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Team cohesion can be defined as a group's tendency to stick together while pursuing its objectives.[42] Team cohesion has two components: social cohesion (how well teammates like one another) and task cohesion (how well teammates work together to achieve their goal). Collective efficacy is a team's shared belief that they can or cannot accomplish a given task.[43] In other words, this is the team's belief about the level of competency they have to perform a task. It is important to note that collective efficacy is an overall shared belief amongst team members and not merely the sum of individual self-efficacy beliefs. Leadership can be thought of as a behavioral process that influences team members towards achieving a common goal.[44] Leadership in sports is pertinent because there are always leaders on a team (i.e., team captains, coaches, trainers). Research on leadership studies characteristics of effective leaders and leadership development.
In 1996, as a result of a three-year research project led by Lindsay B. Yeates, the Australian Hypnotherapists Association[48] (founded in 1949), the oldest hypnotism-oriented professional organization in Australia, instituted a peer-group accreditation system for full-time Australian professional hypnotherapists, the first of its kind in the world, which "accredit[ed] specific individuals on the basis of their actual demonstrated knowledge and clinical performance; instead of approving particular 'courses' or approving particular 'teaching institutions'" (Yeates, 1996, p.iv; 1999, p.xiv).[49] The system was further revised in 1999.[50]
Dallas Sports Performance therapists who have a special focus on sports performance and sports issues, including sports counseling, and sports psychology. Sports counseling in Dallas may include sports preparation and sport coaching, while sports counseling in Dallas addresses issues ranging from performance to stress. Sports Psychologists in Dallas will help address sports performance issues for individuals and teams.
Hypnotherapy expert, Dr Peter Marshall, former Principal of the London School of Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy Ltd. and author of A Handbook of Hypnotherapy, devised the Trance Theory of Mental Illness, which provides that people suffering from depression, or certain other kinds of neurosis, are already living in a trance and so the hypnotherapist does not need to induce them, but rather to make them understand this and help lead them out of it.[24]
In a hypnotherapy session, after identifying client goals for the session and reviewing how the session will proceed, the practitioner will use guided imagery and soothing speech to help the person to feel relaxed and safe. When the recipient of hypnosis has achieved a more receptive state, the practitioner will provide suggestions that could help the person reach his or her goals. The person in the trancelike state remains aware and is usually able to return to a more alert state independently once the session is over. Some people find that just one hypnotherapy session is sufficient, and others may attend several sessions.
Research in sport psychology involves studying and observing athletes in order to find out what motivates them to keep pushing on, and what gives them the thirst for landing in the winner's circle. A sport psychology researcher might also try to find ways for athletes to perform better and with fewer obstacles. The knowledge gained through this research can then be applied during counseling sessions with athletes.
Motivational climate refers to the situational and environmental factors that influence individuals' goals.[39] The two major types of motivational climates coaches can create are task-oriented and ego-oriented. While winning is the overall goal of sports competitions regardless of the motivational climate, a task-orientation emphasizes building skill, improvement, giving complete effort, and mastering the task at hand (i.e., self-referenced goals), while an ego-orientation emphasizes demonstrating superior ability, competition, and does not promote effort or individual improvement (i.e., other-referenced goals). Effective coaching practices explore the best ways coaches can lead and teach their athletes. For examples, researchers may study the most effective methods for giving feedback, rewarding and reinforcing behavior, communicating, and avoiding self-fulfilling prophecies in their athletes.[40]
The program he followed consists of an introductory video, several audio sessions, and an e-book. “There was all this imagery and counting down and clouds,” he says. “I would fall asleep listening.” It might all sound a little new agey, but Jonathan hasn’t had a cigarette in a year — besides a few weeks of cheating at the six-month mark. There wasn’t even a major time commitment — he would fall asleep a few minutes into the sessions every night, and he found himself smoke-free within days of starting the program.
Instead of doing a detox or cleanse in the hopes of resetting your GI system (and speeding up weight loss), boost your gut health naturally with fiber-filled foods. “Fiber is a carbohydrate found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but unlike other forms of carbohydrates, it is harder to digest. As it passes through your digestive system, it stimulates the receptors that tell your brain you’re full. People who consume more fiber tend to have healthier body weights,” says Gueron. If you’re looking for more specific fiber-filled foods to reboot your gut, eat the three P’s: prunes, pulses, and pears. Prunes help maintain good digestive health and can positively affect the bacteria living in the gut. Pulses, which include lentils, beans, and peas, improve gut health by strengthening the gut barrier. And pears contain prebiotic fiber, which help promote intestinal health by providing food for beneficial probiotic bacteria.
Coaching in education is seen as a useful intervention to support students, faculty and administrators in educational organizations.[24] For students, opportunities for coaching include collaborating with fellow students to improve grades and skills, both academic and social; for teachers and administrators, coaching can help with transitions into new roles.[24]
I would give Rita 50 stars if I could..... Her prices are fair. Period. Would you rather spend more money on cigarettes and lifetime of unnecessary medical bills or one flat fee and be smoke free for the rest of your life? Smoking is not attractive and has absolutely zero health benefits.... Smoking is a financial burden. I don't have to tell you this though, if you're reading this you already know.
Recently some studies have been influenced by an evolutionary psychology perspective.[45] This includes studies on testosterone changes in sports which at least for males are similar to those in status conflicts in non-human primates with testosterone levels increasing and decreasing as an individual's status changes. A decreased testosterone level may decrease dominant and competitive behaviors which when the status conflicts involved fighting may have been important for preventing physical injury to the loser as further competition is avoided.[citation needed] Testosterone levels also increase before sports competitions, in particular if the event is perceived as real challenge as compared to not being important.[citation needed] Testosterone may also be involved in the home advantage effect which has similarities to animal defense of their home territory.[citation needed] In some sports there is a marked overrepresentation of left-handedness which has similarities to left-handed likely having an advantage in close combat which may have evolutionary explanations.[citation needed]
The other recent study, by Canadian researchers, found the same thing by looking at brain activity when people have power. They found that increased power diminishes the ability to be empathic and compassionate because power appears to affect the “mirror system” of the brain, through which one is “wired” to experience what another person is experiencing. Researchers found that even the smallest bit of power shuts down that part of the brain and the ability to empathize with others.
Coleman Griffith worked as an American professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois where he first performed comprehensive research and applied sport psychology. He performed causal studies on vision and attention of basketball and soccer players, and was interested in their reaction times, muscular tension and relaxation, and mental awareness.[11] Griffith began his work in 1925 studying the psychology of sport at the University of Illinois funded by the Research in Athletics Laboratory.[12] Until the laboratory's closing in 1932, he conducted research and practiced sport psychology in the field. The laboratory was used for the study of sports psychology; where different factors that influence athletic performance and the physiological and psychological requirements of sport competitions were investigated. He then transmitted his findings to coaches, and helped advance the knowledge of psychology and physiology on sports performance. Griffith also published two major works during this time: The Psychology of Coaching (1926) and The Psychology of Athletics (1928). Coleman Griffith was also the first person to describe the job of sports psychologists and talk about the main tasks that they should be capable of carrying out. He mentioned this in his work “Psychology and its relation to athletic competition”, which was published in 1925.[13] One of the tasks was to teach the younger and unskilled coaches the psychological principles that were used by the more successful and experienced coaches. The other task was to adapt psychological knowledge to sport, and the last task was to use the scientific method and the laboratory for the purpose of discovering new facts and principles that can aid other professionals in the domain.
In 2007, a meta-analysis from the Cochrane Collaboration found that the therapeutic effect of hypnotherapy was "superior to that of a waiting list control or usual medical management, for abdominal pain and composite primary IBS symptoms, in the short term in patients who fail standard medical therapy", with no harmful side-effects. However the authors noted that the quality of data available was inadequate to draw any firm conclusions.[2]
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Baptists and Calvinism: A Brief Reply to Dr. Garrett
August 6, 2007 Michael A.G. Haykin
In a recent series of articles on Baptists and Calvinism, Dr. James Leo Garrett, Jr., has produced a good overview of some of the key issues that Baptists have faced regarding Calvinism over the centuries of their existence. I deeply appreciated the irenicism of the articles, the passion for missions and the finely nuanced scholarship. Dr. Garrett correctly points that “Baptists have not been in total agreement on these issues.”[1] Nor have Baptist historians always been in agreement about how to interpret Calvinism in Baptist life. I was especially intrigued by some of Dr. Garrett’s remarks regarding eighteenth-century English Baptist life. The bane of Hyper-Calvinism He argues first of all that Hyper-Calvinism was the bane of missions in certain quarters of English Baptist life in the eighteenth century. In his words:
“When the learned John Gill in London was teaching the tenets of Dort and some of the teachings of Hyper-Calvinism, the Particular Baptists were in a deplorable state of spiritual decline and apathy. It took a casting off of Hyper-Calvinism and an overhauling of Dortian Calvinism to bring Particular Baptists into the Evangelical Revival and to the point of leading the modern Protestant missionary movement. Moreover it has been the evangelical or missionary form of Calvinism that in the providence of God through William Carey and Andrew Fuller and Charles Haddon Spurgeon and John Leadley Dagg propelled Baptists from a tiny minority sect to a major Christian denomination. Hence the teachings of Dort do matter inasmuch as there are effects of such teachings.”[2] Now, it is important to realize that in the eighteenth century Gill’s teaching was not uniform throughout the English Baptist denomination. There was the vital Calvinistic Baptist tradition associated with the Bristol Baptist Academy, for instance, that preserved a rich balance between the sovereignty of God and evangelism. The Academy produced remarkable Evangelical Calvinists like the younger Andrew Gifford (1700-1784), who supported George Whitefield, Benjamin Francis (1734-1799), an indefatigable evangelist, and Benjamin Beddome (1717-1795), who knew revival in the town where his ministry was centred, Bourton-on-the-Water. Moreover, while there is little doubt that there was decline among many Baptist quarters in England during this period—especially seen in London, Yorkshire, the East Anglian counties of Norfolk and Suffolk and the area covered by the Northamptonshire Association—to fix the blame chiefly on Gill and his “Dortian Calvinism” is an over-simplification.[3] Russell E. Richey, for instance, points out that there were ongoing legal restrictions, which effectively confined Baptist preaching to the meeting house.[4] Deryck W. Lovegrove, on the other hand, locates the real problem of Baptists during this period in the matter of their isolation. “The very strength of independency,” he notes, “the internal cohesion of the gathered church, became its weakness as geographical remoteness conspired with autonomy and lack of common purpose to foster numerical decline.”[5] And Isabel Rivers sees a loss of identity as a key factor in the decline of the Baptists. Speaking about the dissenters in general, she states: “The experience of…persecution and heroic leadership must have given a sense of identity and commitment to the nonconformists not shared by the succeeding generations of dissenters.”[6] In short, the decline of the Baptists during the early and mid-eighteenth century cannot be easily attributed to simply one cause.[7] As the studies of Richey, Lovegrove and Rivers indicate, there were a variety of factors at work: political and sociological, as well as theological. Recent historiographical approaches demand that we consider not simply the realm of ideas in analyzing denominational history but also the social and political climate. Yet, Garrett is not wrong to point out that there was decline. Andrew Fuller, who, as Garrett notes, was instrumental in the revitalization of the Baptists in the final decades of the century, summed up this situation of decline in his own inimitable style when he declared: “Had matters gone on but for a few years, the Baptists would have become a perfect dunghill in society.”[8] But, it is vital for Baptist historians to ask this: is Fuller here speaking in strict statistical terms of every nook and cranny of the denomination, or making a more general observation? One of the myths in Baptist history has been to take Fuller’s words as totally applicable to the entire denomination in England.
Was Andrew Fuller a Calvinist? Then, in a later article, “How prominent Baptists stack up: Have leading Baptist theologians affirmed teachings of Dortian Calvinism?”, Garrett makes the following comment about Andrew Fuller’s own commitment to Calvinism: according to Garrett, Fuller “strongly advocated repentance and faith as duties,” but he “supported only two of Dortian Calvinism’s five points[,] limited atonement and irresistible grace.”[9] These remarks are very curious and have no basis in Fuller’s works. Fuller was a five-point Calvinist through and through. Yes, he did argue, against Hyper-Calvinism, that repentance and faith were duties. Hyper-Calvinists had argued that sinners are unable to do anything spiritually good, and thus are under no obligation to exercise faith in Christ. They supported their argument by reference to such texts as John 6:44 (“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”) and 1 Corinthians 2:14 (“the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”). The inability of which these passages speak, Fuller contended in response, is a moral inability, which is rooted in the sinful disposition of the heart. Men and women refuse to come to Christ because of their aversion to him. They fail to understand the gospel and the things of the Spirit because they lack the means by which such matters are understood, namely, the presence of the indwelling Spirit. And they lack the Spirit because their hearts are closed to God. These verses are not speaking of a physical inability—such as insanity or mental deficiency—which excuses its subject of blame.[10] In making this distinction between physical and moral inability, which Fuller derived from Jonathan Edwards, Fuller was seeking to affirm a scriptural paradox: sinful men and women are utterly powerless to turn to God except through the regenerative work of God’s Holy Spirit, yet this powerlessness is the result of their own sinful hearts.[11] In other words, Fuller takes seriously the Scriptures’ affirmation of the total/radical depravity of the human heart. This led Fuller to address the role of the Spirit’s work in conversion. Hyper-Calvinists argued that if repentance and faith are ascribed by the Scriptures to the work of the Spirit, then “they cannot be duties required of sinners.” As Fuller points out, though, the force of this objection is dependent upon the supposition that “we do not stand in need of the Holy Spirit to enable us to comply with our duty.” What is amazing about this supposition is that Arminianism assumes the same. For the Arminian, because faith is commanded of sinners by God, then they must be able to believe without the irresistible drawing of the Spirit. Similarly, the Hyper-Calvinist reasons that since faith is wrought by the Spirit it cannot be an act of obedience. The truth of the matter, however, is that “we need the influence of the Holy Spirit to enable us to do our duty” and that “repentance and faith, therefore, may be duties, notwithstanding their being the gifts of God.”[12] Fuller thus affirmed the biblical via media on this issue. In his confession of faith that he made when he was inducted into his second pastoral charge, at Kettering in 1783, Fuller maintained that he believed in “the doctrine of eternal personal election and predestination” and that “those who are effectually called of God never fall away so as to perish everlastingly, but persevere in holiness till they arrive at endless happiness.”[13] It is a Baptist urban myth that Fuller abandoned his Calvinistic heritage. He affirmed it to the end of his earthly life.
Distinct proof of this can be found when Fuller came to die in 1815, in a last letter to his close friend, John Ryland, Jr. (1753-1825), in which he affirmed his belief in the perseverance of the saints. After quoting a portion of 2 Timothy 1:12, Fuller went on to say:
“I am a poor, guilty creature; but Christ is an almighty Saviour. I have preached and written much against the abuse of the doctrine of grace; but that doctrine is all my salvation and all my desire. I have no other hope, than from salvation by mere sovereign, efficacious grace, through the atonement of my Lord and Saviour. With this hope, I can go into eternity with composure.”[14]
What I love about Andrew Fuller is this wholehearted commitment to the doctrines of grace and his passion for missions. He did not compromise either. And in so doing, he proved to be a safe guide for Baptists today.
[1] James Leo Garrett, Jr., “A question facing Baptist churches: Does Dortian Calvinism really matter?”, The Alabama Baptist (Thursday, August 2, 2007) (http://www.al.com/living/alabamabaptist/index.ssf?/base/living/118581125997920.xml&coll=8; accessed august 6, 2007).
[2] Garrett, Jr., “A question facing Baptist churches.”
[3] Deryck W. Lovegrove, Established Church, Sectarian People. Itineracy and the transformation of English Dissent, 1780-1830 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988), 7; B.R. White, “Reviews: H. Leon McBeth, The Baptist Heritage: Four centuries of Baptist witness”, The Baptist Quarterly, 32 (1987-1988), 256.
[4] “Effects of Toleration on Eighteenth-Century Dissent”, The Journal of Religious History, 8 (1974-1975), 350-363. There were exceptions, of course. Between 1688 and 1705 William Mitchel and David Crosley (1669-1744) evangelized towns and villages throughout east Lancashire and West Yorkshire from their base at Rossendale. For further details, see W.E. Blomfield, “Yorkshire Baptist Churches in the 17th and 18th Centuries” in The Baptists of Yorkshire (2nd ed.; Bradford/London; Wm. Byles & Sons Ltd./London: Kingsgate Press, 1912), 73-88; Ian Sellers, ed., Our Heritage. The Baptists of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire (Leeds: The Yorkshire Baptist Association/The Lancashire and Cheshire Baptist Association, 1987), 10-11.
[5] Established Church, Sectarian People, 7.
[6] Reason, Grace, and Sentiment. A Study of the Language of Religion and Ethics in England, 1660-1780 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), I, 169.
[7] Barrie R. White, Letter to the author, May 6, 1991.
[8] Cited Simon Valentine, “A wrestler who fought the Devil”, Baptist Times, 7297 (March 1, 1990), 6.
[9] James Leo Garrett, Jr., “How prominent Baptists stack up: Have leading Baptist theologians affirmed teachings of Dortian Calvinism?”, The Alabama Baptist (Thursday, August 2, 2007) (http://www.al.com/living/alabamabaptist/index.ssf?/base/living/118581123097920.xml&coll=8)
[10] The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation in The Complete Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, revised Joseph Belcher (1845 ed.; repr. Harrisonburg, Virginia: Sprinkle Publications, 1988), 2:376-379.
[11] James E. Tull, Shapers of Baptist Thought (1972 ed.; repr. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1984), 90.
[12] Works, 2:379-380.
[13] Confession of Faith VIII and XIV in Michael A.G. Haykin, ed., The Armies of the Lamb: The spirituality of Andrew Fuller (Dundas, Ontario: Joshua Press, 2001), 276, 279.
[14] Cited John Ryland, The Work of Faith, the Labour of Love, and the Patience of Hope Illustrated; in the Life and Death of the Reverend Andrew Fuller (London: Button & Son, 1816), 544-546.
In 18th Century
← Andrew Fuller Conference Two Weeks AwayTheology Fashionistas and CH Spurgeon →
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Salameh Kaileh: Assad’s collapse imminent
Popular movement will prevail over foreign meddling
Mohamed Aburous and Wilhelm Langthaler
Salameh Kaileh is a Palestinian-Syrian author, political activist and Marxist intellectual representing the Syrian Left Coalition. He was arrested anew on April 24, 2012. Having been tortured, he was eventually deported from Syria where he had spent three decades and out of that eight years in prison.
Haytham Manna at the Anti-imperialist Camp in Assisi
Discuss with leaders and activists of the Syrian popular uprising
Haytham Manna is the foreign representative of the “National Co-ordination Body for Democratic Change” (NBC) and as such one of the most vocal and prominent figures of the Syrian left as well as of the anti-imperialist wing of the current democratic people’s movement.
Damascus uprising calling upon soldiers to switch side
Statement of the Syrian Left Coalition
All Syrians follow the huge revolutionary developments which overwhelmed the capital Damascus in the past two days, knowing that what the media covers is less than what happens in the uprising capital. It confirms the persistence of the revolution and its marsh towards victory. Everybody can see the weakness of the regime, the dispersion of its forces and its tendency towards disintegration.
Tahrir popular uprisings at our doors
In the first years after the formation of the Anti-imperialist Camp we used to hold an annual public summer camp in Assisi, Italy, the last one in 2004. After difficult years we revive this experience this year 2012 on the juncture of the Arab revolt and the Southern European movements against the EU crisis.
Obamania
Why we remain anti-American
A Black president in a country that was founded on slavery and racism—that is a true sensation. We understand and share the joy and satisfaction in the Black communities from Harlem via Chicago to New Orleans.
One Democratic State to be debated in Assisi
Protagonists of the Palestine solidarity will get together
The support to the Palestinian liberation struggle always has been in the heard of the Anti-imperialist Camp. Therefore this year’s camp in Assisi, Italy, scheduled for 23-26 of August will feature a debate on the future of the Palestine solidarity movement.
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Wells, C.E., O’Connor, A.R. & Moulin, C.J.A. (in press). Déjà vu experiences in anxiety. Memory. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1538418 [pdf]
Urquhart, J.A., Sivakumaran, M.H., Macfarlane, J.A. & O’Connor, A.R. (in press). fMRI evidence supporting the role of memory conflict in the déjà vu experience. Memory. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1524496 [pdf]
Liverakos, K., McIntosh, K., Moulin, C.J.A. & O’Connor A.R. (2018). How accurate are runners’ prospective predictions of their race times? PLoS ONE. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200744 [pdf]
Sivakumaran, M.H., Mackenzie, A.K., Callan, I.R., Ainge, J.A. & O’Connor, A.R. (2018). The discrimination ratio derived from novel object recognition tasks as a measure of recognition memory sensitivity, not bias. Scientific Reports. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-30030-7 [pdf]
Urquhart, J.A. & O’Connor, A.R. (2018). Constructing and model-fitting receiver operator characteristics using continuous data. PsyArXiv. doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/QDGJC [pdf]
Jersakova, R., Allen, R.J., Booth, J., Souchay, C. & O’Connor, A.R. (2017). Understanding metacognitive confidence: Insights from judgment-of-learning justifications. Journal of Memory and Language, 97, 187-207. doi: 10.1016/j.jml.2017.08.002 [pdf]
Kempnich*, M., Urquhart*, J.A., O’Connor, A.R. & Moulin, C.J.A. (2017). Evidence for the contribution of a threshold retrieval process to semantic memory. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70(10), 2026-2047. doi: 10.1080/17470218.2016.1220607 [pdf with supplmentary information]
Rathbone, C.J., O’Connor, A.R. & Moulin, C.J.A. (2017) The tracks of my years: Personal significance contributes to the reminiscence bump. Memory and Cognition, 45(1), 137-150. doi: 10.3758/s13421-016-0647-2 [pdf]
Mill, R.D., O’Connor, A.R. & Dobbins, I.G. (2016). Pupil dilation during recognition memory: Isolating unexpected recognition from judgment uncertainty. Cognition, 154, 81-94. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.05.018 [pdf]
Persson, B.M., Ainge, J.A. & O’Connor, A.R. (2016). Disambiguating past events: Accurate source memory for time and context depends on different retrieval processes. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 132, 40-48. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.05.002 [pdf]
Jersakova, R., Moulin, C.J.A. & O’Connor, A.R. (2016). Investigating the role of assessment method on reports of déjà vu and tip-of-the-tongue states during standard recognition tests. PLoS ONE, 11(4), e0154334. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154334 [pdf]
Noreen, S., O’Connor, A.R. & MacLeod, M.D. (2016). Neural Correlates of Direct and Indirect Suppression of Autobiographical Memories. Frontiers in Psychology, 7:379. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00379 [pdf]
Mill, R.D., Cavin, I. & O’Connor, A.R. (2015). Differentiating the functional contributions of resting connectivity networks to memory decision-making: fMRI support for multi-stage control processes. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 27, 1617-1632. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00808 [pdf with Supplementary Information]
Teale, J. & O’Connor, A.R. (2015). What is déjà vu? Frontiers for Young Minds. 3:1. doi: 10.3389/frym.2015.00001 [pdf]
Harris, C.B., O’Connor, A.R. & Sutton, J. (2015). Cue generation or memory construction in direct and generative autobiographical memory. Consciousness and Cognition, 33, 204-216. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2014.12.012 [pdf]
Jersakova, R., O’Connor, A.R. & Moulin, C.J.A. (2015). What’s new in déjà vu? In S Haque & E Sheppard (Eds) Culture and Cognition: A collection of critical essays. Peter Lang International Academic Publishers. [pdf]
Urquhart, J.A. & O’Connor, A.R. (2014). The awareness of novelty for strangely familiar words: A laboratory analogue of the déjà vu experience. PeerJ. doi: 10.7717/peerj.666 [pdf]
Mill, R.D. & O’Connor, A.R. (2014). Question format shifts bias away from the emphasised response in tests of recognition memory. Consciousness & Cognition, 30, 91-104. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2014.09.006 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R. & Moulin, C.J.A. (2013). Déjà vu experiences in healthy subjects are unrelated to laboratory tests of recollection and familiarity for word stimuli. Frontiers in Psychology, 4:881. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00881 [pdf]
Gradin, V., Waiter, G., O’Connor, A.R., Romaniuk, L., Stickle, C., Matthews, K., Hall, J., Steele, D. (2013). Salience network-midbrain dysconnectivity and blunted reward signals in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 211(2), 104-111. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.06.003 [pdf]
Jaeger, A., Selmeczy, D., O’Connor, A.R., Diaz, M. & Dobbins, I.G. (2012). Prefrontal cortex contributions to controlled memory judgment: fMRI evidence from adolescents and young adults. Neuropsychologia, 50, 3745-3756. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.10.022 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R. (2012) Book Review – Delete: The virtue of forgetting in the digital age. Memory Studies, (4), 504-506 doi: 10.1177/1750698012451068b [pdf].
Illman, N.A., Moulin, C.J.A., O’Connor, A.R., Chauvel, P. (2012). Déjà experiences in Epilepsy: Contributions from memory research. In A. Zeman et al. (Eds) Epilepsy and Memory- The State of the Art. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580286.003.0007 [pdf]
Han, S., O’Connor, A.R., Eslick, A. & Dobbins, I.G. (2012). The role of left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex during episodic decisions: Semantic elaboration or resolution of episodic interference? Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 24(1), 223-234. doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00133 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R., Guhl, E.N., Cox, J.C. & Dobbins, I.G. (2011). Some memories are odder than others: Judgments of episodic oddity violate known decision rules. Journal of Memory and Language, 64(4), 299-315. doi:10.1016/j.jml.2011.02.001 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R., Han, S. & Dobbins, I.G. (2010). The inferior parietal lobule and recognition memory: Expectancy violation or successful retrieval? The Journal of Neuroscience, 30(8), 2924-2934. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4225-09.2010 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R. & Moulin, C.J.A. (2010). Recognition without identification, erroneous familiarity, and déjà vu. Current Psychiatry Reports, 12(3), 165-173. doi:10.1007/s11920-010-0119-5 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R., Lever, C. & Moulin, C.J.A. (2010). Novel insights into false recollection: A model of déjà vécu. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 15, 118-144. doi:10.1080/13546800903113071 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R. & Moulin, C.J.A. (2008). The persistence of erroneous familiarity in an epileptic male: Challenging perceptual theories of déjà vu activation. Brain and Cognition, 68, 144-147. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2008.03.007 [pdf]
Barnier, A.J., Cox, R.E., O’Connor, A., Coltheart, M., Langdon, R., Breen, N., & Turner, M. (2008). Developing hypnotic analogues of clinical delusions: Mirrored-self misidentification. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 13, 406-430. doi:10.1080/13546800802355666 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R., Barnier, A.J. & Cox, R.E. (2008). Déjà vu in the laboratory: A behavioral and experiential comparison of posthypnotic amnesia and posthypnotic familiarity. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 56(4), 425-450. doi:10.1080/00207140802255450 [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R., Moulin, C.J.A. & Cohen, G. (2008). Memory and consciousness. In G. Cohen, & M.A. Conway (Eds.), Memory in the Real World (3rd Edition). Hove: Psychology Press. [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R. (2008) Politics and peer review. The Psychologist, 21(9), 752. [pdf]
O’Connor, A.R., & Moulin, C.J.A. (2006). Normal patterns of déjà experience in a healthy, blind male: Challenging optical pathway delay theory. Brain and Cognition 62(3), 246-249. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2006.06.004 [pdf]
Moulin, C.J.A., Turunen, M., Salter, A.J.A., O’Connor, A.R., Conway, M.A., & Jones, R.W. (2006). Recollective confabulation: Persistent déjà vecu in dementia. Helix Review Series, 2, 10-15.
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Daniel Linehan: Zombie Aporia | Lilian Baylis Studio | Sadler's Wells Theatre | London
Text by Grace Henderson
Zombie means living and dead. Aporia means logical contraction. The title of choreographer and performer
Daniel Linehan's latest work is a hybrid of two words that have never been joined together before - at least not according to Google. In Zombie Aporia, Linehan sets out to create unusual hybrids; musical rhythms colliding with opposing dance rhythms, or physical manipulations that result in the distortion of the voice.
Like much of Linehan's choreographic output, this work is intent on softly obscuring the line that separates dance from the everyday affectations we all use to express ourselves. Zombie Aporia is showing next week on 9 and 10 May. Daniel Linehan talks us through his latest work.
A: Can you tell me a bit more about Zombie Aporia, and how the work came to be so titled?
DL: In making Zombie Aporia, I wanted to find ways of combining two elements that didn't seem to fit together, creating different kinds of aporias, or logical contradictions. The title itself is a strange hybrid-a pop-culture reference is placed beside a term from philosophical discourse, Zombie plus Aporia, two words that don't seem to fit together, but which to my ear have a pleasing rhythm and assonance.
A: Much of the piece seems to centre on the idea of collision – what in particular is this exploring or communicating?
DL: The collision of two opposing elements allows us as dancers to perform in ways that are unfamiliar to us, and allows the audience to see things that are unfamiliar to them. So, for example, we dance in one rhythm while we sing in a completely different rhythm, or we try to make the audience see what the dancer sees. I am interested in how new meanings are produced when you combine elements that haven't been combined before. I didn't want to create a performance in which we do what we already know how to do, I wanted to put the dancers in situations that required the effort of trying something which seemed impossible.
A: Many of your works blur the boundaries somewhat between dance and our everyday physical mannerisms; why is this and how is this blurring achieved technically?
DL: In my work, the dancers are often trying to achieve a nearly impossible task that requires simultaneous layers of thinking and doing and reacting. This involves an intense effort of concentration and bodily engagement, but the movement vocabulary is not always derived from a recognizable dance technique, so it is not fully "dance," but neither is it fully an "everyday task". I am interested in ways of using the body that inhabit a region somewhere in between recognizable forms. I am not interested in amazing feats of dance technique. The only interesting thing to me about virtuosity is that nobody can fully realize it. Imperfection is the drive that keeps me going.
A: I understand that Zombie Aporia also uses the voice; how does this figure in the work and what does it bring to it overall?
DL: The music for the piece comes only from our own voices. There are no instruments and no amplifiers in the space other than our own bodies and voices. Zombie Aporia is very focused on how the voice is fundamentally based within the body, so I didn't want any other element of sound to interfere with that. We explore how the voice is transformed when one dancer manipulates the body of another dancer. We explore how proximity or distance in space changes how the audience hears our voices. We explore how bodily vibrations and how physical exhaustion alters the quality of the voice.
A: This piece marks your return to Sadler’s Wells after making your London debut there last year with Montage for Three and Not About Everything. What, for you, is special about staging your work there?
DL: Some of my work, like Not About Everything and Zombie Aporia, includes a lot of text (in English), and it seems especially significant to perform these works for an audience whose mother tongue is English. I often use subtitles or librettos in other countries in Europe, and of course many people speak English very well in other places, but I feel like audiences in New York and London can connect to these works on a deeper level. As for performing at Sadler's Wells, I really respect this venue; they are dedicated not only to large prominent dance companies, but also committed to helping less established choreographers like myself to develop and present their works.
A: What is next for you after Zombie Aporia and do you have plans to work with Sadler’s Wells again in the future?
DL: My next project will take a short section from Zombie Aporia and develop the concept further. This is a section in which a video projection exposes to the audience an image of what the dancer sees while he is dancing. I am very interested in how this technique allows the audience to experience dance-watching in an completely different way. I am very happy to have Sadler's Wells as one of the co-producers for this project, and I'm looking forward to presenting this piece there in 2013.
Daniel Linehan, Zombie Aporia, 09/05/2012 - 10/05/2012, Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN. Tickets: 0844 412 4300 www.sadlerswells.com
Posted by Aesthetica at Friday, May 04, 2012 6 comments Links to this post
Sara Greavu & Phil Hession: Titanic Toast | Golden Thread Gallery | Belfast
Of the many urban myths surrounding the Titanic’s legacy one predominant legend describes how Protestant dock workers in Belfast chalked the letters NPH (“No Pope Here”) on the ships bow thus dooming its maiden voyage. Another tale includes a curse of destruction from an Ancient Egyptian mummy named Amen-Ra whose body was on board in the hold. With the Titanic centenary celebrations predictably focusing on the standard facts the curator of Titanic Toast Peter Richards, Director of The GT Gallery, challenged invited artists Sara Greavu and Phil Hession to “explore alternative narratives and the question of how we remember.”
Sara Greavu addresses the tradition of myth-making through the power of the spoken word. In a collaborative production with Abby Oliveire from Derry based collective Poetry Chicks the viewer is presented with a large format video projection entitled Apocalips Lil and the Night to Remember. Traditionally in African-American communities to perform a Toast is to energetically narrate the tale of an heroic event and this oral artform has been considered the precursor to Rap. Referencing an original Toast, Shine and the Titanic, Oliveire is pictured narrating the stirring tale of a boiler stocker on board the Titanic and how his warnings of the disaster were disregarded due to his lowly social position. At one point the video image disappears (perhaps intentionally or due a technical fault) leaving the viewer in an eerily darkened space listening to the poignant resonance of Oliveire’s recitation. In an adjoining gallery Greavu presents three stunning collages that re-imagine what would have become of the Titanic if its maiden voyage had been uneventful. As many liners were commandeered by the navy during World War I and World War II Greavu has rendered the Titanic in bright geometric forms of orange, red and yellow hues. This battleship camouflage or dazzle was used by the military to confuse the enemy with its busy geometric composition making it hard to decipher the bow from the stern. At the adjacent wall Greavu has repeated the dazzle camouflage but on a larger scale creating an intense visual experience. In this room in particular we are reminded of The Titanic’s battle with the sea, the harsh frozen elements, it’s sinking, the survivors and the fatalities.
Taking a documentary approach, Phil Hession’s video installation Sing Along, If You Can attempts to analyse certain aspects of the Titanic’s original purpose. The artist spent eight days on board a trans-Atlantic cruise liner and by physically experiencing this form of transport Hession places himself within the context of the passengers. By keeping a visual diary of his time on board we experience the journey from the artist’s perspective. The recorded conversations that ensued with the cabin crew and fellow travellers range from discussions on safety, evacuation procedures and the reasons one chooses to participate in a voyage of this nature in the first place. Hessian skilfully captures the inherent oddness when strangers are placed in close proximity by chance.
Both artists have employed thought provoking and engaging methods to approach this overexposed subject and in doing so they manage to reinvigorate elements of the Titanic’s legacy.
Sara Greavu & Phil Hession: Titanic Toast, The Golden Thread Gallery, 84 - 94 Great Patrick Street, Belfast, BT1 2LU. www.goldenthreadgallery.co.uk
Phil Hession Sing Along, If You Can
Posted by Aesthetica at Thursday, May 03, 2012 9 comments Links to this post
ASFF 2012: ONE MONTH TO GO! SUBMIT TODAY TO SCREEN YOUR FILM
It's now only one month until the deadline for The Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2012 (ASFF) and here in the Aesthetica offices, we're getting very excited. We've already had some excellent entries from filmmakers across the world, and with an amazing line-up of masterclasses and networking events with the likes of Warp and BAFTA, ASFF 2012 is going to be truly spectacular!
Time is running out for you to get involved! If you want to take part in this fantastic event, and share your work with an international audience, visit www.asff.co.uk to enter today.
ASFF is a unique film event, showing international short film in 15 iconic locations across the historic city of York from 8 - 11 November 2012. It's a fantastic opportunity to see your film in new and surprising visual contexts, and with the whole city teeming with the vibrant film community, you can be sure to meet industry professionals as well as filmmakers and people who share your passion for film. Plus there are also some wonderful prizes at stake, including up to £500 in cash, reciprocal screenings at other festivals, and editorial coverage in Aesthetica Magazine.
Whether you're an established or budding filmmaker, ASFF 2012 will enable you to connect with new worldwide audiences and interact with some of the biggest personalities in the film industry today. If you've got a film of up to 25 minutes, we would love to see it!
Visit www.asff.co.uk for more information and to submit today!
Courtesy the Aesthetica Short Film Festival
Posted by Aesthetica at Wednesday, May 02, 2012 1 comments Links to this post
The Viewer as Spectator, Subject or Performer | The Catlin Art Prize 2012 | Interview with Poppy Bisdee
The Catlin Art Prize, an annual event showcasing the most promising art school graduates one year on
from their degree exhibitions, opens tomorrow at the Londonewcastle Project Space and includes new work by artists who demonstrate real potential to make a mark in the art world during the next decade. Following the publication of the Catlin Guide 2012, the shortlist of artists taking part includes: Gabriella Boyd, Poppy Bisdee, Jonny Briggs, Max Dovey, Ali Kazim, Adeline de Monseignat, Soheila Sokhanvari and former winner of the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition, Julia Vogl. Working across painting, sculpture, performance and film, the shortlist is incredibly diverse, however, there was something about the work of Poppy Bisdee that caught our eye.
A former student of Wimbledon College of Art and a recipient of the LUX Moving Image Prize 2011, Bisdee was recently selected from more than 10,000 graduating students to show her work in Future Map 11, an important annual exhibition which returned to the Zabludowicz Collection for the second year running.
Aesthetica caught up with Poppy Bisdee ahead of the opening to find out more.
BR: Let’s start off by talking about what you do. What is the main thrust of your creative practice? Where did it all begin for you?
PB: I am fascinated by the viewer's experience of art, and the ephemeral elements which make up that experience such as light, space and time. I am interested in the relationship between the viewer and the artwork, and the role of the viewer within the exhibition environment. My work is often a response to a space where it is ultimately to be exhibited. I use various recording and presentation technologies such as film and projection to create minimal sculptures and installations which reflect the exhibition space, the viewer's presence, and the duration of the viewing experience. By mirroring the viewer's physicality through images, sounds and shadows, I hope to bring in to question their role as spectator, subject or performer.
BR: What work will you be showing in the Catlin Art Prize?
PB: For the Catlin Art Prize I will be showing a 24-hour delay video installation, presenting the viewer with a video of the space they are standing in, but 24-hours before. The space will be constantly recorded, so those viewers will be shown in the video the following day. The playing video will also be visible in the recording, so there will be a repetition of the space throughout the recordings. This piece evolved as a development of previous works where I used photography to capture and present the exhibition space.
BR: Why have you chosen to work with recording technologies and projection and what are you hoping to achieve through these media?
PB: Using recording technologies, such as photographs or films, allows me to capture the space and the viewer's experience. Recording film, video or audio allows me to not only capture the visuals, but also a length of time, such as the duration of the viewing experience. Using presentation technologies, such as film projection or data projection, allows me to present the viewer with these recordings. Through my work I explore the sensory qualities of various forms of recording and presentation technologies, for example the quality of light or the mechanical sounds of an old film projector, with the aim to heighten the viewer's perceptive senses. I am especially interested in projection technologies as a projection uses the same ephemeral elements that make up an experience, light, space and time. Projection allows me to explore my ideas of mirroring a space within a space, for example I have created projections of spaces, which fall directly onto the walls of the space where they were originally recorded.
BR: If you had to condense your work into three overarching ideas, what would they be?
PB: If I had to condense my work into three overarching ideas, the first idea would be to explore our self-reflection on our immediate presence in space and time. The second would be to explore our understanding of the exhibition space. The third would be to explore our relationship as viewers with the artwork.
BR: The viewer is a central element in your work, Could you expand on these roles of spectator, subject and performer?
PB: My work is made to draw attention to the viewer’s experience which makes them part of it, and in a way they complete it. This brings into question whether they are spectators of the work, there to simply view and experience it; the subject of the work, there to satisfy the work’s concept; or the performers of the work, there as a physical element of the work. In my opinion, the viewer of my work is all three. With a lot of artworks the viewer is just a spectator, but when experiencing my work I would like the viewer to think more about their role and relationship with the work.
BR: What is your personal opinion on art prizes? What purpose do you feel they serve?
PB: I feel that although art prizes are a great opportunity for artists to gain more exposure in the art world, more importantly they allow the artist to develop their art practice further, giving them more confidence in their ideas, and sometimes allowing them to make work which would otherwise be beyond their means.
BR: What’s next for you?
PB: I am working towards a group show in the summer; details are yet to be confirmed. I am also in the early stages of organising a show with a group of fellow artists, so always looking out for exciting and unusual possible exhibition spaces. For more details and updates, please see my website: www.poppybisdee.com
The Catlin Art Prize 2012, Londonewcastle Project Space, 03/05/2012 - 25/05/2012, 28 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, London, E2 7DP. www.londonewcastle.com
To read more about how Julia Vogl promotes the idea of community in her work please follow this link for an in-depth interview Aesthetica conducted with the artist in February.
Poppy Bisdee Measure
Courtesy Art Catlin
▼ April 29 - May 6 (4)
Daniel Linehan: Zombie Aporia | Lilian Baylis Stud...
Sara Greavu & Phil Hession: Titanic Toast | Golden...
ASFF 2012: ONE MONTH TO GO! SUBMIT TODAY TO SCREEN...
The Viewer as Spectator, Subject or Performer | Th...
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Philippines Overview:
The United States gained control of the Philippines in 1898 after defeating Spain in the Spanish-American War.
The Philippines gained their independence in 1946, following a period of Japanese occupation in the Second World War.
Ferdinand Marcos ruled the island as a dictator between 1965 to 1986.koo
Islamic rebels continue to fight government forces in the south of the country, while a communist insurgency continues in other parts of the Philippines.
The Philippines’ economy has not realized the massive growth that many other countries in Southeast Asia have experienced over the past four decades.
Key Facts and Data:
Official Name – Republic of the Philippines
Capital – Manila
Government Type – Republic
Head of State and Government – President Rodrigo Duterte (since 2016) • Population – 104,256,000
Land Area – 298.170 sq. km
Total GDP (US$) – $305 billion
Currency – Philippine peso
Current Events:
Political Outlook :
Key Political Issues
Economic Outlook :
Demographic and Environmental Outlook :
Key Political Events and Changes:
President Duterte suggested that he wanted to finish his term early as he was becoming too old and tired to do the job.
In May 2018, the country’s highest court forced its chief justice, Maria Lourdes Sereno, to step down. She had been one of the most vocal critics of President Duterte and his war on drugs.
President Duterte extended martial law by another year in the southern Philippines due to the threat of Islamist and Communist militants.
The United States and the Philippines carried out a large scale joint military exercise in May 2018.
In April 2018, Kuwait expelled the Philippines’ ambassador to that country over a dispute concerning the treatment of Philippine guest workers in that country.
Key Economic Events and Changes:
GDP growth in the Philippines accelerated to 6.8% on a year-on-year basis in the first quarter of 2018. Growth was boosted by highest levels of government spending and capital formation in the first quarter.
Exports from the Philippines declined by 8.2% year-on-year in March 2018, continuing a recent run of disappointing export results.
The country’s inflation rate rose to 4.5% year-on-year in April 2018.
The country’s central bank raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.25% in May 2018 in a bid to combat rising inflationary pressures.
The unemployment rate in the Philippines rose to 5.3% in the first quarter of 2018.
The government launched an investigation into a public dengue fever immunization program that may pose health risks to 730,000 children in the Philippines. This led to tens of thousands of parents refusing to allow their children to receive the vaccine in the first few months of 2018.
In April 2018, the government closed the popular tourist island of Boracay for six months in a bid to restore the environmental health of the island’s beaches and the waters off of the island.
The lower house of the Philippine parliament passed a bill that would legalize divorce in the country in April 2018. However, this bill faces major opposition, including from President Duterte.
Philippines Political Outlook
Philippines: Current Government
President Rodrigo Duterte was sworn in as president of the Philippines in mid-2016.
Meanwhile, Leni Robredo became the new vice president at the same time.
Key Members Of The Government :
Head of State and Government – President Rodrigo Duterte
Vice-President – Leni Robredo
Minister of Foreign Affairs – Alan Peter Cayetano
Minister of Finance – Carlos Dominquez III
Minister of the Interior and Local Government – Eduardo Ano
Minister of Justice – Vitaliano Aguirre
Minister of Defense – Delfin Lorenzana
Minister of Trade and Industry – Ramon Lopez
Profile of President Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Duterte was elected president of the Philippines in 2016, after winning a clear victory in that year’s presidential election.
Prior to becoming president, he was the mayor of the southern city of Davao City, where he made a name for himself nationally by taking a hard line on crime and corruption and reducing that city’s crime rates dramatically.
President Duterte is the first ethnic Mindinaoan to become the president of the Philippines.
President Duterte has focused many of his efforts at reducing crime and corruption in the Philippines.
His methods (and his tone) have been criticized by human rights groups who accuse him of using unlawful methods to combat crime and corruption.
President Duterte’s economy policies have been focused on improving living standards for poorer Filipinos.
Otherwise, he has maintained many of the policies of his predecessors, including welcoming foreign investment and trade as a means of boosting economic growth and living standards in the Philippines.
Philippines: Most Recent Elections
Presidential Elections – May 2016
Summary of the Last Elections:
The controversial mayor of the southern city of Davao, Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, won a resounding victory in May 2016’s presidential election.
Duterte had trailed in the polls just a few months before the election, but his anti-crime platform won him a great deal of support in the final months of the campaign.
In the end, Duterte won 36.5% of the popular vote, well ahead of President Aquino’s favored candidate, Mar Roxas (22.% of the vote) and the relative newcomer, Grace Poe (20.5% of the vote).
The campaign was dominated by the controversial statements made before and during the campaign by Mr. Duterte.
He vowed to kill thousands of criminals in the Philippines and to bend the laws of the country to eliminate crime within his first year in office.
Many foreign countries criticized Mr. Duterte in the run up to the election, but this did little to dent his popularity.
Philippines’ Leading Political Forces: Liberal Party (PLP)
History :
The Liberal Party re-emerged as a leading force in the country’s politics following Benigno Aquino’s victory in the 2010 presidential election.
The Liberal Party has been in existence since 1945 and is now one of the best-established parties in the country.
Key Policies and Stances :
The Liberals favor lower taxes for individuals and businesses in the Philippines.
The party has taken a strong stance against corruption in the country in recent years.
The Liberals were the leaders in the efforts to reduce the presence of the United States military in the Philippines.
Outlook :
The Liberals will be the leading force in the country’s politics over the near-term thanks to President Aquino’s position.
Nevertheless, the party will likely find it difficult to exercise too much power given the divided nature of the country’s political system.
Philippines: International Relations Outlook
China’s claim to much of the South China Sea, including the Spratly Islands, has been contested by the Philippines and this has significantly raised tensions between the two countries in recent years.
Malaysia and the Philippines dispute the control of three islands in the South China Sea as well.
The Philippines main priority will be to maintain internal stability and this will heavily influence its international affairs for decades to come.
Relations with the US will remain paramount as the Philippines looks to control Muslim rebels in the south and to hold off the rising influence of China.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has 10 member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
ASEAN was established 1967 in Thailand by the organization’s five original members (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand).
The five additional members of ASEAN all joined the organization between 1984 and 1999.
ASEAN seeks to promote economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in Southeast Asia, while also seeking to promote regional peace and stability.
One of the organisations primary objectives is to establish ASEAN as a single market and production base, thus allowing the organization to better compete with its larger neighbors.
ASEAN intends to achieve this goal by establishing a free flow of investment, capital and products between member countries.
Furthermore, ASEAN seeks to encourage peace in Southeast Asia and throughout the rest of Asia by ensuring democratic values are upheld in the region, although this aim has been severely tested in recent years.
ASEAN is facing a number of challenges that could jeopardize the prospects for unity and prosperity in Southeast Asia. First, political unrest in number of key member states could destabilize the region. Second, the economic challenge presented by China and India is threatening the region’s ability to maintain strong economic growth.
Potential Conflict: China
Main Disputes:
The two countries are the key players in the dispute over control of the potentially oil-rich Spratly Islands.
Mischief Reef, which is far closer to the Philippines than China, is currently occupied by Chinese forces.
China has asserted its “right” to control the entire South China Sea, including areas near the Philippines.
The Philippines regularly apprehends Chinese fishermen in Philippine waters.
Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios:
Best Case Scenario – China accepts an international settlement to the Spratly Islands dispute that allows the Philippines a share of the territory.
Worst-Case Scenario – China asserts its claim to most of the South China Sea, bringing it into conflict with the Philippines.
The Philippines has little capacity to project military power outside of its borders.
In fact, the country’s armed forces struggle to maintain control over its vast array of islands and territories.
The military’s main task has been to maintain control of Mindanao and nearby islands.
With assistance from the US, it has registered some recent successes against Muslim separatist forces in recent years.
China’s ambitions in the South China Sea are a major concern for the military.
This has led to the Philippines building up its naval capabilities in the region.
The Philippines has little capacity to upgrade its military capabilities in the near future.
This will result in a widening of military capabilities between the Philippines and China, as well as other countries in the region.
Philippines: Political Risk Outlook
The Philippines face some of the highest levels of political risk in all of East Asia and these levels are likely to remain high for the foreseeable future.
At present, the government has regional rebel movements fairly well under control, but an increase in infighting among the government and the military could lead to a broad destabilization of the country.
The country’s piecemeal political system also leads to higher levels of political risk as the system is based more on individuals than on land-standing political parties or movements.
Philippines Economic Outlook
The Philippines’ traditionally agriculture-based economy is becoming increasingly diversified as the service and manufacturing sectors have expanded in recent decades.
Lost-cost manufacturing has been one of the fastest growing areas of the economy.
Agriculture is split between food crops for domestic consumption and cash crops such as sugar cane and tobacco.
The Philippines is home to some of Asia’s largest wealth disparities.
For example, Manila and its suburbs are nearly ten times wealthier than southern Mindanao.
Manufacturing will continue to play a more important role in the Philippine economy, but will not reach the levels of China or many other Southeast Asian countries.
As a result, agriculture will continue to play an important role, with export potential growing in the coming decades.
The service sector also has the potential to record major growth in the coming years.
Key Wealth-Related Issues and Trends
The Philippines remains one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.
Moreover, purchasing power has failed to grow as quickly as in many other countries in the region.
Poverty is widespread, with major wealth discrepancies existing between different regions.
Without a major increase in foreign investment and in manufactured exports, wealth levels in the Philippines will continue to fall further behind other countries in the region, such as China. This, in turn, will result in slower economic growth rates in the future as foreign investment goes elsewhere.
Philippines: GDP Growth Outlook
GDP growth has been very high since 2010, in part as a result of a major increase in domestic demand levels.
In 2016, the Philippines recorded the highest rate of economic growth in East Asia, surpassing China, before a slight slowdown in 2017.
Future Outlook :
GDP growth will slowly trend upwards over the course of the near-term as domestic and export demand levels continue to trend upwards.
Philippines: Industrial Production Growth Outlook
Current Outlook
Foreign investment in the manufacturing sector has remained relatively small, preventing industrial production growth rates from reaching the levels of many other countries in the region.
Without a major increase in foreign investment, industrial production growth will remain below the regional average.
Manufacturing Location Rankings by in Developing Asia
Current Situation:
China remains Asia’s most attractive manufacturing location and the world’s dominant manufacturing center, but rising costs are jeopardizing its position.
Other East Asian emerging markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines are attracting more low-cost manufacturing investment.
Future Situation:
Chinese manufacturing will continue to move upmarket as costs rise.
Other Asian emerging markets will see their manufacturing sectors grow rapidly in the coming years as the region remains the center of global manufacturing.
Retail and Consumer Market Overview
Despite the Country’s recent run of economic growth retail sales growth levels have remained quite low during this period. Moreover, purchasing power levels in the Philippines remain well behind those of China and most other Asian emerging markets.
Philippines: Inflation Outlook
Falling oil prices helped to push down inflation rates in 2015 and 2016.
However, inflationary pressures returned over the course of 2017 and the first part of 2018.
Inflation rates will trend slightly upwards in the coming years.
Moreover, a number of pressures and shocks could lead to further spikes in inflation later in the forecast period.
Foreign Trade Overview
The Philippines current account surplus has all but disappeared in recent years due to weaker export demand and rising demand for imported goods. Looking ahead,high import levels will result in a current account deficit , despite improving export prospects over the long term.
The United States and Japan accounted for a large portion of the FDI inflows to the Philippines in recent years.
The manufacturing sector has been the leading recipient of this FDI as investors are targeting the Philippines for low-cost, labor intensive manufacturing operations.
The banking, mining and food processing sectors are also receiving significant amounts of foreign investment.
Foreign investment inflows in the Philippines have increased significantly in recent years.
This is due in large part to the growing attractiveness of the Philippines’ domestic market.
The Philippines will continue to trail many of its East Asian competitors in the race to attract foreign investment, but the gap will continue to close.
Political factors will remain a key factor in the Philippines’ ability to attract foreign investment.
Working Patterns and the Labor Force in Philippines
Unemployment and underemployment remains a problem in the Philippines, but economic growth has allowed for these rates to trend downwards in recent years.
As population growth continues, unemployment will grow, unless new job creation schemes are successful.
Meanwhile, the amount of skilled labor in the Philippines is growing, but remain behind that of many of the region’s more developed countries.
One advantage that the Philippines has is that a large percentage of its skilled workforce has strong English language abilities, making outsourcing a potential source of growth in the future.
Wages in the Philippines remain among the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region.
This is particularly true away from the capital city Manila, where foreign investment remains very small.
Philippines: Exchange Rates
The Philippine peso weakened recently against most major currencies due in part to uncertainty over the political situation in the Philippines. In the coming years, a larger depreciation for the peso remains a possibility if investor confidence in the Philippines wanes or if political instability becomes a larger threat.
Fiscal Policy Overview
Current Outlook :
The Philippines actually recorded a fiscal surplus in 2014, before falling back into a deficit in 2015 and 2016 and 2017 as government spending levels increased.
The budget deficit is forecast to remain in place over the near-term, as an increase in government spending offsets higher tax revenues.
Largest Companies in Philippines
Leading Companies:
Compared with the larger countries of the region, the Philippines does not have any truly large domestic companies.
This is the result of the poverty in the country which makes it a smaller market than other countries in the region.
Few of the largest companies in the country are domestically-owned.
Outlook For Domestic Companies :
Without significant growth on the domestic market, it will be difficult for large companies to be created in the Philippines.
Moreover, foreign companies, with huge amounts of capital, will be able to take a more dominant position in the Philippines in the coming years.
Forecast Assumptions and Risk
Near-Term Global Growth to Remain Stable The near-term forecast for the global economy calls for overall economic growth rates to remain near current levels, with developed economies continuing to grow faster than in previous years.
Mid-Term Economic Risk Levels to Rise A number of risks (share price corrections, Chinese debt, political gridlock) will rise to more dangerous levels by 2019, jeopardizing the recent run of steady growth for many large economies.
Asia Drives Global Growth Asian emerging markets, led by China, India and Southeast Asia, will generate nearly half of the world’s economic growth over the near- and mid-term.
Strong Domestic Demand Domestic demand levels in the Philippines will continue to rise in the years ahead, enabling the country’s economy to continue to grow at a strong pace.
Risks:
A Global Power Vacuum Whether by design or due to internal political unrest, the United States’ ”America First” policies are resulting in power vacuums forming in many of the world’s most volatile regions.
Major Power Conflicts The risk of conflicts between large- and mid-sized powers is rising in the Middle East, Asia and East Europe, and any of these could have the scale needed to severely disrupt the global economy.
Return to Violence in the Southern Philippines While the security situation in the southern Philippines has improved in recent years, the potential for a return to widespread unrest remains firmly in place.
Economic Meltdown. Despite the recent run of impressive economic growth, the Philippines remains at risk from internal and external shocks that could lead to much lower rates of economic growth.
Philippines: Economic Risk Outlook
Economic risk levels in the Philippine have fallen significantly in recent years.
One of the main reasons for this decline in economic risk levels in the Philippines has been the development of the country’s domestic market in recent years.
Ethnic Groups : Most Filipinos are of Malay descent.
Many have some degree of Chinese or European ancestry as well. A number of small minority groups live in more remote areas of the Philippines.
Many of these ethnic minorities live in the southern islands
Languages : Both Filipino and English are official languages of the Philippines.
Filipino is derived from Tagalog, which is the language of Luzon Island.
However, other ethnic groups and regions have been reluctant to adapt this language.
Religions: The Philippines is the only country in Asia with a Christian majority.
Most Christians in the Philippines are Roman Catholic. The Muslim minority lives mostly in the South.
Muslim secessionists have been fighting the government for nearly 30 years.
Philippines: Leading Urban Centers
Manila is the dominant urban center in the Philippines and has grown to become one of the largest cities in Asia.
As urbanization continues, the population of the Manila metropolitan area will likely pass 20 million within the next two decades.
The other major cities in the country often serve as the commercial center for smaller islands.
Key Demographic Issue in Philippines
The Muslim Minority
Two groups of Muslims live on the southern island of Mindanao, the Moro and the Samal.
They adapted Islam in the 13th century as they had contacts with traders from the Middle East.
The Moro National Liberation Front began waging a guerrilla war in the early 1970s.
Fighting has been particularly heavy since 1995.
Some factions of the MNLF signed a peace treaty with the government in 1996 that granted some autonomy to Muslim areas.
Abu Sayyaf and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, MNLF splinter groups, have carried on the fighting in recent years.
They have carried out a number of kidnapping raids and terrorists acts in the southern Philippines over the past decade.
The US is providing troops, advisors and supplies to the Philippine government in an attempt to eliminate the remaining Islamic rebel factions still in operation. Difficult terrain and rebel support among the local population will make the elimination of the rebel groups a difficult task, but by putting them on the defensive, the government hopes to curtail the rebels’ ability to launch fresh terrorist attacks.
Philippines: Topography and Climate
The Philippines is a series of volcanic islands (more the 7,100) running from north to south.
The largest two islands are Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south.
The larger islands have river valleys and bays where most Filipinos live.
Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common occurrences.
The Philippines have a tropical climate with warm temperatures all year.
The rainy monsoon season lasts from May to November when the islands can be hit by severe typhoons.
The dry season in the Philippines lasts from November to April.
Rapid population growth has resulted in the Philippines having one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world.
Filipinos are increasingly moving to more forested areas of the country.
Illegal logging is proving difficult to control for the government.Manila’s air quality is notoriously bad and is growing worse.
As urban populations continue to grow, pressure on urban environments will grow. • The urban population of the Philippines will double in the next 50 years.
The Philippines are susceptible to a variety of natural disasters.
Some of the largest volcanic eruptions in recent times have occurred here
Earthquakes are also a danger.
Major typhoons hit the islands on a regular basis, causing extensive damage.
Philippines: Demographic and Environmental Risk Outlook
As the population of the Philippines continues to increase, demographic-related risk will likewise grow, adding to the potential for domestic instability.
Environmental Risk Outlook:
Few countries are more at risk from natural disasters than the Philippines.
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Cilento’s Star-Making Bermuda Role
She arrived in Bermuda in 1956 as a virtual unknown to play a castaway Edwardian servant girl in a film being shot here and found stardom — and, indirectly, love with Sean Connery — as a result of her time on the island.
Diane Cilento, the Australian actress who was propelled to international celebrity after appearing in the Bermuda-made film “The Admirable Crichton” and later became known as “Mrs. Bond” to a generation of tabloid readers after her 1962 marriage to 007 actor Mr. Connery, died in her native Queensland on October 7. She was 78.
Directed by British veteran Lewis Gilbert — best known for “The Poseidon Adventure” and three James Bond films and a mentor to Bermudian actor Earl Cameron who he cast in his dramas “There Is Another Sun” and “Emergency Call!” – “The Admirable Crichton” [re-titled "Paradise Lagoon" in the US] was largely filmed on location in Bermuda.
Based on a 1902 play by “Peter Pan” author J.M. Barrie and starring Kenneth More [pictured with Ms Cilento above on South Shore], Sally Ann Howes — the future Truly Scrumptious in 1968′s “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”– and Cecil Parker, “The Admirable Crichton” was a satire on British class conventions and focussed on an uppercrust London family and its household servants who are shipwrecked on a deserted island.
Traditional roles are reversed when it becomes clear butler William Crichton has the skills and resourcefulness to keep everyone alive. Within a few months, the social order on the island has been reversed: Crichton, who becomes affectionately known as “Guv”, takes control of affairs, while his former employers become his willing and eager servants.
The movie’s principal locations were Grape Bay and other beaches along Bermuda’s South Shore.
Released to enthusiastic reviews and healthy box office returns by Columbia Pictures in 1957, the movie made Ms Cilento an international star for her scene-stealing supporting role as the maid Eliza.
Ms Cilento went on to have a long career in movies and the theatre and won an Oscar nomination for her performance in the bawdy 1963 comedy “Tom Jones.”
She first set eyes on Sean Connery in 1957 at the glitzy London premiere of “The Admirable Crichton”. She had married a beautiful young Italian in London, only to discover that their lives were controlled by his wealthy family.
The British premiere offered two weeks of freedom from her domineering Italian in-laws. “I was footloose and fancy-free,” she says, “but pregnant by my Italian husband”.
Her strongest memory of that night was “the presence of a tall, funny actor with two gold eyeteeth, who leapt about firing off a barrage of one-liners in a broad Scottish brogue. He walked with the forward-leaning, slightly pigeon-toed gait of a body builder”, she recalls, “and his thick eyebrows met between his eyes. He looked dangerous, but fun.”
Scenes from the Portuguese-language dub of “The Admirable Crichton”
She was told by her agent it was Sean Connery, her next leading man in ITV’s upcoming production of “Anna Christie”.
“There was no question of romance,” she says, “I was about to disappear abroad to have my baby, but Sean and I became friends.”
In 1962 she divorced her husband of seven years, Andrea Volpe, and married Mr. Connery, who began his career as James Bond in “Dr. No” that same year. She divorced Mr. Connery in 1973 and 12 years later married British playwright Anthony Shaffer.
She and Mr. Shaffer lived in Queensland, where she ran a successful open-air theatre in the rain forest. Mr. Shaffer died in 2001.
BUEI To Screen “Hampstead” On July 14th
BUEI To Screen “Maiden Trip” On July 7th
BIFF To Screen “All Is True” On July 3
BIFF: Aretha Franklin Documentary Screening
BIFF To Screen Aretha Franklin Documentary
CAA To Screen “Home Truth” On June 7th
#Australia #FullLengthMovies #MoviesMadeInBermuda #MovieStars
Category: All, Entertainment, Films/Movies, History
Chronic Backpain (Original) says:
Much of the movie was also shot on Chaplin Bay – the wedding scene above was just above the beach. There is at least one copy of the movie in Bermuda as I have it.
tom burton says:
I live in London and sometimes see Lewis Gilbert in the local cafe.
When he heard I used to live in Bermuda, I remember Lewis once telling me about this film.
He said the whole crew was invited up to dinner one evening at Noel Coward’s place… and that Noel Coward insisted on cooking.
Everyone was too much in awe of him to tell him his cooking was awful.
« Videos: Kings of Construction Challenge
Upcoming: Charity Swim-A-Thon »
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Fullerence (C60) Molecule – A Review
abhijitray_2001@yahoo.com
Address: Abhijit Ray
HOD, Department of Biotechnology, Raipur Institute of Technology, Raipur (CG)
A fullerene is any molecule composed entirely of carbon, in the form of a hollow sphere, ellipsoid or tube. Spherical fullerenes are also called buckyballs, and they resemble the balls used in football. Cylindrical ones are called carbon nanotubes. Fullerenes are similar in structure to graphite, which is composed of stacked graphene sheets of linked hexagonal rings; but they may also contain pentagonal (or sometimes heptagonal) rings.The discovery of fullerenes greatly expanded the number of known carbon allotropes, which until recently were limited to graphite, diamond, andamorphous carbon such as soot and charcoal. Buckyballs and buckytubes have been the subject of intense research, both for their unique chemistry and for their technological applications, especially in materials science, electronics, and nanotechnology.The fullerene family, and especially C60, has appealing photo, electrochemical and physical properties, which can be exploited in various medical fields. Fullerene is able to fit inside the hydrophobic cavity of HIV proteases, inhibiting the access of substrates to the catalytic site of enzyme. It can be used as radical scavenger and antioxidant. At the same time, if exposed to light, fullerene can produce singlet oxygen in high quantum yields. This action, together with direct electron transfer from excited state of fullerene and DNA bases, can be used to cleave DNA. In addition, fullerenes have been used as a carrier for gene and drug delivery systems. Also they are used for serum protein profiling as MELDI material for biomarker discovery.
C60, fullerence, buckyballs, drug delivery
Abhijit Ray. Fullerence (C60) Molecule – A Review. Asian J. Pharm. Res. 2(2): April-June 2012; Page 47-50.
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South Korea's Nuclear Energy Program: A Primer
South Korea (Republic of Korea) - Nuclear Energy Program
Above, the Republic of Korea's six-unit Yonggwang Nuclear Station.
South Korea's nuclear energy program has both a varied history and a confusing (at least, for Westerners) structure; in order to properly assess this ambitious nation's program it is helpful to develop a clear and uncomplicated presentation on the program's history, status and goals.
There is a need, for clarity, to omit some facts from this presentation; if everything were included, it would run for a week continuously. Atomic Power Review will give the important entities, developments and historical highlights so that readers will be conversant on an above average scale with the South Korean nuclear program should they read this entire post.
In particular, APR is focusing on the increasing effort by South Korea (officially the Republic of Korea, or ROK) to export its nuclear power plant technology. The construction of a nuclear power station for the United Arab Emirates is at this point the ROK's highest achievement in that field; as a result, APR will focus on PWR development in the ROK (since it is Korean PWR plants which will be built there) and omit CANDU construction which the ROK has apparently ceased.
ROK Republic of Korea - Nuclear Energy Entities
We will briefly discuss entities involved with nuclear energy in the ROK.
KEPCO - Korea Electric Power Corporation: The only utility company in the ROK.
KHNP - Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd.: Involved with construction and operation of nuclear power plants. Oversees all aspects of nuclear plant construction; co-ordinates the other project contractors. Operates nuclear power plants. Essentially acts functionally as owner-operator, but with some embedded A/E functions.
KEPCO E&C - KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co., Inc.: This firm has two functions; first, it designs the NSSS or Nuclear Steam Supply Systems for nuclear power plants - in other words, the primary reactor plant. Second, it is also essentially what we in the USA would call an A/E or architect-engineer firm. Early work by this firm to build nuclear plants was in cooperation with Bechtel. Later worked with Sargent & Lundy. Formerly known as KOPEC.
KEPCO NF - Korea Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.: Design and fabrication of nuclear fuel
KEPCO KPS - Korea Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd.: Power plant maintenance service & engineering
KAERI - Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute: A group with a long history, dating back to 1959. Provides R&D on nuclear projects of all kinds; relationship to the power reactor industry is focused on safety research and fuel development. Undertook project to develop capability to produce all nuclear fuel inside ROK; in the case of PWR type fuel, worked with KWU of Germany.
KINGS - Kepco International Nuclear Graduate School: An intensive educational program to fill the world's need for highly skilled, competent leaders, project planners and engineers in the field of nuclear plant technology.
All of the above entities are closely interrelated and even use variations of the same corporate logo on their websites and published materials.
GABI - Global America Business Institute: This US firm is actually an authorized external representative for two Korean entities; for KAERI, and for the Korean Nuclear Society.
DOOSAN HEAVY INDUSTRIES: ROK corporation that actually manufactures the primary reactor plant, and the turbine-generator as well.
KHNP has certified a number of ROK companies to fabricate parts for various parts of nuclear power plants and the BOP or Balance Of Plant which aren't mentioned. Also, external firms can and do get orders for ROK-built nuclear plants. For example, Westinghouse will provide some major components to the UAE build.
The above likely covers all of the entities involved with the construction and operation of ROK nuclear plants that you're likely to hear about in the press or even in inside-industry circles. It is important to understand that some of the entities have changed names over time, and that some functions have moved from one entity to another over time. We've omitted all of the ROK Rad Health entities and oversight entities for brevity.
A brief history of nuclear energy in the ROK
Let's now take a look at a very brief timeline covering major developments in the ROK's nuclear energy history.
It could be said that the country's history comprised four phases: Nuclear aspirations, wherein it desired to have nuclear energy in the future; a turn-key period wherein fixed contract turn-key plants were built by foreign firms; a cooperative phase which was integral with the ROK desire to obtain technology transfer and become technology dependent; and finally the phase we are in now, where the ROK is fully capable of constructing the entire plant itself, and has full capability to develop advanced generations of nuclear plant designs.
Here is a brief timeline obtained from printed materials distributed by GABI and by KAERI at the recent ANS 2012 Annual Meeting, supplemented by details from printed materials by KINGS and from the APR research library.
1957 ROK becomes a member of the IAEA
1959 Predecessor of KAERI established
1962 ROK operates its first reasearch reactor
1971 Construction starts on ROK's first commercial nuclear station
1980's Construction on nuclear plants continues and includes increasing involvement of Korean based firms
1987 ROK signs a ten-year agreement with Combustion Engineering to transfer technology to Korea
1990's Additional reactors are built at varied plant sites mostly with local design and technology
2008 ROK unveils its National Energy Basic Plan which increases the percentage of electrcity in the country generated by nuclear power to a target of 59% by 2030
2009 ROK consortium wins contract worth $20 billion to build a nuclear generating station in the United Arab Emirates (UAE.) Beats bids from USA, Japan, France.
Let's look at some details on the initial foray into atomic science in the ROK. We'll use the APR library; you can see the end of this article for a complete list of reference materials consulted for this project.
Agreement for Cooperation: The ROK entered into an Agreement for Cooperation with the United States in February, 1961. This agreement was limited in scope to atomic research only and expired five years from the signing date. The agreement was amended at some point after signing, possibly to allow transfer of special nuclear material as required by our next point below.
Research Reactor: The research reactor mentioned in the brief timeline was a General Atomics Triga Mk II and was located at the headquarters of what is now KAERI, in Seoul. This reactor was rated 100 KWt. The AEC's Research Reactor Grants program contributed $350,000 toward this project's costs.
The Republic of Korea essentially went a decade between the construction of this foreign-built research reactor and the launch of the project to construct its first nuclear generating station. Now, we'll look at the progression of events concerning PWR nuclear plant construction and operation in the ROK.
PWR Plant Developments in the ROK
In 1972, construction began on the first nuclear power station in the ROK. This unit became known as Kori-1. This plant is a Westinghouse "turn key project" two-loop PWR rated 576 MWe net; this was the smallest standardized Westinghouse plant at that time. It is of interest to note that when General Atomics supplied the KAERI Triga II reactor for research in 1961, the entire electric generating capacity of the ROK was roughly 500 MW, which is less than the output of Kori-1 as built beginning a decade later. Kori-1 first achieved criticality in 1977, launching the nuclear electric generating era in the ROK.
In that same year, 1977, construction began at Kori of a second Westinghouse PWR to become Kori-2. This was also a turn-key contract plant rated 637 MWe.
According to an article published some time back by the Korea Herald, the decision was made in April 1978 to embark upon a massive program in the ROK to both spread the use of nuclear energy as a generating source and, perhaps more significantly, to initiate a process that would result in having a completely standardized ROK-built nuclear power plant design in production.
Kori-3 was begun in 1979, and Kori-4 in 1980; these were further Westinghouse PWR plants, but were in the 1000 MWe class. These plants were not turn-key plants, but rather were built more like US plants at that time with separate component bids and contractors, and included the first coordination of nuclear plant projects by Korean entities. However, this did not result in any nuclear technology transfer.
Further plants built under the above arrangement included Yonggwang 1 and 2, both Westinghouse PWR plants rated roughly 950 MWe; construction started on these in 1981.
Above, map included in GABI brochure on history of Korean nuclear plants. As with all photos this page, click to enlarge. Nuclear stations including the name "shin" are essentially second near-by but not contiguous sites to earlier ones.
In August 1982, the government of the ROK established a new plan for the long-term supply of electric power to a growing ROK both for industrial and residential use. Under this new plan, nuclear energy was to continue to play an ever-expanding role but now it was required that technology transfer had to be included in new projects in order for bids to be accepted.
Prior to the actual request for bids under this program, Framatome of France began construction of two units simultaneously at the new Ulchin nuclear station. Both were begun in 1983 and both were PWR's rated roughly 940 MWe.
In October 1985 KEPCO issued its invitation to bid on the new construction program with technology transfer; bids were received from Westinghouse, from Combustion Engineering, from Framatome and from AECL Canada. Under the agreement, whoever won the contract would assist in construction of two further units at the Yonggwang site, which would essentially be the prototypes for the planned standardized ROK nuclear power plant as initially outlined by the requirement of 1978.
Combustion Engineering (actually, ABB-CE at that point) won the bidding and a contract for Yonggwang 3 and 4 was signed in April 1987. The contractual requirement was for Unit 3 to be online in 1995 and Unit 4 in 1996. Construction of Unit 3 began in 1989 and that of Unit 4 followed the next year.
Yonggwang 3 and 4 are considered by the Korean nuclear industry to be the prototypes of the present power plant lines, or the "Reference Design." The NSSS of these plants is a downscaled version of the Combustion Engineering System 80 plant; the only completed CE80 plants are the three at Palo Verde; the turbine generator is a GE product, based on that provided for Perry; construction of the plants was assisted by Sargent & Lundy, using as references Yonggwang 1 and 2, as well as Byron and Braidwood in the United States.
Above, Palo Verde (three CE80 units) while under construction, 1983.
Some 193 patents and 4500 separate documents were transferred to Korea from ABB-CE as part of the technology transfer in order to develop indigenous nuclear generating station abilities on all fronts, from design and construction to operation and maintenance.
In May 1987 - only a month after the contract award was announced, with no designs or hardware in hand - the ROK launched a study into the feasibility of designing and constructing what would become the standardized ROK nuclear plant, at that time known somewhat generally as the KSNPP or Korean Standardized Nuclear Power Plant (sometimes, just "KSNP.") The decision was made to essentially directly transfer knowledge from the Yonggwang 3 and 4 project to this new effort as it came in, but also to incorporate all lessons learned and developments in real time. This effort was to lead to construction of Ulchin 3 and 4 next to the two Framatome plants that were more than half finished at the time.
Into the effort to develop this design went new analytical codes, lessons learned from construction (and eventually, operation) of Yonggwang 3 and 4, data and lessons learned from the TMI accident, information obtained as a result of consultation with EPRI, various design improvements and updated building codes. All of this work resulted in what was originally known as the KSNPP but which is now generally known as the OPR1000, or the Optimized Power Reactor, 1000 MWe class.
Yonggwang 3 and 4, the reference ABB-CE plants first started up in 1994 and 1995. Construction on the first two OPR-1000 units as Ulchin 3 and 4 finally in 1993, and these plants were first started up in 1997 and 1998.
KHNP began to replicate the OPR1000 design in further projects: Construction of Yonggwang 5 and 6 began in 1997, while construction on Ulchin 5 and 6 began in 1999-2000.
Above, Ulchin Nuclear Station. Furthest from the camera are the two Framatome PWR units; nearer are the four OPR1000 plants.
After the design of the above round of plants was finalized, around January 1998, the ROK began a program to take all lessons learned from operating plants and those under construction to further improve the standard plant design. KHNC and KOPEC worked for four years to both improve safety and cut construction and operating costs, and a wide range of revisions to design was developed. This design is what is known as the "Improved OPR1000."
Construction of the first I-OPR1000 plants was begun with Shin-Kori 1 and 2 in 2006 and 2007 (construction start dates) and continued with Shin-Wolsong 1 and 2 in 2007 and 2008. These four plants are the ultimate direct development of the original plan for a standardized Korean nuclear plant.
Further developments - increased output, increased safety
In 1992, the ROK initiated a design program called the KNGR Project, for "Korean Next Generation Reactor," to determine what the next design for a standardized power plant would be. Three rounds of work carried out through 2001 resulted in the selection of a very large, two loop PWR in the 1400 MWe class with greatly enhanced safety features as the candidate. This design became known as the APR1400 or "Advanced Power Reactor, 1400 MWe class" and was granted Design Approval from the ROK government May 7, 2002.
APR1400 construction began with Shin-Kori 3 and 4 in 2008 and 2009; it continued with Shin-Ulchin 1 and 2 whose construction is just underway. Also under construction in the United Arab Emirates is a four-unit nuclear station using the APR1400 design referred to as the BNPP or Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. Planned but not underway yet at the Shin-Kori site are two further units, to be Shin-Kori 5 and 6. Shin-Kori 3 is expected to be on line in commercial service in September 2013 followed by Shin-Kori 4 one year later. Shin-Ulchin 1 and 2 are expected online in 2017 and 2018; no dates are set for Shin-Kori 5 and 6.
The ROK has almost completely established itself as a supplier of complete nuclear generating stations; figures from KAERI indicate that averaged though the various myriad power plant systems of the most recent plants built, an average of 95% of the materials were manufactured in Korea.
The above article was constructed using printed reference material from the following: Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI); KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS); Global America Business Institute. Also consulted were internet materials developed and published by KEPCO and KHNP, and the KAERI Nuclear Training Center. Details of the progression of the ROK program were obtained from an article published in 2010 by the Korea Herald. "The Atomic Energy Deskbook," John F. Hogerton, 1963 provided details of the initial Korean agreement with the USAEC and the TRIGA reactor. Also consulted was "Systems Summary of a Westinghouse Pressurized Water Reactor Nuclear Power Plant," Westinghouse Electric, 1971. The WNA website was used for construction start date and criticality dates for some plants mentioned in the article. The article above is entirely a new construct which, except for some dates as mentioned obtained from WNA is entirely sourced from official Korean industrial materials or the Korean press. Illustrations from KEPCO or KAERI related websites except that of Palo Verde, which is in the APR collection.
Above, dated but nevertheless interesting illustration of the Kori nuclear power complex. Original Kori nuclear station is at bottom, containing (to the left) the two original Westinghouse "turn-key" plants Kori-1 and -2, and next to them the larger Kori-3 and -4 plants built slightly later on a component contract basis. In this outdated picture, Shin-Kori 1 and 2 (which are now completed) i-OPR1000 plants are under construction, with the sites for APR1400 plants Shin-Kori 3,4,5 and 6 identified. Both the KINGS and the Kori Nuclear Power Education Institute are also parts of this complex. Illustration from KINGS brochure.
6:00 PM Eastern Sunday 9/9/2012
jim September 9, 2012 at 8:10 PM
Yonggwang Nuclear Station.
Lovely looking plant site, but it is really sitting on a mountain or that an illusion, especially what the river there?
James Greenidge
Will Davis September 9, 2012 at 10:04 PM
@Jim: I believe what you're seeing there is an optical illusion.
Krista Hiles August 21, 2013 at 8:22 AM
There is a real need to develop more plants like this all over world. Great info you shared through your post.
Sterling Energy
Felix Matt June 10, 2014 at 6:59 AM
Next to no natural energy resources and a rapidly growing population means managing South Korea’s energy supply is an ongoing challenge. Almost solely reliant on imports, the country’s energy ministry is focused on diversifying supply to ensure long-term energy security, but how is it planning to do this?
Carnival of Nuclear Bloggers No. 124
Sylcor Western Office 5
Three Mile Island Unit 1 shutdown: Details
Nuclear Electricity Project - Kenya
Export-Import Bank provides funding for UAE nuclea...
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New generation of Audi A1 will be available in RS modification
New information on the German Audi A1 which prepares for the forthcoming premiere appeared on the Internet. It is expected that the new vehicle will be available for customers in the RS charged version. It is known that the new generation of German Audi A1 will be larger if compare with its predecessor. It is known that the updated Audi A1 will be based on the new «MQB» modular platform.
2018 Updated Audi A1 photo
Under the hood of the new car of German manufacturer there is a 1.0-liter gasoline engine. Also the customers will be offered to choose a 1.5-liters turbocharged diesel engine. The top “charged” modification will get an all-wheel drive system and the power unit generating 250 horsepower. Improved version RS will be able to boast of powerful engine developing 300 horsepower. Acceleration from zero to hundreds km/h takes less than 3.7 seconds.
2018 Modernized Audi A1 image
We remind that the first model Audi A1 was presented to the world public in 2014. The serial version of the car will appear only in 2018. Price of the novelty remains unknown to this day.
The next generation Audi Q3 expected in 2018
Audi A3 of 2018 model year was caught during road tests
Sedan Audi A9 e-tron will compete with the Tesla Model C
Audi A5 Coupe of the new generation was officially unveiled in Germany
Audi Tags: 1.0-Liter1.5-liter2018A1A1 RSAWDMQB
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Lauren, Rebecca And An Exquisite Routine
Routine and boredom are not the same thing. For two years my Saturday routine has been a most exciting part of my week and also paradoxically it gives me a sense of peace and refuge from worry and stress. At 9:45 (when our granddaugthers do not sleep over at our house) I pick up, Rebecca (8½) and Lauren (3½) and drive to Granville Island. At that time it is easy to park. I deposit Rebecca at her ballet class at the Arts Umbrella and walk leisurely to the Granville Island Market. I buy a plain croissant (or sometimes she wants a Smarties cookie) for Lauren and we then sit down at the Granville Island Tea Company for exactly one hour. I try different black teas while Lauren eats the inside of her croissant. I then dunk the crust she does not like in my tea. The young ladies who work at the Tea Company, all talk to Lauren. They are amazed that she will sit for that length of time. The regulars all come and I know what kind of tea they are going to ask for. Lauren and I love this routine. She happily repeats the words of Spanish I expose her to. Every once in a while there are no ballet classes but Rebecca and Lauren and I still go to the island. It is on those occasions that I can manage to photograph them together. For the task I use a Nikon FM-2 loaded with Ektachrome 100G. The exposure is always around 1/30 with a 35mm lens wide open at F-2.
Link to: Lauren, Rebecca And An Exquisite Routine
Nick Muni, Faust & Juan Manuel Sánchez
Photo Illustration - Juan Manuel Sánchez - Alex Waterhouse-Hayward
Imagine that Jack Shadbolt were alive and living in Argentina. Imagine calling him up and telling him you were assigned to photograph an American director involved in an opera production of Gounod's Faust. Imagine the thrill of having him collaborate in a photo illustration. I have had that thrill because Juan Manuel Sánchez, 74, is an Argentine painter living in Vancouver of Shadbolt's equivalent caliber. He speaks no English, so he feels a bit isolated. He sometimes tells me, "I am a penguin in Canada. That is about as lonely as a polar bear in Argentina." When the Straight asked me, with very short notice, to photograph Nick Muni, who is directing the Vancouver Opera's production of Faust, I knew that only a colaboración (this is what Juan and I call our joint works)would save me. I gave Juan three 8x10 prints of Nick Muni in case he made a mistake. Overnight Juan worked on one of them and proudly returned the other two, unused. If you look closely, you will notice that Mephistopheles has military epaulets much like an Argentine general. I had one hell of a time convincing Juan to keep clothes on Marguerite. "If you don't," I told Juan, "our collaborative career at the Straight will be shortlived."
Juan Manuel Sánchez
Link to: Nick Muni, Faust & Juan Manuel Sánchez
Bob Bose And The Grand Coulee Dam
I always wanted to be an engineer until I stumbled over the difference between capacitance and inductance. But I have not lost my interest in engineering. One of my favourite authors is Henry Petroski, whose book To Engineer is Human - The Role of Failure in Successful Design led me to read anything he publishes. Another fave of mine is L. Sprague de Camp's The Ancient Engineers. It was in this book that I found out that Sennacherib (705-681 BC), the Assyrian engineer/king, set up the first no parking signs (for chariots) in Nineveh. They read: Royal Road. Let No Man Lesten It.
In the mid 30s an organization called Technocracy started in the US with the idea that engineers in governing position would make the world a better one. The folks at General Electric used to advertise, Progress is our most important product. Somewhere along the line these engineers became linked with fascism and its obsession with order. The only thing good that people ever said about Mussolini is that the trains ran on time. Later on, Alcoa, General Electric and General Motors all somehow failed to make our world a better one.
But I still had hope, and in particular in 1988, when I photographed Bob Bose for his campaign (with backing from the NDP) for mayor of Surrey, BC. He was a pragmatic and intelligent man who happened to be a chemical engineer. He was also skilled in the use of a 4x5 inch camera. When I photographed him, with his chain of office, in the Surrey City Hall I was hoping that the much vaunted order of the engineer would produce results. He was against the mall development of Surrey and that cost him his job in the end.
In 2002 I had to go to Spokane, Washington to a hosta convention. When I realized that the Grand Coulee dam was not too far out of the way I made a detour. The whole site made me think of the excitement of a past era that believed in engineering and the wonders of harnessing nature's power.
To Engineer is Human
Bob Bose
Link to: Bob Bose And The Grand Coulee Dam
Stravinsky, Parsifal, Beethoven, Rodney Graham & Robert Silverman
Photographic assignments involving musicians are always a challenge. How can one be original if it has all been done before? And most difficult of all is a pianist. This is particularly true if one has memory of Arnold Newman's difinitive portrait. When the Globe & Mail asked me to photograph Canadian conceptual artist, Rodney Graham's show Recital at the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery at UBC I was momentarily stymied. A pre-programmed grand piano was part of the show. By converting Wagner's score for Parsifal into mathematical formulas Graham had conceeived a piece of music that began in 1882- the premiere of the Wagner opera - and which will come to an end in 39 billion years. The programed piano would play one note every ten or twenty minutes (the pattern of notes can be seen in the wall behind Graham and piano (above, left). Since Rodney Graham and I have shared the same floor, where we have separate studios for some 12 years, I know that he is not as scary and serious as he looks. His Parsifal project had something of a tongue in cheek in it. I decided to rip off Arnold Newman. The folks at the Globe & Mail respected my request to keep my crop so as to make the photo look more like Newman's. In October 2000 I had to photograph for the Georgia Straight solo pianist Robert Silverman who had just recorded all of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas. When I arrived at Silverman's UBC office I knew what I was going to do.
Robert Silverman
Link to: Stravinsky, Parsifal, Beethoven, Rodney Graham & Robert Silverman
Tinkering With A BRM P261 V8
This is British Formula 1 driver Graham Hill tinkering with his BRM P261 V8 during the trials for the 1964 Mexican Gran Prix. On one of the days I positioned myself at a difficult curve. I noticed a tar spot on it. Every time Graham Hill took the curve, his car was always at the same distance from the spot, which was unlike the other drivers who seemed to have less precision. For more:
Link to: Tinkering With A BRM P261 V8
The Royal Hudson And The Killer Whale
In December 1981, on contract with CP Rail, I was dispatched to photograph the Royal Hudson. She was being repaired at the CPR's Drake Street yard (where the refurbished Roundhouse on Pacific Avenue is now). 2860, the Royal Hudson's Montreal Locomotive Works serial number, is how she is affectionately called. She lay in the repair bay on a shorth length track, only slightly longer than her 90-foot, 10 inches length. She reminded me of the first locomotive I ever saw, in the late 40s. It also had the 4-6-4 wheel arrangement. Six large wheels were powered and the eight smaller ones were used for steering and stability, But that one was only five feet long and inside a glass display case at the entrance of Retiro, the cavernous Victorian style train station in Buenos Aires. My father had put a coin in a slot and the locomotive's wheels turned. I was most impressed by the glow of fire under the tracks.
While 2860 had been making the round trip from North Vancouver to Squamish since 1974, she had taken a different route to Drake Street. From the North Vancouver BC Rail yard she had crossed the CN Railway bridge at Second Narrows and steamed through the Thornton tunnel under Capitol Hill to the CPR/CNR interchange at Sapperton. She then headed to Port Coquitlam and then back on the CPR's tracks to Gastown. She went through the Dunsmuir tunnel and under the Connaught bridge (the old Cambie Street bridge) to Drake.
In 1979 I took my family on the Royal Hudson excursion to Squamish. Both my daughters came in long dreses and I photographed them (Hilary,7, left and Ale, 11, right)in the last rail car. It had colourful wooden seats. When 2860 changed tracks in Squamish to turn around, Frank Smith, the engineer, told us 2860's H1-e class engine generated 4500 horsepower at 60 mph.
Since 2550 and 2851, both earlier H1-d class Hudsons pulled King George VI and Queen Elizabeth across Canada in 1939, the whole class of locomotives from 2850 to 2864 was designated Royal. Only 2860 was still running until a yearly inspection in December 1999 indicated her fire box had to be replaced. It will take between $1 million to 2 million to get her in shape. I have not yet heard if she will ever fire her boiler again.
Rebecca, Hilary's daughter took the excursion with another older train, the 3716. This brings to mind that Hilary, Ale and Rebecca were all splashed (in different years) by a killer whale while sitting too close to the glass barrier at the Vancouver Aquarium. Will Rebecca's sister, Lauren, 3½, ever experience either pleasure?
Link to: The Royal Hudson And The Killer Whale
The Easter Bunny, Brother Edwin Reggio & Attila Richard Lukacs
In my old Catholic missal I remember distinctly that every Sunday mass and feast day had a category of importance or ranking. The most important Sunday and or feast day of the year is not Christmas but Easter. Brother Edwin Reggio, my religion teacher at St. Edward's High School in Austin, Texas explained why. If after the crucifixion, Jesus did not rise from the dead, then everything He preached was a lie. The other and now almost forgotten, but very important feast, is January 6th's Epiphany. Until the advent of the New Testament only circumcised Jews (the chosen people who had made a compact with God) could be saved. The three wise kings represented the gentiles (uncircumcised heathens!) who now could be part of the fold. One day, trying to waste time in class, we asked Brother Edwin why it was that Easter had a bunny. Since we were in Texas we understood his explanation that the hare or rabbit at night will pop up here and then disappear and pop up somewhere else. This was very much the case of Jesus after Easter. He would appear here and there but not long enough for "doubting" St Thomas to believe as true.
Today I photographed a group of Vancouver artists including Attila Richard Lukacs who asked Rebecca if she looked forward to the coming of the Easter Bunny. Rebecca (8½) replied, "The Easter Bunny does not exist."
Link to: The Easter Bunny, Brother Edwin Reggio & Attila Richard Lukacs
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Frontier Nursing University Awarded $1,998,000 Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant
Posted by Pat Magrath
Tue, Jul 25, 2017 @ 11:46 AM
Hyden, KY -- Frontier Nursing University (FNU) has been awarded the Nursing Workforce Diversity grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant totals $1,998,000 in funding in support of a four-year project that will be led by FNU with assistance from several key partner organizations.
The goal of the Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) program is to increase access to high quality, culturally-aligned advanced practice nurses and midwives that reflect the diversity of the communities in which they serve. The grant, which provides $499,500 per year, supports a proposed project in which FNU will implement a comprehensive systems approach to implementing five evidence-based strategies to support disadvantaged advanced practice nursing students from recruitment through graduation. The social determinants of education will be used as a framework to assess student needs and guide activities throughout the course of the project.
The overall aim of the program is to increase the recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Through education and training in Frontier Nursing University’s advanced nursing and midwifery programs, these students will be prepared to provide advanced practice nursing and midwifery health care services across the U.S.
Findings from an American Association of Colleges of Nursing policy brief (2016) found that racial and ethnic minority groups accounted for 37% of the country’s population, yet minority nurses represent only 19% of the total registered nurse workforce (National Council of State Boards of Nursing Survey, 2013). As minority population growth rises, so does the likelihood of these populations experiencing greater health disparities such as increased rates of maternal morbidity and mortality related to childbirth, infant mortality, chronic diseases, and shorter life spans compared to the majority of Americans. There is growing evidence that greater racial diversity in the health care workforce is an important intervention to reduce racial health disparities.
“We are extremely proud and excited to receive this grant and to be a part of such an important project,” said FNU president Dr. Susan E. Stone. “We are deeply committed to the goals of the NWD program and helping to overcome barriers that hinder the success of our underrepresented students, from recruitment through graduation.”
The project’s primary objectives are: 1) to achieve minimum of 30 percent minority student enrollment by June 2021, the end of the project period; 2) to increase the racial and ethnic minority retention rate and 3) to graduate an average of 100 new nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners representing racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented in nursing each year of the project period.
Grant funding will support personnel, consultants, and diversity training for faculty and staff. Retention activities, including mentor programs and writing support will also be funded. FNU students will also benefit from substantial scholarship support and professional development opportunities. To achieve the goals of the program, FNU will formally partner with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the American College of Nurse-Midwives, Midwives of Color Committee (ACNM-MOCC), the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) and Mona Wicks, a multicultural sensitivity and diversity training expert consultant.
View the grant announcement on Frontier Nursing University's website.
Learn more about FNU's Diversity PRIDE Program.
Contact: Brittney Edwards, Director of Marketing and Communications
859-899-2515, Brittney.edwards@frontier.edu, Frontier.edu
About Frontier Nursing University:
FNU is passionate about educating nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners to serve women and families in all communities, especially rural and underserved areas. FNU offers graduate Nurse-Midwifery and Nurse-Practitioner distance education programs that can be pursued full- or part-time with the student’s home community serving as the classroom. Degrees and options offered include Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Post-Graduate Certificates. To learn more about FNU and the programs and degrees offered, please visit Frontier.edu.
Topics: Frontier Nursing University, funding, Diversity and Inclusion, Health Resources and Services Administration, Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant, FNU
Life in progress: RNs can help baby boomers find funding for promising cancer treatments
Fri, May 30, 2014 @ 10:52 AM
By Heather Stringer
When Carrie Bilicki, RN, MSN, ACNS-BC, OCN, met a 60-year-old patient who had been diagnosed with aggressive endometrial cancer, she began to have a persistent — albeit unconventional — idea.
Bilicki, a cancer nurse navigator in Wisconsin at the time, recently had attended a lecture about a progressive treatment for this type of cancer that involved using a chemotherapy drug traditionally prescribed for ovarian cancer. The patient’s cancer had spread to nearby organs, and she had a poor prognosis. Bilicki convinced the physicians to try the alternative medication. Unfortunately, the patient faced another serious hurdle: The insurance company would not cover the cost of the medication because it was not the standard treatment. At that point, the woman seemed to face the unenviable choice between cancer treatment and financial ruin.
Although patients and providers would like to hope this type of extreme dilemma is the exception, the case may be representative of the near future for two reasons. First, as a 60-year-old, the woman was a baby boomer, and researchers predict the incidence of cancer will increase dramatically as this large segment of the population ages. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2009, the U.S. can expect a 67% increase in cancer incidence among older adults between 2010 and 2030.
Second, statistics suggest cancer treatment is becoming increasingly unaffordable, even for those with insurance who struggle to afford steep copayments. For example, The US Oncology Network — a national group of about 1,000 oncology physicians who treat more than 750,000 cancer patients per year — reported about half of the patients covered by a Medicare Part D plan have required copay assistance for oral chemotherapy for the past several years.
“My message to my peers is to know the financial resources available because there are hundreds of them,” Bilicki, who now is a clinical nurse specialist in breast services at Froedtert Center for Diagnostic Imaging in Milwaukee, Wis., said. “There are foundations, specialty organizations and websites that tell us where to get help. If a patient does not have an advocate to link them to that resource, they will never know it is available.”
For many patients, the desire to find a way to afford medication is driven not only by the fact that they have cancer, but also because the treatment options available today have increased the odds of survival.
“By far one of the biggest advancements is more personalized medicine that targets cancer cells rather than traditional chemotherapy that did not differentiate between good and bad cells,” Kim George, RN, MSN, ACNS-BC, OCN, a cancer program consultant from Wichita Falls, Texas, said. “For example, now we can test biopsy tissue for specific tumor antigens and biomarkers and then prescribe treatments that target those antigens.”
The advancements in cancer treatment also are reflected in improved survival rates. According to the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2009, for example, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer among women in the U.S. between 1975 and 1977 was 75%. Between 2002 and 2008 that number jumped to 90%. During the same time periods, the 5-year survival rate for both men and women with colon cancer has increased from 50% to 65%.
“Another major advancement has been the increase in availability of oral chemotherapy and biotherapy,” George said. “It has shifted the care setting. Years ago, the majority of cancer patients received IV infusions, and now more patients can take their medication orally at home. It is wonderful for convenience, and it is also less painful.”
However, George said, reimbursement is not always a given with oral chemotherapy. “A lot of oncology medications are given off-label, which means that the FDA has not approved a drug for a specific diagnosis, so it may not be covered by some insurance policies,” she said.
A little help can mean a lot
Point the way for patients who need assistance financing cancer treatments, by seeking resources such as the following:
• PatientAdvocate.org — Provides sources for copay assistance and answers questions about disability and insurance processes
• PatientResource.com — Features information on different types of cancer, newsletters and financial and advocacy resources
• CureToday.com — Provides an extensive list of national resources for advocacy, financial and pharmaceutical assistance
• RxOutreach.org — A nonprofit organization that helps low-income families who cannot afford the medication they need
• CDFund.org — Chronic Disease Fund — A nonprofit organization that helps patients obtain lifesaving medications
For a list of drug assistance programs from pharmaceutical companies, visit Cancersupportivecare.com/drug_assistance.html.
Point the way
The art of navigating the path to financial assistance for cancer medication is not simple, and organizations such as The US Oncology Network, based in The Woodlands, Texas, have hired professionals to help patients connect with funding resources and launched the OncologyRx Care Advantage pharmacy in 2006. Nurses in the network can refer patients to Care Advantage staff who help them apply for financial assistance.
“The types of drugs used to treat cancer today are definitely more expensive than when I started working in oncology almost 30 years ago,” said Lori Lindsey, RN, MSN, NP, OCN, a clinical services program manager with The US Oncology Network. “Multidrug regimens, including oral targeted therapies, can sometimes cost $30,000 for a round of treatment, although the use of these drugs has markedly improved outcomes and increased survival for some diseases.”
For patients who are uninsured, the best option is to apply directly to the drug manufacturer for patient assistance, said Meg Asher, a patient access coordinator/patient advocate lead at the Care Advantage pharmacy. “When we learn that a patient is without insurance, we notify the doctor’s office and send a manufacturer’s application to them for the patient’s use,” Asher said. “Under these circumstances, we will not be the dispensing pharmacy; the manufacturer has their own specified pharmacy that will service the patient.”
Even those who are insured under Medicare Part D often require assistance because the copayments can be thousands of dollars, Asher said. For these patients, the Care Advantage advocate team helps patients connect with various foundations that provide copay assistance in the form of grants. Some of the foundations assist patients who suffer from a specific disease, while others help those who are taking a specific drug for a disease.
While some facilities have staff trained to help patients find financial assistance, this is not always the case. For these patients, one resource is the Patient Advocate Foundation, a nonprofit organization with case managers who help patients with life-threatening illnesses to maintain financial stability.
“When I was a hospital nurse, I honestly didn’t know about a lot of the resources available to help patients after they left my care,” Pat Jolley, RN, the clinical director of research and reporting at PAF, said. “Many people have never had to ask for financial help in the past, and they are unaware that there are options. If they are newly diagnosed, we try to educate them about the likely expenses down the road to help identify potential problems. In my experience, when patients contact us saying they cannot afford one thing, it is usually just the tip of the iceberg.”
For example, PAF assisted a 62-year-old woman with breast cancer who was insured, but she was having difficulty scheduling her needed mastectomy because of outstanding medical bills. She was living on Social Security disability payments, and her insurance did not cover surgeries, scans or tests. The woman received a bill for $50,000 that included the cost of previous care and several office visits. By negotiating with the hospital and the providers, the PAF case manager was able to reduce the bill to a total of $950 and also facilitate the scheduling of her mastectomy.
For Bilicki, one of her personal goals is to encourage patients to consider the financial aspect of their cancer care before they decide to pursue a particular form of treatment.
“Nobody wants to talk about their financial state, and I think far too often patients suffer in silence rather than saying that they are having trouble with copayments, so what I do is proactively tell them about some of the resources,” Bilicki said. “Just because they have insurance does not mean they will have resources to afford the costs, so I empower all patients right off the bat to proactively seek out assistance if they need it.”
After patients have been diagnosed with cancer, Bilicki encourages them to learn about the resources at the American Cancer Society, which has patient navigators trained to help people connect with financial resources. She also tells them about a group called Patient Resource LLC, which has a website and a patient magazine that includes national, state and local resources available for financial assistance.
In the case of the woman with endometrial cancer who could not afford a medication that was not covered by her insurance, Bilicki helped her apply for the drug manufacturer’s patient assistance program. Based on her income and medical necessity, she qualified for full assistance. She was on the medication for 15 months, and, despite her initial grim prognosis, the cancer has been in remission for the past five years.
“I can always remember the tears and fear in their eyes when I first meet patients, and each time it feels like I’ve won the lottery when I help them secure the treatment they need, and they start smiling again,” Bilicki said. “Part of my big mission for my colleagues is to advocate for these patients so they do not miss out on options that can change their lives.”
Source: Nurse.com
Topics: babyboomers, RN, nurses, cancer, funding
Overheard on CNN: Less pink, more cures for breast cancer
Fri, Oct 26, 2012 @ 03:01 PM
From CNN
Many CNN commenters expressed skepticism about the so-called “pinkwashing” of October, echoing the sentiments of some women quoted in my recent article who don't feel connected to all of the awareness efforts.
KtinME writes that the color pink is particularly vexing to her because it has come to represent the commercialization of breast cancer awareness:
I criticized my hospital for using pink envelopes when mailing out mammogram results and was told in no uncertain terms that pink was the color of caring and compassion and that I obviously had issues with fear of breast cancer. I don't have a fear of breast cancer, but I will agree I have issues with the commercialism and complete co-opting of the color pink.
Pink envelopes with mammogram results are creepy. Pink shoes on football players are stupid. Pink merchandise is just plain silly. I used to like pink.
[…] a COLOR is meaningless when it comes to what cancer patients need and a COLOR is an easy way out for people to think they're being supportive of cancer awareness, cancer patients, and cancer survivors. How about instead we give them rides for their treatment, clean homes to come to, meals to eat, affordable access to medical care at home? How about we make sure their employers keep their jobs open for them? How about we make sure they have insurance now and forever? THOSE things would mean a lot more than sporting a pink bracelet or buying something pink. Enough with the pink!!!
Several readers such as Anthony Quatroni believe that “it’s all about money” – in other words, curing diseases isn’t as profitable as long-term treatments, so a cure will never be found.
But prattguy, self-identified as someone who works in medical research, pointed out that polio is a disease that was cured, yet foundations are still working to eradicate it worldwide.
Klur added that cancer is not one disease, it’s many diverse diseases even within a single organ. But there’s good news:
Many women who get breast cancer now survive to live a long and fruitful life thanks to advancements in cancer research. So, no, the reason for research investment is not greed!!! Furthermore, people who work in academia doing research are not getting rich- believe me- they are overworked and highly underpaid for the research that they dedicate their lives to.
Bschneid agreed, reminding fellow commenters that a lot of people dedicated to cancer research aren’t making such big profits:
Most cancer researchers do not make a lot of money, but are either cancer survivors themselves or have a loved one who has cancer or died of cancer. They have plenty of motivation. My husband, a cancer researcher, goes to work seven days a week while dealing with chemotherapy himself. To suggest that greed is the reason there is no "cure" for cancer is ignorant.
Some pointed out that other awareness months don’t get nearly as much attention. TexasRunner wrote:
This isn't a man vs. woman issue. September is National Prostate Awareness month but does it garner as much attention as the PINK does for breast cancer in October? No, it doesn't. Men deal with our own forms of cancer like prostate cancer and testicular cancer yet the drives to find a cure for those forms of cancer pale in comparison, usually because it hits a lower number for testicular cancer and for prostate cancer it happens at an older age. Do you not think men who have testicular cancer aren't aware of the jokes surrounding it?
So regardless of whether or not you like the slogans at least people pay attention and are aware and donate to find a cure.
Topics: breast cancer, cure, funding
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You are hereHome Countering the anti-ICC agenda in Africa
Countering the anti-ICC agenda in Africa
Photo: African leaders and foreign diplomats sit in the Plenary Hall of the United Nations building in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 12th African Union (AU) Summit Feb. 2, 2009. In this guest post from Humanity United, Sulemana Braimah, executive dire
Victims first
Over the last two years, there have been vigorous attempts by some African governments to use the African Union (AU) as a platform to ruin relations between the International Criminal Court (ICC) and African states that have signed up to be members of the Court. Such anti-ICC efforts have included attempts to have an AU resolution denouncing the ICC adopted by member states.
The main argument for the anti-ICC campaign, which is spearheaded by the governments of Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe, is that the Court is a neo-colonialist institution set up to influence governance on the continent by selectively targeting African leaders for prosecution. The argument is often backed by the assertion that, so far, persons prosecuted and situations being investigated by the ICC have all been from Africa, thus prompting the question: if the Court is really meant to deliver justice globally, why are only Africans being prosecuted or investigated? Is it only Africans who commit the kind of crimes the Court was set up to deal with – genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes?
In December 2014, for example, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni announced that he intended to mobilize African leaders to quit the International Criminal Court, accusing the Court of being used as a tool to target the continent. “I will bring a motion to the next sitting of the African Union to have all African states withdraw from the court, and then they can be left alone with their own court,” Museveni was quoted by the AFP news agency as having said while speaking at an event to mark Kenya’s independence anniversary in Nairobi. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who assumed Chairmanship of the AU for 2015, subsequently announced during the AU Summit in January 2015, his intention to push for African members of the ICC to pull from the Court.
Even before the renewed spirited efforts in the last couple of years to impede the operations of the ICC in Africa, a warrant issued in 2009 by a pre-trail chamber of the ICC for the arrest of Sudanese President, Omar Al Bashir, had sparked frosty relations between the AU and the ICC. Unhappy with the indictment of President Bashir, the AU made a decision in July 2009 instructing member states not to co-operate with the ICC for the arrest and handing over of the Sudanese President. Since the AU decision, President Bashir has been to a number of African states that are signatories (States Parties) to the Rome Statute without being arrested, signalling compliance with the AU decision among such member states.
In July 2014, there was another significant milestone in the attempts to hamper the ICC’s operations in Africa when AU member states adopted an amended protocol to expand the jurisdiction of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights to cover serious crimes including those within the mandate of the ICC. Ordinarily, the amended protocol would appear to be a positive development in furtherance of the principle of complementarity.
However, the amended protocol makes provisions for immunity before the same African Court for heads of state and senior state officials. This simply means that while the African Court is empowered by the amended protocol to deal with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, heads of state and senior state officials will be immune from prosecution by the Court even when they are culpable for such crimes. It also amplifies the determination by African leaders to shield themselves against the powerful wheels of justice. As many have asked, why seek immunity against crimes you will not commit or condone?
President Bashir’s recent dramatic escape from South Africa despite a South African court order for him not to be allowed to leave the country is the last testimony of the strong commitment of some African governments to fully adhere to the AU fiat on non-cooperation for the arrest of the Sudanese leader. After Bashir’s escape in June, in defiance of the court order, initial comments by South African officials suggested they did not know how the fugitive leader left the country.
However, subsequent comments and arguments contained in an appeal filed by the South African government seeking to overturn the original court ruling for Bashir’s detention, highlights the government’s complicity in the non-enforcement of the court’s order. The actions of the South African government also highlighted its non-commitment and indifference towards ensuring justice through the ICC.
The previous decision by AU heads of state not to cooperate with the ICC for the arrest of President Bashir, and the avid compliance with that AU decision among member states, should clear any doubts about how effectively the AU system can be exploited to protect leaders who commit serious crimes from being prosecuted and punished. So even though the push by the anti-ICC governments has not yet found favor with the majority of AU member states, the threat to the ICC’s effectiveness in Africa remains real with potential dire consequences for justice on the continent.
For victims, what matters is justice regardless of where it comes from
While it is true that almost all prosecutions and investigations by the ICC have been against Africans, it must be consistently reiterated that the majority of the African cases and situations dealt with or still being handled by the Court have been at the instance of the African countries themselves. Besides, there are many other truths that legitimise the pursuit of justice by the ICC in Africa even if doing so amounts to geographic imbalance in the Court’s docket.
First of all, it is true that since the inception of the Court (and even the period before the Court), Africa has been an epicentre of international crimes, mainly as a result of the many post-colonial conflicts on the continent. It is also true that for decades many of the powerful in African societies have committed serious international crimes with unimaginable levels of impunity. It is equally true that in Africa, victims of serious crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, have endured injustice for far too long.
Additionally, it is a fact that in many African countries, particularly those that have gone through or are still going through decades of conflicts, the national judicial systems remain weak. Existing local justice mechanisms in the majority of African countries are just incapable of dispensing credible justice, especially when those responsible for crimes are the powerful and even leaders in society.
Also, the majority of African countries lack legislation that fully incorporates genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes into domestic law, making International Justice mechanisms such as the ICC, the most reliable windows of opportunity for providing justice to victims and punishing perpetrators.
The challenges with the local justice systems in Africa and the consequent importance of the ICC in justice delivery in Africa were aptly highlighted by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan when he said: “Africans want justice, preferably from their own governments if they can and, if not, from the International Criminal Court. The day when African courts become independent, strong and can handle these cases, I think we will see fewer referrals to the ICC.”
If anyone is still in doubt about the weakness of the legal systems in Africa and the consequent crucial role of the ICC in providing justice for victims of international crimes, Bashir’s recent escape from South Africa is yet another piece of evidence. Bashir’s escape was a big slap in the face of international justice by Africa’s most advanced country. It affirmed how some Africa governments can disregard the lives and rights of thousands of victims of war crimes and genocide by simply abusing the local justice system in favour of the powerful who perpetrate such international crimes.
It must also be emphasised that, given Africa’s history of war and serious crimes, impunity and injustice for victims, it should be a blessing rather than a misfortune if Africa is the exclusive beneficiary of targeted and increased justice delivery by any legitimate justice mechanism such as the ICC. An overdose of justice delivery for international crimes in Africa can only result in the positive situation of redress for victims, less impunity and more peaceful societies. It sounds hypocritical to constantly hear African leaders at the AU lament about the spate of conflicts on the continent and seek more aid for peacebuilding while at the same time seek to avoid justice for crimes. There cannot be peace without justice.
For victims of international crimes, what matters is justice, not where it comes from. To put it better and to deflate the argument that the ICC targets Africa, international criminal law expert Steven Powels poignantly stated:
“For Africa’s victims, justice, even if selective, will always be welcome. Are African perpetrators singled out more than others? Perhaps. But try telling that to their victims. From a man forced to choose which healthy hand to have amputated, to a woman gang raped by 20 men, to a child forced to kill his parents and join a rebel gang, justice, even if selective, will almost always be welcome. It is the victims of the crimes overlooked that have the right to complain, not the defendants in the dock.”
There has been strong civil society advocacy in support of strengthening the ICC in Africa. The campaigns have opposed the anti-ICC propaganda and attempts by some governments to use the AU framework to get African countries that are States Parties to the Rome Statute to pull out. The recent Bashir incident in South Africa was, for example, occasioned by a legal suit filed by a civil society group. The result of the suit – the embarrassing escape of the fugitive Sudanese President and the wide condemnation of the South African government for failing to enforce an order by a local court – is a major achievement of the campaign. It is also an indicator of how powerful civil society actions can be in pursuing perpetrators of international crimes.
Despite the successes of the civil society campaign so far, a lot more needs to be done. So far, the pro-ICC campaigns by civil society groups have largely targeted the AU Commission, heads of state, justice ministers and diplomats.
Unfortunately, there have been little or no coordinated campaigns targeting the citizenry to increase their awareness and knowledge about the ICC or empowering local populations to advocate for the ICC in Africa. While it is important to engage governments directly on matters of the ICC, ordinary Africans are usually the victims of the serious crimes perpetrated by the powerful in society, including government officials. Indeed, the foremost beneficiaries of justice delivery by the ICC in Africa are Africans. African citizens can, therefore, be the most influential and credible advocates of the ICC on the continent. But the local people can only be effective in their advocacy and defence of the ICC when they are empowered with the right information about the Court and its mandate.
So in order to make significant progress in strengthening the ICC in Africa, campaigners and advocates must prioritise public education about the ICC, its role and how important it is for safeguarding the right to peaceful lives and justice among Africans. The media in Africa should be proactively engaged and capacitated to provide more coverage on the ICC and international criminal justice issues. There should be more efforts to get the general public informed about decisions and positions of their governments on ICC issues during regional and international meetings, such as during the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the ICC and at the AU level.
Not much can be achieved if ordinary Africans, who are the real and potential victims of serious crimes and for whom the ICC exists to serve, are left out in the campaigns to make the ICC stronger and effective in Africa. It is time to empower the citizenry to act to safeguard their right to justice through a stronger ICC.
By Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa
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You're here » Christian Columns Index » Frederick Meekins » Will Religion Be Forced To Bow At Obama's Feet?
Will Religion Be Forced To Bow At Obama's Feet?
HE WHITE HOUSE has announced plans to expand its Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. In an address to the National Prayer Breakfast, President Barack Obama said the office would reach out to nonprofit organizations and "help them determine how to make a bigger impact...and learn their obligations under the law." From a number of things said in the speech and that have transpired in relation to the economic bailout, those who cherish both religious liberty and sound theology should be deeply concerned.
Under the Bush Administration, those not wanting to pollute the purity of their doctrine by accepting government funds were pretty much free to say "No thank you". However, under the Obama regime, will reluctant religious organizations be permitted to back out amicably? Don't be so sure.
In regards to the bailout of the nation's floundering financial institutions, it has been insinuated that Wells Fargo did not want the government's handout but had its arm twisted by Lurch Jr, Hank Paulson into accepting the funds. For in the glorious opening days of socialism, no organization or individual can be seen as better or sounder than any other without at least some kind of penalty being inflicted.
If an administration at one time as dedicated as that of George W. Bush to liberty and free market principles can begin to nationalize the economy on the turn of a dime, then how much quicker will an administration already dedicated to socialistic principles such as experts being able to order your life better than you jump at the opportunity to manage the minutest aspect of our lives.?
For example, if financial institutions can be forced to accept bailout money whether they want to or not, what is to prevent this White House office from exerting pressure on small churches and organizations not having the resources to resist such coercion? And once these religious organizations have buckled under to the demands as in the case of financial institutions accepting assistance, what is to prevent snobs in the Obama administration from dictating what policy preferences and doctrines these institutions will then be permitted to enunciate?
Those not accustomed to exercising spiritual discernment wonder with befuddlement about what's the big deal with granting the government a more direct role in influencing doctrinal content. After all, activists from both sides of the spectrum hope to influence the values embodied by the state.
That is correct, but that is the church or other institutions existing apart from the government playing their role in the political process rather than the state imposing its values on the other associations of private individuals. For when this is done in areas other than those delineated constitutionally in a free republic, one begins to step onto dangerous ground since the state is the only one of these that can use force and confiscate property in the process to ensure that its purposes prevail.
For example, at the national prayer breakfast, President Obama remarked, "And today,...it strikes me that this is one of the rare occasions that still brings the world together in a moment of peace and goodwill." It is this spirit of peace and goodwill, one might argue, that President Obama hopes to promote and expand through the Office of Faith and Neighborhood partnerships.
However, the President's remarks are rife with contradictions as well as other assumptions in the background regarding his worldview that will spell the ruination of religious liberty if his ideas are allowed to come to fruition. For example, Obama insists in his remarks, "There is no God who condones the taking of innocent human life."
On the surface that is correct. However, that seemingly simple utterance requires the discerning to dig much deeper.
By making this statement and claiming to be a religious man, Obama has proven himself to either be a liar or deceived. For example, recounting her testimony before the Illinois state legislature, Jill Stanek recalled how uncaring Obama seemed regarding a baby surviving an abortion but who was tossed aside like the contents of a used bedpan. So either Obama must confess his complicity in the murder of the innocent, admit he really doesn't give a flip about the laws of God, or that the God he serves really does condone the taking of innocent human life.
As a master deceiver, one must parse and analyze every word flowing from Obama's lips at the decibel level of Loud Howard from the Dilbert animated series. For while trying to placate somulent Americam Christians, he also extends verbal overtures to the nation's terrorist enemies.
One will note Obama declared, "There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being." Ladies and gentleman, you believe that as an American going about your daily business that you have done nothing against homicidal Muslims like those blowing up the World Trade Center. However, in the eyes of terrorists, as an infidel, you are far from innocent and thus a perfectly legitimate deliberate target.
Even fellow Americans of a radical inclination such as Ward Churchill (a likely Obama voter) likened those working at the World Trade Center unto Adolf Eichman. Obama's mentor Bill Ayers primary regret was not having planted more bombs as a member of the Weather Underground.
In the coming months and years ahead, don't expect President Obama to call upon the Islamofascists of the world to moderate their beliefs and to embrace those aspects of contemporary Western civilization superior to a medieval Levantine mindset. Rather the obligation to alter your beliefs will be imposed upon you, dear Biblicist.
In his first interview after assuming control of the federal government, Barack Obama did not grant an audience with a prominent American broadcaster such as Barbara Walters, Larry King, or Sean Hannity. Instead, he went crawling to an Arab propaganda outfit probably infiltrated by Al Qaeda sleeper agents.
Yet in a move reminiscent of those duped into advocating the unilateral disarmament position of the nuclear freeze movement, of Americans, Obama expects, "I don't expect divisions to disappear overnight...But I do believe that if we can talk to one another openly and honestly, then perhaps old rifts will start to mend and new partnerships will begin to emerge. In a world that grows smaller by the day, perhaps we can begin to crowd out the destructive forces of zealotry and make room for the healing power of understanding."
To Obama, destructive zealotry does not mean car bombs, forcing women to wear bags over their heads, or even holding "God Hates Fags" signs outside the funerals of Americans having fallen in battle. In the viewpoint of tolerance and open-mindedness of the new President, what constitutes acceptable religious activity is actually quite narrow.
For example, from the quote, Obama enunciates that he expects old rifts to mend and new partnerships to emerge. In other words, you are entitled to believe whatever you want so long as you don't believe that it is the only proper way to believe or dare share this perspective with anyone else.
For example, according to Obama, in response to criticism leveled against him by James Dobson of Focus on the Family, it is no longer appropriate for believers to take seriously Biblical prohibitions against homosexuality. Likewise, in an American ecclesiastical backdrop where the Obama Administration is pulling the strings either overtly or from behind the scenes, will Christians any longer be permitted to believe that Christ is the only means of salvation or to speak out on those areas where competing belief systems fall short of Christianity?
This is a valid concern because, in the mind of President Obama, the collectivist social democracies of the world are seen as superior to America's more individualistic republic. Yet in these regimes, the freedom to express one's conscience is shaky at best.
For example, in Scandinavia, Pastor Akkie Green ran afoul of the thought police for daring to exposit those passages of Scripture critical of homosexuality. In England, American talk radio personality Michael Savage was barred entrance for being critical of Islam even though Islamic militants are essentially granted permission to colonize the land of the Magna Carta, parliamentary democracy, and some of the world's most imaginative literature.
Things are little better with our neighbor to the north. For example, a ministry in Canada lost its equivalent of our tax exempt status for daring to point out where Jehovah's Witnesses and other theologically aberrant groups differ from establishmentarian Christianity. Mark Steyan and McClean's magazine faced the possibility of being dragged before a Human Rights Tribunal (basically a Stalinesque kangaroo court) for "vilifying" Islam by pointing out what terrorists have themselves publicly stated.
There is just so much those holding different religious beliefs can do together before mutual affirmations veer across the line into outright apostasy. For example, one can have a Muslim doctor or Jewish accountant and even be friends with these individuals. However, one is dangerously close to making the state itself God when profound theological differences are set aside in favor of so-called "new partnerships" called for by leaders out to deceive all of mankind irrespective of belief or creed.
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RECENT & READY WORKS
Dale Wasserman wrote for theater, television and film for more than 50 years and is best known for the musical Man of La Mancha, a multiple Tony Award winner. He also wrote the stage play One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, based on Ken Kesey’s novel, which has won several Tony Awards. Both shows continue to be produced nationally and internationally with an estimated 300 productions a year.
In January 1979, Dale met Martha Nelly Garza, who became his wife, loyal partner and loving companion, as he quoted in his book, The Impossible Musical (2003). More than once, Dale commented that Martha Nelly was the best thing that ever happened to him (aside from MOLM) and that it was their 30-year partnership that had been the greatest contribution to extending his life and his talents to age 94. Together, they worked on numerous musicals and several new plays which can be found on this website under RECENT & READY WORKS.
On December 21, 2008, Dale Wasserman, with his loving wife at his side, passed away peacefully of natural causes at his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Martha N. Wasserman is now the sole Owner/Licensor of Dale’s intellectual properties.
VIEW A 30-MINUTE VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH MR. WASSERMAN
“Witty, wicked, alarmingly candid…
here's a book
for all reasons.”
A lively account of the career of the musical play which has touched the hearts and minds of millions.
…at your booksellers, or from Hal Leonard Publishing or through
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Cboe Europe Management
The Cboe Europe management team focuses solely on the Company's mission of Making Markets Better. From superior trading technology with consistently reliable performance, to innovative price and billing systems, to providing free real-time web-based market data, the management team seizes every opportunity to make the European markets a better place to do business.
Mark Hemsley
Mark Hemsley is President of Cboe Europe, the European division of Cboe Global Markets, joining the firm in 2017 as part of the Bats Global Markets acquisition. Based in London, Mr. Hemsley oversees Cboe’s European operations, which provide investors with cutting-edge trading and investment solutions for the European equities, global FX and derivatives markets. Cboe Europe operates the largest pan-European stock market and trade reporting facility.
A founding employee of Bats Europe in 2008, Hemsley is a well-respected industry expert and leader whose team has played a major role in transforming Europe’s equity markets over the past decade. In 2011, Mr. Hemsley led the transformative acquisition and integration of Chi-X Europe, creating the leading stock exchange group in Europe, surpassing legacy markets which had been in operation for hundreds of years. Under Mr. Hemsley’s leadership, Bats became a Recognized Investment Exchange (RIE) in 2013.
Cboe Europe and Hemsley have received numerous awards, including the Financial News Trading & Technology Awards honor for “Exchange Group of the Year” for the past four years in a row. Mr. Hemsley has also been named to the “FN 100 Most Influential” list, which recognizes key financial executives impacting European financial markets, every year since 2009. In 2015, Mr. Hemsley received the Financial News “Decade of Excellence” award for outstanding contribution to Capital Markets and in 2018 he received the “Industry Leader of the Year” award.
Before joining Bats, Mr. Hemsley was Managing Director and Chief Information Officer at LIFFE, running its Market Solutions group. A LIFFE board member, he was also heavily involved in the sale of the company to Euronext.
Mr. Hemsley shares his market structure expertise with various industry groups and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. He was previously a member of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Secondary Markets Standing Committee and the ESMA Stakeholders Group, providing consultation on the impact of market structure changes and ESMA policy development.
David Howson
David Howson joined Cboe Europe as chief operating officer in June 2013. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in European and North American financial markets technology to the company, overseeing Cboe Europe’s software engineering, infrastructure and operational teams.
Most recently, Mr. Howson was chief technology officer at Equiduct Systems Ltd., where he was one of the founders responsible for establishing Equiduct in 2006 as a pan-European Regulated Market. Mr. Howson spearheaded the design and implementation of the company’s technology platform and market structure and was responsible for technology strategy, market structure and post-trade services.
Prior to Equiduct, Mr. Howson was solutions architect and principal consultant at Reuters Consulting. His work included implementing and integrating a pan-European equities trading platform for Nasdaq Europe, as well as the architecture and implementation of the Super Montage Hybrid trading system for Nasdaq Deutschland. Later, as principal consultant to the Nasdaq Stock Market based in the U.S. he managed the redesign and deployment of several Nasdaq Market Site systems.
He graduated with first-class honours in Mathematics and Computer Science from Newcastle University.
Adam Eades
President, Cboe Europe B.V.
Adam Eades is President of Cboe Europe B.V., the Netherlands-based subsidiary of Cboe Europe, overseeing operations for the venue. Cboe Europe B.V. is authorised to operate a Regulated Market (RM), Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) and Approved Publication Arrangement (APA), under the supervision of the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM).
Mr. Eades joined Cboe Europe in November 2011 and was previously Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer at Cboe Europe. Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Eades was also a member of the Board of Cboe Europe Limited and brings with him 25 years of legal, regulatory and compliance experience in financial markets and exchange trading and clearing.
Immediately prior to joining Cboe Europe, Mr. Eades was global general counsel at publicly traded Henderson Group plc, the international investment management firm, where he led legal, compliance and corporate secretariat functions in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Mr. Eades’ experience includes 14 years at LIFFE and Euronext (later NYSE Euronext), where he held numerous leadership positions, including leading the European legal division for NYSE Euronext and serving as global head of legal affairs for NYSE Liffe responsible for all legal matters related to derivatives.
Prior to the acquisition of LIFFE by NYSE Euronext, Mr. Eades was general counsel and company secretary for LIFFE and served on its executive committee. He was appointed chairman of LIFFE Trustees Ltd., the corporate trustee of the LIFFE pension scheme, and board director of Euronext UK plc. He also directed market supervision and investigations during his tenure at LIFFE.
Mr. Eades is a qualified Solicitor and a member of the Law Society. He graduated from Newcastle upon Tyne University with an honours degree in Politics and History and subsequently completed his legal qualification at Guildford College of Law.
