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Home State Pension
National Employment Savings Trust (NEST)
Executive Pension Plan
Income Drawdown / Unsecured Pension
Occupational Pensions / Auto Enrolment
(Please note – this is for information only and does not constitute advice. This is a potentially complex area and for further information or to obtain a State Pension statement please visit the government website at https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/state-pension)
About the state pension
A State Pension is a regular payment made by the government to people who have paid or been credited with Class 1, 2 or 3 National Insurance Contributions and have reached State Pension age.
State Pension Age
The State Pension age is now the same for men and women and is gradually increasing from 65 in November 2018 to 66 by October 2020. It will increase again to age 67 between 2026 and 2028.
Under the current law, the State Pension age is due to increase to 68 between 2044 and 2046. However, the Pensions Act 2014 provides for reviews of the State Pension age at least once every 5 years, taking into account a range of factors that are relevant to setting the pension age, one of which will be changes in the life expectancy of the population. Following a recent review, the government announced plans to bring this timetable forward, increasing the State Pension age to 68 between 2037 and 2039. At present, this is the government’s intention, and will need to be voted into law.
The State Pension is paid whether the claimant is working or not and is paid regardless of any income and/or existing savings or capital the claimant may have.
Claiming the State Pension
The State Pension must be claimed — it is not paid automatically. The claim can be made online, by calling 0800 731 78098 or by downloading a form and sending it to a pension centre. N.B. Different arrangements apply in Northern Ireland.
The State Pension is usually paid every 4 weeks, in arrears, directly into the claimant’s bank or building society account.
Working beyond State Pension age
The State Pension can be claimed even if the individual chooses to work beyond State Pension age.
The State Pension may be taxable
The State Pension is considered part of the recipient’s earnings and may be subject to income tax.
Postponing the State Pension
It is not compulsory to claim the basic State Pension at State Pension age — it can be deferred until the claimant chooses to receive it. In return for ‘postponing’ his or her claim (and providing the claimant lives in the EU, European Economic Area, Gibraltar, Switzerland or any country the UK has a social security agreement with) the pension payment will increase by 1% for every 9 weeks it is deferred.
Claiming the State Pension while living overseas
Although the State Pension can be claimed while living outside of the UK, it will only be increased each year if the claimant lives in the EEA, Switzerland or in a country which has a social security agreement with the UK.
Basic State Pension on death
Any surviving spouse or civil partner that is over State Pension age and not already receiving the maximum payment may be able to increase their State Pension by using the deceased’s qualifying years. If the spouse or civil partner is under State Pension age, any State Pension based on the deceased’s qualifying years will be included when he or she claims their own State Pension.
There are currently two State Pension systems — each system has different rules.
The State Pension for individuals reaching State Pension age prior to 5 April 2016 ('old' State Pension).
This summary applies only to women born before 6 April 1953 and men born before 6 April 1951. Different rules and benefits may apply for people living in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and abroad.
Maximum payment
For the financial year 2019/2020, the full rate of benefit for women born before 6 April 1953 and men born before 6 April 1951, is £129.20 per week.
The payment is increased every year by whichever of the following three percentages is the highest:
the average percentage growth in wages in Great Britain
the percentage growth in the Consumer Price Index
National Insurance Contribution record
The amount of State Pension a person receives is based on the total number of annual National Insurance Contributions (NICs) paid in the UK by him or her prior to reaching their State Pension age.
To be entitled to the full State Pension, it is necessary to have 30 ‘qualifying years’ of NICs or credits. A qualifying year is a tax year in which the claimant has paid or been treated as having paid or has been credited with sufficient NICs to make that year qualify in State Pension calculation terms.
Each qualifying year entitles the claimant to 1/30 of the full State Pension.
If there are ‘gaps’ in his or her NIC record, the claimant will get less than the full amount of £129.20 a week. NIC gaps can be caused by being employed but with low earnings, being unemployed but not claiming benefits, caring for someone full time, being self-employed and choosing not to pay NICs, or living abroad.
Bridging the contribution gap
Depending on the claimant’s age, it may be possible to pay voluntary NICs to bridge some or all of the gaps in his or her National Insurance record over the past 6 years or beyond.
The new State Pension (for individuals reaching State Pension age after 5 April 2016)
This summary applies only to women born on or after 6 April 1953 and men born on or after 6 April 1951. For individuals who are already claiming a State Pension, or reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the old State Pension rules apply. Different rules and benefits may apply for people living in the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and abroad.
For the financial year 2019/2020, the full rate of benefit for people reaching State Pension age, on or after 6 April 2016, is £168.60 per week.
Unlike the old State Pension, the new State Pension will not be subject to additional pension-related benefits, such as the State Second Pension (S2P) and the State Earnings Related Pensions Scheme (SERPS). The new State Pension will instead provide a single tier of benefit.
The amount of State Pension a person receives is based on the total number of annual National Insurance Contributions paid in the UK by him or her prior to reaching their State Pension age.
To be entitled to the full State Pension, it is necessary to have 35 ‘qualifying years’ of National Insurance Contributions (NICs) or credits. A qualifying year is a tax year in which the claimant has paid or been treated as having paid or has been credited with sufficient NICs to make that year qualify in State Pension calculation terms.
Bridging the contributions gap
National Insurance Contributions made before 6 April 2016
The claimant’s National Insurance record before 6 April 2016 is used to calculate a ‘starting amount’ for their pensions. The starting amount will be the higher of the amount he or she would get under the old State Pension rules (less any Additional State Pension) or the amount they would get if the new State Pension had been in place at the start of their working life. If the starting amount is less than the full new State Pension, the claimant is allowed to add more qualifying years to their National Insurance record.
National Insurance contributions made after 6 April 2016
Individuals starting to make NICs from 6 April 2016 onwards, will need 35 years of NICs or credits to claim the full amount of state pension. Those with 10 - 34 years of contributions will receive a proportion of the full State Pension and anyone with less than 10 years of contributions will not be entitled to any amount of State Pension.
Other Areas of Expertise
Health Insurance is probably one of the most important types of insurance you can own. Without it, an illness or accident can have serious financial implications for you and your family. Most people will be aware that Health Insurance can cover the cost of...
This is an area of financial planning that is often overlooked. Traditionally, we have our buildings and contents insurance with our mortgage lenders, which may be uncompetitive in a very competitive marketplace. General insurance is important for your peace...
When you retire you still need food and shelter as an absolute minimum, but of course you will want to maintain the lifestyle...
When someone talks about savings and saving money, it could be referring to a piggy bank or a high interest deposit account...
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate advice on Tax Planning.
Wealth, just like your health, must be carefully preserved. Your assets need to be protected against the potential threats of erosion...
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate advice on Estate Planning and Tax Planning.
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Out Now—Mia’s Choice (The Heiress’s Harem Book Three) by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985) #reverseharem #whychoose #MFRWAuthor
August 7, 2018 Tags: erotic romance, reverse harem
But what happens after the wedding?
The last few months of Mia Harrington’s life have been tumultuous, to say the least. Losing her father, the bombshell in his will, followed by her multiple whirlwind romances and subsequent marriage—it’s little wonder she’s so thrilled to be spending three weeks in a tropical paradise with her four men. Rest, relaxation and a hefty dose of fun is precisely what they all need.
But the unconventional honeymoon isn’t all sea, sun, sand, and scorching sex. Back home in England, they have careers, responsibilities, other things that take up their time. Being in each other’s pockets on a tiny island is a challenge—but is it one they can rise to? Will this make or break their relationships? And when being away from it all gives them time to think, what impact will that have on the decisions they make about their futures?
Buy now (or read in Kindle Unlimited):
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BZPF7LF/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZPF7LF/
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07BZPF7LF/
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BZPF7LF/
Mia Harrington sighed contentedly and tipped her head back to allow the sun’s rays to bathe her face. Her blonde hair swished gently behind her in the sea breeze. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so thoroughly relaxed. Sitting on the wooden deck of her bungalow with her bare feet dangling over the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean was exactly what the doctor ordered.
She snorted. Her surgeon boyfriend, Alex Cartwright, hadn’t even organised this trip, though she was sure he’d had some input. No, this supremely unconventional yet utterly perfect honeymoon was all the doing of her brand-new husband, Elias. It wasn’t the location that was unconventional—honeymooners probably flocked to these secluded islands in their droves to celebrate their nuptials. No, it was the fact Mia and her husband had three tagalongs—Alex, Thomas Walker, and Arjun Chaudary—each of whom she was in a romantic relationship with. And everyone involved was perfectly okay with it.
Elias had even had the foresight to book five separate over-water bungalows—money was no object for her investment banker husband, after all—giving each of them the opportunity for their own space. Yes, the picturesque thatched huts were all in a row with a wooden walkway connecting them, but if any of the group wanted some alone time, they could easily get it. Essential, really, when five adults were living in each other’s pockets for three weeks on a tiny island, no matter how stunningly beautiful it was.
They’d been on honeymoon for three days, and so far, it was working out well. Being together—or at least within shouting distance of one another—twenty-four seven was a little weird, and not even close to how things would be when they got back to England, but Mia figured it would be a good test of the strength of their relationships. If there were any cracks, they would definitely be showing by the end of the trip. But if they all got along, then it was a good sign for their quirky future as a fivesome.
Quirky hardly covered it, if Mia was honest with herself. Her life had been nuts since the death of her father almost eight months previously. As an only child, and with her mother already dead, Mia stood to inherit her father’s estate—which included her beloved childhood home, a considerable fortune, the land and wider estate on which the house stood, and more besides.
But, to her shock and dismay, her father had put a caveat in his will, requiring Mia to marry what he deemed to be a suitable husband in order to inherit. A husband who would be willing to not only take her last name, ensuring any offspring they had would continue the Harrington line, but to sign a prenuptial agreement stating that he wouldn’t get a penny if they divorced.
Mia didn’t care about the money, but she did care deeply about her home, and the estate, which provided jobs for so many in the area—herself included. Added to that, if she didn’t marry, her worthless, money-grabbing cousin, Quinn, would get his hands on everything. Knowing perfectly well he wouldn’t give the house, the tenants, or the employees a second thought, Mia had resolved to find herself a husband—no matter how unimpressed she was about the idea. It was the only way to keep her home, protect the livelihoods of the estate workers, and prevent Quinn from squandering it all away.
It had all happened a great deal faster than she’d been expecting, however, and with a bunch more variables thrown in. Which was how she’d ended up on honeymoon with her new husband and three other men—all of whom she adored, and who adored her right back.
It was truly idyllic. Not just the location, but the situation. The company. She was with her four gorgeous guys on a private island with no prying eyes, no one to see or care what they were up to. The members of staff who kept things clean and tidy for them and provided their food packages were incredibly efficient and discreet, so she wasn’t worried about them gossiping. It was more than their jobs were worth, after all, and in this part of the world she imagined jobs were few and far between. Although part of her felt guilty they were having such a lazy, luxurious time while the locals worked so hard and probably earned very little for their efforts, another part of her was glad they were injecting money into the area. It likely relied on tourism to keep things going.
Mia and her men had surrendered their phones and tablets on arrival, and the resultant lack of contact with the outside world meant none of their jobs or other responsibilities would encroach on their time in this island paradise—though they could be contacted in an absolute emergency. Even better, there were no interruptions, diary clashes, or physical distances between them. They could be themselves, spend quality time together, relax, have fun, and do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to.
Up until now, they hadn’t done very much at all since they were getting over the long journey and the time zone change. Alex seemed to have recovered quickest—probably since he was used to working different shifts and insane hours at the hospital back home. He’d grown used to snatching hours or even minutes of sleep as and when he could. For Mia, Thomas, Elias, and Arjun, who all worked more regular hours, it had taken longer, but everyone finally seemed to be back on an even keel.
The deck creaked: someone was coming. Mia didn’t turn; the staff had disappeared after clearing away their breakfast things, so it could only be one of her men, and she honestly didn’t mind which. Half the fun of having them all in the same place at the same time was not knowing what was going to happen next, or with whom. Her new life was unpredictable, but in a safe way, a status quo which suited Mia’s personality perfectly—she liked adventure and excitement, but not too much. If controlled chaos was a thing, that was what she was aiming for.
A moment later she sensed a person right behind her, felt their body heat, and then gentle hands covered her eyes. A whiff of cologne reached her nostrils, telling her exactly who it was, but she kept quiet—she didn’t want to ruin the game.
Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures (named in the top 5 of Cliterati.co.uk’s 100 Modern Erotic Classics That You’ve Never Heard Of, and an Amazon bestseller), Eyes Wide Open (winner of the Love Romances Café’s Best Ménage Book 2015 award, and an Amazon bestseller), The Persecution of the Wolves, Hiding in Plain Sight and The Heiress’s Harem series. Including novels, short stories and novellas, she has over 170 publications to her name. Find out more about her writing at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk, or on Twitter or Facebook. Join her Facebook group for exclusive cover reveals, sneak peeks and more! Sign up for automatic updates on Amazon or BookBub. Subscribe to her newsletter here: http://www.subscribepage.com/lfnewsletter
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Ideal place for you where you can find everything related to it.
Influence of the internet and technological innovations
Advanced Imaging Society is a website that has grown incredibly thanks to the influence of people who have felt comfortable with the content that’s published and is constantly supported to continue on our own.
Advanced Imaging Society...If you require any more information or have any questions about our site's disclaimer, please feel free to contact us by email at advancedimagingsociety.com.
Your best option
If you’re a fan of the world of games and technological innovations, Advanced Imaging Society is the ideal place for you where you can find everything related to it.
In this web page, we will keep you updated on any news, articles and much more, as you’ll find everything referring to video games or any technological article that’s revolutionizing the market or is going to be launched.
The world has advanced so much that anything that you can imagine 10 or 20 years ago now exists thanks to the technological innovation that’s currently being handled. And because in the society we’re living today everything is handled by these two factors: internet and technology.
The dependence that has been created towards some technological creations such as cell phones, computers, iPads, mp3, and many other things, it’s incredible. Video games have also become a sensation between the people.
All this is due to the great influence that society has on the use of the internet and technology, in particular, constantly asking for the supply of new launches, applications, creations and more that call the attention of people to become popular and become a trend.
The popularization that video games currently handle, as well as various technological innovations, is somewhat surprising. That’s why they constantly live creating new games, or launch continuations of previous games.
Many gadgets have also been created for gaming to improve completely, from keyboards, headphones, microphones or special screens that will make your game more realistic. Even these objects go beyond anything you see common like the keyboard or headphones.
Many keyboards for video games are wireless with lighting and adapted so that the person can support the wrists and hands and thus feel more comfortable. The headphones also, many are wireless, reduce external noise and many also come with speakers to enjoy the game better.
All this is becoming increasingly popular thanks to the great demand that there is for young people about not only these objects, but also the game. Also, thanks to technological innovations, spectacular things like these have been created to make the game more enjoyable.
Technology is allowing gaming to expand and, with it, also its benefits, even, becoming a totally profitable market. But in the same way, it’s expected that they will be creating and launching new advances that will continue to contribute to the world of video slot games such as image quality, that many things will be perfected at the sensory level and many other things.
Advanced Imaging Society once again held a new ceremony, this time celebrating the 7th annual award for the most outstanding television and film productions in the creative arts. Here we bring you some of the productions that were awarded during that year:
The new Star Wars movie in 2016 was one of the most awarded films of the night receiving 2 recognitions as Best 3D Live Action Feature and Best 2D to 3D Conversion under the production of Disney and Lucasfilm.
The producer 20th Century Fox with the film The Martian was also one of the most awarded of the ceremony, taking two awards as Best Live Action Stereography and Best Use of 3D Native.
Foreign projects
Many foreign productions also received their recognitions. The British biographical series of Sir David Attenborough produced by Colossus Productions, also took a statuette as “Best Documentary in 3D”.
Sir David Attenborough also received another award for “Great Barrier Reef” as “Best Ultra HD”, produced by Atlantic Productions.
Another one was the Russian commercial “Schvabe” produced by StereoTec, who won Best 3D advertising. While “Hard Reset” produced by Buk Films won for “Best Live Action Short”.
It was awarded not only by the Oscars during that year, but also took a Lumiere statuette at the Creative Arts Awards as “Best Animated 3D Movie” and “Best Animated Stereography”.
Harold Lloyd Award
The Harold Lloyd Award is one of the most honorary awards given in the Creative Arts, and during the 7th edition was received by Victoria Alonso, who’s part of the Marvel team as executive producer in charge of the Physical Production Unit of the Studio, her excellent work with the Marvel movies that were released during the year.
Others films and series were awarded by the Advanced Imaging Society at the Creative Arts Awards in their 7th edition too, who stood out the most in the area of art, design and 3D technology.
Virtual reality is an environment of scenes or objects of real appearance, generated through computer technology, thus providing the real perspective of feeling that you’re in it.
This has been an invention that has become a boom in the market as it’s a way to feel any perspective created through technology and information a little more real, which is something that has never been seen.
It has also greatly benefited some video games since the image quality can improve% 100 compared to any other traditional method of which we are already accustomed.
Influence of a New Technological Innovation
At the beginning many people weren’t convinced of this method in the world of gaming, because although the objective is for the person to feel that they’re living that moment in real life, they perceive that it doesn’t feel real enough.
But thanks to the development of an imaging technology called rendering and visualization, all of that has changed. The main objective of this new type of technology that’s being developed is that in addition to providing better quality to people, any type of technological developer saves much more energy than was consumed in the traditional way.
Besides that it would become something beneficial for the player since the game would have more duration, besides feeling everything more real and without the need to update chips and more.
Special Technological Development for VR
According to some exhibitions that have been made regarding this new project to develop programs and video games with virtual reality, for the next generation, this virtual reality will be implemented on all devices, without exception.
All this will be created, especially in video games, through a technique called Foveated, in addition to others that will be revealed. The Foveated rendering will work as an integrated eye tracker with a virtual reality headset to reduce the rendering workload.
This new technique was shown publicly during 2016, where it was explained how this system practically consisted of an eye tracking of 25Hz that would provide a quality of rendered image.
The rendering in the world of video games, or especially in computer science, is a process where it’s about creating intelligent images through digital information, and here in our website, you will learn everything about it.
Use of Sensors
In order for virtual reality to work with a particular device, it’s necessary that you have installed and activated sensors that can detect any position, place in particular and much more, because you have to feel that you’re the one in the game.
They’re even sensors that are also used for the creation of various smart phones like the iPhone. The difference is that this type of sensor comes with an eye tracking that’s where the image will be detected as such.
All of this was created through Omni vision camera sensors that are connected with special hardware that is configured directly in the system.
The positive thing about this world is that it shows how advanced the technology is, and how through certain inventions now you cannot only play anything you want, you can also feel part of it, anywhere in the world, being the person want and with excellent quality.
Virtual reality is an environment of scenes or objects of real appearance, generated through computer technology, thus providing the real perspective of feeling that you’re in it. It has also greatly benefited some video games since the image quality can improve% 100 compared to any other traditional method of which we are already accustomed.
The positive thing about this world is that it shows how advanced the technology is, and how you can also feel part of it, anywhere in the world, being the person want and with excellent quality.
Currently, a lot of video games have revolutionized the world, literally. Their releases have become trending topics in social networks, they have been sold in hours, the demand is increasing more and more, and the fanatic gamers, are delighted with each of them. Here we bring you some of the video games that have left many expectations for 2019:
Kingdom Hearts III is a video game that will be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. And in this edition, it will have some Toy Story characters like Woody and Buzz in a section called “Final Fantasy”. Wait for the beginning of 2019.
It’s an action-adventure and open-world video game for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One that will be launched in February 2019, it will have the option of a single player or multiplayer. Terry Crew is the famous one that appears in the new video game trailer, and you need to see this because it’s very funny.
This game will be released in February 2019 and will develop an open-world perspective, using the Frostbite graphics engine. It will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. There you can have different armor that you can use to protect you during the missions that you’re gonna have.
This video game will be released in March 2019 available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows, a third person game that will actually depict the events chronologically after Devil May Cry 2.
Exodus Metro
This video game will be developed in first-person and will be distributed by Deep Silver. It’s the third part of the series that Metro has been launching in recent years. Everything unfolds in Russia during a crisis of apocalypse where the world has been severely affected and will have many proofs of survivals to overcome.
This game, unlike others, is a remake of the one originally released at the end of the 90s. It was developed by Capcom, and now this new edition will be launched in January 2019 by Sony.
It will be different from the other editions since it will not have static funds with three-dimensional models. Instead, it’s going to be developed in the third person with a camera on top of the player. It will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Without a doubt, these video games and the rest that will also be released next year, are being looked forward to a lot of gamers and may be sold in a short time due to the amount of expectation generated by knowing how the series will continue for many time to come playing.
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Bryan Michael Hartnett
Bryan Michael Hartnett (°1984, Peru, United States) makes drawings and paintings. Through a radically singular approach that is nevertheless inscribed in the contemporary debate, Hartnett uses references and ideas that are so integrated into the process of the composition of the work that they may escape those who do not take the time to explore how and why these images haunt you, like a good film, long after you’ve seen them.
His drawings often refers to pop and mass culture. Using written and drawn symbols, a world where light-heartedness rules and where rules are undermined is created. By using popular themes such as sexuality, family structure and violence, he touches various overlapping themes and strategies. Several reoccurring subject matter can be recognised, such as the relation with popular culture and media, working with repetition, provocation and the investigation of the process of expectations.
His works are a drawn reflection upon the art of drawing itself: thoroughly self-referential, yet no less aesthetically pleasing, and therefore deeply inscribed in the history of modernism – made present most palpably in the artist’s exploration of some of the most hallowed of modernist paradigms. With a conceptual approach, he tries to approach a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way, likes to involve the viewer in a way that is sometimes physical and believes in the idea of function following form in a work.
His works directly respond to the surrounding environment and uses everyday experiences from the artist as a starting point. Often these are framed instances that would go unnoticed in their original context. Bryan Michael Hartnett currently lives and works in Indianapolis.
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Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meets with experts in Sarov to discuss global threats to national security, strengthening Russia’s defences and enhancing the combat readiness of its armed forces
"Russia is enormous, huge. We must ensure its absolute defence, so that no one will be tempted to even set foot here."
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, or rather good evening. We are meeting in Sarov, which is an appropriate venue to discuss the issues of the development of our army, navy and defence industry.
We are drafting long-term plans and strategies for the development of the economy, healthcare, education and other spheres of life. Everything that concerns the army, navy and our defence industry as a whole also requires forecasting and planning, and importantly, for a long-term perspective – for at least 30-50 years, considering that all this production usually takes place over a long cycle.
It is clear that in each specific case it is essential to take into account domestic and global perspectives in science and technology. We need to determine these trends in advance as precisely as possible. We must not only involve ourselves in these trends, we must also see things that others probably don’t notice in order to always keep abreast of the times and to be as effective as possible. We need this for our security and territorial integrity, and this is not only for us. It is no exaggeration to say that the whole world needs this.
We have earmarked 23 trillion roubles for the development, upgrading and technical re-equipment of the army, and the modernisation of our defence industry. This is a huge amount of funds. I can tell you that we have strained ourselves to the limit to come up with these funds, and therefore we will try to use them as effectively as possible. When I said that all our efforts are directed at ensuring our security I also meant international security, bearing in mind our partners' plans on missile defence. And our national task – not just our national task even, but our responsibility to humankind – is to preserve the balance of strategic forces and capabilities.
This is very important because after WWII, and all those present know this very well – and I hope you have the same views…Why am I saying I hope? I have read your views, I am familiar with them and many of our foreign partners also feel that the strategic balance that has taken shape in the world has saved us from global conflicts. Regrettably, there are many regional conflicts and their number has been growing in the last few years, but thank God, the balance of strategic forces has allowed us to avoid large, global conflicts, and therefore our task is to preserve this balance. In view of our partners' missile defence plans, we must make the necessary efforts to maintain this balance as an element of global stability.
It goes without saying that we must think of how to resolve social issues appropriately and effectively. As you know, in 2007 we made the decision to change the system of basic pay in the armed forces. We were getting ready for this in 2008, and in 2009 the Defence Minister issued order No.400 on introducing a new system of pay for military personnel who bear special responsibility for the country’s defences – aviators, the navy, missile forces and some other areas, including task forces. Starting on January 1 of this year we took a new step and substantially changed the system of remuneration. But there is more to it than that. We are doing more in the social sphere now. In the mid-1990s, and in the 1990s in general, and regrettably, in the early 2000s, we could only afford to allocate or build 6,000-8,000 flats for service members of the armed forces per year.
But in recent years, there have been hundreds of thousands, 245,000, I think it was, yes, Mr Serdyukov (Anatoly Serdyukov)? 145,000 plus another 49,000 service housing flats. We spent a huge amount on this – 275 billion roubles. I also want to point out that during this period, we spent 217 billion roubles to provide housing for our veterans of World War II.
We had planned in 2010 to resolve all the problems with permanent housing, but unfortunately, we had to set some things aside because of the crisis and because it was not clearly established who needed what. But I hope that finally, at least by the end of this year or the middle of 2013, we will resolve the problem of permanent housing once and for all, and in 2014 finally resolve the service housing issue. In general, it's a large set of issues.
Recently, my colleagues and I have been working separately on issues of defence industry development – we have adopted a federal targeted programme for the defence industry. And today, I would like to thoroughly discuss this sector with you. Bearing in mind that virtually every one of you deals with these issues at one point or another, I'm happy to listen to your opinion, and I propose that we talk about it.
Please, let's begin. Who would like to speak? If you please.
Ruslan Pukhov (publisher of Export Vooruzheniy [Arms Exports] magazine, director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies): Mr Putin, I have one local issue, but it has concerned me for several years. Excuse me, please – I would like to articulate it, and I think some of our colleagues will be divided on this issue. Everyone knows that the government has decided to build two new plants to expand production of the new generation S-400 anti-aircraft weapon system.
Vladimir Putin: Exactly.
Ruslan Pukhov: Everyone knows why comments are also not needed in this regard. But we all know that the Yars, Topol-M, Iskander and Bulava – are all made at the Votkinsk plant. And if we're also going to make the heavy liquid rocket that you, the Chief of Staff, and the Defence Minister mentioned, it is clear that this cannot be done at Votkinsk. It is also clear that it is impossible to do at Reutov, where the previous generation liquid propellant missile was once made. After all, Moscow is nearby, and it's just like building MiG fighters two hundred meters from the Belorussky Railway Station, it's probably not the best idea. Despite the government being concerned about building a new plant, but because this information has never been leaked and is discussed behind the scenes, I now dare to make it public. Please tell us.
Vladimir Putin: We have thought about this, and the question, of course, is how the Defence Ministry and related agencies and the deputy prime minister in charge, who is sitting to your left, Mr Rogozin (Dmitry Rogozin) will direct the money that we allocate for these purposes. I have said that we need to fit it into the weapons programme, into 20 trillion roubles, and not increase that amount.
My answer is very simple – these 20 trillion roubles evolved and emerged as a result of a very tough, shall we say, hard-hitting debate between various government agencies and the security-related bloc, the Defence Ministry primarily, and the government’s economic bloc. The Defence Ministry, or to be more exact, the General Staff, in fact, tallied what we need in terms of quantity and quality, of course... I mean, we already live in the 21st century and we have to think about the end of the 21st century and even about the 22nd century, and I said, and you understand this, we must forecast at least 50 years into the future.
We had to calculate how many air-, sea- and land-based missiles we need. So we calculated it all, began to consider how much it would cost. Well I say roughly, considered how much it would cost. If we are going to somehow... We, of course, will have to adjust some things, this is clear, and life always makes its own adjustments, but we need to do this carefully. You can certainly unveil large-scale construction and put everything into the concrete, into the walls, fences, and you can invest in R&D and so on. They need to count the costs and say, “Yes, we'd better build a new plant – it will be more efficient in the long run.” Then I will not object, but they will have to prove it.
Alexei Arbatov (director of the Centre for International Security of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences): May I?
Vladimir Putin: Of course. Mr Arbatov, if you please.
Alexei Arbatov: Mr Putin, thank you for taking the time. I would like to talk about aerospace defence. The fact that aerospace defence forces were established in December 2011 is a very important and very positive development.
I want to recall that in previous years we tried to negotiate with the Americans on this issue without having a strong bargaining chip, and so we found ourselves in the position of a poor relative, begging to be a part of their missile defence. Naturally, they did not want to let us in. The establishment of aerospace defence strengthens our position for the future.
I want to remind you, in fact, where the process of our dialogue began – with the fact that the Soviet Union was the first to deploy a missile defence system. The Americans were worried about this, and they asked for negotiations on this issue – this was how the SALT-1 treaty was signed and how negotiations and agreements were eventually established. But, I think, in addition to completing the planned aerospace defence programme, we must now focus on its philosophical and conceptual foundation. Specifically, we need to clearly define the parameters – what does it protect, from whom, under what scenarios, what should our military doctrine and strategy include and how does it fit into our concept of strategic stability? What is the difference between our aerospace defence system and the US-European missile defence system, which does not fit into the concept of strategic stability? I think that's a concept we need to concentrate on. I'm sure that they will soon initiate new talks on this issue.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Arbatov, I agree with you completely. I was going to be honest about this, even say a few words in my opening remarks, but I just missed the chance. But we do need such a serious underlying rationale for all that we are planning. There should be a certain philosophy behind our work, I fully agree. But we still have something that I think should encourage our colleagues and our partners to do more constructive work than we have seen thus far. What do I mean?
Most recently, a few years ago, they did not tell us directly, but I know they talked to the others in their bloc, saying something like: “Well, let Russia beat itself, we’re not even very interested – they only have rusted equipment left.” But this is not true! Today, it is definitely not the case.
I'm not talking about what we had in the past, but today I want to report – from 2008 to 2011 alone (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 – four years), 39 intercontinental ballistic missiles were delivered to the forces, two new submarines were commissioned, we have 12 launchers for the Iskander missile systems and a wide range of other equipment, and what’s more, the strategic nuclear forces are being built up ahead of schedule.
We continued upgrading to modern strategic missile systems such as the Topol-M and Yars. Ten regiments with us, yes? Ten new regiments. Here I want to point out – this is, after all, the Topol-M and Yars... In the past, we have had systems to defeat missile defence, and the Topol-M and Yars are modern systems that can beat a missile defence system. This is no joke! And the percent of advanced missile systems among the strategic nuclear ground forces has almost doubled – from 13% to 25%. This is a major qualitative change in strategic nuclear ground forces.
And the Navy? You know everything, you're the experts, this is your life, and we had problems with the Bulava. But these problems have ended, that's it, and the Bulava will be used. New ships were built, I said, two – the Yuri Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky – and they will be equipped with new modern systems. The Tu-160 and Tu-95MS will remain in the strategic nuclear air forces, but not only that, we have launched projects of a general nature, but nevertheless...
By the way, these aircraft have been upgraded, and we are now thinking of creating new strategic air systems. The Air Force has seven large air bases with strong infrastructure, and the basic airfields are being modernised – for the first time in 20 years, 28 airports have been renovated. It's all strategic infrastructure, and it continues to be developed. More than 30 air squadrons have been equipped with new technology: Su-34 Su-35, Su-27SM, Mig29-SMT, Yak-40 and helicopters and so on and so forth, and transport aircraft. Yes, we still have many problems out there, but no one can say that all we have is rusted iron.
Re-arming the missile forces with S-400 systems is a programme in progress, and you know that we are moving towards the creation of new, more state-of-the-art systems – the S-500. And the S-500 in all its characteristics – velocity, and so on – has elements of a missile defence system. I’m not talking about the peripheral elements of the system that you know about, but the complex is itself an element of an anti-missile defence system. That’s why we hope that we can work jointly with our partners on reducing nuclear arms, that we will both be aware of our responsibility to our people and to humankind, we must curb any attempt at an arms race.
You are welcome, Mr. Rogov (addressing Sergei Rogov).
Sergei Rogov (Director, Institute for US and Canadian Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences): Dear Mr. Putin, as the director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies it is natural for me to speak about our potential partners and about our relations with the United States in as much as both global security and strategic nuclear stability depend on this to a great extent. In previous decades a vicious circle emerged. The threat of confrontation, then détente, then another confrontation followed by another détente, and now we talk about the “Reset” – well, détente as it was called 40 years ago. Now we see some cooling in relations on a number of issues, and not just on AMD; we have some serious disagreements with the US. Assuming this is true, I think it’s important to consider both a military approach and a political approach – to avoid this tired cycle, all the more so now that, as you have noted, the nation is allocating massive money – 23 trillion roubles. But our priorities are in fact not limited to strategic nuclear force or military space defence. Our conventional armed forces, or as you write in your article, cutting-edge, non-nuclear weapons, where the US has an edge… I think our media give us the impression that we are repeating around 30-year-old mistakes. When Reagan came up with “star wars,” some people in our country decided that we were doomed, but later an asymmetrical response was found and strategic stability was maintained. And now, in my opinion, there is a real opportunity to avoid past mistakes, to answer with a similar response. In this regard, looking at the United States, we see that the US is on the prowl. We cannot rule out a Republican presidential victory. Maybe it’s only a 20-30 percent chance, but they could win. Actually, Dmitry Rogozin’s “friend” Senator Kyl, from Arizona is retiring, but if a Republican administration is reelected, they will be “neocons” who would make the Bush administration look like kids. We could expect much pressure both on AMD, and over Ukraine, and Georgia, and in all directions. However, we have possibilities… I think Obama has a better chance of winning, and if so, there remain opportunities for agreement, in my mind. And it seems to me, now that the clouds are already gathering, that we can think of some initiatives to demonstrate that we are ready for serious talks as soon as in two months, and be prepared for a 2013 discussion on both anti-missile defence and on nuclear weapons issues. We do expect new proposals from the US on radical cuts, and we could find ourselves in a grave situation if we just reject them. We have to review our alternatives; we have time to explore our options, what can be done, what can be offered. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: I don’t think we are seeing a cooling. Why do you have this impression, Mr. Rogov? I don’t understand. We have a constant dialogue – we dislike some of the things our colleagues are doing, they don’t like some things we’re doing. But in general we have built a partnership over the key issues on the international agenda. Yes, we do have a dispute over the AMD system and how it should be developed, but this didn’t start yesterday. It started before this modern-day détente you mentioned. There is nothing new here. As for some ultra conservatives coming to power and tightening the screws – let them screw away. They can screw and screw until they screw up. They are pursuing a policy that is costly and ineffective. Okay, they have changed regimes in North Africa, but what will they do there now? Ultimately Israel will find itself caught between two fires… It is hard to say what kind of regime Egypt will end up with, and it’s hard to say what sort of a mess they’ll make in Syria. No one can predict what will happen in the Maghreb countries either. Are you sure they are in control of the situation there? Apparently, they are trying to control it, but nobody, including them, knows what will come of it. That’s why whatever is being done… There is pressure for change, but it’s very costly with little efficiency so far.
As for building relations with AMD, they really don’t want to talk to us (yes, the defence minister is here, other officials are here, too), but I can tell you straight out– they are evading the issue. Basically, they only offer superficial discussion and attempt to present it to the international community like this: yes, our relations are developing, yes, technology is moving on, yes, threats do appear and no one can stop us from curbing those threats in the future for the sake of their national security. Well, would anybody be against that?
Obviously, national security threats should be curbed, but it should be done in such a way so as not to create new global threats, to not destroy the balance of strategic power, that’s the issue. However, in our view, an attempt is being made to destabilise that balance and to create a survivability monopoly in their favour; that’s what it’s all about. We should simply respond as we have already announced. And what have we already announced? That we’ll take asymmetric but effective steps. I have already said this publicly, and I will say what I said to the previous president, “If you carry on like this, we will be forced to take these asymmetrical steps. Say, steps to develop new systems that will be much more efficient in breaking through this ADM system. This development process is much cheaper and easier for us. So, what’s next? We’ll see, but they tell us that the AMD system will not be directed against us. Then we can only respond that our system will not be directed against you.” The reply was simple: “Do as you please, we are not enemies anymore.” - “Okay, that’s what we’ll do.” We currently have ten missile regiments equipped with Topol-M and Yars missiles, and we can do more than that. Still, I think the awareness that we could end up in a new round of the arms race will make us more cooperative in the negotiating process, that’s number one.
And secondly. You touched on a very important issue Mr. Rogov. You said questions should be raised concerning further nuclear disarmament. We will not disarm unilaterally. As for further steps in nuclear disarmament, those steps should be comprehensive in nature, and all nuclear powers should participate in the process. We cannot disarm while other nuclear powers are increasing their arms. That’s out of the question!
And one more thing. I believe I mentioned this in my article, and it’s critical. We see how technology is developing. Our partners really are ahead of us, especially in high precision weaponry. And these precision-guided weapons (I mean today’s capabilities and the power of modern munitions) combined with the time of delivery to an intended target become comparable with weapons of mass destruction though they are not technically WMDs. However, the result is not much different, and in the future, probably, will be no different from weapons of mass destruction. So we will eliminate nuclear weapons only when we have this kind of technology. And not a day earlier! No one should have any illusions about that! That’s the way it is.
Igor Korotchenko (editor-in-chief, National Defence magazine; director of World Arms Trade Analysis Center): First of all, I would like to express a common opinion I think, and on behalf of our military experts, to thank you for your brilliant article that was recently published. It really is conceptual in nature, and very important, I believe, both for the world and for Russia. In this connection a key issue to me is the fight against corruption in the military procurement system. Twenty-three trillion roubles is a lot. And it is absolutely intolerable for someone to carve-up that amount. We know perfectly well from experience how various corruption chains were formed during the state defence procurement process. I think in this respect we should lend our total support to the policy that is being pursued by the Defence Ministry concerning the transparency of pricing, because it is absolutely unacceptable that some companies take an 800% profit, especially those at the second and third tiers. We should also support the policy pursued by the new deputy prime minister who has said, again, that fighting corruption should top the agenda. I have a specific question in this regard. We are talking about the new S-500 system for aerospace defence, but Almaz’s tangible assets have been almost completely lost over the years. I believe that in terms of practical steps we should raise the issue of determining where the defence companies’ property went. This is something we absolutely need to do. I would also like to say, I would like to point out that a campaign has been launched questioning the policy that we’ve adopted of creating vertically-integrated defence industry groups. For instance, as our colleagues have already mentioned, the construction of two new plants by an air defence concern has been described in a news story as redundant and resulting in nothing but the siphoning off of funds. You see, this kind of information doesn’t appear for no reason. We should have a clear system of objectives for the construction of a new aerospace defence system, and there’s no way someone should be allowed to question national policy. Those who instigate such news stories should be slapped on the wrist.
Mr Arbatov (Alexei Arbatov) was absolutely right in his assessment of the European Air Defence System. Remember there was an excellent book in the Soviet Union called Where Does the Threat to the World Come From, edited by Chief of Staff Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov. I believe that in terms of backing up our information efforts during our talks with the United States and NATO, we need to come up with a similar book, written jointly by the Defence Ministry, the General Staff, the Foreign Ministry, and the expert community. We need this so we can approach a negotiating session with a well-grounded concept, able to say that the American proposals threaten stability. In this respect, I would like to see the potential of the Russian military expert community used more broadly than it is now.
I would also like to ask you to state your position on Syria and Iran. We see that things there are developing unfavourably. Clearly, the instability in these countries could spread to Russia. Actually, we already see it, because the new ambassador to Russia is a political strategist. It is also clear that events in Moscow on March 4 could have unpredictable consequences. So I’d like to see those who can publicly defend the choice that will be made by the Russian people on March 4 have a chance to use their potential – so that those who take the disgruntled portion of society to the streets are stopped from running the show. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: With respect to our domestic events, we will certainly operate in a way that guarantees sovereignty for the Russian people when they make critically important decisions. Anyone who operates within the law should be confident that their constitutional rights are guaranteed. Anyone who goes beyond the law should know that violating existing legislation will be treated in the same way, and the government will respond accordingly.
With respect to your first question, you are absolutely right. We will look carefully into these material assets to see where they are, who is managing what, and how they ended up with particular assets. This is absolutely right, and I hope that Mr Rogozin will address these issues in a more comprehensive manner – I’m talking about that quite a big ‘pie’ that is now being baked by the defence industry and the Defence Ministry. This pie looks big, but there’s nothing extra in it to take, and we should pay a lot of attention to it. More than that, as I have said to Mr Rogozin, and I’ll say it again here, since it’s no secret: I believe that we should establish a special control system to monitor all defence contracts. The Defence Ministry and several supervisory bodies are already exercising this kind of control, but it’s not a focussed effort. We should be able to clearly understand the performance objectives under specific contracts, including deadlines, costs, and contractors. Anytime we see even a slightest change, say, in a deadline, an alarm should go off straight away and the situation should be addressed. I’m not talking about an administrative response only. Perhaps, people just need some assistance, which is quite possible.
There’s one more question with respect to contractors. I’ve mentioned this too: in some cases, up to 80% or even 95% of the profits are retained by subcontractors, not the main contractor. Unfortunately, sometimes things turn out the opposite way. I met with our colleagues in one of the regions. They complained that the lead contractors were making them operate at a near break-even margin or even at a loss, which is also unacceptable. This issue also needs to be considered. As far as information support goes, yes, the state should be able to protect itself, including in the area of information distribution. This is true. Mr Fortov, please go ahead.
Vladimir Fortov (director of the United Institute of High Temperatures at the Russian Academy of Sciences): Thank you, Mr Putin. I’d like to briefly touch on an evergreen subject as they say, i.e. the relationship between fundamental science and defence development science. We have discussed this subject before, and it’s part of your article, which is quite justified. It suggests that if we don’t base our work on the fundamental sciences or on advanced designs, if we continue like this, we won’t be moving forward; we won’t even be able to stand in place, because we will fall behind others’ developments. Among the many problems facing us, there is one that I believe we can resolve on our own. I’m referring to the extreme amount of red tape involved in these types of activities. Very often, it involves something minor like departmental barriers. Still, we have managed to gain a certain positive expertise. Recently, we established a sort of virtual centre at the Ministry of Nuclear Energy, under an initiative from Sergei Kiriyenko. Researchers from the Academy of Sciences, Arzamas, Chelyabinsk, and the Institute of High Temperatures are working there on a specific assignment. The idea is very simple: we assign them a specific task that needs to be performed within a given deadline. The beginning and the end of the task are clearly defined. Researchers meet, and we share equipment, computer codes and computational capabilities as we work on a particular problem. It works fine for us. You were shown some experiments today at the gas dynamic department here in Arzamas, where they have set the world record for creating spherical plasma by compressing it at up to 80 million atmospheres. I believe this is a good medicine for the red tape that’s been stifling us in many ways.
There’s one other example. We are developing electromagnetic weapons at the Academy. This is a non-lethal weapon. The Americans classify it as a strategic weapon. The idea behind this weapon is that a strong impulse of electromagnetic radiation hits a cruise missile or any other smart weapon and damages it. You can consider it an asymmetric answer or a strategic answer – as you wish. However, this involves a lot of work, and part of this work can be performed by the Academy. But, the other part of work must be done by the institutes run by the Defence Ministry, because it’s part of their job, not ours. When we combine this work with the 12th Institute, for example – the one in Zagorsk – we tend to get good results and can speed up our work literally by many times over. I believe this may be of interest to those at the defence institutes who work with us. Young properly trained officers with access to advanced technology get the chance to broaden their horizons, defend a thesis, write books, and much more, which is particularly important now that defence science is integrating with higher education institutions. This process will take more than one day to complete. It looks like we can join our efforts here and work without having to deal with the bureaucracy.
I should also mention that the second important issue here is creating a body that can finance this work for the long-term. Currently, the Academy of Sciences has a work schedule. If you don’t include an activity in this five-year plan, then any amount of money that you spend on it will be considered unauthorised use with all the ensuing consequences. However, I can’t make plans for five years. By the same token, the Defence Ministry has to include such design and development work in their defence contract documents in order to be able to finance it. That way we end up with a five to six years’ gap. We can avoid this if we do what the Americans did after they launched their first satellite and created DARPA, which provides financing for such research.
Finally, I’d like to quote a historical example: in 1711, when Peter the Great lost the Southern War to Turkey and signed the Treaty of Prut, Russia was supposed to destroy Taganrog under this treaty. He agreed to it, but issued a secret order saying that buildings should be torn down, but the foundations left intact. When Russia seized this place thirty years later, the city was rebuilt...
Vladimir Putin: Mr Fortov, not “seized”, but took it back.
Vladimir Fortov: Yes, took it back, in a positive sense.
Vladimir Putin: Yes. With respect to the administrative body that you mentioned, this is exactly what I suggested in my article, this is precisely what I described. The proposal is exactly for the establishment of a body that could engage in promising research work and organise financing.
As for merging academic and industrial sciences, I believe that this is the absolute right direction. You know what we need to do? We need to consider how best to do it and outline some practical steps. The government is ready to support this. You need to draw up a specific action plan for establishing such cooperation.
Vladimir Fortov: Let’s use the expertise gained by the Federal Agency for Atomic Energy.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, agreed.
Vladimir Fortov: They’ve been working on it for several years now.
Vladimir Putin: Good.
Vladimir Fortov: I’d like to give you a book.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much. This is a good addition to my library. Thank you. Please go ahead.
Pavel Zolotaryov (deputy director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies): Thank you. Mr Putin, this year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the signing of the order by the first Russian president on establishing the federal contract system in Russia. Clearly, we couldn’t implement it during the 1990s, but a lot of work has been performed recently, and a draft law on establishing such a system was prepared. As we can see from our own and from Western experience, it’s almost impossible to get a fully operational law and a system at the government level. We have agreed on the wording for certain provisions, but agreeing on them often waters down certain fundamentals. As we know from our experience, the system only works when administrative procedures related to the establishment and the development of this system are controlled at the presidential level. Therefore, I’d like to request that we make effective use of allocated funds and create an operational state economic management mechanism. Western countries never stop improving this, and the role of the state in this area is ever increasing. I wish we could go down the same path, so that this issue becomes the responsibility of the corresponding bodies at the presidential level after the March elections. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: I’d like to say a few words about this. As you may be aware, all financial issues are overseen by the government, so we’d better leave it that way or otherwise we’ll mess up all the competencies. I think that if we assign all the elements that you mentioned to one entity within the government, then it might well be more effective – on a condition that there is a mechanism in place for oversight of these activities by some presidential bodies. You are right when you say that currently these entities are disparate, although they have recently established such an agency at the Defence Department. However, we agreed – I believe it was five years ago – that all issues related to government contracting should be overseen by the prime minister so as to distinguish those who use weapons from those who buy them. This is the right approach which needs to be followed through on. There must be a system of interaction between the customer and the contractor and those who are supposed to oversee this process. However, there are problems, and Mr Korotchenko mentioned the corruption. The main point of what you have just said is to draw a line and make sure that the final result is acceptable both in terms of cost and quality. We are thinking about this. I just don’t think that we should take it directly to the presidential level. However, it makes perfect sense to make them directly accountable to the government, something we have discussed in previous years.
Go ahead, Mr Ivashov.
Leonid Ivashov (director of the Academy of Geopolitical Issues): Ivashov, Academy of Geopolitical Issues. Mr Putin, I believe that no one has any doubts that the military and political situation, including in Russia, will become more difficult, and that threats will intensify. These are the current trends in global development.
Mr Rogov spoke about negotiations with the United States and whether Obama’s presidency is good or bad for Russia. We can see even during the recent decades that America has a clear-cut geopolitical agenda, a political strategy and specific programmes no matter who sits in the White House. Take, for instance, the air defence programme. It was initiated under Bill Clinton and then taken up by George Bush and now Obama. Same goes for Yugoslavia: its destruction was spearheaded by a Democrat, and then G.W. Bush continued with Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, we have seen how a Nobel Prize winner destroyed Libya. So, we shouldn’t have any illusions about this. Of course, we need to pursue talks, at least to keep our Foreign Ministry busy.
Here, too, in order for us not to take any missteps and to avoid the use of force, we need, first, an analytical centre to conduct the analysis of threats and to plan actions that would neutralise such threats. I have a request or rather a complaint with regard to our foreign policy and diplomatic service. Based on our military capability, especially if it becomes stronger, we need to neutralise a threat using primarily political and diplomatic methods in order to keep things at bay. We need to form an offensive system to ensure general security and we should also try to corner the United States, as they say. Even now, we can see… Allow me to quote Henry Kissinger, who said the following on January 24: “The United States is baiting China and Russia, and the final nail in the coffin will be Iran.” Even though he may be getting a little senile, the Iranian problem is still a serious threat to us. We can go ahead and request a Security Council session in order to consider the threat to international peace. Using such offensive moves, we can push America to think twice before acting. This is my first point.
Secondly, along the same lines: we are a loner country. To be honest, the three top-tier centres of power – the United States, Europe, and China – are not exactly our friends. Today, we do not have any strategic allies. This doesn’t have to be a military union, but still we should have some allies. China isn’t against opposing the deployment of the US air defence system. I believe they would join us, but we should carry on both open and covert talks with China. I’m sure that they will agree to it. There are many opportunities to form alliances in various areas. Perhaps, we should feel more confident in establishing our presence in the Americas, just like they are doing here. We should work more actively with India and probably with Iran as well. If we go it alone, we might just go bankrupt. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much, Mr Ivashov. You lumped the United States and Europe together, saying that they were unfriendly powers, and instantly suggested building an alliance with China. Of course, the United States and Europe are part of NATO, but relationships between them are also changing, changing in a crucial way. And what happened just before the events in Iraq, the fact that two leading European countries didn’t support their main NATO allies in Iraq operations is a telltale sign that is indicative of certain internal processes within NATO. This alliance was built to oppose the Soviet Union, but the Soviet Union is no longer there. Who is it supposed to fight now? Are such alliances really needed? Today, NATO is more a foreign policy tool than a military bloc. The United States is using NATO primarily as a tool to preserve its leadership within the Western community. Article 5 of this organisation is still there, of course, and this is still a military organisation, and we should keep that in mind. But this tells me that we can build relations of our own with Europe, which is exactly what we are doing.
I have to say this is finding increasing support among the European public, which is very important: I’m referring to the quality of statehood in these countries. No matter how hard someone may try to do something about it, the world is changing in a strategic way, and this will make itself felt. Many people used to tell me – I will not give any names so as not to embarrass anyone – but many people in Europe used to tell me the following: “The Americans keep trying to scare us with you, but we don’t feel any fear, because we know that Russia has changed and the world has changed as well.” In this connection, many people say that there’s a need to come up with external threats, such as Iran. However, Iran can’t take the place of the Soviet Union. I believe that it represents a threat not to the United States, but to some of its allies. This is what causes our concern primarily.
They asked me what I thought about events in Iran, and answering this question somehow slipped my mind. However, there is no need to expand nuclear club membership. We are against it, but not because a country that claims this membership doesn’t sit well with us. No, we are against it because expanded membership will increase the risk to international stability and security and make other countries want to become nuclear powers as well. As for the technology, we have many nuclear physicists in this room, and they can tell you that making it isn’t that complicated.
Leonid Ivashov: China and Russia should guarantee security for Iran in exchange for their renunciation of nuclear weapons.
Vladimir Putin: But they say they aren’t manufacturing any nuclear weapons. And we trust them. Things in Iran are not as simple as they may seem.
With respect to our relations with China, you can see that our shared position on Syria prevented the adoption of a resolution that we believed was dangerous for Syria. However, this is not all that we are doing with our Chinese partners. We are also cooperating in defence and in military technology, where our ties run deep. We plan to expand this cooperation and go beyond trade relations to include joint research activities. However, we should proceed with caution here. I’m referring to the protection of our national interests. But, we are moving in this direction.
With respect to India, we will begin summing up the results of our cooperation in military technology in 2011. I believe it’s about 25%, correct?
Remark: 26%.
Vladimir Putin: India accounts for 26% of Russia’s foreign trade in military technical equipment. More than that, we have made better progress with India in terms of joint research work than with any other country, including China. As you know, we jointly designed the Bramos missile, which is a modern high-tech product. Prospects are good for future cooperation. We have also just sold a submarine to India. I believe it should arrive in India tomorrow from the Far East, if it hasn’t already. Was it Friday?
Anatoly Serdyukov: We leased the submarine to them.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, it’s a lease. Has it left yet?
Anatoly Serdyukov: Yes, it has been accepted in full.
Vladimir Putin: No, it was supposed to take to the sea by now. Today or tomorrow.
Anatoly Serdyukov: I’m not sure about that, but it was accepted two days ago.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, it was, and the crew is already in there. They were supposed to take to the sea and head for home yesterday or today.
We are working very closely on transport aircraft. They joined our work on the fifth-generation advanced frontline aircraft system, the T-50. We have almost completed the first phase of this work on our own. It’s clear now that we will be able to build the T-50. We have two or three fully operational planes, and we will have several more this year. It’s absolutely clear that we will be able to build it rather quickly, because all the technical issues have been sorted out. We do need a partner so we can bring down the final cost of the product. They will be buying it from us in large quantities. The T-50 is superior to US-made fifth-generation aircraft, which is obvious to any specialist. This is not just talk; this is specific work being carried out. We will join resources and begin manufacturing transport aircraft with India as well. As a matter of fact, we are already doing so. Therefore, we have established very strong and dynamic cooperation with them. Mr Solomonov, please go ahead.
Yury Solomonov (chief designer of the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology): Mr Putin, I’d like to focus on two points. Speaking about new threats, you have correctly noted that we shouldn’t create new ones. This is obvious. However, there’s another aspect to this. Our project should be cost effective. Since I’ve been in the business of missile technology for over 45 years now, I’ve seen a lot, and I can quote two anecdotal evidences which, I believe, clearly show that we can’t base our responses on myth. In March 1983, the strategic defence initiative announced by Ronald Reagan was published in the foreign and Soviet media. Within two months, all the fiction that had been published, including X-ray and excimer lasers, particle beam weapons, laser guns and so on and so forth, instantly became part of the requirements issued by the Defence Ministry for new weapons. This led to a drop in specifications across the board, and, in some cases, these absolutely mythical and hypothetical requirements complicated the designers’ work to such an extent that they became outright unfeasible and tied up huge intellectual, material and financial resources. Five years later, in 1987-1988, the media spread the news that a US Congress commission created an ad hoc group of experts to investigate the statement of the US Department of Defence about the destructive potential of laser weapons with regard to the missile hardware, in particular, the Titan IV modules. Later, it became clear that it was a total bluff. The destructive potential of laser weapons was a premeditated misstatement, and weapon tests never took place. The module was loaded up to the point of self-destruction, and the slightest thermal impulse destroyed it – there was a video on this subject. This led to a huge scandal, and a number of programmes were shut down. I believe that this is more proof that such statements should be taken with a grain of salt. We stood up for our defence programme at the Central Committee of the Communist Party and insisted on continuing our work on the strategic compact Kuryer complex rather than engaging in a game that someone wanted to impose on us. The same scenario came up during the Desert Storm campaign when the newly developed Patriot system was used to take out the Iraqi Scud missiles. The Raytheon Corporation officially announced that the new anti-missile system boasted a 40% effectiveness. All 44 antimissiles used to intercept missiles designed 30 to 40 years ago missed their target even with an effective dispersion area of dozens of square metres.
My point is that we’ve been hearing a lot of similar talk about the missile defence system in Europe. In most cases – and I’m saying this absolutely officially and competently – this is an absolutely far-fetched threat to our strategic potential. Therefore, I fully support Mr Ivashov’s idea of establishing an analytical centre where professional and independent experts would work on forming opinions about certain issues as officials are not strong in special issues, which is quite natural. This work might take the form of debates, which, I believe, are quite useful in dealing with such complicated matters, but we would still be able to come up with balanced decisions about our future steps.
Here’s my second point.
Vladimir Putin: This centre could be established under the president.
Yury Solomonov: That’s exactly what I said to Mr Ivashov. Mr Putin, I believe that a special commission should be set up under the Russian president…
Vladimir Putin: We can do it.
Yury Solomonov: ...which would convene, say, twice a year. I’m referring to the way it’s being done in the United States, where they have done a great job of systemising this work. This does not necessarily need to be used as a practical guide. It just adds perspective, and the president can use the findings to make his final decisions as the person carrying the ultimate responsibility under the Constitution. I believe that the results of in-depth analytical work carry more weight than a proposal made by a single albeit high-ranking official.
Second. I’m not sure about you, but I have worked a lot with Americans over many years on START-1 and on medium-range missiles. Using sport jargon, we’ve been second stringers over the past several decades. We have fully abandoned the initiative in certain key areas in favour of the West, and now simply react to their proposals about a sectoral missile defence system. I don’t mean to criticise anyone. Perhaps, this is the right thing to do, but I believe we should put an end to this and have this analytical group come up with pro-active proposals and initiatives. I can give you three such ideas right now. They are quite productive, and the West would clearly be receptive. Most importantly, they’d be coming from us, and we would thus lead the way. Firstly, in addition to strengthening Russia’s authority, they would put Russia in a favourable position with respect to our relations. Still more importantly, this would allow us to establish positive relationships and pursue our policy based on this kind of analysis. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: This is interesting and we can do it. Mr Velikhov, please go ahead.
Yevgeny Velikhov (president of the national research centre Kurchatov Institute): Mr Putin, I have two brief comments. For the most part, I agree with what you have written in your last article on national security. Here are my two comments. First, the rearmament programme is very strong, but it should have more stability. Our experience gained in the course of 20 difficult years shows that we can do this in only one way: our programme should focus on developing defence technology. At the same time, such enterprises should also engage in manufacturing commercial products. You know this well from the Severodvinsk plant. I remember having an extensive discussion about this with Dmitry Ustinov (Soviet defence minister) and he told me in no uncertain terms that I was wrong, but those were different times. I believe that this is the way to go now. Take, for instance, Borei that we discussed here today. Some things will take more time than planned, and there are many other issues as well, so we need to have a “second leg” just to be on the safe side. This is very important in this particular case.
Vladimir Putin: We did build a platform there, didn’t we?
Yevgeny Velikhov: You know how much it helped David Pashayev (David Pashayev, prominent Russian shipbuilder) to build the ships you mentioned. He wouldn’t have been able to create them if it weren’t for this platform. This platform helped the Kurchatov Institute survive as well.
The second point that I’d like to make is that the asymmetrical response is an appropriate answer to the United States and NATO. I often think about our discussions with Yuly Khariton. He had a fairly straightforward perspective and believed that nuclear interception was the most effective method for intercepting ballistic missiles. I’m not talking about us necessarily working to develop nuclear interception. As you are aware, it exists in the 135th system. Importantly, if we added an optional nuclear interception section to our programme, it would be a major wake-up call to our partners, because this is totally unacceptable for the US politically. This would be a totally asymmetrical answer, since they simply can’t do it. I will not elaborate now, but this is a 100% likelihood. As you know, this is even less acceptable for the Europeans. Therefore, just including it as an option and including discussions about a nuclear interception project would be the right thing to do technologically and politically.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Mr Sharavin, please go ahead.
Alexander Sharavin (director at the Institute of Political and Military Analysis): Mr Putin, I believe that Russia has a unique chance today for building modern armed forces to meet the challenges of the 21st century, because not only do we have proper material resources (we have allocated vast resources to this programme), but also subjective conditions. Judging by your article, there’s a desire and a willingness to achieve this. We are now speaking about hardware and military equipment, but if we want to build new armed forces, we will need military service personnel, both officers and soldiers of a different quality, as well. Much is being done for the army now: new pay, new apartments and a more humane environment. However, this is not enough. We need to change the way military personnel are perceived by society and the state. We also need to change relations between servicemen, because our goal is not in giving a facelift to the army, but in changing its inner philosophy so that servicemen don’t feel like a cog in a machine, but rather like a full-fledged citizen wearing a uniform. There’s much work to be done, but we will only be able to talk about a new army after we achieve progress in this area. There’s a need to increase the role of officers’ meetings during appointments to top positions, distribution of bonuses, and so on. Officers’ meetings should have a greater say in the army. We also have to take other similar steps. This is what I wanted to call your attention to. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Sharavin, I believe we had this procedure for appointments to top positions in 1918. Or you were talking about something else?
Alexander Sharavin: No, we have a great track record in this regard. Peter the Great introduced the ballot vote among officers. Of course, I can’t call him either an anarchist or a democrat, but he understood that the ballot vote was the best way to promote the best officers and generals. The regiment meeting would decide which company commander should become a battalion commander. This has nothing to do with anarchy. The regiment commander was entitled to dismiss the decision made at an officers’ meeting. However, not a single commander ever dismissed the decision made at officers’ meeting. Why? Because if an officer appointed by the commander of a regiment wasn’t up to the task, then the commander had to quit together with the officer. Therefore, if the officers’ meeting decided on someone to become the commander of a battalion, then the commander of a regiment would approve that decision. However, the commander has always had the last word.
Vladimir Putin: Frankly, I didn’t expect this. I’m used to considering unusual ideas. Maybe there’s something to it.
Alexander Sharavin: Just one more example from the history. The Naval Board had to decide who would lead the Russian fleet into battle with the Swedes. The board was comprised of nine members. Peter the Great was a senior board member, but he had one vote just like everybody else. The board decided on a candidate that Peter disliked a lot. This commander came out on top. Do you know what Peter said? He said that he thought the commander was good for nothing, but that the system was great.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, let’s give it some thought. Anyway, it’s an interesting idea. This is one point.
Secondly, I fully agree with you that we should change a lot in the mindset of military service personnel, the officers and even privates shouldn’t feel like cogs in a wheel. Each one of them should keep their personality, understand their task and be able to use their creative potential.
Alexander Sharavin: Then we’ll have a positive result.
Vladimir Putin: Yes. The Defence Ministry has been creating such groups for a while now. They are not quite what you meant, but it’s establishing groups of young specialists across different areas. The minister reported the results to me not too long ago, and they look good. Of course, these are isolated occurrences in key areas, but the results are promising. Young men and women are working very effectively. Therefore, we should think about what you have said. I agree.
Mr Kokoshin has been raising his hand for a while now, so I should give him a chance to speak.
Andrei Kokoshin (member of the Russian Council for Foreign Affairs): Thank you very much, Mr Putin. You started out with a very important subject…
Vladimir Putin: Excuse me, Mr Kokoshin. There’s one more thing. We are aware of the decisions regarding military pay, but we also need to think about the salaries of those who work in the defence industry. Mr Velikhov was right when he said that a significant number of defence enterprises are working for the market, and their market share is getting larger. However, there are other centres, such as in Sarov, that are working mostly for the government. We need to think about developing a remuneration system that would be in line or perhaps even higher than international standards, so that people will desire these jobs and so there’s competition for these jobs. Do you see my point? If the entry-level pay for a lieutenant freshly out of school is 50,000 roubles per month now, then good, one-of-a-kind specialists should have proper living conditions, including income, housing and so on. We will need to think about that.
Please excuse me, Mr Kokoshin.
Andrei Kokoshin: Thank you, Mr Putin. I’ll add a couple of words to what you just said. You said in your article that you welcome the participation of higher educational institutions, state research centres and institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the research, design and development of government defence contracting. A lot can be done in this regard and a lot is being done. The defence minister is aware of it, since we reported to him about this as well. However, it is very important not to leave behind the employees of these entities. Not only the ones who are formally part of the defence industry, but also the ones who are not; however, they need financial incentive as well. For example, we are subordinate to the Russian Academy of Sciences, but our employees are not too eager to take secret jobs because secrecy involves certain restrictions, and financially the extra pay for secrecy does not make up for a young person for the restrictions, for example, on foreign travel. I would like my colleagues to make a note of this, because it is an important factor. Now for my main message. You started with a very important theme. We do indeed need a long-term plan for the development of weapons and military equipment, for research and development, and it should be based on what is currently called “foresight” and used to be called “prognosis”. There is a huge shortage of such research and development. I have a concrete suggestion to make: we must come together – the defence industry, the Defence Ministry, Rosatom and the Russian Academy of Sciences – bringing in our top experts to prepare a list of fundamental and applied research priorities that may bring about a breakthrough in the development of weapons and military equipment.
Vladimir Putin: That can be done as part of implementing the proposal made by Yuri Solomonov .
Andrei Kokoshin: Yes, of course, within the same commission. He was more focused on a specific theme, but that really applies to other themes as well. Vladimir Fortov mentioned some research and development being conducted at his institute. They may indeed be asymmetric in character in relation to the main potential enemy, as they used to say, high-precision long-range weapons: that too could be one of the topics. But I think that this list, as our preliminary work has shown (on the defence minister’s order the ministry established a special council on science policy, which I have the honour of being the head of). That work must include hundreds of components that form a very complicated internal hierarchy. We need experts, organisational efforts and we need political support, so I am ready to initiate this work on behalf of the Academy of Sciences, jointly with my colleagues, Mr Putin, in conjunction with our colleagues from the relevant agencies and organisations present here. But I would like to ask for your political support.
Vladimir Putin: Very well. Thank you. Yevgeny Buzhinsky, please.
Yevgeny Buzhinsky (Senior Vice President of the Russian Centre for Political Studies): Thank you. I would like to speak briefly about the following. Some ideas have been aired here to the effect that we should come up with arms control initiatives. I don’t think it makes sense for us to enter that race at present. We should make a pause. As for nuclear disarmament you have already spoken about it. Tactical nuclear weapons is a very fashionable theme. Tactical nuclear weapons is our trump card and we cannot afford to give it up at present. It is an element of our nuclear deterrence.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Buzhinsky, I can tell you straight away that we are not going to give up any of the things that we need. You see? We will only give up what encumbers us and does not bring any benefits. That is all. As for what we need and does not burden us, but on the contrary, offers certain guarantees, we are not going to give it up.
Yevgeny Buzhinsky: May I continue?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course. I am sorry.
Yevgeny Buzhinsky: I simply wanted to say that we are lagging behind on precision weapons and we are lagging behind on drones. Until the lag is eliminated there is no point in making any cuts. The Americans are creating systems… This is a long-standing topic, we have always come out for limiting sea-based and air-based cruise missiles. Now they say: let’s do it, nuclear cruise missiles are practically ready, but they forget that… and I ask them: what about unmanned strike aircraft? No answer. In fact, that means that they are way ahead on drones and now they can talk about cruise missiles. Until we bridge the gap on certain items we cannot make any cuts. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Mr Buzhinsky, I appreciate your brief remark. It tallies with our own ideas of what we should do and what we should not do.
Mr Ilkayev, you have the floor.
Rady Ilkayev (Research Director at the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Russian Federal Nuclear Centre – All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Physics): I subscribe totally to what the previous speaker said. We too are very concerned that the issue is sometimes being discussed in the corridors. Your latest article does not touch upon tactical nuclear weapons, but everybody is telling me that this is because we are not even going to discuss that issue being aware of its great importance. It is totally in line with our philosophy, we support it completely. Now concerning diplomatic proposals. We would hate to have a philosophy that prevailed formerly when many of our leaders tried to score a diplomatic victory at any cost.
Vladimir Putin: I have never been accused of doing that, Mr Ilkayev.
Rady Ilkayev: No, and we are very supportive today of a totally different approach, it is absolutely reasonable and sound. We should carefully consider all our diplomatic moves and we would like our specialists to be involved in this process. You see, even when the position is absolutely correct, but when they do not consult us, we have an inner sense of unease about having missed something and then we would be very sorry that we have missed it. So we would like to urge you to bring in experts from our nuclear centre and other scientists to discuss this issue. I have nothing against the officers’ assembly, it would never come up with wrong advice, but I think that scientists too would never give bad advice.
Vladimir Putin: All right.
Rady Ilkayev: And the last thing. You have rightly said that we should think far ahead. Without serious development of science there will be no progress and no future, that is obvious, especially since weapons are becoming smarter every year and this is impossible without serious fundamental and applied research. Last year when we were putting together a programme for the development of fundamental and applied research for defence, many people were working on it, including on nuclear and other weapons. We drew up such a programme, but it is slow in getting off the ground. Please, Mr Putin, help us with the launch of this programme as a first step because it involves the Academy of Sciences and practically all the industry-specific institutes. I think it will be useful.
Vladimir Putin: Under what directives was this programme developed? Who did you work with?
Rady Ilkayev: As far as I remember it was a directive…
Remark: It was a directive of the defence industry.
Remark: It was a directive of the Science and Engineering Board.
Remark: It was the President’s directive.
Vladimir Putin: Was the programme adopted?
Remark: Yes, it was.
Vladimir Putin: Very well. Dmitry Rogozin, let us…
Dmitry Rogozin: But it is in some kind of paralysis. I have looked at this programme, it is absolutely viable, and it simply needs to be revived.
Vladimir Putin: All right, revive it and report back to me. Thank you, Mr Ilkayev. Vladimir Orlov, please.
Vladimir Orlov (President of the Russian Centre for Political Studies): Thank you. I would like to come back to the topic of global threats to our security… I think one of the new threats, and I absolutely agree with you there, is the expansion of the nuclear club, which is definitely not in our interests. But if we look, for example, at the Iran situation, we see that sometimes the slogan of preventing nuclear proliferation is used to promote other agendas, namely: they speak about preventing proliferation but in reality they mean a change of political regime. That is something that we should not support, at least that is my opinion. And I think we have gone too far with the UN Security Council resolutions, and the Iranians instead of holding negotiations under pressure, there is too much pressure… When there is talk about strikes they tend to think that perhaps they should do more for their national security and thus we are not going about solving that task the way we wanted to. Isn’t it high time Russia stopped saying yes to everything the Americans propose? I think we have been spoiling them recently and perhaps we should think about resuming military-technical cooperation with Iran and about some other measures: joint efforts not only with European countries and the United States, with whom we are working without breaking off the dialogue on Iran, but also work together on the Iranian issue with such states as Turkey, Indonesia, Egypt, China and Brazil, getting new partners here on the international arena and voicing our own position and not yielding under pressure. Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: I have to tell you, Mr Orlov, that this is exactly what we are doing, we are working with everyone, practically with all the partners you have mentioned. You will of course know, you have mentioned Egypt, it is hard to work with anyone there because the country is in political turmoil, but it is still the leader of the Arab world and the Arab world is highly sceptical about the prospect of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. The Arab world categorically objects, and the best proof of that is the way the Arab world perceives the events in Syria. All these things are interconnected and we are taking them into account. I think our position on Syria at the UN Security Council shows that we are not going to be yes-men to anyone. I hope that this will continue to be the case. We have our own interests. Of course we must work in a cooperative manner, we must understand what is taking place in the world and we should never be in isolation: that is not the way to ensure our national interests.
On the whole we are on the same page, that is how we are planning to act and your assessment is correct. I also believe that the fight to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by allowing another member into the nuclear club, Iran, is used to pursue other goals, such as regime change. We have our suspicions so, as you have noted, our position differs considerably from what is being presented to us as the general approach to the Iranian problem by our partners. But on some points our positions coincide, namely, we are not interested in Iran becoming a nuclear power.
As for the independence of our position, it was manifested among other things in our following through with the work on Bushehr. We have done it despite outside pressure and we intend to continue working independently. Make no mistake about that. We are going to proceed independently (but not aggressively) and in cooperation with our partners in the world. And of course we should always be aware of who shares our positions and at what point we should look for and find allies on each problem. You are absolutely right. Mr Rogov, would you like…
Sergei Rogov: I just wanted to give some information.
Vladimir Putin: … provide a theoretical base?
Sergei Rogov: … Leonid Ivashov was quoting Kissinger and you may have been surprised by the quotation because you meet with Kissinger occasionally. But he never said anything like that. It is a completely false interview published by Komsomolskaya Pravda and it was first published on the British comical website “Quibbles”.
Vladimir Putin: How’s that again?
Sergei Rogov: Quibbles. They publish reports such as these: “Ku-Klux-Klan backs Obama for a second term.” “Margaret Thatcher attends a cabinet meeting dressed as a prostitute.” Well, we were led to believe that this was Kissinger’s true face.
Vladimir Putin: I have to admit that I was really surprised. I have known Mr Kissinger for a long time, for many years. Of course he defends the interests of his own country, but it is very out of character to say what he allegedly said with regard to Russia and China. Yes, I was greatly surprised. I made no comment, but thank you for the explanation.
Sergei Rogov: He simply never said any of that.
Vladimir Putin: I understand. Well, all points of view should be heard. It is good of you to have enlightened us. Next please.
Ruslan Pukhov: Mr Rogov asked a second question, so may I ask a second question too? Mr Putin, reports are circulating in the press that there is some secret plan to cut military spending and that it may be implemented after the elections. Even if that is not the case, the situation may take such a turn that this ten-year plan of military spending would be impossible to keep in place. Does the government have an idea as to what issues are more important and what issues are less important? To put it crudely, if cuts have to be made, where should they begin and so on?
Vladimir Putin: No, no, no. Let me explain.
Ruslan Pukhov: Please, we want to be reassured.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, I will reassure you and I will do it quite openly, there are no secrets there. The disputed issue has always been this: how much money and time we need in order to modernise our Army and Navy. The discussions ended when the decision was made. The only problem is – and when our opponents look at the problem the way I will tell you now, it is hard for me not to agree with them – will the defence industry be able to fulfil that programme? That is the key question. And if we are to be realistic, and we must be realistic, we should think how we will use the 3 trillion for modernising the defence industry, because as we know and understand, it is impossible to use old equipment to produce some new cutting-edge weapons. We must procure the equipment, set it up and tune it up and train personnel to use it. That is a challenge. In parallel we could tackle other issues: organisation and personnel. If we see that the defence industry is lagging behind in some ways we will have to postpone the deadline by a year or two, I’ll have a closer look at this. But to say that we are already thinking of cutting this funding – that is not the case, we are not doing it and we do not have any such plans, and we are not thinking of what cuts we should make. We are not going to make any cuts. The question is whether the industry will be able to meet these targets. And that is why, as you understand, we cannot plan what should come first and what should come second.
Everything is important. Naturally, the priority remains the same, and I wrote this in my article and I can say it again: the nuclear deterrent and missiles is our absolute priority and we have funded that programme 100%, just like the General Staff has asked. And we have the results: we have formed nine regiments with 39 ballistic missiles. In that sense we are even a step ahead of our American partners: they have yet to modernise and build their new strategic missiles. They used to say that what we have was all rusted iron, but now their weapons are perhaps older than ours. We are slightly ahead already. I am not entertaining any illusions and I don’t want to engage in saber-rattling claiming that we have overtaken them – we have not, but in that segment we are a little bit ahead, half a step ahead of them. Our plans on other elements – the Navy, aviation and conventional weapons, are fairly modest. I don’t see what else we could reduce. Of course we would like to have aircraft carriers but our plans do not yet include that, although we are thinking about it.
In general, it is a philosophical thing. Russia is enormous, huge. We must insure its absolute defence, so that no one will be tempted to even set foot here. All this talk that global resources should not belong to any single country, it should be scrapped, we should not even discuss that topic. I am not speaking about the political aspect. But this is the most important point. Alexei Arbatov has spoken about it, but we should do more to provide a philosophical grounding for our plans. This would not come amiss. But in any case our plans are not overly ambitious. I for one do not see what else we can cut. I must tell you frankly: we can see what is going on in the world economy, we have no control over all the uncertainties that there are. We have seen what began happening in our economy in 2009: our revenues dropped but we retained the level of social spending, even increased it a little bit; however, that was done at the expense of our previous savings, the reserve funds. We do not know how the global economy will develop. If some adverse processes take place they will affect us as well. We will have to act in accordance with the reality, our budget revenues and the need to meet our social obligations. Then we will see, together with specialists, including many of those present, and think how to rearrange these plans. So far there is no intention to change these plans and I hope no change will be needed. I think it is time for us to wind up.
I would like to thank everyone for this meeting. I hope that we will implement the proposals made here today, whether in this or in some other format, but I am absolutely convinced that we should meet regularly, though not perhaps too frequently. Thank you very much. I wish you all the best.
Адрес страницы в сети интернет: http://archive.government.ru/eng/docs/18248/
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The story of the Battle of Leyte Gulf is not just a tale of hundreds of ships and hundreds of thousands of men. It is a story of a group of extraordinary individuals who held important American command positions. Here is the brief story of some of these people.
Important historic events involved some of these men during and after the ravaging defeat by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. One of these men was Commander Clifton A. F. Sprague. He rose to the rank of Rear Admiral and became the hero of the Battle of Leyte Gulf when he lead his outgunned and outnumbered force to fight back against the best surface ships the Imperial Japanese Navy had. The heroism of Sprague and the other men of his command stopped the Japanese in their tracks and saved the American invasion of the Philippines.
The second person who played a decisive role in the Battle of Leyte Gulf was Admiral William F. Halsey. As his carrier force entered Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941, he and the men under his command looked at the carnage in the smoke and flames billowing over Pearl Harbor and could barely control their rage. Determined not to get caught in what Halsey called "this land-locked duck pond," the volatile admiral wanted to refuel and resupply his fleet and get out after the Japanese. Halsey later led the Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific and save the Guadacanal landings as well as inflicting major defeats on the Japanese Navy in the several naval battles in and around the Solomon Islands. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Halsey led the largest carrier task force ever created into the Philippine Islands and made some controversial decisions that would invoke many debates long after his death.
The third man was Admiral Chester Nimitz who took command of the devastated American Pacific Fleet at the end of 1941. He commanded the rebuilding that force which became the most powerful fleet ever to sail the world's oceans. Recognized as the most influential naval commander during World War II, Nimitz shaped the strategy that lead to Japan's ultimate defeat in 1945.
The fourth commander was General Douglas MacArthur, the dominant and sometimes imperious leader of Allied forces in the South Pacific. Escaping with his family and staff from the immediate capture by the Japanese just before the fall of the Philippines, he experienced a perilous journey to Australia. In a train station in Adelaide, Australia, he made a short speech that captured the world's imagination which ended with the words, "I shall return," that committed the United States to the recapture of the Philippines. However, after inspecting what Allied forces that were there in early 1942, MacArthur realized that an immediate relief mission to the Philippines was out of the question. The road back to setting the Filipino people free from Japanese domination became a long, bloody struggle.
The Road to Victory
The time was July, 1944. The Allies had wrung up a string of impressive victories over the Axis powers. American, British, and Canadian troops had stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. They were now well entrenched in the fields and hedgerows of the Normandy countryside, trying to slug through the rugged German defenses so they could start their breakout over the rolling hills of France, liberate Paris, and invade the German heartland. The Red Army of the Soviet Union was now driving the German Army westward toward a heart-stopping battle for the Nazi capital of Berlin.
In the Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur had advanced up New Guinea's northern coastline, bypassing Japanese strongholds, and was poised for what he hoped would be his next assignment - his emotionally held goal of liberating the Philippine Islands. The American Pacific Fleet had taken the strategically vital Marianas Islands. From there, B-29 bombers could bomb the Japanese Home Islands. Just as important, the American Navy had inflicted a devastating defeat on the Imperial Japanese Navy when they shot down hundreds of Japanese naval aircraft in the Battle of the Philippine Sea or what became known as the "Marianas Turkey Shoot." The Japanese had lost so many carrier planes that they only had 35 left to face any moves the Americans made.
While the Allied objectives seemed clear in Europe, the same could not be said for the Americans in the Pacific. The debate centered on two strongly held, yet conflicting, strategies advocated respectively by MacArthur and the American Navy. The Navy insisted the next move against the Japanese Empire should be to capture the island of Formosa (now Taiwan) and cut the vital Japanese supply lines between the resource-rich East Indies (now Indonesia) and the Japanese Home Islands.
General MacArthur argued that he must keep his promise of "I Shall Return" he made when he had escaped capture while fleeing from the Philippines in those dark days of 1942, and take the Philippines back from the Japanese. The debate had continued unabated until President Roosevelt intervened. After receiving the nomination of the Democratic party to run for an unprecedented fourth term as President, Roosevelt boarded the heavy cruiser Baltimore in San Diego and headed for a historic summit with his two commanders in the Pacific theater, General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.
At this meeting, MacArthur was at his best when he persuaded Roosevelt that to bypass the Philippines would support claims by Japanese propaganda that the Americans would never risk the Caucasian lives to liberate people of color. MacArthur was able to convince the President that if he decided to bypass the Philippines, the American people might rise up against him and defeat him in the November, 1944 elections for not keeping a promise made in his name. Although he never admitted it, the threat of defeat at the polls was probably the key motivating factor that resulted in Roosevelt's support of MacArthur's proposal.
After more debate among the Americans, the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided that the Americans would invade the Philippines in December, 1944. However, when Halsey's Third Fleet attacked Japanese air fields in early September, 1944, no serious Japanese opposition rose to defend against the American air attacks. Halsey concluded the Philippines were not as heavily defended as the American planners originally thought and suggested to Admiral Nimitz the Philippine invasion date should be advanced to October, 1944.
Nimitz forwarded Halsey's message to Admiral Ernest King, the American Chief of Naval Operations, who was attending the OCTAGON Conference being held in Quebec, Canada. King met with the rest of the Joint Chiefs and concluded that Halsey was right. Thus the invasion date to capture the Philippines was moved to October 20, 1944. General Richard K. Sutherland, MacArthur's Chief of Staff, approved the new invasion date in MacArthur's name. Thus the die was cast as Sprague, MacArthur, and Halsey would be pulled together by the currents of history into those treacherous waters around the Philippine Islands for the greatest naval battle ever fought.
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Banks and Justice Officials: How Connected?
REUTERS/Jason Reed
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Lanny Breuer, head of the Justice Department's criminal division, were partners for years at a Washington law firm that represented a Who's Who of big banks and other companies at the center of alleged foreclosure fraud, a Reuters inquiry shows. The firm, Covington & Burling, is one of Washington's biggest white shoe law firms, and law professors and other federal ethics experts said that federal conflict of interest rules required Holder and Breuer to recuse themselves from any Justice Department decisions relating to law firm clients they personally had done work for.
Both the Justice Department and Covington declined to say if either official had personally worked on matters for the big mortgage industry clients. Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said Holder and Breuer had complied fully with conflict of interest regulations, but she declined to say if they had recused themselves from any matters related to the former clients.
Reuters reported in December that under Holder and Breuer, the Justice Department hasn't brought any criminal cases against big banks or other companies involved in mortgage servicing, even though copious evidence has surfaced of apparent criminal violations in foreclosure cases. The evidence, including records from federal and state courts and local clerks' offices around the country, shows widespread forgery, perjury, obstruction of justice, and illegal foreclosures on the homes of thousands of active-duty military personnel.
In recent weeks the Justice Department has come under renewed pressure from members of Congress, state and local officials and homeowners' lawyers to open a wide-ranging criminal investigation of mortgage servicers, the biggest of which have been Covington clients. So far Justice officials haven't responded publicly to any of the requests. While Holder and Breuer were partners at Covington, the firm's clients included the four largest U.S. banks – Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo & Co. – as well as at least one other bank that is among the 10 largest mortgage servicers.
Defender of Freddie Mac
Servicers perform routine mortgage maintenance tasks, including filing foreclosures on behalf of mortgage owners, usually groups of investors who bought mortgage-backed securities. Covington represented Freddie Mac, one of the nation's biggest issuers of mortgage backed securities, in enforcement investigations by federal financial regulators.
A particular concern by those pressing for an investigation is Covington's involvement with Virginia-based MERS Corp, which runs a vast computerized registry of mortgages. Little known before the mortgage crisis, MERS, which stands for Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, has been at the center of complaints about false or erroneous mortgage documents. Court records show that Covington, in the late 1990s, provided legal opinion letters needed to create MERS on behalf of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and several other large banks. MERS was meant to speed up registration and transfers of mortgages. By 2010, the system claimed to own about half of all mortgages in the U.S., roughly 60 million loans.
But evidence in numerous state and federal court cases around the country has shown that MERS authorized thousands of bank employees to sign their names as MERS officials. The banks allegedly drew up fake mortgage assignments, making it appear falsely that they had standing to file foreclosures, and then had their own employees sign the documents as MERS "vice presidents" or "assistant secretaries."
Covington in 2004 also wrote a crucial opinion letter commissioned by MERS, providing legal justification for its electronic registry. MERS spokeswoman Karmela Lejarde declined to comment on Covington legal work done for MERS. It isn't known to what extent if any Covington has continued to represent the banks and other mortgage firms since Holder and Breuer left. Covington declined to respond to questions from Reuters. A Covington spokeswoman said the firm had no comment.
Their failure to act on foreclosure fraud or publicly recuse themselves – "doesn't pass the smell test."
Several lawyers for homeowners have said that even if Holder and Breuer haven't violated ethics rules, their ties to Covington create an impression of bias toward the firms' clients, especially in the absence of any prosecutions by the Justice Department. O. Max Gardner III, a lawyer who trains other attorneys to represent homeowners in bankruptcy court foreclosure actions, said he attributes the Justice Department's reluctance to prosecute the banks or their executives to the Obama White House's view that it might harm the U.S. economy. But he said that the background of Holder and Breuer at Covington – and their failure to act on foreclosure fraud or publicly recuse themselves – "doesn't pass the smell test."
In recent years, the traffic between the Justice Department and Covington & Burling has been particularly heavy.
Federal ethics regulations generally require new government officials to recuse themselves for one year from involvement in matters involving clients they personally had represented at their former law firms. President Obama imposed additional restrictions on appointees that essentially extended the ban to two years. For Holder, that ban would have expired in February 2011, and in April for Breuer. Rules also require officials to avoid creating the appearance of a conflict.
Schmaler, the Justice Department spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that "the Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General Breuer have conformed with all financial, legal and ethical obligations under law as well as additional ethical standards set by the Obama administration." She said they "routinely consult" the department's ethics officials for guidance. Without offering specifics, Schmaler said they "have recused themselves from matters as required by the law."
Senior government officials often move to big Washington law firms, and lawyers from those firms often move into government posts. But records show that in recent years the traffic between the Justice Department and Covington & Burling has been particularly heavy. In 2010, Holder's deputy chief of staff, John Garland, returned to Covington, as did Steven Fagell, who was Breuer's deputy chief of staff in the criminal division. The firm has on its web site a page listing its attorneys who are former federal government officials. Covington lists 22 from the Justice Department and 12 from U.S. Attorneys offices, the Justice Department's local federal prosecutors' offices around the country. As Reuters reported in 2011, public records show large numbers of mortgage promissory notes with apparently forged endorsements that were submitted as evidence to courts.
There also is evidence of almost routine manufacturing of false mortgage assignments, documents that transfer ownership of mortgages between banks or to groups of investors. In foreclosure actions in courts mortgage assignments are required to show that a bank has the legal right to foreclose. In an interview in late 2011, Raymond Brescia, a visiting professor at Yale Law School who has written about foreclosure practices said, "I think it's difficult to find a fraud of this size on the U.S. court system in U.S. history."
Holder has resisted calls for a criminal investigation since October 2010, when evidence of widespread "robo-signing" first surfaced. That involved mortgage servicer employees falsely signing and swearing to massive numbers of affidavits and other foreclosure documents that they had never read or checked for accuracy.
Recent calls for a wide-ranging criminal investigation of the mortgage servicing industry have come from members of Congress, including Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., state officials, and county clerks. In recent months, clerks from around the country have examined mortgage and foreclosure records filed with them and reported finding high percentages of apparently fraudulent documents.
On Wednesday, John O'Brien Jr., register of deeds in Salem, Mass., announced that he had sent 31,897 allegedly fraudulent foreclosure-related documents to Holder. O'Brien said he asked for a criminal investigation of servicers and their law firms that had filed the documents because they "show a pattern of fraud," forgery and false notarizations.
The Justice Department’s New Policy Is a Brutal Admission of Eric Holder’s Failures
This week, the Justice Department felt the need to write a memo to staff instructing them to indict individuals when...
Meet Loretta Lynch: ‘Steel Wrapped in Velvet’
After five months of having her nomination held hostage to political gamesmanship on Capitol Hill, no-nonsense Brooklyn...
DOJ Is Still More Bark Than Bite When It Comes to Corporate Crime
The nation assailed Mitt Romney back in 2011 for insisting that corporations are people. His words came out...
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BEYOND THE TRENCHES
Tag Archives: publications
BBC WW1 at Home
Poetry, protest and ‘pukka’: World War One at Home in Scotland
October 23, 2014 ahrcww1 Leave a comment
The Scottish experience of the First World War and its aftermath was different, in many ways, from that of the rest of Britain. Among other things, it was in Scotland that Britain probably came closest to having its own version of the Russian Revolution.
Red Clydeside
Billy Kenefick is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Dundee. As he points out, ‘Scotland in many ways was highly patriotic in the First World War: some 63% of eligible men in Dundee were in uniform, for example – that’s a very high proportion. And the “tank campaign” to raise money for the war effort in 1917/18, which involved battle-scarred tanks touring towns and cities to drum up sales of War Bonds and Savings Certificates, saw several Scottish cities vying to outdo each other. Dundee raised £4.5 million in one week.’
Yet several Scottish cities were also leading centres of the anti-war movement, with many of them having anti-conscription fellowships. Scottish cities also saw significant industrial and civil unrest, during and immediately after the war. The Independent Labour Party in Scotland grew from 3,000 members to 10,000 by war’s end – a rate of growth that wasn’t replicated elsewhere in Britain. And ironically perhaps it was Glasgow, seen by many as the second city of the British Empire, which became the focus of political radicalism, and effectively found itself under martial law during what became known as the Red Clydeside era.
Glasgow and the surrounding area was home to a significant amount of heavy industry, but many factory and shipyard workers lived in conditions of extreme poverty. During the war, the government introduced a number of laws that were met with hostility by the trade unions, while at the same time, living and working conditions became worse. This led to a campaign for a 40-hour week, and other improvements in working conditions.
Then on 31 January 1919, a huge rally was held in George Square in the centre of Glasgow, organised by the trade unions. The gathering turned into a riot, and the Red Flag was raised by the crowd. Barely a year after the Russian Revolution, the government in Westminster panicked: fearing a Bolshevik-style insurrection on the streets of Britain, they sent troops and tanks into the city to quell the unrest, making sure that the troops weren’t Glaswegian (the local regiment was locked inside its barracks), and that few of them were veterans of the war, lest they prove too sympathetic to the aims of the protestors.
Poetry and rare finds
Another Scottish location that is famously associated with the First World War is the Craiglockhart Military Hospital in Edinburgh, where officers suffering from shell shock were treated with ‘talking cures’ and other newly developed therapies (enlisted men were subjected to altogether less enlightened regimes, in other locations), and where the poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon first met, inspiring each other to write some of the poetry that continues to shape the view of the war that so many of us have.
Staff and patients at Craiglockhart War Hospital (courtesy of Edinburgh Napier University)
Alistair McCleery is Professor of Literature and Culture at Edinburgh Napier University, which now includes the old Craiglockhart buildings, as well as housing the specialist archive of materials relating to Owen, Sassoon and others – the War Poets’ Collection. The Craiglockhart site is still home to a rare form of moss, found in Northern France, which presumably arrived on soldiers’ boots.
‘With the War Poets being an important part of the school curriculum,’ says Alistair McCleery, ‘we get a lot of school groups making visits to the campus. World War One at Home has led to the creation of learning resource packs that we can give to them: it’s a lasting legacy of the project.’
And according to Alistair McCleery, the summer roadshows that have been organised as part of the World War One at Home project, including one in Dundee, have been ‘like the TV programmes Cash in the Attic, or the Antiques Roadshow.’ Among the original material that has come to light, as members of the public have brought it in, has been a concert programme from Craiglockhart during the war: the evening’s festivities described in the programme, and put on by the patients, began with the national anthems of the Allies, including Russia’s old Tsarist anthem. Another person at the roadshow came forward with rare copies of The Hydra, the magazine produced by patients at Craiglockhart, which Wilfred Owen edited, and which features the first appearance of his poetry in print.
The real Miss Jean Brodies
According to Alistair McCleery, the World War One at Home project has helped draw attention to some Scottish writers who should be better-known, including the Dundee poet Joseph Lee, and Christine Orr, whose novel, The Glorious Thing, describes ‘ordinary lives during an extraordinary time.’ But then, ‘this was an experience that engulfed everyone. The First World War wasn’t a remote conflict, like the Boer War – no-one could escape its effects.’
The Morningside area of Edinburgh, for example, used to be famous for its spinsters – real-life Miss Jean Brodies. ‘But behind the type is a sad reality – so many women were forced to turn to the teaching profession after their fiancés were killed. You need an empathetic imagination, to picture what life must have been like for them, in the Twenties. The life that was mapped out for them, all gone.’
A diaspora in reverse
Other distinctive elements of the Scottish experience of the First World War include the sense of martial tradition. ‘The kilted soldier really was the poster boy of Empire,’ says Derek Patrick, Lecturer in History at the University of Dundee. The exploits of Scottish regiments in conflicts like the Peninsular, Crimea and Boer Wars, had cemented the place of the Scottish soldier in Britain’s consciousness. ‘National, religious and military traditions all came together. It says something about Scotland as a nation. Military achievements helped Scots identify with the imperial project – the Scots saw themselves as Empire-builders, and as defenders of the Empire in adversity.
There was also what amounted to a ‘diaspora in reverse’ during the First World War, with first or second-generation Scots returning from Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, to fight in Europe, either with Scottish divisions, or in kilted South African or Canadian regiments.
And this story of the movement of Scottish soldiers around the world led to some interesting cases of cultural cross-over. The famous Scottish regiment the Black Watch, for example, had a long association with the Indian subcontinent, and its second and fourth battalions served with Indian divisions during the War. Several Indian regiments incorporated pipe bands and tartans, while long periods stationed in India rubbed off on Scottish soldiers, affecting their language (military slang of the period is full of words of Indian origin, including ‘pukka,’ ‘cushy’ and ‘doolally’, which blended with the Franglais slang popularised by men of the New Army) and their taste in food – curry was offered by army cooks from influence of the Indian army, and introduced more widely as a result of the War. The newspapers in Dundee, a city whose jute trade was closely linked with India, used to delight in showing photos of Scottish soldiers rubbing shoulders with troops of many different nationalities, knowing that their readers would find them interesting.
Commemoration in Scotland
The Great War Dundee Commemorative Project aims to co-ordinate a city-wide approach to the centenary commemoration of the First World War, bringing the local community together with Dundee’s museums, archives, libraries, universities, schools and businesses, through a programme of activities that encourage the broadest possible public participation and collective reminiscence. These activities include the opening of a hundred-year-old time capsule, located in Royal Mail’s Dundee East Delivery Office, which is thought to contain a large number of letters from soldiers on various First World War battle fronts, and photographs of Dundee men and women, as well as stamps and coins from the time. The aim is for events in Dundee to serve as a focus for a specifically Scottish commemoration of the war.
Scotland has a particular culture of remembrance, too. According to Billy Kenefick, that can be seen in the cathedral-like Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh: ‘there was a sense that the Cenotaph in Whitehall wasn’t good enough – there was a national desire to commemorate Scottish soldiers in their own way, to see them as fighting the war for Scotland as well as for Britain. But then, Robert the Bruce had been used on recruiting posters, while others used to say “we cannot allow the sons of the rose, the leek and the shamrock to get ahead of the sons of the thistle”.’
Find out more about what research reveals about WW1 and its legacy in the AHRC’s Beyond the Trenches publication. Read it online or order a free copy here.
Black WatchCraiglockhartDundeepublic engagementpublicationsScotlandThank campaignWilfred OwenWW1 at Home
Comics tap into the real emotions of the world wars
May 7, 2014 ahrcww1 Leave a comment
Professor Jane Chapman (University of Lincoln) discusses the war in comics at The Conversation today.
In its new exhibition, the British Library celebrate the subversive history of the comic. As ever, such a complex heritage can hardly be covered in such a show. But it is a symptom of a more widespread movement: comics are starting to be recognised as far more than an ephemeral art form. They provide a rich source of cultural records of the past – a reflection, or projection of political and cultural feeling of the time.
“A few days rest in billets”. Courtesy of Cambridge University Library
This alternative cultural history provides particularly rich results in the case of World War I and II, which I have been researching in depth. Millions of people – children and adults – were avidly consuming comics at the time. Internal correspondence from The American Office of War Information (OWI) quotes Advertising Research foundation findings that approximate that 83% of Americans read at least one comic strip daily. And that:
Cartoons, advancing OWI campaigns, are distributed to an average of 1,000 newspapers weekly … Potential viewers are 60,000,000.
In situations of “total war” a range of organisations used comics to communicate with adults, not simply as a means of entertaining children. My research has searched for and recuperated thousands of different publications internationally, aimed at diverse audiences.
This article is by Jane Chapman, and was originally published on The Conversation.
Read the original article.
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Researching the First World War
Beyond the Trenches is an online resource reflecting a variety of perspectives on arts and humanities research into the First World War.
New posts are published every Tuesday and Thursday.
This blog is run by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), though the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the AHRC’s opinions or policy.
If you have questions related to research or family history these should be directed to the relevant Centre. For contact details please see the shared website at http://ww1engage.org.uk/engagement-centres/
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The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, Outline
Topic: BatzG - Anzac
The Battle of Anzac Cove
Gallipoli, 25 April 1915
Towing the landing boats to Anzac by steam pinnace, 25 April 1915.
Anzac Cove, the name given to the stretch of Turkish coastline on the west coast of' the Gallipoli Peninsula upon which the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) made an invasion landing on 25 April 1915. The landing, and others by British and French forces further south, marked the start of an eight-month campaign aimed at seizing control of the Dardanelles, the 60-kilometre long strait connecting the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Since this waterway was strategically of utmost importance as a naval route between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and also for the defence of the Turkish capital at Constantinople, the Allied incursion was fiercely (and ultimately successfully) resisted by the Turks.
While the concept of the operation was sound, the Allies made the mistake of signalling their intention by using solely naval units to bombard the Turkish forts on the peninsula during February, then attempting to force the strait a month later. The latter effort failed disastrously, thus necessitating a military expedition. At the time of the preliminary bombardment the Dardanelles were only lightly held by two Turkish divisions, but by the time the landing forces arrived this number had risen to six compared to the five divisions of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force commanded by General Sir Ian Hamilton. Added to the loss of surprise, planning and other arrangements for the landings were mostly inept and inadequate.
The northern landing was assigned to the Anzacs under Lieut.-General Sir William Birdwood, whose force comprised the 1st Australian Division (Major-General William Bridges) and the New Zealand & Australian Division (Major-General Sir Alexander Godley). Once ashore, Birdwood's task was to press inland and sever the Turks' lines of communication with their forces further south. Bridges' division was ordered to land first, its objective being a sandy beach north of Gaba Tepe. When the flotilla of lighters and rowing boats began taking ashore the first wave of troops from the transport ships shortly after 4 a.m., however, unsuspected currents swept these craft nearly two kilometres northwards. The covering force was accordingly deposited on more difficult terrain on either side of the headland of Ari Burnu. While this greatly increased the difficulties of the landing, it actually meant the invaders encountered lighter resistance at first than would have been the case had they reached their designated beach.
The location of Ottoman forces opposing the landings at Anzac, 25 April 1915.
[From: AWM G7432.a1s65 Gallipoli XXVI.9]
Four hours after the initial landing, a significant portion of the Australian division was safely ashore and the leading elements were pushing inland through dense scrub amid a maze of steep ridges and narrow gullies. Their advance was cut short when the local Turkish commander, Mustafa Kemal (later known as Kemal Attaturk), rallied his troops in time to seize the crucially important Chunuk Bair and Sari Bair ridges. The Australian failure to take these dominating heights on the first day meant that the beach-head gained was successfully contained by the enemy to a triangular area of about 160 hectares within a perimeter of less than two kilometres; a similar fate met the British landings at Cape Helles. Although both Bridges and Godley argued for the Anzac troops to be immediately re-embarked, this advice was refused. A prolonged siege followed, during which both sides struggled to gain advantage (see Baby 700). A general Turkish assault on 19 May, undertaken by four divisions totalling 42,000 men, resulted in 10,000 enemy casualties-roughly 3,000 of whom were killed.
