerate our growth and improve our margins in the region."
Kellogg is slowly building its business in the emerging markets of Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Pringles acquisition has also opened up opportunities in these fast-growing nations.
Kellogg has tripled its emerging market business over the last decade. Currently 15% of Kellogg’s sales come from emerging markets. In particular, management targets well-performing countries like India, South Africa and Brazil for growth. Management is also increasing production capacity in emerging markets like Thailand, India, Malaysia and Poland to meet international demand.
As the prepackaged food facing muted growth in the U.S., many companies are looking abroad to reach increasingly urban and middle class consumers in emerging markets.
In order to expand its emerging market presence in 2015, Kellogg bought Mass Food Group, Egypt’s leading private cereal company; a majority stake in Egyptian packaged biscuits company, Bisco Misr and formed a joint venture with leading Nigerian food company, Tolaram Africa, to develop snacks and breakfast foods for the West African market. The company also acquired a 50% stake in Nigerian food distributor, Multipro – a member company of Tolaram Group – to expand its presence in the continent.
KELLOGG CO Price
KELLOGG CO Price | KELLOGG CO Quote
Zacks Rank & Key Picks
Kellogg currently holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Better-ranked food stocks include The Kraft Heinz Company KHC, Sysco Corporation SYY and ConAgra Foods, Inc. CAG.
Kraft Heinz is expected to witness a 48.1% rise in 2016 earnings. The company sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
For Sysco, full-year 2016 earnings growth is expected at 10.6% and the stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
ConAgra Foods is expected to witness an 18.2% rise in fiscal 2017 earnings and the stock also carries a Zacks Rank #2.
Confidential from Zacks
Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>>
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Agenda Minutes Newsletter
To form an alliance of concerned citizens, landowners, and public and private organizations to protect and improve the water quality and natural habitats in the Ulao Creek Watershed.
Evolution of the Partnership Organization Structure
Goals Past Projects
Importance of Ulao Creek Partners
Planning & Resource Management Stormwater Management Plan
Membership What's New
Back to Newsletter Index
HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF PORT “ULAO”
By Jill Hewitt - UWM Graduate Student
Port Ulao in Ozaukee County is an abandoned place with many roots in the historical past. James T. Gifford came here in 1847 to build a lake port on the site of what had been an Indian village. He hired land surveyors Luther Guiteau and J. Wilson Guiteau to plat about fifty acres into streets and lots. He built a 1000 foot pier into the lake for loading cordwood onto ships. The first Macadam road in the country (a mixture of charcoal and clay) was built to the site. As wood was cut while clearing the farmlands of the surrounding countryside, it was hauled to Port Ulao by horse and wagon and sold to the Lake ships for fuel. Port Ulao was the major hub for shipping in Ozaukee in the mid-1800s.
Eventually, a fishing station was added to the pier where fishing boats docked to clean and smoke their fish. By 1853, Daniel Wells and John Howe took over operations at Port Ulao, but it soon declined as the Lake steam ships stopped using wood for fuel.
Today the landscape and landmarks look much different. Lake Michigan has eroded the cliffs and shoreline and only a few pilings of the pier remain. In the mid-1880s west of the Port Ulao Village, near what was known as Ulao Station on the Chicago and North Western Railroad, there was a feed mill and the Ghost Town Tavern. The tavern is the only remaining remnant of the historic Port Ulao village.
The name “Ulao” pronounced “You-Lay’-Oh” is thought to have been adopted from an American General Ulao who landed at the village port sometime in 1881. He was a descendant of French Huguenots, and his name may have been spelled Ulaeua or in a similar way, as efforts to trace his presence have been unsuccessful. There is also a story that the abandoned Ulao station was given this name because the train’s whistle sounded like “You-Lay-Oh” as it passed through the village (hence the Ulao Whistler).
Also, Charles Guiteau, the assassin of President Garfield, lived in Port Ulao until hanged for his crime in 1880. He was the grandson of General John R. Howe, and the son of Luther Guiteau, the original land surveyor for Port Ulao.
Back to UCP Home Page
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HomeanimalsAre any sharks endangered?
Are any sharks endangered?
Slaughtered sharks on display at a market in Indonesia.
By Blaise Jones
Yes. Chondrichthyes (sharks, stingrays, and chimera) are one of the most endangered groups of vertebrate animals on the planet. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), all chondrichthyes are on the extinction watch list, and only 23 percent of all of them are listed as “Least Concern.” Some species of shark have seen their populations decrease by up to 99 percent in the past 30 years (bull shark, shortfin mako, others).
“Bycatch” is the term for animals killed accidentally by fishing nets that were not intended to catch other animals.
Sharks appeared on earth more than 200 million years before dinosaurs, but are now facing extinction due to many reasons.
All ecosystems in the world are tied together via subtle similarities not immediately apparent to the casual observer. One such similarity is the balance between predator and prey. While some ecosystems have found unique exceptions, prey species almost always outnumber predator species.
The ideal ratio between predator and prey has been crafted over eons of natural selection. The evolutionary fight for survival of both parties has led them to adapting both biologically and behaviorally. Sharks are no different.
Reproductive Woes
Sharks reproduce at a very slow rate. While the average age of maturity in sharks is between 15-16 years, it can vary. Some shark species take only two years to reach sexual maturity, others take close to 30. Evidence in recent studies leads many researchers to claim the Greenland shark doesn’t reach sexual maturity until at least it 70 years old.
Sharks have a low reproductive turnover rate. They can’t afford to have offspring too often, because overlapping generations would create unsustainable competition and could lead to a trophic cascade, which harms the entire environment.
Additionally, sharks, unlike bony fish, produce very few offspring. While some sharks, such as a the whale shark, can produce hundreds of offspring a year, most sharks are like the sand tiger, who only has one or two pups per year. All of these factors naturally keep shark populations lower than other fishes.
Ecosystems of the world are changing at a faster pace than they ever have before. The most pressing of these is global climate change. The global climate has always been fluid, changing from periods of higher temperatures to lower temperatures. However, this process takes millions of years to naturally occur, giving the ecosystems time to slowly adapt. Times where the global climate has shifted radically, like in now, have always resulted in mass extinctions.
Right now we’re already seeing the effects of climate change on the oceans of the world. The massive amount of carbon being cycled into our oceans is increasing the acidity of the water. This is killing off hundreds of microorganism species, which are the basis for most marine food chains. Acidification is also killing coral reefs, which provide homes for 25 percent of all marine life on the planet.
The warming temperatures are causing many fish species to migrate into areas they’ve never been found before, leaving their traditional habitats barren. Sharks are forced to follow their prey into unfamiliar waters, making eons of instinctive behavior obsolete in just a few years.
However, sharks have been around for a long time. They’ve lived through four and possibly five major extinction events that have happened throughout Earth’s history. Why are they suffering this time?
As Dangerous as Humanly Possible
Never before in the history of this planet have sharks been the target of direct mass predation. Humans have hunted sharks for hundreds if not thousands of years for their teeth, skin, liver oil, skeletons, and meat. However, now more than ever before sharks are targeted by many fisheries specifically for their fins in order to make shark fin soup, a delicacy in many Asian countries. In fact, the most critically endangered sharks, including the blue shark, thresher shark, and oceanic whitetip shark, are classified as threatened because of their value to shark finners. The fins of these animals can fetch prices of up to $20,000 per fin. Unfortunately, the price only rises as the species become more rare.
It’s not only direct fishing that’s affecting sharks. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization more than a billion humans rely on fish as their primary food source, with as many as 4.3 billion relying on fish for 15 percent of their diet. The oceans are rapidly being depleted of fish and shellfish that sharks need in order to survive.
The nets and fishing lines intended for other species unintentionally kill sharks as well. This is called bycatch, and if affects everything from sea turtles to dolphins. It’s impossible to know the exact numbers of sharks humans kill each year, but estimates range from 100 million to more than 270 million sharks killed each year by humans. To put that in perspective, the conservative estimate of 100 million sharks killed by humans each averages out to be 11,417 sharks killed every hour. Only 10-15 people die worldwide from shark attacks each year on average.
So, yes, sharks are endangered.
“The Encyclopedia of Sharks” by Steve Parker
“Sharks: The Animal Answer Guide” by Gene Helfman and George H. Burgess
https://www.iucn.org/content/quarter-sharks-and-rays-threatened-extinction
http://www.sharktrust.org/en/conservation_status
http://www.sharktrust.org/en/shark_teeth_and_jaws
http://www.sharktrust.org/en/shark_liver_oil
http://www.sharktrust.org/en/shark_cartilage
http://www.sharks-world.com/sharks_endangered/
http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/biology/shark-and-ray-reproduction/
http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/X2352E/x2352e06.htm
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016578361400085X
http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/predation/predation.html
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/universal-pattern-governs-ratio-predators-prey/
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/82432/20150906/new-law-nature-determines-predator-prey-ratio-systematic-way-study.htm
https://www.skepticalscience.com/Can-animals-and-plants-adapt-to-global-warming.htm
https://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-little-ice-age-medieval-warm-period.htm
http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/11/30/marine-scientist-follows-hot-fish-as-they-move-to-cooler-waters/?hd&utm_campaign=2016-12-13+SFN&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Pew
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/extinction_events
https://www.skepticalscience.com/ocean-acidification-global-warming.htm
http://smallplanet.org/content/one-billion-people-depend-seafood-their-primary-protein-source
http://www.sharkproject.org/haiothek/index_e.php?site=gefahr_5
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/how-many-sharks-do-humans-kill-hour/
#sharks #endangered #IUCN #threatened #TSF
North Pacific Right Whale (Eubalaena japonica)
What is a shark skeleton made of?
Strangest shark bite in history
Why is shark skin so rough?
How do sharks find their prey?
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The Write Aspirations
The Blog of Matthew E Burkhardt, bibliophile and aspiring writer.
Review: Cast Member Confidential: A Disneyfied Memoir by Chris Mitchell
Cast Member Confidential by Chris Mitchell
Description (courtesy of Goodreads.com):
What do you do when everything in your life falls apart? If you're Chris Mitchell, you run away from home--all the way to Disney World, a place where no one ever dies--and employees, known as Cast Members, aren't allowed to frown. Mitchell shares the behind-the-scenes story of his year in the Mouse's army. From his own personal Disneyfication, to what really happens in the hidden tunnels beneath the Magic Kingdom and what not to eat at the Mousketeria, it was a year filled with more adventure--and surprises--than he could ever have "imagineered."
Funny and moving, Mitchell tracks his ascent through the backstage social hierarchy in which princesses rule, and his escapades in the "Ghetto" where Cast Members live and anything goes. Along the way, he unmasks the misfits and drop-outs, lifers and nomads who leave their demons at the stage door as they preserve the magic that draws millions to this famed fantasyland--the same magic that Mitchell seeks and ultimately finds in the last place he ever expected.
I recently decided that this year, I would take my tax refund and the extra pay I'll be getting for not using sick time and take a vacation to celebrate my 30th birthday, which is in July. I was considering either Universal Studios, because I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and wanted to check out the Wizarding World park, or Disney, because, aside from Disneyland Paris when I was eighteen, I haven't been to Disney in over twenty years.
Note: There are still spoilers below, not just for the book, but the inner workings of Disney World. Consider yourselves warned.
I had read about this book on Amazon, I think, when searching or books about Disney or some such thing. I downloaded a sample to my Kindle, expecting just a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's most iconic vacation spots.
Mitchell delivered on that front, describing in detail what it was like to be a professional photographer at Walt Disney World. He explained the theory of how Disney treats its guests and how ironclad a grip it has on things that go on within the park. He told stories of how as the new kid on campus he had to earn the trust of his fellow employees, who lived within a caste system based not only what their job was, but what type. Characters were the top the pyramid, but all-fur characters (such as Mickey) were beneath "face" characters, whose actual faces were on display. At the pinnacle, were the Disney Princesses.
Mitchell described the audition process and how characters are typed based on height and build. For example, because of height restrictions, most Mickey characters were female.
Although I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stuff (which was, after all, why I started reading in the first place) I was quickly invested in Mitchell as a character. We learn early on that his mother has been diagnosed with cancer and his parents are trying to keep it from him. He learns about this from his brother, from whom he is more or less estranged. He loses his job and his girlfriend. His reaction to it all is to go get a job at Disney World, the one place from his childhood that was sacred to him.
Mitchell gets a job in Disney's Animal Kingdom snapping photos of children with Disney characters, which are then sold to the parents at a high markup. At first he struggles a bit with fitting in with the Disney culture, and also with making friends with his co-workers.
He goes to some trouble before he does finally earn their respect, and rises fairly high in the social strata of the Disney caste system. Still, all that glitters is not gold, as they say. He eventually manages to lose both his job and his girlfriend (an "Ariel" named Calico who turned out not to be what she seemed). However, he does gain some valuable perspective, so although that was a hard blow for the reader, it didn't sink the ship for me.
There were a couple of spots where I could have used a little more fiction and a little less fact. For example, when it comes out that Calico has been false, even though he was warned about her from the start I would have liked to have seen a more gradual change in her character. She went from Ariel to Cruella DeVil too quickly.
Still, it's an enjoyable read with an engaging narrator who is dealt a rough hand and attempts to deal with it in the best way he can think of, and it came with an insider look at Walt Disney World.
monir hossain June 18, 2014 at 7:13 AM
Great write-up! Writing is a talent, and it must not be wasted. As with everything that we had been entrusted, we should let it grow and share it with the world.>self education resources
monir hossain June 18, 2014 at 11:10 AM
Great write-up! Writing is a talent, and it must not be wasted. As with everything that we had been entrusted, we should let it grow and share it with the world.>self directed education
Coffee and a Book Chick
Be Love. Travel. Embrace the Hippie Life.
Musings of a Bookshop Girl
Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon: Hours 17-20
Feeding my TV Addiction
Welcome to Feeding My TV Addiction
Feeding My Book Addiction
Review: Cast Member Confidential: A Disneyfied Mem...
Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Weekly Roundup: February 3, 2012
Review: Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Goodreads Challenge 2013
Matthew has read 6 books toward his goal of 24 books.
Goodreads Updates
View Matt Burkhardt's check-ins on GetGlue
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We bring healthcare to everyone
We enable anyone to play a role
We offer a new look at public health
You can’t stop what you can’t measure
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BRKG Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein Arrested For Sex Trafficking of Minors - 7/12 Alex Acosta Resigns!
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Thread: Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein Arrested For Sex Trafficking of Minors - 7/12 Alex Acosta Resigns!
TB Fanatic
South of Valhalla
Originally Posted by vestige
Rachel Chandler... whodat?
QAnon - A deeper look into Rachel (Ray) Chandler
Rachel Chandler will become a household name if the Judge in Jeffrey Epstein’s case unseals certain documents.
https://steemit.com/qanon/@escapefro...l-ray-chandler
Qanon March 22 – Who is Rachel Chandler?
https://prayingmedic.com/2019/03/22/...chel-chandler/
Deo adjuvante non timendum - With God Helping, Nothing is to be Feared
"You are like a pit-bull..." - Dennis Olson
"No man knows but that the last backward glance over his shoulder may be his last look, forever." - Ernie Pyle Born: 1900 KIA: 1945 Shima, Okinawa
Uppity Normal
https://nypost.com/2019/07/10/nypd-l...ign=SocialFlow
NYPD let convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein skip judge-ordered check-ins
By Elizabeth Rosner, Tina Moore, Larry Celona and Bruce Golding
July 10, 2019 | 9:19pm
Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein never once checked in with city cops in the eight-plus years since a Manhattan judge ordered him to do so every 90 days — and the NYPD says it’s fine with that.
After being labeled a worst-of-the-worst, “Level 3” sex offender in 2011, Epstein should have reported in person to verify his address 34 times before he was arrested Saturday on federal child sex-trafficking charges.
Violating requirements of the state’s 1996 Sex Offender Registration Act — including checking in with law enforcement — is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison for a first offense.
Subsequent violations carry a sentence of up to seven years each.
But the NYPD hasn’t required the multimillionaire financier — who owns a $77 million Upper East Side townhouse — to check in since he registered as a sex offender in New York over the controversial 2008 plea bargain he struck in Florida amid allegations he sexually abused scores of underage girls in his Palm Beach mansion.
Several current and former high-ranking NYPD officials were shocked to learn from The Post that the department had given Epstein a pass on his periodic check-ins, with one saying, “It makes no sense.”
“The NYPD can’t modify a court order,” a source said. “If the judge says he has to report here, he has to report here.”
Another source said Epstein was “supposed to go to SOMU,” an acronym for the NYPD’s Sex Offender Monitoring Unit, located in the Manhattan criminal courthouse at 100 Centre St.
“If he didn’t, then he’s in violation and they could have arrested him,” the source said.
The NYPD maintains that Epstein, 66, wasn’t required to check in with New York cops because he claims his primary residence is a private island, Little St. John, in the US Virgin Islands.
But State Supreme Court Justice Ruth Pickholz considered and rejected that very argument by defense lawyer Sandra Musumeci during the Jan. 18, 2011, hearing.
Musumeci insisted that Epstein wasn’t a “resident of New York” and that his seven-story townhouse at 9 East 71st St. was a “vacation home” at which he had no plans to ever stay “longer than a period 10 days.”
Pickholz insisted that Epstein would have to abide by the mandatory reporting requirements for Level 3 offenders.
“I am sorry he may have to come here every 90 days,” she said, according to an official transcript. “He can give up his New York home if he does not want to come every 90 days.”
That was the same hearing where, in a highly controversial move, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office tried to argue on Epstein’s behalf that he should be deemed a low-risk “Level 1” offender, which would have exempted him from the reporting requirements.
The DA’s Office has said that the prosecutor in that case — Jennifer Gaffney, who quit last year — “made a mistake” and that DA Cyrus Vance Jr. was unaware of it at the time.
In March, an NYPD spokeswoman told the Washington Post that Epstein never checked in following Pickholz’s ruling. Asked repeatedly about that admission this week, the NYPD declined comment.
Asked about her ruling, state court spokesman Lucian Chalfen said that Pickholz “stands by what was said in court, on the record, at the hearing and has had no further role in any type of enforcement. That’s not the court’s role.”
In addition to verifying a sex offender’s address, the 90-day check-ins allow cops to take a new photograph if the offender’s appearance has changed, so it can be updated online.
The NYPD cop assigned to monitor Epstein has repeatedly complained to Vance’s Sex Crimes Unit that Epstein wasn’t in compliance, according to a source familiar with the matter.
But prosecutors told the cop to merely send Epstein a letter, reminding him of his reporting requirement.
A Vance spokesman denied that allegation, saying “the NYPD — which is the agency responsible for monitoring SORA compliance — has repeatedly told us that Mr. Epstein was in full compliance with the law.”
“Our office vigorously prosecutes all failure-to-verify cases. Our prosecutors did not and would not discourage the NYPD from making an arrest,” Vance spokesman Danny Frost said.
NYPD spokesman Phillip Walzak said the SOMU “monitored Epstein while his reporting address was in New York City.”
“The NYPD is proud of its hard work alongside our federal partners to make the case against Epstein that lead to his arrest for his vile crimes, and that will ultimately bring justice for his victims.”
An NYPD spokesman added that this took place years ago, before much of the current leadership at NYPD was in place.
On TB every waking moment
Originally Posted by thompson
Merde.....
Bloomberg was mayor of NYC then. Hmmmm.
von Koehler
Fad saol agat, gob fliuch, agus bás in Éirinn!
Christianity is the estranged descendent of a bizarre Jewish apocalyptic cult.
Kein Krieg für Israel!
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Originally Posted by von Koehler
Dropping the Jewish part - why? With a name that ends in "ein" it's almost a given that they are Jewish. Even Weiner has a "ein" in his name and he's a pedophile too. Those Jews like the young thang. Watch "to Catch a Predator" on youtube. Chris Hansen asked a predator "what are you doing here?" What do you do for a living? "I'm a rabbi." There were 2 rabbis arrested, and many teachers.
People create their own questions because they are afraid to look straight. All you have to do is look straight and see the road, and when you see it, don't sit looking at it - walk. Ayn Rand
Bubble Head
My guess about the Jewish Temple on Epstein Island is for the practice of Kabbalah. Ancient Jewish dark rituals.. Used heavily in Middle Ages. Not of the Tora. We are talking very dark rituals to gain power. This would fit in with him and his clients life style. Reason to remove the connection to him being Jewish. Just my guess.
"They wanted to be left alone to face challenges head-on, and to prosper from their own hard work and ingenuity...harsh country tends to produce strong people."-John Erickson
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-...court-document
Epstein Sold 'Lolita Express' Weeks Before Arrest: Court Document
A curious footnote has appeared in a court filing by Jeffrey Epstein's attorneys suggesting that the registered sex offender sold his infamous Boeing 727-200 weeks before his Satuday arrest on suspicion of sex-trafficking minors.
While arguing for why Epstein should be allowed to remain under house arrest pending trial, his attorneys made the case that the wealthy financier would "deregister or otherwise ground his private jet," with the footnote reading "Mr. Epstein owns one private jet. He sold the other jet in June 2019," placing the sale just weeks before his July 6 arrest upon his return from Paris in his Gulfstream G550 according to Bloomberg.
On other words, it looks like the financier unloaded the potentially 'evidence-rich' aircraft - said to have had a bed installed where passengers reportedly had group sex with young girls - right before the hammer came down.
According to investigative journalist Conchita Sarnoff - who first revealed the former president's extensive flights on Epstein's "lolita express" in a 2010 Daily Beast exposé - former president Bill Clinton flew on the 'lolita express' no fewer than 27 times.
Clinton claimed in a Monday statement that he only took "a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein's airplane" in 2002 and 2003, and that Secret Service accompanied him at all times - which Sarnoff told Fox News was a total lie.
Other famous guests include actor Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker, who flew with Clinton to Africa to tour HIV/AIDS project sites, according to New York Magazine in 2002, which notes how much Epstein revered the former president.
In his eyes, Clinton as a species represents the highest evolutionary form of the political animal. To be up close to him, as he was during the African journey, is akin to seeing the rarest of beasts on a safari. As he put it to a friend upon his return from Africa, “If you were a boxer at the downtown gymnasium at 14th Street and Mike Tyson walked in, your face would have the same look as these foreign leaders had when Clinton entered the room. He is the world’s greatest politician.” -New York Magazine
Epstein's 'timely' sale of the Lolita Express begs the question of what he may have known, and when he knew it. Notably, following a series of reports by the Miami Herald, the Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) in February opened a probe into Epstein's 2008 'sweetheart' plea arrangement brokered by current Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta.
Timely airplane sales aside, several questions remain to be answered - including a better understanding of Epstein's relationship with the FBI, and exactly what resulted in his 'sweetheart' plea deal in 2008.
Looks like we have an answer on Epstein's cooperation with the FBI/DOJ, thanks to great reporting by @MiamiHerald
The DOJ wanted to prosecute executives instead of a child molester.
DOJ priorities. pic.twitter.com/G5wzyac5aK
Fringe Ranger
Originally Posted by Bubble Head
Ancient Jewish dark rituals.. Used heavily in Middle Ages. Not of the Tora. We are talking very dark rituals to gain power.
What higher power would these be directed towards? What sort of rituals?
Better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.
TB2K Girls with Guns
A Socialist State
Fair use...
Justice Department Sat on Mountain of Epstein Evidence for 10 Years
By Wilson Miller - July 11, 2019 Updated: July 11, 2019
At the press conference announcing the indictment of Jeffrey Epstein, a reporter asked U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman if new evidence played any role. Berman gave a hat tip to investigative journalists who followed the case after Epstein was handed a sweetheart plea deal when he was prosecuted for sex crimes more than a decade ago.
“We were assisted from some excellent investigative journalism,” Berman said.
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, who was involved in Epstein’s plea deal as a federal prosecutor, referenced “new evidence” in a Twitter message the following day.
“The crimes committed by Epstein are horrific, and I am pleased that NY prosecutors are moving forward with a case based on new evidence,” Acosta wrote. “Now that new evidence and additional testimony is available, the NY prosecution offers an important opportunity to more fully bring him to justice.”
Perhaps in an effort to control the damage, Acosta conducted a press conference, at which he repeated his claim that “they’ve brought these charges on new evidence.”
“New evidence.” An “assist” from journalists. Don’t believe it.
The New York prosecutors didn’t take action after reading a newspaper article about a game-changing piece of evidence. Compare the 2007 non-prosecution agreement with the new indictment. Both address sex trafficking of children. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has been sitting on mountains of evidence confirming Epstein’s abuse of young girls for more than 10 years.
The “assist” was instead a wave of public outrage upon the discovery of how the Justice Department and Florida prosecutors protected a child sex offender with a lenient plea deal, hid the details from the victims and the public, and failed to prosecute the women who helped Epstein find, groom, and exploit children.
What did the Justice Department have on Epstein? The answers can be found in a 2008 lawsuit in which two of Epstein’s alleged victims in Doe v. U.S. sued the United States for violating their rights under the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act. In particular, they claimed the government violated their right to confer during the negotiation of the non-prosecution agreement and failed to inform the victims that Epstein’s state plea would end the federal case. The victims also claimed the government “violated their right to be treated with fairness” by concealing the non-prosecution agreement.
Judge Kenneth Marra sided with the victims on Feb. 21, ruling that the Justice Department violated the victims’ rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. The opinion (pdf) set forth the DOJ’s conspiracy with Epstein’s lawyers to deceive the victims. Some of those who participated in the plea deal at the local level have offered justifications. As the Miami Herald’s Julie Brown reported:
“Assistant U.S. Attorney [Marie] Villafaña, in court papers, said that prosecutors used their ‘best efforts’ to comply with the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, but exercised their ‘prosecutorial discretion’ when they chose not to notify the victims.
“The reasoning went like this: The non-prosecution deal had a restitution clause that provided the girls a chance to seek compensation from Epstein. Had the deal fallen through, necessitating a trial, Epstein’s lawyers might have used the prior restitution clause to undermine the girls’ credibility as witnesses, by claiming they had exaggerated Epstein’s behavior in hopes of cashing in.” [Lame. ]
These excuses fall flat. The volume of evidence that the DOJ had on Epstein and his criminal enterprise was extensive. For example, privilege logs filed by the prosecutors in the Doe case show they had records covering every part of Epstein’s life, including his finances, corporate records, flight logs, and phone calls with conspirators.
When it came to the victims, the evidence was overwhelming. The DOJ had an FBI file entitled “Summary of Sexual Activity,” containing an analysis of victim-specific information. This included a chart showing phone calls, travel, and grand jury evidence relevant to possible charges. Records show this involved at least nine potential victims. The DOJ was also in possession of FBI reports of interviews of victims and witnesses in New York back in March 2008.
Court records also revealed the DOJ had jury transcripts, witness and victim interviews, investigative files from the State of Florida and the Palm Beach Police Department, and records on potential co-conspirators.
The evidence was there. What was missing was the institutional desire to prosecute child sexual abuse. The institutions failed the victims. And the media has failed the public by not demanding those in power answer a simple question: “Why?”
The answer to that question lies with the Department of Justice headquarters, also known as “main Justice.” They knew. Epstein’s criminal defense lawyer Alan Dershowitz has stated that the plea deal “went through numerous levels of approval at main Justice.”
The involvement of main Justice was confirmed in the court’s Feb. 21 opinion, which states “any requirement that Epstein carry out his obligations under the [non-prosecution agreement] was delayed while he sought higher-level review within the Justice Department.”
Further corroboration was provided by Acosta at his July 10 press conference, where he stated that people from main Justice were involved early in the development of the Epstein case and were aware of its progression. Acosta declined to state who at main Justice was involved in the Epstein case. I have names.
Court records show that post-plea-deal decisions went up to Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip, who, according to one former DOJ official, has a stellar reputation. Filip was informed of reasons to approve the continued prosecution of Epstein if he didn’t comply with the non-prosecution agreement. Judge Marra noted that Filip reviewed the Epstein matter and determined that federal prosecution of Epstein was appropriate if he did not “comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement.”
Another high-level Department of Justice official who had his fingerprints on the case is Andrew Oosterbaan, then-chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. A privilege log filed on June 23, 2015, references several emails from 2007 between the Florida federal prosecutors and Oosterbaan regarding an “Epstein meeting” and “changes to the draft indictment and status of plea negotiations.”
The same document shows emails from 2008 with Oosterbaan concerning a “continued delay in presenting case to grand jury due to failure to receive decision from D.C., the status of grand jury presentation and ongoing investigation” and a “meeting in DC” concerning the case.
Additionally, these records appear to show Epstein’s attorneys reached out to Andy Lourie in May 2007 to arrange a meeting to discuss the Epstein investigation. [B]Lourie was the acting chief of the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division in Washington in 2006, before becoming the acting principal deputy assistant attorney general and chief of staff to the Criminal Division by 2007. In 2007, he was also an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida. Lourie was kept in the loop on possible federal coercion and enticement charges, proposed changes to the indictment, “finalizing details with State Attorney’s Office,” and “final revisions to indictment package.”
There are also notations of 2007 emails from Florida federal prosecutors to Myesha Braden, who was serving as a trial attorney for the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, regarding securing a pre-indictment consultation contract. This correspondence took place months before Epstein signed the non-prosecution agreement.
In other words, main Justice was well-informed with the investigation and status of the case.
The involvement of main Justice raises the question of who made the ultimate decision on Epstein’s sweetheart deal. Was Acosta following orders from main Justice? If so, who issued the orders and how high did it go? Who did Filip and Oosterbaan report to?
And why did main Justice have such an interest in a South Florida child sex offender?
This quote from Acosta, cited in a July 9, 2019, Daily Beast article, may provide the answer: “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone.”
https://www.theepochtimes.com/justic...s_2996970.html
Don't just go to church. BE THE CHURCH!
What this information tells me is Epstein has known for months that he was going to be arrested. He sold the Lolita Express and waited for his cue to come in. Who are they really after and how much evidence was destroyed? Am I missing something?
TammyinWI
Madonna has been connected to this, as well...kabbalah, that is. It is not Biblical, but mystical, and dark, yes.
Proverbs 11:20 God can’t stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity.
intothatgoodnight
Originally Posted by Plain Jane
Assuming that Epstein is, indeed, **somebody's** intelligence asset, then his "folks" were "clued," likely some time ago, and guided Epstein accordingly - after all, snooping is what intelligence agencies DO . . .
intothegoodnight
"Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
— Dylan Thomas, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"
northern watch
Ex-Israeli premier plays down relationship with Epstein
JERUSALEM — July 11, 2019, 2:03 PM ET
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is playing down his ties with Jeffrey Epstein — the U.S. financier jailed on sex-trafficking charges.
Barak's connection with Epstein has emerged in Israel just days after the 78-year-old former premier announced his political comeback in a bid to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to U.S. tax records, Barak received some $2 million in grants last decade from the Wexner Foundation — a philanthropic organization that supports Jewish causes founded by U.S. billionaire Leslie Wexner.
The documents say the grants were for unspecified "research." At the time of the grants, Epstein was a trustee of the foundation. Netanyahu has accused the media of remaining "silent" about the matter.
In a radio interview Thursday, Barak said he met Epstein several times, but said he "didn't support me or pay me."
He said he has met many people over the years, some of whom turned out to be involved in "problematic things," including Harvey Weinstein.
"I also met Netanyahu," he quipped. Israel's attorney general has recommended criminal charges against Netanyahu in a series of corruption cases.
The Wexner Foundation did not immediately respond to queries seeking comment.
https://abcnews.go.com/International...rticleroll_hed
TBonz
Containment Area for Relocated Yankees - former Pittsburgher
Great. If he's in any way connected to intel, he'll skate.
No good deed ever goes unpunished.
The old adage of: Bullshit walks and money talks will be tested in Epstein's case. My guess is that: "Money WALKS". It will be interesting to see exactly where this whole thing goes and exactly who else will be implicated as a result.
I would not be surprised that somehow, someway Epstein gets off or gets another slap on the hand. "IF" all the names that have been dropped, like Clinton and Prince Andrew, etc., get drawn into the fray things could get dicey. Of course Epstein could end up being the sacrificial goat.....or.....ARKANCIDED, which would not surprise me at all.
Time will tell. This could get really really interesting.
We have done so much, with so little, for so long....We can now do anything, with nothing, forever.
Paleo-Conservative
WI - On the scene, like a sex machine.
Epstein's first casualty is the federal prosecutor who gave Epstein the infamous sweetheart plea deal.
Fair Use Cited
Labor Secretary Acosta announces he will step down, amid criticism over Epstein plea deal
By Adam Shaw, Brooke Singman | Fox News
Published 1 hour ago
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta said Friday he will be stepping down over his past involvement in a highly controversial plea deal for financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is now facing sex trafficking charges.
Acosta and President Trump revealed the secretary’s decision Friday morning during remarks to reporters outside the White House. Acosta said he submitted his resignation to the president that morning and would resign from his post next week.
"Over the last week, I've seen a lot of coverage about the Department of Labor," Acosta said, noting the reports have been related to the Epstein controversy and not success at the agency. "I do not think it is right and fair for this administration's Labor Department to have Epstein as the focus rather than the incredible economy we have today."
"I called the president today ... I submitted my resignation," Acosta said. "It would be selfish for me to stay in this position and continue talking about a case that is 12 years old rather than the incredible economy we have today."
Acosta came under heavy fire this week for his role as U.S. attorney for Florida in securing a plea deal for Epstein that resulted in an 18-month sentence — he served just 13 months.
The deal was criticized as lenient because Epstein could have faced a life sentence. Acosta negotiated a deal that resulted in two state solicitation charges, but no federal charges.
Epstein was charged this week with sex trafficking and conspiracy during the early 2000s based on new evidence. Epstein pleaded not guilty on Monday in New York City federal court.
The president, though, underscored that it was Acosta's decision to resign from his post, and touted his work in the administration.
"Alexander is a great labor secretary -- not a good labor secretary," he said. "There is no need at all, as far as I'm concerned...This is a person that I've gotten to know. There hasn't been an ounce of controversy at the Department of Labor."
Trump added: "He's doing this not for himself. He's doing this for the administration. I said, 'You don't have to do this.' He doesn't have to do this."
Trump announced that deputy secretary of Labor, Pat Pizzella, will take over the agency as acting secretary.
Trump, who was said to have been friends with Epstein, added that he "was not a fan" of him and has not spoken to him in 15 years.
"I wasn't a big fan of Epstein. That I can tell you," he said. "I will say this and say it again. I say it loud and clear. Alex Acosta was a great secretary of labor."
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Monday for Acosta to step down over what she called an “unconscionable agreement” with Epstein, and was soon joined by a chorus of other top-ranking congressional Democrats.
Meanwhile, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee wrote to Acosta on Wednesday inviting him to testify at a July 23 hearing that will examine his actions related to Epstein.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., was the first 2020 Democrat to react to Acosta’s resignation, tweeting: “Good riddance.”
Acosta defended himself Wednesday in a press conference, in which he said that his office fought for a tougher punishment after state prosecutors were ready to let him walk free,
“Simply put, the Palm Beach state attorney’s office was ready to let Epstein walk free, no jail time,” he said. “Prosecutors in my former office found this to be completely unacceptable.”
Acosta argued that it was his office that secured jail time, restitution and for Epstein to register as a sex offender.
“We believe that we proceeded appropriately, that's based on evidence, not just my opinion... there was value to getting a guilty plea and having him register,” he said.
Barry Krischer, the Palm Beach County state attorney at the time, responded later Wednesday: “I can emphatically state that Mr. Acosta’s recollection of this matter is completely wrong. Federal prosecutors do not take a back seat to state prosecutors. That’s not how the system works in the real world.”
He continued, “If Mr. Acosta was truly concerned with the State’s case and felt he had to rescue the matter, he would have moved forward with the 53-page indictment that his own office drafted.”
Still, Acosta said the accusations against Epstein were “despicable” and his alleged crimes “absolutely deserve a stiffer sentence.”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lab...lans-to-resign
"The most intriguing point for the historian is that where history and legend meet."
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who think they are free."
Jeffrey Epstein donations favored Democrats, including Chuck Schumer
By Rowan Scarborough - The Washington Times - Thursday, July 11, 2019
Convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein handed out thousands of dollars in the 1990s, mostly to Democrats and their party, but he stopped campaign donations in the early 2000s as Florida was probing accusations involving teenage and underage girls.
Federal election records show he gave to 26 Democrats and three Republicans in the 1990s. He also gave to the Democrats’ Senate and House campaign arms.
The billionaire investor hobnobbed with New York’s wealthy and the nation’s powerful. He hosted former President Bill Clinton on a number of flights in his private jet and socialized with real estate developer Donald Trump. Media stars and entertainers were among his dinner guests at his Upper East Side mansion overlooking Central Park.
Mr. Epstein was indicted by a New York grand jury this week on child sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges and was forced to register as a sex offender permanently.
The list of Epstein-funded Democrats is a who’s who of the 1990s: Sens. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico; Joe Lieberman and Chris Dodd of Connecticut; Bill Bradley of New Jersey; Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York; Mark Pryor of Arkansas; and John Glenn of Ohio.
Sen. Charles E.Schumer of New York, now Senate minority leader, received $4,000 from him in two election cycles.
Mr. Epstein also gave $29,000 to Democrats’ senatorial campaign operation and $25,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
Some campaigns have been returning his money. Last year, the Democratic Congressional Campaign committee sent back $10,000, and the Dodd and Moynihan campaigns have each returned $1,000.
Stacy Plaskett, the delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands where Mr. Epstein owns an island the locals nicknamed “Pedophile Island,” received three donations of $2,700 each from 2016 to 2018.
She first said she planned to keep the donations but later committed to handing the money back.
Epstein lists his employment history as Wexner Investments, where he worked as a money manager; Financial Trust Co., his holding in the Virgin Islands; J. Epstein and Co.; and “self financier.”
How he assembled his fortune is somewhat of a mystery. After leaving Wexner in the 1980s, he became a one-man hedge fund under Financial Trust.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...=1562881413694
Originally Posted by TBonz
At this point, considering all the tendrils leading back to him, as I've noted before Epstein is very likely to assume room temperature, particularly if he's got Intel connections at this point.
Doomer Doug
Beaverland
Housecarl, can you say Arkcanicide? Yep, Epstein is now in full deal mode and depending on how corrupt Cpmey's daughter is, the answer is very, he may be DOA by Monday. ON the other hand, Doomer Doug nailed it when he said that Acosta was "road kill." You reach a point where the corrupt is so vast, and so not able to be covered up, you can't. Epstein is at that level now. The NYPD, the FBI, and DOJ covered up Weiner, which makes it impossible to cover up Epstein. My next prediction is the Markist Democrats that got money from Epstein, like Schumer etc are next on the road kill menu.
It is a good day, Housecarl, for the hand of the Lord is heavy on the evil here in the USA, and the screams of the little children have been heard on high and ires dei is now fully underway. What a piece of scum Epstein is, they all are. This is only the first taste of the judgment coming upon America for abusing children.
Doomer Doug, a.k.a. Doug McIntosh now has a blog at www.doomerdoug.wordpress.com
My end of the world e book "Day of the Dogs" is available for sale at the following url
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007BRLFYU
PRNJ
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...drew-2010.html
How Prince Andrew partied with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein at billionaire's infamous $77m Manhattan mansion - just months AFTER end of his soft sentence for soliciting young girls for sex
Prince Andrew was a guest at Jeffrey Epstein's home in December 2010, according to a party-goer
British royal was hosted by the convicted pedophile at his Manhattan mansion - just months after his release from prison
Shamed pedophile was jailed after pleading guilty to soliciting girls as young as 14 for sex in 2008
After serving a 13-month sentence Epstein invited the Duke of York to his New York home for four days in December 2010
During that time he hosted the intimate gathering with guests including Katie Couric, Chelsea Handler and George Stephanopolous
That month an embarrassing photo was taken showing Andrew and Epstein strolling in Central Park that made headlines around the world
Buckingham Palace today said Andrew has not seen Epstein since that photograph was taken
By James Nye For Dailymail.com
Prince Andrew partied with his pedophile companion Jeffrey Epstein at the billionaire's $77million Manhattan mansion - just weeks after the shamed businessman was released from jail, DailyMail.com can reveal.
Epstein, hosted the bash in The Duke of York's honour as the Prince stayed at his home for four days in December 2010.
The 66-year-old hedge fund tycoon invited Andrew to stay after he had been released from prison in July following a 13-month prison term for soliciting girls as young as 14 for sex.
After his release and a year of house arrest in Palm Beach, Florida, Epstein hosted the star-studded dinner party in honor of his friend at his 71st Street mansion in New York, the same property raided by the FBI this week.
Prince Andrew is pictured with pedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein as the men stroll around Central Park in December 2010
Virginia Giuffre formerly Roberts, now 35, (pictured with Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001) says she thinks the Duke of York could give evidence in the case against Epstein
Billionaire Epstein hosted a party attended by Prince Andrew at his infamous $77m (above) Manhattan mansion in December 2010 - months after his release from a 13 month jail sentence
Guests at the intimate Manhattan townhouse soiree of around 15 people included Woody Allen, CBS anchor Katie Couric, Charlie Rose, Chelsea Handler and George Stephanopoulos.
It was just two months after the engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton and the main topic of conversation was the forthcoming wedding of the future Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in London that coming April.
The hedge fund tycoon, 66, invited Andrew to stay after he had been released from prison in the July following a 13-month prison term for soliciting girls as young as 14 for sex
According to reports, Ms Couric recalled telling Andrew she would be broadcasting live from outside Westminster Abbey for the wedding and asked: 'If I mail your BlackBerry, will you give me the details on what is happening inside?'
The intimate get-together was hosted in the same month an embarrassing photo was taken showing Andrew deep in conversation with shamed Epstein as they strolled through Central Park.
The picture was published in February the following year and made headlines around the world, with questions being raised over the Duke's judgement in associating himself with the high-profile sex abuser.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace today insisted that the Prince, who had previously holidayed with Epstein in Thailand and invited him for stays at Windsor Castle and the Queen's country residence Sandringham, had not seen the pedophile since that photo was taken.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace today told DailyMail.com: 'The Duke of York has not visited any home of Mr Epstein or met with him since December 2010 when the photograph in Central Park was taken.'
The mansion on the Upper East Side is the now notorious home where just this past weekend federal agents and members of the NYPD removed thousands of images and photographs depicting nude women – a number of which appeared to be of underage females according to prosecutors for the Southern District of New York
Katie Couric was said to have been one of around 20 guests at the party and recalled speaking to Andrew about Prince William's wedding, according to reports
George Stephanopolous (above) was also said to have been invited to the intimate soiree where guests were served lasagna and given a tour of the property
Katie Couric and George Stephanopolous were said to be both guests alongside Prince Andrew at the party said to have been organised by Epstein's long-time friend Peggy Siegal
He pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges on Monday and the 66-year-old is accused of abusing dozens of underage girls as young as 14 and could face up to 45 years in jail.
The party thrown for the royal was put together by Peggy Siegal according to The Daily Beast, a longtime friend of Epstein who just a few months prior had also planned a Yom Kippur Break Fast at Epstein's home that was attended by a number of socialites and their families.
It is said that Siegal had organized the event as a chance to meet Andrew according to another individual close to Epstein and the guests, just a few months after the Duke of York's nephew Prince William had proposed to his girlfriend Catherine Middleton.
That same person noted that Siegal is the preeminent host of awards season bashes in New York City, suggesting that likely played a large role in the turn-out that evening.
It was a low-key affair despite the A-list guests reports The Hollywood Reporter, with the crowd dining on lasagna and Epstein outfitting himself in jeans and a pair of velvet Stubbs & Wootton slippers.
And adding to the sense of growing embarrassment for the British prince, one woman who claimed she worked as a 'sex slave' for Jeffrey Epstein said she thinks the royal could help prosecutors prosecute the billionaire sex offender.
Virginia Giuffre, now 35, says she thinks Prince Andrew could give evidence in the case against Epstein.
But David Boies, her attorney has admitted that the Duke would most likely refuse to help US prosecutors.
And he says that US investigators have no ability to compel him to testify.
In this courtroom artist's sketch, defendant Epstein, center, sits with attorneys Martin Weinberg, left, and Marc Fernich during his arraignment in NY federal court on July 8, 2019
Giuffre, who was previously Virigina Roberts, has alleged she was one of a number of young girls abused by Epstein when she was a teenager.
She alleged in court papers that she slept with Prince Andrew, but these allegations were dismissed by a US judge and were struck from the record.
For his part, Prince Andrew has denied any involvement with Giuffre.
Buckingham Palace also issued on the record statements in January 2015 denying the allegations.
'Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue' and 'it is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. The allegations made are false and without any foundation,' it said.
Now living in Australia, she spoke out yesterday for the first time since Epstein was arrested.
In a statement issued by Mr Boies' law firm, Mrs Giuffre said: 'I am deeply pleased that federal prosecutors in New York have arrested Jeffrey Epstein and are on the case in a serious way.'
The indictment filed in New York earlier this week accuses Epstein of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them at his homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York from 2002 through 2005.
The charges carry the potential for up to 45 years in prison.
His once-secret agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida has been widely criticized as a sweetheart deal.
The criticism has fallen heavily on Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who was the U.S. attorney in Miami at the time of the agreement.
Epstein's arrest has drawn attention to his past friendships with powerful people, including Donald Trump before he became president and former President Bill Clinton. Both have recently said they haven't seen Epstein in years and didn't know about any misconduct.
On Thursday, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak also sought to distance himself from Epstein after U.S. tax records emerged that Barak received some $2 million in grants last decade from the Wexner Foundation. At the time of the grants, Epstein was a trustee of the foundation.
In a radio interview, Barak said he met Epstein several times but said he 'didn't support me or pay me.'
Epstein finances to be kept secret ahead of bail hearing
NEW YORK — July 12, 2019, 1:18 PM ET
Information that could shed light on jailed financier Jeffrey Epstein's wealth will be kept secret ahead of a Monday bail hearing in his sex trafficking case in New York, a judge has ruled.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said Friday that Epstein's lawyers can file documents related to his finances under seal, keeping them out of the public docket.
Prosecutors complained to Berman in a letter on Thursday that Epstein's lawyers hadn't filed the paperwork, making it impossible to "meaningfully respond" to their argument that he should be held on house arrest pending trial.
Berman rejected prosecutors' request for more time to file their response. It's due by 5 p.m. Friday.
The judge hand wrote his denial on a copy of the prosecution letter. "Hard to imagine it would take the Govt extra time to review submission," Berman wrote.
Epstein, 66, pleaded not guilty this week to charges alleging he recruited and abused dozens of underage girls at his mansions in New York and Palm Beach, Florida, in the early 2000s.
The case is being brought more than a decade after Epstein secretly cut a deal with prosecutors to dispose of nearly identical allegations.
The 2008 non-prosecution agreement allowed Epstein to plead guilty to state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution instead of facing federal charges. He served 13 months in jail, was required to reach financial settlements with dozens of his alleged victims and register as a sex offender.
Prosecutors in the case in New York argue that Epstein is a significant flight risk and want him held without bail pending trial. They say he has three active U.S. passports and has frequently traveled in and out of the country on his private jet.
Epstein's lawyers favor house arrest with electronic monitoring at his $77 million Manhattan mansion, saying prosecutors were making a "drastic demand" asking that he be jailed until trial.
In a court filing, Epstein's lawyers argued that he had long lived with the fear that federal prosecutors might pursue sexual abuse charges against him again and had never sought to flee the country.
The new charges have brought renewed attention to Epstein. On Friday, the New Mexico attorney general's office said it was investigating charges against the financier, who owns a ranch south of Santa Fe. The office is interviewing people who say they were victims of Epstein and plans to forward any evidence to federal authorities, spokesman Matt Baca said in an emailed statement.
An email seeking comment was sent to a lawyer for Epstein.
Epstein's Lawyers Request Home Detention in $77M NYC Mansion for Accused Child Sex Trafficker
NEW YORK (AP) — Financier Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyers, seeking bail for their client, said Thursday that the accused sex trafficker of underage girls had long lived with the fear that federal prosecutors might pursue sexual abuse charges against him again — and yet had never sought to flee the country.
Epstein, 66, was arrested Saturday night in New Jersey as he arrived from Paris and now faces sex trafficking charges alleging he abused dozens of underage girls in Florida and New York in the early 2000s. His lawyers have argued that a non-prosecution agreement made more than a decade ago with federal prosecutors covers the same ground as the new charges.
He pleaded not guilty Monday, and a judge asked defense lawyers and prosecutors to submit their bail arguments prior to a hearing next week.
His lawyers recommended house arrest in Epstein’s $77 million Manhattan mansion and electronic monitoring as they countered what they described as a “drastic demand” by prosecutors that he be detained until trial.
They said their client was willing to offer the Manhattan property as collateral while he lives there, along with his private jet, which would be grounded, as he fights the charges.
In seeking detention, prosecutors said a trove of what seemed to be nude pictures of underage girls was found in his mansion after his arrest on charges that he sexually exploited and abused underage girls.
In their submission in Manhattan federal court, lawyers said Epstein always knew federal authorities might renege on a non-prosecution deal signed in 2007, under which Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida, served a 13-month jail sentence and registered as a sex offender.
“Indeed, Mr. Epstein feared the toxic political climate might tempt the government to try and end-run the NPA — yet continually returned home from travel abroad, fully prepared to vindicate his rights under the agreement and otherwise mount a full-throated defense,” they wrote.
The lawyers also said Epstein was in “perfect compliance” with sex offender registration requirements.
The defense also gave some insight into arguments they might eventually use at future hearings and at trial, saying that the accusations against Epstein are “outside the margins of federal criminal law” and don’t constitute sex trafficking since there were no allegations he “trafficked anybody for commercial profit; that he forced, coerced, defrauded, or enslaved anybody.”
Late Thursday, Epstein’s lawyers also asked for permission to file his financial disclosure under seal, citing the “exceptional amount of publicity that has been generated by this case, much of which relates specifically to his finances.” The judge did not immediately rule.
The indictment filed in New York accuses Epstein of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash for massages and then molesting them at his homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York from 2002 through 2005. The charges carry the potential for up to 45 years in prison.
Since the charges were filed, a woman has come forward to say Epstein raped her at his New York mansion when she was 15. Epstein’s attorneys have not responded to that accusation, and prosecutors declined to comment on it.
A massage therapist who says she traveled to one of Epstein’s private Caribbean islands to work dozens of times in the early 2000s told The Associated Press that she saw “nothing out of the ordinary” there.
She said she saw girls there on two occasions: One girl appeared to be 16 or 17 and excitedly rode around the island on an ATV. She glimpsed another girl hurrying from Epstein’s house to a nearby cottage.
The woman spoke on condition of being identified only by her initials, H.W., because she feared losing business.
H.W., who was then in her 50s, said she was never asked to do anything improper and didn’t make anything of seeing the girls on Little St. James Island, Epstein’s main retreat in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Several employees who worked on Epstein’s property have refused to talk because they signed non-disclosure agreements.
The once-secret agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida has been widely criticized as a sweetheart deal. The criticism has fallen heavily on Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who was the U.S. attorney in Miami at the time of the agreement.
Members of a House Judiciary subcommittee sent a letter to the Justice Department on Thursday requesting a briefing on the agreement.
Epstein’s arrest has drawn attention to his past friendships with powerful people, including Donald Trump before he became president and former President Bill Clinton. Both have recently said they haven’t seen Epstein in years and didn’t know about any misconduct.
In a radio interview, Barak said he met Epstein several times but said he “didn’t support me or pay me.”
Associated Press writer Dánica Coto contributed to this report from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2...ex-trafficker/
Mr. Epstein feared the toxic political climate
Oh good, it's Trump's fault.
Blacknarwhal
Originally Posted by bw
Why, haven't you heard? Absolutely everything is!
Translation: Hitlery isn’t in the WH to make everything go away.
That IS Trump’s fault, you know?
MinnesotaSmith
From over at Heartiste on Gab...
https://gab.com/Heartiste
Bunch of pictures of the place:
https://twitter.com/man_obvious/stat...33509689057286
Proud member Alt-Right group "Scientists For Trump". (Smart Americans know he's right.)
A man should only take a wife whose Bible includes Genesis, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Colossians, Malachi, Isaiah, Ephesians, Corinthians, Hebrews, Timothy, Titus, Proverbs, Mark, Peter & Revelation. Ecclesiastes 7:28 (NIV) tells him the odds.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019...was-doing.html
Long before Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution charges in Florida more than a decade ago, his fellow Palm Beach resident and hedge-fund manager Douglas Kass was intrigued by the local gossip about his neighbor.
“I’m hearing about the parties, hearing about a guy who’s throwing money around,” says Kass, president of Seabreeze Partners Management. While stories about young girls swarming Epstein’s waterfront mansion and the sex parties he hosted for the rich and powerful were the talk of the town, Kass was more focused on how this obscure person, rumored to be managing billions of dollars, had become so wealthy without much of a track record.
Kass was well-connected on Wall Street, where he’d worked for decades, so he began to ask around. “I went to my institutional brokers, to their trading desks and asked if they ever traded with him. I did it a few times until the date when he was arrested,” he recalls. “Not one institutional trading desk, primary or secondary, had ever traded with Epstein’s firm.”
When a reporter came to interview Kass about Bernie Madoff shortly before that firm blew up in the biggest Ponzi scheme ever, Kass told her, “There’s another guy who reminds me of Madoff that no one trades with.” That man was Jeffrey Epstein.
“How did he get the money?” Kass kept asking.
For decades, Epstein has been credulously described as a big-time hedge-fund manager and a billionaire, even though there’s not a lot of evidence that he is either. There appears little chance the public is going to get definitive answers anytime soon. In a July 11 letter to the New York federal judge overseeing Epstein’s sex-trafficking case, Epstein’s attorney offered to provide “sealed disclosures” about Epstein’s finances to determine the size of the bond he would need to post to secure his release from jail pending trial. His brother, Mark, and a friend even offered to chip in if necessary.
Naturally, this air of mystery has especially piqued the interest of real-life, non-pretend hedge-funders. If this guy wasn’t playing their game — and they seem pretty sure he was not — what game was he playing? Intelligencer spoke to several prominent hedge-fund managers to get a read on what their practiced eyes are detecting in all the new information that is coming to light about Epstein in the wake of his indictment by federal prosecutors in New York. Most saw signs of something unsavory at the heart of his business model.
To begin with, there is much skepticism among the hedgies Intelligencer spoke with that Epstein made the money he has — and he appears to have a lot, given a lavish portfolio of homes and private aircraft — as a traditional money manager. A fund manager who knows well how that kind of fortune is acquired notes, “It’s hard to make a billion dollars quietly.” Epstein never made a peep in the financial world.
Epstein was also missing another key element of a typical thriving hedge fund: investors. Kass couldn’t find any beyond Epstein’s one well-publicized client, retail magnate Les Wexner — nor could other players in the hedge-fund world who undertook similar snooping. “I don’t know anyone who’s ever invested in him; he’s never talked about by any of the allocators,” says one billionaire hedge-fund manager, referring to firms that distribute large pools of money among various funds.
Epstein’s spotty professional history has also drawn a lot of attention in recent days, and Kass says it was one of the first things that raised his suspicions years ago. Now 66, Epstein didn’t come from money and never graduated from college, yet he landed a teaching job at a fancy private school (“unheard of,” says Kass) and rose through the ranks in the early 1980s at investment bank Bear Stearns. Within no time, Kass notes, Epstein was made a partner of the firm — and then was promptly and unceremoniously ousted. (Epstein reportedly left the firm following a minor securities violation.) Despite this “squishy work experience,” as Kass puts it, at some point after his quick exit, Epstein launched his own hedge fund, J. Epstein & Co., later renamed Financial Trust Co. Along the way, he began peddling the improbable narrative that he was so selective he would only work with billionaires.