Jerry Avenell
Co-Head of Sales
Jerry Avenell was appointed co-head of the Cboe Europe sales division following Cboe's acquisition of Chi-X Europe and directs client relationship management and development in the UK and Ireland.
Mr. Avenell joined Chi-X Europe in November 2007 and was business development manager for the UK and Ireland. He was responsible for a range of Chi-X Europe's key market participant relationships and was involved in new product development initiatives.
"Jerry brings an extensive background in financial markets to the Cboe Europe team and has demonstrated success in building and enhancing customer relationships,"" said Mark Hemsley, chief executive officer of Cboe Europe. “I look forward to his contributions to our strategic objectives and growth."
Prior to joining Chi-X Europe, Mr. Avenell spent over eight years at the London Stock Exchange where he was responsible for market data division's account management. He was subsequently responsible for business development in the market services team and tasked with building the LSE's buy-side strategy.
Mr. Avenell started his career in software sales for the Press Association in 1994 and is a BA (Hons) graduate of the University of Manchester.
Alex Dalley
Alex Dalley co-heads the Cboe Europe sales division and is responsible for client relationship management and development in continental Europe. As one of the first employees to join Cboe Europe in 2008, Mr. Dalley was responsible for building the MTF's trading participant community as head of sales.
Mr. Dalley was previously with the London Stock Exchange where he served as head of membership and exchange trading directing Exchange trading sales, client management and member firm acquisition. He also led business development for the LSE buy-side/sell-side FIX hub and spoke service.
"With his experience at the LSE servicing and consulting with clients on all market issues, Alex is a valuable resource for current and future participants of the Cboe Europe trading community," said Mark Hemsley, chief executive officer of Cboe Europe.
He is a former Surrey County golfer and graduated with a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from the University of Plymouth.
Stephanie Renner
Stephanie Renner is Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Cboe Europe, the European division of Cboe Global Markets, and is responsible for all financial control and human resources functions for the business, including financial planning and reporting. Based in London, Ms. Renner became CFO in June 2018 and brings more than 27 years of experience in financial services and public accounting industries to the role.
Ms. Renner joined Cboe Global Markets as Assistant Controller in 2013, a position she held until her move to Cboe Europe. As Assistant Controller, Ms. Renner managed the daily operations of Cboe’s U.S. accounting function.
Prior to joining Cboe Global Markets, Ms. Renner spent 15 years at H&R Block, a leading tax preparation company, where she held various operational accounting roles and most recently served as the Director of Financial Reporting. During her tenure at H&R Block, Ms. Renner was focused on the financial services business lines, which included mortgage and investment services, small business services, and refund lending. She played a key role in various acquisitions the company made, including efficient integration of the finance departments, processes and reporting.
Ms. Renner started her career at Ernst & Young in Kansas City. She earned her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in 1992 and is currently a member of the Missouri Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs.
She graduated with honors from Rockhurst University in Kansas City.
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Aircraft Noise: The Ailment and The Treatment
By Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., Chair, Aircraft Noise Abatement Group of New York and New Jersey (ANAG) | Hearing Rehabilitation Quarterly – Special Edition (2001)
The New Meaning of “F.A.A.”
The summer of 2000 was marked by an unusually high number of aircraft delays, especially at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. These delays continued into the Fall and the Winter months as well. Overseeing air transportation and, as a result, largely responsible for this mess in air travel is the Federal Aviation Administration, frequently identified by the letters FAA. However, this past year the letters “F.A.A.” could be used to describe the physical and mental state of the air travelers who were abandoned at airline terminals, uncertain of ever reaching their destinations – Fatigue, Aggravation and Anger.
Listening to these deserted passengers describe their feelings on television news programs reminded me of another group of individuals who have been similarly mistreated by the United States Federal Aviation Administration, namely, residents who are overwhelmed daily by the ever increasing number of noisy aircraft flying above their homes. They too suffer from Fatigue, Aggravation and Anger. The acronym, FAA, traditionally used to identify the agency charged with supervising air travel in this country, has now come to signify a disorder elicited by the failure of this agency to act responsibly to air travelers who expect to arrive at their destinations stress-free and responsively to nearby airport residents who are stressed-out daily by aircraft noise.
Although it remains to be seen whether the Federal Aviation Administration will find ways to ameliorate the problem of air passenger delays, and as a result eradicate the pain and suffering of these passengers, one could surmise how the agency plans to deal with residents suffering from aircraft noise from a letter written by Arlene Feldman, Regional Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to Dr. Allen Greene of Queens, New York (personal communication, December 3, 1997): “Residents should seek to understand noise issues and the steps that can be taken to minimize its effects. Prospective residents to an airport noise impacted area should be cognizant of the effect noise may have on their quality of life.” Adding insult to injury, Ms. Feldman urges people who have lived in their homes before the onslaught of increased air travel to be “cognizant of the effect before purchasing their homes?” The Federal Aviation Administration, represented by Ms. Feldman, is asking Queens residents to learn to cope with the aircraft noise or to find ways to protect themselves from the noise. In other words, residents are to seek their own solutions to the problem of aircraft noise .
Furthermore, residents can no longer call in their noise complaints to the Federal Aviation Administration because the agency stopped taking noise complaints by telephone two years ago. Residents are now told to call their nearby airports with these complaints. Since the Federal Aviation Administration “… is responsible for regulating aircraft and airport noise…” and since 1990 “…Congress forbade airport operators from enacting noise abatement measures concerning the newest generation of airplanes unless they have been approved by the FAA,” (Shapiro, 1991), the Federal Aviation Administration is directing complaints to an authority that lacks the power to alleviate overhead aircraft noise.
Unlike air passengers who expect the federal agency to remedy their air travel problems, residents living near airports, who have been the recipients of a letter similar to the one above, or who have called their local airports as directed, have no illusions about the Federal Aviation Administration’s desire to alleviate aircraft noise in the near future. A more likely expectation is the continuation of the Fatigue, Aggravation and Anger (“F.A.A.”) syndrome which has robbed them of a decent quality of life.
Airport Noise Is Hazardous to Our Well Being!
Imagine awakening most mornings to the sounds of overhead planes that seem to be landing in your bedroom. Put yourself in the place of the homeowner who is overwhelmed by overhead jet noise while barbecuing in the backyard. Think of how you would react to your child crying “No” and striking the air with her fist as she once again experiences the noisy airplane disturbing her playtime.
These are just three examples from the lives of the enormous numbers of people who each day have to deal with intrusive, disturbing aircraft noise. You, like they, would feel annoyed, distressed and angry.
More specifically when asked to report their feelings to the aircraft noises that penetrate their homes, some residents describe a churning in the stomach; others describe a pounding in the head; still others talk about the blood rushing to their faces. With looks of desperation and anguish all reveal one recurring thought: “Please, make the noise go away!” The common medical term to describe what these people are experiencing is stress – stress that can bring about increases in blood pressure, a rise in the level of cholesterol, or take the form of a changed heart beat. If this stress were to continue day after day, as it does in the lives of people who live with aircraft noise, then there is the possibility of cardiovascular, circulatory, digestive or respiratory problems.
But does the stress experienced by those living with aircraft noise result in physiological disorders? There are extensive reviews of studies on people disturbed by noises from nearby highways, railroads and airports (Berglund & Lindvall, 1995; Fay, 1991, Kryter, 1994; Tempest, 1985). The Health Council of the Netherlands in its report entitled “Public Health Impact of Large Airports” (1999) summed up the findings of numerous noise/health studies as follows: “The reported non-auditory effects in noise range from social-psychological effects such as annoyance, effects on mental health, effects on sleep, effects on performance to stress-related health effects such as hypertension and ischaemic heart disease.” Despite the need for additional research linking noise to health, Passchier-Vermeer and Passchier (2000) still concluded that “Exposure to noise constitutes a health risk.”
Especially problematic was the finding by Evans and Lapore (1993) that children living or attending school near a major airport were more likely to have elevated blood pressure. When a new airport was opened in Munich, Evans and his colCenters were able to demonstrate a relationship between chronic noise exposure and elevated neruoendocrine and cardiovascular measures (Evans, Hygge, and Bullinger, 1995). Also addressing the impact of aircraft noise on children is the study by the Okinawa Prefectual Government (1999) that found that children exposed to aircraft noise are likely to: “…easily catch cold, have a poor appetite, and take a long time to make friends.”
Even if we believe that the noise/health link has not yet been strongly affirmed, we cannot deny the fact that individuals exposed to repeated aircraft noises experience a poorer quality of life. Asked how noise interfered with their lives, people living near airports reported that they cannot keep their windows opened, sleep, listen to radio and television, talk on the telephone, or converse with others in their homes (Bronzaft, et al., 1998). Similar findings were reported by the Okinawa Prefectual Government (1999). The nearly seventy percent of the people in the Bronzaft et al. study (1998) who answered that they were bothered by aircraft noises could be characterized as suffering from Fatigue, Aggravation, and Anger.
The subjects in the Bronzaft and the Okinawa Prefectual Government studies may not yet manifest observable physical ailments but their quality of life has certainly been diminished by the intrusive airplane noises. One must keep in mind that good health is not simply the absence of a diagnosed physical disorder!
Aircraft Noise and Children’s Development
One area of long-standing concern for parents has been the effect of noise on their children’s development. It took a growing list of research findings (Bronzaft and McCarthy, 1975; Bronzaft, 1982; Green, Pasternak and Shore,1982; Evans, Bullinger and Hygge, 1998; Haines, Stansfeld, Berglund and Job, 1999) to convince the Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise (FICAN) that noise is detrimental to children’s learning. In its 2000 report FICAN acknowledged that:
“Research on the effects of aircraft noise on children’s learning suggests that aircraft noise can interfere with learning in the following areas: reading, motivation, language and speech acquisition, and memory. The strongest findings to date are in the area of reading, where more than 20 studies have shown that children in noise impact zones are negatively affected by aircraft.”
Yet, despite this dramatic statement, supervisors of schools lying within the paths of overhead aircraft have to fight for dollars to mitigate the noise at these schools. FICAN’s statement that there is still insufficient research to support the effectiveness of noise mitigation at schools (September 2000, p. 6) probably explains in part why school districts can’t readily receive the necessary dollars to treat their classrooms.
Too many of our nation’s children get double doses of aircraft noise – one at home and one at school. Recognizing that schoolroom mitigation alone will not protect their children from the deleterious effects of noise, parents residing in flight paths have demanded soundproofing for their homes. They know that soundproofing will not afford them the full use of their property but quieter homes should enhance their children’s reading, studying and learning skills. However, obtaining federal dollars for home soundproofing is also a struggle.
Parents who are battling to protect their children from the hazards of aircraft noise, if asked, would most certainly describe bouts of Fatigue, Aggravation and Anger. Feelings of fatigue, aggravation and anger undoubtedly distract these parents from their parental obligations and in the long run their children may suffer. Noise in the home may very well hinder good parent-child relationships.
What Is the Federal Government Doing to Ameliorate Aircraft Impacts?
In the last several congressional sessions, legislation was introduced to reinvigorate the Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC), that once existed to curtail the growing noises in our society, but this legislation failed to receive sufficient support. In other words, ONAC lies dormant while noises, especially aviation noise, overwhelm greater numbers of Americans. Some hope that our federal government might once again recognize the danger of noise pollution came in the form of two pieces of recent legislation that called for the examination of the effects of aviation noise on residents subjected to aircraft or helicopter noise.
As part of a major piece of Federal Aviation Administration legislation passed in 2000, a section was included that directed the General Accounting Office to study the adverse effects of aviation noise on people’s health and on children’s learning, to examine whether the measurements employed by the Federal Aviation Administration adequately assess the impacts of noise on residents, and to determine the effectiveness of noise abatement programs at our nation’s airports. A second piece of legislation was passed that called upon the Federal Aviation Administration to ascertain the impact of helicopter noise on nearby residents.
The General Accounting Office decided that the National Academy of Sciences was better suited to undertake an investigation that included examining physiological and psychological effects of noise. In November 2000, President Clinton signed Senate Order 2440 assigning the study to the National Academy of Sciences but with funding not yet appropriated, there is still uncertainty as to whether this study will be carried out. With respect to examining the effects of helicopter noise, the Federal Aviation Administration interpreted its mandate to be the measure of helicopter sounds, not the assessment of noise impacts on people. However, the comments the agency solicited from citizens living near heliports should yield some data on the effects on people. We now await the outcomes of these two federally-funded studies that could heighten the government’s awareness of the dangers of aviation noise pollution
Yet I remember a time over twenty years ago when the federal government didn’t need further enlightenment but rather was well versed on the matter of noise as a health issue. Although the government had understood that additional studies were needed to solidify the noise/health link, it still recognized that there was sufficient evidence to indicate that noise was a real danger. The last two sentences in Noise: A Health Problem (Office of Noise Abatement and Control, 1978) underscores this position.
“It is finally clear that noise is a significant hazard to public health.
Truly, noise is more than just an annoyance. (p.23)
I reflect on these two sentences and then ask myself: “When did we stop caring about noise as a significant health hazard?” More to the point: “Why did we stop caring about noise as a significant health hazard?” My answer to the latter question, as it was stated in an earlier publication (Bronzaft, 1998), centers around the realization that aircraft noise curtailment would impose additional costs on the air transportation industry, an industry with well-funded Washington lobbyists. When the federal government abandoned the Office of Noise Abatement, it gave license to the air transportation industry to ignore the pain and suffering of those who are subjected daily to those overwhelming noises from above. If ignore is to strong a word, then one could simply state that the federal government has permitted the airlines and airplane manufacturers to abate noise at their own slow, deliberate pace. Apparently business profits take precedence over mental and physical well-being!
Taking Charge and Lessening the Fatigue, Aggravation and Anger
International passenger air travel is expected to double in the next ten years and domestic travel should double in the next twenty years. The Federal Aviation Administration projects 36% more flights in the year 2007. Thirty-two of the fifty airports that were surveyed plan to build new runways or extend existing ones (Stenzel, 1996), and smaller airports are expected to enlarge as well. If all these expectations become a reality then the existing aircraft noise problem will worsen despite plans to reduce aircraft noise through new technologies. Even if the government’s own studies, that were discussed above, clearly demonstrate the hazards of aircraft noise, will the government act expeditiously to bring some relief to those on the ground suffering from the steadily mounting offensive noise?
Judging from the government’s overwhelming concern for the heartiness of the air transportation industry these past eighteen years, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the answer is: “Not likely.” Unless, of course, communities outraged by airport expansion, and now emboldened by findings supporting their claims, demand immediate action from the federal government.
The Fatigue, Aggravation and Anger, typifying the residents forced to live with the burgeoning aircraft noises, will fester and worsen as time goes by and nothing is done to improve the situation. The F.A.A. syndrome will be further exacerbated as residents feel they lack the power to change things. Then in time these combined feelings of stress and helplessness could lead to a physiological or psychological breakdown. Those who live in the paths of overhead jets cannot allow themselves to be the helpless pawns of the air transportation industry and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Fighting back allows an individual to regain greater control over his or her life. When an individual battles an oppressor, whether it be a personal enemy, a federal agency or a “big business,” the anger that is seething within the person is redirected to the source of that anger, relieving much of the internal pain that has accompanied that anger. This in turn lessens the stress and frustration, not necessarily causing them to disappear, but keeping them within tolerable levels.
The battle to reduce aircraft noise is a long-term one but small victories along the way will provide the sustenance to maintain the course. One might consider the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to cut back the number of takeoffs from LaGuardia a small victory or the delay, for at least another year, of the development of a FedEx hub in Greensboro, North Carolina a small victory. There are numerous other examples of citizens halting the expansion of runways or demanding that air flights go over waterways rather than their homes. Whenever a community organization registers a victory, it could be considered a small win for the entire population battling aviation noise and every one in this population should be invigorated to continue their fight.
Furthermore, victories can also be measured by media exposure. Whenever one of the many anti-aircraft noise pollution groups such as US-Citizens Aviation Watch (US-CAW), Aircraft Noise Abatement Group of New York and New Jersey (ANAG), New Jersey Coalition Against Aircraft Noise (NJCAAN), Sane Aviation for Everyone (SAFE), or Helicopter Coalition of New York is quoted in the press, then it could be chalked up as a victory for all those opposing aviation noise.
However, there are still too few participants in the struggle to protect themselves and their children from these invasive and devastating aircraft noises. This also means that far too many people have given in to Fatigue, Aggravation and Anger, making them more vulnerable to potential physiological and psychological harm. Joining one of the above-mentioned groups, and taking some control over your life, as indirectly suggested by Arlene Feldman of the Federal Aviation Administration, is one way to relieve some of the pain associated with the F.A.A. syndrome. Another way, if you are not one who readily joins groups, is to read the key “talking points” listed below on aviation noise abatement policy prepared by the Aircraft Noise Abatement Group of New York and New Jersey, in conjunction with the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse. Then forward the talking points to your friends, associates, and public officials.
It should be pointed out that individuals who are not in the path of overhead aircraft today may discover in the near future that a flight path has been moved to their community or a heliport is planned for their neighborhood. Thus, it is hoped that this article would encourage all citizens to work with us in educating our legislators to the dangers of aircraft noise and in urging them to join us in our quest for a quieter sky and a healthier existence.
Advocating For a Saner Aviation Noise Abatement Policy
In keeping with the latest knowledge on the impacts of aircraft noise on community health and welfare, advocate for 55 dNL as the appropriate level of noise that is considered hazardous to health and well-being, as well as the inclusion of single-events of noise in determining harmful effects of aircraft noise, until more appropriate descriptions are developed.
Require Stage 3 compliance for all airplanes under 75,000 pounds and develop more stringent noise regulations for helicopters. Raise minimum overflight altitudes for airplanes and establish a minimum overflight altitude for helicopters.
Prohibition of overflights over national and state parks.
Noise regulations must be set for military flights as they are for civilian flights.
Fund studies on the effects of aircraft noise on mental and physical health, especially the effects on children’s health, development and learning.
Moratorium on airport capacity expansion until appropriate environmental standards are met.
Urge design and implementation of innovative land use planning around airports, e.g. buffer zones so as to reduce noise impacts.
Nighttime curfews – no departures or arrivals between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., except in emergencies.
Passenger tax to be used solely for safety, environmental protection and noise abatement.
Support quieter, cleaner aircraft technology, called Stage IV.
Berglund, B. & Lindvall, T. (1995). Community noise. Stockholm: Center for Sensory Research.
Bronzaft, A. L., Ahern, K.D., McGinn, R., O’Connor, J. & Savino, B. (1998). Aircraft noise: A potential health hazard. Environment and Behavior 30, 101-113.
Bronzaft, A. L. (1998). A voice to end the government’s silence on noise. Hearing Rehabilitation Quarterly, 23, 6-12, 29.
Bronzaft, A.L. (1981). The effect of a noise abatement program on reading ability. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1, 215-222.
Bronzaft, A. L. & McCarthy, D. (1975) The effect of elevated train noise on reading ability.
Environment and Behavior, 7, 517-528.
Evans, G. W. Hygge, S. & Bullinger, M. (1995). Chronic noise and psychological stress. Psychological Science, 6, 333-338.
Evans, G. W. & Lepore, S. J. (1993). Nonauditory effects of noise on children. A critical review. Children’s Environments, 10, 31-51.
Fay, T.H. (1991). Noise and Health. New York: The New York Academy of Medicine.
Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise. (September 2000). FICAN position on research into effects of aircraft noise on classroom learning. Washington, D.C. Federal Interagency Committee on Aviation Noise.
Green, K. B., Pasternak, B. S. & Shore, R. E. (1982). Effects of aircraft noise on reading ability of school-age children. Archives of Environmental Health, 37, 24-31.
Haines, M. M., Stansfeld, S. A., Berglund, B. & Job, R. F. S. (1998). Chronic aircraft noise
Exposure and child cognitive performance and stress. In N. Carter, & R. F. S. Job (Eds).
Proceedings of the 7th international conference on noise as a public health problem. (Vol. 1,
329-335). Sydney: Noise Effects ’98 PTY LTD.
Health Council of the Netherlands (1999). Public health impact of large airports. The Hague:
Health Council of the Netherlands.
Okinawa Prefectual Government (1999). A report on the aircraft noise as a public health problem in Okinawa. Okinawa Prefectural Government: Office of Environmental Protection, Department of Culture and Environmental Affairs.
Kryter, K.D. (1994). The Handbook of Hearing and the Effects of Noise. San Diego: Academic Press.
Passchier-Vermeer, W. & Passchier, W. F. (2000). Noise exposure and public health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 108, 123-131
Shapiro, S.A. (1991). The dormant noise control act and options to abate noise pollution. Washington, D.C. The Administrative Conference of the United States.
Stenzel, J. (1996). Flying off course. N. Y. Natural Resources Defense Council.
Tempest, W. (1985). The noise handbook London: Academic Press.
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Noise Abatement and Control. (1978)
Noise: A health problem. Washington, D.C.: United States Environmental Protection Agency.
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On-line Publication
Aim of the Journal
Publisher's own license
The methods of treatment of atrial fibrillation in patients with valvular heart disease
DOI: http://doi.org/10.31928/2305-3127-2019.1.513
O.M. Grytsay 1, Y.V. Skybchyk 1, I.Y. Mokryk 1, E.V. Zhytyns’kiy 1, V.О. Kuts 2, О.J. Zharinov 2, B.M. Todurov 1, 2
1 Heart Institute, Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
2 Shupyk National Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, Kyiv, Ukraine
The article presents literature data on the methods of treatment of atrial fibrillation in patients with valvular heart disease. The clinical efficacy of surgical treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation is presented – surgical isolation of the left atrium, «corridor» and Maze procedures. It is emphasized that Maze operation has four modifications, and for today Maze IV is the most common intervention in valvular atrial fibrillation, significantly reducing the risk of thromboembolic complications associated with atrial fibrillation. The efficiency of surgical ablation in valvular atrial fibrillation is discussed, i.e. radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, microwave ablation, their efficiency in addition to surgical treatment. The article also presents the results of clinical trials in valvular atrial fibrillation, after surgical and complex treatment. It is indicated that a novel metod of treatment in patients with valvular atrial fibrillation is mini-access thoracotomy; after progression of minimally invasive cardiac surgery, modifications of Maze-procedures were performed through a mini-thoracotomy access or thoracoscopy with the usage of endoscopic complex. In conclusion, despite numerous clinical trials, none provided evidence base to determine statistically significant differences in survival; it has not currently been determined how surgical treatment of valvular atrial fibrillation influences the survival of patients.
Key words: atrial fibrillation, valvular disease, surgical treatment, Maze I–IV, surgical ablation.
[PDF] [References]
All-Ukrainian Association of Specialists in Arrhythmology and Cardiac Electrophysiology
© Cardiac Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, 2019
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Claire Foy stars in The Girl in the Spider's Web
Claire Foy makes a bold move, from the Queen in The Crown to the gritty Lisbeth Salander, the lead character in the Millennium series written by Stieg Larssson.
The Golden Globe winner will play the cult character, an outcast vigilante defender.
The first book in the series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was adapted for the screen, and starred Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. The first three books were also adapted for the screen in Sweden.
The Girl in the Spider's Web is the fourth book in the series, written after the death of Stieg Larsson, by David Lagercrantz.
Mikael Blomkvist, the campaigning journalist is back. A lone wolf whose integrity and championing of the truth brings him time and again to the brink of unemployment - and prosecution.
The call comes in late at night: a superhacker has gained access to critical, top secret U.S. intelligence.
Blomkvist knows only one person who could crack the best security systems in the world. This case has all the hallmarks of Salander. She is accused of acting without reason, taking risks just because she can, but though they have lost touch, Blomkvist knows Lisbeth better than that.
There must be something deeper at the heart of this - maybe even the scoop that Millennium magazine so desperately needs for its survival.
A tangled web of truth that someone is prepared to kill to protect . . .
Will Smith and Keira Knightley star in Collateral Beauty
It's been a while since we've seen Edward Norton on screen. In Collateral Beauty he joins an all-star cast, including Will Smith, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren. If the trailer...
Take a first look at Sacha Baron Cohen's upcoming film Grimsby
Sacha Baron Cohen has a new action comedy soon to hit our screens.
Film Review: The Imitation Game
Tina Fey and Margot Robbie in WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT
Watch the brand new trailer for Tina Fey�s WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT which stars Australia�s very own Margot Robbie along with Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman and of course Tina Fey...
"Remember" teaser trailer released for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
"Remember" teaser trailer has just been released for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, the franchise finale.
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Nuclear Philosophy
You are here: Home › safeguards
Tag Archives: safeguards
Anne Harrington
Trust and verify
Nuclear Diplomacy
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili (third R) was heading the Iranian negotiating delegation in the talks with the P5+1 in Baghdad.
…the Agency is unable to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.
IAEA Board Report, May, 25 2012
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signing the INF Treaty in the East Room at the White House in 1987.
We have listened to the wisdom in an old Russian maxim. And I’m sure you’re familiar with it, Mr. General Secretary, though my pronunciation may give you difficulty. The maxim is: Dovorey no provorey — trust, but verify.
The General Secretary. You repeat that at every meeting. [Laughter]
The President. I like it. [Laughter]”
Remarks on Signing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, December 8, 1987
President Reagan made the phrase, “trust, but verify” practically synonymous with US-Soviet arms control. It’s also a phrase that has been adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which advertises itself as having “a proven track record of remaining true to the principle ‘trust but verify.’” “Trust, but verify” captures a certain common sense notion of the tension between exhibiting faith in someone else’s intentions, and the desire to make sure that your judgment is correct by checking to see that their deeds match their words. However, after spending this past week learning about international nuclear safeguards policy, I came to the conclusion that “trust and verify” would be a more principled basis on which to build confidence in nonproliferation.
The course, International Nuclear Safeguards Policy, was co-hosted by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In it experts from the IAEA and national labs covered the history and legal foundations of safeguards, and the technical aspects of the process through which IAEA inspectors verify that the material facts on the ground match the declaration of activities provided by officials of the country under inspection. Historically, the primary responsibility of IAEA inspectors has been to build confidence in the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) by accounting for declared nuclear material as it moves through the nuclear fuel cycle, and certifying that the declaration is correct. Through this process IAEA can provide de facto assurance that the country in question is not diverting any of the declared material from energy production to nuclear weapons programs. Known as Comprehensive Safeguards, these agreements are technically challenging to verify, but fairly straightforward.
What Comprehensive Safeguards do not—and cannot—do is certify beyond a doubt that there are no clandestine activities being carried out simultaneously. In other words, they cannot verify that a declaration is complete. So, if you think the point of safeguards is to prevent cheating, they will always fall short of expectations—as they did most recently with the revelation of Iran’s covert nuclear enrichment program, and most significantly in the case of Iraq’s illicit weapon program during the 1980s and early 90s. In both cases, the countries in question did not divert material from their declared nuclear activities, but rather created a parallel, clandestine program for enriching uranium from other sources.
After the discovery that Iraq had developed an illicit nuclear weapon program while maintaining the appearance of being in compliance with its NPT obligations, the IAEA asked states party to existing agreements to sign an Additional Protocol. The Addition Protocol expands the IAEA’s authority by granting inspectors access to all parts of a state’s nuclear fuel cycle, including access to undeclared facilities. Purportedly, this new authority “enable[s] the IAEA not only to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material but also to provide assurances as to the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in a State.”
Advocates of the Additional Protocol believe that it strengthens the IAEA, but there is another side to this story. Comprehensive Safeguards, as originally designed, essentially amount to an audit. They simply verify that a state’s declaration is an accurate description of the activities it contains, and states are presumed to be in compliance unless there is information to indicate otherwise. Audits create a sense of accountability, but they also give the state in question a mechanism with which to credibly demonstrate its own mastery of the nuclear fuel cycle. In this sense they are mutually beneficial. Under the Additional Protocol, in contrast, inspectors have gone from being auditors, to being detectives. The IAEA’s expanded authority means that inspectors can now seek access to undeclared facilities, including access based on third-party evidence. States under inspection have gone from being presumed innocent until proven guilty, to being assumed guilty until proven innocent. This places both the IAEA and the states under inspection in an untenable position.
In the long-term the Additional Protocol will undermine the credibility of the system. The problem is that the impartiality of the IAEA depends upon a scientifically rational process, yet the Additional Protocol does not respect the limits of that process. In setting out to “provide assurance as to the absence of undeclared nuclear materials” the IAEA is setting itself up to fail. Proving a non-event stumbles on an irresolvable epistemological problem because we can never know for sure that there isn’t something else the IAEA overlooked. As a result, it asks too much of the inspectors. Under the auditing function an inspector performs for traditional Comprehensive Safeguards agreements, she or he could say with certainty, “I can verify that under the bounded conditions of the declaration, the facts on the ground match the statement at hand.” Anything above and beyond that is left up to others to interpret. However, under the Additional Protocol, in the final instance, any honest inspector will be force to say, “All we can tell you is what we have found, anything else we cannot know for sure.” If they have not found any evidence of an illicit nuclear program, yet suspicions abound, this conclusion will always be unsatisfactory because it cannot help us distinguish between violators and non-violators. Yet, a stronger statement in either direction will inevitably appear politically motivated.
This dynamic is apparent in the failure of the most recent negotiations between the IAEA and Iran. According to the IAEA Board Report, released on May 25, “Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material at the nuclear facilities and LOFs [locations outside facilities where nuclear material is customarily used] declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement.” However, Iran refuses to implement its Additional Protocol and admit IAEA inspectors to undeclared sites. The IAEA is requesting access to Iran’s Parchin military complex, where it suspects that nuclear explosive tests were carried out. Iran, however, insists that these requests are politically motivated. Asked about Parchin, Iran’s IAEA ambassador, Ali Asghar Soltanieh was quoted as saying, “That is in fact one of the problems. The more you politicise an issue which was purely technical it creates an obstacle and damages the environment.”
For the sake of argument, let’s say Iran admits IAEA inspectors to Parchin and they find nothing, what would that prove? What kind of evidence would be sufficient to assure the IAEA and P5+1 that Iran does not have a clandestine nuclear program? How can you trust in a finding that by its very nature cannot be verified? In the case of Iraq, the US wasn’t satisfied until post-invasion inspections laid bare the entire country. If we continue down the same road, we are likely to end up with a similar outcome in Iran. This is an alternative for which the US government should be prepared. However, it is a less than desirable outcome for all parties involved.
If instead of basing safeguards policy on the principle of “trust, but verify,” we predicate it on the twin pillars of trust and verification, it changes the approach and, hopefully, the outcome. “Trust, but verify” poses trust and verification as alternatives to one another. That’s why Reagan liked the saying. It’s a funny way of saying you trust someone, while at the same time acknowledging that you don’t. “Trust and verify,” on the other hand, poses trust and verification as two complementary pillars, both of which are necessary for the functioning of effective safeguards. It also acknowledges the limitations of each pillar on its own.
The Additional Protocol has shifted the focus of safeguards policy from the more balanced approach of Comprehensive Safeguards, to an over-emphasis on verification. The principle of “trust and verify” would move the balance back toward a bounded approach to verification activities and an acknowledgement that IAEA inspections should be only one means of assessing the trustworthiness of nations and building confidence in the Nonproliferation Regime.
“Trust and verify” should also be the approach that the P5+1 brings to its round of talks with Iran scheduled for June 18-19 in Moscow. Both pillars will be necessary in order to stabilize the security dilemma in which all parties now find themselves. For Iran, this will mean agreeing to confidence building measures such as additional inspections. Bolstering verification is necessary to compensate for the trust deficit Iran created by carrying out clandestine enrichment activities of questionable legality. However, Iran also has to be able to trust that there is an alternative to US invasion other than through the self-reliance offered by a domestic nuclear arsenal. Focusing exclusively on sanctions as a coercive mechanism is a good way to get Iran to the table, but creating credible security assurance will be the only way to close the deal.
Recent and Early Concerns for Banning the Bomb: Günther Anders and the Actuality of his Philosophical Anthropology
Policy Relevance 101: Minding the gap
NORAD wants to know if you’ve been naughty or nice.
Policy Relevance 101: Intellectual promiscuity is bad for your reputation
The price of peace
Fukushima — it’s not going anywhere
Fukushima’s first days: the US response
Fukuppy
Plymouth on the edge
The changing meaning of dual-use nuclear technology
How we kill in war
Disaster Mitigation 101: Have a media strategy
Policy Relevance 101: Know your audience
Irrational economics
Shock and Awe (and Irony)
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Tag Archive | "hollywood"
Bronx Walk in Search of Fame (hint: look up)
Posted on 13 May 2010. Tags: bronx county building, bronx tourism council, colin powell, doris quinones, edward lewis, Grand Concourse, herman badillo, hollywood, jake lamotta, jerry vale, joanie madden, lonely planet, luther vandross, ruben diaz jr, stanley kubrick, walk of fame
Bronx Walk of Fame signs on Grand Concourse (Photo by Ian Thomson/Bronx Ink)
While Hollywood’s Walk of Fame is known around the world, few people have heard of the Bronx counterpart, which stretches south along the Grand Concourse from 161st Street to 140th Street. Even many Bronxites, it seems, are unaware of the tourist attraction hovering from the street lights above their heads.
“I’ve never heard of it, and I pass here a lot,” said Louis Gonzalez, a resident of nearby High Bridge, as he waited for a bus outside the Bronx County Building — the very spot where the walk begins.
On May 23, the borough hosts its 14th annual induction ceremony where four Bronx-born public figures will see their names go up on signs as they join 82 existing inductees recognized for their lifetime achievements. Singer Jerry Vale, flautist Joanie Madden, former Congressman Herman Badillo and magazine founder Edward Lewis will be honored at the event, after which the quartet will serve as grand marshals for a parade along Mosholu Parkway to mark the end of Bronx Week 2010.
Doris Quinones, executive director of the Bronx Tourism Council, describes the ceremony as a “great Bronx Week tradition” that bestows the borough’s highest honor upon the inductees. Ruben Diaz Jr., the borough president, will unveil four signs to be placed on street lights at the intersection of Grand Concourse and 161st Street for one year before they are moved to a permanent place along the walk’s lengthening route.
This year’s additions will join a list including high-profile names like boxer Jake LaMotta, the subject of the Robert De Niro film “Raging Bull,” singer Luther Vandross, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
According to Quinones, of the Bronx Tourism Council, the president had pushed for changes to this year’s Bronx Week to increase the involvement of the local community. The May date, one month earlier than in previous years, allows children from more than 80 local schools to take part in the final day’s parade and help to raise awareness of an event that aims to celebrate the borough’s multicultural identity.
“The four inductees are such a beautiful reflection of the diversity of the Bronx,” Quinones said. “We place the signs high up for everyone to see and look up to.”
Still, it appears that many locals have yet to notice. Monique Clarke, a nurse at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, said she had never heard of the Bronx Walk of Fame despite living in the borough for her entire life. She laughed when the signs above her were brought to her attention.
“I didn’t even look up,” said Clarke, before offering her advice on how the walk could generate greater interest. “Al Pacino’s from the Bronx. They need to put him in there.” Pacino spent part of his childhood in the South Bronx.
The walk and other Bronx attractions are beginning to gather more attention, Quinones said. “Writers are making reference to it,” she said. “They’re telling travelers to leave Manhattan otherwise you miss out on what the real New York is about. There are a growing number of people coming up to the Bronx.”
Out in the plaza on East 161st Street opposite Quinones’ office window, Dutch tourists Ilse Van Der Lei and Maike Kroese were reading their New York City guidebook and contemplating their next move. The two girls, visiting the city on vacation from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, said they wanted to escape from Manhattan to see New York’s other neighborhoods, but they too were unaware that the Walk of Fame started a few yards away from where they sat.
“It sounds like a good idea,” Van Der Lei said. “They should put it in Lonely Planet.”
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Posted on 17th August 2015 by admin
Attempt to de-list Elmhurst Cottage
Elmhurst Cottage
An application has been submitted to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to remove Elmhurst Cottage from the council’s Locally Listed Buildings list. If successful this would remove the protections given to buildings on the list, and ease the way for redevelopment of the 0.3 Acre site. It was submitted by a local company, Building Design & Services Ltd., but appears to be on behalf of a company named Broadberry International Limited. There is no indication as to the reason for the request, but I suspect it is not out of academic concern for the historical accuracy of the local list.
The heart of the case to remove Elmhurst Cottage from the list, which is laid out in a Heritage Statement prepared by HeritageCollective and submitted with the application, appears to be twofold: that the cottage was not built until 1895-1896 and that it was too humble for important historical people such as the Lidgbird and Dallin families to live in.
The evidence presented that the cottage was not built until 1895-1896 relies on part of a hand-drawn map that was submitted with an 1889 planning application for a new stable on a property further down Shrewsbury Lane. The map, which is part of catalogue item MBW/BA/39056 in the London Metropolitan Archive, is shown below followed by the equivalent area from Alan Godfrey’s 1894 OS map, which clearly shows Elmhurst Cottage. The hand-drawn map does not include a number of buildings that are shown in the OS map from just 5 years later, and has a number of inaccuracies in the shapes, orientations and positions of the buildings compared to the Ordnance Survey map. For instance, it does not include the huge Haddon Hall, just over the lane from Elmhurst Cottage. Haddon Hall also appears on Alan Godfrey’s 1866 and 1914 maps, so it was certainly there in 1889. The size, shape and outbuildings of the large house named Elmhurst are not captured accurately on the 1889 map, nor are those of the Homestead. In fact it is an amateur map intended to show where a new stable would go, not to show the size, shape and location of neighbouring buildings.
It is clear that the 1889 hand-drawn map is not conclusive evidence of the presence or absence of Elmhurst Cottage, or of the date it was built. The Heritage Statement includes a snippet of the 1894 OS map mislabelled as being from 1896, plus a part of the 1866 OS map mislabelled as being from 1889. If nothing else the presence of Elmhurst on the 1894 map shows that it was there before the 1895-1896 claimed.
Map from HeritageCollective’s Heritage Statement about Elmhurst Cottage
Snippet from Alan Godfrey’s 1894 Ordnance Survey Map of Shooters Hill
The Heritage Statement provides no evidence that a wealthy family such as the Lidgbirds or the Dallins would not have lived in a cottage such as Elmhurst Cottage other than some information from a directory of 1910 about who lived at the cottage. This is many years after the Dallin family lived at Elmhurst.
The Heritage Statement quotes a passage about the history of Elmhurst Cottage from an e-shootershill post about buildings of local interest, however it fails to include any of the more detailed information about the historical associations of the cottage in a later post about Elmhurst. This cottage is one of the few reminders of the families – the Lidgbirds, Dallins and Jacksons – who shaped Shooters Hill. Colonel Bagnold also lists a number of senior military people who lived at Elmhurst: Col. Shipley; Lord Ribblesdale; Col. Foster; W Fitzhardinge; Col. Wooley-Dod; Col. Murray-Smith; Major Barstow; Col. F. Watts-Allen. A rich local history.
Why is someone trying to de-list Elmhurst Cottage now? Who knows – the applicants haven’t given any indications of their plans, nor have they talked to neighbours of Elmhurst Cottage, who first learned of the attempt to de-list when they got the Royal Borough’s letter. Although it seems clear that the cottage has been sold because it is no longer up for sale, the Land Registry has not yet been updated with the new owner’s details. HeritageCollective produced the Heritage Statement for Broadberry International Limited. No company of this name comes up in a search of the Companies House web site. and a Google search only gives a British Virgin Islands company for which the last information is 2007. It seems unlikely that Broadberry Data Systems, Broadberry Consulting or Broadberry Care Solutions have moved into property development, so the plans for the site remain a mystery.
The notice about the application gives details about how to comment:
Any person who wishes to make representations to the Royal Borough about the application should do so in writing (via email or post) by 08-Sep-2015 to building-conservation@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or to Planning Department, 5th floor, Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6HQ
It is also possible to comment on-line on the planning pages for the application. The Royal Borough of Greenwich web site includes information about how buildings get on the local list, as well as the list itself.
CategoriesPost Tagsfuture, past, shrewsbury lane
8 Replies to “Attempt to de-list Elmhurst Cottage”
18th August 2015 at 1:50 pm
I have commented elsewhere on the inaccuracies of the maps and I see you have come to the same conclusions, which shows what a shoddy job “Heritage Collective” have done. What amazes me is that they have made a subjective statement regarding the desirability of the cottage as a place of abode for someone from a grand family, then compound this silliness by stating that a piece of tenuous evidence from a much later date proves the statement to be conclusive. The “research” has been very sloppy, selective and full of errors. The John Lidgebird they cite (“High Sheriff of Kent”) as you know, cannot have been the one who built Elmhurst Cottage, as he died, quite possibly a lunatic, in 1771. His son, Henry inherited the estate and he continued the building work at the Arsenal. As you have written before, it seems likely that he had at least two sons: Henry Lidgebird Junior and John Lidgebird are mentioned in conjunction with the building works into the 1840s. Now, a memorial tablet in St Nick’s states that Henry died, unmarried, in 1820. As you also discovered, he died intestate and there followed nine years of litigation, after which the estate was divided between two distant relatives: Mary Dallin (again, not the one referred to by Heritage Collective, but her mother) and Ann Wilding. It is notable that neither Henry Junior nor John inherited any of the estate. It does not seem inconceivable, therefore, that the two were illegitimate. This is certainly a better explanation as to why John would live in a humble dwelling on part of his father’s former estate, than the nonsense suggested by “Heritage Collective”. Out of interest, Hilly, have you looked at the Kentish Independent for 1976?
That’s an interesting thought about the younger Lidgbirds, have you come across any records of them? I haven’t looked at the Kentish Independent, sounds like a walk down to the Heritage Centre is required.
https://www.localsurveyorsdirect.co.uk/node/163444/directory
A former occupier of the cottage has been asking local people. She contends that the cottage was not rebuilt and is the original old building. I seem to recall a newspaper article about an exact replica being built, which would account for the oldy-worldy materials. I suggested she look for the article in the Kentish Independent, but I think she may live in Somerset. I can’t find any local Lidgebirds on Ancestry or FindMyPast. The St Nick’s parish records have been digitalised, so perhaps the name has been persistantly mistranscribed. Of course, the sons will have been baptised with the mother’s surname/s if they were illigitimate. I’ve started to draft my representations, but will wait to see whether you find anything at the HC.
21st August 2015 at 10:19 am
I scanned through all the 1976 Kentish Independents yesterday and couldn’t find any mention of Elmhurst Cottage. Wonder if it could have been a different newspaper?
Ah, just spotted my error. I confused two Henry Lidgbirds.
18th August 2015 at 10:25 pm
However, I have found other John Lidgbirds in Plumstead, both contemporaneous and later than Sir John. As Sir John had only one child and, as the surname is uncommon, one would assume that the other John Lidgbirds are relatives – although, perhaps, with less claim to the estate than Mary Lidgbird and Ann Wilding.
21st August 2015 at 3:18 pm
I’m trying to think of another local paper at the time. I think another popular one that covered this area was the Bexleyheath Observer, which is held on microcfiche at Bexley Archive Centre. They also have the News Shopper for a greater range of dates than Greenwich.
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Electronic Hot Sale > Blog > Computers > Windows 10: Microsoft under attack over privacy – The Guardian
Windows 10: Microsoft under attack over privacy – The Guardian
Windows 10 is under attack over default settings which users say compromise their privacy, just days after the operating system’s successful launch saw more than 14 million installs in the first 24 hours.
Hundreds of commenters on sites such as Hacker News and Reddit have criticised default settings that send personal information to Microsoft, use bandwidth to upload data to other computers running the operating system, share Wi-Fi passwords with online friends and remove the ability to opt out of security updates.
Many of the complaints relate to the new personalised adverts embedded in Windows 10. When the OS is installed, Microsoft assigns the user a unique advertising ID, which it ties to the email address registered with the company. That email address is also associated with a raft of other services, such as the company’s productivity and communication programs, as well as app downloads and cloud-storage uploads.
Using that information, Microsoft is able to personalise ads to the user, during both web surfing and, for newer apps downloaded from the Windows Store, app usage. Microsoft itself is leading the way on that front, even turning the in-built version of Solitaire (the card game that has been a staple of Windows installations since 1990’s Windows 3.0) into a freemium game, complete with unskippable video adverts.
Elsewhere, Windows 10 also harvests user information in order to teach the built-in personal digital assistant Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Siri. To enable Cortana, the company says, it “collects and uses various types of data, such as your device location, data from your calendar, the apps you use, data from your emails and text messages, who you call, your contacts and how often you interact with them on your device”.
Related: Windows 10 review – final version of Windows might be Microsoft’s best ever
Users are given the option to opt out of most of the data collection, but critics say that that isn’t enough. Alec Meer, of gaming website Rock Paper Shotgun, says: “Microsoft simply aren’t making it clear enough that they’re doing this, how it might affect you and how to opt out – despite chest-thumping, we’re-all-chums-here talk about how ‘real transparency starts with straightforward terms and policies that people can clearly understand’.
“There is no world in which 45 pages of policy documents and opt-out settings split across 13 different Settings screens and an external website constitutes ‘real transparency’.”
Others have criticised the company for a seeming get-out clause in its terms of service, which allow it to share user data based on nothing more than a “good faith” belief that doing so is required to comply with law enforcement, “protect our customers”, secure the company’s services, or “protect the rights or property of Microsoft”.
The terms are reminiscent of those applied by the company in March 2014, when it read the hotmail account of a blogger suspected of being involved in leaking an early version of Windows 10. After facing criticism for doing so, Microsoft tightened its privacy policy, and promised a full internal legal review before it would do so again in the future.
The European digital rights organisation (EDRi) sums up the company’s 45 pages of terms and conditions by saying: “Microsoft basically grants itself very broad rights to collect everything you do, say and write with and on your devices in order to sell more targeted advertising or to sell your data to third parties.”
In many ways, however, Windows 10 is merely moving closer towards what has become the new normal thanks to mobile operating systems. Both Siri and Google Now require access to the user’s personal information to personalise responses, while both Apple and Google offer developers the ability to deliver personalised ads to users based on information such as app installs.
And some of the criticised settings may turn out to be a net positive for all concerned. Users have attacked Windows 10 for only offering two settings when it comes to Windows Update: either install and restart immediately, or install and ask permission to restart. The option to not install updates does not appear to be present on the base version of the OS. But that decision chimes with the advice of security experts, who say that the number one thing for staying safe online is to install every security update immediately.
Windows 10: it launched so quietly you may have missed it
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RainDance, Sony DADC collaboration yields microdroplet chip
LEXINGTON, Mass.—RainDance Technologies Inc. and Sony DADC Austria AG have announced the results of a multi-year collaboration focused on the co-development and manufacturing of microdroplet-based "smart consumables" to be used within the life science markets. As part of the partnership, RainDance also announced the commercial release of its new HeatWave chip, a microdroplet-based consumable that was developed using the Sony DADC Optical Disc technology. The polymer-based HeatWave chip, which can perform high-throughput and high-precision microdroplet manipulations on-chip, is a product designed by RainDance for use on its RDT 1000 instrument. A single-use consumable, the chip builds on RainDance's polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) design and offers a simple, scalable workflow for life science research applications. Roopom Banerjee, president and CEO of RainDance, says the collaboration with Sony DADC "is another example of our commitment to working with best-in-class partners to deliver the most innovative, robust and cost-effective solutions to our global base of customers."
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Designing the future of libraries
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Home » 2019 Workshops
Designing for Digital 2019 workshop offerings include:
SELLING – IN INNOVATION
Presented by Matt Franks
In the early stages of innovation, there is often very little evidence to prove the potential success of an emerging product or service. Instead, we often rely on the loudest voice in the room – a shrewd political navigator – to build or force the internal momentum needed to get an idea to market.
“Selling-in” innovation is about creating and delivering persuasive arguments. It is about telling stories that win the hearts and minds of internal stakeholders and building artifacts that allow them to see, and then advocate for, the vision on your behalf.
In this workshop, we will learn and practice an approach to building persuasive arguments and artifacts that can applied to any product or service innovation. Participants will see examples of how this has been done in successful startups and Fortune 500 companies. They will be given the components needed to build the case for their new idea, and will practice selling their vision to other groups of stakeholders.
Matt Franks is a Partner at Modernist Studio, a design strategy consultancy that helps customers build great products, services, and teams, focused on identifying and delivering new forms of value. He was previously a Product Owner at Blackboard, responsible for the redesign, development, and launch of Blackboard’s core $700M learning product.
Follow Matt @Franknatic
DON’T START WITH DATA – A PRIMER ON UX RESEARCH
Presented by Behzod Sirjani
In this workshop, you will learn principles of UX research and a framework for scoping projects, and then apply those principles and framework to your own research questions. You will leave with a stronger command of what good research is, how to do it, and why (or why not), as well as a project plan you can get started on. All participants are highly encouraged to come with at least one research question/area from their own work to use in the second part of the workshop.
Behzod Sirjani studies how people work and work together. As a Senior Researcher at Slack, he focuses on understanding what work looks like for Slack customers and partners with product and sales teams to make customers’ work simpler, more pleasant, and more productive. Prior to Slack, he spent 4 years at Facebook working on business tools, video products, and hardware. He has experience conducting research in both consumer and enterprise settings, the United States and abroad.
Follow Behzod @beh_zod
PRACTICAL HYPERLOCAL SERVICE DESIGN
Presented by Michael Schofield
Practical Hyperlocal Service Design is a 3-hour workshop designed to level-up participants or teams with a working knowledge of user experience design by introducing techniques, tools, workflows, organizational structure, and theory focused around hyperlocal service organizations — like libraries — whose success depends on their ability to keep their finger on the pulse.
I am a service designer specializing in the hyperlocal (libraries, higher-ed, local journalism), where the success of product and service suites is determined by their user experience.
Michael Schofield is the Lead of User Experience Development at WhereBy.Us, where he has been able to set a tone that marries product development and service design, which plays an important role both improving the quality and scalability of the product, but also maturing the company’s user experience ethic. He believes-in, evangelizes, and helps hyperlocal organizations like the one he is in now implement systems where the user-feedback loop is baked-in, so that user research isn’t a thing on the to-do list so much as the way that things get done in the first place.
He talks shop on our user-experience podcast called Metric. He also writes a newsletter and publishes the podcast early for folks who are able to support it on patreon.com/michaelschofield.
Follow Michael @schoeyfield
FEARSTORMING: PREPARE FOR FEEDBACK & LAUNCH WITH CONFIDENCE
Presented by Amy Deschenes & Abby Conway
Are you introducing a new digital product or library service? You’re probably planning to collect feedback from day one. But are you really ready to hear what people think? In this session we’ll discuss strategies for responding to feedback and practice a method we’ve created, fearstorming, to prepare your team.
Claire DeMarco leads cross-functional teams focused on building user-facing tools such as Library.Harvard and Harvard Digital Collections. She supports innovative efforts across Harvard Library through administration of the S.T. Lee Innovation Grants and partnerships with other departments. Much of Claire’s work involves the application of agile development methodology and high-performance team protocols. Claire serves on Library Committees including the Research, Teaching, & Learning Standing Committee (co-chair), the Library Connections and Innovation Planning Group (co-chair), the Alma Implementation Communication & Change Management Working Group (co-chair), and the Digital Futures Consortium.
Claire joined Harvard in 2012 and worked in the Faculty Support Services and Research Services groups at Harvard Law School Library for 5 years. During previous periods of her career, Claire worked as a managing attorney in health care practice and as a research specialist in legislative and regulatory affairs at both state and Federal levels. She currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Northeastern University School of Law. She holds an A.B. from Mount Holyoke College, an M.S.L.I.S. from Drexel University, and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.
Abby Conway is a Digital Producer & Content Strategist at Harvard University. As a member of Harvard Library’s communications department and web team, she manages content across library.harvard.edu. Abby oversaw the audit of over 6,000 pages of content across two library websites creating a new, unified digital front door for Harvard Library, developed web writing guidelines for the organization, and more. Today she works to maintain writing and style standards across the site, audit content on a regular basis, research, write and edit new content, strategize around new site features, report on analytics, and more.
Abby was a digital editor at WBUR, Boston’s NPR station, for several years before joining Harvard. During her time at WBUR she covered breaking news, including the Boston Marathon bombing, produced special projects, reported on the MBTA, and helped launch the station’s redesigned website. Learn more about Abby here.
Follow Abby @aelizabeth
MAKING AND MAINTAINING SUCCESSFUL DESIGN SYSTEMS
Designing for Digital is pleased to partner with Brad Frost to offer a special one-day intensive workshop on Thursday March 7th.
D4D Attendees – Register for the “Premium Package” to attend D4D19 + this one-day UX Event at a discounted rate.
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© 2019 Designing for Digital – All rights reserved
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I Bet JESUS 0
She entered the building to find a spacious lobby filled with light. The décor was
traditional with a high ceiling and expensive furniture. Except for the bad art and flat
televisions showing nature scenes of peaceful ponds, waving grasses, and rippling
brooks, the place was tasteful.
Her son Evan and his wife Claire were standing in the middle of the room.
“Mom,” Evan called as he moved across the room. “We were getting worried,” he said
hugging her.
“I got sidetracked,” she said turning to Claire who looked uncomfortable in a place that
was trying very hard to be comfortable. She had been crying. Beth thought this curious,
because she herself had not come close to tears.
Evan took his Mother’s arm and tried to get her to sit down. “I talked to Victoria. She had
a big meeting this morning, but will come down this afternoon,” he said.
“I hope your sister is taking the train," said Beth, “She’ll be tired. It’s a long drive.”
“The train it is,” said Evan.
“What time? We’ll have to pick her up.”
A tall, middle-aged man in a well tailored navy blue suit, starched white shirt, and light
blue tie approached them from the back of the room. Beth was surprised at how good
looking he was, mostly she was surprised that she noticed.
“Good Morning. You must be the Nielsens. I’m Dennis Bernard,” he shook hands with
Beth and then with Evan. “Thank you for choosing Bernard at this difficult time. We are
so sorry for your loss. We’ll do all we can to make certain that everything is just as you
wish it to be.”
“Thank you,” said Evan.
“The body is being shipped from Colorado," blurted Beth.
“I understand,” Mr. Bernard nodded, “Let’s go into the Planning Room where we can
discuss your desires and make some decisions.” He indicated a door next to a gas
hearth with a soaring chimney of river rock and a decorated mantle. It was 90 degrees
Transcript I Bet JESUS 0 She entered the building to find a spacious lobby filled with light. The décor was traditional with a high ceiling and expensive furniture. Except for the bad art and flat televisions showing nature scenes of peaceful ponds, waving grasses, and rippling brooks, the place was tasteful. Her son Evan and his wife Claire were standing in the middle of the room. “Mom,” Evan called as he moved across the room. “We were getting worried,” he said hugging her. “I got sidetracked,” she said turning to Claire who looked uncomfortable in a place that was trying very hard to be comfortable. She had been crying. Beth thought this curious, because she herself had not come close to tears. Evan took his Mother’s arm and tried to get her to sit down. “I talked to Victoria. She had a big meeting this morning, but will come down this afternoon,” he said. “I hope your sister is taking the train," said Beth, “She’ll be tired. It’s a long drive.” “The train it is,” said Evan. “What time? We’ll have to pick her up.” A tall, middle-aged man in a well tailored navy blue suit, starched white shirt, and light blue tie approached them from the back of the room. Beth was surprised at how good looking he was, mostly she was surprised that she noticed. “Good Morning. You must be the Nielsens. I’m Dennis Bernard,” he shook hands with Beth and then with Evan. “Thank you for choosing Bernard at this difficult time. We are so sorry for your loss. We’ll do all we can to make certain that everything is just as you wish it to be.” “Thank you,” said Evan. “The body is being shipped from Colorado," blurted Beth. “I understand,” Mr. Bernard nodded, “Let’s go into the Planning Room where we can discuss your desires and make some decisions.” He indicated a door next to a gas hearth with a soaring chimney of river rock and a decorated mantle. It was 90 degrees V
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I've been seeing instructions for duct tape bracelets and duct tape wallets for a few weeks now, so I thought I'd try some kind of duct tape elephant today.
Duct tape is a cloth or fibre-backed plastic tape. It's similar to gaffer's tape, which is used to tape down wires and such in theatrical and musical performances; however, gaffer's tape is designed to be removed cleanly, while duct tape most assuredly is not. Duct tape is usually grey or silver, but also comes in black and, bowing to its use as a craft material, now comes in colours and even patterns such as leopard skin and jungle camouflage.
Duct tape is sometimes called "duck tape", which is not a slang or brand name, but actually relates to the tape's original purpose. In 1942, the Revolite company—formerly a division of Johnson & Johnson—developed a tape with a rubber-based adhesive, applied to a duck-cloth, or heavy canvas, backing. The tape proved resistant to water, and was used to seal ammunition cases during the Second World War. Because it proved so effective, it was also used as a quick fix for military equipment, including jeeps, firearms and even aircraft.
Duct tape repair using the "matching" colour.
Source: http://seeifixedit.com/view/received-texts/73
Over the past 70 years, duct tape has had many interesting uses. As "racer's tape"—or "tank tape" in the United States—it has been used for more than forty years to repair fiberglass body work on race cars. It has also been used in Space; for example, when the carbon dioxide filters failed on Apollo 13, duct tape was used to help seal the square filters into round holes. Duct tape was also used on Apollo 17 to repair a damaged fender on the lunar rover.
Various forms of duct tape are also used by the military, including the balancing and repair of helicopter blades during the Vietnam War. Interestingly, the plasticized duct tape most of us know is useless for duct work, as it quickly becomes brittle and falls off.
Prom costumes made with duct tape.
Source: http://m.zimbio.com/Viking+Hats/articles/
Xr9c0LmMAZe/duct+tape+prom
Today, duct tape has found a place in popular culture, and has been used in any number of weird and wonderful applications. It has been used to make prom dresses, costumes, and was once even claimed as a wart remedy. It has been featured in experiments on television shows such as Mythbusters, and on sitcoms such as The Red Green Show, which made extensive use of duct tape, dubbing it "the handyman's secret weapon." Others have called the combination of WD-40 and duct tape "the redneck repair kit", and the Duct Tape Guys (Jim Berg and Tim Nyberg), who have written several books about duct tape, coined the truism, "It ain't broke; it just lacks duct tape."
I personally don't love duct tape. We usually have a roll of it around the house, but it tends to get brittle and useless before we ever use it up. I think its partly because I tend to associate it with cheapo repairs, and partly because I've never liked the way it looks on anything. As a craft material, however, it had interesting new possibilities.
I started with this roll of brand-new duct tape that I picked up for a dollar.
I've never made anything with duct tape, so I wasn't entirely sure how to make a shape that wasn't square with this stuff. Actually, even trying to make a square wasn't easy, because if you're not incredibly precise and careful, the tape gloms onto itself in some weird spot and absolutely won't let go.
I started by tearing off a piece measuring about 25 cm (10 inches) in length, and used it to make a sort of oblong. I had to make this simple shape twice, because the first attempt was a wrinkly mess.
Next, I made four legs by folding pieces about 7.5 cm (3 inches) long over themselves a couple of times.
I stuck the legs to the body by taping them on with little bits of duct tape, then made another square for a head.
I taped down the corners of the head to shape it a little, then taped it to the body.
I thought the body looked a bit small, so I added a bit more to the back.
Next, I added a trunk by tearing a strip about half the width of the tape. I taped the strip to the head, then folded and twisted it around itself. It was a bit too long, so I trimmed off the end with scissors.
I added a tail by tearing off a tiny piece and twisting it around itself. I left some of the adhesive free so that I could stick it to the body. I also thought it would be interesting to give the elephant some wrinkles, so I cut a strip about as long as the body, then loosely pleated it before sticking it on the existing body, wrinkling it some more as I laid it down.
I decided to shape the trunk a bit by pleating it in a couple of places. I secured the pleats with tiny pieces of tape on the underside.
I made an ear next.
I wasn't sure about the sort of parallelogram shape, so I added a bit more tape to enlarge the ear and make it a bit rounder. I attached the ear to the head from behind, and added a loop of tape under the front part of the ear to secure it to the head.
To finish, I made a tusk with a twist of duct tape, securing it with a tiny piece of tape. For an eye, I balled up the smallest piece of tape I could handle, securing it to the head with an equally small loop of tape.
Aside from the fact that I don't like the stickiness of duct tape, I didn't mind this activity at all. The elephant has no useful purpose as clothing, wallet or bracelet, but it turned out rather well, I think. I'm not sure I'd make another one, but it was kind of fun in the end.
In late November, A.D. 1254, an African elephant arrived at Whitsand, England. The elephant was a gift from Louis IX of France to Henry III of England, and is said to have been acquired by Louis during a crusade in Palestine.
In January 1255, the Sheriff of Kent was ordered to "bring the King's elephant from Whitsand to Dover, and if possible to London by water." The elephant was to join the royal menagerie at the Tower of London, which also featured three leopards, a bear and a polar bear.
In 1255, Henry ordered elaborate arrangements to be made for his elephant. "We command," he wrote the Sheriff of London, “that ye cause without delay, to be built at our Tower of London, one house of forty feet long and twenty feet deep, for our elephant.”
All who saw the elephant were enchanted. Matthew Paris, a Benedictine monk from St. Alban's Abbey was sure "this was the only elephant ever seen in England," and drew it twice.
Sadly, no one knew anything about keeping elephants. Its enclosure was far too small, and the damp, chilly environment was hardly conducive to its health. In addition, no one really knew what to feed it. The elephant—whose name, if it had one, has never been recorded—died in 1258, apparently from a surfeit of red wine.
Henry III's elephant being fed by its keeper, Henricus de Flor, ca. 1255.
Matthew Paris (1200–1259)
Collection of the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, U.K.
Source: http://plantagenetdynasty.blogspot.ca/2008/01/henry-iiis-elephant.html
Labels: 365 blog, 365 project, art blog, creativity blog, duck tape, duct tape, duct tape guys, elephant blog, Henry III's elephant, matthew paris, racer's tape, red green show, tank tape, tower menagerie
annawhocropsalot 2 April 2012 at 13:46
So creative! Love it!
Sheila Singhal 2 April 2012 at 15:18
Thanks, Anna!
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Elix Aviation Capital launch customer for ATR’s new Short Take Off and Landing version – Turboprop leasing specialist orders 10 ATR 42-600S
Paris, 19 June, 2019 – Elix Aviation Capital, has today signed a Letter of Intent to become the launch customer of the ATR 42-600S, with an order for 10 aircraft. This new version of the ATR 42-600 offers capabilities to take-off from and land on runways as short as 800m, with the ‘S’ representing STOL (Short Take Off and Landing). ATR is currently finalising the process for official launch of the 42-600S and received authorization to take in orders for the aircraft, subject to the final confirmation for launch from the company’s Board of Directors, expected before year end.
Elix’s desire to be the first lessor to offer slots on the new ATR 42-600S is part of its strategy to strengthen its lead as the largest all-turboprop lessor in the world, and continue to focus on the performance-intensive segment of the turboprop market. This is the first time the company has placed a strategic order directly with an aircraft manufacturer and the choice of the ATR 42-600S demonstrates confidence in the quality and value of the aircraft, as well as the market potential that the STOL version will have in the regional aviation market. The aircraft will be delivered between 2022 and 2024.
The ATR 42-600S has a bright commercial outlook, with 1,200 in-service turboprops of between 30 and 50-seats needing to be replaced in the coming years. Thanks to its economic performance and operational flexibility the ATR 42-600S is ideally placed to meet this requirement. Beyond its performance on short runways, the aircraft offers 50-seats at the same operating costs as 30-seat aircraft.
John Moore, Chief Operating Officer of Elix Aviation Capital, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for us to be at the forefront of innovation in our market. This new aircraft fits well into Elix’s long term strategy to offer a wide range of specialised and complete solutions to regional turboprop operators around the world and to be a leading and innovative lessor in the market. The aircraft has the capability to provide significant advantages to airlines, boosting revenue potential and opening up new airports with shorter runways. There are communities all over the world who will be able to benefit from the increased connectivity that this aircraft will supply.”
ATR Chief Executive Officer Stefano Bortoli, commented: “We are proud to welcome Elix as our launch lessor for the 42-600S. The strategic decision of Elix to be the first to offer ATR 42-600S slots confirms our belief in this product. As a lessor that specialises in turboprops, they understand the market and want to be ahead of the curve. At ATR, we take our leadership in the regional aviation market very seriously and with new product innovations like the 42-600S we aim to keep responding to what airlines and their passengers need.”
About Elix Aviation Capital
Elix Aviation Capital is a turboprop aircraft leasing platform established in 2013 to offer comprehensive leasing solutions to airlines operating in the regional aircraft market. Elix’s uniquely specialised platform is well positioned to retain a market-leading presence in regional turboprop leasing and continue its streak of innovation and dedication to the sector. Elix has selectively built a diversified lease portfolio comprised of high quality turboprops with an attractive and varied group of more than twenty lessees worldwide. The platform is led by a management team with deep aviation expertise and a strong network of relationships across the industry.
For additional information, please visit www.elix.aero.
About ATR
ATR is the world number one regional aircraft manufacturer with its ATR 42 and 72 aircraft the best-selling aircraft in the less than 90-seat market segment. In 2018 the company had a turnover of US$1.8 billion. The unifying vision of the company’s 1,400 employees is to help everyone, no matter where they are in the world, to connect and develop in a responsible manner. Thanks to the efficiency of turboprop technology and the benefits of the company’s focus on continuous innovation, ATRs open more than 100 new routes every year, burn 40% less fuel and emit 40% less CO2 than regional jets. For all of these reasons, ATRs have been chosen by some 200 companies in 100 countries around the world. ATR is a joint-venture between Airbus and Leonardo.
For more information, please visit http://www.atr-aircraft.com and www.atr-intolife.com.
Email: info@elix.aero
Posted in Press Release
Elix Aviation Capital Delivers ATR 42-500 MSN 633 to Afrijet
Elix Aviation Capital Delivers Two ATR 72-500 to Sky Express
Elix Aviation Capital Delivers ATR 42-500 MSN 637 to Air Corsica
Elix Aviation Capital Confirms the Sale of a Portfolio of Six Turboprop Aircraft with Leases Attached
info@elix.aero
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John Brown (1736-1803)
Remarks: John was the son of James and Hope (Power) Brown. He and his three brothers went into partnership, but in 1770 the subject established his own mercantile firm which became quite a profitable business. In 1760 he married Sara Smith. Brown was an ardent patriot during the American Revolution. It was he who laid the cornerstone of Brown University, and from 1799 to 1801 he served as United States representative from his native state. His residence on Power Street, built in 1787, now houses the Rhode Island Historical Society.
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Home > Lifstyle > Home
Pineapples: Tasty fruit, effective cleaning agent?
ByEco-Business2016-12-09 11:52:57
Most people would not look at an assortment of fruits and wonder how they can be used for washing clothes and dishes.
But for former investment banker and scientist Peter Wainman, this has been a key preoccupation since early 2011.
Not only did the 46-year old American, who is today the chief executive officer of Thailand-based natural cleaning products firm Equator Pure Nature, consider it, he took it upon himself to find out.
Together with a chemist and microbiologist, he spent two years from 2011 to 2013 experimenting in his kitchen with a range of herbs and fruit such as roselle, tamarind and banana, trying to formulate safe and sustainable cleaning products.
Wainman’s quest to develop natural cleaning products was sparked by a severe allergic reaction in 2010 that led to asthma attacks and a burning sensation on his back for about seven weeks.
During this period, Wainman tried eliminating various foods and products that might have caused the allergy before finally discovering that he was allergic to a new fabric softener that his domestic helper had started using.
“Once I threw out my clothes, it got better,” he recalls, “It turns out that all chemical fabric softeners, to my knowledge, contain quaternary ammonium compounds (quats).”
“Since it is nearly impossible to remove quats, I destroyed my old clothes,” he adds. The chemicals have been given a “high concern” rating for their effect on human health and the environment by the Environmental Working Group, an American non-profit environmental research.
Medical experts have also noted that exposure to quats can potentially cause serious and preventable health problems, including contact dermatitis and asthma.
In the aftermath of his allergic reaction, Wainman and his wife decided to switch to natural cleaning products.
But he recalls: “When I was looking around, I couldn’t see anything that was natural and good at cleaning. Historically, truly natural products don’t work that well if you compare their cleaning abilities to chemical products - you will notice the difference.”
He adds: “Many of the brands that market themselves as ‘natural’ actually use lots of chemicals. That was when I said, ‘Hey, look, I think there’s a business here.’”
In early 2011, Wainman began his kitchen experiments, inspired by stories he had heard of hill tribes in Thailand, where he has lived since 2006 and has been doing business since 1996, using liquid derived from fermented fruit for cleaning.
He says: “The concept had been around for a long time, but there was no research out there of what fruit to use, what conditions are needed, how to optimise it.”
Perfecting pineapples
It took about two years before Wainman and his team found the right fruit - the pineapple – and successfully developed a fermentation process that yields natural organic acids, natural enzymes and biosurfactants, which are the substances which break down dirt and stains.
They filed multiple patents in 2013, and the following year, the Pipper Standard line of pineapple-derived cleaning products was launched in Bangkok supermarkets. The products are also sold in Singapore, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and the Maldives. As of the date of this article, four United States patents have been issued.
Wainman hopes the products will go some way towards addressing allergy problems in these markets.
He notes that in Thailand, the percentage of children in Bangkok with allergies has increased from 33 per cent in 1998 to 49 per cent in 2007. The Allergy Asthma and Immunology Society of Thailand estimated that there were 18 million Thais with allergy symptoms in 2013.
In Taiwan, allergic rhinitis in teenagers increased 50 per cent from 1995 to 2002, according to the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood.
Wainman adds that globally, allergy rates have dramatically increased over the last 15 to 20 years, and there are different theories about why that is.
“The company’s theory is that we have become overexposed to chemicals and our immune systems get hyper-stimulated,” he shares. “When that happens, everyday objects, like milk, wheat, egg, can trigger an immune response.”
Wainman adds: “That’s what an allergy is: a malfunctioning of the immune system. If we can decrease the amount of chemicals we’re exposed to, it may help to reverse this trend of increasing allergy rates.”
This is something Pipper Standard’s products aim to achieve. For one thing, they are made using a fermentation process which produces natural preservatives, which means there is no need to add harsh chemical preservatives that may cause skin irritation.
Clinical trials by third-party cosmetic research laboratory Dermscan Asia have also certified that the products are hypoallergenic and non-irritant. They also do not contain any allergens that are flagged by the US Food and Drug Administration’s approved allergen patch test.
Safe and sustainable
Besides being safe for human health, Pipper Standard’s cleaning products are also beneficial to the environment, says Wainman. The company’s closed-loop production process sources pineapples locally in Thailand, where the entire manufacturing process takes place.
The whole pineapple except for the stalk is fermented and, once the fluid is filtered out for use in the cleaning products, the remains of the fruit are used as animal feed. In turn, animal manure can be used to grow new pineapple crops.
Pipper Standard’s cleaning products are also certified by the Thailand Textile Institute to biodegrade more than 90 per cent after one month, and thus do not contaminate water or land after being discharged through the sewage system.
During the development process, the company added drops of the pineapple-derived cleaning products into a tank of aquatic plants and found no harmful impact on the plants. In comparison, when the same number of drops of chemical cleaning products were added to another tank of aquatic plants, the aquatic plants died after four days.
Besides ensuring that their products are safe for human health and the environment, Wainman and his team are confident about the cleaning efficacy of Pipper Standard products.
During the research and development process, the team had used a device to measure the intensity of stains on fabrics before and after they were washed with the pineapple-derived detergent. They found that Pipper Standard’s products clean as well as - or better than - the chemical varieties.
Wainman says: “We want to become the market leader in Asean and greater China.” The company is seeking its last investment round of USD3.5 million, he adds.
“Hopefully, over time, our products can help decrease the amount of chemicals that we’re exposed to. The more large-scale cleaning companies and industrial companies use our products, the more we can do this.”
Key Words : Pineapples fruit cleaning agent
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Church of St. Ana
Kremberk 36 , 2233 Sv. Ana v Slov. goricah Show on map
Between Spodnja and Zgornja Ščavnica, on the hill above the valley of the river with the same name, in 1654, a wooden chapel was built. Between 1693 and 1705 the current parish church of St. Ana was built and was renovated twice in the 19th century. The church has three altars, the main altar is the work of the sculptor Jože Holzinger from Maribor, made in 1794. In the side chapel there are murals by the classicist painter Jožef Reitter from the first half of the 19th century.
The beginnings of the Church of St. Ana go back to the middle of the 17th century. At that time, the Church of the Holy Trinity was built. It was a place of pilgrimage for people from all around. There were many pilgrims from the German side, for the owner of the castle in Mureck Vuk of Stubenberg was the patron of the church in Sveta Trojica. The pilgrims rested in Kremberk, which is in the middle between Mureck and Sv. Trojica. They expressed a wish to have at least a chapel there where they could worship. This wish was fulfilled around 1654, when farmers built a wooden chapel on the highest hill, honouring St. Ana. Later, it was decided that the Church of St. Ana belonged to the parish of Apače. In 1786, it became an independent parish. Between 1693 and 1705 the current church was built.
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Bringing Farming Back to Nature
By May Muthuri in News on August 22, 2018
Farming the land as if nature doesn’t matter has been the model for much of the Western world’s food production system for at least the past 75 years. The results haven’t been pretty: depleted soil, chemically fouled waters, true family farms all but eliminated, a worsening of public health and more. But an approach that combines innovation and tradition has emerged, one that could transform the way we grow food. It’s called agroecology, and it places ecological science at the center of agriculture. It’s a scrappy movement that’s taking off globally.
Representatives of more than 70 countries gathered in Rome recently to discuss this approach to creating a healthier and more sustainable food system. (We were there.) It was an invigorating and encouraging gathering, made more so when José Graziano da Silva, the director general of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, called for “transformative change toward sustainable agriculture and food systems based on agroecology.”
Agroecology isn’t rocket science. It simply takes full advantage of nature’s assets, drawn from the farm itself and surrounding ecosystems, to grow food. But in a $5 trillion food system dominated by ever-growing corporate giants, an endorsement from the U.N.’s top food official for farmers to use compost as fertilizer, to take steps to attract pollinators as well as predators that consume agricultural pests and to grow complementary crops for soil health is a significant poke in the eye to a cynical, essentially self-regulating agriculture industry. It’s an industry that would have us believe that we need rocket science to grow a carrot.
Much of the world is waking up to the costs of the industrial approach that defines most of American agriculture, with its addiction to chemicals and monoculture. A new reckoning known as true cost accounting is putting dollar figures on industrial agriculture’s contribution to soil erosion, climate change and public health. At the same time, more and more countries — pushed by networks of small and medium-size farmers like La Via Campesina — are actively shifting to policies and investments that support agroecological food systems.
Click here for the full story.
Originally published by New York Times.
India is no longer home to the largest number of poor people in the world. Nigeria is.
It is a distinction that no country wants: the place with the most people living in extreme poverty.
For decades, India remained stubbornly in the top spot, a reflection of its huge population and its enduring struggle against poverty.
Now, new estimates indicate that Nigeria has knocked India out of that position, part of a profound shift taking place in the geography of the world’s poorest people.
According to a recent report from the Brookings Institution, Nigeria overtook India in May to become the country with the world’s highest number of people living in extreme poverty, which is defined as living on less than $1.90 a day. The threshold captures those who struggle to obtain even basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing, and takes into account differences in purchasing power between countries.
The Brookings report was based on estimates generated by the World Poverty Clock, a model created to track progress against poverty in real time. As of Monday, its figures showed that India had 70.6 million people living in extreme poverty, while Nigeria had 87 million.
What’s more, the gap is widening: The number of people living in extreme poverty in India is falling while the opposite is true in Nigeria, where the population is growing faster than its economy. Extreme poverty rises in Nigeria by six people each minute, according to calculations by the World Poverty Clock. Meanwhile, the number of extreme poor in India drops by 44 people a minute.
“It’s a good news story for India, coupled with some caveats, and it’s a real wake-up call for the African continent,” said Homi Kharas, director of the global economy and development program at the Brookings Institution.
Originally published by Washington Post.
Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change
The world has warmed more than one degree Celsius since the Industrial Revolution. The Paris climate agreement — the nonbinding, unenforceable and already unheeded treaty signed on Earth Day in 2016 — hoped to restrict warming to two degrees. The odds of succeeding, according to a recent study based on current emissions trends, are one in 20. If by some miracle we are able to limit warming to two degrees, we will only have to negotiate the extinction of the world’s tropical reefs, sea-level rise of several meters and the abandonment of the Persian Gulf. The climate scientist James Hansen has called two-degree warming “a prescription for long-term disaster.” Long-term disaster is now the best-case scenario. Three-degree warming is a prescription for short-term disaster: forests in the Arctic and the loss of most coastal cities. Robert Watson, a former director of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has argued that three-degree warming is the realistic minimum. Four degrees: Europe in permanent drought; vast areas of China, India and Bangladesh claimed by desert; Polynesia swallowed by the sea; the Colorado River thinned to a trickle; the American Southwest largely uninhabitable. The prospect of a five-degree warming has prompted some of the world’s leading climate scientists to warn of the end of human civilization.
Is it a comfort or a curse, the knowledge that we could have avoided all this?
Because in the decade that ran from 1979 to 1989, we had an excellent opportunity to solve the climate crisis. The world’s major powers came within several signatures of endorsing a binding, global framework to reduce carbon emissions — far closer than we’ve come since. During those years, the conditions for success could not have been more favorable. The obstacles we blame for our current inaction had yet to emerge. Almost nothing stood in our way — nothing except ourselves.
Nearly everything we understand about global warming was understood in 1979. By that year, data collected since 1957 confirmed what had been known since before the turn of the 20th century: Human beings have altered Earth’s atmosphere through the indiscriminate burning of fossil fuels. The main scientific questions were settled beyond debate, and as the 1980s began, attention turned from diagnosis of the problem to refinement of the predicted consequences. Compared with string theory and genetic engineering, the “greenhouse effect” — a metaphor dating to the early 1900s — was ancient history, described in any Introduction to Biology textbook. Nor was the basic science especially complicated. It could be reduced to a simple axiom: The more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the warmer the planet. And every year, by burning coal, oil and gas, humankind belched increasingly obscene quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Why didn’t we act? A common boogeyman today is the fossil-fuel industry, which in recent decades has committed to playing the role of villain with comic-book bravado. An entire subfield of climate literature has chronicled the machinations of industry lobbyists, the corruption of scientists and the propaganda campaigns that even now continue to debase the political debate, long after the largest oil-and-gas companies have abandoned the dumb show of denialism. But the coordinated efforts to bewilder the public did not begin in earnest until the end of 1989. During the preceding decade, some of the largest oil companies, including Exxon and Shell, made good-faith efforts to understand the scope of the crisis and grapple with possible solutions.
Nor can the Republican Party be blamed. Today, only 42 percent of Republicans know that “most scientists believe global warming is occurring,” and that percentage is falling. But during the 1980s, many prominent Republicans joined Democrats in judging the climate problem to be a rare political winner: nonpartisan and of the highest possible stakes. Among those who called for urgent, immediate and far-reaching climate policy were Senators John Chafee, Robert Stafford and David Durenberger; the E.P.A. administrator, William K. Reilly; and, during his campaign for president, George H.W. Bush. As Malcolm Forbes Baldwin, the acting chairman of the president’s Council for Environmental Quality, told industry executives in 1981, “There can be no more important or conservative concern than the protection of the globe itself.” The issue was unimpeachable, like support for veterans or small business. Except the climate had an even broader constituency, composed of every human being on Earth.
It was understood that action would have to come immediately. At the start of the 1980s, scientists within the federal government predicted that conclusive evidence of warming would appear on the global temperature record by the end of the decade, at which point it would be too late to avoid disaster. More than 30 percent of the human population lacked access to electricity. Billions of people would not need to attain the “American way of life” in order to drastically increase global carbon emissions; a light bulb in every village would do it. A report prepared at the request of the White House by the National Academy of Sciences advised that “the carbon-dioxide issue should appear on the international agenda in a context that will maximize cooperation and consensus-building and minimize political manipulation, controversy and division.” If the world had adopted the proposal widely endorsed at the end of the ’80s — a freezing of carbon emissions, with a reduction of 20 percent by 2005 — warming could have been held to less than 1.5 degrees.
A broad international consensus had settled on a solution: a global treaty to curb carbon emissions. The idea began to coalesce as early as February 1979, at the first World Climate Conference in Geneva, when scientists from 50 nations agreed unanimously that it was “urgently necessary” to act. Four months later, at the Group of 7 meeting in Tokyo, the leaders of the world’s seven wealthiest nations signed a statement resolving to reduce carbon emissions. Ten years later, the first major diplomatic meeting to approve the framework for a binding treaty was called in the Netherlands. Delegates from more than 60 nations attended, with the goal of establishing a global summit meeting to be held about a year later. Among scientists and world leaders, the sentiment was unanimous: Action had to be taken, and the United States would need to lead. It didn’t.
The inaugural chapter of the climate-change saga is over. In that chapter — call it Apprehension — we identified the threat and its consequences. We spoke, with increasing urgency and self-delusion, of the prospect of triumphing against long odds. But we did not seriously consider the prospect of failure. We understood what failure would mean for global temperatures, coastlines, agricultural yield, immigration patterns, the world economy. But we have not allowed ourselves to comprehend what failure might mean for us. How will it change the way we see ourselves, how we remember the past, how we imagine the future? Why did we do this to ourselves? These questions will be the subject of climate change’s second chapter — call it The Reckoning. There can be no understanding of our current and future predicament without understanding why we failed to solve this problem when we had the chance.
That we came so close, as a civilization, to breaking our suicide pact with fossil fuels can be credited to the efforts of a handful of people, among them a hyperkinetic lobbyist and a guileless atmospheric physicist who, at great personal cost, tried to warn humanity of what was coming. They risked their careers in a painful, escalating campaign to solve the problem, first in scientific reports, later through conventional avenues of political persuasion and finally with a strategy of public shaming. Their efforts were shrewd, passionate, robust. And they failed. What follows is their story, and ours.
Originally published by the New York Times
The great African regreening: millions of ‘magical’ new trees bring renewal
Rain had come to nearby villages, but not yet to Droum in south-east Niger. The sand under its stately trees looked completely barren, but Souley Cheibou, a farmer in his 60s, was not worried. He crooked a finger, fished in the sand, and brought out a millet seed. In a week or two, this seed would germinate and sprout, and soon the whole field would be green.
Cheibou’s peace of mind stemmed from the trees encircling him, which had been standing long before he was born. Despite appearances, these were not any old acacias. They were gao trees – known as winterthorns in English – with unique, seemingly magical powers.
From the peanut basin of Senegal to the Seno plains of Mali, to Yatenga, formerly the most degraded region of Burkina Faso, and as far south as Malawi: gaos are thriving in Africa. And over the past three decades, the landscape of southern Niger has been transformed by more than 200m new trees, many of them gaos. They have not been planted but have grown naturally on over 5m hectares of farmland, nurtured by thousands of farmers.
According to scientists, what has happened in Niger – one of the world’s poorest countries – is the largest-scale positive transformation of the environment in the whole of Africa. This is not a grand UN-funded project aiming to offset climate change. Small-scale farmers have achieved it because of what the trees can do for crop yields and other aspects of farming life.
“It’s a magic tree, a very wonderful tree,” said Abasse Tougiani of Niger’s National Institute of Agricultural Research, who has travelled all over Niger studying Faidherbia albida – the gao’s Latin name.
Shielded from the sun, crops planted under the canopy of a tree usually do not do well in the short term, although there can be longer-term benefits. That’s one reason why many west African rainforests have been decimated. But with gaos, it’s the other way round. The root system of the gao is nearly as big as its branches, and unusually it draws nitrogen from the air, fertilising the soil. And unlike other trees in the area, gao tree leaves fall in the rainy season, allowing more sunlight through to the crops at a key moment.
Used along with mineral fertilisers, crop yields double under gaos, and the gao-nourished soil holds water better, ensuring a better crop in drought years.
Originally published by The Guardian
Livelihoods & Enterprises
Soil Health & Fertility
Earth has more trees now than 35 years ago
Despite ongoing deforestation, fires, drought-induced die-offs, and insect outbreaks, the world’s tree cover actually increased by 2.24 million square kilometers — an area the size of Texas and Alaska combined — over the past 35 years, finds a paper published in the journal Nature. But the research also confirms large-scale loss of the planet’s most biodiverse ecosystems, especially tropical forests.
The study, led by Xiao-Peng Song and Matthew Hansen of the University of Maryland, is based on analysis of satellite data from 1982 to 2016. The researchers broke land cover into three categories: tall vegetation consisting of trees of at least five meters (16 feet) in height; short vegetation under five meters in height including shrubs, grass, and agricultural crops; and “bare ground”, including urban areas, sand, tundra, and rock. While the classification may seem simplistic, powerful conclusions can be drawn from the data, including assessing agricultural expansion, climate-driven expansion and contraction of ecosystems, and forest clearing and recovery.
“The results of this study reflect a human-dominated Earth system,” the researchers write. “Direct human action on landscapes is found over large areas on every continent, from intensification and extensification of agriculture to increases in forestry and urban land uses, with implications for the maintenance of ecosystem services.”
Overall, the study found that tree cover loss in the tropics was outweighed by tree cover gain in subtropical, temperate, boreal, and polar regions. Tree cover gain is being driven by agricultural abandonment in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America; warming temperatures that are enabling forests to move poleward; and China’s massive-tree planting program. Tree cover is also increasing globally in montane areas.
The biggest gains in tree cover occurred in temperate continental forest (+726,000 square kilometers), boreal coniferous forest (+463,000 square kilometers), subtropical humid forest (+280,000 square kilometers). Russia (+790,000 square kilometers), China (+324,000 square kilometers), and the United States (+301,000 square kilometers) experienced the largest increase in tree cover among countries during the period.
Originally published by Mongabay.
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Brandeis University/
Nahum Goldmann collection/
Writings and Speeches, 1910-2004, undated
Writings and Speeches Edit
Component Unique Identifier
1910-2004, undated (Creation)
The series is arranged into two sub-series. Sub-series 1: By Nahum Goldmann contains manuscript copies of books, articles, reports, and speeches. School notebooks, notes, research material, transcripts of speeches, copies of press releases, and reprints of articles are also included. These materials are the result of Dr. Goldmann’s scholarship and activities, including his work with the World Jewish Congress and other organizations. Sub-series 2: About Nahum Goldmann consists of biographical and memorial writings and speeches, a transcript of a film portrait of Nahum Goldmann, and ephemera from memorial events. Each sub-series is arranged chronologically, although some file units span multiple folders and multiple years. For published newspaper and magazine articles by and about Nahum Goldmann, see series 7: Newspaper and Magazine Articles.
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HSP's Hidden Histories
Discovering Individuals and Events of the Past
A Buried Treasure in Society Hill, Philadelphia: 1716?
Currently, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia is featuring its famed 'Real Pirates' exhibit, revealing the treasures found on the British slave ship, Whydah, which sank near Cape Cod in 1717.
The eastern coast of Colonial America was no stranger to the voyages and marauding ventures of famed pirates, such as 'Captain Kidd' and Edward Teach or 'Blackbeard.'
According to the early antiquarian of Philadelphia, John F. Watson, in his famous Annals of Philadelphia, And Pennsylvania, in The Olden Time (Vol.2: 1900 edition), it was a prevalent belief that,
"especially near the Delaware & Schuylkill waters, that the pirates of Black Beard's day had deposited treasure in the earth. The fancy was, that sometimes they killed a prisoner and interred him with it, to make his ghost keep his vigils there and guard it." (p.32)
As is well-known, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania's vast collections include many on-site rich 'treasures' in the form of written and published histories pertaining to both the state and the nation. However, perhaps its documents also reveal a hidden history, one which literally lies buried, beneath the ground, in the city of Philadelphia.
One of the earliest records, housed at The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, is an enigmatic & mysterious document, written by an unknown man to his brother, residing in Philadelphia, as of May 14, 1716. However, this early 'treasure map' if you will, was penned at Saint Jago de la Vega, Jamaica, the site of a Spanish colony as early as 1509, and which presently retains the oldest existing Spanish cathedral in the West Indies. Jamaica has historically been known as the 'hotbed' of piratical activities in the Western hemisphere, with such famous places as Port Royal, quickly coming to mind.
The document below describes denominations of Spanish currency, heavily utilized by both merchants & pirates during Colonial times, such as silver 'Double Reals,' 'Pieces of Eight,' & 'pistoles,' etc., all said to have been buried in what is now the 'Society Hill' section of Philadelphia.
'Society Hill' takes its name, not from present-day standards of affluence, but from the mercantile establishment known as, 'The Free Society of Traders,' who as early as 1682, were granted a charter by William Penn. They consequently erected an office and warehouse, "on the west side of Front Street, near the south side of Dock Creek" (See PMHB, Vol.XLVII: 333; see also Mss Collection No.1277, call no. Am.2085 & 'Free Society of Traders: Charter of Incorporation: 1681-1682, in the 'Society of Miscellaneous Collections, Box 6b, Folder 11), a site early surveyor Thomas Holme aptly portrays upon his famous 17th-century map of the 'City of Brotherly Love.'
HSP's mysterious 'treasure' document specifically mentions a locale referred to as the "Cherry Garden," which was indeed located in early Society Hill, and though the 'Free Society of Traders' never prospered as it hoped, and came to an end in 1723, perhaps some member of the organization decided to deposit his investment close by, somewhere in the ground, for safe-keeping or for rapid retrieval if the 'Society' should go 'belly-up' like a piratical ship besieged by fellow entrepreneurs.
Our unknown 18th century author, besides giving 'location' information as to where the above monies were hidden, emphatically instructs his brother, stating: "I order you immediately to burn this Direction," in fear that perhaps 'others' may also be able to follow his directions to the 'buried treasure.' But alas, his advice was evidently ignored, since the document has survived up until the present-day. Did his brother fail to receive the letter? Did he meet some untimely death or misfortune? It's difficult to say at this point in time.
The question which naturally arises is the following: was the 'treasure' retrieved & removed from Society Hill? Did the 'pirate currency' ever see the light of day and bring fortune to the two 'brothers,' as contained in the "chest, 4 and a half foot long-2 foot broad and half foot and the same Depth accordingly..." OR, does it lie in the ground, even today, waiting to be discovered?
I leave it to the curious and to those with an imagination, to uncover the truth! Just click on the image of the document to read the directions & instructions yourself. Perhaps you'll be able to solve the mystery of 1716 and discover the treasure!
Image is from the Society Collection, under 'Society Hill'. ‘Treasure Buried,’ May 14, 1716.
Posted by Daniel N. Rolph, PhD at 11:56 AM 4 comments
The 'Blackhole' of Genealogical Research as Revealed in 'Buying a Baby'
It is almost inevitable, that everyone doing family history or genealogical research, will eventually hit the well-known brick wall, when no trace or documentation for an ancestor's whereabouts can be found to complete the family tree. This is an acute malady brought about either by the lack of existing records or their destruction.
Some researchers have even jokingly suggested that this is proof for the existence of extra-terrestrials, since some enigmatic ancestor appears to have literally dropped out of the sky from another planet to the Earth, since no terrestrial records seem to record his nor her origin.
However, the following account, as recorded in Frederick Humphreys, The Humphreys Family in America (NY: Humphreys Print; 1883)*, aptly demonstrates why and how ancestors are frequently unable to be found, and without such information, may never be located. One wonders how many times such similar events transpired in American history and elsewhere. Under the heading of Buying a Baby, the following story is related concerning the story of the Hon. Noah Humphrey Osborn:
"When a young man, he engaged for some years, like many of his active and enterprising associates, in the business of selling clocks...In his vocation he called at a house in an obscure neighborhood in lower Pennsylvania or upper Virginia, and asked the woman of the house the customary question, if she would not 'like to purchase a clock?'
'Yes,' she replied, 'I would like right well to have a clock, but I have nothing to pay you with, unless you will take one of my babies. I have got plenty of children, but no clock.'
'Well,' said the dealer, willing to humor the joke, 'I have plenty of clocks, but no children. Which one of yours would you like to exchange for the clock?'
'Well,' said the woman, 'you may have that one,' pointing to a little stubbed, shoeless and hatless boy, some two years old.
'Well, my boy,' said the dealer, 'would you like to go with me and ride on the wagon and help take care of the horse?'
The boy was not at all averse; so, after some further bantering, the clock was put up in its place on the wall, and the dealer then said to the mother, 'I suppose you will let his clothes go with him--it is usual to give the halter when you sell the horse.' 'O, yes,' said the mother, and she got his meagre traps upon him and at the conclusion lifted him up beside the dealer on his wagon, without a word of regret.
The joke had now gone so far that the only way out, was to go through; so, with the little boy beside him, he slowly drove away, turning his eyes from time to time over his shoulder for some signal from the mother, to return with the child. But he looked in vain---no signal came.
He spent his first night in the immediate neighborhood, not doubting that by morning the mother would have relented, and that she would come or send for her boy. But no mother or word came. He washed, fed and dressed the boy, riding with him by day, and sleeping with him at night, frequently in close proximity to the parents' home, but they never came for the child.
After a time, the future Judge took the boy to one of his married sisters, paid his board and schooling, and when the Judge settled in life, he took the boy so strangely obtained and raised him in his family, as one of his own, giving him a fair education...
When the lad had nearly arrived at man's estate, the Judge told him the entire story, and said to him: 'You are free from all cast in your lot among them.' The young man did so, remained some weeks, but returned, saying he preferred to take his name and his chances in life with the kind, worthy and humane man who had been his fast and firm friend from early childhood; and so he has remained, always calling himself and being known by the name of his foster father." (p.1076)
The above account, illustrates the need to interview family members, as soon as possible. Alex Haley, the late author of Roots, who I had the opportunity of meeting and speaking to many years ago, made the apt comment, 'When an old person dies, a library burns to the ground.'
I recall working on my 'ROLPH' family line, some years ago, and contacted a Rolph living in a mid-western city, hoping he may be related and have information I didn't possess. Though he was not a relative, he told an interesting story, stating, that his family name had been changed from 'Mikaravich,' to that of 'Rolph,' and that his grandfather had immigrated from Finland. When I asked, how they came to bear the surname of 'Rolph,' he didn't know. Without that significant information preserved in family lore, some descendant in THAT family would have endlessly looked for an English or German ancestor, but would NEVER find the right person, since the family name and ancestor was in reality Finnish.
Thus the need once again, to begin your family research TODAY! Don't wait until those relatives who are 'in the know' are deceased, and the vital data on the family's past becomes irretrievable.
*The above text is available at HSP. Call No. Fa929.2 H9267h 1883
Posted by Daniel N. Rolph, PhD at 1:24 PM 0 comments
A Buried Treasure in Society Hill, Philadelphia: 1...
The 'Blackhole' of Genealogical Research as Reveal...
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Daniel N. Rolph, PhD
Philadelphia, PA, United States
Historian Historical Society of Pennsylvania
***All images are the property of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania***
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HSBC Considering iPhones Over BlackBerries
Unless Research In Motion (RIM) comes up with something fast, they just might lose their enterprise foothold. Blackberries have always been the choice mobile handset of corporate businesses often proving their staff with a Blackberry which is of course tied up to the company’s network. the Blackberry is a proven device that can handle most corporate functions such as email, VPN and documents. However, as suggested by Steve Jobs when he unveiled the iPhone 3G, the Blackberry’s reign may be coming to an end.
HSBC is considering the shift from Blackberry to iPhone3G. It’s not a whim but due to the availability of the 3G networks across the globe, HSBC (as well as other corporations) are due to re-equip their staff with 3G enabled smartphones. Blackberry still has not released their latest Blackberry Bold which is a more capable device to pit against the iPhone 3G. But until that phone becomes available, the iPhone 3G is standing as the best contender for the bank’s staff of about 300,000.
HSBC’s Australia and New Zealand chief information officer Brenton Hush, is convinced that the iPhone 3G would be a capable handset as opposed to other banks who are still skeptical about the touch screen handset due to perceived inadequacies in email and security when compared to BlackBerry devices.
In an interview with ZDnet Australia, Hush says, "We are actually reviewing iPhones from a HSBC Group perspective … and when I say that, I mean globally." Moreover, "A decision on a piece of hardware like that would potentially be deployed, conservatively, to 200,000 people. .. You know, it’s a big decision, especially when you have an existing fleet out there. .. But it’s definitely something we are considering from a HSBC Group perspective. We always explore the potential application of new technologies and this is no different."
If ever HSBC does decide to go with the iPhone 3G, it would be a huge blow to RIM, makers of the Blackberry.
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Kimberly Burke
Francky Studios LLC is casting for Nailah
DFG Production is casting for Black History Film
Fearless Motion Pictures is casting for Venture Capitalist
Cassel and Rowlands Highlight Cassavetes Night
(released 4/9/2010) Tweet Subscribe
The 19th annual Florida Film Festival announced two-time Academy Award-nominated actress Gena Rowlands and Academy Award-nominated actor Seymour Cassel will honor the late independent film pioneer, John Cassavetes, with a rare 35mm screening of his three-time Oscar-nominated classic, Faces (1968).
The event, "A Cassavetes Evening with Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, featuring Faces," will take place Friday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. Rowlands and Cassel will be present after the screening for a question and answer session with attendees. Gena Rowlands appears courtesy of the Visiting Artists Program of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Cassavetes is one of the great pioneers in American cinema verité, and Faces is regarded as one of the landmarks of cinema that changed the face of independent film. Rowlands, who was married to Cassavetes for 35 years, co-starred in the film, and Cassel, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Faces, also appeared in seven other Cassavetes films.
Henry Maldonado, President of Enzian and the Florida Film Festival, states "Seymour is a member of our National Advisory Council and therefore a great friend to Enzian. Faces will appear among the movies in the Festival's special curated program titled, "Film Sweet Film: A Collection of Home Movies." Plus Seymour was kind enough to share special memories of Cassavetes in a piece to be published as part of the sidebar."
Rowlands will also serve as a panelist on a women in the industry forum titled, "Perseverance: Women In The Industry." This event will take place Thursday, April 15 and is free and open to the public.
Individual tickets for "A Cassavetes Evening with Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, featuring Faces" are $20. Platinum Pass Patrons will get a chance to meet Rowlands and Cassel at a private reception. Platinum passes grant access to all Festival films, including guaranteed admission into all "Evening with..." events. To purchase, visit www.FloridaFilmFestival.com or call (407) 629-1088 ext. 225, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. through 7 p.m.
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hydro+logic blog > News > Going the Distance
posted by Brian Irwin - September 17, 2013
In the early morning hours of September 2, 2009, Maury McKinney stood on the dock in Center Harbor on Lake Winnipesaukee. The dark, still water rippled under him as he pulled his goggles over his eyes and took a deep breath. He launched his sleek body like a torpedo into the lake, starting a 42-mile round-trip swim to Alton Bay and back. Twenty-six hours and 17 minutes later he eased back into Center Harbor, having sliced through a stretch of choppy, open water twice the length of the English Channel. As the first person to ever complete or even attempt a double crossing, HE’D MADE HISTORY.
McKinney doesn’t swim big water to win notoriety, which he has inadvertently gained. The prior year he swam one length of Winnipesaukee, across the broads and narrows without help other than a band of volunteer kayakers and power boaters who provided safety and sustenance. He completed the swim in 12 hours. In 2010 he took on a shorter 16.8 mile route from Center Harbor to Wolfeboro Bay, a sufferfest during which he had to swim for five straight hours in strong currents and powerful weather cocking without pausing for a single rest.
McKinney also does not swim huge distances to fund-raise for the aquatic center he hopes will one day stand near his home in the Mount Washington Valley, a project that’s become his passion. McKinney, a swim instructor, takes on these challenges because he’s driven by an inner flame to push himself, to challenge the natural world in a way that makes him healthier and happier. He does it because he’s exercising the ideals he likes to see in the children he coaches and in his students — students like Drew Mahoney.
Drew has severe autism. He is an active boy, 9 years old. His parents run King Pine Ski Area in Madison and make sure he has every opportunity to enjoy everything his peers do. Drew skis. He plays. And he swims.
Two years ago Drew would splash in the water at The Mill, King Pine’s indoor pool, wading into the deep end without heeding warnings. Literally running into water over his head, he’d come up sputtering with a nose full of acrid pool water, each time coming closer to drowning. He had just started swim lessons with McKinney.
Each week for the next three years Drew and McKinney would rendezvous at The Mill. By the third week Drew was squeezing McKinney’s nose each time they’d meet, his sign that he adores a person. Within a year he was floating on his own and was what McKinney refers to as “water safe.” Within two years he was swimming laps without a flotation aid. A year later the pair swam the length of Purity Lake, King Pine Resort’s half-mile long resource. Drew still has no intelligible speech. But he can swim.
McKinney has an anachronistic way about him. At age 50 his hair fell out long ago, however his fit body and negligible body fat content are youthfully reserved as a result of years of swimming and mountain climbing. He’s short and stocky with a charming smile and a confident posture. McKinney drew up in central Florida and started swimming when he was young, launching himself off the high dive at age 3. He was always a gifted swimmer, competing his entire youth. He eventually earned a congressional appointment to West Point. As a freshman on the varsity swim team, he did quite well until he was afflicted with debilitating rotator cuff tendonitis and Crohn’s disease. At the young age of 19, McKinney retired from competitive swimming.
He would eventually leave West Point and enroll in Auburn University where he graduated with a B.S. in Biology. A few years later he left his almost-complete master’s degree to walk the Appalachian Trail. He made it as far as the White Mountains, where he pulled into North Conway and found himself awestruck by the toothy cliffs, the vibrant town and the sugary summit of Mount Washington in the backdrop. He never left.
McKinney hadn’t swum for years; he was more motivated by the vertical movement up the area’s steep ice pillars and granite faces than the flat water of a lake or pool. This was very convenient for McKinney. The Mount Washington Valley has a myriad of alpine offerings for the aspiring climber. The pools, however, were limited to hotel-based puddles with rubber liners and maximum lengths of 50 feet. Even if McKinney wanted to swim competitively, there was nowhere to do it.
For the next decade and a half McKinney was employed as a climber and guide, with the exception of a two-year stint as the backcountry caretaker at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Hermit Lake Shelters at the toe of the notable Tuckerman Ravine. He was welded into a lifestyle of outdoor adventure, pushing himself harder and higher into the giant mountains of the world.
In all McKinney would tally 20 climbing expeditions to the greater ranges. He would attempt a new winter route to the summit of Annapurna I, one of the 14 highest peaks in the world and the most objectively dangerous of the coveted 8,000-meter peaks, perhaps even more so than Everest. Annapurna IV and other Himalayan peaks scratched their way into his climbing résumé. Finally, in 1996, after returning home from an exhausting trip to climb Pakistan’s Gasherbrum II, he took a job as the director of International Mountain Climbing School, or IMCS. Within a few years he was president and partner in the business, which is arguably the most prestigious climbing school in the eastern U.S.
His life changed during a climbing trip to Ecuador in 2004. Always an early riser, McKinney was strolling around the small town of Banos when he happened upon the town’s hot springs. There, at the ripe hour of 6 a.m., he sat and watched five concrete pools roil with the splashing of hundreds of bathers. A community pool that brought everyone together. Tiny babies swaddled in bright, Ecuadorian blankets swung in the arms of their mothers while they waded in the steamy water. Kids splashed and played games. Older men sat on the stairs and discussed town politics.
“The sense of community and camaraderie was so pleasant and inspiring,” McKinney recalls. “It made me think of how having an aquatic facility in the [Mount Washington] Valley community could enhance the quality of life of our residents and visitors.” McKinney continued to climb, but in 2006, after 27 years of retirement from swimming, he signed up for a U.S. Masters race. He had a strong finish, surprising as there was nowhere to train for races other than the local ponds, and even those were only free of ice half of the year. More races followed, with a collection of top-10 U.S. Masters finishes. It became clear to McKinney that although he was an accomplished climber, alpinism was a detour, a foray he enjoyed and one that was melting into the local lakes and pools.
A year later McKinney started teaching swim lessons and within a year of that he sold his partnership in IMCS and took up swim instruction full time. He was done guiding. At the age of 47 he had already retired twice and come out of retirement once, which is where he is today.
“I knew from the very first day that teaching swimming was something I could do for the rest of my life,” says McKinney. “Working as a climbing guide for 20 years gave me valuable experience in how to work with people of differing ages, backgrounds and abilities and how to manage risk effectively. There is an elemental joy in water and swimming. I swim because it feels good and gives me an inner sense of happiness and peace. I think it makes me a happier and healthier person.”
But McKinney has a problem. There isn’t a decent competition pool within an hour of North Conway. Drew’s family has a pleasant recreational pool at King Pine, but other than that McKinney was restricted to utilizing the small pool at the historic Eastern Slope Inn. In response to the paucity of facilities, in 2007 McKinney founded the White Mountain Aquatic Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that has one mission: build a 40,000-squarefoot, three-pool public aquatic facility completely free of tax funding.
His project, which someday may reside at the eastern end of the iconic Kancamagus Highway, won’t be cheap. An estimated $15 million will be needed to erect the facility, which he hopes will have three pools: a competition pool, rehab pool and recreation pool. Perhaps a glass-and-wood structure, perhaps a more practical but less aesthetic concrete dome, this facility has the potential to anchor a community.
At this point McKinney is not counting the millions in his foundation’s endowment, rather he is reaching out to complete the funding for the feasibility study that he is confident will support his dream. When he’s hit his mark with fundraising, a Midwestern firm will execute a study and report he hopes will back the unofficial opinion of USA Swimming, the sport’s governing body and consultative expert, and declare the Mount Washington Valley the ideal locale for a new swim facility.
In 2008 McKinney started the Saco Valley Swim Club, a youth swim club that treks an hour to Dover on occasion to compete in swim meets, the first such entity in the history of the Mount Washington Valley. Within three years his number of competitive swimmers climbed from eight to 41, all of them begging for a local pool, a better, closer place to call home water. And while McKinney’s dream drifts closer to him along the horizon, he’s not lost focus on what counts most to him: teaching people to swim. He’s taught those from six months old to age 71 and at this point is instructing full time. Without a dedicated facility. At least for now.
| Tagged Competitive Swimming, Healthy Swimming, learn to swim, swimming
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Mabel CHEUNG
張婉婷 | CHEUNG Mabel
By making films, I can magically realize my dreams which I cannot in reality. In City of Glass I flew a plane; in The Soong Sisters I was a First Lady, and in An Autumn’s Tale I opened a restaurant by the sea for my friend… All these dreams come true because of the films I make. Films turn me into a dream maker and a magician.
Mabel CHEUNG was born in Hong Kong and studied at Ying Wa Girls’ School before gaining admission to the University of Hong Kong, where she majored in English literature and psychology. After graduation, she furthered her education at Bristol University to study drama and visual arts, and then attended New York University for a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Film Production. There, she met fellow classmate Alex Law, who later became her creative partner throughout her career. From 1978 to 1980 she directed various television programs for RTHK, including episodes of the series Below the Lion Rock and Under the Same Roof, as well as the children’s program Banana Boat.
Later, Cheung was approached by Shaw Brothers to direct her first feature, Illegal Immigrants (1985), which won Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Her sophomore effort, An Autumn’s Tale (1987), was highly popular and garnered the Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director prizes at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and the Best Actor trophy at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards (for Chow Yun-fat). Eight Taels of Gold (1989) was nominated for five Hong Kong Film Awards. These three works comprised her “Immigration Trilogy”. Later, she collaborated with Alex Law on the screenplay for Painted Faces (1988), which won Best Screenplay at the Golden Horse Awards. Her later works include The Soong Sisters (1997), which depicts three of the most important female figures in modern Chinese history, and City of Glass (1998), a love story among different generations of students at the University of Hong Kong.
Cheung and Law form a rare creative team in the Hong Kong film community. Both of them are fond of producing films that reflect the local Hong Kong spirit, and their works are richly literary with a nostalgic and romantic flavor. Cheung and Law often split writing, producing and directing duties in their works. In Echoes of the Rainbow, Law acted as the director and Cheung played the role of producer. The film won the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival.
2013 《深藍》
2003 《龍的深處：失落的拼圖》
Traces of a Dragon
2003 《1:99 電影行動》
1:99 LAW Alex TSUI Hark CHAN Gordon CHEN Teddy LAU Andrew CHAN Peter MA Joe CHOW Sing Chi Stephen CHAN Fruit MAK Shiu Fai Alan LAM Dante
2001 《北京樂與路》
Beijing Rocks
1998 《玻璃之城》
1997 《宋家皇朝》
The Soong Sisters
1989 《八両金》
Eight Taels of Gold
1987 《秋天的童話》
1985 《非法移民》
The Illegal Immigrant
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Autism and the Criminal Justice System
Co-Founder’s of ACJS
Steering Groups and Project Consultants
Allely, C. S. (2018). A systematic PRISMA review of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in secure psychiatric care: prevalence, treatment, risk assessment and other clinical considerations. Journal of Criminal Psychology, 8(1), 58-79.
Allely, C. S., & Faccini, L. (2018). Rare instances of individuals with autism supporting or engaging in terrorism: a reply. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 9(1), 64-66.
Allely, C. S., & Cooper, P. (2017). Jurors’ and Judges’ Evaluation of Defendants with Autism and the Impact on Sentencing: A Systematic Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) Review of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Courtroom. Journal of Law and Medicine, 25(1).
Faccini, L., & Allely, C. S. (2017). Rare instances of individuals with autism supporting or engaging in terrorism. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 8(2), 70-82.
Creaby-Attwood, A., & Allely, C. S. (2017). A psycho-legal perspective on sexual offending in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 55, 72-80.
Cooper, P., & Allely, C. S. (2017). You can’t judge a book by its cover: evolving professional responsibilities, liabilities and ‘judgecraft’ when a party has Asperger’s Syndrome. Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 68(1), 35-58.
Allely, C. S. (2017). Classification of developmental disorders and diseases. Second edition of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development (CECID), Eds. Brian Hopkins, Elena Geangu and Sally Linkenauger (Editors). Cambridge Press.
Allely, C. S. (2017). Behavioural and learning disorders. Second edition of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development (CECID), Eds. Brian Hopkins, Elena Geangu and Sally Linkenauger (Editors). Cambridge Press.
Hepworth, D. (2017). A critical review of current police training and policy for autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 8(4), 212-222.
Allely, C. S., & Cooke, D. (2016). The relationship between psychopathy traits and neurodevelopmental disorders in forensic populations: A systematic PRISMA review. Sociology and Anthropology, 4, 380-407. doi: 10.13189/sa.2016.040511.
Allely, C. S., & Creaby-Attwood, A. (2016). Sexual Offending and autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behavior. 7(1), 35-51.
Allely, C. S., & Gebbia, P. (2016). Studies Investigating Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the Criminal Justice System: A Systematic PRISMA Review. SOJ Psychology (SOJP), 2(1), 1-11.
Allely, C. S. (2016). Autism spectrum disorders in the criminal justice system: police interviewing, the courtroom and the prison environment. Autism – Recent Advances. SM Group Open Access eBooks. http://www.smgebooks.com/autism/chapters/AUT-15-02.pdf
Allely, C. S. (2015). Experiences of prison Inmates with autism spectrum disorders and the knowledge and understanding of the spectrum amongst prison staff: a review. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 6(2), 55 – 67.
National Police Autism Association (NPAA)
Guest blogger: Kleio Cossburn
Fighting for my brother.
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Salford Public Health
A blog from the Public Health team at the University of Salford
PhD/GTS students
ASPHER
Recent publications by the team
Research Seminar Series
Awards on the MSc Public Health Programme
Applied Dissertation projects
Past students dissertation dissemination
What past students have said
Posts tagged: menstrual hygiene
Improving sanitation in Ugandan schools
Teams4U is a charity that brings volunteers from the UK to make a difference in children’s lives in countries including Bosnia, Belarus, Romania, Sierra Leone and Uganda. This was my third visit with Teams4U to the Mukongoro district of Kumi Region, Uganda, to participate in their work with schools to improve public health. In recent months Teams4U’s attention has focused on reducing the days missed from school due to sickness and diarrhoea. An intervention to improve hygiene and sanitation has been developed.
Teams4U volunteer with school children
Basic sanitation
There is no water supply or electricity supply to the public schools, although there is typically a hand pump installed at the perimeter of the school grounds, which is shared resource for the school and the local public. There are usually three or four pit latrines for the children to use. The latrines often have no doors for privacy and used by around 1000 children, making the smell and flies unbearable. There is no source of water nearby for hand washing.
Open pit latrine
When children are at home, there are also often no hand washing facilities. Each day water is carried from the nearest hand pump and stored in water containers for cooking and washing, but many homesteads lack a drum with a tap for easy hand washing. Some families are not aware of the importance of hand washing to prevent disease.
A typical homestead
Sanitation solutions
A ‘Tippy tap’ is a contraption that is simple to make with a small water container, rope and wooden supports. A child can easily tip the drum to let the water out by using the foot operated lever. They are suitable for use at a homestead. Some schools have been using them, although a single tippy tap is inadequate for the typical school which has over 1000 children.
Demonstrating the tippy tap
With support from the Welsh Government, Teams4U have begun to install simple hand washing facilities, comprising a large tank with two taps and bars of soap on string. These tanks can store sufficient hand washing water for a whole school. They still require filling by hand, but schools arrange teams of children to carry water from the pump to the tank as part of their daily chores. The tanks can be drained during holidays to allow them to be cleaned. Some schools fill their tanks with soapy water to get over the problem of soap bars going missing.
Hand washing using a new tank supplied and installed by Teams4U
The Teams4U installation also includes ‘toilet flappers’ fitted to each of the long drop latrines and signage about hand washing on the walls. The toilet flappers are simple devices that remain closed to seal off the odours and stop flies from entering the long drop. They function similarly to the flaps in the portable toilets that are used in festivals in the UK.
Toilet flapper to fit to a pit latrine
Volunteers get involved
The whole school also watched as Teams4U volunteers acted out a hand washing story about a Ugandan boy who does not wash his hands and becomes ill. In the story he then learns about hand washing and when to wash hands. The story features the family’s naughty goat, who causes great hilarity amongst the children when he runs amok. The use of the tippy tap is demonstrated, and the boy learns how and when to wash his hands properly. He learns to wash his hands after handling animals, after using the toilet and before meals. He finds in the future he is no longer ill.
Volunteers performing the play for the whole school
As in previous trips, the Teams4U volunteers visit a school each day for seven days. The morning activity is a physical activity intervention where all 1000 or so children take part in simple team games. In the afternoon, there are sessions for the older children that focus on puberty, development and respect for women. These have been the subjects of my previous blogs. There is also an opportunity for volunteers to play with the children. The challenge is to think of activities that overcome the language barrier and can be done with hundreds of children at a time! Successful activities include simple face painting, balloons and bubbles.
Teams4U volunteer face painting to entertain the school children
Click here to see a film of a volunteer entertaining the children with bubbles
https://www.facebook.com/penny.cook.75436/videos/10156365190389821/?t=1
The interventions with the children are supported by an education programme for the key church leaders, health care workers and senior women teachers. This is supported by funding from the Department for International Development (DFID). The training aims to provide a legacy for the ongoing education of the children in hygiene and disease prevention, dignity and respect, puberty, menstruation and sexual health.
Volunteers supporting the training of the teachers
How do we know it works?
The onus is on the charity sector to deliver an intervention that has a lasting impact. At schools we visited, there is evidence of previous well-meaning interventions that have had no impact. I asked why the schools needed Teams4U’s water drums when some had evidence of large water storage drums. I was told that the drums had been designed to collect rain water, but no one had ever installed the guttering to harvest the water. Boxes containing computers sit unopened in schools that have never had an electricity supply.
Volunteer in the classroom
In addition to the work to educate local leaders on how to sustain the benefits of the interventions, Teams4U will be collating data on school attendance in the coming weeks in order to determine whether the hygiene interventions have had an impact on absence due to diarrhoea. The aim will be to provide the intervention to all 150 primary/junior schools in the Mukongoro district. The charity has already demonstrated that its puberty and development sessions (‘Develop with Dignity’) are effective: knowledge of menstruation increased after the education sessions, and fewer girls miss school because of their periods.
Girls receiving washable sanitary ware as part of the Teams4U intervention
You can join in and help run the sports, ‘Develop with Dignity’ and sanitation programmes. Read more about volunteering opportunities on the Teams4U website. If you come as part of the University of Salford’s BSc Public Health and Health Promotion, you can also help us do research to evaluate the programme during a heavily subsidised 10 day trip (the students pay £200 towards the cost of the trip).
A powerful experience for the volunteers
It is difficult to describe the pure pleasure that these children get from a little attention from the visitors. The impact on the volunteers is also profound as we experience the simple joy that children get from a hand shake or a stream of bubbles. It is also humbling to think how we take our children’s education for granted. In Kumi, there are no staff to clean the school. The sweeping of the classrooms, the fetching of the water and the cleaning of the toilets is all done by the children. Some of the forward thinking schools grow their own vegetables, and the children also tend to these. In several of the schools we are greeted with songs of welcome. The children also sing songs that describe how seriously they take their learning in order to better their lives. We found this truly humbling.
Children playing team ball games as part of the Teams4U intervention
Tags: @WalesForAfrica, #teams4u, Field trip, global health, menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, sanitation, sports, Uganda
University of Salford and Teams4U Partnership: Uganda
With its numerous and diverse cultures, Winston Churchill wrote “Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa” and went on to say “The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy tale. The scenery is different, the climate is different and most of all, the people are different from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa….what message I bring back…concentrate on Uganda”. Over one hundred years later this is still true, and Uganda, relatively untouched by tourism, retains a taste of Authentic Africa.
Children at a primary school in Kumi
The University of Salford has been working with charity Teams4U for over eight years. Recently, the University’s partnership with Teams4U has been developed to allow students to gain hands-on experience of delivering a public health intervention programme in rural Uganda, learning how to break down cultural barriers and to communicate with the people they serve in order to make the programme a success. Students on our BSc Public Health and Health Promotion course have the opportunity to take a subsidised ten day trip to Uganda (the student pays £200 towards the cost).
The Teams4U Uganda programme is the brainchild of honorary Salford graduate Dr Dave Cooke, who wondered if physical activity could help primary school children to achieve better results at school. Since it began, the programme has evolved and changed to tackle some of the underlying issues that lock communities in a cycle of poverty.
Small changes make a big difference
The experience of handing a football to a child that has never touched a ball is something that is difficult to describe. Before the programme began, children in rural primary schools in the Kumi district of Uganda didn’t have PE lessons; with class sizes at over 100 children per teacher, finding an activity that they could all take part in was difficult. To make matters worse, the budget for most schools is just £1.50 per child for the whole year, meaning they can’t afford basic sports equipment like footballs. Often the schools aren’t funded at all – the money just ‘disappears’.
Playing the team games with Teams4U
The concept of the programme is simple, but the impact on the children is profound – headteachers have even said they felt inspired to change the way they teach as a result. However, this is where students can get involved in vital research, as many questions still need answering: does the experience of the teachers of the programme change their attitudes to physical activity? Does the donation of balls for football, netball and other activities have an impact on physical activity and sports in the schools?
Breaking the cycle of poverty
The programme also revealed other barriers to education that children in the community face. While both girls and boys are often kept off school to help out at home or work in the fields, girls in particular are not always encouraged to attend school. To add to this, we found that a big problem keeping girls from school was the lack of feminine hygiene products and limited access to water, meaning that they were missing up to a quarter of their schooling.
Keen to break the cycle of poverty where children drop out of school, girls have babies very young and have large families that they can’t support, the team set up two separate programmes to tackle these issues. The first, ‘Develop with Dignity’, provides washable pads for girls to use, meaning they now feel comfortable going to school on their period. Secondly, we organised educational sessions with parents, children and community leaders to discuss the importance of staying in school.
Girls receiving washable menstrual pads and underwear
Again, research is needed to understand exactly how these interventions work: does the intervention increase school attendance, for girls in particular? Are parents and the community more aware of the importance of education?
Join a trip to Uganda
You can join in and help run the sports and Develop with Dignity programmes. If you come as part of the BSc Public Health and Health Promotion, you can also help us do research to evaluate the programme.
Our volunteers often find that while they go to Uganda with the intention of serving, they end up gaining more than they give: the experience of sharing time with children who get so much joy from the simple gift of your time and attention.
Watch this video about the University of Salford’s public health and health promotion opportunities in Uganda
To find out more about the other public health and health promotion work that the University of Salford and Teams4U have carried out in Uganda, go to our related blog posts
Find out more about Teams4U and Develop with Dignity
Tags: #teams4u, BSc Public Health and Health Promotion, Field trip, intervention, menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, sports, Uganda
Public health interventions in Uganda
By Penny Cook
I have been given the amazing opportunity to take part in some practical public health interventions in rural Uganda, with Teams4U, an organisation with many years’ experience of work with poverty. My aim is to get some insight so that I can plan trips in the future for University of Salford’s public health students.
Our journey here from Kampala had taken us 5 hours, during which we had glimpsed some of the poverty that is a reality of everyday life in rural Uganda: the roads were dirt tracks; people were pumping and carrying their water; children were dressed in rags; homes were shacks with little in the way of a decent roof.
Basic living conditions
Day one of the field-work happens to be Sunday. On Saturday night, the leader of our team of volunteers discovered that we were expected to be at a local Church for the 7am service. Thus, at 5.45am we were up, ready to set off at 6.30am. We learned that no practical intervention in the community can happen around here without the involvement of the church–it is the hub of the community, and it serves as a means to spread practical messages to the local people. The priest will be working with us all week in the various schools that we will be visiting. The church service lasted 2 hours, during which we had to get up at the front and introduce ourselves to a few hundred people. It was through the church that the community had been told about our visit, and invited to one of the local schools for a day of fun and activities.
By 10am we were at the school. Being a Sunday, we were uncertain of how many people would turn up. In a very well organised operation we started to play team games with the children. There were hundreds. We did the games with batches of 8 children (for each of the 14 team members). We did this 3 times–first with some smaller boys (aged 5 to 12), then with girls (9-14) and then with some older boys (10-16). The games all involved running up and down, sometimes with a ball. They varied in each set, depending on age and gender; for example, games were more complicated for the older ones, and we had been warned that girls often did not own underwear, so we did not do any games involving somersaults. We were on the field without a break for nearly two hours, in the heat: absolutely exhausting but really good fun.
The games served as a draw to the local community, and while the fun was going on, adults were being tested for HIV, and if needed, able to obtain antiviral drugs straight away. We now also had the opportunity to do some basic health interventions with the children, after the games were over.
‘Develop with dignity’ intervention
Sanitation is very poor at this school. There is no water and open pit latrines. Once the girls have started their monthly menstrual periods, the lack of facilities, and lack of any means to manage their periods causes them to leave school for a few days each month. Girls typically manage their period using rags to absorb the blood. Fear of soiling clothing and embarrassment keep them away from school, causing them to miss up to quarter of their education. The aim of our intervention was to explain some basic facts about puberty, sex and management of menstruation. The highlight of the intervention is when we supply the girls with their own pack of re-usable, washable ‘Afripads’, and knickers to hold the pads in place. We also had a sack of donated bras, which the girls were absolutely delighted with!
The girls were very pleased with their washable pads and new knickers
As we left the school, children squabbled over our empty water bottles, which appeared to be a much sought after prize, reminding us how much we have and how much we take for granted. When we saw small groups of children we were able hand out little toys and gifts.
Happiness is a small bag of Haribos
See the next blog post on my Uganda trip here.
Tags: #teams4u, intervention, menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, sports, Uganda
Blog Key Words
#teams4u @WalesForAfrica ageing Aids alcohol alumni BSc Public Health and Health Promotion conference FASD Field trip global health greenspace HIV Induction intervention menstrual hygiene neglect reproductive health sanitation social prescribing sports stress Team work trauma Uganda wellbeing work
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Is AI a New Weapon in Breast Cancer Detection?
TUESDAY, May 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Artificial intelligence is the hot new trend in medicine, and now new research suggests it could help doctors better predict a woman’s breast cancer risk.
The study is the latest to explore the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine.
Typically, it works like this: Researchers develop an algorithm using “deep learning” — where the computer system mimics the brain’s neural networks. It’s exposed to a large number of images — tumor samples, for example — and it teaches itself to recognize key features.
Studies so far have suggested that computers can outperform humans when it comes to diagnosing certain tumors. One found that an algorithm was better able to distinguish harmless moles from melanoma skin cancer, when stacked up against a group of dermatologists.
In the new study, researchers applied a variation of the same principle to breast cancer.
The ultimate hope is to be able to tailor breast cancer screening to individual women, said lead researcher Adam Yala, a Ph.D. candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“If you know a woman is at high risk, maybe she can be screened more frequently, or be screened using MRI,” Yala explained.
As it stands, doctors already consider certain factors to get a sense of a woman’s breast cancer risk. Family history matters, for example. Women with a mother or sister diagnosed with the disease, especially at a younger age, have a higher-than-average risk.
But the current risk-prediction “models” only go so far, Yala said.
To try to build a better model, his team exposed a deep-learning system to more than 70,000 digital mammography images from women who’d undergone screening at one medical center.