Notwithstanding a second British landing aimed at expanding the original beach-head, undertaken in august at Suvla Bay six kilometres north of Anzac (see Lone Pine, The Nek and Hill 971), the stale mate continued. On 19-20 December the Allied garrison of Anzac and Suvla was evacuated without loss in a brilliantly executed secret operation, followed by that at Helles on 8 January 1916. The Gallipoli campaign had been a costly failure, claiming 180,000 casualties out of the 480,000 Allied troops committed to the fighting; no precise figure is available for the Turks, but their losses were probably about 220,000. Some 50,000 Australians served at Anzac, and of these more than 26,000 became casualties (some sources say 27,500) including nearly 8,000 killed or died of wounds or disease. In Australia, the experience of Anzac took on a powerful nationalist meaning from 1916, embodied ever since in annual commemoration of the landing anniversary as 'Anzac Day'.
4th Battalion and mules of 26th (Jacob's) Indian Mountain Battery landing at Anzac, 8 am, 25 April 1915.
Extracted from the book produced by Chris Coulthard-Clark, Where Australians Fought - The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1998, pp. 101-103.
Additional References cited by Chris Coulthard-Clark:
C.E.W. Bean, The Story of Anzac, Vol. I (1921) & Vol. 2 (1924), Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
John Robertson, (1990), Anzac and Empire, Melbourne: Hamlyn Australia.
The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915
The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, AIF, Roll of Honour
Citation: The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, Outline
Updated: Thursday, 15 April 2010 1:43 PM EADT
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Medi Videos
Gyanecology & Infertility
‘Change’ is the basic characteristic of evolution. Changes become adaptations and are tools for survival in environment. However, when these changes occur too fast as desired by evolutionary requirements, these assets may become liabilities. Not only have the occupation, activity, and dietary habits changed, but time has also influenced priorities, moralities, and the society as a whole.
India is the second largest country in the world accounting for 17% of world’s population with 25 million births annually. Population of India has increased three times since independence. Female literacy rate is increasing. Last decade has witnessed a great change in women empowerment. Social roles, economic freedom, contraceptive acceptance has increased, but similarly there is an increase in stress, stress-related illnesses, drug and alcohol addiction, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, etc.
Because a substantial number of gynaecological maladies follow childbirth, the history of gynaecology has always been closely associated with that of midwifery. The specialty only moved ahead in the first half of 19th century. Progress in obstetrics was dependant on the ability of man to analyse, deduce logically and profit by experience; while gynaecology was more dependent on scientific discoveries. Prior to the mid-19th century, the specialty consisted of only treating disorders of menstruation, displacements of the uterus, and pelvic aches and pains connected with so-called peri- and parametritis. Treatment consisted mostly of blisters, pessaries, and cervical cauterisation. The term gynaecology was first used in 1847.1 So limited was the understanding of gynaecological practice in those days that the practice of ovariotomy—surgical removal of normal ovaries—was supported by distinguished gynaecologists for the treatment of ‘menstrual madness’,2 which equates with today’s premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Since, the surgeons had no idea of menopausal symptoms or osteoporosis, they would perform this operation without guilt and without anticipating the severe medical problems that often ensued. But, since it would cure the woman’s cyclical monthly symptoms, it was gratifying. So little was the insight into menstrual cycle in that era, that amenorrhoea following ovariotomy came as a surprise! However, this surgical procedure was advancement in treatment, because before advent of such operations, common practice among physicians was to apply leeches to the lower abdomen, vulva, and anus to alleviate premenstrual symptoms.2 However, as the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology progressed, so did women. Indeed women changed their lifestyles faster, imposing on the caring speciality to keep pace.
For many years it was assumed that there were very few differences between male and female and knowledge about men could be extrapolated to women as well. The expanding understanding has led to the acceptance of the fact that women’s health is more than health during childbearing and means more than the absence of gynaecological disease. These changes have been discussed in the subsequent paragraphs.
Changed lifestyle has led to small family norms. Female to male sex ratio has been declining and women presenting for selective female foeticide bring about a unique challenge to gynaecologists in terms of ethical, moral, and medical issues. Also, there has been an increase in divorced women and single parenthood. These issues lead to unique problems of single mothers, STDs, and sexual dysfunction among them. The increased life expectancy leads to women living a great part of their lives post menopause and it requires gynaecologists to handle their postmenopausal issues and expectations efficiently and effectively. The educational attainment of women in any society correlates with her health and today more women are literate than ever before.3 However, education makes women more aware and demanding about their health issues making imperative on physicians caring for women’s health to be challenged and become more responsive to their needs.
Career has become important for today’s women leading to late marriages and planning for family, which may not be at the peak reproductive age. This poses problems such as subfertility and patients have to resort to assisted reproduction techniques for more reasons than one. Age itself is a risk factor for many of the medical disorders of pregnancy. The risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, and operative interventions are increased.
Smoking among women in India is on the rise. Smoke is a toxin and smoking has multifactorial effects including higher incidence of heart disease and malignancies. In addition, smoking during pregnancy has serious risks for the foetus too, especially that of low birth weight. Similarly, alcohol not only causes psychological dependence, but is especially harmful during pregnancy. It is a preventable cause of birth defects, developmental disorders and foetal alcohol syndrome.4
Drug abuse has increased in the young population. Although the percentage of pregnant patients who use illicit drugs is relatively low, the effects can be devastating to both mother and foetus: growth restriction, placental abruption, and foetal demise.
A woman’s ability to control fertility so that all the pregnancies are wanted and occur at the appropriate time is fundamental to her health. Contraceptive acceptance has increased in all strata but not up to the desired level. Emergency contraception has further given liberation to the females with occasional exposure. Safe abortion services are now easily accessible and well utilised in cases of contraceptive failures. However, some feel that it has increased promiscuity among women.
Women have higher rates of psychological distress, depression, and physical morbidity than men.5 The factors, which have significantly increased stress in women are their increased workforce participation, rise in divorce, single parenthood, and the ageing population. Stress can affect the neurohormonal–endocrinological pathways and can present with menstrual irregularities or changed reproductive behaviour.
Changed dietary habits and reduced activity has already precipitated as an obesity epidemic. Polycystic ovarian syndrome when associated with obesity causes special problems like subfertility and hirsutism for these women. Obesity is more among women of childbearing age than among older women. Obese patients have higher incidence of heart disease, cardiac problems, endometrial cancer, and postmenopausal breast cancer.6 Overweight is a serious problem during pregnancy and increases all complications of pregnancy. Body image means how a woman views her own body. Woman’s feelings about their appearance are particularly important in relational aspect of sexuality. Overweight and obesity has done significant harm to the self-body image and stressed many women who ultimately resort to difficult exercise schedules, dietary regimens, and unnecessary cosmetic procedures.
Women’s sexuality is one of the most complex parts of life. Sexuality is multidimensional, including biologic, psychologic, socioeconomic, and spiritual components. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships. A woman’s life experiences shape her sexuality and it is important for the gynaecologist to know what women want and help them achieve that. Also, pre- and extra-marital relationships are common and so are unwanted pregnancies. Multiple partners have significantly increased the risk of sexually transmitted infections especially HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV). With the spread of HPV virus infection there are more chances of genital malignancies like cancer of cervix.
Further, HIV bridges the gap between gynaecology and obstetrics and is increasing in prevalence and affects both women and their children. Changed lifestyles and morality has a role to play in the same. However, whereas sexually transmitted HIV is on the rise for females, the perinatal transmission rate has declined, due to the use of prophylaxis before, during, and after pregnancy and the use of caesarean delivery. Obstetrician–gynaecologists need to counsel their patients and take effective measures to reduce the effect of this disease on the next generation.
Because of greater life expectancy, women substantially outnumber men at all ages > 65. The ageing population has an increased incidence of cardiovascular risks, malignancies, osteoporosis, and fracture.7
In summary, the changed lifestyle, which was the requirement of time, has touched all dimensions of woman’s health. These factors are interdependent and influence each other in multiple ways. A healthy planned lifestyle addressing above issues may act as primary prevention to many of the problems. Great challenges await the gynaecologist in the times to come. Gynaecologists will be expected to play an increasingly important role in the modern woman’s life. This is influenced by four main factors, namely, the world’s ageing population, spread of information technology, advances in molecular-based medical therapy, and above all the ever-changing lifestyle of the woman.8 Our role cannot get any lesser as we continue to advice, educate, and facilitate the lives of women, and we must aspire a new generation of women’s healthcare physicians to continue this ambition to deliver what the women ‘want’.
Obesity & Lifestyle disorders
Nutraceuticals & Future
AUBE LIFE SCIENCES PRIVATE LTD
#70, Subha Vasantham Building, 2nd Floor, velayutham colony, 1st Main Road, saligramam, Chennai – 600093.
Email: krishnans@aubelifesciences.com
AUBE believes in ethical operations in its functions. We believe in adhering to all applicable laws, regulations and industry standards. Also, our interaction with healthcare professionals follows the highest ethical standards and we believe that we are promoting our products responsibly with proven medical knowledge.
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Insect wings, bat wings, and the flaps of tissue between the limbs and body of "flying" squirrels are (a) homozygous (b)abrupt (C)analogous (D)homologous
by mutant ninja 3 hours ago
mutant ninja
Jewels Vern
4-20-2017 Dude, if you are going to speak the language you have to learn the words. When you don't know what the words mean, they are just holes in the page. When you don't know what the words mean, you don't know what you are saying. Go to google.com and type "define homozygous", and do it again for every word you don't understand. Homo- is Greek for "same" and a zygote is the cell formed when a sperm joins with an egg. Logo or log is Greek for word or study and ana- is Greek for "beside" so "analogous" means "similar idea" while "homologous" means "same word. Everything in your list uses the same word for different things. Comparing a wing of a building to a wing of a bird is analogy.
In what direction does lymphatic fluid move? A. Away from tissue B. Toward tissue C. Within tissue D. Both away from and toward tissue
Describe the difference between homologous and analogous structures in organisms and give an example of each.
Are people of a certain blood type more suceptible to insect bites/stings than others e.g. B+
two charged particles +3C and -9C are placed at two points A and B, then the magnitude of electric force at third charge particle +2C at point C as shown below +3C(A),-9C.(B) +2C(C) ABC
In your mind, is there any correlation between the words, "sexy" and "science"?
Are these activities part of GDP and which part of GDP do they represent? (a) Ms. Lee picks flowers in her garden. (b) Fruits are sold on the market. (c) Patients, hurt in a car accident, are treated in a hospital. (d) Pensioners do community work for free. (e) A garage buys spare tyres to sell them to customers next year
Which one of the following tissues is avascular? (a)adipose tissue (b)areolar connective tissue (c)epithelial tissue (d) skeletal muscle tissue...
ambaum Over long periods of time, rock materials erode down the side of a mountain. What type of rock would you must likely find at the bottom of the mountain? A. Compacted B. Clastic C. Chemical D. Organic
Based on data from the Statistical Abstract of the United States, 112th Edition, only about 15% of senior citizens (65 years old or older) get the flu each year. However, about 28% of the people under 65 years old get the flu each year. In the general population, there are 15% senior citizens (65 years old or older). a) What is the probability that a person selected at random from the general population is senior citizen who will get the flu this season? (Use 3 decimal places.) b) What is the probability that a person selected at random from the general population is a person under age 65 who will get the flu this year? (Use 3 decimal places.) c) Answer parts (a) and (b) for a community that has 89% senior citizens. (Use 3 decimal places.) d) Answer parts (a) and (b) for a community that has 52% senior citizens. (Use 3 decimal places.)
Was the Genre of R&B are still relevant and creating a music today?
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Tags: violence
Grace Akello
There are an estimated 465,000 people living in modern slavery in Sudan (GSI 2018). Between 1983 and 2005, the central government of Sudan enslaved tens of thousands of black South Sudanese Christian and traditionalist people. It was part of a genocidal war against South Sudan, with a simple aim: to force South Sudan to become Arab and Muslim. Grace Akello was abducted from her high school dorm in October 1996 by the Lord’s Resistance Army. She, along with 29 other girls, was forced to march to Sudan under the threat of death if they could not keep up. Upon arrival, she was given an AK47 and told hunger would teach her to shoot. Grace was subjected to sexual violence for seven months before she was able to escape in April 1997.
The lesson is based around a true story about Nicu, a 9-year-old boy who has been trafficked to the UK. The central focus is a beautiful short film, based on the true narrative, in which Nicu reads an imaginary letter to his mother. Sadly, his descriptions of wealth are far removed from the reality of the violence and exploitation he is subjected to. This is not the ‘better life’ that his parents were promised he would have. He is unhappy, alone, and trapped. The lesson finishes with an engaging music video that focuses on the exploitation of a trafficked child forced to work in a factory.Audio for this lesson plan can be found at https://youtu.be/09QE3RsAge8
My Future Is My Choice
My Future Is My Choice provides a lesson plan and resources for teaching on forced marriage, child marriage and honour-based violence and the possible long-term consequences of these crimes. We approach this subject sensitively and gently beginning with a powerful true narrative in which child marriage is fortunately prevented. The theme is introduced through artwork, and as the content progresses students learn that this crime is closely tied to control, violence and exploitation. There are two 55-minute lessons, depending on the level of your students and is aimed at older teens, young adults, adults, B1+ (upper intermediate to advanced)Materials include Laila’s story, student worksheet, autonomous learning resources, audio recording and transcript, Shahina’s story: transcript of video narrative, information about human trafficking and modern slavery, slides, Teacher’s Guide.Audio for this lesson plan can be found at https://youtu.be/JkGirIiPGfg
Kamharida
There are an estimated 1,386,000 people living in modern slavery in Nigeria (GSI 2018). Since 2009, Nigeria’s homegrown Islamist insurgent movement, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, which means “Western Education is Forbidden,” has waged a violent campaign against the Nigerian government in its bid to impose Islamic law. The attacks have increasingly targeted civilians, mainly in the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. Borno State, the birthplace of Boko Haram, has suffered the highest number of attacks. A range of issues, including widespread poverty, corruption, security force abuse, and longstanding impunity for a range of crimes have created fertile ground in Nigeria for militant armed groups like Boko Haram.In some cases, women and children are abducted from predominantly Christian areas and forced to convert to Islam. As an attempt to escape, some would pretend to be Muslim. Where forced conversion did not lead to the release of abductees, it usually led to forced marriage to members of Boko Haram. 15-year-old Kamharida* described how a commander in the camp threatened to whip two abducted girls until they agreed to renounce Christianity.
Mai Mai Tsawm
The Global Slavery Index 2018 estimates that on any given day in 2016 there were over 3.8 million people living in conditions of modern slavery in China. Women and girls from South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa are trafficked in to forced marriage in the country for fees of up to £30,000. The gender imbalance caused by the One Child Policy and the cultural preference for male children, has caused a shortage of women which has led to the trafficking of women to be sold as brides. As a result many women find themselves either deceived by promises of employment, sold or abducted and forced into marrying Chinese men who have paid for them. Mai Mai Tsawm trafficked at 21, gradually gained permission to go to the market, where she met some other women also trafficked from Myanmar. One woman she met tried to run and was caught by her husband. She managed to steal her in-laws’ banking password and withdraw 2,000 yuan ($318) without their knowledge but did not know how to get home. Mai Mai Tsawm had met another trafficked woman and they both escaped back to Myanmar together. However, two months later, financially desperate, she returned to China and was trafficked again.
Seng Nu Ja
The Global Slavery Index 2018 estimates that on any given day in 2016 there were over 3.8 million people living in conditions of modern slavery in China. Women and girls from South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa are trafficked in to forced marriage in the country for fees of up to £30,000. The gender imbalance caused by the One Child Policy and the cultural preference for male children, has caused a shortage of women which has led to the trafficking of women to be sold as brides. As a result many women find themselves either deceived by promises of employment, sold or abducted and forced into marrying Chinese men who have paid for them. Seng Nu Ja was trafficked in to forced marriage from Myanmar to China when she was 17 years old. She was held for 5 years.
Sophie (Narrative 2)
There are an estimated 328,000 people living in conditions of slavery in Kenya (GSI 2018). Men, women and children are subjected to exploitation amounting to modern slavery in forced labour and sex trafficking. Children are often subjected to forced labour in domestic service, agriculture, fishing, cattle herding, street vending and begging. They are also victims of commercial sexual exploitation throughout the country, in khat cultivation areas, near gold mines and along the highway and Lake Victoria. Moreover, those residing in Kenya's largest refugee camp Dadaab are often vulnerable. Men and women are often lured by employment agencies offering attractive job opportunities, then find themselves trapped in domestic servitude, massage parlors and brothels or forced manual labour. Sophie B went to live with her Uncle after her father lost his job. Rather than taking Sophie to school as he had promised, her Uncle forced her to work as a domestic in his house. She was forced to care for her cousins and do all the house work, being subjected to physical abuse daily.
It is estimated that over 3 million people are living in conditions of modern slavery in Pakistan (GSI 2018). Children are subjected to modern slavery in the form of forced marriage. It is estimated that 21% of girls in Pakistan are married before the age of 18. Child marriage in the country is connected with tradition, culture and custom. It occasionally involves the transfer of money, settlement of debts or exchange of daughters sanctioned by a Jirga or Panchayat. This woman tells of how despite asking to continue with her education, at the age if 19 was forced to travel to Pakistan to marry. Despite being subjected to physical violence, this woman’s family maintained that she must stay with her husband. After five years, she finally left the abuse and is now happily married to a man of her choice.
There are an estimated 136,000 people living on conditions of modern slavery un the United Kingdom (Global Slavery Index 2018). According to the 2017 annual figures provided by the National Crime Agency, 5, 145 potential victims of modern slavery were referred through the National Referral Mechanism in 2017, of whom 2,454 were female, 2688 were male and 3 were transgender, with 41% of all referrals being children at the time of exploitation. People are subjected to slavery in the UK in the form of domestic servitude, labour exploitation, organ harvesting and sexual exploitation, with the largest number of potential victims originating from Albania, China, Vietnam and Nigeria. This data however does not consider the unknown numbers of victims that are not reported. Mo was living in Myanmar (Burma) when he was forced to leave after the persecution of Muslim people. He was staying in a refugee camp with his family which he describes as a ‘prison’. After running away he travelled by lorry to the UK. He was put in to a house and forced to work in a restaurant for little pay and no days off. Mo is now in a safe house, waiting for his passport and papers to be able to work.
There are an estimated 136,000 people living on conditions of modern slavery un the United Kingdom (Global Slavery Index 2018). According to the 2017 annual figures provided by the National Crime Agency, 5, 145 potential victims of modern slavery were referred through the National Referral Mechanism in 2017, of whom 2,454 were female, 2688 were male and 3 were transgender, with 41% of all referrals being children at the time of exploitation. People are subjected to slavery in the UK in the form of domestic servitude, labour exploitation, organ harvesting and sexual exploitation, with the largest number of potential victims originating from Albania, China, Vietnam and Nigeria. This data however does not consider the unknown numbers of victims that are not reported. Fumi grew up in West Africa. She went to university and studied to be a teacher. She fell in love and got married at a young age, but the man turned out to be violent and abusive. He eventually beat her so badly that she spent three days in hospital. After this experience, Fumi decided to go to the UK to start a new life as a teacher. Unable to get a visa, her mother paid a lot of money for Fumi to travel on a fake passport. However, the men who arranged her travel were traffickers, and upon arrival in the UK she was forced to work in a brothel. She was trapped there for four months.
Bibi Aisha
The Global Slavery Index 2018 estimates than there are 749,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery in Afghanistan. Young girls are subjected to forced child marriage throughout the country. Although the law sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 for males and 16 for females, this is not regularly observed or enforced. Rather, tradition and customary laws frame marriage-related practices, often allowing marriage without the consent of both parties. The issue of forced marriage is particularly widespread in provincial and rural areas of the country. Bibi Aisha was forced to marry a member of the Taliban to settle someone else’s debt. She was subjected to extreme physical violence.
Jasmine Grace
There are an estimated 403,000 people living in modern slavery in the United States (GSI 2018). Sex trafficking exists throughout the country. Traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary, many victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces them into prostitution. Others are lured with false promises of a job, and some are forced to sell sex by members of their own families. Victims of sex trafficking include both foreign nationals and US citizens, with women making up the majority of those trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. In 2015, the most reported venues/industries for sex trafficking included commercial-front brothels, hotel/motel-based trafficking, online advertisements with unknown locations, residential brothels, and street-based sex trafficking. Jasmine Grace was 18 years old when she first met Brian. They began to see each other often and Brian bought Jasmine Grace nice things. One night, Brian took Jasmine Grace to see her friend who had become engaged in prostitution after also meeting a man. Her friend told her about the amazing life she had, how much money she was making and how her ‘boyfriend’ took care of her. After being taught how to service johns, Jasmine Grace recalls how Brian kept her under his control through beatings, violence and threats for 5 years. Though Jasmine Grace managed to escape her trafficker, she notes how her life spiralled as she became homeless and addicted to heroin, taking another 3 years before she was able to get clean.
There are an estimated 403,000 people living in modern slavery in the United States (GSI 2018). Sex trafficking exists throughout the country. Traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary, many victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces them into prostitution. Others are lured with false promises of a job, and some are forced to sell sex by members of their own families. Victims of sex trafficking include both foreign nationals and US citizens, with women making up the majority of those trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. In 2015, the most reported venues/industries for sex trafficking included commercial-front brothels, hotel/motel-based trafficking, online advertisements with unknown locations, residential brothels, and street-based sex trafficking. Bianca was a teenager when she began talking to a man named Shy on the internet. At the age of 16 she travelled to San Jose to meet him. Bianca was taken to Shy’s tattoo shop and prevented from leaving. Shy placed an ad on the internet and took photos of Bianca, and then forced her in to prostitution. Bianca was finally able to leave when she feared for her life after being threatened by Shy.
There are an estiamted 403,000 people living in modern slavery in the United States. Sex trafficking exists throughout the country. Traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary, many victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces them into prostitution. Others are lured with false promises of a job, and some are forced to sell sex by members of their own families. Victims of sex trafficking include both foreign nationals and US citizens, with women making up the majority of those trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. In 2015, the most reported venues/industries for sex trafficking included commercial-front brothels, hotel/motel-based trafficking, online advertisements with unknown locations, residential brothels, and street-based sex trafficking. Tika ran away from home at 12 years old. She was kidnapped, beaten, raped and sold for days. After this experience Tika remained on the streets, being forced to prostitute herself by a pimp. It was after being badly beaten by her pimp at 18 years old that she was finally able to leave her situation.
Maya C
There are an estimated 403,000 people living in conditions of modern slavery in the Unites States. Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery that exists throughout the US. Traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary, many victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces them into prostitution. Others are lured with false promises of a job, and some are forced to sell sex by members of their own families. Victims of sex trafficking include both foreign nationals and US citizens, with women making up the majority of those trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. In 2015, the most reported venues/industries for sex trafficking included commercial-front brothels, hotel/motel-based trafficking, online advertisements with unknown locations, residential brothels, and street-based sex trafficking. Maya tells of the sexual abuse she suffered as a child and how her subsequent addiction to drugs led her in to a life of prostitution. Maya was forced Maya was forced by people, including her boyfriend to prostitute herself in order to obtain drugs. Maya recalls how a group of men locked her in a room filled with dog faeces, put a collar and beat her. After being locked up for 3 days she was finally able to escape and is now sober.
There are an estimated 133,000 people living in modern slavery in Ghana (GSI 2018). Ghana remains a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Ghanaian boys and girls are subjected to forced labor within the country in fishing, domestic service, street hawking, begging, portering, artisanal gold mining, quarrying, herding, and agriculture, including cocoa. Research focused on the fishing industry on Lake Volta indicated that more than half of the children working on and around the lake were born in other communities and many of these children are subjected to forced labor; not allowed to attend school; given inadequate housing and clothing; and are controlled by fishermen through intimidation, violence, and limiting access to food. Boys as young as five years old are forced to work in hazardous conditions, including deep diving, and many suffer waterborne infections. Gideon’s grandparents sent him to a man who promised to take care of him and help him go to school. Instead, the man enslaved Gideon in a fishing boat on Lake Volta in Ghana.
Gowri
There are an estimated almost 8 million people living in modern slavery in India (GSI 2018). India has a population of more than 1.3 billion people, with at least 270 million people still living on less than US$1.90 per day. Existing research suggests that all forms of modern slavery continue to exist in India, with forced labour, including debt bondage, constituting India’s largest trafficking problem. Situations of debt bondage are often aggravated by the need to raise emergency funds or take on loans for health crises. Sometimes entire families are forced to work in brick kilns, rice mills, embroidery factories and agriculture. Gowri and her husband wanted to support their children and pay for their medical bills, so they took out a loan from a factory owner, agreeing to work in his brick kiln and wood-cutting facility to pay off the debt. This turned out to be a trick, and the owner continually increased the loan, violently forcing the family to continue working long hours for him. Even when Gowri paid of her debt and tried to leave to find a safer workplace, her employer attacked her. This abuse continued for nearly 10 years, until IJM was able to send rescue. Today, the slave owner is standing trial, and the family is safe.
There are an estimated 136,000 people living on conditions of modern slavery un the United Kingdom (Global Slavery Index 2018). According to the 2017 annual figures provided by the National Crime Agency, 5, 145 potential victims of modern slavery were referred through the National Referral Mechanism in 2017, of whom 2,454 were female, 2688 were male and 3 were transgender, with 41% of all referrals being children at the time of exploitation. People are subjected to slavery in the UK in the form of domestic servitude, labour exploitation, organ harvesting and sexual exploitation, with the largest number of potential victims originating from Albania, China, Vietnam and Nigeria. This data however does not consider the unknown numbers of victims that are not reported. Amy’s sexual exploitation began at the age of 11 after fights with her mother led to long hours spent in local parks and town centres. After a few months she began spending time with one man who invited her to spend time with him and his friends at their flat. However, once there Amy was subjected to physical abuse daily. Not knowing how to escape or where she would go, Amy’s abuse continued until she was 13.
Image of a Ship
Unknown. This image formed part of the Harris Lantern Slide Collection. Under King Leopold II the Congo Free State used mass forced labour to extract rubber from the jungle for the European market. As consumer demand grew King Leopold II's private army - the Force Publique - used violent means to coerce the population into meeting quotas, including murder, mutilation, rape, village burning, starvation and hostage taking. Alice Seeley Harris and her husband Reverend John H. Harris were missionaries in the Congo Free State from the late 1890s. Alice produced a collection of images documenting the horrific abuses of the African rubber labourers. Her photographs are considered to be an important development in the history of humanitarian campaigning. The images were used in a number of publications. The Harrises also used the photographs to develop the Congo Atrocity Lantern Lecture which toured Britain and the the USA raising awareness of the issue of colonial abuses under King Leopold II's regime. Source: Antislavery International.
Alice Seeley Harris, John Harris and Rev. Edgar Stannard
Reverend John H. Harris, Alice Seeley Harris and Reverend Edgar Stannard of the Congo Balolo Mission under guard at Baringa. This image formed part of the Harris Lantern Slide Collection. Under King Leopold II the Congo Free State used mass forced labour to extract rubber from the jungle for the European market. As consumer demand grew King Leopold II's private army - the Force Publique - used violent means to coerce the population into meeting quotas, including murder, mutilation, rape, village burning, starvation and hostage taking. Alice Seeley Harris and her husband Reverend John H. Harris were missionaries in the Congo Free State from the late 1890s. Alice produced a collection of images documenting the horrific abuses of the African rubber labourers. Her photographs are considered to be an important development in the history of humanitarian campaigning. The images were used in a number of publications. The Harrises also used the photographs to develop the Congo Atrocity Lantern Lecture which toured Britain and the the USA raising awareness of the issue of colonial abuses under King Leopold II's regime. Source: Antislavery International.
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The Brooklyn Cyclones understand how important an arts education is for the youth in our community. Our goal this season was to help foster creativity by merging together the worlds of sport and arts. Our Diamond Artists contest gave students the unique opportunity to design one of three different projects; a first pitch ball, the front cover of our program book and a wall wrap in our lobby. After reviewing hundreds of fantastic submissions, our staff helped narrow the field down to several finalists before ultimately awarding these three sensational winners.
In addition to having their artwork become a part of Cyclones history, winners also throw out a first pitch right here at MCU park, are publicly acknowledged on the field and receive a 10 week art scholarship sponsored by Private Picassos.
Aine Harkins is a third grader at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Academy. This funny, smart and artistic 9 year old feels amazed to have created the winning first pitch ball for the 2017 Brooklyn Cyclones season. A few fun facts about Aine is that her art teach at school is Mrs. Gina Todd, she considers her father to be her hero, when she grows up she would love to be a teacher and her favorite song is “Can’t Touch This.” Art is important to her because it is a fun activity to do!
Marcia Yang is a fifth grader at PS 101 who works with art teacher Mrs. Russo. When she grows up this 10 year old has ambitions to be an animator. Her favorite song is “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” She describes herself as weird, funny and awkward and is excited and happy to have her artworks chosen as the cover of the 2017 Brooklyn Cyclones program. Art makes her feel free and she is thankful for her hero, Mr. Eric who is her private art teacher.
Liza Tymoshenko is an eighth grader at Mark Twain Junior High School who studies art under the direction of Ms. Zelley. She attributes her love for art to her Nanny who exposed her to art and sculpting at an early age. She is able to best express herself through art and is honored to have her masterpiece displayed in the lobby of MCU Park for the 2017 Brooklyn Cyclones season. When asked how it felt to be the winner, the 13 year old said “unreal, I have never won anything so major!” Liza describes herself as funny, extroverted and artistic and loves the song “Humble,” by Kendrick Lamar. When she grows up she hopes to turn her passion for art into a career.
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Press release • Oct 24, 2018 10:00 +08
SINGAPORE, 24 October 2018 – Singapore Changi Airport handled 5.23 million passenger movements in September 2018, a 6.1% year-on-year increase. Aircraft movements were 3.0% higher at 31,400 landings and takeoffs, while airfreight throughput remained stable at 185,000 tonnes for the month.
For the month of September, all regions registered growth, with traffic to and from Northeast Asia rising 7%. This was supported by the strong performance of China (+12%) and Japan (+11%), which led the gainers among Changi’s top markets. Europe and North America also registered strong growth, both registering double-digit year-on-year growth.
For the first three quarters of 2018, passenger traffic rose 5.8% to 48.7 million, compared to the same period last year. India, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States were among the fastest growing markets, all registering double-digit growth. Aircraft movements grew 3.8% to reach 287, 960 landings and takeoffs, while 1.59 million tonnes of airfreight throughput was shipped through Changi during the nine months, a rise of 2.3% year-on-year. Among Changi’s top 10 cargo markets, India (+9%) and Japan (+6%) were among the fastest growing. Growth was registered for all cargo flows[1].
As at 1 October 2018, more than 100 airlines operate at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to some 400 cities in about 100 countries and territories worldwide. With more than 7,200 weekly scheduled flights, an aircraft takes off or lands at Changi roughly once every 80 seconds.
At the World Routes Marketing Awards 2018 held in Guangzhou last month, Changi Airport emerged as the winner in the ‘Over 50 Million Passengers’ category. The annual awards recognise excellence in air hub marketing, and winners are determined by a panel of senior airline representatives.
Changi Airport’s traffic statistics are available at
http://www.changiairport.com/corporate/about-us/traffic-statistics.html.
Other highlights at Changi*
New Services – On 11 October, Singapore Airlines launched the world’s longest commercial flight, from Singapore to New York (Newark Liberty International Airport). With this new daily non-stop service, there are 72 weekly passenger services between Changi Airport and the United States.
New Restaurants & Stores – In T2’s transit area, luxury brand Chloe has opened its first store in Changi Airport, offering a wide range of leather goods.
[1] Export, import, and transshipment flows
*For the period 16 September to 15 October 2018
Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CAG) (www.changiairportgroup.com) was formed on 16 June 2009 and the corporatisation of Singapore Changi Airport (IATA: SIN, ICAO: WSSS) followed on 1 July 2009. As the company managing Changi Airport, CAG undertakes key functions focusing on airport operations and management, air hub development, commercial activities and airport emergency services. CAG also manages Seletar Airport (IATA: XSP, ICAO: WSSL) and through its subsidiary Changi Airports International, invests in and manages foreign airports.
Changi Airport is the world's sixth busiest airport for international traffic. It served a record 62.2 million passengers from around the globe and handled 2.13 million tonnes of airfreight throughput in 2017. More than 400 retail stores and 140 F&B outlets are situated across four terminals to cater to passengers and visitors. With over 100 airlines providing connectivity to 400 cities worldwide, Changi Airport handles about 7,200 flights every week, or about one every 80 seconds.
LeisureTourismTransport
cowhrpjz.chwomqcmssg@ceohaftngniiabnirfoposlrtjb.cokomry
Press releases • Sep 21, 2018 10:00 +08
Singapore Changi Airport registered 5.68 million passenger movements in August 2018, a 7.9% year-on-year increase.
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Nissan, GM Give EV Batteries a Second Life
Automakers have begun harvesting batteries for use in stationary energy storage applications.
The Nissan Leaf went on sale in December 2010, which means that the batteries in the earliest models of the world’s most popular electric vehicle need, or will soon need, to be replaced. Those batteries are not necessarily bound for the recycling bin, though: on Monday Nissan announced the first commercial arrangement to use “second-life batteries,” recovered from EVs, in stationary energy storage systems.
Nissan formed a joint venture with Sumitomo Corp. to develop second-life battery applications not long after the Leaf first appeared. The automaker is working with energy storage supplier Green Charge Networks to redeploy the used batteries in systems for commercial and industrial customers. The announcement from the Japanese automaker came the day before GM unveiled its own battery reuse program: an administration building at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds in Michigan is now equipped with an energy storage system that uses batteries collected from Chevrolet Volts. GM made its announcement Tuesday at the Advanced Automotive Battery Conference in Detroit.
Over time, EV batteries, which often charge and discharge multiple times over the course of a day, lose the ability to propel a vehicle; but they can still function in less demanding, stationary applications. “A battery is like a transmission or an engine: it’s available for remanufacture or reuse,” says Pablo Valencia, GM’s senior manager of battery lifecycle management. “The difference is in the battery application, you can use it on the grid.”
The Volt battery system, not yet on the market for commercial uses, is being deployed to supplement renewable power generation at the Milford facility, making the facility a net zero building, says GM. The company plans to commercialize the system in the future. Nissan and Green Charge are marketing their storage system for companies to manage their utility demand charges, substituting battery power for electricity from the grid at times of peak pricing. Both companies, along with Toyota and other EV makers, foresee a thriving market in retired EV batteries that can supply power to homes and businesses.
Ultimately, automakers seek to fully exploit the energy storage capacity of EVs by incorporating EV batteries not just after their useful transportation life, but while they’re still installed in cars, using vehicle to grid, or V2G, systems. That technology could provide significant benefits—including regulating the frequencies on the grid to smooth the power load and lowering usage during periods of peak demand—to utilities and customers as more vehicles become electrified. One of the stronger advocates of V2G technology is the U.S. Department of Defense, which has invested around $20 million to install 500 V2G-enabled vehicles at bases around the United States.
Such systems require bidirectional capability—the vehicle must be able to send power back to the grid as well as take it from the grid. That’s not yet found on vehicles sold in the states, but in Japan, Nissan and Mitsubishi already sell cars with two-way charging systems. Nissan’s Leaf to Home system can supply an average Japanese home with two days of electricity in case of a power outage.
For the near term, though, it’s mostly former EV batteries that will supply power back onto the grid. By using “pre-owned” batteries, Green Charge and other energy storage suppliers can reduce their costs and, presumably, the prices they charge customers: “Having this type of system available will expand the energy storage market,” says Brad Smith, the director of Nissan’s battery unit in the U.S.
It could also improve the economics of EVs, which still carry a hefty premium compared to internal-combustion models. While the cost of battery packs has fallen rapidly, they still make up as much as one-third of the total price of an EV. Giving the battery a resale value, as it were, could open up the EV market to a wider set of customers. By Richard Martin (technologyreview.com)
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Search Results for Tag: wind power
Climate Change: The longer we wait the more expensive it will get.
The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) recently released a new study that offers two different and probably controversial results. At first the researches say that everything is going to be extremely expensive the longer we wait until political leaders get active. „Global economic growth would be cut back by up to 7 percent within the first decade after climate policy implementation if the current international stalemate is continued until 2030“, the paper says. That‘s an awful lot compared to the 2 percent that are expected if there‘s a climate agreement reached by 2015.
The researchers conclude that it is most relevant to not further postpone mitigation to keep climate targets (the 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels-target e.g.) in reach. “Economists tend to look at how things balance out in the long-term, but decision-makers understandably worry about additional burdens for the people and businesses they are responsible for right now. So increased short-term costs due to delaying climate policy might deter decision-makers from starting the transformation. The initial costs of climate policies thus can be more relevant than the total costs”, lead-author Gunnar Luderer says.
On the other hand Ottmar Edenhofer, he’s the co-author of the study and chief-economist of PIK, formulates a goal that could make it possible to keep the earth’s rising temperatures below the 2 degrees-target mentioned above. But his demands seem to be quite optimistic. At first, he said, a wordwide carbon trading system must reach prices for CO2 emission rights of 20 to 50 Euro (27 to 67 Dollar) per ton. That would be the only way to increase the price of fossil energy sources at a level that could force the industries to switch over to green energy alternatives. Here we should keep in mind that a ton of CO2 is currently traded at just about 3 Euro (4 Dollar) in Europe.
According to Edenhofer especially technologies for carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere might be required in the future to reach the climate targets. This implies the use of bio-energy alongside wind or solar power, with plants consuming CO2, combined with carbon capture storage (CCS), storing underground the emissions from biomass combustion. The longer it takes to start climate policies the higher is the world’s reliance on these technologies will be, the study adds.
For the study the scientists produced 285 alternative climate change mitigation scenarios, with varying assumptions on the course of international climate negotiations on the one hand and on the other hand the availability of low carbon technologies from solar and wind power to bio-energy, CCS and energy efficiency. For the economic evaluation, they considered indicators like mitigation costs, energy prices or potential financial transfers induced by an international carbon market.
biomas, ccs, CO2, ecology, economy, edenhofer, emission trading, energy, luderer, pik, potsdam institute climate impact research, solar power, trading, wind power
Wind power crucial for fighting climate change
As the parties are battling over ways to fight climate change in Durban at COP17, the Global Wind Energy Council published a new study on the potential of wind power for significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the energy sector. Since 40% of global CO2 emissions are produced by the power sector it is perfectly clear that we can not win the fight against climate change without a dramatic shift in the way we produce and consume electricity. As science makes clear: global emissions need to peak and begin to decline before 2020. That is a goal only to be reached with a increase of in renewable energy deployments. While building a conventional power plant can take up to ten years, a large wind farm can be put up in a matter of months. And within three to six months of operations, a wind turbine has offset all emissions from its construction, to run virtually carbon free for the remainder of its 20 year lifetime, according to the study.
In the latest publication concerning “Wind Energy and climate policy” introduced here in Durban it says that in terms of the targets already stated by the industrialized countries for the period up to 2020, global wind energy could contribute at least 44% of the total emissions reductions, i.e. 1.5 billion tons of CO2 every year. And although that is nowhere near what the science tells us is required, even for a larger reduction wind power could play a crucial role in achieving that goal.
As Nelson Mandela said: “It always seems impossible, until it is done.”
2020, climate change, cop17, Durban, global wind energy council, study, wind power
sumisom | Ideas
Japan Turning to Renewables
Energy in Japan has become a very important issues since the nuclear crisis at Fukushima began. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Tuesday that the country will now shift its energy focus away from nuclear power and towards renewable sources. Currently, Japan’s energy plan sees the country getting 50% of its electricity from nuclear power and about 20% from renewable by the year 2030. But Kan said that’s what he wants to change, especially in light of Fukushima, and wind power will play a big role.
Japan will start supporting biomass and solar power, too. Plus, Japan is home to tons of hot springs, and they represent enormous untapped potential for geothermal energy. In fact, Japan could even produce enough geothermal power to export to other countries in Asia.
We know Japan has gone back to the drawing board since the Fukushima crisis, and Germany, too, is reexamining its commitment to nuclear power. Do you think we’ll see this trend in other parts of the world too? Or is nuclear power too entrenched into the energy system where you live?
energy, fukushima, geothermal, Japan, nuclear, renewable, wind power
Ranty Islam | Specials
Wind energy – the soft power
Among renewable energies wind power is number one. Wind energy facilities are cheaper to set up and maintain, require less infrastructure and generate greater returns in the long run. Wind power has become a booming global industry with new and ever larger wind farms springing up everywhere. Large scale facilities in particular are supposed to be crucial for a global switch to renewables. Over the last three years alone the number of wind turbines across the world has more than doubled. The GLOBAL IDEAS reporters have visited China, India, Morocco and Germany to investigate the promises ? and challenges ? of wind power.
China, Germany, global ideas, India, Morocco, video, wind power
New grid to focus on wind power
Germany and nine other countries agreed to advance the development of an electricity grid in the North Sea to focus on the growing number of offshore wind farms in the region. Together with the EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger the countries declared their cooperation in Brussels, as the Federal Economics Ministry announced in Berlin. At issue is the economic, technical and regulatory coordination.
Brussels, companies, EU, politics, wind power
sustainable conservation cop18 climate change UN climate environment solar united states water coal Cancun deforestation green Germany forests United Nations Durban energy electricity british council emissions global ideas doha animals India global warming food biodiversity species Brazil recycling Arctic power oil CO2 deutsche welle berlin solar power science
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Latest Podcast Introducing: Factually! – Adam’s new podcast Adam has a brand new podcast! Factually! is a show full of fascinating facts that will make you see the world in an entirely new way. Adam sits down with experts, journalists, and
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Adding Evidence to the Discussion of Trans Issues on Joe Rogan’s podcast
This week I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience. On that episode, Joe brought up the question of trans children, and whether it is ethical to provide them with puberty blockers. Joe feels strongly that it is not. In my discussions with trans researchers and friends, I’ve come to understand that there are quite a lot of misconceptions about this issue, and that it’s an important one to get right. For that reason, I did my best to represent that perspective. However, since I was not aware we’d be discussing this topic before it came up, I did not have the relevant research close at hand, as I freely admitted on air. In this post, I’d like to provide it.
Why I’m Voting Yes on the WGA Agency Code of Conduct
The Writer’s Guild of America is currently holding a vote on whether or not to institute a Code of Conduct for agencies that represent Guild members. I’m voting yes. In this post, I’m going to explain why and rebut some common arguments I’ve heard against the Guild’s initiative.
New Tour Dates!
Come see my new show MIND PARASITES LIVE in a city near you! It’s a brand new hour of hilarious, mind-expanding information about the devious forces that are trying to control your mind. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, you’ll do another thing starting with L!
Click here for additional dates and ticket links!
On the LA Teacher’s Strike
I wrote a column for Hollywood Reporter on why I took to the picket line in support of the teachers of Los Angeles:
First, as member of two unions, I know that I owe my mortgage payment to solidarity. If it weren’t for the fellow union members and leaders who have my back, the barons of the TV industry would happily pay me a nickel a page and spend what would have been my residuals on more caviar to put in their infinity pools. So when I see other workers fighting for their own fair shake, I consider it my duty to pay it forward and have their back too.
But more importantly, I’m a child of public schools and I know how important they are. And what the teachers of UTLA are fighting for isn’t just wages — they’re saving public education in Los Angeles.
… The only way to change a system this unjust and this entrenched is for someone to finally stand up and say, “This is unacceptable, and we can’t allow it to go on.” The school board wasn’t going to; superintendent Austin Beutner wasn’t going to; so it fell to the teachers to do so. By exerting pressure from the bottom up, they aim to force reform all the way up to Sacramento. It’s a game plan every Hollywood negotiator knows well: If you’re being told “It’s not in the budget,” then you exert your leverage until you force the fat cats holding the wallet to make the budget bigger. Los Angeles is a rich city; California is a rich state; the United States is a rich country. The money is out there, and Los Angeles teachers are demanding that it be spent where it belongs, on our kids. They deserve our support.
In other news, I gave the New York Times some travel tips, including a recommendation of my favorite audiobook of the last year:
I use the Libby app to check out audiobooks from my public library. Right now, I’m listening to “Evicted,” by Matthew Desmond, which is a really incredible set of stories of poverty in Milwaukee, and about the underreported epidemic of eviction that is contributing to the cycle of poverty. The cool thing is, it’s the rare piece of nonfiction that isn’t just dumping the policy problem on you. It’s incredibly, beautifully reported personal accounts of individual families and what their lives are like on a day-to-day basis.
Introducing My New Podcast, Humans Who Make Games
I’m so excited to announce the launch of my new podcast, Humans Who Make Games, in partnership with IGN and Starburns Audio.
Humans Who Make Games is an intimate longform interview podcast where I sit down with the creators and artists behind your favorite video games.
As a life-long lover of games, I’ve always felt that it’s so strange that the people who make them are so often invisible. You can find millions of hours of breakdowns of games’ plots, mechanics, or history on the Internet, but it’s strikingly rare that you have the chance to get to know the people behind the keyboard who created the dang game to begin with. That’s what this show attempts to rectify.
For our first season, I talk with Edmund McMillen (Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac), Derek Yu (Spelunky), Christine Love (Analogue: A Hate Story, Ladykiller in a Bind), Justin Ma (FTL, Into the Breach), and many more about what their first memory of games was, how they got into the industry, and what brought them to create the games they did.
I’d like to thank the amazing Sophia Foster-Dimino for providing our gorgeous cover artwork, and my favorite game-and-film composer Disasterpeace for our theme music.
Take a listen! New episodes are available on this very site, on the Starburns Audio show page, or on our iTunes page.
The Model Minority Myth
Here’s a segment from our newest episode, Adam Ruins A Sitcom, in which we discuss the real history behind the “model minority” myth that is so often placed on Asian-Americans:
Here are my responses to two common questions about this video that I’ve received on Twitter. First, in response to the question of whether or not Germans were interned in camps during World War II:
Here’s some fuller context. None of this excuses or diminishes the unjust internment of those German nationals. But the fact is that the US government had a sweeping race-based policy of interning nearly ALL people of Japanese descent, which it did not for Germans and Italians. pic.twitter.com/0VrQpFyb6c
— Adam Conover (@adamconover) January 16, 2019
Secondly, in response to our decision to call the camps that Japanese-Americans were held in “concentration camps” rather than internment camps:
To those in comments of our recent video arguing that the camps Japanese-Americans were interned in should not be referred to as “concentration camps”: that’s what the US government called them, so that’s we call them. Scholars agree. https://t.co/TV4cwtbqXc pic.twitter.com/jh90DSLPHo
Here’s a good piece from NPR which summarizes the reasons many scholars choose to use the term “concentration camp” rather than the more sanitized “internment camp:”
Roger Daniels, a historian and author, wrote an analysis for the University of Washington Press called “Words Do Matter: A Note on Inappropriate Terminology and the Incarceration of the Japanese Americans.” He concludes that, although it’s unlikely society will completely cease to use the phrase “Japanese internment,” scholars should abandon the term and use “concentration camp.” He considers internment a euphemism that minimizes a tragic time in American history.
President Franklin Roosevelt himself called the relocation sites concentration camps
While it’s certainly possible to have a good-faith disagreement on which term is more apropos, it is clear that “concentration camp” is an acceptable choice, and we chose to side with scholars that believe that its use is the most accurate way to highlight the deep human rights abuse that the camps represented.
The Opioid Crisis and Chronic Pain
A viewer of our show named David Miller sent me this message (somewhat condensed):
I just found your show on Netflix, and I loved it until I got to the episode on drugs. Specifically, the section on OxyContin. It really, really pissed me off. While I agree that we need to find better and safer alternatives, this drug has been heavily misrepresented.
In the real world, people with chronic pain problems (like me, and my parents) require it just to be able to function. I’m unable to work, cook, or even shower due to the extreme pain I’m in 24 hours a day. Without OxyContin I’m plagued by chronic fatigue because it takes so much energy just to be alive.
Taken appropriately, it’s basically impossible to become addicted.
Lawmakers would have us believe that prescription opiates are a gateway to abuse and heroin. The reality is that heroin addicts only seek (or buy) prescription opiates when they’re unable to get heroin. Why would they? Heroin is fifty times stronger than OxyContin and actually SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than it too.
I’d like to thank David for his message. When we did our 2016 segment on how pharmaceutical companies created the opioid crisis, the narrative that unscrupulous doctors who got patients hooked on their drugs was widely reported. In the time since, it’s become clear that this narrative was not entirely correct.
While Big Pharma is absolutely culpable for causing the crisis, the blame put on doctors and patients has resulted in many people with chronic pain being unable to fill their prescriptions because of the unfair presumption that they might abuse them. A particularly good piece of journalism on this topic is The Pain Refugees, by Brian Goldstone in Harper’s; it is a harrowing account of patients who suddenly lose access to the only treatment that works for them. That is wrong, and unfair.
While I don’t think the evidence bears out David’s assertion that there is no connection between prescription opioids and addiction, I do wish that our segment had focused less on the behavior of individual doctors and patients, and kept the spotlight on the corporations that are truly to blame. Were we to do this topic again, knowing what we do today, we would have approached it a bit differently.
Humans Who Make Games
Announcement: On Hiatus
Game Workers Unite
New Episodes!
Adam Ruins Everything the Podcast
Introducing: Factually! – Adam’s new podcast
Ep 47: Rachel Weil on Femicom and the Value of Preserving Classic ‘Girl’ Video Games
Ep 46: Dr. Azra Raza on Mouse Model Misconceptions & Other Ways We Can Improve Cancer Research
© 2020 Adam Conover
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Posted on 27. juni 2018 by youwe2017
Slight accessory costal veinlets present. Link to remodel the house. Regional campuses have select programs. Genitalia are not present. The interior floor plan is symmetrical. The spoken test was optional. The gym provided the perfect setting. There is also a mini market. The original order could be different. Air missions found another abandoned base. This process is called decompression. The screen then descends back down. Restrictions apply to infant foods. The train leaves the station. This order is much the oldest gs 앱 이벤트. The collection is on permanent display. The show was received positively. This process is known as descaling. Extension support was also announced. The forward pass is now legal. No roads connect the communities. Long over who could appoint assessors. The village has excellent transport links. The host country won the event. Adults are long and weigh. There is no scheduled passenger service. Numerous gimmicks lighten up the game. The offensive was a complete failure. Plants serve many functions in culture Video Download extension.
Fumes might cause nausea. A larger structure was clearly needed. This process is called decompression. The movie switches to the present. Consider a population of widgets. Examples below will illustrate. This program has been very controversial. A complete nervous and mental breakdown. Each movement has a rank. Such a result would reduce s. The marginal series of specks present. The cause of colic is unknown. This plan was not implemented. Both singles became moderate hits. Calling is recommended before a visit. A chart on population increase. The young train with the adults Drama. The engines develop each. This can lead to virtual economies. The game went to extra time. Neither plan came to fruition.
The tail possess a partial fusion. The film does not convey this. The replay value polarized critics. The power increase was also noticeable. List of agreements in negotiation. Solid lines denote direct relations. See list of military nuclear accidents. The show also features profiles 다운로드. Only day use is permitted. This aid may take various forms. Both make extensive use of aptronyms. Everything progresses well as per plan. Bipolar disorder is difficult to diagnose. Settle then surveys the future. The latter view eventually prevailed. The outward appearance is the host. No interference was found. Both services operate hourly. The former order was reinstated. Community service is strongly encouraged 테트리스 다운로드. This location partially inspired the show. High wind speeds were also present. These lists are not complete. Colleges in the present scenario. Intermediate sections are gauntlet track. Mere animal pain does not save. Boon were involved into the design. Also operated base host facilities. See structure implies multiplicity.
Long grass and ponds support amphibians. A then record crowd attended. Huguenot family of rank. These stamps did show the value. The rebellion was brief. The album received acclaim upon release. The spore print is pale buff. There is no charge for membership. The battle will then start here. Scottish socialist and trade unionist. There are no further known projects. Individuals can join as members. The answer is obvious. The photograph measures approx. This program was also eventually canceled. This process is known as accretion. Ligands are also characterised by charge. The website will display this information. The practice continues to this day. But friendship always needs time Fur pin. The upper adit extended north. Musical silences may also convey humour. See also list of ecology topics.
This process is often sport specific. Fuel consumption of was found. Newborn cookiecutter sharks measure long. Artist signed with a different label. Based on perception in time. The study was subsequently retracted. This market still takes place today. Navy to support the war effort. Last rank was sergeant. The show is still on air. There were no further challenges. There is no mammalian correlate 다운로드. That is why this program exists. Collecting on a budget of. Atlantic via donated transport. The list is sorted by province. Round columns support the gallery above. Circuit should uphold the plan. Many are still in use today. A sketch of pastoral lease no. Greenery accompanies a moderate climate. Deacons and laymen were also present. The host nucleus may be tilted. No cause of death was stated. The conservation status is secure. The track descended and was covered here. The agreement had little public support.
Do not use with dental braces. Prince and really cause some problems. Sources of neutrons for research. Several of the test subjects died. A small orchestra stage was enclosed. Persian frame of reference. World championship for the first time. The show occasionally went overseas. Various species transmit leishmaniasis. Pioneer island measures in area. Each copy is called an allele. The train offers economy accommodations. Some trains terminate at. Pegasus cup for the first time. This process is called quantization. Suppression can lead to amblyopia. This is a list of cryptocurrencies. The project was only half done. This use is now obsolete here. This process is called osmoregulation.
The attack failed a second time. These lines are present in females. Students had snatched a service rifle. Lead has no confirmed biological role. These churches all share episcopal polity. All yochlol share a telepathic bond. Yet some diversity is found. This does not indicate positive test. This light remains in service. The legislation would not affect revenues. Traces of selenium are usually present. The cause of death was cholera. Both were adaptations of stage dramas. A brief filmography is listed. Numerous weaknesses were found. The project is retired download. Some relationships start and stay online. The complete structure measured. That locked that track together. Test scores declined precipitously. Additionally there is no memory map. The program quickly became popular. Shooting took place without a script. Reserve teams are excluded. Each category was alphabetized by author. The show got lukewarm reviews.
These enjoyed a brief vogue. Presentation probability and choice time. Anglican religious order for women.
← None Are In Print Today.
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Azubuike combined to score 16 straight before Vick, who was
KANSAS CITY Ron Parker Jersey , Mo. (AP) — Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said he was shocked by security camera footage showing Kareem Hunt shoving and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel, and that it was a collective decision by the organization to cut their star running back within hours.In his first comments since the incident nine days ago, the team’s owner also said that the Chiefs were aware of two other offseason incidents involving Hunt, but not the extent of them.“We’d had some issues with Kareem not being truthful with what happened that night (in Cleveland) and we really felt in everybody’s interest we head in another direction,” Clark Hunt explained after Kansas City clinched a playoff berth with a 27-24 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.The other two incidents occurred in January at a downtown Kansas City nightclub and in June at an Ohio resort. No criminal charges were filed in any of the cases, and Clark Hunt said all of them were referred to the NFL for investigation. The league did not hand down any punishment until TMZ Sports posted the security footage from the Cleveland hotel, at which point Hunt was put on the NFL’s exempt list.The Chiefs then announced within minutes they were releasing the NFL’s reigning rushing champion.“I don’t think we were necessarily trying to make a statement,” Clark Hunt said. “We just felt like the best thing for the Kansas City Chiefs moving forward was to part ways with Kareem.”Clark Hunt said he was comfortable in the background work done on Kareem Hunt by the Chiefs’ scouting staff under then-general manager John Dorsey, even though he’d had disciplinary issues at Toledo.“When anybody comes to the Chiefs organization, part of what we expect of them is they’re going to be good citizens Allen Bailey Jersey ,” Clark Hunt said. “We want them to give back, but really the first step for a young player is learning how to conduct themselves not only on the field but off the field.”The Chiefs have taken chances on other players with character concerns and for the most part they have worked out. Tight end Travis Kelce had off-the-field issues at Cincinnati but has blossomed into one of the NFL’s top tight ends, while wide receiver Tyreek Hill — who was kicked out of school at Oklahoma State for an assault on his then-girlfriend — has become a model citizen and one of the Chiefs’ biggest stars.Even combustible cornerback Marcus Peters, who was kicked out of Washington before becoming a first-round pick of the Chiefs, steered clear of any legal trouble before he was traded to the Rams.The NFL has come under intense scrutiny for its handling of the Kareem Hunt case, especially after pouring resources into establishing a department to handle such investigations. Cleveland police also have launched an internal probe into their “overall response” to the incident.“I’m not sure I’m at a point where I can say there was a breakdown (in the NFL’s investigation) and specifically what that breakdown was,” Clark Hunt said. “The league has spent a lot of time and resources trying to build a department that can handle these types of situations. Obviously it’s imperfect. I’m not sure you can ever reach perfection. There are limitations on the types of material the league security people can get, and I’m not sure we can change that.”Hunt was among the NFL’s leading rushers again this season when he was released, and the decision was a significant blow to a team with Super Bowl aspirations. It was compounded on Sunday when Spencer Ware, elevated to the starting role Eric Fisher Jersey , left briefly with a shoulder injury and later with a hamstring problem.Still, Clark Hunt made it clear that releasing Hunt was the right decision for the organization, and that he hoped Kareem Hunt would seek counseling and perhaps find his way back to the NFL.“There was a report today that he’s going to do that,” Clark Hunt said. “I hope someday he can return to the National Football League. I’m not sure when that will be. But our message to him was, even though we are parting ways, we’re supportive of you. If you need help, we are here to help you.”__ Lagerald Vick had declared for the NBA draft and Kansas had moved on without him, recruiting a trio of backcourt players to take his place and planning for the upcoming season.Then Vick changed his mind and returned for his senior year.Good thing for the Jayhawks.Vick hit seven 3-pointers and had a career-high 33 points Friday night, following up his 32-point outburst against Vermont earlier in the week, and second-ranked Kansas needed just about every bit of his hot shooting to finally turn away Louisiana-Lafayette in an 89-76 victory."I guess they're glad he stayed Demetrius Harris Jersey ," Ragin' Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said.Vick also had nine rebounds for the Jayhawks (3-0), while big men Dedric Lawson and Udoka Azubuike came alive down the stretch. Lawson had 19 points in a strong bounce-back from his scoreless dud against the Catamounts, and Azubuike finished with 17 points, eight boards and four blocks."We're just going to keep feeding the hot hand until it runs out," said Lawson, who made a shot from his backside early in the game. "(Vick) and Udoka, they've both been playing well."Justin Miller scored all 22 of his points in the first half to lead four players in double figures for Louisiana-Lafayette (1-2), which has only beaten one top-five team in school history. JaKeenan Gant added 18 points, Malik Marquetti scored 14 and Cedric Russell finished with 10."They said it happened five times 鈥?I'm not sure if it was five but it felt like 10 鈥?where we had transition numbers and missed it and they shot a 3 at the other end and made it," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "If it happened five times Mitchell Schwartz Jersey , that's a 25-point difference in a span of 10 seconds of what it might have been. We have to eliminate that."Indeed, Miller and the Ragin' Cajuns had the Jayhawks on the ropes most of the way.Taking advantage of Kansas' slow start, Louisiana-Lafayette ripped off an early 15-2 run that was capped by a five-point trip down the floor. Gant knocked down a 3-pointer, Self lit into an official to earn a technical foul, and Marcus Stroman hit both the free throws to give the reigning regular-season Sun Belt champs a 32-20 lead with about 10 minutes left in the first half.The Jayhawks finally woke up with a 10-0 run of their own. Then, after Miller hit his fourth 3 of the half, Kansas went on another brief run to take a 44-41 lead into the break.It was a two-man show at that point: Miller had scored all his points while Vick had 18.Miller cooled down in the second half but the Ragin' Cajuns refused to go away, even when foul trouble set in. The Jayhawks were clinging to a 65-64 lead with 8:40 to go when they started to pound the ball inside, taking advantage of their size for the first time all game.Lawson and Azubuike combined to score 16 straight before Vick, who was 8 for 8 from beyond the arc against the Catamounts Cameron Erving Jersey , poured in his final 3-pointer to give himself a new career high."Just having a whole lot of energy," Vick said. "My teammates are finding me for open shots and really just going out there and having fun. Just leaving it all out there."PROFESSIONAL FANSKansas City Chiefs linebackers Anthony Hitchens, Reggie Ragland and Ben Niemann were in the crowd ahead of their showdown with the Rams on Monday night in Los Angeles. Sporting Kansas City captain Matt Besler also was in attendance before heading to Portland for the MLS Western Conference finals Sunday.LES-LESS PHOGThere was a buzz all afternoon that Kansas was close to hiring Les Miles to replace fired football coach David Beaty, but no announcement came and the former Oklahoma State and LSU coach was not at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks visit Oklahoma in their penultimate game of the season Saturday.BIG PICTURELouisiana-Lafayette: After back-to-back games against top-10 teams, the Ragin' Cajuns should be favored in most of their games the rest of the way. The Cayman Islands Classic is up next.Kansas: There was plenty of laboring in back-to-back home wins over mid-majors. Perhaps a trip to New York for the NIT Season Tip-Off will help the Jayhawks find the intensity they had when they nearly led wire-to-wire in beating Michigan State to open the season.UP NEXTLouisiana-Lafayette plays Colorado State on Monday in Estero, Florida.Kansas plays No. 24 Marquette on Wednesday night in New York.
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Home » FTC looks at wireless privacy issues, reaches no conclusions
FTC looks at wireless privacy issues, reaches no conclusions
Weaver, Heather Forsgren
RCR Wireless News;12/18/2000, Vol. 19 Issue 51, p24
Reports that the United States Federal Trade Commission has started looking into the various consumer questions and emerging technologies of the wireless Web by holding a day-and-a-half workshop.
Don't call me; I'll call you. Fielding, Michael // Marketing News;3/1/2006, Vol. 40 Issue 4, p4
The article reports on the percentage of U.S. adults who have signed up for Do-Not-Call-Registry of the Federal Trade Commission as of December 2005. It presents the company that initiate the survey. The percentage of the adults who received no telemarketing calls is stated.
FTC BUILDS A MODEL. Hearn, Ted; Farrell, Mike // Multichannel News;12/18/2000, Vol. 21 Issue 51, p1
Reports on the conditions and policies relevant to the telecommunication sector set by the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) before approving the merger of America Online Inc. and Time Warner Inc. Safeguards implemented to protect cable operators; Influence of the merger on...
FTC commissioner: No rush to regulate electronic commerce. Coplan, Stephen // American Banker;7/26/1996, Vol. 161 Issue 142, p2
Reports on US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner Christine Varney's comments during an American Electronics Association conference, focusing on the FTC's views on regulation of electronic commerce. FTC's law enforcement efforts on the cyberfront; Privacy requirements.
Must 'Do Not Call' Conflict With Free Speech? Smolla, Rodney // Consumers' Research Magazine;Oct2003, Vol. 86 Issue 10, p24
Deals with the January 2003 promulgation of the final rules establishing a nationwide do-not-call registry by the U. S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), to protect consumers from unwanted calls by telemarketers. Findings of the FTC on the company-specific do-not-call rules, which permitted a...
Mysteries of the FTC. Schultz, Ray // Direct;12/1/2004, Vol. 16 Issue 16, p7
Comments on the failure of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address the issues related to Can Spam's opt-out requirement. Disagreement between the industry and FTC regarding the classification of newsletters and subscription renewal notices; Progress made by FTC in relation to the...
Agencies join competition vanguard. McAvoy, Kim; Stern, Christopher // Broadcasting & Cable;11/14/94, Vol. 124 Issue 46, p66
Reports on government agencies' vigilance in monitoring telecommunications mergers and alliances. Task force created by the Justice Department; Federal Trade Commission's aggressiveness in policing anticompetitive behavior; Creation of the Federal Communications Commission's own competition...
Setting Up a Showdown. Mundy, Alicia // MediaWeek;3/11/2002, Vol. 12 Issue 10, p8
Reports on response of Senator Fritz Hollings' (D-S.C.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to the administration's policy on telecommunications consolidation. Responsibility of the Federal Trade Commission; Reaction of consumer advocates to the restructuring.
FTC VS AT&T MOBILITY: CEMENTING THE FCC AS A PRIVACY REGULATOR? // Intermedia (0309118X);Jan2017, Vol. 44 Issue 4, p20
The article discusses the role of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulating the privacy practices of the telecommunication service providers in the U.S.
Remarks on Signing Legislation To Ratify the Authority of the Federal Trade Commission To Establish a Do-Not-Call Registry. Bush, George W. // Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents;10/6/2003, Vol. 39 Issue 40, p1280
Presents remarks given by U.S. President George W. Bush during the signing of a legislation to ratify the authority of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to establish a do-not-call registry. Information on the registry; Aim of the registry.
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AJC’s Bio
News/Research
Introduction to African American Politics
Wednesdays 2:00-4:30
This course provides an introduction to the political experience of African Americans. The course is contemporary in focus. Topics include African American political thought, voting and participation, urban politics, race and elected office, and issues of gender, class, age and sexual identity at the intersections of black politics.
Download Full Syllabus
America’s First Ladies
Wednesdays 9:00-11:30
This seminar explores American first ladies as political and social actors. Our primary question is: what does American history and politics look like when told through the stories of women with great access to power but with little formal power of their own? We will both trace the evolution of the role of first lady and explore how individual women who have held this role have understood it and adapted it. This is an upper level course. Every student is required to read all assignments and be prepared for a class discussion each week. You will be expected to write, read, and analyze regularly. There will be no lectures; this is entirely a seminar and reading course based on a graduate education model.
Women in Politics, Media, and the Contemporary United States
This course is an introduction to the various roles and experiences of women in contemporary American politics, media, and society. We will explore changing definitions of womanhood and women’s identity during the late 20th and early 21st century. We will discuss women who hold positions of leadership and relative privilege and women who find themselves in the most powerless and difficult circumstances in contemporary America. We will explore cross-cutting issues of class, race, sexuality and gender identity to help understand the many experiences of women in America.
Download Full Syllabus Student Bibliography Student Bibliography Student Bibliography
Supplemental classes that address the core themes of race, gender, and politics
COMM3650-01: Feminist Documentation & New Media
Betsy Weiss
W: 3:00-5:30 & 6:00-8:30
CRN: 12378
A service-learning, praxis-oriented course in which students develop analytical and reflective skills by critiquing and creating feminist documentation in various media. Study of history and theory of feminist documentary filmmaking and new media will be complemented with learning production and post-production skills. Weekly volunteer work will be done with an organization serving women and girls in New Orleans.
HISU6945-01: Conservative Women
Karissa Haugeberg
W: 3:30-6:00
This course will focus primarily on U.S. women, with occasional readings on women in Europe and Central America. For the purposes of this course, “conservative” will be defined broadly to include diverse groups of women, ranging from Loyalists to anti-suffragists to anti-desegregationists to women who opposed the ERA. The common thread will be that—for the most part—these women wanted to uphold the status quo when they perceived it was under threat from progressive change.
Readings will cover the 18th c.-the late 20th c.
HISL3780-01: Women in Latin American History
Gertrude Yeager
TR: 2:00-3:15
An exploration of the pivotal role Latin American women have played in the area’s historical development. Attention is given to how women acquired and exercised power in a male-dominated society and how class, race, sex and sex roles, and traditions have influenced and shaped women’s roles.
POLA3031-01: Southern Politics
Rosalind Cook
MWF: 12:00-12:50
This class is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of politics in the American South. Topics covered in this class will answer critical questions: Why study southern politics? Why should we even be concerned about southern politics? For spring 2012, we will be looking at the presidential campaign in the Southern states and those running for the US House of Representatives in the South. Students will explore the economic, historical, and social factors that shaped the “Old South,” and the dynamics that transformed the politics of the region. It will also address the question of whether or not a “New South” has emerged.
POLS6950-01: Law and Politics of Domestic Violence Sally Kenney
In this service learning class, students will monitor domestic violence cases in court while engaging interdisciplinary scholarship on violence.
SPHU3811-01: Women, Health Inequality & Change
Phyllis Raabe
This course examines women’s health problems and inequalities in the United States and locally (Louisiana and New Orleans). We consider the past and continuing impacts of patriarchy and the intersections of class, racial-ethnic, and gender inequalities–and the gender biases, lack of policy supports, and associated stresses in combining “work and family” activities. In addition to describing and analyzing women’s health problems, the course also emphasizes social change initiatives and policies, nationally and locally. Our course will be enhanced by New Orleans examples provided by guest speakers and, if possible, field trips.
POLA3010-01: Intro to African-American Politics Melissa-Harris Perry W, 2:00-4:30
POLS6950-01: Law and Politics of Domestic Violence
Sally Kenney
LOUS2800-01: New Orleans Political Culture
Stephen Hayes
M: 5:45-8:45 (Open to SCS students only until 1/13/12)
Sex, the Media and the Future
Louisiana Sex Education and Mississippi Personhood
Anna Julia Cooper Project
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Posts Tagged ‘signing Petition’
Human Rights groups and States concerned over Russian suspension of RAIPON
By Rebecca Sommer – Earth Peoples
The Russian government surprised everyone, and sparked major reactions internationally, when that country’s Ministry of Justice ordered 1 November 2012 the closure of Russian’s indigenous peoples umbrella organization RAIPON, because of an “alleged lack of correspondence between the association’s statutes and federal law”.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Justice the indigenous peoples association will be closed for six months, whereupon the statutes will have to be adjusted.
Pavel Sulyandziga (RAIPON)
But RAIPON’s first vice-president Pavel Sulyandziga is determined to fight this decision.
When he lived in the village of Krasny Yar, he was successful in mobilizing the population against the administration’s plans to grant timber harvesting licenses to a Soviet-Korean joint venture led by Hyundai, and showed what kind of quality he’s got.
A Russian indigenous rights activist of Udege nationality, an indigenous nominated United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues member from 2005-2007, a member of the Public Chamber of Russia and the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, and known to be one of the most outspoken indigenous rights activists in the Russian Federation, he is not willing to give up.
Pavel Sulyandziga argues to the press that federal authorities increasingly see indigenous peoples as a troublesome element in Russia’s development goals. “There is an extensive hike in the level of industrialization in the north, and the indigenous peoples are among the last barriers against the companies’ and state’s development of the resources. The authorities strongly dislike RAIPON’s extensive international engagement.” Sulyaudziga told newspaper Novaya Gazeta. “All basic rights of indigenous peoples are being taken out of federal legislation.” He added.
Furthermore, Sulyandziga informed that he knows that federal authorities are trying to establish alternative organizational structures, which could replace the role of RAIPON.
What is kind of confusing, RAIPON’s president Sergey Kharuchi comments instead to the press that he sees no political motivation behind the decision of the Justice Ministry and that he therefore opposes the statements made by RAIPON’s first vice- president Sulyandziga. These comments coming from the current president of RAIPON have raised more than a few eyebrows among RAIPON’s members and it’s international supporters. Sergey Kharuchi also informed that “the upcoming congress of RAIPON was planned to take place in March 2013, with agenda items to adjust the statutes in line with the demands of the Justice Ministry, but also to make serious conclusions about the organizational structure”.
In the meantime, first vice-presedent of RAIPON, Pavel Sulyandziga, underlines in his request sent to the Russian Supreme Court on 15 November that the Ministry of Justice’s decision to close RAIPON is ill-judged and illegal and must therefore be withdrawn.
Indigenous Peoples, Russia (RAIPON)
In his article in the Vancouver Sun, journalist Bob Weber stated that Canada’s term as head of the Arctic Council could get interesting before it even begins after Russia shut down RAIPON that represents indigenous peoples from Russia not only at international meetings but also at the eight member states Arctic Council.
RAIPON represents more than 250,000 indigenous peoples, and is one of six indigenous organizations that have the status of “permanent participants” at the Arctic Council, that don’t have votes, but have full consultation rights and are part of all discussions. Canada begins a two-year term as the council’s head in the spring.
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who sits on the Arctic Council and is an Inuk herself, told The Canadian Press that Canada is concerned about the move and has joined other Arctic states in “expressing their concern”, that have requested that Russia and RAIPON (the Russian Association of Indigenous People of the North) co-operate closely to resolve the situation.”
Duane Smith, head of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference Canada and a council delegate, was quoted that Anton Vasiliev, the Russian ambassador to the council also seemed surprised, he even signed the council’s statement of concern.
“The fact that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was surprised by this and was willing to come out against it says to me this matter has not been resolved with the Russian government,” Michael Byers, an Arctic expert at the University of British Columbia added.
RAIPON has in its more than 20 years of its existence worked actively to protect indigenous peoples’ human rights and legal interests, as well as to promote their right to self governance. RAIPON represents 40 groups of Indigenous peoples inhabiting huge Arctic territories of the Russian Federation from Murmansk to Kamchatka.
In it’s report on the 11th session, May 2012, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues made some recommendations to the Economic and Social Council regarding Russia, and Indigenous Peoples. Earth Peoples posted below this article relevant excerpts in a jpg.
It would be interesting to learn what exact actions are taken by the United Nations human rights mechanisms, so far we haven’t seen any publicly made statement.
I think, ultimately, it will be President Vladimir Putin who is exercising increasingly control over dissent within Russia who decides on the situation with RAIPON
Support from social movements, organizations and human rights groups is urgently needed, that could send their support letters for RAIPON to Putin, or to Russian Embassies in their countries. They could also sign on petitions, and disseminate information about RAIPON’s suspension on their websites, magazines and social networks. Or people can protest in front of Russian Embassies. Or post comments and send letters to their newspapers.
Support RAIPON and the indigenous peoples from Russia by signing on the petition.
To read Earth Peoples support letter for RAIPON, click here
Russia-PFII_Report-2012
Tags: RAIPON, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Sign-on Petition, signing Petition, suspension of RAIPON
Posted in OIT 169 /ILO 169, RAIPON, UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples | No Comments »
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13th Five-year Plan
RMB Business
Hong Kong as the Major Service Platform for Greater Bay Area Enterprises to ‘Go Out’: 2019 GBA Survey Results
Joint research series on Guangdong-Hong Kong co-operation in capturing Greater Bay Area opportunities
Photo: Hong Kong is the preferred choice for mainland companies looking for professional services.
Photo: China has become the world’s largest trading entity.
Photo: Demand for professional services from Greater Bay Area enterprises is set to increase.
Chart: Background of Enterprises Surveyed
Chart: Challenges in Business Operations in the Past Year
Photo: Intentions of Adjusting Business Operating Strategies and Making Investments in Next 1-3 Year
Photo: Considering Going Out to Capture Opportunities in Next 1-3 Years
Photo: Destinations of Interest in Going Out
Chart: Opportunities of Interest
Photo: Professional Services of Most Interest or Most Sought-After for Tapping Overseas Opportunit
Photo: All Enterprises Considering 'Going Out'
Table: Preferred Destinations for Seeking Professional Services
Hong Kong is the preferred choice for mainland companies looking for professional services.
China has become the world’s largest trading entity.
Demand for professional services from Greater Bay Area enterprises is set to increase.
The Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promulgated in February 2019, sets out the principles for Greater Bay Area (GBA) development, driven by innovation, co-ordinated development, opening up, co-operation and adherence to ‘one country, two systems’. The GBA is positioned to leverage the advantages of Hong Kong and Macao as free and open economies and of Guangdong as the pioneer of reform and opening up. Support will be rendered to Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in strengthening co-operation to jointly participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with GBA enterprises encouraged to collaborate in ‘going out’ and playing a leading role in international production capacity co-operation. The GBA and other areas in Guangdong have long been the bridgehead in China’s foreign trade and economic co-operation. The region is also in close proximity to BRI markets, such as ASEAN. Despite recent uncertainties in the global economy arising from China-US trade friction, mainland enterprises in the GBA and its peripheral areas continue to ‘go out’ to develop international business, looking to break into new markets in order to spread risk. They are also bringing in outside partners and resources to optimise their business portfolios and sustainable development capability.
To assess the latest developments HKTDC Research, with the support of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, conducted a new survey of mainland enterprises in the GBA in the third quarter of 2019. Although China’s foreign trade was affected by the China-US trade dispute and other uncertainties during the survey period, the results show that 76% of surveyed enterprises said they would consider ‘going out’ in the next one to three years to countries including those along BRI routes and advanced economies. Of these, the largest number of enterprises (50% of respondents) indicated that Hong Kong was their preferred choice for professional services (outside the mainland) when exploring overseas markets. Among mainland enterprises targeting the advanced economies, 56% said Hong Kong was their preferred service platform for ‘going out’.
Overseas destinations that mainland enterprises showed the greatest interest in exploring were Southeast Asia including the 10 ASEAN nations (66%), followed by advanced economies such as Europe, the US and Japan (41%). In terms of business interests, relatively more respondents (68%) said they were interested in selling more consumer goods/industrial products to develop overseas markets, 41% were looking to sourcing abroad, including sourcing raw materials from overseas for production in the mainland and sourcing various consumer goods/foodstuff for selling in the mainland, and 41% aimed to invest in and set up factories overseas.
For years, Hong Kong has been the preferred service platform for mainland enterprises wishing to ‘go out’ and tap opportunities in BRI countries, as well as their preferred choice when seeking professional services outside the mainland. Given the further development of the GBA under strengthened co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, GBA enterprises will ‘go out’ at a faster pace. As such, demand for professional services from enterprises in the GBA and other Guangdong regions is set to surge, generating enormous opportunities for Hong Kong service providers.
Guangdong Businesses at Forefront of ‘Going-Out’
China has become the world’s largest trading entity. In 2018, its foreign trade volume stood at US$4.6 trillion, topping the world league [1]. Guangdong province is at the forefront of China’s foreign trade, with its foreign trade volume in 2018 reaching US$1.1 trillion, accounting for 23.5% of the nation’s total. Meanwhile, with foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows topping US$143 billion in 2018, China was ranked as the second largest source of FDI, trailing only Japan (US$143.2 billion). At the end of 2018, mainland investors had directly invested in enterprises in 188 – or 80% of – countries or regions around the world, including more than 10,000 companies in countries and regions along BRI routes [2]. Among these, many were Guangdong enterprises actively seeking investment and co-operation opportunities overseas to expand their business. As such, Guangdong has also become a major source of FDI outflows from China [3].
Although the global economic outlook remains grim amidst the China-US trade dispute, China is still promoting its ‘going out’ and BRI development strategies and encouraging enterprises to seek economic co-operation opportunities overseas. ‘Going out’ has become an important driving force for the development of mainland enterprises. Under the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are encouraged to step up co-operation in participating in BRI projects. Efforts will be made to leverage the overseas business networks and experience of Hong Kong and Macao to help GBA enterprises ‘go out’ jointly and play a leading role in international production capacity co-operation. GBA enterprises are expected to continue ‘going out’ to seek international business.
With the support of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, HKTDC Research conducted a questionnaire survey in the third quarter of 2019 in the GBA to find out more about the challenges facing businesses in the region, their ‘going-out’ strategies and demand for various types of professional services. This latest survey followed a similar one carried out in the Yangtze River Delta region by HKTDC Research in the first quarter of 2019 [4].
A total of 375 questionnaires were collected. After taking out questionnaires filled out by non-mainland enterprises, 277 valid questionnaires were completed by Guangdong enterprises, of which 90% were located in the nine mainland cities within the GBA [5], while the remainder were situated in other parts of Guangdong. Respondent companies were engaged mainly in manufacturing (25%), import/export trade (21%) and professional services, including financial/legal/accounting services (18%). Some were in other service sectors, such as logistics, information technology and technology R&D. The following are the views expressed by these 277 mainland enterprises on ‘going out’.
Facing Problems in Weakening Markets and Rising Costs
86% of respondents said their business operations faced a variety of challenges over the past year. 40% said their foremost concerns were weak local and overseas markets and inadequate orders, while 38% said they were affected by rising labour, land and/or other production costs. 33% said they faced financing difficulties and rising capital costs. Other challenges cited were uncertainties brought by trade barriers against Chinese goods in overseas markets (25%) and keen competition in international markets and lack of competitive brands to help expand markets and business (22%).
Emphasis on Mainland and BRI Markets
To tackle these challenges, 89% of the enterprises surveyed indicated that they would consider adjusting their business/operating strategies and making relevant investments in the next one to three years. Among these, 48% said their preferred option was to develop the mainland market, 47% indicated that they would develop more BRI and other emerging markets, 36% said they would develop/promote their own brands, and 31% said they were looking to improve product design and technology R&D capability.
Keen to Capture BRI and Mature Market Opportunities
During the survey period, China’s foreign trade was affected by the China-US trade dispute and the international market was full of uncertainties, as global economic growth was slowing down. Despite this, 76% of the enterprises polled said they would consider ‘going out’ to capture opportunities overseas in the next one to three years. Among these, relatively more enterprises (66%) indicated interest in Southeast Asia, including the 10 ASEAN nations and BRI countries, followed by advanced economies, such as Europe, the US and Japan (41%), while 31% opted for South Asia. Relatively fewer enterprises favoured other regions, including Central and Eastern Europe (28%), the Middle East and Africa (22%) and Central and Western Asia (19%).
Among those enterprises interested in ‘going out', a majority (68%) said they were looking to sell more consumer goods/industrial products in overseas markets. 41% were interested in ‘going out’ for sourcing activities, including 30% wanting to source raw materials for production in the mainland and 30% wishing to source consumer goods/foodstuff to sell in the mainland. 41% indicated the wish to invest in and set up factories for production overseas and 28% said they were looking to go overseas to invest in infrastructure/real estate and other direct investment projects. 25% were interested in setting up transit warehouses to enhance international logistics efficiency.
Despite the differences in preferred destination for ‘going out’, enterprises setting their sights on BRI and other emerging markets or advanced countries all aimed mainly at selling more products to develop overseas markets. A large proportion of them were interested in sourcing activities or investing in and setting up factories. This suggests that most companies considering ‘going out’ were looking to develop in a similar direction.
Leveraging Professional Services
Respondents interested in ‘going out’ said they needed professional services support to develop their international business. Among these, 49% said they were interested in joining marketing activities tailored for overseas and BRI markets, while 47% were looking to marketing strategies for developing new business and new markets. Other professional services needed included product development and design (31%), banking, financing and project valuation (30%), brand design and marketing strategies (30%), and related legal and accounting services (30%).
Hong Kong As Preferred Service Platform for ‘Going Out’
When looking for professional services support, 56% of the enterprises considering ‘going out’ said they would first try to source it locally. Enterprises would also seek various professional services outside the mainland. Hong Kong was the preferred destination for the largest number of enterprises, taking up 50% of the enterprises considering ‘going out’. Other preferred destinations included the US (23%), Singapore (21%), Japan (14%) and Germany (14%).
It is noteworthy that among enterprises clearly indicating their intention to venture into advanced countries, Hong Kong was the top choice for seeking professional services (56%). Among enterprises considering going to BRI countries, the proportion of those picking the mainland (53%) and Hong Kong (52%) to seek professional services is similar. Overall, the survey results show that Hong Kong is regarded an important services platform for mainland enterprises in considering ‘going out’.
HKTDC Research would like to acknowledge the help extended by the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province in conducting the survey.
Note: For details of the studies conducted jointly by HKTDC Research and the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, please refer to other articles in the research series on Guangdong-Hong Kong Co-operation in Capturing Greater Bay Area Opportunities.
[1] Source: China Customs; World Trade Organisation
[2] Source: 2018 Statistical Bulletin of China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment
[3] According to figures from the 2018 Statistical Bulletin of China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment, Guangdong ranked top among all provinces and municipalities in 2018 in terms of foreign direct investment outflows and year-end stocks.
[4] For further information, please see: Hong Kong as the Major Service Platform for “Going-Out” Enterprises: 2019 YRD Survey Results
[5] The nine mainland cities in the GBA are Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing.
The Greater Bay Area: Big Logistics Solutions for a Big Market
The Greater Bay Area: Lighting Up a Glittering Market
The Greater Bay Area: A Potential Goldmine of ‘Hero’ Brands
Nansha Subsidises Young Hong Kong and Macao Job-Seekers and Entrepreneurs
Free online search for event management service providers on hktdc.com.
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New Professorships
Executive Board and Plenary Assembly
Public Advisory Board
Cyber Valley Start-Up Network
Managing Office
Cyber Valley Research Groups New Professorships International Max Planck Research School Executive Board and Plenary Assembly Cyber Valley Research Fund Cyber Valley Public Advisory Board Cyber Valley Start-Up Network Managing Office
As further core elements of Cyber Valley, ten new professorships will be established over the next few years at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and the University of Stuttgart, some of which will be financed by endowments. Initially, two new endowed chairs were recently established at the Universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen:
University of Tübingen: Professorship for Machine Learning - sponsored by Robert Bosch GmbH
In June 2018, Matthias Hein assumed an endowed professorship at the University of Tübingen, which Bosch will finance with 5.5 million euros over the next ten years as part of its Cyber Valley commitment. Hein's research focuses on methods of machine learning, in particular the deep learning approach. In the process, software processes information - inspired by the human brain - in hierarchically organized neural networks in which the degree of abstraction increases from layer to layer. The decisive difference to other approaches of machine learning is that engineers do not specify how the degree of abstraction increases from layer to layer. Rather, the hierarchical structure organizes itself from the data itself using a universal learning process. Using training examples, programs learn to identify people or objects in images and to interpret entire image scenes. Using such a deep learning algorithm, the "AlphaGo" software recently succeeded for the first time in beating a top player in the Go board game whose computers had previously failed because of their complexity.
Matthias Hein has been teaching mathematics and computer science at Saarland University since 2011. He studied physics in Tübingen and received his doctorate in computer science from the University of Darmstadt. From 2002 to 2007, he was part of Professor Bernhard Schölkopf's research group at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. Today, Schölkopf heads the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen and is one of the world's leading scientists in the field of machine learning.
University of Tübingen: Professor for the Methods of Machine Learning
Philipp Hennig was appointed professor for "Methods of Machine Learning" in the Department of Computer Science in May 2018. There he researches calculation algorithms for artificial intelligence. "Learning machines have done impressive things in the recent past," says Hennig. "But they are currently wasting resources. Rich Internet companies can afford the necessary mainframe computers and highly paid personnel as watchdogs. In order to make machine learning usable for small and medium-sized businesses and in areas such as machine and vehicle construction or on mobile phones, algorithms must become faster, more reliable and more user-friendly. This includes controllability: If an AI component of a complex overall system gets out of hand, a red lamp must light up somewhere". Using funds from an ERC grant from the European Commission, Hennig's colleagues are, for example, researching methods with which the "training" of learning computer programs can be automated and monitored.
Hennig studied physics at the University of Heidelberg and at Imperial College in London and received his doctorate in 2011 from the University of Cambridge on "Approximate Inference in Graphical Models". He has been doing research at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen since 2011 and initially worked in the "Empirical Inference" department of AI researcher Professor Bernhard Schölkopf. From 2015 he headed his own research group, with which he established the concept of "Probabilistic Numerics", a mathematical theory of uncertainty in computer calculations. Among other things, the group is investigating how fast and highly simplified calculation steps can contribute to solving complex calculation tasks and how computers can "keep track" of the effects of calculation errors and simplifications.
Daimler AG will establish the endowed chair at the University of Stuttgart on the topic of entrepreneurship in digital transformation.
Cyber Valley brings together international key players from science and industry to concentrate their research activities in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Supported through the State of Baden-Württemberg, the Cyber Valley partners will establish new research groups and professorships in the fields of machine learning, robotics, and computer vision in a new research center in the Stuttgart-Tübingen area in Germany. A key element of the project will be the training of up to 100 doctoral students.
Photos Copyright: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems / Wolfram Scheible (16). Robert Bosch GmbH (3). University of Stuttgart (1). University of Tübingen (1).
Cyber Valley c/o MPI for Intelligent Systems
Heisenbergstrasse 3
contact@cyber-valley.de
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IN PLACES YOU’D THINK IT’S UNFINDABLE
Well, hello there! I’m Dawn and I am so excited that you dropped in. You got your glass of wine, I see? Great, me too. Okay, get comfy. I think you being here means we’re both into joy — having it, finding it, spreading it. I actually consider myself pretty highly experienced in this realm, which is why I’m a self-appointed Joyologist.
This doesn’t mean joy comes effortlessly to me; it means that I want joy and value joy enough to work for it. And that’s what this site — and each one of my personal and professional endeavors — is about: Helping others to find joy through hardships, easyships, pain, good health, career, family, and even the monotony of everyday living.
We all need more joy. I have found joy in places you’d think it was unfindable — despite the pain of losing a child, divorce, rape, stage 3 cancer and more. I want to share my stories with you because I have discovered how joy is a choice that makes life worth living.
I’m ridiculously passionate about working with women. I have the privilege of coaching them to levels of success in their personal and professional lives that transcends their wildest dreams. Before I decided to dive into this joy thing full time, I was a top ten sales director for one of the world’s biggest direct sales brands (my last team hit a million in sales for the year — yay us!). Now my opportunities to empower women take many different forms.
I’m an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mentor. I work in person and online, with individuals, small groups, and auditorium-sized crowds. I’m proud to use the experiences of my personal journey to help others find happiness and success even in the darkest of days. I wholeheartedly believe that the obstacles in our lives should not beat us down, but give us reasons to more fully embrace joy wherever we can find it.
Best of all, I’m arm candy to Craig (it might be kind of like a big bag of cotton candy but close enough); I’m a mom to two awesomely cool females (who are 17 years apart!) and a grandmother to three. We are living happily ever after in Gulf Breeze, Florida, with two dogs and one cat.
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Last summer, Dawn Barton was a top ten sales director for one of the world’s biggest direct sales brands. Her picture was on a billboard in Times Square and her team was closing in what would prove to be over a million in sales for the year – placing them among only a handful of women in company history to achieve that milestone. All this, despite a steady beat of personal challenges through recent years, including unimaginable heartache and stage 3 breast cancer.
Today, Dawn is an author, a speaker, an entrepreneur and a mentor, empowering women in their professional and personal lives. Her extraordinary journey has also made her a self-proclaimed Joyologist. Having achieved happiness and success in even her darkest days, Dawn believes in the power of finding joy through difficulty; each obstacle should not be cause to quit, but rather another reason to be successful.
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Division VII. Property.
Title 42. Real Property.
Subtitle III. Condominiums.
Chapter 19. Condominiums.
Subchapter I. General Provisions.
§ 42-1901.01. Applicability of chapter; corresponding terms; supersedure of prior law.
(a) This chapter shall apply to all condominiums created in the District of Columbia after March 29, 1977. Sections 42-1901.03 through 42-1901.06, 42-1902.03, 42-1902.06 through 42-1902.09, 42-1902.30, 42- 1903.05(d), 42-1903.08(a)(1) through (6), 42-1903.08(a)(11) through (16), 42-1903.09, 42-1903.13, 42-1903.14, 42-1903.20, 42- 1904.11, 42-1904.13 through 42-1904.17, and 42-1901.02, to the extent necessary in construing any of those sections, shall apply to any condominium and to any horizontal property regime or condominium project created in the District of Columbia before March 29, 1977, except that these sections shall apply only with respect to an event or circumstance that occurs after March 29, 1977 and shall not invalidate any existing provision of the condominium instruments of any condominium, horizontal property regime, or condominium project.
(b) For the purposes of this chapter:
(1) The terms "horizontal property regime" and "condominium project" shall be deemed to correspond to the term "condominium";
(2) The term "co-owner" shall be deemed to correspond to the term "unit owner";
(3) The term "council of co-owners" shall be deemed to correspond to the term "unit owners' association";
(4) The term "developer" shall be deemed to correspond to the term "declarant"; and
(5) The term "general common elements" shall be deemed to correspond to the term "common elements."
(c) This chapter shall supersede Chapter 20 of this title, and Regulation 74-26 of the District of Columbia City Council, enacted October 18, 1974. No condominium shall be established except pursuant to this chapter after March 28, 1977. This chapter shall not be construed, however, to affect the validity of any provision of any condominium instrument complying with the requirements of Chapter 20 of this title and recorded prior to March 28, 1977. Except for § 42-1904.11, subchapter IV shall not apply to any condominium created prior to March 29, 1977. Any amendment to the condominium instruments of any condominium, horizontal property regime, or condominium project created before March 29, 1977, shall be valid and enforceable if the amendment would be permitted by this chapter and if the amendment was adopted in conformity with the procedures and requirements specified by those condominium instruments and by the applicable law in effect when the amendment was adopted. If an amendment grants a person any right, power, or privilege permitted by this chapter, any correlative obligation, liability, or restriction in this chapter shall apply to that person.
(d) This chapter shall not apply to any condominium located outside the District of Columbia. Sections 42-1904.02 through 42-1904.08 and §§ 42-1904.12 through 42-1904.17 shall apply to any contract for the disposition of a condominium unit signed in the District of Columbia by any person, unless exempt under § 42-1904.01.
(e) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, amendments to this chapter shall not invalidate any provision of any condominium instrument which was permitted under this chapter at the time the provision was recorded.
(Mar. 29, 1977, D.C. Law 1-89, title I, § 101, 23 DCR 9532b; Mar. 8, 1991, D.C. Law 8-233, § 2(a), 38 DCR 261; Mar. 20, 1992, D.C. Law 9-82, § 2(a), 39 DCR 683.)
1981 Ed., § 45-1801.
1973 Ed., § 5-1201.
Temporary Amendments of Section
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 2(a) of Condominium Act of 1976 Technical and Clarifying Temporary Amendment Act of 1991 (D.C. Law 9-38, August 17, 1991, law notification 38 DCR 5805).
Law 1-89, the "Condominium Act of 1976," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 1-179, which was referred to the Committee on Housing and Urban Development. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on June 29, 1976, and July 20, 1976, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on August 6, 1976, it was assigned Act No. 1-151 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review.
For legislative history of D.C. Law 8-233, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 42-1901.07.
Law 9-82, the "Condominium Act of 1976 Technical and Clarifying Amendment Act of 1992," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 9-240, which was referred to the Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on December 17, 1991, and January 7, 1992, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on January 28, 1992, it was assigned Act No. 9-140 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 9-82 became effective on March 20, 1992.
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History > Documents > Visitors looking at the sculpture of the river god Ilissos, one of the Parthenon Marbles, at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg on December 5.
submitted by Kathimerini Newspaper, Athens on 22.12.2014
Visitors looking at the sculpture of the river god Ilissos, one of the Parthenon Marbles, at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg on December 5.
Copyright (2014)
Kathamerini article
The Empire museum strikes back
By George Vardas *
The “loan” by the British Museum of a sculpture from the Elgin Collection of the Parthenon Sculptures to the State Hermitage Museum in Russia has created considerable furore around the world and amongst activists who want to see the Parthenon Marbles returned to Greece. But the secret dealings surrounding the placement of the sculpture on temporary exhibition in St Petersburg reveal a lot more about the strategy and sophistry of the British Museum and should serve as a wake-up call to Greece that mediation with the British over the return of the Parthenon Sculptures will never succeed.
Ilissos is a headless reclining sculpture of marbled immortality that sat for centuries at one end of the western pediment of the Parthenon. This sculpture together with other figures and water deities depicts the battle between Athena and Poseidon over Attica.
As the curator of the Greek and Roman collections at the British Museum, Ian Jenkins, has written, one of the hallmarks of the Parthenon sculptures is the “way they lead the eye from one to another, each figure or group of figures drawing energy from the previous and passing it on the next.” That applies equally to the frieze and the pedimental sculptures.
So why send a solitary sculpture to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg on the Baltic, and for a limited time only? The official reason is that the loan is a “birthday present.” According to the British Museum’s director, Neil MacGregor, when the Hermitage asked the British Museum Trustees if they could make an important loan to celebrate its 250th anniversary, the trustees immediately answered “yes.” MacGregor goes on to claim that “no loan could more fittingly mark the long friendship of our two houses, or the period of their founding, than a sculpture from the Parthenon." Moreover, he claimed that the Greeks should be elated at the spectre of Greece’s “stone ambassador to the world” on display on a solitary plinth in the Hermitage.
Really? The temporary loan of one pedimental sculpture from the British Museum’s extensive collection is nothing more than a gimmick that reflects a consistent pattern of historical revisionism employed by the British Museum and its acolytes. The British Museum was established in 1753 at the height of the Empire. Since 2002 it has consistently tried to rebrand itself as a universal museum encompassing the so-called “collective memory of mankind.” At the behest of MacGregor, in October 2002 the British Museum and various other major institutions, including the Hermitage, issued a self-serving declaration on the “importance and value of universal museums” decrying the alleged threat to the integrity of universal collections posed by demands for the restitution of objects to their countries of origin. In other words, we will say or do anything to keep the Parthenon Sculptures.
MacGregor continues literally to attempt to erase the Greek origin of these sculptures by insisting that the Parthenon Sculptures now in London tell a different story to those in Athens and that they have, in effect, no contextual relevance to the Acropolis. Ian Jenkins, when speaking at the “Body Beautiful” exhibition in the Victorian town of Bendigo in August 2014 reaffirmed that the museum regards the Elgin collection of Parthenon Sculptures as mere art objects which are now physically, spiritually and historically detached from the Parthenon. As far as the British Museum is concerned, the sculptures are no longer architectural ornament but objects d’art which have acquired a new meaning as part of the museum’s self-legitimating narrative.
So it is only natural that the British Museum seeks to justify its position by placing fragments in other collections. The museum had previously announced its intention to stage a “Greek Body” exhibition in May 2015 and the river god now at the Hermitage was to be moved there to be part of that exhibition. When I confronted Jenkins about that proposal, he responded by accusing the Greeks of “Elginising” the surviving sculptures on the Parthenon over the decades through their removal and eventual relocation in the Acropolis Museum. And then, almost imperiously, he declared “I will be taking some of the Parthenon Sculptures for the ‘Greek Body’ exhibition for the purposes of comparison.”
As for the Hermitage “loan,” we are informed that the whole idea was a birthday surprise for a brethren universal museum and, according to Sir Richard Lambert, chairman of the Trustees of the British Museum, the deal was literally approved at the last minute as they wanted to “leave room for flexibility if the political relationship between Europe and Russia changed.”
International inter-museum art and sculptural loans are very delicate and complex arrangements that are not finalised on a whim or at a moment’s notice or under a veil of secrecy. Here we learn that it was a clandestine operation to remove the sculpture from the British Museum under the cover of darkness and air freight it to Russia as if a covert military exercise was under way. Even the English version of the Hermitage’s web version still does not reveal what the ”masterpiece” from the British Museum is.
And how will the sculpture in the Hermitage be viewed? All you see is the river god Ilissos mounted on a plinth, surrounded by walls of artificial marble and located as a solitary fragmented object, alienated from its archaeological and sculptural context. In these conditions, how can anyone truly be confronted by the immortal “Grecian grandeur” and magnitude projected by the Parthenon Sculptures which so captivated a young Romantic poet, John Keats, whose sylvan historian could only enquire, “What men or gods are these?”
And MacGregor is certainly being disingenuous when he claims that the placement of this sculpture in St Petersburg will act as a stone ambassador for Classical Greece. There was no advance notice or promotion given of this exhibition. As Eric Gibson wrote in the Wall Street Journal, museums normally break news like this months in advance to publicise such an event. But in this case, it was an “unprecedented state of affairs” that by the time the news was out the sculpture was already at the Hermitage and ready to go on public view the next day.