Oddly, Epstein also claimed to do all the investing by himself while his 150 employees all worked in the back office — which Kass says reminds him of Madoff’s cover story. Though it now appears that Epstein had many fewer employees than he claimed, according to the New York Times:
Thomas Volscho, a sociology professor at the College of Staten Island who has been researching for a book on Mr. Epstein, recently obtained [a 2002 disclosure] form, which shows [Epstein’s] Financial Trust had $88 million in contributions from shareholders. In a court filing that year, Mr. Epstein said his firm had about 20 employees, far fewer than the 150 reported at the time by New York magazine.
Given this puzzling set of data points, the hedge-fund managers we spoke to leaned toward the theory that Epstein was running a blackmail scheme under the cover of a hedge fund.
How such a scheme could hypothetically work has been laid out in detail in a thread on the anonymous Twitter feed of @quantian1. It’s worth reading in its entirety, but in summary it is a rough blueprint for how a devious aspiring hedge-fund manager could blackmail rich people into investing with him without raising too many flags.
Kass and former hedge-fund manager Whitney Tilson both emailed the thread around in investing circles and both quickly discovered that their colleagues found it quite convincing. “This actually sounds very plausible,” Tilson wrote in an email forwarding the thread to others.
“He somehow cajoled these guys to invest,” says Kass, speaking of hypothetical blackmailed investors who gave Epstein their money to invest, but managed to keep their names private.
The fact that Epstein’s fund is offshore in a tax haven — it is based in the U.S. Virgin Islands — and has a secret client list both add credence to the blackmail theory.
So what did Epstein do with the money he did have under his management, setting aside the questions of how he got it and how much he had? One hedge-fund manager speculates that Epstein could have just put the client money in an S&P 500 index fund, perhaps with a tax dodge thrown in. “I put in $100 million, I get the S&P 500 minus some fees,” he says, speaking of a theoretical client’s experience. Over the past few decades, the client would have “made a shitload” — as would Epstein. A structure like that wouldn’t have required trading desks or analysts or complex regulatory disclosures.
Kass has kicked around a similar idea: Maybe Epstein just put all the client money in U.S. treasuries — the simplest and safest investment there is, and the kind of thing one guy actually can do by himself.
If the blackmail theory sounds far-fetched, it’s worth keeping in mind that it was also floated by one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. “Epstein … also got girls for Epstein’s friends and acquaintances. Epstein specifically told me that the reason for him doing this was so that they would ‘owe him,’ they would ‘be in his pocket,’ and he would ‘have something on them,’” she said in a court affidavit, according to the investigative series in the Miami Herald that brought the case back to the public’s attention late last year.
In the 2015 filing, Giuffre claimed that Epstein “debriefed her” after she was forced into sexual encounters so that he could possess “intimate and potentially embarrassing information” to blackmail friends into parking their money with him. She also said photographic and video evidence existed — an assertion that looms especially large now that federal investigators have found a trove of images in Epstein’s home safe.
Was known as dairyfarmer but sold the cows.
NCGirl
I can not for the life of me understand how this man thought it was a good idea to keep the child porn in his own home.
Did he really believe he would never be caught?
Ractivist
Originally Posted by NCGirl
Maybe the right person bought his jet and is keeping it clean, so it can be thoroughly checked for DNA. Wouldn't that be nice.
Sometimes I think that if Bill Clinton didn't have all the sex he claims he didn't have, Chelsea wouldn't be alive today.
...Webb Hubble notwithstanding.
Originally Posted by Blacknarwhal
Danny Williams, the kid who says Bill Clinton is his father.
Danney Williams
Verified account @danney_williams
Even though you abandoned me and only took care of Chelsea, I still want to thank you for giving me life. Happy Father's Day @billclinton.
https://twitter.com/danney_williams
Originally Posted by Bardou
I thought Slick Willie was sterile due to mumps during childhood, which was why his "wife" Felonia von Pantsuit had to use longtime co-conspirator Hubbell for working DNA?
Originally Posted by MinnesotaSmith
Well that's one story. Have you looked at Felonia lately?
psychgirl
I also heard/read she’s pretty stinky, too (vomit!! )
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding,
acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your path.
https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/274...iel-greenfield
The Democrat Who Let Jeffrey Epstein Get Away
Why is no one talking about Barry Krischer?
The Florida prosecutor who allowed Jeffrey Epstein to get away with the abuse of children is a very popular guy in Palm Beach.
The YWCA of Palm Beach County (“eliminating racism, empowering women”) offers the Barry Krischer Humanitarian Award and the Domestic Violence Council has a Barry Krischer scholarship.
Last year, the ADL honored Krischer with its Jurisprudence Award.
The Florida Bar had honored Kirscher with a lifetime achievement award and he’s still listed as a member in good standing. Even Jeb Bush had bestowed a Peace at Home award on the prosecutor.
Krischer sits on the Criminal Justice Commission and offers training to law enforcement, court personnel and child welfare providers on dealing with crimes of sexual violence. His bio states that he remains active in “child welfare issues” through his work with the Department of Children and Families.
The former Palm Beach County State Attorney had made national news three times during his career. Once when he went after Rush Limbaugh, then after Ann Coulter, two Republicans, and when, after being handed the case of Epstein, a co-founder of the Clinton Global Initiative, he gave him a pass.
Barry Krischer is a Democrat. Jeffrey Epstein is a billionaire donor to Democrats.
As Chief Prosecutor, Krischer had made his reputation with a zero-tolerance policy of prosecuting juveniles as adults. But after Epstein had abused underage girls, Krischer, according to the detective on the case, ignored police efforts to charge him with four counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and instead the billionaire abuser was indicted only on a minor charge of solicitation of prostitution.
Interviews with over a dozen girls and witnesses were ignored.
The victims were not notified of when they needed to appear before Krischer’s Grand Jury. Calls by the police to issue warrants for the arrest of Epstein and his associates were ignored by Kirscher’s subordinates. Eventually, Kirscher’s people stopped taking phone calls from the police.
The Palm Beach police chief claimed that information was being leaked to Epstein’s lawyers and wrote a public letter attacking Krischer and urging him to disqualify himself from the case. Instead the travesty went on. State prosecutors allowed Epstein to skip sex offender counselling, and hire a private shrink.
When the judge asked assistant state prosecutor Lanna Belohlavek if all the victims had signed off on the deal, she claimed that they had. The lawyer for the victims has said that was not the truth.
As a sex offender, Epstein should have been in state prison, but instead he received a private wing in the Palm Beach County stockade.
“There’s significant budget cuts in the county already, and sending him to the county jail and not the Dept. of Corrections is a significant cost to the taxpayer and the county,” the judge had objected.
But reporting to the stockade allowed Epstein to hire Palm Beach sheriff’s deputies as his security while he spent the day in his office on his work release program. The deputies stayed in the front room of his office, during the time that he was supposed to be in prison, while visitors went into his private office.
The deputies stopped calling Epstein an “inmate” and began referring to him as a “client”.
Palm Beach Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, a Democrat, oversaw the illegal arrangement.
Bradsaw and Krischer were political allies.
After 13 months of this, there was another year of house arrest in which Epstein was able to fly his jet around the country and around the world. Before long, he was partying with the smart set, including Charlie Rose, Katie Couric, Woody Allen and Chelsea Handler. And his case was forgotten. Until now.
The Palm Beach police chief had referred the case to the FBI, hoping to hit Epstein with federal charges. The Feds were able to assemble a 53-page indictment. And they too folded. The U.S. attorney in Miami, Alexander Acosta, is now Trump's secretary of labor. And that explains the sudden renewed interest.
But, unlike Epstein’s Democrat pals, Trump wasn’t hanging out with Epstein after the truth came out.
Epstein’s victims were originally denied justice because of his connections to Democrat politicians. They may now receive justice as part of an attack on a Trump cabinet member in the post-Clinton era.
But why did Epstein get a pass from the feds?
Acosta allegedly told Trump transition officials that he had been told to back off Epstein. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” he allegedly said.
Meanwhile Epstein had served as a key federal witness and received “valuable consideration” in the Bear Stearns case. The hedge fund managers in the Bear Stearns case however were acquitted. This is yet another mystery in the big question of how Epstein made his money and where it came from.
In a world where financial dealings are carefully tracked by the media, that is its own mystery.
Epstein was supposedly a money manager, but his clients are unknown. His firm, Financial Trust Co. is located in the Virgin Islands. As are a number of other companies with bland names like NES and Maple Inc. that he used to make his purchases. After a decade of litigation, his true net worth is still unknown.
According to one acquittance, Epstein claimed to have helped African dictators hide their stolen money.
Jeffrey Epstein spent his career moving in rarefied social, political and financial circles. It’s unknown who in the government might have given Acosta a “stand down” order in regard to prosecuting him.
And we may never know.
The actual dirty work was handled by Ann Marie Villafaña, a federal prosecutor, who wrote to Epstein's lawyer, "I would prefer not to highlight for the judge all the other crimes and all the other persons that we could charge.”
No mention has been made of her even though she had been rebuked in a previous child sex case.
Meanwhile media outlets, instead of asking Barry Krischer any hard questions, enthusiastically quote a letter by Krischer attacking Acosta.
All the facts of the Epstein case had been available a decade ago. The media chose to ignore them until after the Clintons had flamed out. The timing of the media’s interest in Epstein is its own cover-up.
Now the media wants to talk about Acosta and Trump, instead of Clinton and Krischer.
But the story begins with Krischer.
According to Palm Beach’s top cop, the prosecutor had wanted to nail Epstein. And then something changed. At some point in the case, Barry Krischer may have received his own “stand down” order.
But Krischer’s history is almost as interesting as Epstein.
Epstein was politically protected. And so was Krischer.
When Krischer was sued by a legal secretary who accused him of groping her, the National Organization of Women organized a rally in his defense. One of Krischer’s former state attorneys, Thomas H. Schnieders, would later beat his mother to death with a crowbar. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. And, instead of going to prison, has been sent to a mental health facility.
The Florida Bar lists his membership as lapsed.
But that’s not the strangest story involving Barry Krischer. In 1986, Mark Baltes was killed in a hit-and-run. The driver of the car hired Krischer, then merely a lawyer, to keep his identity anonymous and make a deal. The mystery dragged on for over two years. Investigators used Krischer’s connections to track him down and discovered that the driver was his lawyer’s tenant. When he was caught, Krischer’s client got off with probation, receiving immunity in exchange for a confession, despite showing no remorse.
These days, Krischer is one of the founders of The Children's Place at Home Safe, an organization that claims to help abused children of around the same ages as Epstein's victims.
The next Barry Krischer Humanitarian Award will be handed out in October. Unless the truth comes out.
W. Georgia
I wish one of you savvier computer users here would start a poll of how many believe Epstein will walk free, be taken into custody never to be heard from again, die mysteriously, or he starts talking and takes down a slew of politicians with him.
Personally, I believe he will walk free and there will be absolutely no reason for anyone to doubt the depth of corruption in this country and God help us.
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Student returns to roots in summer internship
By Zoe Byrne
Zoe Byrne
When you hear the word “internship,” you might imagine someone working in an office, or on a campaign, or taking some first step on a professional path. For one freshwoman this summer, an internship was not meant to pursue a future, but her past.
Elizabeth Bennett interned for three weeks at her own birthplace and home for the first three years of her life, a community-oriented organic farm in Rochester, New York called the Rochester Folk Art Guild.
During her internship, Bennett fed baby chickens, helped build a sauna and planted and picked lettuce.
“I enjoyed learning more practical skills instead of the academic stuff I’m used to,” Bennett said.
The bowls and plates they ate on were made in their pottery classes, and the food they ate on that pottery was grown by the community, right there in the farm.
Bennett’s typical day this summer was anything but laid back. Starting with group breakfast at 8 a.m., Bennett and other commune members worked until the day ended at 6 p.m.. Her morning activities included activities like pottery and peach picking. There was no such thing as a store-bought lunch. Bennett helped make lunch every Thursday for the community with a friend. After lunch, work resumed either with more pottery or graphics such as “pressed flower cards.” It most definitely seems like it was a hands-on experience. Six o’clock sharp marked the end of a very productive day.
“It felt satisfying and fulfilling to work with other people as a whole community with one goal in mind,” says Bennett.
“People discover that they love to work. They not only learn well,” said Annie Schliffer, a Guild staff member, “but also experience the wonderful feeling that you put in a hard day’s work and contribute to something bigger than yourself.”
“We have had people come from Brazil, Mexico and many different countries,” says Schliffer.
Bennett’s interest in the arts and organic farming did not fall far from the tree. Her artistic parents were living and working on the farm at the time of her birth and numerous family friends still live there. Bennett says she always dreamed of returning because she thought of it as “some new adventure” and has always been interested in working in gardens, the kitchen and pottery because she “never worked on those in depth.”
Living in a commune was a huge change for Bennett. “You had to be careful with what you said around them. It was a different way of interacting with people you live with on a regular basis because they’re not your friends or family,” she says.
A wide variety of activities piqued Bennett’s interest over the span of her three-week internship. She spent a good amount of time in the garden of neverending fresh produce. She enjoyed making the food and preparing it.
Her internship was not always long days filled with grueling work. There were times when she could hang out with her friends. One evening, fellow interns and she could see lightning surrounded by clouds. They walked up the hill and just sat there watching the lightning. They went swimming right afterwards. The lightning was special to her because it “illuminated all of the clouds and did not look normal.”
Meals represented the community. All of the meals were prepared from scratch and with farm-grown produce. One of the most memorable meals was lasagna with noodles made from scratch. The tomatoes, onions, zucchini and spices all came from the garden. The lettuce they picked was used in a fresh-tossed salad. They made fresh bread. They had to buy organic cheese from the market. She did not shy away from helping prepare the dinner. She helped cook dinner on Fridays with a friend.
The Guild is a place to visit if you are interested in pursuing a career in art. A person may become an apprentice if they are interested in focusing on one area of the Guild. For more information on the Guild, visit www.rfag.org.
Student returns to roots in summer internship was published on September 11, 2006 in Features
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November 24th, 2011 Posted in Uncategorized
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Several years ago, at one of the seven Laurie Anderson performances I have attended, Ms. Anderson (now Mrs. Lou Reed – although I seriously doubt whether she uses that moniker) described her first meeting with Philip Glass. Immediately after meeting Glass, she anxiously asked him: “Are things getting better or are things getting worse?”
These days, that same question is on everyone’s mind. It appears as though the mainstream news media are hell-bent on convincing us that everything is just fine. Nevertheless, many of us remember hearing the same thing from Ben Bernanke and Hank Paulson during the summer of 2008. As a result, we ponder the onslaught of rosy prognostications about the future of our economy with a good degree of skepticism. Regardless of whether there might be some sort of conspiracy to convince the public to go out and spend money because everything is all right . . . consider these remarks by Steve Randy Waldman from a discussion about market monetarist theory:
Self-fulfilling expectations lie at the heart of the market monetarist theory. A depression occurs when people come to believe that income will be scarce relative to prior expectations and debts. They nervously scale back expenditures and hoard cash, fulfilling their expectations of income scarcity. However, if everybody could suddenly be made to believe that income would be plentiful, everyone would spend freely and fulfill the expectations of plenty. The world is a much more pleasant place under the second set of expectations than the first. And to switch between the two scenarios, all that is required is persuasion. The market-monetarist central bank is nothing more than a great persuader: when “shocks happen”, it persuades us all to maintain our optimism about the path of nominal income. As long as we all keep the faith, our faith will be rewarded. This is not a religion, but a Nash equilibrium.
The persuasion described by Steve Waldman has been drowning out objective analysis lately. Obviously, the sovereign debt crisis in Europe has created quite a bit of anxiety in the United States. The mainstream media focus is apparently targeting that consensual anxiety with heavy doses of “feel good” material. One must search around a bit before finding any commentary which runs against that current. I found some and I would like to share it with you. The first item appeared in Bloomberg BusinessWeek on November 22:
Pacific Investment Management Co.’s Chief Executive Officer Mohamed A. El-Erian said U.S. economic conditions are “terrifying” as the nation struggles to recover from recession.
The odds of the U.S. returning to recession are as much as 50 percent, El-Erian said during an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “In the Loop” with Betty Liu. U.S. economic growth was worse than expected and congressional policy makers are gridlocked over what to do about the economy and the deficit, which risk exacerbating an already weak recovery, he said.
“We have less economic momentum than we thought we had and we have no policy momentum,” said El-Erian, who also serves as co-chief investment officer with Pimco founder Bill Gross at the world’s largest manager of bond funds.
“What’s most terrifying,” he said, “we are having this discussion about the risk of recession at a time when unemployment is already too high, at a time when a quarter of homeowners are underwater on their mortgages, at a time then the fiscal deficit is at 9 percent and at a time when interest rates are at zero.”
Let’s not forget that all of this is happening at a time when we are plagued by the most dysfunctional, stupid and corrupt Congress in our nation’s history. President Obama is currently preoccupied with his re-election campaign. His own leadership failures are conveniently re-packaged as products of that feckless Congress. As a result, Americans have plenty of justification for being worried about the future.
One of my favorite commentators, Paul Farrell of MarketWatch, recently shared some information with us, which he acquired by attending an InvestmentNews Round Table, as well as from reading Gary Shilling’s expensive newsletter:
Get it? Main Street America, you should “expect very slow growth” in 2012. That was the response when asked what “scenarios are you painting for your clients?” The panelist at a recent InvestmentNews Round Table then added: “It’s going to be ugly and violent.” Why? Because the politicians “are driving things” and they are “capricious, which leads to volatility.” And clients are “not really happy,” but “they lived through ‘08 and ’09,” so 2012 will be “just a little bump in the road.”
So don’t kid yourself folks, recent economic and market “ugliness and violence” not only won’t end soon, it’ll get meaner and meaner for years after 2012 elections … no matter who wins. Only a fool would believe that a new bull market will take off in 2013. Ain’t going to happen. That’s a Wall Street fantasy. Fall for that, and you’re delusional.
In fact, you better plan on a very long secular bear the next decade through 2020. With the European banks, credit and currency on the edge of a global financial meltdown, there’s a high probability that a black swan virus, a contagion will sweep the world, making all investing “uglier” and more “violent” for Americans in 2013, indeed for the rest of the decade.
Shilling sees “a secular bear market really started in 2000 and may persist for a decade as a result of slower GDP growth,” yes, persist till 2020 “with 2% to 3% deflation.” He warns: “Nominal GDP might not gain at all,” like recent flat-lining. Which coincides with the expectations of America’s professional financial advisers.
Are you still feeling optimistic? Consider the closing thoughts from a piece by Karl Denninger entitled, “The Game Is About Done”:
30+ years of lawless behavior has now devolved down to blatant, in-your-face theft. They don’t even bother trying to hide it any more, and Eric “Place” Holder is too busy supervising the running of guns into Mexico so the drug cartels can shoot both Mexican and American citizens.
What am I, or anyone else, supposed to do in this sort of “market” environment? Invest in…. what? Land titles are worthless as they’ve been corrupted by robosigning, margin deposits have been stolen, Madoff’s clients had confirmations of trades that never happend and proved to worthless pieces of paper instead of valuable securities and while Madoff went to prison nobody else has and the money is still gone!
Without enforcement of the law — swift and certain — there is no deterrent against this behavior.
There has been no enforcement and there is no indication that this will change.
It will take just one — or maybe two — more events like MF Global and Greek CDS “determinations” before the entire market — all of it — goes “no bid” as participants simply stuff their hands in their pockets and say “screw this.”
It’s coming folks, and I guarantee you this: Whatever your “nightmare” scenario is for such an event, it’s not bearish enough.
Keep all of this in mind as you plan for the future. I would not expect that you might hear any of this on CNBC.
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No Justice For The Wicked
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Although the drumbeat continues, I remain skeptical as to whether any of the criminals responsible for causing the financial crisis will ever be brought to justice. In the weeks before President Obama’s Inauguration, the foremost question on my mind was whether the new administration would take the necessary steps to change the culture of corruption on Wall Street:
As we approach the eve of the Obama Administration’s first day, across America the new President’s supporters have visions of “change we can believe in” dancing in their heads. For some, this change means the long overdue realization of health care reform. For those active in the Democratic campaigns of 2006, “change” means an end to the Iraq war. Many Americans are hoping that the new administration will crack down on the unregulated activities on Wall Street that helped bring about the current economic crisis.
On December 15, Stephen Labaton wrote an article for the New York Times, examining the recent failures of the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the environment at the SEC that facilitates such breakdowns.
At that time, I also focused on the point made in a commentary by Michael Lewis and David Einhorn, which appeared in the January 3 New York Times:
It’s not hard to see why the S.E.C. behaves as it does. If you work for the enforcement division of the S.E.C. you probably know in the back of your mind, and in the front too, that if you maintain good relations with Wall Street you might soon be paid huge sums of money to be employed by it.
I concluded that piece with a rhetorical question:
Let’s hope our new President, the Congress and others pay serious attention to what Lewis and Einhorn have said. Cleaning up Wall Street is going to be a dirty job. Will those responsible for accomplishing this task be up to doing it?
By March 23, 2009, it had become obvious that our new President was more concerned about the “welfare” (pun intended) of the Wall Street banks than the well-being of the American economy. I began my posting of that date with this statement:
We the people, who voted for Barack Obama, are about to get ripped off by our favorite Hope dealer.
On August 27 of that year, I wrote another piece expressing my disappointment with how things had (not) progressed. My October 1, 2009 posting focused on the fact that H. David Kotz, Inspector General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, issued two reports, recommending 58 changes to improve the way the agency investigates and enforces violations of securities laws, as a result of the SEC’s failure to investigate the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. The reports exposed a shocking degree of ineptitude at the SEC.
After the release of the report by bankruptcy examiner Anton Valukas, pinpointing the causes of the collapse of Lehman Brothers, I lamented the fact that the mainstream media hadn’t shown much concern about the matter, despite the terrible fraud exposed in the report. Nevertheless, by the next day, I was able to highlight some great commentaries on the Valukas Report and I felt optimistic enough to conclude the piece with this thought:
We can only hope that a continued investigation into the Lehman scandal will result in a very bright light directed on those privileged plutocrats who consider themselves above the law.
If only . . .
By the eve of the mid-term elections, I had an answer to the question I had posed on January 5, 2009 as to whether our new President and Congress would be up to the task of cleaning up Wall Street:
One common theme voiced by many critics of the Obama administration has been its lack of interest in prosecuting those responsible for causing the financial crisis. Don’t hold your breath waiting for Attorney General Eric Hold-harmless to initiate any criminal proceedings against such noteworthy individuals as Countrywide’s Angelo Mozilo or Dick Fuld of Lehman Brothers. On October 23, Frank Rich of The New York Times mentioned both of those individuals while lamenting the administration’s failure to prosecute the “financial crimes that devastated the nation”:
The Obama administration seems not to have a prosecutorial gene. It’s shy about calling a fraud a fraud when it occurs in high finance.
Since Obama has neither aggressively pursued the crash’s con men nor compellingly explained how they gamed the system, he sometimes looks as if he’s fronting for the industry even if he’s not.
The special treatment afforded to the perpetrators of the frauds that helped create the financial crisis wasn’t the only gift to Wall Street from the Democratically-controlled White House, Senate and Congress. The financial “reform” bill was so badly compromised (by the Administration and Senate Democrats, themselves) as it worked its way through the legislative process, that it is now commonly regarded as nothing more than a hoax.
By the close of 2010, I noted that an expanding number of commentators shared my outrage over the likelihood that we would never see any prosecutions result from the crimes that brought about the financial crisis:
A recent article written by former New York Mayor Ed Koch began with the grim observation that no criminal charges have been brought against any of the malefactors responsible for causing the financial crisis:
Looking back on 2010 and the Great Recession, I continue to be enraged by the lack of accountability for those who wrecked our economy and brought the U.S. to its knees. The shocking truth is that those who did the damage are still in charge. Many who ran Wall Street before and during the debacle are either still there making millions, if not billions, of dollars, or are in charge of our country’s economic policies which led to the debacle.
Most recently, Matt Taibbi has written another great article for Rolling Stone entitled, “Why Isn’t Wall Street in Jail?”. It’s nice to know that the drumbeat for justice continues. Taibbi’s essay provided a great history of the crisis, with a particular emphasis on how whistleblowers were ignored, just as Harry Markopolos was ignored when (in May of 2000) he tried to alert the SEC to the fact that Bernie Madoff’s hedge fund was a multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Here is a great passage from Matt Taibbi’s essay:
In the past few years, the administration has allocated massive amounts of federal resources to catching wrongdoers — of a certain type. Last year, the government deported 393,000 people, at a cost of $5 billion. Since 2007, felony immigration prosecutions along the Mexican border have surged 77 percent; nonfelony prosecutions by 259 percent. In Ohio last month, a single mother was caught lying about where she lived to put her kids into a better school district; the judge in the case tried to sentence her to 10 days in jail for fraud, declaring that letting her go free would “demean the seriousness” of the offenses.
So there you have it. Illegal immigrants: 393,000. Lying moms: one. Bankers: zero. The math makes sense only because the politics are so obvious. You want to win elections, you bang on the jailable class. You build prisons and fill them with people for selling dime bags and stealing CD players. But for stealing a billion dollars? For fraud that puts a million people into foreclosure? Pass. It’s not a crime. Prison is too harsh. Get them to say they’re sorry, and move on. Oh, wait — let’s not even make them say they’re sorry. That’s too mean; let’s just give them a piece of paper with a government stamp on it, officially clearing them of the need to apologize, and make them pay a fine instead. But don’t make them pay it out of their own pockets, and don’t ask them to give back the money they stole. In fact, let them profit from their collective crimes, to the tune of a record $135 billion in pay and benefits last year. What’s next? Taxpayer-funded massages for every Wall Street executive guilty of fraud?
Wouldn’t it be nice if public opinion meant more to the Obama administration than campaign contributions from Wall Street banksters?
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Bad Timing By The Dimon Dog At Davos
February 7th, 2011 Posted in Uncategorized
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Last week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland turned out to be a bad time for The Dimon Dog to stage a “righteous indignation” fit. One would expect an investment banker to have a better sense of timing than what was demonstrated by the CEO of JPMorgan Chase. Vito Racanelli provided this report for Barron’s:
The Davos panel, called “The Next Shock, Are We Better Prepared?” proceeded at a typically low emotional decibel level until Dimon was asked about what he thought of Americans who had directed their anger against the banks for the bailout.
Dimon visibly turned more animated, replying that “it’s not fair to lump all banks together.” The TARP program was forced on some banks, and not all of them needed it, he said. A number of banks helped stabilize things, noting that his bank bought the failed Bear Stearns. The idea that all banks would have failed without government intervention isn’t right, he said defensively
Dimon clearly felt aggrieved by the question and the negative banker headlines, and went on for a while.
“I don’t lump all media together… . There’s good and there’s bad. There’s irresponsible and ignorant and there’s really smart media. Well, not all bankers are the same. I just think this constant refrain [of] ‘bankers, bankers, bankers,’ – it’s just a really unproductive and unfair way of treating people… People should just stop doing that.”
The immediate response expressed by a number of commentators was to focus on Dimon’s efforts to obstruct financial reform. Although Dimon had frequently paid lip service to the idea that no single institution should pose a risk to the entire financial system in the event of its own collapse, he did all he could to make sure that the Dodd-Frank “financial reform” bill did nothing to overturn the “too big to fail” doctrine. Beyond that, the post-crisis elimination of the Financial Accounting Standards Board requirement that a bank’s assets should be “marked to market” values, was the only crutch that kept JPMorgan Chase from falling into the same scrap heap of insolvent banks as the other Federal Reserve welfare queens.
Simon Johnson (former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund) obviously had some fun writing a retort – published in the Economix blog at The New York Times – to The Dimon Dog’s diatribe. Johnson began by addressing the threat voiced by Dimon and Diamond (Robert E. Diamond of Barclay’s Bank):
The newly standard line from big global banks has two components . . .
First, if you regulate us, we’ll move to other countries. And second, the public policy priority should not be banks but rather the spending cuts needed to get budget deficits under control in the United States, Britain and other industrialized countries.
This rhetoric is misleading at best. At worst it represents a blatant attempt to shake down the public purse.
As we discussed at length during the Senate hearing, it is therefore not possible to discuss bringing the budget deficit under control in the foreseeable future without measuring and confronting the risks still posed by our financial system.
Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the Troubled Assets Relief Program, put it well in his latest quarterly report, which appeared last week: perhaps TARP’s most significant legacy is “the moral hazard and potentially disastrous consequences associated with the continued existence of financial institutions that are ‘too big to fail.’ ”
In this context, the idea that megabanks would move to other countries is simply ludicrous. These behemoths need a public balance sheet to back them up, or they will not be able to borrow anywhere near their current amounts.
Whatever you think of places like Grand Cayman, the Bahamas or San Marino as offshore financial centers, there is no way that a JPMorgan Chase or a Barclays could consider moving there. Poorly run casinos with completely messed-up incentives, these megabanks need a deep-pocketed and somewhat dumb sovereign to back them.
After Dimon’s temper tantrum, a pile-on by commentators immediately ensued. Elinor Comlay and Matthew Goldstein of Reuters wrote an extensive report, documenting Dimon’s lobbying record and debunking a good number of public relations myths concerning Dimon’s stewardship of JPMorgan Chase:
Still, with hindsight it’s clear that Dimon’s approach to risk didn’t help him entirely avoid the financial crisis. Even as the first rumblings of the crisis were sounding in the distance, he aggressively sought to boost Chase’s share of the U.S. mortgage business.
At the end of 2007, after JPMorgan had taken a $1.3 billion write-down on leveraged loans, Dimon told analysts the bank was planning to add as much as $20 billion in mortgages from riskier borrowers. “We think we’d get very good spreads and … it will be a drop in the bucket for our capital ratios.”
By mid-2008, JPMorgan Chase had $95.1 billion exposure to home equity loans, almost $15 billion in subprime mortgages and a $76 billion credit card book. Banks were not required to mark those loans at market prices, but if the loans were accounted for that way, losses could have been as painful for JPMorgan as credit derivatives were for AIG, according to former investment bank executives.
What was particularly bad about The Dimon Dog’s timing of his Davos diatribe concerned the fact that since December 2, 2010 a $6.4 billion lawsuit has been pending against JPMorgan Chase, brought by Irving H. Picard, the bankruptcy trustee responsible for recovering the losses sustained by Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scam victims. Did Dimon believe that the complaint would remain under seal forever? On February 3, the complaint was unsealed by agreement of the parties, with the additional stipulation that the identities of several bank employees would remain confidential. The New York Times provided us with some hints about how these employees were expected to testify:
On June 15, 2007, an evidently high-level risk management officer for Chase’s investment bank sent a lunchtime e-mail to colleagues to report that another bank executive “just told me that there is a well-known cloud over the head of Madoff and that his returns are speculated to be part of a Ponzi scheme.”
Even before that, a top private banking executive had been consistently steering clients away from investments linked to Mr. Madoff because his “Oz-like signals” were “too difficult to ignore.” And the first Chase risk analyst to look at a Madoff feeder fund, in February 2006, reported to his superiors that its returns did not make sense because it did far better than the securities that were supposedly in its portfolio.
At The Daily Beast, Allan Dodds Frank began his report on the suit with questions that had to be fresh on everyone’s mind in the wake of the scrutiny The Dimon Dog had invited at Davos:
How much did JPMorgan CEO and Chairman Jamie Dimon know about his bank’s valued customer Bernie Madoff, and when did he know it?
These two crucial questions have been lingering below the surface for more than two years, even as the JPMorgan Chase leader cemented his reputation as the nation’s most important, most upright, and most highly regarded banker.
Not everyone at Davos was so impressed with The Dimon Dog. Count me among those who were especially inspired by the upbraiding Dimon received from French President Nicolas Sarkozy:
“Don’t be accusatory of us,” Sarkozy snapped at Dimon at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“The world has paid with tens of millions of unemployed, who were in no way to blame and who paid for everything.”
“We saw that for the last 10 years, major institutions in which we thought we could trust had done things which had nothing to do with simple common sense,” the Frenchman said. “That’s what happened.”
Sarkozy also took direct aim at the bloated bonuses many bankers got despite the damage they did.
“When things don’t work, you can never find anyone responsible,” Sarkozy said. “Those who got bumper bonuses for seven years should have made losses in 2008 when things collapsed.”
Why don’t we have a President like that?
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The SEC Is Out To Lunch
August 27th, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized
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Back on January 5, I wrote a piece entitled: “Clean-Up Time On Wall Street” in which I pondered whether our new President-elect and his administration would really “crack down on the unregulated activities on Wall Street that helped bring about the current economic crisis”. I quoted from a December 15 article by Stephen Labaton of The New York Times, examining the failures of the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the environment at the SEC that facilitated such breakdowns. Some of the highlights from the Times piece included these points:
. . . H. David Kotz, the commission’s new inspector general, has documented several major botched investigations. He has told lawmakers of one case in which the commission’s enforcement chief improperly tipped off a private lawyer about an insider-trading inquiry.
There are other difficulties plaguing the agency. A recent report to Congress by Mr. Kotz is a catalog of major and minor problems, including an investigation into accusations that several S.E.C. employees have engaged in illegal insider trading and falsified financial disclosure forms.
I then questioned the wisdom of Barack Obama’s appointment of Mary Schapiro as the new Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, quoting from an article by Randall Smith and Kara Scannell of The Wall Street Journal concerning Schapiro’s track record as chair of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA):
Robert Banks, a director of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, an industry group for plaintiff lawyers . . . said that under Ms. Schapiro, “Finra has not put much of a dent in fraud,” and the entire system needs an overhaul. “The government needs to treat regulation seriously, and for the past eight years we have not had real securities regulation in this country,” Mr. Banks said.
In 2001 she appointed Mark Madoff, son of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, to the board of the National Adjudicatory Council, the national committee that reviews initial decisions rendered in Finra disciplinary and membership proceedings.
I also quoted from a two-part op-ed piece for the January 3 New York Times, written by Michael Lewis, author of Liar’s Poker, and David Einhorn. Here’s what they had to say about the SEC:
Created to protect investors from financial predators, the commission has somehow evolved into a mechanism for protecting financial predators with political clout from investors. (The task it has performed most diligently during this crisis has been to question, intimidate and impose rules on short-sellers — the only market players who have a financial incentive to expose fraud and abuse.)
Keeping all of this in mind, let’s have a look at the current lawsuit brought by the SEC against Bank of America, pending before Judge Jed S. Rakoff of The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The matter was succinctly described by Louise Story of The New York Times:
The case centers on $3.6 billion bonuses that were paid out by Merrill Lynch late last year, just before that firm was merged with Bank of America. Neither company disclosed the bonuses to shareholders, and the S.E.C. has charged that the companies’ proxy statement about the merger were misleading in their description of the bonuses.
To make a long story short, Bank of America agreed to settle the case for a mere $33 million, despite its insistence that it properly disclosed to its shareholders, the bonuses it authorized for Merrill Lynch & Co employees. The mis-handling of this case by the SEC was best described by Rolfe Winkler of Reuters. The moral outrage over this entire matter was best expressed by Karl Denninger of The Market Ticker. Denninger’s bottom line was this:
It is time for the damn gloves to come off. Our economy cannot recover until the scam street games are stopped, the fraudsters are removed from the executive suites (and if necessary from Washington) and the underlying frauds – particularly including the games played with the so-called “value” of assets on the balance sheets of various firms are all flushed out.
On a similarly disappointing note, there is the not-so-small matter of: “Where did all the TARP money go?” You may have read about Elizabeth Warren and you may have seen her on television, discussing her role as chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel, tasked with scrutinizing the TARP bank bailouts. Neil Barofsky was appointed Special Investigator General of TARP (SIGTARP). Why did all of this become necessary? Let’s take another look back to last January. At that time, a number of Democratic Senators, including: Russ Feingold (Wisconsin), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), Evan Bayh (Indiana) and Maria Cantwell (Washington) voted to oppose the immediate distribution of the second $350 billion in TARP funds. The vote actually concerned a “resolution of disapproval” to block distribution of the TARP money, so that those voting in favor of the resolution were actually voting against releasing the funds. Barack Obama had threatened to veto this resolution if it passed. The resolution was defeated with 52 votes (contrasted with 42 votes in favor of it). At that time, Obama was engaged in a game of “trust me”, assuring those in doubt that the second $350 billion would not be squandered in the same undocumented manner as the first $350 billion. As Jeremy Pelofsky reported for Reuters on January 15:
To win approval, Obama and his team made extensive promises to Democrats and Republicans that the funds would be used to better address the deepening mortgage foreclosure crisis and that tighter accounting standards would be enforced.
“My pledge is to change the way this plan is implemented and keep faith with the American taxpayer by placing strict conditions on CEO pay and providing more loans to small businesses,” Obama said in a statement, adding there would be more transparency and “more sensible regulations.”
Although it was a nice-sounding pledge, the new President never lived up to it. Worse yet, we now have to rely on Congress, to insist on getting to the bottom of where all the money went. Although Elizabeth Warren was able to pressure “Turbo” Tim Geithner into providing some measure of disclosure, there are still lots of questions that remain unanswered. I’m sure many people, including Turbo Tim, are uncomfortable with the fact that Neil Barofsky is doing “too good” of a job as SIGTARP. This is probably why Congress has now thrown a “human monkey wrench” into the works, with its addition of former SEC commissioner Paul Atkins to the Congressional Oversight Panel. Expressing his disgust over this development, David Reilly wrote a piece for Bloomberg News, entitled: “Wall Street Fox Beds Down in Taxpayer Henhouse”. He discussed the cynical appointment of Atkins with this explanation:
Atkins was named last week to be one of two Republicans on the five-member TARP panel headed by Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren. He replaces former Senator John Sununu, who stepped down in July.
And while a power-broker within the commission, Atkins was also seen as the sharp tip of the deregulatory spear during George W. Bush’s presidency.
Atkins didn’t waver from his hands-off position, even as the credit crunch intensified. Speaking less than two months before the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Atkins in one of his last speeches at the SEC warned against calls for a “new regulatory order.”
He added, “We must not immediately jump to the conclusion that failures of firms in the marketplace or the unavailability of credit in the marketplace is caused by market failure, or indeed regulatory failure.”
When I spoke with him yesterday, Atkins hadn’t changed his tune. “If the takeaway by some people is that deregulation is the thing that led to problems in the marketplace, that’s completely wrong,” he said. “The problems happened in the most heavily regulated areas of the financial-services industry.”
Regulated by whom?
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Just Keep Walking
April 23rd, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized
Apr, 23 2009
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Peggy Noonan had an esteemed career as speechwriter to former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. She now writes a weekly column for The Wall Street Journal and she frequently appears as a panelist on many television news programs. She has been on the blogroll of this website since its inception.
On Sunday, April 19, she appeared as a panelist on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. During that program’s Roundtable discussion, the subject eventually turned to President Obama’s decision not to prosecute the CIA operatives involved in the torture of detainees in the “War on Terror” as well as the decision to release the so-called “torture memos”. Those memos were prepared by the Office of Legal Counsel during the Bush administration. They described the permissible use of such techniques as waterboarding, sleep deprivation, confinement in a box with insects and other sadistic acts, intended to get detainees to provide valuable information. Roundtable panelist Sam Donaldson expressed his opinion that the operatives who administered these interrogation techniques were not “just following orders”; they believed they were following the law because they were relying on the legal opinions expressed in those memos. However, as Donaldson explained, if the people who devised those methods and wrote the legal memos condoning their use were “just trying to find cover” and just trying to find a way to get around American law and the Constitution, they should be held accountable in a court of law. Donaldson added that if the President wanted to pardon those people, he should do so, although it would be important for those individuals to be held accountable before a court.
Peggy Noonan then remarked:
Oh, I have reservations about all of this. It’s hard for me to look at a great nation issuing these documents and sending them out to the world and thinking: “Oh, much good will come of that?” Sometimes in life you wanna’ just keep walkin’.
Sam Donaldson then interrupted with the question as to whether it was right “to let people walk who may have committed a crime”. Noonan then replied: “Some of life has to be mysterious”.
Noonan’s remarks drew immediate outrage from Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. As Sam Stein reported for The Huffington Post, Feingold was harshly critical of the rationalizations for avoiding prosecution of these people, as expressed by government officials as well as those in the news media. Stein quoted the Senator’s expressed indignation:
“If you want to see just how outrageous this is, I refer you to the remarks made by Peggy Noonan this Sunday” … “I frankly have never heard anything quite as disturbing as her remark that was something to the affect of: ‘well sometimes you just have to move on’.”
Noonan’s opinion is emblematic of the mainstream media’s all-too-frequent response to scandalous events and it demonstrates why so many people have turned to the Internet to get the news. If you overhear someone in a restaurant arranging a bribe with a politician: Just keep walking. If you discover information about illegal toxic dumping by one of your publication’s sponsors: Just keep walking. If Harry Markopolos approaches you and tries to explain how Bernie Madoff is running a Ponzi scheme: Just keep walking.
Peggy Noonan’s statement wasn’t just a situation where she “misspoke”. It was the expression of an arrogant attitude held by too many in the media who decide it is up to them to determine when the public deserves to know something and when it doesn’t. After all: “Some of life has to be mysterious”.
Shame on you, Peggy Noonan! Shame on you!
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Another Troubling Appointment By Obama
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It all started with Bill Richardson. On January 4, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced that he was withdrawing as nominee for the position of Commerce Secretary, due to an investigation into allegations of influence peddling.
Then there was a brief moment of concern over the fact that Treasury Secretary nominee, Timothy Geithner, was a little late with some self-employment tax payments. Since his new position would put him in charge of the Internal Revenue Service, many people found this shocking. Even more shocking was his admission that he prepared his income taxes using the TurboTax software program. That entire controversy was overlooked because Geithner has been regarded as the only person in Washington who fully understands the TARP bailout bill (as Newsweek‘s Jonathan Alter once said).
On February 3, two more Obama appointees had to step aside. The first was Nancy Killefer, who had been selected to become “Chief Performance Officer”, in which role she would have been tasked with cleaning up waste in government programs. Her situation didn’t sound all that scandalous. The Wall Street Journal explained that she “… had a $946.69 tax lien imposed on her home by the District of Columbia for unpaid taxes on household help, a debt she had satisfied long ago.” Later that day, Tom Daschle had to withdraw his nomination to become Secretary of Health and Human Services. It seemed that his failure to timely pay over $100,000 in taxes was just part of the problem. As the previously-mentioned Wall Street Journal article pointed out, the Daschle nomination provided additional embarrassment for President Obama:
Beyond the tax issue, Mr. Daschle was increasingly being portrayed as a Washington insider who made a fortune by trading on his Beltway connections — an example of the kind of culture Mr. Obama had pledged to change.
Meanwhile, many Democrats were expressing dismay over the February 2 announcement that Republican Senator Judd Gregg had been tapped to become Commerce Secretary. Back in 1995, as United States Senator representing New Hampshire, he voted in favor of a budget measure that would have abolished the Commerce Department. To many, this seemed too much like the George W. Bush tactic of putting a saboteur in charge of an administrative agency. Nevertheless, Senator Gregg was ready to address those concerns. As Liz Sidoti reported for the Associated Press:
In a conference call with reporters, Gregg dismissed questions about the vote.
“I say those were my wild and crazy days,” he said. “My record on supporting Commerce far exceeds any one vote that was cast early on in the context of an overall budget.”
Gregg said he’s strongly supported the agency, particularly its scientific initiatives, including at the agency’s largest department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Finally, on Wednesday February 5, those who concurred with President Obama’s appointment of Mary Schapiro as Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had good reason to feel anxious. That day brought us the long-awaited testimony of independent financial fraud investigator, Harry Markopolos, before the House Financial Services Committee. Back in May of 2000, Mr. Markopolos tried to alert the SEC to the fact that Bernie Madoff’s hedge fund was a multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. As Markopolos explained in his testimony, he repeatedly attempted to get the SEC to investigate this scam, only to be rebuffed on every occasion. Although his testimony included some good advice directed to Ms. Schapiro about “cleaning up” the SEC, this portion of his testimony, as discussed by Marcy Gordon of the Associated Press, deserves some serious attention:
While the SEC is incompetent, the securities industry’s self-policing organization, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is “very corrupt,” Markopolos charged. That organization was headed until December by Schapiro, who has said Madoff carried out the scheme through his investment business and FINRA was empowered to inspect only the brokerage operation.
So Schapiro’s defense is that FINRA was empowered to inspect only brokerages and Madoff Investments was not a brokerage. This doesn’t address Markopolos’ testimony that FINRA is “very corrupt”. Mary Schapiro was the Chair and CEO of that “very corrupt” entity from 2006 until December of 2008. Let’s not forget that during her tenure in that position she appointed Bernie Madoff’s son, Mark Madoff, to the board of the National Adjudicatory Council. The Mark Madoff appointment was discussed back on December 18 by Randall Smith and Kara Scannell, in The Wall Street Journal. At that time, they provided an informative analysis of the SEC nominee’s track record, which should have discouraged the new President from appointing her as he did on his second day in office:
She was credited with beefing up enforcement while at the National Association of Securities Dealers and guiding the creation of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which she now leads. But some in the industry questioned whether she would be strong enough to get the SEC back on track.
Since Ms. Schapiro took over Finra in 2006, the number of enforcement cases has dropped, in part because actions stemming from the tech-bubble collapse ebbed and the markets rebounded from 2002 to 2007. The agency has been on the fringe of the major Wall Street blowups, and opted to focus on more bread-and-butter issues such as fraud aimed at senior citizens.
Out of the gate, Ms. Schapiro faces potential controversy. In 2001 she appointed Mark Madoff, son of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, to the board of the National Adjudicatory Council, the national committee that reviews initial decisions rendered in Finra disciplinary and membership proceedings. Both sons of Mr. Madoff have denied any involvement in the massive Ponzi scheme their father has been accused of running.
I would be much more comfortable with a small-time tax cheat in charge of the SEC, than I am with Mary Schapiro in that position. As his testimony demonstrates, Harry Markopolos is the person who should be running the SEC.
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The “Bad Bank” Debate
January 29th, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized
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The $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) doesn’t seem to have accomplished much in the way of relieving banks from the ownership of “troubled assets”. In fact, nobody seems to know exactly what was done with the first $350 billion in TARP funds, and those who do know are not talking. Meanwhile, the nation’s banks have continued to flounder. As David Cho reported in The Washington Post on Wednesday, January 28:
The health of many banks is getting worse, not better, as the downturn makes it difficult for all kinds of consumers and businesses to pay back money they borrowed from these financial firms. Conservative estimates put bank losses yet to be declared at $1 trillion.
The continuing need for banks to unload their toxic assets has brought attention to the idea of creating a “bad bank” to buy mortgage-backed securities and other toxic assets, thus freeing-up banks to get back into the lending business. Bloomberg News and other sources reported on Wednesday that FDIC chair, Sheila Bair, is pushing for her agency to run such a “bad bank”. Our new Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, has also discussed the idea of such a bank (often referred to as an “aggregator bank”) as reported on Wednesday by Reuters:
Geithner said last week the administration was reviewing the option of setting up a bad bank, but that it is “enormously complicated to get right.”
The idea of creating such a bank has drawn quite a bit of criticism. Back on January 18, Paul Krugman (recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics) characterized this approach, without first “nationalizing” the banks on a temporary basis, as “Wall Street Voodoo”:
A better approach would be to do what the government did with zombie savings and loans at the end of the 1980s: it seized the defunct banks, cleaning out the shareholders. Then it transferred their bad assets to a special institution, the Resolution Trust Corporation; paid off enough of the banks’ debts to make them solvent; and sold the fixed-up banks to new owners.
The current buzz suggests, however, that policy makers aren’t willing to take either of these approaches. Instead, they’re reportedly gravitating toward a compromise approach: moving toxic waste from private banks’ balance sheets to a publicly owned “bad bank” or “aggregator bank” that would resemble the Resolution Trust Corporation, but without seizing the banks first.
Krugman scrutinized Sheila Bair’s earlier explanation that the aggregator bank would buy the toxic assets at “fair value”, by questioning how we define what “fair value” really means. He concluded that this entire endeavor (as it is currently being discussed) is a bad idea for all concerned:
Unfortunately, the price of this retreat into superstition may be high. I hope I’m wrong, but I suspect that taxpayers are about to get another raw deal — and that we’re about to get another financial rescue plan that fails to do the job.
Krugman is not alone in his skepticism concerning this plan. As Annelena Lobb and Rob Curran reported in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal, this idea is facing some criticism from those in the financial planning business:
“I don’t see how this increases liquidity,” says Paul Sutherland, chief investment officer at FIM Group in Traverse City, Mich. “This idea that we should burn million-dollar bills from taxpayers to take bad assets isn’t the best path.”
Billionaire financier Geroge Soros told CNBC that he disagrees with the “bad bank” strategy, explaining that the proposal “will help relieve the situation, but it will not be sufficient to turn it around”. He then took advantage of the opportunity to criticize the execution of the first stage of the TARP bailout:
As to Paulson’s handling of the first half of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout fund known as TARP, Soros said the money was used “capriciously and haphazardly.” He said half of it has now been wasted, and the rest will need to be used to plug holes.
Former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, anticipates that a “big chunk” of the remaining TARP funds will be used to create this aggregator bank. Accordingly, he has suggested application of the type of standards that were absent during the first TARP phase:
Until the taxpayer-financed Bad Bank has recouped the costs of these purchases through selling the toxic assets in the open market, private-sector banks that benefit from this form of taxpayer relief must (1) refrain from issuing dividends, purchasing other companies, or paying off creditors; (2) compensate their executives, traders, or directors no more than 10 percent of what they received in 2007; (3) be reimbursed by their executives, traders, and directors 50 percent of whatever amounts they were compensated in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 — compensation which was, after all, based on false premises and fraudulent assertions, and on balance sheets that hid the true extent of these banks’ risks and liabilities; and (4) commit at least 90 percent of their remaining capital to new bank loans.
However, Reich’s precondition: “Until the taxpayer-financed Bad Bank has recouped the costs of these purchases through selling the toxic assets in the open market” is exactly what makes his approach unworkable. The cost of purchasing the toxic assets from banks will never be recouped by selling them in the open market. This point was emphasized by none other than “Doctor Doom” himself (Dr. Nouriel Roubini) during an interview with CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Dr. Roubini pointed out:
At which price do you buy the assets? If you buy them at a high price, you are having a huge fiscal cost. If you buy them at the right market price, the banks are insolvent and you have to take them over. So I think it’s a bad idea. It’s another form of moral hazard and putting on the taxpayers, the cost of the bailout of the financial system.
What is Dr. Roubini’s solution? Face up to the reality that the banks are insolvent and “do what Sweden did”: take over the banks, clean them up by selling off the bad assets and sell them back to the private sector.
Nevertheless, you can’t always count on the federal government to do the right thing. In this case, I doubt that they will. As David Cho pointed out at the end of his Washington Post article:
The bailout program “is a public relations nightmare,” one government official said. He added that Obama officials are sure to face criticism for whatever course they take.
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Clean-Up Time On Wall Street
January 5th, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized
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On December 15, Stephen Labaton wrote an article for the New York Times, examining the recent failures of the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the environment at the SEC that facilitates such breakdowns. Some of the highlights from the piece included these points:
Some experts said that appointees of the Bush administration had hollowed out the commission, much the way they did various corners of the Justice Department. The result, they say, is hobbled enforcement and inspection programs.
On December 18, Barack Obama announced his intention to name Mary Schapiro as the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many news outlets, including National Public Radio, presented an enthusiastic look toward the tenure of Ms. Schapiro in this office:
Speaking at the news conference on Thursday, Schapiro said there must be “consistent and robust enforcement” of regulations to protect investors, saying it will be her top priority as SEC chief.
On the other hand, in the December 18 Wall Street Journal, Randall Smith and Kara Scannell provided us with a more informative analysis of the SEC nominee’s track record:
Robert Banks, a director of the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, an industry group for plaintiff lawyers . . . said that under Ms. Schapiro, “Finra has not put much of a dent in fraud,” and the entire system needs an overhaul. ” The government needs to treat regulation seriously, and for the past eight years we have not had real securities regulation in this country,” Mr. Banks said.
It appears as though we might see Ms. Schapiro face some grilling about the Madoff appointment, when she faces her confirmation hearing. Beyond that, the points raised by Randall Smith and Kara Scannell underscore the question of whether Mary Schapiro will really be an agent of change on Wall Street or just another “insider” overseeing “business as usual”. To assuage such concern, many commentators have emphasized that Ms. Schapiro has never worked for a brokerage firm or investment bank. Her Wall Street experience has been limited to regulatory activity. Despite this, one must keep in mind a point made by Michael Lewis and David Einhorn in the January 3 New York Times:
Michael Lewis is the author of Liar’s Poker, a non-fiction book about his own Wall Street experience as a bond salesman. With David Einhorn, he wrote a two-part op-ed piece for the January 3 New York Times. The above-quoted passage was from the first part, entitled: “The End of the Financial World as We Know It”. The second part is entitled: “How to Repair a Broken Financial World”. The first section looked at the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, using it to underscore this often-ignored reality about the Securities and Exchange Commission and its inability to prevent or even cope with the current financial crisis:
Indeed, one of the great social benefits of the Madoff scandal may be to finally reveal the S.E.C. for what it has become.
In the second section of their commentary, Lewis and Einhorn suggest six changes to the financial system “to prevent some version of what has happened from happening all over again”. Let’s hope our new President, the Congress and others pay serious attention to what Lewis and Einhorn have said. Cleaning up Wall Street is going to be a dirty job. Will those responsible for accomplishing this task be up to doing it?
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Jackass Of The Year Award
January 1st, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized
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At year’s end, we see retrospectives of the most important events, numerous top ten lists and recognitions of achievement in one area or another. 2008 brought a record level of cynicism to the American people because of the economic catastrophe, the Bernie Madoff scandal and the cartoon-like escapades from the Presidential campaign. Accordingly, it seems only appropriate to pay homage to the biggest Jackass of the Year. Since I advertise this website as a “Blago-free zone”, the current Governor of Illinois is automatically disqualified from the competition. So, let’s take a look at some of the runners-up and finally, the winner of the Jackass of the Year Award.
Our first contestant is John Ensign. He is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, representing the State of Nevada in the United States Senate. On November 2, 2008 he appeared on the CBS television program, Face The Nation with Bob Schieffer. Election day was two days away and Ensign found it necessary to blame the likely Republican losses on the economic downturn. He described the Republicans’ fate in these terms:
“And we were starting to do very, very well, but when the financial crisis hit, that financial crisis really is — has been a — almost a body blow to Republicans. And unfortunately, it was allowed to be portrayed that this was a result of deregulation, when in fact it was a result of overregulation.”
That’s right. Ensign Douchebag thought he could convince the public that the economic crisis was the result of over-regulation of the financial system, rather than the deregulation described by everyone else in the world. That noble statement certainly rates runner-up status for the Jackass of the Year Award.