From there, the researchers developed two deep-learning models: One that used the mammography information alone, and a “hybrid” model that also included traditional factors, like age and family history, and a woman’s breast density. (Women with dense breasts typically have a higher cancer risk than those whose breasts have more fat tissue.)
Yala’s team tested the two models’ accuracy against a standard tool that doctors use, called the Tyrer-Cuzick model. It estimates a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer based on traditional risk factors and breast density.
For that test phase, the researchers used another 8,700-plus mammogram images. Just over 3% of those images had been followed by a breast cancer diagnosis within the next five years.
Overall, the study found, both deep-learning models were better than the standard approach in spotting women at high risk of developing breast cancer. But the hybrid version was most accurate.
It placed almost one-third of women who developed breast cancer into the top 10% risk category. In contrast, the standard model put 18% of those women into the top-10%.
The findings were published May 7 in the journal Radiology.
The study authors noted that the computer model worked just as well among black women as it did in white women, which is not the case with traditional models.
“That suggests we can move toward not only more accurate prediction, but more equitable prediction,” Yala said.
But a researcher not involved in the study said the potential role of AI is far from clear at this point.
One issue is, no one knows what the computer is “seeing” in the mammogram that signals a higher risk, said Arkadiusz Sitek, who wrote an editorial published with the study.
“Imagine a physician who says to a patient, ‘You’re at very high risk for breast cancer. I don’t know why, but the computer says so,'” said Sitek, a senior scientist at IBM Watson Health, in Cambridge, Mass. “That’s a scenario that neither physician nor patient wants to be in.”
Sitek said researchers need a clearer understanding of what’s going on.
Beyond that, he said, further studies need to verify the computer model’s accuracy — using mammograms from women at additional medical centers.
And no, computers will not replace doctors any time soon.
In the foreseeable future, Sitek said, AI will serve as “a radiologist’s assistant” — helping to improve efficiency and watch out for “errors and inconsistencies.”
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on breast cancer risk.
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Created: Thursday, November 26 2015 2:10am | Jamaica Patriot
The US war on terror-monumental hypocrisy.
American imperialism: seeking to control Syria, seeking regime change in Syria is part of a broader aim of controlling the Middle East, says Joseph Kishore, National Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party.“Turkey has its particular interest in Syria and has a de facto alliance with ISIS. Turkey has been a central force in backing the anti-Assad forces in Syria, many of which, of course, are Islamic fundamentalist organizations,” Kishore told RT.
“While the question of Turkish interests is significant, the real issue here is the US. It has to be said upfront that this action could not have been taken without the prior approval of the Obama administration,” he added.
According to Kishore, “it is clear that the US is preparing to escalate the situation in Syria dramatically; it is seeking to send a shot across the bow against Russia, making clear that the US is prepared to defend its interests in Syria by very provocatively and aggressively escalating the situation there.”
Kishore thinks that “we are talking really not about Turkey and its strategy per se, but about the US, about American imperialism - that is really the driving force here.”
“I don’t think we can accept for a minute the idea that the Turkish government would do this without the support of the US. The question really is: What is the strategy of American imperialism,” he continued.
Kishore said that “they are seeking to control Syria; they are seeking regime change in Syria as part of a broader aim of controlling the Middle East.”
In his opinion, “the whole sort of policy of the US in the region – the so-called ‘war on terror’- is a monumental hypocrisy based on lies.”
“ISIS is a product of American intervention in Syria and is part of the aim of unseating the Assad government. And the idea that they are engaged in a war against ISIS is a monumental fraud,” he added.
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Home » Turkey’s Anti-Daesh Operation: From Bad To Worst-Case Scenario?
Turkey’s Anti-Daesh Operation: From Bad To Worst-Case Scenario?
Turkish troops are in northern Syria and Northern Iraq ostensibly on the pretense of fighting Daesh and YPG-PKK militants, though the central authorities in both Damascus and Baghdad publicly claim that this is an illegal violation of their sovereignty and that Ankara must immediately withdrawal. Erdogan’s intentions seem to have been laid bare when he announced just the other day that Aleppo and Mosul belong to the Turks, and worried observers point to his recent revisionist statements about the Treaty of Lausanne and the Greek Aegean islands to raise the relevant point that he might also formally claim the second-largest Syrian and Iraqi cities for himself. The fact that Turkey has armor, artillery, troops, and proxy fighters in northern Syria and Northern Iraq lend credence to the excited claim that the world is about to witness an impending geopolitical disaster on par with the run-up to World War II, but the sober reality is actually a bit different.
While it can’t ever be ruled out that the wily Sultan might backstab his new multipolar partners and go ‘straight for the kill’ by outright annexing Aleppo and Mosul under the cover of the US’ NATO nuclear umbrella, the chances are that Erdogan won’t end up doing this. His revisionist statements are inexcusable and indefensible, but they are mostly chest-thumping nationalism intended for his post-coup domestic audience. As for the international community, Erdogan is declaring what everyone had obviously known for years already, namely that Neo-Ottoman Turkey intends to establish a sphere of influence all around the “Greater Mideast”, with particular attention paid to its immediate periphery. Russia and Iran are well aware of this and will do what they conceivable can within the limits of their political will (the key caveat) to rein Turkey in, but observers would fret a lot less if Moscow and Tehran weren’t as contradictory with their statements and actions.
Great Power Diplomacy
Contradictions And Questions:
Russia, Iran, and Turkey are all Great Powers, and as such, each of them feels entitled to practice a multidimensional policy towards the others as part of their grand strategies. The outward expression of this can appear inordinately complicated and vexingly confusing, especially since it usually involves some degree of deceit towards their partners and the rest of the international community that’s observing this relationship in order to mask the true intentions behind every statement and action.
This is why the alternative media is beside itself trying to explain how in the world Russia could denounce Turkey’s military involvement in northern Syria while at the same time not doing a single tangible thing to stop, deter, or punish it. Many people don’t understand why Moscow would condemn this indefinite incursion while simultaneously dispatching President Putin to Turkey to hold friendly meetings with Erdogan and revive the stalled Balkan Stream project. Well-intentioned observers also can’t comprehend how and why Russia is friendly with Turkey again after it was Ankara that shot down Moscow’s anti-terrorist jet over Syria back in November.
Iran is also committing the same sort of seemingly inexplicable behavior as Russia is. Iran, which has been backing Syria against Turkish-supported terrorists since day one of the destabilization over half a decade ago, made a big deal out of being the first country to stand by “Turkey’s democracy” during the failed coup attempt, and Foreign Minister Zarif has since visited the neighboring country several times for high-level talks. Tehran’s actions are made all the stranger when one remembers that hundreds of Iranians have been martyred at the hands of Turkish terrorists as they fought and died to protect Syria from the Neo-Ottoman aggression being waged against it.
Geopolitical Answers:
The only answer that properly addresses these questions is that Great Power geopolitics are at play in influencing Moscow and Tehran’s new policies towards Ankara. The author described the calculations that Russia and Iran are delicately balancing in an earlier article titled “Why The Failed Turkish Coup Attempt Wasn't A "False Flag" Power Grab By Erdogan”, so the reader should refer to it if they’re looking for a more thorough explanation of each Great Power’s behavior, but it can summed up that both of them wanted to exploit Turkey’s unmistakable rift with the US and redirect the country away from the Atlanticism and towards Eurasianism.
It has always been far from certain that this gambit would succeed, but it was the “least bad” option of the two that Russia and Iran were confronted with. They could have reflexively rejected their Turkish rival, but then they would have lost a priceless opportunity for attempting a multilaterally beneficial win-win solution to the “Kurdish Question” and stopping the rise of an American-supported “second geopolitical ‘Israel’” in the heart of the Mideast. Being far from the diplomatic-strategic fools that Western trolls and faux “super patriots” claim that they are, Russia and Iran leapt at the chance to assist Erdogan in pivoting away from the West, though this has certainly not been without a large share of risk.
High-Stakes Risks:
Like it was explained in the author’s article about “Turkey In Syria, The FSA, And The Upcoming Quarrel Over Syria’s Constitution”, Russia and Iran lack the political will to sustain an all-out military intervention in Syria, and this is why they appear to have coordinated with Syria in using Turkey as the “cat’s paw” against the US and Saudi Arabia’s proxies in the region. It might be that Moscow is afraid of being sucked into a drawn-out ‘Reverse Brzezinski’ military quagmire in Syria, while Tehran’s fears are more pecuniary and deal with its reluctance to see the West’s anti-Iranian sanctions reimposed on it, but irrespective of what their reasons are, it should be clear to all observers at this point that Russia and Iran are holding back from giving it their all in resolving the War of Terror on Syria.
In such a situation, Turkey’s military involvement becomes paramount in pushing back both the pro-American Kurds and Daesh, though Ankara is obviously doing this for its own self-interested reasons and with the expectation that it will replace each of these two groups with its own FSA proxies, like was explained in the above hyperlink for the purpose of competing to influence Syria’s forthcoming UNSC-mandated constitutional revisionism. Russia, Iran, and Syria have officially condemned Turkey for doing this, but it must be remembered that none of them have done a single thing to stop, deter, or punish it for this behavior, and Moscow and Tehran have on the contrary been improving their relations with Ankara at this very same time. This suggests that they tacitly support, or at the very least accept, what Turkey is doing, since the only alternative would be that these Great Powers have “sold out Syria” despite the sacrifices that they’ve paid thus far to protect it, which is ridiculous to even countenance.
Even so, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, and there are legitimate reasons for all observers to be concerned that the “least bad” scenario of Russia, Iran, and Syria secretly coordinating with post-coup Turkey is giving rise to the “worst-case” one of Ankara betraying its new “partners” and making an American-backed power grab for annexing Aleppo and Mosul. Everyone seems confused because the aforementioned multilateral coordination was never made public due to the heightened sensitivities that this would entail (especially for the domestic audiences in NATO-member Turkey and victimized Syria), so if one gathers their information only from official media reports and diplomatic statements instead of drawing rational inferences from the empirical evidence in front of them, then it does indeed look like something uncomfortably strange is happening when Russia and Iran reach out to Turkey concurrent with Ankara’s new territorial aggression against Damascus and Baghdad.
Annexation Or Sphere Of Influence?
This brings the research to the point of addressing Erdogan’s outlandish claims that Aleppo and Mosul belong to the Turks. Like it was written in the introduction, this is more of a chest-thumping nationalist ego boost to the post-coup Turkish domestic audience than anything, but it’s also a reaffirmation of what any aware international observer should have already known for a long time, which is that Turkey plans to construct a Neo-Ottoman sphere of influence all throughout the Mideast. The rhetoric and language that Erdogan is using is new (questioning the Treaty of Lausanne and evoking historical claims to three of his neighbors), but the intent itself shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who seriously follows Mideast affairs.
What is surprising, though, is how the “super patriots” that purport to side with Russia, Iran, and Syria have all of a sudden abandoned their hope in these three countries and seem to accept it as a fait accompli that each of them will passively allow Turkey to annex Aleppo and Mosul, pretending as though the Russian heavy weaponry in Syria and the thousands of Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen in Iraq have been rendered useless in stopping what would in that case amount to an unprecedented world-changing aggression by Erdogan. Only these “super patriotic” Facebookers can explain the questionable “loyalty” that they have to these states and the provocative emotionally-induced statements that they’ve disseminated all over social media about them, but more serious analysts have a rational way of approaching this topic in arguing that Turkey will not in fact annex northern Syria and Northern Iraq, contrary to the panic that the irresponsible commentators are spreading.
Against The Annexation Argument:
There are several strong reasons why Turkey will not be audacious enough to outright annex the second-largest cities in Syria and Iraq:
UNSC 2254
This December 2015 document explicitly states that the signatories support Syria’s territorial integrity, among many other things, and while there was never any hope that the US and its allies would seriously abide by this, it does give a powerful normative-legal justification for any future Russian attempts to remove Turkey from Syrian territory in the event that it gets out of line and oversteps the boundaries of whatever had been previously agreed upon in secret with its new “partners”.
Conventional War
The annexations of Aleppo and Mosul would guarantee that Turkey would have to fight a multi-front conventional war against not only its Syrian and Iraqi victims, but also their Russian and Iranian protectors, which would lead to the military-fractured Neo-Ottoman Empire’s destruction and the post-war imposition of a peace agreement infinitely more punishing than the 1920s Treaties of Sèvres and Lausanne that Erdogan has lately complained about.
Kurdish Card
Any conventional state-on-state war that Erdogan launches would trigger an even more emboldened Kurdish insurgency in southeastern Turkey that would undermine the Armed Forces “behind enemy lines”, and moreover, given the existing challenges with the Kurdish community already in Turkey proper, it’s dubious that the country could socially and politically integrate upwards of 7 million more of them in northern Syria and Northern Iraq, let alone those who are already highly trained, heavily armored, and have already been experiencing de-facto independence from their central governments.
Ethnic Cleansing/Genocide
Even in the absence of state-on-state conflict in the event that Erdogan convinces Russia, Iran, Syria, and Iraq to all “sell out” and fold in the face of his demands (as the “super patriotic” demagogues strongly imply has already happened), Turkey would still have to rapidly carry out a far-reaching policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide in order to subdue the Arab and Kurdish inhabitants of his claimed territories and put down their insurgencies before they spill over into Turkey proper and lead to an unintended Hybrid War against his rule.
In Support Of The Sphere Of Influence Theory:
Having debunked the talk of Turkey’s apparently inevitable annexations of Aleppo and Mosul as nothing more than the hyperbolic reaction of loud-mouthed “super patriotic” Facebookers (who have ironically lost hope in the same countries that they supposedly support), the research will now take a turn in the direction of explaining why Erdogan’s revisionist statements amount to reaffirmation of his country’s long-standing ambition to carve out a sphere of influence in northern Syria and Northern Iraq. At this moment, Turkey’s actions aren’t being opposed by Russia, Iran, Syria, or Iraq in anything other than words, thought that could quickly change since the situation is definitely dynamic and indeed very dangerous, as will be elaborated on in the third section. For now, it’s important enough to assess the on-the-ground actions that Turkey is carrying out in support of its envisioned sphere of influence and keep in mind that they’ve been thus far tolerated (operative word) by each of the aforementioned countries:
Replace Daesh And The YPG With The FSA
Turkey’s operation in northern Syria is notable for the fact that it replaced Daesh and the YPG with the FSA using a comparably limited number of “official” Turkish troops, irrefutably disproving the fear mongers who at first incorrectly told everybody that Erdogan was launching a blitzkrieg offensive to annex all of northern Syria.
Use The FSA To Change Syria’s Constitution
The author’s previously cited article about “Turkey In Syria, The FSA, And The Upcoming Quarrel Over Syria’s Constitution” explains how Erdogan envisions using the FSA to change Syria’s constitution in order to weaken the central authority of Damascus and grant more “autonomous maneuverability” to the FSA-occupied areas of northern Syria.
Train The “Peshmerga” On Barzani’s “Invitation”
Pro-Turkish Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani went behind the back of the Baghdad central government in “inviting” Erdogan to dispatch Turkish troops to Northern Iraq as part of a “training mission” in aid of the “Peshmerga”, proving that the ‘legendary’ Turkish-Kurdish acrimony isn’t insurmountable and that selfish geopolitical reasons vis-à-vis Baghdad have succeeded in uniting Ankara and Erbil.
Use The Iraqi Kurds And Sunnis To Break Baghdad’s Authority
Erdogan is obviously gaming a few steps ahead in forecasting that post-Daesh Iraq will be a fractured mess of ethno-sectarian conflict, hoping that his deal with Barzani and the ‘caliph’-like Muslim Brotherhood influence that the Sultan wants to yield over the Sunnis will be enough to give Turkey the upper hand in determining Iraq’s future and countering the Iranian-influenced Shiite-majority in the country.
From Bad To Worst-Case Scenario
Getting Bad:
The pair of arguments articulated above explains why the author does not believe that Turkey is on the verge of annexing Aleppo and Mosul, but is instead carrying out a policy of limited military involvement aimed at improving the chances that its proxies will be able to influence the post-Daesh situation in their targeted countries. In the case of Syria, this appears to have been coordinated up to an uncertain point with Russia, Iran, and Syria, despite the diplomatic statements that all three sides have issued for their own political reasons in condemning what is technically Turkey’s illegal incursion into Syrian territory (in the sense that it’s not openly welcomed by Damascus). The situation is altogether different in Iraq, however, since it convincingly looks like Turkey is carrying out a unilateral policy that wasn’t at all coordinated in any way with Russia, Iran, or Iraq, instead being part of a grand power play by the Kurds to ensure that they’re the most influential actor in any nominally unified post-Daesh (Identity Federalized) Iraq.
The present state of affairs is very precarious from a structural point of view and so much could go wrong at any given moment, but that’s the nature of the gambit that Russia and Iran decided to jointly enter into by proactively engaging with Turkey in the run-up to and aftermath of the failed pro-American coup attempt. Russia and Iran both made a strategic determination that led them in the direction of this policy, and while anyone can question the wisdom of this choice and consequently render judgement upon it, it’s undeniable at this point that both Great Powers are working together with Turkey to varying degrees in advance of undeclared grand strategic aims, which explains why neither of them has yet to take any physical action in stopping the international deployment of Turkish troops in northern Syria and Northern Iraq. At the same time, though, Moscow and Tehran recognize that Ankara isn’t to be fully trusted, and President Putin and the Ayatollah know that Erdogan might turn against them if he senses weakness.
Looking Worse:
There’s nothing that any state or person can do to stop the intent (ideas) of another, but measures can always be taken to deter any action aimed at externally expressing these desires and make it known that they’ll lead to punitive consequences if undertaken. In the same vein, no matter how much Turkey might want to betray Russia and Iran in order to annex Aleppo and Mosul, these two Great Powers can take steps to deter Turkey by flexing their muscles in reminding Erdogan that he’ll be promptly punished if he made a serious move in this direction. Russia is deploying its only aircraft carrier and part of its Northern Fleet to Syria in the coming weeks and would thus be able to decisively respond from the Northern (Black Sea), Eastern (Caspian Sea cruise missiles), and Southern (Mediterranean Sea) vectors to any sustained Turkish aggression against Syria, while Iran directly borders Turkey and could launch cross-border attacks across their shared frontier if Ankara oversteps in Syria or Iraq.
All that’s needed in either case is the political will to enforce the red lines that they secretly agreed upon with Turkey over the summer, and while Russia and Iran have been purposely ambiguous in displaying their commitment to these (e.g. condemning Turkish “aggression” with their diplomatic statements yet not even taking the visible step of posturing their military units in response), that could all be part of their Great Power diplomacy, which in any instance has been successful enough for now at least that Erdogan hasn’t risked his chances in seeing what would happen if he overstepped his bounds. The author isn’t a clairvoyant, but he’s of the disposition that Turkey will not violate the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that it has with Russia and Iran, though it might explore how far it can go before receiving an unequivocal warning that enough is enough. Even so, other than the backstabbing that the “super patriotic” crowd is waiting way too eagerly to see happen, there are a few much more likely scenarios for how Turkey might (inadvertently?) spoil the grand Great Power gambit that it’s party to:
The Worst-Case Scenarios:
Erdogan and the Turkish Armed Forces need to recognize the perils of mission creep and avoid getting pulled even deeper into northern Syria and Northern Iraq as they chase the YPG-PKK and Daesh out of the region, keeping the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Russia and Iran in mind as a form of self-restraint in reminding them that Ankara’s best interests are attained through a limited conventional deployment in either country.
Loss Of Nerves
The onset of mission creep could lead to the very dangerous situation where Turkish conventional forces come within striking distance of their Syrian and Iraqi counterparts, and ‘over-enthusiasm’ for the mission (e.g. ridiculous statements about Lausanne revisionism and unsubstantiated claims to Aleppo and Mosul) could lead to a loss of nerves on either side that precipitates an unplanned clash between the two.
Unintended Clashes
The Turkish military isn’t in any position due to the recent purges/’cleanings’ to launch a sustained conventional war against its Syrian and Iraqi counterparts, but it can be logically assumed that the US will try to employ its clandestine services to provoke clashes between them so as to instantly set the region ablaze in state-on-state warfare and draw Russia and Iran into a conflict with NATO-member Turkey.
Non-State Actors Go Rogue
In line with the US’ efforts to sabotage the Tripartite between Russia, Iran, and Turkey, it’s predictable that Washington will seek to encourage its Daesh and YPG proxies in bringing this about, though it’s also just as likely that Turkey’s own FSA and Iraqi Kurdish allies might ‘go rogue’ and undertake unilateral action outside of Ankara’s command or influence that sets the stage for the three previously stated scenarios.
The Mideast has been undergoing a geostrategic realignment ever since the failure of the pro-US coup against Erdogan, with Russia and Iran reaching out to Turkey and pragmatically cooperating with it in areas of shared strategic interest, which has mostly taken the form thus far of Turkey’s military involvement in northern Syria. Two of the author’s previous articles comprehensively analyzed the reasons for this, but they basically boil down to the fact that neither Russia nor Iran has the political will to commit the forces necessary for removing Daesh and neutralizing the YPG in northern Syria, ergo why they employed the ‘cat’s paw’ of Turkey in having Erdogan do this for his own self-interested reasons that ultimately work out to everyone’s benefit.
It looks like the Neo-Ottoman strongman got a bit too carried away, though, since he now seems to have unilaterally initiated a somewhat similar scheme in Northern Iraq, but this one is infinitely more dangerous because it’s done outside the scope of cooperation with any state actors. In parallel with this, Erdogan – as befits his personality – is relapsing into delusions of imperialist grandeur by irresponsibly questioning the legitimacy of the Treaty of Lausanne and reiterating Turkey’s long-dormant historic claims to Aleppo and Mosul, the second-largest cities in their respective countries and locations which neither Russia nor Iran will allow Turkey to seize. This unnecessary bravado had the effect of undermining the trust between the Tripartite and reminding Russia, Iran, and their international supporters of Turkey’s intentions.
There’s a huge difference between intentions and actions, however, and Russia and Iran have of course taken precautionary military measures well in advance in order to deter Erdogan from overstepping the bounds of the ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that he’s party to. Observers should always consider this when evaluating exactly what the Sultan can do in practice, because objectively speaking, his options are fairly limited, though with the crucial caveat being so long as Russia and Iran have the political will to enforce their red lines in Syria and Iraq to keep him at bay. Other than an explicit backstabbing, there are still a raft of scenarios that could foreseeably play out in provoking a conflict between Turkey and its present “partners”, though it’s presumed that all sides will try their hardest to prevent this from happening and avoid falling into the US’ trap.
There’s of course no certainty that the “official” peace that Turkey has with Syria and Iraq will be indefinitely preserved, but for now at least, it doesn’t look like any state actor is willing to risk World War III by blatantly violating it. The frenzied talk about a state-on-state conventional war breaking out over Mosul, Raqqa, and/or Aleppo is largely exaggerated, but it’s still nonetheless grounded in reality and has some legitimate claims behind it which make the affiliated branch of scenarios worthwhile to consider. After all, in such a delicate situation, anything could theoretically happen, and it’s thus wise to be aware of multiple (even contradictory) visions of the future in order to adequately prepare for any contingency.
However, in a forecast that certainly deserves further extrapolation in another article, it might just come to pass that Idlib – not any of the three aforementioned flashpoints – becomes the scene of serious state-on-state tension, but that would probably only happen in any case after the other three cities are liberated and Turkey is possibly faced with the “do or die” scenario of peacefully abandoning the last remnant of its proxies in Syria or directly fighting for their support against the Syrian Arab Army and its Russian and Iranian allies.
Syria, the UK and Funding the “Moderate armed opposition”
The Battle for Mosul and the Kurdish factor
Russia, Turkey and Kurdish Issue
Why Should Turkey exit NATO?
Turkey and Syrian Turkmens
Kurds and Syrian Crisis
Turkey’s Exit from NATO: Why the delay?
Ottomanism
Syria, the UK and Funding the “Moderate armed...
A document produced last December by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, headed: “ UK Humanitarian Aid in Response...
Over the course of last week, attention was focused on two key points in the Middle East. These points are Syrian...
Turkey is reaching out to Russia now because of two situational impulses – the need to hedge against what is obviously...
The unsuccessful US-backed coup d’état attempted by FETÖ (Fettullahist Terrorist Organization) in Turkey on July 15th...
Hakan Karakurt
Syria is a multi-ethnic country, each ethnic group of which has its own view of possible future scenarios after the...
Forty million people nation without a country, living on the territory of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. The fate of the...
The question of Turkey exiting NATO was key this week. The fact that the alliance has released an emergency statement...
Israel launched a powerful rocket attack on Damascus....
Israel launched a missile attack on Damascus. The attack has already been called the most ambitious lately. With their attack, the Israeli military...
The Hub of World Evil: The British Deep State
Throughout history, evil has always been controlled from a single center. Those who propagate wars and massacres are acting under a chain of command...
The women of Eastern Ghouta
The women of Eastern Ghouta risk their lives every time they come up from the basements and shelters to send messages to the world. They want their...
Turkey In Syria, The FSA, And The Upcoming Quarrel Over...
Turkey does indeed have a self-interested national security reason in doing so, but knowing the wily Sultan, he’s bound to have a trick or two up his...
Syria Threatens Israel with War
For two days Israel has been launching rocket rain in Syria. Tel Aviv fired dozens of shells around Syrian territory. More than 20 people died under...
Syria War Report
Turkish forces attack Syrian army in Latakia In retaliation of an earlier airstrike, allegedly by Syria, on Turkish proxy terrorist forces of Jabhat...
Third World War has never been so close
As we have already said many times, the main aspect of this political season is not elections, but war. But if elections do have importance somewhere...
NATO's fingerprints in Turkish coup
Reports that US General John F. Campbell was the organizer of a coup d'etat in Turkey surprised no one. Recall that the July 25th edition of the...
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Chancellor George Osborne caps business rate rises
According to recent reports the chancellor George Osborne intends to impose a cap of 2% on business rate rises in England and Wales. The government will lose a whopping £300m in revenue, but also lessen the burden for businesses across the country.
SRA steps up efforts to enforce the referral-fee ban
Chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Antony Townsend has announced that the regulator intends to step up their efforts of enforcing the referral fee ban, which came in to place in April this year. Townsend related that 900 firms that relied on personal injury work for at le…
Practicing solicitors hit 130,000 in England and Wales
According to recent SRA figures, at the tail-end of October the number of practicing solicitors in England and Wales raised to over 130,000. This was an all-time high but is likely to fall in the coming months following the end of the certificate renewal period in November.
Tougher regulation to be expected for payday lenders
Today, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set out how it plans to regulate payday loan firms, when it takes on the responsibility of over 50,000 companies in 2014. Despite the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) efforts to protect consumers from unscrupulous payday lenders, the FCA have commented t…
Law firms struggle to obtain PII cover in the final hurdle
With the 1st October PII renewal date looming, many law firms are struggling to find cover. The manageable stampede is said to have turned into ‘significant turmoil’ since over 1,000 customers of unrated PII insurer Berliner were urged to find alternate cover. Simon Lovat, of The United Insurance…
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English | Українська
The UN Migration Agency
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DISPLACED PEOPLE PUT ROOTS DOWN IN NEW COMMUNITIES
Despite the economic challenges, internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine tend to stay in their current places of residence and build relationships with host communities, revealed the latest IOM survey, the National Monitoring System, funded by the EU. The survey results have been jointly presented in Kyiv on 13 December by the UN Migration Agency (IOM), the Ministry of Temporary Occupied Territories and the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.
Close to two-thirds (62%) of the IDPs interviewed by IOM reported that they have been staying in their current place of residence for over three years. During three past rounds of the survey, more than one-third (38%) of the IDPs interviewed nation-wide have been stating that they would not return to their places of origin even after the end of the conflict. In some regions, such as Kyiv, Chernihiv, Volyn and Chernivtsi, this share is 60 per cent and higher. The share of displaced persons who stated their intention to return home after the end of the conflict decreased by 8 per cent over the past year, from 32 per cent in September 2017 to 24 per cent in September 2018.
The interest of Ukrainian IDPs to seeking employment abroad remains low, with only one per cent of those surveyed by IOM through December 2017 – September 2018 declaring that they had already found a job abroad and were about to move.
The share of those having an intention to find a job abroad also stays unchanged since the end of the last year at five per cent.
The level of IDPs’ self-assessment of integration has been quite high over several rounds of the NMS, with up to 80 per cent of the respondents declaring that they have fully or partially integrated into the local communities. Over a half (54%) of the IDPs surveyed in the latest round stated that they have enough trust to the locals in their current place of residence.
Displaced persons continue to rely heavily on government support, which is the second most frequently mentioned source of their income after salary. Fifteen (15%) per cent of surveyed IDPs stated they live in their own housing, an increase from 10 per cent recorded in September 2017. Over a half (59%) of displaced persons continue renting flats, houses or rooms.
“While the UN Migration Agency continues regularly updating and analysing comprehensive data from the National Monitoring System Report, we also provide direct assistance to displaced and conflict-affected people in Ukraine,” said IOM Ukraine’s Chief of Mission, Dr. Thomas Lothar Weiss. “Since 2014, with the support of our donors, we were able to assist close to 300,000 people through our humanitarian, economic empowerment and social cohesion programmes, and we are committed to continue our work as needs of conflict-affected people in Ukraine remain high,” he added.
IOM has been conducting surveys on the situation of IDPs in Ukraine on a regular basis since March 2016. The research presents integrated data of face-to-face and telephone interviews with IDPs, returnees, key informants and people crossing the contact line as well as focus groups discussions. In the latest, 11th round, conducted in September 2018, a total of 2,405 respondents were interviewed face-to-face, and 4,025 by telephone. In the latest report, data from telephone and face-to-face interviews collected in Round 9, Round 10 and Round 11 was accumulated to ensure a sufficient sample size to conduct analysis at the oblast level, as well as with particular groups of interest, such as IDPs from Crimea or returnee households with children.
Background information: The EU-funded IOM project “Supporting Recovery and Sustainable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons and the Conflict-Affected Population in Ukraine” is providing livelihood assistance to conflict-affected people in Ukraine, fostering social cohesion and community development, collecting reliable data on IDP situation and needs, as well as supporting the government entities in the registration of displaced persons.
IOM Ukraine is committed to maintaining the highest standards of transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in its operations.
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Aimmune Therapeutics Announces Closing of $98 Million Investment by Nestlé Health Science
BRISBANE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 28, 2018-- Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:AIMT), a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for potentially life-threatening food allergies, today announced the closing of the $98 million equity investment by Nestlé Health Science. Nestlé Health Science purchased 3,237,529 newly issued shares of Aimmune’s common stock at $30.27 per share on November 28, 2018, in a private placement transaction. The sale of shares was made pursuant to the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement entered into on November 11, 2018, by Aimmune and Nestlé Health Science, as previously reported by Aimmune.
Additional details regarding the equity investment and strategic collaboration agreement can be found in Aimmune’s Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 13, 2018.
About Aimmune Therapeutics
Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments for life-threatening food allergies. The company’s Characterized Oral Desensitization ImmunoTherapy (CODIT™) approach is intended to provide meaningful levels of protection against allergic reactions resulting from accidental exposure to food allergens by desensitizing patients with defined, precise amounts of key allergens. Aimmune’s first investigational biologic product using CODIT™, AR101 for the treatment of peanut allergy, has received the FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the desensitization of peanut-allergic patients 4–17 years of age. Aimmune plans to submit regulatory filings for marketing approval of AR101 in the United States and Europe based on data from the pivotal Phase 3 PALISADE clinical trial of AR101, which in 4–17-year-old subjects met its primary and key secondary endpoints, and additional ongoing and completed AR101 clinical trials. For more information, please see www.aimmune.com.
This press release concerns a product that is under clinical investigation and that has not yet been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA). It is currently limited to investigational use, and no representation is made as to its safety or effectiveness for the purposes for which it is being investigated.
Source: Aimmune Therapeutics, Inc.
Laura Hansen, Ph.D.
lhansen@aimmune.com
Alison Marquiss
amarquiss@aimmune.com
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Dee Birch Cameron was awarded the first Best of Friends Award for Nonfiction.
By Dee Birch Cameron
The ostensible subject was library fines, and it was one of those frustrating times when the proper response comes too late. A half dozen of us school librarians were sitting around a table talking shop.
Somebody brought up fines, but we didn’t stay with the topic long, because it had already been dealt with exhaustively a year earlier when the head of library services had announced an end to home rule in the matter of overdue fines. We all had to charge them.
Some of us had rebelled. I’d been asked to take a poll at the time, and the group of about seventy split almost evenly three ways into pro, con, and neutral factions. The neutral group and those who didn’t want to charge overdue fines had turned out to be relatively easy-going respondents, while the enthusiastic finers often elaborated their questionnaires with pleas for solidarity and hints that library fines might be a last bastion as civilization goes to pot. The clamping down, teaching them a lesson approach to life was evident even here.
As we talked, a librarian who had just finished graduate school told of her search through the literature on fines, partly to find out what all the shouting was about and partly to fulfill a requirement for a lengthy research paper. “They’ve been saying it since the 1920’s,” she said. “Just don’t charge them.”
“Well,” said a respected veteran, “I understand that, but I still think people should be responsible.” We switched to the next subject.
It wasn’t till I drove home, reviewing the meeting in memory, that I realized I had been robbed. Or more accurately, I had handed something over that I should have held onto. I had allowed a potent idea, “responsibility,” to be appropriated from my arsenal to that of the other side. And I hadn’t uttered a word of objection.
Anyone who listed the stereotypes that describe me would not have been surprised. As a librarian I’m in one of those service jobs where my role has been to say, “Need something? Let me give it to you.” Additionally I’m a woman and a Quaker and an introvert. Here I am; have at me.
But I’m also the soul of responsibility. I get things done on time. In fact I do them early. Doing what I say I’ll do and doing what I should are all in my day’s work not because of my values and certainly not because of perfectionism but for the most pragmatic of reasons. I like to trust, and I like to be trusted. It’s convenient.
I like to stumble with an explorer’s excitement through my mind’s cloudy regions, secure as possible in the sense that most of what I’m counting on will not fail me. The ground underfoot will hold. The mail will come after lunch. My daughter will be home by supper time. My heart will beat, and the circumference of a circle will stay at pi times the diameter.
So I’m ready to do my part. I’m not embarrassed or proud or grudging about being this way. I have a vision of the world turning as smoothly as possible, and that’s all I need to be cheerful about being responsible.
But I’m furious about giving the word away without a fight. And it’s not just that my argument was poorer for the moment.
I’m worried about how anti-fine thinking is going to evolve apart from the idea of responsibility. Because ideas do grow, and how they develop depends on what nourishment they have to grow on.
I remember reading once that Americans who visit the countries of their ancestors are often surprised at their own sense of foreignness in places they had expected to feel more at home. The writer said that, aside from the melting pot aspect of America life, immigrant groups began from the moment they arrived to evolve German or Irish or Chinese cultures that diverged from the path those same cultures took evolving in the homelands.
I myself have had this reaction not in actual travel but as a person of mostly Pennsylvania Dutch extraction reading modern German literature. It differed from my impression of what was German, and I though about what must happen to a culture that tosses huge boatloads of its misfits across an ocean never to return. It doesn’t have their outlooks to grow on.
I think there are intellectual equivalents of mass migration or divorce. Religious and political and intellectual schisms are an example. The intellectual property gets split up. The new parts of whatever has been put asunder set up housekeeping on their own but without some of the necessary tools and supplies. As they grow, they may thrive but turn out curiously lopsided from the compromises they have made with what they have and what they lack.
My own denomination, the Religious Society of Friends, offers an example. In the 1800’s, when religion was more of a player in the scramble for human attention than it is now, groups of Quakers decided they just couldn’t live with each other anymore. Everybody continued trying to do good in the world and to live in a manner that takes away the occasion for war, but some ran off with Jesus and the Bible, while other absconded with universalism and the old Friends practices of unprogrammed meetings for worship and doing without paid clergy or fixed creeds.
Now there are Friends meetings in which you’d better mention Jesus Christ as your savior and other in which you’d probably better not use the name at all. If you take the spoons and I take the forks, our descendants are likely to develop pretty firm convictions regarding soup and meant in a century or two, and nobody will be really well nourished.
Not only do schismatics of all sorts suffer from living with incomplete sets of tools, but some of the pieces of property that are split don’t do well on their own, apart from certain other pieces that might turn out to be on the other side when the separation agreement is worked out. Universalism is an example of this situation among Friends.
The sense that belief or affiliation is not capable of separating anyone from the love of God seems to be one of the greatnesses of Christianity. Not only is the idea important but the way in which it was arrived at seems particularly significant. It did not come easily, and it has always been under threat from the deep-seated distrust of strangers that is part of being a survivor in the human race.
It grew from the grassroots. Women and tax collectors and eunuchs and slaves and people on the wrong side of every political or religious or ethnic fence kept insisting. Peter and Paul and even Jesus gave it eloquent voice, but not until their everyday human hearts had been forcibly twisted around it by coincidences dramatic enough to get their attention, visions that would not go away, and people who would not give up.
Universalism torn away from these roots in struggle and poetry pales to become something close to the vapid, indiscriminate relativism in which any one thing is as good as another. It has no sharp edges. Hearts can wrap themselves around it with little threat of being opened very deeply.
Other may disagree, but I think the existence of denominations and rites within Christianity is evidence of its strength. It is not a simple religion, summed up succinctly and dealing with only a few issues. That’s why it has exported so well through space and time.
Schism, on the other hand, the splitting of groups that have acted as one in the past and have a chance and desire to continue that way, is an extravagance beyond most of our means these days, not only economically but intellectually. There is a limit to how small you can cut a piece of pie and still have anything resembling pie on the plate.
Some of us, often the more liberal of us, give up without a fight. We may stay in our old churches, doing social service and balancing the budget and ensuring the church’s survival, but not teaching or preaching. We may gravitate to the small denominations that are friendly to “come outers.” Or we may, if we are told as I was, that Christianity cannot be, like Judaism, a cultural religion but is necessarily a religion of the individual rightly-converted heart, leave altogether.
“No, I don’t mind,” we say, on the way out. “Not at all. Of course you may keep the Bible. Yes, Jesus can be your own personal savior. As large as God is, though, you won’t mind if I take a little, will you? Some of that sort of watery part around the edges in the area of the Holy Spirit, that’s all. The part you don’t use as much. Oh, sure, don’t worry about all the history and goodwill associated with the name. I’ll think of other names. You won’t even recognize them. Patent God, if you want. I’ll make do.”
There’s not a church or a political party or an institution or an art of an academic discipline that doesn’t lose when the generous and tentative allow themselves to be bullied. The struggle among ideas is one fight in which openhandedness can be a fault.
Look at the Republican party, if you can bear to. It’s the party you stayed in if you wanted to have anything much to talk about at the dinner table at my house. Not that Democrats were unwelcome. But they were treated politely and regaled with generalities. If you wanted to get down to the fine points with no holds barred, you talked Republican. My father’s father, the proverbial laborer son of immigrants, occasionally ran for small offices. The story goes that he did well until the one time he ran on the Democratic ticket. A “Norman Thomas Republican” I once called my father, and he did not object.
My mother was the Republican judge of elections, a job that required the sharp eye for infraction that I, of all people, knew she had. She rose to precinct chairperson but resigned when “we” ran Goldwater. Not that she became a Democrat. In later years when my father mournfully promised to support a Democratic president for whom he had not voted, she snapped, “Well, I should hope so. It’s your country.” According to her, you stuck with things even when they didn’t go your way.
Something kept her a Republican, and I think now that it was a kind of bred in the bone sense that the Democratic party was the party of the big, bad city and of the pro-slavery South. Her rural, Yankee ancestors had been talking Whig at the supper table before the Republican party existed.
When my husband and I moved to El Paso in the late sixties a Republican primary was a lonely thing. Precinct meetings in a university neighborhood brought together a handful of transplanted eastern liberals and moderates in a “old home week” atmosphere. It was easy to become a county or state delegate, but when we did we shook our heads and wondered whether we had come to the right meeting. Something was happening. These folks were very unfamiliar.
Then came the year of the crowded precinct meeting. My husband went, and he came back thunderstruck describing what came to be called “yuppies,” full of vim and vigor and neoconservatism. He said he couldn’t communicate with them. He said it had gotten beyond him. He quit going, and so did I.
Now my minimal contribution to the party is occasionally to admit to being Republican when they are being bashed, often for reasons I myself can’t get behind. I am the sacrificial lamb at dinner parties, where it is assumed that I am in accord with whatever kind of hardheartedness is being deplored. I don’t even have to open my mouth to provide a living presence to rail against. Real Republicans, the ones who might relish defending themselves, are not on the guest lists where I go, so I fill the bill, being only just slightly more lively than an effigy.
The only way I know I’m a Republican anymore is my reaction to what goes on in government that I don’t like. I tend to excuse Democrats, but Republicans make me furious. In that, we are still family.
My only excuse for walking away from a lot of fights is that it’s so hard to be in the middle of the road. You see everything, or at least you think you do and then–whoops! there’s something else to see. There are not two sides to every question but uncounted millions. And they keep coming.
I treasure the issues and areas on which my mind is closed. It is so easy to argue and to live from those positions. Firm ideas are ideas you can relax and lean on when you get tired.
But what happens when the people in the middle of the road just wear out and leave? Then there really are two sides to the argument. You can see the empty space between them. And left alone they will grow as idiosyncratic as the plants and animals of Australia.
There is an ecology of ideas as much as there is of flora and fauna, but someone who will chain himself to a tree will walk out of a church or a part of a line of work humbly begging pardon of bullies. Who will take care of the ideas if not us? Especially those on the endangered list. How can we leave them to the mercy of those who use them but don’t love them?
Copyright © by Dee Birch Cameron. All rights reserved.
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Jamett's late strike earn Pumas draw in season finale
Division leaders Spokane took lead with Veidt strike in 66th minute, but Kitsap found equalizer
BREMERTON, Wash. — It might not have been the finish the Kitsap Pumas wanted — falling short of the postseason assured this would be the case in any event — but it was a finish the Pumas could at least look back on with fondness.
Tomas Jamett scored the equalizer in the 81st minute as the Pumas closed out the season with a 1-1 draw against Spokane SC Shadow on Saturday night at Gordon Field.
It was no less than the Pumas deserved on a night where they controlled the run of play, especially a second half where they produced 10 shots.
“I thought it was a good performance,” he said. “I thought we gave a good account of ourselves. The goal coming in was to make sure we ended on a high note and gave a good account of ourselves and I thought we did that.”
Similarly, Jamett’s first goal of the season — a volley coming on a cross from Jorge Ruiz — was no less than he deserved after a season that saw him emerge as one of Kitsap’s most threatening attackers, though the net eluded him until this finale.
“It was satisfying to finally get (a goal),” Jamett said. “I’ve been looking for it all season, I couldn’t get it. I was unlucky a couple of time, I hit the post a couple of times. Finally, I got it now.”
The draw saw Kitsap (4-5-3, 15 points) close out the season in third place in the NPSL Northwest Conference Division, just outside of the playoff places.
The Shadow (7-0-5, 26 points) wrapped up an unbeaten regular season and will host a first-round playoff game against the division runner-up FC Mulhouse Portland.
Spokane came into the contest with a side that did not feature some of the players who had big matches against Kitsap earlier this season, including Jake Levine and former Pumas Mike Ramos and Nick Hamer.
Marc Girones had a solid night in goal for Kitsap, notching four saves — . But he couldn’t do anything about Chase Veidt’s strike from a corner kick in the 66th minute.
The corner kick actually came to Mac Lyle, who tried to head the ball away from danger. But Lyle’s attempted clearance fell right to Veidt just outside the penalty box, and Veidt volleyed a laser into the top corner.
Girones actually got a hand on the shot, but only to graze the ball as it went into the netting.
“Of course, the ball lands perfectly for their guy to hit a volley from outside the box into the top corner,” Bird said with a hint of frustration.
The Spokane goal came somewhat against the run of play during a second half that was among Kitsap’s best performances of the season as Ruiz combined with Jamett and Alex Hernandez to provide a constant threat.
The Pumas then got their late equalizer as Ruiz found Jamett with a looping cross to the left side.
“We’ve been waiting for Tomas to score for a while,” Bird said. “He’s been so close, so close, and then finally he gets one. So I’m happy for him. It’s kind of a mark of how our season has gone that it takes him all season to get it when he’s been so dangerous all year.”
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Author Archives: Dan Fleser
About Dan Fleser
Dan Fleser writes about University of Tennessee women's basketball for the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Name recognition
Tennessee and Texas began their women’s basketball series in 1978. The schools dip into the same recruiting pool for most of their players.
Tennessee coach Holly Warlick thinks the familiarity will impact preparation for Sunday’s latest meeting, most likely in a constructive manner for the Lady Vols.
At the very least, the scouting report should be easier to grasp.
“I think our kids probably understand Texas a little bit more than they do Albany and Syracuse,” said Warlick, referring to two of Tennessee’s recent opponents. “We see them a lot on TV, not that our kids didn’t respect the teams that we played. It is just a different style. I think they understand the sense of urgency to get ready for Texas. A lot of their friends are on that team. I just think they are more familiar with who is on that team and its style of play.”
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on November 28, 2015 by Dan Fleser.
Quite an entrance
Te’a Cooper didn’t know how to make an entrance Sunday afternoon. Or at least she didn’t know enough to feel totally comfortable.
Tennessee’s freshman guard said she wasn’t prepared for the elaborate introduction ceremony at Thompson-Boling Arena, which features players running through flashing lights and smoke onto the court.
“That was probably when I was the most nervous,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting all the smoke and stuff.”
It didn’t show then or ever against Central Arkansas. She looked well-rehearsed for her women’s basketball debut at UT with 22 points, six assists and four steals. She even managed 36 playing minutes without apparent difficulty, despite having what UT coach Holly Warlick has described as a “banged-up” right knee.
There was a lot to like about Tennessee’s performance in Sunday’s 102-47 victory. A freshman who didn’t play like a freshman was high on the list.
“She didn’t play like I thought she would come in and play,” Central Arkansas guard Brianna Mullins said. “She didn’t play timid. She was scoring and her defense was amazing.”
Shared coaching moments
Tennessee soccer coach Brian Pensky took time during his press conference Wednesday morning to talk about another UT coach, volleyball’s Rob Patrick.
“It’s nice to see Rob getting off to a great start,” Pensky said of Patrick’s 14-1 team. “It’s been a rough couple of years for that program, but that guy just keeps plugging away. It’s nice to see the fruits of his labor.”
The two coaches passed each other later while going to and from the podium and literally reached over someone to shake hands. They were passing like ships going to and from port, freighted with the aspirations and challenges of their respective teams.
“We stay in touch throughout the year,” Pensky said. “We haven’t connected in the last couple of weeks. There’s value in that within any athletic department, within any coaching staff. Honestly, I wish we did it more.”
But there’s always seems to be more fruit requiring more labor.
“I ran into (UT men’s tennis coach) Sam Winterbotham the other day at my daughter’s cross-country meet,” Pensky said. “So it was great. We talked for 20 minutes, about recruiting, about our teams, about life. Those kinds of conversations, they’re very rich and they’re very helpful to all coaches.”
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on September 23, 2015 by Dan Fleser.
An inexact science
Tennessee women’s basketball assistant coach Dean Lockwood accompanied Lady Vols forward Jasmine Jones on a visit to Vanderbilt University last season as part of Jones’ recovery from concussion-related symptoms.
Lockwood took copious notes during the session. Yet one admission by a specialist who has studied concussions for 25-30 years stood out: “I don’t know everything.”
The concession spoke to the mystery surrounding such injuries. So did Jones, who punctuated her optimism this week with a cautionary “knock on wood.”
Uncertainty aside, Lockwood believes Jones is as prepared as she could be for returning after missing all but seven games last season.
“She’s in one of the best places since I’ve known her, physically, mentally and emotionally,” he said.
Jones updates her return in Sunday’s editions of the News Sentinel and online at govolsxtra.com.
Digressing…
— Former Lady Vols guard Ariel Massengale remains on campus rehabbing from microfracture surgery on her left knee. The surgery took place in the spring, after her senior season, and sidelined Massengale for her inaugural WNBA season. She was picked by Atlanta in the third round of the league’s draft in April. Massengale said she plans to play overseas, beginning in January.
A Mavunga marathon
North Carolina transfer Stephanie Mavunga apparently was in Knoxville Wednesday and her day lasted until early Thursday morning.
Tennessee women’s basketball freshman Meme Jackson posted several entries on her Twitter account that chronicled an overnight “hooping” session involving Mavunga, fellow Tennessee freshman Te’a Cooper and sophomore Kortney Dunbar.
Mavunga, an all-Atlantic Coast Conference forward, was granted a release last week by North Carolina to pursue a transfer. In a statement posted on the school’s website, the 6-foot-3 Mavunga said she had “a heavy heart” in asking for the release.
Her visit to Knoxville coincided with Lady Vols head coach Holly Warlick’s stint as an assistant coach with the U.S. World University Games team. Warlick currently is in Guangju, South Korea.
Mavunga, who is from Brownsville, Ind., is believed to have visited Ohio State as well. She is the final player to transfer from North Carolina’s four-player 2012 signing class, which was ranked No. 1 nationally. One member of that class, Diamond DeShields, already has transferred to Tennessee. She’s with Warlick in South Korea, playing for the World University team.
In May, Mavunga was chosen to the U.S. Pan American Games team. Training will begin soon for the competition, which is July 16-20 in Toronto.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on July 2, 2015 by Dan Fleser.
Massey not happy with Board of Trustees
The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees didn’t consider the Lady Vols name and logo issue last week during its annual meeting in Knoxville and state senator Becky Massey wasn’t happy about it.
Massey, who represents the sixth district (Knoxville), wrote a letter to the board of trustees last week, disagreeing strongly with the board’s position to refrain from considering the athletic department’s decision that, effective July 1, all women’s athletic teams except basketball became known as “Volunteers” and will wear a Power T logo.
Massey was one of 45 legislators who signed state representative Roger Kane’s letter to board members. He asking them to consider the issue based on “constituent-driven concerns.”
In her letter, Massey wrote: “I believe that, when a decision of the administration causes as much problems and outcry by the citizens of Tennessee….it is the Board of Trustees responsibility and duty to address this in their meeting.”
Massey wrote about the petition with “approximately 25,000 signatures”, the “countless letters to the editor” published in the News Sentinel and former UT athletes all expressing “disappointment and total disagreement” with the decision.
“I have had many discussions with some major donors and they feel the same way too,” Massey wrote.
Massey believes the outcry was sufficient for the board to take up the matter.
The Board of Trustees are representatives of the people of the state of Tennessee,” Massey wrote. “I feel it is their responsibility to have a discussion of this issue at their meeting and take into consideration the overwhelming views of the fans and constituents on keeping the brand. Frankly, I have never seen anything like this.”
It’s like she never left
Never thought I’d see Alyssia Brewer again but the former Lady Vols post player strolled into Smokey Mountain Athletics Saturday morning with former teammate Kelley Cain for the grand opening of a facility being renovated by Lady Vols alums Cait McMahan and Alexis Hornbuckle.
Even more surprising, it seemed like Brewer never left.
“Complete love,” she said in reference to her UT career. “Three years here. That’s a long time.”
She said a mouthful, considering how her career ended. Then-UT coach Pat Summitt announced on the eve of Brewer’s senior season in 2011 that she no longer was part of the team. The announcement was stunning. The timing seemed harsh. She completed the fall semester and then transferred to UCLA.
Brewer bases her feeling on Cain, her other former teammates and their “unbreakable bond.”
“I got sisters for life out of that,” said Brewer, who played professionally in Poland last season.
Brewer said that she and her sisters convene regularly in a group chat on social media. They’ve talked about the university’s decision to constrict use of the Lady Vols nickname and logo to basketball beginning July 1. In the process, Brewer formed an opinion that I referenced in an online story and today’s editions of the News Sentinel.
“I don’t agree with it,” she said, “regardless of whether I ended my tenure here or not.”
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on June 20, 2015 by Dan Fleser.
Following Catchings’ lead
As the Indiana Fever’s president and general manager, Kelly Krauskopf has watched the entirety of Tamika Catchings’ WNBA career. Krauskopf has witnessed the most change in terms of Catchings’ leadership.
“Initially, she sort of shied away from the leadership role,” Krauskopf said. “She just wanted to play. The next phase was holding teammates accountable and having an expectation for them.”
Catchings remembered coming to the University of Tennessee as a freshman and following the lead of veteran players Chamique Holdsclaw and Kellie Jolly. She didn’t have that luxury with the Fever. After missing her first season in 2001 while recovering from a knee injury, she debuted essentially as the team’s star player. The distinction conferred more responsibility.
“I’ve had to learn how to be a leader, not just by example but by being vocal,” Catchings said.
Her non-basketball pursuits have helped in this regard. She has her own foundation and has been in great demand for speaking engagements and public appearances. Children benefit from her foundation’s mentoring mission. Audiences want to hear what she has to say.
“The correlation is there,” she said. “In every aspect, that’s what’s expected of me. At the end of the day, people expect me to lead.”
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on June 2, 2015 by Dan Fleser.
The number “200” figures prominently in two upgrades that would be worthwhile for Tennessee.
The number first applies to Tennessee’s 3-pointers. The Lady Vols ought to be shooting for that number on a seasonal basis. And that’s only a starting point. Having hit a program-best 242 in 2010-11, they ought to be aiming higher.
The Lady Vols had been steadily backsliding since the record number. This season’s 172 amounted to an upgrade over last season’s 160. But they had senior guard Ariel Massengale for a full season and she made a team-high 74 treys. She missed the final 16 games last season with a concussion.
One of the more encouraging aspects of signee Te’a Cooper’s game-high 21 points in the McDonald’s All-Star game on Wednesday was her shooting 3 for 6 on 3-pointers.
The other “200” applies to Tennessee’s blocks. UT hasn’t surpassed that total since its last two national championship teams (2006-’08). The statistic, like 3-pointers, had been in decline until a meager upgrade this season. The Lady Vols’ 140 blocks were five more than last season.
The return of 6-foot-6 center Mercedes Russell, who sat out this season after undergoing offseason foot surgeries, ought to mean more blocks. The Lady Vols are only losing 26 blocks with the departure of Isabelle Harrison.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on April 3, 2015 by Dan Fleser.
Lady Vols visit Cox
Tennessee had a home visit Wednesday with Lauren Cox, a 6-foot-4 forward from Flower Mound, Texas. Cox is ranked No. 1 in the Class of 2016 by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Connecticut had a home visit on Tuesday with Cox.
To date, Cox has made unofficial recruiting visits to Baylor, Louisville, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on March 13, 2015 by Dan Fleser.
Dan Fleser writes about University of Tennessee women's basketball
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Bazookas in World War II
In 1942 the American’s first used the bazooka during battle. The fairly inaccurate M1 was ineffectively used against axis armor in North Africa by troops that had no training with the weapon.
However, the United States felt it had potential and brought an upgraded version, the M1A1 with them during the Sicily invasion. There it had some success against small tanks (Italian and early German models), but had to hit larger Tiger I tanks in vulnerable spots – treads, sides, underbelly, etc to do any damage at all. Major drawbacks were that the person firing the bazooka was quite exposed and the rocket left a smoke trail showing the enemy where the shot had come from.
Lt. Col. Art Gorham, the 1st Battalion Commander of the 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was killed when the tank he successfully targeted suffered little or no damage and returned fire.
Meanwhile, German soldiers captured bazookas on the Eastern Front after the American’s gave some to the Russians. They quickly reverse engineered it and built a far superior version, the Panzerschreck, which proved highly successful against allied tanks.
The allies continued to improve the weapon (M9, M9A1), but in combat it was less and less successful due to the ever increasing size and armor of German Panzers. They were more useful against infantry and some enemy defensive positions.
Strangely, in the Pacific Theater, the exact opposite was true. Bazooka rockets had no trouble penetrating the thin metal of Japanese tanks, but were often unable to damage defensive positions protected by sand or wood as they were too soft to cause the rocket to detonate.
« Corporal Shenkle and the attack on Hill 95 A Belgium man’s quest for family history leads to a memorial honoring American paratroopers »
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with Krizz Kaliko
$40 advance, $50 door
6240 99 St. NW
http://justsho.ws/tww
Tech N9netwitter.com/TechN9ne
From the Promoter
Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971),better known as Tech N9ne (pronounced "Tech Nine"), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two million albums and has had his music featured in film, television, and video games. In 2009, he won the Left Field Woodie award at the mtvU Woodie Awards.
His stage name originated from the TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun, a name given to him by rapper Black Walt due to his fast-rhyming Chopper style. Yates later applied a deeper meaning to the name, claiming that it stands for the complete technique of rhyme, with "tech" meaning technique and "nine" representing the number of completion.
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Legion of Leia’s new home is at VitalThrills.com When I created Legion of Leia years ago, it was because I wanted to get...
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Sci-Fi Women Friday: Ripley
Dani Ketch
articles, MOVIES, sci-fi women friday
“God damn it, that’s not all! Because if one of those things gets down here then that will be all! Then all this… this bullshit that you think is so important? You can just kiss all that goodbye!” These are the words of a person who has faced terrifying danger. This is someone who has witnessed unimaginable horrors, made...
Legion of Leia Interview: McKenzie Westmore — Host of Syfy’s Face Off
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In this week’s Legion of Leia Women in Sci-Fi profile, we talk with McKenzie Westmore who hosts Face Off on Syfy. The makeup competition show is one of my favorites and highlights the incredible talent behind-the-scenes. Westmore has a long family history in the makeup business, all the way back to her great grandfather and has appeared as...
Sci-Fi Women Friday: Katniss Everdeen
Sabina Ibarra
“In really bad times, the hungriest would gather… vying for the chance to earn a few coins to feed their families by selling their bodies. Had I been older when my father died, I might have been among them. Instead I learned to hunt.” In the dystopian world of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games the society of Panem is broken into 12...
Legion of Leia Interview: Jessica Chobot — Nerdist Host, Video Game Writer, Web Series Actress
articles, legion of leia profiles, video games
Jessica Chobot is a multi-hyphenate. She’s got all sides of the geek world covered, from hosting to video game writing to acting in a brand new web series. We talked to her about working at Nerdist.com, how it all got started, what it means to be a part of this amazing group of women in Sci-Fi and her new web series for Syfy. Legion of Leia:...
Sci-Fi Women Friday: Buffy Summers
articles, sci-fi women friday, TV
“So I say we change the rule. I say my power… should be our power.“ ―Buffy when she chooses to share her power with the Potentials. Buffy Summers affected the lives of an entire generation who watched her journey from reluctant teenager to one of the greatest fictional heroines of modern time. In the 90’s to early...
Legion of Leia Interview: Jane Espenson — Writer/Producer of Husbands, Once Upon a Time, Buffy and More
Writer/producer Jane Espenson is responsible for most of your favorite TV shows. We feel pretty confident in saying that. Jane has written for and produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Once Upon a Time and more. She’s written episodes of Firefly and Game of Thrones. She’s also, along with Brad Bell...
Sci-Fi Women Friday: Sarah Connor
articles, sci-fi women friday
By Sabina-Lissette Ibarra “How are you supposed to know? Fucking men like you built the hydrogen bomb. Men like you thought it up. You think you’re so creative. You don’t know what it’s like to really create something; to create a life; to feel it growing inside you. All you know how to create is death…” Sarah Connor, her...
Legion of Leia Interview: Ashley Eckstein from Star Wars: The Clone Wars
legion of leia profiles, STAR WARS
Today we begin our Legion of Leia profiles of amazing women in all aspects of sci-fi. We begin with Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Ashley also started Her Universe, a company that sells sci-fi clothing for women and girls. We’re so proud to feature this awesome lady and her work! Legion of Leia: What...
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Showing migrants compassion is never a crime
Posted Friday, June 21, 2019 1:26 pm
I remember an expanse of scrubland with massive saguaro cacti stretching out to a ridge in the distance. The sun was setting, and the evening light crept over the rocky outcrop before me. From behind the cacti, ragged-looking men suddenly appeared as shadowy figures, silhouetted by the sun. It was time to go. Fast.
I was wiping sleep from my eyes, half in a dream, peering out the back window of my family’s Chevy Carryall. I think the men carried machetes. That’s how I remember them. But the memory is hazy. We didn’t wait long enough to exchange greetings. My parents sped off in short order. We had been down this road before. My father had already been kidnapped once, dragged off with tire irons around his wrists after stopping on the roadside to pick up wood. (He was saved by kind Mexican police.)
The year was 1975, and I was 7 years old. It was all very, very frightening.
My parents had stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere to rest on the nine-hour trek from San Miguel de Allende, in central Mexico, to Laredo, Texas. My brother and I were resting in the back of the Carryall, which vaguely resembled today’s SUVs, only it was bigger and slower. My parents had studied Mexican art at Instituto Allende for six months. My brother and I were along for the ride. We were headed back to Long Island, chased out of San Miguel by bandits with bullet belts wrapped around their shoulders.
It suddenly struck me the other day: I had crossed Mexico as a child. Not on foot, as so many child refugees fleeing narco-trade violence in Central America and South America do today. I was tucked safely in the back of a car. But I had been there — in the scrublands — and experienced their ethereal beauty and lurking danger. To this day I can still taste the parched air. Central Mexico is an unforgiving land, utterly foreign to most Americans.
On foot, dehydration and exhaustion take their toll all too quickly. Death comes easily. My parents carried several cooler-size water jugs in a compartment under the bed they had fashioned out of plywood in the back of our vehicle and two oversized cans of gasoline bolted to the outside.
Despite the myriad risks of traveling across Mexico, hundreds of thousands come each year, fleeing Central and South America, seeking refuge from gang warfare and endemic poverty. In 2017 alone, some 294,000 asylum seekers fled to Belize, Mexico and the U.S., according to the United Nations. Most come with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the few provisions they can carry.
If they escape the bandits, smugglers, venomous snakes and stifling heat of Mexico and somehow evade the U.S. Border Patrol and cross into the United States, their journey hasn’t ended. They might cross from Mexico into Arizona or California, meaning they must survive the Sonoran Desert, a swath of hellish landscape measuring more than 160,000 square miles that stretches across both sides of the border. Temperatures there sometimes soar above 120 degrees in summer.
At this point, migrants are fatigued beyond measure, on their last legs — ready to die. Tens of thousands do. In Pima County, Ariz., alone, the remains of close to 3,000 migrants have been found in the desert since 2000, according to “PBS NewsHour.”
That’s why I was infuriated recently by the trial of Scott Warren, a 36-year-old teacher from Arizona who volunteers for the faith-based, nonprofit organization No More Deaths (No Más Muertes), which provides food and water to the men, women and children who stream from Mexico into southern Arizona. Volunteers leave water jugs in the desert and offer meals at way stations, which migrants learn of through word of mouth.
Warren was charged with aiding and abetting two migrants in their attempt to cross into the U.S. in January 2018 because, allegedly, he was seen pointing as he spoke with them. According to the Border Patrol, pointing would indicate that Warren gave them directions to avoid detection by officials, which would be a crime, and so he was arrested. At his recent trial, which began May 29 and resulted in a mistrial last week, he faced 20 years in prison if convicted.
Warren’s arrest came only hours after No More Deaths posted videos of Border Patrol agents emptying the group’s water jugs on the ground. One agent was seen kicking jugs down a hill. The Washington Post and New York Times reported all of it.
This story should anger all of us. Offering humanitarian aid to migrants on the verge of death is never a crime under international law, according to the U.N. Never.
As a nation, we should never deny basic sustenance to dying migrants — to refugees. This is, however, who we have become under President Trump. His inhumane policies on migrants led us here. If we don’t correct course soon, I fear we will permanently lose our collective soul.
Scott Brinton is the Herald Community Newspapers’ executive editor and an adjunct professor at the Hofstra University Herbert School of Communication. Comments about this column? SBrinton@liherald.com.
At 100, Rockville Centre resident still going strong
On Apollo 11's 50th anniversary, Rockville Centre residents recall the historic space mission
New exhibit opens at Center for Science, Teaching and Learning in Rockville Centre
Portions of Route 107 to close for utility work
9/11 responder from Glen Head is seeking pension parity
New bill could combat rising food allergy concerns countywide
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Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894
The person Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894 represents an individual (alive, dead, undead, or fictional) associated with resources found in University of Manitoba Libraries.
The Resource Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894
Robert Michael
100+ Items by the Person Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894
An author's adventures, or, Personal reminiscences in book-making, by R.M. Ballantyne
Away in the wilderness : life among the Red Indians and fur-traders of North America, by R.M. Ballantyne
Away in the wilderness, or, Life among the Red Indians and fur-traders of North America : with four coloured illustrations
Away in the wilderness, or, Life among the Red Indians and fur-traders of North America, by R.M. Ballantyne
Black ivory : a tale of adventure among the slavers of East Africa, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations, (electronic resource)
Blue lights, or, Hot work in the Soudan : a tale of soldier life in several of its phases, by R.M. Ballantyne
Charlie to the rescue : a tale of the sea and the Rockies, by R.M. Ballantyne
Charlie to the rescue : a tale of the sea and the Rockies, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations by the author
Charlie to the rescue : a tale of the sea and the Rockies, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations by the author, (electronic resource)
Charlie to the rescue; : a tale of the sea and the Rockies,, by R.M. Ballantyne ... With illustrations by the author
Chit-chat by a little kit-cat, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations by the author
Deep down : a tale of the Cornish mines, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "The lifeboat : a tale of our coast heroes;" "Gascoyne, the sandal-wood trader;" "The coral island," etc
Discovery and adventure in the polar seas and regions, by Sir John Leslie and Hugh Murray ; with a narrative of the recent expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin, including the voyage of the " Fox", and the discovery of the fate of the Franklin expedition by R.M. Ballantyne
Discovery and adventure in the polar seas and regions, by Sir John Leslie and Hugh Murray ; with a narrative of the recent expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin, including the voyage of the "Fox", and the discovery of the fate of the Franklin expedition / by R.M. Ballantyne
Discovery and adventure on the northern coasts of America and the Hudson's Bay territories, by P.F. Tytler and R.M. Ballantyne
Erling the Bold : a tale of the Norse sea-kings, by R. M. Ballantyne
Erling the bold : a tale of the Norse sea-kings, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "Deep down : a tale of the cornish mines;" "The lifeboat;" "The Lighthouse;" "Fighting the flames," etc. ; with illustrations by the author
Eventful history of three little mice and how they became blind
Fast in the ice, or, Adventures in the Polar Regions, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "Dog Crusoe," "Gorilla hunters," "Wild man of the west," etc
Fast in the ice, or, Adventures in the Polar regions, by R.M. Ballantyne
Fast in the ice, or, Adventures in the polar regions, (electronic resource)
Fighting the flames : a tale of the London fire brigade, by R.M. Ballantyne
Fighting the whales, by R.M. Ballantyne
Fighting the whales, or, Doings and dangers of a fishing cruise, [Robert Michael Ballantyne] ; with four coloured illustrations
Fighting the whales, or, Doings and dangers on a fishing cruise, by R. M. Ballantyne
Fighting the whales, or, Doings and dangers on a fishing cruise, by R.M. Ballantyne
Fighting the whales, or, Doings and dangers on a fishing cruise, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "Ungava," "Hudson's Bay," "Coral Island," etc
Freaks on the fells, or, Three months' rustication : and, Why I did not become a sailor, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "Wild man of the west," "Gascoyne, the sandal wood trader," "Dog crusoe," "Red Eric," "Gorilla hunters," "Life boat," etc
Gascoyne, the sandal-wood trader : a tale of the Pacific, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "The Young Fur-Traders," "Wild Man of the West," etc.-etc. etc
Handbook to the new gold fields : a full account of the richness and extent of the Fraser and Thompson River gold mines : with a geographical and physical account of the country and its inhabitants, routes ..., edited by Robert M. Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Handbook to the new gold fields : a full account of the richness and extent of the Fraser and Thompson River gold mines : with a geographical and physical account of the country and its inhabitants, routes, [etc.], edited by Robert M. Ballantyne
Handbook to the new gold fields : a full account of the richness and extent of the Fraser and Thompson River gold mines : with a geographical and physical account of the country and its inhabitants, routes, [etc.], edited by Robert M. Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in North America, by Robert Michael Ballantyne. --
Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon. Hudson Bay Company, by Robert Michael Ballantyne
Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the hon. Hudson Bay Company, by Robert Michael Ballantyne. --
Hudson's Bay : or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the honourable Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert M. Ballantyne. --
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert Michael Ballantyne
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon[orable] Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert Michael Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company ..., by Robert M. Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the honourable Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert M. Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the honourable Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert M. Ballantyne ; introduction to the new ed., George Woodcock. --
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the honourable Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert M. Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America, during six years' residence in the territories of the hon. Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert Michael Ballantyne. --
Hudson's Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert Michael Ballantyne
Hudson's Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company, by Robert Michael Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Hunted and harried : a tale of the Scottish Covenanters, by R.M. Ballantyne
Hunting the lions, or, The land of the Negro
Hunting the lions, or, The land of the Negro, with illustrations
Life in the red brigade ; and, Fort Desolation, by R. M. Ballantyne
Life in the red brigade, and, Fort Desolation, by R.M. Ballantyne
Man on the ocean : a book about boats and ships, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "Young fur-traders," "The gorilla hunters," etc. etc
Man on the ocean : a book for boys, by R.M. Ballantyne
Martin Rattler, or, A Boy's adventures in the forests of Brazil, by R.M. Ballantyne. --
Martin Rattler, or, A boy's adventures in the forests of Brazil, by Robert Michael Ballantyne, author of "Hudson Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America," "Snowflakes and sunbeams, or, The young fur-traders," "Ungava : a tale of Esquimaux Land," &c
Martin Rattler, or, A boy's adventures in the forests of Brazil, by Robert Michael Ballantyne, author of "The dog Crusoe and his Master," "The young fur-traders," "The gorilla hunters," "Ungava" "The Coral Island," &c
Mee-a-ow!, or, Good advice to cats and kittens, by R.M Ballantyne, author of "Three little kittens," Robber kitten," &c
Mee-a-ow!, or, Good advice to cats and kittens, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "Three little kittens," etc
Mister Fox, by Comus, author of "Three little kittens"
Mister Fox, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "The three little kittens," "Mee-a-ow," etc. etc
My mother, by Comus, author of "Three little kittens," "Mister Fox," &c
Over the Rocky Mountains, or, Wandering Will in the land of the Red Skin, by R.M. Ballantyne
Over the Rocky Mountains, or, Wandering Will in the land of the Red Skin, by R.M. Ballantyne. --
Personal reminiscences in book-making, by R. M. Ballantyne
Photographs of Edinburgh, with descriptive letterpress by R.M. Ballantyne ; [views photographed by A. Burns], (electronic resource)
Photographs of Edinburgh, with descriptive letterpress, by R.M. Ballantyne ; [views photographed by A. Burns], (electronic resource)
Post haste : a tale of Her Majesty's mails, by R.M. Ballantyne. --
Rivers of ice : a tale illustrative of Alpine adventure and glacier action, by R.M. Ballantyne
Silver Lake, by R.M. Ballantyne
Silver Lake, or, Lost in the snow, by R.M. Ballantyne
Silver Lake, or, Lost in the snow, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "The lifeboat, a tale of our coast heroes," "The lighthouse, or the story of the great fight between man and the sea," "Shifting winds," " The Coral Island," "The wild man of the west," etc., etc
Silver Lake, or, Lost in the snow, by R.M. Ballantyne. --
Silver Lake; or, Lost in the snow,, by R.M. Ballantyne
Six months at the Cape, or, Letters to Periwinkle from South Africa, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations by S.E. Waller from sketches by the author, (electronic resource)
Snowflakes and sunbeams, or, The young fur traders : a tale of the far north, by Robert Michael Ballantyne
Snowflakes and sunbeams, or, The young fur traders : a tale of the far north, by Robert Michael Ballantyne ; with illustrations by the author, (electronic resource)
Snowflakes and sunbeams, or, The young fur traders : a tale of the far north, by Robert Michael Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
Snowflakes and sunbeams, or, The young fur traders : a tale of the far north, by Robert Michael Ballantyne, author of "Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America" ; with illustrations by the author
The Norsemen in the West : America before Columbus, by R. M. Ballantyne
The Norsemen in the West : America before Columbus, by R.M. Ballantyne
The Norsemen in the West, or, America before Columbus : a tale, by R.M. Ballantyne
The Norsemen in the West, or, America before Columbus, a tale by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "Post haste," "In the track of the troops," "The settler and the savage," "Under the waves," "Rivers of ice," "Black ivory," "The pirate city," "Erling the Bold," "The iron horse," "The floating light," "Fighting the flames," "Shifting winds," "Deep down," "The lighthouse," "The lifeboat," "Gascoyne," "The golden dream," etc. etc. ; with illustrations
The Norsemen in the West, or, America before Columbus, a tale by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "The iron hourse, or, Life on the line," "The floating light of the Goodwin sands," "The lifeboat, a tale of our coast heroes," "Erling the Bold," "Shifting winds, a tough yarn," "The lighthouse, being the story of a great fight between man and the sea," "Gascoyne," etc. etc. ; with illustrations
The Norsemen in the west, by R.M. Ballantyne
The Red Eric, or, The whaler's last cruise : a tale, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "The fire brigade," "Deep down," "Erling the bold," etc., etc
The Red Eric, or, The whaler's last cruise : a tale, by R.M. Ballantyne, author of "The young fur-traders," "The coral island," etc. etc
The Red Eric, or, The whaler's last cruise, by R.M. Ballantyne
The Red Man's revenge, by R.M. Ballantyne
The battery and the boiler, or, Adventures in the laying of submarine electic cables, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations by the author
The big otter : a tale of the great Nor'west, by R. M. Ballantyne
The big otter : a tale of the great Nor'west, by R. M. Ballantyne, (electronic resource)
The big otter : a tale of the great nor'west, by R.M. Ballantyne
The buffalo runners : a tale of the Red River plains, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations by the author
The buffalo runners : a tale of the Red River plains, by R.M. Ballantyne ; with illustrations by the author, (electronic resource)
The buffalo runners : a tale of the Red River plains, by R.M. Ballantyne. --
6 Items that are about the Person Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894
Ballantyne the brave : a Victorian writer and his family, Eric Quayle
British children's adventure novels in the web of colonialism, by Nilay Erdem Ayyildiz
Context of Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894
An author's adventures, or, Personal reminiscences in book-making
Away in the wilderness : life among the Red Indians and fur-traders of North America
Away in the wilderness, or, Life among the Red Indians and fur-traders of North America
Black ivory : a tale of adventure among the slavers of East Africa
Blue lights, or, Hot work in the Soudan : a tale of soldier life in several of its phases
Charlie to the rescue : a tale of the sea and the Rockies
Charlie to the rescue; : a tale of the sea and the Rockies,
Chit-chat by a little kit-cat
Deep down : a tale of the Cornish mines
Erling the Bold : a tale of the Norse sea-kings
Fast in the ice, or, Adventures in the Polar Regions
Fighting the flames : a tale of the London fire brigade
Fighting the whales
Fighting the whales, or, Doings and dangers of a fishing cruise
Fighting the whales, or, Doings and dangers on a fishing cruise
Freaks on the fells, or, Three months' rustication : and, Why I did not become a sailor
Gascoyne, the sandal-wood trader : a tale of the Pacific
Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in North America
Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon. Hudson Bay Company
Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the hon. Hudson Bay Company
Hudson's Bay : or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the honourable Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon[orable] Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company ...
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America : during six years' residence in the territories of the honourable Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the honourable Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay, or, Every-day life in the wilds of North America, during six years' residence in the territories of the hon. Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America during six years' residence in the territories of the Hon. Hudson's Bay Company
Hunted and harried : a tale of the Scottish Covenanters
Life in the red brigade ; and, Fort Desolation
Life in the red brigade, and, Fort Desolation
Man on the ocean : a book about boats and ships
Man on the ocean : a book for boys
Martin Rattler, or, A Boy's adventures in the forests of Brazil
Mee-a-ow!, or, Good advice to cats and kittens
Mister Fox
Over the Rocky Mountains, or, Wandering Will in the land of the Red Skin
Personal reminiscences in book-making
Photographs of Edinburgh
Photographs of Edinburgh, with descriptive letterpress
Post haste : a tale of Her Majesty's mails
Rivers of ice : a tale illustrative of Alpine adventure and glacier action
Silver Lake, or, Lost in the snow
Silver Lake; or, Lost in the snow,
Six months at the Cape, or, Letters to Periwinkle from South Africa
Snowflakes and sunbeams, or, The young fur traders : a tale of the far north
The Norsemen in the West : America before Columbus
The Norsemen in the West, or, America before Columbus
The Norsemen in the West, or, America before Columbus : a tale
The Norsemen in the west
The Red Eric, or, The whaler's last cruise
The Red Eric, or, The whaler's last cruise : a tale
The Red Man's revenge
The battery and the boiler, or, Adventures in the laying of submarine electic cables
The big otter : a tale of the great Nor'west
The buffalo runners : a tale of the Red River plains
The coral island : a tale of the Pacific Ocean
The coral island : a tale of the Pacific ocean. With illustrations by the author
The crew of the Water Wagtail : a story of Newfoundland
The dog Crusoe
The dog Crusoe : a tale of the Western Prairies
The dog Crusoe and his master : a story of adventure in the Western Prairies
The floating light of the Goodwin sands
The fugitives, or, The tyrant queen of Madagascar
The giant of the North : pokings round the pole
The giant of the North, or, Pokings round the Pole
The gorilla hunters : a tale of the wilds of Africa
The iron horse
The kitten pilgrims, or, Great battles and grand victories
The lifeboat : a tale of our coast heroes
The lighthouse : : the story of a great fight between man and the sea \
The lighthouse : the story of a great fight between man and the sea
The lonely island, or, The refuge of the mutineers
The ocean and its wonders,
The pioneers : a tale of the western wilderness
The pioneers : a tale of the western wilderness : illustrative of the adventures and discoveries of Sir Alexander MacKenzie
The pioneers : a tale of the western wilderness, illustrative of the adventures and discoveries of Sir Alexander Mackenzie
The prairie chief
The prairie chief : a tale
The red Eric : the whaler's last cruise
The red man's revenge : a tale of the Red River flood
The robber kitten
The settler and the savage : a tale of peace and war in South Africa
The silver lake, or, Lost in the snow
The story of Mister Fox
The three little kittens
The walrus hunters : a romance of the realms of ice
The wild man of the West : a tale of the Rocky Mountains
The world of ice, or, Adventures in the Polar regions
The world of ice, or, The whaling cruise of "The Dolphin" and the adventures of her crew in the Polar regions
The young fur traders : or, Snowflakes and sunbeams : a tale of the far north
The young fur-traders
The young fur-traders : snowflakes and sunbeams
The young fur-traders, or, Snowflakes and sunbeams : a tale of the far north
The young fur-traders, or, Snowflakes and sunbeams from the far north
Twice bought, a tale of the Oregon gold fields
Ungava : a tale of Esquimau land
Ungava : a tale of Esquimaux-land
Ungava, a tale of Esquimau land
Ungava, a tale of Esquimaux-land
Up in the clouds, or, Balloon voyages
Wonderful history of three little kittens who lost their mittens!!
Wrecked but not ruined
[The gorilla hunters] : [a tale of the wilds of Africa]
Ballantyne's miscellany, 10
Miscellany of entertaining and instructive tales, 10
Discovery and adventure in the polar seas and regions
Discovery and adventure on the northern coasts of America and the Hudson's Bay territories
Handbook to the new gold fields : a full account of the richness and extent of the Fraser and Thompson River gold mines : with a geographical and physical account of the country and its inhabitants, routes ...
Handbook to the new gold fields : a full account of the richness and extent of the Fraser and Thompson River gold mines : with a geographical and physical account of the country and its inhabitants, routes, [etc.]
The northern coasts of America and the Hudson's Bay territories
The northern coasts of America and the Hudson's Bay territories : a narrative of discovery and adventure. --
Artist of
Illustrator of
<div class="citation" vocab="http://schema.org/"><i class="fa fa-external-link-square fa-fw"></i> Data from <span resource="http://link.lib.umanitoba.ca/resource/Y_F3qnXhemc/" typeof="Person http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/Person"><span property="name http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/label"><a href="http://link.lib.umanitoba.ca/resource/Y_F3qnXhemc/">Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894</a></span> - <span property="potentialAction" typeOf="OrganizeAction"><span property="agent" typeof="LibrarySystem http://library.link/vocab/LibrarySystem" resource="http://link.lib.umanitoba.ca/"><span property="name http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/label"><a property="url" href="http://link.lib.umanitoba.ca/">University of Manitoba Libraries</a></span></span></span></span></div>
Data Citation of the Person Ballantyne, R. M., (Robert Michael), 1825-1894
http://link.lib.umanitoba.ca/resource/Y_F3qnXhemc/
http://library.link/resource/Y_F3qnXhemc/
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Workshop held on women’s role in development of mines
International support for Afghanistan emphasized at Security Council meeting
Previous Article Power transfer on 5th day of Eid: Karzai
Next Article Would-be suicide bombers held in Kabul
International support for Afghanistan was a major topic at meeting of the United Nations Security Council, held earlier this week to discuss the Secretary-General’s latest report on the country.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Ján Kubiš, briefed the Council meeting – held on 25 June at UN Headquarters in New York – on the latest developments on the ground via video-teleconference from the Afghan capital, Kabul.
At the meeting, Council members and other UN Member States took to the floor, with the country’s elections the main political topic of discussion.
In their remarks, the Member States’ representatives strongly emphasized international support for Afghanistan as it goes through its political, security and economic transition.
At the end of the meeting, a Council presidential statement was issued. It stated:
“The Security Council welcomes the holding of the second round of the Afghan presidential election on 14 June and reiterates the importance of these historic elections to Afghanistan’s transition and democratic development. It commends the participation and courage of the Afghan people to cast their ballot despite the threat and intimidation by the Taliban and other violent extremist and terrorist groups. It further commends the participation of Afghan women in the electoral process, and underlines the key role that they play in Afghan-led peace, democracy and stability.
“The Security Council notes positively the efforts of the Afghan people to prepare for and hold these elections, including security arrangements, and reiterates the important role of the Afghan electoral institutions, including the Independent Election Commission and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission. It calls upon Afghan electoral institutions to uphold the highest standards of integrity throughout this important and historic process, and emphasizes that all efforts must be made to ensure the integrity, neutrality and transparency of the electoral process, including the detection and prevention of fraud.
“The Security Council calls on all stakeholders to engage with the electoral institutions and processes with patience and respect, refrain from any acts that incite imminent violence, civil disorder or lead to instability, and to channel complaints through the established institutional mechanisms in line with Afghanistan’s electoral laws and constitution.
“The Security Council looks forward to the conclusion of the electoral process in accordance with the relevant laws and mandates of the electoral institutions and the orderly transition to a new administration and welcomes the ongoing support role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
“The Security Council calls on all political entities to work together in accordance with the Afghan Constitution, with the aim of strengthening Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity in order to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future for all the people of Afghanistan.
“The Security Council condemns the actions of those who attempted to disrupt the elections, such as terrorist attacks against civilians, including election personnel and candidates, as well as attacks against election infrastructure. It condemns violent and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups aimed at destabilizing the situation in the country.
“The Security Council recognizes the sacrifices of the Afghan people and Afghan National Security Forces during the election period, and reiterates that no terrorist act can reverse the path towards Afghan-led peace, democracy and stability.”
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January 24, 2008: Judge Orders Written Report on Destruction of CIA Videotapes
US District Judge Richard Roberts says that CIA interrogation videotapes may have been relevant to a case before him and orders the administration to explain why they were destroyed in 2005, and also to say whether other evidence was destroyed. The government has three weeks to produce the report, as the judge thinks the tapes may have been relevant to the case of Guantanamo detainee Hani Abdullah. The charges against Abdullah are based, at least in part, on information obtained from militant leader Abu Zubaida, who was shown on the tapes and was subjected to waterboarding and other “enhanced techniques” (see Spring-Late 2002 and Mid-May 2002 and After). The report also has to explain what the government has done to preserve evidence since Roberts issued an order in July 2005 not to destroy it, what it is doing now, and whether any other potentially relevant evidence has been destroyed. [Associated Press, 1/24/2008]
Entity Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, Hani Abdullah, Richard W. Roberts
Category Tags: Destruction of CIA Tapes, High Value Detainees, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
January 29, 2008: US Predator Drone Kills Al-Qaeda Leader in Pakistan’s Tribal Region
Abu Laith al-Libi. [Source: Associated Press]The US fires a missile from a Predator drone at a house in North Waziristan, in Pakistan’s tribal region. The missile reportedly kills about 13 people. Some of them are said to be militants, and US officials will later confirm that one of those killed is al-Qaeda leader Abu Laith al-Libi. He is considered a top field commander and a liaison between al-Qaeda and the Taliban. [Newsweek, 3/22/2008; Washington Post, 3/27/2008] He is relatively unknown to the public, but in September 2007, the Washington Post profiled him as about one of a dozen of the most important current al-Qaeda leaders. He also survived a US rocket attack in June 2007. [Washington Post, 9/8/2007]
Entity Tags: Abu Laith al-Libi
Category Tags: Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Key Captures and Deaths, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan
January 30, 2008: MSNBC Finds over One Quarter of 9/11 Commission Report Endnotes Cite Dubious Detainee Interrogations
MSNBC counts the number of endnotes in the 9/11 Commission report that cite detainee interrogations and finds that more than a quarter of them—441 out of over 1,700—do so. It is widely believed that the detainees were tortured while in US custody, and that statements made under torture are unreliable. One of the detainees, alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, whose interrogations are mentioned hundreds of times in the report (see After January 2004), was extensively waterboarded (see Shortly After February 29 or March 1, 2003), and a CIA manager said that up to 90 percent of the information he provided under questioning was unreliable (see August 6, 2007). The endnotes often give the sources of the information contained in the main text. MSNBC comments: “The analysis shows that much of what was reported about the planning and execution of the terror attacks on New York and Washington was derived from the interrogations of high-ranking al-Qaeda operatives. Each had been subjected to ‘enhanced interrogation techniques.’ Some were even subjected to waterboarding.” In addition, many of the endnotes that cite detainee interrogations are for the report’s “most critical chapters”—five, six, and seven—which cover the planning of the attacks and the hijackers’ time in the US. In total, the Commission relied on more than 100 CIA interrogation reports. Its Executive Director Philip Zelikow admits that “quite a bit, if not most” of its information on the 9/11 conspiracy “did come from the interrogations.” Karen Greenberg, director of the Center for Law and Security at New York University’s School of Law, says, “It calls into question how we were willing to use these interrogations to construct the narrative.” [MSNBC, 1/30/2008]
Entity Tags: Center for Law and Security, 9/11 Commission, MSNBC, Philip Zelikow, Karen Greenberg
Late January 2008: Spanish Criminal Case Reveals French Intelligence Had Informant in Al-Qaeda Safe Haven
On January 16, 2007, a young man known as Asim arrives in Barcelona. He had recently been living in the Pakistani tribal region of Waziristan as an informant for French intelligence. He comes to Barcelona to inform on a group of Pakistanis living in that town who spent time in Pakistani training camps and allegedly are planning a series of suicide attacks in Spain and possibly other European countries. He is posing as one of the suicide bombers. Fearing that an attack is imminent, Spanish authorities arrest most of the suspects three days later (see January 19, 2008). But the Spanish decide that they don’t have enough physical evidence to successfully prosecute the arrested suspects, and they turn Asim into a protected witness for the prosecution. The New York Times will comment, “the case has caused diplomatic friction among investigators. Spain’s handling of the French informant has enraged officials at France’s intelligence agencies and eroded trust between the countries, French and other European officials said. The informant’s value as a source was destroyed when he was made a prosecution witness and the contents of his statements were leaked to the news media.” Asim’s case contradicts the commonly held notion that intelligence agencies have been unable to penetrate al-Qaeda’s central command (see March 20, 2008). But many questions remain. It is unclear when he first penetrated Waziristan as an informant, how much time he spent there, and how high level his al-Qaeda contacts there were. [New York Times, 2/10/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, Asim
Category Tags: Other Possible Moles or Informants, Al-Qaeda in Spain, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region
January 31, 2008: Civil Liberties Organization Says Abuse of Detainees ‘Undermines Credibility’ of 9/11 Commission Report
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), an organization dedicated to the protection of civil liberties, releases a statement saying it is “outraged” by revelations about the extent to which the 9/11 Commission report was based on statements from detainees who are said to have been tortured. After MSNBC finds that over a quarter of the report’s endnotes cite detainee interrogations (see January 30, 2008), CCR President Michael Ratner says: “If the Commission suspected there was torture, they should have realized that as a matter of law, evidence derived from torture is not reliable, in part because of the possibility of false confession…at the very least, they should have added caveats to all those references (note: the Commission’s report does contain one caveat related to two chapters—see After January 2004). The Commission’s heavy reliance on tainted sources reinforces the notion that we as a nation have not yet come to terms with the reality that the US engaged in torture. Until we do so, we undermine our credibility in the eyes of the world as a nation of hypocrites.” [Center for Constitutional Rights, 1/31/2008]
Entity Tags: 9/11 Commission, Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights
Category Tags: 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
February 2008: Considerable Video Footage of 9/11 Hijackers Remains Unreleased
Hani Hanjour (left) and Majed Moqed (right) captured by surveillance video on September 5, 2001. [Source: FBI]An FBI timeline of the 9/11 hijackers’ activities compiled in late 2001 and released this month indicates that considerable video footage of the hijackers has yet to be released. Most of the footage appears to come from surveillance video discovered after the 9/11 attacks. So far, the only known footage made public has been two video stills of Hani Hanjour and Majed Moqed using an ATM machine, one still each of Waleed Alshehri and Satam Al Suqami, several stills of Mohamed Atta and Abdulaziz Alomari in Portland the night before 9/11 (see September 10, 2001), and a few more stills and footage of several hijackers in airports on the morning of 9/11 (see (Between 5:45 a.m. and 5:53 a.m.) September 11, 2001 and (7:15 a.m.-7:18 a.m.) September 11, 2001). But the FBI’s timeline reveals video footage that has never even been publicly hinted at:
Mohamed Atta used an ATM in Palm Beach, Florida, on July 19, 2001.
Salem Alhazmi and Ahmed Alghamdi used an ATM in Alexandria, Virginia, on August 2.
Hanjour and Mojed used a Kinko’s for half an hour in College Park, Maryland, on August 10.
Moqed and Nawaf Alhazmi shopped at an Exxon gas station in Joppa, Maryland, on August 28.
Waleed and Wail Alshehri wandered around a Target store in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on September 4.
Atta and Abdulaziz Alomari were in a Florida bank lobby on September 4, and the audio of Atta calling Saudi Arabia was even recorded in the process.
Fayez Ahmed Banihammad used an ATM on September 7 in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Salem Alhazmi was at the Falls Church DMV on September 7. Low quality surveillance video at the Milner Hotel in Boston showed Marwan Alshehhi and possibly Mohand Alshehri on multiple occasions in the days just before 9/11.
Ziad Jarrah and possibly Saeed Alghamdi were videotaped using a Kinko’s for about an hour near Newark on September 10. [Federal Bureau of Investigation, 10/2001 ]
Additionally, an FBI document will later be made public that indicates there is footage of Saeed Alghamdi entering the Marriott Hotel at the Newark International Airport on September 8, carrying a black roll along bag (he will not have any checked luggage on 9/11).
This same document indicates Ziad Jarrah is also seen on videotape shortly after midnight on September 8 at the same Marriott Hotel, making credit card and cash payments for two hotel rooms. He is accompanied by two young men, who most likely are Saeed Alghamdi and Ahmed Alnami. [Investigative Services Division, FBI Headquarters, 4/19/2002]
Entity Tags: Saeed Alghamdi, Wail Alshehri, Waleed Alshehri, Ziad Jarrah, Salem Alhazmi, Nawaf Alhazmi, Mohamed Atta, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Abdulaziz Alomari, Mohand Alshehri, Ahmed Alghamdi, Fayez Ahmed Banihammad, Ahmed Alnami, Marwan Alshehhi
Category Tags: Alhazmi and Almihdhar, Marwan Alshehhi, Mohamed Atta, Hani Hanjour, Ziad Jarrah, Other 9/11 Hijackers, FBI 9/11 Investigation, 9/11 Investigations
February 2008: Ex-US Soldier from Bosnia War Emerges as Al-Qaeda Leader in Somalia
Abu Mansoor al-Amriki. [Source: Al-Jazeera]A militant in a video message released this month has an interesting background. The message supports Shabab, one of two radical Islamic groups fighting for power in war-torn Somalia. According to a US intelligence source, the militant in the video, Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, is an ex-US soldier who fought in Bosnia in the early 1990s. No US soldiers officially fought in the Bosnia war, but about a dozen Muslim ex-US Special Forces soldiers fought in Bosnia and trained al-Qaeda and other mujaheddin forces there around 1993 (see December 1992-June 1993). At the time, the US military and Saudi government apparently had an interest in sending Muslim ex-Special Forces there (see December 1992-June 1993 and December 1992). Mansoor is said to be a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda’s East Africa leadership, and is a lead trainer for Somali insurgent forces. Although he only appears on video wearing a face mask, it is clear that he is Caucasian. [Middle East Times, 2/28/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Shabab, Abu Mansoor al-Amriki
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Balkans, Alleged Al-Qaeda Media Statements
February 4, 2008: Willie Nelson Questions Official 9/11 Story
Willie Nelson. [Source: Adam Bielawski / Photorazzi]Renowned country singer and songwriter Willie Nelson publicly questions the official account of what happened on September 11. Appearing on Alex Jones’s talk radio show, Nelson suggests the World Trade Center was brought down with explosives. He says, “I saw those towers fall and I’ve seen an implosion in Las Vegas, there’s too much similarities between the two.” Referring to WTC 7, which fell in the afternoon of 9/11 though no plane hit it, he says: “I saw the building fall that didn’t get hit by nothing. So, how naive are we, you know, what do they think we’ll go for?” [KVUE News, 2/4/2008; Associated Press, 2/5/2008] Nelson has previously engaged in political activism, such as raising money for small family farmers and writing a song protesting the Iraq war. [Reuters, 1/1/2004; Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1/19/2004]
Entity Tags: Willie Nelson
Category Tags: US Government and 9/11 Criticism
February 4, 2008: Seattle Post-Intelligencer Calls for New 9/11 Inquiry
The editorial board of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer calls for a new inquiry into 9/11, as it believes the 9/11 Commission’s investigation may have been compromised. The call is due to a new book by New York Times journalist Philip Shenon, The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Commission. The book highlights the close relationship between 9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow and the White House, in particular National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, as well as an attempt he made to connect Iraq to al-Qaeda. The Post-Intelligencer writes of Zelikow that “[s]omeone with an apparent deference for the White House should not have been trusted with such a valued task.” It comments, “If bulletproof, the book prompts us to add one more thing to our to-do list for the next administration: Pressure it to charge a panel of independent experts to write a real, nonpartisan report on the attacks.” [Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2/4/2008]
Entity Tags: Condoleezza Rice, Bush administration (43), Philip Shenon, Philip Zelikow, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 9/11 Commission
February 11, 2008: Pentagon Intends to Try Six Alleged 9/11 Conspirators, Will Seek Death Penalty
The Defense Department announces that it is bringing death penalty charges against six high-value enemy detainees currently being held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The six, all charged with involvement in the 9/11 attacks, will be tried under the much-criticized military tribunal system (see October 17, 2006) implemented by the Bush administration. They are:
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a Pakistani who claims responsibility for 31 terrorist attacks and plots, is believed to have masterminded the 9/11 attacks, and claims he beheaded Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl (see January 31, 2002). Mohammed was subjected to harsh interrogation tactics by the CIA, including waterboarding.
Ali Adbul Aziz Ali, Mohammed’s nephew and cousin of jailed Islamist terrorist Ramzi Yousef. He is accused of facilitating the attacks by sending $120,000 to US-based terrorists, and helping nine of the hijackers enter the US.
Ramzi Bin al-Shibh, accused of being a link between al-Qaeda and the 9/11 hijackers. Bin al-Shibh is accused of helping some of the hijackers obtain flight training.
Khallad bin Attash, who has admitted planning the attack on the USS Cole (see October 12, 2000) and is accused of running an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. He claims to have helped in the bombing of the US embassy in Kenya (see 10:35-10:39 a.m., August 7, 1998).
Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi, accused of being a financier of the 9/11 attacks, providing the hijackers with cash, clothing, credit cards, and traveller’s checks.
Mohamed al-Khatani, another man accused of being a “20th hijacker;” al-Khatani was stopped by immigration officials at Orlando Airport while trying to enter the US. He was captured in Afghanistan.
Many experts see the trials as part of an election-year effort by the Bush administration to demonstrate its commitment to fighting terrorism, and many predict a surge of anti-American sentiment in the Middle East and throughout the Islamic world. Some believe that the Bush administration is using the trials to enhance the political fortunes of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who has made the US battle against al-Qaeda a centerpiece of his campaign. “What we are looking at is a series of show trials by the Bush administration that are really devoid of any due process considerations,” says Vincent Warren, the executive director head of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents many Guantanamo detainees. “Rather than playing politics the Bush administration should be seeking speedy and fair trials. These are trials that are going to be based on torture as confessions as well as secret evidence. There is no way that this can be said to be fair especially as the death penalty could be an outcome.”
Treatment of Detainees an Issue - While the involvement of the six detainees in the 9/11 attacks is hardly disputed, many questions surround their treatment at Guantanamo and various secret “black sites” used to house and interrogate terror suspects out of the public eye. Questions are being raised about the decision to try the six men concurrently instead of separately, about the decision to seek the death penalty, and, most controversially, the admissibility of information and evidence against the six that may have been gathered by the use of torture.
Details of Forthcoming Tribunals - While the charges are being announced now, Brigadier General Thomas Hartmann, the Pentagon official supervising the case, acknowledges that it could be months before the cases actually begin, and years before any possible executions would be carried out. Hartmann promises the trials will be “as completely open as possible,” with lawyers and journalists present in the courtroom unless classified information is being presented. Additionally, the six defendants will be considered innocent until proven guilty, and the defendants’ lawyers will be given “every stitch of evidence” against their clients.
'Kangaroo Court' - British lawyer Clive Stafford Smith, who has worked with “enemy combatants” at Guantanamo, believes nothing of what Hartmann says. The procedures are little more than a “kangaroo court,” Stafford Smith says, and adds, “Anyone can see the hypocrisy of espousing human rights, then trampling on them.” Despite Hartmann’s assurances, it is anything but clear just what rights the six defendants will actually have. [Independent, 2/12/2008] The charges against al-Khahtani are dropped several months later (see May 13, 2008).
Entity Tags: Vincent Warren, US Department of Defense, Khallad bin Attash, Daniel Pearl, Clive Stafford Smith, John McCain, Mohamed al-Khatani, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Thomas Hartmann, Center for Constitutional Rights, Ramzi Yousef, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Bush administration (43), Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Al-Qaeda in Germany, 1998 US Embassy Bombings, 2000 USS Cole Bombing, High Value Detainees, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics, Ramzi Bin Al-Shibh, 9/11 Related Criminal Proceedings
February 18, 2008: Moroccan Police Raid Islamist Militant Group Led by Belgian Government Informant
Moroccan police arrest 35 people for involvement in a radical militant group led by an informant for the Belgian government. Over the next several weeks, it will gradually be leaked to the media that the arrested leader of the group, Abdelkader Belliraj, has worked for Belgian intelligence and possibly the CIA since at least 2000 (see February 29, 2008). Belliraj holds both Belgian and Moroccan citizenship and is a Shiite. His unnamed group has both Shiite and Sunni Muslim links, and is linked to Islamist militant groups like al-Qaeda as well as to traditional organized crime. Others arrested in Morocco with Belliraj include local politicians, businessmen, a police commander and Hezbollah television station correspondent. A large stockpile of weapons is found in police raids, including assault rifles, machine guns, and detonators. Two days after the raids, the small Islamist party al-Badil al-Hadari is officially dissolved after several of those arrested are found to have links to the party, including the party’s secretary general. The Moroccan government claims Belliraj’s group was planning a series of political assassinations in Morocco. [Los Angeles Times, 2/27/2008; Terrorism Focus, 3/4/2008]
Entity Tags: Abdelkader Belliraj
Category Tags: Other Possible Moles or Informants, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
February 18, 2008: Opposition Parties Triumph in Pakistan’s Parliamentary Elections; Musharraf Remains President but Is Greatly Weakened
Pakistan holds parliamentary elections, and opposition parties are the overwhelming winners. President Pervez Musharraf does not lose his presidency, as he was reelected by the National Assembly several months earlier (see October 6, 2007). However, his party, Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), loses control of the National Assembly, enabling the opposition parties to select their own prime minister a short time later. Much power will now shift to the position of prime minister, which had been completely overshadowed by Musharraf and his presidency since he took power in a coup in 1999 (see October 12, 1999). The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) wins 120 seats. The PPP was led by Benazir Bhutto until her recent assassination, and is now led by her husband, Asif Ali Zardari. The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), the party led by former primer minister Nawaz Sharif, gets 90. Musharraf’s PML-Q only wins 51 seats. Surprisingly, the Islamic parties are almost completely wiped out. The alliance of Islamic parties, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), did well and won two provincial elections in the last election in 2002, but this time it only wins six seats. A secular and moderate party, the Awami National Party, wins in the North-West Frontier Province, taking control from the MMA and forming the new provincial government there. No single party holds a majority, but the PPP immediately announces a coalition with Sharif’s PML-N party, shutting Musharraf’s PML-Q party out. Musharraf once had 80 percent popularity ratings in polls, but after many recent controversial moves, including declaring a state of emergency for over a month to stay in power (see November 3-December 15, 2007), his popularity rating is down to about 20 percent. [Rashid, 2008, pp. 390-391] One month later, the coalition selects a relatively unknown figure, Yousaf Raza Gillani, to be the new prime minister (see March 22-25, 2008).
Entity Tags: Benazir Bhutto, Awami National Party, Pakistan People’s Party, Pervez Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Nawaz Sharif
February 22, 2008: Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence Attribute Failure to Exploit Yemen Hub Calls to 1981 Executive Order
Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell write to Silvestre Reyes, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, about their desire to see the Protect America Act renewed. In the letter, they mention the failure to exploit NSA intercepts of calls between the 9/11 hijackers in the US and al-Qaeda’s main global communications hub, which apparently had the potential to thwart the 9/11 plot (see Early 2000-Summer 2001). They write: “[O]ne of the September 11th hijackers communicated with a known overseas terrorist facility while he was living in the United States. Because that collection was conducted under Executive Order 12333, the intelligence community could not identify the domestic end of the communication prior to September 11, 2001, when it could have stopped that attack.” [US Department of Justice and Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2/28/2008 ] Executive Order 12333 became law in 1981 and governed general activities by the US intelligence community. [US President, 12/4/1981] The order did allow the NSA to disseminate information about US persons to law enforcement officials in the event of an impending terrorist act. [US Congress: House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 4/12/2000] The letter does not give more detailed reasons why Mukasey and McConnell think the NSA could not have traced the calls and informed the FBI of the two hijackers’ presence in the US (see (Spring 2000)). [US Department of Justice and Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2/28/2008 ] Similar incorrect statements have been made by numerous intelligence officials since December 2005, when the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program was revealed (see December 17, 2005).
Entity Tags: National Security Agency, Michael Mukasey, Mike McConnell, Silvestre Reyes
February 23, 2008: Wanted US Citizen Gives Public Speech in Yemen and Remains Free Despite $5 Million Reward for His Arrest
Jaber Elbaneh’s appearance in court. [Source: Associated Press / Mohammed al-Qadhi.]Jaber Elbaneh, an Islamist militant wanted by the US, comes out of hiding to appear in court in Yemen, but is not arrested. Elbaneh, a US citizen and whose family came from Yemen, had lived in Lackawanna, New York, before the 9/11 attacks. He went to Afghanistan to train at an al-Qaeda training camp along with about six other men from Lackawanna, but while the others dropped out and returned to the US, Elbaneh never returned (see April-August 2001). He moved to Yemen. The Yemeni government says he also helped plan the 2002 attack on the oil tanker Limburg off Yemen’s coast (see October 6, 2002). He was arrested there in 2004 after being charged in the US for attending the training camp. He was sentenced to ten years in prison, but in February 2006, he and 22 other suspected al-Qaeda operatives escaped from a high-security Yemeni prison (see February 3, 2006). The US offered $5 million for information leading to his arrest. Elbaneh was then implicated in a September 2006 bombing in Yemen that took place several days before national elections (see September 15, 2006). Some suggest the bombers may have colluded with the government to use the bombing to successfully help Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh win reelection. Elbaneh was convicted, but allowed to stay at home under a loose form of house arrest. Given the outstanding $5 million reward for him, Elbaneh appears to surprise everyone by appearing in court where his conviction in the 2006 bombing was being appealed. Furthermore, he gives a speech proclaiming his innocence. He says that after his prison escape, he surrendered directly to President Saleh in May 2007, who absolved him of any jail time. The New York Times comments: “Perhaps the greatest mystery surrounding [Elbaneh] is his decision to appear in court… The Yemeni government has generally instructed the jihadists with whom it arranges amnesty to avoid the news media and keep low profiles. But Mr. Elbaneh deliberately spoke out in a public setting, with journalists present, and named the president in his brief tirade.” [Reuters, 2/27/2008; New York Times, 3/1/2008]
Entity Tags: Jaber Elbaneh, Ali Abdallah Saleh
Category Tags: Yemeni Militant Collusion, "Lackawanna Six"
February 27, 2008: Report: US Finally Decides Imam to 9/11 Hijackers Is Linked to Al-Qaeda
The Washington Post reports that US intelligence has finally determined that Anwar al-Awlaki is linked to al-Qaeda. Al-Awlaki was an imam at two different mosques attended by hijackers Nawaf Alhazmi, Khalid Almihdhar, and Hani Hanjour, and he has been suspected of assisting the 9/11 plot. An anonymous US counterterrorism official tells the Post, “There is good reason to believe Anwar al-Awlaki has been involved in very serious terrorist activities since leaving the United States [after 9/11], including plotting attacks against America and our allies.” However, the US apparently did not ask Yemen to extradite him when he was arrested there in 2006, because there was no pending legal case against him. He continues to reside in Yemen and apparently still has not been charged with any crime. [Washington Post, 2/27/2008] In December 2007, just two months before this article, the US approved the release of al-Awlaki in Yemen, apparently because there still was no pending legal case against him (see Early September 2006-December 2007). He also does not appear to be on any public wanted list.
Entity Tags: Anwar al-Awlaki, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: FBI 9/11 Investigation, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Possible Hijacker Associates in US, 9/11 Investigations, Anwar Al-Awlaki
February 28, 2008: US Predator Drone Kills at Least 12 in Pakistan
A missile fired from a US Predator drone kills at least 12 people in Pakistan. The missile hits a house in the village of Kaloosha, near the Afghan border. Some suspected militants are reportedly killed, but details are scanty. [BBC, 3/16/2008; Washington Post, 3/27/2008]
Category Tags: Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan
February 29, 2008: Director of National Intelligence McConnell Says Afghan Government Is Losing Control
Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell testifies before Congress that the security situation in Afghanistan is “deteriorating.” He estimates that the official Afghan government led by Hamid Karzai controls only about 30 percent of Afghanistan, while the Taliban controls 10 percent and the rest is controlled by various tribes and warlords. He says that the key to the Taliban’s success “is the opportunity for safe haven in Pakistan.” Karzai’s government denies McConnell’s claims. However, various think tank reports echo McConnell’s conclusions. One report headed by former NATO commander Gen. James L. Jones concludes that “urgent changes” are immediately required to “prevent Afghanistan becoming a failed state.” [Guardian, 2/29/2008]
Entity Tags: Taliban, Hamid Karzai, James L. Jones, Mike McConnell
Timeline Tags: War in Afghanistan
Category Tags: Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Afghanistan
February 29, 2008: Arrested Leader of Moroccan Militant Group Revealed to Be Belgian Informant with Possible CIA Links
Abdelkader Belliraj. [Source: Agence France-Presse]The Belgian media reports that Abdelkader Belliraj, a dual Belgian-Moroccan citizen arrested in Morocco earlier in the month, is actually a long-time informant for Belgium’s internal security service, State Security. [Agence France-Presse, 2/29/2008; Los Angeles Times, 8/24/2008] The Belgian government initially denies the charges but soon tacitly admits them when the head of State Security, Alain Winants, complains about the leak of the “highly classified” status of Belliraj several days later. Agence France-Presse reports that although the “accusations were at first met with scepticism in Belgium, authorities now consider them credible.” Belliraj has been personally involved in armed robberies and murders dating back to the 1980s, and has links to al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other Islamist militant groups. It remains unclear if Belliraj was committing all his crimes with the approval of Belgian officials or if he may have been duping them to some degree. One anonymous Belgian police official speculates: “How could he travel freely since the 1980s from Belgium to various terrorist hot-beds around the world? There are two possibilities: either he worked for a secret service or else the State Security is full of idiots.” [Agence France-Presse, 3/11/2008] On Belgian newspaper claims that at the same time he was a paid Belgian informant since 2000, “It’s almost certain that at the same time he worked for another foreign secret service, possibly the French DGSE or American CIA.” [Het Laatste News, 3/4/2008] Another major Belgian newspaper, De Morgen, claims that Belliraj had both French and US intelligence links while working with Belgium too. [Maghreb Arabe Presse, 3/4/2008]
Entity Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure, Abdelkader Belliraj, Alain Winants, State Security (of Belgium)
Spring 2008: CIA Director Told about Al-Qaeda Assassination and Capture Program
CIA Director Michael Hayden and his top aides are told about one aspect of an agency program to capture and assassinate al-Qaeda leaders. The program was proposed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and has been under development at the agency for years, although it has not yet become operational (see Shortly After September 17, 2001). Details of what Hayden is told are unclear, although he is told about plans that involve gathering sensitive information in a foreign country. Hayden orders that the operation be scaled back and that Congress be notified if the plans become more fully developed. However, Congress is not informed before Hayden’s successor cancels the program (see June 23, 2009). [New York Times, 7/14/2009]
Entity Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, Michael Hayden
March 6, 2008: US Agents Arrest Al-Qaeda-Linked Arms Dealer Victor Bout in Thailand
Victor Bout in handcuffs in Thailand on the day of his arrest. [Source: Associated Press]Victor Bout, the world’s biggest illegal arms dealer, is arrested in Thailand. The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had set up a sting operation to nab Bout. For months, DEA agents posed as members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a militant group linked to drug trafficking and organized crime. DEA agents and Thai police meet Bout at the five-star Sofitel Silom Hotel in Bangkok, supposedly to finalize an arms deal, and immediately arrest him and his bodyguards. According to a Thai police officer, Bout does not resist arrest but merely says, “The game is over.” A relatively new DEA task force is behind Bout’s arrest, even as news reports indicate Bout’s fleet of aircraft has been shipping supplies to the US military in Iraq in recent years. The DEA agents posed as arms dealers working for FARC but went after Bout because of evidence that he had been involved in drug smuggling as well. Bout faces up to 10 years in prison in Thailand for taking part in illegal weapons deals there. US officials are also seeking Bout’s extradition to the US so he can face more charges. Bout is a Russian citizen and has been based in Russia in recent years, but the Russian government has decided against seeking his extradition. Mother Jones comments, “Willing to work for anyone, Bout’s business divorced itself from any political, philosophical, or moral constraint. It delivered military cargo with equal enthusiasm to terrorists, guerrilla insurgents, rebel warlords, embattled dictatorships, legitimate businesses, humanitarian aid groups, and sovereign governments, including the United States” (see Late April 2003-2007). He also worked with the Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked groups (see Summer 2002 and Late July 2006). Experts note that Bout’s network has been unique in providing a full range of smuggling services and it is unlikely it will survive without him. [Mother Jones, 3/16/2006]
Entity Tags: Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Drug Enforcement Administration, Victor Bout
Category Tags: Victor Bout, Drugs, Key Captures and Deaths, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
March 14, 2008: Alleged Al-Qaeda Leader Sent to Guantanamo, Declared ‘High Value’ Prisoner
Alleged al-Qaeda leader Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani is transferred to the US-run prison in Guantanamo, Cuba, and officially declared a “high value” prisoner. Rahim was captured in Lahore, Pakistan, by local forces in July 2007 (see July 2007) and then was held in a secret CIA prison until his transfer to Guantanamo (see Late July 2007-March 14, 2008).
Why Is Rahim Considered Important? - Rahim is just the 16th person the US government has declared a “high value” prisoner. Fourteen prisoners were given that label when they were transferred from secret CIA prisons to Guantanamo in September 2006 (see September 6, 2006 and September 2-3, 2006). The 15th was Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, who was held by the CIA in autumn 2006 and sent to Guantanamo in April 2007 (see Autumn 2006-Late April 2007). [Los Angeles Times, 3/15/2008] Although there had been reports in Pakistan about Rahim shortly after his arrest, virtually nothing was known about him until his transfer to Guantanamo. [Asian News International, 8/2/2007] He may have experienced extreme sleep deprivation during CIA interrogations (see August and November 2007).
Hayden's Memo - There still are no published photographs of him. At the same time Rahim is sent to Guantanamo, CIA Director Michael Hayden issues a memo to CIA employees explaining Rahim’s alleged importance. Hayden calls Rahim a “tough, seasoned jihadist” with “high-level contacts,” and claims his arrest “was a blow to more than one terrorist network. He gave aid to al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and other anti-coalition militants.” According to Hayden, Rahim sought chemicals for an attack on US forces in Afghanistan and tried to recruit people who had access to US military facilities there. He helped prepare Tora Bora as a hideout in 2001, and then helped al-Qaeda operatives flee the area when US forces overran it in late 2001. But perhaps most importantly, Rahim had become one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted facilitators and translators in the years prior to Rahim’s arrest. [Los Angeles Times, 3/15/2008; New York Times, 3/15/2008]
Entity Tags: Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani, Al-Qaeda, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, Central Intelligence Agency, Osama bin Laden, Michael Hayden
Category Tags: High Value Detainees
March 16, 2008: US Predator Drone Kills at Least 16 in Pakistan
A missile fired from a US Predator drone kills at least 16 people in Pakistan. The missile hits a house in the village of Toog in South Waziristan, part of Pakistan’s tribal region where al-Qaeda leaders are believed to be residing. The house is said to belong to an unnamed militant leader, and several militants are reportedly killed. However, details are scanty. [BBC, 3/16/2008; Newsweek, 3/22/2008]
March 18, 2008: WTC Developer Wants over $12 Billion Damages for 9/11
It is revealed that Larry Silverstein, the developer of Ground Zero, is seeking $12.3 billion in damages from airlines and airport security companies for the attacks on 9/11. Silverstein sought the damages in a claim filed in 2004, alleging that the companies failed to prevent the hijackers from taking over the planes that destroyed the World Trade Center buildings. The size of his claim was previously unknown, but is now revealed at a status conference in the US District Court in Manhattan. [New York Times, 3/27/2008] Of the $12.3 billion sought, $8.4 billion would be to replace the property destroyed in the attacks, and the other $3.9 billion would cover lost income and expenses associated with renting the new buildings. Companies named in the suit include American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Boeing, and the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), which manages Logan Airport in Boston, from where the two planes that hit the WTC took off. [CNN, 3/27/2008] Silverstein’s case is consolidated with similar, earlier lawsuits by other property owners and some families of 9/11 victims. Silverstein is by far the biggest of the claimants. A lawyer for the airlines says that if Silverstein wins, it could push the total claims beyond the amount of insurance the airlines and security companies have available. Silverstein, the CEO and president of Silverstein Properties, only signed the 99-year lease on the World Trade Center six weeks before 9/11 (see July 24, 2001). He has already won nearly $4.6 billion in insurance payments stemming from the attacks (see May 23, 2007). [New York Times, 3/27/2008; NY1 News, 3/28/2008]
Entity Tags: Boeing Company, Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Massachusetts Port Authority, United Airlines, Larry Silverstein
Category Tags: 9/11 Related Lawsuits
March 19, 2008: Alleged Audio Recording of Bin Laden Claims Publication of Cartoon Showing Muhammad Worse than Bombing Civilians
A new audio recording is released, allegedly from al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The voice on the tape directs the message to “the intelligent ones in the European Union” and discusses a cartoon said to be offensive to Muslims—showing the prophet Muhammed with a bomb in his turban—that was recently re-printed by all major Danish newspapers. The tape, which criticises US-led bombing of “those modest mud villages which have collapsed onto our women and children,” says that the “morals of fighting” should be observed in conflict, but the west has abandoned them, “even if you hold aloft its slogans in theory.” However, the publication of the cartoon and other similar ones is worse than bombing innocent civilians: “Although our tragedy in your killing of our women and children is a very great one, it paled when you went overboard in your unbelief and freed yourselves of the etiquettes of dispute and fighting and went to the extent of publishing these insulting drawings. This is the greater and more serious tragedy, and reckoning for it will be more severe.” The voice also claims that, despite the publication, “you haven’t seen any reaction from the one and a half billion Muslims.” [Council on Foreign Relations, 3/19/2008] In actual fact, when the cartoons were first published there were protests around the world in which dozens were killed, and Danish diplomatic offices were destroyed in two cities. [BBC, 3/20/2008] The voice argues that the cartoons should not have been published under freedom of expression, as US troops in Europe are not subject to European law, and, according to the voice, those who question the amount of Jews killed in the holocaust are suppressed. In addition, when the King of Saudi Arabia told Britain to stop its investigation of the corrupt al-Yamamah deal, British Prime Minister Tony Blair complied. [Council on Foreign Relations, 3/19/2008] The message comes on the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq (see March 19, 2003). [BBC, 3/20/2008] However, the man thought to be bin Laden makes no mention of Iraq on the tape. [Council on Foreign Relations, 3/19/2008] The audio message is released in video form with a graphic showing a still image of bin Laden holding an AK-47 and bearing the logo of as-Sahab, al-Qaeda’s media wing. There is a written translation of the message in English. It is unclear when the message, released by posting at an Islamist website, was recorded. [BBC, 3/20/2008]
Entity Tags: As-Sahab, Osama bin Laden
Category Tags: Osama Bin Laden, Alleged Al-Qaeda Media Statements
March 20, 2008: Washington Post Promotes Myth that Intelligence Agencies Have Failed to Penetrate Al-Qaeda
The Washington Post publishes a front page story promoting the myth that al-Qaeda has never been effectively penetrated by intelligence agencies. The article by Craig Whitlock is titled After a Decade at War With West, Al-Qaeda Still Impervious to Spies. It states that “al-Qaeda’s core organization in Pakistan and Afghanistan has so far proved impervious to damaging leaks.” It quotes Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA’s bin Laden unit, who says that from 1992 until November 2004 (when he left the CIA), “[the CIA] worked side by side with the Egyptians, the Jordanians—the very best Arab intelligence services—and they didn’t recruit a single person who could report on al-Qaeda.” The article seems to be a reaction to the case of Abdelkader Belliraj, which was publicly exposed several weeks earlier, when Belliraj was arrested in Morocco (see February 18, 2008 and February 29, 2008). The article notes that Belliraj was a Belgian government informant and important Islamist militant leader who had al-Qaeda links for years and met with al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan (see 2001). Belliraj’s case seemingly undercuts the thrust of the article, but the rest of the article mostly quotes a series of anonymous intelligence officials who say penetrating al-Qaeda would be next to impossible. [Washington Post, 3/20/2008] Whitlock’s article ignores numerous reports that al-Qaeda has repeatedly been penetrated by the CIA and other intelligence agencies. For instance:
In 2002, US News and World Report reported, “Once thought nearly impossible to penetrate, al-Qaeda is proving no tougher a target than the KGB or the Mafia—closed societies that took the US government years to get inside.” An unnamed US intelligence official said: “We’re getting names, the different camps they trained at, the hierarchy, the infighting. It’s very promising” (see September 22, 2002).
In 2004, author Ronald Kessler wrote, “Often, the CIA used operatives from Arab intelligence services like those of Jordan, Syria, Egypt, and other countries to infiltrate bin Laden’s organization.” He quoted a longtime CIA officer who said, “Egyptians, Jordanians, [and] Palestinians penetrated the bin Laden organization for us. It’s B.S. that we didn’t” (see Before September 11, 2001).
In 2006, journalist Ron Suskind reported that by late 2002, the CIA had developed “a source from within Pakistan who was tied tightly into al-Qaeda management.” He also noted that other informants had been recruited since 9/11, and commented, “It has been generally acknowledged that the United States does not have any significant human sources… inside al-Qaeda. That is not true” (see Late 2002).
In a 2007 book, former CIA Director George Tenet claimed that the CIA had over 100 assets in Afghanistan by 9/11 (see Before September 11, 2001). He also claimed that “a group of assets from a Middle Eastern service” sharing information with the CIA penetrated al-Qaeda, and some of them penetrated al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan before 9/11 (see Early September 2001).
In February 2008, the New York Times reported that French intelligence had an informant that penetrated al-Qaeda’s safe haven in Pakistan’s tribal region (see Late January 2008).