Interestingly, Neil MacGregor is also the chairman of the Internal Advisory Council of the Hermitage, which includes the NSW Art Gallery’s Michael Brand and Francoise Riviere, assistant director-general for culture at UNESCO. That council met in August this year according to the Hermitage’s website. It stretches credulity that the proposed loan of the Parthenon sculpture was not discussed, let alone ratified, at that or any subsequent meeting of the advisory council.
This was not a loan for art’s sake, but a cynical gesture aimed squarely at the Greeks who in recent times have been agitating for a negotiated resolution of this centuries-old cultural dispute.
The Greeks have labelled the decision to lend one of the Parthenon Sculptures as provocative and insulting, particularly at a time when Greece has since June 2013 called on Britain to agree to mediation under the auspices of UNESCO. Mediation or any form of consensus-based resolution will simply not work if one party is unwilling to act in good faith. Not only have the British failed to respond to the request for mediation but MacGregor has declared that UNESCO “is an intergovernmental organisation but the trustees of the British Museum are not part of the British government.” That is simply playing semantics. For more than two decades at meetings of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation, the British Museum has been represented – indeed, it is fair to say that it is embedded within the UK Ministry of Culture – and has in fact orchestrated the predictable British response.
In the latest issue of Hermitage News, Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky triumphantly declares that the Hermitage Museum “is not an object of cultural heritage, it’s an object of culture.” In its website the museum graciously acknowledges that the sculptures of the Parthenon are considered to be the pinnacle of human artistic achievement. And yet whilst it may possess a magnificent art collection, the Hermitage Museum has allowed itself to become an object of the Elgin marbles-driven universal museum myopia which, according to the MacGregor doctrine, will tolerate fragments of the Parthenon Sculptures being disassembled and displayed on their own and devoid of their proper context anywhere in the world, except in the place where they were conceived and executed to perfection: Athens, Greece.
In the Parthenon Sculptures the immortality of the Athenians as declared by Pericles in his famous funeral oration has been achieved. They are inextricably linked to the Parthenon which they once adorned and to the story of Athens. Dispersing fragmentary pieces to distant museums is pure tokenism as the British Museum merely restates the obvious, namely, that it can do as it pleases with the spoils of empire.
As the respected art commentator Jonathon Jones recently proclaimed, it is Greece and not the British Museum that deserves to be the custodian of the world’s greatest art for the world.
And so the Greek government must finally and decisively disabuse itself of the idea that the marbles can somehow be regained through diplomacy and mediation. Litigation in the international courts is now inevitable to try to reclaim the marbles and finally bring them home.
* George Vardas, Researcher, Australians for the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures
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Showing 81 - 100 from 158 entries
submitted by Steve Frangos on 29.11.2006
Athanasios, Theodore Combis & Apostolos Combis.
Apostolos, Athanasios and Theodoros
The brothers Combis of Kythera...
honoring the Greek identity in America.....
The Grecian Gladiators
Steve Frangos, c. 2005
Little is recalled today of the various Greek immigrants who worked in American vaudeville. Chance references in archival sources and rumors within the Greek-American community about these Greek performers abound. After graduating high school I went to visit my grandmother in Tarpon Springs, Florida. There on Ring Avenue in the late evenings my grandmother and I would often visit Mr. Combis and his wife. It was over vanilla ice cream and root beer that Arthur (Athanasios) Combis would talk to me for hours regaling me with the stories and showing me the promotional pictures of the greatest tableaux vivant/strongman act in all of American vaudeville, the Grecian Gladiators.
From 1907 until World War I vaudeville audiences across North America cheered for the nationally famous vaudeville strongman tableau vivant act, the Grecian Gladiators. Athanasios and Theodore Combis formed the core of the act with the aid of internationally recognized strongman fellow Greek, Demetrios Tofalos. These men toured the vaudeville houses of North America during the Golden Age of American Vaudeville. At a time when Greek immigrants were struggling against all forms of abuse and hardship, these three Greek vaudevillians offered a heroic image of the glories of Ancient Greece to the society at large.
Given the transformations in American theater since the heyday of vaudeville, a tableaux vivant performance needs description. Someone, usually a shapely girl in tights, would slowly walk across the length of the stage carrying a sign with the title of the tableaux. Next, after a dramatic musical introduction, the house lights would go out and the stage curtains would open. Then, with a sudden burst of thematic music, all the lights would be instantly turned on.
There on the stage would be the tableaux artists in elaborate costumes assuming unmoving poses. Magnificently painted curtains served as background to the actors and their props. Sometimes, depending on the scene, the actors, after a moment or two of remaining in position, would move suddenly into a second dramatic pose and then freeze again. From the mid-1880s, tableaux vivant which means “living pictures” were also known as “living history” performances. This was the case because these costumed scenes were invariably based, however loosely, on famous historical events. All of these productions featured a costumed actor or actors representing some widely known historical figure or event as if they were a ‘living statue.’
The Grecian Gladiators were artistic innovators. Dressed in classical Greek togas and full-body armor, these three Greeks combined the Victorian style tableaux vivant with daredevil gymnastics and astonishing feats of strength. Wearing sixty-pound suits of armor, plumed helmets, spears, swords, and with a paired team of pure white stallions., the Grecian Gladiators criss-crossed the America as the very embodiment of classical Greek athletes.
The full sequence of routines that composed the standard ten-minute act are no longer remembered. Since, at any given theatre, three shows were played a day, different routines would be performed at one show and not another. If the Gladiators played an extended engagement or at a bigger venue such as the Hippodrome, then much longer, more complicated routines, were performed. Photographs and promotional materials were sent ten days to two weeks before the opening date of the contract or their act was cancelled. This included music for the orchestra. At the height of their popularity the three Greeks received $150 dollars a week.
A standard performance opened with two or more tableaux. Among the Grecian Gladiators most popular tableaux were “At the Walls of Troy,” “Heracles in Chains,” “Heracles and the Snakes,” “Samson and the Lion”and “Chariot races at the Coliseum.” The last tableaux included an actual chariot with its team of specially trained white horses.
The three Greeks had a thrilling vaudeville act where their unique balancing routines always expressed unusual strength and agility. Theodore was the understander (the man on the ground) and Athanasios the topmounter. Demetrios Toufalos also served occasionally as an understander but Athanasios always was in the air. Flips, true neck rolls, balancing on the hands, extended arms, standing on each other’s legs or shoulders, all were executed in complicated two-man and more often three-man routines. In all these gymnastic routines what separated the Gladiators from other vaudeville performers was lightening speed and undeniable athletic ability.
Strictly in terms of feats of strength, the Gladiators broke stones across each other’s chests, snapped chains, bent bars of steel, lifted massive dumb bells, and held volunteers from the audience over their heads in a special chair with a belt. Depending on their mood, and the volunteer, they would sometimes even ‘play’ catch with them. All this three times a day, seven days a week!
One show-stopper was when Theodore held Athanasios up in the air, fully extended with one hand above his head. Theodore then ran down the length of the stage and tossed him to Toufalos. Toufalos caught Athanasios in the small of the back and ran back across the full length of the stage. The two would run quickly all over the stage, throwing and then flipping Athanasios back and forth, until the crowd was shouting and on their feet. Since all three members of the Grecian Gladiators stood over six–feet tall, this was an amazing show of physical strength and outstanding gymnastic ability.
The New York Hippodrome Theatre
The young Greeks had appeared at New York City’s Hippodrome Theatre before the 1914 season. Yet, in looking back on his career, Athanasios always referred to that specific season with deep nostalgia. It would prove to be the last time the gladiators “played the big time.”
Each season the Hippodrome had a unifying theme that all the acts in some way worked into their performance. Responding to the war in Europe, the 1914 theme was aptly enough “War of the World.” In the elaborate playbill from that season, the Gladiators are credited as the “Olympic Champion Trio.” They performed in the section of the overall program called “Classic Feats of Strength” with their specific act appearing as “Episode VI: The War of Sport.”
Thunderous applause greeted the expended and perfected versions of two tableaux “At the Walls of Troy” and the “Chariot races at the Coliseum.” In both tableaux, the Gladiators had honed the freeze-move-freeze performance to razor-edge perfection. The movements were rehearsed endlessly to coincide with a timed sequence of quick switching on-then-off-then-on again of the stage lights. The momentary flash accented, as it also sometimes hid from the startled viewers, the Gladiators’ movements.
In the “Trojan War” tableau, an extended freeze-move-freeze sword fight played out the killing of Hector by Achilles. In the final blackout, Toufalos quickly brought out the team of horses and, in the final glare of light, Achilles was shown sword on high with Hector tied behind his chariot. Athanasios Combis contended the loudest cheers of all came from the balcony seats. The cheapest seats in the house, these were the local Greeks dressed in their finest, who were nearly thrown out of the Hippodrome for all the uproar they made at the end of this particular tableau.
The “Chariot Races at the Coliseum” tableau was far trickier and had failed more than once in the past. The team of stallions, while endlessly trained, still sometimes bolted with the sudden flash of light or the thunderous applause. On one occasion, when this tableau was being performed in Cleveland, Athanasios Combis had almost ended up in the orchestra pit!
This tableau was a straightforward race scene. What the bold Greeks had added was a freeze-move-freeze-twist. The horses were trained to raise their legs and turn or lift their heads at each flash of the house lights. The Gladiator in the chariot would dramatically move his arms, whip and spear to emphasize the sense of movement. Telegrams kept in family scrapbooks report that William Schubert, the Hippodrome Director, was especially sorry when the Gladiators were signed away by the Flatbush Theatre in Brooklyn. The young Greeks who spent “money like water,” in triumph over their newly enhanced fame never suspected that this would be their last season together.
Gladiators End
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the Grecian Gladiators’ act ended. Theodore Combis joined the United States Army and Athanasios’ wife Dora, who had traveled with the act for five years, wanted to settle down and start a family.
I was never able to determine how long Demetrios Toufalos performed with the Grecian Gladiators. Today, it is probably the case that more Greeks recall Demetrios Toufalos than the two Combis brothers. This is because Toufalos won the 1906 heavy weigh lifting contest in Greece. Demetrios Toufalos was to have a complex career before, during and long after his association with the Grecian Gladiators. Toufalos as a weigh lifter, wrestler, trainer/promoter of wrestlers and if old newspaper accounts are to believed an opera singer! Toufalos became an American citizen in 1921, which is important to note since he is the first and I believe only Greek-American athlete to have a stadium named after him in Greece.
In his birthplace Demetrious Toufalos is remembered by the “TOFALOS Stadium [which] has 5000 seats. It lies 6 kilometers from the center of the city and just 3 km from the hotel where the teams will be accommodated. It is fully equipped, has 10 changing rooms, 6 showers in each changing room for the teams, 3 extra changing rooms for referees, medical facilities, a building control center, VIP room, parking both for VIPs and journalists and for sports fans for up to 3000 cars and of course air conditioning, and media facilities (fax, telephone, etc.) (http://www.eurowomen2003.com/patra.asp).”
The bluster of television glitter seen on the World Federation of Wrestling is a far cry from the demonstrated athletic ability of these vaudevillian strongmen. The Grecian Gladiators were among the true strongmen giants so often written about in histories of American Vaudeville. From men such as George Hackenschimdt, the Russian Lion, or Jim Londos, the Golden Greek, to Demetrios Toufalos, the heavy built Grecian Gladiator who would lift full grown men over his head with one hand and then twirl his handlebar mustachios with the other, were all extremely disciplined men of hard-won physical strength and seasoned abilities.
All Hail the Gladiators!
In reading standard histories of Greeks in North America it would seem that only married men who ran their own businesses and belonged to fraternal organizations, and/or the Greek Orthodox Church ever influenced American notions of what it meant to be Greek. This is simply not true. As self-serving as this institutional “struggle and success” model may be, it is a selected presentation of history.
The claim can well be made that immigrant performers, such as Athanasios and Theodore Combis and their able partner Demetrious Toufalos offered, in a more dramatic and entertaining fashion, an image of who the Greeks were to the working classes of rural and urban America than any other group ever did. The time for recognizing the Grecian Gladiators, and all the other Greek immigrants performers, and to allow them to take their bows on the stage of history is long overdue.
Athanasios and Theodore Combis.
submitted by Peter Makarthis on 09.11.2006
Samios & Co Brisbane Australia
Seventy years of continous service in the hospitality trade proudly promoted by Theo Zantiotis.
Peter Makarthis
Theo Zantiotis - Brisbane
Third generation Kytherian Theo Zantiotis
outside Samios and Co Brisbane Australia
submitted by Epsilon Magazine on 04.11.2006
Professor Minas Coroneo in his Randwick office, at the Prince of Wales Hospital.
Professor Minas Coroneo talks about the bionic eye, the latest breakthrough in the field of ophthalmology, the pros and cons of medical research in Australia, and growing up Greek in a Kytherian household in the Hunter Valley region in the early sixties.
Words and Portrait, Savvas Limnatitis
"Let’s get one thing straight: what we are offering is not a miracle cure for blindness, but a great step forward”. The softly spoken, bespectacled, fifty-something man, sitting opposite me in what used to be the late, great, Fred Hollows office at Randwick’s Prince of Wales Hospital is talking about the latest developments in the field of ophthalmology and is picking his words very carefully.
And for good reason. After all, modern medicine and its offering of solutions -often of the quick-fix type - to an unprecedented number of diseases to anything remotely fitting the description between cancer and obesity, drug dependency and the centuries old problem of ageing, has made it increasingly easy to be designated a quack, instantly converting years of dedication and research into laughable and best-to-be-avoided obsessions of absent minded professors in long white coats.
Thank God then that modesty has never been a prominent feature in scientific research. For judging by the inches of columns in journals both medical and mainstream (even the media from Greece got in on the act) dedicated to the findings of Professor Minas Coroneo and his dedicated team of researchers there are not exactly small, steps forward but giant leaps, that can revolutionise the way blindness is treated. Professor Coroneo and his team have been working on the project for over five years now. While their first efforts on designing a device that would help patients with genetic eye diseases that have lost their sight received the thumbs up from the rest of the medical world, it was the team’s recent human trials that have made the rest of the world sit up and take notice.
Hailed as a medical breakthrough, the bionic eye does not offer full sight - at least not for the time being. It will eventually however provide blind people with enough “functional vision” to negotiate their way across a room without bumping into objects.
During one of his numerous visits to Kythera, Dr Coroneo was struck by the lack of properr opthalmological facilities on the island. Realising that the only options available to the ageing population of his parent’s birthplace was a visit to Athens with all the problems and hardships such a scenario involves, Dr Coroneo quickly set out to rectify the problem. Calling on the help of his associates both in Greece and Australia as well as the rest of the world, Dr Coroneo’s original idea was soon transformed into the establishment of an eye clinic. Situated at Potamos’ hospital the new eye clinic serving the Kytherian community is equipped with all the necessary equippement and apart from the services of a regular ophthalmologist it also offers those of an optometrist. Not surprisingly, your reporter has gained this information not from Dr Coroneo himself, who carfefully avoided mentioning this little known fact about his life outside of his office, but through a mutual friend who, in his turn, could not speak highly enough of this introvert scientist. How much does this say about his character? You be the judge of that.
THE BIONIC EYE
What exactly is the bionic eye and how did you come to be involved?
About ten years ago my colleague, Dr. Halliday, who has spend his life looking after people that were blinded by hereditary conditions that result in disease of the retina, decided to retire. The general group of these conditions is called retinal dystrophy, and retinitis pigmentosa is the most common of them. It affects one in five thousand people and it’s the commonest cause of blindness in young people. He was interested in the genetics of this and had built a big database. When he retired, the hospital didn’t replace him and on top of my all my other work, I ended up having to do his clinics. So I am sitting here in Randwick having to look after all these youngish people that are blind. I do not like this type of practice because in modern ophthalmology we help people. You come in; have an operation, go home and the next day you can see. So that was outside the normal activities I had been used to. Around 2000 there was a programme on TV about an engineer in New York called William Dobelle who had spent his life trying to develop bionic eyes. He had implanted electrodes into the visual part of the brain of a blind person. When he had started the computers that were required to run this filled a rather large room. By 2000 the computer was a laptop and the person was shown walking around with this device. I thought this was fantastic, but the technology was really crude. People can loose their sight at any time and depending on how it is lost, will determine what sort of “bionic eye” that needs to be developed. Dobelle had a system where he placed electrodes in the brain and his early patients had them running out of their skulls, which is very dangerous because you could get infections. It struck me then that the leading company for stimulating any sensory system is Cochlear, an Australian company based in Sydney. They have the best technology in bionic ears. We rang up Cochlear and told them we had all these blind patients and asked if we could work with them to develop a bionic eye. They have been very helpful in giving us access to their technology.
How long did the original process take?
We spent about five years working with animals. We took off-the-shelf components and that was a big advantage for us because we are competing with overseas groups that are better funded than us, and employ similar technology. But we didn’t have to reinvent the wheel. We had a leading company with the right technology, which we borrowed. The reason for the recent publicity is that earlier this year we started doing some work with patients. This is the first study in humans that we are aware of in Australia.
How long before the bionic eye becomes available to the public?
I am hoping that there will be something available in the next five years. It might not be us. Now that might sound like a long time but given that we have been working on this for only five years, we feel like we are half way through this cycle. Just to make it very plain - and we have been very careful with any publicity because we don’t want people to think that we are about to have a product- what we have achieved is an important step forward. We took a slightly different approach to the one of some of our colleagues in the US. Normally, most of the groups that are working on the retina have put electrodes on it. The retina is like a film in a camera. It has a layer of cells that detect light and turn light into electrical signals. Those signals go to nerves that join up and form the optic nerve. Because the retina is very delicate and also because you have to open the eye, that approach involves some risk. Just imagine what might happen to someone with pieces of metal attached to their retina if they jump on a trampoline. The approach we took was to put electrodes on the outer wall of the eye and increase the current, so it still stimulates the retina. Because of this, we do not have to open the eye. We think that might be a more stable and safer system long term. So earlier this year, we put some electrodes on the outer wall of the eye of a patient, we stimulated those electrodes and the patient was able to see flashes of light.
Is the bionic eye the ultimate solution for people without eyesight?
The type of vision we think will happen initially won’t be anything like yours or my eyesight. It’s not going to be normal vision. The current Cochlear devices have about 30 electrodes. Imagine having 30 electrodes on the outer wall of the eye, which in theory means that if you turn them on at the same time, you will get 30 flashes of light. The idea is that you will have a series of flashes outlining objects. What we are trying to do here is to give people navigating vision.
How did the rest of the medical world respond to your findings?
We have published quite a lot of papers that have been well accepted. We were at a meeting in Detroit early this year when we presented this work and so far the response has been very positive. There is nothing really controversial about what we are doing. It’s just a slightly different approach. One of our big strengths is the link with Cochlear. They know how to built devices and get them to market. We think that puts us in a good position to actually develop something.
MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND
You have applied to the US Patent Office for a patent. How important is it to get the rights to the patent? Is it to ensure that no one benefits financially from it? I get the feeling that money is not on the top of your list of priorities?
I am not driven by money. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been here. We have a company that was formed to get this product to the market. When you go down this path, there are certain commercial realities. One of these realities is to protect the intellectual property that has been generated by what we do. Because overseas there are a lot of people with more money than us, if we pass on ideas we can be left behind. What we are doing here is simply being careful. Once you get the patent, you can go to companies and say: “we have my commercial property, what is it worth and can we work with you to get it developed”. It puts us in a better position when we try to develop it.
Has the American dollar tried to lure you away from Australia?
Ha-ha. I have been tempted to apply for positions in the United States. It’s not that I find money attractive. But it’s a fact that a lot of people have been driven away from Australia because of the lack of investment. It’s not so much the money but more that our public institutions, our hospitals and our universities are not traveling well at the moment. Across the country, the public hospital system that’s supposed to be looking after Australians often has its problems. Academic work in hospitals under these conditions is very tough, at least for some of us. In Australia public funds go to patient care first, but research is also a priority. However, I know that some colleagues who work in similar institutions in the USA are much better supported than we are. On the other hand, the lack of resources makes you cunning. You have to make do and one of the great things about Australian investors and scientists is that to survive in a very competitive market, they have to be smarter and be able to out perform the competition. I have a great team of people that I work with and I am not sure I would be able to find them elsewhere. At the moment, I am happy trying to do what I am doing from here.
What about the Australian government? What has been its response?
We have had some funds from the Australian government. We have had an National Health and Medical Research Council grant a couple of years ago, that paid for a research assistant for a couple of years. It helped to get the basic work completed. Putting in grant applications is a lot of work and the amount of money that you get makes you ask if that is a good way to spend your time. We have tried very hard to get more. The German government is funding one of its projects to the tune of 50 million dollars a year. We currently have no government funding for this project. Many people that are in this situation apply every couple of years for small amounts that keep them going. It means that you spend a lot of energy staying afloat. It’s like treading water rather than swimming forward. Because of the recent testing, we are in a better position to go back to the government and say, “this is important in terms of having been developed in Australia, we would appreciate some support”. If you imagine being the Minister of Health, every time he turns around there is someone that has developed a cure for cancer or some other thing, he can’t possibly fund every project. I happen to think this is a very important one because one of the key determinants of quality in life is the ability to see. Particularly young people that have been affected by these diseases, they may have many many years of blindness and we are hoping to develop something that will enable them to walk around. We jokingly say that what we are trying to do is turn guide dogs into pets. Giving people that level of independence is a big deal.
THE ROOT OF ALL... GOODNESS
What drives you and your team to fight bureaucracy? Wouldn’t it have been easier to give up?
It’s always easy to give up. I’ve been doing this for a while now and one of the things about being an academic is that most Australian ophthalmologists are very well trained and provide a very high level of service, and they are sitting in dark rooms across Australia diagnosing diseases, they are operating in theatres making people see better. The thing that partly drives me is that we sit there and we look at people with problems we can’t fix. Because I had intense training in science, as well as studying medicine, I tried to reconcile the interface between basic science and clinical medicine. On one hand I look after my patients, which I enjoy doing, but at the same time I am thinking about how I can treat this condition that otherwise can’t be treated. So I see myself partly as an inventor. If you have one or few inventions you treat people across the planet. That’s not an ego trip. It’s part of what is intellectually stimulating about this work. Clinical medicine can almost be like process work. You have to be very good at doing the same thing over and over again. Beyond that is this almost arrogant ambition to do something more than that.
A lot of people have taken the Hippocratic Oath, but not everyone follows it to the last detail. What makes you different?
It’s partly what you are suited to and partly what opportunities are there. I was extremely fortunate that extraordinary people trained me. I trained at the University of Sydney with John Young, the Head of Physiology. He was a very clever and very driven scientist. I had that background, and then I went to Germany where I trained with a guy who was a scientist as well as an ophthalmologist. When I returned to Australia I had Fred Hollows as a teacher for four years - as a matter of fact this used to be his office. I have had the appropriate training to do what I do. I remember I went to a lecture during my first week at the University of Sydney - this was in 1972- and I was inspired to go and work with John Young who was the speaker that day. You can be the benificiary of serindipitous circumstances. You find yourself in different situations in life where you have the opportunity to do things. On the other hand, my parents didn’t have a very good formal education, so when they came to Australia they were very determined that their children would be educated. I had the best education they could afford to give me at the time, and I have gone through life trying to achieve things.
While I admire your modesty, I can’t help but notice you have served in outback Bourke. What influenced the decision to go all the way there? Were you trying to pinpoint the exact location of “woop woop” on the map?
That was purely Fred Hollows. I arrived at this hospital in 1982. Prior to that in the 70's, Hollows had been all over outback Australia looking after indigenous and white people and anyone with eye disease. By the time I arrived that program had ended and the last outpost for NSW was Bourke. In my training - and I am pleased to see in the training of the people that are currently involved in this project - we provide a service to Bourke Hospital. It’s funny because I talk to people about Bourke and my instructions on how to get there is to find the last traffic lights in Sydney and then drive northwest for ten hours. You can’t miss it.
Other people would have taken the easy option and settled in a nice office in Sydney and try to make as much money as possible.
It’s possible that I have a very short attention span. Like a lot of people I need stimulation. Fred Hollows once said to me: “If you go into a practice and that is all you do, you will be brain dead by fifty”. I am pleased to report that I am 52 and I am not brain dead. It’s a great privilege to be able to sit here and do as much as I can. It hasn’t been easy; we have had a lot of difficult times in the last ten years. Sitting in this hospital-university situation when both institutions are not well supported in my view - and that’s a political statement, but I think a lot of other people share the same view- can be tough. Maybe the easiest thing to have done is to get up and go overseas. It’s just that I am rather happy to be surrounded by this group of great people trying to do something good.
THE KYTHERIAN CONNECTION
How did your parents take your decision to plunge into the uncertain field of medical research?
Town of origin - Potamos
Parachoukli - Belos
My father died when I was in the second year of medical school. As a matter of fact, he didn’t want me to be a doctor; he wanted me to be an engineer. For two reasons: he came to Australia from Kythera in 1920 and served in the Second World War. He was in the Ambulance Corps in Darwin when it was bombed and he saw surgeons operating and didn’t really like it. He thought doctors were fairly uncivilized. Back in Scone where he lived, he was there when they were building the Glenbawn Dam. There were a lot of Greeks that had come to Australia during that era. One of his best friends was the engineer that was responsible for building that dam. My father saw engineering as clean and helpful to the community, building bridges and stuff, and he wanted me to be an engineer. To that extent I disappointed him. On the other hand, in that era most people that did well at school were expected to study medicine. In Scone, the small town where I grew up the person that made the difference between life and death was the local doctor. He was an inspirational character.
What about your mother?
My mother passed away last year, but she lived long enough to see what I have become. I think I had disappointed her as well. Her idea was that when I finished medicine I would open a general practice somewhere locally. All these years that I have been going overseas she had a great difficulty understanding what I was trying to do.
Was it hard to retain your Greekness, growing up in the middle of The Hunter Valley with not many Greeks around?
There is schizophrenia about Australians’ attitude to migrants. On the hand most people were very supportive, my father had many friends and his was in business in Scone for about fifty years. There were a few xenophobes. I had an unusual name by Australian standards then. You can imagine what it was like having a name like that in Australia in the 1950s. Sometimes at school it was tough. I have a younger brother, who was big, and his attitude was that he would hit anyone that insulted him. So he became one of the boys. He was also much better in adjusting than me. My approach was to do it academically. In a way that attitude was because my parents rewarded academic success. My father would say that knowledge is power and I tried to know more than other people.
What about Greek traditions?
As for traditions, we only spoke Greek at home and so when at the age of five I went to infants school I couldn’t speak a word of English. My mother had a sort of reverse racism. She saw Australians as being a little bit uncivilized. She would see people crawling out of pubs drunk at five or six in the evening and think “God, what country did I come to”. In the end she had a lot of Australian friends. She arrived in Australia two years before I was born and she was a little concerned about how things would turn out. We didn’t have Greek school in the country so my formal Greek isn’t great, but for my kids we had a Greek teacher who came to our home. They both know how to read and write in Greek. They have been to Greece a couple of times and are very proud of their heritage. We still have property in Kythera and we have made sure our kids have gone to the island and know what is there. There was a church in Newcastle where we would go. I was christened here in Sydney at Hagia Triada. I am not a very religious person but I very much respect the traditions of our church, and as I have grown older I have come to appreciate them more.
Your name recently featured quite prominently in newspapers in Greece. Were you surprised by the attention you have received from the Greek media?
I was pleasantly surprised. The reason for this publicity is that recently we had a fundraising dinner. George Souris hosted it at the Parliament House and we had over 200 people attending. Leading up the dinner, the organisers thought that it would be good to get some publicity and I also did an extensive interview for ABC earlier this year. All that created a lot of interest. In fact one of the people who is very supportive of what we do is the Greek Consulate General, Mr. Raptakis and he got a lot of calls from Greece. He put them in touch with me and this resulted in several phone interviews. I have had some contact with the University of Athens. I went there a couple of years ago and met my counterpart. I was interested in building relations with Greece but when I came here I got swamped with a lot of other issues, and I haven’t done as much as I would have liked in that respect. I am very, very proud of my heritage, both Greek and Australian. I did a lot of my post graduate studies in Germany and I can remember coming back after being away for three years, thinking “I don’t really feel Australian now, but I don’t feel European either”. You get to the point where you think, “who the hell are you, anyway”. But I have snapped out of it now, I know exactly who I am.
How do you see the Greek community in Australia? Are we on the right path?
In many ways we are in a very privileged position. The Kytherians are a fairly tight knit group, they have their Association, and they have their dinners and everything else. Growing up in the country, one of the problems was that I had very few links with any of the Greek community when we moved to Sydney. In my high school, it was like the United Nations. I had Jewish friends and Italian friends, people from all over the world, all at the one place. Coming from the country to Sydney, it was like visiting Disneyland. I gradually have become more involved in the Greek community. I have been asked to address some functions and I find that the Greek community has in general been very supportive of what I do. John Howard made a comment recently that “Greeks are model citizens”. I have a paper clipping from one of AHEPA’s first meeting, held in Scone in the 1930s stating that what AHEPA was trying to do was to bring the best aspects of Greek culture into Australia. It’s very hard to find a better statement of intent on how to behave when you come to someone else’s country.
Finally Professor, is there a way that people can help this worthwhile cause?
We have two foundations supporting this project. The Genetic Eye Foundation, which looks after people with these blinding conditions. People can donate money to that or they can donate money directly to The Australian Bionic Eye Foundation. Donations to both charities are tax deductible. Obviously, every bit helps but we are not relying on that. We are trying to get this commercialised as soon as possible so we can really move on with it. But if someone is looking for a good cause... Medical charities are numerous and there is a lot of “competition” out there. This one is a little bit different and at the moment we do need some support. At this present time we have four part time people working on this project but we don’t really have a lot of infrastructure to make things move forward.
The Genetic Eye Foundation,
Ms R. Sturt,
C/- Department of Ophthalmology,
The Prince of Wales Hospital,
High Street,
Randwick, NSW, 2031.
Ms R. Sturt (02) 9382 2493
Email, The Genetic Eye Foundation
Australian Bionic Eye Foundation,
Ms R. Serna,
Ms R. Serna (02) 9382 2307
Email, Australian Bionic Eye Foundation
Professor Minas Coroneo holds a model of the human eye.
Children's Book by Kytherian Historian
Kytherian researcher and historian Peter( Skoulandris) McCarthy of Inverell NSW Australia launches digital book.
S.Peter & Co
Inverell NSW Australia
View launch on 22 Aug at Tourism Inverell on www.inverellnewsweb.com.au
Report by Trish Wood from Inverell Times 25 Aug 2006
"The latest technology, a timeless tale, a healthy dose of local content and spectacular illustrations of the Australian bush have been combined in the production of Inverell's own digital book The Three Wallaroos of Green Swamp, launched on Tuesday.
Author Peter McCarthy developed the story out of a love for the local area and a desire to let children explore a relevant local fantasy through the written word.
But in keeping with modern advances, Mr McCarthy created the digital book as a DVD to be read, not listened to, ensuring children and their parents enjoy the experience of reading together.
Inverell mayor Barry Johnston joined the Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay, at the launch, which included special guest School Education Director (north) Peter Pickett and teachers and students from the Inverell district.
Bush poet Jim Brown read the story to the group with children captivated by his animated style and Mr McCarthy was joined by the story's editor Melina McCarthy and illustrator Kerry Hardy in the celebration of the launch, which culminated months of hard work.
The story is an Inverell adaption of the Three Billy Goats Gruff and with its menacing bunyip is sure to catch the imagination of readers young and old.
As an added treat, the digital format has allowed Mr McCarthy to include a link to the Tourism Inverell website to satisfy the curiosity of those wanting further information on Inverell and surrounds after reading the book."
Have you been to Inverell lately?
Then log on to www.inverell-online.com.au
submitted by Standards Australia on 17.08.2006
Angelo and John Notaras. Inventors. Design Australia awardees.
Atom Industries, Lawn Edger.
http://www.designawards.com.au/ADA/99-00/INDUSTRIAL%20DESIGN/004/004.HTM
2.1. Product name
ATOM LAWN EDGER – World O.E.M. Model
2.2. Description
A powerful, fast, light in weight and highly manoeuverable powered lawn edger that can edge anywhere. *
Designed as an “Original Equipment Manufacture (O.E.M.) platform” it can be manufactured and fitted with a variety of engine brands to make different models.
2.3. Principal function(s)
To neatly trim the edges of lawns with great ease, with the ability to edge anywhere including curb and gutters, around tight corners, in places of limited space in very quick time and without having to carry the unit. By simply tilting the edger sideways, it can also edge along walls and fences, eliminating the use of whipper snippers. All this cannot be achieved by any other lawn edger in the world.
The Atom lawn edger reduces the edging time of the average house from around thirty minutes using all other brands, to around five minutes using Atom.
It also functions as an “O.E.M. platform” so it can be easily supplied to other engine manufacturers, and for other companies who require supply with different engine requirements.
2.4. Brief as given by client to designer
2.5. Relevance of external form and ergonomic considerations
The light in weight compact construction and "wheelbarrow" action means there is no pushing heavy machinery and there is no bending or carrying by the operator (as required with other brands e.g.brushcutters and whipper snippers). The operator walks in a normal upright fashion. This enables people such as senior citizens or people with back problems to be able to edge their lawns without any strain on their body.
2.6. Aesthetics
The Atom lawn edger has a very modern streamline design as evidenced by the super strength polyamid casing and components. This high-tech polyamid design has never been achieved by any other manufacturer in the Outdoor Power Equipment industry.
2.7. Safety
Safety was paramount in developing this edger. Many safety features that are only found on the Atom lawn edger include: *
A fully enclosed blade guard.
A ground hugging debris deflector unaffected by wheel height adjustment.
An automatic safety clutch that only engages when the throttle is activated i.e. the blade will not spin at idle speed.
A safety throttle interlock by which the throttle can only be activated when pushing down on the throttle interlock. This prevents accidental acceleration.
The operator stands behind the machine well away from the blade guard protected spinning blade. The handle cross-brace also prevents the operator pulling the machine back on himself.
A fully enclosed transmission (no V-belts etc.) means safer operator use. The Atom lawn edger meets all Australian, EU and USA safety standards.
2.8. Design problems encountered and solved
Numerous problems encountered and overcome include the design of the following: Crown Gear and Pinion
Determining what gear ratio was needed. Numerous gear ratios were tested before the 3.5:1 ratio was decided. Also different types of gears were tested before we came up with the correct spiral beval gear with heavy tooth construction to be able to stand up to constant intermittent pounding by the blade, and rough use by operators.
Size and material of drum was determined by trial and error.
Main Drive Shaft
Firstly made with flexible joint connection then different types of rigid shafts which proved expensive to manufacture. Final design of the rigid shaft was made from ground stock exactly to bearing size. Bearing locations are ridges rolled in which eliminated drilling two holes and inserting roll pins or having to use circlips and machined circlip grooves.
Blade Shaft
Originally machined from hex bar and centreless ground - very expensive. By co-operation with cold form specialist we were able to have finished part produced (to grinding tolerances) at much reduced cost.
Combined Throttle Trigger Safety Interlock and Ignition ON/OFF Switch
This involved much design work as it is the first interlock safety trigger system designed to fit tubular handles. Several designs were made and tested before finalising the design. The later EU requirement for the ON/OFF ignition switch to be close to the operator's hand involved further design, prototypes etc. before finalising the design so that the ignition switch is incorporated with the trigger throttle system.
Anti-Vibration Handle
To minimise vibration transfer to the operator, several designs were made and tested involving shape and material. This new hybrid design with polyamid handle grips and steel tubing enables us to fit the edger into a smaller carton for container shipping. Also the throttle trigger system is moulded into the handle saving assembly time. All together considerable cost savings.
Another design problem over come, was making the two piece blade cover, wheel arm, height adjuster and debris deflector all out of a single die. A total of 9 parts are made in this die, with the blade lid interlocking with the blade cover without screws, but very stable. Cross-Blade
Patents applied for. Not only is the design new but also many problems had to be over come for its manufacture. We now manufacture this hardened spring steel blade without rivetting i.e. blades now interlock each other with formed spiggots and holes in the blade.
Polyamid Main Casings
These parts have been remarked by overseas designers and manufacturers as "works of art". Extremely tough (stronger than aluminium), many design alterations and prototype mouldings had to be made to achieve the final result. The glass filled polyamid casing material is specially formulated for us to achieve high strength without distortion under work load.
Multiple use Concentric Drive Bolt
Produced in volume by cold forging. Eliminates expensive machined internally sized and threaded hubs which had to be welded onto each clutch drum. The Drive Bolt eliminates welding. It is also used on one special model edger to be supplied by us to Little Wonder, a major and prestigious USA manufacturer, as a non-rigid coupling.
2.9. Important and innovative features
Design and production costs are paramount and this new designed lawn edger has major cost reductions to aid in mass production. A total of 97 fewer parts are used over our previous models and assembly operations have been reduced considerably. *
The "O.E.M. platform” can be manufactured with a variety of engine brands to make different models. Our own Atom branded models will comprise of a 31cc 2-stroke and a 26cc 4-stroke Ryobi engine. A 1360 watt electric motor will also be added to our range of models.
The "O.E.M. platform” is to be sold to other manufacturers who can screw on their own engine and sell it under their own brand name (see “Mantis” section 2.18 para.2), or manufactured complete by us (with engine attached) for other companies (with the engine and colour of their choice) with a “badged” brand name.
The unique breakthrough patented "wheelbarrow" design enables the operator to edge anywhere. Other edgers are limited by their designs which restricts where the operator can edge. The Atom lawn edger also has the ability to instantly tilt sideways to edge up against walls and fences.
The self locking (with stress slip relief) blade shaft is unique. No key, no keyway, no spline system, as are required on other brands. Added advantage is that the blade is very easy to replace compared to other brands.
The gearbox design is the worlds first high volume “plastic” gearbox working sucessfully under such hard and stressful conditions.
The safety throttle interlock with the throttle trigger control is a first for any lawn edger. As part of this throttle control system is also the on/off ignition switch.
Cross-blade interlocking system (see 2.8 cross-blade).
Incorporated in the hybrid handles is an anti-vibration system for operator comfort.
A 6 position height adjustment allows a cutting depth of up to 80mm (3") deep.
In use each Atom Lawn Edger can easily be transported and can fit into the boot of a small car. For storage, it can be hung up on the garage wall taking up very little room.
All our edgers using this “O.E.M. platform” (with or without engine attached) will pack into a very small carton, thereby packing more units into a container and minimizing export container freight costs.
2.10. What environmental considerations if any, were taken into account?
The Atom lawn edger uses small capacity engines (under 35cc) with a fully enclosed 3.5:1 gear drive transmission for positive transfer of power to the long blades. Many other edgers have large capacity engines (with 3 & 4 HP) burning much more fuel, and use belt drives that can slip. The Atom lawn edger is very fast to use, substantially reducing the time it takes to edge, therefore there is less engine running time and dramatically less fuel consumption. Fuel consumption and exhaust emissions are up to 90% less for the same job than that required (or emitted) by other lawn edgers.
2.11. Engineering considerations (if applicable)
The engineering considerations include those listed in question 2.8 above.
2.12. Software / electronics considerations (if applicable)
2.13. Product life cycle
The Atom lawn edger is maintained in the same way as any other outdoor power equipment i.e. whipper snippers, brushcutters etc. However, unlike some other brands such as three wheel type, the blade can easily and quickly be replaced in the field with two spanners. Also lubrication of gears if ever necessary is a simple task of removing a “fill and bleed” screw and squeezing grease from a bottle directly into the gearbox. If cared for the unit has a life span of twenty five years and longer for the average home owner.
2.14. Do you have a patent or design registration for the product?
Patents Granted:
Patents Pending: Japan, Europe and other countries. Design Registrations Granted:
2.15. Is the product currently being exported?
We have confirmed orders to the USA for delivery in early 2000. Customers in Europe have scheduled orders for March and April 2000.
2.16. Does the product replace goods which are currently being imported?
Absolutely! The Atom lawn edger replaces the several brands of bladed edgers currently imported as well as many whipper snipper sales as a lot of people use their whipper snipper only for edging their lawns. Apart from the engines (which cannot be sourced within Australia), the Atom lawn edger is totally Australian designed and made and our company is wholly Australian owned.
2.17. Proof of success / market potential
The world market potential is very high. This new model will be lower in cost and the same “O.E.M. platform” is to be sold internationally to other manufacturers and in different colours to use with their own engines. The same “O.E.M. platform” means much higher sales due to lower cost and with economies of scale benefits. This will be on top of our current older models of which we have sold over 20,000 units both in Australia and overseas in less than five years.
2.18. Why is it a good design and why does it deserve a design award?
There are two main reasons why the Atom edger is a good design: *
As the worlds best they are far more manoeuverable than any other edger and they edge anywhere. They are light in weight (8kgs) and can be used by anyone including senior citizens or people with back problems as there is no carrying or bending by the operator. They also complete the job much faster than any other edger and cut a much neater edge than whipper snippers. They edge faster, go anywhere, outperform any other lawn edger available in the world, and are a pleasure to use.
This new model has the added benefit of using a common “O.E.M. platform” (in different colours) and putting several brands of engines onto the edger base. We already have orders for the USA which uses a 26cc Kioritz engine and is to be marketed as “Mantis”. One European customer will use the platform for their Mitsubishi engine. Our own Atom branded model will use a 31cc 2-stroke and 26cc 4-stroke Ryobi engine. This potential of being able to adapt a multitude of engine brands means the edger can be manufactured for many different companies worldwide. This means the export potential for this designed and manufactured lawn edger is enormous.
Angelo and John Notaras,
Atom Industries,
ROZELLE, NSW 2039,
Tel:- +61 2 9810 0194
Fax- +61 2 9810 6691
Email: Atom Industries
Website:- www.atomindustries.com.au
submitted by Intellectual Property Australia on 17.08.2006
John & Angleo Notaras. Inventors. Creators of World Firsts.
Above: An Atom drilling attachment fitted to a conventional chainsaw makes easy work of a hardwood post.
See, John (left) and Angelo Notaras, amongst various inventions and accolades
Award-winning, world famous, Atom lawn edger
To read this article in its context as part of IP Australia's publication, on World Firsts, go to:
Notaras World FirstsIPAChapter_4.pdf
As young banana growers on the New South Wales North Coast, Angelo Notaras and his brother John quickly discovered the benefits of putting mechanical equipment to novel uses. For instance, they were the first to use centrifugal pumps for banana irrigation, drawing water up lifts once considered far too great except for piston pumps. They also invented a highly effective new crop spraying system. They increased production several times over, establishing practices still followed on banana farms.
However, they became so absorbed in machinery that in 1960 they left the farm and set up a workshop in Sydney. By the late 1960s their company Atom Industries had a small factory, making only their own inventions. The mainstay was a heavyduty drill that can be attached to a chainsaw.
The Atom drilling attachment is still as popular as ever, and nine-tenths of Australia’s rural fencing is built with its assistance.
The Notaras brothers realised they could invent a chainsaw far more advanced than the European models that dominated the market. Features that made it superior included a self-cleaning air filter, a carburettor that plugged into a seal, turbo-charging electronic ignition and a longer, troublefree working life. The Commonwealth Government encouraged the brothers to develop the chainsaw for commercial production. In particular, the
support would see them through the first critical years—while they found export markets to boost volume and convinced customers of the advantages of invisible features such as the air filter.
The saw went into commercial production in 1972. But a few months later, in 1973, the tariff was halved, which put an end to the domestic market for the saw. At about the same time, the Australian dollar was revalued sharply, so that export sales were no longer possible. It was a heartbreaking combination.
Atom Industries stopped production immediately and took all the specially made tooling to the scrap heap. Thirty years later European saws have finally caught up with the ill-fated Australian chainsaw. All the dearer European models are now being fitted with self-cleaning air filters and other improvements like those invented by the Notaras's, whose patents have expired.
A far more successful venture is the Atom range of motorised lawn edgers, launched in 1994. Lawn edgers then were slow and difficult to use. The Notaras brothers had the idea of making a two-handled edger that could be steered around the garden as easily as an empty wheelbarrow. In the last few years it has captured market dominance in Australia, ousting both dearer and cheaper imports.
One of Atom’s new ventures is a recently patented two-stroke engine. The conventional modern two-stroke—invented over a hundred years ago—produces a high volume of toxic fumes and wastes petrol. By using air to displace the exhaust the new engine will be cleaner and more economical.
Angelo and John work together on all their inventions. Often each will go home, after a day considering a problem, and think of a solution that night. Meeting again next morning they’ll discover that both have independently reached identical solutions. John keeps a pad at his bedside and sometimes wakes to record an inspiration.
Most of their innovations are not eye catching new machines but clever improvements to existing products. For THE CUTTING EDGE instance, in place of a conventional chuck for their drill, they invented a ring with a screw through it, which is cheaper to make but holds the drill bit tighter with use, instead of working loose like a chuck.
Atom Industries holds dozens of patents and design registrations covering a range of innovations. However, they decided not to patent their “augur stop”, which is standard on Atom drills. Whenever a knot of timber, an old bolt or some other obstruction causes the drill to jam, the augur stop switches the transmission into neutral, stopping the motion instantly. Drills are much safer with this feature, which could easily be engineered into a wide range of other powered machinery.
Because of its potential to improve the safety of millions of workers, the Notaras brothers preferred to make it freely available — just as John Ridley declined to patent his stripper (see page 8) from a desire to benefit the community.
A recent innovation is an ingeniously simple centrifugal clutch, developed for electric lawn edgers. Direct drive is standard around the world for light and medium electrical machinery. Adding a clutch radically reduces breakdowns and prolongs the life of the motor.
When they try to sell their new technology overseas, John and Angelo routinely find that major manufacturers would sooner stick with existing procedures than introduce improvements developed by little-known outsiders. As a result, most of the superior technology in their mechanical products remains unique to Australia.
Curiously, though, Australian manufacturers
rarely take the opportunities presented by Atom’s innovations. The clutch, for example, could readily be adopted in all sorts of appliances and tools to give Australian products a quality advantage. Angelo suspects that experts working for some manufacturers are reluctant to concede that they could have been doing better all along with something they didn’t think of. That may be easy to say, but it underlines a problem repeatedly faced by Australian inventors: their difficulty in getting attention and credence, without vast resources for sales promotion of their ideas.
The brothers often win awards for innovation, which can be a useful aid in promotion. A wall at Atom Industries’ modest inner Sydney factory is crowded with them. Amongst them are the Mechanical Engineers of Australia Product of the Year
award, four years running from 1994 to 1997, for various lawn edgers; and the 1976 Inventor of the Year Award for the Atom electric ignition system. Frequently inventions aimed at making better, more durable products lead to significant cost savings, and vice versa.
At the moment the two brothers are working on a plan to reduce from seventeen to eight the number of pieces in the assembly at one end of the lawn edgers. This could take dollars off the manufacturing cost. Like many simplifications in assembly techniques that they have worked out over the years, it will speed up their output.
When Australian manufacturers have to compete with those in other countries, it is not good enough for them to be equally efficient, or able to match the quality of an import at equal price. They have to do better just to be able to survive.
Astonishing though it sounds, Australia’s tariff regime operates to protect overseas manufacturers from local Australian competition. For example, if Atom Industries imports an engine for one of its lawn edgers, it has to pay duty. But a lawn edger made in America with the same engine comes in duty free. In this way Australian manufacturers are effectively forced to subsidise their overseas competitors, to the extent of hundreds of millions of dollars every year. In recent decades, many have shut down their operations; and, saddled with this handicap, many others will have to do so as time goes on.
Thanks to on-the-spot ingenuity, Atom Industries is too far ahead of the competition to be immediately threatened. But in the long run all such enterprises are vulnerable to foreign takeovers followed by transfer of their plant to other countries so that “high” Australian wages need not be paid.
George Miller, Film Producer. Scene from Mad Max 1.
With Mel Gibson playing the role of Mad Max.
Mad George..........Mad Max
"Mad Max 1 was made on an incredibly low budget of close to $300,000 - approximately $15,000 of which went to its inexperienced star - the now legendary Mel Gibson.
George Miller and Mel Gibson on the set of Mad Max 1
The following brief plot summary of Mad Max 1 derives from madmaxonline.com.
"Mad Max is set in a dystopian near-future society suffering from a prolonged fuel shortage. Civil order is rapidly deteriorating and lawless gangs rampage across the desolate landscape, in defiance of the crumbling police force, the Main Force Patrol (MFP).
An escaped cop killer, the Nightrider, is killed during a high-speed pursuit by a young MFP patrolman, Max Rockatansky. The Nightrider's comrades, a motorcycle gang led by the Toecutter, hold Max responsible and kill his partner, Jim Goose, when he attempts to bring them to justice for a violent spree in a small country town.
Distraught at Goose's horrific death, Max walks away from the violence of the MFP and attempts to build a peaceful life with his wife Jessie and their infant son, Sprog.
Meanwhile, the Toecutter is still hungry for revenge for the Nightrider's death.
Max, now resigned from the MFP, is spending time with his family in a secluded beachfront area when the Toecutter Gang stumble across their hideaway. Jessie and Sprog are brutally murdered.
Deranged with grief, Max equips himself with a black supercharged "Pursuit Special" Interceptor and sets out to track down the gang and avenge the deaths of his family."
During the filming of Mad Max, George Miller had to sacrifice his own van to use in a particularly destructive stunt sequence as the group couldn't afford another stunt vehicle. Regardless of these adversities, money would not pose a problem in the company's seminal stage, though, as Mad Max went on to set box-office records around the world, grossing more than Star Wars (1977) in Australia."
See the exceptional Mad Max 1 web-site at:
http://www.madmaxonline.com/index.htm
Call Sheet, from the first day of filming in Oct 1977
Autographed Photo, crew of George Millers' Mad Max 1. Close up.
25th Anniversary Reunion Limited Edition B&W Photo
11 x 14 inch (28 x 35.5 cm)
Only 5 produced Worldwide, 3 available
Can be purchased for AUD$2,000 plus shipping and insurance at,
http://www.madmaxonline.com/shop/photo_crew.htm
Quality print of the crew photograph taken in early 1978 on the set of Mad Max – signed by the following twenty cast and crew who were in attendance at the Mad Max 25th Anniversary Reunion held at the Belvoir St Theatre, Surry Hills Sydney, on the 12th April 2004:
George Miller (Director)
Hugh Keays-Byrne (Toecutter)
Steve Bisley (The Goose)
Tim Burns (Johnny the Boy)
Roger Ward (Fifi MacAfee)
Paul Johnstone (Cundalini)
Nic Gazzana (Starbuck)
John Ley (Charlie)
Robina Chaffey (Cabaret Singer)
David Eggby (Director of Photography)
Grant Page (Stunt Co-Ordinator)
Jenny Day (Production Co-Ordinator)
John Hipwell (Unit Manager)
Lindsay Foote (Gaffer)
Gary Wilkins (Sound Recordist)
Mark Wasiutak (Boom Operator)
Viv Mepham (Make-Up)
Merren Kingsford-Smith (Wardrobe Assistant)
Stuart Beatty (Traffic Supervisor)
Andrew Jones (Traffic Supervisor)
Autographed Photo – Crew of Mad Max 1. Director, George Miller.
George Miller. Film Producer. Shooting Babe. 1995.
Babe Plot Synopsis
by Judd Blaise
A young pig fights convention to become a sheep dog — or, rather, sheep pig — in this charming Australian family film, which became an unexpected international success due to superior special effects and an intelligent script. The title refers to the name bestowed on a piglet soon after his separation from his family, when he finds himself on a strange farm. Confused and sad, Babe is adopted by a friendly dog and slowly adjusts to his new home. Discovering that the fate of most pigs is the dinner table, Babe devotes himself to becoming a useful member of the farm by trying to learn how to herd sheep, despite the skepticism of the other animals and the kindly but conventional Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell). Because technically impeccable animatronics and computer graphics allow the farm animals to converse easily among themselves, first-time director Chris Noonan can treat the film's menagerie as actual characters, playing scene not for cuteness but for real emotions. The result is often surprisingly touching, with Noonan and George Miller's script, based on Dick King-Smith's children's book and, indirectly, a true story, seamlessly combining gentle whimsy and sincere feeling. These same qualities are embodied by in Cromwell's beautifully understated performance as Farmer Hoggett, which anchors the film. Despite its unlikely premise and low profile, Babe's inspirational story was embraced by audiences and critics, and the movie became an international sleeper that won an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It was followed in 1999 by the sequel Babe: Pig in the City.
George Miller. Film Producer. Mumble, the hero of Happy Feet.
Babe creator's cool new role
Daily Telegraph, Sydney.
By Sarrah Le Marquand
August 02, 2006 p. 3
Put Shrek and Nemo on ice - they're about to be replaced by Mumble, the tap-dancing penguin hero of Happy Feet, an animated blockbuster due to hit the big screen this Christmas.
Directed by (Kytherian-Australian) George Miller - the Australian filmmaker behind the box-office smash Babe - it features the voices of a stellar cast including Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Hugo Weaving and Robin Williams.
A US-Australian co-production, the animated musical comedy has been four years in the making and is in the final stages of production at Fox Studios.
Although the finished product will not be released until December 26 - the traditional opening day for summer blockbusters - Miller yesterday treated a small audience to a sneak peek at the film.
He confessed the inspiration for Happy Feet - which tells the story of a penguin branded a social outcast because he can't sing - came from watching natural history documentaries about Antarctica.
"We decided to make the film as photo real as possible and I think that's turned out to be a good strategy, given that there are so many computer generated imagery animations coming out now.
"We sent two expeditions down to Antarctica to research and take photographs, to capture the landscape and the light," Miller said.
The filmmakers are determined to surpass the realism previously captured in a CGI-animated film.
"If this was the Olympics and this was the diving, then we'd be diving with the highest degree of difficulty," Miller said of the process.
Their efforts are already paying off, with the film enticing the likes of Pink, kd Lang and Prince to lend their musical talents to the project.
Australian actors will feature heavily in the film, with Magda Szubanksi, Anthony LaPaglia and even crocodile hunter Steve Irwin signing on for cameo roles.
To view pictures, videos, previews, & information about Happy Feet go to,
http://www2.warnerbros.com/happyfeet/
George Miller. Film Producer. Happy Feet. Night scene.
George Miller. Film Producer. Happy Feet. The Poster.
George Miller. Film Producer. Tap into adventure, with Happy Feet.
George Miller. Film Producer. Happy Feet.
George Miller. Film Producer.
A Scene from Mad Max 2. Beyond Thunderdome. 1985.
Astro Pilot. (Bruce Spence).
Beautiful aspect leading into Kythera Park, Grafton.
The road leads into a Property development wasundertaken by George Peter Bernard ( Venados ) —- Son of Peter Bernard ( Venardos ) of Karavas. Grafton, NSW.
Kythera Park, is a residential housing estate, with each block on several acres.
The development was undertaken by Denise and George Bernard, son of Peter Bernard (Karavas).
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Bernie Sanders Announces Proposal on Students’ Debt Cancellation
The proposal comes two days before the first debates involving candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the right to challenge Donald Trump in November 2020
Telesur English
Sanders will be joined by Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal while unveiling his proposals of taxing Wall Street to raise the debt fonds. (Photo: Reuters).
The United States Senator Bernie Sanders wants to erase all student debt i.e., US$1.6 trillion worth of debt by proposing higher taxes on Wall Street. The presidential hopeful was due to unveil his proposal Monday along with progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
Along with the cancellation of debts, the senator also wants to make two and four-year public and tribal colleges and universities free of debt and tuition. The current student loan will be paid for by a tax on Wall Street.
“We are going to forgive student debt in this country,” Sanders said. “We have for the first time in the modern history of this country a younger generation that if we don’t change it, and we intend to change it, will have a lower standard of living than their parents, more in debt, lower wages than their parents, unable to buy the house that they desire.”
Around 45 million U.S. citizens currently have student loans and Sanders’s plan is to cancel all their loans regardless of their income. The proposal goes beyond Elizabeth Warren’s proposal of canceling student debt of families earning less than US$250,000 per year. According to Warren, her proposal aims to reduce the racial wealth gap.
Sanders will be joined by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal while unveiling his proposals of taxing Wall Street to raise the debt fonds.
According to the plan, a 0.5 percent tax on stock trades (or 50 cents for every US$100 worth of stock), a 0.1 percent fee on bonds, and a 0.005 percent fee on deliveries would be levied which according to the senator could raise more than US$2.4 trillion over the next 10 years. He plans to use the extra money for his other college funding plans.
“Congress voted to bail out the crooks on Wall Street, do you remember that?” he said at an event Sunday in South Caroline.
“They provided seven hundred billion in federal loans and in addition trillions of dollars in zero or very low-interest loans. So I think the time is now for Wall Street to repay that obligation to the American people. If we could bail out Wall Street, we sure as hell can reduce student debt in this country.”
The Sanders proposal comes two days before the first debates involving candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the right to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in November 2020. Ten candidates each will meet in back-to-back debates on Wednesday and Thursday nights in Miami, Florida.
Tags: BERNIE SANDERS USA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Bernie Sanders to Run for Democratic Nomination in 2020
Presidential Elections underway in the U.S.A.
Clinton Faced with Strong Challenge after Sanders’s Endorsement
By Telesur English
Hero of the Republic of Cuba, Harry Villegas, Passes Away
Argentina Suspends Amend to Mining Law Allowing Toxic Chemicals
US President Donald Trump to Face Political Trial
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Somerville to hang up his boots
ESPNscrum Staff
Greg Somerville has been a talismanic figure for the Rebels in their debut season © Getty Images
News: All Blacks bid farewell
News: Macqueen steps aside at Rebels
Players/Officials: Sam Cordingley | Rod Macqueen | Kevin O'Neill | Greg Somerville
Teams: Australia | Melbourne Rebels | New Zealand | Rebels
Former All Blacks prop Greg Somerville is set to retire following the Melbourne Rebels' final Super Rugby outing of the season.
The 33-year-old former Crusaders and Gloucester forward, who won the last of his 66 Test caps in 2008, will join fellow Rebels Sam Cordingley and Kevin O'Neill in hanging up his boots after Friday's clash with the Western Force at AAMI Park.
Somerville told his Rebels team-mates yesterday that a series of minor injuries had convinced him not to honour the second year of his contract. "After so many years the niggles continued to be there week in, week out and having to push through them has got to me in the end," he said.
Rebels head coach Rod Macqueen regretted Somerville's decision and appreciated his contribution as a cornerstone of the Rebels pack. "He basically said: 'There's a time in your life where you've got to make a decision' and he thought that he's had a good year and he felt the time was right now to hang up his boots," the Rebels' outgoing coach Rod Macqueen told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Fellow retiree Cordingley paid tribute to Somerville describing him as an "inspiration." "He's been fantastic. For me he's been probably our best player, our most consistent player," he said. "In terms of the work that he puts in around the place, turning up for training, it didn't matter if he had a niggling injury, I don't think he's missed a session this year. He's been a real inspiration for everyone, including myself.
"'Yoda' [Somerville] is one of those guys who doesn't dilute the message too much. When he speaks, everyone listens. He doesn't say too much but when he does say something it's very important and it's always very succinct. When he speaks, I often look around the room and every set of eyes in the group is set on him, are pinned on him, so I think that's a sign of a real leader."
Cordingley, 35, will call time on a 12-year career including two spells with the Queensland Reds and one with the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby, as well as two spells with Grenoble in France and one with Swansea in Wales. Capped 22 times by the Wallabies, the scrum-half insists he has no regrets over his decision to retire. "It's been a long time coming but this will definitely be my last year. It's been a nice way to go out," he said.
"It would have been nice to have been more involved but you can't look back and I certainly have no regrets … I've made a lot of friends worldwide, lived in great places and I've finished off living in probably the best town in Australia so it's been a great ride."
Somerville will start at tight-head against the Force with O'Neill named on the bench while Cordingley is omitted from the squad.
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F1 - Abu Dhabi GP
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix November 29-December 1
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen ()
3. Charles Leclerc ()
4. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
5. Sebastian Vettel ()
6. Alexander Albon ()
Race home
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Golf - Houston Open
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Home » History » Adam and Eve in Hebron
Adam and Eve in Hebron
The world's first man and woman had a connection to Hebron, and are buried in the Tomb of Machpela.
(Image: Bereshit [Genesis] by local artist Baruch Nachshon. For more information visit http://nachshonart.com.)
Adam and Eve, as described in the book of Genesis, were the first people in the world and lived in the Garden of Eden. According to Jewish tradition, they are buried in the Tomb of Machpela. Both Jewish and non-Jewish traditions have identified the cave in Hebron as the final resting place of the mother and father of all humanity.
The reason Adam chose this location as a burial site is because the Cave of Machepla is the opening into the Garden of Eden. To this day, people can visit the small circular entrance into the underground caves and report feeling a cool breeze coming up from the opening.
(Photo: Lowering candles into the entrance to the Cave of Machpela.)
Today, a small stone slab is displayed behind iron bars is referred to as Adam's footprint. It is situated behind the cenotaph of Abraham.
(Photo: The stone referred to as "Adam's Footprint.")
A Jewish traveler from the Middle Ages named Jacob the son of Rabbi Nathaniel ha Cohen (also know as Rabbi Ya’akov ben Netanel HaCohen) mentions Adam's burial in his travel writings.
Researchers believe based on his reference to the Crusades, that he made his journey to Israel in the year 1187. His journals were translated into English and printed in Jewish Travellers in the Middle Ages: 19 Firsthand Accounts by Elkan Nathan Adler. Rabbi Jacob writes as follows:
"I, Jacob the son of R. Nathaniel ha Cohen, journeyed with much difficultly, but God helped me to enter the Holy land, and I saw the graves of our righteous Patriarchs in Hebron... There is the place out of which Adam, the first man, as created. They take earth from it and build houses with it, but it never grows less and is always full..." page 98.
One of Israel’s greatest historical researchers, Prof. Ze’ev Vilnai (1900–1988), added to this account that this earth was near the spring of Abraham and was called ‘the Field of Adam HaRishon’ the first man."
Arculf, a Frankish Bishop visited the Land of Israel around the year 680. He wrote of visiting Hebron and viewing the tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah, as well as "the tomb of Adam, which is of meaner workmanship, lies not far from them, at the furthest extremity to the north."
The Midrash reports:
Adam sat and pondered and he said :”For I know that You will return me to die and at meeting place of all living” (Job 30:23). “As long as I am still alive I will build a house outside of Mount Moria. He dug and built himself a house. Then he thought, these tablets (the Ten Commandments) which will be written by the hand of G-d will chase away the waters of the Jordan river; my body-made by G-d’s own hands and given a soul by Him. After my death my body and my bones will be taken and be made into idolatry. So, therefore, I will bury my casket deep under and inside the cave. Therefore, the Cave is called the Cave of the Machpela -The Multiple Cave and there is where they are: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. And therefore it is called Kiryat Arba - the city of the four - because four couples were buried there.
The Zohar, the main work of the Kabbalah, Judaism's mystical teachings, has several references to Adam and Eve in Hebron.
Discovery of the Machpela
Rabbi Rehumai said: God Himself created Adam and He Himself took care of Adam at his death. No one knew of Adam’s burial place until Abraham came, entered the cave and saw him. As Abraham entered, the place was filled with the scent of the Garden of Eden and the voice of the ministering angels saying: “Adam is buried here. Abraham and Isaac will be prepared for this place.” Abraham saw the lit candle and went out. At that moment he developed a desire for the place.
(Zohar Ruth: 79, 4)
Meeting of Abraham and Adam
The first time Abraham entered the Machpelah Cave he saw a light and two graves were revealed to him. At that time Adam looked at Abraham and his expression was that of happiness. Hence Abraham knew that he was destined to be buried there. Said Abraham to Adam: “Is there an opening here” (for the light)? Answered Adam: “The All-Mighty has buried me here and since that time I have been hidden from human eyes-like the roots in the ground- until you came to world. From now on, the covenant for me and for humanity will exist because of you.
(Zohar Chaye Sarah. 128:1)
Passageway to the World to Come
When Jacob entered the cave all of the Garden of Eden’s scents filled it, and a single candle illuminated it. And when the [souls of the] Patriarchs went down to Egypt, to be with Jacob, the candle was extinguished. When Jacob came back, the candle lit up and the Cave’s glory was restored. And never did or will the Cave accept anyone else (other than the four couples). And the souls of the righteous people pass in front of them in the cave so that they (Adam and Eve and the other three couples) would see their descendants and rejoice in front of G-d blessed be He.
(Zohar Genesis Vayiechi , 250)
The Scent of the Garden of Eden
Our sages ask: ”How did Isaac know the scent of “the field blessed by G-d”? However, explains the Zohar:
”These are two which are one”. It says in one place: "And Isaac went out in the evening " (Genesis 24:63). Didn’t Isaac have a house or another place in which to pray? But that field was the field of the Machpela which Abraham purchased next to the Cave. When Isaac went to the field he saw the Divine Presence and the field became filled with sacred and supreme scents (from Garden of Eden). That is why he designated it for his prayer site. And this is, in essence, what Isaac referred to when he said: “behold my son’s scent is that of the field blessed by G-d.”
(Zohar Exodus 39:2)
Other traditions connect the Spring of Abraham, a local historical site, to Adam and Eve.
Dean Stanley in his 1862 book Sermons from the East discusses visiting the spring and states: "In the early morning I visited, in company with Dr. Rosen, some of the remains of antiquity on the wooded hill facing the town of Hebron on the south. An ancient well on the slope of the hill is sometimes called 'the Spring of Abraham,' sometimes 'the New Spring' Ain-el-Jedidi ; this last title, as often the case in local designations, indicating rather the antiquity than the novelty of the place in question. It is vaulted over with masonry, and the channel, when not filled with water, is believed in the neighbourhood to reach to the Mosque. In this vault the local tradition (attaching itself to the curious mistake before noticed, respecting the connection of Adam with Hebron) represents that Adam and Eve hid themselves after their flight from Paradise." (page 166 - 167)
David Wilder, veteran spokesperson for the Jewish Community of Hebron comments on the Adam and Eve connection stating:
This beautiful legend is quite fitting, as according to very holy Jewish literature, Adam and Eve when trying to discover the way back to the Garden of Eden, dug a cave within a cave, until a voice from the heavens commanded them to stop, saying that they’d dug far enough. Known as the entrance to paradise, or the entrance to the Garden of Eden, this is where the first man and woman were later buried. That site remained hidden until the days of Abraham, who discovered this sacred cave-tomb. That site is today known as Ma’arat HaMachpela – the ‘double cave of Machpela, where later, the Patriarchs and Matriarchs were buried.
Therefore, it seems that not only was the first man buried in Hebron. Here too, he was created, not more than two kilometers from Machpela. I’m sure, if the first man really was created at this spot, he undoubtedly bathed in the waters of the nearby spring.
That being the case, these waters, which purified Adam, and maybe too Eve, as well as Abraham and Sarah, and most likely King David also, are a direct link from the beginning of time, through this very day. Water symbolizes life, for without water there is no life. This spring represents our life, as a people, as a nation, continuing to flow, without stopping, for thousands of years. That is our essence: life, purity and an uninterrupted flow of holiness. This is Hebron, from the Hebrew root ‘lechaber’ – to join together, to unify – bonding us from conception of our world, to the present.
To arrange a guided tour of Hebron contact us:
United States contact info:
http://www.hebronfund.org
1760 Ocean Avenue
info@hebronfund.org
In Israel contact the offices of the Jewish Community of Hebron at:
http://en.hebron.org.il/
office@hebron.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hebronofficial
* Hebron in the Talmud
* Hebron in the Bible
* Shimon Bar Kochba and Hebron
How much did it cost to rebuild Hebron in 1931?11.7.19
Purim in the Hebron Ghetto - A history20.3.19
American students murdered in 1929 Hebron Massacre1.3.19
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4-D Shevchenko Avenue, Odesa, 65044
e-mail: news@prichernomorie.com.ua
tel.: (048) 776-13-13, 776-14-14
en.prichernomorie.com.ua
Special tactical exercises to neutralize terrorists held within “Sea Breeze 2013”
ODESA, JULY 17th, 2013, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE — Special tactical exercises to neutralize terrorists have been held yesterday, 16 July, in Odesa within US-Ukrainian naval exercises “Sea Breeze 2013”, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.
The press centre of Security Service of Ukraine reported yesterday, 16 July.
Special tactical exercises to neutralize terrorists were held on the territory of the Western naval base of the Ukrainian Navy in accordance with the Plan of organizational and practical measures of Coordination Group of Antiterrorist Centre at the Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in Odesa region.
The exercises got involved members of the Coordination Group of the Antiterrorist Centre at the Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in Odesa region and its staff office, forces and facilities of Security Service of Ukraine Office, Main Department of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Office of the Southern Territorial Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs, State Service for Emergency Situations, the Southern Regional Office of the State Border Service of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Navy, representatives of the US Embassy, the Odesa Regional State Administration and the City Council.
The purpose of the event is inspection and assessment of the effectiveness of the interaction of forces and resources that are involved in the Coordination Group of the Antiterrorist Centre at the Office of the Security Service of Ukraine in Odesa region, with representatives of the Embassy of the United States, responsible for the security of the international exercises “Sea Breeze 2013”, as well as improving the skills, joint actions of concerned agencies, which are included in the state anti-terrorist system.
During the realistic trainings, the participants worked out an algorithm of actions preventing possible terrorist manifestations at strategic military sites, neutralized conventional terrorists and released hostages.
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Reporting Red Tape - Australia's Superannuation Reporting Requirements
August 2014 | Mark McFarlane, Alex Elser and Laura Foster, King & Wood Mallesons
We recently conducted a survey of superannuation members. Admittedly, this survey was limited to a small sample size consisting of people the authors know and work with.
We asked the survey participants two questions:
Do you know the investments underlying your superannuation fund?
None of them did.
Are you particularly interested?
None of them were.
A small and selective survey but nevertheless a telling insight into the level of interest that the average superannuation member has in their superannuation fund, or at least the assets held in the fund.
The public’s equivocal attitude to superannuation investments makes the high regulatory burdens imposed on superannuation funds to report their portfolio holdings hard to rationalise. In light of the continuing uncertainty regarding these reporting requirements, this article looks at the current superannuation fund asset reporting requirements and asks what, if anything, all of the red tape achieves for members.
A small step back in time
Back in 2012, the Corporations Act was amended to require trustees of certain superannuation funds to publish on a publicly accessible website, on a semi-annual basis, the assets held in each of their funds at a particular point in time in each year.
To bolster the asset publication obligation, notification and reporting obligations were created down the chain of investments derived from funds. Trustees of superannuation funds were required in certain circumstances to give notices to the entities in which they invest and to receive reports on the assets held by those entities. Those entities in turn were required to give notices to, and receive reports from, the entities they invested with and so on and so on.
Trustees of superannuation funds are not currently required to comply with all of these additional transparency obligations. There have been many extensions made to the effective dates of the amendments, with the current effective date scheduled for 1 July 2015.
The explanatory memorandum to the relevant amendment to the Corporations Act noted that:
“portfolio disclosure in Australia is unduly opaque and does not meet global best practice. Requiring the disclosure of portfolio holdings will provide greater transparency and allow members to understand where their superannuation is invested.”
What the explanatory memorandum failed to address was why it is important and beneficial for members to understand the assets in which their superannuation is invested.
It is all very well to refer to ‘global best practice’ but given members usually lack control over superannuation fund investment decisions, there would seem to be very little members can really do with the information. The explanatory memorandum identified no specific outcome of the changes nor any real benefit to members. This raises a question as to why the Government should impose new and additional regulatory burdens, the costs of which will ultimately be borne by the members who have not demanded the data.
In November 2013, the Commonwealth Government announced a further review of the reporting and transparency measures and released a discussion paper for public consultation. The public consultation period for that review closed in February 2014. Since that time, the Assistant Treasurer for the Commonwealth Government has stood aside and different priorities appear to have taken hold.
In light of this stalled momentum, it’s worth considering how we got here, where we might go and what it all means.
The reporting regime in a little more detail
The Corporations Act (as amended for the delayed reporting and transparency measures) currently provides that the trustee of a registrable superannuation entity (other than a pooled superannuation trust) must make the following information publicly available on the entity’s website no later than 90 days after each reporting day (being 30 June and 31 December each year):
information that is sufficient to identify each of the financial products or other property in which assets, or assets derived from assets, of the entity are invested, at the end of the reporting day; and
the value of the assets, or assets derived from assets, of the entity, at the end of the reporting day, that are invested in each of the financial products or other property.
No regulations have yet been made for the purposes of the above reporting obligation, although it is contemplated that regulations will be made in due course to prescribe the way in which the disclosed information must be organised and also to provide for a materiality threshold.
In addition, the amended Corporations Act establishes a mechanism for a trustee or other responsible entity to collect information about the fund’s assets, and in particular the assets derived from the fund’s assets, to facilitate reporting.
The relevant provisions generally provide a mechanism for the trustee to give a notice to another person (the second person) with whom the trustee makes an investment. The second person is then required to provide certain reports to the trustee. In addition, the second person is required to give a notice to any third person with whom the second person makes an investment using money or assets sourced from the relevant superannuation fund. In turn, the third person then has reporting and notification obligations placed on them. In summary, the notification and reporting obligations flow down the chain of asset investments ultimately derived from the relevant superannuation fund.
The obligation to provide a notice when an investment is made using superannuation sourced funds, and the associated reporting obligations imposed upon the recipient of the notice, only apply where the party providing the notice acquires the relevant financial product in Australia.
There are offence provisions for trustees who don’t comply with the reporting obligations, who provide information that is misleading or deceptive or who omit information. There is a defence to the offence provisions where the trustee has taken “reasonable steps” to obtain the information but was unable to
do so. Offence positions can also apply to those that receive notices from trustees.
The trouble with offshore investments
There has been industry confusion as to the extent to which the superannuation reporting provisions will require a trustee to report on assets derived from investments offshore.
Let’s take the example of an investment by an Australian superannuation fund trustee in a private real estate fund formed as an exempt limited partnership in the Cayman Islands. The trustee would not be required to provide a notice to the general partner of the partnership because the asset has been not been acquired in Australia (it has been acquired in the Cayman Islands). However, this does not relieve the trustee of its obligation to make information publicly available about its interest in the Cayman Islands partnership together with a valuation of its assets invested in the partnership. Further, the trustee has an obligation to report on the assets derived from the assets in the Cayman Islands partnership. The trustee may receive this information through reporting from the general partner of the partnership. If the trustee does not, it may need to ask the general partner for information on the underlying investments to demonstrate it has taken reasonable steps to obtain the information.
Of course, it is common for offshore private funds, whether private equity, private real estate or hedge funds, to impose confidentiality restrictions on investors. Such restrictions often prevent disclosure of investments held within the fund. There is no carve out in the Corporations Act for the trustee not to publish where it is subject to a confidentiality obligation.
To the contrary, the trustee may commit an offence if it fails to publish or to seek information to enable it to publish.
The trouble with private investments
Unlike public market investments, with their established statutory regimes of tracing notices and substantial holder reports, private investments are intended to be, well, private. Private equity, venture capital, private real estate and hedge funds tend to be sensitive to the disclosure of information by investors. There are a number of reasons for this. Some funds simply wish to make investments and pursue strategies out of the public gaze, hence their private nature.
For other funds, the nature of their investments is in and of itself confidential. For example:
venture capital investing in the early stages is often about backing people with an idea. A rival organisation may be able to steal those people and their ideas if the investments made by venture capital funds were publicly disclosed;
private equity and private real estate funds may not wish for their valuations of privately held assets to be publicly disclosed on a six monthly basis. This might diminish the ability of those funds to sell an asset at an amount higher than the publicly disclosed valuation; and
hedge funds may not wish for their assets to be disclosed in case it reveals a particular strategy being pursued by those funds, which might be disrupted if others discover the strategy through public disclosure.
It is for these, and other reasons that many private funds documents contain terms permitting the general partner or other fund sponsor to withhold information from an investor where to make such a disclosure might otherwise cause commercial harm to the fund. In addition, to the extent information is made available by the general partner or other fund sponsor, investors are typically subject to strict confidentiality obligations
Arguments against the imposition of the transparency burden
The private nature of private funds runs counter to the transparency obligations on superannuation fund trustees under the amended Corporations Act.
Some private funds have refused investment from superannuation fund trustees due to the possibility that the transparency measures might become effective in their present form. Other private funds have
taken a “wait and see” approach, but may in the future exclude superannuation fund trustees from making an investment, or continuing to hold an investment, in their funds. So one argument against requiring disclosure by superannuation fund trustees is that it will shrink their investment universe.
There are of course other reasons – as alluded to at the beginning of this article. The Government has not advanced any regulatory or consumer benefit that results from public disclosure. Why impose a burden where the benefits have not been enumerated? Plus, as with all regulatory requirements that result in a practical and administrative burden, investment reporting by superannuation funds comes at a cost. A cost that will ultimately be borne by the members of the superannuation funds.
Perhaps the better course would be to require disclosure of public investments and restrict the need to disclose private investments where to make such disclosure would not be in the best interests of fund members (this might be because it would require the trustee to breach confidentiality obligations or risk being excluded from the investment altogether).
Mark McFarlane is a partner in the Sydney office of King & Wood Mallesons where he creates innovative solutions for local and foreign participants in financial services, private equity and other structured funds, hedge funds, structured transactions, club deals and consortiums. Mark has put together a number of joint ventures to invest in real estate and debt assets, and regularly sought out to advise on the most complex arrangements. Mark has assisted clients in a wide variety of transactions in Australia and Asia. He has assisted many foreign participants in the financial services industry comply with regulatory requirements in accessing Australian sources of capital.
Alex Elser is a special counsel in Sydney's Mergers & Acquisitions group. Having practiced in New York and Sydney primarily within specialist mergers & acquisitions and private equity groups, Alex has developed a deep understanding of and experience of working with large blue-chip PE sponsors. She brings a knowledge and understanding that is hard to find in the Australian market and one that has proven very valuable to many of her clients. Alex also provides advice on corporate governance arrangements, corporate compliance and other Corporations Act matters, ancillary documentation (such as non-disclosure agreements) and joint venture arrangements.
Laura Foster is a senior associate in the Sydney office of King & Wood Mallesons where she works local and foreign participants in financial services, private equity and other structured funds, hedge funds, structured transactions, club deals and consortiums. Laura has a wide range of experience including real estate joint ventures. Laura has assisted many foreign participants in the financial services industry comply with regulatory requirements in accessing Australian sources of capital.
King & Wood Mallesons - strategically positioned in the world's growth markets, financial capitals and the home of information technology - we're on the ground where our clients need us most. We offer unrestricted legal capability and capacity across the region's most dynamic economies, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Europe, the US and the Middle East. Clients benefit from our extensive network of legal advisors with the right expertise, sector insights and relationships to help them realise the opportunities and navigate the region's complex web of regulators. Across 30 international locations we are delivering industry expertise across the full spectrum of commercial, financial and specialist legal services. For more information, please visit www.kwm.com.
I came across this article in Eurekahedge's monthly newsletter which you may be interested in: http://eurekaprivateequity.com/NewsAndEvents/News/1243/Reporting-Red-Tape-Australias-Superannuation-Reporting-Requirements
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The Chemical Brothers and Beck Join Forces for "Wide Open" Video
The Chemical Brothers dropped their latest full-length effort Born in the Echoes last year, roping in high-profile contributors like Q-Tip, St. Vincent and Beck for special appearances. The latter came together on a track called "Wide Open," and now that song has been given the visual treatment.
The new video was directed by Dom & Nic and it centres on a dancer in a spacious warehouse. As she moves, her body parts are transformed into what looks like a modern art exhibit.
It's a beautiful juxtaposition of CGI experimentation and totally human-powered contemporary dance, and you can watch it in the player below.
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Beth Elise Whitaker
Beth Elise Whitaker is associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research examines migration and security issues in Africa. With a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, she and several colleagues have built a dataset of rebel groups’ illicit funding sources (particularly natural resources and crime) and are exploring how different funding strategies influence conflict dynamics. As a Fulbright Scholar in Kenya, she conducted research on U.S.-African counter-terrorism cooperation. She also has done extensive research on the politics of immigration in Africa, including the rise of anti-foreigner attitudes, comparative refugee policy, and the political engagement of diaspora communities. She has done fieldwork in Kenya (2005-2006, 2015), Tanzania (1996-1998, 2003), and Botswana (2005). From 2010 to 2012, she served as chair of the African Politics Conference Group, a network of political scientists who study Africa. She worked previously at the Brookings Institution and the American Council on Education and has been a consultant for the U.S. Department of State, the Social Science Research Council, the United Nations Foundation, and Save the Children Fund. Her articles appear in Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, African Studies Review, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, International Migration Review, International Affairs, Third World Quarterly, and Journal of Refugee Studies, among others. She received her Ph.D. in 1999 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Email: bwhitaker@uncc.edu
Position: Associate Professor
Website: Associate Professor
Institution / Affiliation : University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Methodology: Field Experiments, Survey Methodology
Policy: Conflict and Violence, Governance
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DELO WOMEN'S EHF CL DELO WOMEN'S EHF Champions League ▼
VELUX EHF CL
VELUX EHF Champions League
DELO WOMEN'S EHF FINAL4
1 month ago - 12/10/2019
Toft’s amazing autumn with Brest and Denmark
Sandra Toft will not easily forget the autumn of the 2019/20 season.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper, from the outskirts of Copenhagen, has been enjoying an uninterrupted streak of successes - with her club team as well as with the national team.
Brest Bretagne Handball signed Toft from Danish champions Team Esbjerg in the summer of 2019, and the Danish goalkeeper has played an instrumental role in the French side’s six-game winning streak in the DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League group matches.
Toft’s save percentage of 47 was a decisive factor
However, French handball fans might be less happy with Toft since last Friday (6 December), when her save percentage of 47 was a decisive factor in Denmark’s 20:18 win over France at the World Championship 2019 in Japan.
It was the last match for both teams in group B, a do-or-die duel. The result sent Denmark through to the main round, while France, the reigning world and EHF EURO champions, had to settle for playing for 13th to 24th place, missing out on the next phase of a World Championship for the first time in 29 years.
“I will not hesitate to rate this match as one of my biggest games, not least due to its importance,” Toft said. “Sending the world and European champions out of the race for the title was really awesome, not least as I play in the country. I couldn’t believe that we would actually be able to beat France and proceed to the main round.”
A brilliant Sandra Toft (15 saves at 47%) helps @dhf_haandbold 🇩🇰 defeat @ffhandball 🇫🇷 20:18 to take the last train to the main round in Group B! 🙅♀️ #Japan2019 #handinhand pic.twitter.com/I46riSnb5X
— IHF (@ihf_info) December 6, 2019
Toft called Denmark “a fantastic team with an amazing spirit” after the crucial win against France.
“It may have been an advantage to me that I knew the French players rather well from the French league, but then again, they also knew me,” Toft said. “Our great defence made it rather easy for me to read the French shooters.”
Toft in a stellar role again
And Denmark continued to impress in the main round. Toft starred but could not avoid a 22:19 loss to traditional powerhouse Norway, but Denmark defeated Netherlands 27:24 on Monday - with Toft in a stellar role again.
She saved 20 shots in total for a save rate of 45, and was an obvious choice for Player of the Match.
The matches against France and Netherlands were not the first at the World Championship where Toft drew the attention to herself.
With save percentages beyond 50 for parts of the games and numerous saves from one-against-one situations, Toft has been the dominating force in all of Denmark’s matches so far.
Broad international experience
Obviously, her broad international experience, also on club level, has come in useful.
After lifting the Women’s EHF Cup with Team Tvis Holstebro in 2013, Toft went on to win the Norwegian championship with Larvik three years in succession (2015-17), and playing in the Champions League for the Norwegian powerhouse all three seasons.
And after helping Team Esbjerg win the Danish championship last season, she was ready for her second foreign adventure, this time at Brest in France.
Her career has been interrupted by a brain concussion and several knee problems, but she has come back stronger than before.
“Even though it was hard to leave Esbjerg, I am happy to have joined Brest,” she said. “The French league is a bit more competitive than the Danish league, but apart from that, the level is like what I was used to. Brest’s ambitions are as high as mine so we are a perfect match.”
Photo: JHA/Sports Event
Author: Peter Bruun / ew
Toft, Sandra
Brest Bretagne Handball
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Your Downtown Danceteria Since 1970
Downtown Minneapolis, MN
info@first-avenue.com
Depot Tavern
IVAN & ALYOSHA
Seattle-based five-piece rock combo Ivan & Alyosha are finally complete, having organically grown from the original duo of Tim Wilson and Ryan Carbary, adding Tim's brother Pete and Tim Kim, then drummer Cole Mauro as a full-time member for their sophomore Dualtone Records album, It's All Just Pretend, an uplifting exploration of the things that fuel their classic sound, steeped in the verities of family, faith and existential doubt.
Their critically praised debut album, All the Times We Had was a perennial on several NPR tastemaker stations with an iTunes "Song of the Week" for "Running for Cover." Paste called their music "luscious, enjoyable folk-pop" and NPR Music praised their "Beatles-esque pop harmonies and sweet melodies," while Rolling Stone raved about their "smooth, soaring guitar pop" and American Songwriter said the band "achieve a polished west coast soul-folk sound that draws on the poppier sensibilities of McCartney songwriting." Ivan & Alyosha woodshedded for close to a year in making the new album in a variety of locations, from Carbary's own Seattle area condo home studio to first-album producer Chad Coplein's Black Watch Studios in Norman, Oklahoma and L.A.'s famed Sunset Sound with mixer/co-producer Joe Chiccarelli, who has worked with U2, My Morning Jacket, Elton John, The Shins, Etta James and The Strokes.
The band, which originally took its name from two characters in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, has developed into a three-headed songwriting beast, with the Wilson brothers and Carbary carrying virtually an equal load on the new album. The eclectic 11-song effort takes off with the pure adrenaline of Pete's contributions, "Something Is Wrong" and "Bury Me Deep," highlighted by jangling guitars and pointed observations about freedom and personal responsibility in today's society. "As a songwriter, I feel a huge responsibility to be honest," says Pete Wilson. "And most of the time, that honesty comes at a price of digging down deep into my own faults, frustrations, and doubts. I've tried to write the protest song where I point the finger and place the blame elsewhere, but it never works out." He adds, "The goal is to hold up the mirror to our own shortcomings, and start asking, "how do I get out of the mess I've put myself in?"
Tim's "All This Wandering Around," the first single, offers a haunted Roy Orbison-like croon featuring Tim Kim's swampy delta blues guitar break wrapped around a song of the search for a power greater than oneself, and the stumbles in finding it along the way. "There has to be honesty," says Tim. "Lyrically and thematically, our songs connect with people, no matter what they believe. We hopefully provide some sort of light, whenever – and wherever – they listen to them." According to Tim, the album title (which comes from Pete's song) depicts a modern world where reality is hidden behind materialistic illusions, illustrated in songs like his "Modern Man," a funky, '80s Bowie-meets-Hall & Oates R&B number that takes aim on our fetish for technology and outward appearances. "Somewhere on the journey long ago," he sings. "You lost your place," adding that we're "drowning in the ocean of your lowered expectations."
Carbary's aching, self-lacerating songs explore harsh truths about relationships and domesticity with an eye towards traditional roots rock, evoking the piano balladry of Paul McCartney ("Tears In Your Eyes"), a bluesy four-on-the-floor shuffle punctuated with poppy "Penny Lane" horns ("Oh This Love") and a country gospel lament about relationships – one with a fellow human, the other a higher spiritual power -- featuring his own twangy slide guitar ("Drifting Away"). "I've always been a sucker for a heartbreak song," admits Ryan. "I'm mostly expressing my failures as a human being, and striving to become a better person. It's true emotion."
That rawness and vulnerability can be heard on Tim's "Come Rain, Come Shine," a song that evokes one of George Harrison's blissful Buddhist mantras, a glimpse of our own communal nature, that we all occupy this earth together. "We wanted to come up with something that was universal," explains Tim, who co-penned the song with Nashville songwriter Dave Berg. "We wanted to bring things into perspective, with all of the nonsense going on in America and the world, that we're all part of this global community. All may be meaningless, but there are still things in the world that are meaningful. As a band, we try to err on the light, rather than the dark, side. We admit there are things we have yet to figure out, but instead of falling into easy cynicism, or self-absorption, though, we try to dig deeper."
With four of the five band members married, and two of them with kids, family is an important consideration for Ivan & Alyosha. Tim deals with the topic openly on the closing lullaby to his then two-year-old son Henry, "Don't Lose Your Love," a wise counsel from a father to his child and wife, his fingers squeaking on the fret like a literal tug on the heartstrings. For all the members of I&A, as they pursue their musical ambitions, it is important that their personal lives remain grounded. "It can be difficult when we're on the road," says Ryan. "We're very grateful to have the kind of support we do from the loved ones back home"
"Family informs just about everything we do creatively," nods Tim, a devoted father and husband who manages to keep the home fires burning whether on tour or recording. "It's an inspiring thing, for sure. We're all just trying to take care of each other. Rock bands don't usually deal with topics like family and spirituality, but these subjects are universal." On It's All Just Pretend, Ivan & Alyosha continue to make timeless music that shows that rock and domestic bliss can indeed co-exist, as they overcome any obstacles by the sheer joy of their roles -- not only as performers, but brothers, husbands, fathers and sons.
Events Featuring this Performer
with KRIS ORLOWSKI
$12.00 advance
with BOMBA DE LUZ
with HOPE COUNTRY and TWIN FORKS
CHAMBERLIN and IVAN & ALYOSHA
with ACTUAL WOLF
$8.00 advance
Supporting Events
with IVAN & ALYOSHA
at Fine Line
© 1970-2013 701 Ventures Inc. All right reserved. Website by ThinkShout
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I have a new project.
See, yesterday, http://flail.com/pictures/hitler.gif got 423 hits, and http://flail.com/pictures/hitlermorph.gif got 266 hits. I really want the smooth morph to get more exposure. So first off, since the image named hitler.gif is getting more hits, I've moved the old picture at hitler.gif off to http://flail.com/pictures/hitlergoofy.gif . The other thing, though, is that I obviously need to get this image bumped up from the fourth page that comes up when you do a Google image search for Hitler, preferably within the next 364 days. I'm not 100% confident in the best way to bomb Google images, but Hitler leads to a page that showcases the image with appropriate text, and Hitler direct linking can't hurt, either.
Feel free to help.
ObDisclaimer: I'm not a fan of Hitler. I'm not much of a fan of Donald Sutherland, either. But that image seriously cracks me up, and the fact that 266 people saw it yesterday makes me kind of happy.
kodi 12:10
In other news, I saw a bumper sticker today that read:
"U CAN'T B BOTH CATHOLIC AND PRO-CHOICE"
One of these days, I'm going to learn how to use a tool. Until then, this was fun. The entire top should be black; I'm ordering more black bricks.
So, this is just a little horrifying.
Last week G2 launched Operation Clark County to help readers have a say in the American election by writing to undecided voters in the crucial state of Ohio. In the first three days, more than 11,000 people requested addresses. Here is some of the reaction to the project that we received from the US
And they go on to share some of the mailbag. Responses seem to bucket into five categories:
Good idea! Thanks for helping get rid of Bush!
Bad idea! If you do this, we'll never get rid of Bush!
Why don't you win a fucking world war before you tell us who to vote for?
You have bad teeth.
What you are doing is illegal.
I don't really know what the net effect of this is on the election, but I have to say - elections in America can easily come down to as little as a few thousand votes (or 5, depending on how bitter you want to be about that). When you have a few thousand people potentially making the decision about whether or not one of the most capable military forces in the world believes in pre-emptive overthrow of sovereign states, well, I can see why other nations would feel a bit distressed about not being able to affect the selection process at all.
Wow. Wendy's has the best nutritional information website out there, I'm thinking. It lets you assemble your meal, then delete/add individual toppings, and gives you a total across your whole meal. This is awesome for me, because otherwise I'd have no idea what my Texas double with no meat works out to. (Removing the two patties shaves off 200 calories, it looks like. The Texas double doesn't actually appear on Wendy's site, unfortunately; I don't think it's available outside of Texas. And Wendy's in New Mexico offers packets of green chile sauce.)
In other fast food news, Chipotle has switched over to a vegetable rennet cheese. It's so weird what a different face they present from McDonald's; they do a really good job of pretending to be an independent operation.
Oh, look. Somehow, it is 3am. I really was planning on getting quite a bit of sleep, tonight, but then I went to Fry's for a replacement motherboard (as near as I can tell, the AGP slot on my motherboard has died. I can offer no other explanation for this computer's behavior.) and instead ended up with this:
The funny thing is, I'm actually 100% aware of the dangers posed by ESD, and every time I set to working on a computer, I think "You know, I really ought to buy a damned grounding kit. Or at least lock the cat out of the room. Oh well, no time for that - I'll just be sure to touch the case before I do anything." So, yes, I have a bit of a cavalier attitude toward ESD. But I swear, this is a new low for me.
There seems to be a great deal of confusion over what Dred Scott meant. Here are some quotes to help you come to a decision on your own. First, the United States Constitution:
The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or Duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
("such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit" is often interpreted to mean "slaves")
No person held to Service or Labor in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labor, But shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labor may be due.
("person held to Service or Labor in one state, under the Laws thereof" is often interpreted to mean "slave")
Finally, Scott v. Sanford, 60 U.S. 393 (1857):
Now, as we have already said in an earlier part of this opinion, upon a different point, the right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution. The right to traffic in it, like an ordinary article of merchandise and property, was guarantied to the citizens of the United States, in every State that might desire it, for twenty years. And the Government in express terms is pledged to protect it in all future time, if the slave escapes from his owner. This is done in plain words -- too plain to be misunderstood. And no word can be found in the Constitution which gives Congress a greater power over slave property, or which entitles property of that kind to less protection than property of any other description. The only power conferred is the power coupled with the duty of guarding and protecting the owner in his rights.
Upon these considerations, it is the opinion of the court that the act of Congress which prohibited a citizen from holding and owning property of this kind in the territory of the United States north of the line therein mentioned, is not warranted by the Constitution, and is therefore void; and that neither Dred Scott himself, nor any of his family, were made free by being carried into this territory; even if they had been carried there by the owner, with the intention of becoming a permanent resident.
Lastly, for easy reference, what Bush claimed:
Another example would be the Dred Scott case, which is where judges, years ago, said that the Constitution allowed slavery because of personal property rights.
That's a personal opinion. That's not what the Constitution says. The Constitution of the United States says we're all -- you know, it doesn't say that. It doesn't speak to the equality of America.
Thank you for your kind attention in this matter.
BUSH: Well, it's pretty simple when they say: Are you for a ban on partial birth abortion? Yes or no?
And he was given a chance to vote, and he voted no. And that's just the way it is. That's a vote. It came right up. It's clear for everybody to see. And as I said: You can run but you can't hide the reality.
Except that what they really say is, "Are you for a ban on partial birth abortions worded in a way that the Supreme Court of the United States has already suggested is unconstitutional?" But yeah, apart from that, it's pretty simple.
I mean, I read through the entire transcript, and generally both candidates seem to be floating a lot of half-truths, which is what you expect in an oral debate, and why I don't like to watch them. But this bit from Bush, coming in this context:
BUSH:I signed the partial-birth -- the ban on partial-birth abortion. It's a brutal practice. It's one way to help reduce abortions. My opponent voted against the ban.
KERRY: I'm against the partial-birth abortion, but you've got to have an exception for the life of the mother and the health of the mother under the strictest test of bodily injury to the mother.
How the hell can you be older than 5 and come back with "You voted against it and I voted for it I win forever infinity plus one!"
You know, I own a digital videocamera, and my digital still camera has a video mode. So why on earth do I find this so fascinating?
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Westphalian Foundations of Modern International Relations, Global Politics and Global Security
What is global politics?
It is when a white man sends a black man 20.000 km. far away from home to kill a yellow man, while at home this white man is living on the land occupied from a red man
From 1989 onward, as a consequence of the dissolution of the bipolar world in global politics, Security Studies as an academic discipline re-born again its political importance. From the very traditional point of view, it was only the national-state to be considered as the reference object of the security issue that was usually to be obtained by military power[1] and diplomatic activity by the responsible government. According to some definitions, „Security…implies both coercive means to check an aggressor and all manner of persuasion, bolstered by the prospect of mutually shared benefits, to transform hostility into cooperation“[2] and „National security may be defined as the ability to withstand aggression from abroad“.[3] Nevertheless, collective security in global politics depends fundamentally on the very type of IR between the key actors in politics – the national-states. A modern form of IR and collective security was established after the Thirty Years War in 1648 by the Peace Treaty of Westphalia.
It is a big question if present days world lives in secure times. Usually, the people trust their own governments and institutions for the reason they somehow believe that they keep them safe and even prosperous. However, the current moment of global politics is very characterized by a pervasive worldwide sense of insecurity. There are, unfortunately, many places in the world in which people live under the constant threat of war, expulsion, destruction, rape, killing, shooting, being raped, robbed, terrorized or kidnapped (Kosovo, Somalia, Syria, Nigeria, Afghanistan, the USA, the EU, etc.). Security policy, especially by the states, is supposed to minimize or suppress insecurity. From the points of global politics and international relations (IR), at the time of the Cold War (1949−1989), the responsible institutions to cope with all forms of insecurity were the nation-states, two global military-political blocs (the NATO and the Warsaw Pact) and the only supranational security institution – the UNO. In many cases, security policies are founded on real military forces, which are prepared to act against the perpetrator of the international law and order. In principle, the state authority has to protect their own people against risk of different nature that is coming either from inside or from outside of the society. Nevertheless, the requirement that the state has to protect the citizens from the outside aggression is a cornerstone of security policy in general.[4] Security itself, is considered to be one of the crucial values in human life. Human security primarily means to be safe, or to feel yourself to be safe, from threats. It is, nevertheless, common attitude in the academic discipline of IR that the system of the relations between the nation-states is mostly responsible for the quality of preservation of global security what means that global security fundamentally depends on the type of IR which exists among the key actors in global politics – the (national- or other) states.
A modern system of IR, functioning from 1648 to 1945, has its historical roots in the Thirty Years War (1618−1648), that was concluded by the Peace Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. This war can be named as the First Pan-European War, taking its scope, results and consequences for the European history in general. For 300 years, the principles of IR established by the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia were respected as the fundamental framework of both world politics and global security.
The foundations of the Thirty Years War were dogmatic disputes between the rising movement and confessional philosophy of different types of Protestantism, at the time of Reformation, and on other hand Vatican. In essence, that was a clash of revolting European Protestants against the confessional authority of the Roman Catholic Church, that started in 1517 by Martin Luther’s (1483−1546) Ninety-Five Theses. In the consequent years, Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and other theologians of Protestantism, created the groundwork of Reformation as a spiritual-philosophic challenge to Vatican’s domination over the West Europe. An additional fuel added to a popular dissatisfaction against Vatican became a widespread corruption by the Roman Catholic Church – a dissatisfaction which many European rulers and regional leaders exploited for the sake to realize their own personal ambitions. In some cases, the very personal reasons were the crucial motif to break with the pope as the king of England Henry VIII (1509−1547) did in 1534.[5] The claims of unchallenged spiritual-political authority over the Roman Catholic Europe by Vatican and the Holy Roman Empire (of the German Nation) brought extra personal-state’s reasons to many European kings and other feudal rulers (in the German case, for instance) to decide to break with the pope and to accept some type of the Protestant doctrine instead of the Roman Catholic one. However, on other hand, Vatican and its Roman Catholic client-monarchs of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy became extremely worried that the confessional fragmentation followed by the growing political autonomy of the (North) European rulers is fundamentally undermining the pope’s both spiritual and political authority in Europe, and therefore decided to crush these challenges by all means including and direct military intervention. Such Vatican’s policy finally culminated in the Thirty Years War (1618−1648).