Our next contestant is Reverend Jeremiah Wright, former pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ and embarrassment to Barack Obama. Thank God Reverend Wright’s fifteen minutes of fame are finally over. Although his infamous sermon with the less-than-patriotic remarks about America was given in 2003, by April of 2008, Rev. Wright made a point of resurrecting the controversy concerning his disappointing association with Barack Obama. At that time Wright hit the road, appearing on Bill Moyers Journal, speaking before the NAACP and giving a grand performance before the National Press Club. He made a fool of himself all three times and (perhaps to his disappointment) his bad karma never rubbed off on Barack. The pastor has also been a disgrace to the name of the Right Reverend Carl Wright (comedic sidekick of Chicago blues maven, Pervis Spann). Although Jeremiah Wright rated recognition, the competition for the Jackass Award was tough this year.
We cannot overlook the valiant efforts of Joe “The Tool” Lieberman to win this honor. Although the people of Connecticut elected Joe to represent their state in the Senate, The Tool spent most of 2008 looking like a stray dog, following candidate John McCain around the campaign trial. You can find my prior rants about Senator Lieberman here, here, here and here.
We must also give consideration to Christopher Cox, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. John McCain was on to him. It just wasn’t fair that poor, old Senator McCain took so much heat for pointing out that Cox had to go. McCain made the mistake of stating that he, as President, would have authority to fire Cox. Although he was wrong about that, he was right about the notion that Cox had been a problem for the SEC. On December 16, Jessie Westerbrook of Bloomberg news reported that Cox was blaming his subordinates for the enforcement lapses that allowed the scam, perpetrated by Bernie Madoff, to continue for several years after the SEC should have stopped it. Cox apparently believes in the doctrine that “the buck stops” several levels below himself on the SEC food chain. The environment at the SEC, with Cox at the helm, was best summed up in a December 27 article from the Los Angeles Times by Amit Paley and David Hilzenrath. Here’s what they had to say about the tenure of Chairman Cox and his performance during the economic crisis:
Though Cox speaks of staying calm in the face of financial turmoil, lawmakers across the political spectrum counter that this is actually another way of saying that his agency remained passive during the worst global financial crisis in decades. And they claim that Cox’s stewardship before this year — focusing on deregulation as the agency’s staff shrank — laid the groundwork for the meltdown.
“The commission in recent years has handcuffed the inspection and enforcement division,” said Arthur Levitt, SEC chairman during the Clinton administration. “The environment was not conducive to proactive enforcement activity.”
But former officials said enforcement suffered during his tenure. A pilot program begun last year required enforcement staff to meet with the commissioners before beginning settlement talks in certain cases involving nonfinancial firms. Some former officials said the change was just one example of new bureaucratic impediments that slowed enforcement work. The commissioners also made clear that they thought staff members were being too aggressive in some cases, the officials said.
”I think there has been a sentiment communicated to rank-and-file staff, lawyers and accountants that you don’t go after the establishment,” said Ross Albert, a former special counsel in the enforcement division.
An analysis by law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius showed that the SEC’s actions against broker-dealers, who serve as intermediaries in financial trades, dropped about 33%, from about 89 cases in fiscal 2007 to 60 cases in fiscal 2008.
Heckuva’ job, Coxey! Nevertheless, you have been overshadowed in this year’s competition.
The winner of the 2008 Jackass of the Year Award is a professor from Russia, named Igor Panarin. He is a former member of the KGB, who is apparently so upset over the breakup of the Soviet Union, that for the past ten years, he has been predicting that the United States would also break up. On December 29, Andrew Osborn reported in The Wall Street Journal that Panarin has been doing two interviews per day, discussing how “an economic and moral collapse will trigger a civil war and the eventual breakup of the U.S.” The article explained:
Mr. Panarin posits, in brief, that mass immigration, economic decline, and moral degradation will trigger a civil war next fall and the collapse of the dollar. Around the end of June 2010, or early July, he says, the U.S. will break into six pieces — with Alaska reverting to Russian control.
Worse yet, the other five parts of the country will supposedly become republics that will be part of or under the influence of Canada, the European Union, Mexico, China or Japan. Osborn’s article included a picture of Panarin’s map, showing how the various segments of the country would be apportioned. Panarin’s ideas have brought him quite a bit of publicity . . . and TheCenterLane.com’s Jackass of the Year Award for 2008! Congratulations, Jackass!
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December 18th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized
Dec, 18 2008
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The Ponzi Scheme case involving Bernie Madoff is only the latest example of scumbaggery on Wall Street. Madoff helped found the NASDAQ Exchange and established a reputation for himself as one of the captains of the financial world. Now we know that he pilfered over 50 billion dollars from sophisticated investors, colleges, charitable institutions, banks and plain-old, rich people. Worse yet, when he couldn’t get enough co-signers to back his ten-million dollar bail, he was placed under “house arrest” and confined to his $7,000,000 home. When a car thief can’t make bail, he sits in jail until his case is tried. Why is it that when someone is charged with stealing ten million times that much, he gets treated as though he was driving on an expired license? By the way: How does somebody hide fifty billion dollars? Is he going to claim that he lost it or that he blew it all on lottery tickets?
The knaves who held themselves out as financial magicians have made pimps and drug dealers seem like Red Cross volunteers, by comparison. Beyond that, the government institutions and officials charged with protecting the integrity of our financial system have been out to lunch for several years. Worse yet, these hacks continue to facilitate the theft of trillions of dollars of taxpayer money and, for this reason, I believe they all belong in prison. On second thought, they should be placed before a firing squad along with the swindlers whom they enabled. After the Enron treachery was exposed to the light of day, one would have thought that the Securities and Exchange Commission might have started doing its job. It didn’t. People have to start forcing our elected officials to find out why. I think I know the answer. I believe it’s because many of the people entrusted to regulate the financial system are crooks themselves.
On December 16, Brent Budowsky posted an important article on The Hill website concerning the bailout bungle. Mr. Budowsky is a gentleman who earned an LL.M. degree (that’s something you work on after graduating from law school) in International Financial Law from the London School of Economics. He was a former aide to Senator Lloyd Bentsen and Representative Bill Alexander. Mr. Budowsky pointed out that:
Government agencies have poured close to $8 trillion into banking bailouts. The Treasury secretary has promoted massive government support of troubled, failed and corrupted institutions.
This program is a 100 percent top-down exercise involving the largest amount of money in history.
Virtually none of this money directly helps average Americans. Virtually none of it trickles down to the people who suffer the most and pay for the program.
The Securities and Exchange Commission is discredited. The Federal Reserve has failed in its duty as banking regulator. Congress has failed in its duty of oversight. The most wise and citizen-friendly regulator, Sheila Bair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, is treated with contempt by the Treasury secretary.
Today the Federal Reserve Board refuses to disclose information regarding some $2 trillion provided to financial institutions. Bloomberg business news has filed a historic freedom-of-information case seeking disclosure. Congress and the president-elect should support it.
Bailout money is not a private account that belongs to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Fed governors, the Treasury secretary or the banks. It is the people’s money. It should be used to benefit the people. It should be monitored through the checks and balances of the democratic process.
Secrecy is the enemy of equity, integrity and common sense. Secrecy is the friend of negligence, misjudgment and corruption. There are probably selected instances where the Fed should not disclose, but show me $2 trillion of secretly spent money and I will show you trouble.
Do you care to hazard a guess as to what the next Wall Street scandal might be? I have a pet theory concerning the almost-daily spate of “late-day rallies” in the equities markets. I’ve discussed it with some knowledgeable investors. I suspect that some of the bailout money squandered by Treasury Secretary Paulson has found its way into the hands of some miscreants who are using this money to manipulate the stock markets. I have a hunch that their plan is to run up stock prices at the end of the day before those numbers have a chance to settle back down to the level where the market would normally have them. The inflated “closing price” for the day is then perceived as the market value of the stock. This plan would be an effort to con investors into believing that the market has pulled out of its slump. Eventually the victims would find themselves hosed once again at the next “market correction”. I don’t believe that SEC Chairman Christopher Cox would likely uncover such a scam, given his track record. Perhaps we can thank him when “vigilante justice” comes to Wall Street.
bail, bailout bungle, Bailout money, banking bailouts, Barack Obama, Ben Bernanke, Bernard Madoff, Bernie Madoff, blog, Bloomberg business news, Brent Budowsky, centrist, Christopher Cox, closing price, Commentary, Congress, Democrat, Democratic Party, Democrats, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Enron, equities markets, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal Reserve, Federal Reserve Board, finance, financial system, Hank Paulson, house arrest, investors, John Burke, John T Burke Jr, late-day rallies, Lloyd Bentsen, London School of Economics, market correction, NASDAQ, News, Obama Administration, Opinion, Political, Politics, Ponzi Scheme, President of the United States, Representative Bill Alexander, Republican, Republican Party, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, Senate, Sheila Bair, stock markets, stock prices, the center lane, The Hill, The White House, thecenterlane, Treasury Secretary, Treasury Secretary Paulson, vigilante justice, Wall Street, Wall Street scandal
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You are here: Music + Artists // Artist to Watch // 2011 // Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know - Ribbon Music
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know - Ribbon Music
At just 21 years old Laura Marling has already found significant success at home in Britain. She’s emerged from a revivalist music scene in London rooted in traditional folk that has already spawned massive commercial appeal with bands like Mumford & Sons. For Laura, her first two albums were each nominated for the UK Mercury Music Prize and earlier this year she won Best Female Solo artist at the Brit Awards. Her third release A Creature I Don’t Know aims to cover new ground musically, plus serves as a proper introduction to new audiences here in the U.S.
Whether or not it’s your first encounter with Marling her ability to narrate a story through her music has always been a draw. On A Creature I Don’t Know Marling supplements her songwriting skills with dynamic arrangements. Where we found beauty in the sparseness of just a voice and a guitar, we now find it in the musical ride of these constructions. We were tipped off with the song “Sophia,” which preceded the release of the new album. From the whispery first verse, the song unfolds into a sprawling full band occasion. It’s easily her most appealing and dynamic moment as an artist.
And much like her aforementioned musical counterparts (Mumford & Sons), there is an almost anthemic effect to this music. Similar to “Sophia,” songs like “My Friends,” “The Beast” and “All My Rage” rely so much on momentum, they just swell to captivation. On A Creature I Don’t Know Marling is grasping her potential and listeners with each song.
CD OF THE MONTH: NOV 2011
A Creature I Don't Know
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Laura Marling
The Best World Cafe Performances From 2013
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SANCTUARY OF MADONNA DELLA CERIOLA
Symbol of Monte Isola, is a place of devotion and thanksgiving to the Blessed Virgin.
Monte isola (25050)
25050 Monte isola , Brescia
Located on Monte Isola, the largest lake island in the middle of Lake Iseo. It is located at the highest point of the lake and from there you can admire a wide view of the lake and the surrounding mountains.
The Sanctuary of Madonna della Ceriola was the first building worshipping Our Lady to be built in the Lake Iseo area, in fact, its origins date back to the mid-fifth century.
The name "Madonna della Ceriola", probably derives from the oak (cerro in Italian), used to build the twelfth century wooden statue, representing the Virgin enthroned with the Child in her arms, venerated inside the Sanctuary.
Inside the sanctuary there are numerous frescoes, paintings and ex-voto, the gifts from the faithful that recall the graces attributed to Our Lady.
Every second Sunday of July there is the "Madonna del Colera" celebration, in gratitude for the protection given to the inhabitants of the island against an 1836 cholera epidemic.
Today the sanctuary is the symbol of civil unity among all the citizens of the only municipality of Monte Isola, which carries in its emblem the figure of the Sanctuary of Madonna della Ceriola.
Getting there is simple. The sanctuary is served by a cobbled mule track that connects it to the locality Cure, and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays there is a bus service that starts near the pier of Peschiera Maraglio and stops in the locality of Cure.
Also from Peschiera Maraglio starts the path that leads to the Sanctuary and along the path are 15 chapels that celebrate the mysteries of the Rosary, built in the second half of the twentieth century.
During religious services, visits are suspended.
Arrive: SANCTUARY OF MADONNA DELLA... Set up your route
Azienda La Freschera
Località Invillo, 24060 Parzanica , Bergamo
danesigianpietro@...
Parzanica
Piazza Aldo Moro, 7
TAVERNOLA BERGAMASCA
VIA TORRE 3
Located in the middle of Lake Iseo, Europe’s largest lake island is...
LA TRATTORIA
www.latrottoria.it
VIA PERO 8
ristoranteginevra...
Cruise into the blue
A cruise with a view of the Alps? In Lake Iseo it's possible! Alternatively...
Loreto Island
It looks like it came straight out of a dream or a fairy tale: don’t...
La Moja
lamoja2005@libero.it
Via Moja, 19
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If You Are Interested In All Stars
To be considered for one of the three Yarmouth Little League All Star Baseball teams, each player must submit YLL’s online All Star Baseball registration form by May 25th, 2018.
If you have difficulty accessing this online form for any reason, please contact Matt McGrath, who will assist you in completing the form. Again, all baseball registrations are due May 25th, 2018.
To understand how the team selection process works, read the YLL All-Star principles document.
If you have ever watched the Little League World Series, you have seen All-Stars competing. Local Little Leagues from around the United States — and the world — select All-Star teams that are made up of players from their league, and who will compete in the various tournaments that ultimately lead to the Little League World Series held in August in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Here in Yarmouth, at the conclusion of the Little League regular season and playoffs, we will select a group of All-Stars for various age groups, which have traditionally been 11-12 year olds, 10-11 year olds, and 9-10 year olds. It is the 11-12 year olds that are ultimately seen at the Little League World Series.
Each tournament is a double elimination tournament. Because the commitment can be extensive in time and effort, it is necessary to obtain the agreement of players and parents to this commitment prior to selection of the baseball teams. Please read the information on this page and submit the online registration form if you wish to be considered for selection to an All Star tournament team.
Any Yarmouth Little League baseball player in Major or Minor Leagues may submit this form for consideration, but submission of this form does not guarantee that a player will be selected for one of the All-Star tournament baseball teams.
It is a fairly big commitment, but also a great honor to be chosen. If you agree to participate on an All-Star team, you must commit to the entire tournament run. We are not allowed to change rosters once we enter the tournament.
11-12 Year Old Baseball Team
Open to players who are league age 10, 11 or 12. Teams will be announced after June 1st and practices will start after that. The tournament will begin on June 22nd, 2018 and run through July 18th, 2018.
Open to players who are league age 9, 10 or 11. Teams will be announced after June 1st and practices will start after that. The tournament will begin on June 22nd, 2018 and run through July 18th, 2018.
9-10 Year Old Baseball Team
Open to players who are league age 8, 9 or 10. Teams will be announced after June 1st and practices will start after that. The tournament will begin on June 22nd, 2018 and run through July 18th, 2018.
Attendance at all practices and games is essential. The goal of Yarmouth Little League during regular season play is the development of the skills, sportsmanship and attitude of our players. The goal of District 6 Tournament is competition (playing time will not be equal) and sportsmanship. A commitment to this goal is necessary.
If you want to be considered for selection to a tournament baseball team, please complete and submit the online form by May 25th, 2018. By completing this online registration form, the player and his family agree to the following conditions of participation on the tournament teams, if selected:
Player will make every effort to attend all practices and games. (In the event that you are unsure about registering for consideration for all-stars due to conflicts in schedule or family vacation, we encourage you to register and make note of the specific dates of the conflicts using the on-line form. The respective coach of each team will determine whether the schedule conflict can be accommodated.)
Practices will start after teams are announced on June 10th and may be held on weekdays and weekends.
There is a $40.00 fee to participate which off-sets uniform expenses, but the costs of travel are the responsibility of each player’s family.
District 6 tournament players must each provide three proofs of residency (i.e. parent driver’s license, utility bills, etc.) and an original birth certificate or certified copy (specific details will be provided to selected players). These items will be collected at a location and date to be announced.
If you have questions regarding the All Star process or tournaments, please contact Matt McGrath,
The Games All-Stars Play
The Yarmouth All-Star teams will continue to play until they are eliminated. The progression of the All-Star season begins with the District 6 Tournament, then moves to the Maine State Championship, then to the New England Regional, and finally to the Little League World Series.
District 6 Tournament
The state of Maine is organized into six different regional districts that cover the entire state, and Yarmouth is a member of Maine Little League District 6.
The first stop for the Yarmouth All-Stars is the District 6 Tournament, which is a double elimination competition held against other Little League All-Star teams from District 6, which covers mostly Cumberland County. Here they will play against teams from Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland-North Yarmouth, Falmouth, Freeport, Gray-New Gloucester, Portland American, Portland National, Scarborough, South Portland American, South Portland National, Standish, Westbrook, and Windham.
Yarmouth has a tradition of excellence in the District 6 Tournament, being crowned District Champions in 1988, 1989, 2006, and 2011.
If Yarmouth wins the District 6 Tournament, they will move on to the Maine State Little League Championship.
Maine State Little League Championship
The State Championship is a double elimination tournament between the six respective District Champions from around the state of Maine. The tournament is held at different host locations every year. The winner of the tournament is then crowned the Maine State Champion, and will move on to the New England Regional tournament.
Yarmouth has claimed the title of Maine State Champions on two occasions, in both 2006 and 2011. Yarmouth lost in the semi-finals in 1989, and was the state runner up in 1988.
A team from District 6 has won the Maine State Championship eight times since 2000, making it the most successful district in the state.
New England Regional
If Yarmouth wins the State Championship, they will move on to the New England Regional Tournament, which has existed since 2001, and is held in Bristol, Connecticut each year. It is the last stop before moving on to the Little League World Series. Here the Maine State Champion will compete against state champion teams from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
In 2006, Yarmouth went 1-3 in the Regional and was eliminated from further competition. In 2011, Yarmouth once again went 1-3 and was eliminated from play.
A team from Maine has won the New England Regional only once, in 2005, when the Westbrook Little League won the regional and went on to Williamsport. Two other teams from Maine — Portland Suburban (1951) and Augusta East (1971) have advanced to the Little League World Series. Portland Suburban won the Region 1 title, while Augusta East made it into the World Series by winning what was the previous East Region, which was much larger and encompassed what is today the Mid-Atlantic Region as well.
Three Maine teams have made it into the Little League World Series over the years — Westbrook (2005), Augusta East (1971) and Portland Suburban (1951). Westbrook went 1-2, beating the Owensboro, Kentucky team that represented the Great Lakes Region, and lost its two other games. Augusta beat Kentucky 1-0 and also lost its other two games. Portland played only one game (the 1951 tournament was single elimination), losing to Texas 3-1.
We are determined to put the fourth team from Maine in the World Series, and we will hopefully have more success.
The Little League World Series is held each year in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and is broadcast on ESPN. If Yarmouth can win the New England Regional, we will go to Williamsport and will compete against other regional winners from the United States. If all goes well, we will win the United States bracket, and compete for the ultimate championship against the winner of the International bracket. If we emerge from that contest victorious, Yarmouth will be crowned the Little League World Series Champion!
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Kesha Delivers Powerful ‘Here Comes The Change’ Video on the Eve of the Midterm Election
In September, Kesha revealed "Here Comes The Change," a powerful ballad she penned for On The Basis of Sex, an upcoming film that tells the story of a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her husband Marty's fight against gender discrimination. On the eve of the Midterm Election (November 5), the pop star shared the song's official video.
The visuals splice black and white footage of the singer playing guitar, a bass drum, and harmonica in an abandoned attic while wearing a full evening gown with never before seen clips from the movie. As the song progresses, Kesha finds herself in different parts of the house and eventually sings on a staircase covered in photos of civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and RBG.
Mimi Leder, the film's director, personally sought out the "Rainbow" singer "because her passionate voice and immense talent magnify the social justice imperatives Ruth Bader Ginsburg continues to fight for every day."
"When I was first approached to write a song for the movie, I thought I was the wrong person for the job. For me, songwriting is such a personal process and it is almost always inspired by things I’ve experienced in my own life. The idea that I should be writing about someone else’s life, and that person would be Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was intimidating," Kesha wrote in an essay for Refinery 29.
"But after seeing the film, I was inspired. It was amazing to see Ginsburg’s story of leading a campaign that successfully changed laws that discriminated against Americans purely
on the basis of their sex, as the film title suggests," she continued. "In watching the film I was struck by how much Ginsburg was able to accomplish in her life, and at the same time, how much more there is to do in the fight for equality for all people. It reminded me of — and strengthened — my belief that any single person can make lasting change, starting with one small action. I wanted to do what I could to pay tribute to Ginsburg, who has spent a lifetime fighting tirelessly for equality, with no signs of slowing down. I wanted to make my voice heard, too."
Watch the inspiring video below.
On The Basis of Sex is slated for a December 25 release date, and the Midterm Election will be underway on Tuesday (November 6).
Source: Kesha Delivers Powerful ‘Here Comes The Change’ Video on the Eve of the Midterm Election
Filed Under: Kesha
Categories: Music News, News, Newsletter
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Experimental Therapeutics
In Vivo Pharmacodynamic Activity of Daptomycin
Nasia Safdar, David Andes, W. A. Craig
Nasia Safdar
Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Wisconsin
For correspondence: n.safdar@hosp.wisc.edu
David Andes
W. A. Craig
Department of Medicine, Section of Clinical Pharmacology, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Affairs Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.1.63-68.2004
Daptomycin is a lipopeptide antibiotic with activity against a wide range of gram-positive bacteria. We used the neutropenic murine thigh model to characterize the pharmacodynamics of daptomycin. ICR/Swiss mice were rendered neutropenic with cyclophosphamide; and the thigh muscles of the mice were infected with strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecium. Animals were treated by subcutaneous injection of daptomycin at doses of 0.20 to 400 mg/kg of body weight/day divided into one, two, four, or eight doses over 24 h. Daptomycin exhibited linear pharmacokinetics, with an area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) from time zero to infinity/dose of 9.4 and a half-life of 0.9 to 1.4 h. The level of protein binding was 90%. Free daptomycin exhibited concentration-dependent killing and produced in vivo postantibiotic effects (PAEs) of 4.8 to 10.8 h. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to determine which pharmacokinetic (PK) or pharmacodynamic (PD) parameter was important for efficacy by using free drug concentrations. The peak concentration/MIC (peak/MIC) ratio and 24-h AUC/MIC ratio were the PK and PD parameters that best correlated with in vivo efficacy (R2 = 83 to 87% for peak/MIC and R2 = 86% for the AUC/MIC ratio, whereas R2 = 47 to 50% for the time that the concentration was greater than the MIC) against standard strains of S. aureus and S. pneumoniae. The peak/MIC ratios required for a bacteriostatic effect ranged from 12 to 36 for S. pneumoniae, 59 to 94 for S. aureus, and 0.14 to 0.25 for E. faecium. The AUC/MIC ratios needed for a bacteriostatic effect ranged from 75 to 237 for S. pneumoniae, 388 to 537 for S. aureus, and 0.94 to 1.67 for E. faecium. The free daptomycin concentrations needed to average from one to two times the MIC over 24 h to produce a bacteriostatic effect and two to four times the MIC over 24 h to produce greater than 99% killing. The long PAE and potent bactericidal activity make daptomycin an attractive option for the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive bacteria.
The growing crisis in antibiotic resistance has limited our ability to treat infections caused by resistant pathogens. Vancomycin remains the mainstay of therapy against several resistant gram-positive organisms, but with the 20-fold increase in nosocomial infections caused by vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) (4), there is a growing need for more potent antimicrobials to attack these resistant pathogens. Daptomycin is a lipopeptide antibiotic derived from Streptomyces roseosporus. Among its attributes, daptomycin has potent bactericidal activity against a wide range of gram-positive bacteria (6, 7, 11-14, 16, 18, 21), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (8, 9), VRE (1), and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (5, 20). Daptomycin is bactericidal against enterococci, including VRE, at concentrations near the MIC (1). Early clinical trials with 2 mg of daptomycin per kg of body weight per day and conventional therapy were suspended by the sponsor in 1992 because of failures of treatment for endocarditis in the daptomycin group (16). The treatment failures were likely due to underdosing, which thus led to a concentration of active drug that was too low and which undermined the potential concentration-dependent bactericidal activity of daptomycin. However, recent phase II and phase III clinical trials with daptomycin have not demonstrated any severe adverse events (F. P. Tally, C. Berman, F. B. Oleson, and M. F. DeBruin, Abstr. 10th Eur. Congr. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis., abstr. WeP233, 2000). The potency of daptomycin and the extremely useful role that it could potentially play in the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive organisms merit further evaluation of its pharmacodynamic (PD) activity to determine optimal dosing regimens.
We chose to characterize the PDs of daptomycin in the neutropenic murine thigh infection model to ascertain (i) which pharmacokinetic (PK) or PD parameter best correlates with the efficacy of daptomycin and (ii) whether the magnitudes of these parameters varied for different pathogens. These studies may provide dosing regimen suggestions for the successful administration of daptomycin for the treatment of infections caused by drug-resistant gram-positive bacteria.
(Part of this work was presented at the 38th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, San Francisco, Calif., September 1999.)
Organisms.The organisms studied consisted of nine strains of S. pneumoniae (two strains with intermediate susceptibility to penicillin and seven strains resistant to penicillin), four strains of S. aureus (one strain of methicillin-resistant S. aureus), and two strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium.
Antibiotics.Daptomycin powder was supplied by Cubist Pharmaceuticals and was stored at −70°C. Solutions were freshly prepared in distilled, deionized sterile water and were diluted to the desired concentrations.
Media.The in vitro activity of daptomycin has been shown to be dependent on the presence of calcium ions in the medium (2). Hence, Mueller-Hinton broth (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich.) was supplemented with calcium (50 mg/liter) and magnesium (25 mg/liter). The media were also supplemented with 3% lysed horse blood for tests with S. pneumoniae.
Sheep blood agar was used for quantitation of S. pneumoniae, and Mueller-Hinton broth was used for S. aureus and E. faecium.
MIC determination.The MIC of daptomycin for each isolate was determined in duplicate by the standard NCCLS broth microdilution method (3). The broth microdilution wells were read at 20 h after incubation at 35°C.
Animals.Six-week-old specific-pathogen-free female ICR/Swiss mice (weight, 23 to 25 g; Harlan Sprague-Dawley, Madison, Wis.) were used for all studies. The animals used were maintained in accordance with the criteria of the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. All studies were approved by the Animal Research Committee of the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Affairs Hospital.
Infection model.The mice were rendered neutropenic (polymorphonuclear cell count, <100/mm3) by injecting cyclophosphamide (Mead Johnson Pharmaceuticals, Evansville, Ind.) intraperitoneally 4 days (150 mg/kg) and 1 day (100 mg/kg) before infection (22).
Broth cultures of bacteria were grown to logarithmic phase overnight to an absorbance at 580 nm of 0.3 (Spectronic 88; Bausch & Lomb, Rochester, N.Y.). After dilution 1:10 in fresh Mueller-Hinton broth, the bacterial counts of the inoculum ranged from 106 to 107 CFU/ml. Thigh infections with each of the isolates were produced by injection of 0.1 ml of inoculum into groups of two mice 2 h before therapy with daptomycin. At specified time points the animals were killed by CO2 asphyxiation. After the mice were killed, the thighs were immediately removed and homogenized in 0.9% sterile iced saline. Viable counts were determined by plating duplicate 10-μl aliquots of samples of homogenate serially diluted 10-fold on Mueller-Hinton agar for S. aureus and E. faecium and sheep blood agar for S. pneumoniae.
All datum points represent the mean number of CFU for four thighs (two mice).
PKs.Plasma samples were obtained by retro-orbital puncture at 0.5, 2, 4, and 6 h from one group of three infected mice and at 1, 3, 5, and 8 h from a second set of three infected mice following the administration of single subcutaneous doses of 10 and 40 mg of daptomycin per kg, respectively. The total volume collected from individual animals was less than 10% of the total blood volume. Concentrations in plasma were determined by microbiologic assay with Micrococcus luteus ATCC 9341 as the test organism (Cubist Pharmaceuticals, unpublished data). The lower limit of detection was 1.5 μg/ml. The intraday variation was less than 10%. Protein binding was determined by ultrafiltration with concentrations in plasma of 50 and 400 μg/ml. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by noncompartmental analysis. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) was calculated from the mean concentrations by the trapezoidal rule. Pharmacokinetic constants were interpolated from values obtained in the actual studies for doses for which no kinetics were determined.
In vivo PAE.Two hours after infection with standard strains of S. aureus (ATCC 25923) and S. pneumoniae (ATCC 10813), single subcutaneous doses of daptomycin at 2.5 and 10 mg/kg were administered to two groups of mice, respectively. Two control mice were killed at 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h. Two treated mice were killed at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 h. The postantibiotic effect (PAE) was calculated by the following equation: $$mathtex$$\[PAE\ {=}\ T{-}C\]$$mathtex$$(1) where C is the time for the growth of 1 log10 CFU/thigh in control animals and T is the time for the growth of 1 log10 CFU/thigh in treated animals after total and free drug levels in plasma had fallen below the MIC.
Dose-response methods.Neutropenic mice were infected with standard strains of penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae or S. aureus. Groups of two mice each were treated for 24 h with multiple daptomycin regimens by using fourfold increasing total doses divided into one, two, four, or eight doses. The total doses of daptomycin ranged from 0.20 to 400 mg/kg. Drug was administered subcutaneously in 0.2-ml volumes. The mice were killed after 24 h of therapy, and the thighs were removed and processed for CFU determination. Untreated control mice were killed just before treatment and after 24 h.
Dose-response studies were performed with 13 additional strains of S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, and E. faecium and dosing with daptomycin every 12 h.
Data analysis.The results of these studies were analyzed by using the sigmoid dose-effect model. The doses required to produce a net bacteriostatic effect (static dose), 1 log10 killing, and 2 log10 killing were calculated from the following equation, derived from the Hill equation: $$mathtex$$\[Log_{10}\ D\ {=}\ \frac{log_{10}\ [E/E_{max}\ {-}\ E]}{N}\ {+}\ log\ ED_{50}\]$$mathtex$$(2) where D is dose, E is the growth (G; in numbers of CFU per thigh) in untreated controls between 0 and 24 h for the static dose, E is G + 1 log for 1 log killing, and E is G + 2 logs for 2 log killing; Emax is the maximum effect; ED50 is the dose required to achieve 50% of Emax; and N is the slope of the dose-effect curve.
The indices Emax, ED50, and N were estimated by nonlinear least-squares regression. Nonlinear regression analysis with the same Emax dose-response model was used to determine which PK or PD parameter correlated best with efficacy. The coefficient of determination (R2) was used to estimate the percentage of variance in efficacy that could be attributed to regression with each PK or PD parameter.
The results for the different groups are presented as means with standard deviations and 95% confidence intervals. Differences between two groups were determined by the Mann-Whitney test (Sigma Stat; Jandel Scientific Software, San Rafael, Calif.).
The MICs of daptomycin for S. pneumoniae ranged from 0.12 to 0.25 μg/ml, while the MICs for the S. aureus and E. faecium strains were 0.5 and 2.0 μg/ml, respectively.
PKs.The time course of the mean plasma daptomycin concentrations following the administration of subcutaneous doses of 10 and 40 mg/kg are shown in Fig. 1. At the doses studied, the kinetics of daptomycin were relatively linear, with no change in the elimination half-life with the higher dose. PK analysis revealed peak concentration/dose values of 2.8 and 5.2 for the two doses, respectively, and AUC/dose values of 9.4 for both doses. Since three to four concentrations in plasma were determined for each mouse, individual half-lives were determined and ranged from 0.9 to 1.3 h for the 40-mg/kg dose and 0.9 to 1.4 h for the 10-mg/kg dose. The level of protein binding in mouse plasma ranged from 88.4 to 92.7%, with a mean of 90%.
Plasma daptomycin concentrations after administration of single subcutaneous doses of 10 and 40 mg/kg to neutropenic infected mice. Each symbol represents the mean ± standard levels in the plasma of three mice. T1/2, plasma elimination half-life (in hours); Cmax, peak level in plasma.
PAE.The mice had 107.1 and 106.8 CFU of S. pneumoniae and S. aureus per thigh, respectively, when single doses of 2.5 or 10 mg/kg were given. The time course of antimicrobial activity of daptomycin against the standard strain of S. pneumoniae is shown in Fig. 2. Daptomycin reduced the number of bacteria by 3 to 4 log10 CFU/thigh. However, regrowth did not start immediately after total and free drug levels fell below the MIC. The durations of the in vivo PAEs for free daptomycin against both S. pneumoniae and S. aureus are shown in Table 1. Daptomycin exhibited prolonged PAEs against both organisms.
In vivo PAE of daptomycin against S. pneumoniae ATCC 10813 after administration of single doses of 2.5 (triangles) and 10 (squares) mg/kg. T > MIC, time that the concentration remains above the MIC.
In vivo PAEs of free and total daptomycin concentrations of against S. aureus and S. pneumoniae
Correlation of PK and PD parameters with efficacy.The relationships between the different PK and PD parameters for daptomycin with the number of CFU of S. aureus ATCC 25923 remaining in the thigh after 24 h of treatment are shown in Fig. 3a and b. The results for S. pneumoniae ATCC 10813 were very similar to those shown in Fig. 3. The peak concentration/MIC (peak/MIC) ratio and the 24-h AUC/MIC ratio were the parameters that best correlated with efficacy (R2 = 83 to 87% for the peak/MIC ratio and 86% for the 24-h AUC/MIC ratio, whereas R2 = 8 to 17% for the time that the concentration remains above the MIC for total drug and 47 to 50% for time that the concentration remains above the MIC for free drug). The static doses for the different dosing intervals are shown in Table 2. Values for the 24-h dosing regimen were either similar to or slightly less than those for the more frequent dosing regimens.
Relationships between PK and PD parameters and number of organisms remaining in the thighs of neutropenic mice after 24 h of therapy with multiple dosing regimens of daptomycin. (a) The PK and PD parameters are the time that the concentration remains above the MIC for total and free drug; (b) the PK and PD parameters peak/MIC and 24-h AUC/MIC ratios for total drug. The dotted lines represent the log10 CFU per thigh at the start of therapy.
Static doses of daptomycin for different dosing intervals
Magnitudes of PK and PD parameters determining efficacy against multiple strains.The dose-response curves normalized to the starting inoculum for administration of daptomycin every 12 h for multiple strains of S. pneumoniae and multiple strains of S. aureus and E. faecium are shown in Fig. 4 and 5, respectively. The dose-response curves for various strains of S. pneumoniae were relatively similar. The dose-response curves for the four strains of S. aureus and the two strains of E. faecium were almost identical. The static doses varied and ranged from 0.954 to 5.34 mg/kg/24 h for S. pneumoniae, 20.8 to 28.6 mg/kg/24 h for S. aureus, and 0.203 to 0.360 mg/kg/24 h for E. faecium (Table 3). The low values for E. faecium may reflect the poor growth of the two strains of E. faecium in control mice (0.34 and 0.37 log10 CFU/thigh over 24 h).
Dose-response curves for daptomycin against various strains of S. pneumoniae.
Dose-response curves for daptomycin against various strains of S. aureus (circles) and E. faecium (squares).
MICs, static doses, and magnitudes of 24-h AUC/MIC and peak/MIC ratios required to produce a bacteriostatic effect and killing of 1 and 2 log10 CFU per thigh over 24 h
The magnitude of the 24-h AUC/MIC ratios associated with the doses required to produce a static effect or reduce the numbers of CFU by 1 and 2 log10 over 24 h are listed in Table 3 and are shown graphically in Fig. 6. The values in Table 3 are based on total drug, while the data in Fig. 6 are based on free drug (10% of the total drug values). Although the static doses for S. pneumoniae and S. aureus varied 30-fold and ranged from 0.95 to 28.6 mg/kg/day, the 24-h AUC/MIC and peak/MIC ratios for these doses varied 7.1- and 7.9-fold, respectively.
AUC over 24 h for free daptomycin associated with the static dose and doses producing killing of 1 and 2 log10 CFU/thigh for multiple strains of S. pneumoniae and S. aureus.
The mean 24-h AUC/MIC and peak/MIC ratios for S. pneumoniae (160 and 24, respectively, for total drug and 16 and 2.4, respectively, for free drug) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those for S. aureus (438 and 71, respectively, for total drug and 44 and 7.1, respectively, for free drug). Penicillin and methicillin resistance did not alter the magnitude of the 24-h AUC/MIC and peak/MIC ratios for daptomycin that were required for efficacy. The 24-h AUC/MIC and peak/MIC ratios for E. faecium were much lower than those for the other organisms tested.
The burgeoning rates of antibiotic resistance among clinical isolates of gram-positive bacteria and the upsurge in the rates of bacteremia caused by these organisms during recent times are causes for great concern. Daptomycin had potent antimicrobial activity against the multiple strains of S. pneumoniae and S. aureus tested. Unlike vancomycin, daptomycin displays concentration-dependent killing both in vitro (11, 14) and in vivo, as shown in this study. Its long half-life and a prolonged PAE should allow infrequent drug dosing.
In our animal study, exposure of the organisms to daptomycin led to PAEs of 5 to 10 h for S. aureus and S. pneumoniae, respectively. This is similar to the results of in vitro studies, which have also demonstrated prolonged PAEs for daptomycin (7, 13). Hanberger et al. (15), using a bioluminescence assay, showed that the in vitro PAE of daptomycin ranged from 0.6 to 6.7 h against E. fecalis and 1.0 to 6.3 h against S. aureus. Another earlier study also showed an in vitro PAE of up to 2 h against S. aureus (J. Leggett, K. Totsuka, S. Ebert, B. Vogelman, and W. A. Craig, Abstr. 37th Intersci. Conf. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., abstr. 154, p. 123, 1987).
Our study demonstrates that the AUC/MIC and peak/MIC ratios are the important PK and PD parameters that determine the in vivo activity of daptomycin against staphylococci and streptococci. Another recent study with a single strain of S. aureus in the neutropenic murine thigh model suggested that the AUC/MIC ratio was the most important PD parameter for daptomycin (17). There are several differences between this study and that reported by Louie et al. (17), even though one of the strains that we studied was the same single isolate that they studied. The static dose in our study was 3.5-fold higher (22.5 versus 6.35 mg/kg/day). Moreover, the starting inoculum in their study was 5.04 log10 CFU/g, while it was 7.38 log10 CFU/thigh (average thigh weight, 1 g) in our study. Finally, the organism had grown 0.07 log10 CFU/g between the time of infection and the time of the start of therapy in their experiment, while the organism had grown 1.49 log10 CFU/thigh in our experiments. The higher inoculum and the growth of the organism in our studies likely account for the differences in the static doses. Nevertheless, the 24-h AUC/MIC ratio required for stasis in their study (43.4 by use of the MIC in 100% mouse serum) is similar to the value that we observed (42.0 [10% of 420]) by using free daptomycin concentrations and the MIC in broth. Thus, the application of these results to the treatment of human infections is based on similar conclusions.
In our study, which used multiple total doses and fractionation down to 3-h dosing regimens, we were not able to differentiate between the peak/MIC ratio and the 24-h AUC/MIC ratio as the more important parameter. The static doses in Table 2 would support the AUC/MIC ratio as the major PK and PD parameter. Furthermore, the magnitudes of the PK and PD parameters predicting a bacteriostatic effect and killing of 1 to 2 log10 CFU/thigh over 24 h were relatively similar among the various strains, despite the presence in some strains of methicillin and penicillin resistance. In terms of free drug concentrations, daptomycin levels need to average from one to two times the MIC over 24 h (i.e., 24-h AUC/MIC ratios of 24 to 48) to produce a bacteriostatic effect and two to four times the MIC over 24 h to produce greater than 99% killing. Peak concentrations of free drug needed to be 2.5 to 7 times the MIC to produce a bacteriostatic effect and 7 to 25 times the MIC to produce greater than 99% killing.
Our studies suggest that the AUCs for total daptomycin that must be obtained in plasma to produce killing of at least 1 log10 CFU/thigh for staphylococci and streptococci and the AUCs for total vancomycin to produce killing of at least 1 log10 CFU/thigh for drug-resistant E. faecium strains in neutropenic mice vary from 294 to 375 μg · h/ml for S. aureus, 13.5 to 93 μg · h/ml for S. pneumoniae, and 8.2 to 67 μg · h/ml for E. faecium. Studies of the PKs of daptomycin with human volunteers have demonstrated mean AUCs from time zero to infinity of 382 and 598 μg · h/ml for doses of 4 and 6 mg/kg, respectively (23). It is appropriate to compare AUCs in humans with those in mice on the basis of total drug concentrations, as the extent of protein binding is identical in both species (10). Thus, doses of 2 to 3 mg/kg twice daily or 4 to 6 mg/kg once daily would surpass the AUC target for efficacy against staphylococci obtained in our study. The use of lower doses should be possible for the successful treatment of pneumococcal infections. Lower doses might also be possible for treatment of infections caused by vancomycin-resistant E. faecium. However, we are concerned about the poor growth of these strains in the thigh model and believe that the activity of the drug against E. faecium may have been overestimated in this study. Additional studies with strains that grow better in the murine thigh are needed before conclusions on optimal dosage regimens for the treatment of infections caused by VRE can be made.
Once-daily administration of daptomycin exhibited efficacy either similar to or slightly better than that of more frequent administration against the standard strains of S. aureus and S. pneumoniae. A recent study with dogs demonstrated that once-daily dosing of daptomycin at 75 mg/kg resulted in less myopathy and greater increases in creatine phosphokinase levels in serum than those obtained with the same total dose administered as 25 mg/kg every 8 h (19). Thus, once-daily dosing may provide a regimen that maintains good efficacy and reduces the risk of muscle-related effects. The mean peak levels obtained in human volunteers treated with 4 and 6 mg/kg were 52 and 82 μg/ml, respectively (23). In our animal study the peak levels required to produce killing of 1 log10 CFU/thigh within 24 h were 30 to 46 μg/ml for S. aureus and 2 to 8 μg/ml for S. pneumoniae.
Our studies with daptomycin suggest that this lipopeptide antibiotic may prove to be valuable for the treatment of infections involving gram-positive bacteria. Its rapid bactericidal activity and long half-life make it a potentially important antibiotic. Once-daily dosing would appear to maintain in vivo antimicrobial activity. Phase III clinical trials that are under way will further define daptomycin's role in the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive bacteria.
Received 25 February 2003.
Returned for modification 16 July 2003.
Accepted 1 October 2003.
Amsterdam, D., E. A. Gorzynski, T. R. Beam, and C. Rotstein. 1994. Susceptibility of bacteraemic isolates of gram-positive cocci to daptomycin and other antimicrobial agents. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 33:1060-1064.
Andrew, J. H., M. C. Wale, L. J. Wale, and D. Greenwood. 1987. The effect of cultural conditions on the activity of LY146032 against staphylococci and streptococci. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 20:213-221.
Anonymous. 1997. Minimum inhibitory concentration interpretive standards, M7-A4. Document 2. National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, Wayne, Pa.
Anonymous. 1993. Nosocomial enterococci resistant to vancomycin—United States, 1989-1993. Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 42:597-599.
Appelbaum, P. C., S. K. Spangler, E. Crotty, and M. R. Jacobs. 1989. Susceptibility of penicillin-sensitive and -resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae to new antimicrobial agents, including daptomycin, teicoplanin, cefpodoxime and quinolones. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 23:509-516.
Barry, A. L., P. C. Fuchs, and S. D. Brown. 2001. In vitro activities of daptomycin against 2,789 clinical isolates from 11 North American medical centers. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45:1919-1922.
Bartoloni, A., M. G. Colao, A. Orsi, R. Dei, E. Giganti, and F. Parenti. 1990. In-vitro activity of vancomycin, teicoplanin, daptomycin, ramoplanin, MDL 62873 and other agents against staphylococci, enterococci and Clostridium difficile. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 26:627-633.
Bush, L. M., J. A. Boscia, M. Wendeler, P. G. Pitsakis, and D. Kaye. 1989. In vitro postantibiotic effect of daptomycin (LY146032) against Enterococcus faecalis and methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 33:1198-1200.
Coudron, P. E., J. L. Johnston, and G. L. Archer. 1987. In-vitro activity of LY146032 against Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 20:505-511.
Craig, W. A. 1998. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic parameters: rationale for antibacterial dosing of mice and men. Clin. Infect. Dis. 26:1-10.
Debbia, E., A. Pesce, and G. C. Schito. 1988. In vitro activity of LY146032 alone and in combination with other antibiotics against gram-positive bacteria. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 32:279-281.
Eliopoulos, G. M., S. Willey, E. Reiszner, P. G. Spitzer, G. Caputo, and R. C. Moellering, Jr. 1986. In vitro and in vivo activity of LY 146032, a new cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 30:532-535.
Fass, R. J., and V. L. Helsel. 1986. In vitro activity of LY146032 against staphylococci, streptococci, and enterococci. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 30:781-784.
Flandrois, J. P., G. Fardel, and G. Carret. 1988. Early stages of in vitro killing curve of LY146032 and vancomycin for Staphylococcus aureus. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 32:454-457.
Hanberger, H., L. E. Nilsson, R. Maller, and B. Isaksson. 1991. Pharmacodynamics of daptomycin and vancomycin on Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated by studies of initial killing and postantibiotic effect and influence of Ca2+ and albumin on these drugs. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 35:1710-1716.
Knapp, C. C., and J. A. Washington II. 1986. Antistaphylococcal activity of a cyclic peptide, LY146032, and vancomycin. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 30:938-939.
Louie, A., P. Kaw, W. Liu, N. Jumbe, M. H. Miller, and G. L. Drusano. 2001. Pharmacodynamics of daptomycin in a murine thigh model of Staphylococcus aureus infection. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45:845-851.
Mouton, R. P., and S. L. Mulders. 1987. LY146032: activity and resistance development in vitro. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 20:513-517.
Oleson, F. B., Jr., C. L. Berman, J. B. Kirkpatrick, K. S. Regan, J. J. Lai, and F. P. Tally. 2000. Once-daily dosing in dogs optimizes daptomycin safety. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 44:2948-2953.
Pankuch, G. A., M. R. Jacobs, and P. C. Appelbaum. 2003. Bactericidal activity of daptomycin against Streptococcus pneumoniae compared with eight other antimicrobials. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 51:443-446.
Rotschafer, J. C., M. W. Garrison, and K. A. Rodvold. 1988. Therapeutic update on glycopeptide and lipopeptide antibiotics. Pharmacotherapy 8:211-219.
Vogelman, B., S. Gudmundsson, J. Turnidge, J. Leggett, and W. A. Craig. 1988. In vivo postantibiotic effect in a thigh infection in neutropenic mice. J. Infect. Dis. 157:287-298.
Woodworth, J. R., E. H. Nyhart, Jr., G. L. Brier, J. D. Wolny, and H. R. Black. 1992. Single-dose pharmacokinetics and antibacterial activity of daptomycin, a new lipopeptide antibiotic, in healthy volunteers. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 36:318-325.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Dec 2003, 48 (1) 63-68; DOI: 10.1128/AAC.48.1.63-68.2004
You are going to email the following In Vivo Pharmacodynamic Activity of Daptomycin
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Rumors have Clayton High School on edge
"It just went through a text message that there was going to be a bomb today," said 12th grader Victoria Schmidt.
Schmidt came to school despite the rumors, but others like Roneisha Poston stayed home Monday as a precaution.
"To be honest, I just thought they were rumors. I brushed it off at first, and I started getting a lot of phone calls Sunday night and that just had me take more precautions at that time," she explained.
Johnston County school officials say they're investigating whether any student should be held accountable.
"Anytime there's an allegation or a threat, law enforcement is involved," said spokesperson Terri Sessoms.
Police say it seems one or more individuals forwarded the rumors - embellishing them along the way.
School officials say it's no joking matter and alerted parents with phone calls.
"That was reassuring to know that this school took every precaution to be on top of it to prevent, in the event it was more than just a rumor to prevent anything from happening. It was definitely reassuring," said parent Stacie Sonesson.
Police say it's near the end of the school year and some students may be eager to get out of exams or get out of school to enjoy the nice weather.
Either way, law enforcement will have a larger presence at Clayton High School until the end of the year.
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Detectives try to identify unknown girl found dead 35 years ago
HUNTSVILLE, TX -- Thirty-five years after an unknown teen was found dead, nude on the side of I-45, authorities are again putting out the girl's description and a photo, in the hopes of finally identifying her.
According to the Walker County Sheriff's Office, on Friday, October 31, 1980, a white female 15-20 years of age arrived in Huntsville, Texas, alone. She was seen by several citizens who also talked to her at two separate locations in town. The first location was a gas station located on the south side of Huntsville where she asked the owner for directions to the Texas Department of Corrections Ellis Prison Farm. The owner gave her those directions and she left on foot. The owner later gave investigators an accurate description of the girl and identified her body. The second location was a truck stop along Interstate 45 on the north side of Huntsville. At this location she talked to two employees of the restaurant at the truck stop. Again she asked for directions to the Ellis Prison Farm and was given written directions. During this conversation she was asked if her parents knew where she was and her response was, "Who cares?" She told these people she was from the Rockport/ Aransas Pass area. Again, the witnesses gave a good description of her and identified her body.
On Saturday, November 1, 1980, at 9:20am, a Walker County Sheriff's Office Deputy responded to a call of a body located on the shoulder of IH-45 north of Huntsville, one half mile south of the FM 1696 exit. The body had been reported by a passing trucker. The body was nude and Harris County Medical Examiner ruled the death asphyxia due to strangulation by ligature.
The initial investigation focused on identifying the girl and determining any possible relationship she had with the Texas Department of Corrections Ellis Prison Farm. Employees and inmates of the Ellis Prison Farm were canvassed with negative results. A search of missing person's reports revealed no leads and media reports of the case resulted in no information concerning the girl's identity. Investigators traveled to the Rockport/ Aransas Pass area and checked with schools and law enforcement with negative results. The girl remains unidentified.
There have been attempts made through the years to identify the girl and many leads have been pursued, all with negative results. November 1, 2015, marked the 35th year since the body was found and Sheriff Clint McRae and members of the Walker County Sheriff's Office remained committed to identifying the girl and clearing the case.
5 feet 6 inches, 108 pounds
Hazel eyes
15-20 years old
Brown hair 10 inches in length
Toenails painted pink with nail polish
Fingernails not painted
Ears pierced (no earrings or studs)
Inverted right nipple
Yellow pullover shirt
Dirty white colored knit sweater with big pockets, length past the waist line
Leather sandal shoes
Rectangular pendant with brown stone (some described as smoky stone) on gold chain
If anyone may know this girl, or have information on this case, please contact the Walker County Sheriff's Office, Huntsville, Texas, at 936-435-2400. Case reference number is 8011476.
huntsvilleteencold casemissing personbody founddead body
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News June 13, 2011 April 10, 2014
Reminder: Admirals Garage Sale June 14th & 15th
195 shopping days until Christmas……
Or…for the Dad in your life that has it all…bet he doesn’t have goalie pads. Nothing says happy father’s day quite like gifts from the Admirals garage sale!
I have cut and copied the details from the Admirals website…
Milwaukee, WI –The Milwaukee Admirals will host their annual garage sale on Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15 in the West Atrium of the Bradley Center.
For a complete listing of items for sale, including jerseys, click here.
The garage sale will open on June 14 at 4 pm for season ticket holders who are paid in full for the 2011-12 season and then from 5-8 pm for all season ticket holders. Season ticket holders may pay in full at the door if they wish to get in for the first hour of the sale. On June 15, the sale is open to the general public from 11 am to 7 pm.
The first 250 fans to come to the garage sale will receive a free opening day ticket to SummerFest. Plus, the Admirals will hold an raffle to win this Admirals themed and autographed corn-hole game. Raffle tickets are $10 and the winner will be drawn after the conclusion of the sale.
The sale will feature game-worn jerseys, including the first chance to buy the team’s new black road jerseys, new and game-used sticks, and other game-used equipment such as gloves, pads, and skates all priced significantly lower than retail value. In addition, Admirals merchandise will be available at a discounted rate.
All items at the garage sale are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Fans should enter the sale through Lobby D at the Bradley Center, located at the northwest corner of the building.
Fans should contact Kim Salli at ksalli@milwaukeeadmirals.com with any questions about the sale.
Coach Lambert Promoted
Catching Up – Cups, Coaches, & Finns
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Tag Archives: witness protection
Secret mob history of Ray’s Pizza
September 23, 2013 – 5:24 pm
Posted in new york mafia, new york mob, new york news
Tagged Alfonso “Little Al” D’Arco, jerry capeci, Joseph “Joe Beck” DiPalermo, mob boss, Mob Boss Jerry Capeci, mob history, new book “Mob Boss, Peter “Petey Beck” DiPalermo, Ralph “Raffie” Cuomo, Ray's Pizza, Secret mob history of Ray’s Pizza, The DiPalermo brothers, the Luchese crime family, tom robbins, witness protection
Ray’s Pizza was a Prince Street mainstay from 1959 until 2011.
By Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins
Alfonso “Little Al” D’Arco, acting head of the Luchese crime family, was the first mob boss to turn government witness. He flipped for the feds in 1991 and helped send more than 50 mobsters to prison.
Now in witness protection, D’Arco shared his story with reporters Jerry Capeci and Tom Robbins for their new book, “Mob Boss.” Here D’Arco reveals details of one of New York’s most storied pizzerias, Ray’s. While the name became famous, its real business wasn’t pepperoni and cheese — it was heroin.
read rest on NY Post
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Visit to Africa October 2, 2018 October 2, 2018
TIME FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS TO “COME HOME”
After visiting Nigeria for the Olojo festival, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.,
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association admonishes African-Americans to forge ties with the African Continent as he posits that it is imperative that they know their heritage.
One of the best kept secrets among African Americans is how much our brothers and sisters in Africa enthusiastically would love for us to “Come home.” Such was the case most recently in Nigeria as delegations of African Americans traveled to lle-Ife, Nigeria, the ancestral home of the Yoruba culture and tradition, for the 2018 Olojo Festival, September 28-October 2, 2018.
I was pleased to be joined on this unique and meaningful pilgrimage to Nigeria by Claudette Perry of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA); Jeffrey L. Boney, Texas city councilman and contributing writer for the NNPA; Tish Bazil, author and photographer; and Gary Foster, videographer and social media visionary.
We were invited to attend the Olojo Festival by His Imperial Majesty The Ooni of Ife, who is the global leader of Yoruba and King of the Osun State in Nigeria. Ile-Ife is one of the oldest cities in the world dating back thousands of years.
Yes, Africa is very rich with oil, gold, diamonds, uranium, titanium, platinum and other precious stones and metals. Africa’s richest resource, however, is its human resource in the context of thousands of years of culture, language and tradition. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation with over 190 million people.
But from what we witnessed firsthand during the five days while we were in Ile-Ife, it was the culture that has had and will continue to have the greatest impact on unifying Nigerians and all people of African descent throughout the Diaspora. The Olojo Festival was one of most authentic and impactful cultural festivals that we had ever seen. We saw vibrantly displayed cultural genius in native language, traditional dress, dance, spirituality, pageantry and food.
In fact, we experienced a real-life “Wakanda” celebration of the sanctity, diversity, and cultural wealth of Africa in the ancient sacred city of Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The Yoruba language and cultural manifestations were so evident at the Olojo Festival that we were all moved to tears of insatiable joy and passionate responses.
In preparation for this year’s Olojo Festival, H.I.M.The Ooni Of Ife, stated, “We are set for a legacy project that will uplift one of the oldest cities in the world and put it on the global tourist map.” I certainly plan to let all of our NNPA member publishers and media company owners know about this historic city and all-inspiring annual festival. We should start planning now for next year’s festival.