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Craig Whitlock, Michael Scheuer, Abdelkader Belliraj
Category Tags: Other Possible Moles or Informants, Media
March 20, 2008: Bin Laden Allegedly Releases New Tape
A man thought to be Osama bin Laden releases a new audio message urging Muslims to join the insurgency in Iraq, as this is the “nearest jihad battlefield to support our people in Palestine.” The message comes one day after the previous communication thought to be from bin Laden (see March 19, 2008) and just over five years after the invasion of Iraq (see March 19, 2003). According to the person thought to be bin Laden, “Palestine cannot be retaken by negotiations and dialogue, but with fire and iron,” and Arab leaders were complicit in Israeli attacks on Gaza. “The people of the blessed land should sense the great favour God has bestowed upon them and do what they should do to support their mujahideen brothers in Iraq,” the speaker says. “It is a great opportunity and a major duty for my brothers the Palestinian emigrants [in Arab countries], between whom and jihad on the plains of Jerusalem a barrier has been built.” [BBC, 3/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden
March 22-25, 2008: Victors of Pakistan’s Parliamentary Elections Pick New Prime Minister, Effectively Sidelining President Musharraf
President Musharraf swearing in Yousaf Raza Gillani as Pakistan’s latest prime minister. [Source: Agence France-Presse - Getty Images] (click image to enlarge)In parliamentary elections in February 2008, a coalition of opposition parties led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) took effective political control from President Pervez Musharraf, although Musharraf remains president (see February 18, 2008). On March 22, the leader of the PPP, Asif Ali Zardari, picks Yousaf Raza Gillani to become Pakistan’s new prime minister. Gillani assumes the position in a ceremony on March 25. Zardari is the husband of the recently assassinated and very popular Benazir Bhutto. He reportedly wants the prime minister position for himself, but he is not yet eligible for it as he does not hold a seat in parliament. Gillani is a relatively unknown low-key party stalwart. The New York Times comments that Gillani’s selection seems a “prelude to a drive by Mr. Zardari to take the job himself in the next few months.” [New York Times, 3/23/2008] Within hours of becoming prime minister, Gillani frees the judges that had been placed under house arrest during Musharraf’s state of emergency several months before (see November 3-December 15, 2007). He frees Supreme Court head Iftikhar Chaudhry, the 13 other Supreme Court judges, and 48 High Court judges who refused to sign a loyalty oath. [New York Times, 3/25/2008]
Entity Tags: Yousaf Raza Gillani, Pakistan People’s Party, Asif Ali Zardari, Iftikhar Chaudhry, Pervez Musharraf
March 23, 2008: Al-Zawahiri Releases New Audio Tape Calling for Revenge for Gaza Raids
Al-Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a new audio tape calling for attacks on Israeli and Western targets to avenge recent Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip. The tape is released by posting to the Internet and produced by al-Qaeda’s media arm, As-Sahab. “O Muslims. Today is your day. Hit the interest of the Jews and the Americans and all those who participated in the aggression against Muslims,” says al-Zawahiri. “Monitor the targets, collect the money, prepare the hardware, plan accurately, and then attack.” Al-Zawahiri adds, “No one can say today that we should fight the Jews in Palestine only,” and calls for Muslims to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip against Israel. Demonstrations only serve to let off steam, he says, so Palestinians should focus on armed struggle. “Let them know that they would bleed for every dollar they spend on killing Muslims,” he says. “They cannot… insult our prophet and support Israel, and expect to live in peace in their countries.” Al-Zawahiri also accuses Arab leaders of colluding with the US and Israel in blockading Palestinians in Gaza. “The satanic alliance shows us its ugliness and how low it is, an alliance of the crusaders and the Jews and with them [Egyptian President Hosni] Mubarak, and [Saudi Arabia’s ruling] Saud family, and the son of al-Hussein [Jordan’s King Abdullah].” [Reuters, 3/24/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, As-Sahab
Category Tags: Ayman Al-Zawahiri, Alleged Al-Qaeda Media Statements
March 24, 2008: Soon-to-Be UN Official Wants Investigation of Possible Neoconservative Role in 9/11
Richard Falk. [Source: Richard Lord / World Council of Churches]Days before being selected for a United Nations Human Rights Council post, retired international law professor Richard Falk says he wants an official commission to investigate the role neoconservatives may have played in the 9/11 attacks. [New York Sun, 4/9/2008] Falk is professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University. [London Times, 4/15/2008] In a radio interview, he says: “It is possibly true that especially the neoconservatives thought there was a situation in the country and in the world where something had to happen to wake up the American people.… All we can say is there is a lot of grounds for suspicion, there should be an official investigation of the sort the 9/11 Commission did not engage in and that the failure to do these things is cheating the American people and in some sense the people of the world of a greater confidence in what really happened than they presently possess.” Two days later, on March 26, Falk will be appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to a newly created position to report on human rights in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. [New York Sun, 4/9/2008] In 2004, he wrote the foreword to The New Pearl Harbor by David Ray Griffin, a book that put forward evidence that the Bush administration may have orchestrated the 9/11 attacks or deliberately allowed them to happen (see March 1, 2004). [Griffin, 2004, pp. vii-x; New York Sun, 4/9/2008] Falk also contributed a chapter to the book, co-edited by Griffin, 9/11 and American Empire: Intellectuals Speak Out. [Griffin and Scott, 2006, pp. 117-127; London Times, 4/15/2008]
Entity Tags: Richard Falk
March 24, 2008: US Effort to Fight Financing of Terrorism Is ‘Foundering’
A front page article in the Los Angeles Times reports that the US effort to fight the financing of terrorism is “foundering.” Insiders complain that the Bush administration’s efforts are stumbling over legal difficulties, interagency fighting, and disagreements with allied nations. Michael Jacobson, a recently retired senior adviser in the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, says, “The international cooperation and focus is dropping, the farther we get from 9/11.” The Times notes that “Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other key nations have not taken the necessary steps to crack down on terrorist financing or suspect money flowing across their borders.” Designations of terrorist financiers has slowed to a “trickle.” Militant groups are also using methods that are harder to trace, including sending money by donkey or mule. Robert Grenier, recently retired director of the CIA’s Counterterrorist Center, says the US has exaggerated the successes of financial enforcement: “There’s been a lot of work done on it, a lot of focus. But as a method for identifying and capturing terrorists, it has not been significant.” [Los Angeles Times, 3/24/2008]
Entity Tags: Robert Grenier, US Department of the Treasury, Counterterrorist Center, Michael Jacobson
Category Tags: Terrorism Financing, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
March 27, 2008: Attorney General Makes Puzzling Claim about Pre-9/11 Communication Intercept
Attorney General Michael Mukasey makes an apparent reference to the intercepts of the 9/11 hijackers’ calls by the NSA before the attacks in a speech pleading for extra surveillance powers. Mukasey says: “[Officials] shouldn’t need a warrant when somebody with a phone in Iraq picks up a phone and calls somebody in the United States because that’s the call that we may really want to know about. And before 9/11, that’s the call that we didn’t know about. We knew that there has been a call from someplace that was known to be a safe house in Afghanistan and we knew that it came to the United States. We didn’t know precisely where it went.” [FORA(.tv), 3/27/2008; New York Sun, 3/28/2008] According to a Justice Department response to a query about the speech, this appears to be a reference to the Yemen hub, an al-Qaeda communications facility previously alluded to by Mukasey in a similar context (see February 22, 2008). [Salon, 4/4/2008] However, the hub was in Yemen, not Afghanistan and, although it acted as a safe house, it was primarily a communications hub (see Early 2000-Summer 2001). In addition, the NSA did not intercept one call between it and the 9/11 hijackers in the US, but several, involving both Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi, not just one of the hijackers (see Spring-Summer 2000, Mid-October 2000-Summer 2001, and (August 2001)). Nevertheless, the NSA failed to inform the FBI the hub was calling the US (see (Spring 2000)). (Note: it is possible Mukasey is not talking about the Yemen hub in this speech, but some other intercept genuinely from an al-Qaeda safe house in Afghanistan—for example a call between lead hijacker Mohamed Atta in the US and alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who may have been in Afghanistan when such call was intercepted by the NSA (see Summer 2001 and September 10, 2001). However, several administration officials have made references similar to Mukasey’s about the Yemen hub since the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program was revealed (see December 17, 2005).)
Entity Tags: Michael Mukasey
Timeline Tags: 9/11 Timeline, Civil Liberties
March 29, 2008: Media Confused over Attorney General Mukasey’s New Claim of Afghan Intercept before 9/11
Some media outlets pick up on a claim made by Attorney General Michael Mukasey on March 27, 2008, when he said that the US intercepted a call to a 9/11 hijacker in the US from an al-Qaeda safe house in Afghanistan (see March 27, 2008). This was possibly a garbled reference to an al-Qaeda hub in Yemen (see Early 2000-Summer 2001) mentioned by several administration officials since the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping story was exposed (see December 17, 2005). The San Francisco Chronicle notes that Mukasey “did not explain why the government, if it knew of telephone calls from suspected foreign terrorists, hadn’t sought a wiretapping warrant from a court established by Congress to authorize terrorist surveillance, or hadn’t monitored all such calls without a warrant for 72 hours as allowed by law.” [San Francisco Chronicle, 3/28/2008] Salon commentator and former civil rights litigator Glenn Greenwald will attack Mukasey over the story, commenting, “These are multiple falsehoods here, and independently, this whole claim makes no sense.” [Salon, 3/29/2008; Salon, 4/4/2008]
9/11 Commission Comment - In response to a query from Greenwald, former 9/11 Commission executive director Philip Zelikow comments: “Not sure of course what [Mukasey] had in mind, although the most important signals intelligence leads related to our report… was not of this character. If, as he says, the [US government] didn’t know where the call went in the US, neither did we.” [Salon, 4/3/2008] (Note: the 9/11 Commission report may actually contain two cryptic references to what Mukasey is talking about (see Summer 2002-Summer 2004).) [9/11 Commission, 7/24/2004, pp. 87-88, 222] Former 9/11 Commission vice chairman Lee Hamilton initially refuses to comment, but later says: “I am unfamiliar with the telephone call that Attorney General Mukasey cited in his appearance in San Francisco on March 27. The 9/11 Commission did not receive any information pertaining to its occurrence.” [Salon, 4/3/2008; Salon, 4/8/2008]
Other Media - The topic will also be covered by Raw Story and mentioned by MSNBC host Keith Olbermann, who also attacks Mukasey: “What? The government knew about some phone call from a safe house in Afghanistan into the US about 9/11? Before 9/11?” He adds: “Either the attorney general just admitted that the government for which he works is guilty of malfeasant complicity in the 9/11 attacks, or he’s lying. I’m betting on lying.” [Raw Story, 4/1/2008; MSNBC, 4/1/2008; Raw Story, 4/3/2008] The story is also picked up by CBS commentator Kevin Drum, who appears to be unaware that information about some NSA intercepts of the hijackers’ calls was first made public by the Congressional Inquiry five years previously. However, Drum comments: “[T]his deserves some followup from the press. Mukasey has spoken about this in public, so if he’s claiming that FISA prevented us from intercepting a key call before 9/11 he also needs to defend that in public.” [CBS, 4/3/2008; CBS, 4/4/2008] A group of Congressmen also formally asks the Justice Department for an explanation of the matter (see April 3, 2008).
Entity Tags: Michael Mukasey, Kevin Drum, Lee Hamilton, Philip Zelikow, US Department of Justice, Glenn Greenwald, Keith Olbermann
Category Tags: Yemen Hub, Role of Philip Zelikow, 9/11 Commission, 9/11 Investigations
April 2, 2008: Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura Rejects Official Account of 9/11
Jesse Ventura. [Source: Publicity photo]Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura declares that he believes the World Trade Center was destroyed with explosives, and says he regrets not asking more questions about the 9/11 attacks when he was governor. The former professional wrestler, who served as Minnesota governor from 1999 to 2003, appears on the Alex Jones Show, a syndicated radio program. He says that, based on his demolition training as a Navy SEAL, a visit to Ground Zero a few weeks after 9/11, and watching slow motion video of the collapses, he believes the Twin Towers fell due to controlled demolition. Describing the collapse of WTC Building 7, he says: “How could this building just implode into its own footprint five hours later? That’s my first question.… The 9/11 Commission didn’t even devote one page to that in their big volume of investigation.” [Associated Press, 1/5/2008; Associated Press, 4/3/2008; MinnPost, 4/3/2008] Ventura also raises questions about 9/11 in his new book, Don’t Start the Revolution Without Me! He writes: “My doubts about the official story have grown steadily over the last couple of years.… I wondered, why did President Bush put up roadblocks for two years to any type of investigation? If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn’t care whether or not a commission looks into what happened.… It seemed our government wasn’t reacting like an innocent victim, but like they were guilty of, or about, something.” [Ventura and Russell, 2008, pp. 209]
Entity Tags: Jesse Ventura
April 2, 2008: Al-Zawahiri Issues First Part of Responses to Questions from Public
Al-Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri issues a 90-minute audiotape with the first part of responses to questions solicited from the public and journalists (see December 19, 2007). In the replies, he rejects criticism of attacks by al-Qaeda’s followers that have killed thousands of people, maintaining al-Qaeda does not kill innocent people. “We haven’t killed the innocents, not in Baghdad, nor in Morocco, nor in Algeria, nor anywhere else,” says al-Zawahiri. “If there is any innocent who was killed in the mujahedeen’s operations, then it was either an unintentional error or out of necessity.” [Associated Press, 4/2/2008] The second part of the responses will be issued later in the month (see April 17, 2008).
Entity Tags: Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda
April 2, 2008: Republican Congressman Will Not Back Government Financing for Treatment of Emergency Responders: Government Can’t ‘Do This Every Single Time a Similar Situation Happens’
Darrell Issa. [Source: Washington Post]Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) says during a House subcommittee meeting that he does not understand why the federal government should pay any more money to assist 9/11 emergency responders who have become ill after working at Ground Zero. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers, and paramedics have become ill, some terminally so, from exposure to smoke and toxins released in the collapse of the World Trade Center; the subcommittee is considering whether to reinstate federal funding for the 9/11 victims’ fund. Minutes after a retired New York City police officer, Michael Valentin, speaks of the serious health problems he has suffered since responding to the attacks, Issa says: “I have to ask why… the firefighters who went there and everyone in the City of New York needs to come to the federal government… How much money has the federal government put out post-9/11, including the buckets of $10 and $20 billion we just threw at the State and the City of New York versus how much has been paid out by the City and the State of New York?… It’s very simple: I can’t vote for additional money for New York if I can’t see why it would be appropriate to do this every single time a similar situation happens, which quite frankly includes any urban terrorist. It doesn’t have to be somebody from al-Qaeda. It can be someone who decides that they don’t like animal testing at one of our pharmaceutical facilities.” The attacks on the World Trade Center did not involve a dirty bomb or chemical weapons, Issa notes. “It simply was an aircraft, residue of the aircraft and residue of the materials used to build this building,” he adds. Issa’s colleague, Anthony Weiner (D-NY), is visibly enraged at Issa’s comments, replying, “The notion that this is the City of New York asking for more money because we were the point of attack on this country is absurd and insulting…. There are people every single day, bit by bit by bit, who are dying from that attack.” [Newsday, 4/1/2008; New York Post, 4/2/2008] A day later, Issa will retreat from the harshest of his comments after enduring a withering barrage of criticism (see April 3, 2008).
Entity Tags: Darrell E. Issa, Michael Valentin, Anthony D. Weiner
Category Tags: Internal US Security After 9/11
April 3, 2008: Congressman Issa Retreats from Refusal to Fund 9/11 Victims’ Fund
Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) tries to back away from his comments from the day before, where he disparaged New York City first responders who are now suffering long-term disabilities and illnesses stemming from the 9/11 attacks (see April 2, 2008).
Firestorm of Criticism - Frank Fraone, a California fire chief who led a 67-man crew at Ground Zero after the collapse of the World Trade Center, says: “That is a pretty distorted view of things. Whether they’re a couple of planes or a couple of missiles, they still did the same damage.” Republican colleague Peter King (R-NY) notes: “New York was attacked by al-Qaeda. It doesn’t have to be attacked by Congress.… I’m really surprised by Darrell Issa. It showed such a cavalier dismissal of what happened to New York. It’s wrong and inexcusable.” 9/11 victim’s relative Lorie Van Auken calls Issa’s comments “cruel and heartless.” She adds: “It’s really discouraging. People stepped up and did the right thing. They sacrificed themselves and now a lot of people are getting really horrible illnesses.”
Partial Withdrawal - Issa withdraws some of his earlier statements, now saying, “I want to make clear that I strongly support help for victims who suffered physical injury as a result of an attack on America, including support from Congress and the federal government.” Yet he refuses to withdraw his comments that the 9/11 attacks were little more than unremarkable plane crashes unworthy of any federal financial response. He now says that he only “asked tough questions about the expenditures.” Health officials estimate that it could cost up to $1 billion to properly care for survivors of 9/11 suffering from physical and emotional disabilities. A new bill to fund that care is being prepared for House debate. [New York Daily News, 4/3/2008; New York Post, 4/3/2008] A New York Daily News op-ed accuses Issa of “demeaning 9/11” and calls his remarks “callous in the extreme.” [New York Daily News, 4/3/2008]
Entity Tags: Lorie Van Auken, Peter T. King, Frank Fraone, Darrell E. Issa
April 3, 2008: Congressmen Ask Attorney General Mukasey to Explain Pre-9/11 Hijacker Intercept Comments
A group of congressmen led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) asks for an explanation of a recent statement by Attorney General Michael Mukasey about a pre-9/11 NSA intercept of a call to the 9/11 hijackers in the US (see March 27, 2008 and March 29, 2008). The group calls Mukasey’s statement “disturbing” and says it “appears to suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of the federal government’s existing surveillance authority to combat terrorism, as well as possible malfeasance by the government prior to 9/11.” Mukasey had implied that the law prior to 9/11 did not allow the call to be traced, but the congressmen state: “[I]f the administration had known of such communications from suspected terrorists, they could and should have been intercepted based on existing FISA law.… [A]s of 9/11 FISA specifically authorized such surveillance on an emergency basis without a warrant for a 48 hour period.” They ask Mukasey to clarify his comments. The congressmen also ask about a secret Justice Department memo regarding the president’s powers in wartime in the US (see April 1, 2008). [Raw Story, 4/3/2008]
Entity Tags: John Conyers, Michael Mukasey
Category Tags: Yemen Hub
April 8, 2008: Engineering Journal Publishes Scientific Challenge to Government Account of WTC Destruction
For the first time, a scientific journal publishes a letter by scientists who think the World Trade Center buildings were destroyed by explosives, rather than impact damage and fire. The letter, cautiously entitled “Fourteen Points of Agreement with Official Government Reports on the World Trade Center Destruction,” is published in the Open Civil Engineering Journal. The lead author is Steven E. Jones, a physicist formerly at Brigham Young University. The abstract says: “Reports by FEMA and NIST lay out the official account of the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001. In this Letter, we wish to set a foundation for productive discussion and understanding by focusing on those areas where we find common ground with FEMA and NIST, while at the same time countering several popular myths about the WTC collapses.” [Open Civil Engineering Journal, 4/8/2008; Deseret News, 5/3/2008] However, unlike the vast majority of journals, the Open Civil Engineering Journal charges authors to publish their articles or letters in it. [Open Civil Engineering Journal, 2007]
Entity Tags: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Steven E. Jones, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Category Tags: WTC Investigation, 9/11 Investigations
April 10, 2008: US Unable to Send More Troops to Afghanistan Due to Commitments in Iraq
The US is unable to find more troops to send to Afghaninstan, due to the war in Iraq. On April 10, 2008, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen tells a Congressional committee: “I’m deeply concerned. In this economy of force operation, we do what we can. Requirements exist that we simply cannot fill and won’t likely be able to fill until conditions improve in Iraq.” The US would like to send 7,000 more troops to Afghanistan to fight the growing Taliban resistance there, but the US is unwilling to divert forces from Iraq due to renewed violence there, and NATO allies remain unwilling to send more troops as well. A study by the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office, a group funded by the European Commission, reports that there were 704 insurgent attacks causing 463 civilian deaths from January through March of 2008, compared with 424 attacks causing 264 civilian deaths during the same months in 2007. US officials privately admit that their estimates are similar. [McClatchy Newspapers, 4/15/2008]
Entity Tags: Michael Mullen
Category Tags: Iraq War Impact on Counterterrorism, Afghanistan
April 10, 2008: Defense Secretary Says US Is Fighting in Afghanistan Today Partly Because of Mistakes Made during 1980s Soviet-Afghan War
Speaking before a public hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says, “We were attacked from Afghanistan in 2001 and we are at war in Afghanistan today in no small measure because of mistakes this government made—mistakes I, among others, made—in the end game of the anti-Soviet war there some 20 years ago.” [US Department of Defense, 4/10/2008]
Entity Tags: Robert M. Gates
Category Tags: Soviet-Afghan War
April 11, 2008: President Bush Admits to Knowing of High-Level Approvals of Torture
President Bush admits he knew about his National Security Council Principals Committee’s discussion and approval of harsh interrogation methods against certain terror suspects (see April 2002 and After). Earlier reports had noted that the Principals—a group of top White House officials led by then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice—had deliberately kept Bush “out of the loop” in order for him to maintain “deniability.” Bush tells a reporter: “Well, we started to connect the dots in order to protect the American people. And yes, I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.” Bush says that the news of those meetings to consider extreme interrogation methods was not “startling.” He admitted as far back as 2006 that such techniques were being used by the CIA (see September 6, 2006). But only now does the news of such direct involvement by Bush’s top officials become public knowledge. The Principals approved the waterboarding of several terror suspects, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (see Shortly After February 29 or March 1, 2003 and March 10, 2007); Bush defends the use of such extreme measures against Mohammed, saying: “We had legal opinions that enabled us to do it. And no, I didn’t have any problem at all trying to find out what Khalid Shaikh Mohammed knew.… I think it’s very important for the American people to understand who Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was. He was the person who ordered the suicide attack—I mean, the 9/11 attacks.” [ABC News, 4/11/2008] Bush’s admission is no surprise. The day before Bush makes his remarks, law professor Jonathan Turley said: “We really don’t have much of a question about the president’s role here. He’s never denied that he was fully informed of these measures. He, in fact, early on in his presidency—he seemed to brag that they were using harsh and tough methods. And I don’t think there’s any doubt that he was aware of this. The doubt is simply whether anybody cares enough to do anything about it.” [MSNBC, 4/10/2008]
Entity Tags: George W. Bush, Central Intelligence Agency, Condoleezza Rice, Jonathan Turley, National Security Council, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
Timeline Tags: Torture of US Captives, 9/11 Timeline, Civil Liberties
Category Tags: High Value Detainees, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
April 17, 2008: Al-Zawahiri Posts Audio Replies to Questions, Says Rumor Israel behind 9/11 Started by Iran
Al-Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri issues a second set of responses to questions solicited by al-Qaeda in December 2007 (see December 19, 2007 and April 2, 2008). [NEFA Foundation, 4/17/2008 ; Associated Press, 4/22/2008; Associated Press, 4/23/2008] The response comes in a two-hour audio recording posted to an Islamic website and accompanied by the logo of As-Sahab, al-Qaeda’s media arm. Al-Zawahiri’s comments include:
The theory that Israel carried out the September 11 attacks is false and was started by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah, through the Al-Manar television station. “The purpose of this lie is clear—[to suggest] that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no [one] else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it,” he says. “Iran’s aim here is also clear—to cover up its involvement with America in invading the homes of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq.” In recent audio recordings, al-Zawahiri has accused Iran of seeking to extend its power in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and through Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The insurgent umbrella group Islamic Nation of Iraq led by al-Qaeda is “the primary force opposing the crusaders and challenging Iranian ambitions” in Iraq.
In response to a question about whether al-Qaeda plans to attack Western countries involved in Iraq, he replies: “My answer is: Yes! We think that any country that has joined aggression on Muslims must be deterred.”
This includes Japan, which pulled its non-combat troops out of Iraq in 2006, because “Japan provided help under the banner of the crusader coalition… therefore it participated in the crusader campaign against the lands of Islam.”
Global warming reflects “how criminal, brutal, and greedy the Western crusader world is, with America at the top.” However, global warming will “make the world more sympathetic to and understanding of the Muslims’ jihad against the aggressor America.”
There are no women in al-Qaeda, although “the women of the mujaheddin are playing a heroic role in taking care of their houses and sons.”
The Taliban have taken over 95 percent of Afghanistan and are sweeping Pakistan as well. “The crusaders and their agents in Pakistan and Afghanistan are starting to fall,” al-Zawahiri adds.
It is against Islamic religious law for any Muslim to live permanently in a Western country because in doing so they would “have permanent stay there under the laws of the infidels.” [Associated Press, 4/22/2008; Associated Press, 4/23/2008]
Al-Zawahiri also singles out some countries for threats, such as Denmark, saying: “Denmark has done her utmost to demonstrate her hostility towards the Muslims by repeatedly dishonoring our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him salvation. I admonish and incite every Muslim who is able to do so to cause damage to Denmark in order to show your support for our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him salvation, and to defend his esteemed honor.” [NEFA Foundation, 4/17/2008 ] Al-Qaeda will attack the Danish embassy in Pakistan six weeks later. [Jyllands-Posten, 6/2/2008]
Entity Tags: As-Sahab, Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri
April 17, 2008: Iranian President Ahmadinejad Casts Doubt on 9/11 Official Story
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declares: “Four or five years ago, a suspicious event occurred in New York. A building collapsed and they said that 3,000 people had been killed but never published their names.… Under this pretext, [the US] attacked Afghanistan and Iraq and since then, a million people have been killed only in Iraq.” [Ha'aretz, 4/17/2008]
Entity Tags: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
April 17, 2008: Former Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Says 9/11 Attacks and Iraq War Good for Israel
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells an audience at Bar Ilan university in Israel that the 9/11 attacks were beneficial for Israel. “We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq. […] [The attacks] swung American public opinion in our favor.” [Ha'aretz, 4/17/2008]
Entity Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu
Category Tags: Iraq War Impact on Counterterrorism, Israel
April 18, 2008: Al-Zawahiri Said to Mark Fifth Anniversary of Iraq Invasion with New Tape
A man thought to be al-Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a 16-minute audio tape around five years after the US and others invaded Iraq. The man calls on Islamist fighters to turn Iraq into a “fortress of Islam,” and says the establishment of a greater Islamic state is “the most important” duty of every Muslim. The tape contains references to recent events—testimony by US General David Petraeus to Congress and a strike by textile workers in Egypt. The man is also critical of Iran for siding with the US against Sunni Arabs in Iraq. [Guardian, 4/18/2008]
Entity Tags: Ayman al-Zawahiri
April 21, 2008: Indonesia Finally Declares Jemaah Islamiyah an Illegal Organization
An Indonesian court officially declares Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) an illegal organization. JI is believed to be al-Qaeda’s main affiliate in Southeast Asia. The Indonesian government had previously refused to ban JI, even though it supported a United Nations ban on JI shortly after the 2002 Bali bombings (see October 12, 2002 and October 24, 2002). This court decision takes place during a trial of two high-ranking JI leaders, Zarkasih and Abu Dujana, both of whom were arrested the year before. Both are sentenced to 15 years in prison for supporting terrorist activities. Counterterrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna calls the decision “a huge victory against terrorism.” He adds: “This will have a direct impact on the leadership of JI, the most lethal terrorist group in Southeast Asia. Unless a terrorist was about to commit an attack, or had committed an attack, the Indonesian police couldn’t arrest them. Today if anyone is distributing propaganda and that person is linked to JI, that person can be arrested.” [Sydney Morning Herald, 4/22/2008]
Entity Tags: Zarkasih, Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Dujana, Rohan Gunaratna
Category Tags: Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia, 2002 Bali Bombings
April 27, 2008: Afghan President Karzai Survives Assassination Attempt; Pakistani ISI Blamed
Hamid Karzai on parade, April 27, 2008. [Source: massoud_hossaini_afp_getty]On April 27, 2008, there is an attempted assassination of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as assailants fire guns and mortars towards him, scores of senior officials, and foreign diplomats during a military parade in downtown Kabul. Karzai escapes unharmed, but three Afghans are killed, including a member of parliament. Two months later, Afghanistan’s intelligence agency accuses the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, of organizing the assassination. The agency claims that phone calls from the cell phones of those arrested show a Pakistan link. Investigators suspect one assassin tried to call his supervisor in Pakistan from a nearby hotel to ask for instructions because he could not get a clear shot at Karzai from the hotel window. Investigators believe Jalaluddin Haqqani, a Taliban leader based in the Pakistani tribal region of Waziristan with long-time ISI ties, instigated the plot. Karzai’s spokesman makes the same accusation against the ISI more obliquely, “Evidence shows the hallmark of a particular foreign intelligence agency which we believe was behind this attack.” [Agence France-Presse, 6/25/2008; Washington Post, 6/27/2008]
Entity Tags: Hamid Karzai, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Jalaluddin Haqqani, National Directorate of Security (Afghanistan)
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Afghanistan
May 2008: US Intelligence Allegedly Hears Head of Pakistani Military Call Taliban Leader ‘Strategic Asset’
According to a later book by New York Times reporter David Sanger, in May 2008, US intelligence records General Ashfaq Kayani, head of Pakistan’s military, referring to militant leader Jalaluddin Haqqani as “a strategic asset.” Haqqani heads a group of militants in Waziristan, in Pakistan’s tribal region, that is known as the Haqqani network. It is considered a semi-independent branch of the Taliban. The surveillance was ordered to confirm suspicions that the Pakistani military is still secretly supporting the Taliban, even though the US gives aid to help fight the Taliban. The transcript of Kayani’s comments is passed to Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell. US intelligence will later intercept calls from Pakistani military units to Haqqani, warning him of an imminent Pakistani military operation in the tribal region designed to make it appear to the US that Pakistan is taking action against militant groups. An unnamed source will later explain, “It was something like, ‘Hey, we’re going to hit your place in a few days, so if anyone important is there, you might want to tell them to scram.’” Further US surveillance will reveal a plot between the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, and Haqqani to bomb the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan (see July 7, 2008). Pakistani officials deny they are supporting Haqqani. [London Times, 2/17/2009] An unnamed senior Pakistani intelligence official also called Haqqani an asset in 2006 (see 2006).
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Taliban, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Haqqani Network, Jalaluddin Haqqani, Mike McConnell, US intelligence
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing
May 1, 2008: US Missile Strike Kills Al-Qaeda-Linked Leader in Somalia
Aden Hashi Ayro. [Source: Intelcenter / Associated Press]A US missile strike kills Aden Hashi Ayro, the alleged head of al-Qaeda’s operations in Somalia. Ayro and up to ten others are killed in the region of Dusamareeb, an area a few hundred miles north of the capital of Mogadishu. The strike is said to be the fifth US attack in Somalia since Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December 2006 with US support (see December 24, 2006-January 2007). Ayro is said to have attended an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in the late 1990s. Then he returned to Somalia in 2003 and quickly rose up the ranks of al-Shabab, the military arm of the Islamic Court Union. He is said to be in charge of al-Qaeda’s operations there, although he is not a formal member of al-Qaeda. He was reportedly behind the scattered deaths of some foreigners in Somalia between 2003 and 2005. But despite this death, in recent months militant groups such as al-Shabab have been gaining ground against Somalia’s weak transitional government and the occupying Ethiopian troops keeping it in power. [Washington Post, 5/1/2008; Time, 5/2/2008]
Entity Tags: Shabab, Islamic Courts Union, Aden Hashi Ayro
Category Tags: Key Captures and Deaths
May 3, 2008: Demolition of WTC Building 7 Suggests Official Complicity, Says Arizona State Senator
Karen S. Johnson. [Source: Publicity photo]Arizona state senator Karen S. Johnson, a Republican, says she suspects a government conspiracy and calls for a new investigation into 9/11. Calling attention to the unexplained collapse of WTC Building 7, she writes: “Why, for example, did Building 7 collapse? It wasn’t hit by a plane, as the towers were. The 9/11 Commission Report completely ignores Building 7. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) report discounts fire as a cause and concludes that the reasons for the collapse of Building 7 are unknown and require further research. But when FEMA issued this report, it already cleared the site and disposed of the dust and steel (evidence from a crime scene), thus possibly committing a felony and complicating any ‘further research.’ The National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal agency, which evaluated the collapse of the towers, has yet to issue its report on Building 7. ‘We’ve had trouble getting a handle on Building 7,’ said the acting director of their Building and Fire Research Lab. Yet a number of private-sector engineers, architects, and demolition experts have not had that problem. They think Building 7 came down by controlled demolition. The building collapsed suddenly, straight down, at nearly free-fall speed. People heard the explosions, and saw the squibs and the characteristic billowing clouds of pulverized concrete so unique to demolitions. There is no reason to think that Building 7 came down for any other reason than explosive demolition.” [Arizona Republic, 5/3/2008]
Entity Tags: Karen S. Johnson
May 4, 2008: All USS Cole Bombing Suspects in Yemen Remain Free
A front-page Washington Post story reveals that, eight years after al-Qaeda bombed the USS Cole just off the coast of Yemen and killed 17 US soldiers (see October 12, 2000), “all the defendants convicted in the attack have escaped from prison or been freed by Yemeni officials.”
Two Key Suspects Keep Slipping from Yemeni Prisons - For instance, Jamal al-Badawi, a Yemeni and key organizer of the bombing, broke out of Yemeni prisons twice and then was secretly released in 2007 (see April 11, 2003-March 2004, February 3, 2006 and October 17-29, 2007). The Yemeni government jailed him again after the US threatened to cut aid to the country, but apparently he continues to freely come and go from his prison cell. US officials have demanded the right to perform random inspections to make sure he stays jailed. Another key Cole suspect, Fahad al-Quso, also escaped from a Yemeni prison and then was secretly released in 2007 (see May 2007). Yemen has refused to extradite al-Badawi and al-Quso to the US, where they have been indicted for the Cole bombing. FBI Director Robert Mueller flew to Yemen in April 2008 to personally appeal to Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh to extradite the two men. However, Saleh has refused, citing a constitutional ban on extraditing its citizens. Other Cole suspects have been freed after short prison terms in Yemen, and at least two went on to commit suicide attacks in Iraq.
US Unwilling to Try Two Suspects in Its Custody - Two more key suspects, Khallad bin Attash and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, were captured by US forces and have been transferred to the US-run Guantanamo prison. Al-Nashiri is considered the mastermind of the Cole bombing, but the US made the decision not to indict either of them because pending criminal charges could have forced the CIA or the Pentagon to give up custody of the men. Al-Quso, bin Attash, and al-Nashiri all attended a key 2000 al-Qaeda summit in Malaysia where the 9/11 attacks were discussed (see January 5-8, 2000).
'The Forgotten Attack' - A week after the Cole bombing, President Bill Clinton vowed to hunt down the plotters and promised, “Justice will prevail.” But less than a month after the bombing, George W. Bush was elected president. Roger Cressey, a former counterterrorism official in the Clinton and Bush administrations who helped oversee the White House’s response to the Cole bombing, says, “During the first part of the Bush administration, no one was willing to take ownership of this. It didn’t happen on their watch. It was the forgotten attack.”
'Back to Square One' - Former FBI agent Ali Soufan, a lead investigator into the bombing, complains, “After we worked day and night to bring justice to the victims and prove that these Qaeda operatives were responsible, we’re back to square one. Do they have laws over there or not? It’s really frustrating what’s happening.” The Post comments, “Basic questions remain about which individuals and countries played a role in the assault on the Cole.”
Possible Government Complicity - One anonymous senior Yemeni official tells the Post that al-Badawi and other al-Qaeda members have had a long relationship with Yemen’s intelligence agencies and have targeted political opponents in the past. For instance, in 2006, an al-Qaeda suicide attack in Yemen came just days before elections there, and Saleh tried to link one of the figures involved to the opposition party, helping Saleh win reelection (see September 15, 2006). Furthermore, there is evidence that figures within the Yemeni government were involved in the Cole bombing (see After October 12, 2000), and that the government also protected key bombers such as al-Nashiri in the months before and after the bombings (see April 2000 and Shortly After October 12, 2000).
Bush Unwilling to Meet with Victims' Relatives - Relatives of the soldiers killed in the bombing have attempted to meet with President Bush to press for more action, to no avail. John P. Clodtfelter Jr., whose son died on the Cole, says, “I was just flat told that he wouldn’t meet with us. Before him, President Clinton promised we’d go out and get these people, and of course we never did. I’m sorry, but it’s just like the lives of American servicemen aren’t that important.” [Washington Post, 5/4/2008]
Entity Tags: John P. Clodtfelter Jr., Ali Soufan, Ali Abdallah Saleh, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Fahad al-Quso, Jamal al-Badawi, William Jefferson (“Bill”) Clinton, Yemen, Khallad bin Attash, Roger Cressey, Robert S. Mueller III, George W. Bush
Category Tags: 2000 USS Cole Bombing, Yemeni Militant Collusion, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
May 13, 2008: Alleged ‘20th Hijacker’ Will Not Be Charged by Military Tribunal for Role in 9/11 Attacks
The US military dismisses charges against Mohammed al-Khatani. In February 2008, al-Khatani was part of a small group of detainees held at the Guantanamo prison charged before a military tribunal with involvement in the 9/11 attacks (see February 11, 2008). Al-Khatani is said to be the would-be “20th hijacker” who was refused entry to the US in August 2001 (see August 4, 2001). However, he was later captured and subjected to months of torture at Guantanamo (see August 8, 2002-January 15, 2003). The Pentagon official who announces the dismissal of charges against him, Convening Authority Susan Crawford, gives no explanation. The charges are dismissed “without prejudice,” which means they could be reinstated at any time. However, many believe that the charges against him are dismissed because of the torture he underwent, as well as the fact that he appears to have only been a unsuccessful low-level figure in the plot. [New York Times, 5/14/2008] In 2006, MSNBC predicted that he would never face trial due to the way he was tortured (see October 26, 2006). However, he still remains imprisoned at Guantanamo. In January 2009, Crawford will confirm that she dismissed the case against al-Khatani because he was indeed tortured (see January 14, 2009). She will say that the treatment suffered by al-Khatani “did shock me,” and will continue: “I was upset by it. I was embarrassed by it. If we tolerate this and allow it, then how can we object when our servicemen and women, or others in foreign service, are captured and subjected to the same techniques? How can we complain? Where is our moral authority to complain? Well, we may have lost it.” Crawford will lay much of the blame for al-Khatani being tortured at the feet of then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. “A lot of this happened on his watch,” she will say. [Washington Post, 1/14/2009]
Entity Tags: Donald Rumsfeld, Mohamed al-Khatani, Susan Crawford
Category Tags: High Value Detainees, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
May 13, 2008: Bush Says Electing a Democrat as President May Lead to Another 9/11 Attack
President Bush says that the election of a Democrat in 2008 might lead to another 9/11-like attack on the US. Reporter Mike Allen asks: “I wonder if you—various people and various candidates talk about pulling out next year. If we were to pull out of Iraq next year, what’s the worst that could happen, what’s the doomsday scenario?” Bush replies, “Doomsday scenario of course is that extremists throughout the Middle East would be emboldened, which would eventually lead to another attack on the United States.” After making this statement, Bush repeats several statements that he has been making for years: Iraq “just happens to be” part of the global war on terror, Iraq “is the place where al-Qaeda and other extremists have made their stand,” and terrorists “can’t stand to live in a free society, that’s why they try to fight free societies.” [Associated Press, 5/13/2008] MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann calls Bush’s claim “ludicrous, infuriating, holier-than-thou and… bone-headedly wrong,” and says, “Terrorism inside Iraq is your creation, Mr. Bush.” [MSNBC, 5/14/2008]
Entity Tags: Mike Allen, Al-Qaeda, George W. Bush, Keith Olbermann
May 14, 2008: Predator Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Leader in Pakistan’s Tribal Region
Damadola Strike in May 2008. [Source: Mohammed Sajjad Associated Press]A missile fired from a US Predator drone reportedly kills al-Qaeda leader Abu Suleiman al-Jazairi. He and 15 others are killed in the strike on a house in the village of Damadola in Pakistan’s tribal region. The house is said to belong to former Taliban defense minister Maulvi Obaidullah, and members of Obaidullah’s family, including women and children, are thought to be among the dead. Al-Jazairi is said to be a trainer and explosives expert, and involved in planning attacks in Europe. Damadola has been hit by drones twice before (see January 13, 2006 and October 30, 2006). Al-Jazairi was little known in the media prior to the strike. [New York Times, 5/16/2008; Observer, 6/1/2008] Obaidullah apparently is not killed. He had been imprisoned in Pakistan since 2003, and had been released several days before as part of a swap for Pakistani Ambassador to Afghanistan Tariq Azizuddin, who had been kidnapped in February. [PAN, 5/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Tariq Azizuddin, Maulvi Obaidullah, Abu Suleiman al-Jazairi
Category Tags: Key Captures and Deaths, Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
May 16, 2008: Bin Laden Possibly Releases Audio Message about Palestine
A new audio message is released by a man thought to be Osama bin Laden. In the message, which lasts about nine minutes and is posted to a website commonly used by al-Qaeda, the speaker calls on Muslims to continue the fight to liberate Palestinian land. The speaker pledges to continue fighting the Israelis and not give up “a single inch of Palestine,” adding that the Palestinian cause is the most important factor driving al-Qaeda’s war with the West. The tape’s release comes around the time of Israel’s 60th anniversary, when US President Bush is in Israel to attend the anniversary celebrations [BBC, 5/16/2008]
May 18, 2008: Bin Laden Possibly Releases Message about Israel and Gaza
A man thought to be Osama bin Laden releases an audio tape calling on Muslim fighters to help end the Israeli blockade of Gaza. In the tape, released by posting on the Internet, the speaker says it is the duty of every Muslim to fight the “oppressive closure.” The tape is released two days after the previous one (see May 16, 2008), on the day US President Bush ends a visit to the Middle East. [Sky News, 5/18/2008]
June 4, 2008: Al-Zawahiri Releases New Audio Tape Marking Anniversary of Six-Day War
Al-Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a new audio tape criticizing his native Egypt for not opening up its border to Palestinians. The 11-minute tape is released by posting to the Internet to mark the 41st anniversary of the Six-Day War between Israel and some of its Arab neighbors. “The brother from Gaza is refused entry [by Egypt], while an Israeli tourist is allowed to enter without a visa,” says al-Zawahiri, calling for an end to Israel’s economic blockade of the Gaza Strip. He also terms Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his troops “criminal traitors” for perpetuating the siege of Gaza. “Salvation of the Muslim nation is through the march of its sons on the path of jihad,” he adds. [Al Jazeera, 5/5/2008]
June 6, 2008: Reporter: Afghanistan, Pakistani Terrorism ‘Far More Serious Threat[s] for US National Security than Iraq’
In a panel discussion hosted by PBS’s Bill Moyers, journalist Jonathan Landay, discussing the US war in Afghanistan, notes that the vast majority of media coverage has been granted to the Iraq occupation. The war in Afghanistan is largely forgotten by the media, or merely rolled into Iraq coverage. Landay notes that Afghanistan is “a far more serious threat for US national security than Iraq is.” Similarly, the media rarely reports on the dire terrorist threats centered in the tribal areas of Pakistan. “[T]his is a black hole virtually which the United States is deeply involved in that we don’t see a lot of meaningful, I mean, in-depth coverage of,” he says. [PBS, 6/6/2008]
Entity Tags: Public Broadcasting System, Bill Moyers, Jonathan Landay
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Afghanistan, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
June 22, 2008: Article: Pakistani Border Forces Helping Taliban Attack US Troops in Afghanistan
Members of the Frontier Corps near Shakai, in the region of South Waziristan, in August 2004. [Source: Kamran Wazir / Reuters / Corbis]The British newspaper The Observer reports that the Frontier Corps, a Pakistani government paramilitary force operating in Pakistan’s tribal regions near the border with Afghanistan, sometimes join in attacks on US-led forces in Afghanistan. The article alleges there are “box loads” of after-action reports compiled after armed clashes near the border, detailing the Frontier Corps working with the Taliban and other allied militants. Some attacks are launched so close to Frontier Corps outposts that Pakistani cooperation with the Taliban is assumed. There has been a dramatic increase in cross-border incidents compared to the same time the year before. An anonymous US official says: “The United States and NATO have substantial information on this problem. It’s taking place at a variety of places along the border with the Frontier Corps giving direct and indirect assistance. I’m not saying it is everyone. There are some parts that have been quite helpful… but if you have seen the after-action reports of their involvement in attacks along the Afghan border you would appreciate the problem.” The US government continues to downplay such incidents, worried about its relationship with the Pakistani government. A NATO spokesman says: “The real concern is that the extremists in Pakistan are getting safe havens to rest, recuperate and retool in Pakistan and come across the border. The concerns have been conveyed to the Pakistan authorities.” [Observer, 6/22/2008]
Entity Tags: Frontier Corps, Taliban
Late June 2008: US Intelligence Allegedly Discovers ISI and Taliban Faction Are Planning Spectacular Bombing in Afghanistan
US intelligence allegedly discovers that the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, and a faction of the Taliban are planning a spectacular bombing somewhere in Afghanistan. US intelligence is intercepting Pakistani government communications in an attempt to find out if the Pakistani government is still supporting militants fights US soldiers in Afghanistan. Communications intercepts already revealed an active link between the Pakistani government and the Haqqani network, a semi-autonomous branch of the Taliban headed by Jalaluddin Haqqani (see May 2008). According to a later book by New York Times reporter David Sanger, new intercepts at this time show that the ISI is working to carry out a spectacular bombing in Afghanistan. But apparently, the exact target is not known. Two weeks later, the Indian Embassy in Kabul will be bombed (see July 7, 2008). Afterwards, the US will accuse the ISI and the Haqqani network of plotting the bombing, mostly based on these intercepts from before the bombing (see July 28, 2008 and August 1, 2008). [London Times, 2/17/2009]
Entity Tags: Jalaluddin Haqqani, Haqqani Network, Taliban, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, US intelligence
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
June 28, 2008: Justice Department’s Investigation of CIA’s Destruction of Torture Videotapes Is Proceeding Slowly
Newsweek reports that the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into the CIA’s destruction of video of the torture of al-Qaeda leaders Abu Zubaida and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri is continuing, but proceeding slowly. Federal prosecutor John Durham has recently filed a federal court affidavit that states he is examining whether anyone “obstructed justice, made false statements, or acted in contempt of court or Congress in connection with the destruction of the videotapes.” He is specifically attempting to determine if the destruction violated any judge’s order. But progress is slow, and the investigation is likely to take six months or more, which means any criminal charges will probably come after the November 2008 presidential elections. Two sources close to former intelligence officials who are potential key witnesses in the case say these officials have not been summoned to give grand jury testimony. One of them has not even been questioned by the FBI yet. [Newsweek, 6/28/2008] Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed Durham to head the investigation in January 2008 (see January 2, 2008).
Entity Tags: John Durham, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Central Intelligence Agency, US Department of Justice, Abu Zubaida
Category Tags: Destruction of CIA Tapes
June 30, 2008: Al-Nashiri to Be Tried at Military Tribunal for Cole Bombing, Could Be Sentenced to Death
The Defense Department announces that it is charging al-Qaeda leader Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri with “organizing and directing” the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 (see October 12, 2000) and will seek the death penalty. Al-Nashiri was captured in 2002 (see Early October 2002), held and tortured in secret CIA prisons until 2006 (see (November 2002)), and then transferred to Defense Department custody at the Guantanamo prison (see September 2-3, 2006). He will be tried there in a military tribunal. Al-Nashiri told a hearing at Guantanamo in 2007 that he confessed a role in the Cole bombing, but only because he was tortured by US interrogators (see March 10-April 15, 2007). CIA Director Michael Hayden has conceded that al-Nashiri was subjected to waterboarding. [Associated Press, 6/30/2008] Khallad bin Attash, who is being held at Guantanamo with al-Nashiri and other al-Qaeda leaders, allegedly had a major role in the Cole bombing, but he is not charged. Presumably this is because he has already been charged for a role in the 9/11 attacks.
Entity Tags: Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Khallad bin Attash, US Department of Defense
Category Tags: 2000 USS Cole Bombing, High Value Detainees
June 30, 2008: New York Times: US Policy Fight Al-Qaeda’s Pakistan Safe Haven Is ‘Drifting,’ Plagued by Mistakes and Lack of Strategy
The New York Times publishes a long front-page analysis of the policy disputes and mistakes that have bogged down US efforts to combat al-Qaeda’s safe haven in Pakistan’s tribal region. The article reveals that the US effort has often been “undermined by bitter disagreements within the Bush administration and within the CIA, including about whether American commandos should launch ground raids inside the tribal areas.… [B]y most accounts, the administration failed to develop a comprehensive plan to address the militant problem there, and never resolved the disagreements between warring agencies that undermined efforts to fashion any coherent strategy.” Richard Armitage, deputy secretary of state for President Bush’s first term and the administration’s point person for Pakistan, says, “We’re just kind of drifting.” Pakistan’s policy as led by President Pervez Musharraf has also been adrift and/or ineffective: “Western military officials say Mr. Musharraf was instead often distracted by his own political problems, and effectively allowed militants to regroup by brokering peace agreements with them.” The Times concludes, “Just as it had on the day before 9/11, al-Qaeda now has a band of terrorist camps from which to plan and train for attacks against Western targets, including the United States.” The camps are smaller than the ones used prior to 9/11, but one retired CIA officer estimates that as many as 2,000 militants train in them at any given time, up from several hundred in 2005. “Leading terrorism experts have warned that it is only a matter of time before a major terrorist attack planned in the mountains of Pakistan is carried out on American soil.” [New York Times, 6/30/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Richard Armitage, Pervez Musharraf, Bush administration (43)
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
July 1, 2008: Polish Intelligence Warns Taliban Plan to Attack Indian Embassy in Kabul
Polish intelligence warns India and the US that the Taliban are likely to attack the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The embassy will be bombed one week later, killing 54 (see July 7, 2008). The document giving the warning is entitled, “Threat Report… Threat to Indian Embassy.” It is based on information received one day earlier. It states, “Taliban are planning to carry out an attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.” It goes on to describe how a suicide bomber plans to use a stolen Afghan government car and stolen uniform to get past security. The document will be publicly leaked in 2010 as part of a massive WikiLeaks release of US documents relating to the US war in Afghanistan. [Press Trust of India, 7/27/2010] It is unclear how or where Polish intelligence got this information. US intelligence apparently learns around this time that the Taliban and ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, are planning a spectacular bombing somewhere in Afghanistan (see Late June 2008). However, it appears that India acts on at least one of the warnings, because the Indian ambassador to Afghanistan will later say that India took extra security measures in the weeks before the bombings because “we were expecting trouble.” Most importantly, sand-filled blast barriers are placed around the main embassy building. That, plus the quick action of security guards, will prevent the bomber from getting closer to the building, and thus reduce the number of lives lost. [Associated Press, 7/9/2008]
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Taliban, Poland
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Afghanistan, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
July 1, 2008: CIA Veteran Challenges Claim that Harsh Interrogations Have ‘Saved Thousands of Americans’
Milt Bearden, a retired 30-year CIA veteran who served as senior manager for clandestine operations, writes: “The [Bush] administration’s claims of having ‘saved thousands of Americans’ can be dismissed out of hand because credible evidence has never been offered—not even an authoritative leak of any major terrorist operation interdicted based on information gathered from these interrogations in the past seven years. All the public gets is repeated references to Jose Padilla (see June 10, 2002), the Lackawanna Six (see April-August 2001), the Liberty Seven (see June 23, 2006), and the Library Tower operation in Los Angeles (see October 2001-February 2002). If those slapstick episodes are the true character of the threat, then maybe we’ll be okay after all. When challenged on the lack of a game-changing example of a derailed operation, administration officials usually say that the need to protect sources and methods prevents revealing just how enhanced interrogation techniques have saved so many thousands of Americans. But it is irresponsible for any administration not to tell a credible story that would convince critics at home and abroad that this torture has served some useful purpose.” Bearden suggests that the CIA might have been permanently “broken” by its use of torture, and that some US officials will likely face the threat of being arrested overseas on torture charges for years to come. [Washington Independent, 7/1/2008]
Entity Tags: Milt Bearden, Central Intelligence Agency
July 7, 2008: Suicide Bombing on Indian Embassy in Kabul Kills 54; Afghan and Indian Governments Blame ISI and Taliban
A suicide bombing at the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, kills 54 people and injures 140 others. The main target appears to be a diplomatic convoy that had just entered the embassy gate, directly followed by the suicide truck. Among the dead are two senior Indian diplomats, including the military attaché, Brigadier Ravi Mehta. Many of those killed are people standing in line waiting for visas. [London Times, 8/3/2008] The Indian government received at least one warning about an attack on the embassy, and it took extra security precautions that helped reduce the loss of lives (see July 1, 2008). The Afghan interior ministry quickly asserts that the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, helped the Taliban with the attack. A presidential spokesman states at a news conference, “The sophistication of this attack and the kind of material that was used in it, the specific targeting, everything has the hallmarks of a particular intelligence agency that has conducted similar terrorist acts inside Afghanistan in the past.” The Afghan government has asserted that the ISI is responsible for other attacks in Afghanistan, including an attempted assassination of President Hamid Karzai in late April 2008 (see April 27, 2008). The Indian government also quickly blames the ISI and the Taliban. [Financial Times, 7/8/2008; Taipei Times, 7/9/2008] The Taliban deny involvement in the attack, but the New York Times notes that the Taliban usually deny involvement in attacks with a large number of civilian casualties. [New York Times, 7/8/2008] Less than a month later, US intelligence will accuse the ISI of helping a Taliban-linked militant network led by Jalaluddin Haqqani to plan the bombing (see August 1, 2008). President Bush will even directly threaten Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani with serious consequences if another attack is linked to the ISI (see July 28, 2008).
Entity Tags: Ravi Mehta, Jalaluddin Haqqani, Haqqani Network, Taliban, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Afghanistan
July 14, 2008: Pakistani Taliban Impose Strict Islamic Law in Tribal Region of Mohmand
Tehrik-i-Taliban, a group of Pakistani militants linked to the Taliban, declares the imposition of Sharia law (strict Islamic judicial code) in the Mohmand tribal area in Pakistan. Islamic courts have been established in the four regions of Mohmand, and the group has established similar courts already in the adjacent region of Bajaur. [Dawn (Karachi), 7/15/2008]
Entity Tags: Tehrik-i-Taliban
Category Tags: Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region
July 17, 2008: Alleged Female Al-Qaeda Sleeper Agent Arrested in Afghanistan
Aafia Siddique in Afghan custody on July 17, 2008. [Source: Associated Press]Aafia Siddiqui, a female Pakistani neuroscientist and alleged al-Qaeda operative, is arrested by Afghan police in the town of Ghazni, Afghanistan. Police reportedly also find bomb-making instructions, substances in bottles and jars, and papers describing US landmarks. There are conflicting accounts about what happens next:
US Government's Version - The next day, a group of US agents come to visit her, but she is being held unsecured in a room, hiding behind a curtain. One of the US agents puts his rifle down. She allegedly picks up the rifle to shoot at the group. She shoots twice and misses, while a US agent shoots back and hits her at least once. [CNN, 8/4/2008; Reuters, 8/5/2008]
Afghan Police Version - According to Reuters, “Afghan police in Ghazni however, [tell] a different story.” They claim that they find Siddiqui in Ghazni after reports of her behaving suspiciously. They find maps of the town, including one of the governor’s house, and arrest her and a teenage boy. US troops then request that she be handed over to them, but Afghan police refuse, according to a senior police officer there. US soldiers then disarm the Afghan police at which point Siddiqui approaches the US soldiers complaining of mistreatment by the police. The US soldiers, under the impression that she could have explosives and would attack them as a suicide bomber, shoot her and take her away. The boy remains in Afghan police custody. [Reuters, 8/5/2008]
She is extradited to the US a couple of weeks later, where she is due to stand trial for attempting to murder the US agents. Siddiqui had lived and studied in the US for many years. She was in Pakistan in March 2003 when it was announced that 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed had been arrested. She disappeared several days later (see Late September 2001-March 2003). The FBI issued an alert for her arrest, alleging that she had been an al-Qaeda sleeper agent in the US. There has been speculation that she had been secretly arrested by the US or Pakistan, and what happened to her since 2003 still remains a mystery. [CNN, 8/4/2008]
Entity Tags: Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Aafia Siddiqui
Category Tags: Afghanistan, Key Captures and Deaths
July 25, 2008: Al-Qaeda Linked Suicide Bombing in Yemen Kills Four
Ahmed al-Mashjari (right) with unidentified associate, in propaganda video. [Source: Public domain]A suicide bomber named Ahmed al-Mashjari crashes a van full of explosives into a government security headquarters in the eastern province of Hadramaut in Yemen. Four are killed, including a Yemeni soldier. The al-Qaeda affiliate Soldiers of Yemen Brigades takes credit for the bombing, calling al-Mashjari a “heroic martyr.” The Yemeni government is said to have a tacit agreement whereby al-Qaeda operatives are left alone and in return they do not attack targets within Yemen. But Nadia al-Sakkaf, editor of the Yemen Times, says: “There was a deal [with the jihadis] but it’s not working any more. Now there are just fanatics who want to be hired by al-Qaeda, people who have come back from Iraq or Afghanistan and have no skills, who are not integrated into society and have no education. They are brainwashed. Jihad is all they know.” [Yemen News Agency, 7/27/2008; Guardian, 7/30/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Ahmed al-Mashjari
Category Tags: Yemeni Militant Collusion, Alleged Al-Qaeda Linked Attacks
July 28, 2008: US Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Leader Midhat Mursi in Pakistan’s Tribal Region
A US drone strike kills al-Qaeda leader Midhat Mursi (a.k.a. Abu Khabab al-Masri). He is one of six people killed in the strike on a compound in South Waziristan, in Pakistan’s tribal region. Mursi, an Egyptian, was considered a poisons and explosives expert, and was accused of training the suicide bombers in the 2000 USS Cole bombing. He also is believed to have run the Darunta training camp in eastern Afghanistan until it was abandoned during the US invasion in late 2001. The US had put a $5 million bounty on him. A statement by al-Qaeda leader Mustafa Abu al-Yazid posted on the Internet about a week later will confirm his death. [Associated Press, 8/3/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, US Military, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, Midhat Mursi
Category Tags: Key Captures and Deaths, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan
July 28, 2008: President Bush Privately Accuses ISI of Helping Islamist Militants; Issues Ultimatum
Yousaf Raza Gillani. [Source: Public Domain]Pakistan’s prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gillani, visits the US and meets with President George Bush in Washington, D.C. Bush privately confronts Gillani with evidence that the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, has been helping the Taliban and al-Qaeda. US intelligence has long suspected that Pakistan has been playing a “double game,” accepting over a billion dollars of US aid per year meant to help finance Pakistan’s fight with Islamic militants, but at the same time training and funding those militants, who often go on to fight US soldiers in Afghanistan. The London Times reports that Gillani “was left in no doubt that the Bush administration had lost patience with the ISI’s alleged double game.” Bush allegedly warned that if one more attack in Afghanistan or elsewhere were traced back to Pakistan, the US would take “serious action.” The key evidence is that US intelligence claims to have intercepted communications showing that the ISI helped plan a militant attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, earlier in the month (see July 7, 2008). US officials will leak this story of ISI involvement to the New York Times several days after Bush’s meeting with Gillani (see August 1, 2008). Gillani also meets with CIA Director Michael Hayden, who confronts him with a dossier on ISI support for the Taliban. Pakistanis officials will claim they were shocked at the “grilling” they received. One Pakistani official who came to the US with Gillani will say, “They were very hot on the ISI. Very hot. When we asked them for more information, Bush laughed and said, ‘When we share information with your guys, the bad guys always run away’.” When the story of Bush’s confrontation with Gillani is leaked to the press, Pakistani officials categorically deny any link between the ISI and militants in Afghanistan. But senior British intelligence and government officials have also told the Pakistanis in recent days that they are convinced the ISI was involved in the embassy bombing. This is believed to be the first time the US has openly confronted Pakistan since a warning given several days after 9/11 (see September 13-15, 2001). The US is said to be particularly concerned with the ISI’s links to Jalaluddin Haqqani, who runs a militant network that the US believes was involved in the bombing. And the US is worries about links between the ISI and Lashkar-e-Toiba, a Pakistan-based militant group that is said to have been behind a recent attack against US forces in Afghanistan that killed nine. [London Times, 8/3/2008]
Entity Tags: Yousaf Raza Gillani, Jalaluddin Haqqani, Al-Qaeda, George W. Bush, US intelligence, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Taliban, Michael Hayden
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Afghanistan, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
August 1, 2008: Pakistani Official Admits that Some in ISI Still Support Taliban, then Backtracks
Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s information minister, admits to journalists that the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, still contains pro-Taliban operatives. She says, “We need to identify these people and weed them out.” However, she later changes her statement, claiming that the problems were in the past and there will be no purge. [London Times, 8/3/2008] Her comment comes right as US intelligence accuses the ISI of involvement in a recent bombing of the Indian embassy in Afghanistan (see July 7, 2008 and August 1, 2008).
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Sherry Rehman, Taliban
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Afghanistan, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing
August 1, 2008: US Intelligence Officials Claim ISI Helped Islamic Militants Bomb Indian Embassy in Afghanistan
The New York Times reports that US intelligence agencies have concluded that the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, helped plan the July 7, 2008, bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack was initially blamed on al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants, and 54 people were killed (see July 7, 2008). It is said US intelligence intercepted communications between ISI officers and militants who took part in the attack. The communications were intercepted before the bombing, but apparently were not specific enough to stop the attack. Anonymous US officials would not specifically tell the Times what kind of assistance the ISI gave the bombers. However, it was noted that the ISI officers involved were not renegades, suggesting their actions could have been authorized by superiors. [New York Times, 8/1/2008] The US also claims to have arrested an ISI officer inside Afghanistan, apparently for a role in the attack, but who this person is and what their role exactly allegedly was remains unclear. India and Pakistan have been traditional enemies, and Pakistan is concerned about India’s influence in Afghanistan. Many Western intelligence officials have long suspected that the ISI gets aid from the US and its allies and then uses this support to help the militants the US is fighting. However, solid proof has been hard to find. However, one British official tells the London Times, “The Indian embassy bombing seems to have finally provided it. This is the smoking gun we’ve all been looking for.” [London Times, 8/3/2008] One State Department official similarly says of the bombing evidence, “It confirmed some suspicions that I think were widely held. It was sort of this ‘a-ha’ moment. There was a sense that there was finally direct proof.” US officials believe that the embassy bombing was probably carried out by members of a network led by Jalaluddin Haqqani, who in turn has close alliances with al-Qaeda and the Taliban. US officials also say there is new evidence that ISI officials are increasingly providing militants with details about the US military campaign against them. In some cases, this has allowed militants to avoid US missile strikes in Pakistan. [New York Times, 8/1/2008] Several days before these accusations against the ISI were leaked to the press, British and US officials privately confronted Pakistani officials about the charges. President Bush even directly threatened Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani with serious consequences if another attack were linked to the ISI (see July 28, 2008).
Entity Tags: Jalaluddin Haqqani, US Department of State, US intelligence, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Afghanistan, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Pakistani ISI Links to 9/11
August 2, 2008: Al-Qaeda Leader Fazul Narrowly Escapes Capture in Kenya
Pages from two passports seized in the raid. Both show pictures of Fazul but have different names. [Source: East African Standard]An al-Qaeda leader named Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, (a.k.a. Haroun Fazul), narrowly escapes capture in Kenya. The US government claims that Fazul had important roles in the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania (see 10:35-10:39 a.m., August 7, 1998) and the 2002 hotel bombing in Mombasa, Kenya (see November 28, 2002). Fazul was indicted for the embassy bombings before 9/11, and there is a $5 million reward for him. On August 2, 2008, Kenyan police raid a house in Malindi, a town on Kenya’s coast. Two passports bearing Fazul’s picture but different names are found, as well as his laptop computer. A Kenyan newspaper reports that a local police officer may have tipped off Fazul about the raid minutes before it took place. A half-eaten meal is discovered in the house, and the television is still on, leading police to believe that he ran out of the house just before they arrived. Three Kenyans are arrested and charged with helping to hide him. He reportedly narrowly escaped a US air strike in Somalia in 2007 (see December 24, 2006-January 2007), as well as a police raid in Kenya in 2003. [CNN, 8/4/2008; East African Standard, 8/5/2008] He will be killed in Somalia in 2011 (see June 10, 2011).
Entity Tags: Fazul Abdullah Mohammed
Category Tags: 1998 US Embassy Bombings, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
August 4, 2008: Scientific Journal Article Claims Presence of Thermite Could Explain Environmental Anomalies at WTC Ground Zero
Explosives on a chip [Source: Gary Meek/Georgia Institute of Technology]According to an article published in The Environmentalist, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Springer Netherlands, air quality data collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at Ground Zero support the hypothesis that cutting charges made with thermite were used to demolish the World Trade Center. The article by authors (and 9/11 truth activists) Kevin Ryan, James Gourley, and Steven Jones says the presence of thermite would best explain three major documented anomalies: [Ryan, Gourley, and Jones, 8/4/2008]
1) The Persistence of Fires at Ground Zero - As has been extensively reported, the rubble at Ground Zero continued to burn for months after 9/11, despite rain as well as firefighters’ use of large quantities of water and of the chemical fire suppressant Pyrocool. [New York Times, 11/19/2001] There is also eyewitness and photographic evidence of molten metal (see September 12, 2001-February 2002) and of explosions accompanied by white dust clouds. The book Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive by photographer Joel Meyerowitz shows a picture of such an explosion taking place on November 8, 2001. [Meyerowitz, 2006, pp. 178] Another photography books by NYPD officer John Botte also shows a picture of smoke emerging from the pile at Ground Zero and explains: “Occasionally, a huge flame would shoot out from the middle of the pile, sounding like a blow torch, as it did here.” [Botte, 2006, pp. 48-49]
2) Spikes of Certain Chemicals in the Air - EPA data shows that several spikes of chemical products of combustion, called volatile organic chemicals (VOC), occurred in October and November 2001, and in February 2002. According to the authors, these spikes indicate “abrupt, violent fires.”
3) The Presence of 1,3-Diphenylpropane - A third anomaly was the presence of large quantities of 1,3-diphenylpropane (1,3-DPP) in the air, a chemical that had not been found in previous structure fires. An EPA scientist told Newsday, “We’ve never observed it in any sampling we’ve ever done.” [Newsday, 9/14/2003]
A possible explanation would be the presence of novel “energetic nanocomposites” which include 1,3-DPP, according to scientific articles reviewed by Ryan et al. Such materials are “amenable to spray-on applications.” A 2002 report said: “The energetic coating dries to give a nice adherent film. Preliminary experiments indicate that films of the hybrid material are self-propagating when ignited by thermal stimulus.” [Ryan, Gourley, and Jones, 8/4/2008] The main center for nanocomposites research is Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). An October 2000 article in a LLNL publication provided an introduction to the research conducted there: “Energetic nanocomposites have a fuel component and an oxidizer component mixed together. […] In one such material (termed a thermite pyrotechnic), iron oxide gel reacts with metallic aluminum particles to release an enormous amount of heat. ‘These reactions typically produce temperatures in excess of 3,500 degrees Celsius’ says [LLNL researcher Randy] Simpson.” [Science & Technology Review, 10/2000] The authors conclude that “[t]he presence of energetic materials, specifically energetic nanocomposites, at [Ground Zero], has the potential to explain much of the unusual environmental data seen at the WTC. Thermite […] is such a pyrotechnic mixture that cannot be easily extinguished and is a common component of energetic nanocomposites.… [T]he detection of 1,3-DPP at the WTC supports this hypothesis. Finally, the spikes in VOCs, detected by EPA on specific dates, are more readily explained as a result of short-lived, violent fires caused by energetic materials.” [Ryan, Gourley, and Jones, 8/4/2008]
Entity Tags: Steven E. Jones, James R. Gourley, Environmental Protection Agency, Kevin Ryan
August 10, 2008: Al-Zawahiri Releases New Audio Message in English
Al-Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a new audio tape about Pakistan on which he speaks English. This is the first recording he has released in English, a language al-Zawahiri says he chose because he wants to speak directly to the Pakistani people, but cannot speak Urdu, the predominant language there. The message, produced by al-Qaeda’s media arm As-Sahab, is aired by the ARY One World news network, but is apparently not made available anywhere else on the Internet. On the tape, al-Zawahiri lists a series of grievances he has against the Pakistani government and US involvement there, as well as relating his own personal experiences living in Pakistan. [ABC News, 8/10/2008]
Entity Tags: Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri
August 18, 2008: Threatened with Impeachment, Pakistani President Musharraf Resigns
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announces his resignation. Opposition to Musharraf’s rule had been slowly growing, especially since he declared a state of emergency in late 2007 to remain in power (see November 3-December 15, 2007) following a controversial reelection (see October 6, 2007). In early 2008, opposition parties united and won parliamentary elections (see February 18, 2008). The opposition then chose Yousaf Raza Gillani as the new prime minister, and Gillani took away much of Musharraf’s power (see March 22-25, 2008). The opposition parties united again to start impeachment hearings against Musharraf for his state of emergency and other claimed abuses of power. His resignation speech came hours after the opposition finalized its charges against him and prepared to launch an impeachment trial. Musharraf claims he could have defeated the charges, but he wanted to spare the country the conflict caused by the trial. Gillani remains prime minister, and the Speaker of the Pakistani Senate, Muhammad Mian Sumroo, automatically takes over as caretaker president. [BBC, 8/18/2008]
Entity Tags: Muhammad Mian Sumroo, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Pervez Musharraf
Timeline Tags: US International Relations, War in Afghanistan
Shortly After August 18, 2008: New US Policy Increases Drone Attacks in Pakistan; No Longer Asks Permission from Pakistan First
The US dramatically increases the number of CIA drone attacks on Islamist militant targets in Pakistan, and no longer relies on permission from the Pakistani government before striking. Bush administration officials had been increasingly concerned about al-Qaeda’s resurgence in Pakistan’s tribal region. A 2006 peace deal between Islamist militants and the Pakistani government gave al-Qaeda and other militant groups a chance to recover from earlier pressures (see September 5, 2006). However, the Bush administration had close ties with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, who did not want more aggressive US action. But Musharraf resigns on August 18, 2008 (see August 18, 2008), and within days, President Bush signs a secret new policy.
More Drone Strikes - From August 31, 2008, until late March 2009, the CIA carries out at least 38 drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal region. By contrast there were only 10 known drone strikes in 2006 and 2007 combined. There were three strikes in 2006, seven strikes in 2007, and 36 in 2008 (all but seven of those took place after Musharraf resigned in August). Drone capabilities and intelligence collection has improved, but the change mainly has to do with politics. A former CIA official who oversaw Predator drone operations in Pakistan will later say: “We had the data all along. Finally we took off the gloves.”
Permission No Longer Needed - Additionally, the US no longer requires the Pakistani government’s permission before ordering a drone strike. US officials had suspected that many of their targets were tipped off by the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency. Now this is no longer a concern. Getting permission from Pakistan could take a day or more. Sometimes this caused the CIA to lose track of its target (see for instance 2006). [Los Angeles Times, 3/22/2009]
Entity Tags: Central Intelligence Agency, Al-Qaeda, Bush administration (43), Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Pervez Musharraf, George W. Bush
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Hunt for Bin Laden in Pakistan, Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan
August 21, 2008: NIST Releases Draft Final Report on WTC 7 Collapse
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) releases a draft version of the final report of its investigation of the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, the 47-story skyscraper which collapsed late in the afternoon of 9/11 (see (5:20 p.m.) September 11, 2001). [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008] The report describes NIST’s conclusions on how fires that followed the impact of debris from the north WTC tower’s collapse resulted in the eventual collapse of WTC 7. It evaluates the emergency response and building evacuation procedures, and provides 13 recommendations for construction of buildings in the future, and improved procedures and practices. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. xiii ] Some of the report’s key findings are:
NIST describes its theory of what caused WTC 7 to collapse: “The probable collapse sequence… was initiated by the buckling of a critical interior column.… This column had become unsupported over nine stories after initial local fire-induced damage led to a cascade of local floor failures. The buckling of this column led to a vertical progression of floor failures up to the roof and to the buckling of adjacent interior columns to the south of the critical column. An east-to-west horizontal progression of interior column buckling followed, due to loss of lateral support to adjacent columns, forces exerted by falling debris, and load redistribution from other buckled columns. The exterior columns then buckled as the failed building core moved downward, redistributing its loads to the exterior columns. Global collapse occurred as the entire building above the buckled region moved downward as a single unit.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. xxxii ]
The collapse of WTC 7 “represents the first known instance of the total collapse of a tall building primarily due to fires. The collapse could not have been prevented without controlling the fires before most of the combustible building contents were consumed.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 43 ]
The fires in WTC 7 “were ignited as a result of the impact of debris from the collapse of WTC 1, which was approximately 370 ft to the south.… The fires were ignited on at least 10 floors; however, only the fires on floors 7 through 9 and 11 through 13 grew and lasted until the time of the building collapse.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. xxxi-xxxii ]
“Even without the initial structural damage caused by debris impact from the collapse of WTC 1, WTC 7 would have collapsed from fires having the same characteristics as those experienced on September 11, 2001.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 44 ]
“Had a water supply for the automatic sprinkler system been available and had the sprinkler system operated as designed, it is likely that fires in WTC 7 would have been controlled and the collapse prevented.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 43 ]
Other skyscrapers had previously survived comparable fires. “The fires in WTC 7 were similar to those that have occurred previously in several tall buildings (One New York Plaza, 1970, First Interstate Bank, 1988, and One Meridian Plaza, 1991) where the automatic sprinklers did not function or were not present. However, because of differences between their structural designs and that of WTC 7, these three buildings did not collapse.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 43 ]
NIST found that “temperatures did not exceed 300°C in the core or perimeter columns in WTC 7,” including the three interior columns that NIST says were the first to buckle in the collapse. “None of these columns were significantly weakened by elevated temperatures.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 49-50 ]
NIST says it found “no evidence to suggest that WTC 7 was not designed in a manner generally consistent with applicable building codes and standards.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 53 ]
The report concludes that neither explosives nor fuel oil fires fed by diesel tanks in WTC 7 played any role in the collapse (see August 21, 2008 and August 21, 2008). [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 44-45 ]
However, the report points out that WTC 7 “and the records kept within it were destroyed, and the remains of all the WTC buildings were disposed of before congressional action and funding was available for this investigation to begin. As a result, there are some facts that could not be discerned, and thus there are uncertainties in this accounting. Nonetheless, NIST was able to gather sufficient evidence and documentation to conduct a full investigation upon which to reach firm findings and recommendations.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. xxxi ]
NIST released a progress report in June 2004, which had included its “working hypothesis” at that time for the collapse of WTC 7 (see June 18, 2004). [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 6/18/2004] After suggestions are made by members of the public in response to the current draft report, NIST will release the finished version of the report in November 2008, which includes the same major findings and recommendations as the draft version (see November 20, 2008). [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 11/20/2008]
Entity Tags: World Trade Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology
August 21, 2008: Critics Unconvinced by NIST’s Claim that Explosives Not Used to Bring Down WTC 7
After the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces the results of its investigation into the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, some critics dispute its explanation for the collapse and question its apparent debunking of claims that explosives were used to demolish the building. The 47-story tower collapsed late in the afternoon of 9/11, even though no plane hit it (see (5:20 p.m.) September 11, 2001). Some have argued that fire and the falling debris from the Twin Towers’ collapses should not have brought down such a large steel and concrete structure. [Associated Press, 8/21/2008]
NIST Lacks 'the Expertise on Explosives' - James Quintiere, a professor of fire protection engineering at the University of Maryland who previously worked as the chief of NIST’s fire science and engineering division, says that NIST does not “have the expertise on explosives, so I don’t know how they came to that conclusion,” that explosives did not cause the collapse. However, Quintiere says he never personally believed explosives were involved. [Los Angeles Times, 8/22/2008] Richard Gage, a California architect and leader of a group called Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, complains, “How much longer do we have to endure the cover-up of how Building 7 was destroyed?” The New York Times points out that “the collapse of 7 World Trade Center—home at the time to branch offices of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Secret Service, and the Giuliani administration’s emergency operations center—is cited in hundreds of Web sites and books as perhaps the most compelling evidence that an insider secretly planted explosives, intentionally destroying the tower.” [New York Times, 8/21/2008]
NIST Presentation - At a presentation of its findings earlier in the day, NIST announced that, in its three-year study of the collapse, it found no evidence showing explosives were used to bring the building down. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008; National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008] During his summary of the findings of NIST’s WTC 7 investigation (see August 21, 2008), lead investigator Shyam Sunder said, “We did not find any evidence that explosives were used to bring the building down.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008]
'No Witness Reports' of Loud Explosions - In the draft version of its final report on the collapse, which is released on this day (see August 21, 2008), NIST explains: “Blast from the smallest charge capable of failing a critical column… would have resulted in a sound level of 130 dB to 140 dB at a distance of at least half a mile if unobstructed by surrounding buildings.… This sound level is consistent with standing next to a jet plane engine and more than ten times louder than being in front of the speakers at a rock concert. There were no witness reports of such a loud noise, nor was such a noise heard on the audio tracks of video recordings of the WTC 7 collapse.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. 44-45 ]
NIST Rules out Thermite - Skeptics have argued that an incendiary material called thermite was used to bring down WTC 7 (see August 4, 2008), and this would not necessarily have created such a loud explosive boom. [New York Times, 8/21/2008] But in a fact sheet published on this day, NIST responds: “To apply thermite to a large steel column, approximately 0.13 lb of thermite would be needed to heat and melt each pound of steel. For a steel column that weighs approximately 1,000 lbs. per foot, at least 100 lbs. of thermite would need to be placed around the column, ignited, and remain in contact with the vertical steel surface as the thermite reaction took place. This is for one column… presumably, more than one column would have been prepared with thermite, if this approach were to be used. It is unlikely that 100 lbs. of thermite, or more, could have been carried into WTC 7 and placed around columns without being detected, either prior to Sept. 11 or during that day.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008] Sunder says that investigators therefore decided not to use their computer model to evaluate whether a thermite-fueled fire might have brought down WTC 7. Pointing to the omission, one skeptic says, “It is very difficult to find what you are not looking for.” [New York Times, 8/21/2008] In a 2006 fact sheet, NIST in fact admitted it “did not test for the residue” of explosives or thermite in the remaining structural steel from the WTC collapses (see August 30, 2006). [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/30/2006] And, as the New York Times notes, “Adding to the suspicion is the fact that in the rush to clean up the site, almost all of the steel remains of the tower were disposed of, leaving investigators in later years with little forensic evidence” (see Shortly After September 11, 2001 and September 12-October 2001). [New York Times, 8/21/2008]
Extensive Preparations for Demolition - NIST’s new fact sheet also points out: “For [WTC 7] to have been prepared for intentional demolition, walls and/or column enclosures and fireproofing would have to be removed and replaced without being detected. Preparing a column includes steps such as cutting sections with torches, which produces noxious and odorous fumes. Intentional demolition usually requires applying explosive charges to most, if not all, interior columns, not just one or a limited set of columns in a building.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008]
Entity Tags: Richard Gage, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Shyam Sunder, World Trade Center, James Quintiere
August 21, 2008: NIST Rules out Diesel Tanks in Collapse of WTC 7
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publicly rejects the theory that diesel fuel tanks installed in World Trade Center Building 7 played any role in the 47-story tower’s collapse, late in the afternoon of 9/11. This is clearly set out in a question-and-answer factsheet published on this day, together with an announcement of NIST’s draft report on the building’s collapse (see August 21, 2008 and August 21, 2008). The factsheet asks, “Did fuel oil systems in WTC 7 contribute to its collapse?” The answer is “No…. The worst-case scenarios associated with fires… could not have been sustained long enough, could not have generated sufficient heat to weaken critical interior columns, and/or would have produced large amounts of visible smoke from the lower floors, which were not observed.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008; New York Times, 8/21/2008] These findings are echoed in the draft version of its final report on the collapse. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/2008, pp. xxxii ] WTC 7 had three emergency power systems, all of which ran on diesel fuel. The systems contained two 12,000 gallon fuel tanks and two 6,000 gallon tanks located beneath the building’s loading docks, and another 6,000 gallon tank on its first floor. There were also 275 gallon tanks on the fifth, seventh, and eighth floors, and a 50 gallon tank on the ninth floor. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008] It has previously been suggested that diesel stored in these tanks might have contributed to fires that led to WTC 7’s collapse (see March 2, 2002). [New York Times, 3/2/2002] This possibility was proposed in the final report of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) investigation of the WTC collapses, published in May 2002 (see May 1, 2002). [Federal Emergency Management Agency, 5/1/2002, pp. 5-28 - 5-29] But in his summary of the findings of NIST’s three-year study of WTC 7, lead investigator Shyam Sunder says the building’s collapse was “not due to fires from the substantial amount of diesel fuel stored in the building.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008]
Entity Tags: World Trade Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Shyam Sunder
August 21, 2008: NIST Announces Conclusions of WTC 7 Investigation, Presents New Theory for Collapse
NIST lead investigator Shyam Sunder answering questions about NIST’s three-year study of the collapse of WTC 7. [Source: Don Berkemeyer / National Institute of Standards and Technology]The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces the findings of its study of the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, and says the 47-story tower fell late in the afternoon of 9/11 primarily due to fires. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008; National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008] NIST releases its findings as part of a 915-page report, which is the result of three years’ work by over 50 federal investigators and a dozen contractors (see August 21, 2008). [New York Times, 8/21/2008]
Collapse Is 'No Longer a Mystery' - In a news conference at NIST’s headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, lead investigator Shyam Sunder admits: “[W]e knew from the beginning of our study that understanding what happened to Building 7 on 9/11 would be difficult. It did not fit any textbook description that you could readily point to and say, yes, that’s why the building failed.” But, he says, “[T]he reason for the collapse of World Trade Center 7 is no longer a mystery.” [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008; New York Times, 8/21/2008]
'New Phenomenon' Caused Collapse - Sunder says the “critical factor” that initiated the collapse was “thermal expansion of long-span floor systems located in the east side of the building,” and adds that NIST’s study “has identified thermal expansion as a new phenomenon that can cause structural collapse. For the first time we have shown that fire can induce a progressive collapse.”
Collapse Sequence - Sunder describes the sequence of events NIST believes led to the collapse of WTC 7. He says debris from the collapse of the north WTC tower “started fires on at least 10 floors of the building. The fires burned out of control on six of these 10 floors for about seven hours. The city water main had been cut by the collapse of the two WTC towers, so the sprinklers in Building 7 did not function for much of the bottom half of the building.” He continues: “Fires on floors 7 through 9 and 11 through 13 were particularly severe.… Eventually, a girder on floor 13 lost its connection to a critical interior column.” Floor 13 collapsed, beginning a cascade of floor failures down to the fifth floor. “With the support of these floors gone, column 79 buckled, which initiated the fire-induced progressive collapse of the building.… This in turn caused the failure of nearby columns 80 and 81 and floor failures up to the roof line.… As the roof line begins to fall adjacent columns buckle as well. In quick succession, the remaining interior columns failed from east to west across WTC 7, until the entire core began moving downward. Finally, the remaining outer shell or façade of the building fell.”
NIST Created 'Virtual WTC 7' Model - Sunder says that NIST reached its conclusions about the collapse “by reconstructing the entire building, beam by beam, column by column, connection by connection into a computer model, a virtual WTC 7 building. We then filled that virtual building with as much detail as possible about exactly what types of furnishings were on each floor. Then we set fire to those virtual offices on the floors where video and other visual evidence told us the fires burned.” The investigators “used a well-validated computer program developed at NIST, for studying the growth and spread of fires, to calculate temperatures throughout the building.… And we used well-established data on the properties of structural steel, the sprayed fire resistive material or fireproofing, and other building materials to determine how those temperatures affected the structure.”
Explosives Not Used - Sunder says that the investigators “did not find any evidence that explosives were used to bring the building down” (see August 21, 2008), nor was the collapse “due to fires from the substantial amount of diesel fuel stored in the building” (see August 21, 2008). NIST commenced its investigation of the WTC collapses in 2002 (see August 21, 2002) and issued its findings on the collapses of the Twin Towers in October 2005 (see October 26, 2005). Since then it has been focused on WTC 7. [Government Computer News, 8/21/2008; National Institute of Standards and Technology, 8/21/2008]
Final Report to Be Released - After suggestions are made by members of the public in response to its current report, NIST will release a finished version of the same report in November 2008, thereby completing its WTC investigation (see November 20, 2008). [National Institute of Standards and Technology, 11/20/2008]
August 23, 2008: Pakistani Prime Minister Gillani Publicly Opposes US Drone Strikes, Privately Allows Them
US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson sends a diplomatic cable back to the US reporting on recent discussions she had with Pakistani leaders. In the cable, she discusses a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. The issue of when the next US drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal region would be politically feasible came up. According to the cable, Gillani said: “I don’t care if they do it as long as they get the right people. We’ll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it.” The cable will later be released by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. [Christian Science Monitor, 12/1/2010; Dawn (Karachi), 12/2/2010]
Entity Tags: Yousaf Raza Gillani, Anne W. Patterson
August 28, 2008: President Bush Extends National Emergency Declared after 9/11
In his last full year in office, President Bush announces that he is again renewing the national emergency he proclaimed in response to the 9/11 attacks (see September 14, 2001). Bush issues a notice that states: “Because the terrorist threat continues, the national emergency declared on September 14, 2001, and the powers and authorities adopted to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond September 14, 2008. Therefore, I am continuing in effect for an additional year the national emergency I declared on September 14, 2001, with respect to the terrorist threat.” [White House, 8/28/2008] The national emergency has been renewed on a yearly basis since 2001. [US President, 9/16/2002; White House, 9/10/2004; White House, 9/8/2005; White House, 9/5/2006; White House, 9/12/2007]
Category Tags: Counterterrorism Policy/Politics, Internal US Security After 9/11
September 2008: After First Classified Briefing, Obama Is Convinced Bin Laden Is Hiding in Pakistan
As the Democratic Party’s nominee for US president, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is given his first classified intelligence briefing. The briefing includes information on the hunt for Osama bin Laden. An unnamed senior official will later say that Obama already is under the impression that bin Laden has to be hiding in Pakistan, and the briefing solidifies that view. The official says, “What I remember in terms of the aftermath of that briefing and into the transition was just how much the focus became on Pakistan.” [Reuters, 5/12/2011]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, US intelligence, Barack Obama
Timeline Tags: War in Afghanistan, 2008 Elections
Category Tags: Hunt for Bin Laden in Pakistan
September-December 2008: US Special Forces Unwittingly Train Less than One Mile from Bin Laden’s Abbottabad Hideout
From September to December 2008, a team of US Special Forces trainers is based in Abbottabad, Pakistan, ironically less than one mile from the compound Osama bin Laden is hiding in at the time. The trainers are in Abbottabad as part of an unpublicized mission to train Pakistani Frontier Corps forces. The training takes place in Kakul Military Academy, Pakistan’s equivalent of the US’s famous West Point military academy. The training is later moved to Warsak, Pakistan. [Radio Free Europe, 5/6/2011; Washington Post, 5/11/2011]
Entity Tags: Osama bin Laden, US Special Forces, Kakul Military Academy
September 8, 2008: Al-Zawahiri Releases New Video Accusing Iran and US of Collaboration
Al-Qaeda second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri releases a video accusing Iran of collaborating with the United States. Excerpts of the video are played on the Qatar-based pan-Arabic TV channel Al Jazeera, but apparently not posted to the websites usually used for disseminating such videos. Al-Zawahiri says Tehran is “cooperating with the Americans in occupying Iraq and Afghanistan,” and denounces the Iranians for recognizing the two governments. “Not even one Shiite authority—whether in Iraq or elsewhere—has issued a fatwa [religious edict] obligating jihad and taking up of arms against the American crusader invaders in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he adds. The video also features clips of al-Qaeda operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. [Los Angeles Times, 9/9/2008]
Entity Tags: Al Jazeera, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda
September 8, 2008: Member of European Parliament Calls for International Tribunal to Investigate 9/11
Giulietto Chiesa, a prominent Italian journalist who is also a member of the European Parliament, calls for an international tribunal to probe the events of 9/11. Chiesa makes his appeal in Berlin where he is to show his documentary Zero: An Investigation of 9/11, which argues that the US government’s account cannot be true. He says: “If feelings were strong enough a positive result could be obtained, but it would not happen immediately. So far it’s been the US administration that has won the information fight and obtained their result—unfortunately. Our task is to inform millions of people of the true situation. Everybody should be involved in this struggle with a tribunal or commission helping once we win approval for the idea.” Chiesa was a correspondent in Moscow for many years (see June 16, 1999). He announces that his film will be shown on Russian television (see September 12, 2008). [Deutsche Presse-Agentur (Hamburg), 9/8/2008]
Entity Tags: Giulietto Chiesa
September 8, 2008: US Drone Attack Fails to Assassinate Taliban Leaders Linked to ISI
Jalaluddin Haqqani. [Source: New York Times]A US drone attack targets the Haqqani network in the tribal region of Pakistan. Pakistani officials will say that five missiles kill 23 people and wound 18 more. The missiles hit a compound in North Waziristan run by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of Jalaluddin Haqqani. It appears they are targeted, since family members arrived at the compound just a half hour before. However, neither Haqqani network leader is killed. Officials say one of Jalaluddin Haqqani’s two wives, his sister, sister-in-law, and eight of his grandchildren are killed. The Haqqani network is considered a semi-autonomous part of the Taliban. The US believes the Haqqani network has been involved in recent attacks in Afghanistan, including the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul (see July 7, 2008) and a failed assassination attempt against Afghan President Hamid Karzai (see April 27, 2008). The Haqqani network is widely believed to be closely linked to the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency. [New York Times, 9/10/2008]
Entity Tags: Jalaluddin Haqqani, US Military, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Haqqani Network
Category Tags: Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Afghanistan, Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
September 9, 2008: New Metal Research May Explain WTC Collapses, Scientist Says
’Iron atoms in steel: Black balls show irregularities that disrupt magnetic fields, weakening steel.’ [Source: BBC]Sergei Dudarev, a scientist with Britain’s Atomic Energy Agency, says that newly-discovered properties of steel could explain why the World Trade Center towers collapsed. Dr. Dudarev researches steel that can withstand the extreme temperatures inside a nuclear fusion reactor. He says that at about 500° Celsius, a temperature often reached in building fires, tiny irregularities in the structure of steel can cause a softening of the metal, although that is still far below the melting point. Dudarev says: “The steel didn’t melt, it just became soft. It is an unusual state and the temperatures in the Twin Towers were high enough to cause it because the thermal insulation was knocked off the girders through the impact with the aircraft.” [Guardian, 9/9/2008; BBC News, 9/10/2008; Independent, 9/10/2008; ABC Radio National (Australia), 9/20/2008]
Entity Tags: Sergei Dudarev
September 9, 2008: Zardari Becomes New President of Pakistan after Quick Election
Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of assassinated former leader Benazir Bhutto, becomes president of Pakistan. Pervez Musharraf resigned as president the previous month after growing pressure suggested he could be impeached (see August 18, 2008). A three-week election campaign quickly followed, and Zardari easily won the election (an electoral college vote, not a general election). Zardari’s elections completes Pakistan’s return to civilian rule after Musharraf seized power in a military coup nine years earlier. [Guardian, 9/9/2008]
"Mr. Ten Percent" - Zardari has a troubled history of numerous corruption allegations. His popular nickname, “Mr. Ten Percent,” refers to the widespread belief in Pakistan that he took a cut from many business deals when his wife Bhutto was prime minister of Pakistan twice in the 1990s. He spent 11 years in prison on corruption charges, although he was never actually convicted of a crime. Bhutto seemed poised for a return to power, but when she was assassinated in late 2007, Zardari essentially took her place as head of her political party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Supporters say he has matured during his years in prison. [Wall Street Journal, 9/5/2008]
Entity Tags: Pakistan People’s Party, Benazir Bhutto, Pervez Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region
September 10, 2008: US May Have Committed 9/11 Attacks, Says Former Syrian Minister
Mahdi Dakhlallah, a former Syrian minister of information, writes in the newspaper Teshreen that the US may have orchestrated the 9/11 attacks to justify the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. “These plans were ready and prepared [in advance]—and all that was needed was to find a pretext to begin their immediate implementation.… No one believes that it was possible to invade Afghanistan and Iraq in the same way and so fast had it not been for the 9/11 attacks. That’s how it always is: the end justifies the means.” [Jerusalem Post, 9/11/2008; Middle East Media Research Institute, 9/11/2008]
Entity Tags: Mahdi Dakhlallah
September 12, 2008: 9/11 Documentary Shown on Russian Television Is Praised by Panel Members
Russia’s Channel One broadcasts Zero: An Investigation into 9/11, a documentary made by the Italian journalist Giulietto Chiesa that disputes the US government’s account of the 9/11 attacks, followed by a discussion between various Russian and foreign personalities. While some panel members defend the US government’s account, others reject it and praise the film. Vitaly Tretyakov, the former editor in chief of Nezavisimaya Gazeta, a major daily newspaper, calls the 9/11 Commission’s report “fiction” and says he could not believe that a small group of terrorists could have masterminded the attacks. Another journalist, Mikhail Leontyev, who is a Channel One presenter and editor in chief of Profil magazine, also expresses disbelief: “A certain organization committed a totally extraordinary act from the point of view of its coordination. Allegedly, this organization still exists, it continues fighting and killing people; it is keeping the US army in two countries in the world and, at the same time, there has not been a single [terrorist] act on the territory of the United States since.” He also says that the alleged organizers were controlled by US intelligence: “all the people who are regarded as the fictitious or real organizers of this [terrorist] act, all these people were controlled by the American special services.” The collapse of the World Trade Center is also discussed. Ashot Tamrazyan, the director of the Risks and Security of Buildings research center, says his organization had created a model and carried out many tests that had shown that the Twin Towers could not have collapsed unless there were other contributing factors. Robert Bridge, the editor in chief of the Moscow News, an English-language newspaper, says he does not believe Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon because of the lack of debris: “In any plane crash there are remains left. There is luggage, there are seats, etc.… Why did this plane crash so differently from any other crash we have seen?” Vladimir Dezhurov, a cosmonaut who observed the 9/11 events from the International Space Station, also questions the Pentagon crash (see (Between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m.) September 11, 2001). He says an air crash always leaves debris behind. [Francesco Tre and Franco Fracassi, 2008; BBC Monitoring, 9/12/2008] Commenting on the broadcast, a Weekly Standard article entitled “The Russian Government Warms Up to 9/11 Conspiracy Theories” says that the Kremlin is promoting 9/11 skepticism to stoke anti-Americanism (see also November 2, 2008). [Weekly Standard, 10/13/2008]
Entity Tags: Giulietto Chiesa, Vladimir Dezhurov
September 19, 2008: Martyr Video of 9/11 Hijacker Is Released Too Late for 9/11 Anniversary
Ahmed Alghamdi in his martyr video. [Source: Public domain]Al-Qaeda releases a martyr video of 9/11 hijacker Ahmed Alghamdi. In the ten-minute video, in Arabic with English subtitles, Alghamdi says, “There are many proofs which clarify and encourage martyrdom operations. They are one of the ways of massacring the enemies of Allah, so you must carry them out.” The video was most likely recorded in Afghanistan in March 2001, at the same time most of the other hijackers recorded martyr videos (see (December 2000-March 2001)). This is the seventh one released. [Sun, 9/22/2008] Alghamdi’s speech is part of a 90-minute video featuring speeches by al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri and others. Al-Qaeda promised through the Internet to release the video in time for the 9/11 anniversary, as it did with other 9/11 hijacker videos each year, but the video appears one week late. Some counterterrorism experts say the delay could be a sign that al-Qaeda’s propaganda efforts are faltering. [Associated Press, 9/19/2008; Sun-Herald (Sydney), 9/21/2008] Al-Qaeda will not release any hijacker videos in 2009 or 2010.
Entity Tags: Ahmed Alghamdi, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al-Qaeda
Category Tags: Other 9/11 Hijackers, Alleged Al-Qaeda Media Statements
September 21, 2008: Remains of 13 Hijackers Still in US Custody
The New York Times reports that the FBI and the New York City medical examiner’s office have identified the remains of 13 of the 9/11 hijackers. The remains are still in their custody because no one has claimed them (see Summer 2002). The FBI holds the remains of the nine hijackers who took over Flight 77 and Flight 93, which were recovered from the Pentagon and Shanksville crash sites. The identity of the remains was established indirectly. First, investigators identified the victims using DNA profiles provided by relatives. Those remains that could not be matched to any profile were assumed to belong to the hijackers. The New York City medical examiner’s office also has the remains of four hijackers recovered from the World Trade Center site. A DNA profile for each of the 10 hijackers who took part in the New York attacks was established by the FBI from recovered personal items, such as luggage and cigarette butts left in a rental car. The FBI then supplied these profiles to the medical examiner’s office but without naming them. Therefore, the examiner’s office could only match the four recovered sets of remains but could not identify them by name. Both the FBI and the medical examiner’s office refuse to disclose where exactly the remains are being kept. [New York Times, 9/21/2008; Newsweek, 1/12/2009]
Entity Tags: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Medical Examiner’s Office, New York City
Category Tags: FBI 9/11 Investigation, 9/11 Investigations
September 30, 2008: Pakistan Replaces ISI Director Due to US Pressure, but Pro-Militant Policy Remains
ISI Director Nadeem Taj is replaced by Ahmad Shuja Pasha. [Daily Times (Lahore), 9/30/2008] One day ago, it was reported that the US was intensely pressuring Taj and two of his assistants to resign from the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, because of alleged “double-dealing” with militants. Taj became ISI head only a year ago (see 2007). [Australian, 9/29/2008] In March 2009, the New York Times will report that shortly after Asif Ali Zardari became president of Pakistan in September 2008 (see September 9, 2008), he faced accusations by the US that the ISI helped the militants bomb the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan (see July 7, 2008 and July 28, 2008). Zardari promised that the ISI would be “handled” and anyone working with militants would be fired. This apparently led to the replacement of Taj and his assistants. The Indian embassy bombing occurred during Taj’s brief time as ISI director. However, the Times will also report that many US and even Pakistani officials have since complained that the ISI’s support for militants remains as strong as ever (see March 26, 2009). [New York Times, 3/26/2009] In October 2001, the US also successfully pressured Pakistan to replace its ISI director and several others because of their support for Islamist militants, only to see the replacements continue the same policy of supporting militants (see October 8, 2001).
Entity Tags: Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, Nadeem Taj, Asif Ali Zardari, Ahmad Shuja Pasha
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Counterterrorism Policy/Politics
Shortly Before October 1, 2008: FBI Denies Permission for Television Interview of Agents about Key Failure before 9/11
The FBI attempts to prevent two agents who were involved in a key pre-9/11 failure from talking about it in a television interview. The agents, Doug Miller and Mark Rossini, were on loan to Alec Station, the CIA’s bin Laden unit, before 9/11. They were involved in the deliberate blocking of a cable to the FBI saying that 9/11 hijacker Khalid Almihdhar had a US visa (see 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. January 5, 2000) and later, under pressure, falsely claimed not to remember anything about it when interviewed by the Justice Department’s inspector general (see (February 12, 2004)). The FBI allowed Miller and Rossini to be interviewed by author James Bamford for a book and they told him they helped block the cable on the orders of a female CIA officer known only as “Michael” and the station’s deputy chief, Tom Wilshire. However, when Bamford wants them to repeat their stories for a PBS documentary he is making, the FBI initially says yes, but then retracts its approval, saying the bureau “doesn’t want to stir up old conflicts with the CIA.” [Congressional Quarterly, 10/1/2008] However, Rossini will actually appear in the documentary, although Miller will not. [PBS, 2/3/2009]
Entity Tags: James Bamford, Mark Rossini, Doug Miller, Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Category Tags: Alhazmi and Almihdhar, CIA Hiding Alhazmi & Almihdhar, 9/11 Investigations, Other 9/11 Investigations
October 3, 2008: Reporter Says Bin Laden Is Living in Pakistani Villa, Not a Cave; Source Is US Intelligence Officer
Christiane Amanpour on “Real Time With Bill Maher” on October 3, 2008. [Source: Real Time with Bill Maher]ABC News reporter Christiane Amanpour says that Osama bin Laden is living in a villa in Pakistan, not in a cave. She makes these comments as a guest on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher. She says: “I just talked to somebody very knowledgeable… [who] thinks that [bin Laden is] in a villa, a nice comfortable villa… in Pakistan. Not a cave.” After bin Laden’s death in an urban compound in May 2011 (see May 2, 2011), Amanpour will explain that she’d heard the information a short time earlier from a “US intelligence officer who had recently left a top position.” [ABC News, 5/3/2011]
Entity Tags: Christiane Amanpour, Osama bin Laden, US intelligence
Category Tags: Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Hunt for Bin Laden in Pakistan
October 13, 2008: Pakistan Denies Role in Kabul Embassy Bombing, but Admits Link to ‘Bad Guys’ Who May Have Done It
Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistan’s national security adviser, visits India and meets with Indian officials. He tells them that neither the ISI, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, nor any other part of the Pakistani government had a role in the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, earlier this year (see July 7, 2008). The Indian government and other governments have blamed the ISI working with the Taliban for the bombing (see August 1, 2008). However, Durrani does admit, “We have some contacts with bad guys and perhaps one of them did it.” This comment is not made publicly, but it is mentioned in a US State Department cable about the meeting that is leaked by WikiLeaks in 2011. According to the cable, Durrani later repeats the comment to a US official. [Hindu, 5/20/2011]
Entity Tags: Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistan Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence
Category Tags: Pakistan and the ISI, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, 2008 Kabul Indian Embassy Bombing, Afghanistan
October 16, 2008: US Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda Leader Khalid Habib in Pakistan’s Tribal Region
A CIA drone kills al-Qaeda leader Khalid Habib. The drone strike hits the village of Taparghai, South Waziristan, in Pakistan’s tribal region. The CIA claims that Habib, an Egyptian, is the group’s fourth-ranking leader. Four people are said to be killed. It is said Habib became al-Qaeda’s chief of operations for the tribal region after Abu Ubaida al-Masri died from hepatitis around January 2008. [New York Times, 10/17/2008; Asia Times, 10/29/2008] Little had been previously reported on Habib. But in early 2007, a New York Times article listed him as one of a handful of important new al-Qaeda leaders, and the FBI called him “one of the five or six most capable, most experienced terrorists in the world.” [CBS News, 3/15/2007; New York Times, 4/2/2007] A drone strike failed to kill Habib in 2006 (see 2006).
Entity Tags: Khalid Habib, Abu Ubaida al-Masri, Al-Qaeda, Central Intelligence Agency
Category Tags: Key Captures and Deaths, Haven in Pakistan Tribal Region, Drone Use in Pakistan / Afghanistan, Counterterrorism Action After 9/11
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NSA Snoop Program Toll: One FBI Patsy
According to FBI head honcho Robert Mueller, the NSA’s J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Vacuum Cleaner approach to violating the Constitution “hasn’t nabbed any Al Qaeda agents in the U.S. since the Sept. 11 attacks,” the New York Daily News reports. “Mueller told the Senate Intelligence Committee that his agents get ‘a number of leads from the NSA,’ but he made it clear Osama Bin Laden’s henchmen weren’t at the end of the trail,” thus demonstrating the obvious fact the massive snoop program is not designed to prevent terrorism.
“The committee’s chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), let slip that one disrupted plot involved Iyman Faris’ scheme to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge. ‘I think as to the number of lives that have been saved, it might have been how many were on the Brooklyn Bridge if it had blown up,’ Roberts said.” Not mentioned by the less than circumspect New York Daily News is the fact Faris, aka Mohammad Rauf, was on the FBI payroll as a “double agent,” that is to say he worked for the FBI and when convenient for propaganda purposes they framed him. As well, Faris is a suicidal mental case, often a job requirement for dim bulb patsies.
Of course, the real purpose of the NSA snoop program—and shredding the Fourth Amendment in the process—is to monitor the domestic enemies of the Straussian neocons, not catching “al-Qaeda” in the act.
“James Risen, who co-wrote the original New York Times piece reporting on the secret program, has explained in his recently published book, State of War, that the spying involves government access to vast databases containing tens or hundreds of thousands of communications and emails that have nothing to do with Al Qaeda,” explains Joe Kay. “A database managed by a secretive Pentagon intelligence agency called Counterintelligence Field Activity, or CIFA, was found last month to contain reports on at least four dozen antiwar meetings or protests, many of them on college campuses,” notes an editorial published by the Washington Post.
The protesters were written up under a Pentagon program called Talon, which is supposed to collect raw data on threats to defense facilities in the United States. CIFA, an agency created just under four years ago that now includes nine directorates and more than 1,000 employees, is charged with working to prevent terrorist attacks. Instead, hidden from public and congressional scrutiny, it has repeated the same abuses once committed against war protesters and civil rights activists of the 1960s. In addition to compiling information on Americans who were peaceful political dissenters rather than terrorists, the agency retained reports in its database well beyond a 90-day limit—a standard adopted in response to the Vietnam-era excesses.
Obviously, the real enemies of the state are basically the same enemies monitored, harassed, and even assassinated during the Vietnam-era and well before. Osama bin “Forgotten,” al-CIA-duh, and the dim bulb patsy Mohammad Rauf are nothing more than an engineered pretext for the current clique of fascist authoritarians in the White House and the Pentagon to go after sincere threats—antiwar, anti-globalist, and patriot movement
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One type doesn’t match all Muslims
Commentary | 16 April 2016
This piece was originally published in The Australian.
There is a warranted concern that the influence of Islamic State is spreading to Southeast Asia as a small minority of Indonesians, Malaysians and others in the region join the movement. There also has long been a broader fear that Islam in parts of Southeast Asia, most notably in Indonesia, is somehow being Arabised and, by implication, radicalised.
To investigate these concerns, the Lowy Institute and the Institute for Political Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta carried out an in-depth study of Indonesians studying in Egypt and Turkey. Based on face-to-face interviews with 47 students across these countries, the goal was to understand the impact of the past half-decade of turmoil in the Middle East on the political and religious outlooks of these students.
The results are largely encouraging, suggesting that time spent by Indonesian students in the Middle East is not necessarily the radicalising experience that some may assume. For the most part, the students emerge from our interviews as discriminating and critical observers of the events around them.
Egypt has the single largest concentration of Indonesian students in the Middle East with about 4500, most of them at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the Muslim world’s most venerable teaching institution.
Egypt has experienced some of the most tumultuous years of its modern history in recent years. This has included the successful popular uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and a military coup against the country’s democratically elected president in 2013.
The Indonesian student population in Turkey is smaller, at just more than 700 students, and more broadly spread across the country. Most Indonesians there are from Aceh, a result of Turkish aid after the 2004 tsunami. Some are on Turkish government scholarships while others are on scholarships provided by Turkish non-government organisations, including one affiliated with Turkey’s Fethullah Gulen peace movement.
Turkey’s recent history has been less turbulent than that of Egypt, though 2013 did see protests against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, since 2011 Turkey has become the main transit point for foreign fighters into Syria, including those joining Islamic State.
We focused our study on students from mainstream backgrounds. Most we interviewed came from two large Indonesian Islamic movements, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah. Just under a quarter were affiliated with the Islamist Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), a political party originally modelled on the Muslim Brotherhood that is represented in Indonesia’s parliament.
In Egypt the military’s overthrow of the country’s democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, from the Muslim Brotherhood, in 2013 provoked a heated debate among Indonesian students. Not surprisingly, students from the Brotherhood-affiliated PKS condemned the coup. What was striking, however, was that almost all of the other Indonesian students we interviewed backed the military.
One might have expected that they, as religious students, would show more sympathy towards the overtly religious Morsi. There were several reasons they didn’t.
One was a view held by many that “unruly Arabs” needed a strong hand. As one student wryly noted: “After observing the culture and characters of the Arab people, I support the use of military in transition. Only the Prophet can control the Arabs; if not the Prophet, then at least the military.” Indeed, there was a strong sense among students in Egypt and Turkey of the cultural difference between their home country and their host country.
Asked why the democratic transition had succeeded in Indonesia but not in Egypt, one student said: “Because they’re Arabs. In Algeria before, how many Islamic State (Islamic Salvation Front) were killed after the coup d’état by the military (in 1992)? … We easterners, we’re different.” One student in Turkey contrasted Indonesia’s “unity in diversity” motto with Turkey’s approach, which in their view was aimed at eliminating differences. “Turkey is a strange country. They wiped everything out here and then said, ‘We’re the Turkish nation’, whereas in fact it’s a mixture of many elements — central Asian, European, Arab — but they’re told to say ‘we are Turks’.” Also striking was the criteria by which the students judged political leaders. By and large a leader’s economic literacy was more important than religiosity. This was reflected in the students’ admiration for Erdogan, especially when compared with Morsi. Erdogan, they argued, succeeded because he had focused on economic development and pushed his Islamic agenda gradually. Morsi failed because he couldn’t overcome Egypt’s economic problems and, in the words of one interviewee, “wanted to establish sharia in less than a year”.
A few also thought a little Erdogan-style toughness might be suitable for Indonesia. As one student noted: “There are positive examples from Turkey for Indonesia, such as prioritising the development of infrastructure and facilities. When that’s done, it makes life easy for people. Even if it means using a little force.” Encouragingly, none of the students interviewed expressed any support for Islamic State. Most expressed revulsion at the group’s hyper-violent nature.
As one student observed: “You don’t just shoot, ‘You’re a Shia’ — bang! You have to understand a lot before you apply sharia. It isn’t as easy as some people think … None of the ulama (Islamic scholars) who understand this agree with Islamic State.” More worrying, however, was the view of a significant number of the students we interviewed, roughly a fifth, that the rise of Islamic State was a US conspiracy to divide the Islamic world. As one student observed: “America comes and says, ‘We’re going to defend the Sunnis.’ But use your brain; is it possible that someone who doesn’t share our religion, our beliefs, is going to defend us, especially when in one respect they’re our enemy?” Our interviews also shed light on the case of two Indonesians who left their school in Turkey to join Islamic State (one in 2013 and one in 2014). Both were bright students of high school age with a strong interest in maths and science who won scholarships from a Gulen-affiliated NGO to study in Turkey. They thought they were going to a secular high school but found themselves in a religious school. Unhappy, isolated and disappointed, they began visiting extremist websites. Eventually both found their way to Syria, where one was killed. This is yet another pointer to the complex and personal nature of the radicalisation process.
Australians are right to be concerned about links between extremists in the Middle East and a radical fringe in Indonesia. And it is certainly the case that some Indonesians studying in the Middle East, most notably in Saudi Arabia, have adopted the ultra-puritanism of their hosts. But we should also be wary of the breezy assertions of some Western political leaders that contemporary terrorism reflects some inherent flaw in the broader Islamic faith that requires reformation.
Our interviews underline the great diversity that exists in Islam. They show that Muslims do look at events in other parts of the Muslim world with a critical eye. They are also a timely reminder that religion is not the only criteria by which faithful Muslims make their judgments about politics and society.
Anthony Bubalo is deputy director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy. He is co-author, with Sidney Jones and Navhat Nuraniyah from the Institute for Political Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta, of the Lowy Institute report Indonesian Students in Egypt and Turkey. The report was released yesterday and can be downloaded at www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/indonesian-students-egypt-and-turkey.
Morrison must think hard about our Pacific plays
By Hervé Lemahieu
How best to contain Iran’s provocations
Why Trump and Xi will do a deal
By John Edwards
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Home Heard on Campus --- University News & Publications Intercom
Vol. 5 No. 6 Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne February 1985
REPEATED HEAVY SNOWFALLS AND WINDS GUSTING to 35 miles per hour turned the IPFW campus into a winter dreamscape (or nightmare) during January. A snow recess was declared at 2:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 25, when blizzard conditions threatened northeastern Indiana. Throughout the month, the IPFW grounds crew worked to keep up with snow-laden sidewalks and parking lots. An article on coping with the mid-winter blahs appears on Page 4.
Inside Intercom: Julian Bond here Page 1 Fulbright scholar Page 3
Aid applicants given how-to's about forms
The appointment calendars in the financial aid office are choked with jottings through March 1, the deadline for submitting the Financial Aid Form (FAF) for the 1985-1986 academic year. In just one two-week period in January, Director Mark A. Franke visited North Side, Elmhurst, and New Haven high schools; Associate Director Joan O. Eaton visited Prairie Heights High School; and Assistant Director Lois H. Neuman visited Northrop and Carroll high schools. There were about 30 visits to area high schools from September through January, many more in this period than last year. "It seems to be a trend for more schools to schedule FAF workshops before Jan. 1," Neuman said. Gov. Robert D. Orr declared Jan. 13-19 as Financial Aid Awareness Week. IU Coach Bob Knight, Purdue Coach Gene Keady, and Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps were enlisted to tape public service announcements for radio and television to support the effort to inform students about financial aid opportunities. Capping the week's activities at IPFW were two how-to sessions to teach current and prospective students the proper way to fill out the FAF. About 33 people attended. For the 1984-1985 academic year, the IPFW financial aid office processed 4,846 applications. Out of these about 3,000 students were recipients of aid. So far in this academic year, $6,047,693 has been disbursed to IPFW students, an amount up about 5 per cent from 1983-1984, Neuman said. The FAF, copies of which are available from the financial aid office, is the first and most-important step a student takes on the road toward qualifying for all types of financial aid, including grants, scholarships, and loans. These types of aid are not limited to the traditional college student just out of high school, Neuman emphasized. "The student's age is not a factor, only need. But there are some kinks; if you're coming back for a second bachelor's degree, the types of aid available are limited." Filling out the FAF correctly is crucial, she said. "We caution them always to be very accurate, very complete. And their forms must be legible because the information is keypunched. The biggest area of mistakes is in listing the taxes paid the year before," Neuman said. "It's not the amount on the W-2 form, but the actual amount of taxes paid. Untaxed income - dividends excluded, pensions, unemployment income - is another problem area. All these have to be included in the total income of the applicant." There are four primary requirements for a student to be eligible for financial aid: be a regularly admitted student, not a student in a non-degree program; complete the FAF by the March 1 deadline for preferential consideration; include a copy of the parents' and/or student's current federal income tax form; and complete any necessary IPFW applications. But applying for financial aid need not be an ordeal, Neuman said. Help is available from the financial aid office. And her one best piece of advice? "One of the best possible things to do is to figure your federal income taxes first, and have your tax returns in front of you before you fill out the FAF. The FAF requires certain line information directly from the tax form."
Play depicts Harlem family
Purdue Indiana Theatre's next production is "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men," which will open Feb. 15, and run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for two weeks. With an all-black cast of seven, this drama, written by Lonne Elder III and directed by Robert Bresnick, concerns a motherless Harlem family caught in crisis. The father, a former vaudeville hoofer played by PIT newcomer Fred R. Jackson, is trying to keep open an unprofitable barbershop. He also must contend with the conflicts between his two idle sons who are always looking for a quick dollar and the easy way out and his hard-working daughter who pays the family's rent and puts bread on its table. The sons are played by two actual brothers, Anthony Belcher, a PIT veteran of last summer's "Ain't Misbehavin'," and William Belcher, an IPFW student. Donette Blanks plays the daughter. Others in the cast also are James Allen Kimbro Sr. as the father's checkers-playing pal; Delmege Lowe as a would-be criminal kingpin who covers his racketeering in radical rhetoric; and Kim Rozier as a young girl. Blanks, Lowe, and Rozier are IPFW students. After it opened on Broadway in 1969, New York critics were lavish with praise for the play, which poses tough questions about right and wrong, work and idleness, glory and getting by. John Simon, writing in New York magazine: "'Ceremonies in Dark Old Men' is a hearty reminder that a play can have solid contemporary significance, dramatic as well as social, without obligatory obeisances to the avant garde. Chronicling the disintegration of a Harlem family after the death of the materfamilias, it manages to be honest, amusing, angry, and sad." Clive Barnes, writing in The New York Times: "This is a remarkable play … Mr. Elder's theme of a man struggling for honesty in a world where honesty is not so much a luxury as an incongruity, works wonderfully. It is moving, and realistic. And it is no less moving because the honesty has an ironic, bitter aftertaste." The PIT box office is open from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For reservations, call 482-5782. All performances are at 8 p.m. Fred R. Jackson
THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE IS BUSY helping students get ready for the March 1 application deadline. Above, Assistant Director Lois Neuman helps a student, Vicki M. Jackson.
New scholarships in store
Three new scholarships have been established at IPFW, and recipients will be announced during April annual meetings of the IU at Fort Wayne Alumni Association and the Purdue Alumni Society at Fort Wayne. Both will be administered by the office of scholarships and financial aid at IPFW, according to Vivian Lansky, alumni director. The IU scholarship is designated for spouses, daughters, or sons of IU at Fort Wayne graduates and is limited to full-time freshmen of superior academic achievement. Funding began last fall when alumni leaders sought a better way to serve the campus. With assistance from Tom Bolyard, IU alumni director for regional campuses, the group conducted a drawing for two IU basketball tickets to the Dec. 8 IU vs. Kentucky game in Assembly Hall. Proceeds totaled nearly $500, or enough to initiate the scholarship. Funds for the two Purdue Alumni Scholarships have come through a bequest from the Carol K. Schannen estate. Full-time upperclass students of superior academic achievement who are Purdue at Fort Wayne alumni or spouses, daughters, or sons of Purdue at Fort Wayne graduates are eligible to apply for the scholarships. Applications for the scholarships will be available at the office of scholarships and financial aid during February, according to Mark A. Franke, director. The alumni office will also have the scholarship applications.
IPFW INTERCOM February 1985
Julian Bond to lecture
Longtime civil rights activist and Georgia state Sen. Julian Bond will speak Feb. 24 at IPFW. Following Bond's 7 p.m. speech in the Walb Ballroom, there will be a reception for him in the Sheraton Inn Ballroom, 5250 Distribution Drive. The lecture is free, but there is a $2.50 charge for the reception. To make reservations for the reception, call 482-5616, or send check or money order to Office of Student Services, Walb Memorial Union, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. East, Fort Wayne, IN 46805. Bond's appearance is presented with the assistance of the Addison Locke Roache Foundation. Bond is the fifth ALR lecturer in this annual event. In a recent speech in Indianapolis reported by the Associated Press, Bond said many of the ideals espoused by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are in jeopardy, and he encouraged Hoosiers to rededicate themselves to making King's dream of racial equality come true. "Martin Luther King was born in a world as rigid as the racial codes in South Africa," Bond was reported as saying. "But what was once legal apartheid in America has become a political and economic movement. Despite an impressive increase in where blacks can live and eat, in a very real way in 1985 we find our situation unchanged." February is Black History Month, and several events are planned on the IPFW campus. Feb. 4 - Literature for Lunch series: A Salute to Persons of Color, noon, Walb 222. Feb. 9 - SUBOG film series: a double feature of "Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys" and "If There Weren't Any Blacks, You'd Have to Invent Them." 2 p.m., Classroom-Medical 159. Feb. 12 - The Joseph Holmes Dance Troupe will perform at 8 p.m. in Neff Recital hall. Tickets are $5, general admission; $3, activity-card holders, children, and senior citizens. Feb. 25 - Herbert West, professor of Afro-American studies at Howard University, Washington, D.C., will lecture at 7 p.m., Walb, free. Sponsored by Black Collegian Caucus.
CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE on the multiple benefits of athletics
By providing tickets to customers and door prizes for spectators, eight area businesses are working together to boost attendance at IPFW men's and women's basketball games. This recent promotion-organized by Joe Zehr (father of player Lisa), and entered into by Azar's, Pizza Hut, Lassus Brothers, Summit Bank, Root's Camp 'n' Ski Haus, Mike's Car Wash, Jamison Meats, and Rogers Markets-is just the latest example of the corporate support that IPFW athletics programs are mustering throughout the community. Other boosts to Mastodon teams have come from Pepsi, a faithful advertiser, provider of schedule cards, and cosponsor of the Indoor Soccer Tournament; from game sponsors Pizza Hut and Clark & Mitchell; and from Farm Bureau, sponsor of a scholarship fund-raising golf tournament. Additionally, the IPFW Athletic Club has grown to 80 members whose backing is of great importance; and a fund drive is under way to enlist support for scholarships for athletes. Quite obviously, many in the community are excited about the potential increase in economic activity as high-level collegiate sports develop here. No longer are the Mastodons playing only local teams at 6 a.m. in a rented high school gym. They're now at home in fine facilities; their Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and other NCAA opponents are true "visiting" teams, staying overnight and sampling the fare of local restaurants. Regional NCAA tournaments are a distinct possibility. In addition to economic impact, the development of IPFW athletics has added intangible pluses to Fort Wayne's already lively image and quality of life. IPFW has established itself as a strong competitor at the Division II level of the NCAA and has already won a GLVC championship in women's volleyball. To increasing numbers of outstanding local high-school athletes, IPFW athletics programs present attractive four-year playing opportunities. Media coverage of IPFW teams and games has increased substantially; and because of our new conference connections, such publicity extends well beyond the local area. To the campus, the development of athletics seems to have had some surprising halo effects upon student recruiting and general public awareness. The chronicles and headlines of athletics contests have given IPFW new and more constant visibility. To high school students, aware of IPFW's academic offerings, athletics rounds out the picture of an appealing collegiate atmosphere. We have also been successful in recruiting several athletes whose scholastic records are outstanding. Athletics progress seemingly has come swiftly. ("Just five years ago, we were gypsies," says Dave Skelton, athletics director. "We had one full-time administrator, one full-time clerical staff, 12 storage cabinets, and an all-purpose field.") But collaborative deliberation on the part of students, faculty, and adminsistrators has been a long-time rule that guided the planning of the Multipurpose Building, brought action on NCAA and GLVC affiliations, and championed development of committed coaching staff. The fruits of such cooperation and support are at hand for both the community and campus. All indications are that athletics programs will continue to serve as a leavening agent for IPFW. Edward A. Nicholson Acting Chancellor
Intercom is published monthly by IPFW Publications and News Bureau, Kettler Hall 111, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW), 2101 Coliseum Boulevard East, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805.
AROUND IPFW
Mark Crouch, coordinator and assistant professor of labor studies, made two presentations at the 1984 Annual Midwest-Southern Joint Regional Conference of the University and College Labor Education Association conducted on the IUPUI campus, Dec. 12-14. Crouch appeared on a panel discussing "Teaching About Technology: Moving from Problems to Solutions," and also gave a presentation of recent research efforts entitled: "Deployment of the New Technology: The Bidding War for New Plants with Fewer Jobs." James M. Lutz, assistant professor of political science, is co-author (with Young Whan Kihl, Iowa State University) of World Trade Issues: Regime, Structure, and Policy, a book just out from Preager Publishers. New York. Barth H. Ragatz, associate professor of biochemistry and associate director of the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, presented two papers at the 1984 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies in Honolulu, Hawaii, in December. One, a slide presentation, was entitled "A Potentially Inexpensive Method for the Determination of Lecithin/Sphingomyelin Ratios of Amniotic Fluid Samples." The statistical analysis was conducted by Patricia S. Conn, assistant professor of mathematics, a collaborator on the paper as was Gina Modrak, technician in the Center. The second paper was entitled "Introducing Hematology in the Medical Biochemistry Course." Two publications by chemistry department members have recently appeared. They are: "The Solubility of NiSO4 •6H2O, A General Chemistry Experiment" by Professor Richard A. Pacer in Journal of Chemical Education, 61, and "Equilibria, Spectra, and Photochemistry of Copper (I)-Ammonia Complexes in Aqueous Solution," by T. F. Braish, R. E. Duncan, J. J. Harber, R. L. Steffen, and Professor Kenneth L. Stevenson, department chair, in Inorganic Chemistry, 23. Braish, Harber, and Steffen are undergraduate students at IPFW. Wen-hui Tsai, chair of anthropology and sociology, has an article, "Modernization and Aging in A Developing Society: The Case of Taiwan," published in Aging in Developing Societies, published by Wyndham Hall Press. Participants from several Midwest states are expected for a three-day conference at IPFW, March 1-3, of the Society for Women in Philosophy, Midwestern Division. Conference meetings will be conducted in Walb. Sheila M. Bruening, associate faculty in philosophy, is the local chair for the organization. K Marie Stolba, associate professor of music, has been named chair of the resolutions committee of The College Music Society. She will hold this national office during calendar year 1985. Robert A. Barrett, acting associate dean of ETN and chair of computer technology, will attend the Association for Computer Machinery/Computer Science Conference and Special Interest Group for Computer Science Education meeting in New Orleans, La. during March. He is a session chair and will give a paper, "A Developmental Computing Course for Computer Technology Majors." Barrett will also give a research abstract, "The Case for a Precurricular Computer Course." Jack Quinn, chair of manufacturing technology, will serve as chair of the visiting team when the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) team visits the University of Toledo Feb. 2-5. Warren W. Worthley, dean of ETN, attended a meeting of the board of directors of the ABET in New York Jan. 21.
JOHN W. JOHNSON FAMILY MEMBERS were on campus to honor the late associate professor of mechanical engineering. Johnson died Aug. 25, 1984, and the family has instituted the John W. Johnson Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in the Thermal Sciences. Shown here outside the John W. Johnson Conference Room in Neff Hall are Johnson's widow, Irma Johnson; daughter Rosalie Johnson; daughter-in-law Terry Johnson; and son David Johnson.
IU analyzing data on two cities' alumni
Fort Wayne and Richmond are currently receiving special attention from Indiana University researchers and writers. The two cities, both sites of IU programs, are serving as case studies as IU attempts to quantify and illustrate the impact of the university and its graduates on community life. According to Cam Danielson, university relations, IU Bloomington, the project encompasses an analysis of data from a recent IU Alumni Association census, a new telephone poll of 500-1,000 local alumni, a series of 20 individual interviews of noteworthy alumni, and a luncheon meeting of community leaders. IPFW alumni, community relations, and news bureau/publications offices have been assisting with local arrangements.
Kim Mulkey
Mulkey cheers women athletes
Kim Mulkey, a member of the U.S. women's basketball team that won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics, was in Fort Wayne Jan. 25 and 26. Mulkey participated in the second annual WMEE-FM Female Basketball Players' Day at IPFW. She also was the guest of honor at a dinner Jan. 26 sponsored by the Fort Wayne Women's Bureau. The three-time collegiate All-American said she hoped her success in women's athletics would serve as a role model for young girls and encourage them to participate in competitive sports. In addition to numerous personal appearances throughout Fort Wayne, Mulkey attended the IPFW vs. Bellarmine basketball game, where she signed autographs and talked to people about her experiences as a college and Olympic athlete.
Sandstrom is granted a Fulbright
Alan R. Sandstrom, associate professor of anthropology, is the recipient of a Fulbright Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for 1985-1986. He will study how recent oil company work near a small village in northern Veracruz, a state of central Mexico's Gulf Coast, has affected the residents. Previously, these Nahua Indians, descendants of the Aztecs, have lived a traditional life because of their isolation. These villagers, who speak Nahuatl not Spanish, mostly are farmers who do not use plows or animals in their fields. Sandstrom will be accompanied by his wife, Pamela E. Sandstrom, science reference librarian at IPFW, and their 2-year-old son, Michael. Pamela Sandstrom also will be conducting fieldwork on the lives of the village women and the effect of the Indian culture on the couple's son. Calling anthropological fieldwork "the greatest adventure you can imagine," Alan Sandstrom said he previously had conducted research in the village of Puyecaco in 1972 and 1973. This information became the basis of a book written by the Sandstroms, Traditional Papermaking and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico, to be published by the University of Oklahoma Press. The couple have made three follow-up visits since 1973. The Fulbright fellowships, which are awarded by the federal government, enable American scholars to conduct research in other countries and allow foreign scholars to conduct research in the United States.
SPOTLIGHT ON STAFF Delta Seely
Delta Seely, assistant to the director of institutional research, marked 20 years of employment at IPFW last month, and her job description has undergone numerous changes during those years. Back at the beginning, the Indiana University portion in Fort Wayne was considered a regional campus and operated through Bloomington. She was the only woman working full-time in the IU portion of the business office here, and she dealt with payroll, personnel, and bursar duties. By the time IU and Purdue merged here in 1975, Seely dealt strictly with the biweekly payroll. Since 1977, she has been involved with institutional research, compiling information. And there's quite a demand for the information, with recipients of data including IPFW itself, other universities, and various governmental units. About 50 units seek survey information yearly. In addition to data-giving, there is also data-gathering. The office in which Seely works circulates surveys developed to get facts and attitudes from IPFW students and also to get such information as employment plans from area industries. Data compilation of some sort for someone is a daily procedure, Seely said. The office of institutional research produces a statistical profile each fall, and compiling data for that is about a two-month project, Seely said. Retention of students and age stratification of students, faculty, and staff are current areas of information being compiled. Working with students was Seely's favorite job aspect when she began at IPFW, but she said she also enjoys the challenge and discipline of working with numbers, which she does in her work currently. Her favorite pastime away from the job is camping, and she said she hopes to experience more cross-country treks in the future. Next on the Seely job agenda is competency on a yet-to-be-acquired computer. She said she views it as a new experience-one she has procrastinated about, but is now ready to take on.