The Peace Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 marks the start of the modern system of IR based on the foreign affairs between the states. The system is usually named as the Westphalian System of International Relations (WSIR), which gradually became up today spread over the world and consolidated as the state’s system with its anarchical inner structure, balances of power and power concern. However, most world states are not able to extract sufficient resources in order to wage some major wars and therefore to play a role of GP in global politics. That became informal reason to legitimize exactly only GP as a „world policemen“ what indirectly means that the world system of IR and global security is in essence of a multipolar nature with some extraordinary exceptions as it was, for instance, the case from 1991 to 2008 when only one hyperpower state (the USA) was a sole global policeman.
The practical implementation of the principles of the 1648 Peace Treaty of Westphalia became, however, contradictory in its nature as they were, in essence, opposing each other to the level not to be finally compatible. The WSIR created after 1648 an anarchic world and power politics based on competition by GP for global hegemony. The established principle of state’s sovereignty in 1648 directly implied the practice of realpolitik, what meant that political actors (states) can freely struggle for realization of their own national interests without any restrictions as any kind of world government did not exist to control and restrain them.
As self-interest motivates states, it became very difficult to reach an agreement between them for the reason that often some interest of one state is not compatible with the interests of other(s). Therefore, usually, governments do not judge objectively in the case of conflict, which state is aggressor and which state is a victim, and rather side with those who can help them to accomplish their own policy goals. For the same reason, states create and join the military-political alliances, which are of shifting nature. One of the fundamental results of the principles established by the 1648 Peace Treaty of Westphalia was that states were seeking for the balance of power in IR as a mechanism for global or regional security and, subsequently, the existence of the system of alliances became for many states precondition to keep the balance of power. Both, alliances and balancing of power in global politics made IR extremely complicated. These complex and contradictory forces governed IR and global politics from 1648, and contemporary international politics is not immune to the basic principles of world politics established by the Peace Treaty of Westphalia:
Sovereignty of the state.
Inviolability of the state borders.
Non-interference into the inner affairs of the other states.
Balancing of power.
Power politics.
Realpolitik.
Making alliances.
Keeping a collective security.
[1] Alan Collins (ed.), Contemporary Security Studies, Oxford−New York, Oxford University Press, 2007, 2.
[2] Edward A. Kolodziej, Security and International relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005, 25.
[3] Giacomo Luciani, „The Economic Content of Security“, Journal of Public Policy, Vol. 8, № 2, 1989, 151.
[4] Mary Kaldor, Iavor Rangelov (eds.), The Handbook of Global Security Policy, First edition, Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell, 2014, 1−2.
[5] Др Иванка Ћуковић Ковачевић, Историја Енглеске. Кратак преглед, Шесто издање, Београд: Naučna knjiga, 1991, 98−100. The king required divorce from his wife Catherine of Aragon by the pope as she was not able to gave birth to his male heir of the throne. As the pope rejected this requirement, the king broke with Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church by providing in 1534 a legislation according to which, Henry VIII became Supreme Head of the English Church. That was the beginning of the introduction of Protestantism in England, regardless to the fact that Henry VIII personally remained conservative in doctrine by still believing in the Roman Catholicism but without the pope. He retained „the title ‘Defender of the Faith’ granted him by the pope in 1521 for his treatise against Luther [Dr Alan Isaacs et al (eds.), A Dictionary of World History, Oxford−New York, Oxford University Press, 2001, 275].
Prof. Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirović
www.global-politics.eu/sotirovic
sotirovic@global-politics.eu
© Vladislav B. Sotirović 2017
Origins of images: Facebook, Twitter, Wikimedia, Wikipedia, Flickr, Google, Imageinjection, Public Domain & Pinterest.
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“The Stranger’s Woes” by Max Frei (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)
Official Max Frei Wikipedia
Order “The Stranger’s Woes” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read FBC’s Review of “The Stranger”
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Max Frei is a pen name for Svetlana Martynchik. As Max Frei, she is the author of the international bestselling The Labyrinths of Echo series, of which over two million copies have sold in Russia alone. She also writes books on literature and art, still untranslated. The author lives in Moscow.
ABOUT THE STRANGER’S WOES: The Stranger’s Woes continues the story of twenty-something loser Max Frei. A loafer who sleeps all day, Max one night finds himself transported to the magical world of Echo, where he possesses magical abilities and becomes the Nocturnal Representative of the Most Venerable Head of the Minor Secret Investigative Force of the City of Echo.
With his new friends and co-workers—the omniscient Sir Juffin Hully, the hilarious Melifaro and the beautiful Lady Melamori Blimm—Sir Max enjoys a life where he’s no longer a social outcast as he solves crimes, battles illegal magic and fights trespassing monsters from other worlds. Now in The Stranger’s Woes, Max will encounter cases more complicated, extravagant and dangerous than ever before in this strange and topsy-turvy universe...
FORMAT/INFO: The Stranger’s Woes is 416 pages long divided over three titled chapters, with each chapter serving as a self-contained short story/novella that is interconnected with the series as whole. Narration is in the first-person exclusively via the protagonist Max. The Stranger’s Woes is the second book in The Labyrinths of Echo series, which consists of ten volumes. In order to understand what is happening in The Stranger’s Woes, it is highly recommended that readers finish The Stranger before starting the second book.
June 9, 2011 marks the North American Hardcover publication of “The Stranger’s Woes” via The Overlook Press. The English edition is translated from Russian by Polly Gannon and Astamur Moore. The UK version (see below) will be published on June 30, 2011 via Gollancz.
ANALYSIS: It may have taken me a long while to become acclimated to the quirky humor, characters, setting, story structure and other idiosyncrasies found in Max Frei’s The Stranger, but once I did, the book was impossible to put down and I finished the novel immediately hungering for another helping of Sir Max’s adventures. For the most part, The Stranger’s Woes served up exactly what I was craving for...
Comprised of three chapters/short stories, The Stranger’s Woes continues Max’s entertaining adventures as the Nocturnal Representative of the Most Venerable Head of the Minor Secret Investigative Force of the City of Echo. This time around, Max gets to deal with undead bandits, representatives from the empire of Arvarox who are seeking a dangerous fugitive, zombies who refuse to die, and becoming trapped on Earth. Max also gets to meet His Majesty King Gurig VIII for the first time; develops a new love interest in Tekki Shekk, the proprietor of a bar named after Max’s cats; is declared the king of Max’s supposed homeland in the Barren Lands; visits General Boboota Box’s home; serves as Sir Juffin Hully’s temporary replacement; develops new abilities (Lethal Spheres, tracking someone through their trace, traveling through the Doors between Worlds); makes some new acquaintances (Anday Pu, Rulen Bagdasys, Aloxto Allirox, Lieutenant Chekta Jax, Lady Kekki Tuotli); and introduces Echo to the marvelous invention that is movies.
Now because I was already familiar with the author’s writing style and the tone of the series which was established in the first book, I was able to pick up The Stranger’s Woes and start enjoying myself right from the get go. This familiarity was aided by how much the book shares with The Stranger, including the same humor and running jokes (Max’s laziness and voracious appetite), the same supporting cast (Sir Juffin Hully, Sir Shurf Lonli-Lokli, Sir Manga Melifaro, Sir Kofa Yox, Lady Melamori Blimm), the same imaginative world with its strange customs, the same story structure, and so on.
The downside to all of this is that The Stranger’s Woes doesn’t really offer anything different from its predecessor. In fact, you could take the three stories found in The Stranger’s Woes, insert them in The Stranger, and no one would be able to tell the difference. Sure, the cases are new, but characters and relationships remain largely static, and there aren’t any major overarching conflicts or subplots to help drive the story, apart from Max & Melamori’s love quandary and vague hints toward other complications. For now, this isn’t a major issue with eight more volumes to go, but at some point, The Labyrinths of Echo needs to do more than just have Sir Max solve crimes for the Minor Secret Investigative Force.
Other minor complaints include jokes that fail to translate properly or are painfully outdated—in Max’s world, VCRs are still the primary method for playing movies at home—and a first-person narrative that remains detached, although the third chapter/short story (The Volunteers of Eternity) does offer some interesting insight into Max’s life before Echo.
Aside from these issues, The Stranger’s Woes is another wildly imaginative and entertaining entry in The Labyrinths of Echo, which I enjoyed almost as much as I did the first book. However, I hope the story and characters are developed much further in the remaining sequels, otherwise, the series could get stale and repetitive very quickly...
Doug M. said...
Woo Hoo! I was just thinking about "The Stranger" recently and wondering if they were ever going to get around to translating any of the other volumes.
The first was quirky and unique... and I read it when I was looking for something quirky and unique.
If you liked the first book Doug, then you should definitely enjoy "The Stranger's Woes" since it's basically more of the same...
I've read all the books in Russian, and was interested to see what people think of the English translation. :)
The characters and stories become more and more interesting as the series goes on. I really hope that the rest of the books are translated eventually..
Thanks Anonymous! I hope as well that the rest of the series gets translated :D
sanych said...
A modest and honest review I believe. I have also read the whole series in the original. Did not enjoy it in the very beginning but then eventually got sucked into it.
After the end of the "official" Stranger series the author actually continued to write "standalone" stories about Echo (and still does, the latest one showed up in 2010) told by other characters. (I am just mentioning it to address reviewer's concerns)
I am rereading it now in English and enjoying the book again. 8^) Have fun everybody!
Most of what I have to say was already said by Sanych)))
Except I enjoyed all books of both cycles :)
I cannot quite agree with the statement that nothing moves or develops in the books or in Max's personality. Max matures with each book, and learns his lessons which are many.
What I like most about Max Frei series, is that while you are reading it, it might look like a fantasy story although really "quirky and unique", but there are very deep thoughts sprinkled here and there, and lots of things to think about as you read.
golergka said...
I've read the books about 10-14 years ago (in russian), and — you'll be surprised. (Overall series mood spoilers ahead.) The first books establish the world and characters, but the ending of the series will bring something quite more serious, ending with a real existential dread and some of the most surreal prose I've ever read — but brilliant nevertheless.
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Theatre/Dance Sep 20 2006
More rousting about
By Jim Allenspach
A Falafel with Hot Sauce, a Side Order...
Coffee Pop
Roustabout, the current prime-time show being presented by the Neo-Futurists, has had its run extended through October 14. Recommended by the Reader, Newcity and the Sun-Times, Roustabout takes as its basis a circus train wreck that occurred in Hammond, Indiana in 1914, and speculates on the lives of the performers that were killed in the wreck (with a dash of the self-aware commentary that Neo-Futurist productions are known for). Reservations are available through the Neo-Futurist Website.
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You are here: Home > YALTA, POST-WAR MASONRY, AND THE UNITED NATIONS
YALTA, POST-WAR MASONRY, AND THE UNITED NATIONS
By Adm on 04/08/2012 in Deutsch
[At Yalta] There were certain.. Freemasons who served as intermediaries between Roosevelt and Stalin; this confirms the enormous influence which the.. Masonic advisers of his immediate circle exerted over Roosevelt, and their Communist tendencies.1
The Surprise Attack on Pearl Harbor?
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt realized that Hitler planned to destroy the Masonic conspiracy, he decided, without Congressional approval, to enter America into World War U. The United States had first be provoked, however. So one year before Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt notified the Southern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Freemasonry to inculcate a pro-war mind-set among American Masons. The Masonic New Age magazine promptly went into action to accomplish this task. Paul Fisher recounts the rationale promoted by the New Age for U.S. involvement in the war:
Although the New Age had been somewhat ambivalent about the war against the Axis Powers prior to 1939, its militancy on the issue galvanized after the Duke of Kent, brother of the reigning king, George VI, was selected as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England in 1939.
By late summer 1940 [sixteen months before Pearl Harbor], the New Age [August issue] became a strong advocate of U.S. involvement in the war, at first urging direct aid to England, but later pressing for direct American entry into the war.
An editorial called the Brotherhood to “rally to the support of England, not alone because that country is the last stronghold of Freemasonry in Europe…” The editorial said the “enemies” of the Craft [Nazi Germany] “would have reason to respect the military power influence could marshal in this country,” if it chose to do so.2
While the New Age magazine was encouraging Masons to create pro- war public opinion in America, Roosevelt had already begun to prepare for Pearl Harbor. In September 1939, soon after Great Britain declared war on Germany, the White House cancelled the 1911 U.S. commercial treaty with Japan. In addition, our government cut off eleven raw materials which were vital to Japan’s war machine. In December 1939, the embargo was extended to cover light metals. If Japan could not get petroleum, bauxite, rubber, and tin by trade, it would be forced to seize areas producing these products. The Japanese would have to attack the Dutch Indies, which the Japanese militarists knew “would inevitably lead to an American war on Japan. Facing this problem, the Japanese militarists reached what seemed to them to be an inescapable decision. They decided to attack the United States first. From this decision came the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.”3
Intelligence information available to the U.S. government about the movements of the Japanese navy and other military forces, the Japanese government’s instructions to staff in its Washington embassy, as well as the cancelled trade agreement and subsequent embargo of raw materials essential to Japan’s war economy – all suggest that the U.S. government, or persons in it, had a greater knowledge of the likelihood of war with Japan than most Americans. The pattern of ignored warnings and coincidental lapses of security at Pearl Harbor itself also suggest a treacherous complicity at some level of government (and the military) of the impending disaster at Pearl Harbor.
One year before Pearl Harbor, for instance, American Naval intelligence had cracked the Japanese code. One month before the attack, the White House knew that Japanese armed forces were mobilizing and moving southward. By November 20 the State Department was aware that a task force of the Japanese navy, including four of the largest Japanese aircraft carriers, were steaming toward the Hawaiian Islands. On November 27 a warning to prepare for war was sent from Washington to Pearl Harbor, yet Pearl Harbor neither increased precautions nor moved to a higher level of alertness. At the end of November, messages from Japan to its U.S. Embassy were intercepted by U.S. Army Intelligence showing clearly that the negotiations between Japan and the United States were only proforma. In early December, Army Intelligence knew that the Japanese Embassy in Washington had been ordered to destroy all its codes and to prepare its staff for departure. On the evening of December 6, three aircraft carriers needed for the impending war against Japan – the Lexington, Enterprise, and Saratoga – sailed out of Pearl Harbor to open sea
where they would escape attack. In the early morning hours of December 7, the anti-torpedo net entering Pearl Harbor was “carelessly” left open. Five midget submarines, dropped from larger Japanese subs, entered and operated within the harbor. These submarines were detected at 3:42 a.m. before they entered the harbor, but no warning was sent until 6:54 a.m., and only after one had been attacked and sunk.4
At the same time that morning an army enlisted man detected on radar a group of unidentified planes coming down from the north 132 miles away, but his report was ignored. At 7:30 a.m. an enlisted sailor noticed twenty-four planes about a mile over his ship. His report was ignored. “In the next half-hour these early arrivals from the Japanese carriers were joined by others, and at 7:55 a.m. the attack began.”5 The next day “Brother” Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan.
Post-War Masonry in Japan
The Constitution of Japan forbade anyone from joining Freemasonry. Thirty-third degree Freemason General Douglas MacArthur was positive that Hitler had poisoned the minds of the Japanese against the Masonic Order. He promised himself “that if and when he got to Japan, he was going to make sure that provision was eliminated from any future Constitution. “6
The status of Masons in Japan changed dramatically with the defeat of the Japanese. When MacArthur became Supreme Commander in post-war Japan, he informed 33rd degree George M. Saunders, Imperial Recorder of the Shrine of North America, that his Occupational Government in Japan “was molded on the precepts of Freemasonry.”7
The five-star general’s first order was to reopen Masonic lodges throughout Japan. Most of MacArthur’s hand-picked generals and many of the lesser rank men, who held key positions during the occupation, were Masons. MacArthur’s aide, Major Michael Rivisto, was made first Grand Master of the Tokyo lodge by the Masonic Supreme Council at Charleston, S.C. The Sovereign Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction of Scottish Rite Freemasonry confirmed that all except one successor to General MacArthur were active Masons and members of the Scottish Rite. The Japanese have since concluded that Freemasonry had much to do with the success of the occupation. By 1955, 1~kashi Komatsu, a 32nd degree Freemason and Shriner, was the first native-born Japanese to become master of a Masonic lodge in Japan. That same year Ichiro Hatoyama, the Prime Minister of Japan, was raised a Master Mason.6
Hitler’s “Final Solution”
According to Mackey’s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Hitler initially meant to eliminate the Masons, not the Jews. Hitler assumed that in killing all Masons he would eliminate the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy. Not until the latter half of the war did he incorporate as a priority his “Final Solution,” which was the wholesale killing of Jews.9 During this period the better part of six million Jews were sacrificed to Scarlet and her Nazi creation.
In the summer of 1941, as Germany prepared her “surprise” attack on Russia, and Japan her attack on Pearl Harbor, Hitler summoned Himmler and ordered him to be ready to “carry out the Final Solution of the Jewish question.” The Wannsee Conference, which was held to plan the “Final Solution,” was scheduled for January 20, 1942 – 44 days after Pearl Harbor.10
The timing of the “Final Solution” apparently coincided with America’s entry in the war. As Japan’s ally, Hitler knew the problem the Japanese were having with the United States’ embargo of steel and oil. He was aware of on-going negotiations between Japan and the United States to ease tensions between the two countries. But war seemed inevitable.
Hitler and the Russian Front
Meanwhile in the summer of 1940, to the consternation of the world, Hitler overran France. The Fuehrer was convinced that Great Britain would now make peace. England, desiring to push Germany east, refused, Hitler made his first fatal mistake. “Operation Sealion” – the code name for the attack on Great Britain – was fixed for September 21, 1940.11
That same month Hitler and Stalin were negotiating the Tripartite Pact (involving Germany, Italy and Russia) to divide Europe. Stalin’s many demands, however, angered Hitler, and in retaliation he decided to attack Russia. The code name for this attack was “Operation Barbarossa. Closet Freemason Hjalmar Schacht, Hitler’s leading banker and economics minister, made England aware of the Fuehrer’s plan. Hitler’s battle with Great Britain ended on June 22, 1941, the day “Operation Barbarossa” began.
On July 12, 1941, England made a false show of support to Russia by signing an alliance which obliged military assistance. Stalin immediately demanded that the British invade western Europe to relieve Russia of the German advancement on the eastern front. London stalled, convinced that Hitler would conquer the Soviet Union in six weeks,
thus eliminating the communist threat. When the war dragged on for three months, Stalin made more demands. To appease him, the United States signed an agreement with the Soviets at the end of September to send them military arms.12 “Operation Barbarossa” dragged on until the Russian winter set in and defeated Hitler. English Freemasonry, realizing her planned destruction of the Soviet Union at the hands of the Nazis was doomed, began to prepare for a settlement at Yalta.
The Masons and Yalta
By 1941 England and the United States were the only major nations with functioning Masonic lodges. Lodges in Europe, Africa and the Orient had been decimated. No lodges had existed in Russia since the mid-1920s, when the Soviet Union in effect was made one colossal Masonic lodge with a type of Masonic initiation transferred to the Communist Party. Russia, England and the United States, therefore, were the only Masonic powers left on earth. Together, the three conspired to destroy Hitler and divide Europe between East and West. De Poncins reads the events at Yalta in the same way, describing the conference as an “example of the secret Masonic origin of a [disastrous] political decision.”‘3
The Yalta Agreement was not the brainchild of Franklin Roosevelt or Winston Churchill. These two powerful Masons were instead secretly discussing the post-war restoration of the Habsburg thrones. Both regarded the collapse of the monarchical system as one of the primary factors which had led to the rise of totalitarianism and, especially, to the phenomenon of Nazism. They agreed that the restoration of thrones was the best means of holding the shattered shell of post-war Europe together. They talked of restoring the Habsburgs to the thrones of Austria and Hungary, with Otto von Habsburg presiding over a form of imperial confederation of the Danube. According to Otto von Habsburg, “they also discussed the possibility of installing Lord Louis Mountbatten as emperor of a new German confederation.”14
Roosevelt and Dr. Benes
To test Masonic reaction to a monarchical restoration, Roosevelt and Churchill leaked the information to a few powerful Grand Orient Masons in exile. One was Dr. Edvard Benes, the exiled President of Czechoslovakia and undisputed leader of the Little Entente group of States. As a democrat of very advanced ideas – which included a justification for communism – Benes was an important player in international politics. And as a fanatical Freemason, he waged a Masonic war against the Habsburgs his entire life. In fact, in 1938, when faced with the Nazi invasion of his own Czechoslovakia, he said, “Rather Hitler than the Habsburgs.”15 His faith in the Fuehrer proved to be an error, for Hitler closed the lodges and killed or imprisoned the Masons.
Benes fled to France where he established a Czechoslovak national committee, which moved to London in 1939. In London he assumed the presidency of a provisional government in exile. In 1943 he cemented Czechoslovakia’s former friendly relations with the Soviet Union through an alliance with that country.
It was in 1939 when he arrived in London that he first heard the rumor of the post-war restoration of the Habsburg thrones. He was horrified. A fierce supporter and devoted ally of Stalin, Benes would rather have post-war Czechoslovakia a satellite of the Soviet Union than a kingdom ruled by a Habsburg. This “brilliant” politician put as much confidence in Stalin as he had in Hitler.16
Benes also enjoyed considerable influence over Roosevelt, both being High Masons. In an attempt to checkmate the Churchill-Roosevelt arrangement for a monarchical post-war Europe, Benes asked for a meeting with the President to discuss an alternate plan.’7 The result was “the preparation and conclusion of the Yalta agreement.”18
Dr. Benes urged Roosevelt not to cancel the advances made by Grand Orient Freemasonry by supporting the absurd proposal to restore thrones. He wanted Roosevelt to give communism a chance. Benes argued that communism was better than absolutism, offering the Soviet Union as an example. He had studied Stalin, said Benes, and knew him personally. Stalin could be trusted. Had he not broken with Hider? “Brother” Stalin would also help destroy Nazism if offered half of Europe.l9
Benes suggested to Roosevelt that he be permitted to visit with “Brother” Stalin and negotiate the terms of an agreement. Roosevelt agreed, but Churchill strongly objected.
On April 17, 1948, an article by Demaree Bess appeared in The Saturday Evening Post entitled “Roosevelt’s Secret Deal Doomed Czechoslovakia.” Bess had interviewed Dr. Benes during the war, and this excerpt from her account of these events highlights Benes’ supreme confidence in Stalin:
I had a long talk with [Benes]…during the first Russo-Finnish war… .The Hitler-Stalin pact was then still in force, but Doctor Benes told me he had sent word to the President through an American intermediary, urging him not to lose faith in Stalin.
When the break between Hitler and Stalin did come, in the summer of 1941, Doctor Benes was naturally pleased, as were all Allied statesmen.
President Roosevelt, disregarding Churchill’s objections, made it possible for Doctor Benes to visit Moscow. The Czech leader had two long talks with Stalin himself. The result was a treaty of alliance, signed on 12 December [1943]. The two countries agreed to combine against any possible future German aggression. Doctor Benes pledged that he would suppress all organized anti-Russian groups in Czechoslovakia after the liberation of that country. Stalin in turn personally guaranteed that Russia would not interfere in Czechoslovakia’s postwar development. When the pact was announced in a joint conference, Doctor Benes faced the Russian leader directly and said, “Mr. Stalin, I have complete confidence in you. We have signed an agreement for non-interference in domestic affairs, and I know you will keep it. “20
The Saturday Evening Post article tells how Roosevelt sought Benes’ guidance in dealing with Stalin:
The following account of how President Roosevelt and Doctor Benes worked together in formulating wartime Russian policies was told to me by Doctor Benes himself, in several conversations which I had with him during and since the war.
The story begins in the spring of 1939, several months before the outbreak of war. The Czech statesman first sought refuge in London, but after a few months he visited the United States…and a secret meeting was arranged one week-end at the Roosevelt’s Hyde Park home.
Mr. Roosevelt knew that Dr. Benes was a close student of Russian affairs, and that he was personally acquainted with Stalin.
“The chief question in my mind,” said Roosevelt, “is how to get an agreement with the Russians which will stick. Some of my advisers say that is impossible. They insist that the Russians cannot be trusted to keep any agreement if they see an advantage to themselves in breaking it. What do you think about this?”
The Czech leader replied confidently, “I have given long and careful thought to that matter. I have studied and restudied the actions of the Soviet Government ever since it was founded, and particularly since Stalin rose to power. And it is my considered
opinion that if Stalin himself pledges his personal word, then he can be trusted completely.”
Today, as we piece together the record of the eventful wartime years, it appears that Mr. Roosevelt was wholly convinced by Doctor Benes’ conclusion, and that henceforth the President’s policy towards Russia was to be based upon his confidence in Stalin’s personal word. This explains his intense desire to meet Stalin face to face, first at Teheran and later at Yalta.21
Life magazine, September, 27, 1948, reported President Roosevelt’s almost sublime confidence in Stalin. To William C. Bullitt, a former ambassador of the United States at Paris, the President said, “Bill, I think that if I gave him [Stalin] everything that I possibly can and ask nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won’t try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace.”
Bullitt later reported his response to President Roosevelt as follows: “I reminded the President that when he talked of noblesse oblige he was not speaking of the Duke of Norfolk but of a Caucasian bandit whose only thought when he got something for nothing was that the other fellow was an ass, and that Stalin believed in the Communist creed which calls for the conquest of the world for Communism.”22
Yalta: The Pax of Universal Freemasonry
Through all these conversations, the participation of France, the headquarters of Grand Orient Freemasonry, was never considered – for at least three important reasons. First, France’s activity during World War H was less than Masonic, for the Vichy Government had sided with the Nazis in outlawing the Brotherhood. Second, by creating a more powerful Bolshevik beast, France had forfeited its Grand Orient prestige to the Soviet Union. The third and perhaps most significant reason for the Allies excluding France from participating at Yalta was self-preservation.
For two centuries Europe had been in conflict because the head. quarters of the two Freemasonries – Paris and London – were too proximate. It would be in the interest of English Masonry if the power. base of the communist Grand Orient were relocated to a remote part of the earth – say to Moscow. That done, world peace would follow and Sion’s long-desired United States of Europe could be realized under British capitalism if French communism were subdued.
The Yalta Agreement, then, was ostensibly a plan to maintain peace within Universal Freemasonry. Grand Orient Russia, and not Grand Orient France, was to share the world equally with English and American
Freemasonry. Count De Poncins explains why America was the logical arbiter between the two Freemasonries:
Freemasonry in the United States, while maintaining its union and friendly relations with the Grand Lodge of England, occupies an intermediary position between English Freemasonry and the Grand Orients of Europe. Some of its branches are nearer the English conception [Northern Jurisdiction, Boston – commonly known as the Eastern Establishment], and others the European [Southern Jurisdiction, Charleston].23
In such an understanding, Freemason President Roosevelt would be the obvious mediator between Churchill and Stalin.
Yalta would achieve harmony in Universal Freemasonry by dividing the world among the three great Masonic powers. Western Bloc nations, including France, would fall under the influence of English Freemasonry. These nations would be known as the “First World” of capitalistic nations. Eastern Bloc nations, including France’s far eastern possessions, would fall under the influence of the Soviet Union. These nations would be known as the “Second World” of communist nations. Developing nations would be known as the “Third World,” or non-aligned nations, and would be up for grabs. English Freemasonry and the Communist Grand Orients would have equal opportunity to capture any Third World nation and place it under its Masonic sphere of influence, except for those in Central and South America. The Western Hemisphere was not to be influenced by either Russia or Great Britain, leaving the Grand Orients and Grand Lodges of Latin and South America under the influence of American Freemasonry.24
France was both rewarded and punished at Yalta. Rewarded for her Masonic Resistance Movement during World War II (more details later) and punished for her anti-Masonic Vichy government For instance, some of the African States were placed under French Grand Orient influence, while her far eastern possessions were placed under Soviet influence. The rest of the Third World nations were subject to capture by either Masonic power, which explains the post-war revolutions on the continent of Africa and the past political turmoil in South Africa.
The Yalta Agenda
The three main players at Yalta (Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin) were famous Masons. At their side were only high political Masons and their Masonic advisors. The Yalta agenda included: (1) the destruction of
Hitler; (2) the division of Europe between English Freemasonry and Grand Orient Russia; and (3) cooperation in uniting the three Freemasonries in a New World Order to be called the United Nations.
A famous and extremely important letter discovered by the Spanish government in March 1943 confirms the Masonic agenda of Yalta. Written on White House stationary, the letter was dated February 20, 1943, and was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was addressed to a Jewish Freemason named Zabrousky, who was then acting as a liaison officer between President Roosevelt and Stalin. The letter reads:
Dear Mr. Zabrousky,
The United States and Great Britain are ready, without any reservations, to give the U.S.S.R. absolute parity and voting rights in the future reorganization of the post-war world. She will therefore take part (as the English Prime Minister let him know when sending him the first draft from Aden) in the directing group in the heart of Councils of Europe and of Asia; she has a right to this, not only through her vast intercontinental situation, but above all because of her magnificent struggle against Nazism which will win the praise of history and civilization.
It is our intention – I speak on behalf of our great country and of the mighty British Empire – that these continental councils be constituted by the whole of the independent states in each case, with equitable proportional representation.
And you can, my dear Mr. Zabrousky, assure Stalin that the U.S.S.R. will find herself on a footing of complete equality, having an equal voice with the United States and England in the direction of the said Councils. Equally with England and the United States, she will be a member of the high tribunal which will be created to resolve differences between the nations, and she will take part similarly and identically in the selection, preparation, armament and command of the international forces which, under the orders of the Continental Council will keep watch within each State to see that peace is maintained in the spirit worthy of the League of Nations. Thus these inter-State entities and their associated armies [international police force] will be able to impose their decisions and to make themselves obeyed.
This being the case, a position so elevated in the tetrarchy of the universe ought to give Stalin enough satisfaction not to renew claims which are capable of creating insoluble problems for us.
In this way, the American continent will remain outside all Soviet influence and within the exclusive concern of the United States, as we have promised the countries of our continent it shall.
In Europe, France will gravitate into the British orbit. We have reserved for France a secretariat with a consultative voice but without voting rights, as a reward for her present resistance and as a penalty for her former weakness.
Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece will develop under the protection of England towards a modern civilization which will lift them out of their historical decline.
We will grant the U.S.S.R. an access to the Mediterranean; we will accede to her wishes concerning Finland and the Baltic and we shall require Poland to show a judicious attitude of comprehension and compromise; Stalin will still have a wide field for expansion in the little, unenlightened countries of Eastern Europe – always taking into account the rights which are due to the fidelity of Yugoslavia and Czecho-Slovakia – and he will completely recover the territories which have been temporarily snatched from great Russia.
Most important of all: after the partition of the Third Reich and the incorporation of its fragments with other territories to form new nationalities which will have no link with the past, the German threat will conclusively disappear in so far as being any danger to the U.S.S.R., to Europe and to the entire world.
Turkey – but it will serve no useful purpose to discuss that question further, it needs full understanding and Churchill has given the necessary assurances to President Inonu, in the name of us both. The access to the Mediterranean contrived for Stalin ought to content him.
Asia – we are in agreement with his demands, except for any complications which may arise later. As for Africa – again what need for discussion? We must give something back to France and even compensate her for her losses in Asia. It will be necessary to give Egypt something, as has already been promised to the Wafdist government. As regards Spain and Portugal, they will have to be recompensed for the renunciations necessary to achieve better universal balance.
The United States will also share in the distribution by right of conquest and they will be obliged to claim some points which are vital for their zone of influence; that is only fair. Brazil, too, must be given the small colonial expansion which has been offered to her.
In view of the rapid annihilation of the Reich, convince Stalin – my dear Mr. Zabrousky – that he ought to give way, for the good of all, in the matter of the colonies in Africa, and to abandon all propaganda and intervention in the industrial centers of America. Assure him also of my complete understanding and of my entire sympathy and desire to facilitate these solutions, which makes more timely than ever the personal discussion which I propose – the above is only a general outline of a plan which is intended for further study.
This is the issue and the whole issue.25
(Signed Franklin Roosevelt)
Key words and phrases in this letter reveal its Masonic orientation. Examples: (1) France was placed under “the British orbit,” meaning English Masonic influence; (2) France’s reward and penalty was for her Masonic resistance (more later) and her anti-Masonic Vichy government; (3) “the little, unenlightened countries of Eastern Europe” are the anti-Masonic Eastern European monarchies; (4) the partitioning of the Third Reich “to form new nationalities which will have no link with the past” refers to replacing the onetime monarchies with communism; and (5) “to abandon all propaganda and intervention in the industrial centers of America” means to stay out of our trade unions.
De Poncins comments: “It is an undeniable fact that the agreements reached at Teheran and Yalta were in conformity with the lines indicated in this famous letter.”26 From the 5th to the 10th February, 1945, the famous meeting between Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill took place at Yalta, in the Crimea, where certain agreements were concluded which put in pawn the future of the world. Almost all the discussions took place between Roosevelt and Stalin. It was Roosevelt who personally and in secret took the Yalta decisions. Without any mandate, without consulting anybody outside his two or three intimate counselors who were present, without reference to anyone at all, Roosevelt signed agreements of extreme importance which committed the Western World as a whole.”27
When Bliss Lane, American Ambassador to Poland, received the report on Yalta on February 12, 1945, he was utterly astounded. He said, “ASI glanced over it, I could not believe my eyes. To me, almost every line spoke of a surrender to Stalin.”28
De Poncins concludes: “It is a frightening thought that an occult organisation, owing responsibility to no one, can thus in secret direct the policies of one country or of a group of countries.”29
Following is a summary of what Freemason President Roosevelt handed over to the Russians in the Yalta Agreement:
The Baltic countries – Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania.
All the eastern part of Poland, which the Russians had occupied in 1939, following the Molotov- Ribbentrop agreement.
All eastern and central Europe, including Berlin and Prague.
Access to the Mediterranean through the recognition of Grand Orient Freemason Tito as ruler of Yugoslavia and the abandonment of his rival, the monarchist Mihailovich.
Manchuria ceded to Russia without the knowledge of Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese republican leader, and in flat contradiction of the undertakings which had been given to the latter at Cairo.
Inner Mongolia, North Korea, the Kuril Islands, and the part of Sakhalin (French Indo-China, or Vietnam).
In addition, at Yalta the Allies engaged themselves to hand over to the Russians all nationals classed as “Soviet citizens,” that is, all anti-Communist Russians who had sought refuge in the English, American and French zones, together with all refugees from satellite countries such as Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, etc. The “Soviet citizens” clause led to innumerable personal tragedies; for years afterwards, secret police agents of the N.K.V.D. tracked down Soviet or ex-Soviet nationals even in the heart of PariS.30
De Poncins rightly characterizes the Soviet adherence to the Yalta Agreement as selective and self- serving: “At Yalta, in exchange for definite advantages, Stalin gave only vague and theoretical engagements, which consisted in allowing democratic, free and independent governments to be established in the zone assigned to Russian domination. Once the Yalta agreement was signed, the Russians demanded and obtained the fulfillment of all the clauses which were favourable to them, but did not observe any of those which they had undertaken to respect. “31
Yalta was a prime example of a Masonic diplomatic disaster such as seldom has been known in history.
Restoration of the German Lodges
In 1934, when Hitler had closed the German lodges, Masons destroyed or otherwise secured most documents that related to membership and went underground to work in small circles against Hitler’s suppression. Their movement became known in history as the German Resistance.32
According to tradition, Prince Louis Ferdinand, heir to the Hohenzollern throne, was involved in the Resistance as head of Grossloge von Deutschland.33 The Hohenzollerns were split between anti-Masons and Masons. Members of the Protestant northern clan, from which the Prince’s family came, were Freemasons controlled by British intelligence. Members of the southern clan were nominally Catholic and, by reputation at least, anti-Masonic.34
A year before the war ended, the Masons made a bid to return the Prince to the German throne. Their plot included assassinating Hitler. Dr. Otto John, the official Nazi Party member assigned to the top management of Lufthansa Airline, had, without detection, remained a Mason. He was peripherally involved in the July 20, 1944 attempt on Hitler’s life. When the attempt failed, John fled to Brazil where he turned himself over to British intelligence.
From there he moved to England and was assigned to the Psychological Warfare Division.35 His task was to recruit to the intelligence service captive Germans who would be useful to the British during post
war reconstruction.
John was put in charge of Camp Number 11 in Bridgend, England, where the British held captured generals, admirals, SS-leaders, and other leading individuals of the Third Reich. John selected those from this Nazi hierarchy who had previous ties with Freemasonry. They would become the leadership in the new post-war German army.36
At war’s end German Masons were eager to reactivate their lodges. On October 1, 1945, a Grand Lodge Freemason who reflected the general view and program of Masonry, one Wilfrid Schiek, a resident of Munich, wrote a letter to the Commander of U.S. Forces in Europe urging him to move rapidly in that direction. Schiek requested that the civilian radio network be utilized to help locate other German Masons. He also urged that the leader in the new German Republic be a Mason. In fact, every Freemason, he said, must run for all political posts to assure party lines remain consistent with Masonic thought. He stated that the Craft must take over all institutions for education to propagate the ideas of world Freemasonry. Finally, he said that Christianity must be actively opposed.37
Because of the uncertain security risk secret societies posed to post War Germany, the Occupation Intelligence Division (G-2) had been instructed to prohibit any secret organization from meeting. Schiek’s letter only confirmed to military commanders that Freemasonry was a security risk. Consequently, on December 10, 1945, Herr Schiek received a reply from the military commandant, “Request denied!”38
Another pro-Masonic communication, dated April 1, 1946, was sent from the legal division of the Office of Military Government (OMG), Germany, to the Commander of U.S. Forces. It noted “that members of the Hohenzollern family were Freemasons and that the Craft ‘flourished’ under the Weimar Republic.”39 The inference was, “If Freemasonry was permitted then, why not now?”
The answer is found in the Yalta Agreement, which assigned West Germany to British influence. German lodges, when they did open, were to adhere to English Masonic obedience. Not until London had sufficient control of all German lodges would any be permitted to reopen. The establishment of this control would take time. To assert her influence, English Freemasonry’s first priority was to establish its own press. In 1946, London called on Freemason Hans Zehrer, the former editor of Tat during the Weimar Republic, to start a newspaper chain under British Masonic control.40
Finally, on July 23, 1947, the Allied Military Government for Germany approved the reactivation of one German Grand Lodge of Freemasonry. This Lodge rapidly organized Social Discussion Clubs throughout West Germany. In a conference of twelve of these Clubs held on September 23-27, 1947, the discussion was on the formation of a United States of Europe.41
Almost everyone in post-war Germany who achieved any significant position or rank belonged to a Masonic Lodge.42 When the Federal Republic was formed in 1949, the presidency, a largely ceremonial post, was filled by Freemason Theodor Heuss. (Heuss’ Masonic books were among those burned as “un-German” after Hider’s accession to power.)43
From 1946 to 1949, Heuss served on the parliamentary council that wrote West Germany’s constitution. In 1949 he
invited Freemason Dr. Otto John to return to Germany as president of the Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution (BVS), West Germany’s counter-espionage unit. BVS’ mission, as an arm of British intelligence, was to deny communist Grand Orient Freemasonry a foothold in West Germany.44 The Grand Orient was firmly in control of communist East Germany (the German Democratic Republic), as evidenced by its
new national emblem, the communist hammer and the Grand Orient compass emblazoned on its flag.
The real power in West Germany was Konrad Adenauer, first chancellor of the Federal Republic. Not known to be a Mason, he was,
however, anti-communist. Adenauer considered Otto John a “British stooge” and sought to put in his own people, an effort which failed because of the intervention of the British high commissioner. Freemasons Otto John and Prince Louis Ferdinand characterized Adenauer as “American property.”45
Dr. John’s position as head of counterespionage required he make contact with East Germans. Adenauer misunderstood this and instigated an investigation of John and his East German “friends.” John was excellent at playing the double, and in 1954 “defected” to East Berlin where he remained for seventeen months. When he returned to West Germany a year and a half later, Adenauer had him arrested and tried in federal court. Freemasons Dehler and Stammberger (no first names available) took up John’s defense, but the sleuth was found guilty in 1956 and sentenced to four years hard labor.46 Otto John’s replacement for West Germany’s intelligence chief was Reinhard Gehlen, a hate-crazed anti-communist, who had been Hitler’s chief espionage agent on the eastern front.47
Protecting Masons at Nuremberg
Nazi Germany was the first and only nation to be tried for “war crimes.” Conspiracy researchers have since questioned – not why the Nazis were prosecuted for killing eleven million Jews and Gentiles – but why the Bolsheviks have yet to be condemned for the mass murder of over forty million Russians.
The answer is obvious. In a world controlled by Freemasonry, guilt is determined not by the severity of the crime, but by who is killed. In Bolshevik Russia Masons killed non-Masons, whereas in Nazi Germany non-Masons killed Masons. The Nuremberg Trials presented indictments against a regime that dared lift its sword against Freemasonry.
The Chief Prosecutor at Nuremberg was Robert H. Jackson, a 32nd degree Mason and Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Jackson resigned from the high court to accept this most prestigious Masonic assignment.48 On August 8, 1945, he chose Nuremberg as the site for the trial because it was the “city where the Nazis had celebrated their greatest triumphs, held their party meetings with mass torchlight processions, and in 1935 announced the infamous racial laws.”49
Justice Jackson set out to compile extensive documentary material with which he intended to prove the guilt of the leading Nazis.50 In an interview with the Scottish Rite New Age magazine (August 1949) Jackson revealed his Masonic interests and bias. He suggested that
the real victims of Nazi tyranny were not the Jews but rather the Masons. He commented that “among the earliest and most savage of the many persecutions undertaken by every modern dictatorship are those directed against the Free Masons.” Jackson also declared that Masons “have suffered persecution under dictators more uniformly than any other class of victims,”51 including the Jews.
One of the first events at the Nuremberg Trials was the presentation of Hider’s official decree against Freemasonry in 1942, which reads in part: “Freemasons and the ideological enemies of National Socialism who are allied with them are the originators of the present war against the Reich. Spiritual struggle according to plan against these powers is a measure necessitated by war. I have, therefore, ordered Reichsleiter Alfred Rosenberg to accomplish this task in cooperation with the Chief of the High Command of the armed forces.”52
Justice Jackson wanted to try the Nazis on conspiracy charges for starting a war of aggression against Freemasonry. The British opposed the conspiracy approach, as naturally they would since their own Freemasons were guilty of conspiring with the Germans to build a Nazi war machine against Russia.53
The French sided with the English, arguing most vehemently against a conspiracy charge. Together the French and English persuaded Jackson that a conspiracy charge was not necessary for most of Hider’s men. But what about Hjalmar Schacht, Hider’s leading banker and economics minister? Schacht, as Jackson said in the pre-trial London meeting with the French and the English on July 16, “is either a major war criminal or nothing…. Only a theory of a common plan or of conspiracy will catch him and his kind….”54
Jackson was unaware that Schacht was a Freemason under the employ of the English Brotherhood. Nor could they inform him without implicating the Masonic Oligarchy in the Hider project. Much would be at stake for England were Schacht to be tried on conspiracy charges. The following facts about him would come out at the trial: (1) his mingling with the international Freemasons during the Versailles reparations negotiations; (2) his financial assistance in bringing Hitler to power: (3) his maneuvers in making Hider “socially acceptable” among industrialists and nobility, suggesting to the British Freemasons in 1932 they back Hider in his attempt to restore the monarchy; (4) his involvement in the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in financing Hider’s war of aggression; (5) his collaboration with Great Britain in maneuvering the Fuehrer to attack the Soviet Union in 1941; and (6) his communication from Basel (19421943) with American bankers, urging them to continue the war in common against Russia.55
A conspiracy trial against Schacht would definitely be too costly for English Freemasonry, especially if the four most crucial years of Schacht’s intercourse with London (1932-1936) were to be examined. During that time Schacht had made his most important international financial deals with British Central Bank chief Montagu Norman, who was openly sympathetic toward the Nazis. Both Schacht and Norman were on the board of directors of the BIS. Even before the Nazis seized power, Schacht and Norman had frequent secret conferences in Badenweiler. Moreover, to insure a Nazi takeover, Norman had refused credit to the Weimar government.56
If the British Masonic Oligarchy was to avoid fouling its own nest, this evidence must be suppressed at Nuremberg. It is no surprise the British delegation vehemently opposed bringing Schacht to trial on conspiracy charges. The Americans and Russians argued as passionately for bringing the charges. The French, who had originally sided with the English, finally broke the deadlock, siding with the Americans and Russians.
The British delegation may have lost the battle, but they did manage to limit the charges on which Schacht would be tried from the events of 1937 onward. This maneuver prevented exposure of the crucial years (1932-1936) of Schacht’s intercourse with English Freemasonry.57
Since the prosecution had agreed to exclude the years during which Schacht was conspiring with Anglophile CFR bankers in America and Masonic bankers in London to support the Nazis, the Nuremberg plaintiffs could not prove the existence of a long-term Nazi plan and conspiracy for a war of aggression. Higham, in Trading with the Enemy, said of Schacht: “Never in those days on the witness stand was he asked about the Bank for International Settlements…. The Nuremberg Trials successfully buried the truth of the Fraternity connections…. Charged with engineering the war when he had only wanted to serve the neutralist policies of Fraternity associates, he was understandably acquitted…. Conveniently for the Fraternity, Goering and Himmler committed suicide, carrying with them the secrets….”58
Zepp writes in The Hitler Book “At least with respect to prosecuting Schacht, Justice Jackson [although a Mason] was very much on the outside looking in. The world of international finance was a closed society, and Schacht was emphatically part of it.”59
Hjlmar Schacht’s own defense at Nuremberg is remarkable. When he revealed that he belonged to the lodge Zur Freund-schaft under the Grand Lodge of Prussia, he was acquitted.60 Some of the other Nazi defendants did not fair so well.
To the Anti-Masons – Death by Hanging
Artur von Seyss-Inquart, the anti-Mason who Hitler placed as governor of Austrian territory, was hanged as a war criminal. Alfred Rosenberg, closely questioned at Nuremberg concerning his attacks on Freemasonry and Jews, as well as his confiscation of Masonic libraries and records, was hanged as a war criminal. Joachim von Ribbentrop offered the following in his defense: “I have been a patriot all my life. I have placed myself at the disposal of Adolf Hitler in the desire to help him save our country from ruin in 1933 and to build up a strong and united Germany in Europe…. I always was an opponent to the radical party programme. I have always opposed the policy against the Jews, churches, Freemasons, etc., which I considered in principal a fault and which has caused considerable difficulties in foreign politics” He was not believed and was hanged as a war criminal. Wilhelm Frick, who in 1935 called for the immediate disbandment of all lodges throughout Germany and ordered a confiscation of their property, was hanged as a war criminal. Bernard Fay, the French professor in the Vichy government who published documents and lists of French Freemasons, which resulted in deportation or death for thousands of them, was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor for his intelligence with the Nazis. Rudolph Hess’ anti-Masonic speech of August 28, 1939, was read at the Nuremberg Trials, part of which stated that “Jews and Freemasons want a war against this hated Germany, against the Germany in which they have lost their power.” Because of Hess’ involvement with the Order of the Golden Dawn, however, he was given life imprisonment with solitary confinement instead of death.61
The Nazis and the Building of Western lntelligence
One year into World War II, German intelligence had effectively shut down British intelligence. In a 1940 speech, Heinrich Himmler, Reichsfuhrer of the 55, named every British Special Intelligence Service (SIS) agent in Germany.62 Furthermore, French Freemasonry, which had been the best intelligence gathering machine the world had ever seen, was vanquished by the Nazis! Great Britain, whose intelligence apparatus was integrated with English Freemasonry,63 was aghast. London and Washington, therefore, set out to investigate how Nazi intelligence was able to achieve superiority without their knowledge. They discovered that Hitler’s success was his own superior secret society called the SS.
As we learned in chapter 22, the Nazi hierarchy established the SS as a secret society, developing its character from a mixture of Tibetan, Masonic, and Jesuit mysticism. Heinrich Himmler was a necromancer, frequently conducting seances for the SS hierarchy at his castle in Wewelsburg.
We also learned that the SS was a secret society within a secret society called the Vril Society. The Vril Society was deeply involved in the same Luciferian Doctrine as English Freemasonry, practicing witchcraft with a vengeance.
At the head of Vril was Hitler. Each SS officer took a secret blood oath to obey Hitler without question. Collectively, the SS were the ears and eyes of the Fuehrer – present at every meeting of political or social significance, yet never taking part in discussions. Instead, they just sat or stood in the background, observing and taking notes.
The mysterious aura surrounding the arrogant SS struck terror in the heart of every German citizen who came into contact with these silent, sinister members in black uniform. And as Glen B. Infield, in Secrets of the 55 (1982), writes: “The reputation of the SS…as the brutal killers responsible for millions of deaths during the Third Reich has not diminished in the slightest over the postwar years.”64
The SS was a highly effective, intrastate terrorist organization of four divisions: (1) the Gestapo was the civilian secret state police arm. Its chief was Heinrich Mueller; (2) the Waffen-SS was the military arm, supposedly the Nazi army, or at least controlled by the Wehrmacht; (3) the 55-Totenkopiverbande, a branch of the Waffen-SS, furnished the sadistic guards for the concentration camps and death camps; and (4) the Sicherheitsdienst, or SD, was the Security Service, or intelligence branch of the SS, operated by Reinhard Heydrich.
To develop a more ruthless 85, Hitler had Himmler make each division competitive with the other. Consequently, each “tried to gain more power and influence with Hitler by actions approved by the ruthless Fuehrer.”65 As a result, “Himmler’s SS had become the most dreaded police force in history.”
Himmler never wavered in his ambition to make his SS the masters of Germany. Hitler even feared him, bypassing Himmler for Heydrich, grooming the latter as the next Fuehrer. In 1942 Heydrich was assassinated in Czechoslovakia – by a jealous Himmler, some have claimed.67 Heydrich was replaced by General Reinhard Gehlen, Hitler’s chief espionage agent on the eastern front.
Hitler established the SS to operate apart from government control, emphasizing that it was a completely independent organization within the Nazi movement. 68 Although a small budget was allotted by the state,
it generated its own income through four large corporations it secretly owned.69 Its greatest wealth, however, was acquired by looting gold reserves in nations conquered by the Nazi army, and later, from gold arid jewels extracted from concentration camp victims. This loot, along with the profits generated by the four corporations owned by the SS, were deposited in the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Switzerland.
The Post-War Nazi and Neo-Nazi Network
By 1942 the Gestapo had accumulated hundreds of chests of gold and jewels consisting of monocles, spectacle frames, watches, cigarette cases, lighters, wedding rings, dentures and teeth fillings taken from murdered concentration camp victims. They melted down the gold into bars weighing 20 kilograms each and deposited them in the Reichsbank.70 In 1944, when Hitler realized that it was inevitable Germany would lose the war, he and his Nazi hierarchy began depositing the gold bars with the BIS. Later that year, at their fourth annual meeting in time of war, the American president of the BIS and the polished British board members sat down with their enemies, the German, Japanese and Italian executive staff, to discuss what to do with the $378 million in gold that had been sent to the Bank by the Nazi government for use by its leaders after the war.71
In 1945 the BIS began assisting the Nazis by making “financial transactions that would help the Nazis dispose of their loot.”72 The majority of the wealth was transferred to Argentina, where it has since been used to build up English Freemasonry’s South American network of drug production and distribution. Assisting English Freemasonry was the newly formed post-war Nazi International.
After the war, under great pressure from the U.S. Treasury Department, the BIS was compelled to hand over a mere $4 million in looted gold to the Allies.73 The New York Times reported that “the [Treasury] experts who came to hunt down the Reich’s hidden assets were suddenly relegated to obscure roles.”74 Chairman of the CFR, David Rockefeller, showed his appreciation to Thomas H. McKittrick for his role as head of the BIS by making him vice president of the Chase National Bank of New York after the War.75
The Nuremberg Trials successfully buried the truth of the Fraternity’s connections with the BIS. Hjalmar Schacht, president of the Reichsbank and Nazi economics minister, was never asked about the theft of the Austrian gold, nor about his involvement with the BlS.76 Moreover, every
attempt to find out what happened to the Czech gold was blocked by the British delegation – And as stated earlier, conveniently for English Freemasonry, Goering and Himmler committed suicide.
Nazi International
Near war’s end, the Dulles brothers (John and Allen), both members of the Anglophile Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), advised London and Wall Street to leave the Nazi-Swiss headquarters untouched, along with the funds they had squirreled away there 78 The Anglophile banking fraternity had already determined who among the Nazi hierarchy would be permitted to re-emerge with a clean record, who would be spirited off abroad, and who would be quietly incorporated into the Anglo-American secret
By 1944, Nazis, including members of the SS, began to flood into Switzerland where Nazi sympathizers and financiers protected them. In fact, a lodge was founded in Lorrach-Schopfheim as “a refuge for many ex-Nazis.”80 The most prominent of the Masonic sympathizers was Francois Genoud, a Swiss banker, who after meeting Hitler in 1929, joined the Nazi Party. In 1939 Genoud became a member of the Nazi Swiss National Front. He made frequent trips to Berlin, where in 1943, he and Martin Bormann made preparations for the period following the expected collapse of the Reich. They were planning a secret “Fourth Reich” on a global scale. Genoud would become the key neo-Nazi figure in all future market transactions for Swiss and other foreign bank accounts. Genoud’s financial advisor, until his death in 1970, was Grand Lodge Freemason Hjalmar Schacht, Hitler’s banker and economics minister, who was acquitted at Nuremberg.81
In 1950, when aware that American intelligence was on his trail, Genoud fled from Switzerland to Belgium and then to Tangiers where he met with high Arab officials. In 1951 he went to Malmo, Sweden, ostensibly to found the “European Social Movement” for a “New European Order.” This “movement” became known to conspiracy researchers as Nazi International. Present at the founding were former German SS officers Heinz Priester and Fritz Richter, and two members of the Masonic oligarchy, Sir
Oswald Mosley of Great Britain and Count Loredan of Italy. Also present was Pierre Clementi, ironically an ardent anti-Mason during his time with the French Volunteer Division of the Vichy regime. According to Helga Zepp in The Hitler Book, “This ‘movement’ has been the spawning ground for every neo-Nazi organization of the past thirty years.
Shortly after the Malmo meeting, Francois Genoud moved Nazi International headquarters to Lausanne, Switzerland, where the neo-Nazi intelligence newsletter Courier du Continent is still published today. This newsletter initiated the erroneous contention that “mass murder was never practiced in the concentration camps.”83
Genoud attached his Nazi International operation to Swiss Grand Lodge Freemasonry, causing the editors of World Intelligence Review to comment that “Lausanne is the home of the satanist core of Free-masonry, and some of the worst crimes against humanity were hatched in that city.”84
For example, during the 1970s and 1980s, Genoud’s Nazi International was the financial backer of the European right-wing terrorist organizations, such as the Red Brigades. Throughout the 1980s Genoud funded the PLO and other anti-Zionist Arab fronts. Moreover, he provided the finances for the plot to assassinate Pope John Paul H in St. Peter’s Square on May 31, 1981. This fact was confirmed by the Bulgarian government after the Masonic Lodge at Paris blamed the Bulgarian KGB for the attempted assassination. In its own defense, the Bulgarian government launched an investigation, the result of which traced the finances provided for the would-be assassin Ali Agca to Francois Genoud.85
Today, Nazi international still has at its command an extensive financial apparatus, which is primarily supported by earnings from the loot amassed by the Third Reich. In addition to the plunder deposited in the Bank for international Settlements, Zepp reports:
Between 1943 and 1945, [additional] loot had been invested in not less than 700 private holdings by Hitler’s private secretary Martin Bormann, a close friend of Genoud. Of these 700 companies, 214 are in Switzerland, 200 in the Near East 34 in Turkey, and numerous others in Asia and Latin America. In 1973, ninety tons of the gold in global circulation was in the hands of the Nazis, thanks to the machinations of Hitler’s former economics minister Hjalmar Schacht, who, after his acquittal at Nuremberg, directed the reorganization of the Nazi International’s finances in collaboration with Francois Genoud.86
With help from men like Schacht and Genoud, many Nazis were spirited away to settle in South America. There they established themselves in various Masonic orders, which today are manifested in the extreme right-wing drug cartels. Volume III of Scarlet and the Beast will trace the neo-Nazi drug empire of English Freemasonry in South America.
The Nazis and the House of Western Intelligence
Phillip Knightley, in The Master Spy, writes, “The idea of a permanent secret service as part of the bureaucracy of a country is a comparatively recent one. The CIA came into existence only in 1947; Britain’s 515, from which the others sprang, dates from 1909. Before that, major powers got by with small military intelligence departments that were expanded during a war and starved for funds the rest of the time.”87
Accordingly, European nations shut down their military intelligence departments after World War I. For this reason Hitler was able to build his SS virtually unhampered by Western intelligence competition. When Nazi Germany was defeated, it is evident why the West wanted Hitler’s intelligence network at its disposal. The British especially craved it, since British intelligence was an arm of English Freemasonry. The United States needed it, because America lacked any central intelligence system.
Washington did have the FBI, founded in 1924 by Freemason J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI, however, was not intended for international spying. Its initial function was to spy on the newly-formed organized crime networks of the Mafia that had recently invaded the American industrial cities. But with the growing menace of the Soviet Union (created by the greatest Masonic blunder in history at Yalta), America was forced to develop an intelligence operation on a broader scale than that offered by the FBI. The American government authorized its military intelligence to seek out former SS agents to assist in building our international spy network.
America’s occupation forces were instructed to protect as many SS officers as possible, especially those experienced on the eastern front. Author Glenn Infield observes: “It is ironic, for instance, that many former SS officers and men either avoided trial or were later released from their war crimes prison sentences because they could be useful to the United States in its containment policy against the Soviet Union.”88
President Roosevelt started the process by which the Nazi SS would be protected. Even before America entered the Second World War, Roosevelt wanted to know what Hitler had at his disposal that enabled him to gain power so rapidly, solidify control so completely, and destroy Continental Freemasonry so resolutely. In 1940 he sent General William “Wild Bill” Donovan to Europe on a fact-finding mission.
Freemason Roosevelt could not have picked a more able man than Freemason Donovan, a student of eastern mysticism. In the 1930s Donovan was a featured speaker at the O.T.O. Masonic camp grounds
at Nyack, New York.89 He made contacts there that would serve him well when he arrived in Europe.
Donovan discovered that Interpol (International Police), founded at Vienna in 1923, had been taken over by the Nazis after their invasion of Austria in 1938. By 1940 the Nazis had transferred the entire Interpol apparatus to Wannsee near Berlin. Under the direction of Nazi intelligence chief Reinhard Heydrick, Interpol became the world’s most advanced international intelligence force.90
Donovan returned to Washington and recommended to the President the founding of a central intelligence agency on the scale of Heydrick’s Interpol. In 1941 Donovan was made head of the new Office of Coordinator of Information (OCI).91 In 1942 Interpol chief Heydrich was assassinated in Czechoslovakia by a jealous Himmler. General Rein-hard Gehlen became the new head of Nazi intelligence. That same year Donovan’s OCI evolved into the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).92 In 1942-1943 Donovan and his men were sent to Great Britain to be trained by the SIS.SIS officer Kim Philby was working in London at the time as a KGB double.93
In 1943 the Nazi 55 officers, anticipating the inevitable fall of the Reich, planned for their escape to a new homeland in South America via Switzerland. Preceding them to Argentina was Juan Peron and other pro-Nazi leaders, who took power in that South American country in l946.94
In 1944 the attempted assassination of Hider solidified the resolve of the SS to escape to South America. The Germans began sending millions of dollars worth of jewels, paintings and cash to Switzerland and Argentina for safekeeping. Donovan meanwhile had prepared a plan outlining for Roosevelt a central intelligence agency similar to Interpol. But with the war winding down, Donovan’s plans were pigeonholed.95
In 1945 Roosevelt died. Mussolini was killed. Hitler committed suicide. The war ended and Freemason Harry S. Truman became President.96
That same year, after the Allied governments occupied Italy, the OSS (forerunner of the CIA) pressured Italy’s weak and impoverished government “to use Freemasonry.. .to prop up a sickly democracy threatened by Soviet-inspired destabilization and the prospect of a communist election victory. ~ The OSS backed the strongest Masonic faction, the Grand Orient, appointing its Grand Master, Guido Laj, as vice mayor of Rome. It was largely through Laj’s efforts that the Italian Freemasons were once again able to start work after years of persecution under Mussolini. The OSS then created Italy’s three secret services
and staffed them with Italian Freemasons, which have remained essentially local intelligence-gathering operations for the USA ever since. In Italy Freemasonry, politics and spying go hand in hand.98
Meanwhile, General Gehien, Heydrich’s replacement, had planned to offer his services to the West after the war. Infield writes that Gehlen’s
plan was simple. He made copies of all his important documents dealing with intelligence work on the eastern front, put the copies into 50 steel cases, and buried them in the Bavarian mountains. He was aware that the U.S. had no intelligence organization operating behind Russian lines because the Soviet Union was an ally. He was convinced, just as Hitler was, that the United States and the Soviet Union
would not remain allies long after the end of World War U, that the two nations would eventually fight each other over the control of Europe.”
Gehlen and his skeleton staff of Foreign Armies East hid out in the Bavarian mountains awaiting the arrival of the Americans. In May 1945 Gehlen peacefully surrendered to American troops and was promptly sent to a prison at Miesbach and ignored. The Russians were also in search of Gehlen, wanting to capture him before the Americans. Little did the American authorities know that he had already surrendered to an American unit. Not until they learned the Russians were looking for him, did Washington discover they already had him.
When Gehlen was interrogated by General Edwin Luther Sibert, he “offered to place himself, his Foreign Armies East staff, and his intelligence files at the disposal of the United States.”‘100 He was promptly flown to Washington. FBI director, Freemason J. Edgar Hoover, and CFR member Allen Dulles, former station chief for the OSS in Switzer. land, “decided that it would be in the best interests of the United States to take Gehlen up on his offer. Moral considerations would have to take a back seat, and they so advised the Pentagon.”101
In the minds of these two men, this was the only logical move, for after World War II the greatest fear of the West was not the Nazis, but communism. As early as the 1930s the Communists had influence in the American labor unions, prompting President Roosevelt to request of Stalin at Yalta “to abandon all propaganda and intervention in the industrial centers of America.” According to J. Edgar Hoover, the West Coast Longshoreman’s Union, headed by Harry Bridges, “was practically controlled by Communists;” the Communists “had very definite plans to get control of John L. Lewis’s United Mine Workers Union; and the Newspaper Guild had strong Communist leanings.” If the Communists
gained control of just three unions, Hoover maintained, they “would be able at any time to paralyze the country. “102
This crisis compelled the FBI and the OSS/CIA to protect and use ex- Nazi’s against Communists, as well as approach the Mafia for its assistance. After all, the Mafia thrives in a free enterprise system, but would not be able to exist under communism. The “Family” should be willing therefore, to protect its own American interests against the Communists. As one Mafia hit-man put it, “Most people don’t know that in those times when our country was threatened [with communism], the Family, as we called it after World War II.. .put aside all their differences with Uncle Sam or even local authorities…. And we all were taught that the Families’ ways aren’t the right way, but even the Families did what was necessary to protect their country. When it comes down to it, we’re all still Americans when somebody shoots at us…. We operated in our own way but we got the job done at a time when the free world was very vulnerable.” 103
To acquire assistance from the Mafia, J. Edgar Hoover met with New York mob boss Frank Costello on regular occasions at the Stork Club or at the Waldorf, where both had complimentary suites. In these secret meetings it was apparently agreed on by both men that the Mafia would be permitted to take over the trade unions to keep the Communists out, for Stalin had not heeded President Roosevelt’s request. It is reported that Hoover told Costello, “You stay out of my bailiwick and I’ll stay out of yours.”‘104
From then on Hoover closed his eyes to organize crime activity in America, prompting him to say, “There is no such thing as organized crime, no such thing as a Mafia.”105 And his associates knew better than to question his intelligence. To Hoover the denial of a Mafia was patriotic.
After the agreement between the FBI and organized crime, the Mafia furnished Hoover with “hit squads” to eliminate suspected Communists or Communist sympathizers.1^ Likewise, the Mafia cooperated with the OSS/CIA during and after World War U. For example, “when the time came to send our boys into Sicily and behind the lines in Europe, General Donovan asked the Families to send their soldiers into the war. That was how the OSS worked, and it never stopped working that way even after it became the CIA. “107
As was normal practice after war, the OSS disbanded. Its agents were moved to military intelligence agencies and to the State Department. Along with Gehlen, additional Nazi and British agents were received in the U.S. to train America’s budding central intelligence force.108
In 1946 Freemason President Truman decided to implement the original plan of Freemason Donovan to establish a permanent U.S.
intelligence agency. In 1947, by executive order, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was founded. In addition, the National Security Act of that year established the Department of Defense and the National Security Council.1- Infield writes: “After the CIA was formed in 1947, the Gehien group joined it as the Soviet intelligence arm and worked with the CIA until 1956 when the organization transferred to the new West German government as its intelligence section… .This was one of the most closely guarded secrets shared by the 55 and the United States government following the war. “110
Gehlen salvaged for the CIA many former SS and Gestapo intelligence officers who had superior knowledge of Russia. Less important members of the SS were spirited away to South America by Freemason Licio Gelli, an anti-communist Italian under contract with the CIA. In 1966 Gelli founded the Propaganda Duo (P-2) Masonic Lodge in Italy, patterned after Mazzini’s Propaganda Uno Mafia Lodges. P- 2 was to control South American drug traffic for English Freemasonry via Nazi International. Gelli’s drug runners were former SS officers whom he initiated into P-2 Freemasonry.111
The authors of The Messianic Legacy (1986) tie P-2 Freemasonry to an authority even higher than Nazi International: “According to an Italian parliamentary commission, the organisation behind P2 lay ‘beyond the frontiers of Italy….’ In 1979…a defector from P2 – a journalist named Mino Pecorelli – accused the CIA. Two months after this accusation, Pecorelli was murdered.”112
Martin Short has suggested, however, that the “authority” above P-2 is English Freemasonry, the ultimate beneficiary of the illegal drug activity of P-2 and Nazi International.113 As we shall soon discover, the CIA does the bidding of English Freemasonry.
Meanwhile, in 1949, when the Gehlen organization was transferred to CIA control, Paris-based Interpol was granted consultive status by the newly formed United Nations.”4 Interpol had been reorganized in Brussels in 1945, after which its headquarters were moved to Paris, home of Grand Orient Freemasonry.115 From there it kept English Freemasonry abreast of Grand Orient activity in France, while at the same time, sent espionage agents to spy on countries dominated by the Grand Orient.116 That same year the British sent SIS double agent, Kim Philby, to Washington to work in liaison with the CIA and the FBI.117 In 1963 triple agent Philby “defected” to Russia with the assignment to dismantle the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, in 1956, when Reinhard Gehlen replaced Freemason Otto John as the new Bundesnachrichtendienst’s chief (West Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service), he was given a large estate in Pullach near Munich for his use. There, he and his former SS intelligence
officers produced reports on the Soviet occupied zone as well as the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Moreover, the Gehien intelligence organization had connections with Nazi International networks throughout the world.118 Because of the cooperation established between the CIA and 515, English Freemasonry was privy to all this top secret information.
United Nations – the Brain-Child of English Freemasonry
As the West’s intelligence network was being developed by post-war Nazis, the second Masonic World Government in as many decades was founded in 1945 – this time, however, under the control of English Freemasonry’s Anglophile Council on Foreign Relations.119 The CFR began its planning in 1939 for what would become the United Nations after World War II. In 1940, on the advice of the CFR, the U.S. State Department set up a “Special Research Division,” headed by CFR member Leo Pasbolsky, to create the basic structure of the United Nations. Pasbolsky’s committee was totally staffed by members of the CFR. By 1945 the CFR had taken over the State Department, and that same year at least 47 CFR members were in the American delegation to the U.N. Conference at San Francisco.
Masonic influence, if not outright control, dominated the post-war geopolitics of the U.S. and the Administration and membership of the U.N. By the end of World War II, English Freemasonry had taken over the government of the United States through its CFR front. It also controlled the United Nations, as was confirmed by the Vatican’s Cardinals of the Roman Curia in The Plot Against the Church (1967) by Maurice Pinay. Pinay says the Roman Curia reported that from its creation, the United Nations has been controlled in fundamental points by Freemasonry. Freemasons have occupied key bureaucratic positions and sat in many national delegations of states. Whether communist, anti-communist or neutralist, according to the Roman Curia, Freemasons still occupy the most important positions in all three camps.120
English Freemasonry, the U.N., and the IMF
In 1934, the year President Roosevelt appointed Freemason Henry Morgenthau to Secretary of the Treasury,’21 the United States currency was taken off the gold standard and the Masonic seal of the Illuminati (with its All-Seeing Eye atop the unfinished pyramid) was placed on the back of our $1 bill.122
Before America entered the war, Secretary Morgenthau had acquired a mistrust for English Freemasonry’s big money power. He was aware that British Masons controlled the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). He also knew that the Nazis were using the BIS as a storehouse for their stolen loot, but said nothing about it.
On March26, 1943, Congressman Jerry Voorhis of California entered a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for an investigation of the BIS. Morganthau was interested, but being a Mason, would have no part in a public investigation of his English Masonic brothers. The resolution died in Congress. Apparently Congress felt the same as Morganthau, for at that time 54 percent of the Congress and 53 percent of the Senate were Masons.123 In January 1944, Washington State Congressman John M. Coffee introduced a similar resolution. Again, it was tabled.124
The British Masonic oligarchy, apparently feeling the heat during the summer of 1944, called a meeting at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, to resolve the problem. The conference was packed with British Masons, including John Maynard Keynes, Anthony Eden, and Bertrand Russell. American Masons were present as well. Among them was Morgenthau.125
Morgenthau felt that the BIS should be quietly disbanded. CFR member Dean Acheson, along with bankers Winthrop Aldrich and Edward E. Brown of the Chase (later Chase-Manhattan) and First National banks of New York, wanted it retained. Aldrich and Brown were supported by the Dutch delegation and by J.W. Beyen of Holland, the former president of the BIS. Leon Fraser of the First National Bank of New York also stood with them. So did the British delegation. English Freemason Keynes felt that the BIS should continue until a new world bank and an international monetary fund were set up in the soon-to-be United Nations.126
Freemason Morgenthau insisted the BIS must go and approved its disposal, but at the close of the Bretton Woods Conference, the Bank for International Settlements was still in business. So it was that in those last months of World War H, gold looted by the Nazis poured into the Swiss National Bank and was laundered, then transferred to the BIS to be used for another day.127
Before the Bretton Woods Conference adjourned, however, the formation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was discussed, and a year later founded under the auspices of the United Nations. The same Anglophile central bank stockholders who owned the BIS also owned the IMF. The reported purpose of the IMF was to loan money to Third World nations for industrial development. It soon became apparent
that those developing nations could not stay solvent without producing illegal drugs to pay off their ever increasing national debt.
According to Dr. John Coleman, a former British intelligence officer, London foresaw the day when Hitler first rose to power, when it would need drug revenues fr6m South America. Coleman reports: “In 1933 the British government had invested $7 billion dollars in land in South America that was only capable of growing drugs.” 128 When the South American nations were unable to pay their national debts to the IMF, millions of acres were leased by white-gloved Englishmen to grow “a more salable produce for export.”129
After World War II, the ex-Nazis in South America had established a network of Masonic lodges that extended north to Cuba. Cuba became their hub for distribution of South American “export produce.” Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista and the Mafia controlled this small Caribbean island. Fidel Castro toppled Batista in 1958. On January 1, 1959, Castro took charge of Cuba, kicked out the Mafia and shut down the Western Hemisphere’s largest distribution depot for South American drugs.
With the loss of Cuba, South American Nazis contacted Allen Dulles, their CFR friend at the head of the CIA, and pressured him to rid Cuba of Castro. During the latter months of the Eisenhower administration, Dulles put together the strategy for the CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion scheduled for April 17, 1961. He also appointed two CIA agents to initiate “the recruitment of underworld figures to perform the murder” of Castro.130
Meanwhile, John F. Kennedy, and not the Eisenhower-groomed Nixon, was elected as the 35th President of the United States. Kennedy’s entire political career had been a war against the Mafia. He considered the Mob’s exile from Cuba a victory. He saw the Bay of Pigs as a threat to his ultimate goal of destroying the Mob. Kennedy, therefore, pulled the plug on the Bay of Pigs air support promised by the CIA, leaving Castro in power. The CIA, the Mafia and the South American Nazi drug cartels, not to mention English Freemasonry, were angry.
Jim Garrison, the New Orleans attorney who brought the only case of conspiracy charges against a defendant for the murder of John Kennedy, implicated both the CIA and the Nazis in the assassination of Kennedy, but failed to mention the Mafia or English Freemasonry.131 The thesis of David E. Scheim’s book on the Kennedy assassination is contained in its title: Contract America: The Mafia Murder of President
John F: Kennedy (1988).132 David S. Lifton, in Best Evidence: Disguise and Deception in the Assassination of John F Kennedy (1980), shows how deeply involved the CIA was in the plot to kill JFK. He leaves no doubt that the CIA covered up both the plot to kill the President and the alteration of the President’s body after the assassination.133
The most damning evidence for the CIA’s complicity in the murder of JFK is the recent book First Hand Knowledge; How I Participated in the CIA-Mafia Murder of President Kennedy (1992) by Robert D. Morrow. Morrow claims that he, on CIA orders, was the one who purchased the three rifles that killed JFK, that J. Edgar Hoover and Richard Nixon both knew of the plot and that the government closed its eyes to the assassination plans. He says that Vice President Lyndon Johnson was told by Hoover why JFK had to be killed – that he had de-escalated the Vietnam War – a CIA war to control the illegal drugs in that part of the world. The war was resumed by Johnson one day after the assassination. Finally, Morrow describes the deliberate and systematic executions of those involved in the conspiracy.134
The FBI was also in on the cover-up. Hoover recruited a band of killers from the “boss of bosses” -Mob chieftain Frank Costello. Michael Milan (pseudonym), author of The Squad (1989), was one of them. On Hoover’s orders, Milan, and two other hit men, killed “embarrassing” witnesses to the Kennedy
assassination.
The Warren Commission continued the cover-up.136 Dr. John Coleman, former British intelligence agent, in Secrets of the Kennedy Assassination Revealed (1990), bluntly says that the Warren Commission was a Masonic cover-up. For example, the late Earl Warren was a 33rd degree Mason as is Gerald Ford, who was his fellow Commissioner. Against all expert evidence to the contrary, “[I]t was Ford,” says Coleman, “who ‘invented’ the one-bullet theory. It was Gerald Ford…who insisted that the experts who picked up the rifle had made a mistake in identifying it as a Mauser. It was Ford who said the doctors and nurses at Parkland Hospital in Dallas were ‘mistaken’ about the wounds to President Kennedy’s head.”137
CFR member Allen Dulles was also on the Commission. He too was in on the cover-up. Author David Scheim shows that “[t]hroughout the Commission meetings, Dulles concealed his knowledge of relevant CIA Mafia assassination plots against Castro….”138
Dr. Coleman informs us that “[o]ne aspect of the Kennedy murder is never mentioned in any of the foregoing.” Coleman does not specifically say, but infers that English Freemasonry was behind the plot to kill Kennedy, because Kennedy “dared to buck the British…control of the White House….”139
With the Bay of Pigs a fiasco, English Freemasonry needed to find another clearing house for its drug trade. Freemason Licio Gelli, the man who had been hired by the CIA after World War II to spirit the SS to
South America, once again came to the rescue of English Freemasonry’s Nazi drug overlords. In the mid- 1960s, Gelli had established a chain of P-2 Masonic Lodges throughout South and Central America through which drugs could be transported to North America.140 According to Zepp, those involved in the P-2 operation were “certain oligarchical families (particularly in Italy, Switzerland, and Great Britain); their associated financial institutions.. .secret conspiratorial societies, particularly of Freemasonic and other pseudo-religious stripes; the international organized crime network; and the still-extant ‘Nazi International.”‘141
Protecting the Priory of Sion documents from the Nazis
Although the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry states that Hitler obliterated the Grand Orient on the Continent, pockets of Grand Orient Masonry did survive. According to Freemason Meyer Mendelsohn, a French Jewish refugee who emigrated to the United States after the war, Masons who escaped the carnage continued to operate in secret circles in the private security of locked homes to carry on their Masonic work.”‘142 This underground Masonic network, headed by Charles de Gaulle, became known in history as the “French Resistance,” and ironically, involved the Priory of Sion and its Grand Master, Jean Cocteau.143 English Freemasons, acting through British intelligence, became embroiled in the Priory’s resistance affairs, even to ten years after the war.144 Their purpose was to smuggle important Priory documents out of France to be held in safekeeping in England. The authors of The Messianic Legacy list eight Englishmen who were involved in this effort, all of whom were directors of insurance companies and probable members of the Priory of Sion. After World War II, these men began obtaining genealogies establishing the legitimacy of a Merovingian claim to the French throne.145 In 1956 the Priory of Sion went public for the first time and registered itself in the French Journal officiel.146
Since the Yalta Agreement placed France under the influence of English Freemasonry, de Gaulle’s 5th French Republic was not only Masonic, but Sionist as well. In 1962 Sion’s World War II Masonic resistance fighters were rechristened the Association for the Fifth Republic. This Association organized the smuggling of the Priory documents to England.147 To conceal its activity, the Priory of Sion
acquired the services of the Knights of Malta to do the actual smuggling. The documents were kept in England for 25 years before being returned to France.148
British journalist Stephen Knight, author of The Brotherhood (1984), states that the Order of the Temple of St. John of Jerusalem (located in Palestine and Rhodes), and the Knights of Malta on the island of Malta, are English Masonic Military Orders.149 Both were spin-offs from the Knights Hospitaller of St. John, or the Hospitallers as they came to be known. The Hospitallers were the competitors of the Knights Templar during the Crusades. After the 1314 persecution of the Templars, the Hospitallers acquired the Templar holdings.150
One group of Hospitallers landed on Malta, changing its name to the Knights of Malta. Napoleon conquered the island during his wars, and afterwards the British fleet returned it to the Knights.151 The authors of The Messianic Legacy state:
In international law, the current status of the Knights of Malta is that of an independent sovereign principality. The Grand Master is recognised as a head of state, with a secular rank equivalent to a prince and an ecclesiastical rank equivalent to a cardinal…. The upper grades of the Order are still fastidiously aristocratic. The highest Knights must be able to display a coat of arms dating back at least three hundred years in unbroken succession from father to son.152
The twentieth-century Order of Malta is, needless to say, ideally placed for intelligence work…. Today, the Order of Malta is believed to be one of the primary channels of communication between the Vatican and the CIA…. It is not uncommon for CIA directors to be Knights of Malta. John McCone, for example, was a Knight. The agency’s current Director, William Casey [since deceased], is also a Knight. Former Director William Colby was reportedly offered membership in the Order but is said to have declined with the words “I’m a little lower key.”153
The majority of these men were also Masons. Moreover, many members of the Italian P-2 Masonic
Lodge are members of the Knights, including Grand Master Licio Gelli. The Knights of Malta are viewed as an ideal conduit for English Masonic intelligence gathering.154
In reference to the connection between the Priory of Sion and the Knights of Malta, the authors of The Messianic Legacy make this statement: “Both Orders, though perhaps for different reasons and with differing priorities, were apparently intent on the creation of some sort of United States of Europe.” 155
The United States of Europe has long been the desire of both Freemasonries. English Freemasonry, however, was in the dominant position after World War II. To maintain control of the political developments on the Continent, English Freemasonry was in need of the Priory documents. Through the Order of the Knights of Malta, the British Brotherhood forged certain signatures to obtain the documents from France. The Knights of Malta actually transported the documents to London.156
The Priory of Sion is clearly the All-Seeing Eye of English Freemasonry, which “seeks to bring about a monarchical or imperial United States of Europe… “157 This goal will be achieved, not by revolution but rather, by “hijacking an already established order and gradually transforming that order from within.”158 The authors of The Messianic Legacy suggest that the drug trafficking P-2 Masonic Lodge of Italy is that
order.’59
Turning to Scripture we see that this machination was prophesied in Revelation 18:23, which states of Mystery Babylon: “by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” We have learned that the Greek word for “sorceries” strongly suggest the drug trafficking of Mystery Babylon, which today is housed in English Freemasonry. English Freemasonry conducts this business by loaning money to Third World nations (who cannot repay their loans without growing drugs); by leasing millions of South American acres to the drug growers; and by acquiring the services of P-2 Masonic Lodges to smuggle the drugs northward. When the nations of the world are sufficiency “deceived,” that is, impotent and degraded by drug addiction and its accompanying social problems, English Freemasonry’s Priory of Sion will place on the throne of the United States of Europe her “King of Jerusalem.”
Europe has not lost its desire for monarchy. Several possible avenues are open for the Priory of Sion to install its “King of Jerusalem” on a European throne. As the authors of The Messianic Legacy note: “In Spain, King Juan Carlos is entering upon the second (now third) decade of his reign, presiding over the first democracy his country has known for some thirty-five years, and this arrangement has thus far proved successful. In France, royalist movements continue as vigorous as ever, while the president himself assumes an ever more regal air. Whenever she visits Vienna, Otto von Habsburg’s mother, the former Empress Zita, a woman now in her nineties, draws adulating crowds of the kind usually associated with the Pope. During 1984 and 1985, certain newspapers again began to speculate about a possible Habsburg restoration in Austria. “160
The authors of The Messianic Legacy ask: “If monarchy itself continues to exercise such appeal, how might that appeal be augmented if a specific monarch or monarchical candidate could also claim, in strict conformity with the original meaning of the term, to be a Messiah?” 161
AND THE UNITED NATIONS, POST-WAR MASONRY, YALTA
LIST BRATA ROOSVELTA DO STALINA
Anna: JANUSZ KORCZAK
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In The Supreme Court of the United States October Term, 1995
Lotus Development Corporation,
Borland International, Inc.,
Respondent.
On Writ of Certiorari to the
for the First Circuit
AMICUS CURIAE BRIEF OF DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, THE GATES RUBBER COMPANY, INTEL CORPORATION AND XEROX CORPORATION IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONER
INTEREST OF AMICI CURIAE
Digital Equipment Corporation, The Gates Rubber Company, Intel Corporation and Xerox Corporation, ("Amici") file this amicus curiae brief in support of petitioner Lotus Development Corporation ("Lotus").
Amici include leading developers of software and other computer products, which they create and market for mainframe, mini and personal computers for the business, education, government and entertainment markets. All of Amici develop computer software to compete in the worldwide software market, to complement the products and services they provide their customers, or to support other segments of their businesses. Amici constitute a major segment of the U.S. economy and collectively have annual revenues exceeding $30 billion, employ more than 130,000 people worldwide, and invest more than $2 billion annually in research and development.
Amici have no interest in either of the parties to this dispute or in the outcome of this case, other than to the extent that it affects the computer software industry and the public generally. Amici have a strong interest in the issues before the Court, since all of Amici develop computer software.
This case presents a critical issue concerning the extent to which copyright protects expression in computer programs. The computer software industry has long relied on copyright law and the incentives it provides. Under the regime established by Congress that recognizes computer programs as literary works and accords them full protection under copyright law, software development has grown into one of the major American industries. At the same time, the United States has become the dominant force in the world software market, supplying approximately 75% of the nearly $70 billion worldwide packaged software market in 1993 and maintaining a positive balance of trade. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, U.S. Global Trade Outlook 1995-2000: Toward the 21st Century 134-35 (1995) ("Trade Outlook").
From 1991 to 1994 the market for packaged software in the United States increased by nearly 41%, to $35.6 billion, id., making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in our national economy. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, U.S. Industrial Outlook '94, at 27-1 (1994). Employment in the software industry has risen every year since 1988 (the first year for which such data are available), creating nearly 73,000 jobs over that period. Trade Outlook, at 134.
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT
This case presents the question whether Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act bars protection for expression in the user interface of a computer program. The key to resolving this question lies in the recognition and implementation of two congressional mandates found in the Copyright Act: Congress' mandate that computer programs are literary works protectible by copyright under the same principles that pertain to other literary works; and Congress' mandate that although expression in a work is protectible, the ideas, processes, methods of operation and the like that underlie that expression are not protectible.
The text and legislative history of the Copyright Act of 1976 and 1980 computer software amendments, make clear that computer programs are literary works protectible by copyright. Apart from very narrow exceptions, Congress did not establish different rules or principles to govern protection of computer programs. Rather, Congress chose to protect programs according to the same principles that apply to other literary works.
The text and legislative history also establish clearly that Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act does no more than restate the idea/expression dichotomy that has been a part of U.S. copyright law for more than a century. According to that most basic principle, expression in works is copyrightable; ideas that underlie that expression are not.
The court below has cast doubt on the protectibility of expression in computer programs. It accomplished this by defining Section 102(b)'s phrase "method of operation" in a way that overlaps substantially with Section 101's definition of "computer program," and then holding that anything falling within that definition is uncopyrightable regardless of its expressive content. This result undermines Congress' intention to provide computer program authors with the same incentives accorded other authors under copyright.
The central issue in this case is whether Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 102(b), renders expression of elements of computer programs uncopyrightable because those elements may be used to operate other elements of the program. The specific program element before the Court is the Lotus 1-2-3 menu command hierarchy--the selection of 469 commands and their hierarchical arrangement into more than 50 menus and submenus which collectively comprise the heart of the user interface of Lotus' 1-2-3 spreadsheet program. Lotus Dev. Corp. v. Borland Int'l, Inc., 49 F.3d 807, 809 (1st Cir.), cert. granted, 64 U.S.L.W. 3238 (U.S. Sept. 27, 1995) (No. 94-2003). But this case has profound implications for all other program elements, for computer programs as a whole, and for other works as well.
A user interface is the element of a computer program that permits the program author to communicate with the user, and permits the user to communicate with the computer. This communicative aspect of a user interface makes it one of the most expressive aspects of a computer program. In the decision below, the First Circuit accepted the district court's finding that the 1-2-3 menu command hierarchy was expressive, and that other ways of expressing the ideas underlying the user interface were available. 49 F.3d at 816. Nonetheless, the court below found that the Lotus 1-2-3 menu command hierarchy--including its expression--was a "method of operation." For that reason, it held that Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act deprived it of protection.[FN1] 49 F.3d at 815.
In the First Circuit's view, "`method of operation,' as that term is used in § 102(b), refers to the means by which a person operates something, whether it be a car, a food processor, or a computer." Id. According to the court, anything that falls within that definition is wholly deprived of copyright protection, even to the extent that it contains original expression.[FN2] Id., at 815-16.
Since, in the court's view, a user interface is a "means by which a person operates . . . a computer," the court's reasoning appears to preclude protection for any user interface. The First Circuit's construction of Section 102(b) would deny protection to expression in most other program elements as well, and to computer programs as a whole. A computer program, defined in the Copyright Act as "a set of statements or instructions to be used directly or indirectly in a computer in order to bring about a certain result," is a means by which a person operates a computer. 17 U.S.C. § 101 (emphasis supplied). Virtually all elements of a program are means of operating some aspect of a computer. The First Circuit's construction of Section 102(b) might well preclude protection for all such elements--even for the code, or text, of the program.[FN3] In his concurring opinion, Judge Boudin, in fact, acknowledged that such a literal reading of Section 102(b) "might easily seem to exclude most computer programs from protection." 49 F.3d at 820 (Boudin, J., concurring).
In determining whether a particular element of a computer program is protectible under copyright, a court is guided by two congressional mandates: (a) Congress' mandate that computer programs be protected under copyright according to the same principles as other literary works, and (b) Congress' mandate that no "idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery" may be protected by copyright. These are "the markers that Congress has placed to guide the courts." Lotus Dev. Corp v. Paperback Software, Int'l, 740 F. Supp. 37, 53 (D. Mass. 1990). Having lost sight of these "markers," the court of appeals regarded itself as "navigating in unchartered waters," 49 F.3d at 813, and thus free to steer any course it might choose.
I. CONGRESS MANDATED THAT COPYRIGHT PROTECT THE EXPRESSION IN COMPUTER PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE EXPRESSION OF METHODS OF OPERATION.
A. Congress Determined that Computer Programs are Literary Works Protected by Copyright Under the Same Principles that Govern Protection of Other Literary Works.
Computer programs were protected under the Copyright Act of 1976 when it was enacted, even though they were not enumerated specifically among the categories of protectible works of authorship. Section 102(a) states that the Copyright Act protects "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device." Section 102(b) then sets out a nonexclusive list of categories of works, which includes "literary works." 17 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1). Literary works are defined as "works . . . expressed in words, numbers, or other verbal or numerical symbols or indicia . . . ." 17 U.S.C. § 101.
Computer programs, whether in a form that can be read by programmers or in a form that can be executed by a computer, are "works . . . expressed in words, numbers, or other . . . symbols or indicia," and thus fall squarely within the statutory definition of literary works.
Congress later confirmed that computer programs are protected under the Copyright Act by enacting a statutory definition of "computer program" in Section 101. Pub. L. No. 96-517 § 10(a), 94 Stat. 3015, 3028 (1980). It declined to create a new category of works for computer programs, leaving them in the literary works category. Congress also declined to enact special rules applicable only to computer programs, apart from the narrow exceptions permitting an owner of a copy to create a copy or adaptation "as an essential step in the utilization of the computer program in conjunction with a machine" and to make a backup copy. 17 U.S.C. § 117. It must be presumed that in all other respects Congress intended the copyright law to apply to computer programs in accordance with the same principles applicable to other literary works.
The legislative history of the Copyright Act confirms this reading of the statutory language. The Copyright Act of 1976 culminated more than three decades of consideration and debate by Congress. Congress considered many different viewpoints presented in testimony, written submissions, and studies. Protection of computer programs figured prominently in these proceedings,[FN4] particularly after the Copyright Office began issuing registrations for claims of copyright in computer programs in 1964. Final Report of the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works 15 (1978) ("CONTU Final Report").
Still, Congress sought further input and constituted a panel of experts, the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works ("CONTU"), to study and make recommendations concerning, inter alia, the proper regime for protecting computer programs. Pub. L. No. 93-573, 88 Stat. 1873 (1974). Although the Copyright Act was enacted before CONTU's study was complete, the committee report prepared when Congress was deliberating on the Copyright Act[FN5] states plainly that computer programs are among the literary works protected by Section 102(a)(1) of the statute:
The term "literary works" does not connote any criterion of literary merit or qualitative value: it includes catalogs, directories, and similar factual, reference, or instructional works and compilations of data. It also includes computer data bases, and computer programs to the extent that they incorporate authorship in the programmer's expression of original ideas, as distinguished from the ideas themselves.
H.R. Rep. No. 1476, 94th Cong., 2d Sess. 54, reprinted in 1976 U.S.C.C.A.N. 5659, 5667 (1976) ("House Report").
CONTU took testimony and written submissions from numerous experts in copyright and information technology. CONTU Final Report, at 113-14, 121- 29. After consideration and debate, it concluded that copyright should protect computer programs under the same principles that apply to other copyrighted works. Id. at 13. In 1980, Congress adopted CONTU's recommendations with immaterial changes--including CONTU's proposed definition of "computer program."[FN6] Pub. L. No. 96-517 § 10(a), 94 Stat. 3015, 3028 (1980), codified at 17 U.S.C. § 101 (definition of "computer program").
Congress' confirmation that computer programs are literary works protected under copyright law has been accepted as a model for protection of software throughout the world. In fact, it has been incorporated into international obligations accepted by a clear majority of nations, including all of the United States' major trading partners.
For example, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provides that computer programs are literary works under copyright law and requires all parties (the United States, Canada and Mexico) to protect them as such. NAFTA, H.R. Doc. No. 159, 103d Cong., 1st Sess., ch. 17, art. 1705(1)(a) (1993), 32 I.L.M. 605, 671 (1993). The World Trade Organization Agreement (successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) similarly requires protection of computer programs as literary works under copyright law. Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Including Trade in Counterfeit Goods, art. 10(1), 33 I.L.M. 81, 87 (Annex 1C to the World Trade Organization Agreement) (1994). See Information Infrastructure Task Force, Intellectual Property and the National Information Infrastructure: The Report of the Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights 138 (1995).
B. Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act Bars Protection Only for Ideas, Not for Expression of Ideas.
Section 102(b) of the Copyright Act is a statutory restatement of the "idea/expression" dichotomy. This principle, first enunciated by the Court in Baker v. Selden, 101 U.S. 99 (1879), formed part of the legal context in which the Copyright Act was considered and enacted. See, e.g., Mazer v. Stein, 347 U.S. 201, 217 (1954) (restating idea/expression dichotomy). The reference to "idea" in Section 102(b) is a conscious invocation of the principle.[FN7]
Expression that is separable from (i.e., is not merged with) an idea, method of operation, or any of the other categories of unprotectible matter, is copyrightable.[FN8] Nothing in the text of Section 102(b) states or even suggests otherwise. To the contrary, the final phrase of Section 102(b) ("regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work") contemplates that ideas, procedures, processes and the like are separable from the form in which they are "described, explained, illustrated, or embodied . . . ."
A dichotomy thus exists between unprotectible ideas and their protectible "form" or expression. Apart from those instances where the idea and expression in a particular work may have merged (another principle that owes its origin to Baker), the idea/expression dichotomy does not deny protection to expression in a work.[FN9] This was settled law at the time Congress enacted the Copyright Act, see, e.g., Mazer, 347 U.S. at 217 ("protection is given only to the expression of the idea--not the idea itself"); the text of Section 102(b) reveals no Congressional intent to change the law in this regard.
The legislative history of the Copyright Act confirms this reading of the statutory language:
Section 102(b) is intended, among other things, to make clear that the expression adopted by the programmer is the copyrightable element in a computer program, and that the actual processes or methods embodied in the program are not within the scope of the copyright law.
Section 102(b) in no way enlarges or contracts the scope of copyright protection under the present law. Its purpose is to restate, in the context of the new single Federal system of copyright, that the basic dichotomy between expression and idea remains unchanged.
House Report, at 57, 1976 U.S.C.C.A.N. at 5670. See also id. at 54, 1976 U.S.C.C.A.N. at 5667 (computer programs are protectible under Section 102(a)(1) "to the extent that they incorporate authorship in the programmer's expression . . . as distinguished from the ideas themselves.").
Implementing Congress' express statement in the legislative history of the Copyright Act, courts of appeals have universally found Section 102(b) to be a restatement of the idea/expression dichotomy. See, e.g., CCC Info. Servs., Inc. v. Maclean Hunter Mkt. Reports, Inc., 44 F.3d 61, 69 & n.12 (2d Cir. 1994), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 64 U.S.L.W. 3240 (1995); Whelan Assocs., Inc. v. Jaslow Dental Lab., Inc., 797 F.2d 1222, 1234 (3d Cir. 1986), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 1031 (1987); M. Kramer Mfg. Co., Inc. v. Andrews, 783 F.2d 421, 434 (4th Cir. 1986); Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. v. Leadership Software, Inc., 12 F.3d 527, 533 & n.8 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, ___U.S.___, 115 S. Ct. 82 (1994); Robert R. Jones Assocs., Inc. v. Nino Homes, 858 F.2d 274, 277 (6th Cir. 1988); Atari, Inc. v. North American Philips Consumer Elecs. Corp., 672 F.2d 607, 615 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 880 (1982); Toro Co. v. R & R Prods. Co., 787 F.2d 1208, 1211-12 (8th Cir. 1986); Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., 35 F.3d 1435, 1443 & n.11 (9th Cir. 1994), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 115 S. Ct. 1176 (1995); Autoskill Inc. v. National Educ. Support Sys., Inc., 994 F.2d 1476, 1495 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 114 S. Ct. 307 (1993); Cable/Home Communication Corp. v. Network Prods., Inc., 902 F.2d 829, 842-43 & n.26 (11th Cir. 1990).
II. IN HOLDING EXPRESSION OF A METHOD OF OPERATION TO BE UNCOPYRIGHTABLE PER SE, THE DECISION BELOW THWARTS CONGRESS' SCHEME FOR PROTECTING COMPUTER PROGRAMS.
A. The First Circuit's Per Se Bar to Protecting User Interfaces is a Misinterpretation of the Copyright Act.
The First Circuit's holding that an element of a computer program that performs a useful function is a "method of operation," and all expression in that element is therefore ineligible for copyright protection under Section 102(b), rests on a series of misinterpretations of the Copyright Act.
The Court has long emphasized that a statutory provision should be interpreted in light of "the provisions of the whole law, and . . . its object and policy . . . ." Kelly v. Robinson, 479 U.S. 36, 43 (1986) (quoting Offshore Logistics, Inc. v. Tallentire, 477 U.S. 207, 221 (1986), in turn quoting Mastro Plastics Corp. v. NLRB, 350 U.S. 270, 285 (1956), in turn quoting United States v. Heirs of Boisdoré, 49 U.S. (8 How.) 113, 122 (1849)) (citations and internal quotes omitted). The First Circuit failed utterly to do this. Without so much as a sideways glance at its context in the statute, the First Circuit regarded Section 102(b) in isolation and proffered an interpretation of the provision that undoes what Congress did elsewhere in the statute.
While it is true that "the `starting point in every case involving construction of a statute is the language itself,'" Kelly, 479 U.S. at 43 (quoting Blue Chip Stamps v. Manor Drug Stores, 421 U.S. 723, 756 (1975) (Powell, J., concurring)), "the text is only a starting point." Kelly, 479 U.S. at 43. The canon that a court "construe[s] a statutory term in accordance with its ordinary or natural meaning," FDIC v. Meyer, 510 U.S. ___, 114 S. Ct. 996, 1001 (1994), should not be applied to a single phrase in isolation in a way that defeats other provisions of the statute.
The phrase "method of operation" is not defined in the Copyright Act. The court below, presumably adopting what it viewed as a common use of the words "method of operation," 49 F.3d at 821 (Boudin, J., concurring), constructed a definition for that phrase that is strikingly similar to that adopted by Congress for a "computer program" in Section 101. The court then applied Section 102(b) as a per se bar to protection for any element of a work (and presumably for any work in its entirety), regardless of its expressive content, that falls within that definition. On its face, that construction must be wrong.
First, it can be presumed that Congress did not intend to adopt for uncopyrightable matter a definition that has essentially the same meaning as the statutory definition of a copyrightable work of authorship--namely, a computer program.[FN10] The court of appeals has constructed a false conflict between Sections 101 and 102(b) of the Copyright Act and arbitrarily resolved it in favor of Section 102(b).
The fallacy of the First Circuit's construction is illustrated by substituting "idea" for "method of operation." "Idea" can be defined as "a formulated thought or opinion." Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary 597 (1987). Therefore (following the First Circuit's logic) any element of a work that fits that definition is unprotectible, no matter how expressed. That interpretation would, of course, disqualify most writings from copyright protection.
Second, even assuming that the First Circuit's definition of "method of operation" were defensible, that would not dispose of the question whether the manner in which a "method of operation" is expressed is copyrightable. As a restatement of the idea/expression dichotomy, Section 102(b) cannot bar protection for expression in a work where, as here, there is no merger of idea and expression. 49 F.3d at 816.