Filed under: Africans in America, Nigerians in America, Olojo festival
Dr. O Boachie-Adjei: The Ghanaian who is a world leading orthopedic surgeon in New York
Who is Denis Mukwege, The Congolese Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
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FireFit Championships at INTERSCHUTZ 2020
MDM Publishing Ltd - MS
Firefighters are physically fit. They have to be, to do the work they do. But the conditioning, skill and speed INTERSCHUTZ attendees can witness at the international FireFit Championships are in a league of their own. And now, for the very first time, the championships are coming to INTERSCHUTZ with an action-packaged program spanning all five show days, from 15 to 20 June 2019.
“The FireFit Championships complement INTERSCHUTZ perfectly,” commented Martin Folkerts, Global Director INTERSCHUTZ at Deutsche Messe. “They are a mix of high-performance sport, entertainment and heart-pumping adrenalin, so we are looking forward to some truly thrilling head-to-head clashes and amazing displays of athletic prowess.”
The championships are open to anyone who feels they are fit enough to compete. The only requirement is that contestants must be professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters or members of a plant/factory fire service. They can participate in individual competitions, two-person technical relays, or relays in teams of between three and five persons. The team relay is a fast, fun way for FireFit rookies to give the sport a try. The individual competition is the toughest of them all. The entire course must be completed wearing full breathing gear, so it really pushes its contestants to the absolute limits of their strength and endurance. Hence, to be eligible for the individual competition, contPestants must have a current certificate of fitness for wearing breathing apparatus (for German participants, that’s G 26.3). It is a grueling challenge, but the best-trained and prepared professionals can reach the finish line in under 90 seconds.
The competition course will be set up on the open-air site adjacent to the eastern entrance of the Hannover Exhibition Center and will comprise five events. The first stage of the individual competition is the stair climb, in which each contestant is required to ascend a12-meter-high three-flight HAIX stair tower while carrying a high-rise hose pack weighing about 20 kilograms. Once at the top, it’s time for the hose hoist stage, in which each contestant is required to hoist an additional hose pack up from the ground on a rope. Once the hose pack is up and correctly in place, the contestant races back to the bottom, taking care to touch each step on the way down. Next up is the “forced entry” stage, were the contestant swings a special mallet to slide a horizontal hydraulic steel beam over a prescribed distance. From there, the contestant runs a 42-meter slalom course, picks up the nozzle end of a charged hose line, drags the line a distance of 23 meters, opens the nozzle and, energy and concentration permitting, hits a target with the water jet, before shutting down the nozzle and placing it on the ground. Then it’s onwards to the final stage, the victim rescue, where the competitor must lift an 80 kg dummy and drag it backwards for a distance of 30 meters to the finish line. The clock stops as soon as the dummy’s feet cross the line. The contestant’s final time is the time on the clock plus any time penalties incurred for breaches of competition rules along the way.
The FireFit Championships were originally developed in Canada and are modelled on the core tasks performed by firefighters in their daily work. The very first FireFit Championships were held in Vancouver in 1994. The FireFit Championships for the upcoming INTERSCHUTZ are being co-organized by the Hannover, Rodgau and Mosel region teams.
For more information please visit: www.interschutz.de/en
The Will-Burt Company Introduces the New Night Scan Lite to International Markets
FireNZ 2019 Early Bird Registrations - Save $100
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Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/Business%2520Wire/798bc40d65bf469e8ea46955f5eab6ea
Press release content from Business Wire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.
Business Wire: Medical
PRESS RELEASE: Paid content from Business Wire
Relay Therapeutics to Present at Cowen 39th Annual Health Care Conference
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 5, 2019--Relay Therapeutics, a new breed of company at the intersection of computation and biotechnology, today announced that Sanjiv K. Patel, M.A., M.D., MBA, president and chief executive officer, will present a company overview at the Cowen 39 th Annual Health Care Conference on Monday, March 11, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. ET. The conference is being held March 11-13, 2019 in Boston.
About Relay Therapeutics
Relay Therapeutics is committed to creating medicines that will have a transformative impact on patients by building a unique discovery platform centered on understanding how the conformation of proteins relate to function. Whereas prior approaches to imaging proteins have been limited to static pictures, Relay Therapeutics’ approach overcomes this challenge by combining unprecedented computational power with leading edge experimental techniques in structural biology, biophysics, chemistry and biology. This integration illuminates – for the first time – the full mobility of a protein and provides key insights into how the dynamic nature of a protein’s conformation regulates function. By applying these insights, Relay Therapeutics aims to modulate protein conformation to develop novel therapies for patients. The company’s initial programs are focused on developing therapeutics in oncology. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Relay Therapeutics is a private company launched in 2016. To date the company has raised $520M from investors including Third Rock Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund, GV, Casdin Capital, BVF Partners, EcoR1 Capital, Foresite Capital, Perceptive Advisors, Tavistock Group and an affiliate of D.E. Shaw Research.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190305005709/en/
CONTACT: Dan Budwick, 1AB
dan@1abmedia.com
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MASSACHUSETTS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HEALTH BIOTECHNOLOGY ONCOLOGY PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH SCIENCE
SOURCE: Relay Therapeutics
Copyright Business Wire 2019.
PUB: 03/05/2019 11:02 AM/DISC: 03/05/2019 11:01 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190305005709/en
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Click to copyhttps://apnews.com/ea8747a9e7754d6a877f98b4996d580f
Refreshed Johnson shoots 64, in contention in Abu Dhabi
By STEVE DOUGLASJanuary 21, 2017
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Over his jet lag and familiar with the golf course, Dustin Johnson is finally a real factor at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The U.S. Open champion shot an 8-under-par 64 in the third round on Saturday to catapult into title contention in his first event of 2017. He started the day eight shots off the lead and finished it in a five-way tie for second at 12 under par, one stroke behind new leader Tyrrell Hatton.
Johnson is showing a steady improvement on the 7,583-yard, American-style National Course, which was always going to suit one of the biggest hitters in the sport. He opened with an even-par 72, made the cut by shooting a 68 and then — refreshed after his best sleep of the week — powered through the field by making six birdies and chipping in for eagle from the back of the eighth green.
“Definitely by far the best day I’ve been feeling out on the golf course,” said Johnson, who is playing for the first time in Abu Dhabi after receiving a sponsor’s invitation. “You know, just felt the swing, my body was moving a lot better.
“I think it’s a course you need to play a few times to get the exact lines you need to take off the tees and stuff.”
He’s in contention despite missing out on the par 5s, which are usually his strength. In 12 attempts, he has 11 pars and one eagle, which is bemusing the easygoing American.
“I’ll make four birdies tomorrow, it will be all right,” said Johnson, who switched back to an old putter after the first round.
Martin Kaymer, seeking a fourth victory in Abu Dhabi, started the third round with a one-shot lead over Rafa Cabrera Bello, but they were two of the 14 players who failed to break par on a low-scoring day. Kaymer shot a 72 and Cabrera Bello had a 74.
Hatton, a rising star from England, broke free from a five-way share of first place late in the day by rolling in an 8-foot putt for a birdie on the 18th for a 68.
“I’m a little bit surprised where I am,” said the 23rd-ranked Hatton, who said he spent most of his offseason on his Xbox playing “Call of Duty.” He finished in the top 10 at both the British Open and U.S. PGA Championship, and he won the Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland in October for his first European Tour title.
Hatton will be grouped with Johnson and 2014 winner Pablo Larrazabal, who shot a 69 in the third round, in the final round Sunday. Johnson and Larrazabal are tied for second with Kaymer and two players who shot a 70 on Saturday, Tommy Fleetwood and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
Sixteen players are within three shots of the lead.
“Having Stenson, Dustin up there ... it’s going to be nice if you win that tournament, knowing that you beat (some) of the best players in the world,” Kaymer said. “That always gives you a little bit more satisfaction, so it will be an exciting day no matter what.”
Kaymer won the event in 2008, 2010 and 2011, but is often reminded of his finish two years ago, when he gave up a 10-shot lead with 13 holes to play in his final round and lost out to unheralded Frenchman Gary Stal.
Now, the German is the hunter.
“I’m not having a lot of pressure of winning the golf tournament,” he said. “Always when you lead a golf tournament by three or four shots, you kind of expect yourself to win, and I don’t really have that pressure tomorrow. I know I’ve done very well here in the past, so I can play very free and very aggressive.”
Steve Douglas is at twitter.com/sdouglas80 .
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[Art. 54] Record of trial.
(1) Each general court-martial shall keep a separate record of the proceedings in each case brought before it, and the record shall be authenticated by the signature of the military judge. If the record cannot be authenticated by the military judge by reason of death, disability, or absence, it shall be authenticated by the signature of the trial counsel or by that of a member if the trial counsel is unable to authenticate it by reason of death, disability, or absence. In a court-martial consisting of only a military judge, the record shall be authenticated by the court reporter under the same conditions which would impose such a duty on a member under this subsection.
(2) Each special and summary court-martial shall keep a separate record of the proceedings in each case, and the record shall be authenticated in the manner required by such regulations as the governor may prescribe.
(3)(a) A complete record of the proceedings and testimony shall be prepared:
(i) In each general court-martial case in which the sentence adjudged includes a dismissal, a discharge, or, if the sentence adjudged does not include a discharge, any other punishment which exceeds that which may otherwise be adjudged by a special court-martial; and
(ii) In each special court-martial case in which the sentence adjudged includes a dishonorable discharge.
(b) In all other court-martial cases, the record shall contain such matters as may be prescribed by regulations of the governor.
(4) A copy of the record of the proceedings of each general and special court-martial shall be given to the accused as soon as it is authenticated.
[ 1989 c 48 § 50; 1963 c 220 § 56.]
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Dr Matthew Dal Santo
A writer, historian and foreign affairs commentator, with Honours degrees from both Sydney and Cambridge Universities.
Dr Matthew Dal Santo is a writer, historian and foreign affairs commentator who currently resides in Copenhagen, Denmark. Born in Sydney, Matthew lived most of the past fifteen years in Europe. The current focus of his interest is Russia. From 2014 to 2017, Matthew was Danish Research Council Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Saxo Institute, University of Copenhagen, with a grant to study how Russians think of themselves in the light of their history 25 years after the collapse of Communism and 100 since the 1917 revolution. He is particularly interested in how the revival of Orthodoxy has encouraged the return of the age-old idea of ‘Holy Rus’ as well as rehabilitation of the culture and achievements of Imperial Russia, as for example in the canonisation in 2000 of the last tsar, Nicholas II, and his family as saints. Matthew has travelled extensively in the Russian-speaking world, from Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus to Siberia and the Russian Far East. He is currently writing a book called The Romanovs and the Redemption of Putin’s Russia: Remaking Holy Rus. Before returning to academic work, Matthew was briefly a policy officer with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Matthew has a PhD in Ecclesiastical History from the University of Cambridge, where from 2005 to 2008 he held the Lightfoot Scholarship. In 2007 he was elected Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge’s leading college, and was appointed Associate Lecturer in the award-winning Faculty of History. Matthew also has an MPhil from Cambridge and a BA (Hons I) from the University of Sydney, where he won the University Medal in 2004.
Matthew is often asked to write on Russian and European politics by the Lowy Institute for Foreign Policy in Sydney and you can check out some of his writings for The Interpreter here: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/contributors/articles/matthew-dal-santo.
In addition to English, Matthew speaks Danish, French, Italian and Russian.
We asked Matthew, what motivates him to lead a tour to Russia?
“I lead Academy Travel’s annual Russia tour. This is something I really enjoy. My aim with the tour is not only to provide people the opportunity to visit Russia’s famous historical sights and great collections of art in St Petersburg and Moscow, but also a chance to engage first-hand with the way the identity and world view of this most perplexing of countries has been transformed in the two and half decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union. My lectures take a close look at Russian history and politics, with the aim of showing how ‘Putin’s Russia’ (so-called) is still grappling with processes set in motion hundreds of years ago, often in ways that have a deep effect on Russia’s often difficult relations with the West.
Coming from a long line of teachers, I also find the training and development tours that I lead for the NSW History Teachers’ Association a great source of pleasure and inspiration. Of course, Russia is a very big country and my view is that too few people ever get to its vast reaches east of the Urals. In the future I would like to offer a tour of Siberia from beautiful Lake Baikal to Russia’s eastern capital and gateway to Japan and China, Vladivostok. I also have a budding interest in the naturally spectacular and culturally rich Caucasus…”
Upcoming tours led by Dr Matthew Dal Santo
Moscow & St Petersburg Sep 27 - Oct 13, 2019
Siberia & The Russian Far East Jul 16 - 31, 2020
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← Interview with Dan O’Bannon
Thank You for the Nightmares: Hans Rudolf Giger, 1940 – 2014 →
This interview, conducted by Dennis Fischer, is reproduced here as printed in Monsterland Magazine’s The Aliens Story (1988) by James Van Hise.
How did you become involved with Alien?
That was a long process. I’m bad at dates and time durations. Sometime after the first attempt to film Dune collapsed in Paris, about 1977 and Dan [O’Bannon] came back, downhearted and starving for a while, he eventually put together a screenplay with Ron Shusett of Alien, and they were making the rounds with it. While they were finishing up, they came to me and asked me to do a series of paintings to help sell it, so I knocked off a bunch of rather small paintings. Dan found some money somewhere and paid for my time and such, and again I was rather grateful to help Dan out because he had always been involved with some projects I could get excited about. So it was mainly the fact that I liked Dan and I liked Ron and I liked the project.
I did this series of paintings based strictly on Dan’s first script, and they went though a variety of adventures, and ended up selling it to Brandywine and Gordon Carroll and eventually 20th Century Fox. When Brandywine decided to go on a search for a director, and eventually set their sights on a production day, Dan convinced them they should use me to do preliminary design along with Chris Foss from England and hopefully a few other people.
Initially Chris Foss and I worked here at Fox for about seven months in a little office they found for us. We were just cranking out nondescript designs -interiors, exteriors, spaceships, et cetera- carrying some of my early painting ideas into more elaborate versions with input from trial directors along the way, such as Walter Hill. They were elaborate, but they weren’t too practical. It was fine being paid just to sit there and design and design. Finally they settled on Ridley Scott and things began to get underway.
They realised that, yes, indeed, they were going to London. There was talk about it, but we were never sure. Ridley decided he liked the preliminary stuff I’d done. Chris Foss had to go back to London before us, but he was eventually taken on the film again for a while. Ridley Scott liked my work and wanted me to come to London because there was a chance I was going to be kicked off at that point. The producer, who was really calling the shots, wasn’t really sure about my work. He couldn’t always relate to it. He wasn’t sure I had the right approach. I never got the impression they were impressed. Dan always liked what I was doing and he was always puzzled about the producer’s reactions.
It was Ridley Scott who saved the day and got me to London. Naturally they had to stat all over again, design the film over again, only this time with an English production designer and a couple of art directors and a lot f other people. So I was on the periphery again, kind of having to prove myself.
As the additional six months passed in London, they gave me more and more to design. I ended up making more and more of a contribution to the film. So I was really quite satisfied that I had had an opportunity to do a lot of very, very basic designing on the film. I was looking for experience. It was a good team, and the other designer that Dan wanted to get on the film was H.R. Giger from Switzerland who [Dan] tried to get brought out here. But he wasn’t able to. Of course, in London they got him.
Giger ended up being very intellectual in designing the alien culture, the monster itself, and things. Eventually he built the monster. He asked that they build it as he designed it, so he insisted on doing ti himself. It is rather spectacular.
I, along with the production designer, the art director and assorted draftsmen, did the Earth technology. I designed quite a bit of it myself, including almost total design on a number of major sets. It was a great experience. And when all the designing was done, at the time the basic designing of the sets was completed, they were well into about a third of the shooting. I saw about a third of the shooting, then I took off for a little vacation around France, around Europe.
Dan’s original idea was that I would design all of the Earth technology, Chris Foss would design all of the alien technology, and Giger would design the monster, That’s what he wanted. As it turned out, I had a lot of influence in the design of the Earth technology, but I wasn’t the sole designer. There were a lot of people working on it. So it is a patchwork of many, many contributions, and they don’t always fit.
Ridley Scott had very, very strong ideas about all of it, which was sometimes good and sometimes confusing. Not everything fit together as well as it could if it had been designed by one person.
As it turned out, Giger designed, as well as the monster, most of the alien technology, so it all kind of fits together. If there’s one design concept which will dominate the film, it will be Giger’s. He was responsible almost solely for the look of most of the alien technology, the creature and everything.
Cobb and Giger lunching in 1978.
Could you relate any of these problems in filming Alien?
I saw that there were a lot of disappointments, a lot of misunderstandings. There was a lack of direction in the design of the film. I expected a lot of this to happen. it was a big production. There was a lot of money involved. There were a lot of people involved, so I knew that it wouldn’t be a hard, tight concept. I knew that they would stray away from Dan’s script, so I wasn’t as disappointed about it as Dan was.
It’s a shame. I think they should have stuck closer to the original concept. They should have given some of the designers a little more freedom. And so there are a lot of things that were very annoying. But it was the first time a lot of these people had made a film of this type. They weren’t aware of the sensitivities that certain people like Dan and I might have about certain inconsistencies. All in all it proceeded well enough in my point of view.
There is no point in getting into specific personalities. There were just misunderstandings and a lack of clarity.
I think that the real problems were in Dan’s sphere, because of what they did with the rewriting. It’s terrible, sloppy revisions, some of them pointless. It was very difficult for Dan to tighten the thing back up to keep it consistent and have it make sense. I was more concerned with certain inconsistent looks and elements of believability being retained. Sometimes I couldn’t make my point and other times I couldn’t because they wouldn’t understand them. I just couldn’t communicate certain ideas. I didn’t have enough power. Dan had more power than I did, so it was frustrating.
The final film is not the film that Dan and I would have made, or Dan, Giger, and I or Ron Shusett. It’s not exactly that film, but it is close enough to Dan and Ron’s. They stayed there and fought for it inch by inch, day by day to keep it from going too far from the original concept.
There is a good look to it and a number of spectacular ideas that survive. A few were innovated by the staff that were really quite good. Perhaps we didn’t recognise how good they were at the time, but there were some good new ideas.
Do you recall any humorous incidents during the filming?
One of the things Dan insisted on was that there be a cat on board. So there’s a mascot. A kitty roams around the ship. Of course, working with animals on a spaceship set creates ridiculous problems.
I had to design a cat box, a pressurised cat box, which eventually they decided was too elaborate. There were elements to get this cat through all the scenes. They had a scene where we wanted to shoot the last surviving crew member desperately looking for the cat to rescue. To take it off the ship because she has to leave because they are going to blow the whole ship up. She’s looking for the cat. So they had to have a scene where the cat was sleeping in a control seat, and she comes in crawling and finally sees it and startles the cat by touching a button. The seat jumps a little and the cat runs off. She has to grab it, put it into this little box, and run out.
The whole thing, of course, was to get this cat to sleep in this little chair. I went out there one day ad saw this ludicrous situation. Here is the entire crew of this huge spaceship set, the control room, the lights, the camera, the dolly, the director, the assistant director, an the make-up people and all the actors, and the assorted little cat cages that they had full of cats for different takes. Once the cat got startled, they had to use a different cat, so they all looked alike. We’re all sitting around very tense, waiting. Everybody is being very quiet while someone is trying to get this cat to go to sleep on this control seat. Finally the assistant director, with this very loud megaphone -the public address system was shot- says, ‘Stand by! The cat’s lying down, the cat’s lying down. Stand by!’
Everybody’s getting ready, and finally he says, ‘What? It’s asleep! It’s asleep!’ and everybody says, ‘Go!’ and everyone comes out and does the scene. They shoot, ‘Here kitty, kitty. Here kitty kitty,’ going along until they startle the cat. Then they have to do it all over again.
They have to get this other cat, and they have to be calm, and wait for this cat to go to sleep. It was amazing, just amazing, because the whole deck of the spaceship was filled.
Ron’s cat box.
The control rooms and aid stations and landing gear were 30 feet high – the immense landing legs on the surface of the planet. They used children in spacesuits, much like they did in Destination Moon, to make the ship look even larger. Those poor little kids were fainting in those spacesuits because it was so hot. They filled this whole stage full of fog, which is just kind of an oil solution on an element and is just ghastly, horribly hot. The kids were walking around in heavy suits, little red faces dying inside. By and large it was kind of desperate and grim.
I’ve always had a very realistic idea of what was involved in making a film, so it didn’t bother me a great deal. It was just a lot of hard work, a lot of disappointments, But it was very exciting to see something you drew the plans for being built – these immense sets and huge set pieces. To be able to stand and walk through them is always something I’ve wanted to do. I must say, I do enjoy learning. I do enjoy making a mistake and realising how to do it right the next time. There was a lot of that.
It was a tremendous accumulation of knowledge. This and that. Now I see how to do it! How to use materials and how to fit lights in.
I actually designed a number of the sets in a very, very complete way. I supervised the dressings of them and everything. I hope that in the future I will have more power and certainly more confidence and ability. There were a lot of things I hadn’t known. It was a great experience for me.
It was not enjoyable for Dan, but I hope to do it again. I hope to work with Dan again, of course, in some future project.
Tagged as Alien, Dan O'Bannon, Giger, Ridley Scott, Ron Cobb
2 responses to “Vintage Interview with Ron Cobb”
Darrell Curtis
Thank you for taking time to post this! I love to hear the arcana of ‘Alien’! Cheers!
Bubblez Beano
Indeed! This blog is awesome!
Leave a Reply to Darrell Curtis Cancel reply
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Tag Archives: X-Minus One
June 1, 2017 anonradioAstounding, Dimension X, Galaxy, Mars Is Heaven, Old Time Radio, OTR, Ray Bradbury, Robert Silverberg, S02E03, Tales From SYL Ranch, The Hitchhiker's, The Iron Chancellor, The Martian Chronicles, William Stone III, X-Minus One, Zero Aggression PrincipleWilliam Stone
Tales From SYL Ranch
Sunday, May 28, 20:00-22:00 UTC
This week, we’re taking a break from the Old Fan’s Commentary. Don’t worry, it will return. We’ve already got several episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series and The Animated Series recorded. We’re holding back Superman for its 40th Anniversary. Close Encounters Of the Third Kind will be along soon.
There’s also a Commentary for ▥▥▥▥ ▥▥▥▥ ▥▥▥▥ ▥▥▥▥▥ ▥▥ ▥▥▥▥ ▥▥▥▥ ▥▥▥ ▥▥▥▥▥ coming up. We’ve no idea when. We’re just making it up as we go along.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy returns after a two-week hiatus. It’s S02E03 of Zaphod Beeblebrox‘s psychotic episode.
Otherwise, we’re going full Old-Time Radio with a Martian twist.
We’ve also gone a with decidedly Ray Bradbury emphasis. Two shows are adaptations of The Martian Chronicles. The third is an experimental 1973 re-mounting of X-Minus One.
The tracklist for the week:
Dimension X: “The Martian Chronicles”
X-Minus One: “Mars Is Heaven”
The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy: S02E03
X-Minus One: “The Iron Chancellor”
Times Square At Night, 1950
The earliest episode, “The Martian Chronicles,” originally aired on August 18, 1950.
In 1950, nothing we’ve come to take for granted existed. There was no entertainment of the kind we’ve come to expect. There was radio, movies … and that was all.
Audio recordings were unknown because the only reel-to-reel tape recorders were physically huge and prohibitively expensive.
The only computers in existence were the size of warehouses. The phone in your pocket can do more, and billions of times faster.
Typical 1950 TV signal.
Television was a nascent industry, and entirely black-and-white. Some homes had TVs, but never more than one. They produced a grainy, low-definition, analog, broadcast-quality picture. The signal could be destroyed by all manner of nearby electromagnetic activity. Running the vacuum cleaner would obliterate the picture. Nearby storms would do the same. If you were too close or too far from a station’s transmitter, the picture would become filled with static.
Arvin Table Radio, Model_480-TFM
Radio was king, however it suffered from the same problems as television. Sound quality would be unacceptable by modern standards.
As with modern television, networks provided shows to local affiliates. These shows were exactly the same as today’s TV. There were news programs, daytime soap-operas, dramas, situation comedies, cop shows, detective shows, and science fiction. They had similar stories, told through sound rather than video.
There were advertisers as there are today. In two of Sunday’s episodes, the advertisements are included. You’ll immediately recognize one sponsor that’s still in business.
Of science fiction, there were two undisputed kings: Dimension X and X-Minus One.
Dimension X aired 50 weekly episodes from April 8, 1950 to September 29, 1951. X-Minus One aired 126 weekly episodes from April 22, 1955 to January 9, 1958.
X-Minus One Advertisement
X-Minus One was essentially a re-mounting of Dimension X with many of the same production personnel. One can almost speak of both series in the same breath.
Both featured half-hour adaptations of the best science fiction short-stories then published, from the premiere SF magazines of the time: Astounding and later Galaxy magazines.
Famous names include Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, H. Beam Piper, and a host of others. I strongly encourage you to listen to both series. All episodes are in the public domain and are easily-accessible on the Internet Archive.
Most stories are of excellent quality. As nearly all originate with the best authors of the day, stories hold up well and can easily be translated to modern times.
Audio quality varies. Some episodes only survive because someone with a wire recorder captured from the radio speaker itself. On Tales From SYL Ranch, we try and bring you episodes that survive from the studio masters.
Mars Of 1950
Mars in 1950
Until telescopes improved and probes sent to Mars, some of the best scientists of the day thought that Mars might be habitable and/or inhabited. Until the mid-1960s, many serious science fiction stories about a habitable Mars were written.
It’s little-known, but Gene Roddenberry‘s 1965 pitch for Star Trek limited the Enterprise‘s explorations to “planets approximating Earth-Mars conditions, life and social orders.”
Arguably the the most famous Mars story is Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles. To attempt to describe it is impossible. We strongly recommend that you read it.
While the locale of Mars has long-since been rendered problematic, the story holds up well. If one simply substitutes an extra-Solar Earth-like planet for Mars, the plot and story could be written today.
Chesley Bonestell’s Mars Rocketpad
Some projections of technology are also now problematic. It’s worth noting that Bradbury predicted the Smart Home, though in a more esoteric fashion than we see today. As always, one must remember that writers were projecting forward from 1950s technology. They could never have dreamt of the technological wonderland of 2017.
Aside from that, one simply has to use one’s imagination a bit more. Good Old-Time Radio shows let the listener follow the action via sound effects. Mediocre and bad ones (with the exception of Dragnet) narrated.
The only narration Sunday is in “The Martian Chronicles.” That’s forgivable given the impossible task of reducing multiple short-stories and novellas to a half-hour show.
A family gathered around their radio.
So sit back and transport yourself to another era where radio was king. Imagine sitting in the living room, the family crowded around the radio, listening in earnest to The Martian Chronicles.
Update, Sat Jun 3 17:58:46 UTC 2017:
As a consequence of the following videos, I’ve added a libertarian rant. It cost me three of the regular tracks, as time was very tight.
Listen for Gun Control Kills.
http://wrstone.sdf.org/files/What-Would-Have-Happened-On-911-View-01.mp4
March 12, 2017 anonradioCSI, Dragnet, He Walked By Night, Jack Webb, Joe Friday, LAPD, Law & Order, Old Time Radio, OTR, Police Procedural, The Big Man, The Seventh Order, Time and Time Again, William Stone III, X-Minus OneWilliam Stone
Inspired by last week’s episode of X-Minus One, “The Green Hills Of Earth”, Tales From SYL Ranch goes full OTR (Old-Time Radio) this week.
I have four great episodes from two different shows queued-up.
X-Minus One
“The Seventh Order” written by Jerry Sohl
“The Big Man, Part 1”
“Time and Time Again” written by H. Beam Piper
While researching episodes, I uncovered a real X-Minus One treat!
OTR sound quality varies wildly. Sometimes a studio master survived long enough to be transferred to vinyl more-or-less intact. Sometimes the only thing that survived was a wire recording whose microphone was placed at the radio’s speaker — and then transferred to vinyl decades later.
They’re never in stereo. The concept didn’t exist when these shows were made.
However, when I decided on the episodes to use, I made sure to do a thorough Google search. Previously-lost episodes (or better quality ones) appear from time to time.
Then I was stunned. Someone released a number of episodes that have been lovingly (and probably manually) …
Stereo processed!
That’s right, both X-Minus One episodes are in glorious stereo for the first time, and it will knock your frakking space-boots off!
http://anonradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/X-Minus-One-Stereo-Opening.mp3
I had to include some Dragnet. Jack Webb was a straight-up radiophonic genius. He employed five foley artists, an unheard-of number at the time.
Where other shows might resort to narration to describe a fight, Dragnet rarely does. If it happens, it will be a line like, “Watch it, Joe!” followed by the unmistakable sound of an oil drum being pushed-down down a flight of stairs.
Webb’s foley artists could carry you through a fistfight without a line being uttered. You knew when Friday threw a punch. You knew when the antagonist threw a bottle at Friday or his partner. There’s never the slightest doubt in your mind what’s happening.
That’s true genius.
There is also Webb’s well-known obsession for technical accuracy. He had two Los Angeles detectives for technical advice, and of course the scripts were culled from real LAPD cases.
Jack Webb invented the police procedural in 1948 with his film, He Walked By Night .
Webb made the mold and every cop show since has been using it.
Just listen to the introduction:
http://anonradio.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Dragnet-Radio-Intro.mp3
Tell me you’re not hearing Law & Order, CSI, or any other cop show for the last 69 years.
That’s right: they’ve all been ripping-off Jack Webb for 69 years. Law and Order is shameless.
Moreover, these are great episodes. The sound quality isn’t up to the X-Minus Ones, but it hardly matters. Webb’s genius shines from the first minute when Friday steps into a phone booth.
The story is a two-parter. In Part 1 of “The Big Man,” Friday goes undercover for seven months as part of a narcotics investigation. Part 2 is another few months working the same case from a different angle.
Webb loved radio so much that he concurrently produced a Dragnet TV and radio show, with different weekly episodes on each.
“The Big Man” was ultimately adapted for television, but only the last minute or two survives. That’s because at the conclusion of the TV episode, Friday was promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant.
That’s how good this episode is.
Did you know that Dragnet was a franchise? Concurrent with the TV and radio series, a 1954 Dragnet film was released in theaters. A novel, The Case Of the Courteous Killer, was published.
The book is very meta, inasmuch as the LAPD detectives Webb used for technical advice (Vance Brasher and Marty Wynn) are characters in the novel.
Years later, Webb remounted Dragnet for TV. He very shortly began spinning off other shows in the “Dragnet-verse.”
Adam-12 is probably the best-known, with Emergency! close on its heels. There was also The D.A., which starred Robert Conrad as district attorney Paul Ryan.
All four shows occasionally crossed-over. In one episode of Dragnet, Adam-12‘s Reed and Malloy are questioned by Friday and Gannon regarding a police brutality incident. In an episode of Adam-12, Paul Ryan is called to a crime scene to offer legal advice about possibly tainting evidence.
In one particularly noteworthy episode of Emergency! characters from that show, Adam-12, and The D.A. all pass each other in a hallway, each working a different aspect of the same case.
(And of course Malloy, the well-known ladies’ man of Adam-12, hits on Dixie McCall, the knockout head nurse of Emergency!)
All that began with what you’ll hear tomorrow in, “The Big Man.”
Listen to Tales From SYL Ranch Sunday from 20:00-22:00 UTC on// aNONradio.net //
(I don’t know what time that’s going to be wherever you are. Google it.)
March 4, 2017 anonradio"Weird Al" Yankovic, Bandit Jack Potty, Bill Boyd, Bill Mills, Captain Bran, Dehorn Crew, Diana Gallagher, Filk Music, Julia Ecklar, Leonard Nimoy, Leslie Fish, Luki Ski, Nichelle Nichols, Star Wars Holiday Special, Tales From SYL Ranch, The Green Hills Of Earth, Tom Smith, Tony Fabris, Voltaire, William Shatner, William Stone III, X-Minus One, Zero Aggression PrincipleWilliam Stone
An early document about filk songs.
On Sunday’s Tales From SYL Ranch, we bring you a generous collection of filk songs.
Wikipedia defines filk music as a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction/fantasy fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has been active since the early 1950s, and played primarily since the mid-1970s.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says that filk music is the greatest achievement in the history of lifekind. It is creative, often amusing, and a balm for the soul.
I’ve filled the entire two hours, such that there isn’t any room for even introductions.
The tracklist is:
“Banned From Argo” by Leslie Fish and the Dehorn Crew. This is from my private collection, from a 1977 LP. The sound quality leaves everything to be desired.
“The Saga Begins Live” by “Weird Al” Yankovic
“PanGalactic Gargle Blaster Blues” by Diana Gallagher
“The Hero Of Canton” by Bandit Jack Potty
“The Chef They Call Jayne” by Tom Smith
“I’m On Firefly” by Tom Smith
“The Engineer’s Hymn” by Bill Boyd
“Where, Oh Where, Has C’Thulhu Gone” by Leslie Fish
“Bones’ Song” by Bill Mills
“Luke, Don’t Kiss Your Sister” by Captain Bran
“He’s Dead, Jim” by Julia Ecklar
“Waking Up Jedi” by Tom Smith
X-Minus One: “The Green Hills Of Earth”
“Highly Illogical” by Leonard Nimoy
“The Tribble Is a Fuzzy Beast” by Leslie Fish
“The U.S.S. Make Shit Up” by Voltaire
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” by William Shatner
“Dragoncon” by Leslie Fish
“Mister Anderson” – Tony Fabris
“The Ballad of Apollo 13” by Julia Ecklar
“What’s Up Spock?” by Luke Ski
“The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins” by Leonard Nimoy
“Theme From Star Trek” by Nichelle Nichols
“Black Powder & Alcohol” by Leslie Fish
“Yoda Live” by “Weird Al” Yankovic
Be aware that due to the massive volume of filk songs, I’m only presenting a tiny fraction. I’ve come so close to filling two hours that I don’t even have time for introductions.
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Pope Francis, Prayer
Pope Francis’ 2019 Monthly Prayer Intentions
Join Pope Francis in praying for his monthly prayer intentions…
The Mode of Life of Priests
That priests, through the modesty and humility of their lives, commit themselves actively to a solidarity with those who are most poor.
The Integrity of Justice
That those who administer justice may work with integrity, and that the injustice which prevails in the world may not have the last word.
Families, Schools of Human Growth
That families, through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly “schools of true human growth”.
The Protection of the Oceans
That politicians, scientists and economists work together to protect the world’s seas and oceans.
A Missionary “Spring” in the Church
That the breath of the Holy Spirit engender a new missionary “spring” in the church
Dialogue and Reconciliation in the Near East
That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together.
The Future of the Very Young
That every country take the measures necessary to prioritize the future of the very young, especially those who are suffering.
What is the process in the preparation of the prepared prayer intentions? The faithful from around the world suggest papal prayer intentions to the international office of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network in Rome. Through prayerful discernment the international office selects a large number of them and submits them to the Vatican for further selection, with the Pope making the final selection. The Vatican then entrusts to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network the official set of monthly prayer intentions, which are then translated into the major world languages and published in print and digital formats.
https://assumptionbvm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/download.jpg 186 271 ABVM Communications https://assumptionbvm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/img_logo_03.png ABVM Communications2019-05-01 12:48:062019-06-04 08:31:30Pope Francis' 2019 Monthly Prayer Intentions
Pope Francis, Spirituality
Holy Father’s Prayer Intention
Our Holy Father’s Prayer Intention for the remainder of the month of August. Offered in Solidarity with Pope Francis:
Universal: The treasure of Families
That any far-reaching decisions of economists and politicians may protect the family as one of the treasures of humanity.
https://assumptionbvm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Pope_Francis_Image.jpg 240 199 ABVM Communications https://assumptionbvm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/img_logo_03.png ABVM Communications2018-05-26 13:58:502018-08-17 09:11:40Holy Father's Prayer Intention
Catholic News, Frontpage Article, Pope Francis
Feb. 23 – A Day of Prayer & Fasting for Peace
Join Pope Francis to Pray & Fast For Worldwide Peace
Pope Francis is asking all men and women of goodwill, regardless of their religious denomination, to join him in a special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace Feb. 23 for the war-torn countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, of South Sudan and the world.
Addressing crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus Feb. 4, the Pope said that “Faced with the tragic protracted situations of conflict in different parts of the world, I invite all the faithful to take part in a special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on February 23rd, the Friday of the First Week of Lent”. (Vatican News)
The President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, is encouraging Catholics across the nation to join with Pope Francis on Feb. 23, for this special Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace.
What can I do for peace? Three ways to respond:
Learn about the situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. Read this statement from the USCCB President.
Pray for peace using this Prayer for the Day of Prayer and Fasting for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the whole world or one of these prayers for peace.
Share what you’ve learned with others. Spread the word on Facebook or Twitter. Invite your parish to use these Prayers of the Faithful for the Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace on February 23. Gather your community for prayer for peace using the Scriptural Rosary for Justice and Peace, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, or Holy Hour for Peace. Give to Catholic Relief Services. . . to support their peacebuilding work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and other countries.
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How the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel focused on prioritizing with a “Stop Doing” list
John Adams and Emily Ristow, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 2018
Here’s an idea to steal and adapt: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel created -- and continually updates -- a list of newsroom activities that don’t contribute to its audience-centric strategy in an effort to find time and resources to devote to more meaningful tasks.
This is a series on Better News to a) showcase innovative/experimental ideas that emerge from the Knight-Lenfest Newsroom Initiative and b) to share replicable tactics that benefit the news industry as a whole.
This “win” comes from John Adams and Emily Ristow of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Question: What problem were you trying to solve, and why was solving the problem strategically important for your organization?
Answer: Like most newsrooms, we’ve lost too many journalists over the last several years but we’re still trying to do the same job in the same way with fewer people. Our daily to-do lists can’t be reasonably accomplished in a day. We want to do new things, and different things, but we don’t have the time to create, adjust and launch something new because we’re trying to keep up with what readers expect from us. So we wanted to solve the capacity issue that holds so many organizations back. We wanted to create a measuring stick to evaluate current practices and a concrete accountability system to add capacity so we can focus on moving forward in a way that makes sense for our readers and for our journalists.
Q: How is this approach related to Table Stakes (e.g. one of the 7 Table Stakes and/or an outgrowth of the Knight-Lenfest initiative, etc.)?
A: This came out of a knock-down, drag-out Table Stakes team meeting. In order to accomplish most of the Table Stakes, we needed more capacity. We didn’t want to just add more things to everyone’s plate. We knew we had to stop doing some things. We decided it needed to be written down, reviewed, revisited and tracked.
Thus, the genesis of the “Stop Doing” list.
Q: How did you go about solving the problem?
A: Yes, our innovative, problem-solving idea started with creating a list. Sounds easy, right? We wish it were that easy, but that was just part of the process — in fact, it’s probably the easiest part of the process.
The “Stop Doing” list must first be measured through the lens of our ultimate strategy. Our strategy is to:
Attract a new audience/segment
Engage that audience/segment
Know that audience/segment
Get that audience/segment to pay for a digital subscription
[Editor’s note: Learn more about audience funnel discipline by reading about Table Stake #4!)
If there’s something we’re doing that doesn’t meet at least one of those four things, it needs to be evaluated on whether we should be doing it or if it should be placed on the “Stop Doing” list.
Secondly, if there are things that are focused on accomplishing our strategy but are not working, they need to be evaluated, adjusted or put on the “Stop Doing” list.
Finally, if there are things that have worked and target at least one area on our strategy list, but we no longer have the expertise to accomplish those things, then it goes on the list. That’s right: if we aren’t willing or able to go out and recruit someone to take over where someone left off, then put it on the list.
This is key: The actual physical list is important because people often forget what was said during their 12th meeting of the day. Hell, we often forget what we’ve said 10 minutes ago. Having a list allows us to remember our commitment, track our progress and celebrate our wins. Reviewing the list on a consistent basis is a must, too.
Q: What happened that you didn’t expect?
A: We thought the list would be dominated by the things we do to fill print holes or the proverbial “print-only” features — bowling scores, one-column graphics, locator maps and such. What we found out was that there were a whole lot of digital things — manually tweeting to all accounts, posting to Facebook pages that barely had any followers, adjusting section fronts that had zero traffic, etc. — we were doing that didn’t really accomplish our strategy or that took more time, effort and resources than we had available.
Q: What worked? Wherever possible, describe the resulting outcomes (specific, measurable results) as opposed to activities (tactics you pursued to get results).
A: First things first: JS on Politics. We did a weekly Facebook Live show and podcast about political issues of the week. We had a rotating host who would think of topics and questions to discuss. We had a few reporters who would rotate weekly and discuss their stories. We had someone doing the video, pulling audio, cutting the episodes, uploading it into the system and then notifying producers. Producers would then put the clips on stories that were already live and sometimes days old. And, sometimes things would fall through the cracks.
The Live show never really took off and neither did the podcast. Those involved wanted more promotion, but it still didn’t move the needle.
We sat down with the leader of the show and had a frank discussion. The question we asked: “If you weren’t doing this, what would you want to be doing?” Out of that discussion, we put together a plan to stop doing the show, and start moving our resources to launching a solutions journalism plan. In the months following, he launched community discussions that brought in hundreds of community members to discuss topics like education, Foxconn, race and culture. He has been invigorated and is building on his new beat that is increasing the amount of our known audience. He’s now launching “Ideas Lab,” a way to engage the community through discussions and to come up with ways to bring change to topics that we deal with in our community.
The big swing: The community blotter.
Yes, the Holy Grail of community newspapers. The digital traffic for the blotters was non-existent. Plus, our journalists were spending a full day of their time going to the police stations, compiling the records and then putting them into the system. The amount of work for the digital payout was not worth it.
We knew there would be pushback from readers, but we also knew we had to make the change. So, we’ve stopped doing the blotters and focused on crime stories that really mattered. Our digital traffic is up. In March, we’ve produced nearly 100 fewer stories in the month and our total traffic is 19 percent higher than before we dropped the blotters. Our reporters have more time to focus on the stories they really want write and have increased the median page views by 62 percent. Our audience is being served with better content. And yes, we got some calls and emails from readers. But, no one said the “Stop Doing” list was easy.
Q: What didn’t work?
A: It wasn’t all rainbows and waterfalls.
One of the first things we retired was the News Quiz. It started as a weekly digital element that people could test their knowledge about some of the stories we had written the week prior. As we changed to our third different CMS, it was no longer an easy ask for the digital team. The numbers were no longer there either. But, at some point, the News Quiz made its way to the print product and filled a whole page of content on a day that we needed the content. Our newsroom mantra was, “If it isn’t building a digital audience, then we need to let it go.” The News Quiz landed in the high effort / low impact quadrant.
We thought everyone was on board with the change, but after we sent out the email celebrating the News Quiz’s retirement, things changed. A crusader wanted us to try a different promotional plan, get more help to lighten the load, or keep it as a print-only feature. Even though we knew it didn’t have a digital audience and that we were following the newsroom mantra, we compromised and kept it as a print-only feature. In the months to follow, we only got one email saying, “Where is the news quiz online?” — even if we got 100 emails about it, we were not bringing it back online because of the time and effort it took to create and produce it. We knew that there wasn’t a digital audience to support the weekly requirements.
Looking back, our compromise didn’t give us the capacity to do other digital features to gain new audience. Going forward, we were less likely to compromise, but yes, the News Quiz lives on.
Q: What would you do differently now? What did you learn?
A: We learned a valuable lesson to over communicate up front, and then stick to the newsroom mantra.
When something goes on the list, it doesn’t mean it’s officially dead. We can make adjustments to change it to make sure it meets our strategic goals. If it doesn’t work, however, it doesn’t work. By compromising, we don’t get more capacity to do the things that will drive new audiences. We’ve cut so much out of our papers that all anyone sees is the cuts. But if we focus and communicate the why we are cutting things and what we are replacing it with, it helps ease the transition.
Remember the goal: Add capacity by removing the things that aren’t accomplishing our strategy so that we can add things that will accomplish our goals.
Q: What advice would you give to others who try to do this?
A: Four things:
People who complain about the “busy” work don’t always want to get rid of the work.
People don’t always know what they want to do instead, and it might take some time to figure that out.
Celebrate the life of the things going away — “retirement” emails that focus on what we’ve learned helps communicate the positive view of the circle of life. This isn’t about good vs. bad. Some of the stuff going away was very important at one time. They have served their purpose. The JS on Politics show got our newsroom into another form of storytelling that we can use in the future. This isn’t about failure. It’s about moving forward. Our friends at the Seattle Times even threw a memorial service for a newsletter they killed. Be positive. We must remember that these are strategic decisions to free up time for our journalist to be working on projects that have the most impact.
Make sure you communicate and over communicate with all players.
Q: How long is the list?
A: It depends. For us, ours started with a few things and grew to a full page. Are there more things to be added? Of course. The list is meant to grow as we continue to evaluate more and more tasks in the newsroom. We would recommend reviewing the list, adding to the list and keeping track. We’ve added colors to the list to show where we are in the process — not started, in process, completed and additional information to collect.
Q: You’ve mentioned communication, even over communication, as a key. What does that look like?
A: We don’t want to just go to someone in charge of something on the “Stop Doing” list and say we need to kill what they are doing. It sends the wrong message to the individual.
What we want to do is pull numbers about the specific task and start the conversation with the stakeholder. Is this something that needs to be adjusted — better promotion, adjust the style of coverage or is it something we need to let go of entirely? The stakeholder might already have ideas on what needs to happen and we can join them in the transition. We also want to agree on a timeframe. If we adjust the promotion or style, there needs to be a time period where we review the results. If it is showing progress, we set another time for a follow up. If nothing is changing, we agree on a plan of attack on how we stop doing this tactic and where we go from there. We want to make sure we are talking to everyone — especially the crusaders — show the data, the new plan and the reasons why we need to adjust our tactics. Finally, we need to have a response to when we get that reader email (or 50). Yes, we know that readers will email us when they don’t see their favorite thing in the newspaper. We have to be ready to explain the benefits of our decision.
Most importantly, we need to show the results from the change. We aren’t just killing things to be killing things. We are replacing them or even doing fewer things better. For our JS on Politics show changes, we’ve launched a “listening tour” and community events around topics that we all find critical — education, race and diversity, job training and such. These events are engaging our readers in new ways. They are also building a relationship between the newsroom and the community. We need to highlight these wins to the stakeholders and the whole newsroom.
Q: Anything else you want to share about this initiative?
A: This “Stop Doing” list will most likely lead to launching a new list of things we need to learn. It did with us.
See more about: Staffing and workflow
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Tag: The Calm Before The Storm
September 18, 2018 The Baked Cat /pol/, News & Info, The Board
#Editor’s Note: The Baked Cat will use “The Board” in place of the actual board name to protect the Anons against shills, attacks, and other ill intentions of division. On Monday, January 8th, 2018, The Board was created on 8chan. The Board is still in use today. Q: The Basics, by Anons was edited, and vetted for accuracy on The Board by the Anons.
The Baked Cat (TBC) will not accept any credit for the work these brave, and unyielding Anons have accomplished. Also to refute any preconceived notion or MSM claims about the views, opinions, and other content of TBC associated with the Anons. The Anons are not responsible for the content of TBC.
TBC is a free for all to ideas, information, and entertainment. I don’t want your money, I want people to wake up. To think for themselves, to teach others, and laugh at differences rather than live in fear of them. I stand behind these Anons 100%. Truth IS important. This is why we wanted to help get the Anons message to the public. So you, THE PEOPLE, can learn the truth. Straight from the Anons sources, rather than, be lied to by the media.
All credit belongs to the Anons of The Board, and Q, for their work, their dedication, and for their movement: A movement created by the people, slandered by the media. Harsh words have been cast against innocent people, it would be truly unfair to let it slide without allowing for a rebuttal. These Anons work tirelessly to dig to the bottom of every last crumb in search of the truth. These Anons are doing this without pay, and many times have, at times, suffered set-backs or even loss as a result of their efforts. Still they fight. They are true patriots. The MSM will never report the truth. Fake news has so long been a tool of lies and division. These Anons have sent the MSM into panic mode, but more importantly, they have brought the people of the World closer together. Each day, worldwide, these Patriots fight!
Check out qanon.app, qmap.pub, qanon.news, qanonmap.bitbucket.io to learn more.
Learn a little truth for yourself, find out what the MSM is too scared to tell you.
Below in text format is Q: The Basics, by Anons, I have included screenshots of Q’s posts linked to their source on qanon.app, as a visual guide to what the Anons are discussing. Moar sharable content listed at the bottom of the page.
All credit belongs to the Anons of The Board and Q.
Q: The Basics
An Introduction to Q and the Great Awakening
By Anons
Have you seen “Q”?
Qanon, or Q, the eponymous and anonymous poster who has gained a considerable amount of attention over the past several weeks, is now being discussed by both Mainstream Media (MSM) and mainstream America alike. While the MSM had previously published a negligible number of stories about Q, a notable increase in the obviously coordinated number of articles has occurred since President Trump’s rally in Tampa Bay on July 31st, 2018, where sightings of “Q” t-shirts and hand-made posters were not only ubiquitous but their presence was even acknowledged by the President himself, gesturing on live TV. The time has now come for an informative introduction intended to educate those who are unaware of, interested in, or just beginning to follow Q, and to refute the misinformation, disinformation, and fake news being propagated by the liberal MSM, and even by several purportedly conservative (and supposedly Trump-supporting) media voices on the subject. And who better to describe and explain the Q phenomenon than the “anons” themselves, the anonymous posters who follow and converse with Q?
To this end, this introduction is not meant to explain all that Q has stated in the information and intel posted (known as crumbs, an allusion to bread crumbs); it will cover just the basics. For more details on what Q has communicated, the reader should to go to sites like qanon.app, qmap.pub, qproofs.com, qanon.news, and other similar sites that compile crumbs, side by sides (side-by-side graphics confirming intel through open-source reporting), and proofs (graphics showing that coincidences mentioned by Q are not coincidences at all). Neither Q nor the Great Awakening “movement” associated with Q are conspiracy theories, but rather an organic information operation and truth-seeking campaign, the goal of which is to help President Trump peacefully Make America Great Again, and by extension to make the world a better, safer place for all to live in peace. So, in order to be properly introduced to Q, and to the movement associated with Q called the Great Awakening, there are questions the reader will need answered: Where and when did Q start to post? Who posts as Q? What does Q post about? Why does Q post?
II. WHERE AND WHEN DID Q START TO POST?
The first crumb Q posted was on 4chan, an image board Internet forum launched in 2003. Q first posted in the thread named “Mueller Investigation” on the board named /pol/ on October 28th, 2017, and on other threads until, on October 31st, 2017, Q then posted in the thread named “Bread Crumbs – Q Clearance Patriot”. On November 1st, 2017, the thread “Calm Before the Storm” (CBTS), named after President Trump’s perplexing phrase uttered on October 5th, 2017, was created. Q posted on multiple iterations of CBTS (536 threads) until stating that 4chan had been infiltrated and security compromised, necessitating a move to 8chan in order to maintain readers’ assurance of Q’s authenticity.
8chan, a non-affiliated image board similar to 4chan, was launched in 2013 as a free-speech alternative to the increasing censorship at 4chan. A board was created with the same name as the thread Q posted in on 4chan, /cbts/, on November 19th, 2017. Q posted on /cbts/ until January 6th, 2018 (308 total general threads), stating that that board had also been compromised. Q had problems using the tripcode, a pseudo-registration that verifies a poster’s identity, notably on December 14th and 21st, 2017, among other instances. This inability to use the tripcode forced anons to make a new board: /thestorm/. Q first posted on /thestorm/ on January 5th, 2018. Q and anons stopped using /thestorm/ after 41 general threads due to internal disputes and self-promotion, forcing a migration to yet another new board.
Then, on Monday, January 8th, 2018, the board still in use today was created, named /qresearch/, which will henceforth be referred to as “The Board”. Q has been able to post freely on The Board since that date, and continues to post crumbs up to the time this was written. Also on January 8th, 2018, Q made a private board for Q alone to post in, named /greatawakening/. On March 28th, 2018, Q stopped using /greatawakening/, stating that it was under attack. Finally, after a delay, Q made /patriotsfight/ on May 4th, 2018, the private board that Q uses today. On all these boards, Q has posted crumbs that anons can discuss on /qresearch/ with Q, although those who are new to The Board are encouraged to first observe how anons operate and research before contributing. However, it should be noted that there are no communications outside these boards or with anyone privately and, as Q has stated, anyone claiming otherwise, “should be considered fake news and disregarded immediately”!
Since the MSM has yet to accurately describe how The Board actually works, some clarification is in order. 8chan is maintained by the Code Monkey (CM), which hosts The Board. The Board Owner (BO) maintains The Board, appointing Board Volunteers (BV) to help. 8chan has a maximum limit of 751 for the number of posts in each thread. So, to maintain the research done by anons in the general thread, an anon must make (bake) a new thread (bread) each time a thread reaches 751 posts. This anon is known as “the Baker”. The Bakers are responsible for posting Q’s recent crumbs, notable posts of research from the previous thread (notables), and other information and links used by anons (dough) as the first posts in the new thread. Besides the General Research thread, The Board has other threads, maintained by the BO and BVs, for memes, side by sides, and other research topics. Those who attempt to disrupt, discredit, or distract anons from doing and discussing research on The Board are referred to as “clowns” or “shills”. The anons themselves come from many countries, occupational backgrounds, and stages of life, working cooperatively (“the Hivemind”) to attempt to better understand the truth behind historical and current events. Q may post several times a day for weeks or, conversely, not post for days or weeks at a time. To date, there have been more than three million posts on The Board, and Q has dropped over 2000 crumbs, reaching an audience of tens of millions in the United States of America and around the world.
III. WHO POSTS AS Q?
While Q posts anonymously, there have been hints as to just who Q might be. The signoff as “Q” in most crumbs began in a post on November 2nd, 2017. Before this date, Q had already introduced the concept of being a “Q Clearance Patriot”. “Q Clearance” is a Department of Energy security clearance designation for someone who has access to Top Secret, Secret, and Formerly Restricted Data, in addition to National Security Information. This clearance is similar to the Top Secret clearance in the Department of Defense. It is important to note, however, that Q never claims to have this specific clearance, nor to work for the Department of Energy. It is an allusion. The “Q Clearance” simply signifies that Q has a high level clearance designation, and alludes to the “Q Clearance” given to Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October wherein he did not have the necessary clearance to help in the search for the rogue submarine. The “Q Clearance” allusion is simply meant to imply that Q has the necessary security clearance to be cryptically divulging insider information without leaking, thus maintaining national security. Q’s use of allusions from popular culture has a dual purpose: not only to maintain national security, but also as a foil to expose, mirror and thus counter the media and entertainment industries’ deliberate development of popular culture into a propaganda arm of those who advance their own agenda and, in so doing, would do us all harm.
Q has also posted under other signoffs: “The WH”, “4,10,20”, “Q+”, “Q, DELTA”, and “Q [auth478-24zgP]”. Occasionally Q does not use a signoff, yet anons know that it is Q due to the tripcode used. While there are unconfirmed theories about the meaning of each of these signoffs, individuals are encouraged to see the signoffs within the context of the specific posts where they appear and to draw their own conclusions. Q has stated that, “We serve at the pleasure of the President”, implying not only that Q works for President Trump, but also that Q is a team. Early on, Q used “I” a few times, but now only uses “we”. On occasion, Q posts pictures of the President’s pen and signatures, scenes from Air Force One while the President is traveling, and other images and crumbs that also imply that Q is close to the President. Q has also affirmed that, “Less than 10 can confirm [who or what Q is]”, adding, “Only three are non-military.” It should be noted that the anons on The Board are encouraged not to try to “dox”, or identify, who Q is. The understanding, then, is that Q is a team of high-ranking officials within the Trump Administration who post information to awaken the public to sensitive and important events or “happenings” that the media may or may not report on, and to provide insider context. While fewer than 10 people can confirm Q’s identity, it is widely thought that there are multiple people who post as Q. Due to the fact, therefore, that anons do not know whether Q is one person or several when posting, it is common to refer to Q as a collective singular noun.