Where Fort Wayne's 1984 seniors went to college
IPFW 32%
IU-Bloomington 18%
Ball State 7%
Indiana State U. 7%
Purdue U. 2%
Other state institutions 20%
Out of state 14%
Source: Fort Wayne Community Schools
Graph courtesy of The News-Sentinel
TITLE-WINNING TEAM OF IPFW volleyball players were honored at a luncheon marking their achievement of winning the first GLVC championship in any sport. They are (front row, from left) Coach Arnie Ball, Conette Saylor, Clara Schortgen, Lisa Sheehan; (back row) Assistant Coach Colin Leiter, Judy Yagodinski, Kris Espy, Dawn Bohnke, Carla Gerardot, Julie Hefty, Kristie Kelly, Sherrie Waters, Cindy Horn.
Winter gives birth to the blahs …
The winter landscape is a vista of sooty snow. The sky is a mass of gray clouds with the texture of a lumpy mattress. Between the frenzy of the holidays and the quickenings of spring, it seems there's nothing special to do. And colds and flu keep us confined at home, feeling miserable and frustrated at having to miss work or social engagements. Not a cheerful scenario? Don't worry, said Joanne B. Lantz, chair of psychological sciences, the mid-winter blahs can be overcome. "All these factors falling in together give us the blahs," Lantz said, after ticking off a formidable list of blah-producing events and situations. These included the post-holiday letdown, time on your hands between semesters, left-over tensions from too much or too little family contact during the holidays, and the vagaries of the Midwest's winter weather. Money matters also can play a role when we worry about having spent too much for the holidays, or anticipate the arrival of the tax season. "Probably the best coping strategy is knowing it will end. That knowledge will give you the strength to go on. It's good we've got new classes to look forward to, some new focus for our lives," Lantz said. In mid-January, Lantz's view out of her corner office windows in Neff was focused on snow, ice, and more snow. "I think you get very thwarted in what you do. It's as if you don't have any control over your own life. When it takes you 20 minutes to get through a stoplight on an icy road, it's very frustrating." This also is the time of year to put new batteries in your calculator and contemplate the intricacies of the 1040 tax form. "You look at all that money and realize you don't have a thing to show for it." Lantz's alternative to the mid-winter blahs? Don't mope; do something! "Sometimes we in academia don't always see the end result of what we're doing. We need to do something measurable. So, finish a bookcase or a sweater, learn a new craft, create a product-a visible product. It's good for us to break a routine, and it's good for us to stick to a routine." She also suggested that people need to keep moving in winter. Physical exercise is a great tonic, she said, especially during this season of vulnerability when "there are more things to do and to cope with." Lantz, who rigorously rejected the prescriptions of pop psychology, said it is difficult to generalize about the warning signs that could point to the blahs slipping into the blues and, perhaps, more-serious depression. "It's so individual, it's hard to say. Most people usually are aware enough of themselves to know when they might be headed for trouble. We all have different levels, different limits. What is the blahs for one person is different for another person." The most important factor to consider is the number of stresses in a person's life at a given moment, and how well that person is dealing with them. "Sometimes you just have to say, 'I won't deal with that right now,' and work on it later." One aspect of winter doesn't faze Lantz. In fact, she looks forward to it. "I love blizzards," she said, laughing. "It's a way I can steal a couple of days for what I want to do. If I know it's coming, I can take a bag of things home with me and get a lot of work done. Of course, if it lasts too long, one can get terminal cabin fever."
P.N.B. 1-85-12
INTERCOM Indiana University-Purdue University 2101 Coliseum Boulevard East Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 92 FORT WAYNE, IN 46805
Title Intercom
Alternative Title IPFW INTERCOM
Date Issued February 1985
Publisher IPFW Publications and News Bureau
Description INTERCOM, an IPFW University Relations and Communications publication issued monthly from August 27, 1980 through June 1987, highlighted campus activities and served as a means of internal communication for faculty and staff. Regular columns such as The Chancellor's Message, Focus on Faculty, Focus on Staff, Around IPFW, and a monthly calendar were included.
Subject College publications
Content Type Text
Original Format Single sheet, quarter fold, printed on both sides, black on white, 22 x 17 inches
Publication ID Number P.N.B. 1-85-12
Rights Copyright Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 2017- . All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without permission. For information regarding reproduction and use see: http://cdm16776.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/about/collection/p16776coll1
Collection Heard on Campus --- University News & Publications
Transcript INTERCOM Vol. 5 No. 6 Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne February 1985 REPEATED HEAVY SNOWFALLS AND WINDS GUSTING to 35 miles per hour turned the IPFW campus into a winter dreamscape (or nightmare) during January. A snow recess was declared at 2:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 25, when blizzard conditions threatened northeastern Indiana. Throughout the month, the IPFW grounds crew worked to keep up with snow-laden sidewalks and parking lots. An article on coping with the mid-winter blahs appears on Page 4. Inside Intercom: Julian Bond here Page 1 Fulbright scholar Page 3 Aid applicants given how-to's about forms The appointment calendars in the financial aid office are choked with jottings through March 1, the deadline for submitting the Financial Aid Form (FAF) for the 1985-1986 academic year. In just one two-week period in January, Director Mark A. Franke visited North Side, Elmhurst, and New Haven high schools; Associate Director Joan O. Eaton visited Prairie Heights High School; and Assistant Director Lois H. Neuman visited Northrop and Carroll high schools. There were about 30 visits to area high schools from September through January, many more in this period than last year. "It seems to be a trend for more schools to schedule FAF workshops before Jan. 1," Neuman said. Gov. Robert D. Orr declared Jan. 13-19 as Financial Aid Awareness Week. IU Coach Bob Knight, Purdue Coach Gene Keady, and Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps were enlisted to tape public service announcements for radio and television to support the effort to inform students about financial aid opportunities. Capping the week's activities at IPFW were two how-to sessions to teach current and prospective students the proper way to fill out the FAF. About 33 people attended. For the 1984-1985 academic year, the IPFW financial aid office processed 4,846 applications. Out of these about 3,000 students were recipients of aid. So far in this academic year, $6,047,693 has been disbursed to IPFW students, an amount up about 5 per cent from 1983-1984, Neuman said. The FAF, copies of which are available from the financial aid office, is the first and most-important step a student takes on the road toward qualifying for all types of financial aid, including grants, scholarships, and loans. These types of aid are not limited to the traditional college student just out of high school, Neuman emphasized. "The student's age is not a factor, only need. But there are some kinks; if you're coming back for a second bachelor's degree, the types of aid available are limited." Filling out the FAF correctly is crucial, she said. "We caution them always to be very accurate, very complete. And their forms must be legible because the information is keypunched. The biggest area of mistakes is in listing the taxes paid the year before," Neuman said. "It's not the amount on the W-2 form, but the actual amount of taxes paid. Untaxed income - dividends excluded, pensions, unemployment income - is another problem area. All these have to be included in the total income of the applicant." There are four primary requirements for a student to be eligible for financial aid: be a regularly admitted student, not a student in a non-degree program; complete the FAF by the March 1 deadline for preferential consideration; include a copy of the parents' and/or student's current federal income tax form; and complete any necessary IPFW applications. But applying for financial aid need not be an ordeal, Neuman said. Help is available from the financial aid office. And her one best piece of advice? "One of the best possible things to do is to figure your federal income taxes first, and have your tax returns in front of you before you fill out the FAF. The FAF requires certain line information directly from the tax form." Play depicts Harlem family Purdue Indiana Theatre's next production is "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men," which will open Feb. 15, and run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for two weeks. With an all-black cast of seven, this drama, written by Lonne Elder III and directed by Robert Bresnick, concerns a motherless Harlem family caught in crisis. The father, a former vaudeville hoofer played by PIT newcomer Fred R. Jackson, is trying to keep open an unprofitable barbershop. He also must contend with the conflicts between his two idle sons who are always looking for a quick dollar and the easy way out and his hard-working daughter who pays the family's rent and puts bread on its table. The sons are played by two actual brothers, Anthony Belcher, a PIT veteran of last summer's "Ain't Misbehavin'," and William Belcher, an IPFW student. Donette Blanks plays the daughter. Others in the cast also are James Allen Kimbro Sr. as the father's checkers-playing pal; Delmege Lowe as a would-be criminal kingpin who covers his racketeering in radical rhetoric; and Kim Rozier as a young girl. Blanks, Lowe, and Rozier are IPFW students. After it opened on Broadway in 1969, New York critics were lavish with praise for the play, which poses tough questions about right and wrong, work and idleness, glory and getting by. John Simon, writing in New York magazine: "'Ceremonies in Dark Old Men' is a hearty reminder that a play can have solid contemporary significance, dramatic as well as social, without obligatory obeisances to the avant garde. Chronicling the disintegration of a Harlem family after the death of the materfamilias, it manages to be honest, amusing, angry, and sad." Clive Barnes, writing in The New York Times: "This is a remarkable play … Mr. Elder's theme of a man struggling for honesty in a world where honesty is not so much a luxury as an incongruity, works wonderfully. It is moving, and realistic. And it is no less moving because the honesty has an ironic, bitter aftertaste." The PIT box office is open from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For reservations, call 482-5782. All performances are at 8 p.m. Fred R. Jackson THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE IS BUSY helping students get ready for the March 1 application deadline. Above, Assistant Director Lois Neuman helps a student, Vicki M. Jackson. New scholarships in store Three new scholarships have been established at IPFW, and recipients will be announced during April annual meetings of the IU at Fort Wayne Alumni Association and the Purdue Alumni Society at Fort Wayne. Both will be administered by the office of scholarships and financial aid at IPFW, according to Vivian Lansky, alumni director. The IU scholarship is designated for spouses, daughters, or sons of IU at Fort Wayne graduates and is limited to full-time freshmen of superior academic achievement. Funding began last fall when alumni leaders sought a better way to serve the campus. With assistance from Tom Bolyard, IU alumni director for regional campuses, the group conducted a drawing for two IU basketball tickets to the Dec. 8 IU vs. Kentucky game in Assembly Hall. Proceeds totaled nearly $500, or enough to initiate the scholarship. Funds for the two Purdue Alumni Scholarships have come through a bequest from the Carol K. Schannen estate. Full-time upperclass students of superior academic achievement who are Purdue at Fort Wayne alumni or spouses, daughters, or sons of Purdue at Fort Wayne graduates are eligible to apply for the scholarships. Applications for the scholarships will be available at the office of scholarships and financial aid during February, according to Mark A. Franke, director. The alumni office will also have the scholarship applications. IPFW INTERCOM February 1985 Julian Bond to lecture Longtime civil rights activist and Georgia state Sen. Julian Bond will speak Feb. 24 at IPFW. Following Bond's 7 p.m. speech in the Walb Ballroom, there will be a reception for him in the Sheraton Inn Ballroom, 5250 Distribution Drive. The lecture is free, but there is a $2.50 charge for the reception. To make reservations for the reception, call 482-5616, or send check or money order to Office of Student Services, Walb Memorial Union, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. East, Fort Wayne, IN 46805. Bond's appearance is presented with the assistance of the Addison Locke Roache Foundation. Bond is the fifth ALR lecturer in this annual event. In a recent speech in Indianapolis reported by the Associated Press, Bond said many of the ideals espoused by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are in jeopardy, and he encouraged Hoosiers to rededicate themselves to making King's dream of racial equality come true. "Martin Luther King was born in a world as rigid as the racial codes in South Africa," Bond was reported as saying. "But what was once legal apartheid in America has become a political and economic movement. Despite an impressive increase in where blacks can live and eat, in a very real way in 1985 we find our situation unchanged." February is Black History Month, and several events are planned on the IPFW campus. Feb. 4 - Literature for Lunch series: A Salute to Persons of Color, noon, Walb 222. Feb. 9 - SUBOG film series: a double feature of "Judge Horton and the Scottsboro Boys" and "If There Weren't Any Blacks, You'd Have to Invent Them." 2 p.m., Classroom-Medical 159. Feb. 12 - The Joseph Holmes Dance Troupe will perform at 8 p.m. in Neff Recital hall. Tickets are $5, general admission; $3, activity-card holders, children, and senior citizens. Feb. 25 - Herbert West, professor of Afro-American studies at Howard University, Washington, D.C., will lecture at 7 p.m., Walb, free. Sponsored by Black Collegian Caucus. CHANCELLOR'S MESSAGE on the multiple benefits of athletics By providing tickets to customers and door prizes for spectators, eight area businesses are working together to boost attendance at IPFW men's and women's basketball games. This recent promotion-organized by Joe Zehr (father of player Lisa), and entered into by Azar's, Pizza Hut, Lassus Brothers, Summit Bank, Root's Camp 'n' Ski Haus, Mike's Car Wash, Jamison Meats, and Rogers Markets-is just the latest example of the corporate support that IPFW athletics programs are mustering throughout the community. Other boosts to Mastodon teams have come from Pepsi, a faithful advertiser, provider of schedule cards, and cosponsor of the Indoor Soccer Tournament; from game sponsors Pizza Hut and Clark & Mitchell; and from Farm Bureau, sponsor of a scholarship fund-raising golf tournament. Additionally, the IPFW Athletic Club has grown to 80 members whose backing is of great importance; and a fund drive is under way to enlist support for scholarships for athletes. Quite obviously, many in the community are excited about the potential increase in economic activity as high-level collegiate sports develop here. No longer are the Mastodons playing only local teams at 6 a.m. in a rented high school gym. They're now at home in fine facilities; their Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and other NCAA opponents are true "visiting" teams, staying overnight and sampling the fare of local restaurants. Regional NCAA tournaments are a distinct possibility. In addition to economic impact, the development of IPFW athletics has added intangible pluses to Fort Wayne's already lively image and quality of life. IPFW has established itself as a strong competitor at the Division II level of the NCAA and has already won a GLVC championship in women's volleyball. To increasing numbers of outstanding local high-school athletes, IPFW athletics programs present attractive four-year playing opportunities. Media coverage of IPFW teams and games has increased substantially; and because of our new conference connections, such publicity extends well beyond the local area. To the campus, the development of athletics seems to have had some surprising halo effects upon student recruiting and general public awareness. The chronicles and headlines of athletics contests have given IPFW new and more constant visibility. To high school students, aware of IPFW's academic offerings, athletics rounds out the picture of an appealing collegiate atmosphere. We have also been successful in recruiting several athletes whose scholastic records are outstanding. Athletics progress seemingly has come swiftly. ("Just five years ago, we were gypsies," says Dave Skelton, athletics director. "We had one full-time administrator, one full-time clerical staff, 12 storage cabinets, and an all-purpose field.") But collaborative deliberation on the part of students, faculty, and adminsistrators has been a long-time rule that guided the planning of the Multipurpose Building, brought action on NCAA and GLVC affiliations, and championed development of committed coaching staff. The fruits of such cooperation and support are at hand for both the community and campus. All indications are that athletics programs will continue to serve as a leavening agent for IPFW. Edward A. Nicholson Acting Chancellor Intercom is published monthly by IPFW Publications and News Bureau, Kettler Hall 111, Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW), 2101 Coliseum Boulevard East, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805. AROUND IPFW Mark Crouch, coordinator and assistant professor of labor studies, made two presentations at the 1984 Annual Midwest-Southern Joint Regional Conference of the University and College Labor Education Association conducted on the IUPUI campus, Dec. 12-14. Crouch appeared on a panel discussing "Teaching About Technology: Moving from Problems to Solutions," and also gave a presentation of recent research efforts entitled: "Deployment of the New Technology: The Bidding War for New Plants with Fewer Jobs." James M. Lutz, assistant professor of political science, is co-author (with Young Whan Kihl, Iowa State University) of World Trade Issues: Regime, Structure, and Policy, a book just out from Preager Publishers. New York. Barth H. Ragatz, associate professor of biochemistry and associate director of the Fort Wayne Center for Medical Education, presented two papers at the 1984 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies in Honolulu, Hawaii, in December. One, a slide presentation, was entitled "A Potentially Inexpensive Method for the Determination of Lecithin/Sphingomyelin Ratios of Amniotic Fluid Samples." The statistical analysis was conducted by Patricia S. Conn, assistant professor of mathematics, a collaborator on the paper as was Gina Modrak, technician in the Center. The second paper was entitled "Introducing Hematology in the Medical Biochemistry Course." Two publications by chemistry department members have recently appeared. They are: "The Solubility of NiSO4 •6H2O, A General Chemistry Experiment" by Professor Richard A. Pacer in Journal of Chemical Education, 61, and "Equilibria, Spectra, and Photochemistry of Copper (I)-Ammonia Complexes in Aqueous Solution," by T. F. Braish, R. E. Duncan, J. J. Harber, R. L. Steffen, and Professor Kenneth L. Stevenson, department chair, in Inorganic Chemistry, 23. Braish, Harber, and Steffen are undergraduate students at IPFW. Wen-hui Tsai, chair of anthropology and sociology, has an article, "Modernization and Aging in A Developing Society: The Case of Taiwan," published in Aging in Developing Societies, published by Wyndham Hall Press. Participants from several Midwest states are expected for a three-day conference at IPFW, March 1-3, of the Society for Women in Philosophy, Midwestern Division. Conference meetings will be conducted in Walb. Sheila M. Bruening, associate faculty in philosophy, is the local chair for the organization. K Marie Stolba, associate professor of music, has been named chair of the resolutions committee of The College Music Society. She will hold this national office during calendar year 1985. Robert A. Barrett, acting associate dean of ETN and chair of computer technology, will attend the Association for Computer Machinery/Computer Science Conference and Special Interest Group for Computer Science Education meeting in New Orleans, La. during March. He is a session chair and will give a paper, "A Developmental Computing Course for Computer Technology Majors." Barrett will also give a research abstract, "The Case for a Precurricular Computer Course." Jack Quinn, chair of manufacturing technology, will serve as chair of the visiting team when the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) team visits the University of Toledo Feb. 2-5. Warren W. Worthley, dean of ETN, attended a meeting of the board of directors of the ABET in New York Jan. 21. JOHN W. JOHNSON FAMILY MEMBERS were on campus to honor the late associate professor of mechanical engineering. Johnson died Aug. 25, 1984, and the family has instituted the John W. Johnson Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in the Thermal Sciences. Shown here outside the John W. Johnson Conference Room in Neff Hall are Johnson's widow, Irma Johnson; daughter Rosalie Johnson; daughter-in-law Terry Johnson; and son David Johnson. IU analyzing data on two cities' alumni Fort Wayne and Richmond are currently receiving special attention from Indiana University researchers and writers. The two cities, both sites of IU programs, are serving as case studies as IU attempts to quantify and illustrate the impact of the university and its graduates on community life. According to Cam Danielson, university relations, IU Bloomington, the project encompasses an analysis of data from a recent IU Alumni Association census, a new telephone poll of 500-1,000 local alumni, a series of 20 individual interviews of noteworthy alumni, and a luncheon meeting of community leaders. IPFW alumni, community relations, and news bureau/publications offices have been assisting with local arrangements. Kim Mulkey Mulkey cheers women athletes Kim Mulkey, a member of the U.S. women's basketball team that won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics, was in Fort Wayne Jan. 25 and 26. Mulkey participated in the second annual WMEE-FM Female Basketball Players' Day at IPFW. She also was the guest of honor at a dinner Jan. 26 sponsored by the Fort Wayne Women's Bureau. The three-time collegiate All-American said she hoped her success in women's athletics would serve as a role model for young girls and encourage them to participate in competitive sports. In addition to numerous personal appearances throughout Fort Wayne, Mulkey attended the IPFW vs. Bellarmine basketball game, where she signed autographs and talked to people about her experiences as a college and Olympic athlete. Sandstrom is granted a Fulbright Alan R. Sandstrom, associate professor of anthropology, is the recipient of a Fulbright Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for 1985-1986. He will study how recent oil company work near a small village in northern Veracruz, a state of central Mexico's Gulf Coast, has affected the residents. Previously, these Nahua Indians, descendants of the Aztecs, have lived a traditional life because of their isolation. These villagers, who speak Nahuatl not Spanish, mostly are farmers who do not use plows or animals in their fields. Sandstrom will be accompanied by his wife, Pamela E. Sandstrom, science reference librarian at IPFW, and their 2-year-old son, Michael. Pamela Sandstrom also will be conducting fieldwork on the lives of the village women and the effect of the Indian culture on the couple's son. Calling anthropological fieldwork "the greatest adventure you can imagine," Alan Sandstrom said he previously had conducted research in the village of Puyecaco in 1972 and 1973. This information became the basis of a book written by the Sandstroms, Traditional Papermaking and Paper Cult Figures of Mexico, to be published by the University of Oklahoma Press. The couple have made three follow-up visits since 1973. The Fulbright fellowships, which are awarded by the federal government, enable American scholars to conduct research in other countries and allow foreign scholars to conduct research in the United States. SPOTLIGHT ON STAFF Delta Seely Delta Seely, assistant to the director of institutional research, marked 20 years of employment at IPFW last month, and her job description has undergone numerous changes during those years. Back at the beginning, the Indiana University portion in Fort Wayne was considered a regional campus and operated through Bloomington. She was the only woman working full-time in the IU portion of the business office here, and she dealt with payroll, personnel, and bursar duties. By the time IU and Purdue merged here in 1975, Seely dealt strictly with the biweekly payroll. Since 1977, she has been involved with institutional research, compiling information. And there's quite a demand for the information, with recipients of data including IPFW itself, other universities, and various governmental units. About 50 units seek survey information yearly. In addition to data-giving, there is also data-gathering. The office in which Seely works circulates surveys developed to get facts and attitudes from IPFW students and also to get such information as employment plans from area industries. Data compilation of some sort for someone is a daily procedure, Seely said. The office of institutional research produces a statistical profile each fall, and compiling data for that is about a two-month project, Seely said. Retention of students and age stratification of students, faculty, and staff are current areas of information being compiled. Working with students was Seely's favorite job aspect when she began at IPFW, but she said she also enjoys the challenge and discipline of working with numbers, which she does in her work currently. Her favorite pastime away from the job is camping, and she said she hopes to experience more cross-country treks in the future. Next on the Seely job agenda is competency on a yet-to-be-acquired computer. She said she views it as a new experience-one she has procrastinated about, but is now ready to take on. Where Fort Wayne's 1984 seniors went to college IPFW 32% IU-Bloomington 18% Ball State 7% Indiana State U. 7% Purdue U. 2% Other state institutions 20% Out of state 14% Source: Fort Wayne Community Schools Graph courtesy of The News-Sentinel TITLE-WINNING TEAM OF IPFW volleyball players were honored at a luncheon marking their achievement of winning the first GLVC championship in any sport. They are (front row, from left) Coach Arnie Ball, Conette Saylor, Clara Schortgen, Lisa Sheehan; (back row) Assistant Coach Colin Leiter, Judy Yagodinski, Kris Espy, Dawn Bohnke, Carla Gerardot, Julie Hefty, Kristie Kelly, Sherrie Waters, Cindy Horn. Winter gives birth to the blahs … The winter landscape is a vista of sooty snow. The sky is a mass of gray clouds with the texture of a lumpy mattress. Between the frenzy of the holidays and the quickenings of spring, it seems there's nothing special to do. And colds and flu keep us confined at home, feeling miserable and frustrated at having to miss work or social engagements. Not a cheerful scenario? Don't worry, said Joanne B. Lantz, chair of psychological sciences, the mid-winter blahs can be overcome. "All these factors falling in together give us the blahs," Lantz said, after ticking off a formidable list of blah-producing events and situations. These included the post-holiday letdown, time on your hands between semesters, left-over tensions from too much or too little family contact during the holidays, and the vagaries of the Midwest's winter weather. Money matters also can play a role when we worry about having spent too much for the holidays, or anticipate the arrival of the tax season. "Probably the best coping strategy is knowing it will end. That knowledge will give you the strength to go on. It's good we've got new classes to look forward to, some new focus for our lives," Lantz said. In mid-January, Lantz's view out of her corner office windows in Neff was focused on snow, ice, and more snow. "I think you get very thwarted in what you do. It's as if you don't have any control over your own life. When it takes you 20 minutes to get through a stoplight on an icy road, it's very frustrating." This also is the time of year to put new batteries in your calculator and contemplate the intricacies of the 1040 tax form. "You look at all that money and realize you don't have a thing to show for it." Lantz's alternative to the mid-winter blahs? Don't mope; do something! "Sometimes we in academia don't always see the end result of what we're doing. We need to do something measurable. So, finish a bookcase or a sweater, learn a new craft, create a product-a visible product. It's good for us to break a routine, and it's good for us to stick to a routine." She also suggested that people need to keep moving in winter. Physical exercise is a great tonic, she said, especially during this season of vulnerability when "there are more things to do and to cope with." Lantz, who rigorously rejected the prescriptions of pop psychology, said it is difficult to generalize about the warning signs that could point to the blahs slipping into the blues and, perhaps, more-serious depression. "It's so individual, it's hard to say. Most people usually are aware enough of themselves to know when they might be headed for trouble. We all have different levels, different limits. What is the blahs for one person is different for another person." The most important factor to consider is the number of stresses in a person's life at a given moment, and how well that person is dealing with them. "Sometimes you just have to say, 'I won't deal with that right now,' and work on it later." One aspect of winter doesn't faze Lantz. In fact, she looks forward to it. "I love blizzards," she said, laughing. "It's a way I can steal a couple of days for what I want to do. If I know it's coming, I can take a bag of things home with me and get a lot of work done. Of course, if it lasts too long, one can get terminal cabin fever." P.N.B. 1-85-12 INTERCOM Indiana University-Purdue University 2101 Coliseum Boulevard East Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 92 FORT WAYNE, IN 46805
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Resume Reading — Six Pictures of Paradise
Ideas Art
Six Pictures of Paradise
I was puzzled by the artist’s photographs of my home in the Amazon—then I looked again.
Nigel Pitman By Nigel Pitman PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS STRUTH December 25, 2014
For many years I ran a field station in Amazonian Peru. The station was a five-hour canoe ride from the nearest road, and every Friday…By Nigel Pitman
For many years I ran a field station in Amazonian Peru. The station was a five-hour canoe ride from the nearest road, and every Friday our boat made the long trip upriver carrying crates of groceries, drums of gas for the generator, a mountain of scuffed-up backpacks and duffel bags, and the latest crop of scientists. The station buildings sat on a high bluff that looked a long way down the river, and late Friday afternoon I would begin to hear the buzz of the outboard motor when the boat was still a tiny comet-shaped object rounding the farthest bend. By the time I made it down the long wooden stairway to the riverbank, the sunburnt boat driver was pulling in with his sunburnt passengers.
Of the thousands of people who stepped off that boat during my time at the station—ornithologists, limnologists, philanthropists, schoolchildren, gold miners, filmmakers—one I still puzzle over with some regularity is Thomas Struth, a fine art photographer who worked at the station for a few days in 2005. I had never heard of Struth, but I had seen enough photographers come through the station to know they were usually looking for something specific. Struth seemed different. On his first day I showed him a map of the area and pointed out some of the most photogenic sites around camp. He replied in a quiet way that those places sounded very interesting and that he would very much like to visit them, but that he would probably not take his camera. At first I understood it to be a logistical problem, because he was traveling with a camera the size of a suitcase. But that wasn’t the reason at all.
He was after something else. For a long time I didn’t understand what it was, and he and his assistant couldn’t explain it to me, apart from observing in stilted English that they were “searching for complexity.” I gave them a trail map and left them to their own devices. It was no skin off my nose. I had plenty of other things to keep me busy at the station, including a shortage of roof thatch, a pile of unanalyzed data, half a dozen underperforming solar panels, a 2-year-old, and an infant.
Then there were the scientists. Some of them were there because they had a newfangled notion about white-lipped peccaries, whereas others wanted to know which flowers a particular butterfly fed on in the dry season, and all of us were burning to write up whatever we learned in some technical journal that, years later, an associate professor might glance at on his coffee break. We even had some honest-to-God eccentrics on hand, including a primatologist who had over the years piled up in her cabin what was surely, at that time, the most comprehensive collection in the southern hemisphere of Soap Opera Weekly. Now someone wanted to take pictures of complexity. Shrug—back to the laptop in my cabin—because there were more of these people coming next week, and they needed someone to tell them where to get on the boat.
You looked into a forest understory and your brain started casting about for something to grab onto.
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I might never have figured out who Struth was and what he was doing at the station if he hadn’t offered to give a talk about his work in our weekly lecture series. Lectures were held in the dining room, after the dinner dishes had been cleared away. We had a fancy projector that looked out of place in the middle of the Amazon, and one of those screens that rolls up like a window shade. When everything went smoothly it felt like you were attending a lecture at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. When things did not go smoothly we lit candles and slapped at mosquitoes until Leo got the generator running again.
Struth started the talk by showing a selection of his best-known photographs, a half-dozen images that are familiar to museumgoers around the world. He was facing a tough crowd, though. Most of the people in the audience that night were museumgoers, but we had been going to a different kind of museum—the kind in Lima or Cusco where the night watchman lets you in after hours so that you can sit up late surrounded by stacks of pressed plants, trying to decipher your handwriting in a muddy field book, where the Plaster-of-Paris dinosaur in the foyer is missing a foot, the doorjambs are covered with schoolboys’ initials, and the cleaning lady hasn’t had a raise in years. Most of the audience would have felt more comfortable in a lecture on the phytogeography of the nutmeg family. As we sat there in the tropical night looking at Struth’s pictures—looking at pictures of parked cars in Düsseldorf; looking at pictures of tourists in the Louvre; looking, for Christ’s sake, at a German family in their living room—we couldn’t help but wonder what on Earth had prompted us that evening to saunter over to the grimy median that separates art from science and see what was happening on the other side. The pictures kept coming. Through the window we could see our colleagues over in the lab building: the happy ones who had chosen to skip the lecture and were contentedly measuring out formalin into tuna fish cans.
Struth, for his part, was also ill at ease. For one thing, in the dark dining room the lit-up projector screen was attracting moths. This was never much of a problem during scientific talks, when anything that landed on the screen provided some decoration to the log-scale axes. But the photographs Struth was showing seemed to focus on stillness, and they were images that he knew down to the finest detail, and he must have found it unsettling to discover a ctenuchid moth fluttering in their corners. Time after time Struth would call up a new photo, step back to appreciate it, and then rush in, arms waving, to scare off a moth. Some of the moths would take flight, and some of the moths would stay where they were. Some turned out not to be moths at all but brown spots left behind by the cockroaches that inhabited the screen between lectures.
“Paradise 27”@ Thomas Struth, 2014
Eventually he got to a series he was calling “Paradise.” These were photographs he had been taking in forests around the world—and the reason he was visiting the station. They made the biologists in the audience sit up straighter. Here, at last, was something that made sense. But soon enough the audience started to slump again. For every picture that earned an appreciative “mmmmm” because it looked beautiful or seemed meaningful, three or four clicked past in awkward silence because they weren’t pretty and felt pointless. The scenes of tangled vegetation that Struth had sought out were not necessarily beautiful or symmetrical, not blessed with remarkable lighting or visually striking objects or any kind of grandeur. They were not the kind of thing that your brain could easily tell itself a story about. You looked into a forest understory crisscrossed with vines and shadowed with branches and palm fronds and your brain started casting about for something to grab onto—some way in. Then that picture was gone and you were staring at the next, and it started all over again.
Struth had given up worrying about the moths. Most likely he had noted the audience’s unease, and perhaps he was even enjoying it. None of us knew it at the time, but in an interview a few years earlier he had said of the “Paradise” photographs, “One can spend a lot of time in front of these pictures and remain helpless in terms of knowing how to deal with them.”
Finally the slideshow was over. The lights came on, Struth said a quiet thanks, and the audience clapped half-heartedly. He hadn’t shown any of the photographs he’d taken at the station, and he hadn’t said very much about the pictures he had shown. As the scientists filed out of the dining room there was some headshaking, and I realized that my colleagues were angry at me for having dragged them to such a flaky event. A mammalogist whispered accusingly, “What the fuck was that?”
I wasn’t sure. But there was plenty going on at the station that month, and soon enough Struth and his assistant had packed up their things and left, and we moved onto the next thing. A few months later I was eating lunch with a newly arrived researcher. When I happened to mention Struth’s visit, she dropped her fork. The last time she visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she said, there had been one enormous banner across the facade that said LEONARDO DA VINCI, another enormous banner that said GENGHIS KHAN, and a third enormous banner that said THOMAS STRUTH.
I dropped my fork, too. As my dictionary says: “struth, interj. A mild oath used to express surprise or dismay.”
Life went on; many peccaries were captured. At some point our little station had become the busiest research destination in the Amazon. Every Friday the boat was loaded with scientists and students, and I didn’t have time to think of anything else. One morning, three years after Struth’s visit, a note from Struth turned up in my inbox. Appended to the note were six pictures he had taken at the station. I clicked through them, taking note of what was happening in my brain as they flashed on the screen. In the letter, Struth mentioned that he was exhibiting these pictures at enormous sizes. The largest print was as large as two king-size beds pushed together—so large that you could stand a comfortable distance away and see nothing else. Knowing this made the pictures on my computer screen seem especially tiny. On the other hand, we could do big art. I sent my assistant to scrub the cockroach shit off our projector screen, and after dinner a few weeks later I called everyone together for a slideshow.
By then the National Science Foundation had built us a new, screened-in venue for lectures, and there were so many people in the audience that night that we had to bring over chairs from the lab. For the slideshow, I assembled some of the most interesting photos taken at the station over the last few months, and it only occurred to me too late that it had been a mistake to put Struth’s photographs toward the end. Before the audience got their first glance of his work they were treated to a picture of a jaguar pacing a riverbank a few meters from a passing canoe, a camera-trap picture of a gold miner who had wandered onto station property with his shotgun and was peacefully scratching his balls when the shutter clicked, and a picture of a woman giving birth on the floor of our canoe.
By the time Struth’s photos came on the screen, the crowd had long since picked its favorites. Following Struth’s example, I left his photographs on the screen for an uncomfortably long time, until I heard people starting to shift in their seats. Around the third photo someone in the crowd muttered, “Ya pues.” You could translate that as “Enough already,” but the more accurate translation in that context would be: “Show more jaguars.”
Again people were disappointed. The most common remark I heard over the next few days was, “Are you kidding me? I could take those pictures.” Which was true, in a broad sense. Struth had taken his photos close to camp, on trails we walked all the time. But that was one of the things that made them interesting: the fact that although any of us could have taken those pictures, only one person actually did. The thousands of photographs that scientists have given me over the years feature monkeys and macaws and butterflies ad nauseum. But the only ones that show what the forest actually looks like on 999 out of 1,000 steps you take on the trails around the station were taken by the guy whose name is on the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among the thousands of images in my photo library they are immediately recognizable. The only other photo that resembles them at all records the moment in which a botany student from Lima felt the unscientific urge to point her camera straight up at the blue sky and white clouds.
Over the next few months I spent a lot of time looking at Struth’s pictures. To tell the truth, I needed the distraction. Having reached their apogee, things at the station had begun to run rapidly downhill. We had started to run out of money, or had finished running out of money, or had run out of money the year before and not realized it—the accountants in Cusco were trying to figure out which. The fundraising notes I sent out were meeting stiff competition in the form of that year’s headlines, which were about global economic collapse. The laboratory roof was leaking, the dining hall roof was leaking, my roof was leaking, and the cleaning lady hadn’t had a raise in years. Gold miners had invaded station property and were converting a patch of our forest into a gravel pit; they smiled at our protests because gold was selling for $900 an ounce. At the end of the day, after the children had been put to bed and the generator switched off and the only signs of life in the clearing were the far-off flashlight beams of researchers working late in the lab, I used to slump in my chair in the dark and fill the screen of my laptop with Struth’s photographs.
Sometimes it helped to pretend I was seeing them through someone else’s eyes—one of those people, maybe, who were gazing at them in a white-walled exhibition hall in Basel, where high heels clicked on the polished concrete floors. At one level, as I understood it, those people were looking at a rainforest version of Duchamp’s urinal and deriving aesthetic pleasure from an object that was both visually complex and completely free of narrative possibility. Strolling the floors with those pleasantly baffled museumgoers, I liked to reflect, too, on the deeper games Struth was playing. For one thing, those senseless tangles of leaves and vines weren’t, it seemed to me, some artifact that we could set on a shelf or hang on a wall. They’re our home. They’re the place we live. I strolled through the exhibit turning these things over in my mind, turning them over and letting them tumble and scatter, and soon enough I found myself lounging in a café around the corner from the museum in the company of a blonde, to whom I mused, in French, “Perhaps we are hanging on its wall.” Then she suggested an amusing analogy between the Paradise photos and the Garden of Eden, and I countered by asking why 21st-century Man felt so uncomfortable, anyway, in the presence of l’état sauvage, and she wondered aloud in a husky voice whether Eve would have liked those pictures better before or after the apple. I nodded shrewdly and leaned back in my chair, savoring the strong coffee and visualizing both of them—Eve and the blonde—stark naked.
I’d start looking at the pictures like a scientist determined to miss the point—reducing each of the photographs to a list of plant species.
Sometimes, waking from those dreams, I’d sit there in my thatched-roof hut wondering in an idle way whether the interest I felt for Struth’s photographs wasn’t fundamentally pretentious. After all, if a grad student had sent me those pictures I wouldn’t have paid them much attention. I might well have thrown them away, grumbling about these beetle taxonomists who take pictures of nothing. But that line of thought never troubled me for long. What intrigued me about the photographs was not that they had been taken by a famous artist, but that they had been taken by a person who had looked at six places in that forest very closely and was now requesting, without much in the way of explanation, that I look at them with the same deliberation.
So I did. The whole here’s-an-inscrutable-scene-in-which-you’re-going-to-see-nothing line bugged me, though. One reason is that these were pictures of a place I’d lived in for years, a place that hundreds of colleagues had crisscrossed with their backpacks and collecting poles and snake hooks, explicitly trying to make sense of: naming things and tracking them down and trying to figure out just what it was we were seeing. Also, a large part of my own research involves walking into supposedly unfathomable forests and working out what they consist of. I describe forests for a living—and I found it sort of annoying that this German guy with a giant camera seemed to be saying I couldn’t.
The forest Struth had photographed was a place in which I couldn’t take more than a few steps without thinking, “This is where Darío found the giant armadillo snoring,” “That tree is hollow and full of bats,” and “There’s the hole Diego fell into.” One of Struth’s pictures had been taken close to the place where one evening, just before sunset, I had felt the need to go bushwhacking off trail, in flip-flops, and had gotten lost. Others were taken a few steps away from a cliff top from which you could watch the sun set over the Andean glaciers. I saw a lot of young rubber trees in the pictures, several of which were taken along a trail where rubber trees were so common that on hot afternoons you could hear the fruits snapping like popcorn and raining down on the understory. In a different season the rubber tree leaves turned blood red before falling, which made them stand out like lit torches in the green canopy, but which also reminded you that the Indians who had lived there 100 years earlier had been massacred by rubber tappers. In one of Struth’s pictures, half-hidden among the vines and bamboo stems, I noticed a yellow rope that a grad student who was writing a dissertation on fruit flies had once used to pull his traps up into the canopy.
Then I’d start looking at the pictures like a scientist determined to miss the point—reducing each of Struth’s photographs to a list of the plant species it contained and some observations on the successional state of the forest. To my botanist’s eye all six photographs give an impression of disturbed forest. The understory is too crowded and the vines too abundant for old-growth, and in every photograph you can see at least one leaf belonging to the Cecropiaceae, which dominates South American clearings. I also noticed very few plant species that tell you just where you are in the Amazon. No matter how scientific I was feeling, knowing these things lent a melancholy tinge to the photographs, because what I was looking at was forest that I’d probably describe to a colleague as “trashed”— the sort of forest I’d hike through on my way to the better stuff, if I were in a part of the Amazon where there still is better stuff.
Sooner or later, meandering in that mood, I’d find myself in a different kind of imaginary café, around the corner from a different kind of museum, drinking beer with a gloomy entomologist who was complaining about a shortage of specimen pins, about the chrysomelids in the collections that were going to waste in the humidity, and about the Amazonian park he had just come back from where the mahogany loggers ruled like kings. Now and then a noisy bus roared past on the street outside. In cafés like that there are no blondes.
We left the station for good toward the end of 2008. By then, the accountants in Cusco had worked out that I was no longer earning a salary, and under her mosquito netting at night our younger daughter had started having what seemed like epileptic fits. All in all, it felt like a reasonable time to move the family to a place where the elementary schools weren’t underwater during the rainy season. By boat, then taxi, then barge, bus, and plane we traveled to the other side of the South American continent, to a city in Brazil where my wife had kept a house for this sort of eventuality. A week later, we were re-learning how to drive a car and pay the monthly electric bill. You’d think it would be impossible, but the memories of the years we spent living on a cliff in the Amazon began to fade.
Eventually you find out the dark nights stretch late on this side of South America too. It was a surprise to discover that the photographs I had brought with me from Peru didn’t offer much solace. There were too many faces, too many memories and worries that went along with them. I couldn’t look at them without feeling it all starting to weigh on me again: whether the park guards had gotten the raise they deserved or if they were still buttoning up the same crappy canvas uniforms each morning, hoping things might improve next year; whether the roofs were still leaking and whether the staircase had fallen down yet in a landslide; whatever happened to that student who went crazy and spent the whole night sobbing scandalous secrets to me until we could get him out on a canoe at dawn, escorted by park guards to keep him from throwing himself overboard; what kind of school the child born on the floor of our canoe is going to and what sorts of things they teach him there; why I never managed to produce a soils map for the station or survey the largest trees or raise a million-dollar endowment; whether any of those things will get done eventually; and why it is that otherwise sensible people would spend the best years of their lives trying to construct something ambitious in a place where everything rots.
On nights like that, when I get to feeling tired and unsure about where I stand in life, I like to take another long look at Struth’s photographs. I’ve come to love them. Just knowing that these scenes aren’t the most beautiful places along the trail system provokes a rush of tenderness for that forest. It’s the same thing I feel looking at pictures of my wife caught unaware she’s being photographed, when she looks ordinary instead of radiant. It still looks like paradise to me—even if it’s paradise on a hot afternoon when the cicadas are buzzing. These are not the kind of pictures you look at and think: Look how beautiful that forest is. Two thousand kilometers away and half a dozen years later, I sit up late with those pictures and think: I loved that forest, and this is what it looked like.
Nigel Pitman is a tropical botanist based at the Field Museum. His work on South American plants has appeared
in Science, Ecology, and Conservation Biology, and his non-scientific writing has been published in Orion, DoubleTake, and Sage. He recently finished a 9/11 novel set entirely in the Amazon.
This article originally ran as a print-only Prelude in our Summer 2014 Quarterly.
Art Six Pictures of Paradise
Physics Discovering the Expected
Environment The Decisive Moment
Paleontology T. Rex Might be the Thing with Feathers
Discovering the Expected
By Michael Tuts
Songbirds in the Suburbs
By Aaron Hirsh
The Men Who Planted Trees
By Anna Badkhen
The Natural World Is an Elephant World
By Jude Isabella
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In this episode we talk about the system, corruption, a time computation sheet, guilt, shame and examining a person’s character over time.
Today's guest on the show is Sundhe Moses, but I know him as Shine. Shine was wrongly convicted of killing a 4 year girl in Brooklyn and did over 18 years in prison for it.
Instead of hitting you over the head with a 3 hour episode. I'm going break it down into 3 parts.
In this episode we talk about growing up in Brooklyn, karate flicks, getting locked up, Rikers Island, How to Survive Prison, wrongful conviction and never losing hope.
Will Kurtz Creates Realistic Life-Size Figures and Animals out of Newspaper
Live from SCOPE Art Show today's guest on the show is Will Kurtz. In this episode we have an in-depth conversation about landscape architecture, making connections, comedy and his sculpture art. Show Notes: https://www.newyorksaid.com/will-kurtz/
The Keys and Reeds of Grammy award-winning artist Casey Benjamin
Live from the West Village today's guest on the show is Casey Benjamin aka DJ Stutzmcgee. Casey is a 2X Grammy award winner, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, DJ, Yamaha artist and muscle car enthusiast. In this episode we have an in-depth conversation about his beginnings as a saxophonist, the vocoder, DJing, racism, Prince experiences, style, racing cars and the Robert Glasper Experiment. Show Notes: https://www.newyorksaid.com/casey-benjamin/
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What Journalists Can Learn from John Oliver and ‘Last Week Tonight’
by Ben DeJarnette
John Oliver hosts HBO's comedy news show Last Week Tonight. This season's first episode was released on Feb. 14. Photo by Tech Crunch on Flickr and used here with Creative Commons license.
A TV anchor once dubbed the most trusted man in America is back on television — and no, I’m not talking about Brian Williams.
On Sunday night, British-born comedian John Oliver returned for season three of his acclaimed HBO series “Last Week Tonight,” a comedy news show that combines explanatory reporting with sharp satire, slapstick comedy and even some musical ensembles. Oliver got his start in fake news on the grand-daddy of them all, “The Daily Show,” with Jon Stewart as the founding father.
"On 'Last Week Tonight,' Oliver shows a commitment to accuracy and truth, but he couldn't care less about balance."
After a three-month hiatus, Sunday’s season debut of “Last Week Tonight” once again aced that formula, with Oliver pivoting seamlessly from a discussion of the Supreme Court’s future to an examination of voting rights restrictions in the U.S. to a lighthearted bit about a dildo assault in New Zealand.
It’s a style entirely distinct from, say, the evening-news gravitas of Walter Cronkite, but despite Oliver’s repeated protests that he’s not a journalist (see here, here, and here), a growing number of media critics now point to his comedy news segments as illustrations of great journalism. The Columbia Journalism Review, for example, published an article in 2014 highlighting four topics that John Oliver explained more clearly than television news, and Columbia Law School professor Tim Wu — who’s credited with coining the term net neutrality — tweeted that Oliver had “rendered every other explanation [of net neutrality] obsolete.”
The debate over whether Oliver qualifies as a capital-J “Journalist” still rages, of course, but while watching Sunday’s episode, it struck me that Oliver might actually be out ahead of the news industry on some important trends. Here are four things that Oliver is doing that traditional news organizations could learn from.
Slowing down the news
In the digital era’s 24-hour news cycle, it’s widely held that news organizations must focus on delivering the news short and fast in order to survive. So how do we explain the success of “Last Week Tonight”? Oliver’s show airs only once per week and it specializes in 10- to 20-minute deep dives on topics as complex (and as seemingly dry) as net neutrality, cash-advance loans, and prisoner re-entry.
David Carr, the late New York Times media critic, initially predicted that the show’s weekly format “would never work,” but he later acknowledged that he’d missed the mark. As Carr explained: “I think there is, right now, a hunger for a kind of slow news, thoughtful takes that won’t fit inside a Twitter feed. Stephen Colbert demonstrated with his stunt super PAC that topical comedy on dry but important matters can educate in addition to bringing the belly laughs.”
The “slow news” movement in journalism appears to be picking up some steam, as journalistic startups like Vox, FiveThirtyEight, and Vice win over huge audiences with a reporting approach that spurns “getting it first” in favor of going deep and doing it best.
With some luck, slow news might eventually become the norm in journalism. But for now, it seems the journalists are still chasing the comedian.
Avoiding ‘False Balance’
There has been much written lately about the perils of “false balance” — a conundrum in which journalists, by trying to give equal voice to “both sides” of a story, actually obscure the truth on topics like climate change and childhood vaccinations, which aren’t exactly toss-up issues.
On “Last Week Tonight,” Oliver shows a commitment to accuracy and truth, but he couldn’t care less about balance. In Sunday’s feature segment, for example, Oliver eviscerated legislators in North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and other states for implementing voter ID laws, which he criticizes as thinly veiled efforts to suppress voter turnout among groups that tend to support Democrats. As Oliver points out, the facts on this issue are unmistakably clear: Voter impersonation is extremely rare in the U.S., with only a handful of documented cases each election; the voter ID laws intended to fix this “problem” disproportionately impact African-American and Latino voters, who historically are more likely to support Democrats; and the backers of the voter ID laws are almost exclusively Republicans.
A traditional journalist, eager to avoid charges of partisanship or bias, would feel compelled to maintain neutrality and balance while producing a story about voter ID laws. Oliver instead did this. I’ll leave you to assess the merits.
Making the News Fun
Amid all the hype about his journalistic chops, Oliver has insisted that his show is “comedy first, and it’s comedy second,” as he told The Daily Beast in 2014. “It’s a comedy show, just about things that we’re interested in.”
But maybe journalism and humor don’t need to be mutually exclusive. In fact, when covering issues as esoteric as net neutrality, an occasional joke about dingos might be exactly what it takes to get the audience to the finish line.
Of course, it’s probably not possible (or advisable) for journalists to match Oliver’s comedic chops. But even without snappy one-liners, there are plenty of ways that journalists can make the news more fun. The online news publication Grist, for example, once combined a story about the discount rate in economic climate modeling with adorable — but completely random — photos of otters. And experimental projects like Curious City and Serial have used “discovery journalism” to engage audiences with the process of how reporting comes together.
Because hey, if the goal is to keep audiences engaged with quality journalism, adding a splash of fun can’t hurt.
John Oliver speaks at the 7th Annual Crunchies Awards in San Francisco. Photo by TechCrunch on Flickr and used here with Creative Commons license.
Using Archives to Add Depth and Context
Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia’s death on Saturday sparked what’s quickly becoming the biggest political showdown of the year, with Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell vowing to block President Obama from installing a replacement during the last 11 months of his presidency.
Certainly, there has been plenty of good reporting on this story by mainstream journalists. The New York Times, for example, created a graphic showing the number of days from nomination to confirmation for every Supreme Court justice ever; PolitiFact provided a thorough fact-check of comments made at Saturday’s Republican presidential debate; and SCOTUSblog explained the implications of an eight-member Supreme Court for the cases still pending this session.
But what all of these news stories missed was a crucial piece of context that Oliver provided on Sunday night. During his opening segment, Oliver plays an old CSPAN clip that shows McConnell ripping into the so-called “Thurmond Rule” — the same one that Republicans are now citing as precedent for not confirming judges in the months prior to a presidential election.
“This seeming obsession with this rule that doesn’t exist,” McConnell says in the “Last Week Tonight” clip, “is just an excuse for our colleagues to run out the clock on qualified nominees who are waiting to fill badly needed vacancies.”
Oh, the irony. And oh, the power of archives. In the span of about ten seconds, Oliver cut through the political hot air and exposed McConnell’s partisanship to brilliant effect. It’s something journalists could do more often, so in the spirit of walking that walk, here’s what MIT’s William Uricchio said about archives in my post last week.
“History exists for a reason,” he said. “The archive is a very useful way to show where these issues come from and how these debates play out over time.”
Ben DeJarnette is the associate editor at MediaShift. He is also a freelance contributor for Pacific Standard, InvestigateWest, Men’s Journal, Runner’s World, Oregon Quarterly and others. He’s on Twitter @BenDJduck.
Tagged: archives comedy fake news false balance hbo john oliver last week tonight satire slow news
The problem is Oliver really isn’t doing journalism — he is doing political commentary. With a few exceptions, he isn’t going out and finding new facts and reporting what he finds. He is commenting on issues in the news, drawing his information from news stories. His commentaries are amusing, but they are clearly targeted at a certain audience (in this case, liberals) and rarely try to present the reasons why the “other side” might disagree with the conclusions he is drawing. Oliver is largely playing it safe: He has an audience in mind, and he is telling that audience what it wants to hear rather than challenging its beliefs.
Both interesting points. I agree that Oliver relies on mainstream journalists for the original reporting cited in his segments, which underscores the importance of the muckraking done by legacies. But I’d argue that Oliver’s segments serve a sense-making function that’s equally central to journalism. And I’d also say that outlets like Fox News and MSNBC are really the ones playing it safe by telling a particular audience what they want to hear. Perhaps I’m blinded by my own politics, but Oliver (and Stewart before him) strike me as being equally opinionated as the cable news commentators — but actually much less partisan. So much of Oliver’s best work — from the expose on the Miss America pageant to the explainer on cash-advance loans — aren’t exactly cookie-cutter liberal issues. To me, they seem more like extensions of Stewart’s “War on B.S.”
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Belia S. Martinez »
« Darla L. Chiodo
Mary P. Morrow
MARY P. MORROW, 77, of Georgetown (Hanover Twp.), died Wednesday evening, March 7, 2018, at Heritage Valley Sewickley.
Born May 31, 1940, in Coraopolis, she was a daughter of the late George Sr. and Frances Pauline (Fluharty) Haney. A homemaker, she was a member of the Clinton Wesleyan Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Alvin E. Work, Sr.; a brother and sister-in-law, George and Donna Haney; a sister and brother-in-law, Janet and Oliver Smith, and a stepson, James Morrow.
Surviving are her second husband, James William Morrow; a son and his companion, Alvin E. Work, Jr. and Mary Jean Clarke, Coraopolis; a daughter and son-in-law, Janet Jean and Robert Cubbage, Texas; her stepchildren, Robert and Debi Morrow, Washington; Randy Morrow, Clinton; Kathy and the late Jack Murin, Clinton; Arlene and John Luich, Cabot, Pa.; Nancy and Ed Carr-Foster, Clinton, and Kandi Connors, Clinton; a stepdaughter-in-law, Karen Morrow, Burgettstown; brothers and sisters-in-law, Pat and Marie Haney, Arizona; James Haney, Tennessee; Paul and Linda Haney, Connecticut; and John and Genise Haney, Georgia; a sister and brother-in-law, Eleanor and Al Frankey, Moon Twp.; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; 10 step-grandchildren; 16 step-great-grandchildren, and two step-great-great-grandchildren.
Friends will be received Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. only in the MOODY FUNERAL HOME, Route 30, Clinton, where services will be held Monday at 11 a.m., with her pastor, the Rev. Ted Chapman, of the Clinton Wesleyan Church officiating.
She will be laid to rest in the Hopewell-Hebron Cemetery.
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A dedication to the extraordinary, a devotion to beauty and a passion for rock and roll are the strong character traits that have compelled Philipp Plein to give rise to a brand notorious for both unbridled luxury and edgy style. Philipp Plein was born in Munich in 1978 and educated in Switzerland and Germany. His strong interest in art, architecture and foreign cultures was shaped early in life through the extensive travels with his family, providing exposure as a child to the world’s most important museums and cultural exhibits. In 1998 he entered the world of design by producing exclusive furnishings in steel and leather initially for family and friends, which soon became a full time professional activity, demanding enough for Plein to abandon his law studies. His involvement in leather craftsmanship led him to experiment with leather garments and accessories, and finally to launch his own fashion brand in 2004. The company continued to grow and two major milestones were reached in 2008 with the opening of the first flagship store in Monte Carlo and the first commercial showroom in Milan. As the young, affluent consumer continued to discover this fresh unconventional brand, Philipp Plein concentrated on creating a world class production network, thereby guaranteeing the unsurpassed level of luxury demanded by his discerning clientele. The market has applauded this insightful collection that combines young, rock and roll style with impeccable quality, and the world of PHILIPP PLEIN is enjoying a phenomenal success today with corporate headquarters in Europe, North America and Asia, more than 120 mono-brand stores, over 500 retail clients worldwide, a strong rate of expansion, and currently a turnover of over two hundred million Euro. Philipp Plein lives by his creed of breaking rules and barriers, doing the unexpected and shaking people out of their complacence, while never ignoring the main objective of having fun and enjoying life. According to the late Franca Sozzani, iconic editor in Chief of Vogue Italia,” Philipp Plein is unique because he has a joy of life. He doesn’t want to be a fashionista, he makes fashion because he loves women. This is a specific, special attitude because he is one of the few.” PHILIPP PLEIN events around the world, whether a local store opening or a major fashion show, are unforgettable experiences. An expert at identifying and interpreting international trends in culture, lifestyle and amusement, the designer uses this talent to develop spectacular and bold entertainment for his guests that include classical concerts, performances by international stars of the music world, monster car extravaganzas, giant roller coasters, futuristic robots and fantasy neighborhoods with gigantic swing carousels and more. Fashion shows have taken place during Milan fashion week since 2010, and more recently during NY fashion week and at the designer’s villa above Cannes during the 2017 film festival. Another demonstration of Philipp Plein’s keen intuition regarding international trends is the brand’s sponsorship of major Italian soccer teams, providing official uniforms for the players. The designer, a confirmed soccer fan, sees a perfect synergy in dressing these highly visible global superstars: “I want to use my style to render each team member a modern gladiator, with a contemporary image that will make him attractive, invincible and admired by all, both on and off the field.” In 2016 the Philipp Plein group was formed, comprising the original Philipp Plein brand, Billionaire Couture of which a majority stake was acquired in May, and the new Plein Sport athletic wear line which debuted in September, and established 500 points of sale during the initial 4 week sales campaign. When he is not circling the globe managing his empire, the designer divides his time between the corporate headquarters in Switzerland, his estate in Cannes and his homes in New York City and Bel Air.
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Home NEWS Sports South Korea’s Kim Seo-young Wins First Swimming Gold Medal in 8 Years...
South Korea’s Kim Seo-young Wins First Swimming Gold Medal in 8 Years at Asian Games
Yonhap News
South Korea’s female swimmer Kim Seo-young (24) has won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.
On August 24th, Kim came in first place with the record of 2:08:34 during the women’s 200m individual medley final, which took place at the Indonesia Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno swimming pool.
With her record, Kim Seo-young has won the gold medal.
Kim’s record is not only South Korea’s best record in history, but also in the Asian Games’ history. Her rival swimmer Yui Ohashi (Japan) came in second place with the record of 2:08:88, which was 0.54 seconds behind Kim’s record.
Kim Seo-young’s gold medal is the first gold medal in 8 years that South Korean’s swimmer has won in the Asian Games, since the 2010 Asian Games.
by Audrey Joung
SM Entertainment Enters a Joint Venture Agreement With Indonesian CT Corp
‘SKY Castle’ Has Been Canceled to Air This Friday
Lee Jong-Suk Decides to Continue Fan Meeting Tour Despite Incident in Jakarta
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Do We Live in a Classist Society?
27/09/2018 26/09/2018 Baker Mayfield
A friend of mine recently asked me do I think that a class system exists in Ireland. She believed that such a system exists and being the contrarian that I am, half playing devils advocate and half disagreeing with her, I said that there does not.
The question really struck a cord with me and seemed pertinent given the events of the week of which
This was A week where Senator Lynn Ruane released her book “People Like Me”, telling her story about growing up in Tallaght. Also, statistics were released by the UNDP stating that Ireland was 4 th in the world on the Human Development Index. It was also a week dominated by the Take Back the City movement and all the stories regarding their recent protest.
It is only fair to state that without a doubt there exists a financial class difference in Ireland. A difference that exists in every country due to fundament economics. Some people earn more money, some people earn less. Therefore, I think about class more in terms of interaction. Class occurs because of segregation, because of boundaries.
During the week I watched the Stanley Kubrick epic “Barry Lyndon”. A film set in the 18 th century, in
which an Irish rogue endeavours to become a part of the British aristocracy.
This led me to think about Irelands own history. The foundations of Ireland came about through a rejection. A rejection of not only our occupiers but also everything they represented. To the founders of this state, this rejection and representation was to a system which is the pinnacle of a classist society: monarchy.
The founders in the creation of the Irish State were aware of what damage such a society inflicts. A society where Lords and Ladys, Barons and Baroness are above the common people. They afforded unequal opportunities in their favour due to their given title.
Irish independence progressed through culture and sport with an ethos that is in complete contrast to the one that was in place. The remnants of that ethos are still evident today. An example is the GAA, an institution of Irishness and an integral part of everyday society. An institution that brings together all kinds of people regardless of class. It contains parishes and catchment areas that create large communities going beyond just housing prices.
The foundations of Irish culture were tempered in a belief in equality and anti-classism. That belief existed because to be Irish meant to be at the bottom of a classist society and to be equally mistreated, fully aware of the unfairness of such a system.
In the interview launching her book with The Irish Times, Lynn Ruane, spoke about a speech she had
made on the subject of class “I’m talking about all my friends who are dead and how class is killing us
and the moral significance of class”.
In all goodwill I must disagree with Lynn Ruane. It is not class that is killing us in Ireland. Class is not the cause but a symptom of an unbalanced society. I do not believe, given the history of Ireland and its formation, the foundation of our society is classist. I do not think it is inherently classist.
However, I do agree wholeheartedly with Senator Lynn Ruane that something must change. Ireland is
a relatively young country. We have plenty of time to become that class society we rejected. That change is down to the Government of Ireland and its mandate. They must deliver policies to create an Ireland of Equal Opportunity and not an Ireland just for those “who get up early in the morning”.
← Mischief and MSU collaboration: Is it worth your while?
The Big C →
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The Script I Won’t Mention
I’m going to take a page from Scott the Reader and talk about the very same script he talked about without mentioning the title or the writer. Please do not give away the mystery. I’m sure you know the script to which I refer. It’s 165 pages, has five chapters, a handwritten title page, and made its rounds in Hollywood last week.
Let me first say that I agreed with every single word in Scott’s article. Here we have one of the most renowned, beloved, imitated, bad-boy screenwriters of our generation and he doesn’t even know the difference between “there” and “their.” Nor could he get “your” or “you’re” right even once. Or “to” vs. “too”. Of course, those are minor offenses, but this guy repeatedly misspelled “Boston” as “Bostin.” He doesn’t even know how to write “etc.” He kept typing “ect.” Instead of saying something like “an American,” he’d write, “a American.” Over and over and over. “Tiramisu” was, I believe, “Terri Mishu.” The one point where I actually wanted to put down the script and take a walk came when he kept writing in the action lines “germatic” this and “germatic” that. It’s GERMANIC. For God’s sake, you couldn’t run spellcheck? I won’t even talk about the format, as it was downright sloppy. Someone buy this man a copy of Trottier’s Screenwriter’s Bible. It was a chore to look past the mistakes.
What does this say about screenwriters today?
A writer ought to know how to write and a screenplay ought to look like a damn screenplay. PERIOD. If you have a problem, like you’re dyslexic or blind, fine. Get someone to help you polish your spec before sending it out. You must do whatever it takes to master the craft and turn in spotless specs forever and ever, amen. And don’t bother arguing with me about it, because I went to the mat on this issue in part one of my Hitman review. A spotless spec is one of many steps necessary to impressing people, to building confidence in your work, and in you as a screenwriter. This guy turned in one of the sloppiest specs I’ve seen in ages and he’s coasting on his reputation.
With that said, I loved it.
This could turn into his second or third best film of his career. If the script comes across your path someday (sorry, I no longer have a copy), just consider how much this man labored to build tension into his scenes and his sequences. This wasn’t really about action as it was about tension and suspense. Consider the opening scene. Excessive dialogue in his other works were quite often pointless, but here, it was used effectively to build tension. The antagonist keeps talking and talking to make the tension unbearable. Very simple – an antagonistic forces arrives, a man seems innocent, something’s revealed, we realize what’s at stake, and then he raises the tension to a breaking point. Tension in other scenes were setup really well, too. They’d complain about how dangerous a certain location is, which raises the tension when they go into this location and things start to go wrong. We don’t want things to go wrong, because we know they’d be in a world of hurt. Otherwise, we could care less if they blasted everyone in the room. And so, the tensions are raised yet again to an almost breaking point before all hell breaks loose, and then we know they’re in serious trouble. The Third Act, by the way, was downright Hitchcockian, reminiscent of The Man Who Knew Too Much but more complex. Of course, you don’t really need to read this script to learn about tension. You’d get a far better education by studying Hitchcock. In fact, you’d probably admire the work more if you studied Hitchcock first.
The moments in the script that were, to me, most powerful had nothing to do with the sometimes obscene amounts of dialogue but rather when he tried to tell his story cinematically, visually, wordlessly, through close-ups, angles, camera moves, and series of shots. There is a moment where the camera suddenly drops in the middle of a conversation beneath floor boards to reveal a very important detail and then rises back up into the scene, which was thrilling. While we can’t write camera angles, we can just as easily imply all those same techniques in our own specs, which I pointed out in my Write the Shots article. Close-ups were especially effective in the third act, which really delivered the goods. How do you write a close-up? Secondary Headings.
As you may know, there are two storylines, one of which goes on for WAY too long. We spend too much time away from the main characters (from which derives the film’s title). There was also an antagonist that turned sides toward the end of Act Two that I didn’t quite buy. He was setup to be this staunch crusader of this evil regime. He was their main obstacle to reaching their goals, and then he suddenly switches? Then why would he kill that certain woman before the show? Why not throw her in the truck, too? His betrayal was a dangerous decision, because this writer came close to Devil May Suck territory in the sense that because of this character’s switching of sides, the protagonists had their goals handed to them on silver platter without having to do any real work. Protags should work to reach their goals. Luckily, there were twists, which put them back to work.
The conclusion of the film doesn’t exactly reflect historical accuracy. While that’s not usually a problem, this one’s a biggie. If this had been made in the ‘70’s, no one would complain, but not today.
Finally, let it be said that this story isn’t worth getting chopped up into two-parts. This should be one film at no more than two hours. If this writer cares about advancing to a level of true mastery, like a Hitchcock, he should develop the discipline to get his many excessively long scenes down to manageable proportions.
Hitchcock did it, so can you.
I personally feel he's too sloppy to admire as a writer/director.
Haven't read the script to see how good of a story it is, though. I'm hoping it doesn't have the random unrealistic "fucks" everywhere.
You know, the "fucks" that everyone else says makes the dialogue seem "realistic". Bullshit.
"Hey jimmy! What the fuck's going on, you little fuck?"
"Nothing fucking much, just got back from the fucking dry cleaner and payed a fuckload for my wife's fuck-stained teddie"
"Think I needd to fucking know that? Fucking fuck, maybe I should give your wife's teddy new fuck-stains, eh?"
"Fuck my wife and I fuck your bitch. And I ain't talking about your fucking girlfriend, I'm talking about that little fucking Chihuahua of yours. So shut the fuck up."
(Sorry for the obscenity, lol)
Kevin Lehane said...
I think he writes on a typewriter. But I gotta ask, why is everyone avoiding mentioning the script but talking about it? It's baffling to me. I had to even remove a picture I had of the insane title page because it scared friends of mine, despite the fact many, many others had posted the title page too, including the NY Magazine. It's absurd the level of paranoia in Hollywood. Or amongst my friends anyway.
This film WAS made in the seventies. Like many of his films, it's a remake of a B movie. Check it out on Wikipedia.
Also, he may be dyslexic. But it could just be a part of his image.
MM, thanks for this article.
I agree with your points -- BOTH words in the two word title are misspelled on the hand written cover page. Wow.
Yes, there is some good tension, and yes it has some great visual shot depictions. I didn’t loathe it, as I thought I might after the auteur’s most recent, ridiculously self-indulgent talk-fest.
But I wonder if this story rendition is just too juvenile and under-developed for the subject matter. The characters, for instance, are more caricatures than three dimensional people, in my opinion; types that exist simply to deliver spectacle and hyperbole on cue. [As you yourself, MM, have noted, often screenwriters will throw out more and more characters in a story in an attempt to hide the fact that he / she can’t make the ones he / she does have well developed and interesting… I feel that this particular writer-director is in that unhappy territory.]
Ok, it’s a contemporary, revisionist fantasy, a piece of throwaway, shock entertainment, I get that. But it deals with a very sensitive subject in history. Is the world ready for the pulp tone of this thing, post ‘Schindler’s List’, etc? I don’t know. I’m sure that that is the auteur’s very point – it has controversy and shock value. But this subject matter, mixed in with such an immature treatment… (SPOILER: Hitler is asked: Do you want to see Private Butz, Mein Fuhrer?)... I just find it all a little on the nose. The story in this one makes me ask: what’s the point? Is it enough to simply see over the top violence delivered upon some of history’s worst offenders, regardless of any implicit or greater meaning?
Maybe I’ve just grown up and moved on past this particular filmmaker, because I did like very much his first two films. Oddly, I think his first movie was the most mature and adult of them all. It’s strange to see an artist becoming less mature as they get older…
Still, I wasn’t bored reading the screenplay, it is fluid and dynamic and it did make me want to write more myself. Because if this is what it takes to sell a script in Hollywood, then maybe I could be a professional screenwriter after all, haha. I’m certainly a better speller.
"With that said, I loved it."
I knew that was coming.
This should be a lesson. In all seriousness. All that matters is the story.
I was dating a chick who was a marvelous screenwriter. But couldn't spell to save her life. It was almost as if she had her own language. Words were spelled out phonetically, instead of correctly. But it didn't hinder the story at all.
For the life of her, she could go back time and again, and NEVER see the mistakes. Her words were on the page. She knew what they were. They would ALWAYS read as correct to her.
And it was a GOOD thing that she wrote like this.
If she stopped to actually think about grammar or spelling, instead of story, her writing would have been utter shit. She didn't -- and couldn't -- think like that. But she didn't stop to worry about grammar or spelling. And she had found her own voice, style, and some uniquely original stories to tell.
This is the problem with readers today.
In the literary world, there are EDITORS. It doesn't matter how misspelled a manuscript is because in its final form it will be fixed.
You read too many GD books on proper grammar and structure and spelling. But the majority of readers can't tell you WHY a story works. Or even, what makes a good story. They simply do not know.
And yet they are the gatekeepers.
When I was reading, I used to be as harsh as the next guy. Probably worse. But when I lightened up, tried to figure out what the screenwriter was going for, instead of instantly condemning the script for any little misstep, I found almost all the scripts I had to read, much easier to read.
Even when they were shit.
I tell you, I'd trade 1 of this "chicks" horrible grammar coupled with a wonderful story, for the heaps of gramatically correct gibberish that leads to nowhere's-ville that was the bulk of the scripts I read.
Lighten up.
"Still, I wasn’t bored reading the screenplay, it is fluid and dynamic and it did make me want to write more myself. Because if this is what it takes to sell a script in Hollywood, then maybe I could be a professional screenwriter after all, haha. I’m certainly a better speller."
Case and point.
...because he spells so poorly, maybe you too, could be a screenwriter -- because you spell better than he does...?
I know it was said in jest. But, I see this all to often.
DRAMATIC SCENES
TENSION BUILDING --
FROM ONE SCENE TO THE NEXT --
TO A CULMINATION.
That is screenwriting.
Not spelling.
Well I don't know which film you're talking about, but have you seen Tarantino's latest script? It matches your description perfectly!
Oh...
Hey Mystery Man, why do you fear mentioning this name? Voldemort! Voldemort! :-D
I mean, it's not like it could backfire - you're *Mystery* Man, remember?
GimmeABreak said...
Here's a link to the unmentionable script - downloadable in 2 parts.
http://wowriot.gameriot.com/blogs/GameRiot-The-Blog/Download-Tarantinos-Inglorious-Bastards-WW2-Epic-script/
The key element no one mentions: What drug(s) was he using during the writing?
Hey James, yeah I take your point. Spelling isn't everything, it's just the mechanics to facillitate the telling of the story, not the story itself. I think if you look at the majority of my post though, you'll see that I'm mostly concerned with what I see at least to be the immaturity and adolescent tone of the whole thing, given the subject matter. The narrative mostly flows and the threat of gratuitous violence does build the tension well at times, but it all seems like a one trick pony race with this writer. He recycles this technique over and over, from film to film, but doesn't seem to attend to other areas where he might improve himself over time.
Screenwriting is what you say it is, but isn't it also character development and, in the best cases, a hope for a deeper revelation garnered from the culmination of that dramatic build up? Or at least more than Michael Bay explosions, perhaps...? Maybe I'm asking too much.
I don't think that I could write better in this case because I could outspell the guy. I do think that if this is what truly sells in Hollywood, though - if all it takes is in-your-face violence held together with a perfunctory plot that follows, as you say, just the basics of a dramtic build and sensible screenwriting structure... well then, maybe it's not impossible to match this level.
Is this a great screenplay? I ask, truly, because if it is seriously considered to be good, then I need to adjust my mindset to what is a saleable work!
Cheers :)
deepstructure said...
this is an interesting analysis from the person who raved about frank darabont's script for indy 4.
i just sat down this morning to read that script. i'm only on page 12 and have already come across misspellings and grammatical errors, even somewhat embarrassingly, this statement from the opening warehouse scene description that refers to the director (bolding mine):
"Indy drives like a maniac, turning this way and that, looking for an exit -- while the jeeps hurtle along on parallel or intersecting courses, trying to hem him in; one moment converging, the next being forced to split off in different directions (giving Mr. Spielberg the opportunity to stage the most breath-takingly outrageous near misses every put on film!). GUNFIRE is ERUPTING from all directions as men in jeeps or on foot try to kill Indy or shot out his tires."
i have to agree with james, the bottom line with a script is - does the story work? would it be helpful if someone would proof/edit it? sure but as was mentioned somewhere, his first script was this way and it was bought. if that's the case, why would he change? and certainly why would he change now after all his success?
another thing to remember is that this person is a director writing for himself to direct. i think that makes a difference also.
but ultimately you're appealing to something that i know i (and probably he) don't share your respect for - this ideal: "You must do whatever it takes to master the craft and turn in spotless specs forever and ever, amen."
i'm a director who writes. yes, i strive to remove all mistakes, typos and grammatical errors from my scripts - but i strongly disagree with the above statement. you spend that much energy equating "mastering the craft" with "spotless specs" and you're misguided as far as im concerned. "spotless specs" are the "mastering the craft" of an editor, not a writer.
First segment was good. But to be honest, I skimmed my way through a lot of it. I got tired of reading BEEP’S asides. You know, the stuff that's mainy for BEEP as a director. And I think BEEP meant to misspell a lot of what people are complaining about -- but on the other hand, I totally agree with the other format complaints.
Anyway, the second segment sucked Jar Jar Binks balls. Nothing of importance happens. None of it was the least bit entertaining. And it really brought the story to a screeching halt for me.
But then there’s the third segment -- it was awesome. It’s my favorite segment.
Fourth segment was boring until the Mexican stand-off, which BEEP loves to put in BEEP films.
The fifth segment kicked ass up until the point where the entire shebang was handed to the (title) on a platter. Though, I did chuckle...chuckle at the end.
But overall, I agree that this bad boy could be chopped down extremely. Another thing, he who shall remain nameless should consider streamlining the damn thing. Then the tension would really slowly build along the course of the film. But really, I’d scrap the (title) and make the film all about the girl. It isn’t like the (title) were the main story anyway.
Oh well, I look forward to seeing this in 2009.
@deepstructure,
The spelling errors in the Indy4 script were TYPOS. The spelling errors in this mystery script are true spelling errors.
I can't imagine using THEIR where a THEY'RE is due. The only way I'd ever do that is once during a script due to a typo or editing-overlooking (forgetting to change the word to fit the new sentence).
If you misspell grade 3 words so many times per PAGE, then you cannot expect me to look up to you as a writer. The story may still be holding strong, as James put, but I just think spelling is such a prerequisite for everyone's 20th birthday that seeing a 35-ish year old PROFESSIONAL WRITER write like a 12 year old is embarassing. It's unprofessional.
This isn't me being grammar nazi. A professional writer doesn't know how to spell. It's like a professional fisherman not knowing how to gut a fish. What kind of fisherman is that? He may catch more fish than most people on his boat, but you can't help but feel you'd rather learn how to fish from someone else.
That's the end of my bad analogy.
So yes, the movie may end up being good (to people who don't tire of this director's 'style'), but you won't see me studying his scripts or acclaiming him as a great writer. He may be able to get the story and character down pat (even though I don't believe he does), but you need to understand that these aren't typos. These are genuine misspelling of simple words that are done because the writer seriously doesn't know how to spell them.
I do agree with James when he says STORY = SCREENWRITING, but being able to write on a 3rd grade level is, I think, an obviously core part of being a WRITER. I don't care if a writer makes typos, everyone does them. But a writer who seriously doesn't know how to spell? How serious are they about their craft? This writer/director's scripts seem to simply be shiny enough to look good cinematically (he is a director, first and foremost), so I wouldn't say 'an awesome story' is backing up his sloppy and hashed scripts.
Carlo - I don't recall much in the way of language in this one.
Kevin - Ya know, I wondered if he typed on a typewriter, because he made handwritten corrections. I suspect, too, he'd work on a typewriter so as to avoid getting his computer hacked into. Even still, he could've had it re-typed and cleaned up by an assistant.
Anon - I've heard about him being dyslexic, which is fine. Get someone to clean it up for you.
Michael - I wondered about many of those same points. He knows what he's doing and it can be deceptive. He wants you to think he's just rolling around in corny b-picture material, but he knows very well that many great directors turned b-pictures into classics. No one thought much about Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns at the time, but now many of them are considered 4-star classics. That's what he wants. You're wrong about one point, though. He didn't write "Mein Fuhrer," he wrote "MINE Fuhrer." Hehehe...
James - I don't see anything wrong with someone staying focused on story and not thinking so much about grammar or format. But, you see, you're a WRITER. You should know format and grammar SO WELL you don't have to think about it when you write. Period. I'm certainly not unsympathetic to people who have problems, but they should get their specs cleaned up before sending it out to professionals for consideration. Bad grammar is like getting knocked offline, like in the days when the internet was all dial-up. I'm in the zone of imagination. I'm IN the story, and I can visualize everything such that I'm not even reading the script, but then I come across something stupid like "Bostin" and I'm knocked out of the story and reminded that I'm reading another sloppy spec. That's such an irritation. I'll never rationalize or validate low standards. It only helps you to turn in spotless specs.
Anon - I don't want to get a cease and desist order like others have received for other script reviews. For a while, I was one of the few who didn't get one for reviewing "Jennifer's Body" because I kept so much of the story out of the review. I'm not here to create conflicts with studios. I just want to study the craft.
Pat - Hey, honey. Hope you're well.
Justbill - I think Kevin's right. This was done on a typewriter.
Michael - I believe that if you want to be a pro screenwriter and get six figures for your specs, you should master the craft on every single level.
Deepstructure - There's just no comparison between the grammar problems of Darabont's draft and this new script I read last week. I agree completely with you that story comes first. But that's not everything. You are completely off-base if you think format and grammar doesn't matter at all, because this truly is essential to building confidence in you as a screenwriter. How can you be a writer if you don't know the very basics elements of grammar? You never ever give anyone an easy excuse to dismiss your script or you as a screenwriter. Believe me, people are anxious to do that because have a thousand other scripts to read.
David - I gotta say, I agreed with all your points. I especially felt the same way about that girl's story. At one point, I asked myself, "whose film is this?" Of course, what can you do with the protags? They didn't have any depth.
Carlo - I agree. Except I'd bump it up to a high school level.
Just to chime in on this debate, I believe the more capable you are with your grammar, vocabulary and spelling you have more freedom within yourself to create sentences you couldn't create if you work off a baser level. If you want to tell great stories, you have to tell them in a great way. You can't do that by cutting corners in the very language you use to promote your ideas.
You should work with the best tools, and your abilities to write and spell allow you to tell more complex and interesting beats with more style. And thus, you're not only a better writer, but a better storyteller.
That's my 2 cents.
Yeah, maybe highschool level. :P
so no one here want's to acknowledge the irony of a bunch of spec-monkeys telling a professional writer how he's supposed to be professional?
besides which, he's not a professional in the way that term is being loftily banded about here. he's a guy from a video store who loved and wanted to make movies so he started ripping off everything he could and wrote them. he's not worried about us reading his scripts and critiquing their syntax.
"I can't imagine using THEIR where a THEY'RE is due."
when i started typing the first sentence of this comment i put "hear" instead of "here". i can easily see how this would happen.
"It's like a professional fisherman not knowing how to gut a fish. What kind of fisherman is that? He may catch more fish than most people on his boat, but you can't help but feel you'd rather learn how to fish from someone else."
are you kidding me? if i want to learn how to catch fish i'm going to the guy with the most fish on his boat. period. i can learn gutting a fish from anyone. you're right - that's a terrible analogy.
"You are completely off-base if you think format and grammar doesn't matter at all."
i didn't say that - but regardless, if this movie comes out and it's good - what then all these arguments about grammar and spelling?
his first film, whether you like it now or not, changed the filmmaking landscape. and it was probably written the exact same way. he has said he buys a new notebook for each project and writes it by hand.
you guys are arguing against evidence already presented. if this was a wanna-be you might have a point, but as we've already seen, this method obviously works for him. may suck for us reading the script, but i doubt that's a concern of his.
these discussions remind me of the analysis of shakespeare's messy writing style.
Dude, you're not listening to me. This sloppiness undermines confidence, which could turn into a problem for this writer. This is getting sent out because he needs money. Millions of dollars are at stake, but this thing is so sloppy (and his previous film was a flop), people are questioning whether they should trust him again. They're asking, "Is this thing so messy because he's doing drugs now? What's the story about him? Why should I invest?" This means that he may not get the amount of money he really needs or could've gotten had he turned in a professional-looking spec. It's a great risk to be THIS sloppy when you need millions of dollars. What did I tell you before? You never ever give anyone an easy excuse to dismiss your script or you as a screenwriter.
And, if I may say, 'lol' at comparing this writer to Shakespeare.
Merriweather said...
I don't know if this clears anything up, but I believe the un-named writer/director prints all of his screenplays into a composition notebook using a felt tip pen.
I don't think it has anything to do with worries over hackers--it's just how he writes. He's not of the MS Word generation.
so now you're saying it's not about mastering the craft, it's about psychoanalysis? you're worried about his confidence? or is it about expediency - doing what's necessary to get money because you're going broke?
the bottom line here is that there are no rules. there are possibly helpful guidelines, which make sense to someone like mickey lee who commented on your hitman review:
"I'm trying to get my specs past the front lines of Hollywood readers and I'm going to take the approach that I think will work best. And [if] I have to be holier than the Pope to do it, than that's what I'm going to do."
I believe he is only using the title--this is not a remake.
I think King in ON WRITING sort of set the rule down when it comes to proper grammar.
In any sense, I used to believe the same thing, that it doesn't matter as long as the story is good.
That's because the only things I read, back then, were books and scripts that were edited and proofed.
Now I know better. I get taken out of a blog post if it has an error.
It's not because I became a grammar Nazi or anything like that. It's because I know more about writing than I used to.
That's my opinion, for better or worse.
GabbaGoo said...
I still have et to read the script, but I do have it in my possession...so I'll try to give it a shot later this week and comment again but for now...
I think that Format is important to a certain extent...If you're a nobody, than maybe you concentrate on it a little more...but say you're the Coens, I have all of their new scripts and they don't have any INT/EXT...It's just all in Secondary headings and they don't careless about using courier at all.
Much of writing revolves around your ability to tell a story...if you have an established audience like this "said" writer has...you pretty much can get anyone to read it...and if you don't you put forth the extra effort to make sure you can get that audience one day.
I'm not sure if some of you READ some of this script. We aren't talking about little typos here and there.
The problem is that the film will be a success. Resulting in, would-be writers undoubtedly studying the script, thinking they can couple bad grammar with BEEP’S style and create a sellable script -- when in all likelihood, it won’t happen.
BEEP gets to send sloppy specs to studios. After all, BEEP is an Oscar winner and a produced writer. BEEP’S less risky.
There ARE readers who will overlook any of these errors, but then again, there are readers who will bounce your script for any one of ‘em. They will resent the fact that you want them to care about the quality of your work, when you obviously do not.
The odds are, of course, against us. Why make it harder? No reader will reject your script for being perfect.
Laura Deerfield said...
Hey, let people think they can get away with being sloppy and the money folks will see right past their mistakes and their brilliance will shine through...cuts competition in the spec market waaay down.
I do think some of the errors were intentional, but others clearly were not.
And deepstructure: we're not talking about this writer's confidence. We're talking about the confidence of those who hold the pursestrings, and how likely they will be to invest. It's the sales side of things that so many writers fail to see clearly.
The fish on this guy's boat aren't fresh enough to inspire confidence on the part of the people who are funding fishing expeditions.
Michael -- Didn't mean to single you out Michael :)
Was using it as an example of a general malaise that is prevalent in most readers I have encountered.
I hear it on the lips of agent's assistants all the time.
MM -- "But, you see, you're a WRITER. You should know format and grammar SO WELL you don't have to think about it when you write."
There are people out there that know STORY so well, that they don't need to know format or grammar.
Story just comes naturally to them.
Particularly, in a medium such as screenwriting, where the written word on a page is only a guideline for what the movie is supposed to be, I don't think there should be any tie to whether ...
I mean, isn't it a huge selling point when an illiterate death row inmate writes an interesting story?
Or when a 13 year old kid does?
I mean, KIDS sold on that notion alone. And people were actually pissed when they found out KIDS wasn't written by a 13 year old.
Back to our subject at hand --
I'd also argue that this guy knows format inside and out. He's shown that he can break, reorder, and recompose structure -- and still tell a compelling and modern story.
So he can't spell.
Don't let him paint your signage in the movie and you'll be fine :p.
"If you want to tell great stories, you have to tell them in a great way. You can't do that by cutting corners in the very language you use to promote your ideas."
That's your opinion. And you are entitled to it.
But there are many people out there that can tell a great story... hell, without even the use of words on a page.
"And deepstructure: we're not talking about this writer's confidence. We're talking about the confidence of those who hold the pursestrings, and how likely they will be to invest. It's the sales side of things that so many writers fail to see clearly."
We are talking about this script.
The writer/director's name alone is enough to get money behind it. The sales side is taken care of.
Hell, a huge A-List star wants to be in it, more than likely just to work with said writer/director.
You want to talk sales?
What more does it need? A gold stamp of approval?
And just to take your assumption, which is incorrect (that we are talking about all specs from fledgling writers), the sales side of a screenplay is the idea and concept. Again, STORY. Not writing.
More often than not I get meetings because of a pitch. And more often than not, those in said meeting have not even read my screenplay -- even after having had it for weeks.
I'm not saying that spelling and grammar doesn't matter. I rake through my material to try and make it as flawless as possible. But it is a very, very, VERY trivial thing in terms of the greater picture of making a movie.
James, no worries mate, I know what you mean :) There's a world of difference between a perfectly formatted, by-the-book snooze-fest and an exhilarating, suspense-laden wonder written in crayon on yesterday’s fish ‘n’ chips paper.
One question – and this is off topic to this particular script… But I live in Australia, which is basically nowhere near Hollywood. Does anyone know what the easiest way for me to get those studio big wigs to actually read a script I write is? I have a vague idea that nobody accepts ‘unsolicited screenplays’, and I don’t have a writing agent here in Oz. Is that the only way to get some precious coin for my scripts (ie. Get an agent here, hope that someone in the US will pick something of mine up, etc)??
Feel free to lambast me with scorn for my ignorance, haha.
P.S. I wouldn’t mind a job as a script reader, as some of you seem to be, although maybe it’s nowhere near as enjoyable as it sounds? Oz doesn’t have an industry anywhere near big enough to employ too many people in that regard.
There are errors on this script that go deeper than mere spelling problems.
The Farmer tells his daughter to get him water from the pump and then go inside with her mother. He would not mention the pump. All water comes from the pump on a French farm in the 1940's. It's redundant to mention the pump, and it shows a lack of familiarity with the era.
If you're going to write a historical film, at least get the history right, or even close.
Then the Colonel launches into a story about rats. It really does nothing to advance the story. In fact, it's very much like the Crystal (sp?) champagne speech in Four Rooms or the watch up the ass speech in Pulp Fiction. The watch up the ass story was interesting. The champagne speech was not.
This film-maker loves to give his characters long, rambling monologues or diatribes. He loves to hear them talk. I don't.
Then his rat story somehow manages to convince the Farmer to let the SS troops back into the kitchen and blow the ever-lovin' bejeezus out of the Dreyfus family under the floorboards.
So this farmer was not committed to his friends? Or he was committed so tenuously that an SS Colonel (a representative of the hated Nazis) was able to convince him to switch loyalties in five minutes?
Or perhaps he was getting tired of sheltering them and this was very convenient.
The people who sheltered Jews during WWII did so at great personal risk and it was not a task they undertook lightly, or from which they were easily swayed.
They hated and feared the Nazis and would never have listened to anything one of them had to say.
The rat story and the easy switching of loyalties by the French farmer were simply excuses to have a blood bath at the end of the scene.
Then there's the fact that the German SS officer asks the French farmer to speak in English, supposedly so that the Dreyfus family under the floorboards won't understand them. Where did the farmer learn English? And isn't it terribly convenient that he wants to speak in English when the film is made for an English-speaking audience?
And the names? Perrier? Bob? Shoshanna?
Bob?
Honestly I used to like this guy. I thought he was amazing. But he hasn't grown as a film-maker, or as a story-teller.
J.D. Salinger wrote Catcher in the Rye and then spent the rest of his life in seclusion. People still talk about what a genius he is. Maybe they don't know that he tried to write other stories and realized he had only the one in him to tell.
It would have been far better for this film-maker to have had the same epiphany and go into seclusion. Then people would still be saying what a genius he is.
Just a quick note re: Darabont... the INDY IV script that leaked was one typed up by Ass'ts at Paramount, not from his camp... he's actually a pretty big Nazi (to stay on topic ;)) about spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and was pissed to see that people think all those typos come from him.
Also, word has it that Salinger writes fairly regularly, just doesn't publish. Which Stephen King was planning to do for a while.
How is it that in any other writing circle (novelists, journalists, etc), everyone would readily agree that a writer should know how to write, but yet, in screenwriting circles, this concept is actually controversial? What is it about screenwriting that attracts hacks and those too lazy to learn basic English (or strive to advance their skills beyond a junior high education) and yet they wish to be labeled “great writer?”
James, you do realize that most readers, particularly those who judge screenwriting contests (and I’ve spoken to quite a few), have a 15-20 page limit? If a script’s sloppy shit, they will discard it, and thousands of scripts are rejected every month for this very reason. It’s just poor advice to the aspiring screenwriters on my blog to tell them that format and grammar really doesn’t matter, because it does. You’re wrong to say that people get sales from pitch sessions. Are you for real? That is NOT how it always works. Specs get sent out every day and read by producers before they sit down with a writer. Of course, I certainly agree that story is king. But you must have the ability to COMMUNICATE to tell a story WELL. It’s one and the same. For screenwriting, it requires WORDS, SENTENCES, and FORMAT, so to talk about someone that can tell a story without words is irrelevant. It’s astonishing that you would question why a writer should learn grammar so well that he/she wouldn’t have to think about it when they compose a story. Writers should aspire for excellence on every level of their scripts. You, on the other hand, you’re just an advocate of the lazy, one who rationalizes lowering standards, which is part & parcel with the overall decline of films. Call me crazy but if you don’t know basic English, you should learn. Strive to be the best. Master the form. You should, for the rest of your days, endeavor to become a better writer.
But, hey, if you want to send out sloppy specs, be my guest. But don’t tell my readers grammar doesn’t matter, because it does.
I agree with Laura. If you want to write a mistake filled sloppy spec script, be my guest.
And by the way, why is everyone dogging on Elaine May? Cut her some slack, would ya???
Christian M. Howell said...
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Inglorious Bastard should know better.
But hey, I guess we all long for the day we can not really give a shit. Well, I long for the day but I will always give a shit.
Wow, some great comments. I find that the only thing you need to made a good MOVIE (scripts are at the whim of the director) is "entertaining elements" or what some might call trailer moments.
Thrillers need mysterious actions, action movies need near-misses, comedies need physical humor. The story is irrelevant as you can easily recycle the same "journeys" over and over again.
Clive, over at 1000 dollar film, made a neat post about why scripts are 95% bad.
It's a lack of reality and a desire to be too clever(M. Night, anyone?).
If you look at the biggest box office draws so far this summer, only one had a "poignant story(WallE)" and even that was as simple as longing for love.
The others (Iron Man, Hancock, Indy) were all just set pieces and tongue-in-cheek humor - some better than others.
Of course, sometimes, you can have the wrong elements, like flatuating elephants.
The box office this weekend pretty much fit my predictions. Hellboy did A LOT less than former number ones. It's a little too camp for the serious superhero trend that has taken over. Del Toro's filters never impressed me.
Wow, talk about off topic.
Anyway, several 2+ hour movies have done OK. It just takes longer because of less screenings per day.
I would guess an unfortunate lottery mentality due to flukes being perceived as a reason to try.
No other profession has as many people who don't feel they need to know everything they can.
I mean, you don't need to like neo-realism or montage or cinema-verite, but you need to understand the concepts and elements involved.
I'm finally in a writer's group and it surprises me how many people think that real people and down-to-earth stories are the ONLY way to start.
In other words, don't write a WWII (not related to current topic) epic if you haven't read all about WWII. Don't write science fiction if you don't study physics (some).
Talky scenes are OK as long as you follow the "enter late, leave early" rule. As a matter of fact, ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION should be on character dialog FIRST. Worry about complex plots when your characters sound real.
Zane said...
Why not perfect EVERY ASPECT of the craft before approaching the Sharks?
Simple mathematics: you could have a 1% shot at a kill ... or a .01 percent shot at it.
"Writing is perhaps the most disciplined of all the arts"
-Louse Brooks
MM -- "James, you do realize that most readers, particularly those who judge screenwriting contests (and I’ve spoken to quite a few), have a 15-20 page limit?"
I really couldn't care less about readers for screenplay contests.
Like it has been said before, we aren't talking about a newbie trying to break in with a spec script.
The errors are not that egregious. In fact, the first error doesn't occur until page 12. Scott's rant makes it seem worse than it is.
His biggest problem is the use of an apostrophe where there shouldn't be one. /shrug.
As to asking the question, why?
It should be obvious, shouldn't it? Screenplays aren't the end result, like an article is in a magazine or newspaper. A movie is. Typos and bad grammar are not problems on the screen. They are problems in a finalized format.
You guys are arguing two different concepts here.
1) What matters? My answer is story, not spelling.
2) Does it matter for a newbie with a spec to be flawless?
And my answer to that is, yes.
But ultimately that is irrelevant, if you are spending all your time on grammar and spelling, instead of story.
I've read much, much worse grammar and spelling than what was present in this script -- in scripts that had no story to boot.
I'd guess part of the reason writing skills is de-emphasized in screenwriting is because the script is not the finished product- the movie is. A good movie could come from a script full of typos *if* someone is willing to buy it and make it.
I see MM's point, though- it seems that studios would be less likely to entrust anyone- even an Oscar-winning writing/director- with millions of dollars to make a film if he can't even spell right.
Any other type of published writing (except plays), however, would have to be fixed- making it a lot less likely to get published if it had all the mistakes that were in this script.
MM -- "It’s astonishing that you would question why a writer should learn grammar so well that he/she wouldn’t have to think about it when they compose a story. Writers should aspire for excellence on every level of their scripts. You, on the other hand, you’re just an advocate of the lazy, one who rationalizes lowering standards, which is part & parcel with the overall decline of films."
First -- it's screenwriter. Not writer. There is a world of difference.
Second, I am not advocating lazy writing.
To me lazy writing can be perfect grammar, diction, and spelling with no story.
Why even waste my time?
I think too many screenwriting books place too heavy an emphasis on proper format. I also think too many would-be screenwriters, don't truly understand what "structure" means. I think they misinterpret structure as formula.
Structure, really is how your story unfolds. The beats, timing, and pacing. Some screenwriting books play up structure as a massive part of screenwriting (and it is). But only if you understand how it works and why a story needs structure.
It has very little to do with the actual words on the page, but the ideas and concepts those words represent.
Screenwriting is one of the most bare bones types of writing, in which the end result isn't even something that is written.
It is more important that the screenplay mimics the feel of a movie while being read, than that of fine literature.
I get the impression, MM, you are arguing for screenwriting to be elevated to fine literature. It's not.
I thought everyone knew that the un-named writer/director was basically a high school drop out. I don't think it's a secret that he/she hated school. I don't for a second think that his lack of "book learning" makes him dumb. He/She has clearly devoted an enormous amount of energy towards studying films and has absorbed what makes them work.
JAMES --
Tell me. When one keeps forcibly ejecting the reader with bad spelling/grammar/punctuation, how can said reader happily read about a character's quest for the greatest taco?
They can’t, right? Right.
Bad mechanics will kick readers out. Period. They will no longer be in one’s story. They’ll be back to sitting in their living room and wondering what page they’re on.
There is just no excuse. Fix it. And if one can't do it, hire someone. Can't afford to hire someone? Have a bake sale. Come on, this is not impossible. At this stage of the game, simply writing well will set you apart.
Again, you have to write a masterpiece for them before you will earn the same privilege as unsaid writer.
MIM --
It really sucks that this thread was hijacked by bullshit mechanics talk. I'd much rather talk about story.
Having said that, I believe you are way-off. This isn't a historical piece. It's an exploitation movie that happens to be set in WWII. That's it. Try not to take it so seriously.
** POSSIBLE SPOILERS**
And yes, the rat metaphor was a little longwinded, but how did you not like it? It fit the situation perfectly. Could you not relate to that situation on some level? That’s what made it real for me. In fact, I was even asking myself what I’d do in such a situation. I mean, the unsaid bad guy tells the owner through subtext that he knows the unsaid family is hiding there. It registers. Then we’re treated to the "if you cooperate, I’ll spare you and your family" moment, which I lapped right up. It’s just a powerful segment. A lose, lose situation any way you slice it.
The rest of what you mention is small potatoes. I also think it’s a little on the nitpicky side.
But no worries, this is precisely why I love films. One person can love something that another person absolutely despises.
I don't know about the screenwriting being "bare bones" comment. I've found it to be an artform that requires a lot of precision and craftsmanship to get exactly the right words in the right order and to never ever lose the interest of your reader. To get the right mood, to write the shots so that you can impart your minds' eye to another person, so that they can see the same thing you see (a great story).
If once you get established, you no longer have to worry about that craftsmanship, doesn't that eventually flow down into the film as it appears on screen. Thats when you maybe get inconsistent messages and themes in movies. All because you didn't have to be that precise anymore, especially if you're directing your own scripts.
Hey I am fellow Australian wannabe screenwriter, be happy to chat with you and maybe swap scripts and stuff. Email me at scott dot jonathon dot lowe at hotmail dot com.
"If once you get established, you no longer have to worry about that craftsmanship, doesn't that eventually flow down into the film as it appears on screen. Thats when you maybe get inconsistent messages and themes in movies. All because you didn't have to be that precise anymore, especially if you're directing your own scripts. "
this is only true (and this applies to many of the other dogmatic statements being made here by all of us), if you believe there's a set of rules in place. bad scripts get turned into good films probably as much as good scripts get turned into bad ones. hell non-existent scripts get turned into fantastic movies, so wtf?
the discussion here seems to break down into those who believe it's very important to adhere to these guidelines/rules out of principle and the belief that they certainly can't hurt, and those who believe that kind of adherence is misplaced/detrimental or at best just useless, etc.
Anonymous Production Assistant said...
It's funny that you comment on this writer's grammatical mistakes, yet you wrote, "an antagonistic forces arrives."
You also wrote, "we could care less," which means pretty much the opposite of what you want it to.
That being said, I loved your post!
If screenwriters do not see themselves as writers, and do not bother to proof their scripts because said scripts "are not the finish product," how can they expect to be taken seriously?
Producers will happily pay as little as possible for a script and then re-write it to their heart's content. Why? Because "professional" screenwriters don't love the written language.
Why did the strike end so badly for the writers? Perhaps it's because they don't take the words they write seriously.
A writer loves language as much as he loves story. He loves to spend time in his thoughts with his characters, wondering about their childhoods and that one summer after high school.
But just as an architect must choose sound bricks, straight boards, and nails without stress fractures, so must a writer start with the sentence. A well-crafted sentence is the building block of a wonderful story just as surely as a nail and a straight board are the beginning of a beautiful house.
If you don't love your materials, and take the time to make sure they are true, you're building a house on sand, and your story becomes nothing.
I just finished reading the script...and I must say...it's brilliant.
I mean sure the guy mispelled alot of words but damn did he make me care for the characters and the suspence was just killing me.
I seriously stood up and applaud after I finished reading it...can't wait to see how it looks on screen.
mister retsim said...
What is it about screenwriting that attracts hacks and those too lazy to learn basic English (or strive to advance their skills beyond a junior high education) and yet they wish to be labeled “great writer?
Simple, storytelling. Also, the final result is not always at the whim of the writer but the writer/director in question is directing his own film. If I have a proven track record of writing good films and this person does (I don't care what anyone says but his last few films have been highly entertaining) All I'm saying is that no one's going to interpret his work to the screen but himself.
Sorry to ramble on but to answer your question about using grammar and basic knowledge of English. It's quite simple, it's not the final product the audience views. What they see is a bunch of frames turned into moving pictures so why call PRE production work "hack writing"?
Jake Cogstein said...
"Sorry to ramble on but to answer your question about using grammar and basic knowledge of English. It's quite simple, it's not the final product the audience views."
I wonder what we're reading, then. I guess movies are made without scripts, right? Scripts aren't important. Their presentation means nothing. All that matters is the finished product... even before it is made.
The only way this writer got away with this is because he's him and is directing it himself, and because his films create actor buzz whether or not the film is any good. Heck, if you ask me, he's not getting away with this anyways. He's a messy writer. Sure, he recreates good 70s movies fairly well, but he writers like chicken scratch. Period.
And to those saying "his spelling and sentence forming skills don't matter because he's creating a story", I'd rethink calling this writer/director a golden egg crapper. Being a screenwriter may simply be about writing a good story, but being a great screenwriter is about being a master of the craft, which includes knowing how to spell.
I'd like to see any of you write a great and original story by writing like a 6th grader. Seriously, go ahead. Apparently, your story will be godly enough to make the reader forget how to read and, instead, notice only your immortal story that simply MUST be made into a movie. Most of you are likely frustrated that your scripts aren't getting made, and you'd just love to tell the readers "you're an idiot, who cares if I don't know the difference between the three
'theirs'?"
It's nice to think you can slack and depend on 'your story' to get your script made into a film, but it won't happen if you write like this writer/director. Unless you're a writer/director who has a lot of A-list acting friends and a buttload of contacts.
Then you can scribble your script on napkins, which seems to be the goal of many people here.
Screenwriting is about more than dreaming about some sort of story-only finished product. Movies are about a whole hell of a lot more than your stellar story, so stop sitting on your leather and step on the grass. A poorly written script and a well written script, which are both the exact same story, will not turn out exactly the same unless you are the director, and it's ridiculous to think otherwise. This is beyond grammar and spelling errors -- great writing is about script style, structure, format, and a whole bunch of other craft nuggets, and to think all you need is a great story to create a good movie is naive.
Spelling aside for a mo'... Anybody want to comment on the story itself in this screenplay? I'm interested to know whether people think this guy's latest effort is below par, or if someone really thinks it's a fantastic plot, etc? Anyone..?? :)
"Spelling aside for a mo'... Anybody want to comment on the story itself in this screenplay? I'm interested to know whether people think this guy's latest effort is below par, or if someone really thinks it's a fantastic plot, etc? Anyone..?? :)"
I already did in one of my previous posts.
s.warren said...
Was anyone else surprised by how sidelined the title characters were? The Mystery Director has been talking about these characters for over a decade, I believe. It's just plain weird that he'd write a movie that they happen to stumble into. They have one really cool chapter, but when it comes time to satisfy the genre of film, it just doesn't happen. Maybe he just got more interested in his little French Girl and her movie house? Who knows. Hopefully their big chapter will be reworked and given more heft -- especially if he gets the star he's talking to. I don't think he'd settle for a bit part.
Isn't what he's doing and how he behaves all about the same thing -- self indulgence?
And all he needs is a studio that can be persuaded that his particular brand of self-indulgence is marketable to a large enough segment that finds s-i pretty much irresistible...
Hey Anon Assist – Bwaaah ha ha ha! That made me laugh out loud. I’m guilty! I’m guilty (of drinking too much brandy as I wrote this article).
I think we’ve hit all the points that need to be hit about this grammar debate, haven’t we? It was a good controversy.
So let’s talk more about story.
For those who have read it, did it not feel like weak screenwriting to you to have spent so much time away from the main characters? I agree with you, S. Warren. The storyline with the girl was for me a growing irritation, because I was reading this spec to take in a story about the MAIN CHARACTERS. Did it not feel like he was avoiding them because he didn’t know what to do with them, that perhaps he didn’t have the chops to take them beyond entertaining caricatures into fully developed protags with inner conflicts and depth? We know, especially with Dark Knight coming out, that it is possible to tell a story about the consequences of being a vigilante. But, here, it’s almost essential to tell this woman’s story because characters that are raging, unwavering killers are inherently one dimensional, are they not?
Of course, earlier rumors about this script originally being over 600 pages makes you wonder if he had a bigger more impressive storyline for the main characters.
I also wonder if this good ending could’ve been better if the antagonist hadn’t switched sides and the main characters had to fight to defeat him.
Any thoughts on that?
One more story question - didn't the backstories / flashbacks of the main characters, while fun, were ultimately pointless since we spent such little time with them?
The biggest issue is the mission he dreamed up for this script. There just isn't anything to it. Take Where Eagles Dare, for instance. The mission there is pretty complicated and chock full of challenges. There's a lot of room for the characters to play and reveal themselves. Here you have a group of tough guys taking a movie house. Really? At no point do they ever get in above their heads and, when they do, it's due to their own incompetence and lack of planning. The most creative and inventive thinkers were the antagonist and the French Girl.
I'm pretty sure the 600 page monster was something else entirely. I don't know where, but I read he started from scratch for this spec and wanted to do something "fresh". This is born out by the original idea he's been floating for years; a group of condemned men given the option to undertake a suicide mission in exchange for sparring their lives. That's interesting. Here it's just a bunch of sociopaths causing chaos for the Nazis and they're brought in to trash a theater.
I think the Mystery Director knew this mission wasn't worthy of his characters. The only way he could make it worthwhile was to up the ante on the stakes by bringing in the historical figures. He couldn't come up with a huge, elaborate mission, so let's make it Operation Jackpot -- the whole war in one big swoop.
jake cogstein
"I wonder what we're reading, then. I guess movies are made without scripts, right? Scripts aren't important. Their presentation means nothing. All that matters is the finished product... even before it is made.
Right?"
Now, you're getting it.
I dig it.
I don't think it'll do the box-office that a movie of this magnitude requires (so potentially going to be labelled a box-office flop), but I'd happily lay down 12 bucks to go see it.
The irony is, it is hundreds of times better than Indy IV and won't do near the box office.
I do think MM and Scott are right that the script is over-written. However, it does seem to be bigger, longer scenes that let the actors play, which can, later, be easily cut down to a managable size.
And our friendly director does work with one of the best editors in town. I <3 her.
In contrast, Charlie Kaufman's last screenplay had scenes that needed to be cut because they sucked and didn't make any sense.
The overly long scenes that are slanted toward the actor has always been this director's style. I mean, he did want to be an actor -- not a writer or a director.
"I mean, he did want to be an actor -- not a writer or a director."
ouch. that's scary. he's a terrible actor.
s. warren, that's some real interesting info you got there.
With the writer's last two films, I've noticed that he's tried to sell himself as somebody who writes strong, realistic women characters - there was an interview with him last year, talking about his most recent film, saying, 'this film is how girls really talk.'
So I guess somewhere along the line, this Quixotic, Talented writer/director decided to take this project - which, in it's 600-page form, sounds like the novel the protagonist is writing in "Wonder Boys" - and infuse this new sensibility he's decided he's good at into it. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is something I'll have to think about before deciding either way.
That say, the title kind of works if you count the main female character, and hey fella, as Inglorious Basterds themselves.
Mim - so you did, apologies :)
"I also wonder if this good ending could’ve been better if the antagonist hadn’t switched sides and the main characters had to fight to defeat him."
MM - do you think that makes the antagonist really the story's major protagonist here? He's the one who is the most proactive, he plants the bomb which kills the Axis leaders, he gives himself up willingly, etc.
S. Warren - "...a group of condemned men given the option to undertake a suicide mission in exchange for sparring their lives. That's interesting. Here it's just a bunch of sociopaths causing chaos for the Nazis and they're brought in to trash a theater."
-- yeah, it's like he's pulling a bait and switch with his own promised product; the great WWII adventure that was hyped is really just "Wack William: parts I and II" all over again, albeit set in the 1940s with some army dudes going psycho on the side...
Also MM -- agree with you: the backstory / flashbacks, like the one in Boston, seem out of place for some reason. Because of a lack of development later on? I'm not sure...
Matt -- "I've noticed that he's tried to sell himself as somebody who writes strong, realistic women characters - there was an interview with him last year, talking about his most recent film, saying, 'this film is how girls really talk.'"
-- I find this all a bit disingenuous and even creepy for a guy who has cast himself as "the rapist", what, two or three times now??
Strunk White said...
Deepstructure, you meant to write "bandied". "[]bandied about here", not "banded".
I found the interview I mentioned. It's from Sight and Sound back in February of this year. The Mystery Director was overseas for some film festivals, I believe.
"I’ve got tons of material and a lot of stuff written but now I’ve figured out what to do, I gotta start from page one, square one. I started just before I came on this trip and brought the stuff with me but I haven’t had a chance to continue yet. But maybe on the flight back home I’ll come back into it. I love writing in other countries. It’s a lot of fun."
"I love writing in other countries. It's a lot of fun."
Uh huh...Ok...Right.
S.Warren – Oh man, those were superb comments. Ya know, I do recall reading articles where he talked about a condemned group given a last reprieve. You never really got that here. I was, in fact, expecting a structure more in keeping with, as you mentioned, Take Where Eagles Dare, or even The Dirty Dozen. You never felt like this mission was SO dangerous that it might be too much for this team to handle and none of them might make it out alive. That would’ve been better. What I reacted to in the Third Act was the moment in the booth between the girl and a certain actor. I loved the tension about the changing of the reels and her reaching up to change it. I also loved that moment in the bathroom where a character took off his cap to reveal something very important and then they whipped out their guns. Loved that, too. But I’d certainly be willing to give it all up for a bigger, more dangerous mission. Great comments.
James & Deepstructure – Thanks for the debate, guys. It was a good controversy.
I dig QT. It's the triumph of a true idiot savant. He's frustrating because his volcanic enthusiasm often trumps his better sense as a writer/director. He's exciting because he throws himself totally into his writing. It's like he can't write fast enough to keep up with what he's seeing in his mind's eye. He's so jazzed. He films to see these images come to life. What he writes really does leap off the page, in the manner of comic book scripting. He writes to surprise himself. I really believe that. The cool thing is that he wants to let us in on it. Who wouldn't want to play in his sandbox? After QT, probably no one other than David Lynch has a sump pump that runs from his imagination directly onto the page. It's uncanny. More of this would be a good thing, I believe.
Sure, I wish QT would pay more attention to spelling and grammar, but you know what, he's proven he's got game. I don't think this will encourage slackers everywhere to take the same license. They may try, but pffew! You got to show mastery of the fundamentals first before you can rock n roll on the hardwood like Chris Paul. Before Ornette Coleman dared to go off into the vapors, you can believe he had mastered the scales. Paul and Coleman got game. So does QT.
I expect QT will continue to do things that make me grit my teeth and wince, but in the very next scene he'll probably make up for it. That's how he rolls. Deal with it.
Loved the script! Going to be a fun movie. He's got the gift...not of grammar obviously...but of story. And that's rare. Just look at all of the trash coming out of Hollywood everyday. Thank God for originality...errr...clever adaptation...
DH said...
LTTP but.. He writes everything longhand then uses a typewriter.
He writes longhand as it enables him to get everything down quicker. He types it up on a typewriter becausue 'Hemmingway wrote that way' or something.
I can't quite remember but I saw being interviewed years ago about this.
@ Carlo Conda
re: "It's like a professional fisherman not knowing how to gut a fish. What kind of fisherman is that? He may catch more fish than most people on his boat, but you can't help but feel you'd rather learn how to fish from someone else."
No, I'd rather eat the fish.
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12 Things All Amateur Screenwriters Should Know
Where Do I Put My Characters?
Dark Knight's Screenwriting Lesson
Color and Payoffs in Wall-E
Your Movie Sucks!
TDK – HBO’s First Look
The Ending of Heckboy II
Art of David Lynch
Nolan on Scripting The Dark Knight
The Unsympathetic Superhero
The Derosa Links
Devil May Suck
Joker Clips (& Ledger Interview)
Hitchcock, Cinema’s Purist
Unproduced Hitch: The Complete List
From a Recent Script Review
An Oscar for Ledger?
Wall*E & The Robot Protagonist
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Octavio Más-Arocas, conductor
Octavio Más-Arocas is a versatile and dynamic conductor whose achievements demonstrate his talent and musicianship. Más-Arocas is currently the Music Director and Conductor of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, the Director of Orchestras at Ithaca College in New York, Conductor-in-Residence at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and conductor of the Interlochen Philharmonic at the Interlochen Arts Camp.
An award-winner conductor, Mr. Más-Arocas won the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize at the Aspen Music Festival, the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Award, given by Kurt Masur, is the recipient of the Thelma A. Robinson Award from the Conductors Guild, a Prize Winner of the Third European Conductors Competition, and a winner of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain Conductors Competition. In 2012, Mr. Más-Arocas was selected by the League of American Orchestra to conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in a showcase event during the League’s National Conference in Dallas.
Chosen by Kurt Masur, Mr. Más-Arocas was awarded the prestigious Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholarship. Consequently, he worked as Maestro Masur’s assistant with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Helsinki Radio Orchestra, and made his German conducting debut with the Leipziger Symphonieorchester. The offer came after Mr. Más-Arocas’ New York debut concert sharing the podium with Maestro Masur and the Manhattan School of Music Symphony.
Mr. Más-Arocas served as Principal Conductor of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin, and held the positions of Director of Orchestral Studies and Opera Conductor at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Wisconsin, Director of Orchestral Studies and Associate Professor of Conducting at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music in Ohio, Director of Orchestras at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, Resident Conductor of the Sewanee Summer Music Festival in Tennessee, and Assistant conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra in Colorado. In 2013, simultaneously to his work with the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Más-Arocas was the Resident Conductor of the Unicamp Symphony Orchestra in Campinas, Brazil, where he also was a Visiting Professor of conducting at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Mr. Más-Arocas spends part of his summers and winters in the Grand Traverse area, where he has developed a relationship guest conducting the Traverse City Orchestra and continues his association as guest conductor at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. In addition, he has worked with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra as a regular cover conductor.
In the last few years Mr. Más-Arocas has conducted orchestra across North and South America and Europe including the Filarmonica George Enescu in Romania, the Granada City Orchestra in Spain, the Leipziger Symphonieorchester in Germany, the Orquestra Sinfônica da Unicamp in Brazil, the Green Bay, Traverse City, Bluewater, Fort Worth, Spokane, Toledo, Phoenix, Memphis, Kansas City, and San Antonio Symphonies, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Manhattan School of Music Symphony, the orchestras of Viana do Castelo and Artave in Portugal, the Interlochen Philharmonic, the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Philharmonic, the Rosario Symphony in Argentina, Kharkov Symphony in Ukraine, the National Youth Orchestras of Portugal and Spain, the Pescara Symphony in Italy, the Amsterdam Brass in the Netherlands, and the Ciudad Alcala de Henares Symphony. In addition, Mr. Más-Arocas has served as assistant conductor at the Madrid Royal Opera House.
Mr. Más-Arocas was assistant conductor of the National Repertory Orchestra, which he conducted in subscription, family, and pops concerts. As the Resident Conductor at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival he conducted the Festival, Symphony, and Cumberland Orchestras. Other festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival, the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, the Festival Internacional Carlos Gomes in Campinas, Brazil, the Interlochen Music Festival, the Bach Festival at Baldwin Wallace University, and the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music.
His ability to work, inspire, and transform young talents has lead him to be a frequent guest conductor with prominent music education organizations and ensembles around the world. He has worked with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, the national youth orchestras of Portugal and Spain, has conducted All-State Honor Orchestras, and has been in residence with university orchestras in Chicago, Portugal, and Brazil. Mr. Más-Arocas has lead tours with the National Youth Orchestra “Templarios” of Portugal, the Interlochen Symphony, the Baldwin Wallace Symphony, and toured Argentina with the Silleda Wind Symphony.
Mr. Más-Arocas is an alumnus of the prestigious American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, where he studied with David Zinman. He completed doctoral studies and his main mentors include Kurt Masur, Harold Farberman, and Emily Freeman Brown.
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Tyreke Evans disqualified from NBA for 2 years
The NBA announced Friday that guard Tyreke Evans has been dismissed and disqualified from the league for violating the terms of the NBA/National Basketball Players Association anti-drug program.
Under the program, he is eligible to apply for reinstatement in two years.
Evans, 29, played for the Indiana Pacers this season, averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 20.3 minutes per game. He was due to become a free agent this offseason.
The Pacers said they were informed Friday of Evans’ discipline.
“We take these matters seriously and will reach out to Tyreke to offer our support,” the team said in a statement.
According to the NBA’s guidelines, a player can be dismissed and disqualified from the league for testing positive for a drug of abuse, or if he is convicted of or pleads guilty to the use, possession or distribution of a drug of abuse.
Among players who have been banned under the policy, the most recent are O.J. Mayo and Chris Andersen. Others include Roy Tarpley, Richard Dumas, Micheal Ray Richardson, Lewis Lloyd, Duane Washington and Stanley Roberts, many of whom were reinstated.
A player can be reinstated only with the approval of both the NBA and the players’ association.
Evans has played 10 seasons in the NBA and was Rookie of the Year in 2010. He was drafted by the Sacramento Kings out of Memphis with the fourth overall pick in 2009. He has also played for the New Orleans Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Evans sat out one game early in the season for violating team rules and issued an apology then for being late to practice. He also missed three games late in the year due to personal reasons and a respiratory infection.
Pacers guard Tyreke Evans, Chester native, reportedly ‘disqualified’ from NBA
MLB Friday Weather Forecast: Winds Impacting Games in New York, Boston
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Kaplan UniversityMSN - Nurse Educator
Teaching Schools in Florida
There are 70 Florida schools offering teaching programs. 9,060 students graduated from programs at Florida teaching schools in 2010. 4,714 of all these students graduated with bachelors degrees and 2,848 students graduated with masters degrees.
On average, 8,999 students graduate from programs in this state in teaching every year. This accounts for 5% of students who schools in the United States graduate from teaching programs. Of those, 1,361 students graduated with teaching certificates, 85 with an associate's level degree, 4,714 with a degree at the bachelor's level, 2,848 with a master's level degree, and 52 with a doctorate level degree.
70 teaching schools are in this state. And out of these, 35 schools are private, while 35 schools are public. Private teaching school tuition varies from $5,100 to $37,836, while tuition at a public teaching school varies from $2,158 to $5,238.
Average tuition for programs in teaching is $11,485. The lowest tuition in this state, which is $2,158 every year, is at Palm Beach State College, while the highest tuition for teaching programs, which is $37,836 each year, is at the University of Miami.
Florida schools offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees in teaching.
Teaching Program Completions in Florida 2006 - 2010
Certificate 2006: 188
Doctorate 2009: 80
Teaching Program Availability in Florida
Florida schools offer a total of 398 programs in teaching. Of these programs, about 51.5% are bachelor's level programs. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level, the doctoral level, and the associates level.