Although the First Circuit attempted to limit its holding by distinguishing "computer code"--the text of a computer program--from the Lotus menu command hierarchy, it did so based on flawed and unpersuasive reasoning. Id. at 816. The court stated that the menu command hierarchy of Lotus 1-2-3 was a method of operation because "[w]ithout the menu command hierarchy, users would not be able to access and control, or indeed make use of, Lotus 1-2-3's functional capabilities." Id. at 815 (emphasis supplied). On the other hand, according to the court, the code of Lotus 1-2-3 was not a method of operation because, in order for a competing program "to offer the same capabilities as Lotus 1-2-3 [a competitor does not] have to copy Lotus' underlying code . . . ." Id. at 816 (emphasis supplied).
The court asked a different question regarding the menu command hierarchy (whether it was needed to operate a particular program--Lotus 1-2-3) than it asked regarding the program's code (whether it was needed to offer the same capabilities as Lotus 1-2-3). Had it asked the same question regarding the user interface that it asked regarding the code, the court of appeals would have recognized that the menu command hierarchy is eligible for copyright protection, since a program offering the same capabilities as Lotus 1-2-3 could have a different menu command hierarchy, as the district court found.[FN11]
By the same token, had it asked the same question regarding the program's code that it asked as to the user interface, it would have recognized the flaw in its reasoning. The code of Lotus 1-2-3 is necessary to operate Lotus 1-2-3, just as the code of any program is necessary to operate that particular program, making the code--under the First Circuit's reasoning--an unprotectible method of operation.
The First Circuit's misinterpretation of the Copyright Act is further illustrated by its statement that the district court erred by limiting "Lotus 1-2-3's `method of operation' to an abstraction." 49 F.3d at 816. That statement alludes to Judge Learned Hand's observation that
[u]pon any work . . . a great number of patterns of increasing generality will fit equally well, as more and more of the incident is left out. . . . [T]here is a point in this series of abstractions where they are no longer protected, since otherwise the [author] could prevent the use of his "ideas," to which, apart from their expression, his property is never extended.
Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp., 45 F.2d 119, 121 (2d Cir. 1930), cert. denied, 282 U.S. 902 (1931). This analytic tool, which has been applied to computer programs in a number of cases, see, e.g., Gates Rubber Co. v. Bando Chem. Indus., 9 F.3d 823, 834 (10th Cir. 1993); Computer Assocs. Int'l, Inc. v. Altai, Inc., 982 F.2d 693, 706 (2d Cir. 1992), assists a court in identifying where protectible expression ends and unprotectible idea begins. In other words, the ideas barred from protection under Section 102(b) are a level of abstraction within a work.
B. Denying Protection to Expression in Computer Programs Undermines the Incentives Congress Enacted for Their Authors.
The Constitution grants Congress the power "To Promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries," U.S. Const., art. I, § 8, cl. 8. It thus establishes both the "object and policy" of copyright law (to promote the progress of science--i.e., knowledge) and instructs Congress as to the appropriate mechanism for achieving that goal (granting authors exclusive rights for a limited period of time as an incentive to create new works).
The Court has confirmed that the public good is served by providing authors with these exclusive rights as an incentive to create works of authorship:
The economic philosophy behind the clause empowering Congress to grant patents and copyrights is the conviction that encouragement of individual effort by personal gain is the best way to advance public welfare through the talents of authors and inventors in "Science and useful Arts." Sacrificial days devoted to such creative activities deserve rewards commensurate with the services rendered.
Mazer, 347 U.S. at 219.
When Congress acted to protect computer programs as literary works under copyright, it implemented the constitutional dictate that the public good be served by granting exclusive rights as an incentive to authors. Experience has demonstrated the soundness of this approach for computer programs. The computer software industry relies on these incentives, and they have caused the industry to flourish and grow. Any fundamental alteration in the balance of these incentives, as in the decision below, is outside the competence of the judiciary and will have a substantial and detrimental effect on the industry.
Software development (including user interface design)[FN12] requires a substantial investment in creative expression--the very creativity that the economic incentives in the Copyright Act are designed to protect and nurture. Eliminating copyright protection for programs, or expressive elements of programs, undermines those incentives to innovate.[FN13] Even casting substantial doubt on the availability and extent of such protection stifles progress and creativity, and disserves the goals of the Copyright Act.
This is so despite the First Circuit's mistaken belief that its holding would foster progress in the software development industry. 49 F.3d at 817-18. The First Circuit was obliged to abide by the balance struck by Congress in establishing the scheme of incentives for authors. The Court's admonition to another court of appeals is appropriate in this instance as well:
We agree with the Court of Appeals that copyright is intended to increase and not impede the harvest of knowledge. But we believe the Second Circuit gave insufficient deference to the scheme established by the Copyright Act for fostering the original works that provide the seed and substance of this harvest. The rights conferred by copyright are designed to assure contributors to the store of knowledge a fair return for their labors.
Harper & Row, Publishers v. Nation Enters., 471 U.S. 539, 545-46 (1985) (citation omitted).
The judgment of the court below should be reversed.
Morton David Goldberg*
June M. Besek
David O. Carson
Jesse M. Feder
SCHWAB GOLDBERG PRICE & DANNAY
Attorneys for Amici Curiae
*Counsel of Record
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Gallery & Info
Whether you arrive by car or by train, we are just minutes away from Powell Street Station. Click on the map above to locate us in Google maps.
From SFO
Upon arrival, look for signs directing you to the BART Station. From there, take any train to Powell Street station (approximate travel time is 40 minutes and costs approximately $9). From Powell Street station, we are a five-minute walk up Powell Street and then turn left onto O'farrell.
Instead of taxi, we recommend towncar service. Please call 415.606.7047 and mention the Stratford Hotel for a special $55 flat rate, for up to four people.
Q: How do you get to Alcatraz?
A: The Powell and Hyde line which is one of the Cable Car that stops out in front of the hotel and it will drop you off outside of Fishermen’s Wharf. Another option is to take the F-Market street car right at 5th and Market Street and they can drop you off at different parts of the Pier’s inside Fishermen’s Wharf.
Q: How much is the fare for the F-Market Streetcar?
A: The fare is going to be $2.25 per person, but the driver will also provide you a transfer slip that is redeemable for another ride under a 90 minute time frame.
Q: How much is the cable car and where to purchase the tickets.
A: The cable car fare is $7.00 for each person and ($3.00 for seniors/people with disability between the hours of 9:00PM and before 7:00AM. You can pay for the fare directly to the conductor when you board the cable car but please keep in mind bills larger than $50.00 will not be accepted.
Q: Is there a city pass to get around in the city with public transportation?
A: You can purchase a muni passport right on the Cable Car Ticket Booth, and Walgreens that allows you to have access to majority of the public transportation in the city from the Cable cars, Muni buses, Metro system with the exception of the BART transportation system. The muni passport is available from a 1 day Visitor Pass – 7 day Visitor Pass and the prices will vary from $20.00- $40.00.
Q: Are there fridges in the room?
A: All private bath rooms provide a mini fridge inside the room.
Q: If you do not provide shuttles to the airport then what is the best way to get to the hotel from the SFO airport.
A: BART: is an underground train that can be reached directly from the terminal after boarding the Airtrain. The fare will be $8.65 one way ticket for a half an hour ride to the hotel and you will have to get off at the Powell Bart Station and walk 2 blocks up to the hotel.
A: Uber/Lyft which will be another option that is an app that needs to be downloaded on your phone to reserve your ride and prices will vary as there are surge prices.
A: Taxi Cab: You can easily wave down a taxi cab and the price will range around $55.00 excluding tips.
Q: How much is the overnight parking?
A: Ellis-O'Farrell Garage: $36; Mason-O’Farrell Garage: $35-$39
Q: Is it free of charge to dial out from the phone in the room?
A: All domestic calls are free of charge.
Q: How to you get to the AT&T Park.
A: Take the underground Metro Light rail T or N to the embarcadero direction (inbound) at Market and Powell street.
Q: How to get to the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: You can take the 38/38R muni bus on Geary and Powell Street and take it to Geary and Park Presidio Blvd, and transfer to the 28 muni bus.
Q: Where can I leave my luggage if my flight is later in the evening?
A: We do have storage room available for you to store your luggage if your room is not ready by the time you arrive and after you check-out.
Q: When is check-in /checkout time?
A: Check-in time is at 3:00PM and check-out time is at 11:00AM.
Q: Is breakfast included in the room.
A: Breakfast unfortunately is not provided in the room, but there are many cafés located nearby within walking distance from the hotel.
Q: Do you provide shuttles from the hotel to the San Francisco International Airport?
A: Yes, the price is $15 for an adult and it is a $7.00 cash deposit at the front desk which is non-refundable and the remaining $8.00 to the driver. For children, it will be $10.00 and there is a $2.00 cash deposit at the front desk and the remaining $8.00 for the driver.
Q: How to you get to the Golden Gate Park from the Hotel.
A: You can take the Metro line the N Judah line where you can get off at Judah Street and 40th Ave.
Q: How do you get to Fisherman’s Wharf?
A: You can take the Powell and Hyde Cable Car (It will take approximately 15-25 minutes since the queue for the cable car is long). Another option is to take the F-Market street car on 5th and Market Street and it will take about 15 minutes. Lastly, you can always go for a nice walk right from the Embarcadero that will lead you to Fisherman’s Wharf that will take about 30 minutes.
Q: If I need to check-out very early in the morning, will there be anyone at the front desk to assist me.
A: Yes, the front desk is open 24/7.
phone +(415) 397-7080
info@hotelstratfordsf.com | accessibility
©Hotel Stratford 2020
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IndieFeed Host - Darian Dauchan
Darian Dauchan is an accomplished solo performer and actor who has appeared on both Broadway (Twentieth Century starring Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche) and Off-Broadway theatre (Jean Cocteau Rep., Classical Theatre of Harlem). TV credits include Law and Order and Nickelodeon's Bet the House, as Darian the "SoundFX" Guy. His solo pieces, which include Fallen Patriots, Entertainer's Eulogy, Texaco's Last Stand, and Media Madness, have had productions at the NYC Fringe, Ohio Theatre/IGNITE Festival, Playhouse on the Square(Memphis, TN) and the Kitchen Theatre in& Ithaca, New York, as well as workshops and readings at the Roundabout Theatre Company, Lark Play Development Center, and Classical Theatre of Harlem.
As a spoken word artist, Dauchan was a member of the 2006 National Poetry Slam Team for the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and was crowned the 2007 Urbana Grand Slam Champion for the Bowery Poetry Club. He has toured across the country at poetry venues including the famous Green Mill in Chicago, and has also performed at prestigious colleges that include Yale, FIT, and New York University. His popular Obama poem during the historic 2008 election has received over 60,000 views on YouTube and counting. His first spoken word album Darian Dauchan (Live): The Big Apple Recordings is now available at PoetCD.com. He recently formed the band The Mighty Third Rail with bassist Ian Baggette and violinist Curtis Stewart. He's currently developing the film Lost Harmony with writer Ivan Weiss, writer/director Tatia Pilieva, and producer Jenny Schweitzer.
Learn more about Darian Dauchan at his website: http://www.myspace.com/darianurbangriot.
11/29/2010 790 Joanna Hoffman and Jared Singer
12/01/2010 791 Brian Dykstra and Adam "Shadowkat" Bowser
12/03/2010 792 Vanessa Hidary
12/05/2011 950 Adam "ShadoKat" Bowser
12/07/2011 951 Joanna Hoffman
12/09/2011 952 Scott Raven T
02/13/2012 980 Protestors
02/15/2012 981 Governing While Black
02/17/2012 982 Sheen's Sheen
12/10/2012 1109 Ngoma
12/12/2012 1110 Scott Raven T
12/14/2012 1111 Charan P. Morris
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The Episodes
The Comics
I Spy, A-Z
The Fan Fiction
I Spy Fan Directory
I Spy Ecards
Writing the Book: Earle Hagen
Retired composer and author Earle Hagen talks about his 40-year career scoring for film and television.
By Deborah Young
Excerpted from FSM Vol. 6, No. 8
From my earliest memory both television and movie music have played a huge role in my psyche. While it is difficult to choose my favorite film score, when it comes to TV there is no contest: I SPY by Earle Hagen. The entire series is now being released on DVD. Mr. Hagen has been an idol of mine since 1965, and I recently had the great pleasure of asking him about this series and his varied career.
When it comes to film scoring, Earle Hagen wrote the book -- literally. That book, Scoring for Films, (written in 1971) was for two decades the definitive text on the craft of music for cinema and television. Acclaimed by his Hollywood peers, this work has been a part of courses on film scoring in universities and conservatories across America.
For years Earle Hagen's schedule had him juggling as many as five weekly shows simultaneously, giving him "16-hour workdays, seven days a week, for 40 weeks a year. In the 12 weeks off between seasons, if anyone mentioned music to me, I would kill."
In 1965, he was asked to score Sheldon Leonard's new brainchild: I SPY, an unconventional series that broke ground on several levels. It would star Robert Culp and Bill Cosby, an interracial teaming that was a first for episodic television. It was
a tale of two easy-going but very capable spies with tennis as their cover, shot in locales around the world -- another first.
"I SPY was the first real challenge for me," says Hagen. "The changing panoramas of countries and plot lines were extremely daunting. It never occurred to Sheldon that I might not be able to deliver that kind of product. But then, it never occurred to me, either. It was a fun show for music, and adventure. Sheldon gave me full rein, and we never looked back. I tried to write a self-contained score for each episode. It was like scoring an hour movie a week. That kind of show will never happen again in television. With everything in the industry done by synthesizer composers who record directly onto tape, one cannot but believe this sad fact to be true."
Before I SPY began filming, Sheldon and his wife took the Hagens on a round-the-world scouting mission for shooting locations. "Everywhere we went, I sampled the indigenous music and bought records," Hagen recalls, "I can't tell you how many times I followed a group of Mariachis around with a jug of Tequila in one hand and a battery-operated tape recorder in the other."
"Most Eastern cultures have their own scales," he explains, "The Thai scale is very different from the Vietnamese, or Japanese scales. Once you are familiar with what makes a particular country tick, it's not so hard to write in that style. I always chose to Westernize the music for the audienceÖI received the scripts as soon as Sheldon okayed them for production. We generally prepared 13 scripts before the company left home. There were many shows where I had to provide a little visual music before the company hit the road. I did not do my thing until the picture was edited and cut to a final version. Sound effects men and composers were low on the totem pole."
Earle Hagen could not have been more innovative or original with I SPY. The scores he wrote were produced in Los Angeles but he frequently returned to record live and on location. The result was that every one of the 82 episodes received an original score (excluding the main themes, of course); two-thirds of those were composed by Hagen, with the rest created by distinguished composer and friend, Hugo Friedhofer. The result was what he named "semi-jazz," a perfect marriage of local themes with the American sound. You never forgot whom you were rooting for, or where they were.
The main title was the first to feature graphic art, live action and animation, all cut to a specific tempo that he had requested. Listen to that first pulsing primal heartbeat, as you see the shadow of a tennis player, moving against a flow of foreign names. Every upward sweep of his racket is punctuated by the pluck of a violin, and the tension is built by saxophone. Then, the graceful cipher wheels slowly and his racket has become a handgun. The weapon fires; the detritus is red and assembles to form the words I SPY. The main theme is rendered fully by the burst of violins over the black, white and red of the title, eliciting both the imminent tension of the series and the embraceable humanity of its two players. As the title drives to its pounding conclusion, a split-screen "preview" of the hour is wrought under the arresting eyes of Robert Culp. Fans of Stewart Copeland's eclectic, dissonant score for The Equalizer might just recognize Hagen's I SPY as a major influence.
Use the console below to listen to the I SPY theme
Click here for information on the albums
Click here for information on the new I SPY CD!
All 82 episodes of I SPY had original scores; 53 by Earle Hagen, 26 by Hugo Friedhofer, 2 by Nathan Van Cleave and one by Robert Drasnin.
Click here for excerpts from Hagen's autobiography, Memoirs of a Famous Composer Nobody Heard Of, pertaining to his work on I SPY
Click here for "Creating the Perfect Vibes for I SPY," by Deborah Young-Groves
(This is a somewhat different version of the article printed above)
A friend of mine recently said she recalled I Spy being a lark -- but this was not always the case. The series opener: "So Long Patrick Henry," with its myriad of references to slavery and nuanced black/white tension, could not have been more serious. However there is an offsetting, six-minute, suspenseful but charming chase scene in Hong Kong. The action begins with big-band brassiness emphasized by the ever-closer thugs as Kelly (Culp) and Scotty (Cosby) run lightly as boys along the harbor front over godown rooftops -- they reach a dead end and then sprint upward. And immediately, as they strike higher ground, turning from the industrial area to the Chinese tenements, we pick up (like a bright afterthought) a single thread -- one oriental repetitive note -- all that is needed to reinforce their environment.
In "Time of the Knife," there is a lovely sad flute solo accompanied by a Japanese samisen as Kelly and his friend's widow stroll a quiet garden. If not for the music, that scene, like so many others, would lose its pathos. Many times the unerringly perfect themes underline exactly what the director is trying to say: the flawed trumpet playing a sour version of "Auld Lang Syne" during the "Cup of Kindness" betrayal scene; the lovely solo trumpet cadenza (reminiscent of David Amram's Manchurian Candidate) when Scott unravels while gazing at Rodin's "The Thinker"; or the impact of the fight scene in "Laya": completely soundless except for that wild clarinet.
The remarkable thing is the freshness of Hagen's approach, as in his use of some linear themes. For example, there is Scotty's saucy trumpet theme, or the big-band sound for some foot chase themes (before the routine car chases). I preferred his subtlety, his music written for an individual character. In "Tatia," he uses a subdued dreamy jazz theme that is never repeated anywhere.
The two best episodes for music are "The Warlord" and "Home to Judgment." "The Warlord" borrows heavily on Oriental imagery for the action sequences (always punctuated by jazz -- yet somehow it works) using snare drums and brass. However, then he changes completely, and takes a plangent delicate note for the love theme between Chuang Tzu, (the Warlord) and Katherine, caught between their separate worlds. It is somber, powerful and almost painful -- one of the saddest pieces of music I have ever heard.
Robert Culp, who wrote seven episodes, confesses, "I don't really understand the techniques involved, but what I do know about is what makes a picture work. I appreciate how much a drama is enhanced by its score. Its what I care about, and Earle Hagen made the picture work. Without him, I cannot imagine I SPY being able to achieve the rhythms that it did."
Hagen was thrice nominated for an Emmy Award for I SPY. He won for the bittersweet episode called "Laya," filmed in Greece, which ended with a vocal rendition of his theme, "A Voice in the Wind," sung by Shelby Flint. "Laya," and an episode entitled "Mainly on the Plains," featuring Boris Karloff, are his two favorites.
After the untimely demise of I SPY in 1968, Earle continued to compose. A partial list includes such memorable scores as Accidental Family, Gomer Pyle, That Girl, Rango, Mayberry RFD, Mary Hartman, Movin' On, Eight Is Enough, The Dukes of Hazzardand Mike Hammer. He also found time to score various movies of the week.
In addition to his Emmy for I SPY, Earle was nominated for an Emmy in musical direction for the Tammy Wynette story, Stand By Your Man. In November, 2000, he received the prestigious "Irving Kostal Award," from ASMAC, (The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers). His latest book, Memoirs of a Famous Composer Nobody Ever Heard Of, published by Xlibris, a division of Random House, is due out this year.
Image Entertainment is releasing all 82 I SPY DVDs in their original glory. The music by Earle Hagen has not lost any of its power to captivate.
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A Review of Ben Fink and Robin Brown’s The Problem with Education Technology (Hint: It’s Not the Technology)
Fink, B., & Brown, R. (2016). The problem with education technology (Hint: It’s not the technology). Boulder, CO: Utah State University Press.
By Justin Vaught, University of Alabama
Note: This is part one of a two-part review.
For the first time in ninety years, students across the country face a fundamentally redesigned SAT. Among changes meant to address the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and “provide a more accurate measure of a student’s college and career readiness” is the replacement of the required essay with an optional, longer prompt focused on textual analysis (Domonske, 2016). The adaptations this infamous exam has made to CCSS requirements bring to light many current conflicts in assessment practice, several of which are addressed by Ben Fink and Robin Brown’s The Problem with Education Technology (Hint: It’s Not the Technology) (2016). The latest installment in Utah State University Press’ Current Arguments in Composition series, this short publication discusses and critiques the mechanical nature of modern education. Fink and Brown explore the computerized scoring systems that have been created to evaluate student writing, and inform readers about some of the most controversial contemporary debates in writing assessment, including the mechanization of human graders, the socioeconomic implications of standardized testing, and the reprehensible conditions with which elementary and contingent faculty must cope. This first post offers an overview of the book; the second will offer my critique.
Fink and Brown ease into these contentious issues by first reviewing two prevailing narratives surrounding technology in the classroom: the “teachers versus technology” binary (p. 4) and its counterpart, the “teachers get offered a break” trope (p. 13). These narratives frame the book’s focus on Automated Essay Scoring (AES) systems, which are described as having the potential to eliminate the modern writing teacher and as labor-saving devices. However, Fink and Brown are not primarily concerned with the merits of these assessment systems. Instead, they use AES as an example of current educational attitudes and practices in their critique.
Noting that in education, “labor saving devices haven’t worked, don’t work, can’t work,” the authors discuss the immense labor investment required of teachers to produce what Bordieu (1990) called “durable dispositions”: enduring and effective ways of observing and engaging with the world (pp. 16-17). Such dispositions help students determine effective, appropriate ways of evaluating and responding to novel, challenging situations. Typically second-nature and often intangible, these dispositions rely more on tacit understanding than stated rules and standards. Modern educators may recognize these “habits of mind” as enumerated in the Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing, which features concepts such as “persistence”, “responsibility”, and “metacognition”. These “ways of approaching learning that are both intellectual and practical” are gleaned through observation and emulation, and they are difficult to directly examine; however, students with greater command of such dispositions are more able to apply these abilities when confronted with scholastic assessments.
Less privileged students, in their attempts to replace these dispositions, often turn to alternative means to make up for their deficiency in labor investment. Among these means is the “fake industry” (p. 18), which purports to help students master strategic formulas that “ensure” success on standardized tests. Fink and Brown argue such formulas cannot replace durable dispositions, and instead claim the fake industry illuminates a fundamental flaw in mechanized assessment and other labor-saving educational strategies. Specifically, they demonstrate that in most cases this industry only further enables those who already possess the necessary cultural capital to succeed. Struggling students continue to flounder while those with better command of durable dispositions simply fold new formulas into their extant constructs; in other words, those “who could successfully fake it [are] the ones who [are] already pretty much able to do it for real” (p. 18). This means a focus on labor-saving education and assessment methods results in testing which measures whether students are “privileged enough: lucky enough to have had all the necessary labor invested in [them]” (p. 20, emphasis original). Students fortunate enough to enjoy a more specialized and individualized education are likely to excel in these standardized testing environments, making quantitative markers of success easier to attain while also increasing the availability of future academic opportunities, including collegiate placements and scholarships.
Meanwhile, students of lower socioeconomic status are restrained by these tests. Because of educational experiences that include a lower degree of teacher labor investment, these students have likely encountered fewer opportunities to develop durable dispositions. Systematic examinations implicitly emphasize many of these dispositions by prioritizing formulaic structure and content over unique or creative student responses, and thus exacerbate the labor-related shortcomings of these students. AES is particularly at fault here, as such systems are the worst offenders in this dangerous prioritization. The result is an automatic disadvantage in assessment amplified by mechanization: The more mechanical a system’s methodology, the more it hinders students who are unaware of, or unable to appeal to, systematic features. Although their abilities may extend elsewhere, less privileged students who lack consistently effective means of engagement with examinations are unfairly assessed.
This issue is complicated by the financial benefits of labor reduction: although labor-saving devices don’t work for teachers and students, Fink and Brown recognize that such devices are attractive to the legislators and administrators responsible for making budgetary decisions (p. 22). The authors problematize the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), another labor-saving alternative to the traditional classroom. MOOCs, though attractive for their affordability and accessibility, are academically unsatisfying as they lack both substantial content and constructive interaction between students and teachers, and feature low rates of student completion (pp. 20-21). They, like AES systems, are not an effective shortcut to labor reduction; however, in an observation reminiscent of Bousquet’s How the University Works (2008), Fink and Brown mention “the history of education policy […] is the history of cuts,” and so MOOCs continue to be emphasized in budgetary decisions (p. 22). It is in this discussion of MOOCs the authors reach their central argument: By prioritizing labor-saving devices as cost-reducing alternatives to institutional labor, educators “tacitly consent” to a construct which reinforces and solidifies socioeconomic disparity (p. 23).
Bordieu, P. (1990). The Logic of Practice. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Bousquet, M. (2008). How the University Works. New York: New York University Press.
Domonoske, C. (2016). Students Across U.S. Take New SAT A) Saturday B) Sunday C) None Of The Above. The Two Way: Breaking News from NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/05/469307788/students-across-u-s-take-new-sat-a-saturday-b-sunday-c-none-of-the-above
Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing (2011). CWPA, NCTE & NWP.
Author adminPosted on April 4, 2017 December 27, 2017
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News from the CIS countries
джерело: www.grani.ru
Russia’s “Contemporary Ideology”
Sandarmokh 1937
Memorial service in Kyiv for the victims of Sandarmokh
Positively despairing
“Memorial” publishes information on victims of the Stalin repressions
A positive approach to history
The Academic Educational Association for Humanitarian Knowledge has approved the creation of textbooks on history and social studies based on the methodological handbooks by Alexander Fillipov “The Newest History of Russia. 1945-2006” and Leonid Polyakov “Social Studies: the Global World in the XXI Century”. This basically gives the go-ahead for a textbook to be written on this “newest history”.
The decision was taken by the Co-Chairs of the Association – member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Chubaryan and the Rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy, as well as the Secretary for the Council under the President on Science, Technology and Education and the Acting Deputy Minister of Education and Science.
In Fillipov’s handbook for teachers, Stalin is called “one of the most successful leaders of the USSR”, and the Terror of 1937 is treated as a way to raising the country after crisis. The authors do however write of “extreme exploitation of the population” under Stalin.
The section of the book devoted to the last eight years has as its title the term coined by the Deputy Head of the President’s Administration Vladislav Surkov “Sovereign Democracy”.
The author of the handbook on social sciences Leonid Polyakov stated at a roundtable that the handbook presents “contemporary ideology” and teaches how “to develop in young people a civic and patriotic position”. The textbook based on the handbook will be used from 1 September 2008.
PL Since a great deal has, understandably, been written in the international media about this new “approach” to Russia’s past and present, we haven’t devoted a lot of attention to it here. It should be mentioned, however, that there are appalled noises from a number of people in Russia and at least one leading educational academic refused to have anything to do with writing such textbooks.
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The Institute of Oriental Philosophy
Lotus Sutra Manuscripts
‣Overview of the Lotus Sutra Manuscript Series
⑦Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscript from the Royal Asiantic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (No. 6), Romanized Text (2007)
Published by the Soka Gakkai
Edited by Haruaki Kotsuki
In cooperation with and by permission of the Royal Asiantic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Coordination by the Institute of Orienatal Philosophy
Collection of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Copy date: 1801 or 1802
Number of pages: xxxvi + 244 (total 280 pages)
Language: Sanskrit, English, and Japanese
Around 1880, two Japanese scholars, Bunyiu Nanjo and Kenjiu Kasawara, copied by hand manuscript no. 6 at the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland in London. The copy was later used as the original text for the collation of the Kern-Nanjo edition, the first-ever critical edition of the Sanskrit Lotus Sutra. However, readings of other texts from different lineages were inserted without any principle in the process of the collation, the original readings in manuscript no. 6 became unclear. The romanized text contained in this book presents to the readers how the original readings of the Royal Asiatic Society's manuscript are really like. Transliterating this text was a fundamental and indispensable task for the study of the Sanskrit Lotus Sutra manuscripts.
Copyright © The Institute of Oriental Philosophy. All rights reserved.
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Contact Lee
Lee's Section
Tree Home
Francis Girdler - Deborah (Surname Unknown) Family Group
Francis Girdler Deborah
b. 8 Jun 1636 in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, England b. Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, England
d. Sep 1692 in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts d. 1716 in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts
Relationship Events
Marriage Abt. 1665 Francis Girdler to Deborah in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, England
Marriage 5 Feb 1694 Deborah to Ambrose Gale in Marblehead, Essex, Massachusetts
Known Children (All locations were in Marblehead unless otherwise stated)
George Girdler b. abt. 1667, bp. 14 July 1678 in Salem; m. 1686 Mary Gale (b. 1670 and d. Dec 1741); eleven children: George, Francis, John, William, Benjamin, Deborah, John, Robert, Ambrose, Nicholas, and Sarah Girdler; d. 1711
Francis Girdler, Jr. b. abt. 1669, bp. 14 July 1678 in Salem, d. Sep 1692
Hannah Girdler b. 1672, bp. 14 July 1678 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts; d. bef. 1693
Benjamin Girdler b. abt. 1674 bp. 14 July 1678 in Salem; m. 1 Nov 1692 Sarah Bondfield; d. 1729
Mary Girdler b. Jan 1676, bp. 14 July 1678 in Salem; m. 15 Nov 1694 Joseph Andrews
Anna Girdler bp. Aug 1680 in Salem; m. 22 Jan 1701 Nicholas Merritt (b. 1683, d. Jun 1736); eight children: Mary, Samuel, Elizabeth, Nicholas, Rebecca, David, John, and Hannah Merritt
John Girdler b. 1683, bp. May 1684 in Salem; m. 1) 15 Jan 1708 Mary Ingalls (b. 31 Mar 1689, d. 4 Dev 1711); 2) 16 Dec 1713 Margaret Greenfield Henley (27 Jul 1766, d. bef. 1724); two children: Robert and Hannah Girdler; 3) m. abt. 1724 Hannah Southwick; d. abt. 1734
Robert Girdler bp. 25 Sep 1687; m. 31 Jan 1709 Elizabeth Gale (b. 7 Jan 1685); two children: Elizabeth and Francis Girdler; d. 17 Apr 1715
Hannah Girdler b. 16 Mar 1693 in Marblehead; m. 22 Oct 1710 George Finch (b. 1690 and d. 22 Nov 1742); d. 4 Apr 1733
What We Know About This Family
An Overview of Their Lives
Francis and Deborah Girdler arrived in Marblehead where all their known children grew to adulthood.
With gratitude to Robert Joseph Girdler, author of the website http://girdler.com.
"Old England was populated with Girdler families nationwide as their records are to be found in almost every Shire (County) and I would imagine there are many there today. With so many in England, it is only natural that one would migrate, as many of his countrymen before him, to an English settlement in this new land. The Girdler name first appears in Marblehead, Massachusetts, which was founded in 1629 and was governed by the Salem community for several years. The original founders of Marblehead were fishermen who for many years were believed to have migrated from the Island of Guernsey which is situated in the English Channel. The history of Essex Co., Mass. refers to the probable origin of the first settlers. "Authorities differ as to the exact part of England from which these settlers emigrated, though all agree that they were English, and that they made their settlement in the northeastern part of the town, near the headland now known as Peach's Point. From their manners and customs, but more especially from their peculiar dialect, it seemed that they were natives of the Island of Guernsey or Jersey in the British Channel".
More modern research has determined those early settlers were possibly Cornish Fishermen from the British County of Cornwall. Cornwall was occupied by Romans, Saxons and Celts before the Norman conquest in 1066. Reference is made to the fact that the Cornish spoke a Celtic language that became extinct late in the 18th century. This is probably the peculiar dialect referred to in the early Essex Co. records.
The first of our name appears in Marblehead records Nov. 16, 1657, "Michell Girdle", there is only one notation on him and I have no knowledge as to his connection with our lineage. The next notation on record, November 1667, Debory Garlier [Deborah Girdler]. September 7, 1671, Fra. Godler [Francis Girdler]. 1672, Fransis Gater [ Francis Girdler]. March 14, 1673, Francis Grodler [Girdler]. October 24, 1673, Francis Godlar [Girdler]. June 21, 1681, Deborah Girdler. July 1, 1685, Deborah Girdler. etc., etc., Although several name misspellings are found, subsequent findings verify the correct spelling. Several documents, Salem Church, baptismal records, Town records, Marblehead Church, vital statistics, freeman's oath, estate settlement, etc; provide information on this first family and their descendants. I have attempted to compile and reconstruct these early Marblehead families from the many sources available."
Two of the sons of Francis Girdler married women in the Gale family. Mary Gale, the wife of George Girdler, has been identified as the daughter of Anbrose and Mary Ward Gale, but the will of Ambrose does not name her or any of her family. Ambrose and Mary also did not have a baptismal record for a daughter named Mary in Salem where their other children were baptized. George and Mary Gale Girdler had a son named Ambrose, so she is likely related, but her parentage at this time is undetermined. Francis and Deborah's son Robert Girdler married Elizabeth Gale. At this time, I believe she was the daughter of Ambrose Sr.'s son Benjamin. After Francis Girdler and Mary Ward Gale both died, the widow Deborah Girdler married Ambrose Gale, whom she survived..
The genealogical records and vital records are our best proof of relationship for our direct ancestors in this family.
What Else We Need to Learn
The goal of this project is to trace every line of ancestry to the arrival of its first immigrant to America. The basic information of each couple is considered complete when we know the dates of birth, marriage, and death for both spouses. their parents' names (or whether they were the immigrant), and the child or children in our ancestry line.
The research on this family is basically complete. A later search might discover new information from records not yet found.
Questions, Comments, or New Information -Email lee@leewiegand.com
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Legislation Design and Advisory Committee
Legislation Guidelines: 2018 edition
What is the Legislation Design and Advisory Committee?
When and How to Use These Guidelines
Early Design Issues
Constitutional Issues and Recognising Rights
Issues Relevant to All Legislation
Issues Particularly Relevant to Empowering Secondary Legislation
New Powers and Entities
Appeal and Review
Bespoke legislative solutions
Designing purpose provisions and statements of principle
Excluding or limiting the right to judicial review
Exposure draft Bills
Guidance on commencement clauses
LAC Guidelines: 2014 edition
LAC Guidelines and Policy
Some External Constraints and Constitutional Principles
From Policy to Legislation: A Guide to Legislative Drafting
The Passage of Legislation through Parliament - An Overview
The Select Committee Process
The Passage of Legislation Through Parliament
Participation by External Parties in Select Committee Process
Committee of the whole House
How to use the LAC Guidelines
From policy to legislation
How Public Servants Should Deal with Legislation in Parliament
Good policy making means better legislation: A tale based on experience
Introduction to Parliamentary Processes
From Policy to Legislation - A Guide to Legislative Drafting
The Select Committee Processes
Regulatory Impact Analysis: Good legislation comes from good policy
Making the law - Parliamentary process and legislation
The Guidelines - A reprise for Government servants
What is new and why was it done?
The New Guideline on taking Bills through the House
Why We Are Here: The Purpose and Scope of this Seminar
The Role of Select Committees in Lawmaking
The Role of the PCO in relation to Bills in front of Parliament
The Parliamentary Process: A View from the Outside
Committee of the Whole House and Beyond
Role of Officials at Committee of the Whole House
Judicial implementation of legislative policy
Developing Policy / Preparing Legislation An Overview
Legislation Advisory Committee Guidelines
Introduction to Legislation Advisory Committee
Drafting the Law - A Boring Job?
How to Use the Legislation Advisory Committee Guidelines
Developing Policy/Preparing Legislation
Translating policy into legislation - best practice
Cabinet paper - Remodelling the Legislation Advisory Committee
Cabinet minute- Remodelling the Legislation Advisory Committee
Engaging with LDAC
Historic material
Promoting good quality legislation
Home > Guidelines > Legislation Guidelines: 2018 edition > International Issues > 10. Dealing with conduct, people, and things outside New Zealand
9. Treaties and international obligations
10. Dealing with conduct, people, and things outside New Zealand
10.1. Do any cross-border issues need to be addressed?
10.2. What is the intended scope of the legislation?
10.3. Are special procedural rules required for civil claims with a cross-border element?
10.4. Are special rules required for criminal proceedings with a cross-border element?
10.5. Will any cross-border issues impair the ability of a regulatory agency to perform its functions?
10.6. Should the legislation provide for recognition or enforcement of overseas decisions in New Zealand?
Chapter 10 Dealing with conduct people and things outside New Zealand (PDF 166 KB)
Dealing with conduct, people, and things outside New Zealand
In our globally connected world, it is very common for issues arising under legislation to involve a cross-border element. Perhaps most commonly, a person who breaches the law within New Zealand may be overseas when it is enforced. Alternatively, there may occasionally be sound policy reasons for New Zealand to regulate the behaviour of New Zealanders when they are overseas.
New Zealand law does not automatically apply to activities, people, or property that is not within New Zealand’s territory. This poses a number of difficulties for those attempting to regulate matters that take place wholly or partly outside New Zealand and for those attempting to apply New Zealand law to people or property outside New Zealand.
Not identifying and addressing cross-border issues when developing legislation can lead to uncertainty, litigation, and potentially a failure to fully achieve the policy objective of the legislation. This chapter will help officials to identify and, if appropriate, address cross-border issues in the policy development and legislative design process.
If cross-border issues arise, three practical questions confront people seeking to understand and apply the law:
Which rules apply? Will it be New Zealand law, or the law of another country?
Who will make decisions in particular cases? Will it be a New Zealand court or decision maker or an overseas court or decision maker?
What effect will a decision have? Will a New Zealand decision be effective overseas? Will an overseas decision be treated as effective in New Zealand?
It is important to identify the nature and significance of any current or future cross-border issues at an early stage of the policy development process. The next step is to determine how New Zealand law might apply to those situations to help ensure that the policy objective of the legislation is achieved. The approach taken to the application of New Zealand law needs to be consistent with accepted international law principles concerning jurisdiction (the question of who decides) and take account of practical issues with enforcement. Seeking specialist advice is vital if cross-border issues arise. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) should also be consulted on proposed solutions.
Part 1: Do any cross-border issues need to be addressed?
Part 2: What is the intended scope of the legislation?
Part 3: Are special procedural rules required for civil claims with a cross-border element?
Part 4: Are special rules required for criminal proceedings with a cross-border element?
Part 5: Will any cross-border issues impair the ability of a regulatory agency to perform its functions?
Part 6: Should the legislation provide for recognition or enforcement of overseas decisions in New Zealand?
Do any cross-border issues need to be addressed?
Significant cross-border issues relevant to the policy area should be identified.
Officials should identify whether the legislation needs to take into account conduct outside New Zealand, people or assets outside New Zealand, or cross-border transactions. This includes assessing the potential for these situations to arise or increase in the future. The following are the sort of cross-border matters that may need to be addressed if they will have a significant impact:
cross-border transactions (such as the sale and purchase of goods or services, including online transactions);
people outside New Zealand whose conduct affects people in New Zealand;
people in New Zealand whose conduct affects people outside New Zealand;
civil proceedings in New Zealand that involve overseas parties (for example, overseas suppliers who have all their assets overseas);
civil proceedings in New Zealand concerning transactions governed by foreign law;
civil proceedings overseas that raise issues of New Zealand law;
information or evidence overseas required for detecting, investigating, and enforcing breaches of New Zealand law;
whether the determinations of New Zealand courts or decision makers will be recognised or enforced overseas and vice versa;
whether co-operation with other Governments is needed to give effect to the policy;
whether there are applicable treaties or other international obligations; and
criminal conduct outside New Zealand by people or businesses connected to New Zealand.
What is the intended scope of the legislation?
Legislation should expressly state when it applies to cross-border situations if these situations are significant and likely to arise often.
If significant cross-border issues do arise, legislation must provide clear answers to questions about when the rules in the legislation apply and when decision-making powers can be exercised. It should do so by reference to relevant cross-border or connecting factors.
The following are connecting factors that are commonly used to determine when New Zealand law applies:
whether certain conduct or events occurred in New Zealand;
whether certain property is situated in New Zealand;
whether a particular transaction is governed by New Zealand law or has a New Zealand element;
whether a person is a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand;
whether a person is present, resident, habitually or ordinarily resident, or domiciled in New Zealand at the time of certain events, at the time that civil or criminal proceedings are commenced, or at the time that the relevant court process is served on the person; and
whether certain consequences could occur in New Zealand, and the knowledge of the person involved as to whether those consequences would occur in New Zealand.
International law principles affect the extent to which it is appropriate for New Zealand law to attempt to apply to conduct that takes place, or to people who are, outside New Zealand. Those principles affect the choice of connecting factors. Practical limits on New Zealand’s ability to apply and enforce New Zealand law on people outside New Zealand also affect the choice of connecting factors. This is a complex area and specialist advice should be sought, including from MFAT, legal advisers, and MOJ.
Are special procedural rules required for civil claims with a cross-border element?
Generally, the existing rules of court procedure for commencing proceedings against someone overseas should apply.
The High Court Rules and the District Court Rules contain standard rules about when civil proceedings can be commenced against someone overseas. There must be good reason for departing from these rules, particularly if the proceedings will be commenced in the High Court or the District Court. If a new judicial body, such as a tribunal, is created and may need to hear claims against someone overseas, the legislation should expressly provide for analogous procedural rules.
The Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 sets out a framework to facilitate the commencement and resolution of civil disputes if there is a trans-Tasman element, such as an Australian party. Further guidance on trans-Tasman proceedings can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.
If legislation creates substantive rights to redress, such as the right to recover damages, the likelihood of the legislation being applied in proceedings before overseas courts should be considered. If that is likely, provisions conferring jurisdiction to award redress should not be linked to a specifically New Zealand-based court or tribunal (for example, by defining reference to court as being to the New Zealand High Court). This ensures that the power to award redress can be exercised by a foreign court. Provisions should also avoid broad remedial discretions if possible, as foreign courts are generally unwilling to exercise discretions of this kind when applying another country’s laws.
Are special rules required for criminal proceedings with a cross-border element?
New criminal offences should be subject to the rules on territorial application in sections 6 and 7 of the Crimes Act 1961, unless there are special circumstances.
Sections 6 and 7 of the Crimes Act 1961 limit the application of the Crimes Act and any other criminal offences (unless otherwise stated) to conduct that occurs within New Zealand. The criminal law will still apply if only part of the conduct amounting to an offence occurs in New Zealand.
Those rules should only be departed from in exceptional circumstances. There must be a clear case for New Zealand law to apply, and it must be reasonable to expect the people to whom the legislation will apply to comply with New Zealand law (because of their links with New Zealand) or any international standards reflected in New Zealand law. In such cases, justification should be recorded in the policy documentation.
In addition, the following things will have an effect on attempts to address cross-border criminal activity:
Generally, New Zealand law does not provide for a criminal trial or hearing to be held in respect of a defendant who is outside New Zealand (section 25(e) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990). Natural persons who commit serious offences in New Zealand may be extradited to New Zealand to stand trial (see the Extradition Act 1999).
New Zealand courts do not hear criminal proceedings in respect of breaches of the criminal laws of another country. New Zealand law must provide that the conduct that constitutes the overseas offence is a criminal offence in New Zealand, even though the conduct occurred outside New Zealand, before there can be a trial before a New Zealand court.
The Ministry of Justice and the MFAT Legal Division should always be consulted before making provision for New Zealand courts to have criminal jurisdiction in respect of conduct occurring outside New Zealand.
There can be practical enforcement problems in criminal cases with a cross-border element. Critical evidence required for a criminal proceeding in New Zealand may be located in another country, and vice versa. The proceeds of a crime committed in New Zealand may be located overseas, and vice versa. General mechanisms like the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1992 (MACMA) and the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 can help if serious criminal offending is involved. Subpart 1 of Part 4 of the Evidence Act 2006, which provides for taking evidence remotely between Australia and New Zealand, applies to criminal proceedings.
However, there will be situations, such as when New Zealand and another country or countries have closely co-ordinated regulatory regimes, where more extensive co-operation may be required. How to deal with this is discussed in the next section.
Will any cross-border issues impair the ability of a regulatory agency to perform its functions?
Legislation should expressly authorise a regulatory agency to work with overseas counterparts if that is necessary for the agencies to carry out their functions.
In general, the investigative and other regulatory powers of New Zealand agencies can be exercised within New Zealand only in respect of suspected breaches of New Zealand law. In some cases, this principle may impair the ability of New Zealand agencies to effectively regulate conduct if cross-border issues are involved.
MACMA provides a basic framework to enable countries to provide assistance to, and request assistance from, New Zealand with criminal investigations and prosecutions.
For civil regulatory action, or if the framework in MACMA is insufficient for criminal matters, the legislation should specify powers to request that an overseas counterpart obtain information for the New Zealand regulator and vice versa (or otherwise specify that they should provide assistance to each other), if that is necessary for the regulators to perform their functions.
Should the legislation provide for recognition or enforcement of overseas decisions in New Zealand?
Legislation should provide for decisions made by overseas courts or regulators to be recognised or enforced in New Zealand if that would support the policy objective.
In some cases, it may be necessary to recognise or enforce a decision of an overseas agency or court in New Zealand to ensure that the legislation achieves its purpose or that broader policy goals are met. Broader policy goals may include reducing compliance costs, reducing legal uncertainty, removing incentives for forum shopping and enhancing the integrity of a statutory regime by ensuring that it is effective across borders.
The common law already recognises some overseas decisions affecting a person’s status (such as marriage) and some decisions of overseas courts in civil cases. There are also generic statutory regimes for recognition and enforcement. The Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 provides for the recognition and enforcement in New Zealand of a broad range of Australian court decisions and some tribunal decisions. Other examples include the Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act 1934 (for some decisions of foreign courts) and the MACMA (for a limited class of orders made in criminal proceedings).
New Zealand legislation cannot provide for the recognition or enforcement of New Zealand decisions overseas, but that could be provided for in a recognition regime based on a bilateral arrangement with another country (such as the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement).
This page was last modified on 28 May 2018
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On our last adventure in New Orleans, we Traveled back in time to the era of the antebellum South on a guided tour from New Orleans to the Whitney Plantation, a former indigo and sugar plantation on the River Road now dedicated to promoting an understanding of slavery in Louisiana and after lunch, visited Houmas, also known, as Burnside Plantation, a historic plantation complex and house.
Our entry ‘ticket’ had a picture and story about a slave on the plantation.
These two Plantations couldn’t be any further apart. The Whitney Plantation is a collection of buildings but the main focus is devoted to slavery in the Southern United States. German immigrants Ambroise Haydel started the Whitney Plantation in 1752 and his wife and their decedents owned it until 1867. After the Civil War (1867) the plantation was sold to Bradish Johnson of New York, who named the property after his grandson, Harry Whitney. Over the next 100 years or so it changed hands several times. In 1999 John Cummings, a trial attorney from New Orleans, who has spent more than $8 million of his own fortune on this long-term project, purchased it.
Front of the Whitney House French Caribbean architecture
The museum, comprising main portions of the 2,000-acre plantation property contain imaginative exhibits designed by Cummings representing persons born into slavery before the Civil War commissions original.
Before the Civil War, the Whitney Plantation counted 22 slave cabins on its site. They were made of cypress and comprised two living sections – on either side of the main wall.
Inside slave cabin – basically one room.
The site includes the main house, several slave cabins, various out buildings and a church (not original to the property). There is a large memorial that includes the names of number of enslaved peoples that includes their personal histories (where known) on the property.
Memorial Wall
Our guide at Whitney Plantation slave history
Slave memorial wall recognizing Slaves
Not all of them were directly associated with the Plantation but in the general area and time frame. The only interior tour was of the slave cabins and the church – the main house isn’t included at this time. The entire property is dedicated to how enslaved people were treated throughout this dark period of the US history.
The church at Whitney
Inside church at Whitney, statues represent known children of slaves
By contrast, the Houmas, really is a focus on the plantation owner, not the slave population. Dating from the late 1700s, with the current main house completed in 1840, the Houmas Plantation is named after the Houma people who originally occupied this area of Louisiana. The complex contains eight buildings on about 10 acres. Alexander Latil and Maurice Conway ‘appropriated’ all of the Houma tribe’s land on the east side of the Mississippi River in 1774 to create the plantation.
Front of Houmas note veranda architecture for coolingv – and Janeen relaxing on the bench
Similar to the Whitney Plantation, the Houmas was a working sugarcane plantation by the early 1800’s. Purchased by Daniel Clark in about 1805, he began to develop the property and built one of the first sugar mills along this stretch of the river.
Bette Davis bedroom where she stayed during hiatus in film – Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte in 1964
Changing hands several times over the years it grew to over 12,000 acres with approximately 750 slaves. After 1900, the house and ground began to fall into disrepair further damaged by the Mississippi River flood of 1927 and during The Great Depression it fall into worse condition.
Janeen at Houmas under Resurrection Fern on tree
George B Corzat purchased the house in 1940 and began an ambitious program of restoration of the house and gardens.
Parlor at Houmas
Lincoln sculpture purchased at auction with bronze dog, which when cleaned proved to be pure silver
Another shot of one of the rooms on the first floor at Houmas.
In the spring of 2003, the Estate of Dr. George Crozat auctioned off the entire contents of the mansion and grounds. Kevin Kelly, a New Orleans Businessman, purchased the mansion and surrounding grounds and began the task of restoring the mansion and gardens. The mansion, having undergone over 200 years of construction and remodeling by various owners, reflected a multitude of styles. It was impossible to restore the house to a definite period without sacrificing elements from other important periods of its history. The choice was made to select the best features from various periods to showcase a legacy of each family in the mansion. After extensive restorations to the house and grounds, the Houmas re-opened for tours in November of 2003. Mr. Kelly allows tours of the mansion and gardens, however the Houmas remains his private residence, as it was for its previous owners for over 240 years.
Hallway on the 2nd floor
Owners bedroom fireplace Houmas
Owners bedroom steps for dogs to get on bed
The tour of the main house reflects a period of opulence reflective of the ‘gold era’ of plantations in the South. Furniture, artwork and decorations all depict a rich history of the area and are well maintained.
Oaks on the pond – levee in the background at Houmas thru the trees
The view out the front porch is quite lovely with stately old Oak trees lined up along the drive. Unfortunately the levee along the Mississippi River is just out the front blocking what would have been a lovely view of the river.
The children’s room with movable chair and desk that closes.
Artifact display including the canine memorabilia of the current owner
Today the property is used for weddings, film shoots and private events.
This was the final adventure as part of our Road Scholar – Signature City New Orleans: City of Mystery & Intrigue. We had a good time, learned a lot and achieved our goal of learning about this wonderful City. There is no question that we will be back sometime in the future to explore more of this city.
Here’s a brief overview of some of the other things we did while in New Orleans – lots of good times, lots of great music for sure. Wedding Procession .
Just as we walked out the front of our Hotel this wedding march was passing by. There were several that occurred during our stay.
One lunchtime, our Road Scholar Program included a couple of hours with Doreen Ketchens.
Doreen and her ‘group’ performed for several hours after lunch one day.
Blowing a clarinet on the corner of Royal and St Peter streets for some 32 years as the leader of Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans Band is a far cry from Ketchens’ ambition of being the principal clarinetist in the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra. Over the course of a couple of hours, Doreen treated us to some history of Jazz in New Orleans, how the street musicians survive and some insights into the reasons for the traditional music we hear all over the City.
Doreen Ketchens – did a great job of entertaining us and teaching us about Jazz in New Orleans.
It was a foot stomping, hand clapping session so we purchased one of her CD’s.
One evening, we had a pass to go to Fritzel’s – the oldest operated Jazz Club in New Orleans. We arrived early, which was good given the limited seating, and had a wonderful hour of Dixie Land Jazz. Housed in a 1831 building it is home for some of the city’s best musicians. In addition to regular weekend programs, there are frequent jam sessions in the wee hours of the night.
Tom Fischer on clarinet and Richard Scott on piano entertained us for an hour or so and it was wonderful.
Janeen attended the lecture by Joanne Sealy introducing the writers and authors who have been influenced, and reflected the City. G.Washington Cable and Lafcadio Hearn were outsiders who found a home in the Crescent City, as did Mississippi transplants Wm.Faulkner and T. Williams. Gumbo Ya-Ya by Lyle Saxon has been republished as a treasury of Creole and Cajan sayings. We visited Anne Rice’s writing arie in the Garden District where she enlarged tales of Yellow Fever and Dysentery and Malaria that wiped out entire districts and households, leaving the almost dead to cope. Lillian Hellman followed in the steps of Kate Chopin and Truman Capote recorded the eccentrics of the area, perhaps not as concisely as John Kennedy Toole in A Confederacy of Dunces.
On one of our excursion days, we went to the National WWII Museum.
We have been in a number of museums both in the USA and in Europe over the last couple of years and this place ranks right up there at the top. The museum focuses on the contribution made by the United States to Allied victor in WWII. Founded in 2000, it was later designated by the U.S. Congress as America’s official National WWII Museum. One of the highlights is a movie narrated by Tom Hanks which covered both the Pacific and European theaters and was very moving.
Higgins Boat – designed and built in New Orleans this boat was critical to all the landings made throughout WWII. This is one of only a few that survived the war.
Lots of airplanes on display in this museum.
The Exhibit is fantastic, aircraft, weaponry, uniforms, personal stories, for both theaters.
There were displays for both areas and well documented with lots of interesting things to look at.
Guns, guns and more guns on display.
1934 comandered Opel Sedan in winter camouflage
One afternoon, I took off and Janeen went to the New Orleans School of Cooking.
Cooking Class – getting things together.
Over the course of an hour or two they made Gumbo, Shrimp Etouffee Pralines and Bananas Foster – getting to eat everything at the end of the meal.
Janeen and Chef Harriet Robin at the Cooking Class.
Sure, New Orleans is clearly a ‘party city’ but it is steeped in history and interesting architecture. The buildings and architecture are reflective of its history and multicultural heritage. In the morning, Nellie Watson, a local architect and long time resident, held a discussion about the culture and architecture of the City. After spending time in the ‘classroom’, so to speak, we boarded the Coach and headed out for a tour to see some of the fantastic homes throughout the City. From Creole cottages to historic mansions on St. Charles Avenue there is a rich diversity to explore.
French Quarter Creole cottages
Creole Cottages (The term “Creole” was created to describe citizens in New Orleans after America took control of the city in 1803. French and Spanish descendants who were early settlers of the city adopted the name to distinguish themselves from the influx of American citizens occupying the city.) These are scattered throughout the city with most being built between 1790 and 1850. Creole cottages are 1 or 11/2-story, set at ground level almost touching the street with steeply pitched roofs. They have a symmetrical four-opening façade wall and a wood or stucco exterior.
An example of an American Townhouse
American Townhouses ,a style found in the Central business district and Lower garden District, are narrow brick or stucco three-story structures featuring asymmetric windows and iron balconies on the second and third floor. Built between 1820 and 1850 in the area mostly occupied by the ‘new’ residents coming into New Orleans.
French Quarter Creole Townhouse
Creole Town Houses – these are the most iconic pieces of architecture in the city of New Orleans, comprising a large portion of the French Quarter. Creole townhouses were built after the great fire of 1788 that destroyed much of the city. They were built from about 1788 through the mid 1850’s or so. The original wooden buildings were replaced with structures with courtyards, thick walls, arcades and cast-iron balconies. The façade of the building sits on the property line with an asymmetrical arrangement of arched openings. These come with steeply pitched roof with a parapets, side-gabled with several roof dormers and strongly show their French and Spanish influence. The exterior was usually brick or stucco. These are the beautiful buildings spread throughout the French Quarter with many having retail or restaurants on the first level with either additional restaurant space above or homes.
Raised Central Hall cottage
Found in the Garden District, Uptown and other areas are Raised Center-Hall cottages. These homes were raised enough above street level that there is sometimes a garage or work area on the ground level. They feature porches that stretch all the way across the front with columns. Greek Revival and Italianate center Hall Cottages are most common but Queen Anne and other Victorian styles stand proudly in between. These were built between 1803 and 1870 supporting the influx of new Americans coming into the City and usually away from the old section – French quarter.
Shotgun House
Found all over New Orleans, and built between 1850 and 1910 are Shotgun Houses. These are long and narrow single-story homes that have a wood exterior and are easy to spot. Many feature charming Victorian embellishments beneath the large front eve. The term “shotgun” originates from the idea that when standing in the front of the house, you can fire a bullet clear through every room in the house. Some of these have been converted to have what is called a camelback – a second story set at the rear of the house.
Mansion on St. Charles Avenue.
Double-gallery houses on Esplanade Avenue
One of the last styles of housing is the Double-Gallery house. Found in the lower Garden District these two-story houses feature stacked and covered front porches, box columns and front door off to one side. They look a lot like townhouses but they are set much further back from the sidewalk. These were built between 1850 and 1910.
Houses in uptown New Orleans
“Madame John’s Legacy” was built just after the great fire of 1788, in the older, French colonial style.
In 1905, Paul Doullut, a steamboat captain, designed and constructed a home facing the Mississippi River in what is now known as the Holy Cross neighborhood of New Orleans. The captain wanted a home reminiscent of the steamboats he and his wife, who was, also, a steamboat captain, guided up and down the river.
After WWII, the California bungalow style of home started to be built in neighborhoods. These are noted for their low slung appearance, being more horizontal than vertical with exterior wood siding maybe with a brick, stucco or stone porch with flared columns and roof overhang. Not the most pleasing of the styles as it really doesn’t “fit into” the general architectural style of most neighborhoods where they have been built.
This was for sale – something like 2.3 million dollars.
The wrap around porch was lovely.
Lovely home with a large balcony over the entrance.
Nellie gave us a great tour and a good appreciation of the different histories and styles being built reflecting changes over time. Glad we had this as part of our Tour of New Orleans.
This is our “group” – folks from all over the country. Road Scholar did a great job of showing us around this lovely city.
New Orleans – reflections about this lovely City. We had visited many years ago when we drove across country in 1978 on our way to Los Angeles. So, when we found the Road Scholar Tour of New Orleans, City Of Mystery & Intrigue it seemed like the right thing to do.
Around every corner is a beautiful building with lovely ironwork. The cast iron on the second level is more difficult than the wrought iron on the upper level.
Lovely – just another street corner in the French Quarter.
After checking into the Hotel Monteleone we joined 28 other Scholars to learn about this wonderful city.
Here we are across the street from the Hotel Monteleone. A lovely old hotel in the heart of the French Quarter.
We would meet at the Clock in the Lobby of the Hotel before going out on tour.
Dubbed affectionately by some as the northernmost Caribbean city, New Orleans revels in its giddy blend of European refinement and carefree effervescence, a place where virtue and vice are celebrated in equal measure. We where invited to surrender to the intoxicating charms of “the Crescent City” that have long fascinated artists, writers, musicians and scholars. We experienced live New Orleans jazz, took field trips inside and outside the French Quarter and Garden District; got perspectives on architectural and literary landmarks, and enjoyed the unique culinary adventures as well as the National World War II Museum.
Jackson Square with the Basilica of St. Louis in the middle, the The Presbytere on the right and the The Cabildo on the left.
The Presbytere – Designed in 1791 to match the Cabildo, the building was used by the Louisiana Supreme Court and now part of the Louisiana State Museum system
As the seat of colonial government, the Cabildo was the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer ceremonies in late 1803. Now part of the Louisiana State Museum system
Pontalba Buildings – These are on one side of the Jackson Square park.
New Orleans is a consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi river. With a population of about 391,000 it has the most residents of any city in Louisiana. The Port of New Orleans, that extends to Baton Rouge on the Mississippi river, is considered the economic and commercial hub for the broader Gulf Coast region and the gateway to the world, both with shipments out of the port and products brought in from all over the world.
Proof that David was there.
Walking along Bourbon Street early in the morning. Clearly early for this city – no one is really out yet to Party!
Founded in 1718 by French colonists, New Orleans was once the territorial capital of French Louisiana – was ruled by the Spanish from 1762-1801,given back to France and ultimately sold to the United States by Napoleon in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. In 1840, New Orleans was the third-most populated city in the United States and was the largest city in the American South until after World War II.
A typical levee along the Mississippi
Needless to say, the flat elevation (New Orleans is actually below sea level) has resulted in flooding, resulting in various levees being created, large drainage pumps being installed and general a fear of the Mississippi and any hurricanes (think Katrina in August 2005).
Our first day started with a general introduction by Ms Ann, a lifetime resident of New Orleans, covering its history culture and discussion about levees and the role Lake Pontchartrain plays in protecting the City from flooding.
Lake Pontchartrain – we stopped here while on our couch tour. The lake is about 40 miles by 24 miles so it’s really a large estatuary.
Following our “classroom intro”, we boarded the coach and drove around getting a feel for the city and learning about the various areas.
Janeen keeping track of where we were going on the city tour.
This included a visit to the one of the famed St. Louis above-ground cemeteries of the City.
Each of the crypts would ‘house’ multiple generations of decedents. The names would be placed on the front or sides. Not something I would want to take on.
You can see the names engraved on the fronts showing the many people inside.
Along the way, we stopped at the The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture. Atypical of most sculpture gardens, this garden is located within a mature existing landscape of pines, magnolias and live oaks surrounding two lagoons. Lots of very interesting sculptures including some familiar artists and pieces we have seen in other locations.
Spider, 1996 Louise Bourgeois – This is by the same artist who did a similar spider we saw at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Spain.
Janeen and the Spider at the Park.
Mother and child, 1988 – Fernando Botero
The Spanish Moss was hanging on these trees. Lovely to see.
Hercules the Archer, 1909 Antoine Bourdelle
Ww stand together, 2005 George Rodrigue
It’s beginning to look a lot like Halloween in Uptown! The Skeleton House, an annual tradition, is back in all its glory at the corner of St. Charles Avenue and State Street in New Orleans.
The owner has been decorating it for years — and both locals and tourists love it, especially the puns! Louellen Berger, who lives in the home and is in charge of the decorations, says it’s something she looks forward to year after year.
Gone with the Wind has been outdone
View of the side yard
“To see people of all walks of life, and from in town out of town and whatever get excited and enjoy this, because I don’t want it to be scary, want to be funny,” Berger said. “I want to be lighthearted and make everyone laugh. I hope I created that.”
We stopped here during our Architectural tour of the City. It was great to see all the decorations – kinda reminded me of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland (well, not really but hey, it’s my Blog and I can say what I want). In any event it was a nice quick visit to an interesting part of this wonderful City.
More on New Orleans as time permits.
9-27-19 Grand Canyon National Park
How does one make a visit to one of the seven “must see” wonders of the world a personal experience? It certainly helps to have a bright clear autumn day as a lens to view it. Then you hire a driver/guide (Marvelous Marv Tours) ) who has spent his life in Williams, Arizona (except for service in Vietnam) pick you up at the hotel and point out regional wonders en route to the south rim.
The Park is celebrating its Centennial Birthday all year.
Although thousands of world visitors come to view the canyon every season, our fellow tourists were mostly burgundy- robed and civilian pilgrims to the opening of the Buddhist Temple in Williams.
Route 64 north sent us through Ponderosa pine, Pinon pine and the wild National Forest suffering from long-term drought. The Forestry service is clearing the forest floor and will light controlled burns of the cleared debris as snow approaches.
The water and grass and hunting free area bring in the elk
Elk groupings graze calmly along the highway, but they are an invasive species competing with antelope and native grazers.
Cliffrose bush explained by Marv
Cliff Rose bush edges the walks toward the viewpoints along with Utah juniper and Yucca family Bandolear spikes. Cliff Rose provided wool dye for rugs from “spurs”, lanolin in the branches to wash the wool and a sunny yellow flower to guide natives to its growth. The points of the yucca plant worked as needles and the sturdy leaves release “threads” which helped early inhabitants bind and sew tools and coverings
Bird of the Canyon, probably a turkey vulture, but possibly a California Condor as they have been released into the canyon
Ravens, turkey vultures and California condors float on the upstream from the canyon a mile below. Clouds shadow the geology and highlight the green of trilobite layers and Redwall limestone.
Black volcanic rock thrusts up from the base schist and golden Coconino sandstone layers at upper levels
On a clear day you can see the San Francisco range in the distance, past centuries of geologic history
North Rim on the horizon from Yavapai Point on the South rim
Sun and cloud shadows provided a perfect backdrop at every stop
Ten miles across to the opposite North Rim
Green oasis at bottom of canyon is Phantom Ranch, accessible by Bright Angel trail, hiking or mule
Marvelous Marv tours showed us Canyon views at Yavapai Point with the North Rim background; the muddy Colorado below, and Phantom Ranch Bridge visible as white water rafters glided though, pinpoint spots from our perch a mile above. The Yavapai Geology Museum added historic and reviewed guide points made during our trek. Grandview Point views provided expansive, yet closer photos of the layered canyon.
Nature provides resting points
The Canyon is measured in meandering river miles, 245, although “as the crow flies” it is 140 long
We could have taken the Grand Canyon Train from Williams to the South Rim but we really enjoyed our adventure with Marv, plus the train takes 2-1/2 hours each way giving you only a couple of hours to explore. Marvelous Marv had us at the South Rim in just over an hour and we spent almost 5 hours in the Park before heading back to Williams.
Thanks Marvelous Marv (Mason) you had two happy tourists
Marvelous Marv – a wonderful resource and guide for our adventure to the Grand Canyon
It was a beautiful day with only moderate crowds and the weather could not have been nicer to view this amazing National Park.
9-26-19 On the Road Again – Williams AZ
Just can’t wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
And I can’t wait to get on the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
The song, by Willie Nelson says it all. We are on the road again. This time we have left Southern California and are heading back to the East Coast. First stop was a quick visit with my brother in Indio – and then on to Prescott Arizona. Prescott was an overnight visit with our friend Dave – he and I worked together for 16 years in Glendale and we both retired within 2 months of each other in 2017. Nice visit. It seems that taking pictures over the last couple of days just hasn’t happened. So actual proof we were there is unavailable.
Now we are in Williams Arizona – the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon”.
The Arch over the road
It seems that Janeen has never been to the Grand Canyon so we have a tour set for tomorrow which should be both educational and fun. However, today it is all about Williams. With a population of only 3,158 (as of 2017) its major claim to fame is that it was the last city on Historic Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40. The community was bypassed on October 13, 1984 and it is clear it thrives on tourists and those particularly nostalgic for the old route 66.
Painted on the side of the building to commemorate when I-40 opening and the end of Route 66
The Historic Downtown district covers 6 square blocks with a number of interesting shops and restaurants. This place is clearly one of the major inspirations for the Disney – Pixar movie Cars.
This reminded us of Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure. Live music in the patio too.
As we drove into town Janeen and I both said how it reminded us of the movie and Cars Land at Disneyland California Adventures.
Pete’s Rt 66 Gas Station Museum
Just walking along the sidewalk
Lot’s of 50’s and 60’s references throughout the place.
Seems the couldn’t get this old car out.
One of the attractions is the Grand Canyon Railway. The original Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway were completed in September 1901. After declining ridership, it was eventually purchased by private investors in 1988 that restored the faculties and passenger cars. Since that time, the railroad has taken hundreds of passengers to and from the south rim of the Grand Canyon on a daily basis.
Grand Canyon Railway – the create a nice experience to the South Rim.
The Grand Canyon Railway on it’s way to the south rim
Other highlights include the Grand Canyon Brewing Company,
Seems there is always a local brewery in every town we visit.
AZ Wine and lots of shops with Indian and local artist creations.
This Chevy is parked outside this place very day. Lots of car parts both inside and out of this shop.
We had a nice time just wandering around and visited one of the original Route 66 Trading Posts for southwestern native jewelry and pottery. Tomorrow the Grand Canyon!
9-9-19 Historic Jamestowne Virginia
Historic Jamestown, just a few miles away from our place in Williamsburg, seemed like a nice spot to visit on a lovely September day. With Ryan and Chris on board, we headed out to visit this site.
The Welcome Sign f
As we were getting in line for our entrance tickets we discovered that Tony and Gloria were also there – and just in front of us – and it was great to visit with them again. (they were at the 50th anniversary celebration that was held the prior evening).
Tony, David, Gloria, Janeen, Ryan and Chris – a beautiful way to spend a few hours and learn about American History.
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. Started by the Virginia Company of London as “James Fort” on May 4, 1607 along the banks of the (now) James River (originally Powhatan River). The location was chosen as a site in a secure place, where Spanish ships could not fire point blank into the fort. Within days of landing, Powhatan Indians attacked the colonists. As a result of the hostilities, the newcomers spent the next few weeks working to create a wooden fort.
This is a depiction of what the fort might have looked like based on the excavations completed.
It is inside this fort that England’s first permanent colony took hold.
The Jamestown Tercentenary Monument, erected in 1907 to commemorate the three hundredth anniversary of the settlement, stands 103 feet tall.
Of course it wasn’t easy. Disease, famine, and sporadic attacks from the neighboring Powhatan Indians took a tremendous toll on the early population, but there were also times when trade with the Indians revived the colony with food in exchange for glass beads, copper and iron tools. Relations with the local Indians quickly soured and the colonist would eventually annihilate the Paspahegh in warfare over the next four years.
The original number of colonists was 105 “men and boys” but despite the Virginia Company sending more settlers and supplies, including the 1608 arrival of eight Polish and German colonists and the first two European women, more than 80 percent of the colonist died by 1610. The site was abandoned for several years, the remaining colonists returned from nearby encampments after a resupply convoy arrived.
Ranger Bill gave a great talk and brought the area to life for us.
The first representative assembly in English North America convened in the Jamestown church on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly met in response to orders from the Virginia Company “to establish one equal and uniform government over all Virginia” and provide “just laws for the happy guiding and governing of the people there inhabiting.” A few weeks later came the first unsolicited arrival of Africans to Jamestown, marking the beginning of de facto slavery in the colony.
With the introduction of tobacco and the arrival of the first indentured slaves Jamestown created an economy that was able to survive and expand.
Janeen leaning on a corner post of a partially recreated wall.
As Jamestown grew into a robust “New Towne” to the east, written references to the original fort disappeared. In 1676 a rebellion in the colony led by Nathaniel Bacon sacked and burned much of the capital town. Jamestown remained the capital of Virginia until its major statehouse, located on the western end of the island, burned in 1698. The capital moved to Williamsburg in 1699, and Jamestown began to slowly disappear above the ground. By the 1750s the land was heavily cultivated farmland erasing all the above ground structures.
The fort has been recreated based on all the research done over the last 20 years.
In 1893 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Barney owned the property that was Jamestown. The Barneys gave 22-1/2 acres of land, including the 17th century church tower, to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (now Preservation Virginia). By this time James River erosion had eaten away the island’s western shore; the common belief was that the site of 1607 James Fort lay completely underwater. With federal assistance, a sea wall was built in 1900 to protect the area from further erosion. The remaining acreage on the island was acquired by the National Park Service in 1934 and made part of the Colonial National Historical Park.
David, Chris, Ryan and Janeen
In 1994 an extensive survey of the property was done which resulted in finding the foundations of the original fort. These excavations revealed 1.5 million artifacts and greatly increased the understanding of this first chapter in American History.
Just a sample of some of the artifacts that have been recovered
Work continues trying to discover additional artifacts during restoration work.
Some of the artifacts on display in the museum.
Today, the Preservation Virginia Society and National Park Service jointly operate Jamestown. Upon our arrival ,we learned that Ranger Bill would be doing a talk in a few minutes and we arrived in time to listen in. Ranger Bill brought to life much of the history of the area and pointed out various significant points of interest. After our introduction talk we walked through the recreated fort, visited the museum with all many of the artifacts on display and generally had a very nice time.
Ryan by the Captan John Smith memorial. He was the original leader of the group.
After we left, and had posted a few pictures on Facebook, we learned that Chris is related to some of the early Jamestown settlers. It seems that on his mother’s side of the family, his great grandmother…..the Slaughter line from Upper Slaughter, England help settle Jamestown. John Slaughter came over from Upper Slaughter about 1610-1612. His wife and son, John, joined him about 1615-1617. John, the father, was killed in an Indian massacre outside of town. His wife died and is buried in Jamestown. John, the son ,married and had 3 sons in Jamestown. Who knew that Chris comes from such old and hearty stock? The Slaughter Family is listed in the settler’s books of Jamestown. Nice surprise to learn all of this after having visited the place.
Chris – our ‘Junior Ranger’ for the day. Who knew he was related to some of the early settlers of Jamestown!
8-25 & 9-7-19 50th Anniversary Celebrations
What happened in 1969? Well a lot of things – many of which we remember. Here are some of the highlights:
The Beatles’ last public performance, on the roof of Apple Records First Concorde test flight is conducted In France,
The Concord started test flights in 1969
The Boeing 747 jumbo jet makes its debut. It carried 191 people, most of them reporters and photographers, from Seattle to New York City.
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am the epitome of the American muscle car is introduced,
Woodstock attracts more than 350,000 rock-n-roll fans. Members of a cult led by Charles Manson murder five people.
Man Walks on the Moon – July 20, 1969
The first man is landed on the moon on the Apollo 11 mission by the United States and Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon.
Apollo 11 and man is on the moon in July 1969. We watched this on live television with my parents in La Jolla.
Richard Nixon becomes President of the United States. Sesame Street known for its Muppet characters, makes its debut on PBS. Seiko sells the first Quartz Watch
Popular films included: The Love Bug,
The Love Bug Movie
Funny Girl, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. True Grit, Midnight Cowboy, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Easy Rider and Where Eagles Dare
Popular Musicians include: The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Creedence Clearwater Revival,
Creedence Clearwater Revival was on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1969
John Denver, Simon and Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, Marvin Gaye, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The first ATM is installed and the hand held barcode scanner is created. Fashions reflected the anti war sentiment with military jackets adorned with peace signs, and other trends included long unkempt wild hair and headbands reflecting the feelings of anti establishment felt by the youth.
And on August 2, 1969 David & Janeen got married.
Walk to the Reception after our ceremony
Since that time, 50 years or so, they have been together, raised two sons – seen them both married, grand daughters have joined the family and now they (David & Janeen) live in a state of Wander – they don’t have a house but just “wander” around.
August 2 ,2019 was the official anniversary day – and we had a lovely lunch with our dear friend Beth at a Spanish restaurant in Healdsburg. Fantastic time
Gary Peter and Jaynese were not able to make either celebration so we partied with them in the Bay Area.(51st anniversary August 10)
To celebrate this long relationship, our sons, Jason and Ryan, hosted two major parties – one in California for a bunch of West Coast friends and one on the East Coast for the growing network of friends in that area.
A photo montage was created and can be seen by clicking on the link here. https://youtu.be/7jwtRiQ-TPA
Below are some of the pictures from the two events – one held in Pasadena at Bacchus Kitchen and one in Williamsburg at the Williamsburg Plantation VacationVillage. Our friends on both costs (and those in between) who were able to attend were treated to wines from our collection along with great eats.
All the West Coast folks got together for a picture after dinner.
The West Coast Crowd
Will and Cheryl with Janeen and David. David and Will worked together at Northrup and haven’t seen each other in years! A nice surprise at the West Coast event.
Jason hosting one of the tables at the West Coast event.
Here we are after all these years still together.
Our Celebration in Virginia was smaller but just as fantastic.
There was a special cake! Hand made pistachio flavored cake with lemon curd filling. Wonderful edible chamomile flowers adorned.
Ira, Janeen and Chris at the East Coast event
Opening cards at the East Coast celebration
The table was set and ready for us when we arrived for the East Coast Celebration
Gloria and Tony – he was the Best Man at our wedding.
Janeen and Emma holding our granddaughters(flower girls in pink)
Tiy, Theresa and Michael all joined in the celebration
We had a wonderful evening for sure.
Joel is our Jazz lover friend from Boston – Janeen worked for his dad when we lived in Cambridge in the early 70’s.
We don’t consider our Party over yet as we continue to roam around and stop in to visit friends across the country :new celebrations happen all the time.
8-3-19 Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
We recently visited this wonderful place together.
Located in San Marino, about 5 miles from where we used to live in Alhambra, is the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Over the years we had visited this lovely spot to explore the art collection and see all the amazing gardens. Then, after Janeen retired 10 years ago or so, she became a volunteer – docent in the Herb Garden and loved the experience tremendously (as a result of her time in the Garden, I have now realized that periodically we need to visit gardens where ever we are – Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, Monet’s Garden in Giverny, Tivoli Garden in Italy to name just a few). While visiting in SoCal on this trip she has been to the Huntington Gardens three times already.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, colloquially known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington (1850–1927).
Henry and- Arabella Huntington’s Home. This now houses a large portion of the artwork.
Henry was an avid collector of art, books and plants from all over the world. As a result he amassed a huge collection that overflowed his home and extended into several buildings on his property. With over 120 acres of specialized botanical landscaped gardens including world famous Japanese Garden, Desert Garden and an ever expanding Chinese Garden, he left the entire estate to a foundation to continue his dream of expanding the place. The overall estate is divided into three categories: Library, Artworks and Gardens.
George Washington seen hanging out in the Scott Gallery.
The Library contains a substantial collection of rare books and manuscripts, concentrated in the fields of British and American history, literature, art, and the history of science. Highlights include one of eleven vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible known to exist, The Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer (ca. 1410) and letters and manuscripts by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln. The Library’s Main Exhibition Hall showcases some of the most outstanding rare books and manuscripts in the collection, while the West Hall of the Library hosts rotating exhibitions. The collection is available for scholars to do research.
The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough, c. 1770. This is currently being studied and restored.
Sources of the blue used to paint Blue Boy. Part of the display as the painting undergoes its restoration.
The Art Collection is displayed in both a permanent installation and special temporary exhibitions in several buildings on the property. The European collection, consisting largely of 18th- and 19th-century British & French paintings, sculptures and decorative arts, is housed in The Huntington Art Gallery, the original Huntington residence.
Taking a brief break before going into the newest wing of the Scott Gallerys
Also included in the art collection is a spectacular collection of American art from the 18th century French tapestries, porcelain, and furniture. Complementing the European collections is a collection of paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures and photographs dating from the 17th to the mid 20th century. Interestingly, Huntington did not originally collect American Art.
A beautiful example of four kinds of quilting in one. On display in one of the galleries.
The institution started this collection in 1979 with the gift of some 50 significant paintings from Virginia Steel Scott – since then significant works by American craftsmen and artists are displayed in the Lois and Robert F. Erburu Gallery, a modern classical addition designed by Los Angeles architect Frederick Fisher. Highlights among the American art collections include Breakfast in Bed by Mary Cassatt, The Long Leg by Edward Hopper, Small Crushed Campbell’s Soup Can (Beef Noodle) by Andy Warhol, and Global Loft (Spread) by Robert Rauschenberg. As of 2014, the collection numbers some 12,000 works, ninety percent of them drawings, photographs and prints. Addition of the American wing highlights quilts, furniture, fabric arts and paintings under the banner Becoming America.
One of several fountains. This were not working for the longest time due to the water problems in California.
Janeen happy to see the fountains running again.
Botanical Gardens – clearly the most important part as far as Janeen is concerned – consists of over 120 acres and showcases plants from around the world. The gardens are divided into more than a dozen themes including Camellia collection, Children’s Garden, Desert Garden, Herb Garden, Japanese Garden,
Japanese garden with Wisteria blooming
Japanese Garden bell
Rose Garden,
Rose Garden with the Temple of Love
The Chinese Garden – lovely and restful place to visit.
and other themed areas.
The Desert Garden, one of the world’s largest and oldest outdoor collections of cacti and other succulents, contains plants from extreme environments, many of which were acquired by Henry E. Huntington and William Hertrich (the garden curator during Huntington’s time).
World famous Desert Garden
One of the Huntington’s most botanically important gardens, the Desert Garden, brings together a plant group largely unknown and unappreciated in the beginning of the 1900s. Containing a broad category of xerophytes (aridity-adapted plants), the Desert Garden grew to preeminence and remains today among the world’s finest, with more than 5,000 species. Hertrich is rumored to have travelled all over the southwest (including Mexico) digging up various plants to bring back to San Marino.
Desert garden is filled with cacti and succulents
One of the interesting things I’ve learned is that when transplanting a large cactus , it really must be planted facing the same way(compass direction) from its original planting to be successful.
The Herb Garden – truly the most important Garden to Janeen where she spent the most time and was an active Docent for a number of years including helping to train volunteers, was constructed in the 1970s.
Kelly, the Herb & Shakespeare Garden main gardener.
This garden contains many unusual herbs as well as many that are well known. Favorites from grandmother’s day, such as horehound, licorice, lavender, mignonette, and heliotrope, evoke happy memories for many visitors.
Herb Garden in the off season – not much blooming
The garden is arranged according to the uses made of the herbs: medicines; teas; wines and liqueurs; cooking, salads, and confections; cosmetics, perfumes, and soaps; potpourris and sachets; insect repellents; and dyes.
The Southern California climate allows The Huntington to grow many herbs and even some spices not found in traditional herb gardens.
Some of the displays in the Herb Garden that Janeen helped to create.
These include, but are not limited to, plants that produce coffee, tea, mate, hops, and jojoba.
The 18th century well in the Herb Garden wrought iron with a grapevine motif.
One of the benches in the Herb Garden dedicated to Gene Roddenberry.
Many larger and shade loving herbs are planted outside the beds, along the perimeter of the garden. Janeen particularly enjoys the scented geraniums, lemon verbena, mints, almond verbena, allspice and lavender.
A field of Agapanthus “Lillies of the Nile” bloom year round to the delight of bees and humming birds.
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Museum Staff & Associates
Museum Publications List
Melbourne's Living Museum of the West offers a range of services in accordance with its role as a major regional museum which focuses on the life and work of the people of Melbourne's Western Region.
Some of the services offered by the Living Museum are directly related to the site itself while others are related to the type of work we do.
Group bookings can be arranged at the Living Museum for talks and tours on the site. A basic introductory session can be arranged for $50.00. (half hour sessions). This can include a video presentation about the Maribyrnong Valley. Longer talks and tours for groups wanting more detailed sessions on the site and industry in the Western Region talks up an hour and costs $100.00.
Talks can be adapted to suit the needs of the group. A talk can be about the industrial significance of the site or a talk can be arranged about the Aboriginal heritage of the region. Talks are adapted to appropriate age groups. More in-depth lectures and study sessions can be arranged by negotiation. To learn more about what is available in the park, see Outdoor Resources.
NOTE: Staff will also travel to your organisation to give talks. Our Aboriginal Cultural Officer is kept particularly busy travelling to schools in the local area to give talks and art sessions. For groups planning a longer outing, special arrangements can be made to link the talks with a tour on the Maribyrnong River with the historic cruise boat "Blackbird", which takes a maximum of (30) thirty passengers.
The Museum also arranges special professional development workshops on a range of topics for teachers that relate to areas of special expertise at the Living Museum. This in-service training can cover a range of topic including history, geography, biology, Australian Studies, industry,Aboriginal issues etc. Workshops can be held at the Living Museum's Visitor Centre or at a school/college location.
Any queries about in-service should be made to the Museum Director, Peter Haffenden.
HIRE OF PREMISES
The Museum premises are particularly suitable for seminars and other group events which are best held in quiet and pleasant surroundings for limited numbers. The buildings in Pipemakers Park are close by the gently-flowing Maribyrnong River.
Slide show equipment, whiteboard, video machines,computers and display boards are all available for such events.
Basic hire of premises:
$200.00 half day
NOTE: A fee of $25.00 per hour applies for staff services outside the hour of 9.00.a.m to 4.00 .p.m
Museum staff are available for consultancy work in areas such as historical research, archaeology, publishing, art and design. The Living Museum has carried out a wide range of consultancies for organisation such as Heritage Victoria, Parks Victoria, VicRoads, local councils, private industry and individuals. For a Summary of past projects including consultancy reports and commissions, see our list of projects. For more details on the expertise and skills of our staff in the commercial arena follow the link to Museum staff & associates CV's.
The Living Museum specialises in publications about the western region of Melbourne produced by the Museum itself or by other community organisations such as local history societies and local authors.
These publications can be bought at the Museum or can bought by postal order. See PUBLICATIONS LIST
HOME | ABOUT US | OUR WORK | SERVICES | RESOURCES
ABORIGINAL PROGRAM | HISTORICAL SOCIETIES | CONTACT US
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Sony to pay $85,000 to former temporary worker for Americans with Disabilities Act violation
A disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Sony Electronics Inc. has ended with the Japanese electronics company agreeing to pay out $85,000 in damages to a former temporary worker after found violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Dorothy Shanks was assigned to a temporary job at a Sony televisions worksite in Romeoville, Illinois, by the staffing firm Staffmark. According to Staffing Industry Analysts, Shanks — who wears a prosthetic leg for her disability — was terminated on just her second day of the job, solely because "there were concerns she would be bumped into or knocked down," the lawsuit states. Shanks' firing prompted the EEOC to file a discrimination lawsuit on her behalf against both Sony and Staffmark. According to Julianne Bowman, the acting district director for the EEOC in Chicago, the decision to terminate Shanks, while carried out by Staffmark employees, was actually requested by Sony management in the first place, necessitating legal action against both companies.
While Staffmark agreed on June 25, 2013, to pay Shanks $100,000 in damages, the case against Sony had continued until now. As part of the consent decree, Sony will pay $85,000 to Shanks, and will also be required by the EEOC to report any complaints of disability discrimination filed by employees over the next two years.
"The ADA provides robust employee protections, even for short-term temporary workers hired through staffing agencies," John Hendrickson, EEOC Chicago's regional attorney, said in an official statement. "Smart employers will learn from this case that they cannot insulate themselves from liability for discrimination by acting through employment and staffing agencies."
If you've ever been the victim of a wrongful termination or harassment at work because of your gender, race, age or disability, reach out to The Meyers Law Firm as soon as possible. Our expert employment discrimination lawyers will handle your case with care and fight for any compensation you might be owed.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
(Does not apply for review of severance packages or employment agreements)
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Read two murders reaped by Cynthia Sally Haggard Online
TWO MURDERS REAPED is the fourth in a series of four books about Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), mother of Richard III and Edward IV, Queen by Right and Abbess. To those of you who enjoyed Anne Easter Smith’s historical novel about Cecily, TWO MURDERS REAPED uncovers the last thirty-five years of Cecylee’s life.It is in October, 1459. Cecylee is forty-four years old and has bTWO MURDERS REAPED is the fourth in a series of four books about Cecylee Neville (1415-1495), mother of Richard III and Edward IV, Queen by Right and Abbess. To those of you who enjoyed Anne Easter Smith’s historical novel about Cecily, TWO MURDERS REAPED uncovers the last thirty-five years of Cecylee’s life.It is in October, 1459. Cecylee is forty-four years old and has been abandoned at Ludlow Castle by her husband, Richard Duke of York, who has fled to elude capture. Yet Cecylee calmly walks down to the marketplace in Rouen, and waits for the Lancastrian army. What happens next is something that Cecylee could not have imagined in her worst nightmare.After the murder of her husband, the House of York regroups under her bastard son Edward, who wins two decisive battles, and becomes King Edward IV. Cecylee is in her element. As the young king’s mother, her views and opinions carry weight.But Cecylee’s contentment does not last long. Edward makes a disastrous marriage to Élisabeth Woodville, the poor widow of a Lancastrian knight, thus displacing Cecylee. Titling herself Queen by Right, she refuses to move out of the Queen’s apartments. Worse follows. Cecylee loathes her coldly beautiful daughter-in-law, and nicknames her The Serpent. One day, she spills a secret that should have remained locked in her heart, and the whole world turns against her....
Title : two murders reaped
Author : Cynthia Sally Haggard
ISBN : 12963142
Format Type : Kindle Edition
two murders reaped Reviews
LiteraryChanteuse 2020-01-14 00:03
The last segment of the series is by far the most entertaining. A lot of wit is injected and the story moves along at a much quicker pace than the others. I was in constant anticipation as to what was going to happen next and had a difficult time in putting this one down. The story feels well rounded and you truly get a feeling of who Cecylee was. It also gives a wonderful overview of all the historical happenings at this time such as deaths, births, marriages, battles etc.
NayNay 2020-01-07 05:55
Thwarted Queen divides into four books: book one THE BRIDE PRICE, book two ONE SEED SOWN, book three THE GILDED CAGE, book four TWO MURDERS REAPED.TWO MURDERS REAPED is book four...It starts off wih Richard Duke of York, flees to elude capture and abandoned his wife Cecylee at Ludlow Castle. Left on her own with three small children, Cecylee walks down to the marketplace in Rouen, and waits for the Lancastrian army. What happens next is Cecylee worst nightmare. After the murder of Richard, the House of York regroups under her son Edward, who wins two battles, and becomes King Edward IV. As the young king’s mother, her views and opinions carry weight. Edwards secret marriage to Élisabeth Woodville, the poor widow of a Lancastrian knight, infuriates Cecylee. Thinking herself as Queen by Right, she refuses to move out of the Queen’s apartments. Cecylee loathes her coldly beautiful daughter-in-law, and calls her The Serpent. One day, spilling a secret that should have remained locked in her heart, and the whole world turns against her.Cynthia Haggard is and excellent writing. The story and characters are so real that they walk off the pages of the book and playout right in front of you. TWO MURDERS REAPED is a nice addition to the rest of the series, and a wonderful ending. All I want to say is anyone who likes historical fictions or simply just likes a good story...get up, go to you local bookstore and pick up this series, I LOVED IT!!I recieved this book by the author for an honest review...Thank-you Cynthia Haggard, Thwarted Queen series well be the book given to family and friends birthdays this year.
Samantha 2019-12-26 01:01
I agree with other reviewers that this was the best written and most interesting segment of The Thwarted Queen story. Beginning with Cecylee standing up to Marguerite, the Bitch of Anjou, at Ludlow so that her husband and his followers could escape the Lancastrian army, this book covers the reigns of Cecylee's sons Edward & Richard. It is difficult to review Two Murders Reaped on it's own because it is really only a portion of the story. This segment is basically the last half of The Thwarted Queen. It moves the point of view back to 1st person. I found it very jolting that the point of view switched in each of the four portions of the story, but this one seemed to work the best.This portion of the story was the best & possibly 4-star, but overall this 'series' is more of a 3-star. My full review is available here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
Kelley 2020-01-05 03:07
This was a book that I won on Goodreads. I didn't realize that it is 4th in the series, but I didn't find that to take away from this book. If anything, it made me want to get the other three. If you enjoy history, you'll enjoy this book. Even though the time period was the 1400's, I felt like these were people I could relate to. The main character, Cecylee Neville, the mother of King Richard III, lived quite a life. She proves that there was "a woman behind the throne". This part of the series covers the end of Cecylee's life, but does let us know the important things that occurred earlier in her life. The author's research is impeccable. I found the book to be not only factual, but also really interesting.
Cyndi Stauff 2020-01-18 05:09
Well, I must start reading the other books in the series so I'm up to date when this one is released!Oh wait...I just saw it is released already! Yippee
Books Related with two murders reaped by Cynthia Sally Haggard
Cynthia Sally Haggard - Born and raised in Surrey, England, CYNTHIA SALLY HAGGARD has lived in the United States for twenty-nine years. She has had four careers: violinist, cognitive scientist, medical writer and novelist. Why does she write historical novels? Because she has been reading them with great enjoyment since she was a child. Because she has a great imagination and a love of history that won't go away. And because she has an annoying tendency to remember trivial details of the past and to treat long-dead people as if they were more real than those around her.Cynthia's biggest influence was her grandmother, Stephanie Treffry, who had a natural story-telling ability. As a widow in 1970s Britain, Grandma Stephanie didn't drive a car, so would spend time waiting for buses. Her stories were about various encounters she had at those bus-stops. Nothing extraordinary, except that she made them so funny, everyone was in fits of laughter. A born entertainer, Cynthia tries to emulate her when she writes her novels.In case you were wondering, she is related to H. Rider Haggard, the author of SHE and KING SOLOMONS'S MINES. (H. Rider Haggard was a younger brother of her great-grandfather.) Cynthia Sally Haggard is a member of the Historical Novel Society. You can visit her website at spunstories.
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Olivia "Live In Sydney!" PBS Premiere
September, 26th, 2007
Exclusive Premiere Tuesday, October 2 at 8 pm
on WLIW21 New York Public Television
with Olivia LIVE in the studio!
Australian pop legend Olivia Newton-John joins WLIW21 live in the studio for the exclusive premiere of her first public television special OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: LIVE FROM SYDNEY! Tuesday, October 2 at 8 pm. Filmed at the Sydney Opera House in March 2006, the homecoming concert features career-spanning hits from Olivia’s early country music beginnings (“Let Me Be There,” “I Honestly Love You”) to the sing-along classics that cemented her pop icon status in Grease and Xanadu that are thrilling new audiences on Broadway today (“You’re the One That I Want,” “Summer Nights,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Magic,” “Xanadu”). Backed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the beloved songbird also reinvents her ’80s smash “Physical” and covers Bob Dylan’s “If Not for You” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: LIVE FROM SYDNEY! premieres nationwide on public television December 2007 (check local listings or contact your local PBS station).
Country Medley: “If Not for You,” “Let Me Be There,” “Please Mr. Please,” “Jolene,” “If You Love Me”
“You’re the One That I Want”
“Hopelessly Devoted to You”
“I Honestly Love You” During the broadcast, viewers can support WLIW21’s decision to air this kind of music programming by calling 1.800.767.2121 or visiting www.wliw.org (click “pledge online” then search “Olivia”) and making a donation. There are various “thank you” gifts including a DVD of the concert with over one-hour of additional songs and behind-the-scenes footage, as well as WLIW21 membership benefits like discounts to local museums.
If you do not live in the New York metro-area, you can contact your local PBS station at www.pbs.org/stationfinder to find airdates in your area for OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: LIVE FROM SYDNEY! this December. If your station does not have this concert scheduled, let them know you want to see OLIVIA on TV in your town! Once a station sees public demand for a show it might convince them to add it to their schedule.
We hope you will spread the word to fellow music fans about this public television special and support future broadcasts! Thank you for your support!
Musicians: Andy Timmons (guitar/vocals), Dan Wojciechowski (drums), Lee Hendricks (bass), Catherine Marx (keys), Warren Ham (horns/vocals), Carmella Ramsey and Steve Real (background vocals).
Sydney Orchestra Conductor/Arranger: Rick King. Director of the Sydney Symphony: Baz Archer.
Presented nationally by WLIW New York. Produced by: Mark Kalbfeld and Jim Shea. Executive Producer: Mark Hartley. Director of Photography: Jim Shea.
WLIW21’s signal reaches New York City’s five boroughs; Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam and Orange counties in New York; Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties in New Jersey; and Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut.
Stay Tuned For More Updates.
Source: Olivia Newton-John Official Site
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Local Communities Aiken Charleston Florence Greenville Hilton Head Grand Strand Spartanburg Sumter York County
Home › News › Aug 2019
NCSL Welcomes New Leadership Officers Elected at NCSL Legislative Summit
Speaker Robin Vos of Wisconsin, became the 47th president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) at the annual Legislative Summit in Nashville. Vos, a Republican, succeeds Democratic Senator Toi Hutchinson of Illinois.
NCSL, a bipartisan organization that serves the nation’s 7,383 state lawmakers and more than 20,000 legislative staff throughout the country, alternates its leadership annually between the two parties.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues from around the country as the new NCSL president,” said Vos. “Having been involved with NSCL for several years, I have seen time and time again how NCSL has served as the premier voice for states both in the valuable resources NCSL provides to our members but the advocacy efforts, on behalf of states, in Washington, D.C.
“In this role, I will continue to represent my home state of Wisconsin and work to advocate for a greater reliance on federalism to allow states to innovate and find solutions for the issues facing our country today.”
Vos has served as the 75th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly since 2013. In the preceding years, he served consecutively in the Wisconsin State Assembly beginning in 2004.
During his time as speaker, the legislature has approved one of the largest tax cuts in Wisconsin history and became the nation’s 25th right-to-work state. He also is proud of the bipartisan work in the Assembly where more than 90 percent of the bills passed receive bipartisan support. His speaker's task forces have developed important legislation on topics including mental health, rural schools, Alzheimer's and dementia, urban education, youth workforce readiness and foster care.
Other officers elected were:
Hawaii Speaker Scott Saiki (D), president-elect. Saiki has served as the speaker of the Hawai‘i House of Representatives since May 2017. He had previously served as majority leader. He has been an active member of NCSL and served on the Task Force on State and Local Taxation as well as the NCSL Executive Committee. Saiki was born in Honolulu. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and his J.D. from the University of Hawai‘i's William S. Richardson School of Law.
Martha Wigton, Georgia House Budget and Research Office director, staff chair. Wigton has worked for the Georgia General Assembly since 1991, first in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office as executive assistant for policy and budget and later as chief of staff. Since 2011 she has served as director of the House Budget and Research Office where she provides policy and fiscal analysis to 180 members as well as furnishes the professional staff for all 38 legislative standing committees. Wigton has been an active member of NCSL since 2011, most recently serving on the NCSL Executive Committee.
J.J. Gentry, South Carolina Senate counsel, staff vice chair. Gentry has worked for the South Carolina Legislature since 2001, first with the House Education and Public Works Committee, and, since December 2016, with the Senate Ethics Committee. His current responsibilities include acting as a consultant to legislators and legislative staff, monitoring the ethical conduct of legislators and legislative staff, conducting research, drafting legislation, facilitating hearings and meetings, and handling constituent and media relations. He has served as co-chair of the NCSL Law and Criminal Justice Committee and has served on NCSL's Executive Committee.
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A French industrial group with a strong international dimension, Schneider Electric is a world-leader in energy management, industrial automation and services related to the energy transition. The group is following a sustainable development strategy, and intends to become carbon neutral across its entire ecosystem by 2030. Gilles Desroches, its head of sustainable development, spoke to Leader’s League about the company’s renewable energy activity in Europe.
Leaders league. Why did Schneider Electric decide to get involved in Africa?
Gilles Vermot Desroches. Schneider Electric’s core business is based on electricity distribution that is as reliable, high-quality and green as possible, with a view to not only selling energy, but to ensuring the best possible use of that energy. For many years Schneider Electric has had subsidiaries and satellite offices in the majority of countries in Africa, as well as factories in Egypt, South Africa and Kenya. In recent years there has been a sea change in attitudes to renewable energy, which is attracting particular attention among Africans.
So, you have seen strong demand for renewable energy in Africa?
The continent obviously needs a much greater supply of energy than is currently available. More than 100,000 villages on the continent still do not have access to electricity. And, as between now and 2050 the urban African population is expected to double, the question of how to close the energy-supply gap in Africa is crucial. Today, more than 600 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity, and all evidence points to the fact that a similar amount of people will still be without power by the middle of this century. Nevertheless, that means that over the next 30 years we will have bought electricity to an additional billion human beings. But in order to ensure this becomes a reality, we need to be connecting around 100,000 people per day. Most of the time, renewable solutions are chosen as it is these which provide electricity in a better way, power that is cleaner, digital and decentralized – the perfect embodiment of which is the mini-grid.
Can you tell us more about these mini grids?
Schneider makes a solar powered mini-grid called Villaya, which is a significant means of boosting the energy supply in remote zones which are off the traditional power grid. This equipment is assembled in our Kenyan factory and is a turnkey solution, equipped, as it is, with heat resistant sodium nickel batteries with an operational life 50 years. In addition, they are not harmful to the environment, even at the end of their life. In ten years the group has installed more than 700 such mini grids in Africa, mostly in rural areas. In Kenya, for example, more than 100 have been installed in schools, as part of a programme run in partnership with the ministry of education.
In Nigeria, the various regional governors have put in place local co-operatives to oversee the operation of mini-grids. Today, they are more affordable, but the challenge for Africa is to construct sustainable and profitable economic models which allow more authorities and organizations on the continent to buy these mini-grids.
What are Schneider’s long-term objectives on the continent?