Whoever Q might be, pictures are posted that point to a connection between Q and the President, and posts are written in real time about policies advocated by President Trump, events in which he takes part, and strategies he deploys. Also in real time, anons decode Q’s cryptic messages to attempt to better understand what President Trump’s intentions were for a specific policy or event. While the public awaits the revelation of who posts as Q, anons were given this on March 10th, 2018 in reference to Q’s identity: “How many coincidences before it becomes mathematically impossible? Wait until you learn who has been talking to you here.” Q’s specifically confirmed identity might remain a mystery to anons and to the public, but ultimately that is not important. It is, rather, the messages, information, intel, and facts that Q posts which are important. Anons focus not on who Q is, but on what Q is saying. The intel decoded from the crumbs gives anons, and the public thereafter, what appears to be insider information on what President Trump’s administration has done, is doing, and will do.
IV. WHAT DOES Q POST ABOUT?
Starting from Q’s first crumb, there have been cryptically worded statements and questions that are meant to lead anons and the public to question and research insider information about presidential strategies, policies, and events. These details have been and will continue to be provided without violating National Security (NATSEC) and Operational Security (OPSEC) laws, to ensure that there is no leaking or divulging of secret or classified information. This intel is focused on what President Trump has faced, is facing, and will face as the leader of the free world: corruption, subversion, sedition, and evil. The President is fighting for “We The People” of America, the public citizenry, and, ultimately, the world. Ongoing or upcoming events in this fight are alluded to in cryptic phrases that Q uses called “signatures”. Signatures such as “Alice and Wonderland” (not to be confused with just “Alice”), “Sum of all Fears”, “Hunt for Red October”, and others are meant to allude to an event that cannot be explained at the time that the signature is used. Q also uses “stringers” that are important and puzzling strings of words, numbers, letters, and symbols that are meant to convey more sensitive information. As an example of what stringers are, Q posted this within a series of stringers on November 25th, 2017: “_FREEDOM-_v05_yes_27-1_z”. Those who are interested in such details are encouraged to research and learn for themselves what these crumbs imply and to draw their own conclusions by viewing crumbs and side by sides in the websites listed in the introduction.
Detailed crumbs aside, Q started with a macroscopic overview of the nature and structure of the current “World Order”, which President Trump was elected to confront and change for We The People. Q has overtly stated that three “puppet masters” exert a degree of power in the world that defies credulity: The House of Saud, the Rothschild family, and George Soros, each having their own sources of financing and control mechanisms. For example, we know that the House of Saud, the dynastic monarchy of Saudi Arabia, has amassed trillions of dollars from oil exports and that subsequent Saudi Arabian influence across the Sunni Arab world has resulted in the funding of radical Islamic terrorist groups and malicious political influence in the West. Thankfully, because of allies in Saudi Arabia and President Trump’s diplomacy, Saudi Arabia has been largely removed from this power structure. The Rothschild family has also attained trillions of dollars in wealth through their banking and other financial endeavors undertaken over the span of centuries. Their control over central banking, wars, and governments has enabled them to dictate policies, laws, and the actions of politicians in many, if not most, nations. Then there is George Soros who, with likely an undeclared fortune of around one trillion dollars, has been able to control markets, influence many politicians, and lobby governments through his extensive apparatus of subversive political organizations. Moreover, Q has stated that Soros has taken the place that the Rockefeller family previously held in this World Order.
Many of Q’s first crumbs explained aspects of the control exerted on We The People by these three “puppet masters” and those that work with or for them. This worldwide power structure, known as “the Cabal”, along with the compromised monarchies, politicians, governmental agencies (the Deep State), corporations, charities, media organizations, and other private individuals is what President Trump is fighting. This same Cabal of corrupt and truly evil individuals is what was fighting to prevent President Trump, and We The People, from winning in the 2016 election, and it has been fighting those election results ever since. In fact, as Q has repeatedly stated, “They never thought she [Hillary Clinton] would lose.” Upon her presumed victory, for which the Cabal so spectacularly unsuccessfully fought, the Cabal would have continued unimpeded and increased its illegitimate control over the world and its people. In fact, as is becoming increasingly clear, the Cabal did everything they could to get her elected: the financiers spending billions of dollars, media organizations lying, Deep State actors within government agencies leaking, and even spying on President Trump as a candidate, president-elect, and President, to no avail.
After macroscopically describing the Cabal’s operations and machinations, Q’s crumbs then began focusing in more detail on all the Cabal has done, is doing, and likely will try to do. Discussion of the spying on President Trump and his campaign is but one example of how Q focuses microcosmically on events. This is done by asking detailed questions about how, for instance, the CIA, FBI, DNI, Five Eye [Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and USA] Alliance, Republicans, Democrats, former President Barack Hussein Obama and his White House, and others appear to have themselves colluded to abuse the FISA process with a fake “dossier” to illegally spy on President Trump’s campaign using “plants” and spies. Pre-empting the public exposure of their crimes, they have been unsuccessfully attempting to frame President Trump through projection with allegations of “collusion” with Russia for the “hacking” of emails from Hillary, the DNC, John Podesta, and others.
A wide range of other topics, events, and scandals are covered in the over 2000 crumbs dropped without leaking or breaking national security laws. This includes coverage of the following: government agencies such as the CIA, DNI, FBI, DOJ, and others; globalism; mass migration; cultural Marxism; human trafficking; the Clinton Foundation; Uranium One; WikiLeaks; Seth Rich; Jeff Sessions, Robert Mueller; John Huber; many discredited officials from Obama’s presidency; President Trump’s strategies and executive orders; media corruption; illegal spying on citizens; infiltrations of the United States government by foreign bad actors; extremist organizations such as MS-13, ISIS, and Antifa; political subversion by the Cabal and their politicians; foreign policy strategies on North Korea and Iran; and much more. Through open-source research generated by this information, Q aims to reveal who controls the world, how they control it, and what is being done to stop this control. We The People of the United States of America elected President Trump to fight against this control, as our representative, but he is not entirely alone. There are many Patriots who were and who are helping the President in this fight.
If Q serves the President, and he serves We The People, then Q and the President serve We The People together. And together, We The People need to know just what it is that we are fighting against so that we can know how to fight for our common good, for “Where we go one, we go all.” This enlightenment of the public consciousness and conscience, not just in America, but worldwide, is known as the Great Awakening. This “awakening” occurs when anons decode and decipher the meanings of crumbs and disseminate them to the rest of the public. The timing of when the crumbs are posted is important to the decoding of Q’s communications. Yet, whether the crumbs come before or after the events they describe, they nonetheless allow anons to convey the insider information to the public in order to educate and awaken those who do not know or understand the reality behind events experienced or narrated. Anons create memes to make this message easier to understand, side by sides to show through open-source reporting what the crumbs mean, and proofs to show Q and President Trump’s connections and similar thought processes. No one is forcing anons to decode the crumbs, to research, make graphics, or spread the information to the public. The intel contained in the crumbs is revealing, informative, and educational, and anons understand it is for the good of the country and the world that the public have access to this information – after all, it affects them regardless. Millions have already been reached, and millions more will be in the future. Q’s posts have shown these millions what the Cabal has been doing, who is in the Cabal and how the Cabal has been controlling the world. Yet with each revelation to the public, the control by the Cabal over humanity decreases, day by day, post by post.
V. WHY DOES Q POST?
Q first used the term “Great Awakening” on the second day of posting, October 29th, 2017, and has used it many times since. On January 8th, 2018, Q first used the phrase, “Where we go one, we go all” (WWG1WGA). Q has used many other phrases, including “Truth belongs to the people”, “The choice to know will ultimately be yours”, “Expand your thinking”, “Dark to light”, “You are not alone in this fight”, “Good will always defeat evil”, “Future proves past”, “Read the Bible. God Wins”, “You are the calm before and during the storm”, and many others. These phrases signal – to the anons that decode, research, and spread the crumbs, and to the public as well – that we can help President Trump fight the Cabal by educating others about what it is that we are fighting. Q reminds anons and the public that this fight’s, “Scope and size [is the] biggest in history”, to “Trust the Plan”, and to “Stay the course.” The Plan to fight the Cabal was initiated by Patriots, and Patriots were, are, and will be helping the President execute it.
The Great Awakening is not a conspiracy theory or a cult, as those who seek to discredit would like the public to think. It is a sophisticated and coordinated information operation from within President Trump’s administration to enlighten the public about the true state of affairs of the nation and the world, providing vast amounts of information well beyond the scope of this introduction. So vast in fact, that Q has stated, “These, the crumbs, in time, will equate to the biggest drops ever disclosed in our history.” Ultimately an informed public is a key component of Making America Great Again and Keeping America Great. The Declaration of Independence that led to the founding of the great Nation that is the United States of America states that, “Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government” and such is relevant today. We The American People acted in accordance with this ideal by electing President Trump to renew our government, and Q, through the Great Awakening, is enlightening We The People about what the enemies of the people have done, are doing, and will do to fight this historic change. The intensification of attacks against Q, the Great Awakening, We The People, Patriots, the President, and the United States of America is indicative of the ferocious level of resistance to the loss of power and control of those whose deeds and true objectives are being exposed. In order to mitigate the confusion in this time of chaos, Q has asked anons to help be the Calm Before and During The Storm. To this end, Q also asks anons and all those who have been preyed upon, to pray.
God bless the Nations of the World, and God bless a World of Nations.
God bless all Patriots, President Trump, and the United States of America.
The Anons
Pastebin for Q: The Basics, By Anons
Q: The Basics By Anons PDF Download (In house backup)
Q: The Basics By Anons In Hindi PDF Download (In house backup)
Q: The Basics By Anons With Graphical Background Designs (Printer Friendly)
To Ponder
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bahailibrary.wikia.com » Middle Eastern Experts
<a href="http://archive.today/LOEUM"> <img style="width:300px;height:200px;background-color:white" src="https://archive.is/LOEUM/60d0815d9d113750449d56ecea72d94dda3f0e43/scr.png"><br> Izzat Darwaza - Wikipedia<br> archived 4 Jan 2018 21:45:54 UTC </a>
{{cite web | title = Izzat Darwaza - Wikipedia | url = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izzat_Darwaza | date = 2018-01-04 | archiveurl = http://archive.today/LOEUM | archivedate = 2018-01-04 }}
Izzat Darwaza
محمد عزت دروزة
Portrait of Darwaza
Secretary-General of Istiqlal
General Administrator of the Waqf
Nablus, Ottoman Empire
1984 (aged 95–96)
Other political
al-Fatat
Arab nationalist political activist
Historian, Editor, Educator, Muslim scholar
Supreme Muslim Council and Arab Higher Committee
Muhammad 'Izzat Darwaza (Arabic: محمد عزت دروزة; 1888–1984[1]) was a Palestinian politician, historian, and educator from Nablus. Early in his career, he worked as an Ottoman bureaucrat in Palestine and Lebanon. Darwaza had long been a sympathizer of Arab nationalism and became an activist of that cause following the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in 1916, joining the nationalist al-Fatat society. As such, he campaigned for the union of Greater Syria (modern-day Levant) and vehemently opposed Zionism and foreign mandates in Arab lands. From 1922 to 1927, he served as an educator and as the principal at the an-Najah National School where he implemented a pro-Arab nationalist educational system, promoting the ideas of Arab independence and unity. Darwaza's particular brand of Arab nationalism was influenced by Islam and his beliefs in Arab unity and the oneness of Arabic culture.
Later, Darwaza co-founded the nationalist Istiqlal party in Palestine and was a principal organizer of anti-British demonstrations. In 1937, he was exiled to Damascus as a result of his activities and from there he helped support the Arab revolt in the Mandatory Palestine. He was incarcerated in Damascus by French authorities for his involvement in the revolt, and while in prison he began to study the Qur'an and its interpretations. In 1945, after he was released, Darwaza eventually compiled his own interpretation entitled al-Tafsir al-Hadith.
In 1946, he joined the Arab Higher Committee led by Haj Amin al-Husseini, but resigned the next year after being disenfranchised by al-Husayni's methods. He left for Syria afterward and briefly aided in the unity talks between Syria and Egypt in the mid-1950s. By the time of his death in 1984, Darwaza had written over thirty books and published numerous articles on the Palestinian question, Arab history, and Islam.[2]
1.1 Early life and background
1.2 Loyalty to dissidence toward the Ottoman Empire
1.3 Promoting unity with Syria
1.4 Educator in Nablus
1.5 Fight against the British Mandate
2 Literary works
2.1 Quranic studies and interpretations
4 List of works
4.2 Islamic
Early life and background[edit]
Darwaza was born to a middle-class Sunni Muslim mercantile family in Nablus.[2] The Darwaza family had long been involved in textiles and had extensive trade relationships with merchants in Beirut and Damascus. In his memoirs, Izzat writes "The import of [textile] goods from the outside was, for the most part, through Beirut and Damascus."[3] Izzat's father, 'Abd al-Hadi Darwaza and his paternal grandfather Darwish Darwaza, owned a store in the Khan al-Tujjar of Nablus.[2] Izzat recalled, "From what I remember from my father and through my grandfather, the title merchant or merchants in Nablus mostly referred to owners of commercial textile and cloth shops. In Nablus, these shops were confined, or mostly confined, to a caravansary called Khan al-Tujjar, in the middle of Nablus."[4]
Izzat received elementary and preparatory education in Ottoman government-run schools in the city.[2] In addition to Arabic, he learned Turkish and English, as well as a basic knowledge of French which he strengthened in by the end of his formal education.[5] Darwaza left school without going to Istanbul or Beirut to finish his education as was the custom of his generation.[6] Instead, he educated himself, and according to Rashid Khalidi, became "a self-taught intellectual."[7]
Loyalty to dissidence toward the Ottoman Empire[edit]
Originally, Darwaza supported the Ottoman Empire based on his feelings of identification with Islam and of belonging to the larger Ottoman Muslim ummah ("nation"). In 1906, he served in the local Ottoman administration as a clerk in the Department of Telegraphic and Postal Services (DTPS) in Nablus.[8] His first assignment in that department was for the District of Beisan and northern Palestine (the Galilee and northern Samaria).[2] He was also an Arabist and was enthusiastic about the Young Turk Revolution in 1908, expecting that the new Ottoman government would institute reforms and grant the Arabs autonomy within the framework of the empire.[9]
His loyalty to the Ottomans eroded, however, due to the impact of the new governments's Turkification policies which he viewed as repressive against his ideals. Because of his dissatisfaction with the Young Turks, Darwaza was driven to support Arab independence from the empire.[9] In 1908, he joined the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), but withdrew soon after because of its Turkish nationalist political agenda.[2] He played an active role in establishing a branch for the Party of Harmony and Freedom in Nablus in 1911. The party was founded in Istanbul and joined by Arab members to counter the policies of the CUP. In 1913, he joined a anti-Zionist group based in Nablus that sought to prevent the sale of Arab-owned land to Jews by submitting petitions to the Ottoman sultan, or by buying land for sale to preempt its purchase by Jews. In June 1913, he helped to prepare and became secretary of the First Palestinian Congress (also known as the Arab Congress of 1913) in Paris. In congress, he was also the delegate for the Jamma'in subdistrict of the District of Nablus. Meanwhile, Darwaza was still working in the DTPS.[2]
In 1914, he established the Arab Scientific Society whose purpose was to spread Arabic culture in the region through the establishment of Arabic schools. The society did not succeed, however, due to the outbreak of World War I.[2] Within the DTPS, Darwaza was appointed commissioner and deputy for the Nablus Post Office. He was promoted again—this time as director of postal stamp sales in Beirut.[2]
Promoting unity with Syria[edit]
During World War I, Darwaza served as Postal Directorate-General of Beirut and retained this post until 1918.[2] In 1916, while serving with the Ottoman army in the Sinai Peninsula,[5] he joined the underground al-Fatat organization through Ahmad Qadri, a high-ranking member from Damascus. The aim of al-Fatat was to liberate and unite the Arab lands under Ottoman rule.[10] In the wake of the Arab Revolt of 1916, Darwaza left the Ottoman civil service to serve in King Faisal's provisional government in Damascus. Ideologically, Darwaza became an Arab nationalist endorsing the concept of a Greater Syrian Arab state.[9]
Following the World War I Armistice, Darwaza held several political posts including Secretary-General of al-Fatat from May 1919 to March 1920, Secretary of the Muslim-Christian Association's Nablus branch, and Secretary of the First Palestine Arab Congress in Jerusalem in 1919.[2] During the spring and summer of 1919, a vigorous political campaign was waged by the Arab politicians in Palestine who were divided into "Younger Politicians" and "Older Politicians". The campaign was centered on the political future of Palestine, and Darwaza, a Younger Politician, played a central role. The Younger Politicians consisted of Arab nationalists who sought to unite Palestine with King Faisal's Syria while the Older Politicians consisted of Palestinian nationalists who preferred that Palestine be an independent entity.[11]
Darwaza and Hafiz Kanaan—another leading al-Fatat member from Nablus—lobbied Arab groups in Jerusalem to advocate Syro-Palestinian unity before the arrival of the King-Crane Commission on 10 June 1919. They first met with Haj Amin al-Husseini and Kamil al-Husayni of al-Nadi al-Arabi party and they immediately expressed their support. They also suggested that Darwaza meet Raghib al-Nashashibi, Hussam ad-Din Jarallah, and Aref al-Dajani, supporters of independence. Darwaza convinced Nashashibi to gather some of the Older Politicians of Jerusalem to a meeting at his house. When it was made clear that Musa al-Husayni, a leader of the Older Politicians, was now in favor of unity, all of the other Older Politicians followed suit.[11] When the commission arrived in Jaffa, it concluded on 27 June that it was in favor of Syro-Palestinian unity under a British Mandate.[12]
In the first week of July 1919, the General Syrian Congress (GSC) held its first meeting in Damascus and Darwaza was its secretary. The GSC called for the immediate independence of Syria as a sovereign state under a constitutional monarchy and underlined its opposition to the establishment of Zionism in southern Syria (Palestine).[13] Along with Haj Amin al-Husseini and Aref al-Aref, Darwaza founded and became an officer of the Palestinian Society in Damascus. The organization urged all societies and clubs in Palestine to cooperate and condemn the San Remo Conference's decision to grant Great Britain a mandate over Palestine and Transjordan.[14]
The hope of Darwaza and the Younger Politicians for unity with Syria were curtailed when it became known that King Faisal was aligning himself with the leaders of the Zionist movement because "they [the Zionists] were helping us [the Arabs] in the [Paris Peace] conference." Afterward, Darwaza believed King Faisal did not devote to the Palestine issue its deserved attention. Faisal was deposed by the French in July 1920. An event that further deteriorated Darwaza's ambitions of Arab unity was the confirmation of the British Mandate over Palestine at the San Remo Conference on 24 April 1920.[15] His experience in Damascus revealed to him that the universalism of Arab nationalism was not as concrete as its advocates had thought, and the military might of the colonial powers—France and Great Britain—were an overwhelming force to contend with.[9]
Educator in Nablus[edit]
Darwaza continued his political activity, representing Nablus in the Fourth Palestinian Congress in May 1921 and the Seventh Palestinian Congress in June 1928. From 1922 to 1927, he served as the principal of the an-Najah National School (later to become an-Najah National University) where he initiated and nurtured an Arab nationalist political educational process. Darwaza wrote textbooks and was an educator himself. One of his students who later became a nationalist politician, Akram Zu'aiter, wrote that Darwaza "used to give us a weekly lesson on the principles of Nationalism and [modern] society, in a way which sharpened our thought and broadened our horizons."[16] Zuaiter also recalls that Darwaza wrote up nationalist and historical plays that his students would perform in.[16]
In 1927, Rashid al-Haj Ibrahim, the leader of the Young Men's Muslim Association of Haifa, a prominent merchant, and future associate of Darwaza, invited him to his home to speak to a large group of students and notables about nationalist (qawmiyya) and patriotic (wataniyya) education. This was recognition that Darwaza's contribution to the spread of Arab nationalist sentiments gained influence not only in an-Najah School, but throughout Palestine.[17]
Fight against the British Mandate[edit]
Darwaza (right) and Awni Abd al-Hadi (left) during their internment in the British military camp of Sarafand al-Amar, 1936
Darwaza became a member of the Arab Executive Committee and in 1930 was appointed by rival nationalist Haj Amin al-Husseini (now the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem) as the General Administrator of the Waqf (Islamic religious trust) under the Supreme Muslim Council.[8][18] In 1931, he convinced his city's MCA to change its name to the Patriotic Arab Association. Unlike other Arab politicians at the time, Darwaza supported a combination of pan-Arabism, Islamism, and dedication to the Palestinian nationalist ideal.[19]
He began to edit in the al-Ja'miyya al-Arabiyya newspaper in the early 1930s and in December 1931-January 1932, he wrote articles encouraging Arabs to fight British policies in the Middle East, to unite in the face of growing dangers, and to renew their drive towards freedom and independence.[20] In August 1932, he along with Awni Abd al-Hadi and others founded the Istiqlal (Independence) party in Palestine, an offshoot of al-Fatat. Originally, the Istiqlal operated in Syria, then Transjordan, but reassembled in Palestine after facing disappointing circumstances in both those territories. The party coaxed Palestinians towards defying British rule by staging demonstrations and political and social boycotts. Darwaza refused to allow the Istiqlal to participate in meetings between local Palestinian political parties and the British high-commissioner.[19] Darwaza wrote an article on 21 June 1933, vehemently attacking Palestinian "vested interests". He argued that the wealthy Arab notables of Palestine were subservient to the British and the Zionists and would willingly leave Palestine for other countries, while the poor and middle-class Arabs had to remain to fight and die in their battle against British oppression.[21] Darwaza helped instigate and organize the 1933 demonstrations in Jaffa which protested British policy in Palestine and continued Jewish immigration.[10]
Darwaza was one of the principal organizers of the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine which first erupted in his hometown of Nablus with the launch of the Palestinian general strike.[10] Along with Abd al-Hadi, Darwaza was arrested by the British authorities in June and imprisoned in the military camp at Sarafand al-Amar.[22] The Mufti sent a delegation consisting of Darwaza, Mu'in al-Madi, and Abd al-Hadi to Baghdad, then to Riyadh to discuss the situation and upon their return on 6 January 1937, they revealed that the advice given to them was to cease hostilities.[23] During the revolt, in 1937, Darwaza was exiled from Palestine by British authorities to Damascus.[24] Later in that year, Darwaza held several meetings with Nuri al-Sa'id of Iraq to explore various solutions to help the Arabs avoid appearing intransigent.[25]
Despite attempts to calm the situation, in Damascus, Darwaza established and headed the Central Committee for National Jihad in Palestine which echoed Izz al-Din al-Qassam's call for a holy war against the British and Zionism. Darwaza had many encounters with al-Qassam, describing him as "a man lacking in arrogance or self-love. He was open and available to all of the people and the people loved him. And he lived the life of a mujahid."[26] Darwaza worked closely with the Mufti, who was now under house arrest in Beirut, to garner support and supplies for the revolt and supervise the Arab rebels in Palestine.[18]
In late 1939, he was accused by French military authorities of helping Palestinian rebels in the revolt, tried by a military court, and sentenced to five years imprisonment in the Citadel of Damascus.[27] While his exile by the British abruptly curtailed his political life, his imprisonment marked the beginning of a new life wherein the Quran becomes a major concern for the next several years.[28] He was released in November 1944.[27] After his release, Darwaza was unable to return to Nablus because British authorities had issued an order preventing him from entering Palestine. As a result, he left for Turkey, mostly staying in Bursa until the end of 1945.[29]
The Mufti re-established the Arab Higher Committee (AHC) in late 1946 and Darwaza joined the ten-member council upon a request from the Mufti.[30] Darwaza, along with Emil Ghuri and Mu'in al-Madi, served as the AHC's delegates to the September 1947 convention of the Arab League's Political Committee in Lebanon. With support from the Transjordanian representative, Salih Jaber, the Prime Minister of Iraq, openly criticized the delegates and questioned the AHC's right to even send delegates to the convention.[31] Later that year, Darwaza resigned from the AHC due to the Mufti's unbending attitude towards wider representation.[32]
After resigning from the AHC, Darwaza spent the rest of his life in the modern state of Syria where he left politics to concentrate on literature. Although he did much of his writing in the 1930s and 1940s, he did not have any of his works published until the 1960s.[33] As a pan-Arab intellectual, Darwaza aided in establishing the union between Syria and Egypt forming the short-lived United Arab Republic. After Egypt adopted its 1956 constitution declaring that it was an Arab country and its people a part of the Arab nation, Darwaza concluded that Egypt and Syria were in a position to unite.[34] When unity negotiations underwent, he suggested several forms of federation, such as the American, Soviet, and Indian models, but did not recommend any specific model for an Arab state. Darwaza did, however, suggest that the institution of a federation between Egypt and Syria would be the first step towards the realization of a comprehensive union.[35]
In 1983 Darwaza granted Palestinian historian Muhammad Y. Muslih an eight-day interview and allowed him to photo-copy his memoirs in entirety. Muslih noted that Darwaza was failing in health at the time.[36] He died in Damascus in 1984 at the age of 96.[33] Darwaza had three daughters, Najah, Salma, and Rudaina and a son, Zuhair.
Literary works[edit]
Darwaza in traditional Arab robe
One of the first modern histories of the Arab nation in contrast to a history of an individual Arab country was composed by Darwaza in the late 1920s under the title Lessons of Arab History: From Antiquity to Present Times. In the book, Darwaza begins by describing the origins of the Semitic peoples, the rise of Islam, the end of Arab rule in the Middle East by Turkic groups, and the foreign rule over the Arabs by Western powers. The book was intended to be used as a textbook in primary and secondary schools throughout the British Mandates of Palestine and later Iraq, hence its simplified and direct language. Nonetheless, it played a pioneering role in the development of pan-Arabism.[6]
In 1934, Darwaza published a widely read story, The Angel and the Land Broker, reflecting popular Arab sentiments against the growing "Zionist threat" and attacking brokers who tempted Palestinian land owners to sell their land to Jews. The story describes methods used by Zionists to entice Arab landowners to sell their land and the main characters in the story are an illiterate farmer and a Jewish girl from Tel Aviv who encourages the former to spend himself deep into debt, forcing him to sell his land at a price far below its value.[37]
Later in his lifetime after leaving politics, Darwaza published memoirs that discussed in detail the city of Nablus in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to Youssef Choueiri, "he gives a graphic and almost exhaustive description of his hometown... its mosques, residential quarters, orchards, industries, and inhabitants. Moreover, he dwells at length of the social composition of the town endeavoring to reveal the open conflict between 'feudal families' and the new generation of middle traders, functionaries, civil servants, and teachers."[6]
Quranic studies and interpretations[edit]
While he was imprisoned in Damascus, Darwaza was provided with an opportunity to read and reflect upon the Quran. He states "I considered [this opportunity] an act of divine [favor] and started reading whatever books of exegesis and qur'anic studies were accessible to me." During his incarceration, he compiled three books dealing with the Quran and conceived the idea of writing a modern tafsir ("interpretation").[28]
His time in Turkey exposed him to the libraries of Bursa and it was there where he wrote the rough draft of his tafsir entitled al-Tafsir al-Hadith. Darwaza states in this exegesis he would "uncover the wisdom of revelation, the fundamental concepts of the Qur'an and the whole range of its subject matter and present it in a new style and new sequential order." Al-Tafsir al-Hadith was generally aimed at the Muslim youth who had been alienated by the traditional interpretations of the Quran.[33] Darwaza placed much emphasis on the close relationship between the text of the Quran and the environment in which it was revealed. He rejected the hadith which states the Qur'an was originally preserved on a tablet in the seventh heaven, sent down to lowest heaven and from there gradually to Muhammad.[33]
After the completion of the rough draft, he wrote a volume of four chapters, Qur'an al-Majid, which served as an introduction for the tafsir.[29] Darwaza stresses a close connection between the Quran and the biography of the Muhammad (sira) and states that the Quran fully reflects various stages between the Quran and the career of Muhammad.[38] He also emphasizes that both the angels and the jinn are spoken in the Quran not for their own sake, but to reinforce Muhammad's missions and goals.[39]
He contends that the presentation of the Quran and its suras was dictated by Muhammad and that the task of Abu Bakr was to collect the Quran between its two covers and transcribe it into one copy, while Uthman's task was to fix the transcription and unify it to prevent variant readings. He also expresses doubts that Ali, as it is alleged, had made a chronologically arranged collection. Darwaza was very critical of other modern interpreters who used certain verses of the Quran to deduce and support scientific theories. He argues that those people have done harm to Islam by trivializing the sacred character of the Quran.[38]
Darwaza was convinced that interpretations of the Quran were the only possible basis for any renewal and development of Islamic religious, political and social thought, and that the Quran was the only resource for Muslim reinterpretation of traditional norms in Islam and Islamic thinking.[38] Since it was quite uncommon to follow a chronological order for a whole tafsir—which Darwaza did—he had to justify his position by seeking a fatwa from the muftis of Aleppo and Damascus.[40]
Legacy[edit]
Throughout his life, Darwaza was an Arab nationalist and supported the unity of Syria and Palestine. His particular brand of Arab nationalism was influenced by Islam, his belief in Arab unity, and the oneness of Arabic culture. According to his perspective, the ideology's main points were the Arabic language, the Arab homeland, a shared Arab history and common Arab interests. Although Darwaza believed that Arab nationalism pre-dated Islam, he also maintained that Islam expanded Arab territory and "stamped them with the eternal mark of Arab nationalism." According to Muhammad Y. Muslih, this meant that Islam had provided Arabs with "spiritual, cultural, and legal unity and within the framework of that unity the Arab individual formed his moral and social beliefs, irrespective of where he lived and through it the Arabs were able to preserve national identity and maintain their culture in the face of foreign invaders, including the Ottomans".[2] Darwaza contends that Arab nationalism is not a new concept borrowed from the West and asserts the constituents of Arab nationalism are stronger than those which make up the modern forms of nationalism in the world.[41]
His ideas helped the spread the word of secular pan-Arabism against religious nationalists and those who believed in separate Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian destinies.[42] In the mid-1950s, Darwaza asserted that the first stage of Arab union should be based on a merger between Egypt and Syria. In his opinion, a union between the northern Arabs (Syria) and the southern Arabs (Egypt) would facilitate the adherence of other Arab states.[43] He believed that Egypt's capabilities and human resources compelled it to fill the role of an Arab "Prussia".[34] Darwaza remarked on Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian president and founder of the short-lived union, saying "Since the Arab revolt against the Turks, no Arab leader has been up to the level of events except for Jamal 'Abd al-Nasir. He emerged and vanished like a shooting star."[15]
Rashid Khalidi states about Darwaza, "Moved as he was by the civilization of Arabs, he evoked a distant Arab past. For obvious reasons Islam was central to that past. But in the case of Darwaza, Islam was important not as the binding substance of the nation, but as a culture and civilization. In other words, culture, language, and history not religious solidarity were posited as the glue that was to hold the Arab nation together." According to Khalidi, Darwaza contributed to Arab nationalism in the practical and intellectual domains greatly.[42]
Turkīya al-ḥadīta. (1946).
Ta'rīḫ Banī Isrā'īl min asfārihim. (1958).
Al-äḍīya al-filasṭīnīya muḫtalaf marāḥilihā. (1959).
Al-'Arab wal-'urūba min al-qarn at-tālit ḥatta l-qarn ar-rābi' 'ašar al-hiǧrī. (1959).
'Urūbat Misr fi l-qadīm wal-hadīt au qåbl al-islām wa-ba'dahu. (1963).
'Asr an-nabī 'alaih as-salām wa-bai'atuhu qabl al-ba'ta. (1964).
Našʼat al-ḥaraka al-ʻarabīja al-ḥadīta. (1971).
Fī sabīl qaḍīyat Filasṭīn wal-waḥda al-'arabīya wa-min waḥy an-nakba wa li-aǧl mu'āla-ǧatihā. (1972).
al-Jihād fī sabīl Allāh fi l-Qur'an̄ wal-ḥadīt. (1975).
Az-ziʻāmāt wa-'l-usar al-lubnānīja al-iqṭāʻīja ʻalā iḫtilāf aṭ-ṭawā'if. (1978).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fī Lubnān. (1978).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fi Jazīrat al-Furāt wa-šamāl Sūrīya. (1978).
al- Yahūd fi 'l-qurān al-karīm: sīratuhum wa-ah̲lāquhum wa-aḥwāluhum qabla 'l-baʻt̲a. Wa-ǧinsīyat al-Yahūd fi 'l-Ḥiǧāz fī zaman an-nabī. Wa-aḥwāluhum wa-ah̲lāquhum wa-mawāqifuhum min ad-daʻwa al-islāmīya wa-ma. (1980).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fī šarq al-Urdunn wa-Filasṭīn. (1981).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fī Wādi 'n-Nīl. (1981).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fi 'l-Maġrib al-aqṣā wa-'l-Jazā'ir wa-Tūnis wa-Lībīya. (1981).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fī Sūrīya al-wusṭā. (1981).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fi 'l-ʻIrāq. (1981).
Al-imārāt al-ʻarabīya as-šāmila fi Jazīrat al-ʻarab. (1983).
Mudakkirāt: siǧill ḥāfil bi-masīrat al-ḥaraka al-ʻarabīya wa-'l-qaḍīya al-filasṭīnīya hilal qarn min az-zaman: 1305-1404 hijra, 1887-1984. (1993).
Islamic[edit]
Ad-Dustūr al-qur 'ānī fī šu'ūn al-ḥayāt. (1956).
At-Tafsīr al-ḥadīt̲ as-Suwar. (1962).
Sīrat ar-Rasūl. (1965).
Ad-Dustūr al-qur'ānī was-sunna an-nabawīya fī šu'ūn al-ḥayāt. (1966).
Al-Mar'a fi l-Qur'an was-sunna. (1967).
List of people from Nablus
^ a b Most sources, including Rashid Khalidi, Muhammad Y. Muslih, the Encyclopedia of Islam, and MSN Encarta, among others agree that Darwaza was born in 1888. However, others, namely Youssef Choueiri and the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA) place his birth year at 1887.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Muslih, 1989, pp. 146-148.
^ Doumani, 1995, pp. 59-61.
^ Doumani, 1995, p. 57.
^ a b Matthews, 2006, p.267.
^ a b c Choueiri, 2000, pp. 25-26.
^ Khalidi, 1993, p.178.
^ a b Palestinian personalities D Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. (PASSIA).
^ a b c d Hawting and Shareef, 1993, p. 237.
^ a b c Izzat Muhammad Darwaza MSN Encarta. Archived 2009-10-31.
^ a b Muslih, 1989, pp. 193-194.
^ Muslih, 1989, p. 196.
^ Kayyali, 1978, p. 69.
^ a b Muslih, 1989, p. 203.
^ a b Kedourie, Gammer, Kostiner, and Shemesh, 2003, p. 31.
^ Matthews, 2006, p.52.
^ a b Kimmerling and Migdal, 2003, p. 114.
^ a b Kimmerling and Migdal, 2003, p. 97.
^ Kayyali, 1978, p. 167.
^ Elpeleg, 1993, p. 43.
^ Nafi, 1998, p. 249.
^ Levenberg, 1993, p. 69.
^ The Life and Thought of 'Izz-Id-Din Al-Qassam. The Islamic Quarterly, London.
^ a b Abu-Ghazaleh, 1973, p. 22.
^ a b Hawting and Shareef, 1993, p. 225.
^ Khalaf, 1991, p. 267.
^ a b c d Zebiri, 1993, pp. 145-146.
^ a b Podeh and Ma'oz, 1999, p. 29.
^ Podeh and Ma'oz, 1999, p. 26.
^ Muslih, 1988, p. xi.
^ Sufian and LeVine, 2007, p. 294.
^ a b c Hawting and Shareef, 1993, p. 228.
^ Hawting and Shareef, 1993, p. 232.
^ Hawting and Shareef, 1993, pp. 245-246.
^ a b Khalidi, 1993, p. 179.
^ Podeh and Ma'oz, 1999, p. 7.
Choueiri, Youssef (2000), Arab Nationalism – A History: Nation and State in the Arab World, Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN 0-631-21729-0
Doumani, Beshara (1995), Rediscovering Palestine: Merchants and Peasants in Jabal Nablus, 1700-1900, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-20370-4
Elpeleg, Zvi (1993), The Grand Mufti: Haj Amin al-Hussaini, Founder of the Palestinian National Movement, Psychology Press, ISBN 0714634328
Gelvin, James L. (1998), Divided loyalties: nationalism and mass politics in Syria at the close of Empire, University of California Press, ISBN 0-520-21070-0
Hawting, Gerald R.; Shareef, Abdul-Kader A. (1993), Approaches to the Qurʼān, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-05755-8
Kayyālī, 'Abd al-Wahab (1978), Palestine: A Modern History, Routledge, ISBN 0-85664-635-0
Khalaf, Issa (1991), Politics in Palestine: Arab factionalism and social disintegration, 1939-1948, SUNY Press, ISBN 978-0-7914-0708-0
Khalidi, Rashid (1993), The Origins of Arab Nationalism, Columbia University Press, ISBN 0-231-07435-2
Kimmerling, Baruch; Migdal, Joel S. (2003), The Palestinian People: A History, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-01129-5
Levenberg, Haim (1993), Military Preparations of the Arab Community in Palestine, 1945-1948, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-7146-3439-5
Matthew, Weldon C. (2006), Confronting an empire, constructing a nation: Arab nationalists and popular politics in mandate Palestine, I.B. Tauris, ISBN 1-84511-173-7
Muslih, Muhammad Y. (1989), The Origins of Palestinian Nationalism, Columbia University Press, ISBN 978-0-231-06509-2
Nafi, Basheer M. (1998), Arabism, Islamism and the Palestine question, 1908-1941: a political history, Garnet and Ithaca Press, ISBN 0-86372-235-0
Podeh, Elie; Ma'oz, Moshe (1999), The decline of Arab unity: the rise and fall of the United Arab Republic, Sussex Academic Press, ISBN 1-902210-20-4
Sufian, Sandra Marlene; LeVine, Mark (2007), Reapproaching Borders: New Perspectives on the Study of Israel-Palestine, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 0-7425-4639-X
Zebiri, Kate (1993), Maḥmūd Shaltūt and Islamic modernism, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-826330-9
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Izzat_Darwaza&oldid=809793116"
Arab people in British Palestine
20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam
Palestinian historians
People from Nablus
Palestinian nationalists
Palestinian short story writers
Palestinian memoirists
Independence Party (Palestine) politicians
Arabs in Ottoman Palestine
An-Najah National University faculty
Palestinian Arab nationalists
Ottoman Arab nationalists
People of the 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine
20th-century short story writers
Pages using infobox officeholder with unknown parameters
Articles containing Arabic-language text
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Date of death missing
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What is the tallest Mountain in Virgina?
MOUNT ROGERS IS THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, WITH A SUMMIT ELEVATION OF 1,746 M (5,729 FT) ABOVE SEA LEVEL. IT LIES AT THE BORDER BETWEEN GRAYSON AND SMYTH COUNTIES, WITHIN THE MOUNT ROGERS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA AND JEFFERSON NATIONAL FOREST.
Mount Rogers is the centerpiece of the United States National Recreation Area (NRA), which was established in 1966. The surrounding area claims a unique record of the geohistory of Virginia. There is evidence that the rocks are actually remnants of ancient volcanoes that were part of the landscape once.
Browse a list of Mountain and Hiking Books / Guidebooks
Up to 60% off The North Face!
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The mountain was named after William Barton Rogers, a Virginia's first State Geologist, who went on to found the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Top Long Distance Hikes in North America.
The peak is most easily ascended from Grayson Highlands State Park along the Appalachian Trail to the south for approximately 5.6 km (3.5 miles). The area is especially popular among hikers all year round, due to the close proximity of the Appalachian Trail - the longest hiking-only trail in the world passing 14 states.
THE FIVE HIGHEST PEAKS IN VIRGINIA:
Mount Rogers - 1,746 m (5,729 ft), at the border between Grayson and Smyth counties, Virginia, United States.
Whitetop Mountain - 1,682 m (5,520 ft), at the border between Grayson, Smyth and Washington counties, Virginia, United States.
Pine Mountain - 1,684 m (5,525 ft), in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Virginia, United States.
Buzzard Rock - 1,553 m (5,095 ft), at the border between Grayson, Smyth and Washington counties, Virginia, United States.
Haw Orchard Mountain - 1,526 m (5,007 ft), in Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia, United States.
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The Third Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting 24 August 2015, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Home/ASEAN Secretariat News/The Third Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting 24 August 2015, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1. The Economic Ministers from the 16 RCEP Participating Countries attended the 3rd RCEP Ministerial Meeting held on 24 August 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Ministerswere encouraged by the progress made after nine rounds of negotiations since the launch in November 2012. In particular, Ministers noted that some breakthroughs have been made to settle some key issues.
2. The Ministers noted that the economic performance of RCEP Participating Countries stayed strong amidst slow growth in the global economy. RCEP economies’ combined output stood at US$ 22.7 trillion in 2014, which accounts for about 29.3 per cent of world output. Trade and investment flows in RCEP economies also remained strong. In 2014, total trade of RCEP economies amounted to US$ 10.8 trillion (28.4 per cent of global trade), while total FDI inflows to RCEP economies reached US$ 366.3 billion (29.8 per cent of global FDI inflows). Ministers believed that with almost half of the world’s population, the RCEP region offers immense potential to grow through better market access, deeper economic integration, shared opportunities and improved standard of living for billions of people of this region.
3. In view that significant breakthroughs have been achieved at this Ministerial Meeting, the Ministers were encouraged that substantive market access negotiations are to commence soon and that work on draft texts of various chapters has accelerated. To meet the vision of achieving a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement, the Ministers were of the view that further work is required for the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee to come up with a well-crafted, balanced agreement which takes into account individual and diverse circumstances of the RCEP Participating Countries ranging from amongst the most developed to least developed countries in the region.
Download the full Joint Statement here
August 25th, 2015|ASEAN Secretariat News|
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Michigan Concealed Carry Permit Holder Helps Thwart, Capture Attempted Rapist
The suspect, Jeffery McSwain, Jr., attacked a woman inside this vacant Flint, Michigan home.
The mother of a woman who told police she was attacked inside an eastside home said she is thankful for neighbors who rushed to her daughter’s aid, including a man who held the alleged attacker at gunpoint then chased him down and helped hold him until police arrived.
“She got lucky,” said the woman’s mother, who is not being identified to protect the identity of the woman. “If it wasn’t for all these people who cared enough to help her, and not turn the other cheek like so many people would, my daughter would be dead right now.”
The victim was on her way home from a nearby store—the kind that Moms Demand Action would like to ban you from carrying guns in—and forced into a vacant home by a man who beat her severely, ripped off her clothes, and attempted to rape her.
The victim escaped and screamed for help, at which point a concealed carry permit holder that lives nearby sprang into action, ordering the suspect out of the vacant home at gunpoint. The suspect, Jeffery McSwain, Jr, attempted to escape on foot but was chased down by the concealed carry permit holder and another man and was held until police arrived.
The suspect, Jeffery McSwain, Jr, faces a possible ten years in prison for the attempted rape.
The suspect appears to have collected a few blows to the head either during the commission of his crime or during his capture. I somehow suspect that the authorities aren’t deeply concerned about the specific nature of these relatively minor injuries.
You’ll note that the concealed carry permit holder in this situation acted with restraint at all times.
The concealed carry permit holder did not shoot at the alleged criminal as he encountered him at the vacant home.
He did not shoot at the alleged attempted rapist as the criminal attempted to flee the scene of the crime.
He did not shoot McSwain during the (successful) attempt to capture him after a short chase, and he did not shoot him before the police took McSwain into custody.
In short, the often-repeated claim from gun control cultists that concealed carriers are just looking for an excuse to shoot another human being proved to be false, yet again.
This good guy with a gun simply helped take yet another criminal off the streets.
Tags: Concealed CarryGuns Saving LivesMichigan
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« David Rosenberg Explains Why Churchill Is Not His Hero
Video for My Book against the Privatisation of the NHS »
The Discreet, Poisonous Corporatism of the Labour Party Quitters
Yesterday, a group of seven MPs formally split from the Labour party. Now going independent, this glittering array of third raters, has-beens and deadbeats were supposed to form the nucleus of this new, shiny Blairite ‘centrist’ party that has been mooted for the past year or so. The group included such luminaries as Gavin Shuker, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Chuka Umunna, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes and Ann Coffey. They were all Blairites, who had been trying to overthrow Corbyn or undermine his leadership since he was elected head of the party. Or else had been threatening to quit.
Comparisons have been made to the Labour split in the 1980s which saw the notorious ‘gang of four’, including Roy Jenkins and Shirley Williams form the short-lived Social Democratic Party. They ended up shortly forming an alliance with the Liberals before finally merging with them to form the Liberal Democrats. At the time there much verbiage in the press about the SDP ‘breaking the mould’ of British politics. It didn’t happen, despite the TV critic Clive James in his Observer column sneering at Tony Benn, who said that support for the SDP had peaked. But, as Zelo Street has pointed out, the comparison also doesn’t do the Quitters any favours in another way. Some of the MPs, who formed the SDP were actually first rate politicos. As Home Secretary in the 1960s, Roy Jenkins oversaw some profound changes in the liberalization of British society. Like the partial decriminalization of homosexuality, for which, among other things, he’s still bitterly resented by the Tory right today. Reading Shirley William’s 1979 book, Politics Is For People, it’s clear that she did have a powerful mind with strong, distinct views on how socialism should improve British society and industry.
This bunch, by contrast, don’t seem to have any distinct views or anything more to offer than rehashed, warmed up Blairism. Before their website crashed yesterday, Zelo Street was able to get on it and read what they had to say. Which seemed to be a lot of flannel. More fine-sounding words about democracy which didn’t actually come down to meaning very much. The website said
Our primary duty as Members of Parliament is to put the best interests of our constituents and our country first. Our free media, the rule of law, and our open, tolerant and respectful democratic society should be cherished and renewed. We believe that our Parliamentary democracy in which our elected representatives deliberate, decide and provide leadership, held accountable by their whole electorate is the best system of representing the views of the British people. Zelo Street remarked that the first part of this statement, about cherishing and renewing free media, rule of law and democratic society doesn’t actually mean anything, while the second – about parliamentary democracy being the best method of representing the views of the British people – is just what every MP in the House believes.
But what the group really stands for is best shown by the group’s legal organization and its members’ very cosy relationship with private enterprise. The group’s website was set up in 2015 in a tax haven. The new party actually isn’t a party. It’s been registered as a private corporation, Gemini A, which means that it doesn’t have to identify its backers. This also, apparently, makes it exempt from the spending restrictions on campaigning which apply to genuine political parties.
And then there’s Angela ‘People of funny tin…’ Smith’s connection with private water companies. Smith is chairman of the all-party water group, which is mainly funded by private water companies like Wessex Water and Affinity Water. Talking to Smith on This Morning Yesterday, Ash Sarkar pointed out that her group were some of the very few people left, who still believe in water privatization. She predicted that people would like at Smith’s leadership of the group and say, ‘You know what, that stinks of corruption’.
Sarkar isn’t going to be wrong either. The Canary in their article on this pointed out that 83 per cent of the population want the water companies to be renationalized. And Blair’s very strong links to private industry were very heavily criticized when he was power. Blair was a corporatist, who gave business leaders and senior management key positions in government in exchange for donations. This whole, nasty web of corporate links was exposed by the Groaniad’s George Monbiot in his book, Captive State, which lists various businessmen and the government positions Blair gave them. Even at the time Blair’s government was notorious for doing political favours in return for donations, as Blair did for Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One magnate, in return for something like a million pounds of corporate dosh.
‘Bevan Boy’ described what other Blairite policies this crew probably also stand for in this tweet, quoting by Mike in his article on them:
What will this new “Centrist” party stand for?
More Austerity?
Rampant marketisation & uncontrolled capitalism?
Neoconservative Thatcherism?
I suspect all of the above under a pro EU banner. The policies are being rejected & thank Christ they are.
We need a socialist LAB govt!
And what the splitters really think of democracy is shown by the fact that none of them actually want to hold a bye-election and give their constituents a say in whether they want them to represent them in parliament. It’s been pointed out that only one per cent of voters say that they actually vote for the individual MP, rather than the party. But these avowed democrats really don’t want to give their constituents the opportunity to decide whether they want to keep them as their MP or whether they want to elect someone else.
Which is what you could expect from a group that includes Luciana Berger. Berger, or should that be Lucrezia Borgia?, was facing a vote of no confidence from her local constituency. She then declared that they were bullying her, and demanded Jenny Formby expel the constituency party from Labour. Formby told her that she had no cause to do this and refused.
But Borgia, sorry, Berger, has carried on whining about bullying and intimidation nonetheless. Just as all the Quitters have moaned about anti-Semitism. The truth is, anti-Semitism is not the reason they’re splitting. It never has been. It has only been a convenient stick with which to beat Corbyn and his supporters. In fact anti-Semitism in the party has fallen under the Labour leader. It is lower in the Labour party than in the others and in the general British population. And the anti-Semitism accusations against him and the majority of those accused are nothing but contrived smears.
The real truth is that Berger, Umunna, Shuker, Leslie, Smith, Coffee and Gapes are corporatist anti-democrats. They wish to hang on to power against the wishes of their constituents, in order to promote the power of private corporations. Just as Mussolini and Hitler promoted private industry and gave it a seat in government and the management of the economy in Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany.
https://voxpoliticalonline.com/2019/02/18/mps-split-off-from-the-labour-party-voters-say-good-riddance/
http://zelo-street.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-independent-group-on-way-out.html
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2019/02/18/ash-sarkar-takes-down-a-resigning-blairite-mp-so-brutally-a-bbc-host-intervenes/
Tags: 'Captive State', 'Politics Is For People', Adolf Hitler, Affinity Water, All-Party Water Group, Angela Smith, Ann Coffey, anti-semitism, Anti-Semitism Smears, Ash Sarkar, Austerity, Bernie Ecclestone, Bye-Elections, Capitalism, Chris Leslie, Chuka Umunna, Clive James, Conservatives, Corporate Donations, Corporatism, Formula One, Gavin Shuker, Gemin A, George Monbiot, homosexuality, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party, Liberal Democats, Luciana Berger, Lucrezia Borgia, Margaret Thatcher, Media, Mike Gapes, Mussolini, Parliament, Private Industry, Roy Jenkins, Shirley Williams, Social Democratic Party, Tax Havens, The Canary, The Guardian, The Observer, This Morning, Tony Benn, tony blair, Water Companies, Wessex Water
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American Dad, Cable, Cinema, Comedy, Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Domino, Film, Josh Brolin, Looper, Morena Baccarin, Movie, Movie Review, Ryan Reynolds, Thanos, X-Force
Deadpool was a surprise box office hit back in 2016, eclipsing expectations and proving that with the right script Ryan Reynolds could carry a superhero blockbuster on his shoulders. Two years on and a franchise is being built, with Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz and Julian Dennison seemingly attached for the foreseeable future.
Deadpool 2 takes much of what’s good about its predecessor and tries to apply it to a new story, introducing a host of additional characters for its titular character to tease and taunt. The goal of the movie is to build on the first film and develop Wade Wilson, and in fairness to David Leitch it delivers on both its comedy and its action. The jokes don’t always hit and the inciting incident is disappointing because it makes the events of Deadpool feel trivial, but the humour and pacing make up for the script’s shortcomings.
The biggest issue I had with the film was the way that the story was handled, because although Cable is an interesting character and Wade is given an extra level of depth, the meat of the narrative is derivative. Certain critics have made this point already by likening the film to Terminator 2, and I can see the inspiration there, but I think there’s an even more striking comparison to be made with 2012’s Looper.
Looper is a film which is largely based around time travel and world-building, so of course there are differences in how the story is told, but in that film a man goes back in time in order to kill a child who has become a villain in the future. The hero then makes it his business to protect the child in the present day, only to sacrifice himself in the end… and that’s exactly what happens in Deadpool 2. The two films come to their conclusions in different ways, but there are distinct similarities in the circumstances which drive their respective plots.
This issue doesn’t ruin Deadpool 2 by any stretch of the imagination, nor am I suggesting that the writers directly copied the story, but the fact that the plot has been done before limited my enjoyment.
Once I’d made the initial connection between Looper and Deadpool 2 I began to find more parallels with television shows/films that I like, and from this point onwards I was desensitised to what the movie was doing well. For example, one of the funniest moments in the film takes place almost immediately after a fight sequence, with Wade having to stay inside in order to regenerate the lower half of his body. This is a genuinely entertaining sequence which the audience loved, and I can accept the fact that the writers decided to build on the baby hand joke from the first film, but the gag has been done before by American Dad in the twelfth episode of its seventh season, You Debt Your Life.
With these points aside, I should say that I did enjoy Deadpool 2 and I’m looking forward to the inevitable third film in the franchise, particularly if a greater focus is placed on secondary characters. I wasn’t blown away by any aspect of this movie and I don’t think that it’s better than its predecessor, but the X-Force sequence was awesome and Domino and Cable were good additions to the team.
Nevertheless, I feel that many of the pop culture references that this movie made will become less relevant over time, and it was unfortunate that characters like Negasonic Teenage Warhead were pushed aside in order to make room for newcomers.
To summarise, Deadpool 2 is a fun movie which will satisfy viewers with a passion for the first film. However, from a nitpicky perspective there’s a lot to be frustrated by, most notably the fact that the plot feels imitative and forced.
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Tag: CIO United Steelworkers of America
Pride and Pollutants: Federated Metals
On April 19, 2018, over a chain link fence Hammond resident and former EPA attorney David Dabertin voiced his concerns about the former site of Federated Metals to Governor Eric Holcomb. East Chicago environmental activist Thomas Frank told Mother Jones weeks after the visit “’We’d known for quite some time that there was some contamination there,’” but the Indiana Department of Environmental Management allowed plants at the site to keep polluting. For decades, industry was the region’s bread and butter and often the corporation’s and community’s financial well-being was prioritized over health or environmental concerns. Frank noted that older generations viewed the plants with “a sense of pride as it provided jobs and stability” and do not “‘want to look at what they’re so proud of and see that it’s harming them.'”
The EPA’s 2018 investigation of Hammond’s soil lead levels, a response to the “national criticism of its slow reaction to polluted water in Flint, Mich., and lead-contaminated housing in East Chicago,” (Chicago Tribune) inspired us to take a look at Federated Metal’s origins. In 1937, the Chicago-based company announced it would establish a plant in the Whiting-Hammond area. By 1939, hundreds of workers produced non-ferrous metals used in automobile, housing, and oil drilling industries. Almost immediately after production began, the community voiced complaints about the effects on their health.
In the spring, a citizens committee decried the fumes and smoke being expelled by the new smelting and refining plant—so noxious that students at St. Adalbert Catholic parochial school had to miss class due to illness—and pressed city officials to intervene. That year, resident Frank Rydzewski wrote to the Munster Times that Federated Metals foisted upon the Hammond community a “generous sample of sickening odors which emit from its midget—partially concealed smoke stacks and which have already showed its ill-effects on pupils of a school situated not a block distant.”