Associate: 15
Bachelor: 205
Master: 123
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other — Salary by Percentile
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary — Salary by Percentile
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other — Employment Trend
Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary — Employment Trend
Total Employed 2006: 1840
Total Employed 2006: 0
Florida vs National Teaching Employment
Employed in Florida: 4.338% (18710)
Nearby Cities Offering Teaching
Teaching Schools in Deltona, Florida
1,093 students graduate from teaching programs in Deltona, FL, on average, per year. This accounts for about 13% of students who Florida schools graduate from teaching programs. 92 students graduated with teaching certificates. Teaching Schools in Deltona, Florida
Teaching Schools in Weston, Florida
Average tuition for programs in teaching is $17,387. The highest tuition for teaching programs is at the University of Miami. The highest tuition for training in teaching is $37,836 each year. Teaching Schools in Weston, Florida
Teaching Schools in North Miami, Florida
1,245 students graduated with teaching certificates. 11 students graduated with a degree in teaching at the associate's level. 1,084 students graduated with a bachelor's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in North Miami, Florida
Teaching Schools in Fort Myers, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees increased by approximately 19.9% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students climbed by 35 students. The number of graduate students went down by one student. Teaching Schools in Fort Myers, Florida
Teaching Schools in Miami, Florida
On average, 4,158 students graduate from programs in Miami, FL in teaching every year. This accounts for close to 47% of teaching students who schools in the state of Florida graduate. 1,245 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in Miami, Florida
Teaching Schools in Dunedin, Florida
11 students graduated with a degree in teaching at the associate's level. 1,013 students graduated with a degree in teaching at the bachelor's level. 285 students graduated with a teaching degree at the master's level. Teaching Schools in Dunedin, Florida
Teaching Schools in Homestead, Florida
Schools in Homestead, FL offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees in teaching. 1,245 students graduated with certificates in teaching. 11 students graduated with a teaching degree at the associate's level. Teaching Schools in Homestead, Florida
Teaching Schools in North Port, Florida
There are four schools conveniently located near North Port, FL offering teaching programs. In 2010, 320 students graduated with degrees from North Port teaching schools. 236 of all these students graduated with bachelors degrees. Teaching Schools in North Port, Florida
Teaching Schools in Coral Springs, Florida
1,249 students graduated with certificates in teaching. 13 students graduated with an associate's level teaching degree. 1,107 students graduated with a teaching degree at the bachelor's level. Teaching Schools in Coral Springs, Florida
Teaching Schools in Pembroke Pines, Florida
20 teaching schools are located in Pembroke Pines, FL. 13 schools are private. Seven schools are public. Teaching Schools in Pembroke Pines, Florida
Teaching Schools in Altamonte Springs, Florida
On average, 1,093 students graduate from teaching programs in Altamonte Springs, FL every year. This accounts for about 13% of teaching students who schools in the state of Florida graduate. 93 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in Altamonte Springs, Florida
Teaching Schools in Sarasota, Florida
Schools in Sarasota, FL offer a total of 52 teaching programs. Of these programs, 51.9% are programs at the bachelor's level. The remaining programs are degrees at the masters level and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Sarasota, Florida
There are 14 schools located near Boynton Beach, FL offering teaching programs. In 2010, 3,581 students graduated from programs at Boynton Beach teaching schools. 1,743 of all these students graduated with masters degrees. Teaching Schools in Boynton Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Coral Gables, Florida
The number of students who graduated with degrees in teaching climbed by 3.1% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students fell by 126 students. The number of students which certificate programs graduate went up by 356 students. Teaching Schools in Coral Gables, Florida
Teaching Schools in Palm Coast, Florida
149 students graduate from teaching programs in Palm Coast, FL, on average, per year. This accounts for 2% of students who schools in the state of Florida graduate from teaching programs. 11 students graduated with a teaching degree at the associate's level. Teaching Schools in Palm Coast, Florida
Schools in Davie, FL offer a total of 135 programs in teaching. Of these programs, approximately 38.5% are bachelor's level programs. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level, the doctoral level, and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Davie, Florida
Teaching Schools in Panama City, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees dropped by 72.7% from 2008 to 2010. The number of students which certificate programs graduate fell by eight students. The Tom P Haney Technical Center offers a total of one program in teaching. Teaching Schools in Panama City, Florida
Teaching Schools in Plantation, Florida
Schools in Plantation, FL offer a total of 135 programs in teaching. Of these programs, 38.5% are programs at the bachelor's level. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level, the doctoral level, and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Plantation, Florida
Teaching Schools in Port St. Lucie, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees rose by around 71.4% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students rose by 24 students. The number of students which certificate programs graduate went up by one student. Teaching Schools in Port St. Lucie, Florida
Teaching Schools in Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth schools offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees in teaching. 410 students graduated with teaching certificates. Four students graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Lake Worth, Florida
Teaching Schools in Daytona Beach, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees went up by approximately 10.3% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students went up by 137 students. The number of graduate students decreased by 35 students. Teaching Schools in Daytona Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Cape Coral, Florida
Cape Coral schools offer a total of 14 programs in teaching. Of these programs, 57.1% are bachelor's level programs. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Cape Coral, Florida
Teaching Schools in Tampa, Florida
There are 14 schools located near Tampa, FL offering teaching programs. In 2010, 1,512 students graduated with degrees from Tampa teaching schools. 1,169 of all these students graduated with bachelors degrees. Teaching Schools in Tampa, Florida
Teaching Schools in Apopka, Florida
90 students graduated with teaching certificates. 11 students graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. 914 students graduated with a bachelor's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Apopka, Florida
Teaching Schools in Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce schools offer bachelors degrees and masters degrees for teaching students. 35 students graduated with a bachelor's level degree in teaching. Four students graduated with a master's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Fort Pierce, Florida
Teaching Schools in Deerfield Beach, Florida
1,237 students graduated with certificates in teaching. 13 students graduated with a teaching degree at the associate's level. 1,107 students graduated with a teaching degree at the bachelor's level. Teaching Schools in Deerfield Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Palm Bay, Florida
Teaching schools in Palm Bay, FL offer certificates, bachelors degrees, and masters degrees. Three students graduated with certificates in teaching. 23 students graduated with a teaching degree at the bachelor's level. Teaching Schools in Palm Bay, Florida
Teaching Schools in Pompano Beach, Florida
4,190 students graduate from teaching programs in Pompano Beach, FL, on average, per year. This accounts for close to 48% of teaching students who Florida schools graduate. 1,249 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in Pompano Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Hallandale Beach, Florida
Schools in Hallandale Beach, FL offer a total of 128 programs in teaching. Of these programs, 35.9% are master's level programs. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the bachelors level, the doctoral level, and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Hallandale Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee teaching schools offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees. 50 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Three students graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Tallahassee, Florida
Teaching Schools in Port Orange, Florida
Seven teaching schools are in Port Orange, FL. Four schools are private. Three schools are public. Teaching Schools in Port Orange, Florida
Teaching Schools in Melbourne, Florida
Two teaching schools are located in Melbourne, FL. Two schools are public. Tuition at a public teaching school is $2,452. Teaching Schools in Melbourne, Florida
Teaching Schools in Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah schools offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees in teaching. 1,245 students graduated with certificates in teaching. 11 students graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Hialeah, Florida
Teaching Schools in Miramar, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees rose by 3.1% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students went down by 125 students. The number of students which certificate programs graduate went up by 357 students. Teaching Schools in Miramar, Florida
Teaching Schools in Tamarac, Florida
The number of students who graduated with degrees in teaching climbed by 2.9% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students fell by 127 students. The number of students which certificate programs graduate went up by 357 students. Teaching Schools in Tamarac, Florida
Teaching Schools in St. Petersburg, Florida
Schools in St. Petersburg, FL offer a total of 76 programs in teaching. Of these programs, about 56.6% are bachelor's level programs. The remaining programs are degrees at the masters level and the associates level. Teaching Schools in St. Petersburg, Florida
Teaching Schools in Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton schools offer a total of 139 teaching programs. Of these programs, about 41% are programs at the bachelor's level. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level, the doctoral level, and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Boca Raton, Florida
Teaching Schools in Jacksonville, Florida
Average tuition for teaching programs is $6,105. The highest tuition for teaching programs is at Flagler College-St Augustine. The highest tuition for teaching training is $13,860 every year. Teaching Schools in Jacksonville, Florida
Teaching Schools in Oakland Park, Florida
On average, 4,190 students graduate from programs in Oakland Park, FL in teaching each year. This accounts for approximately 48% of teaching students who schools in the state of Florida graduate. 1,249 students graduated with teaching certificates. Teaching Schools in Oakland Park, Florida
Teaching Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale schools offer a total of 135 programs in teaching. Of these programs, around 38.5% are bachelor's level programs. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level, the doctoral level, and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Teaching Schools in North Miami Beach, Florida
1,249 students graduated with teaching certificates. 13 students graduated with a degree in teaching at the associate's level. 1,084 students graduated with a degree in teaching at the bachelor's level. Teaching Schools in North Miami Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Jupiter, Florida
Teaching schools in Jupiter, FL offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, and masters degrees. Four students graduated with teaching certificates. Two students graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Jupiter, Florida
Teaching Schools in Pinellas Park, Florida
Pinellas Park schools offer a total of 73 teaching programs. Of these programs, approximately 57.5% are programs at the bachelor's level. The remaining programs are degrees at the masters level and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Pinellas Park, Florida
Teaching Schools in Lauderhill, Florida
Lauderhill schools offer a total of 135 programs in teaching. Of these programs, approximately 38.5% are programs at the bachelor's level. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level, the doctoral level, and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Lauderhill, Florida
Teaching Schools in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater schools offer associates degrees, bachelors degrees, and masters degrees for teaching students. 11 students graduated with an associate's level teaching degree. 1,013 students graduated with a teaching degree at the bachelor's level. Teaching Schools in Clearwater, Florida
Teaching Schools in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees climbed by approximately 11.3% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students climbed by 56 students. The number of students which certificate programs graduate rose by one student. Teaching Schools in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Teaching Schools in Wellington, Florida
The number of students who graduated with degrees in teaching climbed by 7.2% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students decreased by 35 students. The number of graduate students increased by 104 students. Teaching Schools in Wellington, Florida
Teaching Schools in Riviera Beach, Florida
Ten teaching schools are located in Riviera Beach, FL. Seven schools are private. Three schools are public. Teaching Schools in Riviera Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Delray Beach, Florida
3,695 students graduate from teaching programs in Delray Beach, FL, on average, each year. This accounts for around 42% of students who Florida schools graduate from teaching programs. 1,230 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in Delray Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Titusville, Florida
Eight teaching schools are located in Titusville, FL. Four schools are private. Four schools are public. Teaching Schools in Titusville, Florida
Teaching Schools in Hollywood, Florida
On average, 4,190 students graduate from programs in Hollywood, FL in teaching per year. This accounts for approximately 48% of students who schools in the state of Florida graduate from teaching programs. 1,249 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in Hollywood, Florida
Teaching Schools in Ocala, Florida
There are four schools near Ocala, FL offering teaching programs. In 2010, 497 students graduated with degrees from Ocala teaching schools. 253 of all these students graduated with masters degrees. Teaching Schools in Ocala, Florida
Teaching Schools in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville teaching schools offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees. Five students graduated with a degree in teaching at the associate's level. 226 students graduated with a teaching degree at the bachelor's level. Teaching Schools in Gainesville, Florida
Teaching Schools in Pensacola, Florida
One student graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. 165 students graduated with a teaching degree at the bachelor's level. 23 students graduated with a degree in teaching at the master's level. Teaching Schools in Pensacola, Florida
Teaching Schools in Coconut Creek, Florida
The number of students who graduated with degrees in teaching went up by 2.9% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students decreased by 127 students. The number of students which certificate programs graduate rose by 357 students. Teaching Schools in Coconut Creek, Florida
Teaching Schools in Kissimmee, Florida
Average tuition for teaching programs is $14,632. The highest tuition for teaching programs is at Rollins College. The highest tuition for teaching training is $37,640 every year. Teaching Schools in Kissimmee, Florida
Teaching Schools in Margate, Florida
There are 21 schools located near Margate, FL offering teaching programs. 4,251 students graduated with degrees from Margate teaching schools in 2010. 1,855 of all these students graduated with masters degrees. Teaching Schools in Margate, Florida
Teaching Schools in Miami Beach, Florida
1,245 students graduated with certificates in teaching. 11 students graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. 1,084 students graduated with a bachelor's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Miami Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in Orlando, Florida
Schools in Orlando, FL offer a total of 55 programs in teaching. Of these programs, around 60% are bachelor's level programs. The remaining programs are certificates and degrees at the masters level and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Orlando, Florida
Teaching Schools in Sunrise, Florida
21 teaching schools are located in Sunrise, FL. 14 schools are private. Seven schools are public. Teaching Schools in Sunrise, Florida
Teaching Schools in Largo, Florida
Schools in Largo, FL offer a total of 59 programs in teaching. Of these programs, about 52.5% are bachelor's level programs. The remaining programs are degrees at the masters level and the associates level. Teaching Schools in Largo, Florida
Teaching Schools in Lakeland, Florida
There are 15 schools located around Lakeland, FL offering teaching programs. In 2010, 1,558 students graduated with degrees from Lakeland teaching schools. 1,145 of all these students graduated with bachelors degrees. Teaching Schools in Lakeland, Florida
Teaching Schools in Sanford, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees increased by about 18.8% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students went up by 137 students. The number of graduate students went down by 35 students. Teaching Schools in Sanford, Florida
Teaching Schools in Bradenton, Florida
Ten teaching schools are in Bradenton, FL. Five schools are private. Five schools are public. Teaching Schools in Bradenton, Florida
Teaching Schools in Ormond Beach, Florida
Average tuition for programs in teaching is $12,134. The highest tuition for teaching programs is at Stetson University. The highest tuition for teaching training is $33,424 every year. Teaching Schools in Ormond Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in West Palm Beach, Florida
2,646 students graduate from teaching programs in West Palm Beach, FL, on average, every year. This accounts for about 30% of students who schools in the state of Florida graduate from teaching programs. 406 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in West Palm Beach, Florida
Teaching Schools in North Lauderdale, Florida
The number of students who graduated with teaching degrees climbed by 2.9% from 2008 to 2010. In particular, the number of undergraduate students decreased by 127 students. The number of students which certificate programs graduate climbed by 357 students. Teaching Schools in North Lauderdale, Florida
Teaching Schools in Miami Gardens, Florida
On average, 4,163 students graduate from programs in Miami Gardens, FL in teaching each year. This accounts for about 47% of students who schools in the state of Florida graduate from teaching programs. 1,249 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in Miami Gardens, Florida
Teaching Schools in Bonita Springs, Florida
Four students graduated with certificates in teaching. 36 students graduated with an associate's level teaching degree. 160 students graduated with a degree in teaching at the bachelor's level. Teaching Schools in Bonita Springs, Florida
Nearby States Offering Teaching
Teaching Schools in Alabama
On average, 3,819 students graduate from teaching programs in the state of Alabama each year. This accounts for 2% of students who schools in the United States graduate from teaching programs. 77 students graduated with certificates in teaching. Teaching Schools in Alabama
Teaching Schools in Georgia
Teaching schools in the state of Georgia offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees. 1,313 students graduated with teaching certificates. 472 students graduated with an associate's level degree in teaching. Teaching Schools in Georgia
Teaching Schools in Mississippi
Average tuition for programs in teaching is $7,416. The highest tuition for teaching programs is at Belhaven University. The highest tuition for teaching training is $17,700 per year. Teaching Schools in Mississippi
Teaching Schools in South Carolina
There are 30 South Carolina schools offering teaching programs. In 2010, 2,684 students graduated from programs at South Carolina teaching schools. 1,654 of all these students graduated with bachelors degrees. Teaching Schools in South Carolina
Early Childhood Education Schools in Florida
Florida schools offer certificates, associates degrees, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and doctoral degrees in early childhood education. 200 students graduated with early childhood education certificates. 42 students graduated with an associate's level degree in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Schools in Florida
Educational Leadership Schools in Florida
There are 27 Florida schools offering educational leadership programs. 2,543 students graduated from programs at Florida educational leadership schools in 2010. 1,666 of all these students graduated with masters degrees. Educational Leadership Schools in Florida
Elementary Education Schools in Florida
Average tuition for programs in elementary education is $13,554. The highest tuition for elementary education programs is at the University of Miami. The highest tuition for elementary education training is $37,836 every year. Elementary Education Schools in Florida
Special Education Schools in Florida
291 students graduated with certificates in special education. 38 students graduated with a special education degree at the associate's level. 637 students graduated with a bachelor's level special education degree. Special Education Schools in Florida
Around the country, there are about 16 schools offering online teaching degrees, to Florida students, at the following degree levels:
There are 89 online teaching programs available at these online teaching schools, through which Florida students have the ability of earning teaching credentials. In 2010, the number of online teaching school graduates from these programs was 7071. Online Teaching Schools
MA/Education - Curriculum & Instruction
MS in Higher Education - College Administration and Leadership
MS in Higher Education - College Teaching and Learning
Master of Education / Instructional Design and Technology
Bachelor of Science in Education / Elementary Education
B.S. in Elementary Education: English
M.Ed. in Special Education: Cross-Categorical (Leads to initial teacher licensure)
Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Higher Education Leadership
Brandman University
California Teachers of English Learners Certificate
AA in General Education
BA in Liberal Studies with Multiple Subject Teaching Emphasis
1. Chipola College
3094 Indian Circle
Marianna, FL 32446-2053
Chipola College is located in Marianna, FL. It offers four programs in teaching. This small school offers students four bachelor's level teaching degrees. It is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
2. The Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center
750 NW 20 Street
The Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, which is 1.1 miles from the center of the city, is located in Miami, FL and it offers one teaching program. This school is a public 2-year institution.
3. The University of Phoenix - Central Florida
2290 Lucien Way- Suite 400
Maitland, FL 32751-7001
The University of Phoenix-Central Florida offers three programs in teaching. This school offers students three degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching. It is in the suburbs of Maitland, Florida. UPX is a for-profit 4-year institution.
4. The University of South Florida - St. Petersburg
140 Seventh Ave S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-9807
The University of South Florida-St. Petersburg offers six programs in teaching. Of those, this school offers students two bachelor's level teaching degrees and four master's level teaching degrees. It is near the center of the city. Overall, 3,944 students pursue degrees in 33 UPX programs.
5. Warner University
Lake Wales, FL 33859-8797
Warner University offers six teaching programs. Specifically, this school offers one teaching degree at the associate's level to students and five bachelor's level teaching degrees. This school, which is only a few miles from Lake Wales, is located in a rural setting. Overall, 1,082 students pursue degrees in 29 WU programs.
6. Southeastern University
1000 Longfellow Blvd
Southeastern University, which is near the heart of downtown, is in Lakeland, FL. It offers ten teaching programs. More specifically, this school offers one associate's level teaching degree to students, seven degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching, and two master's level degrees in teaching. 2,779 students pursue degrees in 48 programs at this liberal arts college, overall.
7. Clearwater Christian College
3400 Gulf to Bay Blvd
Clearwater, FL 33759-4595
Clearwater Christian College is 6.3 miles from the heart of downtown. CCC offers six teaching programs. This school offers students six degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching. This school is a 4-year institution.
Hobe Sound Bible College is located in the suburbs of Hobe Sound, Florida. It offers five programs in teaching. Students are offered five teaching degrees at the bachelor's level by it. 118 students pursue degrees in 14 Hobe Sound Bible College programs, overall.
9. The Immokalee Technical Center
Immokalee, FL 34142
The Immokalee Technical Center offers one program in teaching. It is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
10. Brown Mackie College - Miami
One Herald Plaza
Brown Mackie College-Miami is a for-profit 4-year institution. This school, which is near the heart of downtown, is located in Miami, FL. This school is one of several campuses. This school offers one certificate, ten degrees at the associates level, and two bachelors level degrees to students. In 2010, 1,058 students sought degrees from the 11 programs at this school. It offers subjects such as law and education. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools accredits this school.
11. Lynn University
Lynn University offers one teaching program and this school, which is 2.9 miles from the center of the city, is located in Boca Raton, FL.
The University of Phoenix-South Florida is located in the suburbs of Plantation, Florida. UPX offers four programs in teaching. Specifically, UPX offers students three degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching and one master's level teaching degree.
13. The University of Phoenix - West Florida
12802 Tampa Oaks Blvd Ste 200
Temple Terrace, FL 33637-1920
The University of Phoenix-West Florida is located in the suburbs of Temple Terrace, Florida. Phoenix offers three teaching programs. Of those, Phoenix offers students one degree at the bachelor's level in teaching and two master's level teaching degrees.
14. The Trinity College of Florida
2430 Welbilt Boulevard
Trinity, FL 34655-4401
The Trinity College of Florida is in the suburbs of Trinity, Florida and it offers one program in teaching.
15. Universal Beauty School
10720 W Flagler School Ste 21
Sweetwater, FL 33174
Universal Beauty School is located in the suburbs of Sweetwater, Florida and it offers one teaching program. It is one of 145 vocational schools in Florida.
16. The Withlacoochee Technical Institute
Inverness, FL 34450-4696
The Withlacoochee Technical Institute is located in Inverness, FL and this school offers one teaching program. This technical college is one of 18 technical colleges in Florida. This school is the eighth oldest institution in the state of Florida offering programs in teaching.
17. Carlos Albizu University - Miami
2173 N.W. 99th Avenue
Carlos Albizu University-Miami is located in Miami, Florida, where students can enjoy a rural setting. This school offers two teaching programs. Out of those, this school offers one teaching degree at the bachelor's level to students and one teaching degree at the master's level. 1,078 students pursue degrees in ten programs at CAU-Miami, overall.
18. Edison State College
8099 College Pky SW
Fort Myers, FL 33919-0000
Edison State College is located in the suburbs of Fort Myers, Florida. This school offers three teaching programs. Students are offered three bachelor's level teaching degrees by it. 16,951 students seek degrees in 33 ECC programs, overall.
19. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide
600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide is a 4-year research institution. This university, which is near the heart of downtown, is in Daytona Beach, FL. This specialized university is one of several campuses. This university offers three associates level degrees, four degrees at the bachelors level, and four degrees at the masters level to students. 15,488 students sought degrees from the six programs at this university in 2010. This university offers subjects including business management, project management, and education. This university is one of 15 research universities in Florida.
20. The Management Resources Institute
10 NW Le Jeune Road
The Management Resources Institute, which is near the center of the city, is in Miami, FL. It offers three programs in teaching. Students are offered three teaching certificates by it. It is a for-profit institution.
21. Flagler College - Tallahassee
444 Appleyard Dr
Flagler College-Tallahassee offers one program in teaching and it is near the heart of downtown. 497 students seek degrees in four programs at Flagler, overall.
22. The Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology
3702 Estey Ave
Naples, FL 34104-4405
The Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology is in the suburbs of Naples, Florida and it offers one program in teaching. Overall, 468 students pursue degrees in 25 programs at this school.
23. Orlando Tech
301 W Amelia Street
Orlando Tech offers one program in teaching and it is near the center of the city. This public school is a public 2-year institution. This school is the fourth oldest institution in the state of Florida offering programs in teaching.
24. The University of South Florida - Polytechnic
3433 Winter Lake Rd
The University of South Florida-Polytechnic, which is near Lakeland, is in a rural area. USF Polytechnic offers three teaching programs. Out of those, this school offers one bachelor's level degree in teaching to students and two degrees at the master's level in teaching. Overall, 1,268 students seek degrees in 24 USF Polytechnic programs.
25. Edward Waters College
1658 Kings Rd
Edward Waters College offers one program in teaching and EWC, which is near the center of the city, is located in Jacksonville, FL. Overall, 769 students seek degrees in 17 programs at this very small school.
26. Bethune-Cookman University
640 Dr Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd
Bethune-Cookman University offers eight programs in teaching. It offers students eight bachelor's level teaching degrees. B-CU, which is 0.6 miles from the center of the city, is in Daytona Beach, FL. It is one of 13 liberal arts colleges in Florida. B-CU is the fourth biggest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching in terms of programs.
27. The Florida National College
The Florida National College is located in the suburbs of Hialeah, Florida and this school offers one teaching program. This school is a for-profit 4-year institution. This medium-sized school is the eighth largest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching in terms of programs.
28. Florida Memorial University
Florida Memorial University is located in the suburbs of Miami Gardens, Florida. It offers six programs in teaching. More specifically, FMU offers students four bachelor's level teaching degrees and two teaching degrees at the master's level. Overall, 1,891 students pursue degrees in 36 FMU programs.
Trinity International University-Florida offers one teaching program and it is in the suburbs of Davie, Florida.
30. Florida College
119 N Glen Arven Ave
Florida College offers one program in teaching and this school is in the suburbs of Temple Terrace, Florida. 478 students seek degrees in six programs at FC, overall.
31. The Robert Morgan Educational Center
18180 SW 122nd Ave
The Robert Morgan Educational Center is located in the suburbs of Miami, Florida and it offers one teaching program. Overall, 1,339 students seek degrees in 23 programs at this school.
32. The Tom P Haney Technical Center
The Tom P Haney Technical Center, which is 3.1 miles from the center of the city, is located in Panama City, FL and it offers one teaching program. This vocational school is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
33. Flagler College - St Augustine
Flagler College-St Augustine is in the suburbs of St. Augustine, Florida. It offers four programs in teaching. It offers four teaching degrees at the bachelor's level to students. It is a 4-year institution.
34. The Ridge Career Center
7700 State Rd 544
Winter Haven, FL 33881-9518
The Ridge Career Center offers one program in teaching and this school is in Winter Haven, Florida, where students can enjoy a rural setting. 790 students pursue degrees in 24 programs at this school, overall.
The Sheridan Technical Center is located in the suburbs of Hollywood, Florida. It offers two teaching programs. It offers students two teaching certificates. This vocational school is a public 2-year institution. It is the sixth largest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching in terms of programs.
36. Southwest Florida College
1685 Medical Lane
Southwest Florida College, which is near the heart of downtown, is in Fort Myers, FL. It offers four teaching programs. Specifically, it offers one teaching certificate to students, one associate's level degree in teaching, and two teaching degrees at the bachelor's level. It is a for-profit 4-year institution.
37. Trinity Baptist College
800 Hammond Blvd
Trinity Baptist College, which is 8.4 miles from the center of the city, is in Jacksonville, FL. It offers two programs in teaching. Students are offered two bachelor's level teaching degrees by this school. 232 students seek degrees in six TBC programs, overall.
38. Barry University
Barry University offers 11 teaching programs. Out of those, it offers students two certificates in teaching, two teaching degrees at the bachelor's level, five master's level degrees in teaching, and two doctorate level teaching degrees. It is located in the suburbs of Miami, Florida. Overall, 8,995 students seek degrees in 110 Barry programs.
39. The University of South Florida - Main
4202 East Fowler Ave
The University of South Florida-Main, which is 7.7 miles from the center of the city, is located in Tampa, FL. It offers 23 teaching programs. Out of those, students are offered eight bachelor's level teaching degrees by this research university and 15 teaching degrees at the master's level. Overall, 40,431 students seek degrees in 206 programs at this university. It is the largest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching in terms of programs.
40. Pensacola State College
Pensacola, FL 32504-8998
Pensacola State College offers one teaching program and this school is 4.1 miles from the heart of downtown. It is a public 4-year institution. Pensacola State is the fifth oldest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching programs.
41. St Petersburg College
St Petersburg College is in the suburbs of Largo, Florida. It offers eight teaching programs. Of those, it offers students two associate's level degrees in teaching and six bachelor's level teaching degrees. 31,793 students seek degrees in 102 St Petersburg College programs, overall.
42. The University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida is located in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. It offers 20 programs in teaching. More specifically, this research university offers ten bachelor's level degrees in teaching to students and ten master's level degrees in teaching. UCF is one of 15 research universities in Florida. UCF is the fourth biggest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching in terms of programs.
43. Brevard Community College
1519 Clearlake Rd
Brevard Community College is in the suburbs of Cocoa, Florida and this college offers one program in teaching. Overall, 18,096 students pursue degrees in 76 Brevard Community College programs. In terms of programs, it is the seventh biggest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching.
44. The University of South Florida Sarasota - Manatee
8350 N Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34243-2049
The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee is located in the suburbs of Sarasota, Florida. It offers three programs in teaching. Specifically, it offers students one teaching degree at the bachelor's level and two degrees at the master's level in teaching. This school is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
45. Rollins College
1000 Holt Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789-4499
Rollins College is located in the suburbs of Winter Park, Florida. Rollins offers two teaching programs. Out of those, it offers one degree at the bachelor's level in teaching to students and one degree at the master's level in teaching. Overall, 3,226 students pursue degrees in 40 programs at this school.
46. The Baptist College of Florida
5400 College Dr
Graceville, FL 32440
The Baptist College of Florida is in Graceville, Florida, where students can enjoy a rural setting. BCF offers two programs in teaching. Students are offered two degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching by this school.
47. The College of Central Florida
3001 SW College Rd
The College of Central Florida, which is very close to Ocala, Florida, is located in a rural area and CF offers one teaching program. It is a public 4-year institution. This school is the sixth oldest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching programs.
48. The University of Tampa
401 W Kennedy Blvd
The University of Tampa is near the heart of downtown. It offers four teaching programs. Out of those, it offers three degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching to students and one master's level teaching degree. 6,427 students pursue degrees in 66 UT programs, overall.
49. The University of Phoenix - North Florida
4500 Salisbury Road N Ste 200
Jacksonville, FL 32216-0959
The University of Phoenix-North Florida, which is 6.8 miles from the center of the city, is in Jacksonville, FL. It offers three programs in teaching. Phoenix offers three degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching to students. It is a for-profit 4-year institution.
50. Indian River State College
3209 Virginia Ave
Fort Pierce, FL 34981-5596
Indian River State College is in the suburbs of Fort Pierce, Florida. It offers three teaching programs. It offers three degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching to students. This school is a public 4-year institution.
51. Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, which is near the heart of downtown, is in Boca Raton, FL. It offers ten teaching programs. Out of those, it offers six bachelor's level degrees in teaching to students and four degrees at the master's level in teaching. This university is one of 15 research universities in Florida.
52. Gulf Coast Community College
5230 West U.S. Highway 98
Gulf Coast Community College is a public 4-year institution, founded in 1957. GCSC, which is near the center of the city, is in Panama City, FL. It offers subjects such as EMT and video production. GCSC offers students 22 certificates and 31 degrees at the associates level. 7,207 students sought degrees from the 43 programs at GCSC in 2010. GCSC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. This college is one of 12 community colleges in Florida.
53. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale, which is near the heart of downtown, is located in Fort Lauderdale, FL and it offers one program in teaching. 16,968 students seek degrees in 46 programs at this large school, overall.
54. Broward College
Founded in 1959, Broward College is a public 4-year institution. It is in the center of Fort Lauderdale. It is the eighth largest institution in the state of Florida. BC offers subjects including nursing, project management, and radiology technology. This large school offers 37 certificates, 45 degrees at the associates level, and five degrees at the bachelors level to students. 40,375 students pursued degrees from the 68 programs at this school in 2010. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges accredits it. It is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
55. Florida International University
11200 S. W. 8 Street
Florida International University is in the suburbs of Miami, Florida. It offers 18 teaching programs. Specifically, this university offers nine bachelor's level teaching degrees to students, eight degrees at the master's level in teaching, and one teaching degree at the doctorate level. FIU is one of 6 institutions with a medical school in Florida.
56. Stetson University
421 N Woodland Blvd
Stetson University is located in the suburbs of Deland, Florida. StetsonU offers five programs in teaching. Out of those, students are offered three degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching by Stetson and two master's level teaching degrees. This liberal arts college is one of 13 liberal arts colleges in Florida.
57. The University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
The University of West Florida, which is 8.4 miles from the center of the city, is located in Pensacola, FL. This university offers seven teaching programs. More specifically, it offers students five bachelor's level teaching degrees and two master's level teaching degrees. 11,599 students seek degrees in 78 University of West Florida programs, overall.
Saint Thomas University offers ten teaching programs. Of those, students are offered three certificates in teaching by STU, six teaching degrees at the bachelor's level, and one teaching degree at the master's level. This small school is in the suburbs of Miami Gardens, Florida. This school is the ninth largest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching in terms of programs.
59. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Universit
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University offers 11 programs in teaching. Of those, Florida A & M offers students six bachelor's level teaching degrees and five master's level teaching degrees. This university, which is 1.0 miles from the heart of downtown, is in Tallahassee, FL. Overall, 13,284 students seek degrees in 96 programs at this university.
60. Hillsborough Community College
39 Columbia Drive
Hillsborough Community College, which is 1.1 miles from the heart of downtown, is in Tampa, FL and this college offers one teaching program. 27,955 students pursue degrees in 81 programs at this college, overall.
61. Miami Dade College
300 NE 2nd Ave.
Miami Dade College is near the heart of downtown. Miami Dade offers seven teaching programs. Of those, students are offered one teaching certificate by this public school, two degrees at the associate's level in teaching, and four bachelor's level degrees in teaching. It is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
62. State College of Florida - Manatee-Sarasota
5840 26th St W
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota is a public 4-year institution, founded in 1957. It is in the suburbs of Bradenton, Florida. This school offers ten certificates, 32 associates level degrees, and one bachelors level degree to students. In 2010, 11,431 students sought degrees from the 36 programs at this school. It offers subjects such as teaching and education. This school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. It is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
Palm Beach State College offers two programs in teaching. Specifically, students are offered one certificate in teaching by it and one teaching degree at the associate's level. This big school is in the suburbs of Lake Worth, Florida. 29,534 students pursue degrees in 110 Palm Beach State College programs, overall. Palm Beach State is the seventh largest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching.
64. Florida State College at Jacksonville
501 W State St
Florida State College at Jacksonville is in the center of Jacksonville. It offers two programs in teaching. Specifically, this school offers students one degree at the associate's level in teaching and one bachelor's level teaching degree. 28,642 students seek degrees in 128 programs at FSCJ, overall.
65. Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University is in the suburbs of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. NSU offers 35 programs in teaching. Specifically, NSU offers 11 certificates in teaching to students, one associate's level degree in teaching, four bachelor's level teaching degrees, 17 teaching degrees at the master's level, and two degrees at the doctorate level in teaching. This university is a 4-year research institution. In terms of programs, Nova is the largest institution in the state of Florida offering teaching.
66. Florida Southern College
111 Lake Hollingsworth Dr
Florida Southern College, which is 0.8 miles from the center of the city, is located in Lakeland, FL. Florida Southern offers four programs in teaching. FSC offers four bachelor's level degrees in teaching to students. 2,434 students seek degrees in 65 programs at FSC, overall.
67. Northwest Florida State College
100 College Blvd
Niceville, FL 32578-1295
Northwest Florida State College offers three programs in teaching. Students are offered three bachelor's level degrees in teaching by this school. This public school is located in the suburbs of Niceville, Florida. This school is a public 4-year institution.
68. The University of North Florida
1 UNF Drive
The University of North Florida offers ten teaching programs. More specifically, UNF offers students eight bachelor's level degrees in teaching and two degrees at the master's level in teaching. This university, which is 9.8 miles from the heart of downtown, is located in Jacksonville, FL. Overall, 16,153 students seek degrees in 84 programs at UNF.
69. Rasmussen College - Florida
4755 Southwest 46th Court
Rasmussen College-Florida offers two programs in teaching. Of those, students are offered one certificate in teaching by Rasmussen and one degree at the associate's level in teaching. Rasmussen, which is 4.8 miles from the heart of downtown, is in Ocala, FL.
70. The University of Florida
355 Tigert Hall
The University of Florida offers 16 programs in teaching. More specifically, it offers students four degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching, ten degrees at the master's level in teaching, and two doctorate level teaching degrees. This research university, which is 0.9 miles from the heart of downtown, is in Gainesville, FL. This university is a public, 4-year, research institution.
71. Daytona State College
1200 W. International Speedway Blvd.
Daytona State College, which is 1.7 miles from the heart of downtown, is located in Daytona Beach, FL. It offers five programs in teaching. Out of those, students are offered one teaching degree at the associate's level by DSC and four teaching degrees at the bachelor's level. It is one of 84 public post-secondary institutions in Florida.
72. The University of Miami
The University of Miami is located in the suburbs of Coral Gables, Florida. UM offers 11 programs in teaching. Specifically, Miami offers students three degrees at the bachelor's level in teaching, seven teaching degrees at the master's level, and one degree at the doctorate level in teaching. Overall, 15,657 students pursue degrees in 266 programs at UM.
Palm Beach Atlantic University-West Palm Beach is located in the center of West Palm Beach. It offers seven teaching programs. Students are offered seven bachelor's level degrees in teaching by PBA. PBA is one of 13 liberal arts colleges in Florida.
74. Florida State University
Florida State University, which is 0.6 miles from the heart of downtown, is in Tallahassee, FL. It offers 33 programs in teaching. More specifically, students are offered two teaching certificates by Florida State, 11 bachelor's level teaching degrees, 11 degrees at the master's level in teaching, and nine doctorate level teaching degrees. 40,416 students seek degrees in 281 Florida State programs, overall.
75. Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 Fgcu Blvd S
Florida Gulf Coast University is in Fort Myers, Florida, where students can enjoy a rural setting. FGCU offers five teaching programs. Out of those, this mid-sized university offers students three teaching degrees at the bachelor's level and two teaching degrees at the master's level. It is a public, 4-year, research institution.
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Julie Orringer - The Flight Portfolio — in conversation with Katharine Noel
Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 7:00pm to 8:00pm
Orringer made a memorable literary debut with the remarkable stories in her award-winning collection, How to Breathe Underwater. Then her first novel, The Invisible Bridge, made her a star. Praised for its breadth of imagination and masterful presentation of history, the book was a bestseller and remains a favorite. In her eagerly-awaited follow-up, Orringer returns to occupied Europe, this time with a powerful and compelling narrative based on Varian Fry. An American journalist who went to France in 1940 hoping to spirit out Jewish artists and thinkers, Fry stayed for over a year, and Orringer deftly narrates his dedication to his mission, the growing threats to the Jews he befriended, and brings us closer to the real people behind well-known names like Hannah Arendt, Franz Werfel, André Breton, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, and Marc Chagall.
Orringer will be in conversation with Katharine Noel, author of Meantime and Halfway House.
The Flight Portfolio: A novel (Hardcover)
By Julie Orringer
Published: Knopf - May 7th, 2019
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Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Raytheon Create STEM Centers of Innovation for Youth
New Centers in Colorado Springs, San Diego, San Antonio and Eglin AFB to Enhance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Experience for Military Youth
WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), in partnership with Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), is establishing four new Centers of Innovation at Boys & Girls Clubs that support military families. Located in California, Colorado, Florida and Texas the clubs are:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego
Boys & Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region
Eglin AFB Youth Center
Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio
The centers will provide military youth access to advanced technologies that stimulate creative approaches to STEM exploration, including 3-D printers, robotics, high-definition video production and conferencing equipment. A fully dedicated STEM expert will offer individual and group support, using real-world applications to help youth program participants develop their STEM skills and critical thinking. In the U.S., STEM jobs are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as those in any other field by 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The Centers of Innovation are funded through Raytheon's $5 million, multi-year commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, part of Raytheon's recent $10 million pledge to support military families and veterans.
"Military families go where and when they are needed, managing through social and academic transitions with each new post. The Centers of Innovation are designed to ensure that the excitement of STEM creativity and problem solving provides a constant source of inspiration," said Thomas A. Kennedy, Raytheon Chairman and CEO. "Ensuring that our military children have easy access to a stimulating learning environment is our collective responsibility."
The life of a military family is unique. On average, military families move six to nine times before their children graduate high school – about three times more often than civilian families (see infographic). Boys & Girls Clubs of America aim to bring consistency and continuity to their lives; the club atmosphere provides continuity for military children, whether living on or off a military base.
"Boys & Girls Clubs in local communities and in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on military installations offer a safe and engaging place for military kids and teens to help address the unique circumstances that they navigate during formative years," said Jim Clark, president and CEO of BGCA. "With Raytheon's support, we'll be able to impact more of our military heroes' kids to help them achieve great futures in areas of science, math or wherever their interests take them."
To date, six Centers of Innovation locations in the United States and one abroad have been opened:
Joint Base Andrews Youth Center, Md.
Ramstein Air Base Youth Programs, Germany
Boys & Girls Clubs of South County, Chula Vista, Calif., serving the families of Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas, Killeen, Texas, serving the families of Fort Hood
Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntsville, Ala., serving the families of Redstone Arsenal
Harford County Boys & Girls Clubs, Aberdeen, Md., serving the families of the Aberdeen Proving Ground
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,200 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. BGCA's national headquarters is located in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more at http://bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.
Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I™ products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.
This document does not contain technology or technical data controlled under either the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the U.S. Export Administration - E16-C9FP.
Brandie Gerrish
globalpr@raytheon.com
Sara Leutzinger
sleutzinger@bgca.org
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Javelin Joint Venture Awarded $115 Million Contract for United Arab Emirates and Oman
TUCSON, Ariz., July 29, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- The Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN)-Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Javelin Joint Venture received a $115 million U.S. government contract to produce the Javelin anti-tank missile and command launch unit for the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Javelin is the world's first man-portable and employable fire-and-forget medium-range missile system. The compact, lightweight missile is ideally suited for one-soldier operations in all environments. The joint venture expects to deliver Javelin to the UAE and Oman in the next 18 months.
"The Javelin is a combat-proven weapon system effective against all known armor," said Duane Gooden, Raytheon Missile Systems' Javelin program director and president of the Javelin Joint Venture. "It also serves as an all-weather, day and night surveillance device."
The Javelin enhances direct fire capability against armored vehicles, buildings and field fortifications. Its anti-armor defense capabilities are critical to mission success in the open desert. Javelin is currently in service with the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and 10 allied customers.
"Because the Javelin automatically guides itself to the target after launch, the missile system allows the gunner to either take cover and avoid counterfire or engage another threat," said Hady Mourad, Lockheed Martin's vice president of the Javelin Joint Venture.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
Lockheed Martin Raytheon
Heather Kelly Heather Uberuaga
407.356.5351 520.665.5594
CONTACT: Heather Kelly, Lockheed Martin, +1-407-356-5351; or Heather
Uberuaga, Raytheon, +1-520-665-5594
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/
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Declaration Of State Of Emergency In Nigeria's Education Sector Long Overdue, Says Malala
"During my visits to Nigeria in July 2014 and July 2017, I met girls eager to complete their education. I saw the fierce ambition in their eyes as they told me about their dreams — among them to become doctors, reporters and scientists. As such, the recent decision by the National Economic Council (NEC) to direct state governors to declare a state of emergency in education is overdue," the statement read.
Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani Rights Activist, has commended the National Economic Council (NEC) for the decision to direct state governors to declare a state of emergency on Nigeria's education sector.
According to Yousafzai, the move would promote economic empowerment for women which would drive sustainable growth.
She also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to "work with states to deliver meaningful change" in the education sector.
A statement dated November 19, 2018 read: "During my visits to Nigeria in July 2014 and July 2017, I met girls eager to complete their education. I saw the fierce ambition in their eyes as they told me about their dreams — among them to become doctors, reporters and scientists.
“As such, the recent decision by the National Economic Council (NEC) to direct state governors to declare a state of emergency in education is overdue. The NEC has shown great leadership by publicly recognising that it is of vital economic importance to get all of Nigeria’s children in school and learning the skills they need to thrive in the future workforce. When girls go to school, they become economically empowered women who promote sustainable development and drive economic growth.
“It is now crucial that President Buhari works with states to deliver meaningful change through enacting states of emergencies, and also with the House of Representatives to ensure the amendment to the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act urgently receives passage and presidential assent. This would not only guarantee every child in Nigeria the right to 12 years of education, but also improve states’ access to federal UBE Commission funds.
“In placing girls’ education at the top of the agenda this year, Nigeria’s leaders will send a clear signal that they are determined to secure Nigeria’s stability and prosperity by investing in its future — its children.”
In a letter addressed to President Buhari, she also called on the Federal Government to allocate six per cent of Nigeria’s GDP to education funding; provide greater transparency in education funding at both federal and state level; and implement the Child Rights Act in each state.
Education Graduates Of Benin Republic Universities Can't Write Any English Word -NYSC Director General
Education I'll Arrest Fulani Parents Who Refuse To Educate Their Children -Yoruba Monarch, Oluwo Of Iwo
ACTIVISM Steer Clear Of Three Arms Zone, Police Warn Nigerian Protesters
Education Four Students Expelled From Kebbi College For Engaging In Lesbianism
Education Anambra State To Sack Teachers Without Qualification
Free Speech #FreeDejiAdeyanju Campaign Group Marks 58 Days of Adeyanju’s Detention
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September 4, 2006 | by Yosan Legaspi | in Film |
United 93
I really did not feel like watching this film. The current crop of films focusing around 9/11 tragedies like World Trade Centre and this film United 93 just feels to me like they’re trying to exploit peoples’ emotion from the situation just to cash in on it. But I found out that my preconceived notion was wrong, at least in the case of United 93.
The notable element in this film is that it refuses to concentrate on a single character, to develop or explore any of them. I found this very appealing and refreshing, as it made the 9/11 situation what it was, a catastrophe that affected not just one person from their point of view, but thousands of people from all points of views. The audience was made to feel as if they were a hijacker on one of the planes one shot, to an air-traffic controller the next. The shaky camera helped reinforce this feeling, as well as triggering my motion sickness. United 93 becomes an omnipotent eye that shows viewers the genuine events that took place, exactly what happened, and almost in real time.
Be prepared to go through all the feelings you went through when you first found out that planes had been hijacked, or the ever-present images of the burning World Trade Centre on TV. United 93 is definitely an intense film, and quite a good one too. It’s totally understandably why some people wouldn’t want to watch this film, but watching it was a real eye-opener into the event which has shaped modern history.
Directed by Paul Greengrass
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"A Call To Renewal" – Barack Obama on the Role of Religion in Public Life
Posted by ReligiousLiberty.TV / June 25, 2008
TRANSCRIPT: 'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address
Good morning. I appreciate the opportunity to speak here at the Call to Renewal's Building a Covenant for a New America conference. I've had the opportunity to take a look at your Covenant for a New America. It is filled with outstanding policies and prescriptions for much of what ails this country. So I'd like to congratulate you all on the thoughtful presentations you've given so far about poverty and justice in America, and for putting fire under the feet of the political leadership here in Washington.
But today I'd flike to talk about the connection between religion and politics and perhaps offer some thoughts about how we can sort through some of the often bitter arguments that we've been seeing over the last several years.
I do so because, as you all know, we can affirm the importance of poverty in the Bible; and we can raise up and pass out this Covenant for a New America. We can talk to the press, and we can discuss the religious call to address poverty and environmental stewardship all we want, but it won't have an impact unless we tackle head-on the mutual suspicion that sometimes exists between religious America and secular America.
I want to give you an example that I think illustrates this fact. As some of you know, during the 2004 U.S. Senate General Election I ran against a gentleman named Alan Keyes. Mr. Keyes is well-versed in the Jerry Falwell-Pat Robertson style of rhetoric that often labels progressives as both immoral and godless.
Indeed, Mr. Keyes announced towards the end of the campaign that, "Jesus Christ would not vote for Barack Obama. Christ would not vote for Barack Obama because Barack Obama has behaved in a way that it is inconceivable for Christ to have behaved."
Jesus Christ would not vote for Barack Obama.
Now, I was urged by some of my liberal supporters not to take this statement seriously, to essentially ignore it. To them, Mr. Keyes was an extremist, and his arguments not worth entertaining. And since at the time, I was up 40 points in the polls, it probably wasn't a bad piece of strategic advice.
But what they didn't understand, however, was that I had to take Mr. Keyes seriously, for he claimed to speak for my religion, and my God. He claimed knowledge of certain truths.
Mr. Obama says he's a Christian, he was saying, and yet he supports a lifestyle that the Bible calls an abomination.
Mr. Obama says he's a Christian, but supports the destruction of innocent and sacred life.
And so what would my supporters have me say? How should I respond? Should I say that a literalist reading of the Bible was folly? Should I say that Mr. Keyes, who is a Roman Catholic, should ignore the teachings of the Pope?
Unwilling to go there, I answered with what has come to be the typically liberal response in such debates – namely, I said that we live in a pluralistic society, that I can't impose my own religious views on another, that I was running to be the U.S. Senator of Illinois and not the Minister of Illinois.
But Mr. Keyes's implicit accusation that I was not a true Christian nagged at me, and I was also aware that my answer did not adequately address the role my faith has in guiding my own values and my own beliefs.
Now, my dilemma was by no means unique. In a way, it reflected the broader debate we've been having in this country for the last thirty years over the role of religion in politics.
For some time now, there has been plenty of talk among pundits and pollsters that the political divide in this country has fallen sharply along religious lines. Indeed, the single biggest "gap" in party affiliation among white Americans today is not between men and women, or those who reside in so-called Red States and those who reside in Blue, but between those who attend church regularly and those who don't.
Conservative leaders have been all too happy to exploit this gap, consistently reminding evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their Church, while suggesting to the rest of the country that religious Americans care only about issues like abortion and gay marriage; school prayer and intelligent design.
Democrats, for the most part, have taken the bait. At best, we may try to avoid the conversation about religious values altogether, fearful of offending anyone and claiming that – regardless of our personal beliefs – constitutional principles tie our hands. At worst, there are some liberals who dismiss religion in the public square as inherently irrational or intolerant, insisting on a caricature of religious Americans that paints them as fanatical, or thinking that the very word "Christian" describes one's political opponents, not people of faith.
Now, such strategies of avoidance may work for progressives when our opponent is Alan Keyes. But over the long haul, I think we make a mistake when we fail to acknowledge the power of faith in people's lives — in the lives of the American people — and I think it's time that we join a serious debate about how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy.
And if we're going to do that then we first need to understand that Americans are a religious people. 90 percent of us believe in God, 70 percent affiliate themselves with an organized religion, 38 percent call themselves committed Christians, and substantially more people in America believe in angels than they do in evolution.
This religious tendency is not simply the result of successful marketing by skilled preachers or the draw of popular mega-churches. In fact, it speaks to a hunger that's deeper than that – a hunger that goes beyond any particular issue or cause.
Each day, it seems, thousands of Americans are going about their daily rounds – dropping off the kids at school, driving to the office, flying to a business meeting, shopping at the mall, trying to stay on their diets – and they're coming to the realization that something is missing. They are deciding that their work, their possessions, their diversions, their sheer busyness, is not enough.
They want a sense of purpose, a narrative arc to their lives. They're looking to relieve a chronic loneliness, a feeling supported by a recent study that shows Americans have fewer close friends and confidants than ever before. And so they need an assurance that somebody out there cares about them, is listening to them – that they are not just destined to travel down that long highway towards nothingness.
And I speak with some experience on this matter. I was not raised in a particularly religious household, as undoubtedly many in the audience were. My father, who returned to Kenya when I was just two, was born Muslim but as an adult became an atheist. My mother, whose parents were non-practicing Baptists and Methodists, was probably one of the most spiritual and kindest people I've ever known, but grew up with a healthy skepticism of organized religion herself. As a consequence, so did I.
It wasn't until after college, when I went to Chicago to work as a community organizer for a group of Christian churches, that I confronted my own spiritual dilemma.
I was working with churches, and the Christians who I worked with recognized themselves in me. They saw that I knew their Book and that I shared their values and sang their songs. But they sensed that a part of me that remained removed, detached, that I was an observer in their midst.
And in time, I came to realize that something was missing as well — that without a vessel for my beliefs, without a commitment to a particular community of faith, at some level I would always remain apart, and alone.
And if it weren't for the particular attributes of the historically black church, I may have accepted this fate. But as the months passed in Chicago, I found myself drawn – not just to work with the church, but to be in the church.
For one thing, I believed and still believe in the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change, a power made real by some of the leaders here today. Because of its past, the black church understands in an intimate way the Biblical call to feed the hungry and cloth the naked and challenge powers and principalities. And in its historical struggles for freedom and the rights of man, I was able to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world. As a source of hope.
And perhaps it was out of this intimate knowledge of hardship — the grounding of faith in struggle — that the church offered me a second insight, one that I think is important to emphasize today.
Faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts.
You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away – because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey.
It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street in the Southside of Chicago one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany. I didn't fall out in church. The questions I had didn't magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt that I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.
That's a path that has been shared by millions upon millions of Americans – evangelicals, Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims alike; some since birth, others at certain turning points in their lives. It is not something they set apart from the rest of their beliefs and values. In fact, it is often what drives their beliefs and their values.
And that is why that, if we truly hope to speak to people where they're at – to communicate our hopes and values in a way that's relevant to their own – then as progressives, we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse.
Because when we ignore the debate about what it means to be a good Christian or Muslim or Jew; when we discuss religion only in the negative sense of where or how it should not be practiced, rather than in the positive sense of what it tells us about our obligations towards one another; when we shy away from religious venues and religious broadcasts because we assume that we will be unwelcome – others will fill the vacuum, those with the most insular views of faith, or those who cynically use religion to justify partisan ends.
In other words, if we don't reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, then the Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons and Alan Keyeses will continue to hold sway.
More fundamentally, the discomfort of some progressives with any hint of religion has often prevented us from effectively addressing issues in moral terms. Some of the problem here is rhetorical – if we scrub language of all religious content, we forfeit the imagery and terminology through which millions of Americans understand both their personal morality and social justice.
Imagine Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address without reference to "the judgments of the Lord." Or King's I Have a Dream speech without references to "all of God's children." Their summoning of a higher truth helped inspire what had seemed impossible, and move the nation to embrace a common destiny.
Our failure as progressives to tap into the moral underpinnings of the nation is not just rhetorical, though. Our fear of getting "preachy" may also lead us to discount the role that values and culture play in some of our most urgent social problems.
After all, the problems of poverty and racism, the uninsured and the unemployed, are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten point plan. They are rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness – in the imperfections of man.
Solving these problems will require changes in government policy, but it will also require changes in hearts and a change in minds. I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manufacturers' lobby – but I also believe that when a gang-banger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels somebody disrespected him, we've got a moral problem. There's a hole in that young man's heart – a hole that the government alone cannot fix.
I believe in vigorous enforcement of our non-discrimination laws. But I also believe that a transformation of conscience and a genuine commitment to diversity on the part of the nation's CEOs could bring about quicker results than a battalion of lawyers. They have more lawyers than us anyway.
I think that we should put more of our tax dollars into educating poor girls and boys. I think that the work that Marian Wright Edelman has done all her life is absolutely how we should prioritize our resources in the wealthiest nation on earth. I also think that we should give them the information about contraception that can prevent unwanted pregnancies, lower abortion rates, and help assure that that every child is loved and cherished.
But, you know, my Bible tells me that if we train a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not turn from it. So I think faith and guidance can help fortify a young woman's sense of self, a young man's sense of responsibility, and a sense of reverence that all young people should have for the act of sexual intimacy.
I am not suggesting that every progressive suddenly latch on to religious terminology – that can be dangerous. Nothing is more transparent than inauthentic expressions of faith. As Jim has mentioned, some politicians come and clap — off rhythm — to the choir. We don't need that.
In fact, because I do not believe that religious people have a monopoly on morality, I would rather have someone who is grounded in morality and ethics, and who is also secular, affirm their morality and ethics and values without pretending that they're something they're not. They don't need to do that. None of us need to do that.
But what I am suggesting is this – secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King – indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history – were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Moreover, if we progressives shed some of these biases, we might recognize some overlapping values that both religious and secular people share when it comes to the moral and material direction of our country. We might recognize that the call to sacrifice on behalf of the next generation, the need to think in terms of "thou" and not just "I," resonates in religious congregations all across the country. And we might realize that we have the ability to reach out to the evangelical community and engage millions of religious Americans in the larger project of American renewal.
Some of this is already beginning to happen. Pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes are wielding their enormous influences to confront AIDS, Third World debt relief, and the genocide in Darfur. Religious thinkers and activists like our good friend Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo are lifting up the Biblical injunction to help the poor as a means of mobilizing Christians against budget cuts to social programs and growing inequality.
And by the way, we need Christians on Capitol Hill, Jews on Capitol Hill and Muslims on Capitol Hill talking about the estate tax. When you've got an estate tax debate that proposes a trillion dollars being taken out of social programs to go to a handful of folks who don't need and weren't even asking for it, you know that we need an injection of morality in our political debate.
Across the country, individual churches like my own and your own are sponsoring day care programs, building senior centers, helping ex-offenders reclaim their lives, and rebuilding our gulf coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
So the question is, how do we build on these still-tentative partnerships between religious and secular people of good will? It's going to take more work, a lot more work than we've done so far. The tensions and the suspicions on each side of the religious divide will have to be squarely addressed. And each side will need to accept some ground rules for collaboration.
While I've already laid out some of the work that progressive leaders need to do, I want to talk a little bit about what conservative leaders need to do — some truths they need to acknowledge.
For one, they need to understand the critical role that the separation of church and state has played in preserving not only our democracy, but the robustness of our religious practice. Folks tend to forget that during our founding, it wasn't the atheists or the civil libertarians who were the most effective champions of the First Amendment. It was the persecuted minorities, it was Baptists like John Leland who didn't want the established churches to impose their views on folks who were getting happy out in the fields and teaching the scripture to slaves. It was the forbearers of the evangelicals who were the most adamant about not mingling government with religious, because they did not want state-sponsored religion hindering their ability to practice their faith as they understood it.
Moreover, given the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.
And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount – a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let's read our bibles. Folks haven't been reading their bibles.
This brings me to my second point. Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.
Now this is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of what's possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It's the art of the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God's edicts, regardless of the consequences. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime, but to base our policy making on such commitments would be a dangerous thing. And if you doubt that, let me give you an example.
We all know the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham is ordered by God to offer up his only son, and without argument, he takes Isaac to the mountaintop, binds him to an altar, and raises his knife, prepared to act as God has commanded.
Of course, in the end God sends down an angel to intercede at the very last minute, and Abraham passes God's test of devotion.
But it's fair to say that if any of us leaving this church saw Abraham on a roof of a building raising his knife, we would, at the very least, call the police and expect the Department of Children and Family Services to take Isaac away from Abraham. We would do so because we do not hear what Abraham hears, do not see what Abraham sees, true as those experiences may be. So the best we can do is act in accordance with those things that we all see, and that we all hear, be it common laws or basic reason.
Finally, any reconciliation between faith and democratic pluralism requires some sense of proportion.
This goes for both sides.
Even those who claim the Bible's inerrancy make distinctions between Scriptural edicts, sensing that some passages – the Ten Commandments, say, or a belief in Christ's divinity – are central to Christian faith, while others are more culturally specific and may be modified to accommodate modern life.
The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage nevertheless are opposed to a Constitutional amendment to ban it. Religious leadership need not accept such wisdom in counseling their flocks, but they should recognize this wisdom in their politics.
But a sense of proportion should also guide those who police the boundaries between church and state. Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation – context matters. It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase "under God." I didn't. Having voluntary student prayer groups use school property to meet should not be a threat, any more than its use by the High School Republicans should threaten Democrats. And one can envision certain faith-based programs – targeting ex-offenders or substance abusers – that offer a uniquely powerful way of solving problems.
So we all have some work to do here. But I am hopeful that we can bridge the gaps that exist and overcome the prejudices each of us bring to this debate. And I have faith that millions of believing Americans want that to happen. No matter how religious they may or may not be, people are tired of seeing faith used as a tool of attack. They don't want faith used to belittle or to divide. They're tired of hearing folks deliver more screed than sermon. Because in the end, that's not how they think about faith in their own lives.
So let me end with just one other interaction I had during my campaign. A few days after I won the Democratic nomination in my U.S. Senate race, I received an email from a doctor at the University of Chicago Medical School that said the following:
"Congratulations on your overwhelming and inspiring primary win. I was happy to vote for you, and I will tell you that I am seriously considering voting for you in the general election. I write to express my concerns that may, in the end, prevent me from supporting you."
The doctor described himself as a Christian who understood his commitments to be "totalizing." His faith led him to a strong opposition to abortion and gay marriage, although he said that his faith also led him to question the idolatry of the free market and quick resort to militarism that seemed to characterize much of the Republican agenda.
But the reason the doctor was considering not voting for me was not simply my position on abortion. Rather, he had read an entry that my campaign had posted on my website, which suggested that I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." The doctor went on to write:
"I sense that you have a strong sense of justice…and I also sense that you are a fair minded person with a high regard for reason…Whatever your convictions, if you truly believe that those who oppose abortion are all ideologues driven by perverse desires to inflict suffering on women, then you, in my judgment, are not fair-minded….You know that we enter times that are fraught with possibilities for good and for harm, times when we are struggling to make sense of a common polity in the context of plurality, when we are unsure of what grounds we have for making any claims that involve others…I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words."
Fair-minded words.
So I looked at my website and found the offending words. In fairness to them, my staff had written them using standard Democratic boilerplate language to summarize my pro-choice position during the Democratic primary, at a time when some of my opponents were questioning my commitment to protect Roe v. Wade.
Re-reading the doctor's letter, though, I felt a pang of shame. It is people like him who are looking for a deeper, fuller conversation about religion in this country. They may not change their positions, but they are willing to listen and learn from those who are willing to speak in fair-minded words. Those who know of the central and awesome place that God holds in the lives of so many, and who refuse to treat faith as simply another political issue with which to score points.
So I wrote back to the doctor, and I thanked him for his advice. The next day, I circulated the email to my staff and changed the language on my website to state in clear but simple terms my pro-choice position. And that night, before I went to bed, I said a prayer of my own – a prayer that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me.
And that night, before I went to bed I said a prayer of my own. It's a prayer I think I share with a lot of Americans. A hope that we can live with one another in a way that reconciles the beliefs of each with the good of all. It's a prayer worth praying, and a conversation worth having in this country in the months and years to come. Thank you.
It was even better in person. In the fourth row.
I love Obama. I am a Pagan and a strong supporter of the separation of church and state but I do not fault others their spiritual beliefs. I think Obama states the facts very well here.
Religion separated from the political control of the state can be a powerful force for public good. But religion used by the state to further its political purposes will ultimately destroy the state and compromise the effectiveness of the church.
— Lee Boothby, Esq. , “Healing the Hurts of the Past,” the role of the Churches in Renewing Societies (Lectures and Documents – Budapest Symposium), March 3-5, 1997, pp. 35-36
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Quantum chaos
Martin Gutzwiller (2007), Scholarpedia, 2(12):3146. doi:10.4249/scholarpedia.3146 revision #91683 [link to/cite this article]
(Redirected from Gutzwiller trace formula)
Curator: Martin Gutzwiller
Benjamin Bronner
Gregor Tanner
Dr. Martin Gutzwiller, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Quantum Chaos describes and tries to understand the nature of the wave-like motions for the electrons in atoms and molecules (quantum mechanics), as well as electromagnetic waves and acoustics, etc.. To a limited extent, these waves are like the chaotic trajectories of particles in classical mechanics, including the light rays in optical instruments and the sound waves in complicated containers.
1.1 The need for a scientific connection
1.2 Classical Mechanics (CM)
1.3 Quantum Mechanics (QM)
1.4 Building a bridge between CM and QM
2 Two examples from physics
2.1 The eigenstates of a quantum system
2.2 Energy levels of the donor impurity in a silicon or germanium crystal
2.3 An ordinary hydrogen atom near ionization in a strong magnetic field
3 The Path Integral (PI)
3.1 The Path Integral of Dirac and Feynman
3.2 Simplification of the path integral for complicated problems
4 The Trace formula
4.1 Connecting the quantum spectrum with a semi-classical spectrum
4.2 A chaotic motion where the trace formula is correct
5 The results for the 2 examples of Atomic Chaos
5.1 The spectrum of a donor impurity
5.2 Ordinary hydrogen atom near ionization in a strong magnetic field
6 Beyond atomic physics
6.1 All kinds of ordinary waves inside hard walls
6.2 Microwaves in the stadium and light in a oval-shaped cavity
7 Spectral Statistics and more Applications
7.1 Applications in nuclear physics
7.2 Some generalizations of the trace formula
7.3 Various technical areas of application
8 Some Reading
The need for a scientific connection
Quantum Chaos (QC) tries to understand the connection between two phenomena in physics, call them Q and C. The word quantum (Q) comes from the physics of small systems like atoms and molecules, where the energy very often appears only in a well defined amount, called quantum. Very surprisingly, the movement of a small particle like the electron in a molecule looks more like a wave on the surface of a pond than the scratch of a dot on some plate. Wave phenomena of this kind describe the propagation of light, and quite generally most electronagnetism, as well as sounds in any kind of medium. These waves obey linear partial differential equations, whose solutions have smooth shapes, and are quite pleasant to behold.
C stands for the chaos, i.e. unexpected and nearly unpredictable behavior of very simple mechanical devices like the double pendulum, or the motion of a billiard ball on an imaginary table with a more complicated than rectangular shape. The double pendulum does unexpected turns and loops, and the exact direction of the ball after few bounces is difficult to predict. The motion is controlled by ordinary differential equations, whose solutions are extremely sensitive to the initial conditions. The resulting shape of the trajectories is confusing, although it can be computed rather simply to arbitrarily many decimals.
These two phenomena contradict our expectations because we try to find a simple explanation for the behavior of many interesting and useful objects. An electron as a wave in a molecule makes a pleasant picture, but its computation is tricky, particularly if one has to understand several elctrons acting simultaneously. The same is true for elctromagnetic and sound waves. Trajectories for electrons and rays for light and sound seem more in touch with our experience, therefore direct and satisfying. But for the complete explanation, the trajectories and rays are not always helpful. Nevertheless our intuition has to be prepared with the help of simple models that fall back on what our senses and intelligence can grasp. Quantum and Chaos look unrelated, and almost contradictory in spite of our scientific efforts.
Classical Mechanics (CM)
This difference in appearance has required very different scientific explanations. Before the 20-th century, the physical laws of Isaac Newton were able to explain the motion of the planets and moons in the solar systems, but also solve many problems of everyday life. This approach came to be called Classical Mechanics (CM). It is based on the solution of ordinary differential equations. They are able to explain what we now call chaos, although finding the best methods for each case is not easy. At the end of the 19-th century, Henri Poincare invented new treatments for chaotic systems, and his work was continued by many outstanding mathematicians and astronomers. E.g. he used “Surface of Section” where the same trajectory cuts through a fixed surface, over and over again, leaving a dot wherever it crossed. In the simplest cases this leads to smooth curves, while chaos produces a wild scatter of isolated points.
Quantum Mechanics (QM)
The idea of the quantum of energy, however, and the electrons moving like waves, was found to be incompatible with classical mechanics. During the first 25 years of the 20-th century, the best physicists tried to find some compromise with classical mechanics, but only with limited success. The big breakthrough came in 1925, and within four years there was a new kind of mechanics, that is capable of solving all atomic, molecular, and optical problems. Schroedinger’s equation has to be solved to get the wave function of the system, and that is the most convenient expression of quantum mechanics (QM). It is a partial differential equation very much like the wave equation for the explanation of sound, radio and light waves, etc. But in many-body systems quantum mechanics goes way beyond our familiar kind of wave phenomena.
Building a bridge between CM and QM
Quantum Chaos (QC) tries to build a bridge between QM and CM. This bridge provides a transition from QM to CM, as well as from CM to QM. The existence of such a bridge puts limits on CM and on QM. An ever smaller tennis-ball bounces differently from moving surfaces, and it looks more like an electron. Similarly an ever larger molecule eventually may become a big crystal that does no longer move like a wave.
Now imagine a tennis ball bouncing off the hard walls in a closed court. The trajectory of an ideal ball keeps on going around the court. Two motions with initially close directions may eventually have no similarity, depending on the exact shape of the court. This process keeps on going in CM as long as we want. The only limit to the precision in CM is the size of the computer. In QM, however, a built-in lower limit for the description of the motion prevents the chaos from getting too wild. Chaos in QM is mild compared to chaos in CM, but its appearance is not as clear cut as in CM.
Two examples from physics
The eigenstates of a quantum system
In order to appreciate the problem of making the connection between QM and CM, there will be first a simple presentation of some examples, where the connection was established successfully. In describing these examples it is important to be aware of some basic differences between CM and QM with respect to atoms and molecules. In CM there are almost no conditions where the nuclei and electrons with their electrostatic interactions can find some kind of equilibrium, because they are bound to collapse.
In QM there is usually a whole set of eigenstates with precise energies, starting with the “ground state” that is absolutely stable. The “excited states” can decay only if the system is allowed to interact with the electromagnetic field, and emit or absorb photons to change its energy. If these eigenstates are limited in space, they can be enumerated with integers, starting with 0 for the ground state, and positive integers \(n\) in the order of increasing energy \(E_n\ .\) The set of these energies is the spectrum.
Energy levels of the donor impurity in a silicon or germanium crystal
A donor impurity replaces an atom of Si or Ge in the crystal lattice; it has an effective nuclear charge of 1 higher than Si or Ge, and brings along an extra electron which tries to stay nearby if there is no outside electric field. Therefore, there is a local hydrogen atom in the crystal, with one trouble: the inertial mass of the electron in the x-direction is effectively much larger than in the y- and z-direction, by a factor 5 in Si and by a factor 20 in Ge.
An ordinary hydrogen atom near ionization in a strong magnetic field
At first the only electron stays near the nucleus in the ground state. But then it is exposed to some ultraviolet light, of sufficient and well controlled frequency to almost throw out the electron, i.e. ionize the atom. The electron ends up far away, but is still weakly held by the nucleus in one of the great number of eigenstates at a great distance. That leads to a measured spectrum that looks as if the lines of absorption were arranged totally at random. The eigenstates near ionization are random creatures!
The Path Integral (PI)
The Path Integral of Dirac and Feynman
In order to make the transition from CM to QM, a very general procedure is required. A natural concept of “physical length” \(L\) for a trajectory in CM was found about a century after Newton’s time. Then two of the most imaginative theoretical physicists, P.A.M. Dirac and Richard Feynman, before and after WWII, suggested a new approach to QM, and a bridge to CM. A short explanation of their idea has to do the job at this point.
You can ask the question in CM: How does the electron get from the place \(x\) to the place \(y\) in the fixed time \(t\) while it is subject to some known forces. Answer: Consider any smooth path \(z(s)\) with \(0 < s < t\) from \(x\) to \(y\), compute for this path the “physical length” \(L\ .\) In order to calculate the physical length of a particular path, the total time available is divided into small intervals. For each interval the difference of the kinetic energy minus the potential energy is multiplied with the duration of the time interval, and all these contributions are added up for the whole path. The path with the smallest length, say \(L_0\ ,\) is the simplest classical trajectory that connects the two fixed endpoints in the given time. Let me confess that this idea of the physical length \(L\ ,\) based on the difference between kinetic and potential energy, does not catch my intuition.
For QM: Any path from \(x\) to \(y\) in the given time \(t\) carries a wave, where the phase is the physical length \(L\ ,\) divided by Planck’s constant \(h\ .\) Then let all these waves interfere with each other, and add up. This “path integral” (PI) is difficult to calculate. If the lengths \(L\) are large compared to \(h\ ,\) however, most contributions cancel one another. Any classical trajectory is then favored, because paths with small deviations from \(L_0\) are numerous in its neighborhood.
Simplification of the path integral for complicated problems
In order to get the spectrum without the wave functions, the time \(t\) is replaced by the energy \(E\) with the help of a Fourier transform. The dependence on the space coordinates \(x\) and \(y\) is eliminated be setting \(x = y\ ,\) and then integrating over all available space \(x=y\ .\) The result in QM is the trace, simply the sum over the resonance denominators \(1/(E-E_n)\) over the spectrum.
In semi-classical evaluation of the PI, all the trajectories from \(x\) to \(y\) in time \(t\ ,\) i.e. all stationary points in the variation of the physical length \(L\ ,\) are used. If \(x = y\ ,\) the classical trajectories close themselves, but initial and final momentum do not agree. After the summation over available space \(x=y\ ,\) the trace accepts only those closed orbits where initial and final momenta agree. The result is a periodic orbit (PO).
The Trace formula
Connecting the quantum spectrum with a semi-classical spectrum
The result of the whole program in the preceding section is expressed in a relatively simple formula, now generally called the trace formula (TF). On the left is the trace \(g(E)\) as obtained from QM. It is the sum of the resonance denominators for the spectrum of the quantum system, \[g(E)=\Sigma_n 1/(E-E_n)\ .\] On the right is the semi-classical approximation \(g_C(E)\) of \(g(E)\ ,\) i.e. the sum over all periodic orbits (PO) in the corresponding classical system, \[g_C(E) = \Sigma_\nu A_\nu exp(iL_\nu/h + i\lambda_\nu\pi/2)\ .\] The amplitude \(A_\nu\) for each PO reflects its stability; the phase depends on the length \(L_\nu\) of the PO, and a multiple \(\lambda_\nu\) (Morse index) of \(\pi/2\) for each classical bounce off a dynamical wall. These are all classical quantities.
The TF can be given an intuitive interpretation: The open parameter \(E\) represents a small perturbation with a constant frequency \(\mu = E/h\) that works on the system from the outside, where \(h\) is always Planck's constant. The reaction of the system is a forced motion of the same frequency, with the amplitude \(g(E)\ .\) The closer \(E\) is to one of the eigenvalues \(E_n\ ,\) the larger is the response of the system; we get a resonance! The external perturbation of frequency \(\mu\) can be described also by its period \(\tau\ ,\) the reciprocal of \(\mu\ .\) The classical particle gets chased around in its space, and it is critical where it lands after one period \(\tau\ .\) The effect on the classical particle will be larger if it comes back to its starting point after one, or perhaps two or three such periods. Therefore, the classical description of a quantum resonance depends on the PO's. The physical length of a PO, \(L_\nu\) in the TF, yields the period in time by taking the derivative w.r.to the energy \(E\) of the PO.
A chaotic motion where the trace formula is correct
This correspondence between the set of energies \(E_n\) in QM and the set of periodic orbits in CM is a deep mathematical result, even if the proposed derivation of the TF is sloppy by mathematical standards. The result was first derived as an equality by the mathematician Atle Selberg in 1952 for the motion on a 2-dimensional surface of constant negative curvature.
Surfaces of constant negative curvature are products of the non-Euclidean geometry, starting in the first half of the 19-th century. It was then discovered at the end of the 19-th century that their geodesics, equivalent to the trajectories of a small ball rolling freely on the surface, were very chaotic. But it was also understood that these surfaces came in very many, very symmetric varieties, i.e. like polygones, they were tiling all the available space. The Euclidean plane has relatively few regular triangles, squares, hexagones, without any chaotic behavior of the straight lines. The sphere, of constant positive curvature, is trivial.
Selberg tried to find a relation between Riemann’s zeta-function, which holds all the secrets of the prime numbers, and geometry. The zeroes of the zeta-function would play the role of the eigenvalues, and the logarithm of the primes are the corresponding PO’s, unstable as on Selberg’s surfaces. But no real quantum problem for the zeta-function is known.
With 2 as well as with 3 dimensions, with constant negative curvature, there is an incredible variety of geometric models. They have different topologies, and then within each topology there are continuous parameters available to generate surfaces that are metrically different. With constant positive curvature, however, there is only one surface up to a scale factor, the sphere of 2 or 3 dimensions. Evidently chaotic motions are much more numerous, than the regular motion, even in pure geometry.
Figure 1: The 2 simplest periodic orbits for the electron in the neighborhood of the donor impurity in Si at the center of the circle; its radius corresponds to the energy of the electron set to 1.
Figure 2: The 2 next simplest PO's, each characterized by a binary code that indicates the order of intersection with the horizontal axis.
Figure 3: A periodic orbit of code length 10, without much symmetry, and therefore hard to find.
The results for the 2 examples of Atomic Chaos
The spectrum of a donor impurity
The extra electron does not stay very close to the place of the donor impurity, because the neighboring atoms of Si and of Ge get pushed out of their ordinary positions by the presence of the impurity. The effective attraction of the electron gets weakened by factors 11 for Si and 15 for Ge. The ordinary Coulomb force gets divided by 11 or 15, and the radius of the impurity increases by that factor. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the 4 shortest PO´s. and their codes, i. e. intersections with the x-axis. All of them have some symmetry, and finding them is easy. Figure 3 shows a PO of code length of 10, and no symmetry. Finding it requires patience because this PO is very unstable.
Figure 4: The semi-classical spectrum of the donor impurity in Si, plotted as intersections with the horizontal E-axis; upper diagram on the basis of only the 8 shortest PO's, and lower diagram with the 71 shortest PO's.
Figure 5: Numerical computations for the spectrum of the donor-impurity: Names for the levels in first column, QM in 1969 in second, then trace formula in 1980, and QM in high precision in 1988.
The trace \(g(E)\) can be written as a converging product of factors \((E-E_n)\ ,\) and \(g_C(E)\) becomes something similar with respect to the PO’s. Figure 4 shows \(g_C(E)\ ,\) the upper diagram for only the 8 shortest PO’s, and the lower for the 71 PO’s. The approximate energies \(E_n\) are the intersections of the curve with the \(E\)-axis. The correct values are indicated by short lines crossing the \(E\)-axis. The low energies come out very well. Figure 5 shows the energy levels E_n , each with the usual description in the hydrogen atom, level and angular momentum in the first column, the second column computed with QM in 1969, third column computed with trace formula in 1980, fourth column computed with QM and high precision.
Figure 6: Resurgence Spectroscopy of an "Ordinary hydrogen atom near ionization in a strong magnetic field", cf. main text. The coordinates are in the upper diagram: relative absorption versus increasing energy, and in the lower: correlation versus time (period).
Ordinary hydrogen atom near ionization in a strong magnetic field
The upper diagram in Figure 6 shows the measured absorption in a high precision experiment. The width of the individual lines depends on the stability of the laser light. There are no sensible names for the lines in this spectrum, like we had in the donor impurity. The question arises whether this spectrum is truly random. The answer depends on all kinds of tests one could try; and then one would have to interpret the result. It then came as a great surprise: the trace formula suggests that the Fourier transform of this spectrum, from energy \(E\) to time \(t\ ,\) yields strong lines whenever there is a PO with that time for its period. The lower diagram in Figure 6 shows the PO’s for this random spectrum. This method of explaining a random looking spectrum was only discovered by the work on the trace formula; it is now called Resurgence Spectrocopy. Although this analysis does not always work, it is marvelous result of QC.
Figure 7: A liquid is contained in an open container with the shape of a stadium, which is lightly shaken at various fixed frequencies; photographic pictures of the vibrating surface show the same well defined patterns as can be found in the stadia of figures 8 to 11.
Beyond atomic physics
All kinds of ordinary waves inside hard walls
The history of optics is well known for the battles between rays and waves as the fundamental way of propagating light. The mathematics of these waves and their relation to the corresponding rays is almost identical to the relation between CM and QM. Chaos in the optical rays is just as complicated as in the motion of electrons. A popular model in 2 dimensions is a flat area surrounded by a hard wall. The rays inside such a cavity are straight lines with ideal reflection at the wall. Chaos comes from the shape of the wall, a simply closed curve. The equations for an electron in such a model are the same as for light, sound, fluid motion as in Figure 7. It shows the surface waves of a liquid due to the shaking of its container.
Russian mathematicians distinguished themselves after WWII by studying in great detail certain classes of geometric models to determine the nature of the trajectories. The measure of chaos is called its entropy, and the main results show that it is not zero. Among them is the “stadium”, 2 parallel lines of equal length that are connected with half circles at each end. It is instructive to look at some work with this system.
Figure 8: Resonances in a microwave cavity between 17 and 18 GHz at temperatures of 300 K (upper) and 2 K (lower diagram) to reduce the damping in the metal of the cavity, increasing the Q-factor and the resolution of the spectrum.
Figure 9: Fourier analysis (resurgence spectroscopy) of the resonances for the lower part of figure 8. Each one of the various peaks can be associated with the period of the various periodic orbits in the stadium.
Microwaves in the stadium and light in a oval-shaped cavity
Microwaves with a wave length of several centimeters are interesting to watch in a stadium-like cavity of about 1 m, but no more than 2 cm thick. At room temperature the resistance of the metal of the cavity only allows subdued resonances, while at 2 degrees Kelvin they are very clear as in Figure 8. With Resurgence Spectroscopy, i.e. Fourier transform from \(E\) to \(t\ ,\) the PO’s of the stadium are shown in Figure 9, just as in Figure 6.
Figure 10: Resonances in the conductivity for electrons inside a two-dimensional stadium (upper) and circle (lower diagram) of mesoscopic size, as a function of an applied very large magnetic field and at very low temperature.
Figure 11: Picture explaining the laser function inside a glas cavity; the oval shape (not an ellipse) has been carefully chosen for the light to escape at either end tangentially, as shown in the lower picture.
===The stadium in the real world===Figure 10 shows the electric resistance versus an applied magnetic field in a conducting layer between two semiconductors in two configurations. The mean free path of the electrons is larger than the stadium or the circle; the temperature is extremely low, and the resonances are very sharp. The statistical distribution for fhe chaotic stadium has only one broad peak, whereas the nonchaotic circle has many resonances beyond 2 symmetric minima. Figure 11 shows laser light caught inside a stadium of glass with an oval cross section. The light is forced out at the ends tangentially by the curvature, and only there.
Spectral Statistics and more Applications
Applications in nuclear physics
In contrast to the use of QM in atomic and molecular physics, the atomic nucleus is not well understood, because the forces between the nucleons, i.e. proton and neutron, are much more complicated than the simple Coulomb forces between nuclei and electrons. Nuclear physicists have to work with empirical models. Nevertheless the spectrum of nuclear energy levels is very rich, and therefore, complicated.
Neutron resonance spectroscopy provides a unique situation where, in a narrow energy window, successive eigen-energies (in the compound nucleus region) around, say, the one-hundred-thousandth level in a heavy nucleus, can be detected very accurately one by one (cf. fig. 12). It is then natural to adopt a statistical approach. Such statistics were discussed ever after WWII under the assumption that the fluctuation properties of the energy levels come from finite, but large matrices of various kinds. The random choice of the matrix elements was investigated and compared with the experiments. This "random matrix theory" became the foundation for understanding large parts of the nuclear spectra. In the beginning of the 1980’s the origin of these empirical random matrices was finally explained by the important conjecture that the origin of the distributions is the result of Quantum Chaos.
If such a connection was in fact to be expected, one could check it in other systems with a rich spectrum. A partial proof of this general conjecture in some special cases has since been found on the basis of the trace formula. Some special features of the PO’s in CM are limiting the statistics of the system in QM. In the 1970's, some mathematicians observed that the statistics of the "mysterious" zeroes for Riemann´s zeta-function have strong similarities with the eigenvalues of random-matrices. Some physicists like to talk about “Riemannium” as a new element with characteristic features in the “spectrum” of its zeroes.
Figure 12: Total cross section for the reactions n + 232 Th as a function of the neutron energy (from the compilation 'Neutron Cross Section', 1964). Notice the neutron energies, which are given to single eV, as well as the sharpness of the lines.
Some generalizations of the trace formula
Sofar we have studied only how the spectrum of some wave phenomenon arises approximately with the help of the PO's. The path-integral also tells us how a particle starts in the point \(x\) and ends up in the point \(y\ .\) One can even give to \(x\) and \(y\) certain distributions to reflect the conditions of the experiment.
A particular PO can depend on the energy or on the time available. For instance, it can appear or disappear as one increase the time of the energy. In that case the TF needs some additional details to be worked out in the neighborhood of the transition in time or energy.
In the case of light rays, but just as well in the presence of steep rises in the potential energy, the ray or the trajectory may simultaneously split into reflection and into refraction on a wall. Such a possibility increases the number of PO's greatly.
Many simple problems in molecular physics require the electron to tunnel, i.e. overcome a mountain of potential energy that is higher than the available total energy. In the simplest chemical bond, two protons being held together by either one or two electrons, the electron cannot move "classically" from the neighborhood of one proton to the neighborhood of the other proton. Therefore we have to allow classical trajectories with stretches of negative kinetic energy, where the time is a purely imaginary quantity, i.e. its square is negative.
The angular momentum with a spin of h/2 is a very important attribute for the electron. The description by the Pauli matrices characterizes its local direction by 3 real components, i.e. a vector S of fixed length at each point in space. There are essentially 2 waves spreading at the same time over the same volume; together they determine exactly the 3 components of S. The motion of the electron through any electric or magnetic field will then lead to a motion of S along its motion in space.
Scattering of electrons and photons from atoms and molecules can be treated. For this purpose the process is most usefully considered as in a Feynman diagram, where a light ray hits the electron trajectory. Energy and momentum have to be conserved at the point of collision.
For quite a while it was not clear whether it is possible to get reliable results from TF. But with some better understanding, the precision of the bound states depends on a chosen upper limit \(E_n\) of the energy. Quite unexpectedly, if the upper limit is chosen relatively low, the TF will yield a few of the lowest states quite well, contrary to the general assumption that semiclassical results are good only for large energies.
The TF arises from the second order correction to the propagator, or path integral PI, because we took into account the second order variation to the appropriate classical trajectories in the PI. The lowest order is the famous formula of Hermann Weyl, which yields the density of the eigenstates for any linear differential operator. For quantum mechanics the TF implies a correct term of order 2 in Planck's quantum h. By including third- and higher order variations in the PI, one can get a formal expansion to higher order for the spectrum and other properties.
The time dependence in QM has not as yet been studied in great detail for many systems. It turns out to be a very difficult mathematical problem, with many unexpected features even in very simple systems such as the reflexion of the wave from a steep wall of finite height. Strangely, the PI is defined for a fixed time interval t; the energy E arises only with the help of a Fourier integral. The time dependence in QM should be easy to obtain directly from the PI, or its semiclassical approximation. But it is quite tricky, even numerically in an oval-shaped stadium. There is still much work to do that might have many practical applications, and compare directly with experiments.
Various technical areas of application
Bound states and scattering in chemistry.
Intra- and inter-molecular dynamics due to molecular vibrations.
2-dimensional electron traps on a metal surface.
Shell structure of crystals depending on the lattice vibrations.
Magnetic susceptibility in anti-dot arrays.
Spin-orbit coupling for electrons in GaAs/GaAlAs interface.
Cohesion and stability of metal nanowires.
Concert halls, drums, church bells, tsunamis, etc.
Some Reading
Postmodern Quantum Mechanics, by Eric J. Heller and Steven Tomsovic, Physics Today (American Institute of Physics) July 1993, 38-46.
Einstein's Unknown Insight and the Problem of Quantizing Chaos, by A. Douglas Stone, Physics Today (American Institute of Physics) August 2005 37-43.
Celestial Mechanics on a Microscopic Scale, by T.Uzer, D.Farrelly, J.A.Milligan, P.E.Raines, and J.P.Skelton, Science 253 (1991) 42-48.
The Culture of Quantum Chaos, by M. Norton Wise and David C. Brock, Stud. Hist. Phil. Mod. Phys., Vol.29, No.3 (1998) 369-389.
Resource Letter ICQM-1: The Interplay between Classical and Quantum Mechanics, by Martin C. Gutzwiller, American Journal of Physics 66 (1998) 304-324. Same Title with Same Editor, Collection of reprints, published 2001 by AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers), College Park, MD 20740-3845.
Quantum Chaology (The Bakerian Lecture 1987), by M. V. Berry, in Dynammical Chaos, Proceedings of the Royal Society, edited by Michael V. Berry, I.C. Percival, and N.O. Weiss, A 413, 1-198.
Semiclassical Physics, by Matthias Brack and Rajat K. Bhaduri, Addison-Wesley Inc., Reading MA, 1997, 444 p.
Quantum Signatures of Chaos, by Fritz Haake, Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg, 2nd ed 2001, 479 p.
Quantum Chaos - An Introduction, by Hans-Juergen Stoeckmann, Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Quantum Chaos Y2K, Proceedings of Nobel Symposium 116, edited by Karl-Fredrik Berggren and Sven Aberg, in Physica Scripta, Kungl. Vetenskapsakademien and World Scientific, Singapore, 2001.
Eugene M. Izhikevich (2007) Equilibrium. Scholarpedia, 2(10):2014.
Jeff Moehlis, Kresimir Josic, Eric T. Shea-Brown (2006) Periodic orbit. Scholarpedia, 1(7):1358.
Dynamic Billiards, Chaos, Dynamical Systems, Periodic Orbit, Quantum Mechanics
Reviewed by: Prof. Gregor Tanner, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham
Retrieved from "http://www.scholarpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quantum_chaos&oldid=91683"
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School of Evolutionary Astrology Message Board » Recent Posts
Discussion / Evolutionary Astrology Q&A / Re: ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE, GLOBAL WARMING, AND CULTURE
on: Today at 07:44 AM
Started by Rad - Last post by Rad
If you live in America you better read this ............... this article was posted almost a year ago to the day .. especially read the bold text ........
How much worse can Trump get?
Lucian K. Truscott IV,
21 Jul 2018 at 09:37 ET
If you have wondered how much lower Trump could go, we got our answer last Monday in Helsinki. There was the President of the United States surrendering his intelligence agencies, his Department of State and his Department of Justice to the lying, thieving, murdering dictator of Russia standing next to him on the stage. He was virtually admitting to the world that he owed his presidency to Vladimir Putin.
And if you wondered whether his base would follow him, the verdict is in. An Axios/Survey Monkey poll shows that 79 percent of Republican voters approve of the way Trump conducted himself in Helsinki. Nearly 70 percent of Republicans in a CBS poll felt the same way.
The answer is, we haven’t reached bottom yet, and we have the reason: Trump’s base is with him all the way. Look at what he’s done over a period of two years without losing a single percentage point of support.
He admitted on tape to abusing women and grabbing them “by the pussy.” “They let you do it,” he bragged. “You can do anything.”
He paid $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to shut her up about the affair they had before the election in 2016.
He spoke approvingly of neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville after their torch-lit march supporting statues of Confederate generals. One of them killed a young woman by driving his car at high speed into a crowd at a demonstration, and Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides,” pointedly including the neo-Nazis.
He developed and instituted a policy on our border with Mexico whereby children as young as three months were seized from undocumented parents seeking asylum. He ordered them held in hastily constructed camps and temporary shelters including wire cages in former Walmart buildings.
He conducted a campaign for president that conspired with Russian nationals, including at least 12 agents working for Russian military intelligence, to steal the election of 2016.
He disparaged our longtime allies in NATO as “foes,” claimed that the media reporting on his trips to Brussels, Great Britain and Helsinki are “enemies of the people,” and at least temporarily seemed to have agreed with Vladimir Putin to turn over American citizens for questioning by Russian prosecutors.
He supported and signed a tax cut for billionaires that will saddle American taxpayers with a deficit of at least $1 trillion a year for the foreseeable future.
He tried to pass a law that would have canceled the Affordable Care Act, and having failed that, now supports changes to the law that would put people with pre-existing health conditions at risk of being able to get affordable health insurance.
He put in place trade policies that will cost hundreds of thousands if not millions of American jobs and raise prices for consumers.
All of this has been fine with the Trump base.
In fact, if you look closely at what Trump does every single day including weekends, he spends most of his time attending to his base, ensuring that his support among them doesn’t dip even a single point. He gives aid and comfort to the racists and xenophobes among them, telling lie after lie about immigration and crimes allegedly committed by undocumented immigrants. He demonizes Muslim-majority nations and criticizes the European Union for its immigration policies, not even bothering to dog-whistle his racist sentiments to make sure his base knows where he’s coming from.
“I just think it [immigration] is changing the culture, I think it is a very negative thing for Europe,” Trump said at a press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May. “I know it is politically not necessarily correct to say that, but I will say it and I will say it loud,” he bragged.
As the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller closes in tighter and tighter on Trump’s inner circle and Trump himself, tending to his base is the key to Trump staying in office. A recent Washington Post poll showed that close to 50 percent of Republicans believe that Trump won the popular vote in 2016. He didn’t; Hillary Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes than Trump. Nearly 70 percent of Republicans believe Trump’s lie that millions of illegal immigrants voted in 2016, and nearly 75 percent believe that voter fraud occurs “somewhat or very often.” It doesn’t; numerous studies have found voter fraud to be close to nonexistent.
But it’s this statistic that’s most shocking in the Post poll of Republicans. “52 percent said that they would support postponing the 2020 election, and 56 percent said they would do so if both Trump and Republicans in Congress proposed this,” according to the Post.
There’s the key to Trump’s strategy of staying in power. His base will believe anything he tells them to believe without question. They’ll vote the way he tells them to vote. He’s counting on them to do whatever he tells them to do. If these recent polls are to be believed, that’s exactly what will happen.
We’ve faced other moments in our history when our national decency was under threat. Nixon and Watergate, the last attempt by a presidential candidate to steal an election, comes immediately to mind. We coped alright with that. Nixon was impeached. In the words of the man who succeeded him as president, Gerald Ford, “our long national nightmare was over.”
But when will this country no longer be able to cope?
Every time you hear Trump tell his voters that the media “is the enemy of the people,” you’re listening to him conflate his own political security with national security. We’ve had enemies before. Nazi Germany and Japan and the rest of the Axis powers were our enemies. The Soviet Union was our enemy during the Cold War. Russia, with its aggression in Ukraine and Crimea, its saber-rattling in the Baltics, and its conspiracy to invade and disrupt our electoral processes in favor of Donald Trump in 2016, has succeeded the Soviet Union as an enemy of America.
“Much of our news media is indeed the enemy of the people and all of the Dems. . . ,” Trump tweeted from Air Force One on July 15 on his way to Helsinki. After his lickspittle performance with Putin at his so-called summit, he tweeted “The Summit with Russia was a great success, except with the real enemy of the people, the Fake News Media.”
What you’re hearing in those tweets is Trump preparing his base, and it’s time to ask what he’s preparing them for. What will he tell them to believe? What will Trump do? How low will Trump go?
I think Trump is preparing his base for his Mueller investigation endgame. This man is not going to be driven from office by either Congress or the courts. He’s going to fight, and fight to the death of democracy if necessary, because he has no loyalty to the Constitution or love of democracy. All he has is love of Trump.
He’s preparing his base for the day he fires Sessions, Rosenstein and Mueller. He’ll pardon every single American who has been charged or pled guilty, and then he’ll order the entire work product of the Mueller investigation to be collected and burned.
He’ll send his supporters into the streets to demonstrate in favor of firing Mueller and ending the investigation. When counter demonstrations hit the street, he’ll call them a threat to “national security” and start making arrests. He’ll begin with Antifa and Black Lives Matter, then he’ll move on to anyone found demonstrating on a street where violence or damage to property has taken place.
When the jails are loaded up, he’ll start putting arrestees in camps. They’re already practicing for this with the round-up, arrest and confinement of undocumented immigrants in concentration camps along the border.
If you thought we’d never see another round-up of people alleged to be a “threat to national security” the way we did with Japanese Americans during World War II, you were wrong. Our government is doing it right now. If you thought that disgraceful chapter in our nation’s history was more than enough to stop Americans from building concentration camps again, you were wrong.
American citizens working for the government and for private companies are following orders. They’re building camps. They’re stringing barbed wire. They’re making children march in line down makeshift “streets” between tents in these camps. They’re denying access to the camps to the news media, even to members of Congress. They’re doing it willingly. They’re doing it so efficiently that major private penal corporations are making hundreds of millions of dollars building camps and imprisoning immigrants.
When demonstrations break out against the round-ups and the camps between anti-Trump protestors and Trump supporters, he’ll declare martial law. He’ll declare that the Democratic Party is the “enemy of the people” and issue an executive order to postpone elections.
His base will support him all the way.
Let me put it to you this way: Trump’s robotic supporters on the right are fond of accusing Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans of suffering from “Trump derangement syndrome” because they oppose him.
They’ve got it ass-backwards. Trump’s base believes every insane thing he says. They support every insane thing he does. They are deranged, and it’s not a syndrome. They are the greatest threat to democracy this country has ever faced within its shores.
‘Pure and simple evil’: MSNBC’s Morning Joe and Mika destroy Trump’s ‘racist and illegal’ taunts against Omar
By Travis Gettys
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski warned that President Donald Trump’s attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) were both illegal and racist — as well as an incitement to violence.
The “Morning Joe” co-hosts were appalled by the crowd’s reaction — chanting “send her back” — to Trump attacks at a Greensboro, North Carolina, rally.
“Republicans shamed themselves by not calling racism, racism,” Scarborough said. “I saw some people actually write columns that used to be respected trying to excuse the president’s language and saying it’s not racist, but the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that Donald Trump oversees that enforces laws against discrimination, specifically outlined such language that the president used last night and that his crowd used last night as an example of bias.”
That agency prohibits insults, taunting and ethnic slurs, such as mocking a person’s accent or telling a person to go back to their home country.
“This is not a theoretical discussion about whether what Donald Trump said was illegal or not,” Scarborough said. “This is the law of the land, and if Donald Trump had said ‘go back to where you came from’ in any private company or if all of those people chanting that last night say it in their work today, they will be sued — and guess what, the federal government wins those suits.”
Brzezinski went even further in her condemnation.
“This is pure and simple evil, and someone is going to get hurt, whether it be someone in an office today or in a school or anywhere in America,” she said, “someone is going to get hurt, whether they are hurt personally, emotionally, psychologically or physically. Let me just tell you we are not in a dangerous place, we are at a place where things are boiling over and promulgating racism and violence. There’s no two ways about it, and there are people who know a lot more about this than me who will say we are in not just a dangerous place, we’ve gone over the line.”
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CDv8bjLkE0
Trump’s racist screed against Omar was scripted and came off the teleprompter: CNN’s Camerota
By Tom Boggioni
Appearing on CNN’s “New Day,” New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman revealed that American can expect more bashing of non-white lawmakers like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from now to election day in 2020 because Donald Trump’s campaign is going to be all about race.
Responding to the president’s rally in North Carolina that even CNN’s chyron referred to as “ugly,” the journalist said the Trump’s campaign has flipped from touting the economy to one that is race-based — and it is all because of Trump’s racist tweets from last Sunday.
With host Alisyn Camerota noting that Trump’s Wednesday night comments on Omar — that led to an appalling “Send her back” chant from the crowd — were read straight from the teleprompter, and not off-the-cuff, Haberman said this is the first wave of Trump’s revved-up campaign for re-election.
“What happened last night at the rally was so instructive, I think,” host Camerota began. “He was going after these congresswomen in incendiary ways, and it was on teleprompter — he wasn’t just riffing. That means the incendiary stuff was written down, and that means they thought about it because it is a campaign strategy.”
“It’s not as if stoking racial tension has never been done before and it’s never worked before,” Haberman conceded. “Politicians do it because it works. Very few people run for re-election as incumbent presidents with an economy like this without talking about it, which is what this president does.”
“Yes, it is now a strategy,” she continued. “This was not a strategy when he tweeted this out on Sunday about they should go back to where they came from. He tweeted something as a visceral reaction to something he was reading and they had to reverse-engineer this as a plot of genius.”
“Look, he ran a campaign of division and stoking tensions and inflaming tensions in 2016. He’s going to make that look like a quiet stroll through the park based on yesterday,” she added.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7bQRQIq6k4
Started by Rad - Last post by Darja
Chant follows Trump’s racist tweets targeting Omar and three other Democratic congresswomen of color
Thu 18 Jul 2019 06.07 BST
Goaded on by the president, a crowd at a Donald Trump rally on Wednesday night chanted “send her back! send her back!” in reference to Ilhan Omar, a US congresswoman who arrived almost 30 years ago as a child refugee in the United States.
Trump used the 2020 campaign rally in Greenville, North Carolina, to attack Omar and three other Democratic congresswomen – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan – calling them “hate-filled extremists”. The group, which calls itself “the Squad”, has been the focus of racist attacks by the president this week, kickstarted by tweets posted Sunday in which he said the lawmakers, all women of color, should “go back” to other countries.
Omar, of Minnesota, arrived in the United States at age eight as a refugee of war from Somalia. Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley and Tlaib were born in the United States.
Trump’s “go back” tweets were prompted by an appearance before a House committee in which the congresswomen testified to inhumane conditions they witnessed during tours of migrant detention facilities in Texas.
Trump’s tweets led the House to pass a resolution of condemnation. “Every single member of this institution, Democratic and Republican, should join us in condemning the president’s racist tweets,” the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said on Tuesday. “To do anything less would be a shocking rejection of our values and a shameful abdication of our oath of office to protect the American people.”
But clearly sensing a political winner – notwithstanding polling showing that a majority of Americans found his remarks to be offensive – Trump riffed on the theme at his rally.
“Let ’em leave,” Trump said of the members of Congress. “They’re always telling us how to run it, how to do this, how to do that. You know what? If they don’t love it, tell ’em to leave it.”
The crowd chimed in as he finished, shouting “leave it”. The chant “send her back” was an embroidery of a chant popular during Trump’s first presidential run, when crowds attacked his opponent, Hillary Clinton, with chants of “lock her up”.
The “lock her up” chant was led at the Republican national convention in Cleveland, Ohio, by Trump’s then campaign adviser Michael Flynn, who later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI but has so far avoided prison time.
At least three former Trump aides have been locked up since the 2016 campaign, including Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, his former adviser Michael Cohen, and his former adviser George Papadopoulos, while others, including Flynn and Trump’s former adviser Rick Gates, have pleaded guilty to federal felonies.
Trump’s speech in North Carolina also included a professed exasperation with the fact that Ocasio-Cortez’s name is hyphenated.
“No, no: I don’t have time to go with three different names,” Trump said. “We’ll call her Cortez. Too much time. Takes too much time.”
The scene drew reactions of shock and horror from across the political spectrum. “The bigoted mob chanting ‘send her back’ tonight is significant,” tweeted Walter Shaub, a former director of the US office of government ethics under Barack Obama.
“When you outdo [Richard] Nixon in repulsiveness, you’ve gone a long way,” said commentator David Gergen on CNN, a veteran of the Nixon and other Republican administrations.
“‘SEND HER BACK, SEND HER BACK,’ is ugly. It’s ignorant. It’s dangerous,” tweeted Joe Walsh, the conservative radio host and former Republican congressman. “And it’s un-American. It’s flat out bigotry. And every Republican should condemn this bigotry immediately. Stop this now.”
Omar herself responded with a tweet on Wednesday evening, in which she quoted a poem by Maya Angelou: “You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.” She later posted: “I am where I belong, at the people’s house and you’re just gonna have to deal.”
Democrats including Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren came to Omar’s defence on Wednesday night.
On Twitter, Sanders said Trump was “stoking the most despicable and disturbing currents in our society”, Harris labelled the behaviour as vile, cowardly and racist, while Warren said impeachment proceedings against the president must begin.
Fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke said the chants were “the product of a president who sees our diversity not as a strength but as a weakness”.
MSNBC’s Maddow: Trump is freaking out because of what is about to unspool tomorrow morning
President Donald Trump is likely trying to use his recent racist attacks on four Congresswomen of color as a means of distracting from two other significant scandals he’s facing this week, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow said. Both of the scandals will likely “unspool” Thursday morning in the same New York courthouse.
First, beginning at 10:30 a.m. EST, a judge who has been presiding over the campaign finance case in which Michael Cohen was involved, intends to release information involving who else was named in the case. That investigation is pending, and the judge is releasing the sealed documents that were related to the case.
Prosecutors told the judge that they would still like to keep the information under seal because there are additional third-parties involved. The judge in the case denied it, so all of the documents, unredacted, will be released Thursday.
Second, Jeffrey Epstein will appear in court, for his first hearing and the country will find out if he is cooperating with prosecutors.
NBC News released a video Wednesday showing Trump palling around with Epstein and a room full of young women. The men stood in a corner, talking and laughing about the women and how “hot” they were.
Thursday, the world will learn if Epstein was willing to take a bullet for everyone he knows who allegedly joined him in trafficking children. Already Washington, D.C. is bracing for the names that could be released, and it’s possible Trump could be one of them.
House holds Bill Barr and Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress
The House has officially voted to hold Attorney General Bill Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt of Congress.
Both men refused to abide by a subpoena from the House for documents so they that could investigate actions by both departments.
The last person to be held in contempt of Congress was Bill Barr when he was held in civil contempt, but this was a criminal charge.
In the case of Ross, he is accused of lying under oath to Congress and they requested documents to prove it. Ross refused to provide the information necessary.
Ross has called the contempt charge “political theater” and of no real substance. If that was true, he shouldn’t be afraid to provide the documents. Still, he refused.
Trump and the GOP stand for ‘blaming others if you’re not happy where you are’: Democratic congressman
Unapologetic about his racist attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color, President Donald Trump stood smugly by at his Wednesday rally in Greenville, South Carolina as his supporters attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) with chants of “Send her back! Send her back!”
In conversation with CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) denounced it as just standard operating procedure for this president and the party that elected him.
“I want to talk health care, but … [Trump] ain’t going to campaign on health care,” said Cuomo. “He’s going to campaign that there’s something wrong with the way you look and people like you are a little bit of a danger. And we’re a little bit better off when you guys stay where you were before you were here. That’s his campaign. He is confident. How do you counter?”
“Chris, I think there’s a book called Stranger in Their Own Land, which adequately portrays what Trump does,” said Richmond, who co-chairs Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign. “And that is he will convince people to vote against their own self-interest by convincing them the reason why they don’t like their status in life is that minorities are skipping the line to take benefits that they should have, and that government is picking winners and losers and the government are picking black people and brown people and women over them simply because of their minority status.”
“And I think you have to call them on it,” added Richmond. “We can’t sit here and pretend that people don’t fall for it. I see people in Louisiana, I see people in Mississippi, Georgia vote against their self-interest all the time, because of their emotions and the fact that the Republican leadership has chosen to campaign by division and blaming others if you’re not happy where you are.”
Judge blocks effort to conceal details in Trump campaign crimes case as Bill Barr’s DOJ mysteriously closes the probe
By Cody Fenwick,
A federal judge confirmed on Wednesday that the Justice Department has ended its investigation into campaign finance crimes committed by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, indicating that no one else will face charges in the case. But Judge William Pauley also announced that, over the government’s objections, he will be making many of the underlying documents in the case public without requested redactions.
The case stemmed from Cohen’s efforts during the 2016 campaign to secure hush money payments for two women who said they had affairs with Donald Trump. Since investigators determined these payments were done in order to help secure Trump’s victory, the spending counted as campaign contributions that were never recorded and were, in fact, illegally concealed. The Trump Organization, Cohen has said, helped repay him for the costs of the hush money while disguising the payment falsely as a legal retainer.
Cohen implicated Trump directly in the crime, saying the then-candidate coordinated with him and directed him to make the payments. There is even a public recording of the pair seeming to discuss one of the payments. Donald Trump Jr., too, maybe implicated in the crime because he allegedly signed some of the repayment checks to Cohen.
For these and other crimes to which he pleaded guilty, Cohen has been sentenced to three years in prison. But neither Trump nor no one else apparently involved in the scheme appears to be vulnerable to charges in the case.
As a sitting president, of course, Trump could not be charged with a crime under current Justice Department policy regardless of the evidence. Such a policy wouldn’t protect the president’s son or anyone else involved in his company, though.
So the public has been left with many questions about this case. Would the president have been charged with any related crimes were he not in office? Why weren’t charges brought against other people who appear to have been involved? And was Attorney General Bill Barr — who was chosen by Trump to protect him in the special counsel’s investigation and has shown a clear desire to exonerate the president from any wrongdoing — involvement in the final decisions?
Additionally: Why weren’t any Trump Organization officials questioned by the investigators in the Southern District of New York, if a recent CNN report is correct?
We may yet get some answers to these questions. Judge Pauley issued an order Wednesday noting that the government has confirmed that the investigation is no longer ongoing, but it asked that some of the underlying materials related to Cohen’s case remain sealed “to protect third-party privacy interests.”
Pauley didn’t buy it.
“The weighty public ramifications of the conduct described in the campaign finance portions warrant disclosure,” he wrote. “Moreover, the involvement of most of the relevant third-party actors is now public knowledge, undercutting the need for continued secrecy. … On balance, the ‘strong presumption of public access’ to search warrants and search warrant materials under the common law far outweighs the weakened privacy interests at play here.”
He also argued that the matter is “of national importance” and that “it is time that every American has an opportunity to scrutinize the Materials.”
The materials will be unsealed on Thursday morning, he ruled. He allowed that there may be a few limited redactions.
Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyers are in a celebratory mood.
“We are pleased that the investigations surrounding these ridiculous campaign finance allegations is now closed,” Jay Sekulow, the president’s attorney, said Wednesday according to USA Today. “We have maintained from the outset that the president never engaged in any campaign finance violation.”
He also suggested that he is not aware of any other federal case in which Trump is a subject. However, reports suggest that an investigation of the president’s inaugural committee remain ongoing.
Republicans embrace Trump’s racism. Blame them as much as him
Why Trump told minority congresswomen to ‘go back’ to their countries
By Eugene Robinson Columnist
WA Post
Donald Trump’s presidency is melting down into a noxious stew of racism, failure and farce. With breathtaking cynicism, the Republican Party pretends not to notice.
Trump had to know there would be outrage and uproar over his Sunday tweets admonishing four progressive members of Congress, all of them women of color, that they should stop “telling the people of the United States . . . how our government is to be run” and instead “go back” to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”
The president’s motives are obvious: He was proudly displaying his white-supremacist racial views, drawing a bright line between his aging white political base and the rest of the country, and clumsily trying to exacerbate tensions within the Democratic Party. But why choose now to lob this political cluster bomb? My guess is that he wanted to change the subject from Thursday’s humiliating surrender, when he had to abandon his quest to put a citizenship question on the 2020 Census that would have guaranteed an undercount of Latinos.
“Trump is a racist” does not exactly qualify as breaking news. But the silence from prominent Republicans is staggering — and telling. It amounts to collaboration — perhaps “collusion” is a better word — with the president’s assault on diversity and pluralism. In the coming campaign, you will hear Republican candidates at every level claim to be colorblind and embrace all Americans regardless of race or ethnicity. Do not believe them. Their failure to speak out now tells us everything we need to know about their true feelings.
The farcical aspect of this disgraceful episode is that, while Trump hoped to further divide squabbling Democrats, he ended up bringing them closer together.
The four Democratic House members he attacked — Reps. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) — have indeed been at odds with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the rest of the Democratic leadership on some issues. Calling themselves “the Squad,” they fought hard against Pelosi’s approach on funding border security. They display none of the meekness expected of first-term members and are unfamiliar with the concept of deference.
Romney on Trump's tweets targeting minority congresswomen: 'The President failed'
Republican Senators responded on July 15 to President Trump's tweets targeting minority, liberal congresswomen. (Rhonda Colvin/The Washington Post)
Any possibility that this intraparty squabbling would become serious was probably foreclosed by Trump’s attack, which caused Pelosi and others to rush to the Squad’s defense. Apparently living in some kind of bizarro parallel universe, Trump went further on Monday by insisting that the members of Congress he attacked owe him an apology.
The reaction from Republicans? Still crickets.
There’s nothing new about the Republican Party playing footsie with racists, going all the way back to the “Southern strategy” pioneered by Richard M. Nixon. But as Trump has toppled the traditional pillars of Republican philosophy — fiscal responsibility, free trade, markets undistorted by government interference, muscular foreign policy, equal opportunity for all to pursue the American Dream — the GOP is reduced to being the party of no: no on abortion, no on immigration and no on diversity. Following Trump’s lead, the party practices the politics of resentment. Republican politicians appeal to voters not by stoking optimism about what can be accomplished but by stoking fear about what will happen if “they” — the Democrats — gain power.
“They” are portrayed as perhaps living near the coasts, perhaps being intellectuals, perhaps being women, perhaps being African American or Latino or Asian American. “They” are portrayed as the kind of affluent, high-and-mighty people who look down on “ordinary” Republican voters — never mind that Ocasio-Cortez waited tables to support herself, Tlaib grew up in a struggling family in Detroit, Pressley’s father was incarcerated during much of her childhood, and Omar came to this country from a Somali refugee camp.
Trump’s brand of politics is often called “tribal,” but “racist” is a better word. The wedge he is trying to drive, with his attacks on the Squad, is essentially white vs. nonwhite. He also seeks to portray them as immigrants, telling them to “go back” to where they came from, even though Pressley was born in Cincinnati, Tlaib in Detroit and Ocasio-Cortez in New York. Omar, indeed, is an immigrant — a naturalized citizen who enjoys the same rights and responsibilities as any other American, including Trump.
If Republicans believed even a fraction of their rhetoric, they’d be all over Trump. They’d tell him that “telling the people of the United States . . . how our government is to be run” is the right of every American and the duty of every member of Congress. Instead, Republicans embrace Trump’s racism and xenophobia. Blame them just as much as Trump.
'Wizard' hacker charged after financial records of nearly every Bulgarian exposed
Cyber attack compromised records on incomes, tax, health insurance and loans of millions of people
A 20-year-old cybersecurity worker has been arrested in Bulgaria and charged with hacking the personal and financial records of millions of taxpayers, as police continue to investigate the country’s biggest ever data breach.
Bulgaria’s NRA tax agency is facing a fine of up to €20m ($22.43m) over the hack, which was revealed this week and is thought to have compromised the records of nearly every working adult among the country’s population of 7 million.
Speaking at a government meeting on Wednesday, prime minister Boyko Borissov described the arrested man as a “wizard” hacker and said the country should hire similar “unique brains” to work for the state.
But some experts who have examined the stolen data said the techniques used in the attack were relatively basic and spoke more to a lack of adequate data protection measures than the hacker’s ability.
“The reason for the success of the attack does not seem to be the sophistication of the hacker, but rather poor security practices at the NRA,” said Bozhidar Bozhanov, chief executive at cybersecurity firm LogSentinel.
Yavor Kolev, head of the police’s cybersecurity unit, said the male suspect was arrested on Tuesday afternoon. Officers raided his home and office in the capital, Sofia, and seized computer devices containing encrypted data.
The investigation into the hack was still at an early stage, he added, and police were looking into the possibility that other people were involved.
Bulgaria’s finance minister, Vladislav Goranov, has apologised for the attack, which exposed the names of millions of people and companies and revealed information about incomes, tax declarations, health insurance payments and loans.
Sofia city prosecutors said the man had been charged with a computer crime, would be held for another three days and faced up to eight years in jail if found guilty.
The attack has reignited a long-running debate about lax cybersecurity standards in Bulgaria. A person claiming to be a Russian hacker and responsible for the breach emailed local media on Monday and denounced the government’s cybersecurity efforts as a “parody”.
Kolev said the arrested man was a researcher who tested computer networks for possible vulnerabilities to prevent cyber attacks.
Bulgarian media identified the suspect as Kristian Boykov. George Yankov, senior manager at the Bulgarian office of US cybersecurity firm TAD Group, said Boykov was an employee of the company and confirmed he had been arrested. He dismissed the allegations against him.
Boykov’s lawyer, Georgi Stefanov, told Reuters his client denied the charges against him. “He says he is innocent and has no connection whatsoever with the issue. Prosecutors have ... accused him despite a complete lack of evidence,” Stefanov said.
Boykov, from the city of Plovdiv, 130km (80 miles) south-east of Sofia, had posted regularly on social media about cybersecurity and hacking news before his arrest.
In 2017, he made national news after exposing flaws in the Bulgarian education ministry’s website, work he then described as “fulfilling my civic duty” in a television interview. Deputy education minister Denitsa Sacheva thanked Boykov at the time for his help.
Bulgaria’s leading business organisation BIA, which warned about possible flaws in the tax agency’s data protection system a year ago, demanded that detailed information about the leak be sent to every person and company affected.
“We need to know so that at least we can be aware of possible dangers,” said BIA deputy head Stanislav Popdonchev.
Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt make final pitch to Conservatives
LONDON — The two men competing to be Britain's next leader have held their final televised event in front of Conservative Party members who will decide the winner. Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, Britain's former and current foreign secretaries, spoke and answered questions Wednesday in front of hundreds of Tories at a London conference center.
Johnson, the strong front-runner according to pollsters and bookmakers, repeated his vow to take Britain out of the European Union on the currently scheduled date of Oct. 31, with or without a replacement for Prime Minister Theresa May's "defunct" divorce agreement.
May announced her resignation last month after her Brexit deal was rejected by Parliament three times. Johnson drew applause and cheers with a speech that was short on details but high on energy, at one point waving a kippered herring as part of a convoluted point about EU trade regulations.
He said Britons wanted the government to "get on and deliver Brexit." Hunt, a less charismatic politician who has pitched himself as the serious, stable candidate, argued that he was the best person to revive talks with the EU.
"I want to get a deal, and so we have got to make some profound changes to that withdrawal agreement," he said. The EU says the deal it struck with May is not up for renegotiation, and neither candidate has been able to say how they plan to secure changes.
Both say they are prepared to leave the bloc without an agreement, a course most economists say would cause economic turmoil. About 160,000 Conservative members have until Monday to vote by postal ballot. The winner will be announced Tuesday and will replace May as party leader and prime minister.
Ukraine election: President's party leads, majority unclear
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's party has the most support in opinion polls ahead of Sunday's snap parliamentary elections, but obtaining a solid majority in the Verkhovna Rada is far from certain.
Zelenskiy, who took office in May, has been stymied by a parliament dominated by his opponents. He ordered the elections to be held three months earlier than scheduled in order to try to get a majority that would support his promised fight against endemic corruption and for other reforms.
His "Servant of the People" party — named after the television situation comedy in which he played a teacher who unexpectedly becomes president — is supported by 52 percent of the Ukrainians who intend to vote, according to a survey by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.
But that edge doesn't necessarily ensure a majority in the legislature. Of the 424 seats to be filled, only 225 of them will be chosen by a national party list. The 199 others are single-mandate seats, whose composition could differ markedly from nationwide sentiment.
A party led by one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest associates, tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk, is polling in second place with about 10%, followed by the European Solidarity party of former president Petro Poroshenko, whom Zelenskiy defeated in a landslide in spring presidential elections.
Zelenskiy's party intends to continue the pro-Western course toward joining the European Union and NATO, combining this with a package of economic reforms. "The position of the Ukrainian people is movement in the direction of Europe and it will be wrong to reconsider," party leader Dmytro Razumkov told The Associated Press.
The party declares that special attention will be paid to resuscitating anti-corruption reforms, which stalled under Poroshenko, and Razumkov says this could be a watershed for Ukraine, bringing in a new political culture of lawmakers interested in reforms rather than using political power for money.
"There are new people who today have completely different basic values than the representatives of the old political elites. This is a new team that Zelenskiy leads to implement new tasks," Razumkov said.
In contrast, Medvedchuk says Ukraine's proper course is to improve relations with Russia, which plummeted after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of a war with Russia-backed separatists that has killed more than 13,000 people.
"If we do not restore economic pragmatic relations with Russia ... then we have no chance to overcome the economic crisis, which continues and is being aggravated," Medvedchuk told the AP. He proposes that a key step toward bettering relations with Moscow would be for Ukraine to grant autonomy to the rebel areas of the east and to offer amnesty to the separatists. He said Ukraine could get a 25% discount on natural gas imports from Russia if it takes steps that satisfy the Kremlin.
As a close associate of the Russian president — Putin is the godfather of Medvedchuk's daughter — his statements likely reflect Kremlin thinking. Razumkov said Zelenskiy's party is ready to negotiate with Russia on mechanisms for conflict resolution, and seeks peace in the east, "but not at any cost."
"What Medvedchuk says is not a strategy for returning territories, not a strategy for ending the war," he said. Analyst Volodymyr Fesenko of Ukraine's Penta think tank says the ideas proposed by Medvedchuk are widely perceived as "the restoration of the Russian protectorate over Ukraine."
"Even an attempt to agree on such a scenario will provoke vehement resistance within Ukraine from the side of militant patriots and other political forces. And this can provoke a serious political crisis and even a new Maidan," Fesenko said, referring to the mass protests that drove out the country's Russia-friendly president in 2014.
Medvedchuk also provoked an uproar when a television channel he controls tried to arrange a teleconference with a Russian state channel that is consistently critical of Zelenskiy. Russian TV channels are banned from the air in Ukraine, and the teleconference plan was canceled.
Queensland launches path to treaty with state's Indigenous people
Deputy premier Jackie Trad announces ‘Tracks to Treaty’ process, but admits it may take years
18 Jul 2019 10.01 BST
The Queensland government has pledged to reframe its relationship with the state’s Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples as it paves a path towards a treaty, but admits the process may take years.
The deputy premier, Jackie Trad, launched the “Tracks to Treaty” commitment in Brisbane on Sunday, the last day of Naidoc Week.
She said it aimed to give Indigenous communities greater self-determination and better delivery of services, lift the representation of Indigenous voices to government, and begin work on negotiating one or more treaties to create a positive shared future.
“Today is about recognising that fundamental underpinning of the success and betterment of the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a much better relationship between government and the community,” she said.
Trad said there was no pre-ordained outcome, as it was all about having a respectful, inclusive conversation. “I’m not here to rush anything; I’m here to say we are starting a conversation,” she said.
“Fundamentally, we want to come together as a community and say this is the path we want to take, this is the path we want to explore, and it’s through that process we’ll get a time frame.”
The path to treaty process will be led by an eminent panel, co-chaired by the Aboriginal leader and academic Jackie Huggins and the former Keating government attorney general Michael Lavarch. The panel will conduct a state-wide consultation in the second half of 2019.
“These are conversations for all Queenslanders,” Huggins said. “We need to move forward with mutual respect and a shared vision for this country.”
In making the announcement, Trad was joined by the environment minister and Quandamooka woman, Leeanne Enoch, and Queensland’s first Torres Strait Islander MP, Cynthia Lui.
“Understanding our past, our shared history… but also telling the truth in all of that, and ensuring that truth then lays the path for the future generations, so Queensland can be the very best it can be,” Enoch said.
Lui said it was a truly historic moment. “This launch signifies a positive step in the right direction … in achieving positive outcomes, meaningful outcomes leading into the future.”
The LNP spokesperson for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships, Christian Rowan, said Labor was failing to address current issues.
“There are dozens of Indigenous kids being locked up in police watch houses for weeks at a time and Labor failed every closing the gap target on Indigenous disadvantage.”
Discussion / Evolutionary Astrology Q&A / Re: ANIMAL NEWS FOR DAEMON SOULS AND ALL ANIMAL LOVERS
California condor births mark soaring comeback after numbers dwindled to 22
The birds, whose population plummeted last century, have two new chicks: Nos 1,000 and 1,001
Maanvi Singh in San Francisco
Nestled among the red-rock cliffs of Zion national park and the Grand Canyon, California condor chicks No 1,000 and 1,001 blinked into this world. Their birth signalled success for a decades-long program to bring North America’s largest bird back from the brink of extinction.
As a result of hunting, diminishing food and dwindling territory, the number of birds in the wild numbered just 22 in the early 1980s. Lead poisoning was also a major killer, caused by inadvertently ingesting bullets that hunters left inside dead animals that the enormous birds, which have a wingspan of 9.5ft and weigh up to 25lb, scavenged for food.
Facing imminent extinction, the few remaining wild birds were placed into a captive breeding program in 1987 and slowly released back into the wild starting in the early 1990s. Biologists estimate that the 1,000th and 1,001st chicks hatched in May this year, but they were only able to confirm their existence over the past several days, because the raptors build their nests inside caves carved into steep, sometimes inaccessible cliffs. “You know, condors can be secretive,” said Janice Stroud-Settles, a wildlife biologist at Zion National Park in Utah.
After noticing that one condor couple seemed to be taking shifts scavenging for food, “we suspected that they’d hatched a new chick”, Stroud-Settles said. Field researchers eventually captured a photo of the 1,000th chick after rappelling off a cliff across from the birds’ nest cave. “When we confirmed it … it was just this feeling of overwhelming joy,” she said.
The 1,000th hatchling’s parents were both born in captivity, and the mother has already lost two chicks. Her firstborn probably died – as many baby condors do – in an initial, unsuccessful attempt to fledge (AKA fly) the nest, park officials say. She found herself unable to properly care for her second chick after her mate died of lead poisoning.
“Now that she’s re-coupled with a new mate, we’re hoping this chick will successfully fledge once it’s old enough to fly – sometime in the fall,” Stroud-Settles said, noting that the nesting site she chose has a large “porch” area where the growing chick can practice flapping before taking its perilous first flight.
The 1,001st chick, which was also born to parents bred in captivity, lives in a nest near the north rim of the Grand Canyon. And researchers are currently searching for up to four more chicks that may have hatched since, said Tim Hauck, who manages the condor program at The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit focused on protecting birds of prey. The government keeps a “Condor Gossip Chart” to help biologists track new couplings and births.
The fact that so many chicks are being born into the wild, “is really special – a sign of progress”, Hauck said.
But the species is still classified as critically endangered by the IUCN and faces multiple threats, including the ongoing menace of lead poisoning.
A law that went into effect this month has made it illegal to use lead ammunition to hunt any game in California. In Utah and Arizona, however, conservationists have taken a different approach. Because a straight ban could alienate hunters, conservationists are encouraging locals to reduce their use of lead bullets through a voluntary program. “Ink on paper doesn’t necessarily change behavior,” said Chris Parish, the director of global conservation at The Peregrine Fund. “People aren’t inclined to follow rules they don’t understand, so here in Utah and Arizona we’re focusing on education and explaining to hunters why it’s important to cut down on lead bullets.”
The total living population of California condors now numbers more than 500, with more than half in the wild. The oldest bird being tracked in the condor restoration program is 24, but researchers estimate that California condors can live up to 70 years. They are very gregarious animals who get together in large groups and “like humans, tend to mate for life”, noted Stroud-Settles.
“I just love them,” she said. “They might look a little weird, but there’s so much beauty behind the ugliness.”
Discussion / Evolutionary Astrology Q&A / Re: NEWS ON SPACE AND OUR PLANETARY SYSTEM
Hubble spots black hole surrounded by material that shouldn’t be there
Mike Wehner
The Hubble Space Telescope, which is operated by NASA and the ESA, is fantastic for spotting objects residing in the distant reaches of space. Black holes, which are impossible to actually see, give their position away thanks to the galaxies that often surround them, but a new survey has revealed a black hole with a disc of material that, according to what we think we know about black holes, shouldn’t even be there.
The black hole sits at the heart of galaxy NGC 3147, a spiral galaxy sitting a whopping 130 million light-years from Earth. Because of the status of the galaxy, researchers would have guessed that the black hole was essentially starving, but the presence of a material disc throws that assumption into question.
Active galaxies that feed supermassive black holes at their centers often produce a ring of debris that encircles the black hole. When material gets too close it’s swallowed up, but in less active galaxies the black holes at their core don’t have the gravitational might to continuously draw material from the surrounding galaxy.
NGC 3147 should be one of those galaxies, and scientists assumed its black hole was starving for matter before they spotted the material disc speeding around the center at over 10 percent the speed of light. That’s the kind of thing scientists would expect to spot circling a black hole that’s feasting on matter at the heart of a much more active galaxy.
“The type of disc we see is a scaled-down quasar that we did not expect to exist,” Stefano Bianchi, first author of a new paper on the black hole published Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, said in a statement. “It’s the same type of disc we see in objects that are 1000 or even 100 000 times more luminous. The predictions of current models for very faint active galaxies clearly failed.”
Going forward, the team plans on setting its sights on similar galaxies to determine whether this observation is representative of a trend or just a bizarre anomaly.
Image Source: ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser
Release of non-native game birds to be challenged in court
Wild Justice plans legal action over environmental impact of shooting industry’s release of 50m non-native birds each year
Patrick Barkham
The legality of releasing 50 million non-native pheasants and partridges into the British countryside each year is to be challenged in the courts by a new crowdfunded campaign.
The government should be forced to carry out environmental assessments of the impact of the shooting industry’s release of game birds into the wild each year, according to Wild Justice, a campaign group led by environmentalists Mark Avery, Ruth Tingay and Chris Packham.
Lawyers for Wild Justice believe that in failing to carry out such studies, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is in breach of the EU habitats directive.
Avery said: “If you were building a supermarket near a special area of conservation or other protected area, it would be assessed for its impact on protected sites. We don’t see that there is anything different in releasing 50 million non-native birds into the countryside, a number that is going up all the time.
“There is reasonable evidence that these birds could be having an impact. People forget that pheasants go around gobbling up adders, lizards and all sorts of invertebrates. All these dead pheasants [from shooting and roadkill] are feeding foxes, carrion crows and others, which go on to eat other, rarer species.
“This is a serious legal challenge and we hope to get people talking about pheasant shooting for months to come.”
The action comes after new research revealed a link between pheasant shoots and higher numbers of avian predators such as crows and buzzards. Other European countries release far fewer game birds – three million captive-reared birds are put into the Spanish countryside each year, and about 15 million in France.
Packham, a director of Wild Justice, said: “The UK’s shooting industry is one of the least regulated in Europe, with no centralised collection of any data. What is blindingly obvious to anyone with even a basic understanding of natural sciences is that dumping at least 50 million non-native birds into the UK countryside will have a profound effect on its ecology – it’s about time we measured what that effect is.”
The fact that the government doesn't know or care how many [birds] are released will be no surprise to conservationists
Ruth Tingay
Tingay, a fellow director, added: “It’s worth noting that the 50+ million figure is only a guesstimate, made by the shooting industry six years ago. For all we know there could be 100 million pheasants and red-legged partridges being let loose in the countryside every year. The fact that the government doesn’t know or care how many are released will come as no surprise to conservationists who have watched this government put vested interests ahead of wildlife conservation time and time and time again.”
Wild Justice has sent a letter notifying Defra of its intention to take action, and is now campaigning to raise £44,500 to seek a judicial review of Defra’s failure to assess the impact of releasing and shooting non-native game birds.
The move follows Wild Justice’s successful challenge to the government’s system of “general licences” that allowed people to freely shoot certain “pest species” of bird. Natural England abruptly removed the licences earlier this year after Wild Justice argued they were illegal. Since then, new temporary licences have been issued to allow more restricted killing of certain species such as carrion crows to protect livestock.
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Agent of Change, by Lee and Miller, plus Ashes to Ashes
Agent of Change, first published in 1988, kicked off the authors' extensive Liaden Universe series. I had heard good things of the stories but had never read them before, so I tackled this one with interest.
It is classic space opera, set in a distant future in which humanity has spread through the galaxy and interacts (sometimes in a friendly way, sometimes not) with various other equally advanced races. Most of the other races bear no resemblance to humans, the exception being the Liadens who are close enough related to be able to interbreed – although how this came to be is not explained in this story.