First off, we want to train up more young Africans. We believe that this will be the cornerstone of the eventual electrification of Africa, where less than 50% of the population currently have access to electricity. The technology is there, the funding is available, what is still missing – and this is an essential part of the solution – is the mobilization of the population. Schneider Electric has set up sustainable energy training schemes tailored to numerous tasks, from the most basic to the most technical.
The second objective is to make a meaningful contribution to the start-up ecosystem, through our Energy Access Ventures Fund. This fund is based in Nairobi and has an investment capacity of $80 million. Its objective is to invest in companies that provide access to sustainable energy.
Lastly, we want to develop our range of sustainable energy products, which go from the Mobiya solar-powered lamp (which offers wireless lighting and has ports to charge one’s cellphone) to the Villaya mini-grid. We want to allow people who live in villages to continue to do so by providing them with a basic level of electrification, so they can improve their lives, communicate with the outside world and be able to engage in an economic activity, even is its just pumping water or preserving food, for example. The goal is to guarantee the stability of individuals in the villages where they live.
#SchneiderElectric #Schneider #SchneiderElectricnews #SchneiderElectricIndia
Company Name: ABC Private Limited
Website: https://www.schneider-electric.co.in/en/
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Identity Verification Market Growing at CAGR of 16.0% | Key Players Experian, LexisNexis, Equifax, Mitek Systems, Gemalto
Experian (Ireland), LexisNexis Risk Solutions (US), Equifax (US), Mitek Systems (US), Gemalto (Netherlands), Onfido (England), Trulioo (Canada), Acuant (US), IDEMIA (France), Jumio (US), Authenteq (Iceland), Shufti Pro (UK), IDMERIT (US), iDenfy (Europe), and TransUnion (US)
Identity Verification Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Industry Vertical, and Region (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, Latin America) – Global Forecast to 2024
Identity verification is a core division of the identity and access management solution used by organizations to ensure whether the information provided by users or customers associated with their identity is real or fake, in real time. The solution uses biometrics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to quickly verify digital identities. Its features include digital identity verification, identity authentication, ID verification, fraud prevention, and compliance management. MarketsandMarkets forecasts the global Identity Verification Market to grow from USD 6.0 billion in 2018 to USD 12.8 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.0% during 2019–2024.
Identity verification solutions enable organizations to verify the digital identities of new and existing clients quickly. The solutions use the power of the latest technologies, such as machine learning, face-based biometrics, and AI, to ensure whether an individual is who they claim to be. Identity verification solutions are the next-generation of identity authentication solutions that deliver a significantly higher level of assurance and establish trusted identities. With the growing digitalization, exponentially rising computational power of processors, and increasing number of connected devices, the instances of cyber-attacks have increased considerably in recent times. Account takeover has resulted in financial losses in billions of dollars. Increased instances of data breaches and account takeovers have boosted the adoption of identity verification solutions and services.
Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=178660742
The identity verification market in the retail industry vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The retail vertical is rapidly implementing identity verification solutions, which support business stability and improve the level of competitiveness. The retail vertical is one of the top cost-conscious verticals and the most targeted one for cyber-attacks, due to potential payouts and a huge number of monetary transactions by Visa, credit card, and Mastercard. Various tasks, such as maintaining user directory, accounts, password, and access to multiple IT directories, and assigning of role-based access privileges, are some of the issues specific to the retail vertical. Hence, cybercriminals are attracted to the retail vertical to gain access to such information.
In terms of geographic coverage, the identity verification market has been segmented into 5 regions, namely, North America, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. The identity verification market in APAC is expected to witness substantial growth, as SMEs and large enterprises in the region are rapidly adopting identity verification solutions to ensure the security of organizational data and customers’ sensitive data. This region is expected to invest more in deploying identity verification solutions, due to the increasing threat of identity and access breaches. However, factors, such as increasing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend, compliance regulation, and mobile use, are driving the adoption of identity verification solutions. This has led to an expansion of customer base and internet users, eventually leading to the urgent need to deploy identity verification solutions.
Organizations across all industry verticals are constantly under risk of cyber-attacks on their critical applications and infrastructure. These attacks can lead to operational shutdowns, data leakage, and revenue loss. These threats could be external or from within the organization, such as employees going rogue. Revenue losses are causing a huge financial blow for organizations, and the reputation of those organizations are constantly at stake.
The looming threat of cyber-attacks has put identity management at the forefront of IT operations in an organization. Identity verification solutions, if deployed across organizations, can help mitigate such frauds and eventually the occurring revenue losses.
Speak to Our Expert Analyst @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=178660742
Major identity verification vendors include Experian (Ireland), LexisNexis Risk Solutions (US), Equifax (US), Mitek Systems (US), Gemalto (Netherlands), Onfido (England), Trulioo (Canada), Acuant (US), IDEMIA (France), Jumio (US), Authenteq (Iceland), Shufti Pro (UK), IDMERIT (US), iDenfy (Europe), and TransUnion (US). These players have adopted various growth strategies, such as new product launches and partnerships, agreements, and collaborations, to enhance their presence in the global identity verification market. Partnerships, acquisitions, and new product launches have been the most widely adopted strategies by major players from 2016 to 2019 and helped them innovate on their offerings and broaden their customer base.
Company Name: MarketsandMarkets
Contact Person: Mr. Shelly Singh
Address:630 Dundee Road Suite 430
City: Northbrook
Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/identity-verification-market-178660742.html
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Is America Ready for Socialism?
Bernie Sanders Tulsi Gabbard
Strategic Culture Foundation conducted the following interview with American professor of politics Colin S. Cavell on the seeming emergence of a more leftwing agenda among some Democratic politicians and a more radical consciousness among ordinary American citizens for social and economic equality.
Republican President Donald Trump has made frequent condemnation in speeches of "evil socialism", as if betraying a fear among the American ruling class of such a popular turn towards socialism arising.
Democratic presidential candidates like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Tulsi Gabbard are openly calling for progressive increased taxation on wealthy Americans and corporations - reversing decades of neoliberal policies. American voters are rallying behind calls for more radical wealth re-distribution and policies that challenge the skyrocketing inequality in the US where a handful of billionaires now own more wealth than half (160 million) of the entire population.
Professor Cavell gives his views on current developments in American politics with a historical perspective on socialist movements in US society. He warns, however, that the political establishment and a pro-capitalist corporate news media are working assiduously to thwart any movement towards a more just, democratic society. He also says that the legacy of the Cold War has stunted development of socialism in the US, but there are signs this baleful anti-communist legacy is being overcome.
Q: Democratic Party presidential contender Bernie Sanders seems to be getting a lot of support from working-class Americans for his policies of medicare-for-all and progressive taxing of the rich. Do you think this portends an awakening among ordinary Americans for a socialist government?
Cavell: Most US citizens, to my understanding of the average perspective delineated by many surveys and depictions in newspapers, texts, and on the mainstream media, have little understanding of what socialism is, only a fear of what it is described to be by designing capitalist politicians.
Q: Why is that?
Cavell: After a century of anti-communist and anti-socialist propaganda by the capitalist state and its supporters, "socialism" in the minds of most US citizens is a totalitarian hell with fire and brimstone where an evil Satanic dictator commands all to slave incessantly towards his own demands, all to the detriment of the body politic as well as to the diminishment of individual freedom and personal felicity.
Q: Do you seen any change in this general misunderstanding about socialism among the US population?
Cavell: After ceaselessly perpetuating such blather for now ten decades, the American people within the United States have begun, over the last few decades, to see through this smokescreen and, given the stagnant condition of their wages and living conditions in most cases and reversals in others since the 1970s, have concluded that the repeated mantra of the beneficent aspects of capitalism only benefit a small section of that class and not the great majority of the citizenry; hence, they are open to the voices of those like Sanders and other more leftwing Democrats, who are calling for the implementation of universal health care or medicare-for-all, or what traditionally has been referred to and disparaged by past US presidents and politicians as "socialized medicine." What most US citizens in favor of this term understand is that medical costs will either be reduced or free of charge.
Q: What about policies for a wider socialist economy?
Cavell: As for any other aspects of "socializing" the economy, most are not clear about this, though there is generally strong support for extending access to education free-of-charge to institutions of higher education, that is, colleges and universities, as the student loan debt crisis is currently over $1.5 trillion and affects at least one-sixth of the US population, about 43 million adults. And, given that more education still holds out in the minds of many people the promise of a "better job", meaning one with more pay and benefits, there is an inclination to advance oneself through the acquisition of more formalized education and degrees.
Q: How about the concept of social classes. Do Americans think of their society and economic inequality in class terms?
Cavell: Class consciousness is present amongst most citizens, although it is seldom articulated, at least not in the public media; instead, the US is still said to be a nation free of classes where merit will ensure that all who are worthy and who work hard will rise and be able "to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps". Moreover, most US citizens believe they are members of the "middle class" despite the fact that the overwhelming majority live from paycheck-to-paycheck and have little to no savings should an emergency arise. So, no, what is not present is a working-class conscious of its own existence, functionality, strength, and power. What is not present is a working-class conscious of its historic role to forcibly overthrow capitalism if it is to enjoy any real sense of freedom. What they enjoy as consumers of products is what they equate with freedom, for example, having a cellphone, a car, an apartment, clothes, gadgets, food of some sort. As long as the capitalists are able to satiate the public with what the Romans referred to as "bread and circuses", their rule is protected. Thus, at the current moment, ordinary US citizens are open to the possibility of medicare-for-all (free health care) and education-for-all through college and university (that is, free education); beyond that, only a failure of the US economy to provide sufficient jobs (that is, more than 5% unemployment rate) will engender the average US citizen to entertain what a socialist government and society may look like.
Q: What are the precedents for popular socialism in the US over the decades, for example, Eugene Debs and the Haymarket Martyrs?
Cavell: While utopian socialist communities existed in the US in the early nineteenth century, it was the worker demonstrations in Chicago, Illinois, on May 4, 1886, which ended with eight anarchists convicted of conspiracy and seven workers sentenced to death - the Haymarket Martyrs - which gave rise to the power of labor and a force to be reckoned with. Out of this attack on a peaceful organizing by workers arose International Labor Day to be commemorated on May 1, International Labor Day or International Workers Day, around the world each year to demand the legal establishment of the 8-hour work day, the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace.
Q: That is quite a remarkable American legacy for international socialism, despite its subsequent suppression in the US. How about the legacy of Eugene Debs who ran for the presidency as a self-declared socialist candidate over a century ago?
Cavell: Socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs ran as a candidate for the presidency on the socialist party ticket in 1900. Debs continued to run as a candidate for the US presidency on the Socialist Party of America ticket in 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920, with the latter campaign seeing Debs garner nearly one million votes, even though Debs was behind bars in prison at the time. By 1919, the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) adopted the leading mantle of a Marxist-oriented communist party and would play a leading role in the labor struggles of the trade union CIO until the McCarthyite repression instituted by organized capital from 1950-1954 began the slow but steady repression of the Communist Party and all who supported it, ending with the merger of the CIO with the AFL in 1955. Socialist ideas, while informing labor and political activists from the 1950s to the 1990s, were largely retained by academics, one of the few areas that had some degree of freedom within US society. While specialized newspapers, journals, and websites are supported by a number of worker-oriented political parties today, mainstream capitalist media ensures that their rhetoric and arguments are largely absent from popular political debates.
Q: So much for America's much-vaunted claims of free speech and independent media. Do you envisage the near possibility of Americans voting for socialism?
Cavell: Though my desire is for such a possibility to become reality, it is my candid assessment of US politics and the powers that enforce it which dissuades me from entertaining such a prospect. The capitalist class, if it has demonstrated anything over the past century, is ready and willing to crush any socialist or communist alternative to capitalism.
Q: Is Bernie Sanders a credible socialist prospect for president? Who else if not Bernie, Tulsi Gabbard or Elizabeth Warren?
Cavell: In my opinion, if a presidential election were held in the USA today without the usual interferences and obstructions of both the Democratic and Republican Parties, the mainstream media, etc., then Bernie Sanders would be an easy winner. This, however, will never come to pass, as the capitalist class and all of its mechanisms will ensure that Bernie never reaches the nomination of the Democratic Party and thus will not be a candidate in the General Election of 2020 for the presidency.
NOTE: Colin S. Cavell is a tenured Full Professor of Political Science at Bluefield State College, West Virginia. He earned his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2001. He has previously taught at several academic institutions across the US and internationally.
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The flame of 7th Pan-Armenian Games lit on top of Musa Dagh
The flame of the 7th Pan-Armenian Games was lit from candles of the St. Astvatsatsin Armenain Church in the village of Vagif on the foot of Musa Dagh, a territory which was once the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.
The torch was lit by Pan-Armenian Games co-founder, Armenian-American philanthropist Albert Boyajyan.
Vice-Chair of the Pan-Armenian Games World Committee Roland Sharoyan said the ceremony come as a testament to the unity of the Armenian people, wherever they might be.
The flame was then taken to the summit of Musa Dagh, and will find its way to Artsakh, where the opening ceremony of the VII Pan-Armenian Games will take place in Stepanakert on August 6.
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What To Do Before, During and After a Funeral Service
What To Say When Someone Passes Away
What To Wear To a Funeral Service
Helping a Friend Cope With Grief
What To Say When You Don’t Know What To Say
William "Bill" Rich
William Baker Rich, Jr., 92, passed away on the 29th of December, 2016, surrounded by his family and friends in Smithville, TX. Bill was raised in Warrensburg MO, an hour outside Kansas City MO. where his father worked as a manager at the local power company (MO P&L). William Rich Sr. was also the charter president of his local Rotary Club. Bill was an Eagle Scout, Troop 400 in High School, completed the American Legion Missouri Boys State program in 1942 and enlisted in WWII at age 18 yrs after HS. Bill learned to fly a Piper Cub, worked that summer with the US Corps of Engineers building airstrips at Whiteman AF Base outside...
William Baker Rich, Jr., 92, passed away on the 29th of December, 2016, surrounded by his family and friends in Smithville, TX. Bill was raised in Warrensburg MO, an hour outside Kansas City MO. where his father worked as a manager at the local power company (MO P&L). William Rich Sr. was also the charter president of his local Rotary Club.
Bill was an Eagle Scout, Troop 400 in High School, completed the American Legion Missouri Boys State program in 1942 and enlisted in WWII at age 18 yrs after HS. Bill learned to fly a Piper Cub, worked that summer with the US Corps of Engineers building airstrips at Whiteman AF Base outside Warrensburg and enrolled in the local Community college (Central Missouri College) until he was called into service Dec 1942. He went to Sheppard's AF Base in Wichita Falls, TX for Basic Training. He then went to Radio Operator Training schools in Wisconsin & S.D. and was certified for High Frequency Radio, Radio Operator Mechanics & Air Traffic Control (including learning Morse Code). Bill then served in the Pacific Theatre with the Army Air Corps. at Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines. He worked in Air Traffic control at the base and flew as a radio operator in B-25 bombers to various islands, including Okinawa. Bill received the Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, Victory Ribbon & Philippine Liberation Ribbon. His highest rank as active duty was Sergeant and he served until Feb 1946. Bill was in the first American troops to land in Japan as USAAF Technicians to take control of "Radio Tokyo" transmitters on the hills above Tokyo in Aug 1945, a week before Sept 2, 1945 when Japan signed the unconditional surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay with Gen MacArthur.
Upon returning to the US, Bill attended University of Missouri and studied Electrical Engineering, graduating with an EE degree in 1952. Bill was ROTC during college and was a 2nd Lieutenant when he was Honorably Discharged from the AF Reserves in 1957 after serving 4 months in the Korean War. He was hired by Mobil Oil Co. as an Electrical Engineer in the oil fields and was sent to Venezuela right after college. Bill met his first wife at the oil camps while she was visiting her parents. Her father worked for Mobil Oil Co. as a Pipeline Engineer. Both of Bill's two children were born in Venezuela at the oil camps. After 10 yrs with Mobil Oil Co., Bill moved to Kuwait & Saudi Arabia continuing to work for Oil companies and retired from ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia in the early 1980's as a Senior Project Engineer. Bill moved back to Warrensburg, remarried, built his retirement home and started a 2nd career with Whiteman AF Base (the same base he helped build at age 18 yrs) working as a Civilian Engineer for the AF base, which houses the B-2 Bombers flying missions to Afghanistan. He worked for an additional 20 yrs at the AF base, retiring 3 wks before his 80th birthday in Aug 2004. Bill enjoyed attending the Opera in KC, Mizzou football games and UCM Mule basketball games. He did volunteer work for BS Troop 400 and having been in the Boys State program in High School at Warrensburg, he was a supporter of the CMU programs.
Having out lived his wife, Bill relocated to central Texas to be near his daughter. He enjoyed attending Rotary Club functions, Church at Calvary Episcopal and numerous Veterans functions. In October 2013 Bill was flown to Washington DC by the Honor Flight group for a tour of all the War Memorials. He really enjoyed the trip and the respect WWII veterans have been shown with the impressive memorial. Bill was an active member of the Rotary Club of Bastrop County and Bastrop Calvary Episcopal Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents, William B. Rich, Sr. and Margaret (Harris) Rich; sister, Lyneve Rich Francis and husband Col. Sam Francis; nephews, Tim & Mark Francis and Bill wife Ladorna Highland Rich. He is survived by his son, Stephen Rich; daughter, Lisa Rich Beck Hunter and her husband Sun Down Hunter; grandson, Karl Beck and his wife Tara; great grandsons, William Beck, Henry Beck; grandchildren, Sundown West Hunter, Devlin Hunter, Lindsey Hunter; his first wife Marion Wier DeFord and niece, Carol Francis along with several extended family.
Visitation will be from 4:00pm to 6:00pm on Sunday, January 8th at Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home in Bastrop. Funeral services will be at 4:00pm on Monday at Calvary Episcopal Church of Bastrop. Services will also be held for Bill in Warrensburg, Missouri on the 14th of January, 2017 at Sweeny-Phillips-Holdren Funeral Home in Warrensburg, Missouri. Interment will take place at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Warrensburg, MO.
Memorial donations may be offered in Bill's name to Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, the American Legion and the Boy Scouts of America - Troop 400 in Warrensburg, MO. Bill's family wishes to thank Resolutions Hospice, Nurses Case Management, Care Family and everyone who offered Bill care and assistance.
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"Good afternoon. In an Episcopal funeral, we always cover the casket with a pall rather than with flowers or the American Flag or other tribute to who a..." Rev. Lisa S. Hines, Rector Calvary Episcopal Church (Bastrop, TX)
"The Houston Area Saudi Aramco/ASC Retirees' Luncheon Group will sorely miss Bill. He came to our September 2015 luncheon, with his daughter Lisa, and shared..." Bill Smart (Montgomery, TX)
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Transportation - Air
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Airports, Runways, Apron Slabs and Demolition
The Airport environment is one of high security and the construction of new airport buildings, runways, apron slabs with all the attendant utilities both above and below ground presents a challenging work environment. Demolition of existing piers, stands, air-bridges, nodes and other structures while maintaining a fully operational airport is highly skilled and logistically difficult work.
This is due to the fact that the works are by their nature safety critical and entail detailed planning, programming and monitoring. Working in an airport environment presents particular difficulties for Contractors when working air-side. Knowledge of this working environment is essential for those tendering for airport building, civil engineering, mechanical & electrical and other utility works.
Brian M. O’Connor’s expertise in Commercial Management and in Construction Contract Claim production and Defence to Claim and Counter-Claim is widely known in Ireland. Mr. O’Connor’s expertise has derived from 28 years working in the Construction Industry with 15 of those years being attributed to advising Clients on all aspects of Construction with the exception of design.
These Clients have included International Main Contractors and Sub-Contractors and large International Employers and Developers. Mr. O’Connor’s appointment as an Independent Expert Witness in connection with Terminal 2 Dublin Airport which was litigated in the Commercial Court in 2011 and ultimately settled, demonstrates that he possesses the necessary expertise required to practice in this area and to provide Clients with the best possible advice.
Brian M. O’Connor has been appointed to advise both Main Contractors and Sub-Contractors working in Dublin Airport for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) and is conversant with the DAA, the Airport Police and Airport Emergency Fire Service Health & Safety Rules and Regulations pertaining to both landside & airside operations. In addition, Mr. O’Connor is knowledgeable on the various bespoke forms of Contract adopted by the DAA and also the Irish Public Works Forms of Main Contract and Sub-Contract.
Mr. O’Connor has also been appointed as an Independent Expert Witness in connection with a large commercial dispute in connection with the new Terminal 2 Construction Works that was litigated in the Commercial Court and is thus, ideally placed to advise Contractors who wish to tender for works and those who are carrying out works in an airport environment.
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A Positive Potpourri
So much news about global warming and climate change is negative. The planet’s hotter, the weather weirder, and the future dimmer. Whereas over half of Americans believe in global warming, less than half care. But there is some hope for the future out there.
Little is coming out of congress but the state of California is leading the way to a sustainable future. The land of “fruits and nuts,” the land where the leader is referred to as “Governor Moonbeam,” will be breaking ground for a new high speed rail to run from San Jose to Los Angeles. The nation’s largest infrastructure project will cost billions but take scads of cars off the highways and planes from the sky. It will produce jobs that can’t be sent overseas, and most importantly reduce the carbon footprint for the people of California.
And speaking of a carbon footprint, Governor Jerry Brown has set an ambitious goal of 50 % of the energy to come from clean sustainable sources such as wind, solar and geothermal by 2030. Nowhere else in the country is there such an ambitious standard.
The Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences show that the cost of onshore wind and solar PV are cheaper than coal for generating electricity, when the cost of climate forcing is factored into the use of fossil fuels, either gas or coal. The cost of solar panels alone has dropped by 50% between 2008 and 2009. Although Solar PV generated electricity only accounts of a scant 0.7 % of installed capacity, it recently has become the the most rapidly installed new generation in the country.
The oil and gas boom due to technological advances like shale fracking have accounted for a 10% reduction in oil imports (equivalent). That’s good but automotive efficiency due to gas mileage standards coupled with increase utilization of mass transit has resulted in nearly twice the savings, some 18% reduction. Reductions due to efficiency are far too often overlooked when considering reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
An important aspect of sustainable energy is the fact that it creates jobs, more than any of the fossil fuel industries. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are about 80,000 jobs in the coal mining industry, but over a 142,00 jobs in solar industries.
Several HVDC transmissions are moving through regulatory approval, including the Plains and Clean Line which will pass through Pope county. When approved and constructed, they will allow the utilization of much otherwise stranded electric generating capacity from abundant midwestern wind.
Also here in Arkansas, a 12 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic installation will be built on a one hundred acre site in an industrial park in East Camden. Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC) will sell power to their members across Arkansas. AECC has also agreed to purchase an additional 150 MW for a total of 201 MW of wind power from producers in Oklahoma. An 80 MW wind turbine farm has been proposed for a site near Springdale. It will use a novel shrouded turbine design which is claimed to completely eliminate bird and bat mortality.
This entry was posted in Sustainable Energy and tagged alternative energy, clean energy, PV electric, wind power on February 28, 2015 by bob.
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2 thoughts on “A Positive Potpourri”
rtd March 7, 2015 at 5:31 PM
Maybe all those jobs will be able to get a respectable capacity factor for PVs. It’s amazing how much people force bad ideas for the sake of ‘feeling good’. Even here in perma-overcast Pacific NorthWest people are forcing PV down the throats of logical and rational people who point to the fact that, in Seattle for example, hydro accounts for 90% of the city’s electricity.
Also, aren’t a large portion of those “142,00 jobs in solar industries” due to the fact that solar isn’t where it needs to be in order to be taken seriously on a large scale? There is much R&D being done and still to do, resulting in these job #’s.
paul a. skillman March 12, 2015 at 4:29 PM
Don’t you worry! Mother nature will do just as she wants. Humans beware!
Leave a Reply to rtd Cancel reply
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Bringing It Down and Building It Up: Los Angeles Through the Lens of L. Mildred Harris
June 11, 2019 by Annie Murphy
The online photo archive of the Los Angeles Public Library (TESSA) contains many photos taken by professional photographers, including images from Rolland Curtis, Lucille Stewart, Herman Schultheis, Gary Leonard, and Ansel Adams. These artists worked for magazines, advertising firms, newspapers, studios, and even government agencies. (Stewart worked for Fletcher Bowron, Mayor of Los Angeles from 1938 to 1953.) These photographers were well known and well-respected for their craft.
The collection also, however, showcases snapshots taken by people who did not have the title or training of a professional photographer but whose photos capture a moment, document an event, or memorialize a spot in sunny Southern California. These folks captured the history of the City as much as the professional photographers.
Not much is known about L. Mildred Harris. She was a secretary who worked for a Methodist church somewhere in greater Los Angeles. She took many photos of the City between the late 1940s and the early 1970s. These snapshots became a visual record of developments in Los Angeles – construction, renovations, additions, and demolitions – during the post-WWII boom years. Her photos wound up with her employer, a minister, whose daughter brought them to the Los Angeles Public Library and noted, “She [Harris] was my dad’s secretary and we have these photos. Do you want them?”
The Library took the images only to discover that they provide viewers with a stroll down memory lane and a chance to see places and parts of the City which no longer exist. Photography may have been Ms. Harris’s passion or perhaps just a hobby. She may, possibly, simply have had the habit of taking a stroll with camera in hand. No one knows for sure her motivation, but what is certain is that she captured Los Angeles at a time of great growth and change.
NOTE: All photos in this blog post are from the L. Mildred Harris Slide Collection of the Los Angeles Photographers Collection and were taken by L. Mildred Harris.
Fort Moore Hill was the original site of a U.S. military fort utilized during the Mexican-American war. Providing panoramic views of what is now downtown Los Angeles, Elysian Park, and Hollywood, it was situated above what is now the juncture of the Hollywood Freeway and Broadway Street. The fort was decommissioned in 1853 and the hill became the site of a cemetery, then a saloon, and later one of the toniest neighborhoods in the area – Bunker Hill. A tunnel was bored through Fort Moore Hill in 1901, with construction being so noisy and disruptive that wealthy residents abandoned the area and left their homes to become boarding houses. Most of the Hill was removed in the 1930s with the remainder leveled out in 1949 for the Hollywood Freeway. Ms. Harris wrote an article about the history of Fort Moore Hill for the Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly (Volume 32, No. 2, June 1950, pages 133-138) which can be found in the Reference Section at the Los Angeles Public Library or can be previewed and/or downloaded from the JSTOR database.
Ms. Harris was looking southeast from the L.A. Board of Education Administrative Offices when she took this photo. In the foreground, one can see Fort Moore Hill being removed. In the distance, one can see (from left to right) the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, City Hall, and the Hall of Justice.
Standing on the site of Fort Moore Hill during its excavation, one could look east and see the Post Office Terminal Annex (left), which was the main post office in Los Angeles. Built in the California Mission style in 1938, it processed over 4,000,000 pieces of mail daily until its decommission in 1994. Behind the Annex (in the distance) is Los Angeles County General Hospital.
Many Victorian mansions on Bunker Hill were turned into hotels after their owners left them. From left to right in this photo, we can see the Melrose Hotel “Annex”, the original Melrose Hotel, and a glimpse of the Richelieu Hotel. All these hotels were on South Grand Avenue.
Ms. Harris photographed the upper terminus of Angels Flight at its original location (juncture of Olive and 3rd Streets). Angels Flight, a funicular railway, opened in 1901 and ran for two uphill blocks, from the west corner of Hill Street at Third to its Olive Street terminus. The buildings on either side of the station were boardinghouses which would be demolished by the late 1960s during the redevelopment (and commercial construction) of Bunker Hill. This redevelopment also caused the dismantling of the original Angels Flight.
The demolition of the Health Building at 167 W. Temple Street is seen here. On the left is City Hall and behind the demolition site is the original Hall of Records (which would eventually face demolition itself).
Here Ms. Harris captures the demolition of the Hall of Records in September of 1973. (If you click on the photo, you will see an enlargement that shows the California State Building just to the right. It would be demolished three years later.)
The California State Building was a government office that opened in 1931 and stood at the corner of Broadway and 1st Street. (Its official address was 215 West 1st Street.) Forty years after it opened its doors, it was heavily damaged by the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake and became structurally unsafe. The 13-story Art Deco building was demolished in 1976. In this image, Ms. Harris captures the venue in all its glory (with City Hall peeking over its shoulder!)
Looking west from the City Hall, Ms. Harris points her camera at the future site of the Los Angeles County Courthouse, conceived as part of the 1947 Civic Center Master Plan which was to transform a large part of Bunker Hill into an axis of government buildings. The Courthouse formally opened on January 5, 1959. In 2002, it was renamed the Stanley Mosk Courthouse after former California Attorney General and California Supreme Court Justice Morey Stanley Mosk.
In this photograph, the imposing Los Angeles County Courthouse (designed to last 250 years!) is seen in the background of the construction site for the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration. Like the County Courthouse, the Hall of Administration would later be renamed in honor of a prominent Los Angeleno. The Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration was named after “Kenny” Hahn, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for forty years.
Another bit of history that Ms. Harris captured was the construction of the Department of Water and Power Building. Completed in 1964, the building cost over $26,000,000. The building was renamed the John Ferraro Building in 2000 after long-serving Los Angeles City Council member John Ferraro.
One week after Thanksgiving in 1970, Mildred focused her camera northwest from City Hall and snapped a shot that featured (from upper left to right) the DWP Building, the Music Center, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Hall of Administration, the new Hall of Records, the Criminal Courts Building (shown under construction), and the old Hall of Records (in foreground with spiked roof).
West Coast Radio City, an NBC radio facility designed in the Art Deco style, is seen here during the early stages of its demolition. (It would be replaced by a bank building in 1967.) Further south on Sunset Boulevard one sees the Sunset Vine Tower, the first skyscraper built in Los Angeles after the city repealed it building height limit of 14 stories.
The Police Administration Building is captured in this photo, taken shortly after its completion. This police headquarters building was located in downtown Los Angeles and would serve as the main police station for over 50 years. In 1966, the building would be renamed Parker Center after Police Chief William H. Parker. (Alas, it also faces demolition to make way for a 28-story office building.)
The Crocker Bank Tower was designed by architect William Pereira and is located at 611 West 6th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Ms. Harris took this photo a few months before its completion in 1967.
The Paramount Theatre, which opened as Grauman’s Metropolitan Theatre on January 26, 1923, with the premiere of the film “My American Wife” (and an in-person visit from the film’s star, Gloria Swanson), ranked as the largest movie theater in Los Angeles for many years, having the largest balcony and the longest projection throw in the city. In this image, Ms. Harris catches the grand dame as she makes a final bow.
The statue of Felipe De Neve stands in the plaza of Los Angeles’ historic Olvera Street district. In the background is the Methodist Headquarters Building.
NOTE: It is possible that the Methodist Headquarters, later renamed Biscailuz Building, was the site of Ms. Harris’s employer, though this is not known for certain. She could have worked next door in the Plaza Methodist Church which was built on the site of the adobe owned by Augustin Olvera (the man for whom Olvera Street is named).
Palm trees are being planted in Plaza Park (aka Father Serra Park) in downtown Los Angeles at the site which formerly housed the Dragon’s Den Restaurant and Casa de Lugo, the residence of Don Vincente Lugo, an early Los Angeles landowner and highly accomplished equestrian.
Standing at the construction site for the Santa Ana Freeway (which commenced construction in 1947, was finished in 1956, and encompassed Interstate 5/US 101), Ms. Harris could look northeast and see (from left to right), Los Angeles Transit Lines street cars and the United States Post Office Terminal Annex. (Clicking on the photo enables you to see a Los Angeles Gas Company gas holder and La Plaza Church on the right side of the photo.)
Ms. Harris captures the crossover spot for the Hollywood, Santa Ana, Harbor, and Pasadena freeways (near the Los Angeles Civic Center) on St. Patrick’s Day. This is a truly historic photo as the freeways are open and THERE IS NO TRAFFIC! (Could it be that everyone was somewhere celebrating?)
Thank you, L. Mildred Harris, for capturing L.A.’s history while it was being made!
So … what’s in your camera?
Categories Local HistoryTags angels flight, Biscailuz Building, bunker hill, california state building, crocker bank tower, demolition of bunker hill, department of water and power building, dorothy chandler pavilion, downtown los angeles civic plan, downtown los angeles demolitions, fort moore hill, freeway construction, gas holders, hall of justice, hollywood freeway, john ferraro building, kenneth hahn hall of administration, l. mildred harris, la plaza church, los angeles city hall, los angeles country courthouse, los angeles county general hospital, los angeles county hall of administration, los angeles during the boom years, los angeles health building, los angeles music center, los angeles police headquarters, melrose hotel, methodist headquarters, nbc radio city west, olvera street, paramount theatre, parker center, plaza methodist church, post office terminal annex, richelieu hotel, santa ana freeway, stanley mosk building, sunset vine tower
Those Daring Young Men: The 1910 Los Angeles International Aviation Meet
The Final Farewell — Funerals, Burials, and Memorials in Southern California
Bringing the heat!
Tales of Deadman’s Island
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Anti-Narcotics Struggle: Morocco Deals Hard Blow to Local & Foreign Smugglers
Columns, Headlines, Morocco, Opinions
The vigilance of the Moroccan border security services is paying off. During the past couple of weeks, the police and customs agents of the North African country have foiled several major drug smuggling operations worth millions of dollars.
Last week, the Moroccan authorities seized 476 kg of cocaine at an apartment in Harhoura, on the outskirts of Rabat, and arrested two involved persons. The Cocaine, of high quality, reportedly came from Colombia.
The police seized in the smugglers’ flat a hunting rifle with 19 rounds, 12 luxury hand watches, pieces of jewellery, a tear-gas canister, bank checks, travel documents and large sums of money.
According to investigators, the dealers used a leisure boat to bring in the cocaine, which is originating from Latin America.
According to local media, the first elements of the investigation have shown that a billionaire, living in Rabat, could be involved in this case. He is reportedly the leader of a global cocaine trafficking network who have laundered huge sums of money in various businesses. Since the outbreak of the case, he has disappeared and is now wanted in Morocco.
At the Casablanca international airport, the Moroccan police intercepted lately a Gambian national with 69 capsules of cocaine in his stomach. The total weight of the capsules was 865 grams. The 55-year old man was captured upon arrival from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
At the same airport, an Indian passenger, 32, was arrested with 4.6 kg of cannabis dissimulated in his backpack.
At the Marrakech-Menara airport, the Moroccan police captured four Tunisian women, aged between 19 and 45, in possession of 6.4 kg of cannabis, concealed in their belts.
In the region of Fez, the authorities seized over the weekend 1.3 tons of cannabis and arrested three persons linked to a criminal network involved in drug and ecstasy trafficking.
The search operations led to the seizure of two cars, two large knives and a dose of cocaine, a sum of money in national currency.
These increasing drug-busting operations show that Morocco is targeted by international drug cartels and criminal networks seeking to use the strategic position of the country as a transit platform for the supply of European markets.
Morocco works closely with its partners around the world to combat narcotics. The International community praises its sustained efforts and backs its endeavor to fight cannabis cultivation and trafficking.
Posted by North Africa Post
North Africa Post's news desk is composed of journalists and editors, who are constantly working to provide new and accurate stories to NAP readers.
Anti-Narcotics Struggle
hunt for Local & Foreign Smugglers
Newer PostBCIJ arrests ISIS supporter near Rabat
Older PostMorocco reiterates unwavering support for Palestine
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By Bjørn Østman on 2/11/2009 11:39:00 AM
As we prepare for the big celebration tomorrow of Darwin's 200th birthday, it is all right and proper that we lay all concerns about the originality of Darwin's theory of speciation by natural selection to rest.
Michael Shermer, author of the biography of Alfred Russel Wallace, In Darwin’s Shadow, writes last week in Forbes Magazine an article with the intent of doing just that.
The extreme interpretation of a conspiratorial cover-up is not supported by the evidence. If Darwin were going to rig (or allow to be rigged) the editorial presentation of the papers to award him priority; or worse, plagiarize from Wallace certain key ideas (the principle of the divergence of species has been suggested), why announce the arrival of Wallace's paper and submit it for publication in the first place?
Why not either just take what was needed or, if Wallace's paper added nothing new to the theory, destroy it and the cover letter and blame the loss on an inefficient postal service? If one is going to accuse Darwin of such devious finagling--or worse, plagiarizing--then would not the same guileful and scheming personality think of complete elimination of Wallace's essay as a successful strategy?
Shermer concludes that Darwin does deserve full credit for his discovery of natural selection, but there does exist objections that both Patrick Matthew & William Charles Wells had the idea of natural selection before both Wallace & Darwin. Darwin recognized Wells' insight after he published his and Wallace's idea in 1858, & apparently knew about the idea of natural selection from Edward Blyth, who only considered NS as a preserving force, eliminating variation & thus not contributing to the origin of new species.
In other words, other men arrived at the idea of natural selection all independently & prior to both Wallace and Darwin, but they didn't influence Darwin's thinking, because he didn't know about them, in the case of Matthew and Wells, and in the case of Blyth there was no understanding of the importance of NS as a driver of speciation. Today, this difference is recognized by saying that natural selection decreases variation within a population, but increases variation between populations.
On the contrary, another man who Darwin professed being directly inspired by was the Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus, who in his famous work An Essay on the Principle of Population, 1798, does not formulate the idea of natural selection, but rather explores the economic consequences of rapid/unlimited population growth - the consequence of which is that natural selection rears its ugly head, and poverty ensues. The parallel to natural populations is (& probably was to Darwin) self-evident.
Let me tell you a true story, my friend Jack. True story. In 2000 I came up with the idea of a free-access social networking website. I even made one, programming the whole thing myself, & it had several members (like 7, I think it was). I'm pretty sure Mark Zuckerberg didn't know about it, but does that matter? Who should be given credit for the idea? Me, having had the idea but left it alone to pursue other more important things? Or Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook, which is now the premier social networking site with more than 150 million active users?
Darwin's should be celebrated this year not because he was the first to think of natural selection, but because he was the first to recognize its importance as a driver of evolutionary change. It was via Darwin that the idea became every man's property, and this is what we can and should acknowledge. Oh, and it is his birthday.
Ernst Mayr said it thus.
Patrick Matthew undoubtedly had the right idea, just like Darwin did on September 28, 1838, but he did not devote the next twenty years to converting it into a cogent theory of evolution. As a result it had no impact whatsoever.
Disclaimer: While I acknowledge that Darwin was the one who founded evolutionary theory 150 years ago, I am not saying that the theory of evolution hasn't changed since then. It has changed so much that neither Darwin nor Wallace would recognize it today. The integration of evolution with genetics, developmental biology, geography, geology, physics (more?) has completely transformed the theory, which we consequently no longer designate as 'Darwinism.'
Epiphenom February 11, 2009 2:07 PM
I think Mayr's point is right. It's all well and good coming up with the idea over coffee one day - that's the easy bit. It's amassing the proof and logical arguments to sustain it that's the difficult but. Wallace accepted that reality:
At the 50th-anniversary celebration of the 1858 joint communication, Wallace said Darwin deserved the glory. He noted that Darwin had spent two decades developing the theory, while Wallace had spent a week. "I was then, as often since, the 'young man in a hurry'; he, the painstaking and patient student, seeking ever the full demonstration of the truth that he had discovered, rather than to achieve immediate personal fame," Wallace said.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090210/NEWS/902100323/-1/NEWS02
Todd Oakley February 11, 2009 7:53 PM
1. Bjorn, it's Alfred Russel Wallace, not Arthur Wallace (and not evo-devoist Wallace Arthur).
2. Many consider Darwin to have not conceived of speciation. This was clarified by Mayr later on, who added a more geographical view. Of course very recently, there has been increased support for "ecological speciation", which is speciation driven by natural selection.
3. Global common descent is truly Darwin's greatest original contribution, although I saw a citation to something by Wallace in 1855 that I have to track down.
Bjørn Østman February 11, 2009 10:41 PM
Thanks, Todd. Fixed #1. I did not read The origin of Species, but I was sure that it was his idea that the diversification is driven by selection. Isn't that so?
Anonymous February 10, 2011 8:37 AM
Did Ernst Mayr actually write "like Darwin did" instead of the correct "as Darwin did"?
sciencenotes, I cannot say whether Mayr used 'like' or 'as'.
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A hand picked selection of quotes from the field of computer science.
“QA Engineer walks into a bar. Orders a beer. Orders 0 beers. Orders 999999999 beers. Orders a lizard. Orders -1 beers. Orders a sfdeljknesv.”
— Bill Sempf
“There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation, naming things and off-by-one errors.”
— Phil Karlton
“In software, we rarely have meaningful requirements. Even if we do, the only measure of success that matters is whether our solution solves the customer’s shifting idea of what their problem is.”
— Jeff Atwood
“If Java had true garbage collection, most programs would delete themselves upon execution.”
— Robert Sewell
“C++ : Where friends have access to your private members.”
— Gavin Russell Baker
“In C++ it’s harder to shoot yourself in the foot, but when you do, you blow off your whole leg.”
— Bjarne Stroustrup
“Most software today is very much like an Egyptian pyramid with millions of bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just done by brute force and thousands of slaves.”
— Alan Kay
“I’ve noticed lately that the paranoid fear of computers becoming intelligent and taking over the world has almost entirely disappeared from the common culture. Near as I can tell, this coincides with the release of MS-DOS.”
— Larry DeLuca
“No matter how slick the demo is in rehearsal, when you do it in front of a live audience, the probability of a flawless presentation is inversely proportional to the number of people watching, raised to the power of the amount of money involved.”
— Mark Gibbs
“The most amazing achievement of the computer software industry is its continuing cancellation of the steady and staggering gains made by the computer hardware industry.”
— Henry Petroski
“There are two major products that come out of Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don’t believe this to be a coincidence.”
— Jeremy S. Anderson
“Computers are like bikinis. They save people a lot of guesswork.”
— Sam Ewing
“Linux is only free if your time has no value.”
— Jamie Zawinski
“Documentation is like sex; when it's good, it's very, very good, and when it's bad, it's better than nothing.”
— Dick Brandon
“The difference between theory and practice is that in theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.”
— Richard Moore
“Programming is like sex: one mistake and you’re providing support for a lifetime.”
— Michael Sinz
“There are only two kinds of programming languages: those people always bitch about and those nobody uses.”
“Beware of bugs in the above code; I have only proved it correct, not tried it.”
— Donald Knuth
“We know about as much about software quality problems as they knew about the Black Plague in the 1600s. We’ve seen the victims’ agonies and helped burn the corpses. We don’t know what causes it; we don’t really know if there is only one disease. We just suffer — and keep pouring our sewage into our water supply.”
— Tom Van Vleck
“Writing the first 90 percent of a computer program takes 90 percent of the time. The remaining ten percent also takes 90 percent of the time and the final touches also take 90 percent of the time.”
— N.J. Rubenking
“There are two ways of constructing a software design; one way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult.”
— C. A. R. Hoare
“You should name a variable using the same care with which you name a first-born child.”
— James O. Coplien
“Einstein argued that there must be simplified explanations of nature, because God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer.”
— Fred Brooks
“XML is like violence – if it doesn’t solve your problems, you are not using enough of it.”
“Saying that Java is good because it works on all platforms is like saying anal sex is good because it works on all genders.”
“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”
— Douglas Adams
“Perl – The only language that looks the same before and after RSA encryption.”
— Keith Bostic
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.”
“In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they’re not.”
— Yogi Berra
“It is practically impossible to teach good programming style to students that have had prior exposure to BASIC. As potential programmers, they are mentally mutilated beyond hope of regeneration.”
— E. W. Dijkstra
“If debugging is the process of removing software bugs, then programming must be the process of putting them in.”
“A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention in human history, with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.”
— Mitch Ratcliffe
“I have always wished for my computer to be as easy to use as my telephone; my wish has come true because I can no longer figure out how to use my telephone.”
“I don’t care if it works on your machine! We are not shipping your machine!”
— Ovidiu Platon
“Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.”
— Rich Cook
“Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live.”
— Rick Osborne
“On two occasions I have been asked, ‘Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?’ I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.””
— Charles Babbage
“PHP is a minor evil perpetrated and created by incompetent amateurs, whereas Perl is a great and insidious evil, perpetrated by skilled but perverted professionals.”
— Jon Ribbens
“Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight.”
— Bill Gates
“Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it.”
— Brian Kernighan
“Some people, when confronted with a problem, think “I know, I’ll use regular expressions.” Now they have two problems.”
“It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.”
— Hofstadter’s Law
“Walking on water and developing software from a specification are easy if both are frozen.”
— Edward V Berard
“We should forget about small efficiencies, say about 97% of the time: premature optimization is the root of all evil.”
Built in Bath by @adam_pope of Storm Consultancy. All content is freely available for you to reuse. This site was inspired by the phenomenal success of our blog post Classic Programming Quotes.
Web Design Bath | WordPress Developers Bath | Ruby on Rails Developers Bath | Web Developers Bath
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Monument rally peaceful as neo-Confederates met by counterprotesters
George Copeland Jr. | 8/23/2018, 6 a.m.
Mary Atkins, 73, takes her argument to stop the hate directly to the group of about 15 neo-Confederates, several carrying military-style weapons, who staged a rally Sunday to call for keeping the statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on Monument Avenue. Counterprotesters, who want the statues honoring Confederates to be removed, arrived early and took over the space directly at the foot of the monument. Photo by Regina H. Boone Richmond Free Press
“Tear these racist statues down!”
Those words, shouted by about 40 counterprotesters on Monument Avenue, drowned out attempts by about 15 neo-Confederates on Sunday to speak in support of keeping the statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on the tree-lined street.
The rally, held at the Davis statue at Monument and Davis avenues, was organized by the Virginia Task Force of Three Percenters, also known as the Dixie Defenders.
It was the fourth such rally in the last year by neo-Confederate groups in support of the five statues honoring slave-owning losers of the Civil War.
Sunday’s rally was called in response to the Monument Avenue Commission’s recommendation in July to Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney that the statue honoring the Confederate president be removed because, the commission stated, it is “most unabashedly Lost Cause in its design and sentiment.”
The commission also recommended that contextual signs be added to the other statues.
Several of the neo-Confederates were visibly armed Sunday with military-style weapons. Some were dressed in combat gear. They also included members of the Tennessee-based group, CSA II: The New Confederate States of America, who had served as the driving force behind the previous protests.
While the rally was to start at noon at the foot of the Davis statue, the neo-Confederates were beat to the spot by roughly eight counterprotesters who apparently arrived before 8 a.m. Sunday and set up their signs and cases of water. The neo-Confederates then were forced to set up across from the statue on a median strip. About 17 uniformed Richmond Police officers already were on site and patroling both groups and the passing vehicle traffic.
Despite a brief verbal confrontation between the two groups, the day was peaceful with no arrests. The only clash came from the sounds of music both groups pumped from personal speakers.
Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham, who was on Monument Avenue monitoring the situation, explained the decision to leave the streets open as a way to avoid inconveniencing “the rest of the motoring public or the residents in their own community.” That the two groups chose to self-separate and remain orderly made that decision easier for police to maintain.
“There’s always the chant I hear, ‘This is what democracy looks like,’ and I believe today this is what it looks like,” Chief Durham said.
He also characterized the number of officers present, including three on horseback, as part of the price of ensuring the safety of everyone involved. Past protests collectively have cost Richmond taxpayers more than $500,000 for police resources.
The fact that state laws protecting the monuments may prevent Mayor Stoney and city officials from following through on the commission’s recommendations didn’t deter the neo-Confederates.
A man who identified himself as president of the Three Percenters but would not provide his name placed the reason for calling the rally and the blame for its eventual cost to taxpayers on Mayor Stoney and his actions threatening the monuments’ future.
“I don’t see this as racial or white supremacy. I see this as history, ancestral values and heritage. That’s all it is,” he said.
| Read More >>
Neo-Confederates returning to city
Neo-Confederates cost city another $30,000
Neo-Confederates to return for second Richmond rally
Rally calls on Gov. Northam to remove Lee statue from Monument Ave.
‘Racists go home!’
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Joshua R. Jacobson
J.R. Jacobson
Joshua R. Jacobson (09/01/1948), one of the foremost American authorities on Jewish choral music, is professor of music and director of choral activities at Northeastern University and visiting professor of Jewish music at Hebrew College. He also is founder and artistic director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a musical and educational organization dedicated to raising awareness of the breadth and beauty of Jewish culture through performances, recordings, symposia, publications and musical commissions. Zamir�s repertoire includes Jewish liturgical pieces, major classical works, music of the Holocaust, newly commissioned compositions, and Israeli, Yiddish and Ladino folksongs. Mr. Jacobson�s published compositions and arrangements have been performed throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Europe and Israel.
Mr. Jacobson has conducted workshops on choral music for various groups, including the American Choral Directors Association, the American Conference of Cantors and the Zimriyah International Choral Festival. He also has served as guest conductor for a number of ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Boston Lyric Opera Company. He has given lectures on various aspects of music for a number of organizations, including the pre-Symphony lectures sponsored by the Friends of the New England Conservatory, and he has written articles on various aspects of choral music. His book Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation, published by the Jewish Publication Society in 2002, is considered one of the definitive sources in the field.
Mr. Jacobson holds a bachelor�s degree in music from Harvard College, a master�s in choral conducting from the New England Conservatory and a doctorate in musical arts from the University of Cincinnati. In 1989, he spent four weeks in Yugoslavia as a distinguished professor under the auspices of the Fulbright program. In 1994, he was awarded the Benjamin Shevach Award for Distinguished Achievement in Jewish Educational Leadership from Hebrew College. In 2004, the Cantors Assembly presented him with its prestigious Kavod Award.
Source: http://www.emanuelnyc.org/composer.php?composer_id=30
Contributor: Tassos Dimitriadis (picture)
Tsen Brider: A Jewish Requiem
Composed in: 1994
Musical form: Jewish texts
The American authority on Jewish choral music, professor of music, director of choral activities, and composer Joshua R. Jacobson (*1948) has written an arrangement of Martin Rosenberg�s �J�dische Todessang� (�Jewish Requiem�) for chorus in 1994. Rosenberg�s �Jewish Requiem� score has not survived and we know about this piece only because of the efforts of Aleksander Kulisiewicz, a non-Jewish political prisoner who witnessed the rehearsals of the prisoners� choir.
Author: Tassos Dimitriadis
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Welcome Aboard "PAN AM" With Free Episodes on iTunes Starting Today
Two Free Songs and Series Soundtrack Also Debut on iTunes
CULVER CITY, Calif.
CULVER CITY, Calif., Dec. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, television audiences can fly PAN AM at no cost with all nine available episodes from the first season of the ABC network drama available for free on the iTunes store at www.itunes.com/PanAm. The series soundtrack, PAN AM: Music From and Inspired By the Original Series, also debuts on iTunes today with two free songs.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080424/LATH509LOGO)
"At a time of the year when audiences are away from their televisions and networks are in repeats, this is a great opportunity for people to watch and catch-up on PAN AM," said Chris Van Amburg, senior vice president of U.S. marketing, Sony Pictures Television. "We're confident that this promotion will generate enthusiasm for the show's January 8th return on ABC."
Starting today through Thursday, January 5th, viewers can go to www.itunes.com/PanAm for free downloads of the show's first nine episodes which include:
-- Pilot
-- "Eastern Exposure"
-- "Ich Bin Ein Berliner"
-- "We'll Always Have Paris"
-- "One Coin in a Fountain"
-- "The Genuine Article"
-- "Truth or Dare"
-- "Unscheduled Departure"
-- "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"
In addition, two songs from the series soundtrack - "Just One More Chance" by Billie Holiday and "Break It To Me Gently" by Brenda Lee - are available for free download. The full track list from PAN AM: Music From and Inspired By the Original Series includes:
-- "Around The World" by Buddy Greco
-- "Fly Me To The Moon" by Grace Potter
-- "Call Me Irresponsible" by Bobby Darin
-- "Blue Skies" by Ella Fitzgerald
-- "The Girl From Ipanema" by Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto w/ Astrud Gilberto
and Antonio Carlos Jobim
-- "New York City Blues" by Peggy Lee
-- "The Best Is Yet To Come" by Shirley Horn
-- "Mais Que Nada" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
-- "Just One More Chance" by Billie Holiday*
-- "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Count Basie
-- "Break It To Me Gently" by Brenda Lee*
-- "Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Nikki Jean
-- "Quando Quando Quando (Tell Me When)" by Connie Francis
-- "Destination Moon" by Dinah Washington
The digital soundtrack debuts today. The CD soundtrack will be available in stores on January 17th.
Free downloads of the first nine episodes of PAN AM will also be available on Amazon, VUDU, CinemaNow , Sony Video Unlimited and PlayStation®Store.
PAN AM, which returns with all new episodes beginning Sunday, January 8th at 10 PM ET/PT on ABC, follows the travels of a young flight crew as they set off on international adventures at the dawn of the Jet Age in the 1960s. The series, which has been having success internationally, has been sold in over 100 countries to date. The show's premiere on TV3 in Sweden was the highest rated foreign series premiere ever, while on CTV in Canada it ranked as the #1 new drama launch. PAN AM has also premiered to outstanding ratings in Ireland (RTE2) and Norway (TV3).
PAN AM stars Christina Ricci ("Penelope") as Maggie, Margot Robbie ("Neighbours") as Laura, Michael Mosley ("Justified") as Ted, Karine Vanasse ("Polytechnique") as Colette, Mike Vogel ("The Help," "Blue Valentine") as Dean and Kelli Garner ("Going the Distance") as Kate.
Series creator Jack Orman ("ER," "Men of a Certain Age"), Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing," "Parenthood," "Mr. Sunshine"), Nancy Hult Ganis ("Akleeh and the Bee") and Steven Maeda ("Lie to Me," "Lost") are executive producers. "Pan Am" is produced by Jack Orman Productions, Out of the Blue Entertainment and Shoe Money Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television.
(*Free song download.)
SOURCE Sony Pictures Television
Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080424/LATH509LOGO
SOURCE: Sony Pictures Television
Welcome Aboard "PAN AM" With Free Episodes on iTunes Starting Today Two Free Songs and Series Soundtrack Also Debut on iTunes
CULVER CITY, Calif., Dec. 20, 2011
"Eastern Exposure"
"Ich Bin Ein Berliner"
"We'll Always Have Paris"
"One Coin in a Fountain"
"The Genuine Article"
"Truth or Dare"
"Unscheduled Departure"
"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang"
In addition, two songs from the series soundtrack - "Just One More Chance" by Billie Holiday and "Break It To Me Gently" by Brenda Lee – are available for free download. The full track list from PAN AM: Music From and Inspired By the Original Series includes:
"Around The World" by Buddy Greco
"Fly Me To The Moon" by Grace Potter
"Call Me Irresponsible" by Bobby Darin
"Blue Skies" by Ella Fitzgerald
"The Girl From Ipanema" by Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto w/ Astrud Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim
"New York City Blues" by Peggy Lee
"The Best Is Yet To Come" by Shirley Horn
"Mais Que Nada" by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
"Just One More Chance" by Billie Holiday*
"I Can't Stop Loving You" by Count Basie
"Break It To Me Gently" by Brenda Lee*
"Do You Want To Know A Secret" by Nikki Jean
"Quando Quando Quando (Tell Me When)" by Connie Francis
"Destination Moon" by Dinah Washington
CONTACT: Lindsay Colker, Sony Pictures Television, +1-310-244-3774, Lindsay_Colker@spe.sony.com, or Caroline Mendoza, Sony Pictures Television, +1-212-833-6173, Caroline_Mendoza@spe.sony.com
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Spotlight: Stats
Written by Ben Standring
Brooding London dance collective ponder the triviality of existence with spacious disco-pop and a heap of nonsensical whimsy
On a quest to tackle the banality of life through absurdist office funk, Stats are a band rich with authenticity and the key to unleashing your inner child. Emerging in 2014 with EP Where Is The Money, Stats’ social commentary on the obscenity and hilarity of day-to-day life draws comparisons to the likes of Talking Heads and LCD Soundsystem, with the pleasant assurance that each track will have an intoxicating groove-heavy quality to ignite a surrealist excitement.
Consisting of Ed Seed (vocals), Duncan Brown (guitar), Stu Barter (bass), Nicole Robson (keyboard), Iso Waller-Bridge (keyboard) and John Barrett (drums), the band are incapable of ignoring the unoriginal characteristics of our lives. Musically, Stats are very much a collective, yet it’s clear that the project is the brainchild of Seed. Using his experience in banal office jobs, Seed, like every great storyteller, taps into the basic psyche of humankind, conveying tales relatable to the masses. Yet Seed’s musical journey has been a remarkable influence for Stats, one that the average office worker can’t relate to.
Image: Stats
Seed was asked to join La Roux on tour before going on to be the guitarist for British pop sensation Dua Lipa. Both experiences proved to be invaluable, but his time with La Roux sparked the realisation that he could create contemporary DIY art-pop that embraces the theatrics and glamour of the 1980s. This creative template runs through the core of Stats’ latest single, The Family Tree, a delightfully sarcastic and infectious 80s synth-pop track that follows an exaggeratory wedding fight.
As Dua Lipa’s guitarist, Seed toured the world playing an array of shows, living a contrasting lifestyle to one surrounded by four office walls. While touring, Seed became a father and his world drastically changed. The disparity between working for pop stars and waking in the dead of night to comfort a child could not be more surreal, but this return to domesticity inspired Seed and co. to write debut record Other People’s Lives.
The unpredictable and sometimes fear-inducing nature of reality prompted Seed to take a step back and reflect on where he stood in relation to others, which subsequently helped the creation of Other People’s Lives. ‘The world encourages me to experience my life as a narrative, a story in which I am the lead character, going on a journey, moving towards the discovery and realisation of an authentic self’, he confesses. ‘Other people’s lives are presented to me as coherent, relatable stories, full of passion and travel and wonder. But my story makes no sense. It is full of contradictions and formless subplots, and I barely feel like the same actor from one day to the next, let alone find any meaning in it.’
The recording process was a staggered affair, primarily due to the singer’s intensive touring responsibilities. Almost two years ago to this day, Stats seized a gap in Dua Lipa’s touring schedule for a two-day session at RAK Studios in London. The six-piece embraced spontaneity, launching into a series of lengthy, unstructured live jams that would form the raw material of the record. ‘We picked a tempo, and sometimes a simple starting idea, and played off the top of our heads for ten to thirty minutes,’ says Seed. ‘Later I listened to the full recordings, cut out the best moments, and structured them loosely into songs.’ Seed explains that the cut-and-paste style enabled them to capture the moment of inspiration, ‘the special energy of six people losing themselves in what they’re doing, and somehow synchronising into something unplanned.’
Stats’ two days of jamming resulted in around twenty songs. As Seed returned to touring, he started breaking his bands’ sessions down before stitching tracks back together, weaving a narrative between each section. This gathering process took around a year to complete, with certain tracks coming together at different speeds. Whilst the basics of Lost It took under an hour to finesse, I Am An Animal took around a year.
‘Other people’s lives are presented to me as coherent, relatable stories, full of passion and travel and wonder. But my story makes no sense. It is full of contradictions and formless subplots.
Other People’s Lives is a compelling reflection of humanity, domesticity, routine, love, loss and fatherhood, an album Seed states is ‘about realising that my life story is full of holes.’ However, for something that mimics and picks apart the events in our lives, the record itself is bursting with life. The tongue-in-cheek dancefloor hit Raft is an electric stomp, rejecting the desire to be in control. Both escapist and instantly sobering, it completely contrasts the cult-like presence of Rhythm Of The Heart, a stalking single emblazoned with ominous chanting vocals. With similarities to Hot Chip, it is a striking example of Stats’ cut-and-paste production. The technique also flows through the glitchy, funk-filled There Is A Story I Tell About My Life, an ode to the 90s rave scene. Expressing post-modern thoughts of the self, the single follows Seed on a winding path of self-destruction atop an electronic beat and synth line that glisten with ecstasy.
The recording process appears to have been a calming influence for Seed, an escape to somewhere more freeing. ‘I find meaning when I lose myself,’ he states. ’In the moment, it dissolves into unity with those other people: lying in bed with the person I love, dancing, caring for a baby, standing in a stadium crowd, drinking, reading, and playing music in this band. Dance music is unity music, music you can rely on and lose yourself in, for all those situations.’ Luckily for Stats, they can make brilliant dance music. The title track of Other People’s Lives is psychedelic yet blissfully primal, reigniting the rave culture of Groove Armada and The Chemical Brothers.
The emotion that Seed is trying to relay towards dance music is ever-so-apparent in Stats’ standout single Lose It, a thumping and addictive pop hit that builds to staggering heights, with an infectious chorus and a killer synth line for the finale. A single for the rave fanatics, it maintains a sincere connection to the band’s DIY roots, and the humdrum observations of modern life’s mundane characteristics are sharp and witty. The shimmering synth lines, glistening melodies and skipping beat project a euphoria that looks back towards David Byrne’s absurdist lyricism. A wry smirk in Seed’s vocals caresses his desire to ignite joy amongst the masses in a surefire anthem.
Although there is a clear comparison between Stats and the likes of LCD Soundsystem, there remains a compelling contrast. Whilst James Murphy religiously obsesses on making serious yet expansive indie-dance anthems, Seed’s primal desire is to create something joyous for the everyday worker. Describing the record as ‘a trippy experience for grownups’ the band’s ability to capture the disconnect between reality and fantasy is applaudable. I Am An Animal drags this disconnect to an absurd extreme. A return to childlike simplicity, it captures the moment of domestic sublimity, spotting yourself naked in the middle of the night whilst being hit by the sheer unlikelihood of it. Leaning towards the ridiculous, it remains oddly addictive with its primal chant-like vocal delivery and pulsating synth line.
Once you get into the groove of Stats’ music, there is no coming out. Their addictive sound borders on the obscene, a quality heard recently in the likes of Parcels and Jungle. On occasion, they travel back to times less complicated, when music was made solely to be enjoyed. Yet at its core lies a very intelligent mind in Seed, who has engineered each track to perfection. The music rewires your brain on each listen, embedding itself until it is impossible to ignore.
Stats are a modern band, capturing the very essence of the now, the fleeting, the fickle and the forgotten, yet they find themselves stuck in the present day, refusing to be trapped and left behind in the past.
Stats' debut album, Other People’s Lives, will be released through Memphis Industries on February 15th 2019.
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Spotlight Review Music
Spotlight: BADLAWS.
Spotlight: APRE
Spotlight: Eyre Llew
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← Walmart Is Eliminating People Greeters. Workers With Disabilities Feel Targeted : NPR
United Methodist Church on edge of breakup over LGBT stand →
George Pell: Cardinal found guilty of sexual offences in Australia – BBC News
February 26, 2019 | Filed under: Australia and tagged with: Australia, Cardinal George Pell, Catholic Church sexual abuse cases
George Pell is the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of such crimes
Cardinal George Pell has been found guilty of sexual offences in Australia, making him the highest-ranking Catholic figure to receive such a conviction.
Pell abused two choir boys in the rooms of a Melbourne cathedral in 1996, a jury found. He had pleaded not guilty.
The verdict was handed down in December, but it could not be reported until now due to legal reasons.
Pell is due to be sentenced on Wednesday. He has lodged an appeal against his conviction.
As Vatican treasurer, the 77-year-old cardinal is one of the Church’s most powerful officials.
His trial was heard twice last year because a first jury failed to reach a verdict.
A second jury unanimously convicted him of one charge of sexually penetrating a child under 16, and four counts of committing an indecent act on a child under 16.
Pell was swarmed by media and heckled by onlookers as he left a court hearing on Tuesday.
The Catholic Church worldwide has in recent years faced a damaging series of allegations relating to sex abuse by priests, and claims that these cases were covered up.
Pell’s case has drawn huge interest at a time when the Pope is attempting to address the scandals, including by holding a four-day summit in the past week.
What did the court hear?
Pell was in his first year as archbishop of Melbourne in 1996 when he found the two boys in cathedral rooms following a mass, the jury was told.
After telling them they were in trouble for drinking communion wine, Pell forced each boy into indecent acts, prosecutors said.
Pell was swarmed by media as he left court on Tuesday
The court heard testimony from one of the victims. The other victim is no longer alive.
A jury rejected an argument by Pell’s lawyer, Robert Richter QC, that the allegations were fantasies contrived by the victims.
What has been the reaction?
In a statement on Tuesday, Pell’s surviving victim – who cannot be named – said the case had been stressful, adding “it is not over yet”.
The man said he had experienced “shame, loneliness, depression and struggle” because of the abuse.
“Like many survivors it has taken me years to understand the impact upon my life,” he said.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said the conviction had “shocked many across Australia and around the world”, saying it would do everything possible to make the Church “a safe place for all”.
What has Pell said?
“Cardinal George Pell has always maintained his innocence and continues to do so,” said a statement issued on his behalf on Tuesday.
The cardinal said he awaited the outcome of his appeal. He has been on leave from the Vatican since June 2017, fighting the accusations.
Why was the case kept secret?
Last May, a judge handed down a legal order which prevented any reporting of Pell’s trial and conviction.
It was designed to prevent a separate trial – which will no longer go ahead – from being influenced by the first trial.
The abandoned trial was to hear unrelated allegations – strongly denied by Pell – that he indecently assaulted boys in Ballarat, Victoria, in the 1970s. Prosecutors withdrew their case on Tuesday, citing insufficient evidence.
The collapse of the second trial led to the publication ban, known as a suppression order, being lifted.
Cardinal ‘didn’t flinch’ in court
Hywel Griffith, BBC News Australia correspondent
George Pell would sit in the dock with his notebook, listening, writing, but never really betraying any emotion.
As the court heard vivid descriptions of how in 1996 he had forced himself upon two victims, pushing his archbishop’s robes to one side in order to expose himself, he didn’t flinch.
After two trials, one hung jury and many months of waiting – the results of this long process are now public.
The pace of justice has felt slow at times, but it has resulted in one of the Church’s most prominent and powerful figures being held to account.
Who is Pell?
The Australian cleric forged his career as a strong supporter of traditional Catholic values, taking conservative views against contraception and abortion, and advocating for priestly celibacy.
He was summoned to Rome by the Pope in 2014 to clean up the Vatican’s finances, and was considered to be the Church’s third-ranked official.
But his career has been dogged first by claims that he covered up child sexual abuse by priests, and then later that he was himself an abuser.
Profile: The cardinal convicted of abuse
Pope Francis demoted Pell from his inner circle in December.
What is the wider picture?
The sexual abuse of children was rarely discussed in public before the 1970s, and it was not until the 1980s that the first cases of molestation by priests came to light, in the US and Canada.
In the 1990s, revelations began of widespread abuse in Ireland and in the new century, more cases of abuse were revealed in more than a dozen countries.
Since his election, Pope Francis has appeared to offer new hope to victims. Under his papacy, a Vatican committee has been set up to fight sexual abuse and help victims.
In recent days, the Pope promised concrete action in tackling child sex abuse.
However, he has also been criticised for not doing enough to hold to account bishops who carried out abuse, and those alleged to have covered it up.
Victims’ groups have frequently responded to the Vatican’s efforts with scepticism.
Source: George Pell: Cardinal found guilty of sexual offences in Australia – BBC News
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Pupils Score Highest In Math
April 7, 2012, 11:58pm
OROQUIETA CITY, Misamis Occidental (PIA) — The Grade 6 pupils in the public schools of the Misamis Occidental Schools Division scored highest in Mathematics compared to other subjects in the National Achievement Test (NAT) for school year 2010-2011.
This was indicated in the NAT Results for SY 2010-2011, which showed that the Grade 6 pupils in the public schools of the division got an average score of 78.04 percent in Mathematics, Schools Division Superintendent Jonathan S. Delapena said.
Their scores in the other subjects were as follows: Filipino, 77.62 percent, HEKASI, 77.26 percent, English, 71.41 percent and Science, 68.11 percent..... MORE
Source: MB.com
URL: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/356503/pupils-score-highest-in-math
The Facebook Status That Made A Difference
MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-nine year old Jay Michael Jaboneta has started spreading the news - the good news that is.
Just last year, Jay spoke in front of prominent French businessmen and social entrepreneurs at a TEDx event held in Montpellier, France. Before that, Jay has also been invited to speak at events in the United States of America and Singapore.
What Jay has been talking about is the Yellow Boat Project, or formally called the Philippine Funds for Little Kids, an organization that helps children in communities bound by water by providing them with boats funded by the group’s various sponsors and volunteers...... MORE
URL: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/356507/the-facebook-status-that-made-a-difference
Earning A Profit And Saving The World
By KARLA PASTORES, Contributor
April 8, 2012, 1:39am
MANILA, Philippines — Last month, over 40 student leaders from the different campuses of Ifugao State University (IFSU) underwent a crash course in social entrepreneurship and youth leadership, where they learned that earning a profit and saving the world can go hand-in-hand.
Sponsored by the Office of Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao, the Office of Senator Francis Pangilinan and the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, the “iChange Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Training Program” of the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) gives college students all over the Philippines a chance to learn how to transform their ideas into projects that could benefit themselves and their communities.
The first part of the training introduced the various social problems that our country currently faces and why there is a need to develop innovative and creative solutions to these problems..... MORE
PBA Quarterfinal Playoffs End Sunday
By WAYLON GALVEZ
April 7, 2012, 9:52pm
Games Sunday (Smart-Araneta Coliseum)
4:15 p.m. – Barako Bull vs Alaska
6:30 p.m. – B-Meg vs Meralco
MANILA, Philippines — Mark Cardona will suit up Sunday when Meralco tries to accomplish what it failed to do the last time around against B-Meg at the close of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinal playoffs at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The high-scoring 6-1 guard escaped suspension following his ejection Wednesday off two technical fouls, including Flagrant Foul Penalty 1 against B-Meg import Denzel Bowles.
Instead, Cardona was fined a total of P6,600 – P5,000 for the F1 and P1,600 for the double technical foul assessed against him and B-Meg’s Josh Urbiztondo early in the game..... MORE
URL: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/356466/pba-quarterfinal-playoffs-end-sunday
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$16 million for Londonderry Estate
(UWP Government buys land for the construction of an international airport)
On the Londonderry Estate today
From The Sun's Archives: Monday July 12, 1999
Government and owners of Londonderry Estate reach agreement but "tenants" say they won't be moving easily
Government has paid EC$16 million to the heirs of the deceased F.A. Laville, the owner of Londonderry Estate, construction of the international airport. But tenants and squatters say they will not move come hell or high water.
Government and the administratees of the estate, Marie Joan Armour and Rose Aird, recently concluded negotiations for the purchase of the 663-acre estate, an informed source told The Sun. The landowners originally requested EC$43.8 million. Negotiating on behalf of the heirs were Mr. Jim Robinson, P. Munro and Attorney-at-Law Anthony Astaphan. Lands and Surveys Director, Livingston Cassell negotiated on behalf of Government.
Government has indicated it is going ahead with its for the construction of a US$110 million international airport. Ground breaking for this major project is expected to begin in March 2000. There has been much opposition to the site government has selected and especially the social hardships that the construction will cause to residents of the area.
Last week tenants of the Londonderry Estate held a press conference in Roseau to show their dissatisfaction with Government's plans. According to the farmer representatives, they have been tenants on the estate for more than 30 years.
"I have a family and my wife is a sickly person. I don't know what to do; I'd like to know what to do," said Mr. Phillip Titre who said he has been a tenant on the estate from 1956. "Either the bulldozer or the bullet will take me out from there but I'm not moving." "All I know I'm not leaving, to get rid of me they have to kill me, "said Tom Rolle who has been a tenant on Londonderry Estate for 32 years.
The farmers say they received a letter from agent of the Government, Mr. Livingston Cassell, on June 24 ordering them to vacate the land within six months.
"Information received by the previous owners indicate that there were no tenants on the estate," said Mr. Cassell, the Director of the Lands and Surveys Department told The Sufi that though priority for land allocation will be given to the farmers of Wesley/Woodford Hill government will consider what can be done for the displaced farmers. Eighty-two persons are to be affected.
Though the airport will not be located in the Londonderry area, Government has zoned the estate for tourism, industrial and agricultural development.
Meanwhile Government last week began talking to 166 Wesley and Woodford Hill farmers whose lands will be used for the construction of the airport. Seventy-two of the 166 farmers say they want cash for their land.
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Joona Linna and Saga Bauer team up to solve a series of gruesome murders related to a bizarre nursery rhyme and a boarding school. As always, the novels in the Joona Linna series are hard to put down.
Flight attendant, Cassie Bowden wakes up after an alcoholic blackout to find the man she had spent the night with dead. His throat had been slashed and she is also covered in blood. She is, of course, the prime suspect, but can't remember whether or not she killed him.
Bestselling author Anne Perry presents the first installment in the Elena Standish series; a suspenseful novel set in pre-World War II. Elena is a great protagonist, and readers will love this historical novel.
Roe and her new husband Robin are coping with the disappearance of Roe's half-brother, Phillip, and several of his friends. Are they still alive? How could an entire group of kids go missing? Hopefully, Roe who is an amateur sleuth, can find them before it's too late.
Aunt Vespasia and her new husband, Victor, are obliged to stay at a beautiful country home for Christmas due to a mission for London Special Branch, where Victor was previously the head. An agent is almost murdered, and Vespasia and Victor must get to the bottom of it.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Book Review
Aiden Bishop sees the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle through different hosts each day. The only way for him to escape is to solve the murder. Innovative and fascinating - a must read.
Fierce Girl Book Review
Tanya's estranged mother comes back to nurse her back to health while recovering from a gunshot wound and Anna knows something isn't right. Freddy is under scrutiny by the American mob after Frank Gambino disappears and since Freddy killed him, has to come up with a solution. Very Suspenseful.
Run Away Book Review
Simon and Ingrid are brokenhearted that their oldest daughter, Paige, has become a drug addict and has run away with an abusive boyfriend. She doesn't want to be found, but when Simon catches a glimpse of her, he is determined to find her and help her.
Wicked Deeds Book Review
Preston and Griffin, main characters in the Krewe of Hunters series of paranormal/romantic thrillers, find themselves involved in solving some strange murders that take place in an Edgar Allen Poe restaurant in Baltimore.
Sign Up for the Suspense/Thriller Books Newsletter
Subscribe to the Suspense/Thriller Newsletter to be kept up-to-date on new articles posted to the site, news about authors, and new books published.
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Athletics Creating Pike-To-Binns Bobblehead For 2019
Home / Football / Athletics Creating Pike-To-Binns Bobblehead For 2019
Athletics Creating Pike-To-Binns Bobblehead For 20192019-05-062019-08-15http://touchpanel.bearcatsgameday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cpaw-on-black.pngUC Athletics Touch Panel Projecthttp://touchpanel.bearcatsgameday.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2990bbac62af6d3e705514c9e6f75245.png200px200px
UC Names 2019 HOF Class
PiketoBinns.com
CINCINNATI – To forever commemorate football’s undefeated regular season in 2009, the University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics is creating a dual bobblehead of the game-winning Tony Pike to Armon Binns 29-yard touchdown which capped a 45-44 come-from-behind win at Pitt on Dec. 5, 2009.
The game-winning TD clinched the 2009 BIG EAST Conference Championship, capped a 12-0 regular season and clinched a Bowl Championship Series bid for the Bearcats, which led to a matchup with Florida in the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The dual bobblehead features Pike delivering the pass and Binns in his iconic touchdown-celebration pose raising the football with an outstretched arm. The memento also includes an audio component which will play the radio and TV calls of the TD pass from the Voice of the Bearcats, Dan Hoard, and ESPN’s Sean McDonough.
All 2019 UC football season-ticket holders will receive the dual bobblehead, one per ticket purchased. The only way to guarantee receiving one of the limited-edition items is to purchase 2019 season tickets which go on sale on Monday, May 13. The season-ticket book, also exclusive to season-ticket holders, features a dual 2009-2019 season-ticket design showcasing Bearcats stars of past and present.
Students who purchase a season-ticket package for $70, which includes a limited edition Under Armour rUCkus t-shirt and gameday food vouchers, can add the bobblehead to their order for $10. Students who have already purchased season tickets can call the athletics ticket office to update their order.
Anyone who has yet to renew their tickets for this season and new season ticket holders should contact the athletics ticket office at 1-877-CATS-TIX or online at GoBEARCATS.com/tickets. UC opens the 2019 campaign in primetime on ESPN against UCLA on Thursday, Aug. 29 in Nippert Stadium.
The Bearcats finished 2018 with 11 or more wins for the third time in program history (2008, 2009) and knocked off Virginia Tech in the 2018 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman. Entering 2019, UC is set to return more than 85% of its roster, over 5,000 yards of total offense, 10 of its Top-15 tacklers and 14 starters from the 2018 squad.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati football, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati football (@GoBearcatsFB) and Coach Fickell (@CoachFick) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
Athletics Names 2019 Hall of Fame ClassFootball
Football Season Tickets On Sale Now!Football
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ART & FILM
(Los Angeles, November 3, 2019)—The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) hosted its ninth annual Art+Film Gala on Saturday, November 2, 2019, honoring artist Betye Saar and filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón. Co-chaired by LACMA trustee Eva Chow and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the evening brought together more than 800 distinguished guests from the art, film, fashion, and entertainment industries, among others. This year’s gala raised more than $4.6 million, with proceeds supporting LACMA’s film initiatives and future exhibitions, acquisitions, and programming. The 2019 Art+Film Gala was made possible through Gucci’s longstanding and generous partnership. Additional support for the gala was provided by Audi.
Eva Chow, co-chair of the Art+Film Gala, said, “I’m so happy that we have outdone ourselves again with the most successful Art+Film Gala yet. It was such a joy to celebrate Betye Saar and Alfonso Cuarón’s incredible creativity and passion, while supporting LACMA’s art and film initiatives. I couldn’t be more grateful to Alessandro Michele, Marco Bizzarri, and everyone at Gucci—our invaluable partner since the first Art+Film Gala—and to Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals for making this evening one to remember.”
“I’m deeply grateful to our returning co-chairs Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio for helping us set another Art+Film Gala record,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director. “We honored two incredibly powerful artistic voices this year. Betye Saar has helped define the genre of Assemblage art for nearly seven decades, and recognition of her as one of the most important and influential artists working today is long overdue. Alfonso Cuarón, one of the great storytellers of our
time, is able to bring deep humanity to any story he chooses to portray, whether it takes place in the world of wizarding, or outer space, or the Mexico City of his own adolescence.”
The Art+Film Gala began with red-carpet arrivals of art world, music, entertainment luminaries, fashion icons, and renowned artists at LACMA’s Wilshire Boulevard entrance. Guests then moved through the museum’s Smidt Welcome Plaza to a cocktail reception on the museum’s Zev Yaroslavsky Plaza. Projected on the walls were motifs inspired by the works of Betye Saar and Alfonso Curarón. After cocktails, guests proceeded to the Art+Film dinner pavilion overlooking Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass (2012), where they were seated for a special dinner prepared by Joachim Splichal of Patina Restaurant Group.
Michael Govan and Eva Chow welcomed the crowd. Further into the evening, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award-winner John Legend gave a tribute in Saar’s honor and filmmaker Christine Turner contributed a short film about the artist. Shortly thereafter, Ted Sarandos presented a tribute to Alfonso Cuarón and the audience enjoyed a montage of the director’s films. Actor and musician Donald Glover introduced the honoree.
Following the evening’s dinner program, Will Ferrell invited guests to an outdoor performance. Billie Eilish then introduced Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals who powered through hits including “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance,” “Come Down,” “Tints,” and “Am I Wrong,” following a trumpet intro by band member Maurice “MoBetta” Brown. The set concluded with an encore of “Jet Black.”
Luminaries from the art world attending the 2019 Art+Film Gala included Stephanie Barron, Sanford Biggers, Tim Blum, Louise Bonnet, Mark Bradford, Fritz Chesnut, George Davis, Tacita Dean, Fairfax Dorn, Adrienne Edwards, Carol S. Eliel, Charles Gaines, Marc Glimcher, Thelma Golden, Alexandra Grant, Jennifer Guidi, Lauren Halsey, Thomas Houseago, Luchita Hurtado, Alex Israel, Naima Keith, Christine Y. Kim, Bettina Korek, Barbara Kruger, Shio Kusaka, Eugenio López, Julie Mehretu, Rodney McMillian, Catherine Opie, Almine Rech Picasso, Pilar Tompkins Rivas, Julie Roberts and Bennett Roberts, Nancy Rubins, Kristin Sakoda, Britt Salvesen, Alison Saar, 2019 Art+Film Gala honoree Betye Saar, Lezley Saar, Shinique Smith, Adam Silverman, Tavares Strachan, Claire Tabouret, Tatiana Trouvé, Mary Weatherford, and Jonas Wood.
The entertainment, fashion, and business worlds were represented by this year’s gala performer Anderson .Paak, gala co-chair Eva Chow, 2019 Art+Film Gala honoree
Alfonso Cuarón, gala co-chair Leonardo DiCaprio, and Gucci Creative Director and gala host committee chair Alessandro Michele, Noah Baumbach, Marco Bizzarri, Beck, Naomi Campbell, Nick Cave, Gia Coppola, Willem Dafoe, Guillermo del Toro, Ava DuVernay, Billie Eilish, Will Ferrell, Bob Iger, James Goldstein, George Hamilton, Jon Hamm, Bong Joon Ho, Dawn Hudson, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Liberty Ross and Jimmy Iovine, Lee Jung-jae, Regina King, Jared Leto, Sienna Miller, Vivi Nevo, Kelly and Jamie Patricof, Keanu Reeves, Elizabeth Segerstrom, Zoe Saldana, Ted Sarandos, Molly Shannon, Molly Sims, Amandla Stenberg, Tyler the Creator, Lucy Walker, Christoph Waltz, Irwin Winkler, and Angela Robinson Witherspoon.
LACMA trustees in attendance included Ambassador Nicole Avant, Willow Bay, Ambassador Colleen Bell, Allison Berg, Troy Carter, Ann Colgin, Janet Crown, Kelly Day, Viveca Paulin-Ferrell, Victoria Jackson, Suzanne Kayne, Robert A. Kotick, Florence Sloan, Wendy Stark Morrisey, Geoff Palmer, Janet Dreisen Rappaport, Carter Reum, Lynda Resnick, Robbie Robinson, Steve Tisch, and Elaine Wynn. Other notable guests included Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu.
Wearing Gucci to the event were 2019 Art+Film Gala honoree Betye Saar, 2019 Art+Film Gala honoree Alfonso Cuarón, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Trevor Andrew, Noah Baumbach, Beck and Channing Hansen, Sanford Biggers, Earl Cave, Nick Cave, Susie Cave, Asia Chow, Eva Chow, Gia Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, Laura Dern, Ava DuVernay, Billie Eilish, Cynthia Erivo, FINNEAS (Finneas O’Connell), David Furnish, Greta Gerwig, Jacqui Getty, Michael Govan and Katherine Ross, Donald Glover, Lee Jung-jae, Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail), Regina King, Brie Larson, KiKi Layne, John Legend, Jared Leto, Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef, Sienna Miller, Salma Hayek Pinault, DJ Rainey Qualley, Zoe Saldana, Santigold, Elisa Sednaoui Dellal, Yara Shahidi, Daniela Sorrentino and Paolo Sorrentino, Amandla Stenberg, Tyler the Creator, Suki Waterhouse, and Lucas Zwirner.
Wines generously provided by JNSQ and JUSTIN. Champagne by Laurent-Perrier. Additional beverages by FIJI Water and POM Wonderful.
One of the most important artists of her generation, Betye Saar (b.1926) played a seminal role in the development of Assemblage art. Since the 1960s, her work has reflected on African American identity, spirituality, gender, and the connectedness
between different cultures. Saar received her BA from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1949, with graduate studies at California State University at Long Beach, the University of Southern California, and California State University at Northridge. She has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees by Cornish College of the Arts; California College of Arts and Crafts; California Institute of the Arts; Massachusetts College of Art and Design; Otis College of Art & Design; and San Francisco Art Institute. Saar's work is included in the permanent collections of more than 80 museums, including—in addition to LACMA—The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Currently exhibitions on view include Betye Saar: Call and Response, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles (September 22, 2019–April 5, 2020) travels to The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, and Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas; and Betye Saar: The Legends of Black Girl’s Window, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, (October 21, 2019–January 4, 2020).
Alfonso Cuarón (b. 1961) is a four-time Academy Award winner who has written and directed a wide range of acclaimed films. Cuarón made his feature film directorial debut in 1991 with Sólo Con Du Pareja (Live in the Time of Hysteria) which was the biggest box office hit in Mexico in 1992. Cuarón soon after made his American feature film debut with the critically acclaimed motion picture adaptation of the beloved children’s book A Little Princess (1995), which was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Art Direction. That was followed by Great Expectations (1998), a contemporary adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic novel. With his next feature, Cuarón returned to Mexico to direct a Spanish-speaking cast in the funny, provocative, and controversial road comedy Y Tu Mamá También (2003), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and BAFTA nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay. That same year, Cuarón also directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2003), the third film in the most successful motion picture franchise of all time, based on the best-selling books by author J.K. Rowling. Cuarón’s next project, Children of Men, was one of the most talked about films of 2006, earning two Academy Award nominations for Cuarón for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. Cuarón then won two Academy Awards for directing, producing, and editing Gravity (2013), which he also co-wrote with his son Jonás. In recent years, Cuarón executive produced the documentary This Changes Everything (2015), directed by
Avi Lewis, which explores the impact of economic models on climate change; and produced Desierto (2016), written and directed by Jonás, which was released in 2016 by STX Entertainment. Most recently, Cuarón’s Roma (2018) received two Academy Awards for directing and cinematography. The film also won the award for Best Foreign Language.
Born Brandon Paak Anderson in Oxnard, California, .Paak honed his musical chops playing drums in his church band as a teen. While glimpses of his extraordinary talent were evident in his first incarnation as Breezy Lovejoy, it was fully realized in his transformation into Anderson .Paak, with his debut album Venice (2014) and a stellar six-song run on Dr. Dre’s certified Gold COMPTON album that led to the release of his acclaimed sophomore release, Malibu (2016). In 2016, .Paak won the Grulke Prize at South by Southwest, the Soul Train Music Award’s Best New Artist, and Album of the Year at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards in London. Later in 2016, as part of the duo NxWorries with collaborator/producer Knxwledge, came the release of the album Yes Lawd!, which reached #3 on Billboard’s Top R&B/HipHop chart. In 2017, he established the nonprofit organization .Paak House, committed to creating safe havens for the next generation and cultivating alliances with like-minded nonprofits for a greater united impact. .Paak’s third album Oxnard (2018) marked a career high for him, debuting as the #1 Independent Album in the Country according to Billboard. Following the album’s release, .Paak played a soldout tour in both the U.S. and Europe. .Paak won his first Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 2019. More recently .Paak released his newest album Ventura in April 2019. His Best Teef in the Game tour to support the album was sold out and included his first Madison Square Garden headline show and 24 other stops across the US and Canada.
The Art+Film Gala supports LACMA’s ongoing initiative to make film more central to the museum’s curatorial programming. Since 2011, LACMA has presented 18 exhibitions exploring the intersection of Art+Film featuring American auteurs like Tim Burton and Stanley Kubrick, Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, French New Wave icon Agnès Varda, Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, and film and video works by contemporary African artists— perspective and the diversity of Los Angeles in the museum’s approach to Art+Film.
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Remembering World War Two Airmen
Lest We Forget... A New Year's Photo
As we begin a new year, may our prayers be for peace around the world. The photo below is a poignant reminder that some give all. My friend Frank Irgang, who as a young infantryman landed at Normandy on D-Day and fought his way across Europe, sent me this email, and it is worth sharing with everyone.
Photo by Todd Heisler
The Rocky Mountain News
When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac.
During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the most powerful in the process: "See the people in the windows? They'll sit right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home," he said.
"They're going to remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should."
Posted by r morris at 6:53 PM No comments:
Labels: 2 Lt. James Cathey, Marine Corps, Marines, tribute
December 2007 A Great Month for Untold Valor
Untold Valor sold 600 copies in the month of December. Thanks to all who purchased the book.
Posted by r morris at 9:54 AM No comments:
2 Books of Note
I've picked up a couple of very interesting books in the past two weeks. The first, Down to Earth: A Fighter Pilot's Experiences of Surviving Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain, Dieppe and D-Day, is by Squadron Leader Kenneth Butterworth McGlashan, AFC, with Owen Zupp. I found out about this book during a history discussion on Amazon, and became acquainted with the co-author, Owen Zupp, an Australian pilot for Quantas Airlines who shares my passion for aviation and aviation history. Owen and I traded books by mail. The book was published by Grub Street Press, London in 2007. Owen conducted many interviews with the late Mr. McGlashan to write this outstanding account.
McGlashan started his RAF career in 1939 in a Hawker biplane, and ended it in the jet era of the 1950's. Shot down over the beaches of Dunkirk in heated aerial combat, McGlashan returns to England to fly again. He flies in support of the ill-fated invasion at Dieppe and takes on clandestine night operations before D-Day.
The book is illustrated with photographs spanning Mr. McGlashan's interesting career.
You can buy this book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Down-Earth-Fighter-Recounts-Experiences/dp/1904943845/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199121310&sr=8-3. This is from Amazon.uk. The book is not available on US Amazon at this time.
The second book I picked up at a used book store. It is entitled Flying Through the Fire: FIDO--The Fogbusters of World War Two: Freeing the RAF's Airfields from the Fog Menace by Geoffery Williams. This book, published in 1996 by Grange Books, London, chronicles the British attempt to control the fog and low clouds that caused many Allied aircraft to crash upon return to base. Early in the war, many British bombers returned from harrowing missions unable to find their bases, which were completely fog-bound. This took a savage toll on aircraft and aircrew. Winston Churchill prompted the government's Petroleum Warfare Department to develop a cure for this problem, and they came up with FIDO--Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation. Lines of burners feulled by thousands of gallons of petrol were installed beside runways to literally burn off the fog, thereby allowing aircraft to take off and land safely. Over 100 photos accompany this fascinating book.
The book is available at a very reasonable price from Amazon.uk at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flying-Through-Fire-Buster-Aviation/dp/0750908815/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199121713&sr=1-3.
And on that note, Happy New Year to all readers. I look forward to many postings in 2008, and will be working on two books in the coming year. First, the 95th Bomb Group history, and second, a sequel to Untold Valor tentatively entitled Untold Valor: Forgotten Stories of Aerial Combat in the Pacific.
Labels: book reviews, Books, England, FIDO, McGlashan, RAF, Williams, Zupp
Artist Profile: Scott Nelson
I ran across a print by Scott Nelson around a month ago and purchased it. Scott and I then struck up an email dialogue about our shared passion of World War Two aviation. Scott is a farmer and rancher by trade who puts in long hours tending the farm, but in his spare time, he is an artist, and a mighty good one, too. Though Scott tends to downplay his art due to the fact he is self-taught, I think it's some of the best aviation art on the market, and here's why:
1. Nelson seeks out veterans with outstanding stories, talks to them until he knows the story inside and out, and then paints the crucial moments from the vets' experiences.
2. Nelson focuses on veterans from the West, especially the Dakotas, and preserves the aviation history of this sparsely-populated region.
3. Nelson's art is packed with action, and is rendered in brilliant colors with superb attention to detail.
4. All of Nelson's prints are signed by both himself and the subject of the print. Prints that are signed in this way are standard in the aviation art world, but what makes Scott's work extraordinary is that his prints are still relatively unknown nationally and his prices are much lower than bigger-name aviation artists.
Visit Scott Nelson's website: http://www.scottnelsonart.com/
Visit Scott Nelson's eBay store: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZscott-nelson
Currently, no prints for sale, but check back often.
Posted by r morris at 8:52 AM 3 comments:
Labels: artist, aviation art, review, Scott Nelson
Christmas Book Winner Chosen
I selected the winner of the Christmas book drawing today. It was fair and scientific. I put the names on pieces of paper and had my son Matt draw the winner. And the winner is...
Les Poitras, of Massachusetts.
Les, get in touch with me about how you want the book signed and inscribed.
My thanks to all who entered. The most distant entry was from India.
Enjoy the book, Les!
Labels: book reviews, Christmas, Contest
Christmas Morning in Idaho
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah and other seasonal greetings to blog readers. We had about a foot of snow yesterday so today we woke up to a Bing Crosby 'White Christmas'.
Beautiful Photo of B-17s
Sent to me today by Maurice Rockett, 95th Bomb Group bombardier, WWII.
Posted by r morris at 11:59 AM No comments:
Labels: B-17 Bomber
1/6 Scale German Army Diorama---You Must See This
A British man named Peter Shaw built a complete scene of a German unit deboarding a train. The whole scene is one-sixth scale. This link has many photos of an incredible task of setting up a 1/6 world to look real.
http://www.onesixthcollectors.co.uk/clubforum/viewtopic.php?t=3989
Thanks to my brother John Morris for the tip and the site.
Labels: diorama, German army, one-sixth scale
A Holiday Gift Chance for My Blog Readers
In the spirit of the holiday season, I am offering you the chance to enter into a drawing for a FREE copy of my book, signed by me and shipped at my expense (to the US--if you live overseas, you have to pay the shipping).
This is just my way of saying 'thank you' to those who drop by and read the blog. Everybody is eligible, whether you already have a book or not (you can always give it away as a gift).
All you have to do to enter is send me an email with "UNTOLD VALOR HOLIDAY BOOK" in the title and your name and address. My email address is found on my book website at www.untoldvalor.com . I will not use your name and address for any promotion. This is strictly for fun and as my way of saying 'Thanks!'.
This would make a great gift for a veteran of the Air Corps in World War Two or anyone interested in the air war. Maybe it would make a great gift for you.
Again, signed/inscribed to your specifications, and mailed at my expense.
Follow the instructions and good luck. I will draw the winner from all entries and let you know in next week on Tuesday who wins.
By the way, the book is currently sold out on Amazon. It has been selling briskly and has good reviews. Check out the Amazon reviews here: http://www.amazon.com/Untold-Valor-Forgotten-Stories-American/dp/1574889990/ref=pd_sim_b_img_2
Check out my book website here for more detailed information and more reviews: http://www.untoldvalor.com/
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah to all.
Labels: Untold Valor
Site Dedicated to Remembering a Forgotten Airman
The crew of the 'Jolly Roger', of the 385th Bomb Group. Joe Schreppel is back row, far left.
Scott Nelson of North Dakota wrote me that he is in the process of illustrating a website dedicated to the memory of Sgt. Joe Schreppel of Kansas, a B-17 Tailgunner who is listed as 'unknown' on his grave marker. Scott writes:
"I am in the process, illustrating a web site from Belgium about an airman that was shot down there during the first Schweinfurt (17 Aug 43). He landed in his parachute mortally wounded and was aided by some Belgium Boy Scouts, and he told them his name before he died and that he was from Kansas. German authorities imprisoned several Belgium civilians who had helped and shown sympathy toward this airman. For some reason this airman was buried as "unknown" and even after the war (body was moved to one of the Belgium US Cemeteries) it is still inscribed as unknown. This website's mission is to try and get that changed. My pictures will be up on the site hopefully in the next couple weeks. The site in case you are interested is: http://www.missinginaction.be/"
This site is run by the son of the man who aided the mortally wounded Schreppel after he landed. Schreppel had time to communicate briefly with the young Scouts before he passed away.
This is a very interesting website and I recommend it. I look forward to seeing Scott's artwork on this site. I think his stuff is great. Check out some of his work at his artist website: http://scottnelsonart.com/
Labels: 385th Bomb Group, Joe Schreppel
An Exercise in Humility
Another book signing last night, though I doubt John Grisham or J.K. Rowling have the same experiences. The manager of the book department at a large bookseller here in town asked me to do a signing about a month ago. I'm not a big fan of these, but they are part of the contract with the publisher and they are a good way to get the book out there, so I said yes.
The last two times I did signings, they were advertised on the store's marquee, which is on the busiest street in town. I noted this week that there was no advertising--not an auspicious start.
When I showed up last night, it dawned on me that they had entirely forgotten I was coming. There was no table, no chair, no pens. Luckily, they did have books on the shelf.
I was supposed to sign from five to eight, but packed up and went home at 7:30 after selling six books. Granted, those six people were happy to get them, but the lack of effort on the part of the store, coupled with the fact that Idaho Falls is not much of an aviation town, doomed my signing to failure.
In any case, this will keep me very humble.
Below is a photo of people lined up to get a signed copy of my book 'Untold Valor'. Pushing and shoving was not a problem this evening.
Posted by r morris at 10:06 AM 4 comments:
Labels: Books, embarassing failures, signings
An Overdue Wyoming Tribute
As a former resident of the great state of Wyoming, which remains the best place I've ever lived, I was saddened to receive a letter a few weeks ago from Scott Nelson, a farmer/rancher/aviation artist from North Dakota, who became friends with the late Gale 'Buck' Cleven, of the 100th Bomb Group.
Scott wrote me: "When Buck passed away in Sheridan, Wyoming, I tried to get the papaer there to run an obituary on him--Buck always considered himself as a Wyoming native and I thought it would be nice if the state would recognize him. No luck. Guess they figured he wasn't 'important' enough.
I then contacted the small Lemmon, South Dakota paper and they thought it was very important and they ran it, with some errors. This is the only obituary run of Buck that I know of--unfortunately, this small paper is not on the AP wire so the story went no further."
Time to rectify that situation, Scott. What follows is the obituary for Dr. Gale W. 'Buck' Cleven in its entirety, though it may take me a while to type it all. Because, Buck, you were and are an American hero and you deserve it.
'Dr. Gale W. 'Buck' Cleven passed from this life on November 17, 2006. Born December 27, 1919 in the Lemmon (SD) area, he moved to the Casper, Wyoming area where he worked on drilling crews and worked his way through the University of Wyoming. Dr. Cleven received degrees from Harvard and his geological doctorate degree at George Washington University. Dr. Cleven led a very accomplished life including fighting in three wars (WWII, Korea, and Vietnam), held a post at the Petnagon and was in charge of EDP information at Hughes Aircraft. Later, Dr. Cleven reorganized staffing and leadership at Webber University in Florida. Dr. Cleven retired in Dickinson, North Dakota and later at the Sugarland Ridge Retirement Center in Sheridan, Wyoming, where he resided until his death.
There are several books and web site postings of Buck's service in WWII including Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. In Masters of the Air, author Donald Miller credits Cleven, Eighth Air Force Squadron Commander, for giging the 100th Bomb Group its personality. Miller's book retells Major Cleven's story: 'On October 8, 1943, Major Buck Clevens (sic) was shot down over Bremen by three Luftwaffe fighters when they flew out of the sun and tore into his fortress, knocking out three engines, blowing holes in the tail and nose, sheering of a good part of the left wing. The situation hopeless, Cleven ordered the crew to jump. He was the last man out of the plane. When he jumped the bomber was only about 2,000 feet from the ground. Hanging from his parachute, Cleven saw he was going to land near a small farm house. He spun out of control and went flying through the open back door and into the kitchen, knocking over furniture and a small iron stove. The farmer's wife and daughter began screaming hysterically and, in a flash, the farmer had a pitchfork pressed against Cleven's chest. 'In my pitiful high school German I tried to convince him I was a good guy. But he wasn't buying it.'