Rydzewski’s next sentiment encompassed the conflicting priorities related to Federated Metals from the 1930s until its closing in 1983: “Certainly, the value of health impairment to residents in the vicinity far surpasses any questionable tax-able asset this company can create.” Although he bemoaned the fumes plaguing the city’s residents, he also noted that the plant could “boast of its colored personnel; its predominating out-of-state and outside employe[e]s; its labor policies.” Since the 1930s, Federated Metals has served as both the bane and pride of Hammond and Whiting residents. The plant experienced labor strikes, symbolized livelihood and industrial progress, helped the Allies win World War II, and was the site of accidental loss of life.
“Hammond Plant Makes Various Metal Alloys,” The Times (Munster), June 13, 1949, accessed Newspapers.com.
In April, the Munster Times reported that hundreds of residents in the area “revolted” against the plant’s operations at the city council meeting. They charged that “harmful gas discharges from the plant damaged roofs of residences, caused coughing and sneezing that punctuated school studies and prayers in the Whiting church and school and made it virtually impossible to open doors or windows of homes in the neighborhood.”
The paper noted that Mrs. Feliz Niziolkeiwicz wept as she addressed plant manager Max Robbins. She told him “You can live in my home for free rent if you think you can stand the smoke nuisance. The home I built for $10,000 is almost wasted because of the acid from the plant.” Her concerns were shared by Hammond Mayor Frank R. Martin, the city council, the city board of public works and safety, and the health department, whose secretary ordered Federated Metals one month prior to “abate the nuisance” within sixty days. In October, the company was tried in a Hammond city court hearing and found not guilty of criminal liability for the fumes, despite city health inspector Robert Prior testifying that Federated Metals “continued to operate and discharge gasses on the Whiting-Robertsdale community after repeated warnings to abate the alleged nuisance.”
By November, Federated Metals had constructed a $50,000 smoke stack much taller than the previous, offending one, so as to diffuse smoke farther above the Robertsdale neighborhood. In March 1940, Prior stated that citizen protests had ceased with the improvement. Following this remediation, the Munster Times published a smattering of articles throughout the 1940s about health complaints related to plant output. In October 1941, the Times published a short, but eyebrow-raising article regarding allegations that Federated Metals tried to pay Whiting residents in the area as a settlement for property damaged by fumes. Councilman Stanley Shebish shouted “When the people of this community suffer bad health and many can’t go to sleep at night because of this smoke and particles of waste, it is time to stop an underhanded thing like this!” Health officials maintained that the sulphur dioxide fumes were “not a menace to health,” but may be “detrimental to flowers and shrubs.” Whiting’s St. Adalbert’s Church filed a similar complaint about the health of students, teachers, and parishioners in 1944.
Cpl. Glen Kirkman transporting war material from Federated Metals Whiting location on Indianapolis Blvd. to the company’s Chicago headquarters, The Times (Munster), June 19, 1945, accessed Newspapers.com.
While citizens lamented pollutants, the plant churned out “vital war materials” for World War II operations. (The Air Force also awarded the company contracts in the 1950s.) In accordance with the national post-war trend, 1946 ushered in labor strikes at the Hammond-Whiting plant. The Times reported that in January CIO United Steelworkers of America closed down the “Calumet Region’s steel and metal plants,” like Inland Steel Co., Pullman-Stan. Car & Mfg. Co., and Federated Metals. On February 17, Federated Metals agreed to increase the wages of its 350 employees to $32 per month. Labor strikes, such as that which “deprived workers of a living and dampened Calumet Region business,” took place at Federated Metals until at least 1978. This last strike lasted nearly five months and required the service of a federal mediator.
On January 5, 1949, one of the grimmest events in the plant’s history took place at the receiving department. While unloading a shipment from National Lead Co., Federated workers were suddenly overcome by arsenic seeping from rain-sodden drums. The gas, which can also cause paralysis, memory loss, and kidney damage, took the lives of four men and hospitalized eleven. The Times noted that “only the caprice of weather saved scores of Hammond and Whiting residents” from dying while the open freight cars transported the drums from Granite City, Illinois to the Federated Metals plant. The cities’ residents narrowly avoided catastrophe, since rain causes metal dross to generate deadly arsine gas.
Drums at Federated Metals’s Whiting-Hammond plant, The Times (Munster), January 9, 1949, accessed Newspapers.com.
Dr. Richard H. Callahan, East Chicago deputy coroner, probed the deaths and placed the blame primarily on the state board of health. He lamented “‘It is inconceivable that the chemists in the state board did not know that dross used by Federated Metals would poison workmen with arsine. Federated Metals was in the possession of a dangerous toy.” He noted that safeguards against arsenic poisoning had existed for thirty years, ranging from gas masks to the use of caged birds, who fell ill at lower concentrations of gas than humans. The Times noted that Dr. Callahan’s investigation was expected to “foster national and international safeguards against arsine poisoning.”
Deputy Coroner Dr. Richard H. Callahan, The Times (Munster), January 20, 1949, accessed Newspapers.com.
A.J. Kott wrote in the paper that Federated workers’ lives could have been saved had British Anti-Lewisite (BAL) been on hand, “a miracle drug, discovered during World War I in University of Chicago laboratories.” Instead, the drug had to be rushed to St. Catherine Hospital to treat affected workers. While Dr. Callahan identified the state board as the responsible party, questions regarding Federated’s culpability lingered, such as if they violated the state act requiring employees wear gas masks and if they should have had BAL on hand. Following the accident, the company promised to strengthen safety procedures, like employing gas detecting devices when material arrived.
Nearly twenty years later, Federated Metals found itself in the cross-hairs of the environmental movement, which had produced the first Earth Day and the Environmental Protection Agency. Learn about the U.S. Justice Department’s suit against Federated and the politics of pollution in Part II.
Author Nicole PoletikaPosted on September 11, 2018 September 19, 2018 Categories UncategorizedTags accidental death, activism, arsenic poisoning, British Anti-Lewisite, CIO United Steelworkers of America, David Dabertin, Dr. Richard H. Callahan, environmentalism, Federated Metals, Frank Rydzewski, Governor Eric Holcomb, Hammond, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana History, industry, Inland Steel Co., labor strikes, Mayor Frank R. Martin, National Lead Co., non-ferrous metals, refinery, remediation, Robertsdale neighborhood, smelting, soil contamination, St. Adalbert Catholic, St. Catherine Hospital, Stanley Shebish, The Region, Thomas Frank, Whiting, World War II
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The Time is Now: Public Art of the Sustainable City
June 27, 2012 By intsculpturectr in Book Reviews, Profession of Sculpture Tags: Twylene Moyer 1 Comment
Public art commissions always require justification—and that should tell us something. If traditional systems of representation are bankrupt and common values suspect, if committee-driven compromises can only dole out watered-down abstract “spaces” carefully formulated to offend no one and convey nothing, why do we bother? What is the purpose of public art? We say that it’s something we should have, but no one can convincingly explain why it’s necessary. “Uplift” and other vague intangibles get trotted out, but it’s hard to connect these “benefits” to projects that end in entertainment and strive for nothing loftier than increased tourist revenues. Until we can say that we need public art, nothing is going to change; and we won’t need it until it succeeds in touching and improving people’s lives in tangible ways.
Public Art of the Sustainable City, which documents a selection of submissions to the Land Art Generator Initiative’s (LAGI) first international competition in 2010, offers a viable answer to the dilemma. Fifty-one projects—a diverse array of futuristic constructions, some more utopian than others—harness public art’s untapped potential, each one fusing cutting-edge design with renewable energy generation and additional public services. Regardless of design details, they all have learned the lessons of popular temporary public art events like Eliasson’s New York City Waterfalls and applied them to permanent sites, allowing acreage and place-making to multi-task while putting eye-popping spectacle and technological pyrotechnics to work for the public good.
LAGI’s concerted effort to synthesize public art, urban design, and renewable energy has been a long time coming. The demand for energy continues to increase, CO2 levels continue to rise, oil reserves are dwindling, yet we can’t think of a better “solution” than to engineer ever more dangerous methods of extracting those same fuels that fired the cycle in the first place—never mind that remaining reserves are also finite. Attitudes to alternatives need to change now. As LAGI founders Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry point out, art can make renewable energy visible, desirable, and beautiful. The ideas are there; technologies are rapidly developing (despite funding cuts and obstructionist legislation in Canada, the U.K., the U.S., and the E.U., which recently rebranded gas as “green” energy)—the possibilities just need to reach public consciousness, and what better way than through public art. Change public opinion, prove that “sustainable” does not mean a lower standard of living, and we can shake off defeatist cynicism about an uncertain future and overcome the stubborn resistance of a self-interested, short-sighted status quo. The need to replace antiquated infrastructure becomes an opportunity once people realize the potential return on investment in research and development.
The first step is cultural, and it requires the ability to think beyond the immediate present. LAGI found the perfect partner for this competition in the most unlikely of places, the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi may be rich in oil for the foreseeable future, but its leaders aren’t content to simply milk profits until the reserves run dry; instead, they are channeling a significant portion of their revenues into renewable and alternative energy initiatives. Masdar City, a ground-breaking project currently under construction, is transforming the idea of a sustainable city into reality, with fully integrated planning and design, energy, water, and waste management, public transportation systems, and supply chains www.masdarcity.ae that combine time-tested traditional practices (construction methods and materials, building orientation) with the newest technological advances—all powered by renewable resources.
Within this brave new world of future energy, renewable, clean power production becomes part of the urban, suburban, and rural fabric. LAGI’s competition invited artists, architects, engineers, and scientists to reimagine the very idea of a power plant, shifting its conceptual status from a distanced, hidden evil to a desirable part of the neighborhood. Teams could choose one of three sites, one near a wildlife sanctuary in Dubai and two in Abu Dhabi (the first near Masdar City and the other between Saadiyat Island and Ys Island), targeting their approaches to local climate, geography, and cultural practices. Public Art of the Sustainable City presents the best of the entries, from the winning Lunar Cubit (nine monumental glass and amorphous silicon pyramids that generate 3,500 MWh per year) to the otherworldly landscape of Solar Dunes (thin film photovoltaic membranes whose forms interact with shifting desert sands and produce an annual 5,000 MWh) and the surreal flower of Desert Blooms (solar-tracking balloons that provide a playground and garden in addition to 20,000 MWh of solar energy per year). Other projects generate power from wind, water, electrostatic energy in sandstorms, and various combinations. Many provide much-needed shade, others filter water, and some feature habitat restoration; several wind-power projects at the wildlife reserve have developed avian-friendly forms. Every project is a destination site to explore by day and night, complete with recreational and educational experiences for locals and visitors, intended to become a valued part of everyday life.
So what do the numbers mean? LAGI uses the benchmark that an average household consumes 10 MWh per year (the number is from the U.S Energy Information Administration). Third-place Solaris, the highest generating project at 70,000 MWh would power 7,000 homes per year. Its undulating solar “tent” would be the “largest installation of concentrated solar power technology in the world,” but the project description (like many others) neglects to specify the exact number of acres it requires. Based on the scale renderings, it is massive. Like many of the proposals, this is land art on a colossal scale; other approaches, many of them airborne, have a much smaller and more adaptable footprint. Even the largest projects, however, can be adapted. Composed of multiple, repeated elements, they can be up- and down-sized as necessary; some can even be arrayed vertically or horizontally.
Obviously public art isn’t going to power the world, and land itself is a finite resource. But we can choose how we want to use available land, from small, empty lots to vast tracts, and decide what kind of public art will fill precious sites. As for naysayers who argue that renewables can never generate enough capacity, at the end of May, Germany’s solar plants produced a record 22 gigawatts of electricity through the mid-day hours of a Friday and Saturday—equal to 20 nuclear power stations at full capacity—meeting 50 percent of the nation’s needs. LAGI’s Abu Dhabi competition introduced an exciting first generation of aesthetically adventurous possibilities, any one of which could become a reality (Lunar Cubit, for instance, would recoup construction costs in five years; LAGI is spearheading bids). The 2012 competition, now underway, addresses a completely different environment—New York City. Proposals for Freshkills Park are being accepted through July 1 http://landartgenerator.net/competition.html. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to rethink the goals of public art and reimagine how we might live.
—Twylene Moyer
Book Information:
Land Art Generator Initiative; Essays by Beth Carruthers and Michiel Van Raaij
Singapore: Page One Publishing, 2012
240 pages, numerous illustrations, paperback
available from www.pageonegroup.com/1/LAGI.html
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Subscribe To Jordan Peele's Candyman Just Took A Big Step Forward Updates
Jordan Peele's Candyman Just Took A Big Step Forward
By Adam Holmes
After spending years as a comedy talent, Jordan Peele made a big splash in the horror genre in early 2017 with Get Out, his debut as a film director. Peele's next directorial contribution to that realm, Us, arrives next March, but he also has his hands in some other spooky projects, including producing a new Candyman movie. Now word has come in that the next Candyman entry will be directed by Nia DaCosta.
Best known for writing and directing this year's Little Woods, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and received positive critical reception, Nia DaCosta has been hired to lead the charge on the new Candyman movie, per Deadline. She will be working off a script that was written by Jordan Peele and fellow producer Win Rosenfeld. The men are producing through their Monkeypaw Productions banner, in partnership with MGM.
It was also announced today that this new Candyman movie will be released on June 12, 2020. So far that's the only project to be placed on that release date, although it's preceded by Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5 and followed by a yet-to-be-revealed Pixar movie. You can be sure that the upcoming Candyman installment won't have that opening weekend to itself for long, so it will be interesting to see how the movie ultimately performs given the crowded cinematic landscape that time of year.
The final big piece of Candyman news that came out today was clarification on just how this new movie fits into the franchise. Although it was initially reported as being a remake/reboot, it's now being called a "spiritual sequel" to the 1992 movie, which was based off the short story "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker. The new Candyman movie will return to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.
While this description confirms the new Candyman movie will indeed be set in the same continuity as the original movie, it's unclear if that means Tony Todd will reprise the eponymous role or a new actor will be cast to terrorize the other characters. It also wasn't clarified if this movie will also take into account previous sequels Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and Candyman: Day of the Dead, or if it will take a Halloween-like approach and only consider the first Candyman canon.
As the original Candyman legend goes, the entity, who was the son of a former slave and brutally killed by a lynch mob, is summoned when a person repeats his name in front of a mirror five times. Upon appearing, as one would expect, he goes on a killing spree. Whether the first Candyman returns or a new person with his own horrific past is given that title, you can be sure that he'll leave a lot of bodies in his wake.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on how this new Candyman movie is coming along. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release schedule to find out what's arriving in theaters a little sooner.
Us Ending: What Happens and What it Means
The 10 Funniest Key And Peele Sketches, Ranked
Will Jordan Peele Leave Horror Anytime Soon? Here's What The Director Says
Tony Todd Made A Lot Of Money On Candyman Just Getting Stung By Bees
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Only making longer tenancies the law will help low income renters
12 December 2018 by John Bibby Homelessness
In the coming months, the government is due to report the results of its consultation on longer private tenancies. It will be our first chance to see whether the government will stick to its guns and change the law, so that all private renters get a longer tenancy and genuine security from no-fault ‘Section 21’ evictions.
In this post we’ll consider what will happen if the government loses its nerve by opting for a non-legislative, voluntary approach. If it does, low income tenants on housing benefit would lose out most. Although these renters arguably need protection the most, ‘no DSS’ discrimination means that almost 90% of landlords would be unlikely to give them a longer tenancy unless they’re required to by law.
The government’s longer tenancies consultation
A lot has happened since summer, so a quick recap on where the consultation stands is in order.
In July, the government sought views on a new three-year tenancy. During the tenancy renters would be protected from no-fault eviction but would be able to move out by giving notice.
It is not the permanent protection that renters need (and currently get in Scotland), but it would be a step in the right direction.
Crucially, though, government proposed three options for implementation:
Legal change – so that every renter would be guaranteed a longer tenancy as a legal minimum. This is how permanent tenancies are implemented in Scotland and what renters commonly get in Europe and parts of America
A new tax incentive – so that landlords would get a cash bung for voluntarily opting to give their tenants a longer tenancy. We can’t find any international precedent for this
Promoting voluntary take-up – the weakest option, leaving both the law and financial incentives untouched. Basically, continues existing approach
Low income renters would miss out more under a voluntary system
With no international examples of tax incentives and previous attempts at promotion having failed miserably, it’s unlikely that a voluntary approach to implementation would lead to a significant increase in the use of longer tenancies. But even if it succeeded on its own terms, English private renting sector would get stratified into an unfair, two-tier system.
This is because any kind of voluntary implementation is only ever going to be partial. For example, 46% of landlords say they would be likely to offer a longer tenancy if they got a tax break. Even if all those did, the other 54% would still be left operating on current six or 12 month tenancies.
The market would be split in two, with almost half blessed and on a longer tenancy, and the rest still struggling with an insecure, short contract.
This would be unfair on its own. But our new analysis shows that it would also be regressive.
Existing discrimination against low income renters, particularly those on housing benefit, would mean they would be much more likely be the ones missing out on a longer tenancy. This includes a huge number who are in work on low pay. 44% of working age private renters on housing benefit are already in work.[I]
Survey data from YouGov shows that only 13% of landlords both like the idea of longer tenancies and don’t discriminate against people on housing benefit. An overwhelming 87% have attitudes suggesting a tenant on housing benefit would struggle to get a longer tenancy from them.
With at least 22% of private renters receiving housing benefit, there’s a clear mismatch with the number of favourable landlords.
Table: detailed breakdown of intersecting landlord preferences
Source: Views on longer tenancies and HB are from YouGov survey of 1137 UK private landlords (results based on 993 letting homes in England or Wales), online, 18+, July-August 2017
We’ve only considered the overlap between those landlords who (A) like longer tenancies and (B) don’t discriminate against tenants on housing benefit. We don’t know about attitudes to the combination of the two, i.e. how many would give a longer tenancy to someone on housing benefit. Some might be willing to do one or the other, but not both.
There is only one way to avoid such a regressive, two-tier system. It’s by changing the law to give private renters a longer tenancy as a minimum.
Such a change would create a new, higher, level playing field for all landlords as well as renters. It’s a standard of private rented housing that people in most of our neighbouring countries already enjoy, including those living on low incomes. Their experience shows us that it’s perfectly achievable.
In the coming weeks, the government has the opportunity to move towards introducing longer tenancies through a legal change and improve life for millions of low income renters. They must take it.
[i] DWP, Stat-Xplore; 44.3% of private renters on housing benefit under 65 were employed as of August 2018
About John Bibby
John is a policy manager at Shelter
Revealed – the true scale of affordable housing lost to permitted development rights
A united front to ending the LHA rate freeze
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How One of Our Marching Bands Raised Money for the Rose Bowl Parade [Free Case Study]
by ShopWithScrip on 3/15/16 1:30 PM
Contrary to popular belief, high school marching bands perform more than just at Friday night football games. From community events to state-wide competitions, a lot of marching bands aspire to perform on big stages. One of our organizations, the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park Marching Band (PCMB) achieved just that by being selected to march in the 2016 Tournament of Roses Parade. But to participate, they would need to raise $500,000 to fund the costs of the trip.
In addition to using scrip to help cover their normal participation fees, the PCMB successfully raised the money they needed to make the trip to Pasadena, California. Download our free case study to get the details on how they made it to this once-in-a-lifetime event.
In this case study, you’ll get:
PCMB’s strategy for raising their funds
Testimonials from participants
Information about GLSC’s history of successfully helping organizations raise funds
Want to read more? Download the free case study to be inspired by one high school marching band's journey.
Written by ShopWithScrip
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By ShopWithScrip - November 11, 2015
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The Ed Sullivan Theater at Broadway and West 53rd Street is most famous for the Beatles’ first appearance on American television on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. Garnering 73 million viewers (over 40% of the entire American population), it broke television records and changed music forever[1]. Built in 1927 by Oscar Hammerstein’s son Arthur, the theater housed musicals and a nightclub before being bought out by CBS, which started broadcasting there in 1936. From 1948 to 1971, Ed Sullivan hosted a variety show there that featured and manufactured the biggest stars of the day, including Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Supremes. After Sullivan’s program ended, the theater hosted a number of game shows and sitcoms before being used as the set for The Late Show with David Letterman and finally The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Originally known as “Hammerstein’s Theatre,” the venue first opened its doors on November 30, 1927. It was built by producer and playwright Arthur Hammerstein, who named it for his father, opera impresario Oscar Hammerstein I (not to be confused with his grandson, Oscar Hammerstein II, of songwriting partnership Rodgers and Hammerstein).[2] It was designed by theater architect Herbert J. Krapp, who also designed the thirteen-story office building above. The theater had a gothic design almost resembling a Catholic church, with scenes from Hammerstein’s operas featured on stained glass windows.[3] It was first used for Broadway productions. Its opening show was poorly reviewed musical “Golden Dawn” featuring Cary Grant.[4] Arthur Hammerstein ended up selling the theater to make ends meet during the Great Depression in 1931, and it subsequently became a nightclub.
CBS leased the property in 1936, turning it into a radio studio, “CBS Radio Playhouse #1.” Architect William Lescaze changed much of the interior, covering the walls with white paneling.[5] It would soon become “CBS Studio No. 50,” and would be used for television production for a few years before becoming the main home of The Ed Sullivan Show in 1948.[6]
Ed Sullivan in 1955. Visitors to the theater can almost feel his presence as they pass by this large portrait in the lobby.
Ed Sullivan’s variety program became the show to be featured on as a musician trying to make it in the United States. Elvis Presley’s 1956 appearance made him a national star, and the Beatles’ first American television appearance on the show in 1964 during their first visit to the United States unleashed chaos over New York and the rest of the country. So many people tuned into the Beatles’ February 9 appearance that, to this day, a popular wives’ tale persists that the national crime rate dropped significantly during their performance because just about everyone was inside watching television.[7] Nonetheless, the show’s musical director Ray Block told The New York Times, “I give them a year.”[8]
Sullivan with the Beatles during their first appearance on his show in 1964.
Sullivan is also famous for the number of artists he clashed with over censorship. Rock and roll was still considered relatively provocative in the 1950s and 1960s, and Sullivan wanted to make sure that he was running a respectable family program in order to maintain both his ratings and his reputation. In 1955, cameras showed Elvis Presley from the waist up so viewers could not see him swiveling his hips.[9] In 1958, Sullivan attempted to sabotage Buddy Holly’s performance in a number of ways following a clash with the artist over his scheduled performance of “Oh, Boy!,” which Sullivan decided was too raunchy of a song to air on his show. After a few choice words from Holly, Sullivan cut their set short, intentionally mispronounced Holly’s last name, and turned the volume down on his guitar.[10] Bob Dylan walked off of the set in 1963 after Sullivan told him that he could not perform “Talkin’ Bout John Birch Paranoid Blues” because of its political message.[11] Right before they went on air in 1967, the Rolling Stones were advised that they would have to change the lyrics of their recent hit “Let’s Spend the Night Together” to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together.” During the performance, Mick Jagger can be seen rolling his eyes every time he sings the line.[12] In 1969, Sullivan told the Doors that they would have to omit the word “higher” from “Light My Fire.” They sang the word in the live performance anyway, and were subsequently banned from the show.[13]
After Sullivan’s program came to an end in 1971, the theater was used for the set of a number of gameshows and sitcoms, and CBS ultimately sold it in the 1980s. They bought it back in 1993, however, when David Letterman switched networks from NBC to CBS, and began filming The Late Show in the theater. It was renovated again by James Stewart Polshek and Associates. The stained glass windows put in by Hammerstein were removed for storage, and the walls were covered in acoustic paneling.[14] When Letterman retired in 2015, Stephen Colbert took over the show and the studio space. It was renovated by Design Republic, who removed much of the paneling and restored it to its cathedral-like appearance. Its stained glass windows now feature depictions of Colbert.[15]
Colbert’s renovated interior in 2015.
Generally, the only way a visitor would be able to get into the Ed Sullivan Theater in 2017 would be to get tickets to a taping of The Late Show. However, a handful of lucky Beatles fans (the author included) had the opportunity to attend a panel hosted by CBS at the theater on the evening of February 9, 2014—the fiftieth anniversary of the Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. CBS also taped a two-and-a-half hour program, The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles, featuring footage Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr being interviewed by Letterman inside the Sullivan Theater a few weeks prior to the show’s airing.[16] McCartney also performed an impromptu concert on top of the theater’s marquee in July 2009 after being interviewed by Letterman.[17]
The theater has served as a microcosm of American culture for the better part of a century. On its stage have appeared the most popular entertainers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, through performances in Broadway musicals and on televised variety shows, as well as interviews with some of the most watched talk show hosts in the country. Some of the most-loved figures in pop culture, including the most commercially successful band of all time, owe their success in the United States to their appearances on the television show hosted by the theater’s namesake, Ed Sullivan.
[1] “The Beatles.” The Ed Sullivan Show, Accessed October 3, 2017. http://www.edsullivan.com/artists/the-beatles/.
[2] “Ed Sullivan Theatre.” IBDB: The Internet Broadway Database, Accessed October 3, 2017. https://www.ibdb.com/theatre/ed-sullivan-theatre-1182#.
[3] Gray, Christopher. “If The Soundproofed Walls Could Talk.” The New York Times, December 24, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/realestate/27scapes.html.
[6] “Ed Sullivan Theatre,” Op. Cit.
[7] Rouner, Jef. “10 Beatles Urban Legends: True Or False?” Houston Press, February 9, 2011. http://www.houstonpress.com/music/10-beatles-urban-legends-true-or-false-6502857.
[8] Marks, Peter. “Recalling Screams Heard Round the World.” The New York Times, Feburary 6, 1994. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/06/nyregion/recalling-screams-heard-round-the-world.html?pagewanted=all.
[9] Gibson, Christine. “Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show: The Real Story. Elvis Presley Photos, Accessed October 3, 2017. https://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956-september-9-ed-sullivan-show.html.
[10] Hutchinson, Lydia. “Buddy Holly’s Final Ed Sullivan Appearance.” Performing Songwriter, January 26, 2011. http://performingsongwriter.com/buddy-holly-ed-sullivan/.
[11] Swanson, Dave. “Why the Rolling Stones Were Forced to ‘Spend Some Time’ with Ed Sullivan. Ultimate Classic Rock, January 15, 2016. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rolling-stones-ed-sullivan-spend-some-time/.
[12] The Ed Sullivan Show. “The Rolling Stones on the Ed Sullivan Show – DVD Sets.” YouTube, September 2, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7JEGcWGbKE.
[13] Swanson, Op. Cit.
[14] Gray, Op. Cit.
[15] Gonzalez, Sandra. “How Stephen Colbert’s beautiful ‘Late Show’ studio came to be.” Mashable, October 8, 2015. http://mashable.com/2015/10/08/stephen-colbert-late-show-studio-renovation/#EFYxX7w_yGqc.
[16] Moraski, Lauren. “The Beatles honored star-studded symposium.” CBS News, February 10, 2014. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-beatles-celebrated-50-years-later-with-star-studded-symposium/.
[17] Cobas, Carlos. “Paul McCartney on David Letterman Show Interview & Rooftop Performance.” YouTube, December 21, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t23dvnpiLYs.
by Margaret M Cucci
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Opinion | Open | Open Peer Review | Published: 24 July 2017
Ethics review in compassionate use
Jan Borysowski1,
Hans-Jörg Ehni2 &
Andrzej Górski1,3
BMC Medicinevolume 15, Article number: 136 (2017) | Download Citation
Compassionate use is the use of unapproved drugs outside of clinical trials. So far, compassionate use regulations have been introduced in the US, Canada, many European countries, Australia and Brazil, and treatment on a compassionate use basis may be performed in Japan and China. However, there are important differences between relevant regulations in individual countries, particularly that approval by a research ethics committee (institutional review board) is a requirement for compassionate use in some countries (e.g. the US, Spain, and Italy), but not in others (e.g. Canada, the UK, France, and Germany).
The main objective of this article is to present aspects of compassionate use that are important for the discussion of the role of research ethics committees in the review of compassionate use. These aspects include the nature of compassionate use, potential risks to patients associated with the use of drugs with unproven safety and efficacy, informed consent, physicians’ qualifications, and patient selection criteria. Our analysis indicates that the arguments for mandatory review substantially outweigh the arguments to the contrary.
Approval by a research ethics committee should be obligatory for compassionate use. The principal argument against mandatory ethical review of compassionate use is that it is primarily a kind of treatment rather than biomedical research. Nonetheless, compassionate use is different from standard clinical care and should be subject to review by research ethics committees. First, in practice, compassionate use often involves significant research aspects. Second, it is based on unapproved drugs with unproven safety and efficacy. Obtaining informed consent from patients seeking access to unapproved drugs on a compassionate use basis may also be difficult. Other important problems include the qualifications of the physician who is to perform treatment, and patient selection criteria.
In principle, contemporary clinical practice is based on drugs that have been approved by a relevant regulatory agency for use in certain indications. Patients’ access to investigational (unapproved) therapeutics is limited to very few options, the major one being a clinical trial [1]. In recent years, increasing numbers of patients have sought access to investigational drugs on a compassionate use basis [2]. In the 1980s, the original idea underlying the development of compassionate use was to administer an investigational drug outside of a clinical trial for the direct therapeutic benefit of a patient [3]. At present, such treatment can be performed in patients with very serious, including life-threatening diseases, who cannot be satisfactorily treated with approved drugs [4,5,6]. Compassionate use regulations have already been introduced in the USA, Canada, most European Union countries (e.g. France, Italy, Spain, and Germany), Australia, and Brazil [7,8,9]. Treatment on a compassionate use basis can also be performed in Japan and China, although no specific regulations have yet been developed in these countries regarding patients’ access to unapproved therapeutics [8, 10]. There are substantial differences between the regulations adopted in individual countries. One of these pertains to the requirement for an investigational treatment to be granted approval by a research ethics committee (REC; or institutional review board, IRB, in the USA), which is mandatory in only a few countries [7].
Here we present aspects of compassionate use that are important in discussions of the role of RECs in the review of compassionate use. After detailed analysis, we found that the arguments for the involvement of a REC substantially outweigh arguments to the contrary. We conclude that REC approval should be a mandatory requirement for compassionate use.
Research ethics committees
Independent review is a generally accepted ethical and legal principle for biomedical research [11]. All major international ethical and legal guidelines contain this principle, including the Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association) [12], the Additional Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine Concerning Biomedical Research (Council of Europe) [13], the Guideline for Good Clinical Practice (International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use) [14], and the International Guidelines for Health-Related Research Involving Humans (Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences with the World Health Organization) [15].
Generally, a research project cannot begin without prior approval by a REC. The REC’s primary purpose is to protect research participants, their “dignity, rights, safety, and well-being” [13], by examining whether or not the research project complies with the ethical and legal principles that regulate biomedical research. Ethical review includes, among other tasks, reviewing protocols, verifying that the researchers are appropriately qualified, determining whether there is a favorable risk:benefit ratio, reviewing documents related to the informed consent process to check whether participants are adequately informed about different aspects of the research project, and checking to see if participants have been fairly selected. Ethical review must be connected to scientific review. Scientific validity is a necessary precondition for social value, and thus for the ethical legitimacy of a research project. Without it, research participants are needlessly exposed to the risks and burdens of research. Research results that are not scientifically valid might enter medical practice, leading to patient harm and/or a waste of resources.
While the role of RECs in the review of biomedical research is commonly accepted, it is not the case with compassionate use. Currently, only a few countries, including the USA, Spain, and Italy, require REC approval for compassionate use. REC review is mandatory also in Australia, but only for programs involving groups of patients; compassionate treatment of individual patients is exempt [7].
Should compassionate use be reviewed by research ethics committees?
To answer this question, we must discuss several key aspects of compassionate use, in particular the nature of compassionate use, the potential risks to patients associated with the use of drugs with unproven safety and efficacy, informed consent, physicians’ qualifications, and patient selection criteria.
Compassionate use: a unique combination of therapeutic and research aspects
The nature of compassionate use, as currently seen in practice, is complex. On the one hand, its primary purpose is to administer an investigational drug “to diagnose, monitor, or treat a patient’s disease or condition” [16], i.e., for the direct therapeutic benefit of a patient [17, 18]. The European Medicines Agency (EMA)’s Guideline on Compassionate Use of Medicinal Products, Pursuant to Article 83 of Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, developed by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), also states that compassionate use is performed primarily for therapeutic purposes [6]. Thus, by its very nature, compassionate use is a kind of treatment, and not biomedical research. Compassionate use is similar to a clinical trial in that it involves use of an investigational drug whose efficacy and safety have not yet been shown. However, while potential benefits to enrolled patients are also considered, the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a drug for the benefit of future patients. Both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the EMA stress that compassionate use should be clearly distinguished from clinical trials [5, 6]. In our opinion, the general consensus that compassionate use is primarily a kind of treatment rather than biomedical research underlies the only significant argument against a requirement for independent ethical review of compassionate use: that the main role of RECs is to protect the rights of biomedical research participants [11]. Therefore, by its nature, compassionate use does not fall within the scope of interest of these committees. The main arguments for and against a requirement for independent ethical review of compassionate use are presented in Table 1.
Table 1 Arguments for and against the independent ethical review of compassionate use
In many cases, despite not being a clinical trial, compassionate use involves (or at least should involve) some research aspects. For example, according to the Declaration of Helsinki, the most important biomedical research code [12], use of an unproven intervention in clinical practice “should subsequently be made the object of research, designed to evaluate its safety and efficacy. In all cases, new information must be recorded and, where appropriate, made publicly available” (Paragraph 37). The Declaration does not explicitly state that use of unproven intervention must be preceded by ethical review. However, the suggestion to include research aspects does seem to imply this, especially when one reads the Declaration as a whole (independent ethical review as a mandatory requirement for biomedical research involving humans is one of the most important questions discussed by the Declaration).
Walker et al. [7] recently expressed a similar view to that of the Declaration of Helsinki. They reasoned that compassionate use might be ethical, provided that it contributes to our knowledge of investigational drugs. However, they acknowledged significant shortcomings of compassionate use as a source of data on the efficacy and safety of investigational drugs. Indeed, the value of data collected during the conduct of compassionate use is limited, especially compared to that of randomized controlled trials, the contemporary gold standard of drug efficacy and safety studies [19]. Of the two major regulatory agencies, the FDA does not consider compassionate use to be a significant source of reliable safety and efficacy data; while adverse event reporting is required, this does not affect the FDA’s decisions on eventual drug approval [4, 20]. The EMA allows safety data to be collected during compassionate use programs, while at the same time stressing that compassionate use cannot replace clinical trials for investigational purposes [6].
Compassionate use may involve the treatment of individual patients (termed by the EMA as ‘compassionate use on a named patient basis’), in which the sole purpose is to obtain therapeutic benefit in a given patient, or programs involving groups of patients [5, 6], the nature of which is more complex. While compassionate use programs are generally intended to enable patients’ access to investigational drugs before formal approval, the EMA also allows them to be used to collect safety data [6]. Unlike the USA, most European countries do not require independent ethical review for compassionate use, thus in Europe even programs containing research aspects can be conducted de facto without REC approval. Furthermore, while the EMA guidelines explicitly allow the collection of safety data, in practice compassionate use programs are used to evaluate both the safety and the efficacy of unapproved drugs (for examples, see [21, 22]).
In recent years, compassionate use programs, including those involving large groups (often several hundreds, in some cases more than a thousand of patients), have increasingly been carried out to obtain data on the efficacy and safety of investigational drugs in “real-world” settings [23, 24]. This is possible because the inclusion and exclusion criteria used in compassionate use programs are generally less rigorous than those of randomized clinical trials [25, 26]. In our opinion, the fact that compassionate use often involves significant research aspects is the first key argument for mandatory ethical review. Such review should focus on protocols of compassionate use programs which should be subject to review by RECs similar to protocols of clinical trials. In cases where compassionate use involves no research aspects, (e.g. in the treatment of individual patients), obligatory ethical review is warranted for other reasons, to be discussed hereafter.
Compassionate use involves use of drugs with unproven safety and efficacy
Compassionate use programs involving large groups of patients are often carried out following the completion of Phase III clinical trials [5, 27]. However, in principle, an investigational drug may be used compassionately at any stage of its clinical development [28]. This raises questions about the safety and efficacy of investigational drugs. For example, recent analysis of 1442 investigational drugs being developed by 50 pharmaceutical firms [29] found that the overall probability of a drug in clinical testing eventually being approved was as low as 11.83%. Phase transition probability was estimated at 59.52% (Phase I–II), 35.52% (Phase II–III), 61.95% (Phase III–New Drug Application/Biologic License Application (NDA/BLA) submission, and 90.35% (NDA/BLA submission-NDA/BLA approval). Thus, even at later stages of clinical trials, or the regulatory review stage, the percentage of drugs that fail is considerable.
While the authors did not report the percentage of drug attrition in individual phases caused by safety or efficacy concerns, another study from this group showed that safety concerns (including toxicity) accounted for 20.5%, and lack of efficacy for 35.3% of failures [30]. Thus, combined safety and efficacy concerns may account for more than half of investigational drug attritions. Some authors suggest that the percentage of investigational drugs abandoned at different clinical trial stages because of safety concerns might be even higher [31]. Another study of 640 investigational drugs in late-stage clinical development revealed that 54% failed during or after pivotal clinical trials; most of these failed because of inadequate efficacy (57%) or safety concerns (17%) [32].
Data presented here show that any use of investigational drugs (even those from late-stage clinical trials or undergoing regulatory review) may be associated with significant safety and/or efficacy concerns. This is the second key argument for compassionate use to be subject to mandatory ethical review; an important role of a REC should be to evaluate whether the potential benefits of administering an investigational treatment of unproven safety and efficacy justifies exposing a patient to the risks associated with its use. In many cases such evaluation will be difficult; for example, whether it is ethical to treat a patient with a life-threatening disease with a drug that might not only be ineffective, but which might also deteriorate their condition. Ethical dilemmas associated with patients’ potential access to unapproved drugs are complex [33], and it is beyond the scope of this article to discuss these. Nonetheless, the moral and practical importance of these dilemmas seems to justify the involvement of RECs in the review of compassionate use.
Importance of informed consent in compassionate use
By definition, and as clearly specified in both FDA regulations and EMA guidelines [5, 6], compassionate use is for patients with very serious, including potentially life-threatening diseases, who cannot be satisfactorily treated with approved drugs. Data on the efficacy and safety of drugs at early stages of development are limited, and patients may have no access to important data, nor the knowledge necessary to evaluate them [34]. Therefore, patients who wish to be treated with an unapproved drug may overestimate its potential benefits and have a poor understanding of the possible risks. Information about the nature and likelihood of potential ill effects is an essential condition for the adequate comprehension of risk [35]. Therefore, as pointed out by other authors [27, 34] such patients are particularly vulnerable.
In the context of compassionate use, two specific situations can arise in which a patient’s vulnerability might be associated with potential abuse. The first is in cases where a treating physician is also a researcher. While involving patients in biomedical research is ethically permissible (see for example the Declaration of Helsinki, paragraph 14 [12]), there may be a conflict of interest when research involving a patient takes precedence over the clinical care of this patient [36]. Since compassionate use often combines therapeutic and research aspects, a conflict of interest might arise, for example, from a physician’s desire to “pioneer” the use of a novel intervention without paying sufficient attention to the patient’s medical needs [7].
The second situation that harbors potential for abuse is associated with the commercial sales interests of drug manufacturers. The possibility exists that these manufacturers might use compassionate use programs to distribute investigational drugs, thus generating increased demand for the drug following its eventual formal approval. Compassionate use programs may also provide patients with continued access to a drug that is eventually not approved. Positive results obtained in compassionate use programs can also generate unwarranted beliefs regarding the efficacy and safety of investigational drugs, and in some cases this might be used to try to fast-track the drug’s formal approval [7]. There is a risk, therefore, that the commercial interests of drug manufacturers might influence decisions on which drugs, and which patients, are included in compassionate use programs.
In some countries, drugs for compassionate use must be dispensed free of charge [17]. Consequently, it may be problematic when the free supply of a drug ceases following its introduction into the national market and/or the national reimbursement list. This situation, together with a very advanced stage of clinical development, might result in a drug’s accelerated, “forced” admission to the hospital formulary, not only for the concerned patient, but also for others with the same disease.
A properly prepared informed consent form is a basic safeguard to prevent potential abuse, and to ensure that a treatment is compassionately used primarily for the patient’s benefit. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the specific information that should be included on this form, but it should contain adequate information about the potential benefits and risks associated with the use of drugs with unproven safety and efficacy. While it is commonly accepted that informed consent should be required for compassionate use [4, 17, 27], independent review would ensure that informed consent forms really fulfill their purpose [4]. In practice, RECs have extensive experience of reviewing informed consent forms, and although they are principally involved in the evaluation of those used in biomedical research, the overall objective of the consent form in compassionate use is the same: to present a patient with all the risk/benefit information they need to make a truly informed choice about participation in a program. Therefore, consent forms to be used in compassionate use, especially in programs involving research aspects, should be reviewed by RECs. Where compassionate use does not involve research (e.g. in the treatment of individual patients) an alternative solution could be to codify consent form standards. Physicians wanting to administer a drug on a compassionate use basis could then be held to those standards.
Physician’s qualifications
Previous reviews have not discussed the importance of the qualifications held by a physician who gives compassionate treatment. These qualifications should be particularly high, for several reasons. First, patients who wish to be treated with investigational drugs on a compassionate use basis have very serious medical conditions. Second, any use of drugs with unproven safety and efficacy is associated with a high risk of side effects or other complications. Furthermore, when considering a patient for compassionate use, the physician should take into account not only medical aspects, but also the complex ethical dilemmas inherently connected with the use of unapproved drugs. Therefore, the physician should possess not only high professional qualifications, but also have some background of ethical training, or at least have an awareness of the ethical aspects of compassionate use. In this regard, note that the Declaration of Helsinki states that, “medical research involving human subjects must be conducted only by individuals with the appropriate ethics and scientific education, training and qualifications” (General Principles section, paragraph 12 [12]). The Good Clinical Practice standards [14] also state that the qualifications of the principal investigator should be evaluated during the independent ethical review of a clinical trial proposal (Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethical Committee section, paragraphs 3.1.2 and 3.1.3).
For these reasons, in our view, RECs should evaluate the qualifications of physicians giving compassionate treatments as part of their review of compassionate use requests, as is the case with clinical trials. Physicians’ qualifications might also be evaluated by an administrative body within hospitals, similar to the approval of physicians for privileges to perform certain procedures.
Fair patients selection is essential for ethical compassionate use
Since it involves the use of investigational drugs, compassionate treatment is not considered standard clinical care. Consequently, problems of inequity may arise in terms of patients’ access to compassionate use programs. First, manufacturers have no legal obligation to expand access to investigational drugs outside clinical trials [37]. Second, not all patients have equal access to information about these drugs [34]. Rules regulating the use of unapproved drugs may also include strict medical indications that, in some cases, might be ambiguous [7]. Furthermore, patients’ access to compassionate use programs is, to some extent, dependent on economic and social factors, including the ability to exploit social media [2]. Fair patient selection is therefore an important ethical challenge in compassionate use [28]. Access to unapproved drugs should depend only on medical criteria (most often that a patient with a serious or life-threatening disease cannot be satisfactorily treated with any approved drug). Ensuring fair selection of patients is another important role for RECs, who can draw on their extensive experience of evaluating fair clinical trial enrollment [36]. These experiences would be particularly relevant to compassionate use programs involving research.
Independent ethical review of compassionate use: practical aspects
Lengthy review processes might cause reluctance to obtain REC approval in compassionate use cases [27]. This problem has been recognized by the FDA, which requires IRB approval for all kinds of compassionate use, but admits that in some cases this requirement could deter access of patients to unapproved drugs [20]. Discussing how the Independent Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Bologna deals with compassionate use requests, Montanaro et al. [38] recently suggested that such requests might undergo a fast-track review process to avoid delays. While this committee reviews clinical trial proposals during monthly plenary meetings, a specific working group is responsible for making decisions to authorize compassionate use requests, usually within 72 hours. Favorable opinions of the group may be executed immediately.
A similar solution could be adopted by other RECs to avoid considerable delays in the conduct of compassionate treatment. Regretfully, to the best of our knowledge, this is the only report on how RECs deal with compassionate use requests. Importantly, in emergency situations when any delay can harm a patient (see, for example, [39]), treatment with an unapproved drug could be initiated quickly, without ethical review, with the REC being notified later. This is allowed, for example, by the FDA regulations [20].
Currently, in those countries that require it, independent ethical review of compassionate use is performed by RECs, which so far have been largely involved in the review of biomedical research [5, 27]. Darrow et al. [34] suggest that, in future, multicenter committees could be established to review only compassionate use requests. This might ensure more effective ethical oversight of compassionate use. Another promising option is to establish committees like the recently reported Compassionate Use Advisory Committee (COMPAC). This independent committee, established at New York University Langone Medical Center at the request of a major pharmaceutical company that offers compassionate use programs, comprises members including physicians, bioethicists, patients, and patient advocates. COMPAC (and possibly other similar committees in future) may also contribute to setting high ethical standards of compassionate use by ensuring fair patient selection [28].
The principal argument against a requirement for the independent ethical review of compassionate use is that it is, in theory, primarily a kind of treatment rather than biomedical research. However, this assumption fails to take into account that, in practice, compassionate use may also involve significant research aspects, especially in programs involving groups of patients. This is the first key argument for the mandatory ethical review of compassionate use.
The second key argument is that compassionate treatment is based on drugs with unproven safety and efficacy, which require a careful evaluation of the risk:benefit ratio. This makes obtaining informed patient consent particularly difficult.
Thus, despite the fact that compassionate use is not equivalent to biomedical research, patients who are to be treated with unapproved drugs on a compassionate use basis are in much greater need of specific protection than those in standard clinical care. RECs should be involved in safeguarding this protection. The independent ethical review of compassionate use should consider protocols (in cases of programs involving groups of patients), available drug safety and efficacy evidence, informed consent forms, medical justifications for using an unapproved drug, and the administering physician’s qualifications.
BLA:
biologic license application
CFR:
CHMP:
Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use
COMPAC:
Compassionate Use Advisory Committee
EMA:
European Medicines Agency
FDA:
Federal Drug Administration
IEC:
independent ethical committee
IND:
investigational new drug
IRB:
NDA:
new drug application
REC:
research ethics committee
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Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, World Health Organization. International Ethical Guidelines for Health-related Research Involving Humans. 2016. https://cioms.ch/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/WEB-CIOMS-EthicalGuidelines.pdf. Accessed 04 July 2017.
Grady C. Institutional review boards: purpose and challenges. Chest. 2015;148:1148–55.
US Food and Drug Administration. CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. 2016. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=312&showFR=1&subpartNode=21:5.0.1.1.3.9, Accessed 04 July 2017.
Whitfield K, Huemer KH, Winter D, Thirstrup S, Libersa C, Barraud B, et al. Compassionate use of interventions: results of a European Clinical Research Infrastructures Network (ECRIN) survey of ten European countries. Trials. 2010;12:11–104.
Iudicello A, Alberghini L, Benini G, Mosconi P. Expanded Access Programme: looking for a common definition. Trials. 2016;17:21.
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US Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration. Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Expanded access to investigational drugs for treatment use – questions and answers. Guidance for industry. 2016. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM351261.pdf. Accessed 04 July 2017.
Hézode C, Lebray P, De Ledinghen V, Zoulim F, Di Martino V, Boyer N, et al. Daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir, with or without ribavirin, for hepatitis C virus genotype 3 in a French early access programme. Liver Int. 2017; doi; 10.1111/liv.13383.
Bonella F, Kreuter M, Hagmeyer L, Neurohr C, Keller C, Kohlhaeufl MJ, et al. Insights from the German Compassionate Use Program of nintedanib for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Respiration. 2016;92:98–106.
Al-Ali HK, Griesshammer M, le Coutre P, Waller CF, Liberati AM, Schafhausen P, et al. Safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib in an open-label, multicenter, single-arm phase 3b expanded-access study in patients with myelofibrosis: a snapshot of 1144 patients in the JUMP trial. Haematologica. 2016;101:1065–73.
Fogarasi A, De Waele L, Bartalini G, Jozwiak S, Laforgia N, Verhelst H, et al. EFFECTS: an expanded access program of everolimus for patients with subependymal giant cell astrocytoma associated with tuberous sclerosis complex. BMC Neurol. 2016;16:126.
De Vita F, Ventriglia J, Febbraro A, Laterza MM, Fabozzi A, Savastano B, et al. NAB-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC): from clinical trials to clinical practice. BMC Cancer. 2016;16:709.
Welzel TM, Petersen J, Herzer K, Ferenci P, Gschwantler M, Wedemeyer H, et al. Daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir, with or without ribavirin, achieved high sustained virological response rates in patients with HCV infection and advanced liver disease in a real-world cohort. Gut. 2016;65:1861–70.
Lewis JR, Lipworth W, Kerridge I, Doran E. Dilemmas in the compassionate supply of investigational cancer drugs. Intern Med J. 2014;44:841–5.
Caplan AL, Bateman-House A, Waldstreicher J. Compassionate use: a modest proposal. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2016;35:e2–4.
DiMasi JA, Grabowski HG, Hansen RW. Innovation in the pharmaceutical industry: new estimates of R&D costs. J Health Econ. 2016;47:20–33.
DiMasi JA. Risks in new drug development: approval success rates for investigational drugs. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2001;69:297–307.
Jacobson PD, Parmet WE. A new era of unapproved drugs: the case of Abigail Alliance v Von Eschenbach. JAMA. 2007;297:205–8.
Hwang TJ, Carpenter D, Lauffenburger JC, Wang B, Franklin JM, Kesselheim AS. Failure of investigational drugs in late-stage clinical development and publication of trial results. JAMA Intern Med. 2016;176:1826–33.
Schüklenk U, Lowry C. Terminal illness and access to phase 1 experimental agents, surgeries and devices: reviewing the ethical arguments. Br Med Bull. 2009;89:7–22.
Darrow JJ, Sarpatwari A, Avorn J, Kesselheim AS. Practical, legal, and ethical issues in expanded access to investigational drugs. N Engl J Med. 2015;372:279–86.
Weinstein ND. What does it mean to understand a risk? Evaluating risk comprehension. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 1999;25:15–20.
Wendler D, Johnson R. When clinical care is like research: the need for review and consent. Theor Med Bioeth. 2016;37:193–209.
Jacob JA. Questions of safety and fairness raised as right-to-try movement gains steam. JAMA. 2015;314:758–60.
Montanaro N, Melis M, Proni S, Chiabrando G, Motola D. Six-year activity on approval of compassionate use of medicines by the Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Bologna (Italy): time to update rules and recommendations. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;73:479–85.
Buhles WC. Compassionate use: a story of ethics and science in the development of a new drug. Perspect Biol Med. 2011;54:304–15.
This work was supported in part by intramural funds from the Medical University of Warsaw (1MG/N/2017).
Department of Clinical Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, Nowogrodzka Str. 59, 02-006, Warsaw, Poland
Jan Borysowski
& Andrzej Górski
Institute of Ethics and History of Medicine, Eberhard Karls Universität, Gartenstr. 47, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
Hans-Jörg Ehni
Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Weigla Str. 12, 53-114, Wrocław, Poland
Andrzej Górski
Search for Jan Borysowski in:
Search for Hans-Jörg Ehni in:
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JB conceived and initiated the project, and wrote the draft of the manuscript. HJE wrote a section on research ethics committees. HJE and AG contributed to the development of ideas and writing the final version of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Correspondence to Jan Borysowski.
Compassionate use
BMC Medicine Comments 2017
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TOBACCO: Jury Orders Five Firms to Pay Record $144.8B
A Miami jury Friday ordered five major U.S. tobacco companies to pay $144.8 billion in punitive damages to half a million sick Florida smokers, the largest damage award in American history, the New York Times reports. After two years of testimony from both sides and a five-hour debate, the six-member jury ordered Philip Morris to pay $73.96 billion, followed by R.J. Reynolds at $36.28 billion, Brown & Williamson at $17.59 billion, Lorillard Tobacco at $16.25 billion and Liggett Group, Inc. at $790 million. These damages are in addition to the $246 billion the tobacco industry agreed in 1998 to pay the states over the next 25 years (Bragg, 7/15). Experts said the jury's decision may kick off a wave of similar suits in other states. "For the moment, this is the realization of the industry's 50-year nightmare," Stanford University law professor Robert Rabin said, adding, "And that nightmare was that when the dam burst it would burst catastrophically" (Meier, New York Times , 7/15). Labeling their verdict a "strong message" to the tobacco industry, jury members said they punished the companies for their 50-year deceit about the destructiveness of cigarettes and called the defense attorneys "unconvincing and insulting" in their attempts to offer alternate causes for plaintiffs' illnesses or to provide evidence that the industry could not afford the heavy verdict (Driscoll, Miami Herald/Washington Post , 7/16). "For a period of 50 years, these tobacco companies denied the dangers of their product," Leighton Finegan, foreman of the jury, said. He added, "They belittled or denied causation of the health effects of smoking and addiction, and had the gall to challenge public health authorities. ... We had a sense of mission. And we did not want to ignore the tremendous devastation that the product has caused. The number had to match that" (Bragg/Kershaw, New York Times , 7/16). Last year, the same Miami jury determined that the tobacco industry knew for decades that cigarettes were harmful and addictive and found the companies guilty of fraud and conspiracy to conceal the truth (Kennedy, New York Daily News , 7/15). In April, the jury ordered the companies to pay $12.7 million in compensatory damages to the three sick smokers representing the class of plaintiffs ( AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch , 7/15).
Next Steps and Qualifications
Although the jurors were supposed to base their judgements for this trial only on the tobacco companies' financial resources and current ability to pay, the judge permitted them to consider the industry's "anticipated income," an instruction that likely encouraged the jury to issue a large verdict (Weaver, Miami Herald , 7/15). A state law passed last year could limit tobacco industry damages to $100 million per company, but because the suit was filed prior to the legislation's enactment, it may not pertain in this case. Judge Robert Kaye, who presides over the case, may decide that question as soon as today and also has the ability to reduce the damage awards. Additionally, Florida law prohibits damage awards that would force a company into bankruptcy, but it is still unclear whether Friday's verdict would have that impact on the five affected companies (Bragg, New York Times , 7/15). The final stage of the class action suit -- determining class qualifications -- will proceed unless the verdict is overturned on appeal. Florida legal experts consider it likely that the Circuit Court will hold hearings for all the class members after Kaye enters his final judgement on damages. As the court has previously defined the Florida class as "all Florida citizens and residents and their survivors, who have suffered, presently suffer or who have died from diseases and medical conditions caused by their addiction to cigarettes," as many as 500,000 people may be plaintiffs in the case (Zawada, Winston-Salem Journal , 7/16).
Big Tobacco Vows to Appeal
Calling the damage award "ridiculous" and asserting that the obligation to pay such amounts would easily bankrupt their companies, tobacco executives and their defense lawyers are preparing to appeal the jury's decision. "There is no industry in America, there's probably not a country in the world, that could withstand a verdict of this size," Philip Morris attorney Dan Webb said (Bragg, New York Times 7/15). He added, "Philip Morris is extremely confident that this case will be reversed on appeal. The errors committed by the court were extraordinary. The fact that the judge allowed a jury to award such enormous punitive damages to hundreds of thousands of unidentified and unknown smokers without hearing any evidence whatsoever about the validity of their claims has never happened in American history and it will undoubtedly never happen again." Webb and other tobacco attorneys have argued that the punitive judgement cannot be finalized until all members of the Florida class file and win individual suits for damages proving their injuries were cigarette-related, a process that could take an estimated 75 years ( Miami Herald , 7/15). Echoing the industry's concerns, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce called the decision "an obscene symptom of a court system that is out of control." But even if the tobacco companies never pay a dime in the case, as defense lawyers predict, the verdict is a "major setback" for an industry that has been hit with a substantial number of lawsuits in recent years, offering a "stinging rebuke" to companies' claims that they are "now responsible corporate citizens." Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) said of the ruling, "It's hard to feel sorry for the tobacco industry, which never felt sorry for its victims. If this holds, it will be a different industry" (Kaufman, Washington Post , 7/15).