The two heroes of this story are Val Con, a male Liaden spy, and Miri, a female human ex-mercenary bodyguard, both more than capable of looking after themselves in dangerous situations. At the start of the story they accidentally meet on the world of Lufkit when both are being hunted; Val Con by the planetary authorities, Miri by a criminal organisation called the Juntavas. Their pair up out of necessity, and the rest of the story is largely concerned with their efforts to survive. A key role is played by a magnificently realised alien race known as the Clutch, who resemble giant turtles and have previously befriended Val Con. I hardly need add that the action is flavoured by a developing romance between the two heroes.
A fast-paced and entertaining read, if rather lightweight and not particularly memorable. I might chase up the sequels in due course, but I have a tall stack of books to read and a long list of others to buy, so it's likely to take a while.
The TV detective series Life on Mars, about a present-day policeman who inexplicably finds himself a part of a 1970s detective squad, was deservedly a huge hit. Not surprisingly it was followed by a new series, Ashes to Ashes, following the same detective team into the 1980s with a new "throwback", Keeley Hawes replacing John Simm. The first series was rather disappointing by contrast with LoM, but the second series (which finished a couple of weeks ago) was a great improvement. The characters were much better developed, and the twin plot threads of Hawes' character desperately trying to get back to the present day and her growing relationship with Philip Glenister's crusty, misogynistic detective became increasingly intriguing. As well as the drama and mystery this was one of the funniest series on TV, with more laugh-out-loud moments than most comedies (and – blessed relief – no canned laughter). From being an "OK to watch" for the first series this became a "must watch", and the highlight of the week's viewing. I realised just how much I had come to like the characters when felt quite sad on discovering that one of them had betrayed the team (for all-too-human reasons). The finale was the best episode of the lot, with a commendably ambiguous and open ending.
There's no doubt that Glenister was the star of the show; he was given a string of often outrageously funny non-PC one-liners which he delivered in his characteristically gruff, deadpan, rapid-fire style. One which sticks in my mind; on seeing Hawes looking unusually happy: "What's up with you then? You look as if you've been sitting on the washing machine again!" And the gag in the last episode concerning the detective at a chip-shop crime scene who was happily munching on a battered and deep-fried sausage until he discovered that it was from a literally dis-membered murder victim brought tears to my eyes. I'm eagerly awaiting the third series, due next year.
Starship Troopers, by Robert A Heinlein – book and film
I read a lot of Heinlein in the 1960s, when I absorbed all of the SFF I could get my hands on, but was never a great fan and didn't read any of his books more than once. I remember enjoying Starship Troopers, though, so looked forward to a re-read with the Classic Science Fiction discussion group. Coincidentally, the film of the book was on the TV just before I read it, so I recorded it to watch immediately after the read.
I remembered nothing about the plot except for what is obviously implied by the title, and those cool combat suits; part exoskeleton, part armour, part space-suit, part weapon carrier (probably what appealed to my teenage self!). I was at first impressed by the way in which the blunt, matter-of-fact style is well-suited to the subject of a personal memoir by a no-nonsense soldier, and followed his account of life on a future Earth and training in the "boot camp" with interest. I was not immediately put off by the right-wing moralising, since that seemed to go with the territory, but about half-way through this becomes the dominant theme.
An entire chapter is spent recalling a school lesson in which he learned the importance of corporal and capital punishment, and how stupid societies had been to abandon them in the late 20th century. Reading now from an adult perspective, I'd certainly agree that too many children are brought up badly today and lack a structured disciplinary environment, but the notion that if we always hit them immediately they did anything wrong they would grow up to be model citizens is simplistic, to put it mildly. So is Heinlein's notion that children are not born with any moral sense, it has to be beaten into them. Plenty of studies have shown how people, like other social animals, are hard-wired to have an understanding of working cooperatively with others and adhering to the behavioural codes which make that possible – the basis of morality.
Elsewhere in the book is another polemic about the evils of universal franchise, and why governments should be controlled only by those who have volunteered for military service and passed the rigorous training designed to weed out those without the "right stuff". In fact, the entire book is a paean to the virtues of the military life, the harsher the better, and also to unthinking obedience untroubled by any concerns about right or wrong – that's the responsibility of those who give the orders. And this so soon after Nuremburg?
The last part of the book returns to action rather than polemic and is all the better for it. The book is not without its merits, mainly the laconic and gritty account of future combat which presumably influenced Haldeman's vastly superior The Forever War. However, the plot gets swamped by the repellent philosophy. This is best regarded as a curiosity, mainly of value in providing an insight into the mind of right-wing America in the mid-20th century.
Watching the film, made in 1997 some 38 years after the book was first published, is a rather strange experience. It's as if the characters and plot elements of the book have been chopped up and rearranged, with some additions and subtractions, and the attributes of one character sometimes assigned to another. The script stays broadly true to the spirit of the book, with Heinlein's jingoism parodied in a series of simplistic, gung-ho news broadcasts. There are some major differences, however. One is (almost inevitably) a much stronger romance element, achieved partly by making the Mobile Infantry mixed rather than male-only. The other (sadly) is the absence of those impressive combat suits and the tactics associated with them. Apart from the grenade-sized tactical nukes, the infantry fight with equipment and tactics not dissimilar to those of World War 2, which makes the military aspect of the film rather a sad joke. And as usual, the director is keen to maximise the use of the CGI "Bugs" with lots of associated nastiness and slaughter. He also doesn't remotely care about basic credibility; the Bug homeworld is shown as being on the other side of the galaxy (at least 50,000 light years away) but their favourite mode of attack is to launch asteroids from the belt around their planet to score direct hits on specific Earth cities, despite the lack of evidence for any technology. Given that a human spaceship was able to take action to avoid a collision with an incoming asteroid, they clearly travel at a small fraction of lightspeed, so would be likely to take at least a million years to make the journey. No wonder today's youngsters are so ignorant of science.
A brief heads-up for those who followed my series of posts on Global Warming and SF. I have combined and updated them and put the result on my website as a handy reference (to be amended in the light of any further developments) HERE .
Dream Park, by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes
This novel was first published in 1981 and I read it not long after. I thoroughly enjoyed it then, and was pleased to return to it when it was selected for the Modern Science Fiction discussion group, particularly since I remembered nothing about the plot.
The story is set on Earth some time in the future; there are ultra-high-speed trains running in evacuated tunnels and life-like holograms, but not much else in the way of advanced technology. The location is the Dream Park of the title, a huge leisure park which, in addition to more familiar attractions, hosts role-playing games on vast sets, their actual topography enhanced by computer-generated holograms so they seem to stretch for miles. Keen role-players participate in these games, in which the Lore Master, the leader of the players, pits his wits against the Game Master who devises the game and supervises its progress. Games last for several days during which the players remain on the set and maintain their chosen roles – warrior, thief, cleric or magic user – the magic users being able to summon holographic "supernatural aid" at need. A lot of money rides on these games because, if deemed successful, they are turned into computer games and other merchandise.
The plot concerns the running of a new game, seen as a "blood match" between the Game Master and Lore Master, who have clashed before. Most of the action happens on set, but there is a parallel plot concerning the murder of a security guard at Dream Park, which seems to be associated with the game. The Park's Head of Security, Alex Griffin, becomes convinced that one of the players must have been responsible so he anonymously joins the game as a player in order to try to identify the criminal. However, he finds the game a lot more absorbing than he ever imagined.
I had better start by admitting that I have never participated in a role-playing game of any kind; I'm not sure if that's a benefit or a handicap in reviewing this story! The writing style is brisk and well suited to the teenage market. At first I was disappointed because I found the tale rather frustrating. Many characters are introduced in quick succession and I soon lost track of them. A list of characters is included at the front of the book but, while an essential reference, this only gives their names and roles. Not enough information is provided to round out the personalities or fix their descriptions in the reader's mind, so I kept flipping back though the text to find where they were first (albeit only briefly) described. This lasted until about half-way through the book, during which time I still felt that I didn't know the characters or much care what happened to them.
However, after that the story begins to take off. The surviving characters become more familiar and the story more gripping as the players battle their way through the obstacles and dangers set by the Game Master towards a still-unknown goal in the fantastical world of Melanesian mythology and the Cargo Cult. At the same time Griffin, who secretly keeps in daily contact with his security team, is trying to identify the criminal. The game is a lot more successful than the rather cursory solution of the crime; the eventual revelation of the killer was more of a "huh?" than an "of course!" moment, as not enough clues had been provided.
Despite these reservations, it's an unusual and exciting mix of adventure and crime story, worth the time to read if you can get past the initial problems with characterisation. I expect that RPG fans will enjoy it even more.
Posted by Anthony G Williams at 10:22 10 comments:
Interzone 222 and Dark Horizons
Yet more short stories, from the British SFF magazine Interzone and the British Fantasy Society's Dark Horizons. For someone who prefers novels, I've been reading a lot of the shorter works recently.
Interzone has the usual six stories as well as news and reviews. The cover illustration, by Adam Tredowski, shows a strange, rather abstract spaceship blasting off from a planet.
Johnny and Emmy-Lou Get Married by Kim Lakin-Smith (illustrated by Warwick Fraser-Coombe): 1950s-style romance across the boundaries of futuristic US gangs, the Rocketeers and the Flies.
Unexpected Outcomes by Tim Pratt: is the Earth real – or just a simulation?
Lady of the White-Spired City by Sarah L Edwards (illustrated by Martin Bland): an imperial envoy revisits the backward planet from which she had fled centuries before.
Microcosmos by Nina Allen: a dystopian near-future Earth adapting to changed circumstances, and the personal costs of this.
Ys by Aliette De Bodard (illustrated by Mark Pexton): the magical drowned world of Ys emerges, figuratively and literally, into the life of a young woman.
Mother of Champions by Sean McMullen (illustrated by Anne Stone-Coyote): cheetahs are not at all what we think – they have evolved to perfection!
An entertaining and varied collection which I enjoyed. I'd have to award the medal to Sean McMullen for sheer originality, with a mention in dispatches for Tim Pratt's intriguing take on his theme.
Dark Horizons goes one better with seven stories, plus five poems and several articles including an interview with Robert Holdstock (ancient woodland magic) and summary reviews of the work of David Gemmell (I haven't yet read) plus the Elfin Fantasies of James P Blaylock (quirky tales which I recall enjoying).
Passing Through by Jim Steel: a brief episode set in a grim medieval world
For a Strong, Healthy Body by Andrew Knighton: the consequences of not properly disposing of factory waste.
Nanna Barrows by Jan Edwards: a sick boy is helped by the traditional healer who lives opposite – but there is more…
The Putrimaniac by Brendan Connell: a gruesome tale of tastes and sensibilities running out of control.
Telemura by Douglas Thompson: a horror-filled house and paint of a strange, magical colour.
Everything He Touched, Burned by Mathew F Riley: life in the tunnels under a city.
Beyond the Fifth Sky by Ross Gresham: navigating the underground seas of a strange planet.
Horror is not my favourite genre and I usually prefer SF to fantasy, so no surprise that Ross Gresham's tale appealed to me the most, although Matthew Riley's atmospheric story also sticks in the memory.
The poems are mostly short and elliptical but I have to mention the heroic Chronicle of a Conflagration by Skadi meic Beorh: a graphic three-page account of a battle between the followers of Odin and Lugh, written in triplets in an epic style.
Agent of Change, by Lee and Miller, plus Ashes to ...
Starship Troopers, by Robert A Heinlein – book and...
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Film: Space Cowboys (2000)
Yet another film which had escaped my attention until now, this is a present-day (actually, slightly historical since it includes an operational Space Shuttle) comedy drama concerning an emergency space mission by four elderly former test pilots.
The film starts in 1958 with four USAF officers who are part of a rocket-plane test programme leading up to the first manned space flight. However, they are denied the chance to get into space. Move on to the present day, when an old Russian satellite is in danger of re-entering the atmosphere and crashing. For political reasons it is considered imperative to prevent this, but the satellite's navigation system is malfunctioning and needs repair. It turns out that this was copied from a US system designed by Frank Corvin (played by Clint Eastwood, who also directed and produced the film), who happens to be one of the now retired USAF officers. The system is so old that only Corvin knows how to repair it, so he assembles the other members of his old team - Hawk Hawkins (Tommy Lee Jones), Jerry O'Neill (Donald Sutherland) and Tank Sullivan (James Garner) - to achieve at last their dream of getting into space.
On the way there is much gentle humour concerning the problems of the ancient astronauts, internal battles among themselves and with an unwilling NASA, and a major and unwelcome surprise when they eventually reach the satellite.
This isn't the sort of film I would normally make a point of watching since despite involving space travel there is very little SF in it – it might best be described as a techno-thriller with comedy overtones. In a way, it made me think of Apollo 13, which I have never seen since I regard it as more of a dramatised documentary, a category which doesn't interest me. Space Cowboys is formulaic and predictable, offering nothing new, but it is serviceable entertainment that pushes enough of the right buttons to be worth viewing.
Pilgrims at the White Horizon, by Michael Wyndham Thomas
It is over four years since I read and reviewed here The Mercury Annual, by Michael Wyndham Thomas. Pilgrims at the White Horizon is the long-awaited sequel to this book, and completes the Valiant Razalia story. The best introduction I can give to the sequel is to reproduce my original review:
"The Mercury Annual is one of the strangest stories I have read in a long while. It commences with a lengthy Prologue which describes the world of Razalia and its neighbouring planets, together with their peoples. To say that this system is bizarre would be an understatement; it is the purest fantasy of the most unrealistic kind, in that no account is taken of any laws of science. The system's sun wanders among its planets, the inhabitants of one planet likes to visit others by means of giant catapults, Razalia is covered with barriers of pure white, like cracks in reality, into which people vanish never to return, and its humanoid people have a rather flexible anatomy, immediately growing organs as and when they need them. Each town is ruled by a Tharle, who acquires other peculiar abilities.
This is not the easiest story to get into and I was beginning to feel dubious about continuing until I reached the first chapter, which is dramatically different. This and much of the rest of the novel are set on present-day Earth and focus on the entirely mundane lives of Keith, whose main passion in life is his massive collection of classic comics, his dominating and aggressive wife Donna, their daughter Imogen and Keith's strange friend George, who shares his enthusiasm for the odd collectables of life. Donna is determined to convert their attic into something useful and plots to clear the space by manipulating her husband into selling the comic collection which covers the floor (the book's title refers to one of these). There is much loving description of the stories in the comics as Keith sorts through them, trying to decide what to do. The characters are well-drawn, the scenario and relationships entirely convincing. Only at the end of this part of the book is there any hint of a connection between Earth and Razalia.
The final part of the story returns to Razalia and describes the efforts of the Tharles to discover why the white barriers have begun to expand. One of their number has invented a peculiar device which he claims enables him to see and hear the legendary Maker of Razalia, who lives in a world which sounds increasingly familiar.
This short novel (under 160 pages) is only Part 1 of Valiant Razalia, and the various story threads are all left hanging in the air at the end of it. I am still trying to make up my mind about this book. It isn't the stuff of best-sellers, and the series could either vanish without trace or attract a cult following. However, it managed to hook me to the extent that I will be looking to get hold of Part 2 when it comes out."
Pilgrims at the White Horizon picks up immediately where the first book finishes – it is really one complete story, and essential to read The Mercury Annual first. In fact, I re-read the first book before plunging into the sequel and was pleased I did, as it put me in the right mood to explore more of the parallel worlds of Earth and Razalia. The book is twice as long as the first, providing more scope for exploration and character development. It is difficult to review effectively without some spoilers, so if you want to read it and hate knowing anything about what is in store, I will just say that this is a worthy sequel which develops the plot themes of the first book, introduces a lot of new elements and finally reaches a satisfactory solution (or does it?). If you enjoyed The Mercury Annual, you really must read this one. Spoiler warning – read no further!
Donna continues to plot the sale of Keith's comic collection – she really is a chilling example of a manipulative wife – while the rather passive Keith tries to work out what to do about this as well as cope with his dysfunctional family, of which the engaging Imogen is the only redeeming member (if only all teenagers were like her!). Despite all of the discussions in a local pub with George and other sympathetic friends, the prospects are not looking good, but then something unexpected happens to Keith and Imogen.
On Razalia, Dreest the Tharle has been expanding the capabilities of the makeshift instrument he constructed to search for the Maker of Razalia, in the hope that this all-powerful being could intervene and stop the spread of the dead white zones gradually taking over the planet. It transpires that Razalia is only mentioned once outside its own system: in one of the treasured Mercury Annuals possessed by Keith, who is one of the last people to remember it. Dreest's search therefore homes in on Keith, whom he assumes is the Maker, and he is able to pull Keith and Imogen from Earth to Razalia, where they are faced by the awed expectations of the Tharles.
On Razalia they meet other characters including the mysterious and beautiful figure of the "Carolla who is not", and another Earthman who was extracted by the Tharles as also having some connection with Razalia (a lot more, actually, than Keith). Eventually Keith is forced to live up to his notional status and take the most drastic of steps to try to solve the problem of the spreading white, and in doing so makes even more fantastic discoveries.
The whole story of Valiant Razalia is so unusual that it defies comparisons. The three elements of a mundane Earthly tale of domestic hassle, a love-letter to the nostalgic essence of British 1950s children's comics, and one of the most bizarre worlds in fiction, are woven together to splendid effect. This is a tale that will remain in my mind for a long time, and joins the very select group of modern novels which I already want to read again.
Film: Stargate (1994)
It's been a long time since I saw this film and, as I recalled enjoying it, I thought I'd give it a second viewing. I should perhaps add at this point that I have never seen any of the various TV spin-offs such as Stargate SG-1 so I can't make comparisons (in fact I didn't realise there had been so many spin-offs until I looked up "stargate" in Wikipedia).
First, a plot summary (with some spoilers). The film starts in 1928 with a baffling archaeological discovery in Egypt; a huge ring several metres across made of some unknown mineral and carved with a variety of strange symbols. Cut to the present day when the US military has got hold of the ring and is trying to work out what it is for. Cue the recruitment of a geeky academic Daniel Jackson (James Spaader) whose radical theories about ancient Egypt had caused him to be regarded as a joke. He is able to decipher the symbols and activate the ring, which turns out to be a stargate, providing instant access to another planet. There Jackson and a team of soldiers led by Colonel O'Neill (Kurt Russell) discover what appears to be an ancient Egyptian civilisation still thriving, but dominated by a powerful alien who has adopted the identity of the sun-god Ra (Jaye Davidson). They learn that Ra had long before transported the Egyptians from Earth to this planet to mine the rare mineral used to make the stargate. The team find themselves battling with Ra for survival and to protect the Earth.
I must admit I enjoy this kind of story – I am fascinated by the sheer alienness of ancient Egypt (without believing that it must therefore have been created by aliens!). I also like the concept of the stargate, which has featured in so many SF novels that it can be regarded as one of the standard tropes of the SF genre, along with spaceships which can travel faster than light. No-one has any idea how either type of device might practically work but they are too convenient to space opera to ignore, so they are usually passed off with mumbo-jumbo about wormholes and warp drives. Another trope is of course the academic with crazy ideas who everyone laughs at until he proves to be right all along, so this movie ticks lots of comfort boxes.
There are also the less forgivable Hollywood SF tropes, notably that radio works instantly, everywhere. The vast distances and timescales of the galaxy (let alone the universe) are far too inconvenient for Hollywood to bother with, so they just ignore them. In more advanced scenarios they apply some more mumbo-jumbo about tachyons, ansibles or dirac transmitters, but in Stargate they don't have such fig-leaves, just ordinary steam-age radio. This doesn't deter them from taking this trope to the extreme, with a robotic probe sent trundling through the newly-opened stargate instantly sending back a radio message via a cute little foot-wide dish antenna from a location which the scientists are able to work out is on the other side of the universe. Umm, guys, you do know how long it would take for a radio message to arrive from the other side of the universe (assuming it had sides, of course)? About 13 billion years….which is even longer than the combined running time of all of the Stargate spin-offs!
Having poked some fun at it, I have to admit that I still like this film. I admired the dramatic alien spaceship and the way it used a pyramid as a parking bollard, and was intrigued by the androgynous Ra – I still wasn't certain whether Jaye Davidson was male or female until I looked him up. There are some engaging characters among the people of the distant planet, supplying both humour and romance. The CGI is dated but adequate. Despite its age, it is well worth watching and still provides far better entertainment than the majority of SFF films. About the only aspect which niggled me this time was the obtrusive and over-dramatic background music constantly sawing away, which does date the film.
A final dose of reality which crossed my mind – the next expedition to the planet had better take a large quantity of vaccines and other medical supplies or the ancient Egyptians would be rapidly wiped out by the accumulation of evolved viruses and other pathogens which we carry around with us.
The Sept/Oct issue of the British SFF magazine notes the passing of three authors whose names I am familiar with: John Boyd, who wrote The Last Starship from Earth and a dozen more novels in the 1968-78 period; Douglas R Mason, perhaps better known as John Rankine, who published 21 SF novels between 1968 and 2001 as well as contributing stories to Space 1999 and other series; and last but far from least Frederik Pohl, who was one of the giants of my early SF-reading life. Pohl's first published story emerged in 1937 and he wrote around 150 books, the last being published in 2011. I will always associate him with the 1960s, my formative decade of SFF reading, by which time he had not only written many novels himself (I still have one by him, A Plague of Pythons, and must re-read it soon) but also collaborated with others, particularly Cyril Kornbluth. Two of these works I have re-read in recent years and reviewed here: The Space Merchants and Wolfbane.
The featured author is Christopher Priest, with a long interview to accompany a review of his latest novel, The Adjacent. Priest is one of those authors whose work I respect more than like, as I don't always find his subjects of interest (or indeed understand what is going on), but I did read and review The Separation a few years ago and might well pick up his new book. There is also the usual collection of book and film reviews, although with the former in particular I get the sense that some reviewers are trying to impress their peers with their erudition rather than writing to inform simple readers like me.
The five stories in this issue are as follows:
Ad Astra by Carole Johnstone, illustrated by Wayne Haag. A young couple on a years-long journey in a small space capsule experience all of the stress one might imagine, with bizarre consequences.
The Hareton K-12 County School and Adult Extension by James Van Pelt, illustrated by Richard Wagner. A ramshackle old school serving a small town appears to acquire a life of its own.
Dark Gardens by Greg Kurzawa, illustrated by Martin Handford. Mannequins seem to come to life in a house with a very unusual basement.
Il Teatro Oscuro by Ken Altabef. An old theatre is scheduled for demolition, but one man still – literally – sees it as it used to be.
Technarion by Sean McMullen, illustrated by Richard Wagner. This starts as a steampunk tale but turns into something else. The battle against computers is taken to a literal level since there is, in a very real sense, no future in them.
A collection of stories which all tend (or enthusiastically dive in) to the bizarre. Johnstone's story is the most conventional of them and even that has a strange ending, but the one that seems most likely to stick in my mind due to its downright oddness is Van Pelt's tale of the all-embracing school.
Pilgrims at the White Horizon, by Michael Wyndham ...
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what to eat after hemorrhoid surgery - Heartbreaking News About Hemorrhoids
Heartbreaking News About Hemorrhoids
If there's one problem most people won't take sitting down, it's hemor??rhoids. They're itchy, pain??ful, and annoying. They're also a lot more common than you think.
4. Hemorrhoidectomy
The surgical procedure in removing hemorrhoids is also known through its medical term "Hemorrhoidectomy." This surgical procedure should involve the expertise of the doctor or surgeon who is doing the operation. This internal hemorrhoids treatment scrapes off the dangling sac-like protrusion of the hemorrhoids as well those remaining swollen hemorrhoids tissues inside the anus. This is usually applicable to higher grades of hemorrhoids.
Barberry is an astringent for blood vessel congestion along the colon and rectum. It will improve blood circulation; it stimulates the immune system to resist disease, and will tone body tissues. It also is capable of stopping bleeding hemorrhoids.
"About 15 to 20 percent of the population have hemorrhoids. That's probably at the low end of my speculation. By experience, however, I see a lot of people with hemorrhoids," according to Dr. Ed T. Corpus Jr., a general and vascular surgeon at the Vein Care Clinic at Ferosa Condominium in Manila.
?? Marijuana (THC): This drug produces exhilarated effects, which mainly contains Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). If they are used continuously for longtime it causes impairment of short-term memory loss, behavioral disorder and slowed learning. This drug lasts in the body for 3 to 10 days after smoking.
?? Benzodiazepines (BZO): It is usually stipulated for indicative treatment of aggression and insomnia. Benzodiazepines are also used for tranquilizers in surgeries and medical practices. It exists in the system for about 3 to 7 days. Frequent consumption these drugs can lead to raise the risk of physical dependency. Valium and Versed are examples of Benzodiazepines.
What causes the rectal veins to become swollen and inflamed? Aging appears to be a factor in the development of hemorrhoids. As we grow older, the blood vessels and connective tissue in the lower rectum become looser and weaker, gradually descending toward the anus.
1. Rubber Band Ligation This is the usual treatment being undertaken by those who have small to medium sizes of hemorrhoids. This procedure does not necessarily require the patient to check-in at the hospital since this is only an out-patient procedure. Rubber Band Ligation is a kind of internal hemorrhoids treatment in which a small rubber band is being placed at the base of the internal hemorrhoid. The placement of a rubber in the said affected area cuts off blood supply to the hemorrhoid. Restricting blood flow to the inflamed hemorrhoid vein can help it to shrink and eventually to fall off within four to seven days after the Rubber Band Ligation.
If you have a fresh plant, wash a leaf thoroughly with distilled water. Peel it on one side, bend it with the peeled side outward, and slip it into your anus. This will provide you with pain relief and reduce your hemorrhoid bleeding. Just trim down the leaf so it slides into your anus easily.
To relieve hemorrhoids first look for ways to get your bowels moving easier and more frequently so they produce softer stools. I have suggestion ways, in other articles, to do this by changing your diet.
Treatment for hemorrhoids depends greatly on the extent or degree of the condition. The kind of hemorrhoids treatment also depends on the attitude of the patient towards the kind of treatment. The following are some of the medical procedures that can help rid off internal hemorrhoids:
The French emperor Napo??leon had hemorrhoids which led to his downfall at Water??loo. Because he was in so much pain, he couldn't mount his horse to survey the battlefield. This prevented him from getting a clear view of the situation and cost him his empire.
This is further aggravated by chronic constipation (which is common in those who lack dietary fiber and don't consume plenty of fluids), bad habits such as postponing bowel habits, straining during elimination, and recurrent diarrhea - all of which put a lot of pressure on the veins.
2. Laser Coagulation This treatment and procedure involves the use of a laser device. Laser coagulation, as it is also called, is a new medical treatment relief that uses electric current to the hemorrhoids. The electric current found in the laser device enables certain chemical reactions in the hemorrhoids which will result to the shrinking of the inflamed hemorrhoid tissue.
Buy the 25% standardized formula and take 100 mg three times a day of bilberry. Bilberry will give you hemorrhoid relief. Butcher's Broom Butcher's broom, an evergreen bush, has a history of being used for varicose veins and hemorrhoids. As an extract, it contains "ruscogenins", which can narrow blood vessels and decrease their inflammation and swelling. It strengthens and tones veins and capillary walls.
?? Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): It is an exclusive drug, which was first produced for healing obesity. The unsympathetic effects of MDMA are potency tension and sweating, it can also increase blood pressure and heart rate.
Statistics show that about half of all Americans or four out of five people have hemorrhoids. Many others are unaware of this mainly because there are no symptoms.
Hemorrhoids or piles are varicose veins of the rec??tum. They usually appear after the age of 30 and are more common in women than in men. They can be found either inside or outside the anal canal. External hemorrhoids protrude and are visible. They're also painful since they're located in one of the body's most sensitive areas - the skin in and around the anus. Internal hemorrhoids, on the other hand, can't be seen and are often painless since there are no nerve endings where they're at.
?? Amphetamines (AMP): This is a schedule II forbidden drug used according to the prescription, which is also accessible in the illicit market. These drugs are the stimulants that affect the brain and body rapidly. These are psychologically addictive and if the addicted person stops using them will face various problems like, assault, anger and anxiety. Usually this drug effects for 24 hours and will exist in the body for 2 to 6 days.
Any straining and puffing you do to push hard or even soft stools out during a bowel movement will aggravate your hemorrhoids and can lead to bleeding and pain.
Among the two, the internal hemorrhoids are always left unnoticed at first. Because it is found inside the anal canal, it cannot be easily detected. The person having hemorrhoids can only realize that he or she is having it when there is already bleeding or a stain of blood got mixed with the stool.
"I've been battling my piles for over 10 years. I tried many different creams and suppositories. After taking your product for a few days I felt much better. Two weeks later my hemorrhoids are gone and I'm ordering a second bottle just to make sure they dont come back anytime soon." Martha, SC
Common Drugs That Are Detected Through Drug Testing The following are some of the common drugs that are abused by the individuals, which can be detected with different testing devices.
3. Injection Sclerotheraphy Injecting certain chemical solution to the swollen tissue of the hemorrhoids is also another method of treatment. Patients who are not really fond of needles have to withstand the sight and the feeling of being injected with needles at this time. Said chemical solution contains something that can close the affected hemorrhoids vein, disallowing blood passage to the area. In this manner, hemorrhoids have the tendency to shrink and eventually heal.
Who are more susceptible to hemorrhoids? Find out in the second part of this series. Don't miss it!
When completing a bowel movement, make sure you are using the softest tissue available so that when you clean yourself you don't scrape or aggravate your hemorrhoids. You can also use pre-moisten tissue. Just make sure that the tissue you use is not colored or scented because these chemical additives can aggravate your hemorrhoids.
The above information makes you aware of various drugs that can be detected through different drug testing.
Internal hemorrhoids can also manifests as unusual pains in the anus. There are internal hemorrhoids, though, that can be noticed easily because its sac-like protrusion from the inside reaches the outer lining of the anal canal due to intense swelling and inflammation. This causes the dangling protrusion effect that sometimes can be mistaken as en external hemorrhoid.
?? Cocaine (COC): It is a sedative and a forceful stimulant for central nervous system, which brings intense strength and restiveness. This drug results into hypnotics, over-sensitivity and convulsions. Cocaine stays in the system for about 24 to 40 hours after use. Huge consumption of cocaine causes fever, insensitivity, inhalation problem and unconsciousness.
Bilberry Bilberry's active ingredients are flavanoids. Bilberry contains chemical called "anthocyanosides." This fruit like herb has been used in Europe for a long time. In clinical studies, it has shown to be effective in treating weak capillaries by strengthening their walls.
You may have to take a shower a couple times a day to keep your rectum area clean. Here are three natural remedies that you can use to aid in eliminating your hemorrhoids.
Aloe Vera Aloe Vera gel is an astringent that helps to heal open wounds. It is useful in hemorrhoids by applying the gel directly onto your anus. The best type of gel for this is directly from the aloe plant. If you don't have one, then 100% organic whole leaf aloe gel is second best. You can get this organic aloe at a health food or nutrition store.
You can add 1/4 or 1/3 part aloe juice to a cup of apple juice to make the taste easier to handle. To make this aloe-apple juice more effective, add 10 drops of barberry extract.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Komoye also suffered from hemorrhoids and was unable to attend an important cabinet meeting where a United States peace proposal was to be discussed. His absence eventually led to Japan's entry into World War II.
Aloe Vera juice, that you drink, is also good for hemorrhoids. It helps to soften your stools and to activate peristaltic action. If you like aloe juice, then drink around 1/2 a cup of Aloe Vera juice three times a day.
There is a wide range of drugs that are abused by the people for non-therapeutic effects and there are different testing kits that are used to detect the presence of these drugs. The drug addictive effectiveness differs from the drug ingested from person to person.
?? Methamphetamine (mAMP): It is an addictive energizer drug, which stimulates certain systems in the brain. This drug is closely related to the amphetamine and has higher effects than that. Consuming mAMP can have effects such as anxiety, psychotic behavior, tiredness and paranoia. The detection period of this drug in urine is about 3 to 5 days.
"There's a specific line of distinction or demarcation at the anal region. It's called the pectinate line and it separates the veins. Those that originate below that line are classified as external hemorrhoids. Those that are above it are called internal hemorrhoids," explained Corpus who trained in New York and Philadelphia.
?? Barbiturates (BAR): These drugs are central nervous system depressants that are used to heal the tranquilizers, mesmerizing and anticonvulsants. Its effects are similar to that of alcohol intoxication effects. The detection period of Barbiturates is about 3-8 days. Continuous abuse of barbiturate can lead to clinically considerable level of tolerance and physical dependence.
There are two types of hemorrhoids - the internal hemorrhoids and the external hemorrhoids. The only difference between the two kinds of hemorrhoids is it placement in the anus area. Internal hemorrhoids are located inside the anal canal, while external hemorrhoids are found outside the verge of the anal canal or rectum.
Take 100 mg of butcher's broom three times a day. Use the type that has 9-11% ruscogenins.
Now you can use either of the three herbal remedies for hemorrhoid relief. If one is not working to good, try the other. Once you have gotten the hemorrhoid relief that you want stop using the herbal remedy.
Herbs for Hemorrhoids
Using herbal remedies for hemorrhoids is a natural extension of hemorrhoid treatment. Most doctors will tell you that the vast majority of hemorrhoids are best treated at home, and many of the most common home remedies, such as witch hazel, are herbal in nature to begin with. However, the large and unfamiliar territory of herbal remedies can be daunting, to say the least. It helps greatly to know...
If there s one problem most people won t take sitting down, it s hemor??rhoids. They re itchy, pain??ful, and annoying. They re also a lot more common than you think. The French emperor Napo??leon had hemorrhoids which led to his downfall at Water??loo. Because he was in so much pain, he couldn t mount his horse to survey the battlefield. This prevented him from getting a clear view of the...
What are the Signs of Hemorrhoids
The following are some of the signs or symptoms of hemorrhoids: 1. The number one sign of hemorrhoids is bleeding. Unlikely bleeding of the anus is something that can be presumed as a sign of hemorrhoids. Bleeding from the rectum usually get into notice during bowel movement wherein there is a stain of blood in the stool. It is best to immediately see a doctor if there is occurrence of...
Be Aware of the Symptoms of Hemorrhoids
Many people are embarrassed to visit their doctor to have a consultation for their hemorrhoids. It is important to remember that hemorrhoids is a common ailment in the United States for people who are in their fifties and above. Consulting a doctor when you are experiencing the symptoms of hemorrhoids is always the best thing to do because there are other medical conditions and diseases that...
How to Prevent or Relieve the Misery of Hemorrhoid Pain
Did you know that there is a similarity between varicose veins and hemorrhoids? That s because instead of protruding veins on legs, hemorrhoids are swollen veins of the rectum. This is a miserable condition, but it is surprisingly common. Why do a lot of people suffer from hemorrhoids? Here are some factors that activate the development of hemorrhoids—frequent constipation or diarrhea,...
what type of doctor treats hemorrhoids | what to expect after hemorrhoid surgery | what is the best hemroid medicine | what kind of doctor treats hemroids | what to eat after hemorrhoid surgery | what kind of doctor treats hemorrhoids |
Causes and Treatment For Hemorrhoids
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A Right Royal Occasion
As you know, until a short while ago I have not been posting anything recently. We have had a busy year so far but more of that at a later time. What I would like to tell you about now really began back in late November 2012.
One morning, about the third week in November my husband received in the post an official looking letter. Now these letters are not completely unfamiliar because he has, for the past 25-30 years, been very much involved in tourism and has had on occasions had correspondence with our local MP.
So he opened the letter and just stared at it, saying "I don't believe it". It was a communication from the Prime Minister's office informing him that he had been selected as a recipient for an MBE (for services to tourism in Somerset) in H M Queen's New Year Honours. If he accepted the honour he was to reply immediately but was requested to say nothing at all until it was announced in the London press on 29 December. He would hear nothing further until he was sent the date for his investiture.
He was delighted to accept, of course, and I was thrilled for him.
We both kept the secret but on the evening of 28 December we rang our 4 children and broke the news, daring them to say anything at all to anyone else, particularly on Facebook, until the following day. They were all thrilled too.
So the news broke and Bob received countless congratulatory messages but also contacted the investiture office to inform them that we would be away for most of the first 3 months of 2013. He was duly sent the date of 7 June, to attend Buckingham Palace. We had 2 months to prepare. He was allowed 3 guests so for many and various reason he chose our daughter who lives in Stratford on Avon and a colleague of 35 years who has always been a staunch supporter of what my husband has tried to achieve. And me.
Daughter and I had fun shopping for our outfits and a hat each! Husband decided to hire a morning suit but stopped short of a top hat.
We made our way to London the day before and were excited to see that the Royal Standard was flying over the Palace indicating that HM Queen was in residence but the following morning the news told us that in fact Her Majesty would be visiting the BBC that day so we were doubtful that we would actually see her. In fact it HRH Prince Charles who carried out the investitures that day (97 in total).
We arrived at the Palace in due time and showed our invitations and were able to walk through the gates then through the archway that is situated under that famous balcony. Once inside the Palace we were impressed by the splendour of it all including the horseguards who were stood to attention at various points inside. We then had to part company with Bob and took our seats in the ballroom (the room where the royal wedding photos are staged). Bob and the other recipients were in a room to our left receiving instructions for when their turn came.
It was marvellous. Just before 11 am 5 Yeomen of the Guard marched in and took up their positions on the dais. Then the National Anthem was played and the Prince of Wales entered with his entourage and the business began. It was timed to perfection, each participant being presented and the Prince having a few words with each. He appeared to be warm and welcoming and very friendly. Finally Bob's turn and I have to tell you that I was immensely proud. It was all over by 12.15 pm, we met up with Bob and then made our way to a celebratory lunch at a restaurant overlooking Tower Bridge.
There is so much more I could tell you but have tried to keep it relatively concise. However, below is a photo of him with his medal, and one of the Yeomen preparing to get into their transport back to the Tower!
It is more than 5 months since my last post but I have missed it and was determined to find the time to start blogging again. Father's Day is as good a time as any to make a start.
Although my own dear Dad is no longer with us I do have 4 men in my life that deserve to be greeted. Obviously my husband comes first. He is such a support to me and is a good hearted and caring man, to everyone. My own son, who this time last year was forced to separate from his wife and family. No details on that for obvious reasons, except to say that he was heartbroken. A year on he is in a much better place, sees his 3 children every weekend and is enjoying life again. My step son in law who was so welcoming when husband and I visited the family in New Zealand in January (more of which in a later post). Last but not least, my stepson who is a full time fireman. Also a caring man he lives with his wife and 2 daughter so is a bit outnumbered and takes himself fishing to relax and brings us fresh fish from time to time. Happy Father's Day to all of them.
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No Man Knows My History The Life of Joseph Smith by Fawn M. Brodie
No Man Knows My History
He had his faults, including a tendency to overreach his power and try to influence state and national government. Brodie does not have the last word on it. Instead, she digs deep into newspaper archives, personal letters, first-hand accounts, property documents, diaries and court filings. One as a believer and one a non-believer. Where many writings about him are propaganda intended either to promote or crush faith, her agenda was to understand the man.
This is an older book, and still very relevant! But that's another story, one which Brodie hints at but does not tell. But he was a great leader, showed love to everyone, preferred peace over war, developed some amazing theological ideas, and left a lasting impact on human history.
She was the niece of Church President David O. Some members of the Church felt she used her implicit connections with Church leadership to access information and Church records which would otherwise have been off limits. He was a natural born leader, an unruly youth prone to money digging and tall tales, and a prodigiously charis Finally! Mormons were a huge voting bloc and swayed elections in Missouri and Illinois.
As a starting point I confess I am somewhere on the order of a seventh generation member of the Church Joseph Smith founded. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. It was refreshing and fascinating to read a fair account of Joseph Smith and the early history of his church. Writing history is a subjective experience, anybody looking for objective truth from historical biography might as well stick to reading his or her bible.
Fawn Brodie is carefully to present the information as is and rarely places her own judgment, leaving it to the reader to decide on Joseph Smith's mindset and character. Cover of the first edition.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The author did a wonderful job on this biography, and she gave all her references that I will be looking further into. It is well sourced and extremely thorough, as well as engaging and only minimally challenging to follow the thick history.
Polygamy was seriously messed up, at least the way it was introduced and practiced. As his following grew late in his life, Smith's confidence grew, too, and he did not leave his final settlement fast enough. Nevertheless, avoidance of thorny issues does not eliminate those areas from historical existence.
Bushman's book is good too, but seems too concerned with putting Joseph in the right light. He was a natural born leader, an unruly youth prone to money digging and tall tales, and a prodigiously charismatic leader. But since they made no claims to supernatural experiences, she grants them validity with out questioning their biases. Just a wonderful piece of work.
While I do not recommend No Man Knows My History, I also do not believe it is likely to do serious harm to anyone with an intellectual bent who is also well-grounded in the Latter-day Saint faith. He uses Brodie's sources and many others as well to paint a fuller more realistic history. Nevertheless, Brodie's book has been criticized by some scholars, most often for its speculative interpretations of early Mormon history and its presumptions about Smith's internal motivation. Although I understand the importance of teaching faith promoting history, ccna todd lammle 7th edition this account shows a more accurate history of the life and times surrounding the early church and the prophet. But it is a version of Joseph Smith that a non-Mormon can process and conforms to the standard anti-Mormon propagandized caricature that is popularly accepted.
There's hardly a paragraph in the book that, if opened to at random, wouldn't seize the reader's attention, and then hold it. People do take it seriously because there's much more to the story if one is willing to look beyond Joseph's enemies in order to understand the man.
Because of her relationship to David O. But I do not find the subject to be any more troubling here than it is in other works dealing with Mormon history. Despite her own religious skepticism, she seemed to have a real affection for Joseph Smith and his people. If you're interested in the life of Smith in a non-relgious sense, you might also enjoy the Cremaster cycle by Matthew Barney.
Also, there's a whole sub-genre of Mormon true crime. But if you can forgive him the polygamy thing, it seems like Joseph was really a great guy. Incredibly well researched, great mix of general sweep and specific detail and anecdote, very readable. There are so many things to say about this gem. Lastly, Brodie's prose is impeccable.
There is nothing to fear from truth. Both books were informative and provided information that would have been lacking had I read only one of the books. The result is an extremely skewed and unrealistic view of Joseph Smith.
But by the end, I was either got used to it or she wasn't so obnoxious. She certainly didn't pull any punches when saying what she thought and when deciding whether or not she should include a source. This hubris, as well as many political missteps, led Smith and his anointed inner circle down paths that outraged the non-Mormons around them. She just simply doesn't believe that he had a relationship with God and therefore has to explain the origins of all his ideas and his motives. For any student of history and religion, this book is a gem.
Granted, Brodie didn't have access to the tools available that Criddle et al have today, and I suspect if she did, she would have greatly appreciated and accepted it. That doesn't detract from the excellence of the book. Brodie completely dismisses the Spaulding-Rigdon theory for the origin of the Book of Mormon. And as these men grew powerful they began, in secret, to marry many, many women, and develop religious underpinnings for these practices. The only other people that talked about Joseph Smith hated him.
However, she does so in a manner that allows the reader the liberty to draw inferences in accordance with their own conscience. Too bad, because I put off reading this one far too long. The portrait of Joseph Smith resounds with depth, nuance, and warmth. This was the first book I ever read following my discovery of the hoax behind Mormonism.
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Winchester - Washington, D.C.
in Animal Memorials
This horse served in the civil war, yes it is real.
posted by: bluesnote
location: District of Columbia
last visited: 12/10/2013
E0 km
Stuffed Civil War Hero Horse - Washington, D.C.
in Roadside Attractions
Smithsonian Museum of American History - Washington, D.C
in Official Local Tourism Attractions
This is one of many museums along the Washington National Mall.
date approved: 12/8/2013
W0 km
George Sidney Golden Globe Award - Washington, DC
in Entertainment Awards
Golden Globe Award and Directors Guild of America award given to George Sidney. The two are in the Museum of American History.
posted by: saopaulo1
National Museum of American History - Washington, DC
in 1000 Places to See Before You Die
The National Museum of American History is one of the most fun museum in DC.
date approved: 8/1/2009
C-3P0 Costume - Washington, DC
in All Things Star Wars
Costume from the 1980s in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
Museum of American History penny smasher - Washington, DC
in Penny Smashers
A penny smasher by the cafeteria of the Museum of American History.
Museum of American History Gift Shop Penny smasher - Washington, DC
A penny smasher in the large git shop at the Museum of American History.
in Wikipedia Entries
The National Museum of American History is one of the many Smithsonian Museums.
Lincoln's Top Hat - Washington, DC
in Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln's top hat in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
NW0 km
"Infinity" - National Museum of American History, Washington DC
in Abstract Public Sculptures
This sculpture "Infinity" has been in front of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History since 1967.
posted by: akern.geo
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Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
in History Museums
On the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
posted by: Henki
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National Mall - Washington DC
in 'You Are Here' Maps
This "You Are Here" is on one of the visitor maps on the National Mall. This map was on Madison Drive across from the entrance to the National Museum of American History.
George Washington - Washington DC
in George Washington
The Statue of George Washington shows quite a different posed that the normal statues of George Washington. The likeness of George is there, but the stature of him is quite different.
posted by: geobwong2k
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Julia Child's Emmy Award - Washington, D.C.
Julia Child won this Emmy in 1996 for her famous cooking show.
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Pennsylvania Turnpike
in Pennsylvania Historical Markers
PA marker in the National Museum of American History.
posted by: vhasler
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Metro D02 8006 Control Mark - Washington, D.C.
in U.S. Benchmarks
This is one of many benchmarks in DC.
Museum of American History fountains - Washington, DC
in Fountains
Two fountains at the entrance of the Museum of American History.
You Are Here Map (12th & Madison) - Washington, DC
This is one of many you are here maps in Washington.
W.M. East Vertical Control - Washington, DC
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American History Museum Gazebo - Washington DC
in Gazebos
A gazebo of the grounds of the American History Museum.
U-Haul Army: Washington D.C.
in U-Haul SuperGraphics
The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. Military.
posted by: Dr. House
U-Haul Navy: Washington D.C.
The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which was established during the American Revolutionary War...
posted by: ODragon
U-Haul Marines: Washington D.C.
The United States Marine Corps is the branch of the U.S. Armed Forces responsible for providing force projection from the sea working alongside with the U.S. Navy. The Marine Corps is featured in the U-Haul SuperGraphics Commemorative series.
posted by: Marine Biologist
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Tisch Center MS Stem Cell Trial: Interview with Dr. Saud Sadiq
Thread: Tisch Center MS Stem Cell Trial: Interview with Dr. Saud Sadiq
The Rants, Ruminations, and Reflections of a Mad MStery Patient
http://www.wheelchairkamikaze.com/20...l?spref=fb&m=1
Tisch Center MS Stem Cell Trial: Interview with Dr. Saud Sadiq, Director and Lead Research Scientist (Part Two)
The Tisch MS Research Center of New York (click here http://www.tischms.org/ ) will soon begin its first-ever FDA approved Phase 2 regenerative stem cell study for multiple sclerosis. Last week, I published the first part of my interview with Dr. Saud Sadiq, the Director and Lead Research Scientist of The Center, which discussed the Phase 1 study and its results (click here http://www.wheelchairkamikaze.com/20...interview.html). As promised, here is the second part of our discussion, which focuses on the upcoming Phase 2 study, the Tisch Center's new stem cell laboratories, how stem cells might help repair damaged nervous system tissues, and some of the other multiple sclerosis research projects being conducted by Tisch Center researchers and scientists.
This interview has been lightly edited for readability, and I’ve added some “WK Notes,” which attempt to translate overly complicated medical jargon into plain English.
WK: The Tisch center is now preparing to embark on Phase 2 of your MS stem cell trial. When do you expect this next phase of the study to get started?
Dr. Sadiq: After the Phase 1 study ended, we made a commitment at The Tisch Center that we needed to make our stem cell laboratories absolutely state-of-the-art. We’ve invested heavily in building a new stem cell lab, which is being completed now. Everything’s automated, it’s a next generation stem cell facility that will be functional and certified in about a month and a half. Then we will be prepared to start the Phase 2 study. We do still need some additional funding for Phase 2. We are applying to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for a grant. Though they didn’t support Phase 1, given the impressive results of that trial we are hopeful that they will support us as we go forward. We also expect private contributions to help fund Phase 2, as these have always been the lifeblood of the foundation.
WK: How many patients will be involved in the Phase 2 study?
Dr. Sadiq: There will be 50 patients involved. It will be a double-blinded crossover study specifically designed to establish the effectiveness of the neural progenitor stem cells we've developed in our laboratories. So it has an entirely different aim than the Phase 1 sstudy, which was intended primarily to determine the safety and tolerability of our stem cell procedures. We are going to give Phase 2 study participants six treatments, one every two months. Therefore there will be more treatments given in greater frequency than in the Phase 1 study.
WK: So, with 50 patients, 25 will be getting actual stem cells, and 25 will be getting placebo treatments?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes, in the first year 25 subjects will get treatment and 25 will get placebo, and in the second year the ones who got placebo will get treatment and vice versa.
WK: What will the patient population look like for this Phase 2 trial?
Dr. Sadiq: The patients for this trial will have to meet much tighter inclusion criteria then the patients in Phase 1. They all must be diagnosed with SPMS or PPMS. They have to be ambulatory, so they’ll all have EDSS scores between 3 and 6.5. The FDA is requiring that we have an equal distribution of the EDSS scores. So there will be equal numbers of patients distributed between all the points along the EDSS scale. The other limitation is that all patients will need to have had the disease for 15 years or less.
WK: Will the study participants continue with their disease modifying drugs?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes, but they can’t have switched medications within six months from the start of the trial.
WK: Once they are in the trial they’ll have to remain on the same DMD for the duration of the study?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes.
WK: What will be the total duration of this trial?
Dr. Sadiq: There will be two years of study and placebo, and one year of follow-up. So a total of three years.
WK: Just to be clear, in the third year none of the patients will be receiving stem cells?
Dr. Sadiq: That’s correct, in the third year there will be no stem cells and no placebos. After the second year, all patients will have received six treatments. The patients who received stem cells in the first year will have placebo in the second year, and the patients who received placebo in the first year will receive stem cells in the second. The third year will be for observation of all patients.
WK: For all the folks out there with RRMS, if the Phase 2 trial proves successful then the stem cell protocol developed at Tisch could be applied to them as well, correct?
Dr. Sadiq: For patients with relapsing-remitting disease who experience a relapse that results in damage from which they don’t recover, stem cells could be introduced in an attempt to repair that damage. That would be the dream scenario, and it could render disability resulting from MS a thing of the past. But at this point were getting ahead of ourselves…
WK: As we move forward into a world in which stem cell treatments for MS become a standard of care, would you anticipate that patients will need continued and repeated stem cell treatments to maintain or advance whatever benefits they realize until a cure is finally found for multiple sclerosis?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes, that’s likely. I think the Phase 2 trial will really go a long way towards answering that question. It will be important to ascertain what happens to patients in the years after they receive their stem cells. Do they maintain their benefits, do they return to baseline, or do they fall somewhere in the middle? These will be significant findings. The design of this crossover trial will allow us to figure that out. My feeling going in is that patients will need stem cell treatments over the long-term, maybe not six a year after the initial treatment., but perhaps less frequently to maintain whatever improvement is seen.
WK: The neural progenitor cells developed by the Tisch Center – or any regenerative stem cells, for that matter – don’t directly address the disease process, correct? If so, does the disease remain active despite the use of these stem cells?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes, that’s right, the cells are not a cure for the disease. They hopefully secrete trophic factors that would stimulate the body’s own progenitor cells to activate and induce repair at sites of injury. (WK Note: trophic factors are elements which cause the body to maintain or start some action, in this case repairing damaged nerve cells and possibly affording some protection against attack from immune cells.)
WK: So, the stem cells may not necessarily repair injury all by themselves, but they may jumpstart natural repair mechanisms within the bodies of the patients in which they are implanted?
Dr. Sadiq: I think that’s the most likely mechanism. Whether they play some direct role is something we have to figure out, but I think it’s more likely that they’ll turn on a patient’s own progenitors and also create a trophic environment that acts as a shield from the immune system and allows the body to make repairs.
WK: I know that stem cells aren't the only focus of the Tisch Center's researchers and scientists. I’d like to touch on The Tisch Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York itself, and some of the other areas of research that are currently ongoing in The Center’s labs. Could you give us a peek inside and tell us about some of the other projects Tisch researchers are working on?
Dr. Sadiq: Well, at the Tisch Center our original goal was to identify the root cause of the disease. It may be some type of immune cell, or some unidentified infectious agent, or maybe some other environmental element. Once we can identify the cause of multiple sclerosis, we can then methodically work towards a cure. And finding a cure is our ultimate goal.
WK: So, the Tisch Center currently has researchers who spend their days searching for the root cause of multiple sclerosis?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes, absolutely. I try to focus on the real challenges that I see as a clinician treating patients every day. My focus is on trying to understand primary progressive MS, which is perhaps the most challenging form of MS as far as treatment is concerned. There are very few treatments that can alter the course of progressive MS. We’ve created an animal model in our lab to try to understand the mechanisms of progression and why remyelination does not take place at all in this form of the disease. In relapsing-remitting MS we see damage occur and then some repairs get made by the body, especially in early disease. This is something not seen in progressive MS. We need to understand the mechanisms of progression better. We are also focused on cognition dysfunction because that can really dehumanize the patients who suffer from severe cognitive deficits.
We are also hard at work identifying biomarkers that can indicate the activity and severity of the disease. We’ve published a lot of papers in this area. We are doing a lot of work on metabolic dysfunction in the central nervous system in MS, and hopefully, that will lead us to readily identify markers that can pinpoint progression and disease activity, which will, in turn, allow us to assess the effectiveness of treatments in individual patients. In conjunction to the Phase 2 stem cell study itself, one of our aims is to analyze the spinal fluid of all of the study participants for markers that may predict which patients are going to get better by Identifying which patients experience actual repair and remyelination. The goal of identifying biomarkers is to be able to tailor treatments to each individual patient, specific to them and the intricacies of their disease. MS is a very heterogeneous illness, meaning that it affects each patient differently. Through the use of biomarkers, we hope to be able to address these differences on a patient by patient basis.
WK: The Tisch Center is not affiliated with any hospital or academic institution, correct, so it’s an entirely independent research entity?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes we are completely independent. We run Tisch like an academic center in every regard. We have guest speakers and all of the activities that would be associated with typical University research centers, but we are not affiliated with any academic centers. We retain absolute independence in choosing our areas of research.
WK: If you don’t have any of these affiliations, how is all of the research we’ve discussed funded?
Dr. Sadiq: We rely entirely on grants and donations. We use almost all the funds raised directly for research. Fully 90% of all monies raised goes directly into research, which is really an extraordinarily high number compared to other organizations. We keep expenses very low, so only a small percentage of funds raised go towards administrative costs and other such overhead. All of our tax forms and documentation in this regard are available online.
WK: My understanding is that you are not currently receiving any funding at all from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Is this correct?
Dr. Sadiq: Yes, that's right, we’ve had some bad luck with the MS Society, but they promised to look into our Phase 2 study, and I’m putting in a grant application. Hopefully, this time they’ll get involved.
WK: Obviously, the Tisch family (click here https://www.forbes.com/profile/tisch/ ) is involved, but where does the rest of the Center’s funding generally come from?
Dr. Sadiq: The Tisch family is a very big supporter, but so are our patients and their loved ones. We have a very loyal following of patients and their families and other supporters that really enable this to happen. They’ve been supporting us for close to two decades, even before we were formed as an independent center.
WK: How much is this Phase 2 trial going to cost?
Dr. Sadiq: The build-out of the laboratory cost $5 million, and that’s a done deal. The trial itself calls for another $4 million, and we are currently raising funds for the study itself.
WK: So funding is still needed for the Phase 2 trial?
WK: Well, speaking strictly for myself as a patient who has been ravaged by this disease, I can’t think of any cause more important and worthy of donations.
Dr. Sadiq: That’s very kind. Maybe I should hire you as a fundraiser…
WK: You can pay me in stem cells… Even though I know I don’t qualify for the trial because of my level of disability…
Dr. Sadiq: That’s true, but don’t ever lose hope. Every day researchers here at Tisch and others around the world are working hard towards solving the puzzle of MS. I’m personally obsessed with curing multiple sclerosis.
As a patient of Dr. Sadiq’s, I can attest to his obsession with curing the disease. The man works at least six out of every seven days and even has a bedroom behind his office at the clinic affiliated with the Tisch Center. The clinic is called The International Multiple Sclerosis Management Practice (click here). I’m also acquainted with some of the researchers at the Tisch Center, who are so dedicated that they'll even put up with my incessant questions when I manage to corner one of them with my wheelchair.
For those interested in donating to the Tisch Center, you can learn about the various ways to contribute by (clicking here http://www.tischms.org/ways-donate ). If you’d like to encourage the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to get behind the first ever FDA approved Phase 2 MS stem cell trial with a nice big grant, here’s a webpage with contact info for all of the Society’s senior leadership (click here https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Ab...eadership-Team ). Please be polite If you do reach out to the NMSS. As my grandmother always told me, you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar…
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You are here: Home / Latest News in Goa / When in Goa, head to a museum
When in Goa, head to a museum Reviewed by TimelineGOA on June 6, 2016 .
If you’re in Goa and want a break from its fine powdered beaches and shacks promising calamari floating in butter garlic sauce and fried shark, head inland to explore its museums. For such a small place, Goa has many museums, with new ones opening on a regular basis. Whether you are interested in seeing new […]
When in Goa, head to a museum
If you’re in Goa and want a break from its fine powdered beaches and shacks promising calamari floating in butter garlic sauce and fried shark, head inland to explore its museums. For such a small place, Goa has many museums, with new ones opening on a regular basis. Whether you are interested in seeing new things or just learning about another culture, here’s a round-up of the best ones around.
Houses of Goa
Hidden in a valley to the east of Porvorim, about 5km from Panaji, this unusual ship-shaped building is the brainchild of noted architect Gerard da Cunha. The museum explores the unique Indo-Portuguese architecture and explains how the influence of the Portuguese reflects in the details—the storeyed houses and steep roofs that dot the landscape.
The museum is on three levels —you can explore the history of Goa and the story of world architecture, get a sense of architecturally significant Goan homes and walk through a gallery that encourages you to explore the use of balcaos (porch), raj angans (courtyards) and the importance of objects such as tulsi vrindavans, the traditional planter for basil, and crosses. A new wing, dedicated to illustrator and cartoonist Mario Miranda, allows you to get nostalgic with his iconic drawings (www.archgoa.org ).
The Goa State Museum
The Goa State Museum in Panaji’s Patto district has some incredible treasures. Right next to the Krishnadas Shama Goa State Central Library (worth a visit for its five floors of books, art and sculpture), the state museum has over 10,000 artefacts spread over 14 galleries. The museum is desperately in need of renovation and occasionally smells like a toilet at a railway station—but ignore that. Make your way through the winding halls and explore an impressive collection of stone sculptures, bronzes, coins, paintings, instruments, furniture and machinery. Terracotta objects from the Indus Valley and even a fossil bone dated to 10,000 BC are part of the collection.
And whether you are a fan of television game shows or not, you will be fascinated by the pair of huge lottery-draw machines containing thousands of wooden balls, a far cry from today’s tacky plastic lottery machines (www.goamuseum.gov.in ).
The Museum of Christian Art
Located in Old Goa, it is a jewel of a space close to the Augustine Tower. Housed in the Convent of Santa Monica, the museum preserves Indo-Portuguese Christian art and painstakingly restored artefacts. The displays include a striking pair of 18th century life-sized angels in green dresses with gold borders, pointy helmets and boots. Look carefully and you can see that one hand of each angel is balled into a fist, indicating that these were actually candle-holders at one time (www.museumofchristianart.com ).
The Archaeological Museum
Visitors to the The Archaeological Museum in the beautifully landscaped premises of the Sé Cathedral, one of Goa’s most important churches, can view a modest collection of ancient and modern artefacts. A gigantic bronze statue of Afonso de Albuquerque, the Portuguese conqueror, greets visitors. The “Key Gallery” reflects the Hindu influence in Goa before the arrival of the Portuguese. Sculptures from the Kadamba era, like a basalt statute of Uma-Mahesa from 13 AD, jostle for space with a number of “hero stones”, slabs made in memory of fallen warriors, much like a gravestone.
What attracts your attention, though, is the incredible statue of 16th century Portuguese poet Luis Vaz de Camões in the middle of the room. The bronze statue of the one-eyed poet holds a copy of Os Lusíadas, his best-known work. Selected verses from the poem are depicted on the glorious wall of azulejos (blue and white painted tiles ) in the Institute Menezes Braganza in Panaji.
A Portrait Gallery on the first floor has over 60 portraits (of a collection of over 170, the rest of which are kept in storage) of Portuguese viceroys and governors, along with a large coin collection and 17th century paintings.
Goa’s newest museum is also India’s largest private museum. It is artist Subodh Kerkar’s effort to bring art to the masses. Contemporary art, a sculpture garden, a studio and an auditorium all come together in an enchanting and energetic space (www.museumofgoa.com ).
The Naval Aviation Museum
This museum in Vasco da Gama is worth visiting for its fleet of aircraft and helicopters, some quite rare. The Short Sealand aircraft is one of three surviving Sealands in the world. Apart from the aircraft, you can read about the key battles fought by the Indian Navy and see vintage photographs, uniforms and weapons, including bombs and torpedoes.
The Goa Chitra and Goa Chakra Museums
This is a beautiful space devoted to all things Goan. One of Goa’s finest ethnographic museums, the Goa Chitra in Benaulim has thousands of artefacts that date back to the early 19th century. The Goa Chakra, devoted to the wheel, has dozens of faithfully restored chariots, carts and other wheeled treasures from across the country. A new wing for medical history and jewellery has been added recently (www.goachitra.com ).
Source – http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/uucrTnBwER72zQHYgbqaSI/When-in-Goa-head-to-a-museum.html
Goa begins preparations to celebrate Sao Joao on June 24 May 31, 2016 / By TimelineGOA
The taste of Goa June 9, 2016 / By TimelineGOA
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Georgia’s economy received 730 million USD from tourism this year
18.12.2013 (Hvino TOUR News). Revenues received from tourism totaled 730 million USD in the current year, Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili said at the presentation, summing up tourism sector activity's in 2013.
According to Mr. Kvirikashvili, in recent years the number of tourists traveling to Georgia has significantly increased, this year’s rate is high as well: compared to last year the number of international tourists in Georgia increased by 23% and amounted to five million. According to the Minister, the number of tourists is expected to grow by 18 % next year, while revenues from tourism should make 1.1 billion USD of the gross domestic product. Kvirikashvili says that foreign tourists are particularly interested in Kakheti and wine tours and tourist interest and routes should grow.
© Hvino TOUR News
2013 was an unprecedented year for Georgian tourism
16.12.2013 (Hvino TOUR News). According to Siko Gegiadze, advisor to the Chairman of the National Tourism Administration Administration, 2013 was very important for the development of Georgia’s image as tourism destination. The number of visitors amounted to 5 million this year that is unprecedented for the country.
According to Gegiadze, the number of tourists increased by 57 % compared with last year. Tourists from Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states were especially active this year.
In Gegiadze's words, the winter tourist season is going well in terms of tourists inflow, Gudauri and Bakuriani resorts are working at almost 100 % capacity, and the National Tourism Administration is currently working on the popularization of Mestia resort.
Next year, the Tourism Administration expects 6 million tourists in the country.
Russian tourists the largest spenders in Georgia
11.12.2013. The average expenditure of foreign travelers to Georgia per visit amounts to GEL 626. Russian tourists on average are the most generous visitors while Armenians, who are the majority in terms of total number of tourists in the country, spend the smallest average amount of money when staying in Georgia. Food and beverage, accommodation, shopping and entertainment are the main outgoings of visitors to the country.
A total of GEL 2,841,876,840 was spent by tourists in Georgia in the first 10 months of 2013, according to data provided by the Georgian National Tourism Administration. 30% of the total amount was spent on food and beverage, 20% was spent on accommodation, 18% on shopping and 14% on entertainment.
“Citizens of Russia are in first place in terms of amount of expenditure in Georgia. Per trip to Georgia they spend on average about GEL 1,180. The following places are held by visitors from Central and Eastern European countries. Tourists from these countries spend GEL 943 on average. After them comes Turkey - GEL 533, Azerbaijan - GEL 467, and Armenia - GEL 301, according to data from the Georgian National Tourism Administration. This data is from the first 10 months of 2013.
Hvino.com joins the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) of Georgia
10.12.2013 (Hvino TOUR News). Hvino TOUR News is pleased to communicate that our parent company Hvino.com has become the member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) of Georgia. ICC is one of the most influential business associations, which unites more than hundred companies and organizations operating in Georgia, including major business players such as Bank Republic, Radisson, KPMG, Forbes.
As an ICC member, Hvino.com will be invited to participate in ICC meetings with government officials, meetings with leaders in the business community, and ICC seminars, commission meetings and social events. We hope that membership in ICC will allow to enrich our news service, to raise popularity of our medias, and to broaden our readership. On behalf of our organization we take this opportunity to say thanks to ICC for the invitation.
© Hvino News | ■DRINK GEORGIAN!
Wine business soars as ATÜ Duty Free sales surge at Tbilisi Airport
10.12.2013. ATÜ Duty Free sales have surged by +40% year-on-year at Tbilisi Airport (from January to November), with Georgian wines making a strong contribution.
News of the performance was reported by The Financial newspaper, and confirmed with ATÜ Duty Free by The Moodie Report.
The growth comes amid plans for further investment in the Tbilisi store by ATÜ in 2014. As reported, the company will also expand its Georgian business to a third location (after Tbilisi and Batumi) with the opening of a 148sq m shop at Kutaisi Airport early next year.
At Tbilisi, a Wines of Georgia outlet that opened two years has proved a big success, said ATÜ Duty Free. The shop has helped to promote Georgian wine culture as well as driving sales, it added.
The store represents 11 leading Georgian wines, with Teliani Valley said to be the best-selling brand. Sales at the Wines of Georgia store have leapt by +32.3% in the January-November period compared to a year ago, the retailer said.
Other top-selling national items include Khvanchkara semi-sweet red wine, Sarajishvili XO, Ch.Mukhrani Chacha grape spirit, Marani Kindzmarauli semi-sweet red, Teliani Khvanchkara red, Badagoni Khvanchkara semi-sweet red and Satrapezo Saperavi dry red.
ATÜ Duty Free is Turkey’s leading travel retailer with an increasing portfolio of operations overseas. The company is a joint venture between TAV Airports and Unifree, in which Gebr Heinemann is principal shareholder and supplier.
Stalin Museum the main attraction for foreign tourists in Georgia
09.12.2013.The number of visitors at the Georgian National Museum increased by almost 40,000 during the first ten months of 2013, compared with the same period of last year. There are over 188 museums established in Georgia. Meanwhile the majority of foreigners’ interest appears to be in Stalin’s museum.
“Stalin is a part of our history and therefore a tourist attraction. There are billions of people globally for whom Stalin is a historical character and Georgia will use this for its economic benefit,” said Giorgi Sigua, Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration.
A famous statue of the Soviet dictator was torn down overnight three years ago in his hometown of Gori, which came under Russian bombing.
The Ioseb Stalin museum hosted 5,909 individuals in September 2013, while during the same month of last year it was 3,968. Most of the tourists were from European countries, in particular Poland. Many of the visitors were also from Israel, Russia, China and Iran.
GTA bringing 9 new products, including a Zip-Line, to Georgia from May 2014
by Mariam Papidze
09.12.2013. Nine new tourism products, which the Georgian Tourism Association (GTA) is bringing to Georgia, will be available from May 2014. The installation of special equipment for using these products has already been completed. Out of the 9 products one is totally novel in Georgia - the zip-line, which has been installed on the Mtirala Mountain in the Adjara region, near Batumi.
A zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to, or attaching to, the freely moving pulley.
“Bringing the zip-line tourism product to Georgia is very innovative and useful for developing domestic tourism and making tourism products more diverse,” Nata Kvachantiradze, Chairwoman of the Georgian Tourism Association said. “While implementing this project in Georgia we also thought about developing 4 season tourism in the country. Georgia will become a 4 season tourism country, which means that interest from tourists should be equal throughout spring, supper, autumn and winter. This is a challenge for the country. Currently, during the peak season demand is high, hotels are full. But when the season is over, the resorts are dying. We should do our best to attract tourists after the season ends. The hotels are overloaded during summer while they are empty in winter. In such a way business cannot develop properly in Georgia. Time is required to adequately plan out activities for the off-peak period, which is the responsibility of both the state as well as us. It could involve cultural or MICE tourism for example,” she added.
Georgia to host more than 6 million tourists in 2014
by Madona Gasanova
08.12.2013. The number of international travellers in Georgia will exceed 6 million in 2014. This year Georgia has had 26% growth of tourism and was named the star performer by the World Tourism Administration. GEL 15 million is the minimum budget of the GNTA for 2014. The booming prosperity of the sector is delivering a good message to investors; however Georgia is facing a lack of hotels .
“In March 2014 the hotel Rooms will open in Tbilisi . The hotel will have the same concept as it has in Kazbegi. Radisson Park Inn, InterContinental, Rixos and Hilton are all upcoming projects. Hotel Ambassador is building another hotel in its neighbouring territory. Together with boutique and middle class hotels , more than 100 new hotels will be opened in Georgia in the next two years,” Giorgi Sigua, Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) said.
Georgian qvevri wine-making method approved for UNESCO's Intangible Heritage List
05.12.2013 (Hvino News). According to UNESCO official release published on December 4, the ancient Georgian traditional qvevri wine-making method has been approved for inclusion into UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
According to UNESCOPRESS, 14 new elements were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity at the 8th session of the UNESCO's Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage in Baku.
Among the titles of the newly inscribed elements there is "ancient Georgian traditional qvevri wine-making method - Georgia":
Qvevri wine-making takes its name from the distinctive egg-shaped earthenware vessel – the Qvevri – in which wine is fermented and stored in villages and towns throughout Georgia. The tradition plays a vital role in everyday life and celebrations, and forms an inseparable part of the cultural identity of Georgian communities, with wine and vines frequently evoked in Georgian oral traditions and songs. Knowledge of this heritage is passed down by families, neighbours and friends, all of whom join in the communal harvesting and wine-making activities.
Khachapuri and Khinkali among Europe’s 55 dishes worth traveling for
30.11.2013. Britain's Daily Mail gives a list of fifty five European Foods Worth Traveling For. Two Georgian dishes – khachapuri and khinkali are among them.
‘Even if we don’t always remember the history behind the Colosseum, the significance of Tower of London, or who commissioned Versailles, after returning home from a trip, we can almost always remember what we ate while we were there.
Georgian dish that is on Daily Mail’s list of foods worth traveling for is khachapuri: ‘This indulgent dish is like a blank canvas for different flavors. From Georgia, khachapuri is cheese-filled bread often topped with egg and butter. Because of its simplicity, there are many variations, and cooks often add potatoes, various cheeses, and sauces to the dish’.
Second Georgian dish on the list is khinkali. ‘These Georgian dumplings are filled with mixtures of raw, spiced meats and various vegetables. The dumplings are prepared by being stuffed and then boiled, trapping the meat’s juice inside as the filling cooks. The result is a delicious, precious liquid that customers try not to spill as they eat the dumpling’, the Daily Mail informs.
Source (edited)
Georgia’s Tourism Administration Launched a Large-scale Marketing Campaign in Ukraine
30.11.2013. The National Tourism Administration is implementing a large-scale marketing campaign in Ukraine. Due to a greatly increased interest towards Georgia in terms of the tourism, a state agency considers Ukraine one of the priority markets in terms of attracting tourists.
According to reports, the number of tourists from Ukraine in 2012 amounted to 76 610 people, which was 30 % higher than in the same period in 2011. As per the data for 10 months of 2013, the number of visitors from Ukraine amounted to 106 802, which is 67 % higher than the figure for 10 months of 2012.
by Shelley Boettcher
29.11.2013. A couple of years ago, I had an incredible opportunity to travel to Georgia, thanks to my friend Alla Wagner at Lotus Vini. I wrote about my trip last fall for City Palate magazine, a food magazine based in Calgary, Canada. Since the story isn’t available online, and that issue of the magazine is no longer on newsstands, I thought I’d repost it here. Sometimes I still dream about that trip. It’s a beautiful, wonderful, friendly country and I hope to one day take my entire family there.
The scent of woodsmoke. An ancient Lada car, packed with watermelons — on the roof, in the trunk and crammed into the passenger seats. Bushels of corn lit by fall sunshine. A lamb carcass — or is it a goat? — outside a shack by the side of a gravel road. A bloodied cleaver is jammed into a butcher block beside it. Nearby, men squat and talk. Flies buzz. Then, a child’s small, smiling face, bright as a star.
I memorized everything I could see while travelling through the small towns and countryside in the republic of Georgia, a small but fierce country that borders the Black Sea to the west, Russia to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south and, in the southeast, Azerbaijan.
At every corner, it was clear that Georgia is a country of contrasts — eastern and western influences, rural and urban. The capital city, Tbilisi, features designer shops, lively bars and fancy restaurants, but a visit to the countryside is a step back in time. Everywhere I looked, I was mesmerized by Georgia’s fascinating history and its rich food and wine culture.
Georgia's tourism growing fastest
26.11.2013. The Secretary General of UN World Tourism Organization, Taleb Rifai, ranked Georgian tourism development as the best in the region. Furthermore, at the annual UNWTO & World Travel Market (WTM) Ministers' Summit held in London on 5 November 2013, it was noted that through closer coordination of tourism and aviation policies, air connectivity can be improved, resulting in sustained growth of the tourism sector.
Giorgi Sigua, Head of Georgian National Tourism Administration, also participated in the event. He met the secretary general and discussed UNWTO World Tourism Barometer that estimated the rate of growth of tourist arrivals in Georgia as the highest in Europe. Sigua made a speech at the Ministry, where he discussed trends and reforms of Georgian tourism.
He admitted that cooperation with UNWTO is crucial for Georgia, since UNWTO is a good platform for disseminating information on the country’s achievements. Sigua also underlined importance of UNWTO Tourism Highlight that ranked Georgia as one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in East and Central Europe. “This is important, for it catches the world’s attention,” said Sigua. “[UNWTO] publications are very reliable and influential information sources for the tourism industry.”
Old and new administration of tourism considers growth in the number of tourists their own merit
15.11.2013. Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration Giorgi Sigua does not agree with the statement made by his predecessor and explains the increased number of visitors by the promotional activities carried out by the government in the current year.
The former Head of the Tourism Agency Maia Sidamonidze says that the new government should not consider the increased number of tourists as their own merits, because the strategy does not bring results in 3 months. I hope that the current leadership of the Tourism Administration does not think that the increase in the number of visitors is their merit, " - says Sidamonidze in an interview with " Business and management” magazine.
While the current administration responds to Sidamonidze with facts and says that this year the number of tourists has increased the most from Russia , Ukraine and Iraq due to the advertising activities in these countries.
Travel and tourism to Georgia: making sense of definitions and numbers
By Giorgi Bregadze and Revaz Geradze
08.11.2013.Travel and tourism is one of the largest and fastest-growing service industries globally. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the industry’s direct contribution to World GDP in 2012 was US$ 2.1 trillion (2012 prices) and it supported 101 million jobs. Taking account of its combined direct and indirect impacts, WTTC assesses Travel & Tourism’s total economic contribution at 9% of World GDP in 2012, 1 in 11 jobs, 5% of total economy investment and 5% of world exports (Economic Impact of Travel and Tourism 2013, Annual Update, WTTC)
The tourism industry is of particular importance for Georgia, which, like many other developing countries, is short on physical capital and technical skills but is very well endowed with historical sites, original traditions, pristine landscapes and a culture of hospitality. While unlikely to serve as an engine of long term growth, the tourism industry’s added advantage for a country like Georgia is that it can absorb some of the surplus labor currently under-employed in the low skill and low productivity agricultural sector.
Georgia participates in the London International Tourist Exhibition WTM-2013
08.11.2013. (Hvino TOUR News) Annual international tourist exhibition market WTM-2013 took place in London, where National Tourism Administration represented Georgia.
WTM is the largest-scale exhibition in the world and Georgia participates in it since 2004. This time along with National Tourism Administration, stand of Georgia also included Tourism and Resorts Department of Adjara, National Agency for Protected Territories, 5 tourist companies: Caucasus Travel, Visit Georgia, Georgica Travel, Explore Georgia, Geo Pay Travel and hotel Holiday Inn.
This year National Tourism Administration presented new promo materials, where information about Georgian tourism potential is divided according to products: culture, wine and culinary, winter, hiking, summer.
© Hvino TOUR News | ■DRINK GEORGIAN!
Ministry of Interior published statistical data of visitors who entered Georgia
05.11.2013. Georgia’s Ministry of Interior Affairs published statistical data of the visitors who crossed Georgian borders. MIA informs that there were 480,510 visits to Georgia in October 2013, 14.1% more than in 2012. As for January-October, there were 4.556,110 visits, 23.7% more than in 2012. According to the division of the data: A. tourists – 1.785,244 visits (39.2% of total amount, 17.4% more compared to the previous year); B. transit – 1.001,010 visits (22% of the total number, 57.3% more than the previous year) C. others 1.769,856 visits (38.8% of the total number, 15.8% more than the previous year).
In October 2013, most of the visitors in Georgia were from Turkey (-10%), Azerbaijan (+13.5%), Armenia (+34.3%), Russia (+37%), Ukraine (+58.6%) and Iran (+26.7%).
As for the increase of the visits, along with Poland-Czech republic-Austria, France Italy and Germany have increased the number of visits (70%,34%, 27% 20%, 17% and 17%), from Middle Asian countries – Kazakhstan (39%), Near East – Israel (31%), Eastern European countries – citizens of Belarus – 61%.
Activity by Georgian citizens crossing the state border has increased, that was 22.4% (entry) and 22.8% (exit) in the first 10 months 2013.
Georgia is famed for its traditional home cooking, but watch your weight
by Mischa Moselle
01.11.2013. The Quiet Woman pub, in Georgia's Black Sea resort of Batumi, was celebrating its recent reopening. A strong smell of fresh paint was cloaked by thick cigarette smoke. From behind the bar, a teenage girl in a tartan miniskirt yelled "free beer" over the din of a cover band warbling Angels by Robbie Williams into a scratchy microphone.
Tables of chain-smoking men swayed with their pints in hand, as a Spanish football match played on big screens overhead. If there was a place to try authentic Georgian food, this pub, with its menu of burgers and chips, probably wasn't it. I left the inappropriately named pub behind, and headed out onto the deserted Piazza, Batumi's newly built town square. Its 10-storey clock tower, which doubles as a boutique hotel, was lit up and shone centre stage, but all the tables and chairs of the cafes had been moved inside until a fierce storm blew over.
In many households home-made wine is drunk with abandon
Opposite the pub, freshly painted in wave-crest white, was a modern Georgian restaurant called Mimino, offering a beacon of light. Inside, cheery waitresses, this time in turquoise airline-style uniforms, stood ready to serve traditional food.
The port city of Batumi is the capital of Ajara, an autonomous corner of southwestern Georgia, which proudly has its own culinary heritage. At first glance, the menu did not appear easy on the hips. I pointed and ordered a selection, not knowing what to expect, except inevitable weight gain.
Vegetarian patties
First up was a steaming hot plate of Ajarian khachapuri, perfect wet-weather food. A cross between a canoe-shaped pizza and naan bread, it arrived awash with cheese and on the top wobbled an almost raw egg, swimming in a pool of butter.
Finger-thin sulguni rolls filled with cottage cheese and mint arrived on plain white plates and were moist and light, like fresh spring rolls. Still at the appetiser stage, the airline waitresses next delivered small plates of pkhali, vegetarian meatball-shaped patties, which were made of spinach, beetroot and leek. This was accompanied by plump tomatoes, balsamic glaze and lashings of dill.
Main courses were meat-centric, with signature dishes of veal chakapuli (braised chops, although usually lamb), pork odjakhuri (pork with potatoes and tomatoes, baked in a clay pot) and fried lambs' brains. I opted for filleted trout, which was flaky and filled with finely chopped walnuts and herbs.
Lakes, rivers, mountain valleys and fertile land provide a year-round bounty for Georgia and the fruits of this natural abundance can be seen daily at every meal time. During Soviet times, Georgia (the republic declared independence in 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union) was famed for its home cooking and it remains the most foodie destination in the region.
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Flying machines film
United States. It's gratifying that the London-based Flying Machines are flying again with their follow-up to 2016's debut Flying Machines. Fred To, who crafted the first solar-powered aircraft to carry a pilot, alerted your editor to the passing of Derek Piggott MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire). win. An Edwardian air race from London to Paris provides lots of laughs and entertaining misadventures in this fast-paced and nostalgic British romp. DVD. United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945. com/news/?id=9091Most extensive film set for Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is the film's Brookley Aerodrome, where the pilots gather for the big London to Paris Air Race and from where the event Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines film locations Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) Posted on September 10, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is a British comedy set in 1910 about a newspaper mogul who offers a large cash prize to the first pilot who can successfully fly over the English Channel Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British period comedy film featuring an Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes (1965) Trailer In the early days of the 20th century, a British Newspaper offers a prize for the winner of a cross channel air race which brings flyers from all over the world. The first problem with Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines compared to Monte Carlo Or Bust, is that it's about an air race, which in this era was a matter of taking off, flying as fast and directly as possible to the destination, then hopefully landing. Spivet,” which was adapted into a feature film, “The Young those magnificent men in their flying machines - parts & sco, film music Dastardly and Muttley and Their Flying Machines Episode Guide -Hanna-Barbera Another spin-off from Wacky Races ( The Perils of Penelope Pitstop was the first), Dastardly and Muttley somehow traveled back in time to star in this World War I-era comedy. Fantastic cartoon artwork from the illustrious creator of St Trinian's and Molesworth for this irresistibly wacky sixties ensemble comedy. com. wikipedia. com/watch?v=QxhFCk4rti8 7. What process shots do exist are done with substantial care and show only mild artifacts. Golden Globe Awards for 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines' Imaginary Flying Machines (2002) - Kuso no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi (Imaginary Flying Machines) is a 2002 Japanese animated short film produced by Studio Ghibli for their near exclusive use in the Ghibli Museum. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes, to give its full title, is a 1965 British comedy film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours One grows weary of the interminable crashes early in the film, and The Flying Machine is produced by BreakThru Films and is their first feature-length film to be shot in stereoscopic 3-D. It wasn't until the film was developed that they noticed the peculiar looking object in the sky above Mona. This week's films. ET APPS. 4 out of 5 stars 4. It featur Flying a private aircraft becomes costlier as AAI increases MRO royalty charges 30 Aug, 2012, 05. Net - Movie Soundtracks and Film Scores. Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British period comedy film featuring an international ensemble cast including Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, Robert Morley, Terry-Thomas, James Fox, Red Skelton, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Gert Fröbe and Alberto Sordi. Released by Soundtrack Classics in 2012 containing music from Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965). The leader is intact and the film appears to be in great condition. FLYING MACHINES- most ADC machines are available in a "Flying"configuration. A distinction may be made between mechanically-powered flying machines, human-powered flying machines, lighter-than-air flying machines, and gliders. The HK-Aerial was the very first Hunter Killer seen, appearing in the opening moments of the first film of Terminator series. [1] It is set to the études of Frédéric Chopin , and is intended to mark his 200th anniversary. The escapades between the American, British, French, German, Italian and Japanese teams result in the most daring and hilarious in-flight acrobatic stunts ever caught on film. Imaginary Flying Machines (Kuusou no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi) is a 2002 short film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and created exclusively for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. Skip to content. Ken Annakin's large-canvas comedy Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is set in 1910. In the U. Share; Tweet British filming locations for the movie 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965)' including maps, screenshots, and other nearby film locations. holidays. rym The Flying Machine is a spectacular 3D film adventure for the whole family, combining live action and stop motion animation. 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From the Academy Award winning team behind "Peter and the Wolf", this is a fantastic family adventure film using cutting edge live action, stop motion animation and 3D. 23/01/2012 · The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: a Wonderland Film is on Monday 23 January on BBC Two at 9. We hope that the following list of synonyms for the word flying machine will help you to finish your crossword today. Social conditions; Social sciences. 00: Reference #: 1803: Fun with the pioneering flying machines. Omni HoverBoard 'The Flying Machine' is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (played by Heather Graham), who takes her two children to see the animation film 'Magic Piano', which is being performed live by world famous pianist Lang Lang. More clips from The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: A Wonderland Film. We celebrate Flight's Oscar nomination by bringing you the 10 best films about flying and air travel, and stuff, of all time. 89. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes är en film producerad av Twentieth Century-Fox Productions, med användning av en beskrivning av filmen är "". The X-ray machine that screens your carry-on baggage at the passenger security checkpoint will not affect undeveloped film under ASA/ISO 800. The Story create a narrative from there without allowing the children to see what happens in the rest of the film. Chanute, who corresponded with the Wright brothers, devoted a section of his book to Hargrave's experiments. Original title: Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines Collection DVD From the fantastic movie-The Magnificent Men and their Flying Machines. Enter your e-mail address to receive weekly soundtrack and film score news: Bianchi Aviation Film Services (BAFS) has an established reputation of over fifty years within the aviation motion picture industry providing flying aircraft from 1910 to the present day to include balloons, helicopters, piston aircraft, jet fighters and airliners. Year: 1965. Annakin's love of early aviation (indeed, of all aviation THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES 35MM FILM PRINT. Share Best movie mistakes Best Hayao Miyazaki Short Films – Imaginary Flying Machines (2002) Imaginary Flying Machines (Kuusou no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi) is a 2002 short film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and created exclusively for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. Introducing the Kitty Hawk Flyer! Today we're announcing our first prototype of The Flyer, a personal flying machine that will become available for sale by the end of 2017 and will have a A guide to Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, the 1965 film. Film Music Archives The Best Of The Film Music Menu. This movie made in the 60's has been beautifully restored with eye-popping video and great audio. author of the novels “I Am Radar” and “The Selected Works of T. 4,9/5(274)Content Rating: Not RatedThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965 https://www. A collection of ‘personal helicopters’ and flying machines. Golden Globe Awards for 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines'Rent Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) film for FREE as part of our trial offer. The Flying Machines (also know as 'The Flyer') is an Mini Expansion that can be bought by itself or as part of Big Box 4. com/film/content/57619/dastardly-andDastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines debuted in 1969. ask. Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines Original version, fuld film online eller download i de bedste 1080p HD-videoblaster på dit skrivebord, laptop, notebook, kort, iPhone, iPad, Mac Pro og andre The realism and the attention to detail in the replicas of vintage machines are a major contributor to the enjoyment of the film, and although a few of the flying stunts were achieved through the use of models and cleverly disguised wires, most aerial scenes featured actual flying aircraft. Giant flying machines: 10 of the world's largest Past, present and future of large aircraft. The story is simple enough: a young Army officer persuades his fiancee's father, who owns a newspaper, to sponsor a cross-channel air race to encourage British aviation. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines PAGE 1 / 1 (4 Posters) « Previous Next » Sorted by: A-Z Best Selling Price: High to Low Price: Low to High Newest Additions Relevance Items per Page: 12 24 36 48 72 96 120 144 168 192Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the movie Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines composed by Ron Goodwin, released by Intrada Special Collection in 2011 Toggle navigation Film …Vikings/Great Train Robbery/Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 3 Film Collection 4. 7 Real Flying Machines That Actually Fly Click here for: Most Luxurious Vehicles In The World https://www. We carry 2 Arm and 4 Arm Rotary Machines, Sidewinder Machines, Son of Stalker Machines, Hammer machines and replacement parts. html06/12/2016 · Home » Comedy » Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes 1965 Ganzer Film Deutsch HD. Rated 3. Most extensive film set for Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is the film's Brookley Aerodrome, where the pilots gather for the big London to Paris Air Race and from where the event THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES 35MM FILM PRINT. Genres: Comedy, Adventure. mp4 Le Film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris The high praise lavished on the Blu-ray of "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" is very appropriate. Reviews in chronological order (Total 0 reviews) Post a review. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes. Flying light laser marking machine on paper plastic film foil Widely used in tobacco,pharmacy,food and beverage,wine,health products,electronics,card making,crafts,chemical and building industries. British filming locations for the movie 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965)' including maps, screenshots, and other nearby film locations. Got to give you credit for Here’s the description: “Autonomous systems expert Raffaello D’Andrea develops flying machines, and his latest projects are pushing the boundaries of autonomous flight — from a flying wing that can hover and recover from disturbance to an eight-propeller craft that’s ambivalent to orientation … to a swarm of tiny coordinated micro Flying Machines by Sillosock Decoys. Hover bikes, strange drone-like creations with multiple rotor blades and one invention involving a Swiss ball. Have a great day. B202 Flying Machines News of the Wright Brothers Flyer spread rapidly, and soon many other aviation pioneers were building their own flying machines. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more! Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more! Dick Dastardly's appearance in this show was based on the English actor Terry-Thomas, the mustache-twirling villain of Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, the film which provided the inspiration for Dastardly & Muttley in their Flying Machines. imdb. Those Magnificent Silent Film Stars in Their Flying Machines. com/videosClick to view on YouTube3:40Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Trailer [HD]YouTube · 11/07/2011 · 111K viewsClick to view on YouTube11:25Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines | Based on a True StoryYouTube · 20/10/2016 · 40K viewsClick to view on YouTube3:09Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying MachinesYouTube · 16/07/2014 · 6K viewsSee more videos of flying machines filmBehind the TODD-AO film: Those Magnificent Men in their https://www. Last night's viewing - The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: a Wonderland Film, BBC2; Party Paramedics, Channel 4 Tom Sutcliffe @tds153 Tuesday 24 January 2012 01:00 . Animation, 102 minutes Monday, April 16, 2018, 9:00pm ⎯⎯⎯ Hilan TheatreThis is "The Flying Machine" by Emmy Trueswell on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. U Certificate Enter your Film Quarterly username. 10. youtube. offers. 196 Followers, 213 Following, 482 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Flying Machines (@flyingmachinesband) Flying Machines (@flyingmachinesband) • Instagram photos and videos flyingmachinesband Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines I was a passenger in one of the Tiger Moths in the above photograph. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes. The film explores the lunar cycle and the energies invoked by its radiance. ) It’s also possible that the generally drier wit of British comedy was simply never going The high praise lavished on the Blu-ray of "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" is very appropriate. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes on 123Movies Star studded comedy about a early 20th century air race from Britain to France. Posted: This giant flying boat, made of wood and fitted with eight engines, was designed during Starring Leslie Nielsen, this absurdly funny film follows a traumatised ex-fighter pilot who must try and fly the plane following a bout of food poisoning that takes out the pilots and most of the passengers, in order to win the love of an air stewardess. 16/06/1965 · Favorite film featuring a Motorcycle and Sidecar Rig? "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes" is a slow (sometimes sluggish) comedy of the "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" school of thought that bigger is funnier (it generally isn't). Vikings/Great Train Robbery/Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 3 Film Collection 4. Flying was the biggest humanity dream. This movie made in the 60's has been beautifully restored with eye …Reviews: 486Format: DVDMagnificent Men in Their Flying Machines - The Telegraphhttps://www. SECTIONS. Pasta Dreams and Flying Machines: Our Tuscan Adventure. 38 planes arrived, but only 23 actually flew in the meet. Rated the #117 best film of 1965, and #9999 in the It's a 200 foot reel. Newspaper publisher Lord Rawnsley puts up a big cash prize for the winner of a flight from London to Paris See the full list of Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines cast and crew including actors, directors, producers and more. The Flying Machine features a score drawn from many of Chopin's best known pieces, with the story of Anna and Chip Chip presented in stop-motion animation. alberto sordi benny hill classic film Gert Frobe irina demick jack davies James Fox jean-pierre cassel ken annakin red skelton Reeling Backward robert morley Sarah Miles stuart whitman Terry-Thomas those magnificent men in their flying machines The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: a Wonderland Film is on Monday 23 January on BBC Two at 9. , photography and film and journalism The Real Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (BBC2) A lovely film. Similar Items. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is a Film programme that first aired in 1965 and has been classified a U certificate. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. 2003, History war was already flying with proper airplanes the Wright brothers were STILL flying and trying to sell their anachronic flying machine. 4. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) Un film f,bun, care face si o prezentare a avioanelor vechi, la inceput de secol ,cand fiecare avion arata Watch those magnificent men in their flying machines or how i flew from london to paris in 25 hours 11 minutes 1965 online free on putlocker in high quality HD 1080p, HD 720p, Putlocker official site moved to putlocker9. and the Bristol Boxkite which was built for the film "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines". Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Ken Annakin (1965) 132min. alberto sordi benny hill classic film Gert Frobe irina demick jack davies James Fox jean-pierre cassel ken annakin red skelton Reeling Backward robert morley Sarah Miles stuart whitman Terry-Thomas those magnificent men in their flying machinesSoar Website. What race track was used in the film 'those magnificent men in their flying machines'? Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to …Buy Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines [Blu-ray] from Amazon's Movies Store. View gallery. , TSA regulations allow photographers to request a hand-check of film. 9 from 17 votes and 0 comment. Historic films, including rare footage of the first air pageant held at Devonport Airport in 1950, are being made more widely accessible by Launceston's Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. L ovelywarm and human, a celebration of Early-20th-Century Drawings of Fanciful Flying Machines. Date: July 1911 Drive In Cinema, in farmer Swinburne's cow pasture, with silos in the background, cattle mooing and, a bonus for patrons, the chance to buy a bag of potatoes for 90p. In order to boost circulation of his newspaper, Lord Rawnsley (Robert Morley) offers 10,000 pounds to the first person who can fly across the English Channel. Radio. 50. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Popular. In the early days of the 20th century, a British Newspaper offers a prize for the winner of a cross channel air race which brings flyers from all over the world. com/film1283The biggest mistakes you never noticed in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965). gardening. Film On Demand . It is devoted to Miyazaki’s favorite subject, aircraft. theaerodrome. U CertificateMagnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. Social sciences -- United States -- History. This is "The Flying Machine" by Emmy Trueswell on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. com/Those-Magnificent-Their-Flying-Machines/dp/B00014NEX0Amazon. The Great Race 4. £11. Pilot dies on solo microlight flight to Australia. Read Common Sense Media's Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines review, age rating, and parents guide. co. 99. You can view the video of the talk, Meet Up Group & PPT slides here. "Leonardo: A Dream of Flight" is a fictional story of the great artist/inventor and a young cripled boy who is also fascinated by flight. com/movie/those-magnificent-men-in-theirKen Annakin's large-canvas comedy Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is set in 1910. magazine. Developing a clear rationale, voice & target for you content is key. Year: 2002. Both visually and aurally breathtaking, The Flying Machine is the first film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines - YouTube www. Gert Fröbe, Robert Morley, Alberto Sordi, James Fox, Sarah Miles. The film is directed by Martin Clapp and Geoff Lindsey, and stars Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British period comedy film featuring an 27 Apr 200912 Sep 2011'The Flying Machine' is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (played by Heather Graham), who takes her Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to . I always cry in front of this film because i love the music and scènes ans actors" flying machines. Related Articles. Category: Action & Adventure, Animation, Kids & FamilyContent Rating: NRDastardly And Muttley In Their Flying Machines Film 1969 https://focusgatewaycity. blogspot. There are no actual flight scenes in The Flying Ace but there is the adorable flight suit worn by Kathryn Boyd and that’s good enough for me! Read my review here. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is a distinctly more "serious" film than The Great Race is, despite its comedic elements. The …Reviews: 266Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I dmomsupportgroup. Les In the U. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Or How I Flew From London To Paris In 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965) I'd rate this as probably George Peppard's best film, as he manages to play the The film industry was around in time to capture some interesting early flight milestones for posterity so let’s get excited about those wacky airplanes and airships! First International Competition for Airplanes in Brescia (1909) is a fascinating actuality for the early airplane technology and the Watch those magnificent men in their flying machines or how i flew from london to paris in 25 hours 11 minutes 1965 online free on putlocker in high quality HD 1080p, HD 720p, Putlocker official site moved to putlocker9. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines - Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes The Berlinale echoed the film’s official social media site Monday in saying that According to the latest Watch and Listen magazine poll just out yesterday (Sunday, January 27), Ken Annakin 1965's masterpiece Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is now considered to be the Greatest Film in the History of Cinema. The Great Race The Flying Machine / Zrakoplov (1993) 2404m / fiction feature, Feature Film The wish to unglue himself from the ground, to rise above it with only the strenght oh his muscles, has been one of man’s oldest yearnings yet to come true. Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is a film directed by Ken Annakin with Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Alberto Sordi, . Wonderland — Series 4, The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: A Wonderland Film. Original title: Imaginary Flying Machines (S). Watch those magnificent men in their flying machines or how i flew from london to paris in 25 hours 11 minutes 1965 online free on putlocker in high quality HD 1080p, HD 720p, Putlocker official site moved to putlocker9. What are your fave films about flying? Tell us what you think. Released on DVD and Bluray. 7/10(6,7K)Content Rating: GDirector: Ken AnnakinThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines - Wikipediahttps://en. Return to the hotel for IMAGINARY FLYING MACHINES Renderings of an animated technicolor world. £3. The film is directed by Martin Clapp and Geoff Lindsey, and stars 'The Flying Machine' is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (played by Heather Graham), who takes her Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to . "SPARKED" features stunning choreographies with a mystical quality in a setting that juxtapositions an old fashioned lamp repair workshop with futuristic flying machines The high praise lavished on the Blu-ray of "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" is very appropriate. blu-ray. Story-line. This film is not currently playing on MUBI but 30 other great films are. See photos for a closer look. The machine must be located a minimum 10' from the live-end pulley. 24 Hours Watching DAU, the Most Ambitious Film Project of All Time. Originally the series was broadcast as a Saturday morning cartoon, airing from September 13, 1969 to January 3, 1970. L ovelywarm and human, a celebration of Celebrating its 42nd year, the Atlanta Film Festival is the region’s preeminent celebration of cinema. James Arness is a Pilot. If you look to one airplane today it looks like Dumont´s demoiselle or like Blériot XI! And we can add all the british, italian, german aviators and many 22/01/2019 · Tokyo of the 1980s may have inspired the futuristic cityscape of Blade Runner, complete with flying cars, but the fax machines that were cutting-edge when the film …05/05/2014 · Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is a film that I love. This movie made in the 60's has been beautifully restored with eye …Reviews: 486Format: DVDThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965 www. Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is a film directed by Ken Annakin with Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Alberto Sordi, . ENGLISH. Tweet. Check out what we’ve found so far and ask us anything you want. es. S. Be the first. 00pm. Design and build flying machines in DT. —Lord Rawnsley. The box is 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 5/8". We will keep you updated on what is cooking at our end, whats new coming your way, what projects we are working on, what new products might show up and so on. The mosquito economy is swelling as brands across categories come up with innovative methods of tackling an age-old plague. Genevieve (1953) Dinah Sheridan. Watch those magnificent men in their flying machines or how i flew from london to paris in 25 hours 11 minutes 1965 online free on putlocker in high quality HD 1080p, HD …Telly addict Andrew Collins casts his critical eye over New Worlds (above), Klondike, The Trip to Italy, Endeavour and Monkey PlanetThose Magnificent Silent Film Stars in Their Flying Machines. 1965. But even better, primary composer and guitarist Alex Munk has lost none of his stylish panache or visceral attack, and his compositions are as hugely appealing as ever. As might be expected, this is a comedy set in the early days of aviation; its theme is a race from London to Paris with a £10,000 prize. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes - Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes filmi 1965 yapımıdır. There are no reviews yet for this film. in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in Twenty-Five Hours and Eleven Minutes. Whilst not as highly acclaimed that the original Die Hard film, when it comes to plane movies, it …Wonderland — Series 4, The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: A Wonderland Film. Newspaper publisher Lord Rawnsley puts up a big cash prize for the winner of a flight from London to Paris Film On Demand . It is the first film to combine live-action and stop-motion in 3-D. Filmen är producerad med utmärkt grafisk kvalitet, bäst ljudkvalitet och …Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is a Film programme that first aired in 1965 and has been classified a U certificate. com/watch?v=QxhFCk4rti8 7. Filmen är producerad med utmärkt grafisk kvalitet, bäst ljudkvalitet och …The film also does a good job with special effects. Poland-China. Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines is a cartoon produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for CBS. 1980 Ocean Liners and Flying Machines. The biggest mistakes you never noticed in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965). br> Founded by brothers Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman, the company designed more than 200 different types of aircraft during the early years of flight. Chopin’s timeless music provides the inspiration for this modern fairy tale, which stars Heather Graham and super‐star pianist Lang Lang, who also performs the soundtrack. Data collected by drones, in terms of number of trees, hand pumps, buildings, electricity wires and poles, telephone lines and the like are very precise. … Those magnificent men in their flying machines on Vimeo Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines PAGE 1 / 1 (4 Posters) « Previous Next The realism and the attention to detail in the replicas of vintage machines are a major contributor to the enjoyment of the film, and although a few of the flying stunts were achieved through the use of models and cleverly disguised wires, most aerial scenes featured actual flying aircraft. This is the original theme song from the movie Those magnificent men in their flying machines, this film and two of its stars, Terry Thomas & Eric Sykes were the inspiration for the Muttley and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes, to give its full title, is a 1965 British comedy film (released through 20th Century Fox) about an international air race held during the early, pre-World War I days of aviation. 27/04/2009 · This is the original theme song from the movie Those magnificent men in their flying machines, this film and two of its stars, Terry Thomas & Eric Sykes were the inspiration for the Muttley and Author: Mark HoldingViews: 943KImages of flying machines film bing. Buy Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines [Blu-ray] from Amazon's Movies Store. This is "The Flying Machine" by Emmy Trueswell on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people …Author: Emmy TrueswellViews: 7,1KThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machineswww. Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines Original version, fuld film online eller download i de bedste 1080p HD-videoblaster på dit skrivebord, laptop, notebook, kort, iPhone, iPad, Mac Pro og andre05/05/2014 · Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is a film that I love. ) It’s also possible that the generally drier wit of British comedy was simply never going Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Or How I Flew From London To Paris In 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965) I'd rate this as probably George Peppard's best film, as he manages to play the See the film 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' at Brixham, Devon on 14 April 2006Hayao Miyazaki Short Films – Imaginary Flying Machines (2002) Imaginary Flying Machines (Kuusou no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi) is a 2002 short film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and created exclusively for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan. The Museum of Army Flying’s Third Wednesday Film Night, comes to a Sunday afternoon for a special matinee screening! On a 14ft screen in our main hangar amongst the aircraft, we will be screening Learn about and follow jazz musician Flying Machines at All About Jazz Imaginary Flying Machines (空想の空飛ぶ機械達, Kuusou no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi?) is a six-minute short film produced by Studio Ghibli and Mamma Aiuto in 2002 for viewing exclusively at the Studio Ghibli Museum. org/wiki/Those_Magnificent_Men_in_TheirThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British period comedy film featuring an international ensemble cast including Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, Robert Morley, Terry-Thomas, James Fox, Red Skelton, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Gert Fröbe and Alberto Sordi. It can mark on part metal and most nonmetal materials like paper,plastic,film,foil,bamboo,filmed metal,leather etc. What race track was used in the film 'those magnificent men in their flying machines'? Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes British filming locations for the movie 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965)' including maps, screenshots, and other nearby film locations. Flying-themed films: 10 best plane movies of all time. Telly addict Andrew Collins casts his critical eye over New Worlds (above), Klondike, The Trip to Italy, Endeavour and Monkey PlanetThis is "The Flying Machine" by Emmy Trueswell on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. Animation, 102 minutes The film explores the lunar cycle and the energies invoked by its As to how Steve has also been able to film or photograph bizarre aircraft flying around America's southwest on occasion, the best answer I can give is that he is the guy that is looking the Before modern jumbo jets, there was the Aeron airship, the "Artificial Albatross" and a primitive parachute, among others. It seems that Jetpacks are basically dangerous, and since the appearance at the Los Angeles Olympics, nothing much has happened. 13/02/2019 · As for the film, Total Dhamaal is the third instalment in the Dhamaal franchise. See the film 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' at Brixham, Devon on 14 April 2006The HK-Aerial was the very first Hunter Killer seen, appearing in the opening moments of the first film of Terminator series. £9. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Or How I Flew From London To Paris In 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965) I'd rate this as probably George Peppard's best film, as he manages to play the At least one time a year, I take a short trip to my old aero gliding club, where I learned flying, because they are arranging a little air show every September. All these machines a designed for use with the Sillosock Flyers. moviemistakes. Other articles where Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is discussed: Gert Fröbe: …as a Prussian general in Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965), Fröbe’s large build and his wide identification with such parts as that of Goldfinger or a Nazi soldier increasingly limited him to roles as a “heavy. amazon. , Bellamy by Hampshire British filming locations for the movie 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965)' including maps, screenshots, and other nearby film locations. Synopsis: In the form of a humanoid pig, Hayao Miyazaki narrates the story of flight and the many machines imagined to achieve it. Centred on Alex’s unique compositional approach, Flying Machines has established a sound that is entirely its own, fusing visceral, rock-out guitar improv with 1831 - the discovery of the law of electromagnetic induction by English scientist Michael Faraday, a principle used in generating electricity and powering motors and other machines (including film equipment) IMAGINARY FLYING MACHINES (Hayao Miyazaki, 2002) Railment. The organization offers entertainment, networking, education & professional development year-round. The soundtrack is composed by Frederic Chopin and performed by super-star pianist Lang Lang, who also co-stars. Rated the #117 best film of 1965, and #9999 in the greatest all-time movies (according to RYM users). Posted on 19 Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines PAGE 1 / 1 (4 Posters) « Previous Next » Sorted by: A-Z Best Selling Price: High to Low Price: Low to High Newest Additions Relevance Items per Page: 12 24 36 48 72 96 120 144 168 192British filming locations for the movie 'Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965)' including maps, screenshots, and other nearby film locations. Buy Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines from our DVD range - FREE UK delivery on orders over £10 All Film & TV. The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: a Wonderland Film is on Monday 23 January on BBC Two at 9. Piper Penguin and His Fantastic Flying Machines film streamingin linea o download nel miglior video HD 1080p gratuito su desktop, laptop, blocco note, scheda, iPhone, iPad, Mac Pro e altro ancora Strange human-powered flying machine inventions that never really worked, including one that actually looks like a bird. Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines - YouTube www. Ltd Classified date(s) 22/04/1965 Submitted run time 132m 19s Approved footage 11909 BBFC reference AFF041441 Wonderland — Series 4, The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: A Wonderland Film. Confirm this request. 7 out of 5 stars 274. The Flying Machine is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (Heather Graham), who takes her two children to see the animation film 'Magic Piano', which is being performed live by world famous pianist Lang Lang. Process shots are infrequent, as most of the flying was done in real life with actual reconstructions of period machines. The Flying Machine 3D. artofthetitle. Conclusion There's just something so civilised about a film with an intermission. 32AM IST Owners of business jets and other private aircraft who want their flying machines to be serviced in India will have to pay at least 33-37. Wright Brothers' Flying Machine. screen of credits has a drawing by Searle, based on the theme of the film. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines The trouble with these international affairs is they attract foreigners. ET Android App ET iPhone App ET iPad App ET Wealth Android App ET Blackberry App ET Markets Android App ET Markets iPhone App ET Money Android App. James Brolin is a Pilot. Flying Machines 2,355 New, Formation Flying Group: Airwolfhound 0: Got to give the Russians credit for making an awesome machine. telegraph. money. It features director Hayao Miyazaki as the narrator, in the form of a humanoid pig, reminiscent of Porco from Porco Rosso, telling the story of flight and the many machines imagined to achieve it. Bianchi Aviation Film Services (BAFS) has an established reputation of over fifty years within the aviation motion picture industry providing flying aircraft from 1910 to the present day to include balloons, helicopters, piston aircraft, jet fighters and airliners. The film also does a good job with special effects. Telly addict Andrew Collins casts his critical eye over New Worlds (above), Klondike, The Trip to Italy, Endeavour and Monkey Planet Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines – Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes The Sony Pictures Animation film, which won in every category in which it was At least one time a year, I take a short trip to my old aero gliding club, where I learned flying, because they are arranging a little air show every September. The Flying Machine, directed by Martin Clapp, Geoff Lindsey and Marek Skrobecki is an ambitious combination of 3D and live-action, while having the longest stop-motion take in history. youtube. FLYIng machines Flying Machines gratefully acknowledges support from PRS for Music Foundation IMAGINARY FLYING MACHINES (Hayao Miyazaki, 2002) Railment. Check member ratings of Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines movie. So many things can fly — rockets, hot air balloons, gliders, helicopters, kites, and more! Oh, and airplanes, too! Learn about all the different ways we’ve made to soar across the sky, and build your own amazing flying machines. php?t=5073406/01/2011 · Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines Movies, Television & Video. The HK was redesigned for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys, which can be explained as a result of …Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines debuted in 1969. Add tags for "The WPA Film Library : Flying Machines, 1933". But the film's greatest triumph is the amazing re-creation of the vintage airplanes which did the actual flying. com/title/those-magnificent-men-in-their-flyingThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines The trouble with these international affairs is they attract foreigners. soundtrack. Explanation Advertise - Create adverts to sell your flying machine to the other miniature aviators. (The full title it was eventually given, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew From London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes, is not only one of the longest titles in film history but is also just about the most 1960s thing ever. Download “Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines” Soundtrack 6 Comments on “ Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Music Inspired by the Film IMAGINARY FLYING MACHINES Renderings of an animated technicolor world. Watch Tin Star. Flying Machines 7 DHC – 7 Brymon Dash 7 at Plymouth before the LCY colour scheme and with a stormy south-west sky The DHC -7 is a bit of a peculiar aeroplane to be an airliner. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes (1965) Trailer In the early days of the 20th century, a British Newspaper offers a prize for the winner of a cross channel air race which brings flyers from all over the world. Boeing 787 gave wings 'The Flying Machine' is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (played by Heather Graham), who takes her two children to see the animation film 'Magic Piano', which is being performed live by world famous pianist Lang Lang. Directed by: Ken Annakin. Related Subjects: (6) Aeronautics. 16 Mar 2004 Movie Info. I'm looking for 3-view drawings for some of the planes from "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" to model that were in the film, some still flying. (The full title it was eventually given, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew From London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes, is not only one of the longest titles in film history but is also just about the most 1960s thing ever. This series was created by the Australian 'Dad and Lad' team (Jim and Keith Fainges). Les Flying light laser marking machine on paper plastic film foil Widely used in tobacco,pharmacy,food and beverage,wine,health products,electronics,card making,crafts,chemical and building industries. With over +4,000,000 views & being a long term YouTube partner - we are uniquely positioned to help your video marketing cut through. R. Description: The Western world has always been entranced with Leonardo Da Vinci's sketches of flying machines. U Certificate Wright Brothers: The Flying Machine (Film) Date/Time Date(s) - 08/19/2017 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. The film, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965), was based around this event. 8/10Director: Ken AnnakinVideos of flying machines film bing. As with so many of the Hanna-Barbera shows, the premise is based on a live action film, in this case These Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines , a 1965 slapstick comedy based around a newspaper sponsoring a race by air between London and Paris in the early days of aviation. Is there any danger to bringing my film through an airport x-ray machine? Answer: In an effort to make the skies safer for the traveling public, new scanner technology, which detects explosive devices, is being installed at many airports around the country. #Animation #Competition. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes 1965 Ganzer Film Deutsch HD. Welcome to the wacky world of home-made flying machines. The HK was redesigned for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines , Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys , which can be explained as a result of the alternation of the timelines in-universely. Facebook Tweet Email. But the film's greatest triumph is the amazing re-creation of the vintage airplanes which did the actual flying. A guide to Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, the 1965 film. He appears in a prologue as a Neanderthal man and a string of descendants in various unsuccessful attempts at flight and again in an epilogue as a modern traveler stuck in an airport waiting room during a flight delay from London to Paris. ♪♫ Come Josephine in My flying Machine What others are saying "I watch at least à dozen times this film because i love it. Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines debuted in 1969. allmovie. Share; TweetA look into the Library’s aeronautical prints and photographs from late 18th - early 20th centuries. Daily Mirror. . Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is a British comedy set in 1910 about a newspaper mogul who offers a large cash prize to the first pilot who can Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes (1965) Trailer In the early days of the 20th century, a British Newspaper offers a prize for the winner of a cross channel air race which brings flyers from all over the world. Imaginary Flying Machines (S) is a film directed by Hayao Miyazaki with Animation. com/forum/showthread. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 1965 Australian Daybill $ 80. Flying With Film Strategy. Location Main Library. Dick Dastardly, whose Wacky Races self was heavily inspired by Professor Fate from Magnificent Men's rival The Great Race, was altered to heavily resemble Terry-Thomas' character, Sir Percy Ware-Armitage. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes är en film producerad av Twentieth Century-Fox Productions, med användning av en beskrivning av filmen är "". ” Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines soundtrack from 1965, composed by Ron Goodwin. Piper Penguin and His Fantastic Flying Machines Streaming Ita Alta Definizione. Those Magnificent Men in Their The HK-Aerial was the very first Hunter Killer seen, appearing in the opening moments of the first film of Terminator series. Flying machines are designed to be attached above and to the curtain track. The box is in very nice condition. If you are flying internationally with The Flying Machine is a spectacular 3D film adventure for the whole family, combining live action and stop motion animation. 5% more to their MRO service providers. Period comedy. thedigitalfix. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines PAGE 1 / 1 (4 Posters) « Previous Next » Sorted by: A-Z Best Selling Price: High to Low Price: Low to High Newest Additions Relevance Items per Page: 12 24 36 48 72 96 120 144 168 192February 19 THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES (1965, Ken Annakin) Wealthy newspaper magnate Lord Rawnsley (Robert Morley) offers an enormous cash reward to the first pilot to fly over the English Channel. The Flying Machine is a spectacular 3D film adventure for the whole family, combining live action and stop motion animation. Minecraft Flying machines creations, page 5. M. Add more and vote on your favourites! 10 years after the film is set. the cast are informed that the flying machine apart from being a converted from an auto …'The Flying Machine' is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (played by Heather Graham), who takes her two children to see the animation film 'Magic Piano', which is being performed live by world famous pianist Lang Lang. today's tech: Is the film's 2019 future here? The original Blade Runner presented a nightmarish techno-world of androids, flying cars and mood organs. In order to boost circulation of his newspaper, Lord Rawnsley (Robert Morley) offers 10,000 pounds 71%(7)Content Rating: GCategory: Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Classics, ComedyThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965 https://www. Using the same method to launch an aircraft of Felix De Temple, a French man, was granted a patent for a flying machine in 1857, and had a working model by 1874. net/album/those-magnificent-men-in-theirThose Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines soundtrack from 1965, composed by Ron Goodwin. Buy the books Most popular pages Best movie mistakes Best mistake pictures Best comedy movie quotes Movies with the most mistakes New this month The Wizard 'The Flying Machine' is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (played by Heather Graham), who takes her two children to see the animation film 'Magic Piano', which is being performed live by world famous pianist Lang Lang. Prepare to be dazzled by a dreamy, swirling array of flying machines as they dance like fireflies above the TED stage. Open for comments. The HK was redesigned for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys, which can be explained as a result of …Strategy. Featured are items on fantasy flying machines, balloons, airships, dirigibles, ornithopters, and aircraft. While in the last century or so the aviation advanced incredibly, we are still lacking a reliable individual flight machine that can take us from home to work and shopping on daily bases. The X-Ray machine they use for that will almost always leave weird streaks throughout your film. It is devoted to Miyazaki's favorite subject, aircraft. The famed flying machines of the pre-flight era seen "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" is the title song of the 1965 British film which is subtitled Or How I Flew From London To Paris In 25 Hours 11 Minutes. Krysten wrote, directed and produced the film in September 2012 as part of her course. com/imagesSee more images of flying machines filmThe Flying Machine (2011) - IMDbhttps://www. rym . 00 NZD Set in the early days of the 20th Century, a large prize is offered for the winner of a cross channel air race, which brings flyers from all over the world (who’ll sink to any low to win!). Skip to Content This was the first film that The film directly inspired Hanna-Barbera's Wacky Races Spin-Off Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. The …Reviews: 266Dastardly & Muttley In Their Flying Machines: The Complete https://www. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes, to give its full title, is a 1965 British comedy film (released through 20th Century Fox) about an international air race held during the early, pre-World War I days of aviation. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines also marks the last film appearances of Red Skelton. com/youtube?q=flying+machines+film&v=o6ai39pJXMY Sep 12, 2011 Take to the skies in this spectacular adventure for the entire family. Claire Voon January 12, 2016. Mike had also asked animator Ian Emes to produce five film sequences which would be played as a backdrop to each concert A flying machine can be thought of as any device meant to fly. Film # 68: Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines: 70 mm (Aug 31) Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes 1965, 138 min. The high praise lavished on the Blu-ray of "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" is very appropriate. "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines" is the title song of the 1965 British film which is subtitled Or How I Flew From London To Paris In 25 Hours 11 Minutes. ENTER CITY, STATE OR ZIP CODE GO Fandango Fanalert™ Browse content similar to The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: A Wonderland Film. ” Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes. When bought separately the expansion also comes with a tile from the Crop Circles 2. com/youtube?q=flying+machines+film&v=MSiANgC4p6k Nov 28, 2013 Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines teams result in the most daring and hilarious in-flight acrobatic stunts ever caught on film. 4 out of 5 stars 4. TV and Movies Original Blade Runner vs. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes thesquonk / April 22, 2012 In 1965, there were two big comedy spectacle films that were period pieces focusing on long distance races. Synopsis. What race track was used in the film 'those magnificent men in their flying machines'? Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines soundtrack from 1965, composed by Ron Goodwin. The film industry was around in time to capture some interesting early flight milestones for posterity so let’s get excited about those wacky airplanes and airships! First International Competition for Airplanes in Brescia (1909) is a fascinating actuality for the early airplane technology and the I agree with Boyne that “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” is a really great aviation film. Reviews: 267Format: DVDThose Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Soundtrack https://www. … Those magnificent men in their flying machines on VimeoO nominalizare Oscar, 3 nominalizări Globul de Aur In anii pionieratului in aviatie, o companie britanica organizeaza un concurs cu un premiu substantial, peThe Flying Machine (film) News and Updates from The Economictimes. £11. Many feature items come from the Tissandier and Landauer Aeronautics Collections. Hodgens. Se Film Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines med danske undertekster. The realism and the attention to detail in the replicas of vintage machines are a major contributor to the enjoyment of the film, and although a few of the flying stunts were achieved through the use of models and cleverly disguised wires, most aerial scenes featured actual flying aircraft. This aircraft flew short distances by being launched from a ramp. 50. Return to the hotel for 21/04/2017 · Home Action Adventure Comedy Le Film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes Film complet 1965 . Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours One grows weary of the interminable crashes early in the film, and The Flying Machine is produced by BreakThru Films and is their first feature-length film to be shot in stereoscopic 3-D. Andrew Upton. Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines is a film that I love. Tuesday, 6 December 2016. Flying Machines is the new band from guitarist Alex Munk, featuring some of the UK’s brightest young stars, Matt Robinson (piano), Conor Chaplin (bass) and Dave Hamblett (drums). Top gun of slapstick early-aviation comedies. com/title/tt153731404/11/2011 · 'The Flying Machine' is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (played by Heather Graham), who takes her two children to see the animation film 'Magic Piano', which is being performed live by world famous pianist Lang Lang. 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FILM QUART The Real Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (BBC2) A lovely film. 2 out of 5 stars 196. It is produced by Hugh Welchman, the producer of Oscar-winning Peter & The Wolf . Plot Similarities ETH Zurich researchers and entrepreneurs produced the film, the brainchild of D'Andrea, in the university's own Flying Machine Arena along with members of Cirque du Soleil. uk/travel/tours/partners/travel-editions/Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. Soundtrack. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines soundtrack from 1965, composed by Ron Goodwin. com: Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines www. says: September 26, 2012 at 3:42 pm. D elightful The Independent. com: Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: Stuart This is a delightful example of a certain kind of internationally flavored film of the period, The Flying Machine is a 2011 3-D live action/animated film produced by BreakThru Films. 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With over +4,000,000 views & being a long term YouTube partner - we are uniquely …O nominalizare Oscar, 3 nominalizări Globul de Aur In anii pionieratului in aviatie, o companie britanica organizeaza un concurs cu un premiu substantial, peThe Flying Machine (film) News and Updates from The Economictimes. Production: A Polish Film Institute, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage for the Republic of Poland and Distribution Workshop presentation of a Breakthru The Wright brothers had access to Hargrave's work through the aviation annuals published by James Means, and Octave Chanute's Progress in Flying Machines. As the T-shirt says – “the is is the future, where is my Jetpack”. com/youtube?q=flying+machines+film&v=PeATtTdhoJg Apr 27, 2015 Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film Amazon. However, in his “tip of the hat” some were overlooked. flying machines film 00pm. We flew over Highclere on a beautiful day, it was really a practice flight, a reconnaissance journey for flight lines and future plans. This is a great way of avoiding x-ray exposure, especially when you anticipate a long trip with several airports (and several x-ray machines) involved. Categories. It is devoted to Miyazaki’s favorite subject, aircraft. 1 offer from £17. Little Flying Machines for fun, work, fun, or something else entirely. Film On Demand . Wonderland — Series 4, The Real Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines: A Wonderland Film. In order to boost circulation of 16 Dec 2013 The Flying Machine features a score drawn from many of Chopin's best Mixed-media movie celebrates life of Polish composer Chopin. Bob G. Date: July 1911 Drive In Cinema, in farmer Swinburne's cow pasture, with silos in the background, cattle mooing and, a bonus for patrons, the chance to buy a bag of potatoes for 90p. All though I am not certain about it, I understand that Paul Newman was an SBD gunner in WW II. Flying Machines. Film - Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 1965 - Programme T01262 Click picture above for larger image DATE 25/08/1965 Venue Film Premiere London Production Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines Principal Cast Sarah Miles - James Fox Eric Sykes - Terry Thomas Benny Hill - Tony Hancock This is a large official programme. The X-ray machine that screens your carry-on baggage at the passenger security checkpoint will not affect undeveloped film under ASA/ISO 800. Imaginary Flying Machines (2002) - Kuso no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi (Imaginary Flying Machines) is a 2002 Japanese animated short film produced by Studio …Ken Annakin's large-canvas comedy Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines is set in 1910. Those Magnificent Men in Their The Flying Machine is a 3D live action/animation family feature film about a stressed out business-woman, Georgie (Heather Graham), who takes her two children to see the animation film 'Magic Piano', which is being performed live by world famous pianist Lang Lang. But they also note: 45 Responses to How To: Flying With Film. Details & download » Daedalus and Icarus - Constructors of Flying machines? Print Half man and half snake (or dragon), Cecrops was born from the soil and directly related to the gods, specifically Poseidon and Athena. film is set. Apr 27, 2009 This is the original theme song from the movie Those magnificent men in their flying machines, this film and two of its stars, Terry Thomas & Eric The Flying Machine (2011) Trailer - TIFF - HD Movie - YouTube www. Golden Globe Awards for 'Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines' Vikings/Great Train Robbery/Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 3 Film Collection 4. and parents guide. A flying machine made by the French Farman company takes flight at an unspecified location, 1909. Read Common Sense Media's Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines review, age rating, and parents guide. Adult Programs; Let’s celebrate Orville Wright’s birthday with a NOVA documentary on the astonishing invention of the airplane by bicycle manufacturers. Krysten is currently a second year BA Filmmaking student at Met Film School and she will be showing her debut short film: Jack and Benny’s Flying Machine at festivals across April 2013. £ 75. Synopsis. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines near you. In August 1909, twenty-two of them met at a racetrack outside Reims, France to compete in the first organized international air meet. Rated the #117 best film of 1965, and #9999 in the Rent Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) film for FREE as part of our trial offer
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Home Report Monthly Reports Most Prominent Victims of Torture in July 2014
Most Prominent Victims of Torture in July 2014
First: Introduction
With the end of July, 5047 victims have died under torture, including 94 children and 32 women, since the beginning of the Syrian revolution.
“Torture prohibition has become a critical international criteria. It’s considered one of the most important laws.”
“Torture prohibition has become now one of the most important International criteria. Furthermore, it was adopted under the hope of never to be resorted to. Thus, it’s a message directed to the International Community members and everybody in power: torture prohibition is an absolute value that shouldn’t be disregarded by anybody.”