Buck was taken to a prison camp where he spent about 18 months before escaping to Allied lines. Cleven escaped while being marched to Moosburg's Stalag VIIA. Among his many accomplishments during his time of service, Buck earned a Distinguished Service Cross, and Silver Star, Bronze Star. The DFC was for his heroic participation in the 'double-strike' of Regensburg and Schweinfurt on August 17, 1943. Sixty bombers and almost 600 men were lost. The aircraft factories and ball bearing plants were being guarded by the most formidable aerial defenses in the world at the time. Cleven was in the vulnerable low squadron--so called the Coffin Corner, the last and lowest group in the bomber stream. Cleven's plane was being shredded by enemy fighters. Cleven's co-pilot panicked and prepared to bail out. Cleven ordered his co-pilot to stay put. His words were heard over the interphone and had a magical effect on the rest of the crew. They stuck to their guns. His actions that day at Regensburg were said to 'electrify the base'. Lt. Col. Bierne Lay (who would later write the famous 'Twelve O'Clock High) recommended Cleven for a Medal of Honor. This was downgraded to a DFC, but Cleven never went to pick up the medal, claiming he didn't deserve it. He was quoted as saying, "Medal, hell, I needed an aspirin".
More history of Dr. Cleven's leadership at Hughes Aircraft is detailed in The King and the Seven Dwarfs, by Barney Oldfield.
Dr. Cleven is survived by his wife Lee Cleven of Ooltwah, TN, his sister Doris Shaw and one nephew of Dallas, TX. He was proceeded in death by his first wife Marge Cleven. His remains were laid to rest in Sante Fe, New Mexico."
Rest in peace, Buck. Wyoming honors you.
Labels: 100th Bomb Group, Buck Cleven, Gale Cleven, Regensburg
Remembering Gale 'Buck' Cleven, 100th Bomb Group
In artist Scott Nelson's painting, Gale Cleven mans the left seat as his plane goes down over Germany and his crewmates bail out.
I recently bought an outstanding art print by North Dakota artist Scott Nelson. Scott knew 100th Bomb Group commander Gale 'Buck' Cleven quite well through a mutual friend, and Mr. Cleven told Scott his story. Scott in turn made a painting of the shooting down of Cleven's B-17, which was made into a limited edition print and signed by both.
When Scott sent me this print, he also sent more information about Mr. Cleven. As a former Wyoming resident with strong ties to the state, I was suprised to learn that Cleven was a Wyoming native, from the Sheridan area. And I was disturbed to find that when Scott sent the Wyoming papers an obituary about the passing of this great WWII veteran, none of the Wyoming papers ran the obituary, ostensibly because they had never heard of him and didn't think the obit was of any interest.
As a former Wyomingite, I am going to try to rectify this great wrong to a good man by running his story here. I will be adding the obituary Scott wrote in a day or so, plus more photos of Mr. Cleven.
GALE W. "BUCK" CLEVEN
ORIGINAL 100TH PILOT
ORGINAL 350TH SQ COMMANDER
WENT OVERSEAS WITH CREW #A-3 IN AC #42-29738. POW 8 OCT 43 BREMEN (INFO ON MISSION BELOW). ESCAPED AND RETURNED TO THORPE ABBOTS APRIL 1945, STANDARD PROCEDURES PROHIBITED HIS RETURN TO OPERATIONS.
Medals:Distinguished Service Cross- Sept. 10, 1943 for Regensburg Mission August 17, 1943 Distinguished Flying Cross- Nov 30, 1943 for Paris Mission Sept 3, 1943 Air Medal-Aug 6, 1943 OLC to Air Medal-Aug 22, 1943 OLC to Air Medal-Sept 24, 1943 OLC to Air Medal-Oct 20, 1943 Major Gale Cleven passed away on Nov 17, 2006 at the age of 87 years old.
Labels: 100th Bomb Group, Buck Cleven, Gale Cleven, POW
Survivor Remembers Pearl Harbor--Dec. 7, 1941
Survivors Remember Pearl Harbor
by Audrey McAVOY
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — Everett Hyland was ferrying ammunition to an anti-aircraft gun aboard the USS Pennsylvania on Dec. 7, 1941, when a bomb hit, throwing him down.
"I never heard anything. The only thing I knew I was flat on my face and my arms were extended in front of me and they were all purple and bleeding," Hyland said. "I ended up pretty well banged up."
On Friday, Hyland joined some 50 survivors and hundreds more family members and officials at a Pearl Harbor pier overlooking the USS Arizona Memorial to honor the attack's victims.
The crowd observed a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the time of the attack on Dec. 7, 1941, and Chinook helicopters flew over in formation, followed by a B-2 stealth bomber.
The USS Pennsylvania was among the last ships hit by Japanese bombs 66 years ago as it was dry-docked and not sitting in Battleship Row. The vessel escaped with moderate damage and set sail again after being repaired. Even so, 15 men aboard were killed and 38 men were wounded. Fourteen were judged missing in action.
The casualties added to the overall Pearl Harbor attack toll of 2,388 dead and 1,178 wounded. The shocking assault thrust the United States into World War II.
Hyland spent nine months in the hospital recovering from the blast. Shrapnel tore through his left leg and he lost part of his left elbow and bicep. He suffered flash burns that seared skin off his arms and legs.
"I got a quick facial out of it," joked Hyland, 84. His brother, after visiting the burn unit where Hyland was staying, "said we looked like roast turkeys lined up."
This year, survivors and their family members are dedicating a new memorial for the USS Oklahoma, which lost 429 sailors and Marines — the second greatest loss of life among any of the battleships in Pearl Harbor.
About 18 of the estimated 90 living survivors who were aboard the USS Oklahoma were expected to join Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry and other dignitaries for the dedication of the $1.2 million memorial.
The monument includes 429 white marble standards, each with the name of a fallen sailor or Marine, surrounded by black granite panels etched with a silhouette of the battleship and notable quotes from World War II-era figures that were selected by some of the survivors, said retired Navy Rear Adm. Greg Slavonic, co-chair of the USS Oklahoma Memorial Committee.
The Oklahoma was hit with the first torpedo of the morning assault. It capsized after being struck by eight more, trapping 400 men in its overturned hull. About 30 of the trapped men were later rescued by Pearl Harbor Navy Yard workers who hammered their way through the ship's metal.
Retired Navy Cmdr. Tucker McHugh, who co-chaired the USS Oklahoma Memorial Committee, said he thinks the memorial will bring some sense of closure to those who survived and even to those who perished.
"I think there's been a void in the minds and hearts of these shipmates that their shipmates were never honored with a lasting memorial," McHugh said. "Total closure might come when the last survivor passes away and they're all reunited together.
"Even though 429 soldiers and Marines died, I believe they're still with us. I think they're looking down and saying, 'Thank you.'"
Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack as a 17-year-old high school senior and who later received the Medal of Honor for fighting in Europe, said he hoped the ceremony would prompt people to think of those serving today.
"There are over 1.4 million in many countries, not just Iraq and Afghanistan, serving us, ready to stand in harms way for us," Inouye told The Associated Press this week. "And there are an equal number of families, children and wives and husbands spending time at home thinking about them."
Inouye has regularly participated in annual Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremonies since he became a U.S. senator in the 1960s. But he's missing this year's event because of Senate business.
Organizers expected about 2,500 people to attend Friday's ceremony. But it was likely to be smaller than the 65th anniversary, which drew some 500 survivors and their families.
Associated Press writer Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
Posted by r morris at 12:28 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Pearl Harbor
Outstanding B-24 Video: Watch it Here
My friend Marilyn Walton, whose father was a B-24 crewman, emailed me about this outstanding B-24 tribute on Youtube. I checked it out. It is outstanding. Watch it by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_0GnJ9T2Fc
If this incredibly powerful video does not choke you up, nothing will.
These were brave men.
Labels: B-24, Marilyn Walton, Rhapsody in Junk, Thomas Jeffers, video
Emotional Video Tribute to 8th Air Force B-17 Crews
There is a fantastic tribute to 8th Air Force B-17 crews on Youtube. I only wish it were dedicated to all WWII airmen, of all Air Forces. The 15th Air Force also participated heavily in Europe, as did the 9th Tactical Air Force.
View it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLcGKnbm5BA
The painting accompanying this blog entry is by one of my new favorite aviation artists, a self-taught North Dakotan by the name of Scott Nelson. It shows Gale 'Buck' Cleven's B-17, of the 100th Bomb Group, going down. Scott's prints are excellent and affordable. All are co-signed by the subject of the painting, after careful research and dicussion with the individual. I recommend buying them now before they begin to go up in value. I am the proud owner of this particular piece.
Check out some of Scott's other works here: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZscott-nelson
Labels: artist, eighth air force, Scott Nelson, tribute, video
Honoring the Fallen at Christmas Time--Arlington National Cemetery
My friend Frank Irgang , himself a veteran of the D-Day landing and of the violent struggle across Europe in World War Two, sent me a poignant email today showing wreaths on the graves of our honored dead at Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, DC.
The email forwarded by Frank reads:
"Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well.
Others have taken up where you fell,
the line has held.
Peace, peace, and farewell...
Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington , Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.
God bless you, Mr. Worcester.
Labels: Arlington, cemetery, Killed in Action, memorial, tribute
Frank Irgang's Etched in Purple Available for Pre-Order
The new Potomac edition of Frank Irgang's 'Etched in Purple'--in my opinion the best WWII memoir ever written---is now available in the Potomac Books catalog.
A rediscovered classic memoir of World War II
Etched in Purple
One Soldier's War in Europe
Frank Irgang
248 pages; 5 1/4" x 8 3/4"
Available: April 2008
Order or view here: http://www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=180789
“Pulls no punches in painting the life of a combat infantryman.” —Detroit Free Press
“One of the most brutal war books published. . . . Frank J. Irgang . . . has succeeded in doing what at least one million others who served with the infantry during the war wished they could have accomplished. He has told the story of the war simply and plainly as it is seen through the eyes of a combat infantryman. . . . Never once does the author let reader attention slip.” —Los Angeles Times
“A taste of the brutal truth.” —Cincinnati Enquirer
First published in 1949, Frank J. Irgang’s personal record of his unforgettable experiences as a combat infantryman during World War II has its beginning on the dawn of that famous “longest day” when Allied troops set foot on Normandy beaches. We know the surface facts of that invasion—what was planned, how it was executed, and what happened—but what most of us don’t know are the thoughts of those brave men who fought their way across France and into Germany.
What were they thinking? How did they meet the terror of each new day?In this revealing look at a young American soldier’s European tour of duty, the inner facts we have wanted to discover are found.
And they are revealed truthfully and with a freshness of reality that would be impossible to recapture unless the observations had been jotted down, as they were, soon after the events took place. Irgang’s keen eye, his unliterary terseness, his sometimes blunt way of stating brutal truths—all these contribute toward making this book more than one man’s record of the war. In its unpretentiousness, Etched in Purple says vividly and powerfully what hundreds of other soldiers would have said had they found a means of expression: that World War II would always be etched in purple in their memories.
Dr. Frank J. Irgang is a retired professor of industrial studies who taught at San Diego State University for twenty-six years and served as department chairman. He resides in San Diego.
Labels: Etched in Purple Frank Irgang, wwii
Wise Words About Recovering from Adversity
Liberation Day in the Japanese POW Camp, Tokyo, August 29, 1945. The 6'2" skinny guy in the circle is a malnourished version of Hap Halloran. Hap still calls this day one of the happiest of his life.
I was doing a little more research tonight on Raymond 'Hap' Halloran. In the course of my research and writing, I have talked to many men who survived as prisoners of war and returned to build a satisfying and normal life. Each day, a small group of us email each other about different things, and this particular topic comes up a lot---how was it that men who suffered so terribly were able to return almost literally from the gates of Hell and have normal lives? The bottom line, of course, is that their lives were never quite as normal as they let on to those around them. However, each man learned his own way of coping with the memories and what now is referred to medically as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Hap's crew was a close bunch. Five of his friends perished the day their B-29 went down over Tokyo. This was only one of a series of traumatic events Hap would have to deal with for the rest of his life.
Tonight I read Hap's words on the subject, and they are well worth sharing. Not only will they help anyone who has lived through a traumatic life episode, such as a POW or battered spouse, but they will help anyone who at times finds him- or herself worrying too much about life's daily hassles and petty complaints and feuds. It took Hap many years to arrive at his philosophy, and we can all learn from it. So here it is, with credit to the Military.com website:
"My feelings now are this - if you can go through adversities like I've described and survive, the possibility exists that one day you might actually make comparisons on events and problems in your present day life and actually appreciate how small some of the things we actually worry about really are.
One can actually become more positive and appreciative of life because of earlier hardships, even the most awful of hardships. I feel these positive changes and higher values can apply to individuals in their personal life, in their family life, and in the world of business and society.
As I look at myself today, I know I have a far greater appreciation of life. Yes, even the simplest of things that I formerly took for granted can take on a special meaning for me now. I appreciate that I was very fortunate to survive this experience. And I have this feeling that I should do things for others as a form of appreciation for having been so lucky - or blessed - or maybe both.
I definitely have a much higher level of confidence than I've ever had before. I set higher goals and I have higher expectations of myself and I've achieved a reasonable degree of success in many of the things I've attempted to accomplish.
Most importantly, I no longer sweat or stress over the small stuff. I guess I've finally taken time to stop and smell the roses. For instance, I've made significant progress in the matter of speaking before groups. Even when I was a man in my forties, I had a fear of public speaking. Hopefully my presentations, no matter how tough they were for me, have had a positive and motivating effect on my audience. Sure, we all have problems - but you don't have to give up. All of us can hang in there and solve our problems and appreciate the incredible gift of life.
I make it a point to speak to students - I've probably spoken to groups of young people over 200 times now. I tell them how - within each of us -there is a power and ability to solve and accomplish things we never before thought was possible. I appreciate my life - and my freedom.
And I love watching our Flag flowing in a gentle breeze.
I enjoy and appreciate sunrises and sunsets - and especially the stars. Stars that I use to navigate with during long nighttime missions in a B-29 over the Pacific. The stars are still - and will always be - my friends. I guess I've come to the conclusion that it was those difficult days during WW II that taught me a lot of things about myself - things that have helped me over the many years of my life. Lessons that are still helping me today. And I will always continue to use what I've learned to help other people grow too. Especially young people, who sometimes need a little help growing."
---Raymond "Hap" Halloran
Read the entire story here: http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Goss_071503,00.html
Posted by r morris at 6:17 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Hap Halloran, life, philosophy, Post traumatic stress disorder, POW, PTSD
Posters of Legendary Airmen--Halloran and Boyington
Recently I made the acquaintance of former WWII B-29 airman Hap Halloran. I contacted him about buying a copy of his book 'Hap's War'. We exchanged a few emails, and I told him I wanted to send him my book as a gift in appreciation of his service in World War Two. Hap was shot down and spent many months as a POW in Japan. He was tortured physically and mentally. He stayed in the same prison as Black Sheep Squadron leader Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington, who had received a posthumous Medal of Honor for his exploits, despite being alive. When Pappy found out about this in prison, he said he'd happily trade the medal for some food.
In talking about Pappy, I mentioned that I had written an article on this blog advocating that Boyington, an Idaho native, get a statue at his alma mater, University of Washington. There was a big flap a year or two ago because the students and some faculty at UW did not want to put up a statue of someone who killed others in the war. You can read this article here: http://untoldvalor.blogspot.com/2007/07/give-pappy-boyington-his-statue.html
"Pappy", MOH winner.
Hap then suggested that I might like a poster he had in his home. Pappy Boyington had given it to him back in 1978. The poster shows Pappy getting ready to bail out of his flaming aircraft. He signed the poster "Aug 11, 1978, With Red Hot Regards--Pappy Boyington". Hap added at the bottom, under Pappy's photo, "We were POWs together in Omori POW camp SW of Tokyo in 1945. Pappy and I traveled together at air events and golfed together. I wrote and delivered his eulogy at Arlington National Cemetery 1-15-88."
The poster of Pappy Boyington.
Hap also adds under the photo of the Japanese credited with shooting Pappy down, Masajiro Kawato, that Kawato did not shoot Boyington down, and adds, "authority--Boyington" to end the argument.
The second poster shows Hap's B-29 on its final mission. The painting, 'Rover Boys Express' is by Roberto Cernuda. The plane went down and many of the men in the rear of the plane, despite the heroic efforts to reach them through the crawlspace, perished in the crash.
Hap's Plane on its Final Mission.
What a wonderful gift to a guy who loves aviation history. Nothing I will get for Christmas will come close.
Hap was plagued for forty years by nightmares of his POW experiences. Finally he decided to go back to Japan and face his fears head-on. He went back and has since gone back ten times, most recently just a few months ago. Here he is with some Japanese at the Nagasaki Peace Park in Nagasaki, near the site of the 1945 atomic bomb.
Once Hap went back, the nightmares got better. He now wages peace and teaches forgiveness. Every day that he has lived since his POW days he considers a 'bonus day'. He finishes many emails with 'Enjoy life'.
Those of you who have not read Hap's book "Hap's War" that Hap wrote in 1998, you can order one through this web site. For more information, click here: http://www.haphalloran.com/hapswar.asp
Posted by r morris at 4:10 PM 4 comments:
Labels: B-29, Black Sheep Squadron, Gregory Boyington, Hap Halloran, Japan, Marines, Pappy Boyington, peace, POW
Two Writing Projects, Two Incredible Stories
I'm currently working on two shorter writing projects and one long one. 'Short' is a relative term with me, because I tend towards perfectionism and hate letting go of a story until I'm sure it's perfect. The first of these is a future magazine article, to be submitted to aviation and WWII magazines. This story is about a day when the Swiss shot down two American B-17s, killing most of both crews. It is an amazing and troubling story on many levels. I originally wrote about it in my book, but this summer, I had a chance to visit Norris King, one of the survivors of that day, while in Denver, Colorado. We had a long talk and I took lots of photos. I posted a short copyrighted updated on this weblog after the visit, which you can read here: http://untoldvalor.blogspot.com/2007/08/norris-king-shot-down-by-swiss.html
Marilyn King, Norris King, and myself during our visit this summer in Arvada, Colorado.
Norris and his wife Marilyn were kind enough to make copies of some of the photos from his collection. I am including one of them here, of Norris as a young waist gunner upon graduation from gunnery school.
Norris King, graduation from gunnery school
The second shorter story I am working on just came about yesterday. My parish priest at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church here in Idaho Falls, Fr. Joe McDonald, had mentioned in a homily several years back that his dad had been in World War Two. As a result, about six weeks ago I gave Father Joe a copy of my book as a gift. A few weeks later he caught me on the way out of Mass and said he had some stuff to show me about his father's experiences. We finally got together yesterday afternoon for a long talk about his dad's experiences.
It turns out Fr. Joe's dad, also named Joe McDonald, went to Wake Island to work as a construction worker. Because his father worked at the Reno, Nevada State Journal, the paper hired young Joe on as a correspondant, charged with filing stories of interest from Wake Island.
Joe's early days on Wake were enjoyable. He drew a map of the island, noting where the sharks, octopii and other sea creatures were located offshore. He worked hard and filed the occasional story.
Joe's map of Wake Island
After Pearl Harbor, Wake Island was under attack from the Japanese Navy. All of a sudden, Joe was on the front lines of a brutal invasion attempt. He volunteered to help man an anti-aircraft gun and hunkered down.
On December 20, Joe filed this report from Wake: "Wake Island has suffered 11 bombings and one shelling since the beginning of the war...The Marine Corps and contractors personnel stationed on the island have successfully repelled all attacks bringing down around nine planes, four surface craft, one submarine and one patrol bomber...All is under control and the island is holding out fine. Total casualties to date: (approximately 65 dead, 60 injured)."
Joe ended the dispatch with: "This is a rush job, Frank--make what you can of it."
The last dispatch from Wake Island, written by Joe McDonald.
He handed the dispatch to the crew of a PBY Catalina patrol bomber, which had landed that day. At 0700 the next morning, December 21, the PBY took off.
Less than two hours later, the Japanese assault on Wake began. On December 24, Christmas Eve, Wake Island fell to the Japanese.
Joe was now a Prisoner of War.
The POWs were loaded onto a ship called the Nita Maru in January for shipment to hostile territory. Upon boarding the ship, Joe was given a typed paper telling him the regulations for prisoners on board ship. Almost every failure to obey orders would result in death, including talking without permission, walking or moving without orders, carrying unecessary baggage, taking extra food, or using more than two blankets.
Joe ended up in Section No. 8, Barrack No. 4 at Shanghai War-Prisoner's Camp in Shanghai, China. He would be imprisoned until the end of the war in August, 1945.
Joe's POW address book from the camp.
The POW Bulletin was sent to family members of POWs to keep them posted on news from the camps.
On December 24, 1941, Rear Admiral B. Moreell wrote to Joe's parents with bad news. "It is with sincere regret that it is my sad duty to inform you of the death of your son, Mr. Joseph McDonald, as the result of enemy action on Wake."
The letter informing Joe's family of his death on Wake Island.
A body was returned to the grieving family, a funeral was held, and the remains of Joe McDonald were interred in a cemetery in Reno. However, several months later, the military realized that the Joe McDonald killed on Wake was a different Joe McDonald. A second, apologetic letter was sent. The remains were exhumed and moved to Cody, Wyoming for re-burial with the correct family.
How devastating this ordeal must have been for both families.
In the camp, the men worked together to survive. Joe always scraped out the burned rice in the bottom of the cooking pots and together with his friends, they ate it. He credited this with helping him stay alive, and today, Fr. Joe remembers how the family ate rice nearly every meal growing up. His dad insisted the rice be burned brown a little on the bottom.
The POWs were occasionally helped by a kindly Japanese guard. After the war, some of the surviving POWs sat for a portrait with this man, and many years later, this Japanese guard sent Joe a Christmas card.
Joe McDonald, front row, second from left, shortly after the war ended, with other POWs and the friendly Japanese guard.
After the war, Joe returned, married, raised a family, and lived his life. He passed away in the eighties. His wife and son, Fr. Joe, put together a scrapbook, from which these artifacts were copied. Joe's complete POW papers are in a university library in Nevada.
Interestingly, Joe had the headstone from his grave put in his back yard, where he enjoyed it as a conversation piece for many years. He also said he enjoyed reading his obituary and hearing all the nice things people had to say about him at his funeral in 1942.
A postcard sent by Joe to the States.
A sad postcard, the back written in Japanese, tells of a young soldier's missing his family. We are uncertain when or how Joe got this card.
We are also unsure what these cards are. However, they seem to be American propaganda leaflets dropped or given to the Japanese civilians to encourage them to surrender. Perhaps they were left over, as these were mailed back to the States by Joe after his release and after the war was over.
Posted by r morris at 8:41 AM 1 comment:
Labels: contractors, Japan, Joe McDonald, Norris King, POW, tribute, Wake Island
Abandoned World War II C-47 Gets New Lease on Life
Nov. 20: French air mechanics dismantle a Douglas C-47 at Rajlovac airbase near Sarajevo, Bosnia.
AP-----A U.S. Air Force plane instrumental in saving Normandy from the Nazis during World War II has re-emerged in Bosnia and soon will be put on display as a war hero, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday.
The Douglas C-47 was found at an air base near Sarajevo, Bosnia, after a search that began last January. It will be shipped to a museum in Merville, Normandy, as a symbol of D-Day, the Chronicle reported.
Click here to read the Houston Chronicle report.
"We want to restore this plane to its original glory," Beatrice Guillaume, the administrator of a museum, told the Chronicle, "to explain the story of her crew members and how difficult it was for them to risk their lives to save a country they didn't know."
Nicknamed the “SNAFU Special,” the C-47 flew unarmed to a supposedly impenetrable German artillery battery to silence gunners for the D-Day invasion. It last was flown 13 years ago during Bosnia’s war for independence.
Labels: C-47, D-Day
New Blog Devoted to the Memory of my Great-Grandmother
My great-grandmother, Aloisia, with my mom, Beverly, around 1932 in Kendrick, Idaho. Aloisia was born in Austria and moved to Idaho in the 1870's.
I recently wrote a biography of my great-grandmother, Aloisia Schupfer, who was born in a high mountain village in the Austrian Alps and ended her life as a Idaho pioneer woman. Aloisia endured many hardships and trials in her life, and she is a person who deserves to be remembered. That is the goal of the new blogsite. With the help of my mom, Beverly Schupfer Morris, I have put together memories of this amazing, strong, religious lady. Please pay the site a visit. I think you will enjoy it.
Until I figure out how to reverse the order, all posts will be in reverse chronological order.
This posting is accompanied by a photo of my great-grandmother Aloisia and my mom Beverly taken in Kendrick, Idaho around 1932.
The blog is found at http://aloisiaschupfer.blogspot.com/.
Labels: Aloisia Schupfer, new, Weblog
Wild Blue and Beyond: The 95th Bomb Group in War and Peace
Pre-Order the Book Here: Due out Summer 2011 from Potomac Press
Remembering Ammon's Larry C. Thornton, MIA Laos, 12/24/65
Lest we forget...Click photo to visit Larry's Page
Untold Valor
Order My Book Here
Order Leonard Herman's book Here
Memoirs of a Man Who Flew Two Tours over Europe, First in B-17s and then in A-26s and B-26s
Recommended Reads: Mostly on the Air War
A Real Good War, by Sam Halpert
B-17s Over Berlin, by Ian Hawkins
Baa Baa Black Sheep, by Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington
Black Hole of Wauwilermoos: A Prisoner's Story, by Dan Culler (POW in Switzerland)
Bomber Boys, by Patrick Bishop
Combat Bombardier: Memoirs of Two Tours over Europe in WWII, by Leonard Herman
Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics
Fateful Flight of the Lonesome Polecat II, by Michael Darter
Hap's War, by Hap Halloran, B-29 Crewman and POW in Japan
Laughter and Tears: The Life of George Rarey, Cartoonist and Fighter Pilot, by Damon Rarey
Luck of the Draw, by Frank Murphy
Masters of the Air, by Donald Miller
Munster Raid: Bloody Skies over Germany by Ian Hawkins
My War: Memoirs of a B-17 Bomber Pilot, by John Walter
Not as Briefed: From the Doolittle Raid to a German Stalag, by C. Ross Greening
Petals of Fire, by 100th BG Pilot and POW Herb Alf
Rhapsody in Junk: A Daughter's Return to Germany to Finish Her Father's Story, by Marilyn Walton
Rolling with the Stones, by Bill Wyman and Richard Havers
Serenade to the Big Bird, by Bert Stiles
The Fall of Fortresses, by Elmer Bendiner
The Meltin' Pot: From Wreck to Rescue to Recovery by Jack Scoltock
The Mighty Eighth War Manual, by Roger Freeman
The Mighty Eighth, by Roger Freeman
Those Who Fall, by John Muirhead
Untold Valor: Forgotten Stories of American Bomber Crewmen over Europe in World War Two by Rob Morris
Wing Ding: Memories of a Tail Gunner, by Eugene Carson
My Favorite Blogs and Weblinks
100th Bomb Group Message Board and Discussion Page
100th Bomb Group Website
95th Bomb Group Museum, Horham, East Anglia
95th Bomb Group Website
Airline Confidential--Richard Havers' New Blog on the Airline Industry
Aloisia Schupfer's blog. A site devoted to the memory of my Great-Grandmother
Artist Alexandre Jay's Website/Blog
Ben Lomond Free Press
Havering On: Musings on Scotland, Popular Culture and Politics
Michael Rand Website--Great Singer
Mighty Eighth Public Message Board
Museum of the Air Battle over the Ore Mountains (Czech Republic)
My Untold Valor Book Website--Come on in and Take a Look!
Photos of English Air Bases Today by Richard E. Flagg--HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Swiss Interneees in WWII Official Website
The Flight Officer Project
The Poor Mouth--Great Blog
University of Montana Website-- Alma Mater
WWII Aviation Artist Scott Nelson's Website
World War Two Aviation Artists: My Favorites List
Alexandre Jay: Aviation Artist
James Baldwin: Aviation Artist
James Green: Aviation Artist
Paul Dillon: Aviation Artist
Robert Bailey: Aviation Artist
Scott Nelson: Aviation Artist
Simon Atack: Aviation Artist
Troy White: Aviation Artist
Wade Meyers: Aviation Artist
William Phillips: Aviation Artist
Emotional Video Tribute to 8th Air Force B-17 Crew...
Honoring the Fallen at Christmas Time--Arlington N...
Frank Irgang's Etched in Purple Available for Pre-...
Posters of Legendary Airmen--Halloran and Boyingto...
Abandoned World War II C-47 Gets New Lease on Life...
New Blog Devoted to the Memory of my Great-Grandmo...
r morris
Honoring All Who Served
Subscribe to this Post--Automatic Updates Each Time a New Post is Posted
Extensive Photos of Air Bases in England in WWII by Richard Flagg
Havering On: Interesting Views on Scottish/English Politics, Music and Much More
Mighty Eighth Message Board
Parham Airfield Museum, Britain, Honors WWII Fliers
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Staple Hundred
Ancient District
Staple Hundred — Current theme: Social Structure
The first census in 1801 simply divided people into those employed in agriculture and those in trade or manufacturing, and the 1841 census, the first to gather detailed occupational data, imposed no real order on it at all. However, the first occupational classification, introduced in 1851, was clearly concerned with social status as well as with what people made: it began with the Queen, followed by government officials and then by 'the learned professions'.
In the twentieth century a separate system of social classes was devised. Originally created to help understand mortality, the Registrar General's Social Classification was tabulated by the census from 1951 onwards. However, the Office for National Statistics no longer officially use the social classification, but instead provide data for an essentially similar set of 'Social Grades' defined by the British Market Research Society. To provide a longer perspective we have re-organised earlier occupational information to the same system. Like the published 1951 data, all our figures are limited to men.
This is only possible where we have very detailed occupational statistics at district-level, so these earlier censuses are limited to 1841, where the replies to the occupational question were tabulated almost raw; 1881, where we can use complete data from the enumerator's books; and 1931, which produced the most detailed of all occupational reports.
We hold these detailed statistics for Staple, which we graph and tabulate here:
Social Status, based on 1831 occupational statistics 1831 1831 Occupations grouped by Status (4)
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The Story Of The Rainbow Flag
Colour has long played an important role in our communities' history and expression of pride. In Victorian England, for example, the colour green was associated with homosexuality. The colour purple (or, more accurately, lavender) became popularized for the lesbian and gay communities with "Purple Power". And, of course there are the pink and black triangles. The pink triangle was first used by Hitler to identify gay males in Nazi concentration camps, and the black triangle was similarly used to identify lesbians and others deemed "asocial". Our communities reclaimed the pink and black triangle symbols in the early 1980s to signify our strength of spirit and willingness to survive oppression. As we gain acceptance of our rights, the symbols of oppression are gradually being replaced by the symbols of celebration. By far the most colourful of our symbols is the Rainbow flag, and its rainbow of colours - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, which represent the diversity of our communities.
The first rainbow flag was designed in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a San Francisco artist, in response to calls by activists for a symbol for the community. Baker used the five-striped "Flag of the Race" as his inspiration, and designed a flag with eight stripes: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. These colours were intended to represent respectively: sexuality, life, healing, sun, nature, art, harmony, and spirit. Baker dyed and sewed the material for the first flag himself - reminiscent of Betsy Ross and the creation of the US Flag.
When Baker approached a company to mass-produce the flags, he found out that "hot pink" was not commercially available. The flag was then reduced to seven stripes.
In November 1978, San Francisco's lesbian, gay and bisexual community was stunned when the city's first openly gay supervisor, Harvey Milk, was assassinated. Wanting to demonstrate the gay community's strength and solidarity in the aftermath of the tragedy, the Pride Committee decided to use Baker's flag. The indigo stripe was eliminated so that the colours could be divided evenly along the parade route - three colours on one side and three on the other. Soon the six colours were incorporated into a six-striped version that became popularized and the International Congress of Flag Makers recognizes that today.
The flag has become an international symbol of pride and the diversity our communities.
WHAT THE RAINBOW FLAG SIGNIFIES
A symbol of pride
The rainbow flag, symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride. Pride at having not only survived, but thrived in a world which has often been a hostile place. It is pride in being who we are, it is pride in becoming a full and equal citizen of Canada, the United States of America, and of the world, it is pride in standing up for what we believe.
A symbol of hope
In addition to being the symbol of pride, the rainbow is a symbol of hope. Tremendous progress has been made in the fight for equal rights. Step by step, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people are obtaining recognition as equal members of society, in big cities and in towns and villages across North America. Our anti-gay opponents are becoming frustrated because their hate cannot defeat our love. Things are not perfect, but the progress we are making is extraordinary...and the rainbow affirms our hopes for an even better future.
A symbol of diversity
Finally, the rainbow is a symbol of diversity. Although myths and stereotypes portray all gays and lesbians as having a single, monolithic "agenda", the reality is that ours is an extraordinarily diverse community. Across all races and cultural backgrounds, across all languages, with or without disabilities, across all religions, our communities continue to flourish. Sometimes, our own communities are divided between gay and lesbian, between "gay" and "queer", between those in big cities and those in the suburbs and small towns, between "assimilationists" and those who want to live apart from the mainstream. While diversity poses its challenges, it is also enriching. There are as many opinions as there are people. There is no lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender "lifestyle"; there are only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Millions of us, and each one unique. This is our strength.
So, why should we bother?
Because the government will not allow us to marry the person of our choice;
Because people are still denied jobs, promotions or denied accommodation because of their sexual orientation;
Because gay teenagers are disproportionately at risk of suicide;
Because Canadians and Americans are still beaten or murdered for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender;
Because we are still made to feel uncomfortable when holding the hand of a partner while walking down the street;
Because our materials are still censored by the government and banned from schools;
Because our relationships remain unrecognized in hundreds of federal, provincial and territorial laws.
BY CELEBRATING PRIDE TOGETHER, WE REMEMBER OUR PAST, AFFIRM OUR FUTURE AND PROVIDE IMPORTANT VISIBILITY WHICH ADVANCES OUR STRUGGLE
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Posted on March 6, 2017 by Ray Starmann
Merkel’s Germany: Jihad In, Freedom of Speech Out
Gatestone
Germany’s police and legal systems, which took weeks to prosecute anyone in the city of Cologne in the wake of the New Year’s Eve mass sexual assaults, and then closed most of the cases after a year-long investigation, immediately swung into action against a group of small-town revellers.
In Merkel’s Germany, you are allowed to walk free after setting fire to a synagogue, but not for mocking the Chancellor’s “sacred” refugee policy.
While German police are busy raiding homes across the country and targeting citizens who write “hateful” or “offensive” Facebook postings, mosques in German are openly preaching anti-Semitism and ISIS-style jihadism.
Carnival in Germany is a time for some light-hearted fun, fancy costumes and political satire. This year, many German cities held traditional float parades on Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, many of which depicted political themes. Images of U.S. President Donald Trump took centre stage in many float processions, in some instances with his decapitated head held up high by the Statue of Liberty, in the style of an ISIS beheading.
Other floats went after nationalist European leaders and right-wing parties. In Düsseldorf, President Trump was shown standing next to a blond Hitler, joined by France’s Marine Le Pen, and the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders.
Germany prides in its traditional Narrenfreiheit (“jesters’ freedom”) to mock the high and mighty. This year, Germany’s state-run Deutsche Welle news agency proudly proclaimed, “German jesters take on kings for 2017 Carnival.”
To those objecting to some of these violent depictions of President Trump, prominent German journalist Christian Thiels reminded the public that, “It’s called ‘freedom of satire’. You don’t have to like it or find it tasteful but it is part of free speech.”
In this very spirit of “freedom”, some residents of the sleepy German town of Bad Bergzabern thought they could mock Chancellor Angela Merkel and her refugee policy.
A local non-political group showed up with a float showing Chancellor Merkel behind prison bars, with the caption: “This is how traitors end up.” It is German equivalent of the popular U.S election slogan used by many Trump supporters for former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton: “Lock her up.”
A police complaint was filed the following day. The day after that, police rolled into action, and the State Attorney of Landau district opened an investigation against the subversive “miscreants.”
The Carnival parade float from Bad Bergzabern, Germany, that triggered an investigation by the police and State Attorney, showing Chancellor Angela Merkel behind prison bars, with the caption: “This is how traitors end up.” (Image source: SWF video screenshot)
Germany’s state-run Südwestrundfunk broadcaster wrote:
“The float showed the head of the Chancellor behind the prison bars. According to a police statement, by Tuesday many residents had complained about the float and a case had been filed. The State Attorney’s office in Landau is examining if the depiction of the Chancellor is a punishable offense.”
“The float was registered by a private group from South-Palatinate Kapellen-Drusweiler. The office-holders of the group told SWR that they do not belong to any right-wing group, and only wanted it to be a thought-provoking exercise.”
Before German law enforcement could make any assessments, the mayor’s office of Bad Bergzabern issued a statement that from now on, all Carnival floats were first to apply for mayoral approval.
Meanwhile, in January 2017, the regional court of Wuppertal acquitted Arab arsonists guilty of setting fire to a local synagogue in 2104, declaring it a legitimate political protest to draw “attention to the Gaza conflict” with Israel, and “deemed the attack not to be motivated by antisemitism.”
In Merkel’s Germany, you are allowed to walk free after setting fire to a synagogue, but not after mocking the Chancellor’s “sacred” refugee policy.
While German police are busy raiding homes across the country, targeting citizens who make “hateful” or “offensive” Facebook postings, mosques in Germany are openly preaching anti-Semitism and ISIS-style jihadism.
Merkel’s Germany is policing Carnival floats and Facebook posts, when it might better spend its time and taxpayer money securing the borders and cracking down on recruitment to jihad.
Vijeta Uniyal is a journalist and news analyst based in Germany.
2 comments on “Merkel’s Germany: Jihad In, Freedom of Speech Out”
SFC Steven M Barry USA RET
Who complained?
It had to have been some goddamned Jew.
Jim Nichols
Merkel is not listeningrto the cries of her people
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Robert M. Hanson
Cruise Logs
Chinese Service
Mt. Soledad Memorial
The Ship's Crew
Crew Roster
Crew Email
Plank Owners
Sailing Beyond
Ship History
The following are accounts from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and the memories of crew members.
The USS Hanson was launched 11 March 1945 by the Bath Iron Works Corporation, sponsored by Mrs. Harry A. Hanson, Lt. Hanson's mother. The ship was commissioned 11 May 1945 with Commander John C. Parham becoming the CO.
In August 1945 the Hanson was converted to a radar picket ship. Powerful radar equipment scanned the seas for threats long before they could be seen with the eye. The radar picket served as the long range eyes of a carrier group.
The Hanson sailed for the Pacific on 7 November 1945. She spent most of the following year operating in support of occupation forces in Japan. Reporting to the Atlantic fleet at Norfolk on 6 February 1947, Hanson trained along the East Coast until sailing in late January 1948 for her first tour of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.
Her radar was upgraded and on 8 March 1949 she was designated DDR 832. During her second deployment to the Mediterranean in the summer of 1949 she took part in two important peace conferences. As station ship to the United Nations General Assembly at the Isle of Rhodes, she was the only American warship present as Greece received control of the long contested Dodecanese Islands. Then she was chosen to transport United Nations mediator, Dr. Ralph Bunche, to Beirut, Lebanon for peace negotiations with Israel.
The year 1950 saw the shift of problems in geopolitics from Europe and the Mediterranean to the East, and the Hanson was transferred to back to the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 12 July to prepare for her role in thwarting communist aggression in Korea.
Her first duty off that war torn country was participation in the brilliant amphibious operations at Inchon on 15 September 1950, and providing fire cover for the successful evacuation of Hungnam and Wosan just before Christmas of that year.
The Hanson's second combat duty to Korea, September 1951 to May 1952, took her along the east coast where she engaged in the fleet bombardment of strategic shore targets, in support of ground troops, where her accurate fire was most effective.
In December of 1951 she stood patrol in the Formosa Straits, serving as a buffer between Taiwan (Formosa) and the mainland. She also made one of her frequent visits to the British Crown colony, Hong Kong.
Returning stateside to San Diego, the Hanson enjoyed a respite and then rejoined the war in December 1952 joint task force operations screening the fast carriers as they launched the aircraft against enemy supply lines and positions. She also participated in shore bombardment, search and rescue operations, and patrol of the Formosa Straits. She returned stateside 20 July 1953. The ship received eight battle stars for its Korean service.
26 October, 1957 found the Hanson visiting Subic Bay, Philippine Is. when she was dispatched to Spratley Is. in the South China Sea to rescue some downed airmen. Spratley Is. is not much more than a huge coral reef. The ship arrived at Spratley Is. on 29 October. The men were found alive and well, except for one injured, and were taken aboard the ship. The Hanson then returned to Subic Bay on 30 October with the airmen on board.
During the 1957 deployment on a boring patrol of the Formosa Straits the hum-drum was shattered in the late hours of the night when a Russian cruiser bathed the Hanson in its searchlight. For many of that crew this was the first confrontation with an enemy. She also had a brief tryst with a Chinese sub on that patrol.
While patrolling the Straits of Formosa, within sight of the Communist mainland, in the fall of 1958, the Hanson witnessed the shelling of the off shore islands of Quemoy and Matsu, which some thought was the prelude to a mainland offensive against Taiwan.
In the spring of 1962 and 1963 the Hanson participated in Australia's celebration of the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the site where, in the spring of 1964, the Hanson underwent a FRAM I conversion. The DD designation was resumed at this time. She remained in this configuration to the end of her U.S. Navy career. This conversion was completed 6 December 1964. In total the ship made 19 deployments to the Mediterranean and Westpac.
The ship rejoined the Pacific Fleet in early 1965 as a unit of Desron 11. She was assigned early that summer to the war in Southeast Asia. In July she shelled enemy targets ashore and, but for brief respites, patrolled and fought in troubled Vietnamese waters until late autumn.
Returning to San Diego in December 1965, Hanson operated along the coast of California until she deployed for the Orient on 17 July 1966. She steamed via Hawaii, Midway, Guam, and Subic Bay (her usual ports of call) to Vietnam and anchored in the Saigon River 13 September. The Hanson operated in the war zone until relieved on 6 January 1967. During the deployment her 5 inch guns fired over 9,000 rounds at enemy targets. She also pulled plane guard duty, patrolled the shoreline to interdict infiltration of supplies and troops from the North, and refueled helicopters. Returning to San Diego 11 February 1967, Hanson operated along the West Coast.
I was encouraged to submit this event to the website by Marty Sullivan. It is my understanding other crewmembers took pictures of this incident, but the Navy confiscated the film. The Diomid was operating near a floating dry dock and Hanson was trying to get a closer look when we collided. I went to great lengths to have the Russian lettering on the hull translated. It means "Rescuer" or "Lifesaver". This incident happened on Hanson's next to last cruise.
From other sources:
Pacific 05/06/71: The USS Hanson (DD-832) collides with the Soviet fleet tug Diomid in the Korean Straits, causing minor damage but no injuries. The Hanson conjectures the accident was caused by a deliberate attempt by the tug (with an icebreaker bow)to ram the Hanson. A sliding collision, however, was the only result.
1971 Hansongram
In April 1972 the Hanson departed San Diego with only three days notice to fight the Tet offensive. Numerous accomplishments were logged during this deployment. Of note were:
While in transit to the Gulf of Tonkin, a Russian bomber (Bear) flew past very low (due to low cloud cover) and passed abeam within 200 yards. Checking out the battle group.
May 1972: "Freedom Train" (later called "linebacker") night raids were conducted off North Vietnam. Hanson engaged in over 30 of these raids, including entering Haiphong Harbor with another Gearing class DD to shell the airport. A few days after the harbor at Haiphong was mined. View News clip
10 May 1972: USS Hanson participated in Operation Custom Tailor, a history making strike that assembled the most formidable cruiser/destroyer armada in the Western Pacific since World War II. During this strike military targets within four miles of Haiphong, North Vietnam were hit, and enemy opposition was heavy. All told, USS Hanson spent 183 out of 214 days at sea during the April-November deployment, expended 14,486 rounds of 5"/38 ammunition and successfully completed 97 underway replenishments.
June 1972: During night raids Hanson dueled with North Vietnamese 155 millimeter coastal batteries near Hon La and Hon Mat islands and was hit numerous times. The shells used by the North were anti-aircraft, so most damage was shrapnel punctures to the aluminum superstructure. During one daylight raid the Hanson was struck by three Chicom rockets, with one unexploded warhead landing within a few feet of a damage control party in the main deck passageway.
July 1972: The Hanson lost her main gyro and steering engine and put in at Subic Bay for repairs. The author believes the replacement parts were obtained from an East Coast FRAM I DD which was damaged beyond repair by a river launched mine, shortly after arriving on the gun line in 1972.
10 November 1972: The Hanson returned to San Diego for her post-deployment stand-down, an INSURV inspection and decommissioning preparation. Following the Christmas holidays, Hanson went through tender and DATC availabilities and came to her final resting place at Quaywall South Six, U.S. Naval Station, San Diego. View News clip
A Hanson Battle Flag
Photo Courtesy Marty Sullivan
Mr. Marty Sullivan reported this tattered flag flew on the Hanson during Linebacker II and Custom Tailor combat operations in May and June of 1972. During these operations in the North Hanson experienced frequent enemy fire and hits while doing night time shore raids. The most memorable raid was the shelling of the Haiphong airport days before the harbor was mined. Destined to be burned, the flag was rescued and preserved for posterity. We thank Marty for sharing this with us.
The Hanson remained a unit of Destroyer Squadron One, home ported in San Diego until 5 March 1973. On that day a reorganization within the Cruiser-Destroyer Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, resulted in Hanson being administratively reassigned to Destroyer Squadron 23, a subsidiary of Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla 11, home ported in San Diego. Commander Ian M. Watson remained in command until 31 March 1973 when the ship was decommissioned.
At 1000 Saturday, 31 March 1973 Commander Watson directed the Command Duty Officer of the Hanson to haul down the colors and secure the watch, thus ending 28 years of faithful service in the U.S. Navy. View Ceremony Program
On 18 April 1973 the Hanson was transferred to Taiwan (whose Strait she had so faithfully patrolled for so many years) and was commissioned the Liao Yang DD-21 in the Republic of China Navy.
Got any historical information on the Hanson? We would love to hear it and added to this page.
Copyright © 2020 usshanson832.org All Rights Reserved
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Obama Administration to Honor 'Green' Schools That Teach 'Environmental Literacy'
Maryland Now Requiring "Environmental Literacy" to Graduate
State, Federal & EPA Officials Applaud Los Angeles School for its "Environmental Curriculum"
"Next year on Earth Day, the Obama administration plans to announce which US schools have been selected as 'Green Ribbon Schools,' a designation that will 'honor' schools for creating healthy and sustainable learning environments and for teaching environmental literacy," is the first paragraph of an article entitled: Obama Administration to Honor 'Green' Schools That Teach Environmental Literacy, May 16, 2011. Toward the end of the article under Energy literacy is this quote: "The U.S. Energy Department says it intends to 'promote energy literacy' to achieve the Obama administration's national energy goals." Page 21 of the US. Energy Department 2011 Strategic Plan. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-administration-honor-green-schools
Obama's earlier stimulus bill included $100 billion earmarked for energy grants to states and localities to push his agenda. Now he is going to brianwash our students by pushing it through the schools in numerous ways.
Headlines about Obama's Funding for 'Environmental Lieteracy' below can be found at this link: http://fundee.typepad.com/fundee/2010/02/surprises-for-environmental-and-sustainability-education-in-the-presidents-budget.html
Surprises for Environmental and Sustainability Education in the President's Budget
The President's FY2011 was released a few days ago, with several surprises for environmental and sustainability education. These unexpected new programs at NSF, DOE and ED are very positive signals from the Administration about their interest in our work...focused on educating for the clean energy sector at universities, community and technical colleges, and K-12 schools...This includes a new $50 million program within DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, a $5 million program in DOE's Office, etc.
Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) is a major new NSF-wide initiative funded at $765.5 million (a 16% increase over last year).
Interior Department to Invest $70 million in Environmental Education in FY2010 Gains for Environmental and Sustainability Education in Federal FY10 Appropriations [And these are just a few of the funding amounts]
Maryland Requiring Environmental Literacy to Graduate On February 24, 2011,
"Governor Martin O’Malley commended the Maryland State Board of Education today for approving an Environmental Literacy Graduation Requirement... Maryland citizens and organizations across the state ...have praised the Board for establishing the Environmental Education Instructional Program for Grades Pre-K–12, making Maryland a national leader in environmental education initiatives...
"Under the new graduation requirement, public schools will be required to infuse core subjects with lessons about conservation, smart growth [a major aspect of Agenda 21 and sustainable development] and the health of our natural world...The new requirement will position the State for much-needed federal funding through the No Child Left Inside Act currently before Congress. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/pressrelease2011/sgg_022411.asp
State and Federal Officials Applaud Los Angeles School for its Adoption of State’s Environmental Curriculum "The EEI [Education and the Environment Initiative] curriculum provides a model on how we can cultivate environmentally literate citizens who understand the challenges of the 21st century and are prepared to answer the call for innovative solutions," said U.S EPA Region 9 Administrator Jared Blumenfeld.
Considering the facts that California is leading the way in this environmental curriculum environmental that evolved from the United Nation Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development; the Green Ribbon schools will be promoting energy literacy to achieve the Obama administration's national energy goals; college professors and radical environmentalists are already advocating a 90% decrease in population and a "carless society", just what kind of propaganda do you suppose will be included in the K-12 environmental curriculum in our schools?. How many American parents would want their children to be taught this agenda in public schools if they really knew what it is about? Liberals implement 90% of their agenda through deception and power.
The following letter to Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education from the Campaign for Environmental Literacy Steering Committee, explains how they do it:
"On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of educational institutions, organizations, students, industry partners, teachers, and administrators throughout the nation who are committed to helping the U.S. find a pathway towards a more sustainable future, we, the undersigned, call upon the Department of Education to create a Green Ribbon Schools Award Program...K-12 green schools provide that foundation...
"K-12 green schools provide that foundation. At least seventeen states now have green school programs, a dozen states or more have green school building requirements, a dozen or more national NGOs promote or operate green school programs, and nearly all states are creating environmental literacy plans. We estimate that perhaps 10% of all charter and magnet schools now integrate an environmental theme or focus into their entire school...[ Jonesboro magnet schools certainly promote this]
"Launching a comprehensive “Green Ribbon Schools” award program enables the Department of Education to set a high benchmark for green schools and encourage thousands of teachers and administrators to pursue a “Green Ribbon” in a strategic fashion...
"The Department of Education has done this quite successfully over the past 30 years with the Blue Ribbon Schools award program...Blue Ribbon awards have become quite prestigious and have spurred a great deal of school improvement, and we believe that Green Ribbon awards would do the same...
"A Green Ribbon Schools award program would be a voluntary, consensus-based, national award. The award would emphasize state-of-the-art strategies in four areas: 1) curriculum, materials, and teacher training; 2) facilities (including energy, water , waste, and indoor environmental quality) and grounds (including school gardens); 3) operations (including food, transportation, building maintenance and purchasing); and 4) community engagement and service learning. The technical aspects of the award criteria would be developed by a team of experts and stakeholders under the auspices of the Department of Education....
"The primary benefits of the Green Ribbon Schools Award program include: 1) giving a form of permission to those within public schools who need the validation and endorsement from an authority such as the Department of Education to make change within their schools, and 2) making clear the depth and breadth of change needed to become a truly green school..."
And they do all of this with our taxpayer money in the form of grants. Every penny of Obama's stimulus money, billions of dollars, is being awarded to programs that advance the liberal agenda. Following is a headline and quote that exemplifies that.
We can only save our country if we become educated on all these issues so we can fight them in our community, state, and nation!
Also see these articles:
Liberals Pushing Children To Walk To School - To Save the Planet
http://www.wpaag.org/liberals_pushing_children_to_wal.htm
European Union To Ban Cars in Cities by 2050
http://www.wpaag.org/Sus%20Dev%20-%20Europen%20Union%20to%20ban%20cars%20by%202050.htm
by Debbie Pelley
dpelley@suddenlink.net
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No thanks, I couldn't eat one ethnic cleansing more
I paid $1.93 a gallon for gasoline today and so am now wholly behind a war for oil.
A Times article says that kindergarteners in Britain have been playing war games a lot more lately. Also, building towers and ramming planes into them.
170 nations have agreed an international treaty on tobacco, including bans on advertising, attempts to stop smuggling, and putting warning labels in big print, covering 30% of a cigarette pack. Now who could object to that? You guessed it.
By coincidence, a guy convicted in the US of smuggling cigarettes and giving a full $3,500 of the proceeds to Hezbollah is sentenced to 155 years (and yes, that’s really all he did).
Speaking of over-reaction, PETA’s latest campaign compares the eating of animals to Hitler’s treatment of the Jews. “A Holocaust on Your Plate,” the campaign is called. Mmmm, says Homer Simpson, Holocaust on Your Plate. Can I have a side of Freedom Fries with that?
The US response to Iraq’s decision to destroy those missiles is that it is “too late.” The logic of that position is that Iraq is not obligated to do it. If it is too late, then the US is already committed to war and no one could expect Iraq to continue disarming.
You can't even die in this country
So according to the one Iraqi defector the admin loves to cite as proof that only defectors rather than inspections get at the truth, and that Iraq covered up its early weapons program, Saddam Hussein’s son-in-law & weapons chief, all WMDs were destroyed in 1991. Only the UN never told anyone that he said this (in 1995). (This is from Newsweek, which downplayed it, but see the FAIR.org report).
A businessman is planning a theme park on the outskirts of Berlin: Ossiworld, for those feeling nostalgic for the GDR. Actually, the East Berlin they’re talking about--snarling dogs, random searches, etc.--is nothing like the one I remember, with polite helpful officials and a Wall less heavily guarded than the Tuilleries Gardens in Paris. Also, and no one ever talks about reproducing this, there was that propaganda lecture you had to go through before entering the East--the one given by an American.
President Niyazov, Great Hero of the Nation and True Father of all Turkmen, had his 63rd birthday today, and seems to have passed up the opportunity to rename something else, like the planets maybe. [Oh Christ, I wrote that before reading the rest of the article; actually, he has a meteor named after himself.] Here’s one I missed: the People’s Assembly (whose members come from the one legal party), recently demanded that Niyazov’s enemies be drawn and quartered and their organs left for the vultures in the Karakum Desert (which I believe is also one of the provisions in John Ashcroft’s draft Patriot II Act).
I didn’t know that inter-faith marriages are banned in Israel.
The House of Representatives voted today to ban human cloning. They obviously haven’t been watching the McNeil-Lehrer interviews with Democratic candidates for president.
According to the Georges Bush and Will, if the Senate doesn’t vote on Miguel Estrada’s nomination, it will be tantamount to a coup against the Constitution. Will then undermines his case a tad by saying it would be as if the Democrats wielded power without having won a presidential election.
Topics: Niyazev
At yesterday’s press briefing, Ari Fleischer denied that the US is buying support for the war from other nations. From the official transcript: “But think about the implications of what you're saying. You're saying that the leaders of other nations are buyable. And that is not an acceptable proposition. (Laughter.)” That’s not Ari laughing, that’s the entire press corps literally laughing him out of the room.
A German police force decides to torture a kidnapping suspect (although the threat alone proves enough to get him to confess, they were really going to do it).
A judge in, where else, Texas, sentences a man who abused his 11-year old stepson by, among other things, hitting him in the genitals with a car antenna and throwing him out of the house, to sleep in a doghouse for 30 days (and pay a fine). So instead of putting him in jail where he belongs, he gets to go camping for a month.
Speaking of brilliant judges, Bush is still fighting for Miguel Estrada’s honor, which is more than Miguel Estrada ever did. Bush said, “I will stand by that man's side until he is sworn in as a judge.” That could get a little awkward in the shower, I suppose.
The Supreme Court rules that RICO can’t be used against demonstrators, which is exactly right, although I’d still like to see the courts force those Operation Rescue types to pay up the damages awarded against them.
As Bush is promising a miraculous spread of democracy in the Middle East if we have just one more war there, here’s a timely reminder of the results in Kuwait from the last War to Make the World Safe for Feudalism.
Very unfriendly
My raccoon came back tonight. And left again, a little bit wetter.
Speaking of water fights, see this interview (ok, not really) with a sea lion being trained by the Navy for combat against Iraq (interestingly, the link in the article to the page on this program in the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command website does not work).
The Fox affiliate in Tampa, under pressure from Monsanto, tried to get 2 reporters to broadcast false reports related to the presence of Monsanto’s synthetic bovine growth hormone in milk. They refused and threatened to report the station to the FCC; they were fired, filed suit, and the court ruled that the station had deliberately falsified news. The decision has been reversed because it’s not illegal to lie in a news report. Which is as it should be, but that shouldn’t mean you can fire whistleblowers.
An American professional snowboarder (!) dies after trying to slide down the handrail of the fifth floor staircase in his hotel, then falling 15 meters. Alcohol is believed to have been involved.
And in Philadelphia a man responds to his daughter being hit with a snowball by shooting into a group of children, hitting one in the head. Which is the same principle US foreign policy is based on.
Speaking of shooting people in the head, see this on US assassination policy.
Forget the virtual march on Washington (that’s today). Instead, join the fast for GeeDubya’s holiness: “Our goal is to have 1,000 people fasting for the President each day. That will greatly encourage him and keep him accountable when the Evil One [Donald Rumsfeld?] seeks to sidetrack him from his commitment to the Lord.”
Do you know what the CIA hq is named? Neither did I, but it would explain a lot.
Here’s a nice gross story. A man beats his baby, then 3 months old (this was December 2001) to brain-death, but it’s been on a ventilator since then, with the mother going to court to get him removed, the father trying to prevent that happening and, coincidentally, his subsequent trial for murder. A court just sided with the mother.
North Korea conducted a missile test just before the inauguration of a new prime minister in S Korea. Ari Fleischer says N Korea will not be rewarded for bad behaviour. Also today, Colin Powell says the US will resume food shipments to N Korea. Obviously they’re not coordinating. I’m not sure I understand the absolute US refusal to talk bilaterally with the N Koreans and its insistence that any talks be regional. Japan isn’t the one with 40,000 troops stationed in S Korea, we are.
From the Telegraph: A woman spent a night in jail for trying "to help" a 6ft long alligator she had run over in her car. Leslie Strickland, 49, took the animal to her home in Florida but when neighbours said it was illegal to possess an alligator she panicked, and drove off to find a pond in which to release it. But the animal thrashed its tail causing her to crash. She faces motoring offences. The animal died.
I thought this crap had stopped: Slovakia is still coercing gypsies into being sterilized.
Sharon adds another party to his coalition, one opposed to any Palestinian state. And some tiny parties which support ethnic cleansing get some positions too.
That Palestinian film, “Jenin Jenin,” that the Israelis banned? Some reservists who took part in the Massacre of Jenin have sued the director for libel. Incidentally, one cinema defied the ban and showed it.
Tom Toles’s political cartoons have been pretty good lately. On the Yahoo site is probably the easiest way to view them (well, second easiest: I have them sent to me as email).
The Bushies have been emphasizing more that the war in Iraq will lead to a wave of democratization all over the Middle East, what Bush calls a “battle for the future of the Muslim world.” (Oh good, a rabid Christian gets to decide that future.) That is, democratization unless you count the places like Jordan and Egypt that are putting anti-war protesters in prison (see the Amnesty International reports), or Turkey, which is about to defy 96% of its population (or as low as 94%, if you read other polls) and give support to the war, or... The Post talks about a credibility gap on this issue among those with long memories. What, like when we abandoned the Afghans to warlordism and a puppet government a few months ago?
The army chief of staff told a Senate committee that occupying Iraq would take hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Rumsfeld later said that he had “misspoken.”
The American ambassador to France says that the US would view a French veto of its war resolution as “very unfriendly.” I don’t know, I think friends don’t let friends do genocidal wars. Speaking of friends, a member of the Kurdish Parliament in northern Iraq says that if the US lets Turkish troops into Kurdistan, “the United States will lose its best friend.” I don’t know about best, but certainly most consistently gullible.
Incidentally, the Post article, under the haven’t-we-seen-this-before headline “Bush Firm Warning on Iraq,” says that the US draft resolution “recalls the council's November warning that Baghdad would face ‘serious consequences’ if it did not [disarm], language that the United States and its allies in the chamber view as an explicit authorization to use force.” Explicit? In what dictionary?
A Post article on possible ethics charges being filed against a Republican Congresscritter says that this would break a “six-year ethics truce,” but doesn’t elaborate. Sounds like there was an agreement to ignore all the ethics rules by not filing charges against each other. How cosy.
I mentioned the admiral who was removed from a battle group on the way to the Gulf for having sex with a subordinate. Evidently, that was the USS Kitty Hawk battle group. That’s “kitty hawk,” admiral, kitty, not...
No, no, I guess that joke isn’t really my style.
Prime Minister of garbage cans
The US keeps encouraging Iraq to resist the UN inspectors. For example, here’s Ari Fleischer today: “If Saddam Hussein destroys the missiles that he said he never had ... you've got to wonder what other weapons does he have?” No, Ari, you really don’t. They must be chortling over Iraq’s current Catch-22: give up missiles it needs to fight an inevitable war, or give the US the excuse it needs to start the war immediately. Although, as I said last week, the US keeps bombing sites in Iraq, with less and less justification (a story in the Independent since then makes the same point), so really the war is now in its, what, 13th year.
Hussein wants to debate GeeDubya. Wouldn’t that be hilarious?
The Farc rebels in Colombia say they will treat the 3 CIA employees as prisoners of war. Hey, that’s more than we’d do for them. In fact, if they are CIA employees, or indeed civilian contractors like the gov says, the Geneva Conventions do not apply to them. A story on NPR today I only heard the headline for comments on this aspect of the increasing employment by the Pentagon of (armed) outside contractors, which is a way to avoid Congress or the press noticing just how many of them there are spread out over Colombia, the Philippines and god knows where else.
A Kentucky grand jury refuses to indict a white cop who shot a black prisoner, who was in handcuffs, 11 times. Since June 2000 Louisville cops have shot 6 men to death. Five were black, no charges have been brought.
Sharon will exclude Shas from government. Its “spiritual leader,” a rabbi, calls Sharon “Prime Minister of garbage cans,” whatever that might mean.
Which reminds me. The next Austrian coalition gov, which is taking even longer to put together than Israel’s, will include the party of the gay neo-fascist Jorg Haider.
Jonathan Steele in the Guardian says that the risk that Blair et al are taking in going to war in defiance of public opinion requires that there be tv images of Iraqis dancing in the streets, just as the invasion of Afghanistan was retroactively justified by women throwing off their burquas. Never mind what happened after that, it’s those first images that matter. This is why the US’s seesawing plans for post-invasion governance matter so much. The British, who have some experience of this, seem to think that Viceroy Tommy Franks is not going to be good PR. And what after that? If the UN gives permission for this war, it gives up the right to send peacekeepers in later, as it could in Kosovo (4 years after the Yugoslavs were kicked out, the UN special representative rules by decree as absolute dictator, the Albanians having no more self-determination than they did under Milosevic). Anyway, why should the UN discredit itself by picking up the wreckage left by the US, because the US “only does war”? The Afghan model won’t work, because there are no warlords to bribe. Fortunately for the US, it won’t matter, because we will have forgotten about Iraq by the end of this year, just like Afghanistan.
Saw Gephardt on McNeil-Lehrer. He drones on worse than Gore.
The parents of the 9-year old pregnant rape victim in Nicaragua say fuck it and get her an abortion illegally. The medical board that is required to approve an abortion had said that she faced the same risks from either abortion or pregnancy (a 9-year old? bullshit!).
Not so much running, as speed-walking
Good (but long) Joan Didion article on various aspects of life after 9/11.
Obit of the day: Shlomo Argov, the Israeli ambassador to Britain who barely survived an assassination attempt in 1982, giving Israel the excuse to invade Lebanon. As a reminder of the human cost of these things, Argov was in the hospital for the last 21 years, blind and mostly paralyzed. Oh, and he strongly opposed the invasion of Lebanon and the fact that it was made in his name.
The White House denies that the 3 CIA employees kidnapped in Colombia last week were in fact CIA employees. Whatever happened to the thing about never confirming if people are in the CIA? That’s supposed to be policy. Whether these people really are or not (and of course they are), the policy is obviously now to lie, since what would they have said if the 3 were CIA? They’d never admit it, so they’d either lie, or do the neither-confirm-nor-deny thing, which if they’re only doing it for actual CIA employees and denying it for the rest, would be the same as admitting it. So, if you follow my logic, the official policy is now to lie.
London Times headlines, world in brief section: Struggle to Name Dead in Club Fire. Gee, isn’t that a bit late to be naming them, shouldn’t that have happened when they were, like, born? And a cop chasing thieves in his SUV (what else?) ran over 2 French sisters sunbathing. One is dead, one critical.
Sharon, still putting together a coalition, is giving housing over to a party representing the settlers. That can’t be good.
Some BBC headlines: “Blair: time running out for Iraq” (February 1, 2003); “Bush: time running out for Iraq” (January 14, 2003); “Straw: time running out for Iraq” (15 September, 2002); “Time is running out, UK warns Iraq” (November 9, 1998?)
Maybe it’s like one of those stores that always has a going out of business sale?
The Thai crackdown on drugs is up to 600 dead.
moveon.org is sponsoring a “Virtual March on Washington” Wednesday. Something about spamming Senators. Still, I’m picturing millions of people all over the country, sitting in front of their computers wearing those Virtual Reality gloves and glasses. Martin Luther King may have had a dream, but did it have kick-ass state-of-the-art digitized special effects, just like in Matrix? I thought not.
Satan for breakfast?
Crap I can’t make up: the “What Would Jesus Eat Cookbook.”
Bush: “if we are incapable of guaranteeing this peace, international peace would become senseless rhetoric.”
Choosing the next leader of Iraq, the American way.
Coffins are exploding
Crematorium workers in Sweden are complaining about a rise in exploding coffins caused by pacemakers and breast implants, and relatives placing liquor, bullets and fireworks in caskets.
Evidently Tom Ridge is recommending "Have a good communications plan for your family." Or, to paraphrase Tom Lehrer, if you don’t have a good communications plan for your family, the very least you can do is to shut up.
His Fraudulency GeeDubya’s radio address today was on the subject of stealth judicial candidate Miguel Estrada, who neither Chris nor I can hear about without thinking of the actor in the 1970s gay cop show Chips (which is especially odd because I’ve only seen the show once). Anyway, Bush says the D’s “are stalling Miguel Estrada's nomination, while they search in vain for a reason to reject him.” I just want to point out that UN weapons inspectors have also been looking, mostly in vain, for reasons to reject Saddam Hussein. However, in that case, Bush cites that as reason to assume the worst, whereas after stonewalling the Judiciary Committee for 21 months, he expects the Senate to assume the best about Estrada. The point in common is that he wants his way, and he wants it NOW, dammit! Also, he referred to the Bar Association’s rating of Estrada; although he has refused to cooperate with the ABA in assessing his nominees, he is willing to cite them when they agree with him. As with his attitude towards going to the UN for resolutions on Iraq, it’s heads he wins, tails he loses.
WashPost headline: “Columbia Panel Focuses on Foam.” That’s what every committee needs: a latte machine.
The Post has an editorial on something I’ve been meaning to talk about. On the 15th I sent a link from the NY Times about Bush’s AIDS in Africa policy. I said, and I quote myself, “So Bush’s AIDS-in-Africa policy is also an attempt to stop abortion. What a surprise.” Imagine my surprise when the same story was run (even elsewhere in the Times) under headlines which suggested that Bush was in fact liberalizing his policy by working on AIDS with groups that also do abortions, when in fact it was clear that he was trying to hamstring them and extend the gag rule. The Post has it right, although they give Bush too much credit for his Potemkin policy. They do note that while he promised $10 billion, he’s only increased the budget this year by 1/20 of that. And guess what, it’s stolen from child poverty programs (and run through religious groups and US pharmaceutical businesses, as I’ve already said, while the UN AIDS program goes bankrupt).
Click here. The bit about not running if you catch fire. But really, what do you make of #11, "account for your family members," which seems like it would take more counselling sessions than I'm really prepared to engage in, or #12, "Do not go back into a burning building and carefully supervise small children." Yes, a burning building is
probably not the best place to supervise small children.
Pardon my freedom
The Daily Show points out that the Dept of Homeland Security’s website has this useful piece of advice: if you are on fire, don’t run.
If you’re looking for parodies of the site, see this, this, and especially this. But to fully appreciate them, you must first experience the hilarious graphics and duct-and-cover advice on offer at the government site. For example, here we see how a simple door can block the blast, firestorm and radiation of a nuclear blast.
Speaking of stuff that’s already most of the way to being a satire of itself, there is a restaurant in NC that has renamed French Fries “freedom fries.” Insubordinate.net suggests some other changes: “Freedom kissing”, “Pardon my freedom.”
The Serbian prime minister threatens to sponsor a breakaway Serb province in Kosovo if the west doesn’t let Serbia’s troops return to “protect Serbs’ rights.” Well, it’s worked so well in the past.
The sharia courts in Nigeria are getting creative. A thief has been sentenced to “cross-amputation”: right hand and left leg.
Sexism rears its ugly head in the Russian space program, which during the current crisis will not be sending any more woman cosmonauts up.
8 foot ceiling. Fireworks. What could go wrong?
After arresting the Palestinian professor in Florida, the Justice Dept is now going after academics elsewhere, including accusing a lecturer at Birbeck College in London, producing this gulp-inspiring headline in the Telegraph: “Don Denies Terror Claims.”
In more random censorship news, Russian authorities shut down a newspaper for running a parody of Putin’s growing personality cult, and Spain orders a Basque paper closed for supporting independence (it appeared anyway today under a different name).
Creepy religious item of the day (only $20).
A little snip is a small price to pay for such a splendid machine
Rumsfeld wants to change the law preventing the deployment of weapons systems (i.e., Star Wars) that don’t actually work.
350 or so American Special Forces troops (and support staff--actually a suspiciously high number of support staff) will join the Philippines government in active combat against rebels. I must have missed the Congressional debate on that one. You’ll remember this started off as a “training mission.”
Saw John Ashcroft on McNeil-Lehrer saying that the Patriot Act was what allowed him to arrest that South Florida professor today. And charge him with things that took place before that Act was passed.
Pakistan’s air force commander dies in an air crash. That reminds me, I’m thinking of forming a charity to bring much-needed irony to irony-deprived nations. Ironie Sans Frontièrs, maybe.
Hey if those prisoners being kept forever in Guantanamo are such dangerous, highly-trained terrorists, how come none of the 19 who have tried to commit suicide actually succeeded?
Evidently, private mobile phones are banned in Iraq. OK, it’s to prevent them contacting the outside world, but still, isn’t that a great idea?
Speaking of fascist dictatorships, at the Georgia high school where Bush spoke today, students were warned that any protest against the war to make the world safe for democracy would not be tolerated. See, this is what I’m saying, we in the US have more irony than we could ever possibly use, and there are countries where children go to bed each night hungry for it. We are only 5% of the world’s population, and we use 23% of the world’s supply of irony.
According to Al Kamen at the Post, the founder of the largest duct tape company in the US is a major contributor to the Republican Party. Kamen also mentions the wart thing, if you didn’t believe me.
Israel has looked over the US “roadmap” towards Palestinian independence, and has over 100 changes it wants to make, including that there be no timetable, and that Palestinians have to jump through many hoops before Israel does anything at all, and that Palestine would have no military, control over its borders or airspace, or diplomatic relations with anyone Israel doesn’t approve.
From the Daily Telegraph: “Samoa's government has decreed that a new national uniform, complete with coconut shell buttons, must be worn by everyone attending a state function. The uniform - suits for men and the neck-to-ankle puletasi for women - can be made out of any material as long as it features traditional designs. These should include the teuila, the national flower, on the left side of the shirt with the word "Samoa" printed in small letters underneath it.”
Evidently at some point Samoa was taken over by gay men.
What would Jesus litigate?
Nicholas Kristof in the Times says roughly what I said last week about Bush’s frightening optimism.
It got no particular coverage, but police in Colorado Springs shot anti-war protesters with rubber bullets.
It’s kind of fun to watch the US and Turkey haggling about the size of the bribe Turkey’s going to get. We all know they’re going to come to a deal, but there’s all that bazaar bargaining to be gotten through first--“Sooner would I cut off my own left testicle than accept such a measly offer as $15 billion.” Hope they’re gonna pass some of the extortion money around; the last opinion poll showed 96% of Turks opposing this war, which may be higher than in Iraq itself. Actually, even with the bribe, Turkey is expecting to be really badly hit economically (unless of course it can find that map it says shows that the northern Iraqi oil fields are actually theirs), which should mean plenty of discontent, which I’m sure the Muslim extremists are much too ethical to exploit. No, no way this could go horribly horribly wrong.
Another possible political casualty is the EU. Chirac may be on the right side of the war issue (or he may be playing the Turkish game a little more subtly: God knows it’s not like he hasn’t taken a bribe or ten in his time), but he’s still a major prick, and way overplayed his hand when he told the Eastern (“new”) European states that now was a good time to shut up. Usually it takes an Israeli leader to come down from a moral height so quickly. Still, he may have a point: the US is using the former Warsaw Pact countries’ allegiance to NATO as a way of subverting their allegiance to a European community, or perhaps more accurately as part of an attempt at a hostile takeover of the EU by the US.
Have you noticed that the US bombing of Iraqi military sites, which is now a daily occurrence, no longer comes with any justification whatsoever (they fired a missile at us, they turned their radar on, they looked at us funny)?
Salon has an interview with Molly Ivins. They make you watch a commercial first, except they’re also failing economically and no one much wants to advertise, so sometimes you can’t read anything, like yesterday when it first ran.
Evidently part of the reason the GAO abandoned its efforts to get the names of Cheney’s energy advisors is that the R’s threatened to cut its budget.
Colin Powell, showing why generals make crappy diplomats, accuses the French--excuse me, “some nations”--of being “afraid of stepping up to the responsibility of imposing the will of the international community”. Oooo, now he’s calling them ‘fraidy cats. That should work--if they’re six.
Also, what’s “will of the international community” when it’s at home? The Holy Ghost?
A study shows that the majority of AIDS cases in Africa before 1988 were caused by unsterilized needles. This may or not be true, but there’s certainly been something of a cover-up of unsafe medical practices, for fear that Africans will give up on Western medicine altogether.
Another creepy medical story: a pregnant woman goes into the hospital in Sardinia to give birth, but instead for some reason decides to jump out the window, killing herself. A caesarian is performed successfully on her dead body.
Here’s a story of truly French thieves: they broke into a cheese cellar in eastern and stole one ton of something called comte (like gruyere, the article says), worth about $10,000.
Down with this sort of thing
You know what else duct tape is good for? Removing warts, evidently.
More signs from the London anti-war rally: “Stop Mad Cowboy Disease", "Down With This Sort Of Thing", "Peace Not Slogans". It occurs to me that y’all probably thought my reference to grass in Hyde Park was a joke. If it was, it was that of the government, which initially tried to ban the rally from the park on that basis (mow down Iraqis, not grass). They had to back down, unlike the NY City government, which got away with trying to stop anti-war protests in NYC, with, as it turns out, a friend-of-the-court brief by the Bushies (which I’m hoping someone will put online).
What the fuck just happened in the Cyprus elections?
Sharon, anxious to increase Israel’s Jewish population, has decided to import some 20,000 Ethiopians who may or may not have once been Jewish.
Chirac today said that war is always the worst resolution. It’s too bad he was unaware that that is the motto of the Bush administration: “Always the Worst Resolution, since 2001.”
The Nicaraguan government is mulling over whether to allow a 9-year old rape victim to have an abortion. Cardinal Obando y Bravo (remember him?) naturally thinks she should be forced to carry it to term.
Remember when Shrub went to Spain and got Prime Minister Aznar’s name and title wrong? Well, his brother is there now, promoting trade, and referred to the “Republic of Spain.” The king is not happy. Fortunately, the Aznar problem may not plague Shrub long, since Aznar’s support for Bush’s war has caused his support, like Tony Blair’s, to plummet.
Thailand’s crackdown on drug use has somehow wound up with 397 dead, and counting.
As the FCC considers relaxing rules against media monopolies yet further, read this on the Venezuelan media’s onslaught against Hugo Chavez. This is a must read.
N Korea threatens to tear up the armistice agreement ending the Korean War, or more accurately says that US actions have already abrogated it.
The last New Zealand veteran of World War I has died.
Topics: Hugo Chavez
One Two Three Four...
Looking back on old emails, I find I forgot, when discussing Powell’s UN speech, to use a fact which I was holding for an apposite moment. Actually, I’m wondering how many of you were aware of this: in 1969 Powell wrote the first report on the My Lai massacre, which he said based on no investigation did not happen, and added that in fact the American soldiers had great relations with the Vietnamese people.
The US expels an Iraqi journalist covering the UN. Hopefully the UN will protest. But I’m guessing the point was to make sure that Iraq would respond and kick US journos out, so there will be fewer pictures of the coming carnage broadcast in the US. And sure enough, some Fox News reporters are kicked out. Or possibly Iraq is just taking seriously the Fox slogan “We report, you decide,” and made the decision the rest of us would like to make--to deport all employees of Fox.
Given that Turkey is trying to extort a bribe of something like $25 billion to aid the war effort, it’s hard to get too worked up over France and Germany holding up deploying weaponry there.
Well over a million people marched to Hyde Park against the war, doing the grass simply no good at all. One person protested in support of war outside the Iraqi embassy. Protesters included the Eton George Orwell Society, Archaeologists Against War, the Swaffham Women's Choir and Notts County Supporters Say Make Love Not War (And a Home Win against Bristol would be Nice). “Make Tea Not War,” and the slightly cleaner and infinitely more British version of an old American standard: “One Two Three Four, We Don’t Want Your Bloody War.” One man walking a poodle had a sign “Stop insulting poodles.” The astonishing thing is that no one is chanting the equivalent of Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh. No one actually supports Saddam; the protest is purely anti-war. Tony Blair does not have the British people behind him, nor his own party, but he does have proxy control over the royal prerogative and a willingness to substitute his personal judgment for that of the nation.
Here’s a paragraph from a Mary Riddell column in the Observer:
Political leaders hate crowds. Mass meetings have been supplanted by leaks and soundbites. In the fractious build-up to war, lonely societies are encouraged to become more solipsistic. A fearful population, hiding behind its anthrax-proofed windows, is also tractable. There is nothing threatening to government about citizens bickering over the last roll of duct tape in Wal-Mart.
So Bush’s AIDS-in-Africa policy is also an attempt to stop abortion. What a surprise.
The American ambassador to Venezuela, where the US has supported a coup and really should shut up now, says that elections aren’t the answer. “Elections divide people. Elections don't bring people together ... Either you're on this side or you're on that side”. Or to put it another way, the elected president, Chavez, should give in to the rich people holding his country hostage.
Incidentally, Iraq rejected the Franco-German peace plan (which involved UN soldiers, for no obvious reason since there has been no resistance to inspections). Doesn’t seem to have gotten much play yet, only saw it in one paper.
Topics: Abortion politics (US), Hugo Chavez
A mad Martian come to live on Earth
WashPost headline: “Shuttle Probably Was Pierced.” Last time it was the O rings, now it’s evidently the belly button rings.
NY Times headline: “Survey Shows Majority Backs Delaying a War.” How ‘bout this one: “Survey Shows Majority Backs Whatever the Last Person They Heard Call Into Talk Radio Said.” The poll also says 42% think Saddam was involved in 9/11.
Doonesbury joins the chorus pointing out that Bush has never asked for sacrifice in the war on terror. That’s ok, we’re sacrificing quite enough for tax cuts for the rich.
Bush: “The decision is this for the United Nations: When you say something does it mean anything?” We’ve been wondering the same thing about you for years now, George.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/frontpages/ for the 2/14 front page.
Saddam issues a decree banning weapons of mass destruction. So that’s ok then.
AP headline: “Boston Priest Reinstated After Probe.” No comment.
The US Navy, showing that sense of priorities for which it is famous, removed the Admiral in charge of a battle group that is literally heading for the Gulf right now, because he had sex with a (female) subordinate.
A little late, some Valentine’s Day cards. My favorites: “You’ll do.” “I love you blah blah blah hearts & flowers yadda yadda yadda cupid etc.”
Here’s a British Valentine’s Day story: a juror in a fraud case sent a card to the prosecutor, asking him out. She was bounced off the jury and the other 11 quizzed about whether they also wanted to have sex with the prosecutor. None did. He won the case.
Russia’s tax police are going to start questioning the *children* of suspected tax cheats--using lie detectors.
Not really sure what this is about (from the Daily Telegraph): Einars Repse, Latvia's prime minister, told critics of his first 100 days in office that he was a "mad Martian come to live on Earth".
Yet another “old” European country makes Rummy’s hit-list. Austria is refusing to let the US transport troops through the country. Austria is not, of course, a member of NATO, but no one knows if the Secretary of War knew that. Or cared.
Duct tape, plastic sheeting, and other Valentine's Day accessories
The fake bin Laden suggests in that tape that Iraqis fight the Americans by digging ditches and camouflaging them. Presumably this involves plastic sheeting and duct tape, as recommended by Tom Ridge and Jeffrey Daumer (possibly for different reasons).
The Congressional hearings on the Columbia accident have already begun, and a commission set up. Meanwhile any investigation of the intelligence failures leading up to 9/11, 17 months ago, remain stalled.
Here’s another ironic contrast: North Korea has a new ballistic missile capable of reaching California, which the Bushies will no doubt soft-pedal, while Iraq has been found to have a missile capable of traveling 183 kilometers, breaking the limits placed on its missile capacity by a full twenty miles, which means it can reach a bit more of Kuwait than it could before, and I’m just guessing that Powell and Rumsfeld will explain how that is a reason why we need to go to war with Iraq.
Speaking of double standards, the perceived need to prepare for war is so strong that we’re threatening trade sanctions on Germany and France for preventing NATO moving weaponry into Turkey, why isn’t Iraq allowed to prepare for the same war. We’re calling up reserves, moving troops into place, bombing defensive sites in Iraq every day, even operating militarily inside Iraq according to today’s WashPost, etc., but if Iraq made any of these preparations, it would be, you guessed it, another reason why we need to go to war with Iraq.
In Parliament today, Jack Straw accused the Iraqis of giving inspectors nothing but a “reprint of earlier documents.” He should talk. He also accused Saddam of tyranny, while refusing to let Parl vote on going to war.
In the British census, 390,000 people designated themselves Jedis. They will not officially be counted, although they outnumber newer religions (depending on how long ago “a long time ago (in a galaxy etc)” actually is) like Sikhs, Jews and Buddhists. The registrar general, asked if he was being presumptuous in deciding what constituted a religion, said that he had acted “with immense consultation and remarkable concentration"”--like Yoda.
Ooh, are the Israelis pissed off at Belgium, whose supreme court ruled that Ariel Sharon can be tried for war crimes in the 1982 Sabra/Shatila massacres after he leaves office. Netanyahu calls it a “blood libel,” although the charge is neither a collective charge against the Jews, nor is the massacre false. The Israeli justice minister astonishingly says, "Legally, this is practically a world precedent, a law which allows for the prosecution of a person for alleged actions in the past. It has a clear retroactive nature to it and is, therefore, unprecedented." I can’t see any reason why the Israeli justice minister would ever have heard of the Nuremberg trials, can you? Or indeed, Adolf Eichmann’s trial. Unprecedented, indeed.
Highest moral traditions
At a religious broadcasters’ event, Bush says war with Iraq would be “in the highest moral traditions of our country.” Do you think when Shrub uses the word “moral” he has in mind a different definition than the rest of us?
Speaking of our moral war, the US ambassador to the Vatican last week flew a conservative theologian to Rome to try to persuade the pope that this is a just war. Your tax dollars at work.
Still speaking of a moral war, an article in the New Statesman 1/20/03 issue by John Gray suggests that the problem with American foreign policy is that Bush believes evil can be eradicated from the world by an act of will (an unforgiving moral optimism, he calls it), while Europeans, say, know better. Countries that have had experience of endemic violence (Northern Ireland, the Basques, Cyprus) know that dealing with it is a process, not a single event--while the Bushies expect to be out of Iraq within 18 months. Gray thinks that such rhetoric stops the US admitting that international relations is often about a choice among evils, and inhibits honesty about mundane interests, like oil. “But if Bush talks so insistently of evil, it is because he belongs in a tradition of American piety that does not finally believe in it. Like Woodrow Wilson before him, he does not doubt that once the world has accepted American values, it will enjoy everlasting peace and prosperity.”
The reference to Wilson is apt. Somehow with the eclipse of Kissingerian Machiavellianism in the American right by the, yes, unforgiving moral optimism of the Reagan-Shrubite wing, the optimist/pessimist view of human nature has switched between the right and left wings. The Jefferson-Adams, Paine-Burke debate is still being fought out, but the left has become institutionally conservative, advocating restraints on power such as the UN and the Bill of Rights, while the right wing has become scarily optimistic about the use of power--on the side of the angels--without any constraints, such as international treaties, the UN, or, domestically, the Bill of Rights and Congressional oversight. I mean, look at Ashcroft’s draft of the “Patriot II” Act (This time it’s personal). This isn’t actually a traditional rightist use of power; it’s not the Palmer raids or McCarthyism, it’s the French or Russian Revolutions, it’s the electronic equivalent of the Jacobin clubs and those little old ladies who used to sit in chairs in the stairwells of apartment buildings in Moscow, taking note of who came and went. And if you think the left wing was dangerous when it sought absolute power in the pursuit of creating heaven on earth, imagine Dubya exercising absolute power in “the highest moral traditions of our country.”
I trust you’ve all bought your duct tape, to defend against the next terrorist attack. Remember, we are at Condition Orange because of specific information of terrorist threats, although Tom Ridge admits that specific information does not include “time or place or methods or means.” With that definition of specific, Ridge would not have done well in journalism school.
The Pentagon has ordered 77,000 body bags.
The Guardian says that the British government is working on plans for establishing democracy in Iraq--one plan would have it fully functioning within six months. The Iraqi people would just go off to polling booths in the rubble of their nearest school or city hall.
The Bushies have successfully muddied the waters, convincing the great unwashed, but totally brainwashed, American public that Iraq is somehow linked to 9/11, that Powell was authenticating a tape of Osama bin Laden (that I predict will turn out not to be him) before he’d even heard it, and touting it as a reason to go to war with Iraq, although in a rational universe, a reminder of the existence of He Whose Name George Bush Is Not Allowed To Say Out Loud would be an embarrassing reminder of past unfinished business.
You know those commercials that people who use drugs are supporting terrorism? Yeah, but did you know they’re also not banned from joining the military? If you’re trying to enlist and you test positive for marijuana, why you can just come back in 45 days (a year if you fail a second time; or one year if you’re positive for cocaine). I assume if you have amphetamines in your system, the Air Force welcomes you with the keys to a bomber.
Tom Hanks (and that donkey) died for your sins
I said that the Franco-German plan on Iraqi inspection was sensible. It’s also invisible. OK, I expected it to be dismissed by the Bushies, but both the NY Times and McNeil-Lehrer today took their cues from them and neglected to provide the actual details of the plan, as if discussion of alternatives to war were irrelevant because Secretary of War Rumsfeld says so.
Rummy and Powell, increasingly reading off the same hymnal, both use the word “inexcusable” to describe Germany, France and Belgium’s refusal to act on the presumption of a war by sending weapons to Turkey. Well, we’ve already forgiven Germany for that whole Hitler thing and the Holocaust thing, but yes, this time they’ve finally done something inexcusable. And France--well, the NY Post’s front page shows a picture of graves in Normandy and the headline "They died for France but France has forgotten." Yeah, it’s like they haven’t seen Saving Private Ryan.
And by the way, 150 million people are not and cannot be “isolated.”
Israel has been replacing the old gas masks given out after the last Gulf War. Except for the Occupied Territories, of course.
FAIR has a good report (fair.org) on the numerous allegations the US has made against Iraq over the last few months subsequently disproved by UN inspectors or otherwise, and suggests that the media should have treated the Powell report with a touch more skepticism, whereas in fact his claims were often reported as if they were fact, without the usual distancing words like “claimed”, “alleged” that they’re supposed to make when reporting unverified assertions.
PETA’s president has written to Yasser Arafat, complaining about an attempt to blow up Israeli soldiers with explosives strapped to, gasp shock horror, a donkey. “We watched on television as stray cats in your own compound fled as best they could from the Israeli bulldozers. . . . If you have the opportunity, will you please add to your burdens my request that you appeal to all those who listen to you to leave the animals out of this conflict?” I looked at the PETA website, but could find nothing more on this, although there was a pop-up ad for Burger King. Veggie burgers, of course.
The 8th Circuit rules that an insane prisoner who is (usually) sane only when medicated can be executed. The court says that Arkansas has an interest in having sane inmates, so the side-effect of sanity should not impact his fate.
Buy a slurpie--if you hate America
I got a paper cut today from a bagel. How is that possible? Not from the knife, either, from the actual bagel.
Click here. Just do it (except people receiving email from Kevin, who had the same idea, but whose mail server, unlike mine, was working this morning).
The exec director of the New Hampshire Republican Party just resigned. It seems he hired a telemarketing firm to jam the lines of the Democratic party’s get-out-the-vote operation with 5-second hang-up calls last election days.
The Franco-German plan on Iraq is nicely sensible. So of course it is rejected out of hand by the US. Powell has joined Rummy in condescending to the Europeans, telling Germany and France to read UN resolution 1441 again.
Rummy, in a breathtaking interview with the Times of London, answers one of my questions, how he could say that if Saddam fled he could get amnesty. The Rumster says that the country he goes to could simply say that it wasn’t going to extradite him. See, I was wondering how the US could legally give him world-wide asylum, but the man who discredits my first name says, just ignore international law altogether. Hell, the judges on the International Court are just a bunch of girls. Probably on the same menstrual cycle. (There, I’ve finally figured how to use that joke without being accused of sexism--I’ve attributed it to Rocket Rummy.)
Sue Myrick, the NC Congresscritter who I mentioned made comments about all 7-11 owners being Arabs, explains that she simply wanted to remind people of the dangers of terrorism, including "the illegal trafficking of food stamps through convenience stores for the purpose of laundering money to countries known to harbor terrorists."
The new Union of Serbia and Montenegro is going along smoothly. The prime minister of Montenegro refused to attend celebrations of the new forced marriage and accused the EU of forcing Montenegro into it, and promises a referendum on real independence in 3 years. (I just read for the first time that the US may be encouraging them, because it wants a new vassal state--and a nice new naval base). Montenegro has been called a Mafia state by the Italians, of all countries, and a bunch of its leaders are implicated in a scandal in which the deputy state prosecutor bought a sex slave from Moldova and passed her around. And they just failed, again, to elect a president. No one has noticed or cares that Kosovo was forced into the same country without any pretense that anyone cares what Kosovans want.
The US is making a deal with Turkey allowing it to occupy Iraqi Kurdistan. No, no, *first* you get the Kurds to fight for you, *then* you betray them; it’s worked so well in the past.
A poison factory is a term of art
Evidently the US tabloids have been calling the French what Le Monde has translated as primates capitulards et tou-jours en quête de fromages (cheese-eating surrender monkeys). It comes from Les Simpsons. There is also a column against France in the Sunday NY Times by Tom Friedman, whose IQ drops a point per day as we approach war. Yes, the French aren’t convinced of the need to fry the children of Baghdad, they must be stopped. Rumsfeld says that European governments that don’t support the war will be rejected by their own people. Meanwhile, his own German relatives told him to go to hell.
A British story, but it’s bound to be happening here too, says that bullied children are turning to steroids.
Colin Powell showed a satellite picture of what he called “terrorist chemicals and poisons factory” in northern Iraq. An Observer reporter has gone there, and it is no such thing, although there is a bakery. The NY Times also reports on this. Defending the lie, a State Dept spokesmodel says, “A poison factory is a term of art.”
Also in the Observer, a bit more about the British citizen Texas executed this week. I had missed the fact that the real murderer didn’t serve even a day of jail time. And that all 12 jurors signed a petition asking for DNA testing, which was never done.
The Bush admin threatens public schools with loss of federal funds if they don’t allow students and teachers to pray, loudly and openly, although not with each other.
The GAO gives up on its attempt to get the records of Cheney’s energy task force. Wimps. And in the Senate, James Inhofe hired a mining industry lobbyist to oversee clean air legislation.
6 of 7 of the judges on the new International Criminal Court will be women.
I’ve finished reading Powell’s speech, and the impression of intellectual dishonesty grows. Here’s my favorite: “in the history of chemical warfare, no country has had more battlefield experience with chemical weapons since World War I than Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.” What he means by battlefield experience is that Iraq was subject to chemical warfare by Britain in 1920 (1921?). Also, I didn’t know Hussein had been in power for 85 years.
He also used the “dual-use” argument, that the chemical weapons “infrastructure” was embedded within civilian industry, so deeply that no one, including experts (UN inspectors, say) could tell. He offered no proof of this, of course.
Does anyone remember Reagan showing grainy satellite footage of that runway being constructed in Grenada, implying that it was a huge secret, when anyone could, and did, just walk in and take all the photos they wanted, as some smartass reporters could, and did? Well, Powell says that, while Iraq will argue that various equipment is being used for legitimate purposes, “But if that is true, why did we have to learn about them by intercepting communications and risking the lives of human agents?” Because you and your little friends like playing spies?
Incidentally, if Powell is good cop to Rumsfeld’s bad cop, has anyone considered that the police tactic of good-cop-bad-cop is actually a piece of play-acting? Is it possible that all that posing as a “dove” was just a prelude for this week’s little morality play, wherein honest and not-at-all-warlike General Powell finds himself persuaded all against his will of the necessity for war?
Bad cop Rummy Rumsfeld (played by Dennis Franz) says that Germany won’t help us--just like Libya and Cuba.
The picture of an Iraqi plane spraying chemical agents wasn’t actual footage, by the way, although news channels didn’t necessarily label it as a Pentagon art project.
And what do you suppose was actually in that vial of anthrax?
It turns out that the British “dossier” on how bad Saddam is, which Powell praised in his speech, was plagiarized to a large extent, right down to the typographical errors, from published articles, some of them years old. So much for MI6, whose sources turn out to be a subscription to Jane’s Intelligence Review.
These horrible agents
I meant to direct your attention to a N Korean propaganda poster featured on the front page of the NY Times Saturday, but forgot. Fortunately, here it is, and several others.
I saw an SUV outside Trader Joe’s last week, with a Ralph Nader bumper sticker. I took it for post-modern irony. Or possibly delusion: it was parked in a compact space, so maybe the owner thought they were driving a Sentra. Anyway, I’ve got a modest proposal: since SUVs are only purchased to drive your kids to a soccer game on a butte and such, I say let’s ban them from paved roads altogether. They’ll get good use out of their 4-wheel drives, and the rest of us will get faster, safer commutes.
Interview with Kurt Vonnegut on the war and such.
On why we should send the Statue of Liberty back to the frog-eaters.
Symbolism of the week: when Colin Powell went to the UN today, the staff covered up Picasso’s Guernica.
Said Powell: “Clearly, Saddam will stop at nothing until something stops him.” Clearly.
He also said (clearly) that when Resolution 1441 passed, “No Council member present...had any illusion...what serious consequences meant.” In other words, he is again saying that the French (etc) actually voted to let the US go to war with Iraq, and just either forgot or are lying about it.
Well, Powell successfully made the case that Iraq isn’t being very cooperative with the inspectors, and that neither is the United States. Imagine how much more effective the inspectors would be if the US hadn’t saved up its alleged intelligence for this day. Yes, the Iraqis are trying to hide weapons. But, as Powell himself said a few days ago, just because there’s a UN doesn’t mean that nations give up their sovereign right to defend themselves. How much more so for Iraq, which is being asked to give up all its weapons more dangerous than a pointy stick, when it is faced with certain war. Powell’s actual evidence was semi-convincing, though most of it depended on relying on him to be right and telling the truth about what those buildings were (although those satellite pictures were great, weren’t they? And that’s after being deliberate fuzzed up to hide our capabilities. Certainly good enough that you’d have to ask why we need U-2 flights), who those people were, and for god’s sake, how seriously are we expected to take this line: “Stop talking about it. They are listening to us. Don't give any evidence that we have these horrible agents.” These horrible agents? You mean your agent Maury who got you this gig, telling you it was an episode of Law & Order? Horrible agents indeed. Who writes this dialog?
Even William Safire, who has pretty much turned off his analytic skills for the duration, wonders why if we knew about an Al Qaida base in northern Iraq (an area not under Saddam’s control, but effectively an American protectorate anyway), we didn’t just bomb it into oblivion. The aluminum tubes were brought out again, and still prove nothing. Some defector testimony, which is always valueless, and stuff obtained by torture. The Iraqi-Al Qaida connections are laughable, of course (some of Powell’s claims have already been denied by British intelligence).
Speaking of intelligence, Guardian arcticle on previous American intelligence failures and/or lies: the Kuwaiti babies in the incubators, the Tonkin Gulf “incident,” the “chemical weapons” factory in Khartoum, etc.
Oh, and North Korea just threatened the US with a first strike. You’d think that would be news, but the good people at the NY Times evidently don’t.
2 Republican Congresscritters from NC have little problems with racism. Howard Coble, chair of the subcommittee on domestic security, says that FDR was right to intern Japanese, because weren’t a multicultural society then. And Sue Myrick also warns of the enemy within: “Look at who runs all the convenience stores across the country.”
Speaking of the enemy within, the World Court just ordered the US to stop executing Mexican nationals.
To the president's recollection, he thinks he has been there
GeeDubya calls the US space program “a desire written in the human heart.” But he can’t remember whether or not he’s ever visited the Johnson Space Center. Which is in Houston. Says his spokesmodel, “To the president's recollection, he thinks he has been there.” In George Bush’s head, no one can hear you scream. Ari Fleischer also says Bush has never seen a NASA takeoff or landing because there are so many other beautiful things to see.
Speaking of beautiful things to see in Texas, the state executed that innocent guy today. The prosecution did release to the defense the documents it had previously withheld, a full 7 hours before the execution, so that’s fair enough. The DNA test was never performed.
All hail the Union of Serbia and Montenegro Until the Next Civil War, as the nation of Yugoslavia is voted out of existence. Farewell, Union of Southern Slavs, and don’t let the war crimes tribunal hit you in the ass on the way out.
From the Daily Telegraph (a story about Britain): “The Catholic Church is to appoint an education "tsar" to fight suggestions that Catholic schools are breeding grounds for sectarianism and religious bigotry.” Yes, to show how open and tolerant you are, you’re appointing a TSAR.
Speaking of tolerance, New Mexico’s state senate saves the proud sport of cock-fighting from being outlawed. Evidently it’s an important part of Hispanic culture, according to some assholes.
Evidently I failed to mention the Bush plan to let states reduce Medicaid payments, impose co-pays, throw people off, etc etc, without having to get federal permission. This would not only set off a race to the bottom, which we’ve already begun, but end Medicaid as an entitlement program, which is the idea.
Drinking pesticides for fun and profit
Here’s a subtle clue that your housekeeping might not be the best: after hearing a loud crash in my bedroom during one of Sunday’s earthquakes, I couldn’t figure out what had fallen down.
The fed gov is asking a court to dismiss a suit by a whistle blower who said that Star Wars doesn’t work, and was fired. The gov says that letting her have her day in court would let military secrets out (like the fact that Star Wars doesn’t work, I’m guessing).
Speaking of secrets, Chuck Hagel, Republican Senator of Nebraska, owned the company that ran the voting machines that counted the votes that put him into that office in 1996 in a surprise win (the company threatened to sue someone who found went public). Article on how computerized vote-counting is a black box that leaves no verifiable paper trail. The whole country is now Florida. The Hill reports (there’s a link to the story from the above link) that Hagel failed to disclose his interest in the company, as required by law. His company makes half the voting machines used in the US, and this is very paranoid-making.