In Praise of Tobacco's Punishment
Plaintiffs' attorneys hailed the decision, calling it an "appropriate punishment for an industry that makes a product that kills 430,000 Americans every year, and for misleading the public about the dangers even after medical research showed that smoking causes cancer" (Braggs, New York Times , 7/15). Stanley Rosenblatt, lead attorney for the plaintiffs' case, said of the trial, "It was a day of reckoning. This was never about the money. This was about showing these companies up for what they are" (New York Daily News , 7/15). Joining in with accolades were the American Lung Association and the American Heart Association. Calling the verdict "long overdue retribution for decades of pain, suffering and death inflicted on millions of Americans," the American Lung Association applauded the jury for discounting the "pleas of poverty and crocodile tears shed by the tobacco company CEOs" and the "slick PR attempt to portray the industry as a good corporate citizen" (ALA release, 7/14). The American Heart Association commended the jury for its "landmark punitive damage judgement and its message to the tobacco industry that its disregard and contempt for public health and human life does have an equally high price" (AHA release, 7/14).
States Raise Concerns
The tobacco companies are not the only parties concerned by the jury's decision. Tobacco-producing states could face an economic crisis should the companies be made to pay the awards, officials warned on Saturday. "From the thousands of employees at Philip Morris, to the farmers ... and to the ports, it could just be devastating," Senate candidate and former Virginia Gov. George Allen (R) said of the award's potential impact on Virginia's economy. Allen's opponent for the Senate seat, Sen. Charles Robb (D), agreed, saying, "I don't think it was an appropriate verdict. When it comes to the (national) tobacco settlement, I've always supported a cap on punitive damages so a jackpot plaintiff can't walk away with the keys to the company and put tobacco workers and farmers out of their jobs (Drummond, Washington Times , 7/16). Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy said he worries that the ruling could affect annual payments on the state's $4.6 billion share of the national settlement. "This is just another reason why we can't afford to gamble with money dedicated to health care and education on the future of the tobacco industry," he said ( AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch , 7/16).
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Prasoon Joshi
Industry veterans think Prasoon Joshi is the right fit to lead CBFC
Joshi replaces Pahlaj Nihalani
Ravi Balakrishnan
Updated: August 12, 2017, 09:08 IST
Prasoon Joshi, the ad man who gave us lines like ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ and Dettol Ho, is the new chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification. In addition to being the chairman of advertising agency McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific, Joshi is also a popular Hindi film lyricist and enjoyed a successful run as a writer on box office hits like ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Taare Zameen Par’ and ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’.
Reacting to his appointment, Joshi said: “Over the years, I have always extended my talent and experience to societal causes. Professionally, all through, McCann has been my first priority and continues to be so.”
He added: “The Certification Board is an honorary position and one hopes to make a positive difference with the guidance and support of respected minds. Great intent is the best beginning.”
A frequent collaborator with Joshi, director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said: “For Prasoon Joshi to accept this responsibility is not just a step but a huge leap in the right direction that will bring us at par with the world. He’s not just a profound lyricist but a thought leader.”
Adman turned filmmaker Rensil D’Silva, who worked with Joshi on ‘Rang De Basanti’, said, “I think he will be fabulous for the Indian film industry and for censorship norms in the country. He’s a very fair, unbiased man, with a good sense of the audience. He’s the best person to head a board that has lost its direction and to bring it back on track.”
One time mentor of Joshi, Piyush Pandey, executive chairman, South Asia, Ogilvy & Mather India, told ET: “He’s a good choice. I wish him the very best to bring in some sense and do a meaningful job, so that the movie industry and the audience benefit.”
Senthil Kumar, chief creative officer, JWT, believes it’s a strange hat for Joshi to wear, but adds, “I’m sure the industry will benefit since he’s been a great judge of work across advertising festivals. He is someone who will put the breaks only on work that’s insulting or should not be done. In all the fields he’s been in, he’s already at the top of the charts. I’m sure creative artists and filmmakers will benefit.”
A veteran of the Indian advertising industry and a published poet, Joshi has won many industry accolades in India and internationally. Most recently, his agency won a Grand Prix, the highest honour at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. He was also awarded Padma Shri in 2015.
Rang De Basanti
Pahlaj Nihalani
Central Board of Film Certification
Censor board
Media / 4 hours ago
Netflix suffers dramatic slowdown in Q2, rattles investors as competition heats up
Media / 1 day ago
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Video: Sky-high look at Lake Minnetonka's July 4 party
[vimeo 100004846 w="480" h="270"]
The Fourth of July is known to be one of the busiest weekends of the year on Lake Minnetonka, with hundreds of people flocking to the lake's Big Island.
This year's no-wake rules, which have been in place for weeks because of heavy rains, didn't keep people from anchoring again on the north shore of the island to celebrate America's independence.
A floating party
On July Fourth weekend, hundreds of boats jam together in a floating party resembling vehicles tailgating at a football game. This year, Red Bull was among the attendees with what it called a party barge, and used a GoPro attached to a quadcopter to film the party (watch the video above).
Big Island has long been a go-to destination for many boaters on Saturdays during the summer, but it becomes even more popular on the Fourth of July, even drawing Kim Kardashian to its festivities in 2011.
Big Island's Cruiser's Cove, which is one of the most popular lake destinations for partying in the summer, has been under scrutiny in recent years. The county has patrolled the lake since 1955 when 18 people died there. Since then, yearly drownings have stayed in the single digits and boating accidents have declined, the Star Tribune says.
There are also fewer boats on the lake on the weekends – fewer than 1,000 in 2009, down from about 1,400 in 1986, the Star Tribune says.
But there are still incidents on Big Island that make headlines. In 2003, boaters blocked emergency personnel from getting to a man who died there, the newspaper says.
Last year, three party goers suffered e-coli contamination after swimming near Big Island on the Fourth of July.
Big Island's history
The 273-acre island, located in the center of lower Lake Minnetonka, was discovered by settlers in 1852, and served as a Dakota Indian sugaring camp in the early 1880s, reports say.
The island has also been home to a pioneer homestead, a groggery, a legendary estate, an amusement park, a game farm, and a veteran’s rest camp, according to the Lake Minnetonka Patch.
In the early 1900s, part of the island became home to the Big Island Amusement Park, attracting thousands of visitors who were brought to the island by steam-powered ferryboats. The park was open from 1906 to 1911, but closed due to cost. It has been said that metal from the amusement park was used for the World War I effort, according to Lake Minnetonka Magazine.
Remnants of the dismantled amusement park can still be found on the island, including the grand entry portal stairway, the city of Orono says.
In 1923, part of the island became the Big Island Veterans Camp, which offered recreational opportunities to Minnesota's veterans. Veterans and their families used the camp until 2003, when the city of Orono and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District purchased the property to help preserve the land and opened the Big Island Nature Park.
In addition to the park, there are about 50 private residences on the island, which are only accessible by boat, the Patch says.
Tourism/HospitalityTourism/HospitalityNewsLake MinnetonkaLocal Newsnewsbusinessfourth of julylocal news
Locals want to crack down on litterbugs who are trashing Lake Minnetonka
Snowstorm closes Lake Superior ice caves to visitors
Ice out on Lake Minnetonka, as 'Paddle Tap' prepares to sail
Fire destroys 2 of 4 restaurants in tiny Dorset
More than 30 sick in outbreak linked to Lake Minnetonka party spot
Health officials updated the situation on Tuesday.
Ice not (yet) safe to view Lake Superior Sea Caves this year
Officials: Don't swim in Lake Minnetonka after sewage dump
Poncho party: Grand Old Day marches on despite rain
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Thousands protest in Hong Kong against sending suspects to China - Daily News Egypt
Politics Thousands protest in Hong Kong against sending suspects to China
Hong Kong's chief executive promises saving human rights
Daily News Egypt June 10, 2019 Comments Off on Thousands protest in Hong Kong against sending suspects to China
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday to protest against the proposed extradition law which would allow suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trial.
European media estimated the number of the demonstration’s protesters to be over one million people, making it the biggest march in over 20 years.
The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters who shouted, “protect Hong Kong” and chanted, “no China extradition, no evil law”. They also called for Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam to step down.
During Sunday’s demonstrations, violence erupted between riot police and protesters as three police officers and a journalist were injured.
Regardless, Hong Kong’s government stressed that the proposed law will pass on Wednesday.
In a press conference on Monday, Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam said that the law would in no way erode any of the special freedoms the territory enjoys. Referring to China, Lam said that “the bill wasn’t initiated by the central people’s government.”
She added that the law was proposed out of conscience and commitment to Hong Kong.
Lam noted that her government, “would not withdraw its proposal on amending the Extradition Law, as it is an effective way to prevent Hong Kong from being a haven for fugitives.”
But she also promised to exert more efforts to enhance the bill, which would go through a second reading at the legislative council on Wednesday.
Lam made a point to stress that her government will safeguard the human rights of the bill as they are legally binding and “would regularly report to the legislature implementation of the bill after it is passed.”
Air-to-air missile seized in Italy was sold 25 years ago: Qatar
Sudan’s military, opposition sign 1st part of power-sharing deal
Egypt, Finland agree on activating joint business council
https://cdn2.dailynewsegypt.com/2019/06/10/thousands-protest-in-hong-kong-against-sending-suspects-to-china/
Xi Jinping and the ‘Chinese Dream’
Moody’s China downgrade rattles Asian markets
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> Music, Stage & Screen
> Music
> Music: styles & genres
> Heavy Metal music
Heavy Duty : Days and Nights in Judas Priest EPUB
by K. K. Downing
'A must for fans and rock buffs' The Sun
'Fascinating read' Powerplay
Judas Priest formed in Birmingham in 1969. With its distinctive twin-guitar sound, studs-and-leather image, and international sales of over 50 million records, Judas Priest became the archetypal heavy metal band in the 1980s. Iconic tracks like 'Breaking the Law', 'Living after Midnight', and 'You've Got Another Thing Coming' helped the band achieve extraordinary success, but no one from the band has stepped out to tell their or the band's story until now.
As the band approaches its golden anniversary, fans will at last be able to delve backstage into the decades of shocking, hilarious, and haunting stories that surround the heavy metal institution. In Heavy Duty, guitarist K.K. Downing discusses the complex personality conflicts, the business screw-ups, the acrimonious relationship with fellow heavy metal band Iron Maiden, as well as how Judas Priest found itself at the epicentre of a storm of parental outrage that targeted heavy metal in the '80s. He also describes his role in cementing the band's trademark black leather and studs image that would not only become synonymous with the entire genre, but would also give singer Rob Halford a viable outlet by which to express his sexuality. Lastly, he recounts the life-changing moment when he looked at his bandmates on stage during a 2009 concert and thought, 'This is the last show'. Whatever the topic, whoever's involved, K.K. doesn't hold back.
From the band at the very beginning until his retirement in 2011 (and even still as a member of the band's board of directors), Downing has seen it all and is now finally at a place in his life where he can also let it all go. Even if you're a lifelong fan, if you think you know the full story of Judas Priest, well, you've got another thing coming.
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Category: Heavy Metal music
Also by K. K. Downing
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Posts Tagged ‘panic’
Bankers, Banksters, Bernanke, Black and Beethoven
How’s a fellow to make sense of it all? Who you gonna call? Who you gonna believe? What’s the world coming to? What’s it to ya? and Who’s in charge here?
I’ve been trying to figure out a few things about our financial system.
About a week ago I loaded Ben Bernanke’s book, Courage to Act, and have been reading what the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve has to say about those events of 2007-8 that brought this country to its money-grubbing knees.
Now about a quarter of the way through Bernanke’s explanation of things, I must say I like the guy. He has a personal mission to bring more transparency to that enigmatic institution known to us as the Federal Reserve. I think he really wants regular folks to understand our financial system and the function of the central bank which, having been founded by Congress in 1913, tries to keep a rein on the nation’s banking system so it doesn’t become a runaway horse.
Nevertheless, the System did morph into a kind of bucking bronco back in the fall of 2008. The crash and crisis of that time may have seemed quite sudden to many of us, but in fact the collapse of Wall Street et al during September-October of that year was the culmination of a bunch of misadventures and misdeeds that had begun a year or two or more before it all came crashing down.
I vividly remember, during that time seven years ago, sitting in my car in a parking lot, a few minutes before 8 am when I would enter my day-job, and hearing on the car-radio with dread or fascination about the demise of such formerly venerable institutions as Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, Bank of America, Wachovia, Countrywide, Golden West, AIG, Fannie, Freddie, even General Motors, and then about how Hank Paulson and Wall Street and the Fed, Bernanke and the President and Congress would deal with the degenerating situation by instituting TARP which was rejected by our Representatives and Senators before it was passed and implemented a week later after Hank and Larry and Tim put the fear of god in the legislators’ minds or whatever it was they told them to convince them that they should loan the distressed banks $767 billion so the whole dam bailiwick wouldn’t fall apart and drag us into another Depression, or so they said.
The world was changing. Have you ever watched the world changing? It is an awesome thing, to see history being made.
What a time a time oh what a time it was. . . a time of innocence (lost), a time of confidences (lost forever), as Paul Simon once sang. Oh what a time it was. Eventually the dust settled and the country lapsed back into normalcy or something like it but not really.
Things were different after that. You know what I’m talking about. . . the Great Recession, everybody and their brother deleveraging, budgets tightening, layoffs and downsizing, fading into perpetual “jobless recovery” with wage deflation, rising unemployment, then descending unemployment but with more part-timing and less money. . . stock-crunchers and media fixated on monthly numbers from the Fed, the gov, BLS, etc, a languid economy generating fewer jobs, then a few more jobs, then leveling out and stabilizing and lapsing into destagulation and blah blah blah. . .
And it was about that time, or actually a year of three later by n’ by, that the Occupy Wall Street crowd came along.
My wife and I visited our son in Seattle during fall or early winter of 2011. I woke up one morning and strolled down Pike Street. I stopped at the Westlake Center and entered a Starbucks where I settled in for a while. I was observing through the large glass storefront, the Occupiers who had gathered across the street in Westlake Park.
After a while I noticed among all those protesters, many of whom were carrying signs (mostly say hooray for our side) . .here comes an especially noticeable fellow with a sign. He was tall, scruffy, with a long beard. He looked like the classic cartoon image of the street-corner doomsday prophet, and his sign said:
“Jail for Banksters”
Well that’s interesting.
Now, yesterday, November 7 2015, I recalled having seen that fellow and his sign, and I was thinking about what his sign said.
I had been reading Uncle Ben’s very informative book–his plainly-written, quite “transparent” explanation of what had happened back in ’08, when the low quality of vast numbers of subprime mortgage loans catapulted those same home-loans into default, and subsequently cast a ubiquitous monkey wrench into the vastly complex financial machinery of sliced/diced tranches of mortgage-backed-securities and collateralized debt obligations and credit default swaps, etc etc and then wall street came crashing down and all the Fed’s horses and all the Treasury’s men couldn’t put humpty dumpty together again (not for a while anyway) and the world changed forever, or so it seemed at the time and for quite a long time after that, even until now.
Yesterday, I had made note of this sentence from Ben Bernanke’s book:
“As the chain from borrower to broker to originator to securitizer to investor grew longer , accountability for the quality of the underlying mortgages became more and more diffused.”
And I was wondering, if the accountability had become more and more diffused, then who was responsible for this mess?
My own personal answer to that question is: Human nature, collectively. Shit happens.
Not everyone sees it that way, though. Some folks feel the need to investigate, litigate, prosecute, execute, and. . . as the protester’s sign said, send the “banksters” to jail.
So here I was yesterday, having taken a break from reading Uncle Ben’s book, and I was fiddling around online when I landed upon an interview that Chris Martenson did with Bill Black.
http://www.peakprosperity.com/podcast/95125/bill-black-why-banksters-winning
Now Bill is well-informed fellow; he’s an academic like Ben Bernanke, but from a totally different perspective than Ben’s. Bill is a regulator, investigator, earth-shaker, litigator who is crowing that Eric Holder, former Attorney General and head of the U.S. Department of Justice, should have prosecuted the banksters for their corruptive abuse of the system. In his interview with Chris that I listened to yesterday, Bill Black said:
“Every dollar by which you inflate an asset inflates capital by a dollar and creates an additional dollar you can steal. . . they lied and they lied to the extent of trillions of dollars. They lied and made stuff that was really in the trade, right. So the bankers are actually calling these things toxic in their internal memorandum. And they are simultaneously rated Triple A, which is supposed to mean that they are equivalent to United States Treasury and are “risk free” by which they mean credit risk.”
Furthermore, whistle-blowing Bill Black says that culpability for the crash also includes the Fed’s complicity, when Bill says:
“You say Bank of America has got 50 billion of these things. They sell them to Fannie/Freddie.
Next thing we know, Black Rock is in there with the Federal Reserve helping the Federal Reserve decide which tranches of MBS to go out and buy. And the Federal Reserve vacuums up 1.25 trillion or thereabouts of these mortgage backed security pieces of paper. Here is the question. What is the chance that the Fed preferentially or accidentally (but I am going to think preferentially) went out and vacuumed up some of the worst of these things so that they could die quietly on its balance sheet rather than do damage to bank balance sheets?“
So Black is implying that Bernanke shares some of the blame for the Crash of ’08.
But in my reading of Uncle Ben’s version, I see a very smart man, an honest man, who was trying to do his job–that job to which he had been appointed by the President and approved by the Congress of the United States. He was striving, as best he could, trying to stop the nation’s calamitous slide into financial oblivion. Ben writes:
“Just as the bank runs of the panic of 1907 amplified losses suffered by a handful of stock speculators into a national credit crisis and recession, the panic in the short-term funding markets that began in August 2007 would ultimately transform a ‘correction’ in the sublime mortgage market into a much greater crisis in the global financial system and global economy.”
From Chairman Ben Bernanke’s perspective, he was doing his job– using every tool in his Reserve tool-chest to arrest to the “panic” that would eventually impose a “much greater crisis” in the global financial system and global economy.
You can’t blame a fellow for trying to do his job. And that’s how I make sense of it all. I try to do my job, while I see everyone else doing theirs, and that’s what makes the productive world go around.
Although, every now and then shit does happen. Then, as Schumpeter said. . . it is creative destruction, and somebody’s got to clean up the mess. Jobs for everybody, cleaning up the mess from places high and low. And then reconstructing it all, a vicious (or inevitable) cycle. It’s been going on for 10,000 years. But now with hi-tech, everything goes faster and faster, until it grinds again to a screeching halt and. . . can you hear it? The music of the ages.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEbyBINYBfo
Tags:banks, Beethoven, Ben Bernanke, Bill Black, blame, collateralized debt obligations, Courage to Act, Crash of '08, credit default swaps, culpability, Federal Reserve, finance, financial meltdown, mortgage-backed-securities, panic, responsible for this mess, the Fed, Wall Street
Posted in banking, books, economics, Federal Reserve, finance, financial metldown, history, music, optimism | Leave a Comment »
The Economist Illumination
I never really understood much about international finance and economics until this morning, when I read a special, long article in this week’s The Economist. In the printed edition, the text begins on page 49; it is entitled The slumps that shaped modern finance.
I’ve been subscribing to, and reading, that “newspaper” (as their editors call it, while we Americans think of it as a magazine) for several years. But I have always labored to figure out what the hell they are writing about. In surveying many past issues, I have contented myself merely to check out the obituary, which is always on the last page. Then I would thumb through in a backwards, right to left, fashion to glean a little from what’s going on in the literary and arts world.
Perhaps my years of reading The Economist with so little comprehension have prepared me, unbeknownst to my cognitive mind, for the light-bulb moment I had this morning while reading their concise, 6-page history of financial crises. Be that as it may, the light of understanding finally shone in my head when I read, on pages 51-52, their explanation of the Panic of 1857.
“I think I understand . . .” Joni Mitchell had sung long ago, “fear is like a wilder land.”
Long story short, when investors think they are going to lose a lot of money they are overtaken with Fear, so they go hog-wild. Maybe that means the bulls retreat while the bears gather, but the hogs go crazy destroying the place.
Or, as the ’60s radicals use to call them, the “pigs.”
But I wouldn’t call anybody a pig. Maybe . . . a walrus.
Anyway, here is what’s interesting about the Panic of 1857: America was at that time an “emerging nation” that had expanded its explorative and technological frontiers beyond its ability to keep all the accounts straight and well-balanced. Consequently, the Brit financiers panicked, and all the money people around the world followed suit, including us.
Today, the shoe is on the other foot. We Americans are like the well-established powerhouse that the Brits were in the 19th century, while today’s “emerging” powers, the so-called BRICs and a few others, are in a position similar position to where we were in 1857, or 1907, or 1937.
Maybe the other shoe is about to drop, maybe not.
If you want to know something about how this plays out historically, I recommend you check it out. If you want to read it online, here it is: http://www.economist.com/
Tags:crisis, economics, fear, finance, international finance, money, panic, Panic of 1857, slump, The Economist
King Nevuhhadnuttin’s dream
King Nevuhhadnuttin had a bad dream and he was trying to figure out the meaning of it but he couldn’t and so he called in the wise satraps and the council of advisers; then seemingly out of nowhere, but actually it was from the jailhouse, this wise woman Danielle steps forward and with mucho aplomb poses this mysterious enigma wrapped in a question:
“The other side? The other side of what?”
And King Nevuhnadnuttin exclaims: “That’s it! That’s exactly what I”m wondering, and what I’m frantically asking, in my dream just before I wake up.”
And Danielle calmly continues, “Precisely, O King, and allow me to describe your dream, for I have discerned it and I can interpret the meaning thereof.”
“Go for it!”says he. “Knock yourself out.”
Then saith Danielle: “We’re careening down a slippery road; the brakes are failing; further down the slope ahead of us in the frozen darkness is a precipice and we’re going to slide right off it into sheer unsupported air. Here’s one guy speaking urgently from the back seat pleading the driver to stop spending money because if we don’t we’ll slide right off the edge and plummet to insolvency and fiscal ruination that will lead to societal disintegration and national chaos.
“But over here in the passenger seat is another guy warning with controlled alarm in his voice that we’ve got to keep the money flowing and make it possible for most everyone to keep spending dollars and the only real danger is we have not yet thrown enough money at the problem and if we cut off the Fed supply the fall from the precipice will be very bad and our recovery will be long and protracted at best.
“So the driver–and I’m talking about not only you, O King, but your entire realm and every person in it (how’s that for high stakes pressure, huh?)–is worriedly weighing these two opposite warnings, and trying desperately to apply the brakes but finds it impossible while the passenger says just let the thing go because if we build up enough downhill momentum–not to worry–we’ll launch beyond the precipice fast enough and far enough to land on some terra firma which is surely on the other side.
“‘The other side? The other side of what?'”
“The other side of the balanced-budget misconception,” saith Danielle. “You see, according to the prevailing Keynesian wisdom, balanced budgets are an obsolete notion that no longer have any real meaning. They’re just relics from the past–holdovers from ages long gone, like the age of gold, when monetary value was tied to gold, and the age of silver when we were using silver certificates for currency, and the age of bronze when all our value was linked to industrial production, and the age of iron when times started to get hard, and now the age of iron mixed with clay when everything falls apart.”
“Falls apart?”
“O, not really, O King. I was just kidding. We’ll be okay. Have you thought about declaring a jubilee?”
“A jubilee. Free all the debtors from their debts, and let every person and family just take ownership of his/her/their domicile and vehicle.”
“Just kidding, O King, it would never work, too disruptive and unorthodox–definitely not a workable strategy.”
“Right, Danielle. That would be a…uh…can of virtual worms. Now who’s dreaming?”
“Me, I guess. I have a dream too.”
Carey Rowland, author of Glass half-Full
Tags:balanced budget, Deficit, panic
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Bradley Dinsmore
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Understanding Holder and Contempt of Congress
A quick explanation "what the heck is going on" with the recent "contempt of congress" and executive privilege issue in our congress, for those of you who are curious but not keen to pull together what you need to know from various sources.
The original material behind all of this is over something called 「Project Gunrunner」, started under BushJr and continued in the Obama administration, which was intended to deal with gun trafficking between the United States and Mexican drug gangs; the program intended to track the structure of the gun trafficking networks, otherwise resistant to tracking efforts so far, by selling marked guns and noticing where they ended up. The programme was not particularly effective, it was done with no cooperation or informing of the Mexican government (perhaps for good reasons given issues with corruption), and a number of the marked weapons ended up escaping the view of the programme, and some of them were used to kill people. It's been widely considered not to have been a very well-concieved programme; I take no position on that.
In the last year, this has become very public and has been widely criticised, and recently became an issue that Republicans in congress have used to attack the Obama administration. Darrel Issa (Republican, chairman of the powerful House Oversight Committee) has been investigating this, using the death of one government agent in a gunfight with mexican gangs armed with weapons from the project as a flag.
Eric Holder, responding early to congressional criticism, indicated that he had just heard of the programme a few weeks before, a claim that seems to be inaccurate given records of his being briefed on it not long after taking office; later clarifications claimed that his knowledge of the details of the operation were cursory.
Recently, after receiving significant-but-incomplete documentation from Eric holder, Issa has pressed for release of the remaining papers. Holder has refused to do so, claiming that they pertain to ongoing operations that would be compromised by such release; this may be true, or it may be that the remaining papers suggest deeper administration knowledge/approval of the operation, or possibly both. Remaining details also may be more politically sensitive (e.g. showing high Mexican official involvement in gun smuggling, but NOTE: this is pure speculation on my part). Backing up Holder's refusal to release the documents, Obama has invoked executive privilege on those materials, a (normally reserve) power of the executive to resist the other branches on certain things it wants to keep secret for matters of national security (and similar); it's not a wery well-defined power, and it only saw rare use until modern times (Clinton and BushJr both used it on a number of occasions).
In response, a panel in the Republican-controlled house has nominated Holder to be held in Contempt of Congress, another reasonably-rarely ill-defined power of a government body. The vote on this will be held soonish if neither party backs down.
Both of these ill-defined powers being used against each other on this issue may lead the United States (in my relatively uninformed legal reasoning which you probably should not depend on if you have access to someone who actually has gone through law school) to a constitutional crisis; an actual charge of contempt of congress would require Eric Holder (as Attorney-General) to create a panel to decide the matter, an act that many legal theorists (see Unitary Executive Theory) believe cannot be done against a member of the executive branch of government, made more thorny yet because Eric Holder would be the target of the panel he would be (theoretically) structurally obliged by his role to convene.
Again: IANAL, so please consider the legal analysis included here possibly underinformed. Hopefully it's helpful for those of you who may have been following this and are more confused than I am on it.
Posted on Jun. 21st, 2012 at 12:55 am | Link | Comment | Share
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Hillary Promises To ‘Go After’ Cayman Island Tax ‘Schemes,’ Though She And Bill Have Made A Ton From Them [VIDEO]
Chuck Ross Investigative Reporter
Hillary Clinton criticized the use of offshore tax havens on Monday, even though she and husband Bill have been paid millions of dollars in investment income, consulting fees and speech honoraria from companies doing business in the Cayman Islands.
“We’re now in a position, I think, where we can go after some of these schemes that you did read about, the kind of misclassifying of income, trying to make it look like it’s a capital gain, when it’s really ordinary income, going ahead and routing income through the Bahamas or the Cayman Islands or wherever,” Clinton told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes during the interview.
Clinton’s public stance on the issue — which she has discussed in the past — and the private actions of her family seems to tie together something Vice President Joe Biden said Monday about the Democratic presidential front-runner and her campaign opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Biden said that while Sanders “has credibility” when discussing income and wealth inequality in the U.S., “it’s relatively new for Hillary to talk about that.”
There may be good reason for that. Emails Raise New Questions About Sid Blumenthal’s ‘Projects’ For The Clintons
Before Hillary Clinton was appointed secretary of state and while she was still in the U.S. Senate, Bill Clinton was a partner in an investment fund, Yucaipa Global Partnership, which is registered in the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory located in the Caribbean Sea which is a popular tax haven for the wealthy.
As a partner to the firm between 2002 and 2007, Clinton was paid an estimated $10 million, according to a Washington Post article from 2008. He was also rumored to been in negotiations with Burkle for a $20 million payout when he separated for the firm in 2008, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
Clinton’s involvement with Yucaipa, which was founded by Ron Burkle, a longtime Democratic donor who is now supporting Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, was first reported by ABC News in 2008 when the former first couple’s financial statements were revealed during Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid.
As Jack Blum, an attorney and expert on offshore tax havens, told ABC at the time: “No average person has interest and funds in the Cayman Islands. This is all the above-average, non-tax-paying, super rich.”
The former president earned money from Cayman interests in other ways. As Clinton financial records show, Bill Clinton was also paid $225,000 by a company called Whisky Productions to speak at a March 28, 2011 “event that will target the business community in Grand Cayman.”
And as the Washington Examiner reported on Tuesday, the Clinton-Cayman links extend beyond the political couple.
Marc Mezvinsky, the Clintons’ former Goldman Sachs banker son-in-law, is a partner at Eaglevale Partners, a hedge fund with entities incorporated in the Cayman Islands.
The investment company operates Eaglevale Partners Offshore Fund, Ltd. and the Eaglevale Hellenic Opportunity Offshore Fund Ltd., which are both incorporated in the offshore tax haven.
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Tags : elections 2016 hillary clinton
Chuck Ross
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News » National
by Kilian Melloy
The global body care brand Nivea is set to lose the services of ad agency Foote, Cone & Belding when the current contracts between the companies run out at the end of 2019, media reports said. The rift comes after more than a century of the two companies working together — a relationship that had survived a recent merger and subsequent rebranding.
The end of the longstanding relationship was allegedly prompted by a homophobic comment uttered by a Nivea employee during a conference call with the ad agency, according to a report at Campaign.
The Campaign report did not offer details as to what was allegedly said, but according to a story at Ad Age a team member with the body care brand said that "we don't do gay at Nivea."
Among those on the FBC end of the call was an openly gay employee, the Ad Age article said.
The call was only one instance in what Ad Age described as a couple of years of increasing train between the two business entities over LGBTQ imagery and messages. Nivea reportedly refused a suggested campaign that featured an image of two men's hands, Ad Age said.
Nivea navigated around the issue with a carefully worded statement to Campaign in which the brand referenced "unsubstantiated speculations" concerning the end of the relationship between itself and the ad agency but then went on to deny homophobia, reported Yahoo! Finance.
"No form of discrimination, direct and indirect, is or will be tolerated," the brand's spokesperson told Campaign. "We are strongly committed to diversity, mutual respect, equal opportunity and tolerance -- this stance and belief is shared and lived throughout Beiersdorf," the company that owns the Nivea brand.
The spokesperson spoke optimistically of "a new beginning in Nivea's brand management and creative work."
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Assistant Arts Editor. He also reviews theater for WBUR. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
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„Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn“
Orson Welles9
americký herec, režisér, spisovateľ a producent 1915 - 1985
„Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.“
— Gore Vidal American writer 1925 - 2012
„You know it's love when you want to give joy and damn the consequences.“
— Frank Herbert American writer 1920 - 1986
„I want to have adventures and take enormous risks and be everything they say we are and not give a damn what anyone says.“
— Dorothy Allison poet, novelist, critic 1949
Context: I want to write a great book — I want to make a difference — I want to have adventures and take enormous risks and be everything they say we are and not give a damn what anyone says. Foreword to My Dangerous Desire: A Queer Girl Dreaming Her Way Home by Amber L. Hollibaugh, pg. xii.
„If you don't hurry up and let life know what you want, life will damned soon show you what you'll get.“
— Robertson Davies, Fifth Business
„It is easy to know what you want to say, but not to say it.“
— Mario Vargas Llosa Peruvian writer, politician, journalist, and essayist 1936
„It is impossible to discourage the real writers - they don't give a damn what you say, they're going to write.“
— Sinclair Lewis American novelist, short-story writer, and playwright 1885 - 1951
„Not to want to say, not to know what you want to say, not to be able to say what you think you want to say, and never to stop saying, or hardly ever, that is the thing to keep in mind, even in the heat of composition.“
— Samuel Beckett Irish novelist, playwright, and poet 1906 - 1989
„Don’t worry that you aren’t giving people what they want. Give them who you are, and let that be enough.“
— Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn Trilogy
„People say you should give until it hurts. I say you should give until it stops hurting. Know what I mean?“
— Elizabeth Berg, Dream When You're Feeling Blue
„I live my life you live yours. If you're clear about what u want then you can live anyway you please. I don't give a damn what people say. They can be reptile food for all I care.“
— Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance
„Concentrate on what you want to say to yourself and your friends. Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness. You say what you want to say when you don't care who's listening.“
— Allen Ginsberg American poet 1926 - 1997
„Well, you know I used to play piano for the church. You know that spiritual, 'Give Me that Old Time Religion', most churches just say, [sings] "Give me that old time religion" but I did, [sings] "Give me that old time, talkin' 'bout religion," you know I put that little thing in it you know, I always did have that thing but I didn't know what to do with the thing I had. So the style has always been with me... I always had my little thing I wanted to let the world hear, you know.“
— Little Richard American pianist, singer and songwriter 1932
When asked what inspired him to write 'Tutti Frutti' amd where the style came from, in The Rolling Stone Interviews: 1967-1980 (1989) edited by Peter Herbst, p. 91.
„If you want what's in the package you should at least know how to get the string off, is what I say.“
— Margaret Atwood, The Tent
„If You don't give readers what they want, they'll be mad at you. If you give them what they do want, they'll be even more mad at you.“
— Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments
„I have a lot of critics; we all know that. And I do kind of want to say — you know, put my middle finger up to everybody and say, think what you want about me. I am who I am. But at the end of the day, I'm an athlete that wants to win.“
— Hope Solo American association football player 1981
As quoted in Hope Solo: 'I speak the truth, and people either love me or they hate me'" http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2012/08/29/hope-solo-i-speak-the-truth-and-people-either-love-me-or-they-hate-me/#6489101=0, seattlepi.com (August 29, 2012)
„And I want to be there when you're coming down / And I want to be there when you hit the ground
Don't go away / Say what you say / Say that you'll stay... because I need more time just to make things right
Damn my education / I can't find the words to say
Me and you, what's going on?/All we seem to know/Is how to show, the feelings that are wrong“
— Noel Gallagher British musician 1967
Don't Go Away
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The Climate Trust | Top 10 Carbon Market Predictions for 2015 from The Climate Trust
Top 10 Carbon Market Predictions for 2015 from The Climate Trust
Agriculture, California Market, Climate Finance, Forestry, Grasslands, Policy, Trust News
As published by TriplePundit – January 5, 2015
The Climate Trust, a mission-driven nonprofit that specializes in climate solutions, with a reduction of 1.9 million tons of greenhouse gases to its name, announced its second annual prediction list of 10 carbon market trends to watch in 2015.
The trends, which range from increased climate change adaptation measures at the state and city-level to new protocols for agriculture and forestry, were identified by The Climate Trust based on interactions with their diverse group of working partners—government, utilities, project developers and large businesses.
“We’re excited to once again look at the overall market with fresh eyes and identify areas of potential movement and growth,” said Dick Kempka, vice president of business development for The Climate Trust.
Allowance and offset demand will increase in 2015. The second compliance period for California’s cap-and-trade system began the first of this year. Distributors of transportation fuel and natural gas have officially joined the ranks of other capped, covered entities, and with the addition of these fuel distributors, the emission cap immediately more than doubles in size. As a result, The Trust predicts that cost containment mechanisms such as offsets and banking will become much more significant components of the cap-and-trade system. A recent whitepaper estimates the current market value at $2 billion annually, and anticipates that this will increase to $4 billion in 2015. To date, the California market has largely been viewed as an operational success, however, some have suggested the system has not yet experienced stresses that could result from drastic and unplanned energy use spikes—escalations triggered by weather events such as drought, hot summers, and cold winters. The Trust believes that the introduction of transportation fuels under the cap, coupled with allowance uncertainty and shortage of offsets, are likely to increase the demand for both allowances and offsets in 2015.
ARB will add new protocols for agriculture and forestry. California Air Resources Board (ARB) is on the verge of approving the new compliance offset protocol for rice cultivation projects. While land in Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories is not currently eligible for ARB compliance offset projects, The Trust finds it likely that portions of Alaska will soon be eligible to participate in the forestry cap-and-trade program. Additionally, we anticipate nutrient management will be the next methodology type to be adopted as a compliance offset protocol in the agriculture sector, with the process of being adopted commencing in 2015. An avoided grasslands conversion protocol is likely to follow suit.
“The rice protocol allows U.S. rice farmers to generate offsets to sell in California’s carbon market, providing a new source of revenue for growers while contributing to the state’s clean air goals. More importantly, it sets the stage for the ARB to develop an offset protocol focused on nutrient use efficiency which would apply to practically any crop grown in the United States,” said Robert Parkhurst, Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Markets Director for Environmental Defense Fund.
Dramatic growth in conservation finance. Developments in the green bond arena will continue to advance the scope of these instruments used to finance climate change solutions, while meeting fixed income yield and risk requirements. Green bonds that fund projects or assets with climate benefits experienced exceptional growth in 2014 with $35 billion issued; triple the 2013 figure. According to Sean Kidney, CEO of Climate Bonds Initiative, the market is expected to reach $100 billion in 2015 and to treble again by 2018. Odin Knudsen, President and CEO for Real Options International, cautions that as the market expands there will also be a threat of greenwashing. Independent due diligence of green and climate bonds must be strengthened if the market is to prosper and fulfill its promise. Despite this, agencies, governments, municipalities and corporates are seeing the enormous opportunity that green bond finance offers to accelerate mitigation and adaptation efforts in our changing climate. An article in EMEA Finance confirms that there is a “shortage of supply and too much demand. An ordinary vanilla bond which is green as a bonus feature is an unbeatable proposition for investors who have publically expressed the importance of addressing climate change.”
Increased focus on post-2020 market. It was just a few short years ago that observers questioned whether carbon markets would continue beyond the end of the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. Carbon markets have not only managed to survive, but slowly expanded, with longer term prospects for carbon suggesting that markets will continue to grow. Gov. Brown of California recently indicated that the state would announce plans to extend its market to 2030. Thus far, much of the activity has been at the state level, but in a post-2020 world, experts are predicting a shift. “… carbon pricing is going to have to start at the national level, rather than be cascaded from the top down. Many nations are pursuing such an agenda, including a number of emerging economies such as China, South Korea, South Africa and Kazakhstan,” notes David Hone, Chief Climate Change Advisor for Royal Dutch Shell. Even in countries where carbon pricing has struggled to gain a foothold, such as Australia, there is a strong belief of its inevitably. In fact, 80% of Australian businesses noted in a recent survey that adopting post-2020 carbon reduction commitments is key to maintaining relationships with trading partners. The shift in leadership back towards the national level is an encouraging sign for increasing the rate at which global carbon emissions are reduced.
Increased public sentiment and political will around impacts of climate change. Naomi Klein’s new book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. Climate, illustrates the growing sense that after dragging our feet on climate mitigation policy for over 25 years, our time is up, and the consequences for inaction are larger than ever. This sentiment is reiterated in a recent report by co-chairs of the high-profile Risky Business Project, Economic Risks of Climate Change in the US; and paired with the onslaught of recent climate studies and media coverage, people are starting to take notice. Further, research out of University of Michigan shows that a majority of voters from both sides of the aisle favor a carbon tax if the revenues are neutral or dedicated to renewable energy programs. In the U.S., the EPA is seeking to reduce emissions from coal plants through section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. President Obama and President Xi Jinping of China also pledged to reduce carbon emissions after years of stalemate. The Trust anticipates that momentum will continue to build with further political action and increased public sentiment around climate change, leading up to the 2015 international climate talks in Paris.
Increased adaptation measures at the state and city-level, addressing climate change. The necessity of adaptation measures may seem obvious to folks in green-conscious cities like Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco, but perhaps not in other parts of the U.S. Frequently occurring weather disturbances such as heat waves and floods, and a prolonged drought in California—coupled with heightened awareness of fossil fuel-related pollution—will prompt cities and states to focus increasingly on carbon reduction mechanisms. Mechanisms could include options such as carbon markets, incentives, or taxes. In response to extreme weather, California and other states will increase adaptation mobilization, and look for innovative climate change solutions in land, water, energy, and other natural resources.
West coast states move forward cautiously on policy. In 2015, the Oregon legislature will determine whether to extend the state’s Clean Fuels Program, which requires certain levels of low-carbon fuels in the state’s transportation fuels supply. Given the outcome of the November elections, which gave the legislature a climate-friendly majority, it is likely the program will be approved—though not without backlash from fossil fuel interests, which will undoubtedly challenge the program on legal grounds. A similar program will be designed in Washington over the coming year as part of a suite of policies proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee. The discussion of a carbon tax in Oregon will heat up again in 2015 following the results of a state-commissioned study by the Northwest Economic Research Center. It is likely one or more carbon tax proposals will surface in the upcoming legislative session, though passage this year is uncertain as both Oregon and Washington consider alignment of a regional structure.
Increased executive action on climate change. With little hope that Congress will pass legislation to price carbon pollution, the Obama Administration will focus on executive action directly through federal agencies. This trend began in 2014, highlighted by EPA regulation of carbon emissions from existing power plants through the Clean Air Act. On the heels of this announcement, the U.S. and China jointly announced new greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. To meet these new targets—emissions 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025—further action will be needed. Meeting these new goals will likely require focusing on reducing potent, short-lived greenhouse gases like methane; the EPA is soon expected to release more stringent methane emission standards for the oil and gas industry. The USDA will also increase its focus on potent greenhouse gases, by providing additional public dollars to spur the development of agricultural digesters and reduce the nitrous oxide emissions associated with over-application of fertilizers.
ARB will clarify regulatory compliance to meet market needs. After invalidating a very small portion of credits from the Clean Harbor facility’s destruction of ozone depleting substances, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) will take a more measured, predictable and cautious approach to policing the offset market in 2015. ARB has used this invalidation to demonstrate to environmental groups that it is rigorously and closely monitoring the integrity of the offset market. To contain costs, ARB knows it must also enable a functional offset market. ARB will begin by clarifying how environmental violations must be directly related to projects, not downstream, in particular for forestry and livestock projects. With a clearer understanding of which potential violations could be grounds for an invalidation based on health, safety or environmental infractions, the perceived risk of invalidation will be reduced. Next year will be less about demonstrating rigorous oversight of the offset market and more about establishing a functional market that can bring high-quality offsets to scale.
Subnational jurisdictions will continue to act on addressing emissions. While national commitments have been few and far between the last several years, subnational jurisdictions have been active in designing and implementing carbon pricing systems. In Canada and the United States, policy actions to comprehensively price carbon have come from provincial and state governments. We anticipate that this trend will continue globally, as demonstrated by California advising seven Chinese cities/provinces on implementing a pilot system that will cover a population of 256 million. Heading into 2015, The Trust expects that states will increasingly examine and consider measures to address emissions from politically sensitive activities such as fracking and oil and gas pipeline construction.
“In 2014, many of our predictions rang true, including the role of Big Data through the commencement of Field to Market’s agricultural data collection and the publication of USDA’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report,” said Sean Penrith, executive director for The Climate Trust. “The Trust also helped facilitate the first-ever purchase of carbon offsets from the avoided conversion of at-risk grasslands, building momentum for future domestic agricultural offset deals.” Penrith added his appreciation for continued support from the USDA through their Regional Conservation Partnership Program and their newly designated Regional Climate Hubs.
10 Carbon Market Trends to Watch in 2016 | DotMaxIT says:
[…] 2015, a number of our predictions came to fruition, including increased public sentiment and political will around the impacts of […]
OPINION: A 2016 carbon market forecast | CaliforniaCarbon.info says:
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“The President of the Republic of Cyprus is ready to return to negotiations to reunify Cyprus but all preparations for the talks must be thorough if we are to see a successful outcome.” – Cypriot Government Spokesperson, Prodromos Prodromou told a full house of UK Cypriots and British MPs.
MPs and Peers express their strong, and cross-party, support for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue, including the abolition of guarantees and removal of Turkish troops.
The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Cyprus held its annual Parliamentary Reception for Cyprus on Tuesday 10 July to mark the 44th anniversary of the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of July 1974. During the event titled, ‘Cyprus: Prospects for a Solution’ the Government Spokesperson of the Republic of Cyprus, Prodromos Prodromou, updated a full house of Parliamentarians and members of the UK Cypriot community about the latest developments on the Cyprus issue.
Mr Prodromou outlined the latest developments on the Cyprus issue, including the appointment of Jane Holl Lute as the UN’s new special envoy on Cyprus. Mr Prodromou also conveyed President Anastasiades’ readiness to resume talks to reunify Cyprus from where the negotiations left off and based upon the framework set out by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. He also emphasised the need for thorough preparation for any talks in order to ensure they would lead to a solution of the Cyprus issue. Mr Prodromou called for respect in the negotiations process so that “a just and viable solution could be found that wouldn’t leave either side feeling like winners or losers but would instead address the concerns of both communities.”
In closing, the Cypriot Government Spokesperson paid tribute to the work of the APPG for Cyprus and National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, for strengthening the ties between Cyprus and the UK and for keeping the Cyprus issue on the agenda in Parliament. He also commented that the two countries would continue to have excellent relations even after Britain leaves the European Union.
L-R: Joan Ryan MP, Catherine West MP, Sir Roger Gale MP, Christos Karaolis, Prodromos Prodromou, Theresa Villiers MP, Bambos Charalambous MP, Khalid Mahmood MP, Fabian Hamilton MP
Federation President, Christos Karaolis, welcomed guests to the event and spoke of the UK Cypriot community’s hope and determination to see a reunited Cyprus free from the outdated system of guarantees and without the presence of foreign troops. He said, “what we’re asking for is both fair and simple. A fully functioning state that is in line with the rule of law and is free from foreign interference. Put simply a “normal state” as the UN Secretary General said.”
Mr Karaolis also said that “the UK Cypriot community is clear in its demands that Turkey’s unacceptable demands [in the negotiations] and influence in Cyprus must end.” He referred to the Federation’s recent email campaign where MPs from Aberdeen to Exeter were contacted by constituents concerned about Turkey’s negative influence in Cyprus. Mr Karaolis emphasised that UK Cypriots would continue to have their legitimate concerns heard and would continue to campaign for a free, united Cyprus.
The High Commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the UK, Euripides Evriviades, addressed the event, thanked everyone for attending and expressed deep gratitude to the APPG for Cyprus for being “all-weather friends of Cyprus”. He also commented on the major contribution that the UK Cypriot community has made in the UK.
Sir Roger Gale MP, who had earlier been re-elected Chair of the APPG for Cyprus, welcomed the guests to the event and emphasised that MPs were united across party lines in favour of the reunification of Cyprus. He said that he has spent the best part of his political career “trying to release Cyprus from occupation and to return the island to its rightful owners.” Sir Roger concluded by saying that “we shan’t give up until we achieve that”.
L-R: Catherine West MP, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Sir Roger Gale MP, Christos Karaolis
Speaking on behalf of the UK Government, Foreign Office Minister for the Commonwealth & UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, expressed gratitude to the High Commission for Cyprus to the UK, the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK and the APPG for Cyprus for their work in strengthening the ties between the two countries.
The Minister said that “the ultimate objective is to achieve a solution in line with the High-Level Agreements”. Lord Ahmad also stressed the importance of the Commonwealth to both the UK and Cyprus and said that both are working towards making it more secure and prosperous.
Fabian Hamilton MP, Shadow Minister for Peace and Disarmament, spoke on behalf of Her Majesty’s Opposition and reiterated the Labour Party’s steadfast commitment to the reunification of Cyprus commenting that, “security for Cyprus must be through the EU and not through old-fashioned guarantee systems nor by foreign troops nor by Turkey”.
The Rt Hon. Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, said that “it’s a tragedy that 44 years after the invasion, Cyprus remains divided” and that she “fights for a free, united Cyprus every day” by asking questions in the House of Commons and raising important issues with the UK Government such as the need to end the “outdated system of guarantees”. Ms Villiers reaffirmed her support for the abolition of the Treaty of Guarantee and foreign country intervention rights, as well as for the Republic of Cyprus’ right to explore and exploit natural resources in its EEZ.
The next MP to speak was Rt Hon. Joan Ryan, MP for Enfield North. Ms Ryan expressed her deep concerns that, under President Erdogan, Turkey is “sliding towards an authoritative regime” and that would have worrying consequences for Cyprus and the wider region. Ms Ryan also paid tribute to the UK Cypriot community and particularly their “important voluntary work”.
Bambos Charalambous MP for Enfield Southgate, and the only MP of Cypriot origin, highlighted the importance of resolving the tragic humanitarian issue of the missing persons. Mr Charalambous expressed his delight that the Federation was making its presence felt through its email campaigns which he said have “bombarded him with emails from constituents about Cyprus”. He also referred to questions he asked in Parliament about the Cyprus issue, torture by British soldiers in Cyprus in the 1950s, and Turkey’s aggression in Cyprus’ EEZ.
Catherine West, MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, said that “we must all work towards a bi-zonal, bi-communal, federal Cyprus”. Ms West also said she “supports peace, human rights and justice” and that she hoped to see the resumption of reunification talks very soon.
Mike Freer, MP for Finchley & Golders Green, said that “44 years after the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, it’s important to remember that while time has passed, the issues haven’t gone away. We still have people dispossessed from their land and their homes, families with missing relatives, and an island still divided… we continue to strive for a just solution for Cyprus and a reunited island.”
Stephen Gethins MP, SNP Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, paid tribute to the contribution that the UK Cypriot community has made in the UK. He also said that he looked forward to seeing a reunified Cyprus in the future and hoped to work closely with the community in the future.
Lord Collins, Shadow Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, said that the event left him with “a sense of hope that we will achieve the justice and independence that we’ve so badly needed over the last 44 years”.
Roger Godsiff MP said that he “really hopes to see a solution to the Cyprus issue sooner rather than later” and also that he hopes that Cypriots continue to demand and campaign for a reunified island.
Other MPs in attendance were Khalid Mahmood (Shadow Minister for Europe) and John Penrose (MP for Weston-super-Mare).
Other distinguished guests in attendance included members of the Cyprus High Commission; Andreas Papaevripides, President of POMAK (the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots); Harry Charalambous, President of NEPOMAK UK (the youth branch of POMAK); members of the National Federation of Cypriots’ Executive Committee and Secretariat; and representatives from Cypriot communities in Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, and Leeds.
L-R: Euripides Evriviades, Catherine West MP, Sir Roger Gale MP, Prodromos Prodromou, Bambos Charalambous MP, Theresa Villiers MP, Christos Karaolis
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myWorld International
myWorld Solutions
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Supporting people in need and
contributing to a healthy environment
Supporting people in need and contributing to a healthy environment
Our Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility
Being successful on a global stage, the myWorld group of companies is aware of its responsibility to not only its customers, partners and employees, but also to society and the environment. This means creating an environment where all employees feel respected and appreciated on the one hand, and where partners and customers feel as though they are treated fairly and respectfully, on the other.
Additionally, myWorld is supporting two charitable organisations, the Child & Family Foundation and the Greenfinity Foundation. These foundations strive to help people in need as well as the environment. By providing free of charge financing, services and the necessary infrastructure, we want to make sure that global educational and environmental projects can be implemented successfully.
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With our commitment to the Child & Family Foundation and the Greenfinity Foundation we want to help shape a better and healthier world for individuals and families, for our communities and for the planet. Our stories take a deeper look at how myWorld is making a difference.
Gardening as a valid school subject
Clean the Beach - Philippines
Our school projects at the foot of the Kilimanjaro
Gardening As a Valid School Subject
Many children in the Philippines are undernourished. In order to help, the Greenfinity Foundation has launched an organic garden project at the San Roque Elementary School.
Education means equipping people with the knowledge and skills which they require.
In a region where malnourishment poses a serious problem, knowing how to garden and feed yourself properly is of the utmost importance. The school garden is replanted during a school lesson. Mr Roy, who is an expert in the field of gardening and agriculture, instructs the children.
Secret tips from experts
Under his guidance, the children gain much more than simply a lesson on how to garden. Mr Roy reveals “secret tips”, which help the children to understand not only how the plants grow but also how you reap a rich harvest. The children are particularly interested in the harvested products, which are then transformed into afternoon tea in the school kitchen; after all, nothing tastes better than home-grown fruit and vegetables.
Together with the students and teachers of the San Roque Elementary School, the Greenfinity Foundation cleaned the beach of Padre Burgos.
We must not underestimate the negative influence of incorrectly stored waste on our ecosystem. Therefore, waste collection campaigns have now become a long-standing tradition and significantly contribute towards protecting the environment and helping to raise public awareness on this important issue.
90 Volunteers came together
This was the first display of “Green” commitment in the Philippines. The population on the island of Leyte has been struggling with incorrectly disposed waste for some time now. The local refuse collection does not always work, which has often led to waste being disposed of in the woods or on the beach. In joint forces with the San Roque Elementary School, the Greenfinity Foundation took on this project and cleaned the beach of Padre Burgos with the help of the school’s students and teachers. All in all, more than 90 volunteers came together to help with the rubbish collection. Aside from helping the environment, the main emphasis was on creating awareness: The students were taught about how to take care of nature and its resources.
Despite its fame and beautiful scenery, not everyone has access to a real education near the famous mountain. That is why the Child & Family Foundation will support two schools in the region.
At the foot of Kilimanjaro, nestled between the hills, is where you will find Shimbwe. A little mountain village in one of the poorest regions outside the regional capital, Moshi, which is known as a paradise for nature lovers and adventurers alike. The Child & Family Foundation has made it its goal, with the help of the organisation, C-re-aid, to renovate two of the four primary schools in the village for the purpose of optimising the learning environment and securing a better future for the children of Shimbwe.
The Shimbwe Chini Primary School
The Sia Shimbwe Primary School was founded in 1975 and is located in Shimbwe Chini village, roughly 12 kilometres from the city Moshi. The state school has a primary school and a nursery school. In 2018, 270 children, ranging from nursery school age to Year 7, were taught within seven classrooms. Currently there are six teachers working at the school, employed by the government and paid by the school. In Tanzania, the teachers usually live in accommodation provided by the school. This guarantees that they can get to school on time.
In Shimbwe, very few teachers live far from the school. During the rainy season, it is often impossible for them to get to school. Another problem is that the building’s roofs are damaged and that the classrooms flood every time it rains.
Child & Family Foundation’s and C-re-aid’s support
Thanks to support by the Child & Family Foundation and the C-re-aid organisation, both schools will be renovated, and the infrastructure updated. What is more, the number of teachers can be increased, and the quality of the school food is going to be improved. The aim is to renovate both schools to create a better learning environment for the children. The Child & Family Foundation ensures that the costs incurred by the schools’ main requirements, such as for books, brochures, healthy food, the playground and the sanitary facilities, are covered.
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News Biology 18 January 2019
Accidental outcomes tell a tale of mouse tails
Two labs made the same unexpected but valuable discovery. Nick Carne reports.
The long and short of the mouse's tail has much to tell us.
iStock / gan chaonan
X-rays of control and FoxD1-LIN28B-induced animal from the Harvard study.