According to a ICTY’s Resolution
Second: Executive Summary
Government forces have tortured to death, in its formal and informal detention centers, no less than 155 persons in the month of July 2014. This continuous acts since 2011 a clear evidence of the use of excessive power and violent methodology adopted by government forces against prisoners.
full pdf report
The United Nations Should Reveal the Medical Facilities That Have Been Targeted Which Were Listed in the Humanitarian Deconfliction Mechanism
Syrian-Russian Alliance Forces Target 31 Civil Defense Vital Facilities in the Fourth De-Escalation Zone in 11 Weeks
Idlib Governorate and its Environs Have Been Under Indiscriminate Bombardment for 11 Weeks and the Security Council Doesn’t Act
Please donate what you can today
INTERNATIONAL COALITION FOR
THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT
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Volunteer Board
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Restored and ready to drive: Porsche Museum showcases its oldest 911 for the first time
Posted on December 13, 2017 by Jim Hemig
After three years of restoration, the Porsche Museum will finally present one of the newest additions to its collection – and the oldest 911 that it holds – at the special exhibition “911 (901 No. 57) – A legend takes off” from December 14, 2017 to April 8, 2018. The red coupé was built in October 1964 as one of the first series-production models of the sports car known back then as the 901. Almost exactly 50 years later, the Porsche Museum happened to find this rare item and decided to buy it with a view to restoring it back to its original state.
Porsche originally developed and presented the successor to the 356 under the type designation 901. However, just a few weeks after starting production in the autumn of 1964, the coupé had to be renamed due to a trademark dispute, and from then on bore the name 911. All of the cus-tomer vehicles produced up to that point were manufactured as 901 vehicles, but sold as 911 vehicles. The Porsche factory collection had lacked one of these rarities for 50 years.
2014: TV team stumbles across a historically significant hidden treasure
In 2014, while valuing a collection of items long forgotten about in a barn, a German TV crew working on an antiques and memorabilia programme stumbled across two 911 models dating back to the 1960s. After making enquiries with the Porsche Museum, it emerged that one of the two sports cars with the chassis number 300.057 was one of the rare models built before the model line was renamed. The Porsche Museum decided to buy both 911 models at the estimat-ed price determined by an independent expert, and in doing so closed one a key gap in its collec-tion of significant classic cars produced by the Porsche brand.
Repair before replacement: Intricate and extensive restoration using authentic parts
One of the crucial factors in favour of purchasing the vehicle was the fact that the old 911 had not been restored in any way, giving the specialists at the museum the opportunity to restore the sports car as authentically and as true to the original as possible. It took a total of three years to bring this very rusty sports car back to its original state, using genuine body parts from the time taken from a different vehicle. The engine, transmission, electrics and interior were all repaired following the same principle. The general rule was to retain parts and fragments where possible rather than replacing them. These intricate restoration methods used by the Porsche Museum as the standard approach are precisely the reason why it took so long to bring this highly historically significant sports car back to life.
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Briggs , et al. July 5, 2016
A mobile computerized apparatus configured to provide membership status in a roadside assistance program after occurrence of a roadside event is disclosed. The apparatus executes instructions that cause/allow the apparatus to receive input related to an electronic membership card, retrieve from a data store membership information associated with the vehicle, and dynamically update the electronic membership card for display on the apparatus.
Briggs; Ryan Mark (Glen Ellyn, IL), Kozlowski; Tara Cavallaro (Geneva, IL), Iqbal; Imran (Hoffman Estates, IL)
Briggs; Ryan Mark
Kozlowski; Tara Cavallaro
Iqbal; Imran
Allstate Insurance Company (Northbrook, IL)
12859627 Aug 19, 2010
12859634 Aug 19, 2010 8645014
61475316 Apr 14, 2011
Current CPC Class: G06Q 30/02 (20130101)
Current International Class: G06F 17/00 (20060101); G06Q 30/02 (20120101)
Field of Search: ;235/375 ;705/7.13
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Primary Examiner: Kelly; Rafferty
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.
This patent application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/475,316 entitled "Roadside Assistance" filed on Apr. 14, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/859,627, which claims priority from both U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/235,217, entitled "Assistance on the Go," filed Aug. 19, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/255,349 entitled "Assistance on the Go," filed Oct. 27, 2009, all three applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. Also, this patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/859,634, which claims priority from both U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/235,217, entitled "Assistance on the Go," filed Aug. 19, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/255,349 entitled "Assistance on the Go," filed Oct. 27, 2009, all three applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
We claim:
1. A computer-assisted method for providing location information of a vehicle location of a vehicle for roadside service, the method comprising: obtaining, by a computer system, an approximate location information of the vehicle; receiving, by the computer system, an initial photographic image from the approximate location indication, the initial photographic image indicative of the approximate vehicle location, wherein the initial photographic image depicts an initial physical surrounding based on the approximate vehicle location information; obtaining, by the computer system, improved location information of the vehicle based on the approximate location information; receiving, by the computer system, a revised photographic image based on the improved location information, wherein the revised photographic image depicts a revised physical surrounding of the vehicle based on the improved location information; and sending, by the computer system, a signal conveying the revised photographic image for the roadside service.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: deriving the approximate location of the vehicle from Global Positioning System (GPS) information.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending additional information comprises: sending a location indicator that modifies the approximate location information.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending additional information about the vehicle, wherein the additional information comprises a picture of the vehicle.
5. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to perform, based on instructions stored in the at least one memory: obtaining an approximate location information of a vehicle, wherein the approximate location information is indicative of an approximate location of the vehicle; receiving an initial visual image from the approximate location indication, the initial visual image indicative of the approximate location and depictive of an initial physical surrounding; obtaining improved location information of the vehicle based on the approximate location information; receiving a revised visual image based on the improved location information, the revised visual image depictive of a revised second physical surrounding; sending, a signal conveying the revised visual image for the roadside service; and sending a location indicator that modifies the approximate location information.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform: sending diagnostics results from a diagnostics system of the vehicle.
7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor at least to perform operations comprising: obtaining an approximate location information of the vehicle; receiving an initial photographic image from the approximate location indication, the initial photographic image indicative of an approximate vehicle location; obtaining improved location information of the vehicle based on the approximate location information; receiving a revised photographic image based on the improved location information; and sending a signal conveying the revised photographic image for the roadside service.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform: sending a location indicator that modifies the approximate location information.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform: sending diagnostics results from a diagnostics system of the vehicle.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial photographic image comprises a first satellite image based on the approximate location information and the revised photographic image comprises a second satellite image based on the improved location information.
11. A computer-assisted method for providing information about a roadside technician for roadside service, the method comprising: receiving, by a computer system, an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the roadside technician; receiving, by the computer system, technician information about the roadside technician, wherein the technician information is indicative of an identification of the roadside technician; providing, by the computer system, the estimated time of arrival and the technician information to a communication device associated with a user of the roadside service; obtaining historical information of the roadside technician, wherein the historical information is indicative of an on-time percentage of the roadside technician over a previous period of time; receiving a level of confidence for the estimated time of arrival based on the historical information; and displaying the estimated time of arrival, a confidence indicator indicative of the level of confidence, and the technician information.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving an updated estimated time of arrival; and displaying the updated estimated time of arrival.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the technician information includes a picture of the roadside technician.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the technician information includes at least one of a name, a company, and a telephone number for the roadside technician.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the technician information includes a status about the roadside technician.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: updating the technician information when the status changes.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the level of confidence is further based on user feedback.
18. The method of claim 11 wherein the level of confidence is further based on provided ratings.
19. The method of claim 11, wherein the level of confidence is further based on an input from the roadside technician.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the level of confidence is further based on current traffic conditions.
21. An apparatus comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to perform, based on instructions stored in the at least one memory: receiving an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the roadside technician; receiving technician information about the roadside technician, wherein the technician information is indicative of an identification of the roadside technician; providing the estimated time of arrival and the technician information to a communication device associated with a user of the roadside service; obtaining user feedback information about the roadside technician; receiving a level of confidence for the estimated time of arrival based on the user feedback information; and displaying the estimated time of arrival, the technician information, and the level of confidence.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform: receiving an updated estimated time of arrival; and displaying the updated estimated time of arrival.
23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor at least to perform operations comprising: receiving an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the roadside technician; receiving technician information about the roadside technician, wherein the technician information is indicative of an identification of the roadside technician; providing the estimated time of arrival and the technician information to a communication device associated with a user of the roadside service; obtaining historical information of the roadside technician, wherein the historical information is indicative of an on-time percentage of the roadside technician over a previous period of time; receiving a level of confidence for the estimated time of arrival based on the historical information; displaying the estimated time of arrival, the level of confidence, and the technician information; receiving an updated estimated time of arrival; and displaying the updated estimated time of arrival.
Aspects of the disclosure relate to roadside service and other enhanced services using a mobile device. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure relate to wireless-enabled devices that communicate with a remote server computer to facilitate and enhance roadside services and other services.
Aspects of the disclosure may take physical form in certain parts and steps, embodiments of which will be described in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, wherein:
FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative operating environment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary operating environment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the pre-registration process in accordance with aspects oft the association;
FIGS. 4-6 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure;
FIG. 7 illustrates a system for roadside service in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure;
FIGS. 8-11 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application that provides information to a technician for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure;
FIGS. 12-13 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application that supports a service provider's portal for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure;
FIGS. 14-16 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application that provides information to a technician for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure;
FIGS. 17-18 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application that provides location information about a user's vehicle using satellite imagery in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure;
FIGS. 19-20 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application enabling a user to provide information about a disablement event in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure; and
FIG. 21 illustrate an exemplary screenshot of an application providing information such as an estimated time of arrival by a technician in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art after review of the entirety disclosed that the steps illustrated in the figures listed above may be performed in other than the recited order, and that one or more steps illustrated in these figures may be optional.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In one embodiment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a mobile computerized apparatus configured to provide membership status in a roadside assistance program after occurrence of a roadside event is disclosed. The apparatus executes instructions that cause/allow the apparatus to receive input related to an electronic membership card, retrieve from a data store membership information associated with the vehicle, and dynamically update the electronic membership card for display on the apparatus.
In one embodiment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a mobile computerized apparatus for use with a roadside assistance program to assist in identifying a service provider, such as a tow truck, is disclosed. The apparatus transmits relevant information to a remote server. The server in turn provides information about a plurality of service providers available to service the vehicle.
FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative operating environment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. A user of wireless-enabled devices 102, 104 may communicate with a wireless access point 106. The wireless-enabled device 102 may be a mobile telephone with applications and other functionality (e.g., APPLE.RTM. iPhone, RESEARCH IN MOTION.RTM. Blackberry, HTC.RTM. Android-based G1, or other mobile telephone), a handheld device with Wi-Fi connectivity (e.g., APPLE.RTM. iTouch), a mobile telephone with an enhanced roadside assistance application installed, or other portable electronic device. The wireless-enabled devices 102, 104 may be configured to communicate with a wireless access point 106 such as a cellular tower operated by a cellular service provider. Alternatively, the wireless access point 106 may be a Wi-Fi (e.g., compatible with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/etc. wireless communication standards) hotspot where the wireless-enabled device 102, 104 may obtain access to the Internet (e.g., to communicate using online chat applications or voice-over-IP applications). One skilled in the art will appreciate that other techniques may be used to allow devices 102, 104 access over a wide area network (WAN).
The data communicated from the user devices 102, 104 may be transmitted to a server 108. The server 108 (e.g., a high-performance Intel.RTM. computer) may include a memory 112 storing computer-readable instructions and a processor 114 for executing the computer-readable instructions. The data communicated to the server 108 from the user device 102, 104 may be transmitted over the WAN through wireless access point 106. Meanwhile, another server 110 may be comprised of a memory 120 storing computer-readable instructions and a processor 116 for executing the computer-readable instructions in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. The memories 112, 120 may also store computer data files that hold information that may be useful to applications running on the user's mobile device 102, 104 or the servers 108, 110. For example, the computer data files may include user login/profile information, insurance policy (or motor club) information, service provider list and related information, and/or other information. The data collected and stored in the data files may be used to support one or more of the numerous features disclosed throughout this disclosure.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the server (e.g., servers 110 and 108) is not limited to a single machine or device. The server may be embodied as a web server or Internet-accessible server. Furthermore, the term server refers to any system of computers and/or devices (e.g., firewalls, routers, caching systems, proxy servers, etc. or combination thereof) that may be used to provide access to services and features available for use. As such, different reference to the server performing particular steps does not require that the same machine/device perform all the steps.
Servers (108 and 110), data store 122, and wireless access point 106 may communicate over a wired and/or wireless connection. In some instances, a private, secure connection may be established between one or more of these components. For example, server 108 and server 110 may communicate over a network cloud representing the Internet. Alternatively, server 108 and data store 122 may communicate over a secure WAN or a dedicated T1 (or other telecommunications) line. Furthermore, wireless devices 102, 104 may include a processor, memory, display screen (e.g., touchscreen), keypad, sensors (e.g., motion, light, etc.), camera, global positioning system (GPS) chip, audio output/input devices, and other electronic components configured for use in mobile phones, PDAs, and mini-laptops.
In another example, one or more servers 108, 110 may include a processor, RAM, ROM, communications module, and/or memory storing an operating system, applications, and/or data. The server may have a processor for controlling overall operation of the server and its associated components, including random access memory, read-only memory, communications module, and memory. Such a server may include a variety of computer readable media. Computer readable media may be any available media, both tangible and intangible, that may be accessed by the server and include both volatile and nonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise a combination of computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, object code, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electronically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired information and that can be accessed by the server.
The aforementioned server may include one or more applications representing the application data stored in RAM memory while the server is on and corresponding software applications (e.g., software tasks) are running on the server. The aforementioned communications module may include a microphone, keypad, touch screen, and/or stylus through which an (optional) user of the server may provide input, and may also include one or more of a speaker for providing audio output and a video display device for providing textual, audio/visual and/or graphical output. Software may be stored within the memory and/or storage to provide instructions to the processor for enabling the server to perform various functions. For example, memory may store software used by the server, such as an operating system, application programs, and/or an associated database. Alternatively, some or all of the computer executable instructions for the server may be embodied in hardware or firmware. Moreover, a database (or data store) 122 may provide centralized storage of data.
Such a server may operate in a networked environment supporting connections to one or more remote computing devices. The remote computing devices may be personal computing devices or servers that include many or all of the elements described above relative to the server. Remote computing devices may be a mobile device communicating over wireless carrier channel. The network connections depicted in the figures may include a local area network (LAN) and/or a wide area network (WAN), but may also include other networks. When used in a LAN networking environment, the server may be connected to the LAN through a network interface or adapter in the communications module. When used in a WAN networking environment, the server may include a modem in the communications module or other means for establishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown and described are illustrative and other means of establishing a communications link between the computing devices may be used. The existence of any of various well-known protocols such as TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like is presumed, and the system can be operated in a client-server configuration to permit a user to retrieve web pages from a web-based server. Any of various commonly known web browsers can be used to display and manipulate data on web pages.
Referring to FIG. 2, numerous mobile wireless-enabled devices are illustrated connecting to mobile architecture 200 over a wireless network. The mobile architecture includes wired and/or wireless connections with servers, data store/database, and a wireless access point. An interactive voice response (IVR) system may also be included to facilitate services not using a cellular data plan. Numerous different application servers and data stores may be included in the mobile architecture, including, but not limited to, a database, application server, map server, software application for use at a call center or for a customer service platform), CTI (i.e., computer telephony integration--which presents voice and data within a customer service platform), data store in which customer and supporting data tables may be housed), IVR (interactive voice response) server, web services application server, interceptor, and firewall. The mobile wireless-enabled devices in FIG. 2 may have application software installed in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. The application software may permit the mobile device to communicate with a remote web services application server through the firewall. In an alternative embodiment, the mobile device may have a thin-client installed that provides an interface for the mobile device to execute application software on a remote server. One skilled in the art will appreciate the numerous advantages and disadvantages related to the thin-client and thick-client design choices contemplated by the various embodiments of the disclosure. Moreover, in some embodiments, the mobile device may receive notifications of software updates (e.g., new versions) of the application and can receive automatic (or manually authorized) download and installation of the updates.
Flat Tire.
In one example in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, John Doe's (i.e., a user) vehicle has a flat tire. John has previously installed a roadside assistance application in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure on his APPLE.RTM. iPhone, and he has registered his vehicle with the application. After launching the roadside assistance application, the registered application attempts to assess whether John is in a safe location. If John presses the "911" icon, the application will automatically dial the emergency line to locate emergency assistance for John. However, in this case, John is at the parking garage near his office building, and he presses the "Yes" icon.
Next the application, in this example, requests information about John's service needs (see FIG. 5). The application provides a list of services 500 to John in a "Service Type" selection box. Some examples of service types include, but are not limited to, locked out (i.e., locked out of one's vehicle), flat tire/tire needs air/tire change, dead battery/battery service/battery replacement, jump start, out of gas/incorrect fuel/fluids, towing, vehicular accident/vehicle fire, mechanical failure/brakes/transmission/engine, lock out/locked out/lost keys/damage keys/keys locked in car, locksmith, winch/stuck, won't start, stalled while driving, reunite, dealer service, transfer, recovery, wrecker, and other (i.e., the service type when none of the listed services are appropriate). In addition, in those cases where the mobile device 102, 104 provides functionality to retrieve and display a user's phone number, the application may retrieve and display that information. John, in some embodiments, may be permitted to edit the callback number displayed by the application if he desires.
In an alternative example, the mobile device 102, 104 may automatically receive information about the vehicle directly through communications with the vehicle's onboard diagnostics system (e.g., on-board diagnostics including OBDII interface or other comparable interface with the vehicle's diagnostics system). The mobile device 102 may be equipped with appropriate circuitry and/or firmware/software to communicate via the requisite communication protocols for the ODB II interface. Alternatively, an external accessory (e.g., peripheral device) may be attached to the ODB II interface to translate the ODB II codes/data into a format compatible with the communication protocol of the application on the mobile device 102, 104. For example, the external accessory may be a bluetooth-compliant device that receives the ODB II data and transmits it via bluetooth to the mobile device 102. Alternatively, the external accessory may attach to the pins on a mobile device 102 and receive the data wirelessly transmitted from the ODB II interface. The information received from the vehicle (e.g., through the ODB II interface) may be used to select the appropriate service type without requiring additional user intervention. Moreover, the ODB II codes may be useful to a service provider (e.g., towing company or mechanic) in contemplating the needs of the user in preparation for addressing the user's calamity.
In yet another alternative example, John's vehicle may be equipped with a wireless transmission module (e.g., transceiver circuitry) to transmit diagnostic information to a car dealership that services his vehicle. The car dealership may then transmit the information to John (e.g., via an onboard display on the vehicle's dashboard). In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, assume John Doe is driving a BMW.RTM. brand vehicle equipped with BMWAssist.RTM.. John may register on a server 108 to have updates from a third party (e.g., BMW) computer server routed through a server 108 to his mobile device 102 whenever a defect in his vehicle is detected. John Doe can designate computer server 108 to receive notifications on his behalf from the third-party server. As such, the computer server 108, in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, can process and transmit the notification to John's mobile device 102. For example, the third-party server may receive notification that a flat-tire has occurred on John Doe's vehicle, and may send a notification to John Doe's mobile device 102 indicating the service type required. Consequently, the "Service Type" information may be pre-filled in the application selection screen. Moreover, in such an example, John may or may not need to be physically present at his vehicle. For example, John may have parked his vehicle in an outdoor lot on a cold winter day while at his office, and he may receive a notification (e.g., a push notification available on APPLE.RTM. iPhone OS 3.0 and later, SMS message, e-mail, etc.) on his mobile device 102 in the afternoon stating that his battery has gone dead. John may use his mobile device 102, in accordance with the various aspects of the disclosure disclosed herein, to contact a preferred service provider and repair his vehicle, all while within the comfort of his warm office and not physically present at his vehicle.
Furthermore, the ODB II codes (or other types of diagnostic codes) transmitted from the vehicle to the mobile device 102 may be translated to map against the numerous "Service Type" selections available. ODB II codes (and other types of diagnostic codes) may be different for different make and model of cars; therefore, when a user registers with the application and provides information about his/her vehicle, the appropriate mapping for the type of car can be identified and used for translating diagnostic codes. The mapping table may be stored in computer memory at the mobile device 102 or may be maintained in memory 112 at a remote server 108. Likewise, the translation may occur at a processor at the mobile device 102 or at the remote server 108. One skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous benefits and drawbacks to each approach.
Next, mobile device 102 transmits data, either directly or indirectly, to the remote server 108. The transmission may occur in response to a user keypress (e.g., the user selecting a phone icon on the mobile device 102 display). Alternatively, the transmission may occur automatically (e.g., in the embodiments where the ODB II codes are automatically retrieved and transmitted). The data transmitted from the mobile device 102 may include, but is not limited to, the "service type" selected, user identification information (e.g., the mobile device 102 phone number, user's login/username, etc.), location information (e.g., retrieved from the mobile device 102, manually entered by the user, triangulated from cellular towers by the cellular service provider, etc.), vehicle diagnostic data (e.g., OBD II data/codes), and other useful information.
Next, the server 108 receives the data transmitted from the mobile device 102. The server 108 may use the data to identify one or more service providers (e.g., towing company, taxi company, mechanic, etc.) in the area. In one embodiment, the identification may occur in real-time using an algorithmic selection process that maintains ratings and other metrics about the service providers, and selects one or more provider based on these ratings and metrics. In another embodiment, the provider identified may be based on a company's preferred high-quality relationship with particular service providers.
In one embodiment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the server 108 may transmit information about one or more service providers to the mobile device 102 for the user's review and final selection. As such, information such as a service provider's name, contact information, rating, and other metrics (e.g., distance from mobile device's location, cost, etc.) may be displayed on the user's mobile device 102. In an alternative embodiment, the server 108 may communicate directly with a service provider and hire a service provider to service the user. For example, the server 108 may communicate over a network (e.g., the Internet, WAN, etc.) with a service provider's server 110. The server 110 may receive a request for a particular service. The request may include pertinent information about the service required, including the location of the vehicle requiring servicing, the type of service required, the make/model/color of the vehicle requiring servicing, the maximum charge allowed for the service (e.g., pre-contracted towing rates), and other information.
The service provider's server 110 may communicate the information to mobile devices carried by (or installed in the vehicles of) its employees in the field. As such, the employee can accept or reject the new service request. Alternatively, the server 110 may communicate the information to employees located at an office and that are responsible for facilitating new service requests and dispatching service vehicles (e.g., using a wireless dispatch system). Once the service provider accepts the new service request, their server 110 transmits an acceptance message to the server 108. In order to facilitate simultaneous communication to multiple service providers, the server 108 may be required to send a confirmation message to the service provider once acceptance has been received and accepted. At least one benefit of such a system is that multiple service providers may be contacted with a request for a particular service, and then only the "best" service provider willing to accept the service request may be confirmed for the job. In one embodiment in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, the service providers may include a price or quote (or other information, such as estimated time of arrival at the user's vehicle) in its acceptance message. As such, service providers may compete (e.g., in an auction-like system) for new servicing jobs. Alternatively, the "best" service provider may simply be the first to reply with an acceptance message. In some embodiments, the server 108 may also transmit a cancellation message to the other service providers (i.e., everyone except the one receiving a confirmation message) once a new service request has been filled so that the other service providers are updated about the current status of filled new service requests. Alternatively, new service requests may automatically expire after a predetermined time period. As such, a cancellation message may not be necessary.
The server 108 may transmit to the mobile device 102 information about the service provider that will be servicing the user's vehicle. The information may include, but is not limited to the name of the service provider, the estimated time of arrival (ETA), the phone number for the service provider (or the mobile phone number of the particular service vehicle servicing the user's vehicle), and/or other useful information. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary "service details" screen 600. In some embodiments, the user is conveniently provided with the option of providing feedback while he/she waits for a service provider to arrive. In some embodiments, the mobile device 102 may receive regular (e.g., every 5 minutes, real-time, or on another regular or periodic basis) updates from the server 108 with the approximate location of the service vehicle that will be servicing the user's vehicle. The approximate location may be displayed on a map or may be provided as an approximate distance from the user's vehicle. Moreover, the approximate time until arrival may be displayed and updated on a regular or periodic basis.
In an alternative embodiment, server 108 may provide the mobile device 102 with information about service providers. The user may contact the service providers directly (e.g., by calling their office) to arrange for a service provider. At least one advantage of such a system over simply looking up service providers in a telephone directory is that the server 108 may be able to provide an enhanced list of service providers to the mobile device 102. For example, the list may include one or more service providers that are competent in the particular type of service required of the user's vehicle. As such, the user need not be concerned with whether a particular service provider offers the particular service required of the user's vehicle.
In addition, the server 108 may transmit relevant information to the user's insurance company, emergency contacts, police, fire department, taxi company, and/or others. For example, information necessary for starting a claim may be submitted to the insurance company so the user's process for submitting the claim is already partially completed. In some embodiments, the user may retain full control over whether the insurance company is notified of the user's vehicle situation.
Moreover, a user's parents, spouse, coworkers, etc. may be contacted to alert them about the user's vehicle situation. For example, in one embodiment, the server 108 may receive notification from the user's mobile device 102, and then reference the user's preferences. A copy of the user's preferences may be saved in memory, e.g., as a data file, at the server 108. The preferences may indicate which additional people or organizations to contact and what information to provide to those people. In another embodiment, the application may enable the user to save his/her emergency contact's information on the mobile device 102. For example, the user may enter his insurance agent's information, personal contact information, and emergency contact information. Alternatively, the screen may permit entry of other relevant information about each contact (e.g., email address, SMS number, alternate phone numbers, etc.) As such, the user may conveniently access his contacts through the application's menu.
In one embodiment, the server 108 may automatically send a text message (e.g., SMS, etc.) to the user's parent's phone number (or other people's phone numbers) with a predetermined message. The server 108 may alternatively send an e-mail message to the desired person/organization's email address. In some embodiments, the desired person may have an application installed on his/her mobile device 102 that receives a push notification initiated by server 108. The push notification may include a textual message and/or other appropriate information (e.g., the location of the vehicle/user, the condition of the vehicle, whether anyone is injured, etc.) Alternatively, a customer service representative may be alerted by server 108 to manually call the desired person/organization and provide an appropriate message.
In another embodiment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the user may be provided with a guided experience when requesting roadside assistance. The guided experience may be implemented using a series of icons along the top of the screen on the user's mobile device 102. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the guided experience may be provided through different configurations of the icons; for example, the icons may be placed vertically along a side of the screen, or they may be configured in a circular or other pattern around the screen. The series of icons may tell the user where he/she in the process of obtaining roadside assistance.
In some embodiments in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the application may verify that the user is in a safe location. An option for calling "911" may be provided should the user require immediate emergency assistance. Next, as depicted in FIG. 3, the application may request information about the type of service the user requires. As discussed in detail above, there are numerous service types 300 that may be available for the user to select. Moreover, as already discussed herein, in some embodiments, the user's vehicle may be equipped with appropriate technology to communicate directly with the mobile device to provide/recommend the service type information. Next, the application may direct the user to call a roadside assistance customer service representative to identify and secure the appropriate roadside service provider for the user. The application on the mobile device 102 may transmit the appropriate information (e.g., member number, member's zip code, service type requested, and/or user's current location) to the customer service center. As such, the representative may already have information about the user and/or user's vehicle on-screen when the conversation begins. Additional information about aspects of this feature is disclosed below, including the use of a caller ID feature to automatically match the user with his/her information.
Once the service provider arrives to provide the user's vehicle with roadside assistance, the user may use his/her mobile device 102 to authorize payment to the service provider. For example, the mobile device 102 may display an icon to permit the user to indicate that service has been satisfactorily provided and completed. Upon receipt of a corresponding message at the server 108 from the mobile device 102, the server 108 may authorize release of funds to the service provider. For example, the server 108 may authorize a bank to perform an ACH transaction of funds directly into the service provider's bank account. In one example, the funds are sourced from the user's bank account; while in another example, the funds are sourced directly from the account of the company providing the roadside assistance program. Meanwhile, in another example a first person (e.g., a parent) may arrange for a second person (e.g., their child) to authorize release of the parent's funds to the service provider. The server 108 may also notify the service provider's server 110 that payment has been authorized. As such, service provider may receive more prompt payment for its services, while also reducing the need to process claims at the insurance company.
Vehicle Incident.
In yet another example in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, two user vehicles may be involved in a vehicular crash. In such a scenario, the two users may exchange insurance information and other information (e.g., pictures of the crash site taken with a camera on the mobile device 102) wirelessly using their mobile device 102. For example, an application in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure may enable the users to wirelessly transmit (e.g., using Bluetooth, SMS messaging, e-mail, or other wireless transmission techniques) their information to the other user's mobile device. At least one benefit is that the exchange of information between the parties is much more convenient given the stressful situation of a vehicular crash.
In addition, the user may contact a customer service representative to report the vehicular incident. In accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, the representative may already have information about the user and/or user's vehicle on-screen when initiating conversation. For example, the application on the mobile device 102 may transmit the device's phone number and other information (e.g., accident information, user's location, pictures, or other information) to server 108. As such, the representative's system may use the caller ID feature to appropriately identify the transmitted data as corresponding to the phone number identified on the caller ID. Therefore, information about the user and/or user vehicle may already be displayed on the representative's screen when the call commences. Thus, an enhanced roadside assistance program may be offered to users.
Preventive Measures.
As explained earlier, vehicles with onboard diagnostic equipment (e.g., ODB II port) may be able to retrieve information about operating parameters of the user's vehicle. As such, the diagnostic equipment may be able to assist the user in the maintenance and upkeep of the vehicle; thus, resulting in a safer vehicle and hopefully fewer incidents. The mobile device 102 may receive alert notifications when parameters of the vehicle are outside of normal operating limits or limits set by the user or other entity. For example, if the user's battery is dead or low, the user may receive a notification on the mobile device 102 (or elsewhere designated by the user) about the dead or failing car battery. Likewise, if the vehicle's tire pressure runs low, the mobile device 102 may receive a notification. Along with the notification, the mobile device 102 may be provided with one or more service providers (e.g., towing companies, mechanics shops, or other providers) that can repair the problem.
Referring to FIG. 3, the flowchart illustrates various features of the one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The user may register using the mobile device 102, or may, in some embodiments, register online with a personal computer. Once the user is registered, information about the user (e.g., user profile information) may be stored on the mobile device 102 (or on a remote server 108). That information may be useful in storing and displaying information about the user, including a picture of the user's vehicle, make/model/year of the vehicle, vehicle's insurance policy (or motor club) number (e.g., virtual membership card), and other pertinent information. In some embodiments, the user may only be "pre-registered" 302 (i.e., registered with the application with some basic information (e.g., name, vehicle, phone number, etc.), but may not have a membership in a roadside assistance program); thus, features such as the virtual membership card may be grayed out (i.e., deactivated) on the user's screen. However, in one example, the pre-registered user may provide the application with some basic authentication information (e.g., last four digits of social security number, date of birth, and/or membership number) to authenticate herself, and then need only provide 304 some minimal additional authorization information (e.g., credit card information, vehicle information, driver information, etc.) to activate/register 306 for membership in the roadside assistance program. At least one benefit of pre-registration is that a user can go through the lengthy registration process in advance, and then at the time of a roadside event (e.g., car crash), the user can activate the pre-registration for membership privileges with minimal hassle.
One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the flowcharts illustrate just some examples of functions/features available in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, and that other examples of features are available as described throughout the specification and figures. For example, various aspects of the disclosure include a feature for obtaining customer feedback. The feature enables prompt and accurate feedback about the user's experience because, inter alia, the feedback is collected almost immediately after the event of interest, and the questions can be tailored to the specifics of the particular event/user/details.
Regarding user vehicle registration, the user may enter various information to register for enhanced roadside assistance. In some embodiments, the user may enter just the vehicle VIN (vehicle identification number). The server 108 and/or mobile device 102 may store the VIN and retrieve information about the vehicle (e.g., made, model, year, etc.) based off the VIN. In an alternative embodiment, the user may also be required to enter membership information, such as name, zip code, or a member identification number. The membership information may be linked to the user's insurance or motor club profile and mapped as such on server 108. As a result, future communications between the mobile device 102 and the server 108 may be recognized as related to a particular member. Membership may refer to membership in a roadside assistance program, motor club, or other group/organization.
Electronic Membership Card.
Membership information may be illustrated in an exemplary virtual membership card screen, as depicted in FIG. 4. The member card screen 400 may illustrate the date through which the user's membership is valid and/or the date since the user has been a member. The user's membership number, membership level (e.g., Platinum), and other information may also be displayed on the membership card screen. At least some of the information displayed on the membership card screen may be locally stored on the mobile device 102. As such, the user need not be connected to a carrier or WiFi in order to retrieve his/her membership information. Alternatively, membership information may be stored on a server 108 and retrieved for display on the screen. At least one benefit of an electronic membership card is that changes to the user's policy and/or other updates may be dynamically pushed to the user's mobile device 102. As such, the user may have instant access to updated policy information and need not necessarily wait for an insurance company to mail him/her an updated membership card. In addition, the membership card screen may include information about services and promotions offered to members. For example, a roadside assistance icon may appear to indicate that roadside assistance on the go is available to the user. In addition, promotions and discounts, for example on travel (e.g., flights, rental cars, hotels, etc.) may be available to members and a corresponding icon or information may appear on the membership card screen accordingly.
Meanwhile, a service provider may also be provided with a registration screen in some embodiments in accordance with aspects of the disclosure. Service provider vehicles may be equipped with wireless-enabled devices (e.g., navigation systems with Internet connectivity) that permit the vehicle operator to react in realtime to service requests. For example, the exact location of the service vehicle can be tracked using this onboard device.
Enhanced Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
In an alternative embodiment, information from the application on the mobile device 102 may be transmitted to a remote server related to an IVR system. For wireless devices 102 with a mobile data plan, the information may be transmitted over a wireless Internet connection. However, in those instances where the mobile device does not have data connectivity, the device may transmit the data to the IVR system using other available means. For example, in one embodiment, the information may be transmitted as a SMS (or comparable text message format) message to the IVR system. As a result, when a user calls into the IVR system, the user may receive an enhanced experience because the user's location and other relevant information may already be available at the IVR system. The IVR may, in some embodiments, still confirm for security reasons the name of the member, zip code of the member, and service requested before transferring the user to a service provider. The disclosed enhanced IVR is beneficial because it alleviates the requirement to have the user listen to endless prompts and respond with touchtone key presses. In some examples, if the user wishes to speak with a customer service representative, he/she may press "0" (or other designated key) to immediately speak with a representative.
Other features in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure are listed below. For example, server 108 may generate a user driving score based on the user's reactions to communications and recommendations from an insurance company or a motor club. The driving score may be used to adjust the user's insurance premiums or membership dues and/or other aspects of the user's insurance policy or motor club membership. In another example, the mobile device 102 may provide the user with information regarding the relative safety of proposed navigation routes as, for example, is described in the provisional applications, which were previously incorporated by reference in their entireties. In yet another example, the mobile device 102 may provide different color-coded zones on a map to indicate the relative safety of various areas. For example, the mobile device 102 may alert the user that a particular intersection is particularly hazardous and has a statistically higher frequency of vehicle incidents. One or more of these features may be provided in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. In yet another example, the mobile device may provide the user with information regarding the relative safety of drivers or vehicles in the vicinity of the user. This information may be provided through transmission of scores or other data regarding the drivers or vehicles in the vicinity of the user.
In one embodiment in accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a system is described where two servers and a mobile device assist in providing roadside assistance. The mobile device may communicate with a first server and provide various information about the status of a vehicle, the user, and/or other information. The first server may communicate with a second server to electronically request, approve, and monitor a service provider hired to service the vehicle. The first server may provide information and/or regular updates to the mobile device regarding the service provider. The first server may also authorize payment to the service provider once the job is completed. One or more aspects of the aforementioned embodiment are described in greater detail throughout the disclosure.
Some features in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure enhance end-to-end roadside experience by leveraging mobile technology and intelligent back office systems. FIG. 7 illustrates system 700 for providing roadside services and will be discussed in further detail. A user application (e.g., executing on terminal 102 as shown in FIG. 1) may leverage GPS and interactive satellite imagery to assist the user to identify the vehicle location of the user. Also a user application may walk the user through the identification of a disablement event and the selection of the service remedy.
Dispatch portlet 705 may be a real-time conduit to an application execution on mobile device 704 as well as a transaction hub for system 700. Dispatch portlet 705 may be a real-time conduit to the dispatch system. For example, dispatch portlet 705 may serve to enable non-centralized or 3.sup.rd party customer service locations to take customer information and submit dispatch transactions. The portlet 705 may thus become the interface for non-central to 3.sup.rd party representatives to initiate, confirm, cancel, update and review roadside transactions.
Some features in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure may enhance a user's confidence in advance of the arrival time of a service technician (e.g., a service provider's employee). The time between the request of service and the arrival of the technician may be an important factor of the user's perception of the roadside service. In addition, a picture, name, etc. of the service provider's employee scheduled to service the vehicle may further enhance a user's confidence/comfort in the service provider. Request confirmation and progress updates may be supported to enhance a user's experience. Also, aspects of the disclosure enable the user to call ahead to schedule repair service and/or notify a family member about the disablement event.
Some features, in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure, measure the performance of service providers that may be based on one or more performance criteria. Performance criteria may include on-time arrival at the user's location, the ability to correctly remedy the disablement event, a degree of satisfaction by the user (e.g., the driver of the vehicle), and/or other factors. Consequently, those service providers having the best satisfaction scores may be preferred for future roadside work.
Support for Service Provider and Service Technician.
Referring to FIG. 7, aspects of the disclosure provide an application that may be executed on a technician's mobile device 701. FIGS. 8-11 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application that provides information to a technician for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. For example, the technician may be an OEM mobile technician who may activate the application by logging into an application through screen 800. As shown in FIG. 9, screen 900 displays roadside jobs (e.g., any repair service offered by a service provider, including but not limited to jobs along a roadside) that may be available/accessible to the technician. The technician may obtain information about a roadside job by selecting it on screen. As shown in FIG. 10, the technician may obtain information about the selected job and may accept or decline the job through fields 1001 and 1002, respectively. The technician may obtain further information about the job as shown in FIG. 11 by clicking on field 1003. The additional information may include the customer's name, phone number, vehicle identification number, and/or description of the vehicle problem. While not explicitly shown in screen 1100, further information about the disablement event may be provided. For example, a picture of the vehicle provided by the user (as exemplified in FIG. 18) and additional information about the problem (as exemplified in FIG. 19) may be included in screen 1100 or a similar screen.
Referring to FIG. 9, the technician may select a displayed roadside job by clicking on the displayed item. Screen 900 may be organized by computing device 702, where the displayed roadside jobs may be ordered in some fashion. For example, the displayed items may be ordered by time of occurrence, proximity to the technician, priority of the roadside job, or a combination thereof. According to one aspect, the ordering of the displayed roadside jobs may be based on the value of the estimated time of arrival (ETA), e.g., from the shortest ETA to the longest ETA. According to another aspect, the ordering of the displayed roadside jobs may be based on a grade of service. For example, a customer may receive different grades of service (e.g., premium service versus standard service) based on the customer's desired subscription plan.
According to an aspect, a computer device (e.g., incorporated at a technician mobile device 701 or back office component (remote server) 706 as shown in FIG. 7) may order the displayed roadside jobs according to at least one criterion. For example, back office component 706 may retrieve the list of jobs for a roadside technician from a database, order the job entries, and then transmit the ordered list to the technician's wireless device (e.g., a smartphone) 701. As another example, server 706 may pull and send an unordered list to the technician's wireless device 701, which then orders and displays the list on the user's screen.
According to another aspect, a screen showing roadside jobs may display certain jobs in a particular region of the screen. For example, if a user is directly or indirectly (within a predetermined degree of separation) connected to a technician (or the service provider) via Facebook or some other social network, the entry for the user may be displayed at/near the top of the list of available jobs. As another example, if the user and technician has had prior dealings together, the user's job may appear at the top of the particular technician's list of available jobs, where a designated text or graphic symbol may be displayed next to such jobs. As another example, jobs may be automatically prioritized in ascending order of ETA. Consequently, jobs with the nearest ETA appear at the top, while jobs with the longest ETA appear at the bottom. The ETA differential, or the time it takes to get from one job to the next, may then be obvious to the technician.
Again referring to FIG. 9, with some embodiments a customer may be connected with a technician through social networking. For example, the customer may be directly connected to a technician (or the service provider) via Facebook or some other social network. In such a case, the customer may be displayed at or near the top of the list of available roadside jobs. With another example, a customer may not be directly connected to the technician but may be connected by two or more degrees of separation.
Again referring to FIG. 9, the technician may have previously handled a roadside occurrence for the customer. Consequently, the technician may be knowledgeable about the problem so the current roadside job for the customer is displayed at/near the top of the list of roadside jobs or marked (e.g., by a "star" or other graphical symbol) in the list.
With some embodiments, one or more applications may provide roadside information to independent providers. For example, FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary screenshot of an application that executes on computing device 702 (as shown in FIG. 7) and that supports a service provider's portal for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. Screen 1200 may serve as the provider's dispatch tool as well as a provider-facing portal for the roadside assistance service. With some embodiments, screen 1200 and/or additional screens (not explicitly shown) may support dispatching, tracking, history and performance, web claims, training, tow specification, administration, and/or messaging.
Screen 1200 may show a summary of roadside jobs corresponding to the number of requests, completed jobs, and the average wait time in region 1201. Also, a map showing the location of the different jobs may be displayed in region 1202. The statuses of new, in progress, and completed roadside jobs are shown in regions 1203, 1204, and 1205, respectively.
With an aspect of the disclosure, the current status of a roadside job may be displayed on an associated customer's mobile device as the status changes to keep the customer notified. For example, the different states of the status may include: Open dispatch: The roadside job has not been assigned to a roadside technician. Assigned dispatch: The roadside job has been assigned to a roadside technician. En-route: The technician is traveling to the roadside job but is farther than a predetermined distance and/or time threshold. Approach: The technician is within a predetermined distance and/or time threshold. On site: The technician is at the customer's location. Complete: This status is dependent on the type of roadside job. For some types of roadside jobs, e.g., tire changes, the job may be completed by the technician arrives at the job location. For other types of roadside jobs, e.g., towing a customer's vehicle, the status changes to the on-site status when the technician arrives at the job location. When the customer's vehicle is loaded on the towing truck, the job is complete when after the vehicle arrives at its destination.
FIG. 13 shows another exemplary screen of an application that executes on computing device 702 (as shown in FIG. 7) and that supports a service provider's portal for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure.
Computing device 702 may interact with one or more computing devices 703 that are associated with one or more technicians. FIGS. 14-16 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application that provides information to a technician for roadside assistance in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. The application executing on device 703 may perform in concert with the application executing on device 702 so that the particular technician at device 703 views roadside jobs assigned to that technician or that may be accepted/declined by the technician.
Screen 1500 shows information about a roadside job that the technician may accept or decline after logging into the application through screen 1400. The information may include a description of the disablement event 1501, location and picture of the vehicle 1502, and vehicle description 1503.
With some embodiments, an estimated time of arrival (ETA) may be displayed in region 1504. The ETA may be approximated by an application executing on the technician's computer device (e.g., device 703) based on the distance and traffic conditions between the technician and the roadside job. In addition, the technician may be able to adjust the ETA by clicking on the "-" and "+" buttons within region 1504, for example, when traffic conditions or the technician's status changes.
With some embodiments, a customer may be notified about an adjusted ETA for the customer's associated roadside job. The adjusted ETA may be determined by an application executing on the technician's computer device, as described previously, or may execute on a component of back office 706 as shown in FIG. 7. The adjusted ETA may be determined from the distance and/or traffic conditions between the technician and the customer.
The technician may obtain a history of roadside jobs in screen 1600. The technician may then select one of the unassigned jobs to obtain further details in screen 1600.
Satellite Imagery.
FIGS. 17-18 illustrate exemplary screenshots of an application that provides location information about a user's vehicle using satellite imagery in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. As preciously discussed with FIG. 14, location information about the user's vehicle may be provided to the service provider to, inter alia, expedite the arrival of a technician. With embodiments of the disclosure, a satellite image may be displayed to the user based on approximate location information, e.g., from a GPS integrated circuit in mobile device 704 (as shown in FIG. 7). Screen 1700 shows a corresponding satellite image, where the user may provide improved location information by moving pin 1701. In the example, the user may move pin 1701 so that location information is revised in screen 1800 as shown in FIG. 18, where the location changes from "115 S. Northwest Hwy" to "120 S. Northwest Hwy." Also, the user may provide a photograph of the vehicle through a camera of mobile device 704 and a note about the location ("1.sup.ST FLR Parking Garage, stuck in fence in front") As shown in FIG. 15, this additional information may be provided to the technician to expedite the technician's arrival and/or diagnosis.
Additional Information Provided by User.
As previously discussed, a user (e.g., a customer, driver, etc.) may provide further information about the disablement event. For example, in addition to merely indicating a "flat tire" as shown in FIG. 6, the user may further indicate which tire is flat and whether the user has a spare tire as shown in FIG. 19. Also, as previously discussed, the user may send a video image of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 20.
Enhanced ETA Dashboard.
In conjunction with the technician receiving additional information about the user and user vehicle, the user may receive additional information about the assigned technician. FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary screenshot of an application executing on mobile device 704 in order to provide information such as an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of a technician at the user's vehicle in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. As shown in screen 2100, screen 2100 may show information 2103 about the assigned technician, including a picture and name of the technician. In addition, the dashboard may show an estimated time of arrival 2101 as well as an ETA confidence level 2102. The ETA confidence level 2102 may be a numeric, alpha-numeric, symbolic, or graphic representation. For example, the ETA confidence level 2102 may be a red, yellow, or green graphical representation corresponding to bad, satisfactory, and excellent, respectively. In one example, the ETA confidence level 2102 may be based on the on-time percentage of the particular technician over a historical period of time (e.g., the last 6 months, the last 30 days, the last year, over all time, or some other time period). In another example, the confidence level 2102 may be based on user feedback and provided ratings. In yet another example, the confidence level 2102 may be provided by an input (e.g., high, medium, or low) from the assigned technician or may be affected by the technician's input. In yet another example, the confidence level 2102 may be based on a combination of the aforementioned, along with one or more other factors such a current traffic conditions.
With an aspect of the disclosure, the ETA on screen 2100 may be updated when the ETA changes. For example, the application executing at a computing device may revise the ETA when a technician at mobile device 703 incurs an unexpected delay or is assigned another roadside job.
The foregoing presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Although not required, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various aspects described herein may be embodied as a method, a data processing system, or as a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions. Accordingly, those aspects may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. For example, a tangible computer-readable medium (e.g., a CD-ROM, RAM, hard drive, flash memory, etc.) storing instructions to cause a processor to perform methods in accordance with aspects of the disclosure is contemplated.
Numerous trademarks and/or service marks have been used throughout this disclosure. These trademarks and/or service marks are owned by their respective companies.
Aspects of the invention have been described in terms of illustrative embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope and spirit of the disclosed invention will occur to persons of ordinary skill in the art from a review of this entire disclosure. For example, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the steps illustrated in the illustrative figures may be performed in other than the recited order, and that one or more steps illustrated may be optional in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.
While some embodiments have been described with respect to specific examples, other embodiments include numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques.
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Spider Nest Ball
A very interesting little arachnid showed up on my porch. If it wasn't for the rain, I would have never saw him. I didn't know spiders made nests in ball shapes. The entire structure hung from the top of the porch with a few attachments on the side and a dual layer balloon under the first one. More like an upside down balloon. I've named the little critter: "Shelob".
Managing Oneself - Peter Drucker - Text
History’s great achievers—a Napoléon, a da Vinci, a Mozart—have always managed themselves. That, in large measure, is what makes them great achievers. But they are rare exceptions, so unusual both in their talents and their accomplishments as to be considered outside the boundaries of ordinary human existence. Now, most of us, even those of us with modest endowments, will have to learn to manage ourselves. We will have to learn to develop ourselves. We will have to place ourselves where we can make the greatest contribution. And we will have to stay mentally alert and engaged during a 50-year working life, which means knowing how and when to change the work we do.
What Are My Strengths?
Most people think they know what they are good at. They are usually wrong. More often, people know what they are not good at—and even then more people are wrong than right. And yet, a person can perform only from strength. One cannot build performance on weaknesses, let alone on something one cannot do at all.
Throughout history, people had little need to know their strengths. A person was born into a position and a line of work: The peasant’s son would also be a peasant; the artisan’s daughter, an artisan’s wife; and so on. But now people have choices. We need to know our strengths in order to know where we belong.
The only way to discover your strengths is through feedback analysis. Whenever you make a key decision or take a key action, write down what you expect will happen. Nine or 12 months later, compare the actual results with your expectations. I have been practicing this method for 15 to 20 years now, and every time I do it, I am surprised. The feedback analysis showed me, for instance—and to my great surprise—that I have an intuitive understanding of technical people, whether they are engineers or accountants or market researchers. It also showed me that I don’t really resonate with generalists.
Feedback analysis is by no means new. It was invented sometime in the fourteenth century by an otherwise totally obscure German theologian and picked up quite independently, some 150 years later, by John Calvin and Ignatius of Loyola, each of whom incorporated it into the practice of his followers. In fact, the steadfast focus on performance and results that this habit produces explains why the institutions these two men founded, the Calvinist church and the Jesuit order, came to dominate Europe within 30 years.
Practiced consistently, this simple method will show you within a fairly short period of time, maybe two or three years, where your strengths lie—and this is the most important thing to know. The method will show you what you are doing or failing to do that deprives you of the full benefits of your strengths. It will show you where you are not particularly competent. And finally, it will show you where you have no strengths and cannot perform.
Several implications for action follow from feedback analysis. First and foremost, concentrate on your strengths. Put yourself where your strengths can produce results.
Second, work on improving your strengths. Analysis will rapidly show where you need to improve skills or acquire new ones. It will also show the gaps in your knowledge—and those can usually be filled. Mathematicians are born, but everyone can learn trigonometry.
Third, discover where your intellectual arrogance is causing disabling ignorance and overcome it. Far too many people—especially people with great expertise in one area—are contemptuous of knowledge in other areas or believe that being bright is a substitute for knowledge. First-rate engineers, for instance, tend to take pride in not knowing anything about people. Human beings, they believe, are much too disorderly for the good engineering mind. Human resources professionals, by contrast, often pride themselves on their ignorance of elementary accounting or of quantitative methods altogether. But taking pride in such ignorance is self-defeating. Go to work on acquiring the skills and knowledge you need to fully realize your strengths.
It is equally essential to remedy your bad habits—the things you do or fail to do that inhibit your effectiveness and performance. Such habits will quickly show up in the feedback. For example, a planner may find that his beautiful plans fail because he does not follow through on them. Like so many brilliant people, he believes that ideas move mountains. But bulldozers move mountains; ideas show where the bulldozers should go to work. This planner will have to learn that the work does not stop when the plan is completed. He must find people to carry out the plan and explain it to them. He must adapt and change it as he puts it into action. And finally, he must decide when to stop pushing the plan.
At the same time, feedback will also reveal when the problem is a lack of manners. Manners are the lubricating oil of an organization. It is a law of nature that two moving bodies in contact with each other create friction. This is as true for human beings as it is for inanimate objects. Manners—simple things like saying “please” and “thank you” and knowing a person’s name or asking after her family—enable two people to work together whether they like each other or not. Bright people, especially bright young people, often do not understand this. If analysis shows that someone’s brilliant work fails again and again as soon as cooperation from others is required, it probably indicates a lack of courtesy—that is, a lack of manners.
Comparing your expectations with your results also indicates what not to do. We all have a vast number of areas in which we have no talent or skill and little chance of becoming even mediocre. In those areas a person—and especially a knowledge worker—should not take on work, jobs, and assignments. One should waste as little effort as possible on improving areas of low competence. It takes far more energy and work to improve from incompetence to mediocrity than it takes to improve from first-rate performance to excellence. And yet most people—especially most teachers and most organizations—concentrate on making incompetent performers into mediocre ones. Energy, resources, and time should go instead to making a competent person into a star performer.
How Do I Perform?
Amazingly few people know how they get things done. Indeed, most of us do not even know that different people work and perform differently. Too many people work in ways that are not their ways, and that almost guarantees nonperformance. For knowledge workers, How do I perform? may be an even more important question than What are my strengths?
Like one’s strengths, how one performs is unique. It is a matter of personality. Whether personality be a matter of nature or nurture, it surely is formed long before a person goes to work. And how a person performs is a given, just as what a person is good at or not good at is a given. A person’s way of performing can be slightly modified, but it is unlikely to be completely changed—and certainly not easily. Just as people achieve results by doing what they are good at, they also achieve results by working in ways that they best perform. A few common personality traits usually determine how a person performs.
Am I a reader or a listener?
The first thing to know is whether you are a reader or a listener. Far too few people even know that there are readers and listeners and that people are rarely both. Even fewer know which of the two they themselves are. But some examples will show how damaging such ignorance can be.
When Dwight Eisenhower was Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, he was the darling of the press. His press conferences were famous for their style—General Eisenhower showed total command of whatever question he was asked, and he was able to describe a situation and explain a policy in two or three beautifully polished and elegant sentences. Ten years later, the same journalists who had been his admirers held President Eisenhower in open contempt. He never addressed the questions, they complained, but rambled on endlessly about something else. And they constantly ridiculed him for butchering the King’s English in incoherent and ungrammatical answers.
Eisenhower apparently did not know that he was a reader, not a listener. When he was Supreme Commander in Europe, his aides made sure that every question from the press was presented in writing at least half an hour before a conference was to begin. And then Eisenhower was in total command. When he became president, he succeeded two listeners, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Both men knew themselves to be listeners and both enjoyed free-for-all press conferences. Eisenhower may have felt that he had to do what his two predecessors had done. As a result, he never even heard the questions journalists asked. And Eisenhower is not even an extreme case of a nonlistener.
A few years later, Lyndon Johnson destroyed his presidency, in large measure, by not knowing that he was a listener. His predecessor, John Kennedy, was a reader who had assembled a brilliant group of writers as his assistants, making sure that they wrote to him before discussing their memos in person. Johnson kept these people on his staff—and they kept on writing. He never, apparently, understood one word of what they wrote. Yet as a senator, Johnson had been superb; for parliamentarians have to be, above all, listeners.
Few listeners can be made, or can make themselves, into competent readers—and vice versa. The listener who tries to be a reader will, therefore, suffer the fate of Lyndon Johnson, whereas the reader who tries to be a listener will suffer the fate of Dwight Eisenhower. They will not perform or achieve.
How do I learn?
The second thing to know about how one performs is to know how one learns. Many first-class writers—Winston Churchill is but one example—do poorly in school. They tend to remember their schooling as pure torture. Yet few of their classmates remember it the same way. They may not have enjoyed the school very much, but the worst they suffered was boredom. The explanation is that writers do not, as a rule, learn by listening and reading. They learn by writing. Because schools do not allow them to learn this way, they get poor grades.
Schools everywhere are organized on the assumption that there is only one right way to learn and that it is the same way for everybody. But to be forced to learn the way a school teaches is sheer hell for students who learn differently. Indeed, there are probably half a dozen different ways to learn.
There are people, like Churchill, who learn by writing. Some people learn by taking copious notes. Beethoven, for example, left behind an enormous number of sketchbooks, yet he said he never actually looked at them when he composed. Asked why he kept them, he is reported to have replied, “If I don’t write it down immediately, I forget it right away. If I put it into a sketchbook, I never forget it and I never have to look it up again.” Some people learn by doing. Others learn by hearing themselves talk.
A chief executive I know who converted a small and mediocre family business into the leading company in its industry was one of those people who learn by talking. He was in the habit of calling his entire senior staff into his office once a week and then talking at them for two or three hours. He would raise policy issues and argue three different positions on each one. He rarely asked his associates for comments or questions; he simply needed an audience to hear himself talk. That’s how he learned. And although he is a fairly extreme case, learning through talking is by no means an unusual method. Successful trial lawyers learn the same way, as do many medical diagnosticians (and so do I).
Of all the important pieces of self-knowledge, understanding how you learn is the easiest to acquire. When I ask people, “How do you learn?” most of them know the answer. But when I ask, “Do you act on this knowledge?” few answer yes. And yet, acting on this knowledge is the key to performance; or rather, not acting on this knowledge condemns one to nonperformance.
Am I a reader or a listener? and How do I learn? are the first questions to ask. But they are by no means the only ones. To manage yourself effectively, you also have to ask, Do I work well with people, or am I a loner? And if you do work well with people, you then must ask, In what relationship?
Some people work best as subordinates. General George Patton, the great American military hero of World War II, is a prime example. Patton was America’s top troop commander. Yet when he was proposed for an independent command, General George Marshall, the U.S. chief of staff—and probably the most successful picker of men in U.S. history—said, “Patton is the best subordinate the American army has ever produced, but he would be the worst commander.”
Some people work best as team members. Others work best alone. Some are exceptionally talented as coaches and mentors; others are simply incompetent as mentors.
Another crucial question is, Do I produce results as a decision maker or as an adviser? A great many people perform best as advisers but cannot take the burden and pressure of making the decision. A good many other people, by contrast, need an adviser to force themselves to think; then they can make decisions and act on them with speed, self-confidence, and courage.
This is a reason, by the way, that the number two person in an organization often fails when promoted to the number one position. The top spot requires a decision maker. Strong decision makers often put somebody they trust into the number two spot as their adviser—and in that position the person is outstanding. But in the number one spot, the same person fails. He or she knows what the decision should be but cannot accept the responsibility of actually making it.
Other important questions to ask include, Do I perform well under stress, or do I need a highly structured and predictable environment? Do I work best in a big organization or a small one? Few people work well in all kinds of environments. Again and again, I have seen people who were very successful in large organizations flounder miserably when they moved into smaller ones. And the reverse is equally true.
The conclusion bears repeating: Do not try to change yourself—you are unlikely to succeed. But work hard to improve the way you perform. And try not to take on work you cannot perform or will only perform poorly.
Do not try to change yourself—you are unlikely to succeed. Work to improve the way you perform.
What Are My Values?
To be able to manage yourself, you finally have to ask, What are my values? This is not a question of ethics. With respect to ethics, the rules are the same for everybody, and the test is a simple one. I call it the “mirror test.”
In the early years of this century, the most highly respected diplomat of all the great powers was the German ambassador in London. He was clearly destined for great things—to become his country’s foreign minister, at least, if not its federal chancellor. Yet in 1906 he abruptly resigned rather than preside over a dinner given by the diplomatic corps for Edward VII. The king was a notorious womanizer and made it clear what kind of dinner he wanted. The ambassador is reported to have said, “I refuse to see a pimp in the mirror in the morning when I shave.”
That is the mirror test. Ethics requires that you ask yourself, What kind of person do I want to see in the mirror in the morning? What is ethical behavior in one kind of organization or situation is ethical behavior in another. But ethics is only part of a value system—especially of an organization’s value system.
To work in an organization whose value system is unacceptable or incompatible with one’s own condemns a person both to frustration and to nonperformance.
Consider the experience of a highly successful human resources executive whose company was acquired by a bigger organization. After the acquisition, she was promoted to do the kind of work she did best, which included selecting people for important positions. The executive deeply believed that a company should hire people for such positions from the outside only after exhausting all the inside possibilities. But her new company believed in first looking outside “to bring in fresh blood.” There is something to be said for both approaches—in my experience, the proper one is to do some of both. They are, however, fundamentally incompatible—not as policies but as values. They bespeak different views of the relationship between organizations and people; different views of the responsibility of an organization to its people and their development; and different views of a person’s most important contribution to an enterprise. After several years of frustration, the executive quit—at considerable financial loss. Her values and the values of the organization simply were not compatible.
Similarly, whether a pharmaceutical company tries to obtain results by making constant, small improvements or by achieving occasional, highly expensive, and risky “breakthroughs” is not primarily an economic question. The results of either strategy may be pretty much the same. At bottom, there is a conflict between a value system that sees the company’s contribution in terms of helping physicians do better what they already do and a value system that is oriented toward making scientific discoveries.
Whether a business should be run for short-term results or with a focus on the long term is likewise a question of values. Financial analysts believe that businesses can be run for both simultaneously. Successful businesspeople know better. To be sure, every company has to produce short-term results. But in any conflict between short-term results and long-term growth, each company will determine its own priority. This is not primarily a disagreement about economics. It is fundamentally a value conflict regarding the function of a business and the responsibility of management.
Value conflicts are not limited to business organizations. One of the fastest-growing pastoral churches in the United States measures success by the number of new parishioners. Its leadership believes that what matters is how many newcomers join the congregation. The Good Lord will then minister to their spiritual needs or at least to the needs of a sufficient percentage. Another pastoral, evangelical church believes that what matters is people’s spiritual growth. The church eases out newcomers who join but do not enter into its spiritual life.
Again, this is not a matter of numbers. At first glance, it appears that the second church grows more slowly. But it retains a far larger proportion of newcomers than the first one does. Its growth, in other words, is more solid. This is also not a theological problem, or only secondarily so. It is a problem about values. In a public debate, one pastor argued, “Unless you first come to church, you will never find the gate to the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“No,” answered the other. “Until you first look for the gate to the Kingdom of Heaven, you don’t belong in church.”
Organizations, like people, have values. To be effective in an organization, a person’s values must be compatible with the organization’s values. They do not need to be the same, but they must be close enough to coexist. Otherwise, the person will not only be frustrated but also will not produce results.
A person’s strengths and the way that person performs rarely conflict; the two are complementary. But there is sometimes a conflict between a person’s values and his or her strengths. What one does well—even very well and successfully—may not fit with one’s value system. In that case, the work may not appear to be worth devoting one’s life to (or even a substantial portion thereof).
What one does well—even very well and successfully—may not fit with one’s value system.
If I may, allow me to interject a personal note. Many years ago, I too had to decide between my values and what I was doing successfully. I was doing very well as a young investment banker in London in the mid-1930s, and the work clearly fit my strengths. Yet I did not see myself making a contribution as an asset manager. People, I realized, were what I valued, and I saw no point in being the richest man in the cemetery. I had no money and no other job prospects. Despite the continuing Depression, I quit—and it was the right thing to do. Values, in other words, are and should be the ultimate test.
Where Do I Belong?
A small number of people know very early where they belong. Mathematicians, musicians, and cooks, for instance, are usually mathematicians, musicians, and cooks by the time they are four or five years old. Physicians usually decide on their careers in their teens, if not earlier. But most people, especially highly gifted people, do not really know where they belong until they are well past their mid-twenties. By that time, however, they should know the answers to the three questions: What are my strengths? How do I perform? and, What are my values? And then they can and should decide where they belong.
Or rather, they should be able to decide where they do not belong. The person who has learned that he or she does not perform well in a big organization should have learned to say no to a position in one. The person who has learned that he or she is not a decision maker should have learned to say no to a decision-making assignment. A General Patton (who probably never learned this himself) should have learned to say no to an independent command.
Equally important, knowing the answer to these questions enables a person to say to an opportunity, an offer, or an assignment, “Yes, I will do that. But this is the way I should be doing it. This is the way it should be structured. This is the way the relationships should be. These are the kind of results you should expect from me, and in this time frame, because this is who I am.”
Successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values. Knowing where one belongs can transform an ordinary person—hardworking and competent but otherwise mediocre—into an outstanding performer.
What Should I Contribute?
Throughout history, the great majority of people never had to ask the question, What should I contribute? They were told what to contribute, and their tasks were dictated either by the work itself—as it was for the peasant or artisan—or by a master or a mistress—as it was for domestic servants. And until very recently, it was taken for granted that most people were subordinates who did as they were told. Even in the 1950s and 1960s, the new knowledge workers (the so-called organization men) looked to their company’s personnel department to plan their careers.
Then in the late 1960s, no one wanted to be told what to do any longer. Young men and women began to ask, What do Iwant to do? And what they heard was that the way to contribute was to “do your own thing.” But this solution was as wrong as the organization men’s had been. Very few of the people who believed that doing one’s own thing would lead to contribution, self-fulfillment, and success achieved any of the three.
But still, there is no return to the old answer of doing what you are told or assigned to do. Knowledge workers in particular have to learn to ask a question that has not been asked before: What should my contribution be? To answer it, they must address three distinct elements: What does the situation require? Given my strengths, my way of performing, and my values, how can I make the greatest contribution to what needs to be done? And finally, What results have to be achieved to make a difference?
Consider the experience of a newly appointed hospital administrator. The hospital was big and prestigious, but it had been coasting on its reputation for 30 years. The new administrator decided that his contribution should be to establish a standard of excellence in one important area within two years. He chose to focus on the emergency room, which was big, visible, and sloppy. He decided that every patient who came into the ER had to be seen by a qualified nurse within 60 seconds. Within 12 months, the hospital’s emergency room had become a model for all hospitals in the United States, and within another two years, the whole hospital had been transformed.
As this example suggests, it is rarely possible—or even particularly fruitful—to look too far ahead. A plan can usually cover no more than 18 months and still be reasonably clear and specific. So the question in most cases should be, Where and how can I achieve results that will make a difference within the next year and a half? The answer must balance several things. First, the results should be hard to achieve—they should require “stretching,” to use the current buzzword. But also, they should be within reach. To aim at results that cannot be achieved—or that can be only under the most unlikely circumstances—is not being ambitious; it is being foolish. Second, the results should be meaningful. They should make a difference. Finally, results should be visible and, if at all possible, measurable. From this will come a course of action: what to do, where and how to start, and what goals and deadlines to set.
Responsibility for Relationships
Very few people work by themselves and achieve results by themselves—a few great artists, a few great scientists, a few great athletes. Most people work with others and are effective with other people. That is true whether they are members of an organization or independently employed. Managing yourself requires taking responsibility for relationships. This has two parts.
The first is to accept the fact that other people are as much individuals as you yourself are. They perversely insist on behaving like human beings. This means that they too have their strengths; they too have their ways of getting things done; they too have their values. To be effective, therefore, you have to know the strengths, the performance modes, and the values of your coworkers.
That sounds obvious, but few people pay attention to it. Typical is the person who was trained to write reports in his or her first assignment because that boss was a reader. Even if the next boss is a listener, the person goes on writing reports that, invariably, produce no results. Invariably the boss will think the employee is stupid, incompetent, and lazy, and he or she will fail. But that could have been avoided if the employee had only looked at the new boss and analyzed how this boss performs.
Bosses are neither a title on the organization chart nor a “function.” They are individuals and are entitled to do their work in the way they do it best. It is incumbent on the people who work with them to observe them, to find out how they work, and to adapt themselves to what makes their bosses most effective. This, in fact, is the secret of “managing” the boss.
The same holds true for all your coworkers. Each works his or her way, not your way. And each is entitled to work in his or her way. What matters is whether they perform and what their values are. As for how they perform—each is likely to do it differently. The first secret of effectiveness is to understand the people you work with and depend on so that you can make use of their strengths, their ways of working, and their values. Working relationships are as much based on the people as they are on the work.
The first secret of effectiveness is to understand the people you work with so that you can make use of their strengths.
The second part of relationship responsibility is taking responsibility for communication. Whenever I, or any other consultant, start to work with an organization, the first thing I hear about are all the personality conflicts. Most of these arise from the fact that people do not know what other people are doing and how they do their work, or what contribution the other people are concentrating on and what results they expect. And the reason they do not know is that they have not asked and therefore have not been told.
This failure to ask reflects human stupidity less than it reflects human history. Until recently, it was unnecessary to tell any of these things to anybody. In the medieval city, everyone in a district plied the same trade. In the countryside, everyone in a valley planted the same crop as soon as the frost was out of the ground. Even those few people who did things that were not “common” worked alone, so they did not have to tell anyone what they were doing.
Today the great majority of people work with others who have different tasks and responsibilities. The marketing vice president may have come out of sales and know everything about sales, but she knows nothing about the things she has never done—pricing, advertising, packaging, and the like. So the people who do these things must make sure that the marketing vice president understands what they are trying to do, why they are trying to do it, how they are going to do it, and what results to expect.
If the marketing vice president does not understand what these high-grade knowledge specialists are doing, it is primarily their fault, not hers. They have not educated her. Conversely, it is the marketing vice president’s responsibility to make sure that all of her coworkers understand how she looks at marketing: what her goals are, how she works, and what she expects of herself and of each one of them.
Even people who understand the importance of taking responsibility for relationships often do not communicate sufficiently with their associates. They are afraid of being thought presumptuous or inquisitive or stupid. They are wrong. Whenever someone goes to his or her associates and says, “This is what I am good at. This is how I work. These are my values. This is the contribution I plan to concentrate on and the results I should be expected to deliver,” the response is always, “This is most helpful. But why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
And one gets the same reaction—without exception, in my experience—if one continues by asking, “And what do I need to know about your strengths, how you perform, your values, and your proposed contribution?” In fact, knowledge workers should request this of everyone with whom they work, whether as subordinate, superior, colleague, or team member. And again, whenever this is done, the reaction is always, “Thanks for asking me. But why didn’t you ask me earlier?”
Organizations are no longer built on force but on trust. The existence of trust between people does not necessarily mean that they like one another. It means that they understand one another. Taking responsibility for relationships is therefore an absolute necessity. It is a duty. Whether one is a member of the organization, a consultant to it, a supplier, or a distributor, one owes that responsibility to all one’s coworkers: those whose work one depends on as well as those who depend on one’s own work.
The Second Half of Your Life
When work for most people meant manual labor, there was no need to worry about the second half of your life. You simply kept on doing what you had always done. And if you were lucky enough to survive 40 years of hard work in the mill or on the railroad, you were quite happy to spend the rest of your life doing nothing. Today, however, most work is knowledge work, and knowledge workers are not “finished” after 40 years on the job, they are merely bored.
We hear a great deal of talk about the midlife crisis of the executive. It is mostly boredom. At 45, most executives have reached the peak of their business careers, and they know it. After 20 years of doing very much the same kind of work, they are very good at their jobs. But they are not learning or contributing or deriving challenge and satisfaction from the job. And yet they are still likely to face another 20 if not 25 years of work. That is why managing oneself increasingly leads one to begin a second career.
There are three ways to develop a second career. The first is actually to start one. Often this takes nothing more than moving from one kind of organization to another: the divisional controller in a large corporation, for instance, becomes the controller of a medium-sized hospital. But there are also growing numbers of people who move into different lines of work altogether: the business executive or government official who enters the ministry at 45, for instance; or the midlevel manager who leaves corporate life after 20 years to attend law school and become a small-town attorney.
We will see many more second careers undertaken by people who have achieved modest success in their first jobs. Such people have substantial skills, and they know how to work. They need a community—the house is empty with the children gone—and they need income as well. But above all, they need challenge.
The second way to prepare for the second half of your life is to develop a parallel career. Many people who are very successful in their first careers stay in the work they have been doing, either on a full-time or part-time or consulting basis. But in addition, they create a parallel job, usually in a nonprofit organization, that takes another ten hours of work a week. They might take over the administration of their church, for instance, or the presidency of the local Girl Scouts council. They might run the battered women’s shelter, work as a children’s librarian for the local public library, sit on the school board, and so on.
People who manage the second half of their lives may always be a minority. The majority may “retire on the job” and count the years until their actual retirement. But it is this minority, the men and women who see a long working-life expectancy as an opportunity both for themselves and for society, who will become leaders and models. Finally, there are the social entrepreneurs. These are usually people who have been very successful in their first careers. They love their work, but it no longer challenges them. In many cases they keep on doing what they have been doing all along but spend less and less of their time on it. They also start another activity, usually a nonprofit. My friend Bob Buford, for example, built a very successful television company that he still runs. But he has also founded and built a successful nonprofit organization that works with Protestant churches, and he is building another to teach social entrepreneurs how to manage their own nonprofit ventures while still running their original businesses.
There is one prerequisite for managing the second half of your life: You must begin long before you enter it. When it first became clear 30 years ago that working-life expectancies were lengthening very fast, many observers (including myself) believed that retired people would increasingly become volunteers for nonprofit institutions. That has not happened. If one does not begin to volunteer before one is 40 or so, one will not volunteer once past 60.
There is one prerequisite for managing the second half of your life: You must begin doing so long before you enter it.
Similarly, all the social entrepreneurs I know began to work in their chosen second enterprise long before they reached their peak in their original business. Consider the example of a successful lawyer, the legal counsel to a large corporation, who has started a venture to establish model schools in his state. He began to do volunteer legal work for the schools when he was around 35. He was elected to the school board at age 40. At age 50, when he had amassed a fortune, he started his own enterprise to build and to run model schools. He is, however, still working nearly full-time as the lead counsel in the company he helped found as a young lawyer.
There is another reason to develop a second major interest, and to develop it early. No one can expect to live very long without experiencing a serious setback in his or her life or work. There is the competent engineer who is passed over for promotion at age 45. There is the competent college professor who realizes at age 42 that she will never get a professorship at a big university, even though she may be fully qualified for it. There are tragedies in one’s family life: the breakup of one’s marriage or the loss of a child. At such times, a second major interest—not just a hobby—may make all the difference. The engineer, for example, now knows that he has not been very successful in his job. But in his outside activity—as church treasurer, for example—he is a success. One’s family may break up, but in that outside activity there is still a community.
In a society in which success has become so terribly important, having options will become increasingly vital. Historically, there was no such thing as “success.” The overwhelming majority of people did not expect anything but to stay in their “proper station,” as an old English prayer has it. The only mobility was downward mobility.
In a knowledge society, however, we expect everyone to be a success. This is clearly an impossibility. For a great many people, there is at best an absence of failure. Wherever there is success, there has to be failure. And then it is vitally important for the individual, and equally for the individual’s family, to have an area in which he or she can contribute, make a difference, and be somebody. That means finding a second area—whether in a second career, a parallel career, or a social venture—that offers an opportunity for being a leader, for being respected, for being a success.
But today the opposite is true. Knowledge workers outlive organizations, and they are mobile. The need to manage oneself is therefore creating a revolution in human affairs.The challenges of managing oneself may seem obvious, if not elementary. And the answers may seem self-evident to the point of appearing naïve. But managing oneself requires new and unprecedented things from the individual, and especially from the knowledge worker. In effect, managing oneself demands that each knowledge worker think and behave like a chief executive officer. Further, the shift from manual workers who do as they are told to knowledge workers who have to manage themselves profoundly challenges social structure. Every existing society, even the most individualistic one, takes two things for granted, if only subconsciously: that organizations outlive workers, and that most people stay put.
PaulyHart.com is not a book
Another Colored Water Fountain
Christian woman sentenced to death for 'drinking from Muslim water cup' in Pakistan may not live to face execution after five years' imprisonment has left her with intestinal bleeding
Asia Bibi, now 50, has spent five years languishing on Pakistan's death row. She was sentenced to die after sharing a water cup with Muslim colleagues... But she may not live to face execution as she suffers serious health issues. Bibi has intestinal bleeding, vomits blood and has constant chest pains
A Christian woman on death row in Pakistan for drinking from the same cup as Muslims is suffering from intestinal bleeding and is so weak she cannot walk.
There are fears Asia Bibi, now 50, may not even live to face execution after languishing in jail for five years after receiving her death sentence.
Bibi, a mother-of-five, has been on death row since November 2010 after she was convicted of insulting Mohammed during a row with Muslim co-workers over a bowl of water.
Following a visit from her family last week, it was discovered Bibi was vomiting blood, had difficulty eating and was suffering from constant chest pains, The Global Dispatch reported.
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in majority Muslim Pakistan country, with even unproven allegations often prompting mob violence.
Although her legal team filed an appeal in the hopes of having the sentence reduced to a jail term, late last year a high court in Lahore confirmed the sentence.
It came despite Bibi making an impassioned plea to supporters in an open letter.
'You are my only hope of staying alive in this dungeon, so please don’t abandon me,' she said. 'I did not commit blasphemy.'
The allegations against Bibi date back to June 2009, when she was labouring in a field and a row broke out with some Muslim women she was working with.
She was asked to fetch water, but the Muslim women objected, saying that as a non-Muslim she was unfit to touch the water bowl.
A few days later the women went to a local cleric and put forward the blasphemy allegations.
Her lawyers have alleged evidence was manipulated, and say there was a long delay between the time of the incident and its investigation by police.
Defence lawyer Saiful Malook said the blasphemy allegation was concocted by Bibi's enemies to target her and had no basis in fact.
It came in addition to a personal plea from Bibi's husband Ashiq Masih to Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain, asking for her to be pardoned and allowed to move to France.
'We are convinced that Asia will only be saved from being hanged if the venerable President (Mamnoon) Hussain grants her a pardon. No one should be killed for drinking a glass of water,' he wrote in the New York Times.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has said the couple are welcomed in the city, and Masih quoted his wife as saying she sent her 'deepest thanks to you Madame Mayor, and to all the kind people of Paris and across the world'.
Bibi's message from jail read: 'My prison cell has no windows and day and night are the same to me, but if I am still holding on today it is thanks to everyone who is trying to help me. When my husband showed me the photographs of people I have never met drinking a glass of water for me, my heart overflowed.
'Ashiq told me that the city of Paris is offering to welcome our family. I send my deepest thanks to you Madam Mayor, and to all the kind people of Paris and across the world.
'You are my only hope of staying alive in this dungeon, so please don’t abandon me. I did not commit blasphemy.'
Mr Masih, 50, lives in hiding with two of his five children and has to keep his identity secret as he scrapes together a living as a daily labourer.
He visits his wife once a month, making a five-and-a-half hour journey to her jail in Multan in southern Punjab.
Amnesty International has raised 'serious concerns' about the fairness of her trial and has called for her release.
Anyone convicted, or even just accused, of insulting Islam in Pakistan, risks a violent and bloody death at the hands of vigilantes.
Woman Saved by Google Earth
This story is satire. Untrue and a hoax.
based upon the evidence here
Google Earth Finds Woman Trapped On Desert Island For 7 Years
In 2007, Gemma Sheridan and two of her friends set out on a voyage that was to take them from their home town of Liverpool, across the Atlantic to the Panama Canal and then onwards to the beautiful island of Hawaii.
The first stage of the voyage went without incident. However, after passing through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific, things started to take a turn for the worst.
There was a huge storm that completely destroyed the boat’s electronic systems, washed both her friends overboard and seriously damaged the external structure of the boat.
Without any electronics on a boat that was barely functioning, Gemma drifted for 17 days until she was hit by another major storm.
During that storm she was knocked unconscious and awoke on a beach, surrounded only by wreckage from the boat. Here is a short account of some of the things she can remember from her time as a cast away.
“Within the first hour I had a major panic attack. It was a disturbing feeling, being alone, isolated, so far from home without a hope.
I had been on water rations for the last 2 weeks, so finding water was my first priority. There were no pools of fresh water so I had to rig up a contraption that drew the water away from the rock I had managed to get one drop out of every fifty seconds. That was my only source of water, so it was coconuts until it rained. Not the best start.”
“The amount of energy required to do anything massive and basic things were mentally taxing. For the first two weeks I stayed in a mock shelter I had made from debris that washed ashore.
I was desperate to find real shelter and after a while I found a large tree that looked perfect. I nibbled away at the bark of the tree with a giant clam shell for eleven days just to build my shelter.
It could quite possibly have been bomb and waterproof in the end and is probably still standing, but if Id had a machete, just that one tool, I would have been able to build it in a few hours.
It was four weeks before I managed to light a fire you have no idea how happy that made me.”
“There were eight feral goats on the island, three adults and five kids. I saw them occasionally and tried to catch them but they would always get away. I made a bow and arrow, but this just went twang and fell on the floor and my makeshift spear wasnt sharp enough.
So, when the hunting tools didnt work, I spent seven days building a coral-type trap with spikes on it and everything. One day I was walking round the island looking for crabs and saw what I thought was driftwood caught up in the bottom of this tree.
Then it bleated. This goat had been eating the leaves, got it’s horns caught and panicked. It was a massive thing, about 45 or 50 kilos. I tried squeezing it’s windpipe but that wouldnt do it so I had to bash it on the head with a clam shell. It took about 15 minutes to kill it and was quite gruesome.
It showed me how far I was from being able to hunt because even though it was trapped it still took me a quarter of an hour.”
“Fast forward a few years and everything had changed. The physical side was tough but ultimately bearable. I did a series of exercises on the beach every day press-ups, chin-ups on a tree branch, squats with boulders on my shoulders and shuttle runs of about 300 metres.
I had managed to get to a stage when I was getting stronger, but the difficulty was elsewhere. My mind was lonely and it was begining to dawn on me that I may never be saved. Usually if youre on a desert island and you start talking to yourself it is an indication that things are going wrong.
I had a sign on the beach that was about ten feet high but it had sat there all this time and nothing had ever came of it. So I decided to go all out, spending the next few weeks clearing space and finding materials to build a huge sign in the sand on the beach. My hope was that perhaps a plane might fly over and see it, but in all my time on the island, I had not seen 1 single plane fly over. I didn’t give up though.”
One morning I woke to the sound of a plane flying overhead. I couldn’t believe it, I thought it was a dream. I ran to the beach screaming and waving my arms like a lunatic. The plane flew over two or three more times and then dropped a small package. Inside was a radio, fresh water, food and a small medical kit. I switched on the radio and heard the first human voice in years.
We talked for what seemed like an eternity, then I asked the voice on the other end, “How did you find me?” The man replied, “Some kid from Minnesota found your SOS sign on Google Earth!” I didn’t even know what Google Earth was, but I’m eternally grateful now.
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PG PRESENTS - Sammy J
Former Peninsula School student Sammy J is an award-winning comedian, writer and musician. A proud nerd, he abandoned his law degree to travel the world and sing funny songs for a living. You may have seen him on TV, at a festival, or as one half of the man/puppet duo Sammy J & Randy.
As a solo act, Sammy J won the Best Newcomer award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. He has since performed in Edinburgh, Montreal, and every major Australian comedy festival. His album “Skinny Man, Modern World” received an ARIA nomination for Best Comedy Release, and he gained a national following with his satirical take on Australian Politics, “Sammy J’s Playground Politics”.
As part of the duo "Sammy J & Randy” with puppeteer Heath McIvor, Sammy received the Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show at the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival. Their acclaimed live shows have taken them from the Sydney Opera House to London’s West End, and in 2015 they were handpicked by Neil Patrick Harris to appear in his Montreal Gala. Their musical sitcom, “Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane”, premiered on ABC TV in 2015, and has since launched on Netflix UK and NBC’s Seeso in the USA.
As a composer, Sammy J has written countless comedy songs for stage and screen, and scored the incidental music for “Ricketts Lane” and “Sammy J’s Playground Politics”.
Away from the comedy world, Sammy J’s MC skills have seen him host award shows, interview politicians, and inject much-needed humour into corporate events. He regularly runs workshops in schools, and his writing has appeared in multiple publications.
Sammy J is a proud Ambassador for the mentoring service Big Brothers Big Sisters, and travelled to South Africa with Randy as Oxfam ambassadors in 2014 to witness Oxfam’s work firsthand.
Percussion / Drumkit Studio Performance Evening
The Performing Arts Centre (map)
The Percussion and Drum Kit students of Mr Piet Collins, present solo and chamber repertoire. All welcome, this event is free.
Singer's Concert
All are welcome to attend what is always an enjoyable concert showcasing the impressive talent of our singers.
PG PRESENTS - Luke Howard
http://www.lukehoward.com/
“Luke is one of Australia’s most stunning jazz pianists, combining incisive intelligence, formidable pianism and relentless passion with a congenial manner and infectious enthusiasm for music in all its forms.”
Dr Donna Coleman
Luke studied classical piano as a child before graduating with honours from the Victorian College of the Arts. In 2001 he was awarded the Keith and Elisabeth Murdoch Travelling Fellowship through which he studied with Paul Bley and Fred Hersch. In recent years he has opened for Benjamin Clementine and Ben Frost, and performed with artists as diverse as Lior and Jeff Mills. Luke was twice a finalist in the Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition and was in 2007 a finalist in the Melbourne Music Prize. He also won the 2012 Bell Award for Jazz Composition of the Year, is a frequent performer at the Melbourne Recital Centre (where he twice co-presented the Festival of Beautiful Sound), and has performed at festivals such as The Great Escape, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Bigsound. Local artists with whom he regularly works include Ben Abraham, Nat Bartsch, Leonard Grigoryan, Lior, and Gian Slater. He is currently co-producing ‘The Final Hour’ (a work by composer Stuart Greenbaum), as well as a solo piano record for Nat Bartsch. Luke’s music has a global reach, with his composition ‘Portrait Gallery’ receiving more than 1.35 million plays on Spotify, and synchronisation licensees including the Royal Australian Navy. He has played on well over fifty recordings and has released several albums of his own (see attached discography). Luke has also written music for several short films, and played on many film scores by other composers such as Cezary Skubiszewski. His music has been described as “absolutely heavenly” (Mary Anne Hobbs, July 2013), “cinematic in its approach” (The Age, October 2009) and “a welcome balm for weary souls” (The Age, February 2009). Luke divides his time between Europe and Australia. In 2013 he released the Australian Music Prize long-listed record ‘Sun, Cloud’. Luke’s score to ‘Where Do Lilacs Come From’ won Best Music for a Short Film at the 2014 APRA/AMCOS Screen Music Awards. He was a recipient of a 2015 PPCA recording grant, through which he recorded his second solo album ‘Two Places’. Other recent records include ‘Ten Sails’ (with Brooklyn-based trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis) and the photo book/EP ‘Two & One’. Luke has has works commissioned by the Grigoryan Brothers, the Hush Music Foundation, Plexus, and the City of Melbourne. He has recorded frequently at both Rainbow Studio (Oslo) and Greenhouse Studios (Reykjavík). Luke is represented by Secretly Canadian Publishing, and is an Honourary Fellow at the Victorian College of the Arts – School of Contemporary Music.
PG PRESENTS - Horns of Leroy
HORNS of LEROY
Inspired by the flavours of New Orleans to Fitzroy, this punked-out seven piece raucous street band take brass band music to a whole new level. From humble beginnings, the band has evolved from playing the streets of Melbourne to some of the biggest festivals and stages across the country.
Taking sounds from a number of musical influences, their debut record will be a fresh culmination that highlights all there is to dig about this band.
Whether you love them for their New Orleans inspired street parties or their raucous stage shows, Horns of Leroy always deliver and have earned themselves a reputation to match.
Ben Harrison & Travis Woods – Trumpet
James Macaulay & Nick Pietsch – Trombone
James Mustafa – Sousaphone
Daniel Berry & Tim Clifton – Percussion
Grand Music Showcase - Middle & Senior Years
Frankston Arts Centre (map)
Ensembles from across the school will perform at this annual musical spectacular held at the Frankston Arts Centre
Grand Music Showcase - Junior Years
Lunchtime Concert
An informal and welcoming concert showcasing the wonderful work done within our Studio Music Program. Student perform solo and chamber works from ECC to Year 12. We welcome anyone to attend these concerts. Entry is free
Saxophone and Woodwind Studio Performance Evening
The Studio of Mrs Georgia Scott and Mr Adam Wesley present solo and chamber repertoire. All welcome, this event is free.
PG PRESENTS - Trinity College Choir
Trinity College Choir
Trinity College Choir is acclaimed for its collaborations with the world’s leading musicians and in particular for its performances of Bach, which have included the St Matthew Passion with Jeremy Summerley in 2011, and the St John Passion with Stephen Layton in 2012, and Jonathan Grieves-Smith in 2014.
The Choir has undertaken eight international tours, visiting England, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Baltic States and Russia, Canada and the United States.
The Choir is a champion of new and old music, and enjoys a special advocacy for new Australian repertoire much of it written especially for the Choir. Recent performances including music by Gabriel Jackson, Richard Mills, Daniel Riley, Arvo Pärt, Brett Dean, Eriks Esenvalds, Owain Park, Lachlan McDonald, Sir John Tavener, Pawel Lukascewski, David Briggs, Joseph Twist, Calvin Bowman and Nigel Westlake, and in 2013 on his first tour to Australia the Choir performed with Eric Whitacre.
The Choir comprises students studying a wide range of subjects, many of whom are resident at Trinity College, but with others drawn from Monash or Swinburne University, the Victorian College of the Arts or RMIT, and other centres of tertiary education.
Lachlan Redd
Peninsula Grammar PRESENTS renown Pianist Lachlan Redd.
Beginner's Concert
Sir Reginald Ansett Hall (map)
We extend a warm invitation to family and friends to attend this delightful concert which gives our beginner students an opportunity to perform short pieces for the very first time in front of an audience. Some of the more established ensembles also perform at the concert to demonstrate to the Beginners the level to which they can aspire.
Strings Concert - Middle & Senior Years
Strings Concert - Junior Years
A delightful concert that gives our Junior Years String players a chance to perform often for the first time
Lewington Room (map)
An informal and welcoming concert showcasing the wonderful work done within our Studio Music Program. Student perform solo and chamber works from ECC to Year 12. We welcome anyone to attend these concerts. Entry is free.
Generations in Jazz Competition
Fri, May 5, 2017 9:00 AM 09:00 Sun, May 7, 2017 11:00 PM 23:00
Mt Gambier (map)
Stage Band, Little Big Band and a vocal quartet head off to Mt Gambier to participate in the Generations in Jazz Festival. The unique 3 day event brings together thousands of students to play and learn about jazz. The inspirational experience is a valuable opportunity to observe and compete with the best in Australia.
Generations In Jazz Concert with Ross Irwin
The Second ever send off concert for our Generations in Jazz Competitors. This year Associate Faculty Member Ross Irwin takes to the stage alongside all of our jazz department ensembles. This is a free event held in The Ansett Hall.
THE TWOKS
Peninsula Grammar Presents THE TWOKS
ANZAC Day Marching Band
St Kilda Rd (map)
Our ANZAC DAY Memorial Service.
Music Staff Concert
Peninsula Grammar's Music Staff play chamber music of all genres.
This not to be missed event is Free and held in the Lewington Room, Performing Art Centre
Tim McMillan
Peninsula Grammar Presents TIM MCMILLAN
Peninsula Grammar Songfest
The first of its kind. An informal presentation of work from the studio of Mr Lionel Towers' songwriting, composition and music production students.
1 pm, Lewington Room
TRIO ELTRI
Peninsula Grammar Presents TRIO ELTRI
TPS Presents BENAUD TRIO
The Benaud Trio is one of Australia’s finest ensembles. Formed in Melbourne in early 2005, pianist Amir Farid, violinist Lachlan Bramble, and cellist Ewen Bramble have established themselves as formidable performers of the standard repertoire, works by Australian composers and music with a pop/jazz influence.
Apart from their regular appearances at Melbourne Recital Centre and Elder Hall, the Benaud Trio have performed in major international festivals in Adelaide and Perth and for Musica Viva in Hobart and Melbourne. They have given concerts in many regional centres including Ballarat, Castlemaine, Mount Barker, Port Fairy,
Flinders and Mount Macedon and have also played live on the ‘Today Show’, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the 2006 Boxing Day Test and at the launch of the Steve Waugh Foundation in Sydney.
The Benaud Trio were winners of the Piano Trio Prize at the 2005 Australian Chamber Music Competition and were resident at the Banff Centre for the Arts in July 2006. The Benauds were Musicians-in-Residence at 3MBS FM from 2007 to 2009 and recipients of the 2013 Contemporary Masters Performance Award at Melbourne Recital Centre. In November 2015 they were Ensemble-in-Residence at the inaugural Adelaide Chamber Music School.
The Benaud Trio’s repertoire now spans more than 60 works from Haydn to the present day. They regularly commission new music from prominent Australian composers including and are well known for their outrageous pop-inspired encores, specially arranged for then by Nicholas Buc.
The Benauds and have two acclaimed albums available on Melba Recordings and are audience favourites on ABC Classic FM
Marching Band Remembrance Day
Mt Eliza (map)
Celebration Evening - Ensemble Rehearsals
Wed, Nov 9, 2016 9:00 AM 09:00 Thu, Nov 10, 2016 11:30 AM 11:30
Robert Blackwood Hall (map)
Singers Concert
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Waist Size and Health
Fri, 09/26/2014 - 05:00 -- admin
Increases in your waist size can be a warning that you're increasing your risks for heart disease, diabetes, strok and even cancer. If you see this warning sign don't ignore it... Liposuction (www.http://perlmanmd.com/liposuction-and-liposculpting) doesn't reduce this fat pad since it is located within the abdomen around the body organs.
From the BBC Health web site:
Waistlines 'grow an inch in a decade' in US
By Helen BriggsHealth editor, BBC News website
Abdominal obesity increased by nearly 50% between 1999 and 2012
US waistlines are continuing to expand, despite obesity appearing to be reaching a plateau, data suggests.
Research suggests the average adult waist size in the US increased by more than 1in (2.5cm) between 1999 and 2012.
But figures for obesity as defined by body mass index (BMI) had changed little over the same period, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Factors such as lack of sleep may be to blame for growing waistlines.
The researchers, led by Dr Earl Ford, analysed national data on nutrition and health in the US from 1999-2000 to 2011-12.
At a time when the prevalence of obesity may have reached a plateau, the waistlines of US adults continue to expand”
US researchers
The study included more than 32,000 men and women over the age of 20.
The researchers found:
Average waist circumference increased from 37.6in (95.5cm) to 38.8in (98.5cm)
The average waist circumference for men is now 40in (101cm)
The average waist circumference for women in now 38in (96cm)
The average increase in men was 0.8in (2cm); in women 1.5in (3.8cm)
Abdominal obesity (tummy fat) increased from 46.4% of the population in 1999-2000 to 54.2% in 2011-2012.
The team compared the findings with obesity data.
The researchers found obesity calculated from body mass index (BMI) did not change significantly between 2003 and 2012.
"At a time when the prevalence of obesity may have reached a plateau, the waistlines of US adults continue to expand," the researchers told the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
"The reasons for increases in waist circumference in excess of what would be expected from changes in BMI remain speculative, but several factors, including sleep deprivation, endocrine disruptors, and certain medications, have been proposed as potential explanations."
The research backs recommendations that routine measurement of waist circumference is a key step in controlling obesity.
According to NHS Choices, the risk of some health problems is affected by where body fat is stored, as well as weight.
Carrying too much fat around the middle (waist) can increase the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said more people were carrying extra weight around the middle, including in the UK.
"This increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, but losing weight and reducing your waist size is doable," she said.
"Try cutting down on the calories and getting more active, but don't try to lose weight too quickly.
"Slow and steady weight loss - around 1-2lb [1kg] each week - is healthier."
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Home Business With cryptocurrency launch, Facebook sets its path toward becoming an independent nation
With cryptocurrency launch, Facebook sets its path toward becoming an independent nation
By Jennifer Grygiel, Syracuse University
Facebook has announced a plan to launch a new cryptocurrency named the Libra, adding another layer to its efforts to dominate global communications and business. Backed by huge finance and technology companies including Visa, Spotify, eBay, PayPal, and Uber – plus a ready-made user base of 2 billion people around the world – Facebook is positioned to pressure countries and central banks to cooperate with its reinvention of the global financial system.
In my view as a social media researcher and educator, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is clearly seeking to give his company even more political power on a global scale, despite the potential dangers to society at large. In a sense, he is declaring that he wants Facebook to become a virtual nation, populated by users, powered by a self-contained economy, and headed by a CEO – Zuckerberg himself – who is not even accountable to his shareholders.
Facebook hasn’t behaved responsibly in the past and is still wrestling with significant public concerns – and investigations – about its privacy practices, information accuracy and targeted advertising. Therefore, it’s important to see through the hype. People must consider who is reshaping the world, and whether they are doing it in the best interests of humankind – or whether they are just seeking to benefit the new class of elite technology executives.
Humanity needs ethical leadership, and time to think through the potential repercussions of rapid technological change. That’s why, in my view, Facebook’s cryptocurrency should be blocked by financial regulators until its design has been proved to be safe for all of global society.
You might not want to trust this man.
Anthony Quintano/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY
Understanding Libra
Technology companies are interested in a global currency that is native to the internet. That could allow companies like Facebook and Twitter to bring in more users to their platforms, and collect money from businesses who want to join the new system. They also want to siphon off business from the existing financial services industry. That sector is worth trillions of dollars, is enormously profitable, and yet has struggled to implement its own digital currency.
The technical details of Facebook’s plans are still emerging, but it seems that the company is not seeking to compete with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Rather, Facebook is looking to replace the existing global financial system with an all-new setup, with Libra at its center.
The company may be counting on increased public interest in cryptocurrencies and financial technologies, and its market strength, to overcome objections. However, I don’t believe Facebook should be allowed to wreck the global financial system like it has, as many see it, wrecked global communications.
Speeding global exchange
There is definitely a need for smoother, faster and cheaper ways to send money around the world, and to provide access to financial services to the many people who do not have formal bank accounts. There is real potential to Libra, but there are likely to be ways to improve even more, developing a payment system that better serves the world as a whole.
At least at the moment, the Libra is being designed as a form of electronic money linked to many national currencies. That has raised fears that Libra might someday be recognized as a sovereign currency, with Facebook acting as a “shadow bank” that could compete with the central banks of countries around the world.
It doesn’t help that Facebook is already positioning itself to evade regulatory scrutiny by creating a corporate subsidiary that will join an ostensibly independent governing body for the Libra.
To protect consumers, regulators should look carefully at whether the new system supporting the Libra is sound. It may be that an entirely new set of financial rules and regulations is needed to shield the existing financial system from harm if the Libra becomes more popular than national currencies. At the very least, governments need to proceed slowly and carefully when new products may introduce systemic risks into our environment. Even the CEO of Google has acknowledged that. In my opinion, Libra’s planned launch in 2020 does not allow enough time to fully vet this technology and its risks.
Protecting the global financial system
Financial regulations have developed over time to encourage trust between unknown parties, and to protect regular customers from fraudsters and corporate greed. There are also rules that help governments prevent and detect transactions that support crime and terrorism.
This is not to say that all payments and purchases should be tied to a known entity online or in real life. Cash and anonymity is also a civil right and is key to privacy and personal freedoms.
As new digital financial services, methods of electronic payment and currencies develop and become popular, they should not be allowed to undermine longstanding financial safety systems, even in the name of smoother, cheaper transactions.
My concern is not just about large-volume transactions. Facebook has shown how even small amounts of money can buy microtargeted ads with the power to influence public opinion and election outcomes in the U.S. and around the world.
Product design and risk assessment
Facebook has a long history of questionable business models and privacy practices. The public, and their representatives in government – including elected officials, financial regulators, and central bank authorities – should carefully scrutinize all aspects of Facebook’s cryptocurrency plans.
This concern is especially urgent because Facebook also has a long history of launching products and services, like political ads and live-streaming video, without fully considering their potential to damage democracy and the global society at large.
Mark Zuckerberg didn’t think enough about how people could use Facebook for ill.
The company has demonstrated its inability to serve society beneficially – and it may not even be interested in trying. All the signals suggest that customers and regulators alike should carefully examine whether Facebook’s Libra is truly innovative or just a way to avoid restrictions on a potentially hazardous financial product.
Facebook’s entrance into the financial industry is a threat to democracies and their citizens around the world, on the same scale as disinformation and information warfare, which also depend on social media for their effectiveness.
It may be hard for world leaders to understand that this is an emergency, as they cannot see the virtual powers aligning against them. But they must huddle quickly to ensure they have – and keep – the power to protect their people from technology companies’ greed.
It will be key to understand if Facebook’s future cryptocurrency will ultimately function more like anonymous cash, or more like a traceable credit card transaction. Facebook has the blockchain and encryption technology to create an anonymous digital cash-like system, or a private digital currency, which has not been created yet. Anonymity would heighten the risks of abuse such as money laundering, so it’s worth watching out for a cash-like Facebook cryptocurrency that mirrors the central banks’ cash system.
In addition, I cannot help but reflect on the name that Facebook chose for this, the Libra, which is a reference to the Roman measurement for a pound, once used to mint coins. In many ways, the company that Mark Zuckerberg is building is beginning to look more like a Roman Empire, now with its own central bank and currency, than a corporation. The only problem is that this new nation-like platform is a controlled company and is run more like a dictatorship than a sovereign country with democratically elected leaders. Even now, the company may have as much power as some countries – and more than others.
In the wake of the not too distant global financial crisis, and the “fake news” and disinformation culture that is developing, people must slow down and fully evaluate disruptive technology of this magnitude. Society cannot withstand a launch of a cryptocurrency in Facebook’s infamous “move fast and break things” style.
Jennifer Grygiel, Assistant Professor of Communications (Social Media) & Magazine, News and Digital Journalism, Syracuse University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
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The False Choice Of An EU Referendum
Backbencher October 20, 2013 1
Cameron and his team have placed great stock in a 2017 referendum promise. But is worth a dime?
In front of us, there is a choice – whether it comes in 2017 or not; the choice will be essentially the same: ‘Do you (the British people) want to remain part of the European Union?’ I would argue that it will ultimately be a false choice, as I hope to explain.
There are some (very few I would argue) positive points that can be made for the European Union in its current form. These merits will no doubt be emphasised and exaggerated to the British public before any future referendum. But just as a puppy isn’t a puppy for long, the EU is not static – it is constantly changing and growing. What kind of beast will be the final result of this process?
Each new treaty transfers new powers and ‘competencies’ to Brussels in a process they call ‘pooling sovereignty’ but in reality amounts to little more than handing power to unelected Brussels bureaucrats. Whether you approve of The EU in its current form or not is beside the point – it is changing into a ‘United States of Europe’.
The EU is already taking on the trappings of a state with its own foreign policy, its own parliament, its own Flag and Anthem. It has been reported that European Commissioner Andris Piebalgs stated only this month that the UK must join the Euro.
Shortly, the EU may even have its own armed forces.
William Dartmouth MEP has stated that:
“It is clear that the EU is making concrete plans to create a European army.”
A recent Comres poll[1] discovered that:
“A majority of MEPs across all three main parties think that the EU should be aiming to become a unified state”
Earlier this year, Eurosceptic Syed Kamall MEP expressed his alarm at:
“a European Commission-funded initiative, aimed at young people, which promotes the concept of Europe as a single state.”[2]
The choice before us is not between the EU status quo and Independence. The choice is whether to become independent once more or be subsumed into the imminent EU superstate.
In a 1992 Speech in The Hague called “Europe’s Political Architecture” Baroness Thatcher stated clearly:
“Our choice is clear: Either we exercise democratic control of Europe through co-operation between national governments and parliaments which have legitimacy, experience and closeness to the people. Or, we transfer decisions to a remote multi-lingual parliament, accountable to no real European public opinion and thus increasingly subordinate to a powerful bureaucracy. No amount of misleading language about pooling sovereignty can change that.”
In a Recent Survation poll for the Mail, 55 per cent favoured an EU referendum before the next Election.[3]
The Poll also revealed that Asked how they would vote if a 2014 referendum went ahead, nearly one in two, 46 per cent, would vote to leave – with 38 per cent in favour of staying in. I am encouraged by this, but one thing is troubling me. I am worried that those in government who want us to remain in the EU will manage to get a few superficial concessions from Brussels and present this ‘renegotiated’ EU to the British people as a fait accompli.
It is worrying since according to the Survation Poll, 47% would vote to remain in the EU if it made concessions to the UK. While I do not believe that significant powers will be returned to the UK from Brussels – there would be little stopping the government claiming a mass return of powers. I have no doubt that whoever is in power at the time, Labour or Conservative Prime Minister will return to the UK claiming ‘Game set and match’ to Britain.
But without EU-wide consensus on treaty reform, there is no way that the EU can be reformed in any significant way.
EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has warned that plans to retrieve powers to member states are “doomed to failure”[4]
I admire his honesty. Let us also be honest – the EU is a failed construct. The sooner we leave it, the sooner we can form a new European arrangement based on sovereign nation states, mutual respect and co-operation.
That is ultimately; the only real choice we can make.
Gary Robinson (Follow Gary on Twitter: @GaryJRobinson)
[1] http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/3596/meps-want-united-states-of-europe-even-without-the-uk
[2]http://www.thecommentator.com/article/3788/european_commission_funds_united_states_of_europe_initiative
[3] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2456832/Most-voters-want-2014-poll-quitting-EU-Survey-reveals-backing-Tory-rebels-controversial-referendum-call.html
[4] http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/04/david-cameron-barroso-_n_4042166.html
TAGS » brussels, Conservative party, David Cameron, eu, European Union, sovereignty, tories, tory, ukip, Westminster
Do not give into May’s Blackmail
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Shin Godzilla, new Shout! Factory BD specs, Arrow’s Herschell Gordon Lewis sets, Star Wars BD3D & RIP Garry Marshall
All right, we’ve got a bunch of interesting announcement news and other bits of Blu-ray-related information for you today, so let’s get right to it…
FUNimation has announced that they’ve gotten the rights to release the new Shin Godzilla film here in the States, both in theaters and on disc. Watch for more news on that soon. The company has also announced the forthcoming Blu-ray release of Ergo Proxy for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, as well as Attack on Titan live action movie releases on Blu-ray and DVD – Part One on 10/6 and Part Two TBA. They’re also releasing a Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign – Collector’s Edition and Season One, Part Two on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on 9/27. There’s still no word on Speed Racer/Mach GoGoGo, but we know they’re planned for release on Blu-ray by FUNimation in 2017, which is the series’ 50th anniversary. [Read on here…]
Garry Marshall RIP
Shin Godzilla
FUNimation
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai
Shout Factory Selects
Arrow Video
Kino Lorber
The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast
Shock and Gore: The Films of Herschell Gordon Lewis Limited Edition
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Director's Edition
Star Wars Bluray 3D
Attack of the Clones 3D
The Phantom Menace 3D
Revenge of the Sith 3D
The Force Awakens 3D
Contact Bill Hunt
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About Bill Hunt
Bill Hunt is the Editor in Chief of The Digital Bits, and the co-author (with Todd Doogan) of the Amazon Top 50 selling book The Digital Bits: Insiders Guide to DVD. Hunt founded The Bits in 1997, in the early days of the DVD format,…
Recent My Two Cents
If you’re at San Diego Comic-Con today, come see the Inglorious Treksperts panel at 3 PM!
Jul 18, 2019 - 8:03 am
TONS of new Blu-ray & 4K announcements: Godzilla: KotM, The Jetsons, V: Miniseries, Dark Phoenix & MUCH more
Jul 16, 2019 - 5:19 pm
The Bits at Comic-Con, plus Rambo (2008), Brightburn, Shadow, Casino, Cornetto Trilogy, Akira & more in 4K (and BD)!
Jul 15, 2019 - 11:55 am
This week’s Release Dates & Artwork update is here with the latest BD, DVD & 4K cover art!
Zombieland 4K, Apollo 11 4K (on iTunes for now), Walking Dead, and oh HELL yeah... The Great Waldo Pepper!
Jul 2, 2019 - 3:08 pm
Moonraker 40th, Bill at Comic-Con (w/Shout! Factory), Omen Collection, Doom Patrol & LOTS more new announcements
My Two Cents Archives
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The Los Angeles Times suggested that Good Fight creators Robert and Michelle King "still had the Good Wife magic" and though Good Wife "had already [run] its course" after seasons 6 and 7 had received mediocre reviews, "they just needed a clean slate" to allow them to continue to mine more stories from that fictional universe.[40] In addition, unlike Good Wife which was centered around "romantic tension" and got bogged down in Alicia Florrick's (Julianne Margulies) love life, Good Fight was considered "refreshing for steering the story the other way" as relationships are "not the plot points that drive the story".[41] Good Fight is regarded as a rare successful example of a TV series spin-off, as other contemporary TV series are either reboots or remakes.[42]
Japan had its own form of mixed martial arts discipline, Shooto, which evolved from shoot wrestling in 1985, as well as the shoot wrestling derivative Pancrase, which was founded as a promotion in 1993. The first Vale Tudo Japan tournaments were held in 1994 and 1995 and were both won by Rickson Gracie. Around the same time, International Vale Tudo competition started to develop through (World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), VTJ, IVC, UVF etc.). Interest in mixed martial arts as a sport resulted in the creation of the Pride Fighting Championships (Pride) in 1997, where again Rickson participated and won.[43]
The amount of fighters that exist today versus 20 years ago is staggering. As the talent pool grows, it forces the athletes to improve or they risk being weeded out. The days of just being a tough bar brawler are gone. Today’s MMA champions are evolving into 24/7 athletes, like the NBA and NFL, where off season training, nutrition, and recovery are becoming vital to their success. Here are 9 tips that will get your training for MMA on track, helping you to perform at your maximum when fight day comes.
I've been training at abmma in D'Iberville for over a year, and although I haven't been able to go as much as I wanted to because of some neck problems, I love this gym! I can't tell you how many gyms I've started throughout the years and stopped because I never went because there was no motivation, they weren't enjoyable, I was never really "challenged." After a class with Tyler, I typically feel like I can go no more, like I gave all that I possibly had and there's nothing else left to give! He brings out the most you have in every class! He is that trainer in your ear telling you to "keep going!" I learn new techniques and combos every class. He meets you at any skill level you may have in boxing/KB, and he spends one on one time with you to fine tune or correct your technique. And if you keep up with it, you'll quickly feel stronger, more coordinated, etc., after every class. Love abmma!
The truth is, a street fight also has many different faces and takes on many different forms. One minute it can be a fist fight in a trendy yuppie bar while the the next could be a deadly knife fight in a godforsaken part of town. As the saying goes, no two street fights are ever the same! So your training will have to be "alive" and combat diversified!
Much has been said about McGregor’s prowess in the cage, but the UFC featherweight champion claims his competitive edge isn’t just the product of freak talent or gruelling hours spent walloping a heavy bag. Rather, McGregor attributes much of his recent form to movement training – a regimen that champions free-flowing bodily rhythm and a merging of the mental and physical aspects of fighting.
At UFC 232 Megan Anderson threw a high kick at Zingano and her toe made impact on the eye; it rendered Zingano was unable to defend herself, and she lost. Zingano argued to CSAC that a finger poke to the eye would have led to an NC or conceivably a DQ win, so a toe should too. However, there is no toe prohibition, as human's don't have comparable dexterity with their toes, so the petition to overturn was denied, but ED Andy Foster, said an addendum will be developed to more specifically address the issue. Zingano is adamant that there be changes: “I’d have a baby 10 times before I’d do that again. I thought I lost my eye. I thought if I opened my eye that it was going to spill out on to my face. ... It scared me, and I’m not willing to lose an eye for this sport. ... If they don’t make a rule on it, it’s open season on eye pokes. I’ve got mad dexterity with my toes, so if you’re telling me we get to just aim for people’s eyeballs with our toes now, that’s not really safe moving forward, but we’ll all find a way to win. If you put me in something on the ground, and I get to dig my toes into your eyes, too, that’s kind of gnarly, but we’re in there trying to survive. Me or you, man.” h/t MMAjunkie
(February 10, 2011), Silva or Fedor? Who you prefer says lots about why you watch "You can argue the point either way, and people have, and will, and I don't have any fixed opinion on the matter other than that I would like to see the two fight at light heavyweight. What's actually interesting is that when you run down their records the two are even closer than you might think.", Sports Illustrated, Retrieved May 17, 2014
Offering men�s programs, women�s programs and youth programs, from kickboxing and self-defense to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, our selection will fit the needs of beginners to advanced students. Elite MMA schools includes four facilities conveniently located around the greater Houston area and offer weekday, night and weekend classes taught by certified and caring instructors. We offer a complimentary private lesson to potential members and tours of our facilities, come see why Elite MMA is the right school for you.
A year after the finale of The Good Wife, an enormous financial scam destroys the reputation of young lawyer Maia and wipes out the savings of her mentor, Diane Lockhart. The two are forced out of Lockhart, Deckler, Gussman, Lee, Lyman, Gilbert-Lurie, Kagan, Tannebaum, & Associates and join Diane's former employee Lucca Quinn at Reddick, Boseman, & Kolstad, a prestigious African American–owned firm making waves by taking on Illinois police brutality cases. In season two, Diane becomes a name partner at the firm, which takes the name Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart.
If you are a fan of MMA since its inception, you have had a front row seat to the birth and evolution of what we consider the greatest sport in the world; one that has lineage to ancient Greek Olympics, almost 3,000 years ago, rooted in wrestling and boxing. Much like the natural selection process underlying evolution, these fans have witnessed different forms of the martial arts reign during certain eras. Fighters like Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, and Anderson Silva all dominated with strategies heavily focused in BJJ, Wrestling, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
If you live in Harford County, Cecil County, or Balitmore County ( Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, Edgewood, Joppatowne, C. Milton Wright, Fallston, Bel Air, North Harford, North East, Perryville, Rising Sun), then you don’t want to miss this chance to add to your over all Martial Arts skill set and even get the tools that will lead to a successful MMA career!
It wasn't until 1993 when mixed martial arts were first introduced to the United States through the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotional company. The UFC showcased various mixed martial arts athletes fighting each other without weight classes and very few few rules, by boxing standards it was a bloodsport where just about "anything goes". In 1995 United States Senator John McCain called mixed martial arts "human cockfighting," and demanded that MMA be regulated by an athletic commission. Senator McCain's destain for mixed martial arts was well known after his remark, “MMA appeals to the lowest common denominator in our society."
On April 3, 2001, the NJSACB held a meeting to discuss the regulation of mixed martial arts events. This meeting attempted to unify the myriad rules and regulations which had been utilized by the different mixed martial arts organizations. At this meeting, the proposed uniform rules were agreed upon by the NJSACB, several other regulatory bodies, numerous promoters of mixed martial arts events and other interested parties in attendance. At the conclusion of the meeting, all parties in attendance were able to agree upon a uniform set of rules to govern the sport of mixed martial arts.[53]
As a result of an increased number of competitors, organized training camps, information sharing, and modern kinesiology, the understanding of the effectiveness of various strategies has been greatly improved. UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed that martial arts evolved more in the ten years following 1993 than in the preceding 700 years combined.[70]
Zone 5 often called anaerobic or VO2 max training, is considered true high intensity training. Training in Zone 5 is responsible for increasing an athlete's ability to produce force in a metabolically acidic environment. Paired with the large amounts of perceived exertion, the duration of which this intensity can be held is severly limited compared to lower and moderate intensity training.
Create a weekly schedule to establish a personal routine. Plan your workouts at least a week in advance, evenly spacing strength training, cardio, and rest days apart to give your exercising schedule variety. Intersperse days focused on your personal strengths with days focused on weaknesses to challenge yourself evenly throughout the week and prevent burnout.
wocyru01.. its pain that I get in the shins.. about 1 inch above and 1 inch in front of the ankle bone... i had it in the past which started at 6 months after running 5 miles everyday. Ive been ok the past 3 weeks, until last night... my shin started hurting and I had to stop running and instead use the bike. my reasearch indicates its either overtraining.. or bad form.. my guess is its the latter as it takes time to develope.. comments??
Even though Systems Training Center has some very talented instructors, our focus is on our member experience and customer service. Whether people train in fitness, self-defense or fighting, we pride ourselves on offering martial arts and fitness classes that continue to inspire, motivate and empower our students. This mindset shows as we have many members who have been with us since we first opened. Often, they don’t just train themselves, but their kids, parents, and siblings train at the gym too!
Hire an MMA coach or personal trainer to improve faster. If you're serious about MMA fighting and want to make a career out of it, you'll need professional help. A personal trainer or coach can help you plan workout schedules, boost motivation during training sessions, and identify areas of improvement. Ask other MMA fighters for their trainer recommendations or look for personal trainers in your area who specialize in MMA.
And that’s why MMA Specific Programming and Periodization is so important – because it allows you to train strategically AND synergistically, working the right attributes at the right time, avoiding these major MMA training screw-ups and resulting in consistent gains while completely eliminating excessive soreness, fatigue, overtraining and injury.
WARNING: There are no pills or potions and this will take some hard work, so if you’re looking for a magic-fix then you’ve landed on the wrong site. But if you’re looking for a solution to your strength and conditioning needs that’s not only based on science and theory but also tested in the Octagon, then the info you’re about to read may be the most important info you ever read.
I trained 6 years. I never had much stand up but my jiu-jitsu was pretty good. That being said, size and strength matters. A guy 30 lbs heavier than me and fairly strong is going to give me a hard time. I knew guys who had jiu-jitsu beyond where the other guys size and stregnth mattered but this is very high level and it takes years of mat time to get there. After some training though a guy your weight and strength with no training will have no chance against you.
“I would recommend Warriors Cove to anyone who wants to learn a very effective system of self defense. I have over 20 years of Martial Arts training and a black belt in Tae kwon do. Out of all my years of training I attended many different schools and have had 19 instructors. Based on my previous experiences I can honestly say that the head instructor of Warriors Cove, David Arnebeck, is not only one of the most skilled martial artists I have trained under, but he is also the best instructor I have ever had. Mr. Arnebeck is very patient and takes the time to make sure his students understand every technique. The training environment is safe, clean and there are no attitudes by other students. My favorite aspect of the school is the training in Brazilian Jujitsu which is a very effective defense and a great workout. The training is well rounded and includes stand up striking and throws. I highly recommend this school to both the experienced martial artist and also those with no prior experience.”
At Elite MMA, we pride ourselves on offering a comprehensive variety of mixed martial arts classes and work with each student to find the program(s) that fit their needs. Not everyone is looking for the same outcome from joining Elite MMA so our classes allow you to choose the subject that interests you the most, to try something new, or try them all. At Elite MMA, the instructors and staff will work with your unique goals in mind to find the right fit for your needs.
Ever wanted to ask a plastic surgeon..well, anything? On episode 70 of in Fighting Shape Phoenix sits down with Dr. Jonathan Sherwyn, board certified plastic surgeon, and gets all the answers. What's a vampire facial? Does fat freezing really work? What's the difference between a plastic and a cosmetic surgeon? It's better than a free consultation, episode 70 coming at you!
Author Danny Indio has done a good job in the book of covering the 4 fighting ranges: Kicking Range, Punching Range, Trapping, and Grappling (both standing and ground). He covers stances and movement, upper body arm and hand strikes and defenses, lower body kicks and defenses, standing clinch fighting and defenses, leg takedowns and defenses, basic ground grappling positions and escapes, including ground strikes, arm bars and chokes plus defenses against each. There is some knife defense examples both standing and from the ground that I question a little, however, I concur with his principle of painfully damaging opponent first (striking attacker eyes, throat, groin, knee) before attempting disarm of the knife. See Table of Context for more subject matter details. Of course, there are volumes of books written about some of his individual topics in far more detail, however, overall I think he has written a comprehensive self- defense book. Besides it never hurts to go over the basics once in a while,
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An Evening With 311’s Aaron “P-Nut” Wills…
July 6, 2019 admin Audio Posts, Celebrity Interviews, Musicians, Specialty Shows 02:00:59
This edition of The Five Count featured an exclusive interview with Aaron “P-Nut” Wills. P-Nut is best known as the bassist for the band 311. Known for hits like Down, All Mixed Up, and Love Song, 311 has been making music for more than 30 years. During the show he discussed what goes into preparing for their “311 Day” concerts, how things have evolved in the studio over the years, and the new 311 album Voyager. See them live at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth on July 7!
During the rest of the show we discussed our favorite films about gambling, Ton tried to spoil the new season of Stranger Things, and we played our favorite songs about “getting lucky” to commemorate episode #777 of The Five Count! Sadly, Ton was infected with toxic rat cancer from a snakebite soon after we signed off!
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THE CYCLE OF THE PHOENIX
In ancient China the feng-huang or phoenix bird regularly appeared in palace courtyards. Li Ki tells us that it came from the sun, from the land of sages.' The appearance of the phoenix heralded abundance, and its disappearance calamity. Egyptian accounts describe the phoenix rising from the East like the sun, cyclically, its gold and reddish plumage extending with a blue aureole into seven rose-colored rays. Its name, benu, is variously connected with the colors red and purple, with the palm tree, and with a stringed instrument. In the cosmogony of India the phoenix is represented by Garuda, the great bird-like vahan of Vishnu. As the emblem of cyclic time, it represents both the solar cycle and the Maha Kalpa.
There are many accounts of the phoenix, ranging from the most metaphysical discussions of its symbolical meaning in the Indian tradition to modest descriptions of its physical attributes and historical appearances by Pliny, Herodotus and others. In considering the various accounts, one can perceive important similarities linking different cultural traditions in a shared perception of cycles and epicycles in nature and in man.
The Egyptians identified the phoenix with the soul of Osiris, 'the rising god.' It connected the morning star (Venus), 'the heart of the renewed sun,' with the sun itself, representing light, life and consciousness. The benu reflected this synthesis of creative impulses in the form of a bird which is two birds. The Theosophical Glossary describes the benu as the Shen-shen (the heron) and the Rech (a red bird), both sacred to Osiris. "It was the latter that was the regular Phoenix of the great Mysteries, the typical symbol of self-creation and resurrection through death – a type of the Solar Osiris and of the divine Ego in man. Yet both the Heron and the Rech were symbols of cycles; the former, of the Solar year of 365 days; the latter of the tropical year or a period covering almost 26,000 years. In both cases the cycles were the types of the return of light from darkness, the yearly and great cyclic return of the sun-god to his birth-place, or – his Resurrection."
The Egyptians described the phoenix as creating itself, rising in a fragrant flame over the celestial sycamore or Persea tree whose branches extend over the sarcophagus of Osiris. It is the soul of Osiris, the sun that rises and rests in the sacred tree over the tomb which embodies the god at Heliopolis. There the phoenix builds its nest of aromatics and is consumed in fire. Resurrecting itself from the flames, it rises once again in the red and golden dawn to commence a new cycle.
In identifying the phoenix with the soul of Osiris, the Egyptians were symbolizing the essence of the third Logos, the first manifesting deity which combines the aspects of the spiritual and terrestrial macrocosmically, and the dual Ego, divine and human, microcosmically. As a solar deity, Osiris presided over twelve minor gods who were the twelve signs of the zodiac. He had forty-two and seven aspects, the forty-nine aspects involved in cycles at every level of Being and culminating in man. "Thus the god is blended in man, and man is deified into a god." The essence of the Logos, the light of Daiviprakriti, is the god and the immortal Ego in man, and both arc symbolized by the phoenix. Although the essential life of the phoenix is out of time and space, it enters this world periodically to die and be reborn. The sarcophagus of Osiris represents the death of worldly existence, but the soul which will rise is never fully entombed. It awaits the new cycle wherein it may once again illuminate the material world. The sacred tree upon which the soul or phoenix {benu) rests is a sycamore or Persea, a fruit-bearing tree native to Arabia. This suggests a connection with the date palm, which is etymologically connected with the word benu. The soul of the sun-god resting in this tree indicates the time of rest when the northern hemisphere is tilting away from the sun, the autumnal equinox. The resurrection marks the spring equinox. The Great Pyramid constitutes clear evidence that the ancient Egyptians had an exact knowledge of the precession of the equinoxes, that they calculated its rate at one degree in seventy-two years, thereby indicating clearly a twenty-six thousand year cycle for the complete precession. The authors of the symbol of the phoenix had exact and vast cyclical processes fully in mind when describing the pilgrimage of the soul in man within the larger framework of the cycles of divine teachers, globes and solar systems.
It is, however, in Indian cosmogony that we find explicit information linking these aspects of the phoenix symbol and suggesting more clearly the correspondence between these great and small cycles of the embodied Logos. The counterpart of the phoenix in India, Garuda, is the vahan or vehicle of Vishnu. Vishnu is a manifestation of solar energy 'striding through the seven regions of the Universe,' marking the cycles of manifestation. Garuda is cyclic time. He was born out of an egg like Vishnu, who was born from an egg floating on the sea of potential life. In his 'man-lion' aspect Garuda symbolizes the Solar cycle. As the great bird, he symbolizes the great cycle or Maha Kalpa, co-eternal with Vishnu and the sun. From his crowned head seven rays extend out, each tipped with one of the seven sacred vowels. These represent the keynotes related to the seven Great Manus, each of whom is himself the embodiment of a keynote for a Great Race. It is from these seven Great Manus that the seven Manus under Them take the harmonic note marking the divisions of Root Races into sub-races. Thus the seven-times-seven Manus relate to the seven-times-seven cycles in each Round on each globe. This is related in turn to the forty-nine aspects of Osiris and to the idea of keynotes in the Chinese and Egyptian accounts as well. The fact that the Chinese recognized five colors representing five notes suggests that they were aware of the advent of five Manus and five Races relating to the development of the fifth principle in man, although the more complete picture is revealed in the Egyptian and Indian cosmogonies, which recognize the ultimate potential unfoldment of the seven rays or aspects of Being. It is significant that in all these traditions the idea of the keynotes is closely related to vivid descriptions of the color of the bird's plumage. This is particularly meaningful in relating the phoenix to the soul of man and the sun. One may meditate upon such mysteries in those moments just prior to and during the rising of the sun.
As the Chinese related the appearance of the phoenix to abundance, the tree of the world bears fruit under the direct rays of the sun. But abundance in form will perish as light gives way to darkness. The mystery of the phoenix lies in that realm from whence it rises. Like the rising sun shedding its light upon the earth, the phoenix soul in all its brilliant colors rises out of the white light of the great night of non-manifestation. In shedding forth its soul-light it sacrifices itself upon the altar of the world, that matter may again unite with spirit in an immortal awareness. Thus all great Teachers of mankind shed Their light upon humanity in a never-ending process of sacrifice, that we may slowly realize that we are Them and They us . . . one great winged bird "which is not born, nor dies, but is the AUM throughout eternal ages."
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