Robinton et al
In science, sometimes things just happen.
Two different research teams have created mice with unusually long or short tails, even though neither was trying to do either.
They agree, however, that their fortuitous findings could help us better understand the process of development or disease, and what happens when developmental pathways go awry.
Both studies involved a gene called Lin28, which was already known to have a role in regulating body size and metabolism, among other functions. But that’s where the similarities end.
In the US, George Daley and colleagues at Boston’s Harvard Medical School were studying the Lin28/let-7 pathway, which regulates developmental timing and has been implicated in several types of cancer.
"We were trying to make mouse models of Lin28-driven cancer, but we were surprised to find that these mice had super long tails; they had more vertebrae," Daley says.
Across the Atlantic in Portugal, a team from Lisbon’s Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência was actually studying a gene called Gdf11, which is known to be involved in triggering the development of the tail during embryonic development.
Moisés Mallo and colleagues found that mice with Gfd11 mutations had tails that were shorter and thicker than those of regular mice, and they identified Lin28 as one of the two key regulator genes of tail development downstream from Gdf11.
Both pathways relate to the development of somites, which give rise to important structures associated with the vertebrate body plan. These blocks of cells eventually differentiate into dermis, skeletal muscle, cartilage, tendons and vertebrae.
As mammals develop, the somites are laid down sequentially along the body axis. Lin28 plays a role in regulating the timing of this repetitive process.
Scientists find and switch on predatory kill instinct in mice
"From my perspective, one of the most important findings of our work is that a group of multipotent cells that build both the somites and the spinal cord are regulated by fundamentally different genetic networks and have different cell competences at two consecutive stages of development," Mallo says.
"This finding goes beyond the trunk to tail transition, possibly acquiring relevance in pathological processes like the initiation of metastasis."
Harvard’s Daisy Robinton suggests there are also important implications for understanding evolution.
"Anterior-posterior axis elongation is an important feature in bilateral animals, and natural selection has created a variety of tail lengths to suit different evolutionary pressures,” she says. “Until now, little was known about how length is controlled and how the manipulation of genetics can impact morphogenesis."
Papers on the US and the Portuguese studies are published in the journal Developmental Cell.
Explore #mice #genetics
Nick Carne is editor of Cosmos digital and editorial manager for The Royal Institution of Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LIN28
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GDF11
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somite
https://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/fulltext/S1534-5807(18)31084-0
Himalayan temples tell tales of tremors and quakes
Tilted pillars, cracked steps and sliding stone canopies in Indian temples are being used to reconstruct earthquakes.
A twist in the armoured tail tale
In evolutionary terms, weaponised tails are not entirely pointless, but require a level of engineering that far outstrips their value.
The retina of a mouse
A computer-based mosaic stitches together many images to produce a stunning image of a mouse’s retina.
Primates of the Caribbean: dead monkeys do tell tales
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Tag Archives: 3RD KLAN
UK NETFLIX DARK TOURIST ATTRACTION HERE AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL, FOREST OF DEAN, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. GL14 3NL THE TURBULENT HISTORY OF THE INFAMOUS ‘BLACK PANTHER PARTY’, THEIR FIGHT AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY & MURDERS, WHITE SUPREMACIST & EXTREMIST MOVEMENTS INCLUDING THE NOTORIOUS KU KLUX KLAN. MALCOLM X & DR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR
Posted on May 7, 2019 by CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION
ABOVE: AN ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING BY OUR IN-HOUSE ARTIST DEPICTING HUEY P NEWTON , FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE INFAMOUS & NOTORIOUS BLACK PANTHER MOVEMENT IN 1966 , OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, USA .
ABOVE: AN ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING BY OUR IN-HOUSE ARTIST, OF BOBBY SEALE, CO-FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE INFAMOUS & NOTORIOUS BLACK PANTHER MOVEMENT IN 1966 , OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, USA .
ABOVE: A SHORT VIDEO ON THE HISTORY OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION , IT’S OWNER , OR ANY OF IT’S STAFF HERE AT LITTLEDEAN JAIL HAVE NO AFFILIATION , CONNECTION OR INVOLVEMENT WITH ANY EXTREMIST , POLITICALLY MOTIVATED OR OTHERWISE MOVEMENTS WHATSOEVER …… WE SIMPLY EXHIBIT AND TOUCH UPON A GREAT MANY POLITICALLY INCORRECT AND TABOO SUBJECT MATTERS THAT NO OTHER VISITOR ATTRACTIONS DARE COVER IN THE WAY WE CHOOSE TO DO SO HERE. …. “IT’S ALL HISTORY FOR GOODNESS SAKE”….EVEN IF ON OCCASIONS, SENSITIVE , THOUGHT PROVOKING SUBJECT MATTERS THAT INCITE STRONG DEBATE .
WE WOULD RESPECTFULLY HOPE THAT OUR OWN EXHIBITION INSIGHT IS DEEMED TO BE HISTORICALLY EDUCATIONAL AS WE DO HERE .
PLEASE DO NOTE OUR POLITE WARNINGS IN THAT THIS DARK TOURIST ATTRACTION IS NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY. IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN,
THOSE EASILY OFFENDED, DISTURBED OR OF A SENSITIVE NATURE
THERE IS A MASS OF GRAPHIC, EXPLICIT, NUDITY AND DISTURBING CONTENT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF THE COLLECTIONS HERE ON DISPLAY ….
Above: Original oil painting of Kathleen Cleaver by Gloucestershire Artist Paul Bridgman on display at the jail
MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, WASHINGTON DC, USA
Above: Original oil painting by Gloucestershire Artist Paul Bridgman of Angela Davis here on display at Littledean Jail.
Above: An original Tommie Smith hand signed photograph of the iconic ‘ Black Power Salute’ at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games … here on display at the jail.
Original oil painting of Malcolm X (aka Malcolm Little) by Gloucestershire Artist Paul Bridgman on display here at the jail
Above : Original oil painting of Malcolm X (aka Malcolm Little) by Gloucestershire Artist Paul Bridgman on display here at the jail
MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAM HISTORY AND CULTURE, WASHINGTON DC, USA
Above: Original oil painting of Rev, Dr Martha Luther King Jr by Gloucestershire Artist Paul Bridgman on display here at the jail
Above: Original oil painting of Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr by Gloucestershire Artist Paul Bridgman on display here at the jail
The Black Panthers were formed in California in 1966 and they played a short but important part in the civil rights movement. The Black Panthers believed that the non-violent campaign of Martin Luther King had failed and any promised changes to their lifestyle via the ‘traditional’ civil rights movement, would take too long to be implemented or simply not introduced.
The language of the Black Panthers was violent as was their public stance. The two founders of the Black Panther Party were Huey Percy Newton and Bobby Seale. They preached for a “revolutionary war” but though they considered themselves an African-American party, they were willing to speak out for all those who were oppressed from whatever minority group. They were willing to use violence to get what they wanted.
The Black Panther Party (BPP) had four desires : equality in education, housing, employment and civil rights.
It had a 10 Point Plan to get its desired goals.
The ten points of the party platform were:
1) “Freedom; the power to determine the destiny of the Black and oppressed communities.
2) Full Employment; give every person employment or guaranteed income.
3) End to robbery of Black communities; the overdue debt of forty acres and two mules as promised to ex-slaves during the reconstruction period following the emancipation of slavery.
4) Decent housing fit for the shelter of human beings; the land should be made into cooperatives so that the people can build.
5) Education for the people; that teaches the true history of Blacks and their role in present day society.
6) Free health care; health facilities which will develop preventive medical programs.
7) End to police brutality and murder of Black people and other people of color and oppressed people.
8) End to all wars of aggression; the various conflicts which exist stem directly from the United States ruling circle.
9) Freedom for all political prisoners; trials by juries that represent our peers.
10) Land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace and community control of modern industry.”
The call for a revolutionary war against authority at the time of the Vietnam War, alerted the FBI to the Black Panther’s activities. Whatever happened, the FBI was successful in destroying the Black Panther’s movement.
Those who supported the BPP claim that the FBI used dirty tactics such as forging letters to provoke conflict between the BPP’s leaders; organising the murders of BPP leaders such as John Huggins; initiating a “Black Propaganda” campaign to convince the public that the BPP was a threat to national security; using infiltrators to commit crimes that could be blamed on the BPP so that leaders could be arrested and writing threatening letters to jurors during trials so that the BPP would be blamed for attempting to pervert the course of justice. Supporters of the BPP claimed that this last tactic was used with success at the trial of the “Chicago Eight” whereby the jury, apparently angered at being intimidated by the BPP, found the eight members of the BPP guilty. None of the above tactics have ever been proved or admitted to by the FBI.
In California, the party leader of Oakland, David Hilliard, claimed that the BPP was at the top of the FBI’s most wanted list. Hilliard also claimed that the then governor of California, Ronald Reagan, constantly vilified the BPP.
“This caused a stigma to be placed upon the Black Panther Party as Pied Pipers of cultural and social revolution characterising us as the essence of violence, chaos and evil.”
The head of the FBI, Edgar J Hoover, called the BPP “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country.” Hoover ordered field operatives of the FBI to introduce measures that would cripple the BPP. Using infiltrators (one of these, William O’Neal, became Chief of Security for the BPP), the FBI knew of all the movements etc of BPP leaders. FBI raids in BPP heartlands – Chicago and Los Angeles – that led to the arrest of regional leaders, resulted in the collapse of the movement.
To view the BPP as a purely revolutionary and violent movement is wrong. In areas of support the BPP created a Free Food Program to feed those who could not afford to do so for themselves; Free Medical Research Health Clinics to provide basic health care for those who could not afford it and an Intercommunal Youth Band to give community pride to the movement. In a book of his essays called “To Die for the People”, Huey Newton wrote that these were exactly what the African-American community wanted and that the BPP was providing its own people with something the government was not. Such community projects have survived in other guises, but after the demise of the BPP their lost their drive for a number of years.
Was there much support for the BPP? Were they ‘Public Enemy Number One’ as Hoover claimed? In 1966, a survey carried out in America showed that less than 5% of African-Americans approved of groups such as the BPP. 60% were positively hostile to such groups. But were these survey results slanted in such a manner as to tarnish the name of the Black Panthers at an early stage in its existence especially as the head of the FBI, Hoover, was known to be very against the movement? In areas such as Oakland and parts of San Francisco and South San Francisco where the BPP claimed to feed nearly 200,000 people, support would have been a lot higher.
“Black Panthers” redirects here. For other uses, see Black Panthers (disambiguation).
Huey P. Newton
Black nationalism (early),Marxism–Leninism, Maoism,proletarian internationalism,socialism
International affiliation
Algeria, Cuba, France
Official colors
Black, light blue, green
Politics of the United States
The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was an African-American revolutionary leftist organization active in the United States from 1966 until 1982. The Black Panther Party achieved national and international notoriety through its involvement in the Black Powermovement and U.S. politics of the 1960s and 1970s. The group’s “provocative rhetoric, militant posture, and cultural and political flourishes permanently altered the contours of American Identity.”[1]
Founded in Oakland, California by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale on October 15, 1966, the organization initially set forth a doctrine calling primarily for the protection of African American neighborhoods from police brutality.[2] The organization’s leaders espoused socialist and communist (largely Maoist) doctrines; however, the Party’s early black nationalist reputation attracted a diverse membership.[3] The Black Panther Party’s objectives and philosophy expanded and evolved rapidly during the party’s existence, making ideological consensus within the party difficult to achieve, and causing some prominent members to openly disagree with the views of the leaders.
The organization’s official newspaper, The Black Panther, was first circulated in 1967. Also that year, the Black Panther Party marched on the California State Capitol in Sacramento in protest of a selective ban on weapons. By 1968, the party had expanded into many cities throughout the United States, among them, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Newark, New Orleans, New York City, Omaha,Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.. Peak membership was near 10,000 by 1969, and their newspaper, under the editorial leadership of Eldridge Cleaver, had a circulation of 250,000.[4] The group created a Ten-Point Program, a document that called for “Land, Bread, Housing, Education, Clothing, Justice and Peace”, as well as exemption from conscription for African-American men, among other demands.[5] With the Ten-Point program, “What We Want, What We Believe”, the Black Panther Party expressed its economic and political grievances.[6]
Gaining national prominence, the Black Panther Party became an icon of the counterculture of the 1960s.[7] Ultimately, the Panthers condemned black nationalism as “black racism” and became more focused on socialism without racial exclusivity.[8] They instituted a variety of community social programs designed to alleviate poverty, improve health among inner city black communities, and soften the Party’s public image.[9] The Black Panther Party’s most widely known programs were its armed citizens’ patrols to evaluate behavior of police officers and its Free Breakfast for Children program. However, the group’s political goals were often overshadowed by their confrontational, militant, and violent tactics against police.[10]
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover called the party “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country,”[11] and he supervised an extensive program (COINTELPRO) of surveillance, infiltration, perjury, police harassment, assassination, and many other tactics designed to undermine Panther leadership, incriminate party members and drain the organization of resources and manpower. Through these tactics, Hoover hoped to diminish the Party’s threat to the general power structure of the U.S., or even maintain its influence as a strong undercurrent.[12] Angela Davis, Ward Churchill, and others have alleged that federal, state and local law enforcement officials went to great lengths to discredit and destroy the organization, including assassination.[13][14][15] Black Panther Party membership reached a peak of 10,000 by early 1969, then suffered a series of contractions due to legal troubles, incarcerations, internal splits, expulsions and defections. Popular support for the Party declined further after reports appeared detailing the group’s involvement in activities such as drug dealing and extortion schemes directed against Oakland merchants[16] By 1972 most Panther activity centered around the national headquarters and a school in Oakland, where the party continued to influence local politics. Party contractions continued throughout the 1970s; by 1980 the Black Panther Party comprised just 27 members.[17]
[edit]Origins
Original six members of the Black Panther Party (1966)
Top left to right: Elbert “Big Man” Howard, Huey P. Newton(Defense Minister), Sherman Forte, Bobby Seale (Chairman)
Bottom: Reggie Forte and Little Bobby Hutton (Treasurer)
In 1966, Huey P. Newton was released from jail. With his friend Bobby Seale from Oakland City College, he joined a black power group called the Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM). RAM had a chapter in Oakland and followed the writings of Robert F. Williams. Williams had been the president of the Monroe, North Carolina branch of the NAACP and later published a newsletter called The Crusader from Cuba, where he fled to escape kidnapping charges.[18]
They worked at the North Oakland Neighborhood Anti-Poverty Center, where they also served on the advisory board. To combat police brutality, the advisory board obtained 5,000 signatures in support of the City Council’s setting up a police review board to review complaints. Newton was also taking classes at the City College and at San Francisco Law School. Both institutions were active in the North Oakland Center. Thus the pair had numerous connections with whom they talked about a new organization. Inspired by the success of the Lowndes County Freedom Organization and Stokely Carmichael‘s calls for separate black political organizations,[19] they wrote their initial platform statement, the Ten-Point Program. With the help of Huey’s brother Melvin, they decided on a uniform of blue shirts, black pants, black leather jackets, black berets, and openly displayed loaded shotguns. (In his studies, Newton had discovered a California law that allowed carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun in public, as long as it was publicly displayed and pointed at no one.)[20]
What became standard Black Panther discourse emerged from a long history of urban activism, social criticism and political struggle by African Americans. There is considerable debate about the impact that the Black Panther Party had on the greater society, or even their local environment. Author Jama Lazerow writes “As inheritors of the discipline, pride, and calm self-assurance preached by Malcolm X, the Panthers became national heroes in African American communities by infusing abstract nationalism with street toughness—by joining the rhythms of black working-class youth culture to the interracial élan and effervescence of Bay Area New Left politics…In 1966, the Panthers defined Oakland’s ghetto as a territory, the police as interlopers, and the Panther mission as the defense of community. The Panthers’ famous “policing the police” drew attention to the spatial remove that White Americans enjoyed from the state violence that had come to characterize life in black urban communities.”[12] In his book Shadow of the Panther: Huey Newton and the Price of Black Power in America journalist Hugh Pearson takes a more jaundiced view, linking Panther criminality and violence to worsening conditions in America’s black ghettos as their influence spread nationwide.[21]
[edit]Evolving ideology, widening support
Black Panther convention, Lincoln Memorial, June 19, 1970
Awareness of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense grew rapidly after their May 2, 1967 protest at the California State Assembly.
In May 1967, the Panthers invaded the State Assembly Chamber in Sacramento, guns in hand, in what appears to have been a publicity stunt. Still, they scared a lot of important people that day. At the time, the Panthers had almost no following. Now, (a year later) however, their leaders speak on invitation almost anywhere radicals gather, and many whites wear “Honkeys for Huey” buttons, supporting the fight to free Newton, who has been in jail since last Oct. 28 (1967) on the charge that he killed a policeman…”[22]
In October 1967, Huey Newton was arrested for the murder of Oakland Police Officer John Frey, a murder he later admitted and pointed to with pride.[23] At the time, Newton claimed that he had been falsely accused, leading to the “Free Huey” campaign. On February 17, 1968, at the “Free Huey” birthday rally in the Oakland Auditorium, several Black Panther Party leaders spoke. H. Rap Brown, Black Panther Party Minister of Justice, declared:
Huey Newton is our only living revolutionary in this country today…He has paid his dues. He has paid his dues. How many white folks did you kill today?[9]
The mostly black crowd erupted in applause. James Forman, Black Panther Party Minister of Foreign Affairs, followed with:
We must serve notice on our oppressors that we as a people are not going to be frightened by the attempted assassination of our leaders. For my assassination—and I’m the low man on the totem pole—I want 30 police stations blown up, one southern governor, two mayors, and 500 cops, dead. If they assassinate Brother Carmichael, Brother Brown…Brother Seale, this price is tripled. And if Huey is not set free and dies, the sky is the limit![24]
Referring to the 1967–68 period, black historian Curtis Austin states: “During this period of development, black nationalism became part of the party’s philosophy.”[25] During the months following the “Free Huey” birthday rallies, one in Oakland and another in Los Angeles, the Party’s violent, anti-white rhetoric attracted a huge following and Black Panther Party membership exploded.
Two days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., on April 6, 1968, seventeen-year-old Bobby Hutton joined Eldridge Cleaver, Black Panther Party Minister of Information, in what Cleaver later admitted was “an ambush” of the Oakland police.[26] Two officers were wounded, and Bobby Hutton became another martyr when officers opened fire, killing Hutton and wounding Cleaver.[27]
After Hutton’s death, Black Panther Party Chairman Bobby Seale and Kathleen Cleaver (Eldridge’s wife) held a rally in New York City at the Fillmore East in support of Hutton and Cleaver. PlaywrightLeRoi Jones (later Amiri Baraka) joined them on stage before a mixed crowd of 2,000:
We want to become masters of our own destiny…we want to build a black nation to benefit black people…The white people who killed Bobby Hutton are the same white people sitting here.[28]
The crowd, including many whites, gave LeRoi Jones a standing ovation.
In 1968, the group shortened its name to the Black Panther Party and sought to focus directly on political action. Members were encouraged to carry guns and to defend themselves against violence. An influx of college students joined the group, which had consisted chiefly of “brothers off the block.” This created some tension in the group. Some members were more interested in supporting the Panthers social programs, while others wanted to maintain their “street mentality”. For many Panthers, the group was little more than a type of gang.[29]
Curtis Austin states that by late 1968, Black Panther Party ideology had evolved to the point where they began to reject black nationalism and became more a “revolutionary internationalist movement”:
(The Party) dropped its wholesale attacks against whites and began to emphasize more of a class analysis of society. Its emphasis on Marxist-Leninist doctrine and its repeated espousal of Maoist statements signaled the group’s transition from a revolutionary nationalist to a revolutionary internationalist movement. Every Party member had to study Mao Tse-tung’s “Little Red Book” to advance his or her knowledge of peoples’ struggle and the revolutionary process.[30]
Panther slogans and iconography spread. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, two American medalists, gave the black power salute during the playing of the American national anthem. The International Olympic Committee banned them from the Olympic Games for life. Hollywood celebrity Jane Fonda publicly supported Huey Newton and the Black Panthers during the early 1970s. She and other Hollywood celebrities became involved in the Panthers’ leftist programs. The Panthers attracted a wide variety of left-wing revolutionaries and political activists, including writer Jean Genet, former Ramparts magazine editor David Horowitz (who later became a major critic of what he describes as Panther criminality)[31] and left-wing lawyer Charles R. Garry, who acted as counsel in the Panthers’ many legal battles.
Survival committees and coalitions were organized with several groups across the United States. Chief among these was the Rainbow Coalition formed by Fred Hampton and the Chicago Black Panthers. The Rainbow Coalition included the Young Lords, a Latino youth gang turned political under the leadership of Jose Cha Cha Jimenez.[32] It also included the Young Patriots, which was organized to support young, white migrants from the Appalachia region.[33]
[edit]Rules
The Black Panther Party had a list of 26 rules that dictated their daily party work. They regulated their participant’s use of drugs, alcohol, and their actions while they were working. Almost all of the rules had to do with only the actions of members while they were in an event or a meeting of the Black Panthers. The rules also said that members had to follow the Ten Point Program, and had to know it by heart. The final section of rules had to do with more of the leader’s responsibilities, such as providing a first aid center for members of the Black Panthers.[34][35][36]
[edit]The Ten Point Program
The original “Ten Point Program” from October, 1966 was as follows [37][38]:
1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our black Community.
We believe that black people will not be free until we are able to determine our destiny.
2. We want full employment for our people.
We believe that the federal government is responsible and obligated to give every man employment or a guaranteed income. We believe that if the white American businessmen will not give full employment, then the means of production should be taken from the businessmen and placed in the community so that the people of the community can organize and employ all of its people and give a high standard of living.
3. We want an end to the robbery by the white man of our black Community.
We believe that this racist government has robbed us and now we are demanding the overdue debt of forty acres and two mules. Forty acres and two mules was promised 100 years ago as restitution for slave labor and mass murder of black people. We will accept the payment as currency which will be distributed to our many communities. The Germans are now aiding the Jews in Israel for the genocide of the Jewish people. The Germans murdered six million Jews. The American racist has taken part in the slaughter of over 50 million black people; therefore, we feel that this is a modest demand that we make.
4. We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.
We believe that if the white landlords will not give decent housing to our black community, then the housing and the land should be made into cooperatives so that our community, with government aid, can build and make decent housing for its people.
5. We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society.
We believe in an educational system that will give to our people a knowledge of self. If a man does not have knowledge of himself and his position in society and the world, then he has little chance to relate to anything else.
6. We want all black men to be exempt from military service.
We believe that black people should not be forced to fight in the military service to defend a racist government that does not protect us. We will not fight and kill other people of color in the world who, like black people, are being victimized by the white racist government of America. We will protect ourselves from the force and violence of the racist police and the racist military, by whatever means necessary.
7. We want an immediate end to POLICE BRUTALITY and MURDER of black people.
We believe we can end police brutality in our black community by organizing black self-defense groups that are dedicated to defending our black community from racist police oppression and brutality. The Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States gives a right to bear arms. We therefore believe that all black people should arm themselves for self defense.
8. We want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails.
We believe that all black people should be released from the many jails and prisons because they have not received a fair and impartial trial.
9. We want all black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their peer group or people from their black communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States.
We believe that the courts should follow the United States Constitution so that black people will receive fair trials. The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives a man a right to be tried by his peer group. A peer is a person from a similar economic, social, religious, geographical, environmental, historical and racial background. To do this the court will be forced to select a jury from the black community from which the black defendant came. We have been, and are being tried by all-white juries that have no understanding of the “average reasoning man” of the black community.
10. We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. And as our major political objective, a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to be held throughout the black colony in which only black colonial subjects will be allowed to participate for the purpose of determining the will of black people as to their national destiny.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly, all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariable the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
[edit]Action
1970 BPP pamphlet combining an anti-drug message with revolutionary politics
“This country is a nation of thieves. It stole everything it has, beginning with black people. The U.S. cannot justify its existence as the policeman of the world any longer. I do not want to be a part of the American pie. The American pie means raping South Africa, beating Vietnam, beating South America, raping the Philippines, raping every country you’ve been in. I don’t want any of your blood money. I don’t want to be part of that system. We must question whether or not we want this country to continue being the wealthiest country in the world at the price of raping everybody else.”
— Stokely Carmichael, Honorary Prime Minister[39]
[edit]Survival programs
Inspired by Mao Zedong‘s advice to revolutionaries in The Little Red Book, Newton called on the Panthers to “serve the people” and to make “survival programs” a priority within its branches. The most famous of their programs was the Free Breakfast for Children Program, initially run out of an Oaklandchurch.
Other survival programs were free services such as clothing distribution, classes on politics and economics, free medical clinics, lessons on self-defense andfirst aid, transportation to upstate prisons for family members of inmates, an emergency-response ambulance program, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and testing for sickle-cell disease.[40]
The BPP also founded the “Intercommunal Youth Institute” in January 1971,[41] with the intent of demonstrating how black youth ought to be educated. Ericka Huggins was the director of the school and Regina Davis was an administrator.[42] The school was unique in that it didn’t have grade levels but instead had different skill levels so an 11 year old could be in second-level English and fifth-level science.[42] Elaine Brown taught reading and writing to a group of 10 to 11 year olds deemed “uneducable” by the system.[43] As the school children were given free busing; breakfast, lunch, and dinner; books and school supplies; children were taken to have medical checkups; and many children were given free clothes.[44]
[edit]Political activities
The Party briefly merged with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, headed by Stokely Carmichael (later Kwame Ture). In 1967, the party organized a march on the California state capitol to protest the state’s attempt to outlaw carrying loaded weapons in public after the Panthers had begun exercising that right. Participants in the march carried rifles. In 1968, BPP Minister of InformationEldridge Cleaver ran for Presidential office on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. They were a big influence on the White Panther Party, that was tied to the Detroit/Ann Arbor band MC5 and their manager John Sinclair, author of the book Guitar Army that also promulgated a ten-point program.
[edit]Conflict with law enforcement
Black Panther Party members standing in the street, armed with a Colt .45 and a shotgun
One of the central aims of the BPP was to stop abuse by local police departments. When the party was founded in 1966, only 16 of Oakland’s 661 police officers were African American.[45] Accordingly, many members questioned the Department’s objectivity and impartiality. This situation was not unique to Oakland, as most police departments in major cities did not have proportional membership by African Americans. Throughout the 1960s, race riots and civil unrest broke out in impoverished African-American communities subject to policing by disproportionately white police departments. The work and writings ofRobert F. Williams, Monroe, North Carolina NAACP chapter president and author of Negroes with Guns, also influenced the BPP’s tactics.
The BPP sought to oppose police brutality through neighborhood patrols (an approach since adopted by groups such as Copwatch). Police officers were often followed by armed Black Panthers who sought at times to aid African-Americans who were victims of police brutality and racial prejudice. Both Panthers and police died as a result of violent confrontations. By 1970, 34 Panthers had died as a result of police raids, shoot-outs and internal conflict.[46] Various police organizations claim the Black Panthers were responsible for the deaths of at least 15 law enforcement officers and the injuries of dozens more. During those years, juries found several BPP members guilty of violent crimes.[47]
On October 17, 1967, Oakland police officer John Frey was shot to death in an altercation with Huey P. Newton during a traffic stop. In the stop, Newton and backup officer Herbert Heanes also suffered gunshot wounds. Newton was arrested and charged with murder, which sparked a “free Huey” campaign, organized by Eldridge Cleaver to help Newton’s legal defense. Newton was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, though after three years in prison he was released when his conviction was reversed on appeal. During later years Newton would boast to friend and sociobiologist Robert Trivers (one of the few whites who became a Party member during its waning years) that he had in fact murdered officer John Frey and never regretted it.[23]
In April 1968, the party was involved in a gun battle, in which Panther Bobby Hutton was killed. Cleaver, who was wounded, later said that he had led the Panther group on a deliberate ambush of the police officers, thus provoking the shoot-out.[26] In Chicago, on 4 Dec 1969, two Panthers were killed when the Chicago Police raided the home of Panther leader Fred Hampton. The raid had been orchestrated by the police in conjunction with the FBI; during this era the FBI was complicit in many local police actions. Hampton was shot and killed, as was Panther guard Mark Clark. Cook County State’s Attorney Edward Hanrahan, his assistant and eight Chicago police officers were indicted by a federal grand jury over the raid, but the charges were later dismissed.[48][4]
Prominent Black Panther member H. Rap Brown is serving life imprisonment for the 2000 murder of Ricky Leon Kinchen, a Fulton County, Georgia sheriff’s deputy, and the wounding of another officer in a gunbattle. Both officers were black.[49]
From 1966 to 1972, when the party was most active, several departments hired significantly more African-American police officers. During this time period, many African American police officers started to form organizations of their own to become more protective of the African American citizenry and to increase black representation on police forces.[50]
[edit]Conflict with COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO document outlining the FBI’s plans to ‘neutralize’ Jean Seberg for her support for the Black Panther Party, by attempting to publicly “cause her embarassment” and “tarnish her image”
In August 1967, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) instructed its program “COINTELPRO” to “neutralize” what the FBI called “black nationalist hate groups” and other dissident groups. In September 1968, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover described the Black Panthers as “the greatest threat to the internal security of the country.”[51] By 1969, the Black Panthers and their allies had become primary COINTELPRO targets, singled out in 233 of the 295 authorized “Black Nationalist” COINTELPRO actions. The goals of the program were to prevent the unification of militant black nationalist groups and to weaken the power of their leaders, as well as to discredit the groups to reduce their support and growth. The initial targets included the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Revolutionary Action Movement and the Nation of Islam. Leaders who were targeted included the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, Maxwell Stanford and Elijah Muhammad.
Part of the FBI COINTELPRO actions were directed at creating and exploiting existing rivalries between black nationalist factions. One such attempt was to “intensify the degree of animosity” between the Black Panthers and the Blackstone Rangers, a Chicago street gang. They sent an anonymous letter to the Ranger’s gang leader claiming that the Panthers were threatening his life, a letter whose intent was to induce “reprisals” against Panther leadership. InSouthern California similar actions were taken to exacerbate a “gang war” between the Black Panther Party and a group called the US Organization. Violent conflict between these two groups, including shootings and beatings, led to the deaths of at least four Black Panther Party members. FBI agents claimed credit for instigating some of the violence between the two groups.[52]
On January 17, 1969, Los Angeles Panther Captain Bunchy Carter and Deputy Minister John Huggins were killed in Campbell Hall on the UCLA campus, in a gun battle with members of US Organization stemming from a dispute over who would control UCLA’s black studies program. Another shootout between the two groups on March 17 led to further injuries. It was alleged that the FBI had sent a provocative letter to US Organization in an attempt to create antagonism between US and the Panthers.[53]
[edit]Violence
From the beginning the Black Panther Party’s focus on militancy came with a reputation for violence. They employed a California law which permitted carrying a loaded rifle or shotgun as long as it was publicly displayed and pointed at no one.[54] Carrying weapons openly and making threats against police officers, for example, chants like “The Revolution has co-ome, it’s time to pick up the gu-un. Off the pigs!”,[55] helped create the Panthers’ reputation as a violent organization.
On May 2, 1967, the California State Assembly Committee on Criminal Procedure was scheduled to convene to discuss what was known as the “Mulford Act“, which would ban public displays of loaded firearms. Cleaver and Newton put together a plan to send a group of about 30 Panthers led by Seale from Oakland to Sacramento to protest the bill. The group entered the assembly carrying their weapons, an incident which was widely publicized, and which prompted police to arrest Seale and five others. The group pled guilty to misdemeanor charges of disrupting a legislative session.[56]
On October 17, 1967, Oakland police officer John Frey was shot to death in an altercation with Huey P. Newton during a traffic stop. In the stop, Newton and backup officer Herbert Heanes also suffered gunshot wounds. Newton was convicted of voluntary manslaughter at trial. This incident gained the party even wider recognition by the radical American left, and a “Free Huey” campaign ensued.[57]Newton was released after three years, when his conviction was reversed on appeal. During later years Newton would boast to sociobiologist Robert Trivers (one of the few whites who became a Party member during its waning years) that he had in fact murdered officer John Frey.[23]
On April 7, 1968, Panther Bobby Hutton was killed, and Cleaver was wounded in a shootout with the Oakland police. Two police officers were also shot. Although at the time Cleaver claimed that the police had ambushed them, Cleaver later admitted that he had led the Panther group on a deliberate ambush of the police officers, thus provoking the shoot-out.[26][27]
From the fall of 1967 through the end of 1970, nine police officers were killed and 56 were wounded, and ten Panther deaths and an unknown number of injuries resulted from confrontations. In 1969 alone, 348 Panthers were arrested for a variety of crimes.[58] On February 18, 1970 Albert Wayne Williams was shot by the Portland Police Bureau outside the Black Panther party headquarters inPortland, Oregon. Though his wounds put him in a critical condition, he made a full recovery.[59]
In May 1969, Black Panther Party members tortured and murdered Alex Rackley, a 19-year-old member of the New York chapter, because they suspected him of being a police informant. Three party officers — Warren Kimbro, George Sams, Jr., and Lonnie McLucas — later admitted taking part. Sams, who gave the order to shoot Rackley at the murder scene, turned state’s evidence and testified that he had received orders personally from Bobby Seale to carry out the execution. After this betrayal, party supporters alleged that Sams was himself the informant and an agent provocateuremployed by the FBI.[60] The case resulted in the New Haven, Connecticut Black Panther trials of 1970, memorialized in the courtroom sketches of Robert Templeton. The trial ended with a hung jury, and the prosecution chose not to seek another trial.
[edit]Murder of Betty van Patter
Black Panther bookkeeper Betty van Patter was murdered in 1974, and although this crime was never solved, the Panthers, according to the magazine Mother Jones, were “almost universally believed to be responsible”.[61] David Horowitz became certain that Black Panther members were responsible and denounced the Panthers. When Huey Newton was shot dead 15 years later, Horowitz characterized Newton as a killer.[62] When Art Goldberg, a former colleague at Ramparts, alleged that Horowitz himself was responsible for the death of van Patter by recommending her for the position of Black Panther accountant, Horowitz counter-alleged that “the Panthers had killed more than a dozen people in the course of conducting extortion, prostitution and drug rackets in the Oaklandghetto.” He said further that the organization was committed “to doctrines that are false and to causes that are demonstrably wrongheaded and even evil.”[63] Former chairperson Elaine Brown also questioned Horowitz’s motives in recommending van Patter to the Panthers; she suspected espionage.[64] Horowitz later became known for his conservative viewpoints and opposition to leftistthought.[65]
[edit]Decline
While part of the organization was already participating in local government and social services, another group was in constant conflict with the police. For some of the Party’s supporters, the separation between political action, criminal activity, social services, access to power, and grass-roots identity became confusing and contradictory as the Panthers’ political momentum was bogged down in thecriminal justice system. Disagreements among the Party’s leaders over how to confront these challenges led to a significant split in the Party. Some Panther leaders, such as Huey Newton and David Hilliard, favored a focus on community service coupled with self-defense; others, such as Eldridge Cleaver, embraced a more confrontational strategy. Eldridge Cleaver deepened the schism in the party when he publicly criticized the Party for adopting a “reformist” rather than “revolutionary” agenda and called for Hilliard’s removal. Cleaver was expelled from the Central Committee but went on to lead a splinter group, the Black Liberation Army, which had previously existed as an underground paramilitary wing of the Party.[66]
The Party eventually fell apart due to rising legal costs and internal disputes. In 1974, Huey Newton appointed Elaine Brown as the first Chairwoman of the Party. Under Brown’s leadership, the Party became involved in organizing for more radical electoral campaigns, including Brown’s 1975 unsuccessful run for Oakland City Council and Lionel Wilson‘s successful election as the first black mayor of Oakland.[67]
In addition to changing the Party’s direction towards more involvement in the electoral arena, Brown also increased the influence of women Panthers by placing them in more visible roles within the male-dominated organization. Brown claims this attempt to battle previously pervasive sexism within the Party was very stressful for her and led to her dependence on Thorazine as a way to escape the pressures of leading the Party.[68]
In 1977, after Newton returned from Cuba and ordered the beating of a female Panther who organized many of the Party’s social programs, Brown left the Party.[69]
Although many scholars and activists date the Party’s downfall to the period before Brown became the leader, an increasingly smaller cadre of Panthers continued to exist through the 1970s. By 1980, Panther membership had dwindled to 27, and the Panther-sponsored school finally closed in 1982 after it had become known that Newton was embezzling funds from the school to pay for his drug addiction.[67][70]
[edit]Aftermath
Black Panther 40th Reunion 2006
Some critics have written that the Panthers’ “romance with the gun” and their promotion of “gang mentality” was likely associated with the enormous increase in both black-on-black and black-on-white crime observed during later decades.[21][71] This increase occurred in the Panthers’ home town, Oakland California, and in cities nationwide.[72][73][74][75][76] Interviewed after he left the Black Panther Party, former Minister of Information Eldridge Cleaver lamented that the legacy of the Panthers was at least partly one of disrespect for the law and indiscriminate violence. He acknowledged that, had his promotion of violent black militantism prevailed, it would have resulted in “a total bloodbath.” Cleaver also lamented the abandonment of poor blacks by the black bourgeoisie and felt that black youth had been left without appropriate role models who could teach them to properly channel their militant spirit and their desire for justice.[77][78][79][80][81]
In October 2006, the Black Panther Party held a 40-year reunion in Oakland.[82]
In January 2007, a joint California state and Federal task force charged eight men with the August 29, 1971 murder of California police officer Sgt. John Young.[83] The defendants have been identified as former members of the Black Liberation Army. Two have been linked to the Black Panthers.[84] In 1975 a similar case was dismissed when a judge ruled that police gathered evidence through the use of torture.[85] On June 29, 2009 Herman Bell pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Sgt. Young. In July 2009, charges were dropped against four of the accused: Ray Boudreaux, Henry W. Jones, Richard Brown and Harold Taylor. Also that month Jalil Muntaquim pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit voluntary manslaughter becoming the second person to be convicted in this case.[86]
Since the 1990s, former Panther chief of staff David Hilliard has offered tours of sites in Oakland historically significant to the Black Panther Party.[87]
[edit]New Black Panther Party
See also: New Black Panther Party
In 1989, a group calling itself the “New Black Panther Party” was formed in Dallas, Texas. Ten years later, the NBPP became home to many former Nation of Islam members when the chairmanship was taken by Khalid Abdul Muhammad.
The Anti-Defamation League and The Southern Poverty Law Center consider the New Black Panthers as a hate group.[88] Members of the original Black Panther Party have insisted that this New Black Panther Party is illegitimate and have strongly objected that there “is no new Black Panther Party”.[89]
[edit]The National Alliance of Black Panthers
The National Alliance of Black Panthers was formed on July 31, 2004. It was inspired by the grassroots activism of the original organization but not otherwise related. Its chairwoman is Shazza Nzingha.[90]
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WITCHCRAFT LITTLEDEAN JAIL, WITCHCRAFT MEMORABILIA, WITCHCRAFT MUSEUM, WITCHCRAFT MUSEUM LITTLEDEAN JAIL NETFLIX JAMES BERRY NETFLIX JAMES BERRY EXECUTIONER JAMES BERRY PRESENTATION COIN JAMES BERRY HANGMAN PRESENTATION COIN PUBLIC EXECUTIONER PRESENTATION COIN PUBLIC EX, WITCHES CAULDRON, WITCHES DUCKING STOOL, WITCHFINDER GENERAL, WOMEN MURDERERS, WORLD WAR TWO, WORLD'S BEST TRUE CRIME MUSEUM, WW2, WW2 by CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION., WW2 by CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION. by CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION. by CRIME THROUGH TIME COLLECTION | Leave a reply
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After 28 Years, Judge Spares Life of Inmate With Mental Disabilities
Edward Lee Elmore, South Carolina’s longest-serving death row inmate, was spared from execution when a state circuit court ruled he suffered from mental retardation. The sentence reversal came almost 28 years after Elmore was sent to death row in 1982 for a sexual assault and murder, and 8 years after the U.S. Supreme Court held in Atkins v. Virginia that the execution of the mentally retarded is a cruel and unusual punishment, and therefore violates the Eighth Amendment. The decision left defining “mentally retarded” to individual states. Elmore failed and repeated first grade twice, failed and completed second grade once, and did not finish third grade until he was 12. He then withdrew from fifth grade when he was 15. In 1971, at age 12, Elmore’s IQ tested at 72 and 58 on separate tests.
(C. Peters, “Judge spares longest-serving death row inmate,” Spartanburg Herald Journal, February 5, 2010). See also Mental Retardation and Time on Death Row.
Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Who Came to Oppose the Death Penalty, Dies at 99
Books: “Arbitrary Death” Reveals a Prosecutor’s Evolution on Capital Punishment
Florida Capital Sentencing Juries Return Four Life Verdicts in Two Weeks
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Home Aviation Made in China: Chinese Arms.
Made in China: Chinese Arms.
Patrick Morrison
What can be said about China’s military research and development, other than that their unofficial motto being “Copy and Paste”? It’s no secret that when it comes to China, they have more or less cemented themselves as the world’s Xerox machine. If there is something mainstream in the world that is popular, it’s more than likely that a “copy” of said item is being made in China with a similar sounding name so as to cash in on the original’s success. Such blatant plagiarism also extends into China’s defense industry, as in recent years the PRC has developed new ships, vehicles and aircraft which look all too suspiciously like those being used by other military powers such as the U.S. and Russia.
But despite this fact, China has slowly emerged as one of the world’s top arms supplier as of 2016, as they have found markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. China has been known to not only sell military equipment to any and everyone (They even sold some fighters to the U.S.A.F. for use as Aggressors), but would sell to them at a much more cost efficient price than what they would get if they would were to go to other arms sellers. Not to mention that some of China’s customers have been banned from buying western arms (Zimbabwe and Iran).
Now I will admit that I am possibly one of the biggest naysayer when it comes to Chinese made goods and will always question their quality, but I am willing to admit that China is a viable option for small, developing countries who are in need of bolstering the capabilities of their military. Need it be in the field of Maritime Patrol or even providing air support for troops on the ground.
1) C.A.I.C. Z-10
Built by Changhe Aircraft Industries Corporation (That’s a mouth full) and designed by Russian company Kamov, the Z-10 first took to the skies in 2003 and was formally introduced to the People’s Liberation Army 9 years later. Nicknamed the “Fierce Thunderbolt” the Z-10 is armed with a chin mounted chain gun, as well as four (4) hard points which allow is to carry a variety of rocket pods or anti-tank missiles (Depending on the mission it is sent on.)
Like a lot of things made in China, the Z-10 is a rather cheap attack helicopter with a price tag of $17 million per unit. This means that for a lot of small countries which are looking for a dedicated attack helicopter, the Z-10 could be the logical choice seeing that it is more affordable that other comparable attack helicopters such as the American AH-1 or the Eurocopter Tiger. So far the only country which has openly shown interest in the “Thunderbolt” is Pakistan and they have acquired 3 aircraft for evaluation. But with global political climate becoming more volatile, don’t be surprised that more countries begin to eye the Z-10 for their use.
2) DongFeng EQ2050 (Chinese Humvee)
At first glance, the EQ2050 looks like a blatant knockoff of the legendary H-1 Humvee and you would be right. But this was not another case of simple cut and paste by China, as the story of the Chinese Humvee goes back to the late 1980s. When AM General presented one of their Humvees to the PLA during the Beijing Defense Exhibition as a gift. At first, the military was not too interested with the American 4×4, but after seeing the vehicle in action during the first Gulf War with American forces, the PLA gave it a second look.
It was not long before the Chinese began to experiment with their own home made Humvee, built by local company Dongfeng and known as the “Mengshi” or “Hamna”. Today the Mengshi has been fully integrated with the armed forces of China, numerous fire departments, and police units. But what really makes the Chinese Hummer so interesting is that two other Chinese companies, Shenyang and Xiaolong, have also built their own versions of the Hummer for both military and civilian markets.
With countries such as Zimbabwe and Belarus having these vehicles operational in their respective Defense Forces, the EQ2050 and it’s other clones could be on the wish list of many third world countries who are looking for a military 4×4.
3) Harbin Z-9 “Haitun”
This is possibly one of the best-selling helicopters China has to offer. Taking flight in 1981, the Z-9 is licensed copy of the French made AS365 “Dauphin”. The first Z-9 was built with components from it’s French counterpart and for a time, Aérospatiale supplied parts for the helicopter which eventually entered service with the PLA in 1994.
Today the “Haitun” is 100% Chinese built and a number of variants have been produced to serve with all branches of the Chinese military. Primarily as a light utility helicopter, the Z-9 has a crew of two and could carry up to 4,200 pounds of cargo internally, or carry eight passengers. The Z-9W/Z-9G variant is a full on light gunship which could be armed with 2 AM-23 cannons, anti-tank or even air to air missiles. While the naval variant of the Haitun could be armed with ET52 torpedos for anti-submarine warfare or anti-ship missiles.
Harbin’s helicopter has done very well on the international market as well, as the Z-9 has been adopted by numerous military organizations around the world, mainly in Africa. With an estimated price tag of U.S.$11 million, it could be a feasible option for any country which needs a utility helo which could double as a close air support platform.
4) Type-056 Corvette/Jiangdao-class
This one hits a little close to home for me. A couple years ago my country’s government said that they would be acquiring a “Long Ranged Patrol Vessel” from China for use by the Coast Guard. Automatically the Type-056 corvette came to mind and I has to admit I was a little excited by the idea.
With a length of 90 meters , a top speed of 25 knots, a 76mm main gun and with aviation facilities on board, the Type-056 would have been the perfect vessel for the job. As the vessel was designed with mid ranged missions and littoral duties in mind. But the Type-056 was not just designed to be a Coast Guard vessel, as the class could be armed with anti-ship and surface to air missiles. Making it a little bruiser in it’s own right. At present over 2 dozen vessels have been built for the People’s Liberation Army Navy, while the export variants known as the P-18 have been delivered to both Bangladesh and Nigeria.
As for my country the vessel we got was not a P-18, but it still makes me wonder what would have been the case if we actually did.
5) Shaanxi Y-8
I guess you can make the argument the same way for the Y-8, it can be looked at as an updated version of the Soviet-era Antonov An-12 transport. Built by Shaanxi since 1981 and based on a aircraft which took first took flight in 1957, the Y-8 has been a rather popular option for countries in need of a medium lift cargo aircraft, but don’t have the funds to acquire aircraft like the Lockheed C-130 or even the A400M.
Powered by four Zhuzhou turboprop engines, the Y-8 has a maximum range of 3400 plus miles with a top speed of 410 mph. With a unit cost starting at US$35 million, its no surprise countries like Pakistan and Tanzania have brought the Y-8 for use as tactical transports. As they need such an aircraft to move troops and equipment to the far reaches of their respective countries quickly in case of emergency. Sri Lanka went one step further with 3 Y-8s they acquired, using them as “heavy bombers” during their civil war.
But the Y-8 is not just for cargo, as an Anti-Submarine Warfare variant was revealed in 2012 and there is talk of a “Gun Ship” version currently in development. Which would be not too different to the AC-130 Specter in terms of capability and fire power. But to date China has not shown any indications that the ASW or proposed Gun Ship versions of these aircraft would be available on the international market.
6) Chengdu J-7 “Airguard”
In the early days of the People’s Republic of China, the Communist regime began a sordid affair with the Soviet Union and during this time, the USSR shared a lot of technology with their new found ally. One of which was the soon to be legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter, which was a rather inexpensive and simple aircraft and China was more than happy to gain such an advantage. Even after the two nations broke off the would-be alliance, the two still worked together when it came to the MiG-21.
In 1964, production of what would be known as the J-7 began at Shenyang Aircraft factory in Liaoning. But due to internal strife in form of the “Cultural Revolution” production slowed down drastically and it would not be until the 1980’s when the J-7 went back into full production.
Today the J-7/F-7 is undeniably thee most successful fighter aircraft to be exported by the PRC. As at present over a dozen countries the Asia, the Middle East and Africa all use the Airguard. Even the United States managed to buy a number of them to replace their MiG-21s for Aggressor training. Sharing the same DNA as the MiG-21 the F-7’s main draw was of course its price, as a single aircraft sold for dirt cheap considering what you got was a supersonic fighter. For countries like Nigeria and Egypt, both of whom operated MiG-21s, the F-7 was a logical choice since both aircraft were basically the same and MiG pilots could easily adapt to the Chinese jet.
But like all good things, production of the J-7/F-7 came to an end in 2013 with the final 12 aircraft being delivered to Bangladesh. But with the Airguard now out of production, Chengdu hopes that their next fighter would pick up where its predecessor left off. That aircraft being……
7)) Chengdu JF-17 “Thunder”
Okay, I may be cheating on this one since technically the Thunder is a joint project between China and Pakistan. But that has not stopped both countries from pushing the aircraft on the international market, as it is seen as the successor to the J-7. Much like its predecessor, the JF-17 is cheap with a price tag starting at US$25 million, making it in the reach of many countries who are in the market for new combat aircraft.
With a top speed of Mach 1.6 the Thunder has a combat range of just under 850 miles and has several hard points which allows it to carry both missiles and bombs. Effectively making it a “strike fighter” or attack aircraft. Not surprisingly the Thunder has caused a bit of a stir when it was announced that the aircraft would be available for sale and nations from Asia to South America have begun to line up and place orders for the Thunder. Some of whom still operate the older J-7/F-7.
But to date no other nation, aside from Pakistan, operate the Thunder as nations seem to be holding out until another low-cost fighter, the HAL Tejas, becomes operational. As it had been suggested that some would be operators out right changed their mind once they saw the Tejas in flight. So it looks as if for the first time in history, someone else just might undercut the Chinese.
Now I am not saying that these are the best that China or the world at large has to offer, but for many countries in the developing world, they are what could be needed for a price they can afford. Need it be for defense or civil use.
Now there are nations which in recent years have begun to look to China for military equipment as well, and in the case of Saudi Arabia and Argentina, have shown interest of building both tanks and aircraft outside of China for their armed forces. But China’s arms industry may soon have some competition, as mentioned before the HAL Tejas have caused many countries to second guess their decision of a cost effective fighter.
India has also begun to tread into the international arms market, as they have had some success in exporting utility helicopters and vehicles to over seas markets and there is talk of a possible cruise missiles sale to Vietnam. Brazil is also an unlikely market that is usually overlooked by most, but have also done well in the arms market. As they have sold everything from APCs to attack aircraft to other nations as were even in talks with the U.S. To jointly build the EMB 314 Super Tucano.
This is not to say that these nations would soon surpass China as major arms exporters, as the PRC still offer a number of systems and equipment which are not yet offered by these nations. But only time will tell if the China will continue to be the main source for affordable military goods.
Name is Patrick, I live on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and I have had an interest in military history and news since I was young. I like to focus on the lesser known events in military history, as well as highlight countries and regions you normally don't hear about often. So i hope i am able to inform you correctly and make you a little more aware of the world around you.
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dLife > The Low Carb Lifestyle > Cutting Carbs
Eating Whole Grains Could Prevent Type 2 Diabetes up to 34 Percent
Rikard Landberg, Professor and Head of Division for Food and Nutrition Science, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. Credit: Johan Bodell.
A new study finds that eating whole grain can prevent Type 2 diabetes, up to 34 percent in men, and 22 percent in women.
The study, which was conducted in Denmark, showed that it made no difference which type of whole grain product the participants consumed, whether it was rye bread, oatmeal, or muesli, for example. They all offered the same protection against Type 2 diabetes.
What was more important, according to researchers is how much whole grain is consumed in one day.
“Most studies similar to ours have previously been conducted in the U.S., where people mainly get their wholegrain from wheat,” says Rikard Landberg, senior researcher on the study. “We wanted to see if there was a difference between different whole grains,” he explains because they contain different types of dietary fiber and bioactive substances, which have been shown to influence risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.
The participants were divided into 4 different groups, based on how much wholegrain they reported eating. Those with the highest consumption ate at least 50 grams of whole grain each day. This corresponds to a portion of oatmeal porridge, and one slice of rye bread, for example.
The proportion who developed Type 2 diabetes was lowest in the group which reported the highest wholegrain consumption and increased for each group which had eaten less wholegrain.
In the group with the highest whole grain intake, the diabetes risk was 34 percent lower for men, and 22 percent lower for women, than in the group with the lowest wholegrain intake.
The study involved 55,000 participants, between the ages of 50 and 65 and spanned over a period of 15 years.
The cohort study was linked with data from Denmark’s national diabetes register, to investigate which participants developed Type 2 diabetes during a 15 year period – which in total was over 7000 people.
“Our results are in line with dietary advice, which recommends switching out foods containing white flour for whole grains,” says Landberg. “You get extra health benefits – white flour has some negative effects on health, while wholegrain has several positive effects, beyond protection against Type 2 diabetes.”
Wholegrains are defined as consisting of all three main components of the grain kernel: endosperm, germ, and bran. According to researchers, those who avoid all whole grains, in an attempt to follow a low carb diet, lose out on the positive health effects of wholegrain, which come principally from the bran and the germ.
Landberg believes carbohydrates should not be avoided in the diet.
“When it comes to whole grains, the research results are clear: among the many studies which have been made, in varied groups of people around the world, there hasn’t been a single study which has shown negative health effects,” he states.
The study has been published in The Journal of Nutrition.
Source: Chalmers University of Technology
Low Carb | research
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Matt Braunger from Advice From a Dipshit, MADtv and the Tonight Show
Friday, March 15, 2019 7:00 PM
Matt Braunger was raised in Portland, Oregon. A headlining comedian since 2007 and an actor since childhood, Matt studied theater in New York and improvisation in Chicago.
Matt’s television credits include a recurring role on NBC’s UP ALL NIGHT, a series regular role on MADtv, castmember of the popular TruTV series How to Be a Grown Up and appearances on MARON, Garfunkel and Oates, Family Tree, The Michael J Fox, Happy Endings, HBO’s Family Tree, United States of Tara, Pushing Daisies, Carpoolers, and late night TV including CONAN, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Pete Holmes Show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He is also a regular guest Comedy Central’s @midnight and was frequent roundtable guest on Chelsea Lately. Matt can be seen on Agent Carter and his brand new web series "White Flight" is available for streaming on Comedy Central online.
Matt’s newest hour-long comedy special, Big, Dumb Animal, premiered on Comedy Central in early 2015 and available on Netflix worldwide September 18, 2015. It is his second hour special and his third album. In 2010, he recorded his half hour Comedy Central Presents special and in 2012 released his debut hour-long special entitled Shovel Fighter, also released as an album. His debut album Soak Up The Night was released by Comedy Central Records and named in iTunes REWIND Top 20 Albums of 2009.
Along with headlining comedy clubs across the country, Matt is also a regular at the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. Matt has also performed at a variety of prestigious comedy festivals including the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and Chicago, The TBS Comedy Festival Las Vegas, and South By Southwest. He won the 2008 “Best Of The Fest” at the inaugural Rooftop Comedy Festival in Aspen and he headlined the Old Milwaukee Comedy Tour for Funny Or Die in 2013. Named to Variety’s Top 10 Comics to Watch and Comedy Central’s Hot 9 in ’09 list, Matt also co-founded the popular Bridgetown Comedy Festival that takes place annually in Portland.
“Matt Braunger could be resting on his “MADtv laurels”…Instead, Braunger has been busy in comedy’s trenches, poking fun at the follies of masculinity with the every-dude likability of Will Ferrell.” – SF Gate
http://www.mattbraunger.com/
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