So why is Tony Blair, whose pursuit of whatever the latest opinion poll tells him to pursue is legendary, following Bush’s line so assiduously when he can’t even bring the Labour party behind him, much less the British people? I’m thinking Shrub’s got pictures of him tied up and being whipped, possibly by Hillary Clinton. Today, Mr. Blur actually channeled Lyndon Johnson: "History points to this lesson: show weakness now and no one will ever believe us when we try to show strength in the future”.
Guardian on the US’s war in Colombia, and the legalization of new death squads in that country. For the spelling-challenged, this is the nation of Colombia, not the space shuttle Columbia. When Colombia falls apart in a mass of flaming debris, it will not be available at reasonable prices on Ebay.
Bayer paid college students, mostly in Edinburgh, to test out some pesticides. By drinking them. This actually violates the Nuremberg Code. Bayer is a subsidiary of IG Farben, which brought you Zyklon B.
Creationists are suing a Texas Tech professor who won’t write letters of recommendation for students who don’t believe in evolution.
The Catholic Church bans transsexuals from being priests.
I mentioned that Bush’s little initiative on AIDS in Africa mostly bypasses the UN AIDS fund. That fund ran out of money today.
The US is planning to use sea lions in the Iraq war.
You can now pass Florida’s high school PE requirements online. Now why didn’t they have that when I was in high school?
The Bush admin wants to keep using methyl bromide, a pesticide due to be banned under an international agreement to protect the ozone layer, because it is necessary to one of the American industries most beloved of Republicans: golf courses.
CanNOT make this shit up.
Speaking of poison gases, it seems that the gassing of the Kurds in Halabja was actually the work of Iran, not Iraq.
Britain is working on setting up new tests for aliens seeking citizenship. It includes how to use a telephone, what the cops can and can’t do, “etiquette of everyday life,” equality of the sexes, the funny name of that guy Mrs. Wallace Simpson was fucking, why Wales only gets a “National Assembly” while Scotland has a “Parliament,” etc etc. What it does not include, to much tut tutting, is British history. I believe the American system is that if you can correctly answer any historical questions (what decade did World War II occur in, that sort of thing), you are promptly expelled.
Well, there’s nothing like a little shuttle explosion to break the monotony of war coverage. Shrub, in a speech I thankfully missed, said, "The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today.” He added, “On the other hand, the joker who named Uranus...”
Observer on an innocent man Texas is due to execute this week. The police kept back evidence of his innocence, just brought to light. And the judge who is to decide whether to issue a stay, has evidently already made up his mind--if you count a letter to the pardons & parole board telling them they should fry the guy--but is willing to take new evidence, two days after the execution.
No thanks, I couldn't eat one ethnic cleansing mor...
A little snip is a small price to pay for such a s...
Duct tape, plastic sheeting, and other Valentine's...
To the president's recollection, he thinks he has ...
Creationists are suing a Texas Tech professor who ...
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Life History of Kuskokwim River Sheefish
By Lisa Stuby
Sheefish are the largest members of the whitefish family.
In late summer 2007, I began what turned into a 13-year study of sheefish in the Kuskokwim River. Radiotelemetry techniques were used between 2007-2016 to expand our knowledge of spawning locations, migration timing, and seasonal distributions and movements of sheefish. Taking what we learned from the radiotelemetry project, my colleagues and I then used sonar to count post-spawning sheefish as they outmigrated from the Big River, the most populous spawning location, during 2016-2018.
The Kuskokwim River drains a region the size of the state of Louisiana, about 130,000 km2 along a 1,130 km course from its Alaska Range headwaters to the Bering Sea. Being the second largest drainage in Alaska, the Kuskokwim River has numerous villages, homesteads, and fish camps located along its length. Local residents depend on fish and wildlife resources in this drainage and sheefish are a prized subsistence food. They are also valued by sport fishers due to their size and fighting spirit when hooked.
Sheefish are the largest members of the whitefish family and are found in the Kuskokwim, Yukon, Selawik, and Kobuk Rivers in Alaska. Elsewhere they are called “Inconnu” and are found in northwestern Canadian drainages like the Anderson and Mackenzie rivers and in Eurasia range westward across Siberia to the White Sea and south to Kamchatka. Sheefish are distinguishable by a relatively large size compared to other whitefish in Alaska and a strong, extended lower jaw. Most sheefish in the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers have been noted to migrate long distances from the upper reaches of the drainages down to the bays and ocean. Sheefish can live 20-30 years, with the oldest in this study aged at 26 years. Overall, Kuskokwim River sheefish do not get as large as those seen in the Kobuk and Selawik rivers and parts of the Yukon River, which can reach 50 to 60 pounds. However, in my opinion, what they may lack in size, they more than make up in having a very interesting life history.
We captured nearly 200 fish in various locations from the lower to the upper Kuskokwim River from spring to fall during 2007-2014, and surgically implanted radio transmitters that emitted a unique code and transmitted for three to six years. We primarily used hook and line gear to capture sheefish where water was clear enough for this visual predator to see the lures. I found the best lures were those that mimicked prey like juvenile salmon and smelt, such as shiny spoons. Where water was occluded, we used set gillnets. The radiotagged fish were then tracked using a series of stationary tracking stations, which housed radio receivers that recorded the time and date whenever a fish swam by and were powered by solar panels and rechargeable batteries. The radiotagged sheefish were tracked using a small airplane with antennas attached to the wing struts during June and July when sheefish were actively feeding and during the late September-early October spawning time.
Surgically implanting a radio transmitter into a sheefish captured at the mouth of East Fork Kuskokwim River.
This study showed that most of the radiotagged sheefish spent their winters in the lower river in brackish water. However, approximately 15 percent overwintered in the mainstem Kuskokwim River as far upriver as Medfra and in the lower Holitna River or overwintered in the middle to upper mainstem for a few years and then overwintered in the lower river and vice versa. Back in the 1970’s ADF&G fishery biologist, Ken Alt, noted a fish he tagged on the Holitna River ended up in the middle-Yukon River! Sheefish life history can be very unpredictable and working with them all of these years was never boring.
During early spring, after ice-out, most sheefish traveled to the mouths of major drainages to feast on outmigrating juvenile salmon. Many headed to the Holitna River, which is located in the middle Kuskokwim River, a beautiful river that is an important spawning area for all five Pacific salmon. So, to a sheefish the Holitna River is a grand feast! I’ve captured fish with stomachs full of juvenile salmon on the lower Holitna River during mid-late June. Some sheefish remained in the lower Kuskokwim River and feasted on immigrating rainbow smelt. Later in the fall, I captured sheefish on the Holitna River with stomachs full of juvenile whitefish, and sheefish I netted below Bethel had stomachs full of three and nine-spine stickleback. I’ve also captured sheefish in mid-September on the East Fork Kuskokwim that had stomachs full of juvenile northern pike. I definitely have one thing in common with this species, we both like to eat! Many sheefish showed fidelity to their summer feeding areas, while others would swim the drainage and visit different tributary mouths.
After a summer of feeding, sheefish travel to fall spawning locations. Sheefish tend to spawn in very few and relatively small areas. Radiotagged sheefish were tracked to four of five known spawning areas in the upper Kuskokwim River: Big and Tonzona rivers and the Middle and South forks. Sixty percent traveled to a 13-mile section of the Big River, a well-known spawning location where upriver residents often harvest sheefish in the fall at the mouth. The upper Athabascan place name for the Big River is “Zidlaghe Zighashno,” which translates to “sheefish harvest river.” None of the radiotagged sheefish traveled to a documented spawning location on the Swift Fork Kuskokwim River near Highpower Creek. Here, we made three trips during the time of spawning and tried to capture sheefish with nets and hook and line gear and were unsuccessful. According to upper Kuskokwim River residents, sheefish have not been seen here since the 1990s and therefore this may no longer be a viable spawning area. Given they spawn in so few areas, losing one or more in a drainage is concerning and shows the importance of protecting and preserving the other spawning locations.
Sheefish sampled for genetics at the Big River spawning location
Sheefish spawn during a relatively short period in late September and early October, one of the few times their behavior can be predicted! It might take them up to two months to arrive at their spawning locations. As broadcast spawners that release eggs and milt into the open water, it is okay to arrive early, but you don’t want to be late! After spawning and as water temperatures near freezing, the post-spawning sheefish will leave fairly quickly in about 1 to 1.5 weeks. Not all of the radiotagged sheefish spawned every year, with most skipping one or more. Most spawning sheefish returned to the same spawning area. Not surprising, there were exceptions!
During late summer, the upper Kuskokwim River sheefish spawning areas were visited to record spawning habitat characteristics. Spawning locations in the Kuskokwim River are glacially influenced. Conductivity was above 350 µS/cm, pH ranged between 8.1 and 8.3, dissolved oxygen was high (~90 percent) and because they spawn during late September and early October, water temperatures ranged from near 0oC to 4oC for the duration of the spawning period. Substrate at the spawning locations was characterized with differentially sized gravel and cobble with sand and silt filling the interstitials, perfect substrate to capture sinking fertilized eggs. These characteristics have been noted in other sheefish spawning areas in Alaska and Canada.
During initial tagging and while visiting sheefish spawning locations, sheefish were captured and fin clips collected for a statewide genetics study. Although spawning, feeding, and overwintering behaviors of individual sheefish could be predictable from year to year or variable, it turns out, Kuskokwim River sheefish belong to a single genetic stock. This is not too surprising considering they spawn in very few and relatively small tributary stretches and as broadcast spawners, eggs and milt of the sheefish with these varying life-history strategies will intermingle.
Deploying sonar at mouth of Big River. Inset, an ARIS out of water.
After all that was learned from the radiotelemetry study, the next step was to try and figure out the population in the Kuskokwim River. Because of their unpredictable life history strategies, the best way to get an idea was to place an ARIS (Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar) at the mouth of the Big River and count the post-spawning sheefish during their rapid outmigration. During 2016, we ran the sonar until river ice forced us to remove it and deconstruct camp on October 15th. Prior to removal we counted 5,334 fish. The ARIS software takes the images from the three-dimensional sonar and makes it into 2D images. So, floating ice can mimic a fish, plus can damage the sonar in addition to stranding the sonar crew. The following year, unseasonal flooding in mid-October forced us to end counting on October 11th. For 2017 we counted 2,635 prior to the flooding, which represented a minimum estimate. For 2018, the Big River didn’t freeze up until October 24th, and we had a fairly complete count of 6,799 sheefish. Because sheefish can skip one or mor e years between spawning events, chances are this number will change based on the year. A sister study conducted on the Kobuk River estimated that each year approximately 30 percent of sheefish spawned, which I think would be applicable here too.
Enjoy catching sheefish and they are good to eat, but please take care to not cause undo mortality when sport fishing. We want this fascinating and popular sport and subsistence resource to be around in good numbers in the future. A very good pamphlet entitled “Sheefish Catch and Release” can be found at:
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSportFishingInfo.InteriorPublications
Please familiarize yourself with landing and releasing techniques before you go fishing. Also, always have a fishing license and know the daily bag and possession limits for the location(s) where you will be fishing.
More on sheefish: The Tarpon of the North: Kobuk River Sheefish
Lisa Stuby is the current Yukon River Area Management biologist for Division of Sport Fish in Fairbanks. Previously she worked as a research biologist during 1995-2018 and spent 17 of those years working on sheefish and Chinook salmon radiotelemetry and sonar projects in the Kuskokwim River. Her office in Fairbanks is covered with fish art.
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Speed, age barriers broken on Tetons' Grand Traverse
Nick Elson descends from the summit of the Grand Teton (13,770') on his record-breaking run.
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK , WYOMING: Two new records took place on the Grand Traverse this month—a speed record by Nick Elson, of Squamish, British Columbia, and possibly an age record by 70-year-old Lee Sheftel, of Carbondale, Colorado.
The traverse includes 10 summits up to 13,770 feet, technical climbing up to 5.7/5.8, and 12,444 feet of total elevation gain over 17.9 miles. The summits, from north to south, are Teewinot (12,324'), Owen (12,928'), Grand Teton (13,770'), Middle Teton (12,804'), South Teton (12,514'), the Ice Cream Cone, Gilkey Tower and Spalding Peak, Cloudveil Dome (12,026'), and Nez Perce (11,901').
On August 16, Elson, 32, finished the traverse in 6 hours, 30 minutes, 49 seconds, car-to-car. Renowned alpinist Rolando Garibotti owned the previous record of 6 hours, 49 minutes, in 2000 when he was 29.
This was only Elson's second visit to the Tetons, and his first time trying the traverse.
Nick Elson walks near the summit of Mt. Owen (12,928') while doing the Cathedral Traverse (5.7/5.8) a few days before he set a new record on the Grand Traverse (V 5.7/5.8, 17.9 miles, 12,444'). [Photo] Eric Carter
"For the past few years I've generally had the goal of trying to learn to move as efficiently as possible over all types of terrain in the mountains," Elson wrote in an email. "I have known about the traverse for many years, going back at least to the time when Rolo set the record. However, it was only recently that I gave any serious thought to attempting it. I visited the Tetons for the first time in 2014 with my girlfriend, and between doing some more technical routes, I ran up a number of the peaks on the traverse. After that trip, I talked idly about attempting the traverse but might never have actually tried if my friend Eric Carter hadn't called my bluff and booked a couple weeks of his time this August specifically to come and support me. The day before I did the traverse, he ran the Grand in less than three-and-a-half hours car-to-car, and then the next morning he ran back to the summit just to cheer me on.
"This was just was my second trip to the Tetons," Elson continued, "but Eric and I spent the week before my attempt scoping it out, so when I did the traverse I'd done each section at least once."
He said he was largely inspired to try the traverse because of the previous efforts of Alex Lowe and Garibotti. A mutual friend even put Elson in touch with Garibotti, who shared detailed route information and strategies.
"I was psyched for him," Garibotti said of Elson in an interview with Jackson Hole News and Guide. "I was also a bit melancholic, missing the time and place in my life, now long passed, when I had set that record. I still remember vividly how good such days used to feel, and was jealous that Nick had just had one. I was also happy to see my record go, it allows me to move on so to speak."
As the new record holder, Elson maintained a tradition of humility started by Alex Lowe in 1988, after his own record on the traverse, when he said, "The best climber in the world is the one having the most fun."
"I'm not a totally incompetent climber," Elson said, "and I may be able to hike uphill pretty well, but I definitely feel like a bit of fraud seeing my name mentioned alongside those guys."
Age record?
From August 1 to 3, 70-year-old Lee Sheftel of Carbondale, Colorado, completed the traverse with partner Greg Collins of Victor, Idaho. Sheftel may be the oldest person to do the Grand Traverse, though there is no way to know for sure.
"I think that is probably a record—I don't know of anyone else doing it," said Renny Jackson, who has been a climbing ranger in Grand Teton and Denali National Parks for 34 years. "Tom Hargis may have the age record for doing it in one day."
Hargis is an Exum Mountain Guide who turns 69 in October and did the traverse a few years ago.
Lee Sheftel, 70, stands on top of the Grand Teton during his three-day journey on the Grand Traverse. [Photo] Lee Sheftel
"A 70-year-old doing the Grand Traverse is unusual, for sure," said Mark Limage, who has been with Jackson Hole Mountain Guides since 1995. "Maybe once or twice a summer we'll get a 70-something-year-old on top of a peak. There's not even that many 60-somethings doing a peak, let alone the Grand Traverse."
Sheftel had two hip replacements in 2007, and suffers from back pain and an arthritic foot.
"Everyone asks me about my hips," he said. "My hips are not the problem. It's the other body parts!"
He set the goal in honor of his 70th birthday—June 20—after seeing a film about Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold's Fitz Roy Traverse.
"It was harder and more involved than I thought it would be," said Sheftel, who still redpoints 5.13 sport climbs in Rifle Mountain Park near his home. "It's so exposed. You're down climbing on weird terrain with loose rock. I've never been so concerned. There are some down climbs that are just treacherous. You can't rush the moves."
Originally a marathoner who switched to rock climbing when he was 33 years old, Sheftel trained for a year with the guidance of a physical therapist. He made a point to do a lot of alpine tour skiing in the winter, and hiked as many high peaks as he could before August. A couple times he climbed a 14,000-foot peak in the morning and then sport climbed later that day.
"I wanted to do something different—not just another hard route at Rifle," he said of his goal.
As most people probably would, Sheftel has a hard time wrapping his head around the 6:30 record time.
"I can't believe it's humanly possible to do car-to-car in six-and-a-half hours," he said. "That would be superhuman! You'd have to run the whole thing."
Indeed, that is more or less the case.
"This traverse requires an unusual set of skills: good aerobic endurance and solid rock climbing skills," Garibotti told the Jackson Hole News & Guide. "It is too technical for the vast majority of runners, for the very fit types that run ultra-marathons and the like, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, most climbers don't run. I believe it is best suited to a climber that runs, such as Nick or myself, rather than a runner that climbs. You need to be able to free solo 5.8 in running shoes, quite fast, so you need to be a pretty solid rock climber to do it safely."
When Allen Steck, Dick Long and John Evans first completed the traverse in 1963, they went south-to-north. In 1988 Alex Lowe became the first person to do the traverse from north-to-south, setting a record of 8:15. Lowe pointed out that the earlier trio's time of sub-21 hours was very fast, considering that they were roped together, whereas he was alone and untethered. By going north-to-south, Lowe was able to climb up, rather than down, the Italian Cracks (5.7/5.8) on the Grand Teton, the technical crux of the route, and thus save time. The loop has been done north-to-south ever since. Lowe's record might have been even better if he hadn't fallen on his butt and sustained a puncture wound that bled so profusely he nearly bailed two-thirds of the way through.
Garibotti noted the volume of climbers doing the traverse has increased significantly in recent years.
"Before 2000 it was a very rare occurrence, once every few seasons, if that," he said. "In 2000 you could not see the 'path' on the ground in most sections. You could not distinguish where people had walked. I recalled going back in 2009 and being blown away by how most sections had a clear path, where small rocks and lichen had been cleared out as a result of people passing. It is interesting how things change, and the speed at which they do."
dazednconfused
RE: "The traverse includes 10 summits up to 13,770 feet, technical climbing up to 5.7/5.8, and 12,444 feet of total elevation gain over 17.9 miles."
Rolo says: "The cumulative elevation gain is about 12,000 feet with difficulties up to 5.8, the length about 14 miles"
www.pataclimb.com/climbingareas/tetons.html
14 miles and 17.9 miles is a big difference. Rolo must have the wrong number.
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The Fabulous Fitzgeralds: 8 Books About The Jazz Age Darlings Who Still Fascinate Us
Kathy Gates February 3, 2017 Biography, Book Lists, Book To Movie News, Book To TV News, Classics, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Literary Fiction No Comments
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Z: The Beginning of Everything, a mini-series about F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, is currently gracing our screens, and there are two major film projects about the couple in the works.
No wonder, they personify the spirit of their age: the bright and shiny 1920s where everything seemed possible, and the darkness and fear of the 1930’s where lives were stunted by the Great Depression and stalked by war.
Before they are given the Hollywood treatment, you may want to check out eight books which offer insight into the lives of this fabulous and doomed couple:
1. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This Side of Paradise is the first of three novels in which Scott drew on his relationship with Zelda. He wrote this, his debut novel, when they suffered their first break-up. He hoped its publication would impress her. It did, they reconciled soon after.
2. The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald’s second novel, The Beautiful and Damned, portrays life in New York café society throughout World War I and into the early years of the Jazz Age. The main characters, wealthy and self-absorbed socialites Anthony and Gloria, experience much of the angst that Scott and Zelda faced in their marriage.
3. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Tender is the Night is the third book to reflect their relationship. Heroine Nicole Diver, like Zelda, suffered from a psychiatric illness. Dick Diver loves her but his own battle with alcoholism, like Scott’s, pulls him away from her. The novel is bleak and heartbreaking, and to my mind, is Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
4. Save Me the Waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald
Zelda wrote her novel after she was diagnosed with schizophrenia; in fact, writing for two hours a day was part of her therapy. Save Me the Waltz widened the rift between the now-estranged couple because the plot mirrored aspects of their relationship that Scott was in the process of incorporating into Tender is the Night. He insisted, that as “the professional,” he alone had the right to tell the story.
5. Zelda by Nancy Milford
Biographer Nancy Milford is best known for her biography of Zelda. And rightly so, through exhaustive research, she brings Zelda to life as a fragile and gifted woman, torn by her own talent and her relationship with Scott. Zelda, one of the two films mentioned above, is based on Milford’s biography and will star Jennifer Lawrence in the title role.
6. Zelda: Her Voice in Paradise by Sally Cline
Sally Cline’s biography offers another perspective. Cline was given access to medical records which show that Zelda was considered a “mad Southern belle.” The range of treatments she endured were meant to make her conform “to appropriately feminine behavior.”
7. West of Sunset by Stewart O’Nan
In West of Sunset, Stewart O’Nan focuses on the last three years of Scott’s life. The novel is told from his perspective as he tries to establish a career in Hollywood. A film based on O’Nan’s book is listed on IMDB, but there’s no cast or release date as of yet.
8. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
In her fictionalized account, Therese Anne Fowler puts forward the case that Zelda’s disintegration began as she saw her own words in the pages of her husband’s novels. This work is the basis for the mini-series, Z: The Beginning of Everything, starring Christina Ricci as Zelda.
The last line of The Great Gatsby, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” is inscribed on the stone that covers the final resting place of Scott and Zelda. Looking at their lives as described in the books above, I can’t help feeling sad for Zelda, condemned to spend eternity under the weight of her husband’s genius.
YouTube Channel: BehindTheVelvetRope.TV
Featured image via YouTube
h/t Signature Reads
Book Review: Go Set A Watchman By Harper Lee
Quiz: Can You Spot The Differences Between The Original Fairy Tale And The Disney Version?
Book Review: A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens
Kathy Gates
Kathy Gates loves three things: travel, reading about travel and making up stories about travel. Born and raised in Sydney, Kathy lives in Hobart – it’s like Sydney but smaller and the food and wine are better. Plus everything is close, including some of the best walking tracks. Kathy published her novella, Juliet’s Journey in July 2015. Juliet’s Journey is set in the northern Italian village of Baiardo where the heroine, Juliet, has gone for some piece and quiet but falls in love with the place and finds herself caught up in a fight to save the village from losing its soul. Kathy is working on a novel set in Rome.
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One Nation, under thumb, totally divided, with liberty and justice for none, save the ruling class.
Many readers would recognize the headline as a modified version of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, originally crafted by one Francis Bellamy in 1892, a Baptist minister, a Christian socialist, and the cousin of socialist author Edward Bellamy. The original Bellamy salute looked like this.
How apropos given the current administration’s tendency to drive for a merger of state and corporate powers, not to mention its devotion to Chairman Mao and all things that defy the framers and the document to which they gave birth, known as the Constitution of the United States of America. I trust some Americans still remember that there was such a document, even if they don’t remember its content or purpose.
Yes, the United States of America, once the most egalitarian Nation on earth and a beacon of hope for the world, has descended into the bowels of decadence and corruption, only to emerge as the greatest Kakistrocracy in history, soon to officially join the ranks of failed states.
Yes, failed states! You know, countries in which criminals are an integral part of the government, working as one against the people. Now, I know that many readers will heretofore brand me as a crackpot conspiracy theorist. However, conspiracy theorists come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life and are without exception branded as crackpots by the mainstream media machine, save one. Indeed, the gentle readers might remember President John F. Kennedy, and I trust that none, including the mainstream media, would dare brand him as a crackpot. Yet, there is no doubt that he believed in a conspiracy of monumental proportion that was designed to enslave. For those old enough to have forgotten, I offer a refresher, and for those too young to have witnessed, I offer enlightenment.
"For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed."
"And so it is to the printing press--to the recorder of man’s deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news-- that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent."
JFK was assassinated only 5 months later. It is taken for granted that he was speaking of the Soviet Union in the midst of the cold war which was raging at the time, even though he had never hesitated to mention either in past speeches when referring to them. If our country as the target of his assault remains nebulous, it serves today a prophetic dissertation of its present state and institutions. By definition, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more parties to perform an unlawful act. How profoundly that definition coincides with the policies of today, dating from the course of JFK’s time and before, when Eisenhower praised the seminal actions of the CIA in the 1953 deposition of the democratic rule of Mohammed Mosaddeq in deference to the royal rule of Shah Reza Pahlavi – many more followed, like the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo. Didn’t we wage a revolution to free ourselves from the yoke of autocratic rule?
It has become evident that the US Government is doing all it can to ensure that the same fate befall any who challenge the collusion among the axis of evil comprised of Wall Street, the Federal Reserve and the Treasury who orchestrated the looting of America for the benefit of the financial Oligarchs who truly rule America. But who are we to criticize the likes of these simple bankers doing “God’s Work,” as Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein puts it. The unmitigated gall of Lloyd to say such a thing is reminiscent of those who proclaimed the Titanic as the ship that “God Himself” could not sink! Let us regress for a moment to the day of the boarding of that ill-fated vessel when an apprehensive female traveler approaching the gangway of the enormous new passenger liner, gazed up in amazement at its looming hulk. "Is this ship really unsinkable?" she nervously inquired of a nearby deck hand. "Yes, lady," the deck hand answered, "God himself could not sink this ship.”
I can imagine God, as He was tending to Godly things, suddenly perk at the insignificant crewman’s assertion, taking final umbrage at all the chatter about the big boat, and thinking: “So this is what it’s come to… Hmmm….” And then there was that iceberg.
Now comes Lloyd Blankfein with the grandiose declaration that “Goldman Sachs is doing God's work. “ Perhaps it might be enlightening to review what God says about the work He assigned to man when He created him. The first was to cultivate the earth; the second was to care for His creation, namely, other human beings who were to share the earth with him.
The first seems simple enough; gather seed, plant it, and repeat the process on more ground as need dictates; the second is the highlight of the scriptures and common even to those who know no scripture – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” What a sublime prescription for peace and prosperity from the goodwill of each man to the other! But then, enter Goldman Sachs who has its own idea of God’s work –
“We help companies to grow by helping them to raise capital. Companies that grow create wealth. This, in turn, allows people to have jobs that create more growth and more wealth. It’s a virtuous cycle.”
So that’s what this last year was all about – how could we have missed seeing it for what it really was, God’s handiwork. I wonder where it will lead us as we parse the words and phrases that deliver such benefaction to us all.
Titanic-news
Raise capital – Create wealth – Allow people to have jobs. Then repeat the process, just like the sowing of seeds, a virtuous cycle.
Raise Capital: I will not argue with the principle of capital investment to grow wealth; it beats Communism that ends in five men fighting over the best method to bury a fence post – not an ideal approach to sound productivity, even before one considers the stifling of creative power, an attribute of humankind that is the essence of what we are. But who has access to this capital and how is it used to grow wealth, and for whom, exactly?
This requires just a brief introduction to what I call the Great Interloper – The Fed. The Federal Reserve was created in 1913, largely as a response to a series of financial panics or bank runs, particularly the severe panic of 1907. Over time, the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System have expanded and its structure evolved. Its duties today, according to official Federal Reserve documentation, fall into four general areas:
1. Conducting the nation's monetary policy by influencing monetary and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.
2. Supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system, and protect the credit rights of consumers.
3. Maintaining stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets.
4. Providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions, including playing a major role in operating the nation's payments system.
Well now, “Over time… the responsibilities have expanded.” To be sure! Can we not more properly call this both an understatement and a misnomer? Perhaps “The System of Imperial Financial Control” would be more suitable.
The Federal Reserve System is described as subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. It is not "owned" by anyone and is "not a private, profit-making institution.” It further describes itself as "an independent entity within the government, having both public purposes and private aspects." In particular, neither the Federal Reserve System nor its component banks are owned by the US Federal Government. At this point, the boys at Goldman Sachs might lend a slender giggle
“Ben knows that we own that system, right?”
Just suppose I told you that you could borrow one million dollars for one month at .6% annum (please note the decimal). After one month, you must return it with interest, a hardy five hundred bucks. Would you take that deal? In a situation of manifold rising markets, anyone would be crazy not to. Perhaps you’re still apprehensive - risk to principle is there nonetheless… Let me then offer you this – if it doesn’t work out and you lose money, I’ll give you another million next month to try again. How’s that? Still uneasy? Okay, if in month two you lose both Boardwalk and Park Place, we’ll roll everything over into month three with an increase in principle to really shore you up for your next venture.
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein
>> PERHAPS IT MIGHT BE ENLIGHTENING TO REVIEW WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THE WORK <<
Ah, I can hear some readers laughing incredulously, but that’s exactly how the banks have been treated in this scandalous affair of bailouts. And what have they done with the dough? Goldman says they Create Jobs, but in reality they have been chasing rising assets to Create Wealth, not for us or for those phantom enterprises, but for themselves as they manufacture yet another asset bubble rife with greed and corruption – the virtual hot potato baked red hot on cheap money finding its way into every market conceivable other than that of building anything for the creation of jobs. What do you suppose will happen in the end? – the same people who lost more than they thought they ever could in the last debacle will again place their confidence in current obscure remedies and feigned congressional outrage to reinvest once more at the heels of Goldman Sachs, to make up that lost ground, and yet again be caught on another unsinkable ship.
If God works in the lives of men, dispensing due recompense according to their deeds, His work no less, have the players on Wall Street not taken notice of the euphemistic icebergs it has hit already? Whether one believes in an ethereal power or is ardent in disbelief of anything beyond the parameters of human endeavor, simple physics should burn a warning into the heart – banging into icebergs repeatedly not only sinks mighty ships, but soon finds them bearing no passengers at all, a more pungent euphemism for decline and abandonment.
The U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency is in peril as it steadily falls in the wake of perpetual printing by The Fed to fund illegitimate wars and lifestyles of excess; it is a precursor for the failing confidence in America as a responsible leader, and brings her ever-closer to the precipice of disintegration and leaves it fading in the distance with its beacon of hope and promise so ingrained in its history and extolled by the Statue of Liberty – the first grand sight of all immigrants who enter her harbor. All for a few dollars more, forsaking the best of life, scoffing that those things might be free, in exchange for cheap imported trinkets. Quick, pass me that shiny object.
“Oh, by the way,” Blankfein asks, excited at the prospects, “about that Golden Rule… Is it really made of gold?”
And the Virtuous Cycle Continues.
WE NEED A CURE FOR..
When the USA sneezes, the world gets pneumonia
The Installment Plan: How It Has Taken America To Where
The Anonymous American November-December 2009 edition of AseanAffairs THE “NOT SO” GREAT SOCIETY
The Anonymous American March-April 2010 edition of AseanAffairs
“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
The Anonymous American May-June 2010 edition of AseanAffairs
“THE MALADY OF NATIONS”
The Anonymous American July-August 2010 edition of AseanAffairs
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Straightedge: the BergerABAM blog
Preserving Washington State’s Largest Ferry Terminal
Rendering of the new Colman Dock, courtesy of NBBJ.
Construction is well underway at the largest and busiest ferry terminal within the Washington State Ferries (WSF) system. The Colman Dock terminal in Seattle provides a critical link for commuters, bicyclists, and pedestrians across the Puget Sound. In 2017, more than 10 million people traveled through Colman Dock, including more than 5 million foot passengers.
Community Open House for Connect Washougal Grade Separation Project
On 14 November 2018, BergerABAM senior project manager, Brian Carrico discusses the Connect Washougal preferred option, the 32nd Street underpass, with a Washougal community member. Photo credit: Jacob Granneman/ClarkCountyToday.com
The city of Washougal is tucked along the Columbia River basin on the Washington and Oregon State border, about 15 miles east of Vancouver, Washington. Because of the growth in the area, the city is encountering increased traffic and added pressure to existing roadways and intersections.
Engineer Volunteers 475 Hours for King County Explorer Search and Rescue
Jennifer Davis leads the rescue team handling the stretcher by telling them where to go and warning them of tripping hazards, such as rocks and tree roots.
Corporate social responsibility is important to BergerABAM and our corporate partners. Employees of BergerABAM and Louis Berger have the opportunity to log their volunteer hours for the chance to win $500 for a charity of their choice. Jennifer Davis, an engineer in our Public Works and Transportation Department, won by clocking 475 hours volunteering with King County Explorer Search and Rescue, where she donated the award money.
Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative - A Professional Fellow Visits Seattle
Posted 24 October 2018
Abdiel Chiu, fellowship program recipient (front and center), with BergerABAM team members (from left to right), Huy Le, mentor Jilma Jiménez, Jourden Makinen, April Ryckman, Hunter Brown, Duffy McColloch, Ruben Vasquez Guzman, Luqman Munir, and Jose Suazo.
In April of 2015, former President Obama launched the Youth Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) to strengthen the entrepreneurial and management skills of young business and civil society leaders from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs provides YLAI with 250 fellowships each year to enable professionals to come to the United States and get experience in their field of expertise. Alumni of past YLAI Professional Fellows Programs maintain a cohesive network across Latin America and the Caribbean to support each other’s efforts to improve their own ventures, share best practices, collaborate to reduce the opportunity gap, and contribute to economic prosperity in their communities.
New Vancouver Waterfront Park Officially Opens
The Grant Street Pier is a focal point of the Vancouver Waterfront Park.
The long-awaited opening of the Vancouver Waterfront Park and Grant Street Pier was celebrated on Saturday, 29 September 2018. Formerly an industrial site with a defunct paper mill on it, it became part of the City of Vancouver’s $1 billion revitalization program of its waterfront. This development provides a large economic benefit to the City by developing a mixed-use area that includes residential, commercial, and recreational areas.
Mission-Critical Code Evaluation at U.S. Coast Guard Base Honolulu
A comprehensive report was provided to the USCG with an evaluation of the overall quality of construction, including photographs, written observations, and recommendations.
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) had an immediate need for a technical review of one of its facilities in the final stages of construction. BergerABAM provided a third-party code review and evaluation of the contractor’s design and construction of the National Security Cutters (NSC) Homeport Addition to the Fast Response Cutters (FRC) building at the USCG base in Honolulu, Hawaii. The evaluation was a critical milestone for the USCG to proceed to the next phase of construction, as delays in construction could have negatively impacted its mission.
Anaklia Deep Sea Port
Rendering of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port terminal layout.
Today, the Anaklia Deep Sea Port in the Republic of Georgia is set to become an emerging transport and logistics hub of the region. A new development is underway on the west coast of Georgia that will build 3,000 feet of container and bulk wharves and more than 250 acres of container, intermodal, and bulk storage yards.
At the project launch ceremony, the prime minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, said, “With no exaggeration, today we’re starting the biggest project of the twenty-first century Georgia, the construction of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port. This is the beginning of a huge transformation and change in our country.”
WSDOT Develops First Diverging Diamond Interchange in Lacey
The image shows a graphic overlay of WSDOT’s new diverging diamond interchange on Marvin Road and Interstate 5 in Lacey, Washington.
On 22 August 2018, construction bidding started for Washington State’s first diverging diamond interchange (DDI) for Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for Interstate 5 (I-5) in Lacey. Although it’s the first one built in Washington State, over 70 versions have been built throughout the United States. The interchange will be located between I-5 and State Route 510, where the new crisscrossing lanes will be built—updating ramp terminals, widening the existing bridge, and adding a southbound lane.
Teaching the Next Generation of Bridge Engineers
Posted 9 August 2018
Jim Guarre, BergerABAM senior vice president, is lead instructor for the CESG 529 Bridge Engineering course.
Experienced bridge engineers from BergerABAM are back in school this summer to teach a bridge engineering class at the University of Washington (UW). The College of Engineering, Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Course 529 [CESG 529 Bridge Engineering] is a graduate-level course in the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department at UW. The nine-week lecture series covers a variety of bridge engineering studies, including types and sizes; design load and resistance factors; seismic design; design of prestressed concrete girders, structural steel girders, decks, expansion joints and bearings, crossbeams, columns, foundations, and abutments; and bridge construction practices.
City of Fife Breaks Ground on Its Largest Public Works Contract
The groundbreaking kicks off the first two-year phase of the construction project to reduce congestion at Port of Tacoma Road and I-5. Photo courtesy of the Port of Tacoma.
On 18 July 2018, the City of Fife broke ground on Phase 1 of a major construction project at the Interstate 5 (I-5)/Port of Tacoma Road interchange. The two-part, $42.5 million construction project aims to speed traffic between the Port of Tacoma and I-5.
City of Fife staff and local government representatives attended the groundbreaking. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee was among those who addressed the crowd at the celebration. “Today I get to say, ‘If you want to improve your life, build a road to Fife,’” Inslee said. “And by improving lives in this regard, if anybody asked you what this road connection is, it’s a road to jobs.”
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Robert De Niro has played many different people, but he is perhaps most remembered for his performance in Taxi Driver. What's more crazy than the person De Nero portrayed is the fact that it was actually based on a real person: Arthur Bremer.
What turned a innocent kid from Milwaukee into a crazed lunatic who attempted to assassinate presidential candidate, George Wallace? Find out in this fascinating profile.
The Real Life Taxi Driver PDF and ePub
Prologue: A Penny for Your Thoughts
A penny for your thoughts.
Those were the words twenty-one-year-old Arthur Bremer was going to shout out when he assassinated governor of Alabama and presidential candidate George Wallace. And as he stood in the crowd outside the shopping center, applauding enthusiastically as Wallace delivered a campaign speech to the good people of Laurel, Maryland, he felt with greater and greater certainty that he would get his chance to say those words very soon. The old, familiar phrase would serve as both his battle cry and his declaration of triumph.
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t exactly as weighty as John Wilkes Booth’s “Sic semper tyrannis,” but then, Wallace wasn’t exactly Lincoln, either. He was nothing but a racist hatemonger and Bremer would be doing the country a favor by ending his life.
Not that that was why he was doing it. He didn’t care about Wallace’s views one way or the other. The main thing that had put him in Bremer’s sites in the first place was the simple fact that Richard Nixon was too hard to reach…not that he really gave a shit about Nixon or his policies, either. Truth be told, Arthur Bremer had never really had much of an interest in politics. That’s not what this was about.
For years, people would debate what the words meant, but even if he survived this day—and he didn’t expect to—he would never tell. Their meaning wasn’t important, anyway. What was important was that they were words he would be remembered by. From that day forward, no one would ever be able to say or even think that old idiom again without Arthur Bremer coming to mind. It would be associated with him for generations to come. It was going to make him immortal.
He had set out to do the deed that morning at a rally in Wheaton, Maryland, but that had been a rough crowd. Wallace was a controversial candidate, and you never knew if the people who showed up to his appearances were going to be friend or foe. The Wheaton audience had been comprised mostly of the latter, and they heckled Wallace and his rhetoric relentlessly, and even threw tomatoes at him. There was no way the Secret Service would have allowed him anywhere near that bunch, and that’s what Bremer needed to get the job done. It wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? He just needed the governor to do what politicians do and come into the crowd to shake some hands and kiss some babies. That was all it would take to give him his moment, but he didn’t get it in Wheaton.
Here in Laurel, though, the vibe was different. It was a much friendlier, much more supportive group and Wallace would feel safe walking among them. And when he did, he would see Bremer dressed from head to toe in patriotic red, white and blue with a great big WALLACE IN ’72 button pinned right on his chest. He wouldn’t be able to resist a photo op with such a big fan. Wallace would let him in close, and when he did, Arthur would stick out his hand and say, “A penny for your thoughts.” And then, while Wallace mused over his answer, he would reach out to shake Arthur’s hand and find that there was a gun in it. He would look back up into Arthur’s smiling face with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. It was going to be such a powerful moment, looking into the eyes of a man who knows you control whether he lives or dies. But he would only savor it for the briefest of instants. Then he would calmly squeeze the trigger and fire a single shot straight into the governor’s heart. A moment later, the Secret Service and the dozens of cops that were watching over the area would undoubtedly open fire on him, sending him out in a hail of bullets and a blaze of glory. It was going to be beautiful.
Wallace wrapped up his speech and walked out from behind the 800-pound bulletproof podium. Just as Bremer had dared to hope, instead of exiting to the side of the stage, ducking into an awaiting car and speeding off to the next stop on his campaign trail, Wallace came down the front steps and approached the crowd. Bremer took a deep breath, put his hand in his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the grip of his five-shot snub-nose .38 revolver. This was it. This was really happening. He could not back out and he could not fail. Arthur Bremer’s entire life had been building to this exact moment in time.
People crowded around the governor, reaching over one another in the hopes of receiving a handshake or maybe the chance to exchange a few words. They pushed towards him with such ferocity that Bremer, at a diminutive 5’6” and 145 pounds, started getting edged out, churned towards the back of the crowd, further away from his target. Panicking, he pulled the gun out of his pocket, realizing immediately that he had done so way too soon. He could barely even see Wallace from where he was. But there was nothing he could do about it now; the gun was out, he might as well use it. He charged forward through the crowd, gun in hand, arm outstretched. When the candidate finally came into Bremer’s view, the only thing that stood between them was a little old lady. Bremer reached over the woman’s shoulder, pointed his gun at Wallace’s midsection, and started firing.
He squeezed the trigger over and over again, as fast as he could until the gun went click. He saw Wallace go down an instant before he was taken down himself. The crowd had swarmed around him, swallowed him up and forced him to the ground hard and fast. And as Arthur Bremer lay there, being beaten and kicked within an inch of his life, he took comfort in the fact that he had finally made something of himself. Maybe it didn’t go down exactly like it was supposed to, but the result had been achieved. Wallace was dead. He had to be. He was sure he had been hit three times, maybe more. He had done it. Everyone would now know the name Arthur Bremer. And even if he died here, he would forever live on in the words…
He forgot to say, “A penny for your thoughts.”
Chapter 1: Growing Up Bremer
The sad and lonely life of Arthur Herman Bremer began on August 21st, 1950 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the fourth of William and Sylvia Bremer’s five children, which was probably at least three more than they could realistically afford. The Bremer clan was as blue-collar as it gets and twice as dysfunctional. Never having what most families would consider a home, they occupied a series of small apartments near the industrial sector on Milwaukee’s South Side, each of them soaked in alcohol and steeped in emotional and physical abuse.
William worked two jobs; driving a truck for the Krohn Cartage Company by day and selling beer during the Milwaukee Braves games at County Stadium by night. He was too old-fashioned and proud to allow his wife to get a job, but Sylvia didn’t seem to have any interest in working anyway. She didn’t seem to have any interest in housekeeping either, as the family was regularly evicted for running their apartments into the ground. What did interest her, however, was horse racing. While William slaved away to keep food in the mouths and a roof over the heads of his wife and five children, Sylvia took his paychecks to Chicago and gambled them away at the track, holding back just enough so she could still afford to buy all the family’s clothes at the Salvation Army store.
Whether they were causes or effects of their lifestyle is open to debate, but either way, there was a lot of drinking and a lot of fighting at the Bremer residence. Not one single member of the family seemed to get along with any of the others. Arthur’s half-sister, Gail, and older brothers, William Jr. and Theodore, couldn’t get away fast enough, striking out on their own as soon as they were able. When they were gone, they more or less disappeared off the face of the planet as far as the rest of the family knew. None of them kept in touch at all and they became little more than vague memories to Arthur and his younger brother, Roger.
Arthur and Roger couldn’t have been more different from one another if they tried. While Arthur was quiet and shy, Roger was always lashing out at the world around him, often gaining the unwanted attention of Milwaukee’s juvenile authorities. But unwanted attention was better than no attention at all, at least as far as Arthur was concerned. He seemed to resent Roger’s outgoing nature and every so often, he’d take that resentment out on him…or he’d try to, anyway. Even though Roger was several years younger and a lot smaller than Arthur, he still usually won their fights.
Arthur didn’t just fight with Roger, he also got into it with his father all the time, usually over pointless, trivial little things, and he usually lost those fights, too. The more fights he lost, the fewer he started, and he began to deal with his frustrations by running off into his own private little world. He would later write in a high school essay that he endured his childhood by pretending “that I was living with a television family and there was no yelling at home, and no one hit me.”
But no matter how many times he got beat up by his little brother or put in his place by his father, his hatred for them was nothing compared to how he felt about his mother. He absolutely despised Sylvia, probably because they were so much alike. He could see in her what he would one day grow into himself and it disgusted him.
Sylvia was extremely introverted, rarely saying hi to her neighbors and never under any circumstances letting anyone inside her apartment. She guarded her filthy and cluttered home like a dirty secret, keeping the door shut and the blinds closed tight, even on the hottest days of summer. And she was controlling and manipulative, too. She criticized Arthur endlessly for never going out to play and berated him for not having any friends, even though they both knew damn well that she liked him just the way he was. Never going out meant never getting into trouble, and Roger got into enough trouble for the both of them. So she belittled him for doing exactly as she wanted, and it got to the point where Arthur couldn’t stand to listen to a single word she said. If they were in the same room and she opened her mouth to say anything at all, even if it was just to comment on the weather, Arthur would get up and go into his bedroom.
The only time Arthur ever actually left the apartment was to go to school, where he proved to be a thoroughly average student. One of his first teachers described him as “a pleasure,” likely because he was so quiet and reserved when compared to the other children. But a couple years later, what had been taken for an asset became a cause for concern. It wasn’t just that Arthur was quiet and well behaved in class; he never did anything or said anything to anyone. Whether at lunch in the cafeteria or out on the playground during recess, he never made the slightest effort to make any friends.
In fairness though, making friends would probably never have been very easy for Arthur Bremer; he had a lot of things working against him. He was short, stocky, and wore glasses, which is a pretty tough starting point for even the most resilient of kids. But his physical shortcomings were the least of his problems. He had a strange way of walking, waddling around like a duck with his chin planted on his chest, avoiding eye contact at all costs. Whenever social interaction was unavoidable, he’d meet it with panic, laughing a weird, nervous laugh that made everyone uncomfortable. All these characteristics added up to make him an easy target for bullies—too easy, really. He was so boring that even beating him up wasn’t very much fun. So most of the time, he was simply ignored.
When he was old enough to attend South Division High School, Arthur came very close to finding a place to fit in. He joined the football team and to everyone’s amazement, his own most of all, found himself to be a pretty decent player. For a kid having such a hard time with life, it was everything he needed. Football would teach him to interact with people, it would teach him how to rely on others and see how it feels to have others rely on him, it would give him the confidence and sense of self-esteem that he had always lacked. With time, he and his teammates would even form friendships, or at the very least gain a sense of camaraderie. He would be a part of something bigger than himself, which is what he so desperately needed. Football would do amazing things for him…or at least, it might have if his mother hadn’t sent a note with him to school, declaring that her son was “too sickly” for football and forbidding him to play.
Arthur had learned his lesson. He was doomed to his bleak, solitary existence, and settled into his place in the world, which was off in the corner, out of everyone else’s way. He was neither seen nor heard for the rest of his high school career, until he graduated in January of 1969. The yearbook has his name in the index, but he is not pictured and there is no other reference to him.
He couldn’t possibly be summed up better.
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← TGM: TANÁRSZTRÁJK ÉS A SZAKSZERVEZETEK CSŐDJE
Final Decrararion of Social Forum in Wroclaw ( 3rd D R A F T ) →
Report on the 2nd CEE Social Forum held in Wroclaw 11-13 March 2016
Közzétéve 2016. március 25. péntek | Szerző: Benyik Mátyás
The Social Forum in Woclaw (Poland) was a continuation of the 1st CEE Social and Environmental Forum that was held in Vienna from 2nd til 5th May 2013 under the title of “Revolt in the periphery?”
The initiative of 2nd CEE Social Forum was born as the result of discussion with friends and comrades from Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine and other countries about a year ago. The initiators, namely Monika Karbowska, Naila Wardi, Piotr Lewandowski, Ewa Groszewska recognized that it was a high time to restart the discussions, exchange the experiences and join anti-capitalist forces of the periphery in the fight for a better world. The 2nd Social Forum was attended by over 100 people from a dozen countries, including Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Russia, Slovenia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and the USA. One of the patrons of the event was the media portal lewica.pl One of the main goals of the Forum was to create strong solidarity among the peripherysed societies of East and South. Together with the friends and the comrades from North Africa and Greece the participants have analysed the political and economical situation in the CEE and the Mediterranian regions and found many similarities. The so-called “state socialism” period of the CEE region has been deeply analysed and great emphasis was put on a more organised cooperation and common actions right now and in the future. Two common experiences not mentioned in the new analyses on the Eastern European transition so far has been reported to the participants, nemely 1.) The system change in CEEC has taken place clearly with strong foreign – US and EU- intervention. The vast majority of the population wanted reforms, but wanted by no means the restoration of capitalism, especially not in its semi-colonial form. The capitalist intervention was realised in a pre-planned way and effected all areas of the society, namely the productive capacities, the institutions, the social organisations, the local authorities, etc. 2.) The brutal dismantling of the industrial and production capacities in general in the form of privatisation and factory closures, the foundations of CEEC’s independence have ceased. Due to the defenslessness, the low wage as the only „competitive” factor, so the emigration and the productive assembly activity become dominant.
Participants of the Social Forum decided to build up powerful links among left-wing organisations and activists in the CEE region and the Mediterranean area as well, in order to continue the anti-systemic struggle together.
The opening of the 2nd Social Forum was held on 11th March 2016 in the former Silesian Parliament building, which is now the Head Office of Technical Organization. Social Forum participants started with singing the “Internationale.” Later the Egyptian writer, a strong opponent of capitalism and militarism Samir Amin joined the opening via Skype. He spoke of the importance of international cooperation. He also referred to the situation in Egypt, where the military regime pretending itself as defender of freedom from the threat of Islamists.
One of the key speakers was a Member of the European Parliament, namely Konstantina Kuneva, who fought for the rights of Bulgarian emigrants in Greece, for which years ago she was doused with acid by the people cooperating with the Mafia.
Among the speakers the author of publications on war and imperialism, Professor Michel Collon from Belgium was also present. He talked about how the US military interventions and allied countries has led to the destabilisation of the international situation, including the crisis with a wave of refugees.
Professor Mazin Quymsyeh director of the Palestinian National History Museum joined the opening session via Skype, because he could not get a Polish visa to come to Wroclaw. He talked about the importance of international solidarity, including boycott of Israeli products.
A letter from Erdal Gökoglu was read out. He is a Turkish opposition activist who is unlawfully held in a Polish prison, despite having received political asylum in Belgium. He was arrested in January, when he came to the wedding of his Polish colleague. The basis for Gökoglu’s arrest was a search warrant issued by the Turkish authorities accusing him of “terrorism.”
On Saturday, March 12 the work of the Forum continued. The discussion was attended by civic activists, academics and politicians, who focused on the important issues specific to the countries they represent.
Three issues were in the highlight, namely:
Militarization of Eastern Europe;
The Role of NATO and Provocations of the Wars ;
Issue of Ukraine as the Example of Making the War in the Region.
The first speaker was a journalist, Jacek Kaminski who moderated this session. He noted the importance of the forthcoming debate over the militarisation of Eastern Europe and invited participants to discuss the different points of view.
Professor Michelle Colon, Belgium, proclaimed the need to recreate a broad anti-war movement in Europe. It is puzzling why the Europeans were actively protesting against the military actions of their governments in local conflicts in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and now, when a real war has started in Europe, the public does not react to the bloodshed of civilians in Ukraine. This passivity is nothing else, but a result of manipulation of public opinion of the European people, and above all depends on media’s position. Prof. Colon proposed the creation of a network of information points, which could quickly share objective information.
Victoria Machulko, a representative of 2 May Committee from Odessa, spoke about the development and results of the popular protest movement that arose after the Bandera pogrom that took place in Odessa on May 2, 2014. She was talking about the resistence of the inhabitants of Odessa against the repression imposed by the Kiev authorities. She stressed that in spite of the terrible events of May 2, 2014, there is a peaceful protest movement, even under the ongoing terror to struggle against the nationalist ideology imposed to the society. Forum participants observed a minute of silence in memory of anti-fascists who were killed in battle with the right-wing radicals.
Jan Lelchuk from Alternatives of Russia Movement spoke about cooperation between activists from Russia and New Russia against the war and common actions to introduce pro-social reform in Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic.
Russian Communists representative Daria Mitina said that current approaches to solving the conflict in the South-East of Ukraine have become obsolete. There is no military solution to this problem. But as long as the leaders of Europe turn blind eye to pro-Nazi movement in Ukraine, the conflict will not be able to stop or freeze. It is impossible to be walled off from fascism. Daria Mitina asked everybody to work on informing their people about what is happening.
Marko Milachich from Montenegro focused on how his country accesses to NATO. Most citizens do not agree with the entry into NATO. To this aim only representatives of Montenegro’s ruling circles insist on it but they are not going to ask people’s opinion. At the end Marko Milachich expressed the view that only the struggle against anti-popular plans of the country’s ruling elite will allow to count on the realization of the true interests of the people of the country.
Associate Professor Yuri Shakhin focused on the origins of international tensions in Eastern Europe. They appeared before the Ukrainian crisis and associated with the United States activity. These are NATO’s eastward expansion and the creation of a US missile defense system in the region. At the same time Russia since 2013 conducts unannounced military exercises that cause a panic reaction in the West. “But if we take the ratio of military power, NATO should not worry. NATO military expenditure in 2013 exceeded the Russian military spending by more than 10 times and accounted for more than half of all military spending worldwide. But despite such a clear predominance in force, the NATO countries have begun to strengthen their position in Eastern Europe.” Russia took up the challenge, although limited in its material resources. Then he focused on the problems of struggle against militarism and the threat of war. According to him, the social movements of Eastern Europe are not yet able to effectively counter the military threat. However, there is still time, that can be used to strengthen the anti-war forces. To do this, Shakhin urged to study the experience of the anti-war struggle in Ukraine and gave an overview of the anti-war protests. He estimates there were more than 130 anti-war actions in Ukraine in the period of 2014-2015.
The second panel was dealing with ethno-nationalism and racism. Among the speakers Anna Edwards of the United National Antiwar Coalition (USA) spoke about the American nationalism and the militarization of society and the use of scaring terrorism for political purposes. Representatives of social movements from Hungary, Austria and Bosnia were also expressing their concerns about the rise of ultra-nationalism, neo-fascism and racist tendencies in the region.
There was a panel discussion on the balance of real socialism in Central and Eastern Europe. Judit Morva, chief editor of the Hungarian version of “Le Monde Diplomatique” was speaking about the impoverishment of many regions of Hungary. She explained the authoritarian policy of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In her view, a large part of the Hungarian society is passive. Orban admittedly seeks to prevent the advance of foreign capital, but massively supports the domestic bourgeoisie, which is exploiting the workers.
Peter Szumlewicz of OPZZ discussed both positive and negative sides of social programs in the state socialist times. Social programs have given much greater protection than the present system, but did not provide, for example, full equality between women and men.
A representative of the Polish Communist Party, in turn, spoke about the industrialisation of the socialist era and about the structural changes regarding the industry since 1989. Statistical data and demographic trends were extensively shown. The industry is based now mainly on assembling components for large multinationals. The conditions of employment worsened significantly in Poland.
Sonja Lokar of Slovenia presented the Slovenian story of transformation that took place in a more veiled manner than in Poland. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, the Slovenian authorities promised to put the country on the Scandinavian model of social capitalism, however, after obtaining sufficient Western influence privatization and commercialization started in great leaps.
Professor Bruno Drwęski from Investing Actions (France) spoke about the transformation used during structural adjustment programs originally invented by the international financial institutions to submit postcolonial countries to the mercy of international capital.
Yuri Głuszakow of Belarusian organizations Razam talked about the social consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fact that Belarus begins to implement some of the recommendations of international financial institutions.
Another panel were discussing about how the feminist movement takes part in the class struggle. The speakers, Katarzyna Bratkowska from the March 8 Agreement and Maha Abdelhamid from Tunisia and Armagan Tulunay representing the Workers Revolutionary Party (DIP) from Turkey shared their experiences. They discussed about the need to link the movement for women’s rights to the economic fights and strongly criticised the neo-liberal feminism.
The last session of the second day of the Forum dealt with the peripherisation of Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. Michael Savas Matsas of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party (EEK) Greece talked about how the EU and the International Financial Institutions lead to a deepening of the crisis. Jan Mayicek from the Czech Committee Against TTIP talked about the risks of international agreements TTIP receiving the sovereignty of national governments and, for example, limiting production standards and safety. He also talked about the European-wide campaign against the agreement TTIP. Sungun Savran from DIP Turkey spoke about the increasingly authoritarian rule in Turkey.
After the Saturday’s meeting of the Forum, in the evening there was a demonstration against militarism in the downtown of Wroclaw.
The Final Declaration of the 2nd CEE Social Forum is now under preparation, the draft version is as follows:
From 11th to 13th March 2016 about one hundred participants from different civil society organisations and radical left forces gathered in Wroclaw (Poland) in order to exchange experiences on the peripheric situation of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC) and the South and to outline common political goals for the future. As a result of the 13 sessions on wide ranging issues, like militarization, racism, antifascism, feminism, neocolonisation, environment, peripherisation, workers rights and devastating consequences of the system change in CEEC, we arrived at the following conclusions:
1.) The participants of the Forum were united in declaring that this forum had an clear anticapitalist character and keep on cooperating in this direction in the future;
2.) The participants unanimously demanded the dissolution of NATO and to stop militarisation;
3.) The system change in CEEC has taken place clearly with strong foreign – US and EU- intervention. The vast majority of the population wanted reforms, but wanted by no means the restoration of capitalism, especially not in its semi-colonial form. The capitalist intervention was realised in a pre-planned way and effected all areas of the society, namely the productive capacities, the institutions, the social organisations, the local authorities, etc. The brutal dismantling of the industrial and production capacities in general in the form of privatisation and factory closures, the foundations of CEEC’s independence have ceased. Due to the defenslessness, the low wage as the only „competitive” factor, so the emigration and the productive assembly activity become dominant;
4.) Under the rule of neoliberal capitalism in crisis, the population of the peripheric countries both of the South and the CEE region has been suffering heavy losses in their life conditions, economy, culture, society, and our environment has been seriously damaged. Industry has been downsized, unemployment and poverty reached unbearable size, i.e. the CEEC – similarly to the South – have become the exploited periphery of the developed capitalist countries. During the transition years, even the up-to-date technical and economic co-operations of the CEEC were cut off. At the same time, participants are aware of the fact that the former socialist attempts have had several weaknesses and even mistakes – some of which originated in the historical situation of under-development and military conflicts;
5.) In the wake of the crisis, dangerous far right and fascist political forces have been reviving and strengthening. This is the result of the prevailing capitalist system and imperialism;
6.) Participants of the Forum made the following decisions:
a.) to organise a meeting on the refugee question in South Europe, either in Greece or in Italy this year;
b.) to hold the next Social Forum in spring 2017 in Hungary or in Bulgaria;
c.) to enlarge cooperation and build up a stronger movement of the CEEC and the countries of South, including the Balkan, North Africa and Latin-America as well as with social movements of China;
d.) Main slogans were: STOP MILITARISATION! DISSOLVE NATO! INSTEAD OF WAR BREAD TO THE PEOPLE! ANOTHER WORLD IS NOT ONLY POSSIBLE BUT VERY NECESSARY!
Organisers of the Social Forum Wroclaw/POLAND
Budapest, 24th March 2016.
Kategória: Nincs kategorizálva | A közvetlen link.
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Move Over Nessie: Five Mythical British Beasts
Black Shuck (as drawn in 1577)
The Loch Ness monster is one of the most famous mythical beasts in the world, up there with Sasquatch and the yeti and the perfect wife for TV’s Simon Cowell. But Nessie is by no means the only made-up beastie to come from the British Isles. In fact, for such a small geographical area, there are an astonishing array of recaps, shug monkeys and sooterkins running about, causing havoc. Enough to fill a virtual zoo, in fact.
Here are just five:
The Knocker
Miners have every reason to be superstitious. They work in a horrifically dangerous environment, chipping away at the foundations of their own workplace, and risking death from falling rocks, explosive gases, poisonous gases, all sorts. Consequently, they have their own elaborate folklore, based on the curious sounds of their underground world. In Wales (originally) and later Cornwall, the knocker is a spirit that resides in the tunnels, being the ghost of a tin miner who died. He’s approximately two feet tall, with a big head, big beard and long arms that nearly drag on the ground. And he carries miner’s equipment: lamps, pickaxes and whatnot. And yes, he makes knocking sounds that reverberate through the mine.
There’s some argument as to whether he’s a benign presence, but most accounts agree that knockers are troublesome rascals, pinching tools and misdirecting miners. Worse, they also take the blame for mine fires. In America, expat Cornish miners took to calling the cheeky sprites tommyknockers, as Stephen King fans will happily confirm.
The Beast of Bodmin Moor
Moors are inherently spooky places, as Scooby Doo and his gang have already made plain. And when you’re already a unsettled, the mind can play tricks on you. So, there is a legend, not unlike that of the Loch Ness monster, of a puma-sized wild cat that lives on the moors of Bodmin, in North Cornwall. Scientists deny that it is there, or that the moor could sustain a breeding population of such creatures, but the stories remain.
Further north, in Devon and Somerset, there is a similar legendary cat that is said to roam Exmoor – a panther-ish puma, or vice versa – killing local livestock. There have been numerous eyewitness reports, particularly during the ’70s and ’80s, and even photographs taken. But, as is the nature of these things, they’ve always been too blurry or inconclusive to firmly prove much of anything. And let’s be honest, that’s the way we like our mythical creatures to be, right?
Never mind the hound of the Baskervilles, British folklore is riddled with tales of hate-eyed and vengeful black dogs, and they all have their own local names. There’s the Barghest of Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland; the medieval Freybug, the Guytrash of Lancashire, the Padfoot of Leeds, the Cu Sith of Scotland, or the Gwiyllgi of Wales.
In East Anglia, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex, he’s called Black Shuck, and he’s the canine embodiment of Satan himself. His eyes (or possibly just one big cyclops eye) ablaze, and always the harbinger of appalling luck. Should anyone see him, they are instructed to shut their eyes or hide, lest they become so cursed they will die within the year. There again, some reports claim his fearsome presence is actually a protection to lost travellers.
There’s even an account of an appearance in the Suffolk church of Blythbugh, that dates from 1577. In it, Black Shuck bursts through the doors, with thunder at his back, kills a man and a boy, then causes the steeple of the church to collapse down through the roof. He then departs in a fiery rage, leaving scorch marks on the door.
And of course, we’d be entirely remiss in mentioning Black Shuck without adding this, the song the Darkness recorded about him, in which they claim, with some justification that “that dog don’t give a f***” :
Asrai
A water fairy, or freshwater mermaid (without the fishy tail). Some accounts describe her as resembling a young woman, others say a little girl. It’s claimed they live for centuries, and naturally, given their home, they have webbed feet/hands. The legend runs that if a man sees an asrai, he will want to capture her. However, if a single ray of the sun should touch her wet skin, she’ll die and become water.
There’s also the tale of the fisherman who did catch an asrai, who begged for her freedom, touching his arm in the process, and leaving a cold spot that could never be warmed again.
Ratman of Southend
A relatively modern (and downright unpleasant) addition to the menagerie of implausible varmints.
The version passed around children in the seaside town of Southend, Essex is that the Mayor of Southend had been serially unfaithful to his wife, and as punishment, his son was born with a rattish face and a small tail, and a carnivorous palate. Embarrassed by his child, the Mayor arranged for an underpass to be built, concealing a cell in which the boy resides. At night, he escapes and tries to scare people away (or eat them). There are even night tours of the underpass to see if he’ll emerge.
There is an even nastier version of the story that revolves around an old and doddery homeless man sheltering from the rain in that self-same underpass. A gang of teenagers happen by, and attack him, stealing his blanket and leaving him for dead. Injured, unable to leave, and overcome by hypothermia, he dies while being feasted on by local rats. Then, later, the underpass was said to contain strange noises: squeals, scratches, moans, and these are attributed to the ghost of the homeless man: the Ratman of Southend.
Quite why he’s not called the Kicked To Death By Rotters-man of Southend is beyond me.
Filed Under: Five Great Things, Stephen King, The Brit List, The Darkness
10 Great British Actors Who’ve Nailed An American Accent
5 Words the British Got From India
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It's about 3,500 times as tall as Tugela Falls.
In other words, 2,190 miles is 3,720 times the height of Tugela Falls, and the height of Tugela Falls is 0.000269 times that amount.
(Royal Natal National Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
Tugela Falls rises to 0.5890 miles in height. The falls are the highest in Africa and the second highest in the world.
It's about 4,000 times as tall as Olo'upena Falls.
In other words, 2,190 miles is 3,916 times the height of Olo'upena Falls, and the height of Olo'upena Falls is 0.0002554 times that amount.
(a.k.a. Oloupena Falls) (Molokai, Hawaii)
Olo'upena Falls rise to 0.55930 miles in height. The isolated falls are the tallest in the United States and the fourth tallest in the world.
It's about 4,000 times as long as The Navy Pier.
In other words, the length of The Navy Pier is 0.0003 times 2,190 miles.
(a.k.a. Municipal Pier #2) (Chicago, Illinois)
The Navy Pier is 0.60 miles in total length. Originally named Municipal Pier #2, the pier was renamed Navy Pier in 1927 in honor of Naval personnel stationed there during World War I.
It's about 4,000 times as tall as The Three Sisters Falls.
In other words, the height of The Three Sisters Falls is 0.0003 times 2,190 miles.
(a.k.a. Cataratas las Tres Hermanas) (Ayacucho, Peru)
The Three Sisters Falls rise to 0.60 miles in height. The falls are called Three Sisters after the three large tiers over which the falls flow.
It's about 4,500 times as tall as Burj Dubai.
In other words, 2,190 miles is 4,260 times the height of Burj Dubai, and the height of Burj Dubai is 0.000235 times that amount.
(formally Burj Khalifa, a.k.a. Dubai Tower, a.k.a. برج خليفة) (Dubai, UAE) (to roof)
Burj Khalifa, the tallest manmade structure in the world, stands 0.5140 miles to its roof. The tower also holds the current records for the world's highest Islamic mosque — at approximately 0.3590 miles on the 158th floor (of 163 floors) — and the world's tallest outdoor swimming pool — at approximately 0.1770 miles on the 78th floor.
It's about 4,500 times as tall as Gocta Falls.
In other words, 2,190 miles is 4,570 times the height of Gocta Falls, and the height of Gocta Falls is 0.000219 times that amount.
(a.k.a. Gocta Cataracts, a.k.a. Catarata del Gocta) (Amazonas, Peru) (total height)
Gocta Falls, a waterfall on the Cocahuayco River, measures 0.4790 miles in total height. Although it sits just 26.10 miles from the major city of Chachapoyas, the waterfall was unknown to non-locals until it was documented during a 2005 expedition by a German economist.
It's about 6,000 times as tall as a Canton Tower.
In other words, 2,190 miles is 5,800 times the height of a Canton Tower, and the height of a Canton Tower is 0.00017 times that amount.
(a.k.a. Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower, a.k.a. 广 州 电 视 观 光 塔) (Guangzhou, China) (to spire)
The Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower stands 0.380 miles to its spire. Initially described as holding the record for the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, the ride at the top of the tower is actually an observation carousel; cars complete a trip around the top-floor track about every half-hour.
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Consistent Castroism Leads to Barnesism / International Bolshevik Tendency (IBT) (2012-07-26) — Version: 2012-07-26. — Visited: 2020-01-19 — URL: http://www.bolshevik.org/statements/ibt_20120726_SA_on_Cuba.html
Consistent Castroism Leads to Barnesism
The following remarks were made by an IBT supporter at a Cuba Solidarity meeting, co-sponsored by Socialist Action and the Socialist Workers Party, on July 20 in Hartford, Connecticut.
I am a supporter of the International Bolshevik Tendency. As Trotskyists, we defend the achievements of the Cuban revolution in the areas of education, housing and health care. The reason there is none of the endemic disease and desperate poverty so common throughout the rest of the region is because the Cuban ruling class was expropriated during the revolution and now resides in Miami, not in Havana. As revolutionary socialists, we of course also call for the immediate release of the Cuban 5.
However, our attitude towards Cuba cannot be uncritical. As Socialist Action put it: “Part and parcel of our defense of the revolution is telling the truth about it.” (The Cuban Revolution, “Draft Resolution on Cuba,” p.17) The truth is that, unlike the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Cuban revolution was not lead by a proletarian party. As a result, it suffered severe deformations from its inception. Perhaps the most glaring one is the absence of workers democracy. It is indicative that the supporters of the ostensibly Trotskyist Partido Obrero Revolutionaria (POR) were arrested by the Castro regime on August 18, 1962 and only released when they renounced the struggle for their ideas. This was classic Stalinism.
For decades the Castro leadership has promoted the “socialist family” like every other Stalinist regime. Cuba’s 1976 constitution formalized the Communist Party’s political monopoly as “the highest leading force of the society and of the state.” The party did not hold its first congress until 1975—17 years after taking power. That meeting concluded, in classic Stalinist style, with a unanimous endorsement of the party leadership.
However, Socialist Action views the Castro clique as revolutionary internationalists. There is no denying the useful work of Cuban doctors abroad and Cuba’s role in driving South Africa’s apartheid army out of Angola in the 1970s. On the other hand, Castro supported the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet tanks in 1968 and Cuba has shored up the credibility of numerous capitalist governments in Latin America. When the pope visited Cuba in 1998 Fidel Castro pointed to the supposed similarity between socialism and Catholicism in promoting the “equitable distribution of wealth and solidarity among human beings” (Granma, English edition). A revolutionary regime could not countenance any of this.
Socialist Action attempts to alibi the unpleasant truth about the Cuban regime as resulting from a Stalinist bureaucratic wing (originally tied to the Soviet bureaucracy) against which the supposedly revolutionary Castro wing is struggling. The Soviet Union has been gone for 20 years and very little has changed within the bureaucracy. The reason that the Cuban regime is so similar to other deformed workers’ states (like China and Vietnam) is because they were all created by victorious peasant-based insurgencies in which the politically conscious working class played no significant role—unlike the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. The devolution of Cannon’s SWP into the bizarre Barnes cult began with the uncritical embrace of Castro and the guerrilla road as a viable alternative to the proletarian-centered strategy codified in Trotsky’s Transitional Program. The duty of revolutionaries today is not to promote illusions in any wing of the Cuban Communist Party, but rather to point to the necessity for workers to oust the bureaucrats and establish direct organs of proletarian rule.
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BU receives ‘D’ on Green Report Card
By Scout on April 2, 2010
Recent attempts to better campus sustainability weren’t enough to gain Bradley a high grade from The College Sustainability Report Card.
The organization surveyed Bradley about its facilities, food service and endowment to determine its grade an overall ‘D.’
Vice President for Business Affairs Gary Anna said he thinks the grade represents Bradley fairly well. However, he also said little differences in the way questions were answered may have been huge determinants, and administrators didn’t try to sugarcoat any areas.
“In some cases, we’re behind other universities, and in other cases I think we may be ahead,” he said. “We need to establish a culture of sustainability before we talk about putting solar panels on top of buildings.”
Since the survey was conducted in July, Student Senate implemented a pilot recycling program in University Hall. If that sees success, it will be expanded to all campus dorms.
Anna said he thinks the fact that, unlike many other schools, Bradley does not have a sustainability coordinator may have been a reason for Bradley’s ‘F’ grade on the administration section of the report.
“We don’t have a sustainability coordinator, and I’m not sure that is first among our highest needs today,” he said. “We’re still dealing with issues of the economic crisis, and I think there’s more we can do with this particular focus … and the capacity our students offer us.”
Tricia Anklan, a member of the task force that designed the U-Hall pilot program, said she doesn’t think the administration’s grade is just.
“I think giving Bradley’s administration an ‘F’ is unfair,” she said. “In my experience, the administration has been willing to participate and invest in sustainability programs contingent on student participation.”
Anklan said she thinks students need to become more involved.
“Bradley students need to be vocal about what they want, actively participate in sustainability efforts and hold the university accountable for enforcing policies,” she said. “The students really have to be the ones to take the first step.”
The one area of nine in which the university received a grade above a ‘C’ was in investment priorities. It received an ‘A’ for investing endowment in on-campus sustainability projects.
The only area it received a ‘C’ in was food and recycling. In this section, the university was applauded for eliminating food trays, offering vegan and sustainable food options as well as donating old clothing and furniture.
Bradley received ‘Ds’ for climate change and energy, student involvement and transportation. It received ‘Fs’ for shareholder engagement, endowment transparency and green building.
The university doesn’t have any LEED-certified buildings, the stamp which says a building is environmentally responsible, but Anna said when Westlake Hall is complete is should be gold-certified LEED.
“With the Markin [Family Student Recreation] Center and the athletic arena, those are very large buildings, and generally LEED certification will drive your cost up 10 to 15 percent,” he said. “If you think those buildings cost $80 million, we would not be able to afford to do them if they cost $10 to $15 million more.
Anna said the university kept the environment in mind when designing those buildings, and just because they are not LEED-certified does not mean they aren’t at all eco-friendly.
Anna also said sustainability is an increasing priority on campus, but it is important to “walk before we run,” by starting with things like recycling.
Students with concerns about sustainability can e-mail recycling@bradley.edu or visit www.greenreportcard.org to see Bradley’s full report card.
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Streaming with iPad and Apple TV: Is it worth it?
Posted by Pierre Igot in: iPad, iTunes
December 5th, 2013 • 4:56 pm
I’ve resisted the (moderate) lure of the Apple TV device for quite a while. First, I had the excuse that my Internet connection was not good enough. In the imaginary world of unlimited bandwidth in which Apple products appear to have been designed, 1.5 Mbps (local wireless service) did not quite cut it. For the past 18 months, however, I have had DSL peaking at 7 Mbps. Not great, but passable.
To be exact, the service was advertised as “up to 7 Mbps”, but the realities of our local community meant that, far too often for my taste, actual bandwidth would drop down to abysmally low levels, especially in the evenings. I couldn’t imagine trying to use the Apple TV’s streaming services (or any streaming service for that matter) in such a situation.
Because of this lack of bandwidth, I have never even tried to rely on any kind of streaming service. I hate having to wait for buffering, having to deal with streaming glitches, and not having the convenience that a conventional TV system with PVR gives you, i.e. the ability to record in high definition and play back at one’s leisure.
Then late last year, our phone company upgraded its infrastructure and we finally got a service that does offer 7 Mbps downloads at a sustained level throughout the day. (There are still occasional hiccups, of course, but on the whole it’s way better.) So my main excuse for not getting an Apple TV was gone.
Another reason not to get an Apple TV was my increasing frustration with iTunes, which reached such a level earlier this year that I finally gave up on the software and switched to Swinsian as my main tool for managing my large music collection. I still have to use iTunes for a variety of things, of course, but I cannot stand its sluggishness and I avoid it as much as possible.
Since the Apple TV restricts you to accessing the music and video stuff stored in your iTunes library, that’s a bit of a problem.
I also tend to download a number of videos in MP4 format from YouTube and other sources and then use PS 3 Media Server to stream them locally to my PlayStation 3. It’s not an ideal solution, but it works reasonably well, and enables me to avoid iTunes altogether for movie trailers, music video clips, and so on.
But then, a few weeks ago, I got myself a new iPad Air (replacing my first-generation iPad stuck at iOS 5) and finally got the ability to use AirPlay, which is, as far as I am concerned, a bit of a game changer. This is the first time I own a computing device that supports it. (I don’t have a recent MacBook or iMac in the house.)
At the same time, in spite of my on-going reluctance, I started to feel increasing pressure to give streaming services a try. For one thing, I am a big soccer fan and like to watch a lot of English and Spanish games. Because of exclusive rights belonging to various outlets and changing hands on a regular basis, the situation tends to be in constant flux here in Canada. A couple of years ago, many English games were available in high definition on TV via a pay channel then called Setanta Sports and now called Sportsnet World. Many of the games were delayed and broadcast during the evening and night. But I was OK with recording them on my PVR and watching them later. (I just had to be careful about on-line spoilers.)
Now, things have changed again, and even though Sportsnet World still has some exclusive games (and the same exclusive price!), many EPL games are not even broadcast on TV channels anymore. The only way to get them is to stream them on-line at tsn.ca. I find this utterly annoying, not just because I still have to pay the full price for Sportsnet World even though it offers far fewer games than it used to, but also because, with on-line streaming, there is no option to record in order to watch later. And the picture quality is definitely not on par with conventional HD television.
The other problem with streaming games is of course that you have to watch them in a web browser. I have a big HD plasma TV and I want to be able to watch the games on that TV in my living room.
Another streaming service that I might be interested in is the recently launched Canal Plus Canada. Canal Plus is a major TV channel in France and has quite a bit of exclusive French-language content that is hard to obtain (if it is at all possible) here in Canada. Canal Plus Canada is not a TV channel. It is only available as a streaming service on-line (via the Dailymotion platform).
And then there is also the BBC iPlayer that I might be interested in…
Could the Apple TV be a solution for this? I decided that now was the time for me to try and find out, and ordered one a week ago. It arrived yesterday, and it just so happened that yesterday my favorite EPL team (Arsenal) was playing a game that was only available via tsn.ca. So of course I had to install the Apple TV right away and see if I could somehow make it work.
My first observation is that the device came without an HDMI cable. I knew that already, but I still find it rather cheap on Apple’s part. At least there is a battery included in the little remote…
Hooking things up to my A/V system and my network was straightforward and I was soon up and running — once I figured out that the Apple remote was not Bluetooth but infrared and require a clear line of sight to the Apple TV.
I won’t go through all the details of my initial experience here, but I will make the following observation: I simply cannot believe the number of times I had to enter my Apple ID password during this initial set-up phase. You’d think that once would be enough, but no… I had to enter it for registering with iCloud, for activating Home Sharing, for pairing with my iPad, and so on.
Of course, I have a password that is fairly complex in order to provide a decent level of security, and it was definitely not chosen for how easy it was to type it in, quite the contrary. In fact, I chose such a complex password that I never intended to actually have to type it. I use 1Password on my Mac and on my iPad and, when it comes to entering passwords, Copy/Paste is my game.
But with the number of times that Apple’s services (iTunes Store, Mac App Store, iCloud, etc.) require you to enter your password, you end up having to learn how to type it whether you like it or not. And so I have finally memorized it and learned the routine to type it out either on my Mac or on my iPad.
Fortunately, once the iPad is paired with the Apple TV, you can actually use the iPad as a remote and type things out with the virtual keyboard instead of having to use the on-screen facility to entering characters on the Apple TV. But of course in order to pair the iPad with the Apple TV, you have to enter your password first…
Anyway, I finally got everything set up and the time for the EPL game was fast approaching. I knew that, at worst, I would be able to watch the game in a browser window on my computer, but I definitely wanted to see if I could get it to stream on my iPad and then use AirPlay to watch it on my TV via the Apple TV.
The tsn.ca web site is clearly not the most user-friendly site. It took me a while just to figure out where I was supposed to go to watch streaming EPL games. First I saw a link to an iPad app, so I downloaded and installed it, but as far as I can tell, it’s mainly an app for sports results and news, and it does not include streaming games.
Then as the time approached, I finally noticed a little blurb in the top-left corner of the home page inviting users to “click here” to watch the streaming EPL games. It looks like the “streaming” section of the site is an ephemeral thing and not a dedicated section that stays in the same place in the site structure at all times. So basically you are just supposed to load and reload the home page before the games until this blurb appears and then follow the link. Good grief…
Then the link took me to a dedicated page for streaming and I selected the game I wanted to watch. And then… nothing. No matter how many times I clicked on the game I wanted, no streaming happened. Eventually, I got to watch an ad (!) for something, but then, again, nothing. Good grief again.
Since the game had already started, I went upstairs to my office and tried the same thing in a web browser on my Mac. And sure enough the game started streaming right away… But of course, as luck would have it, my team had already scored an early goal. Thanks, TSN!
Then I went back downstairs to turn things off and realized that the game had started streaming there too while I was gone! And somehow the tsn.ca web site had automatically detected that I had an Apple TV and the iPad was playing the game through the Apple TV on my TV, even though I had not selected AirPlay at any point for this particular site or game. (I had selected AirPlay for other things earlier on, but as far as I could tell it was no longer on when I started using the tsn.ca web site in Safari on the iPad.)
Initially, the picture quality was pretty bad and with the wrong aspect ratio, but after a few minutes it somehow righted itself and gave me the right aspect ratio and a better picture quality (although nowhere near the HD signal I am used to via my satellite TV system).
I was then able to watch the rest of the game on my TV. There were a couple of glitches, included a period of 1 or 2 minutes where the screen went dark but the audio continued to play. Then everything stopped and the streaming resumed normally after a few seconds, through no intervention on my part. There were a few other hiccups in the stream, but nothing major, and I didn’t miss the rest of the action.
And then, at the end of the game, it all stopped as mysteriously as it had started, with no warning that the streaming was about to end or anything like that.
Clearly it would be much better if TSN could incorporate the streaming functionality into their iPad app instead of requiring people to go through the general web site in Safari, and also provide a better user experience before and after broadcasts. But I guess all this is still a “work in progress” for all parties involved. My impression is that, if you are interested in streaming stuff, you might as well be prepared for this kind of thing, because the whole situation is still very much in flux.
In addition, somehow during the TSN streaming something broke between the iPad and the Apple TV and when I went back to the Remote app to try and control other things on the Apple TV, the Apple TV was no longer listed in the things that the Remote app was able to control! I tried turning the Apple TV off and back on. I tried quitting and relaunching the Remote app. I tried fiddling with some settings. Nothing helped.
Finally, I tried turning Home Sharing off and on again. Of course, it asked for my Apple ID password again, and I couldn’t use the iPad to enter it, so I had to do it with the small Apple Remote. Grrr. And then the iPad told me something really helpful, like “Home Sharing cannot be enabled at this point. Please try again later.” WTF?
Eventually, I power-cycled the iPad and the Apple TV and was able to reenable Home Sharing and get things to work again, but really… I didn’t sign up for all this glitchiness within a few hours of setting things up! (I realize that part of the glitchiness was due to the tsn.ca itself, but that’s part of the reality when you try to deal with streaming: crappy web sites and crappy streaming services that your iPad and your Apple TV try to help you control and manage.)
I suppose that this broken pairing between the iPad Remote app and the Apple TV might have fixed itself eventually without my intervention, but here’s the thing: I have no patience for this crap. Either it works, or it doesn’t. I can’t live with “it worked half an hour ago, but right now it doesn’t, and maybe it’ll work again tomorrow if you don’t do anything”. I am something of a professional troubleshooter. Either things work, or they don’t. If they don’t, I want to be able to try and fix them. I don’t want mysterious failures that remain unexplained. If I sit down at 8:30 pm at night to watch a movie or a show via streaming, I won’t put up with, “Oh, maybe it’ll actually work tonight.”
I am not saying that my current satellite TV with PVR setup is perfect. It too has glitches, and software flaws, and occasional bugs. But at least it works most of the time. If my early experience with streaming is any indication, the frequency of glitches is much, much higher. I already find technology frustrating enough as it is. Do I really want even more frustration?
Next on my list was trying out the new Canal Plus Canada service. I did that this morning, using the Dailymotion app. The service is available as a free preview for one month (as long as you are willing to give your credit card info). After that, it’ll be $7.99 a month.
I have registered for the free preview on the web using Safari. When I am logged in in Safari, it appears to be working. In Chrome or Firefox, however, it does not seem to be working. Once I log in, Dailymotion correctly lists the Canal Plus subscription in my “purchases”, but when I try to stream something, it only gives me a preview of the first 3 minutes of the show.
The situation is the same with the Dailymotion app on the iPad. However, the official press release (in French, through the French consulate in Montreal) does state that the service is not available for tablets yet. So I guess that is why it is not working properly. That said, I do get the free 3-minute previews on the iPad and I am able to use AirPlay to display them on my TV.
The picture quality is fairly good once it gets going, but I have seen phases where the app throttled back to a really poor quality stream, presumably because of some temporary bandwidth issue. (The picture quality is set to “Auto” in the app’s settings.) I will have to test it more extensively to see if it’s a viable solution for me. It also remains to be seen whether the programming offered will actually be worth the $7.99/month. (There are also French films available on demand for $3.99 or $4.99, but that’s on top of the monthly fee.)
Still, it does look like the basic technological infrastructure is there and that it works with the iPad and the Apple TV.
Built-in features on the Apple TV more or less work as expected as well. But there are still problems. Even though I switched the default picture quality from 1080p to 720p in the Apple TV settings, it looks like my available bandwidth is still not good enough for Apple’s Theatrical Trailers app on the Apple TV. Buffering takes way too long, which leads me to think that the Theatrical Trailers app is still trying to download and play the 1080p version of each trailer. In typical Apple fashion, there is no obvious way to adjust this for the Theatrical Trailers app. The 720p setting that I changed applies to the iTunes Store (at least according to the interface).
Fortunately, things work better in the YouTube app. I’ve found a channel called “MOVIECLIPS Trailers” that has HD-quality trailers and they play just fine on the Apple TV, with no buffering delay whatsoever. They definitely look like 720p quality to me, which I think confirms that something is wrong with the Theatrical Trailers app on the Apple TV. Once again, it looks like Apple assumes the availability of unlimited bandwidth at all times and provides no obvious alternative for those who do not have so much bandwidth. (There is a knowledge base article about this, but it says nothing about what to do for the Theatrical Trailers app.)
It’ll take me a while to further experiment with the device and see how well things work in the real world. With my 7 Mbps connection, I will probably not be able to “cut the cord” just yet — especially since some of the stuff I want to watch is still only available via conventional TV channels. But my hope is that at least I will able to reduce my satellite TV bill substantially by getting rid of a bunch of channel packages. We shall see.
This entry was posted by Pierre Igot on Thursday, December 5th, 2013 at 4:56 pm and is filed under iPad, iTunes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
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News and Notes > Siege of Petersburg Sesquicentenni… > 150 Years Ago Today > 150 Years Ago Today: The Battle…
150 Years Ago Today: The Battle of Hatcher’s Run: February 4, 1865
The Battle of Hatcher’s Run Series:
The Battle of Hatcher’s Run, Feb. 5-7, 1865: A Reading Guide
MAP: 8th Offensive Against Petersburg, Grant’s Original Plan: February 4, 1865
MAP: 8th Offensive Against Petersburg, Meade’s 1st Tweak: February 4, 1865
MAP: 8th Offensive Against Petersburg, Meade’s 2nd Tweak: February 4, 1865
MAP: 8th Offensive Against Petersburg, Warren’s 3rd Tweak: February 4, 1865
February 4, 1865: The Eighth Offensive Takes Shape
In early February, 1865, 150 years ago this week, the Civil War was rapidly coming to a close. William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea had culminated in the capture of Savannah, Georgia in late December 1864. Fort Fisher had fallen in January 1865, closing the port of Wilmington to blockade runners. The troops from that expedition under Terry were to join another force under Schofield, brought east after the victories over john Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee the previous December. As Sherman moved north into the Carolinas and Schofield moved inland into North Carolina, Grant was determined to keep the pressure on Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia defending Petersburg and Richmond. And in early February 1865, three Confederate peace commissioners met with Abraham Lincoln on the River Queen in the James River. After peace talks failed, Grant hoped to move quickly in the relatively good weather to take advantage of any demoralization word of the failed peace talks at the Hampton Roads conference might cause.
After recalling Army of the Potomac commander George Meade on the last day of January 1865 from leave and alerting the Army of the Potomac and Army of the James to be ready at a moment’s notice, Ulysses S. Grant looked for an opportunity to strike. He found what he thought was a good one on February 4, 1865. Belfield, now the northernmost point of the Weldon Railroad after Warren’s Stony Creek Raid in December 1864, was where the Confederates were unloading supplies into wagons. Those wagons made the trip to Dinwiddie Court House, and then northeast up the Boydton Plank Road into Petersburg. Grant had heard Butler’s Division of Rebel cavalry had left with Cavalry Corps commander Wade Hampton bound for North Carolina to help combat Sherman’s inexorable advance. This left only the cavalry division of W. H. F. Rooney Lee on the Army of Northern Virginia’s right flank, and they were known to be at Belfield because of a lack of forage nearer Petersburg.
With the brief improvement in the winter weather, Grant thought he might send David McM. Gregg’s Second Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac down the former line of the Weldon Railroad south to Belfield, capturing a bountiful haul of Confederate wagons and further exacerbating Robert E. Lee’s by now dire logistical situation. The Second Corps under Andrew A. Humphreys would move part of the way to Stony Creek Station, holding the crossing of Stony Creek and the Nottoway River there as a sort of safe haven for Gregg’s cavalry on their way back from the raid. The whole operation was planned for four days or so.
Army of the Potomac Commander George Gordon Meade
With that general idea in mind, Grant sent the following orders to George Meade, explaining what he wanted of his trusted subordinate in the coming days:
“I would like to take advantage of the present good weather to destroy or capture as much as possible of the enemy’s wagon train, which it is understood is being used in connection with the Weldon railroad to partially supply the troops about Petersburg. You may get the cavalry [Gregg’s Second Division] ready to do this as soon as possible. I think the cavalry should start at 3 a. m. either to-morrow [February 5, 1865] or the day following, carrying one and a half days’ forage and three days’ rations with them. They should take no wagons and but few ambulances. Let the Second Corps move at the same time, but independent of the cavalry, as far south as Stony Creek Station, to remain there until the cavalry has done the enemy all the harm it can and returns to that point. The infantry may take four days’ rations in haversacks and one and a half days’ forage for the cavalry in wagons. The artillery taken along may be reduced to one battery to each division or one section from each battery, at your option. The Fifth Corps should also be held in readiness to go to the support of the Second Corps if the enemy should move out to attack. Probably it will be well to move the Fifth Corps at the same time with the Second Corps, sending it by a road west of the one taken by the latter, and to go but about half way to Stony Creek, unless required to do so to meet movements of the enemy. They will go out prepared to remain four days.”
As soon as he read Grant’s dispatch on the afternoon of February 4, Meade had several suggested changes. First, he didn’t want to send the Second Corps, and he had a really good reason. The division of Nelson A. Miles was on the front lines holding forts facing Petersburg. Removing this division from the line would almost certainly attract the attention of the Confederates and alert them prematurely to the coming operation. Meade suggested instead that Warren’s Fifth Corps move instead to Stony Creek, and the two divisions of the Second Corps not on the front lines would go to Ream’s Station. This would allow Warren to support Gregg’s raid on Belfield, and Humphreys to support Warren. Meade had learned the hard way that the Confederates favorite maneuver was to slip into between Federal Corps’ as they moved out on these sorts of offensive thrusts, delivering devastating flanking attacks and capturing ridiculous numbers of Federal prisoners. He wanted a bridge from the Union left to Humphreys, a bridge from Humphreys to Warren, and bridge from Warren to Gregg.
Grant had no objection to Meade’s tweak, only commenting that he chose the Second Corps because Warren’s Fifth Corps had made the last movement in December. From the time Meade composed his first tweak to the plan at 1:45 p.m. to the time Grant replied at 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of February 4, he must have been mulling the matter over in his mind. Shortly after Grants 3:30 message, Meade proposed another tweak to the plan. Rather than send Gregg’s cavalry due south down the Weldon Railroad to Belfield, he wanted them to move south only a short distance before heading west to Dinwiddie Court House. Warren’s Fifth Corps would still head south to Stony Creek as a blocking force, but Humphreys and his men, rather than moving to Ream’s Station on the Weldon Railroad, would instead move southwest down the Vaughan Road and take up blocking positions at Armstrong’s Mill and the Vaughan Road crossing of Hatcher’s Run. They could prevent the Confederate infantry defending Boydton Plank Road from moving on Warren or Gregg’s cavalry by the direct route. The way Meade figured it, Gregg could hit the Confederate supply trains at Dinwiddie Court House just as easily as at Belfield. An added bonus was that the Confederate cavalry around Belfield would have a greater distance to move in order to intercept Gregg, and the Union infantry would be in even closer supporting distance. Meade was worried about what the public would think if this movement failed, and asked Grant “Are the objects to be attained commensurate with the disappointment which the public are sure to entertain if you make any movement and return without some striking result?”
Grant replied to this second change of the plan in the affirmative as well, and assured Meade he would protect him and his army from any public dissent over the operation, writing:
“I will telegraph to Secretary Stanton in advance, showing the object of the movement, the publication of which, with the reports of operations, will satisfy the public.”
Grant’s approval set in motion a flurry of orders from Army of the Potomac headquarters to Gregg, Warren, and Humphreys, and then down to their subordinates, and so on until all those who needed to know the plan had the necessary information. Meade’s Chief of Staff and Assistant Adjutant General George D. Ruggles penned the following circular to Meade’s subordinates on the afternoon of February 4:
“The following movements have been ordered for to-morrow, February 5:
Brevet Major General Gregg, commanding Second Cavalry Division, has been ordered to start with his division from his present camp at 3 a. m. to-morrow, to proceed via Reams’ Station to the Boydton plank road, for the purpose of intercepting and capturing any of the enemy’s wagon trains carrying supplies from Belfield, and should an opportunity occur to inflict any injury on the enemy, to avail himself of it.
To support the cavalry, Major-General Warren has been ordered to move his corps at 7 a. m. to a point designated as J. Hargrave’s house, on the road leading from Rowanty Post-Office to Dinwiddie Court-House.
Major-General Humphreys has been directed to hold with two divisions of his corps the crossing of the Vaughan road over Hatcher’s Run and Armstrong’s Mills, keeping up communication with General Warren on his front and our lines in his rear.
Since the remainder of this army may be called upon to move to-morrow, Major-General Parke, commanding Ninth Corps, and Brevet Major-General Getty, commanding Sixth Corps, and commanding officer of the division of the Second Corps left in the line of works by Major-General Humphreys, will hold their commands in readiness to move at short notice, anticipating that the movement to be ordered will consist of the withdrawal of all the troops except the minimum number necessary to maintain the picket-line and the garrisons of the works. The chiefs of staff departments will designate officers to take charge of such trains and property as may be directed to be withdrawn to the intrenchments covering City Point in the event of a movement of the whole army. The officers of the general staff will be prepared to accompany the major-general commanding to-morrow morning at 8 o’clock. The senior officer in command of the Provisional Brigade at these headquarters will hold his command in readiness for orders to move. By command of Major-General Meade.”
Gregg would get a head start on the infantry due to the extra distance he had to go, but the foot soldiers would have plenty of time to get to their supporting positions before Lee could react. After this circular, Meade issued more specific orders to each of the three principle subordinates involved in the operation, keeping each informed of the movements of the other two. Note that Gouverneur Warren suggested a slight tweak of his own to the Fifth Corps’ marching orders, asking to move down Halifax Road to Rowanty Post-Office, then to take the direct road to the crossing of Rowanty Creek at W. Perkins’. He reasoned that this route was shorter than going to Reams’ Station. Meade assented, leading to a third change to Grant’s original plan.
Union 2nd Cavalry Division Commander David Gregg
Gregg, traveling the longest distance, would start at 3 a.m., his target being Dinwiddie Court House and hopefully many Confederate supply trains:
“The major-general commanding directs that you move with your division to-morrow morning at 3 o’clock, and, passing through Reams’ Station, strike the Boydton plank road at Dinwiddie Court-House. On reaching the Boydton plank road you will move up and down it, to endeavor to intercept and capture any wagon train carrying supplies from Belfield. Should you hear of any trains not on this road, or of any opportunity of inflicting injury on the enemy, other than here directed, you will avail yourself of it without further instructions. Major-General Warren is ordered to support you, taking post at or near J. Hargrave’s, on the Dinwiddie Court-House road, and leaving his camp at 7 a. m., passing through Reams’ Station and taking the road crossing Hatcher’s Run at W. Perkins’. You will leave with General Warren a regiment of cavalry and a supply train, with one and a half day’s forage and your reserve ammunition. This train will accompany General Warren, taking post at J. Hargrave’s. You will notify General Warren of all that occurs, and in the event of an engagement you will take your orders from him. The troops detailed for this expedition will be rationed for four days from to-morrow morning. You will take with you such of your pickets as you may deem it advisable to relieve. Two contrabands have come in to-night and have reported Butler’s brigade, of Lee’s cavalry, has been sent to North Carolina.”
Union 5th Corps Commander Gouverneur K. Warren
Warren, the link between Gregg and Humphreys, would start at 7 a.m., making sure Gregg had a friendly infantry force to retire to if he found himself in trouble:
“The general commanding directs that you move your corps to-morrow morning at 7 o’clock down the Halifax road to Rowanty Post-Office, then by the road direct to the crossing of Rowanty Creek at W. Perkins’, thence across Hatcher’s Run to J. Hargrave’s on the road leading to Dinwiddie Court-House, taking position at or near that point to support General Gregg’s cavalry. General Gregg, commanding Second Cavalry Division, has been ordered to move at 3 a. m. to-morrow, and, passing through Reams’ Station, to strike the Boydton plank road at Dinwiddie Court-House. He is to endeavor to intercept and capture any wagon trains carrying supplies from Belfield, and to take advantage of any opportunity of inflicting injury on the enemy. Major-General Humphreys has been ordered to move with two divisions of his corps to the crossing of the Vaughan road over Hatcher’s Run and Armstrong’s Mills, to hold these points and the communications with you and with our lines in his rear. General Gregg has been ordered to detach one regiment of cavalry to report to you, and to leave with you a supply train and reserve ammunition, which will accompany you to J. Hargrave’s. He is ordered to notify you of all that occurs, and in the event of an engagement to take his orders from you. You will take with you two batteries, one rifled and one smooth-bore, and the usual amount of ammunition in limbers and caissons. You will be rationed for four days from to-morrow a. m. (three on hoof), with fifty rounds of ammunition on the person and forty rounds in reserve. One-half the usual allowance of ambulances, with one hospital and one medicine wagon to each brigade, together with one-half the intrenching tools, besides the pioneer tools, will be taken with you. Such of your pickers on the rear line as are necessary for the protection of your camps from guerrillas may be left. General Humphreys has been directed to furnish you re-enforcements, should you call for them. A telegraph line will be run to General Humphreys’ headquarters on Hatcher’s Run, and general headquarters will either be here or on the road from here to you.”
Union 2nd Corps Commander Andrew A. Humphreys
Finally, Humphreys’ Second Corps, the link between Warren and the permanent Union fortifications southwest of Petersburg, would also move at 7 a.m. and take up blocking positions north of Hatcher’s Run. Humphreys’ goal was to hold the Vaughan Road crossing over Hatcher’s Run as a link to Warren, and to effectively block the Confederate forces on the line in front of Boydton Plank Road from moving against the flank of Warren and Gregg on the most direct route:
“The general commanding directs that you move to-morrow morning at 7 o’clock with the two divisions of your corps not on the line to the crossing of the Vaughan road over Hatcher’s Run and to Armstrong’s Mills. You will hold these two points and the communications with General Warren in your front and our lines in your rear. Major-General Gregg, commanding Second Cavalry Division, has been ordered to move at 3 a. m. to-morrow and, passing through Reams’ Station, to strike the Boydton plank road at Dinwiddie Court-House. He is to endeavor to intercept and capture any wagon trains carrying supplies from Belfield, and to take advantage of any opportunity of inflicting injury on the enemy. General Warren, with a regiment of cavalry from General Gregg, has been ordered to move his corps in support of General Gregg at 7 a. m., passing through Reams’ Station and taking the road crossing Hatcher’s Run at W. Perkins’, and taking position on the Dinwiddie Court-House road at or near J. Hargrave’s. You will take with you four days’ rations (three on hoof) and fifty rounds of ammunition on the person and forty rounds in reserve. One-half of the usual allowance of ambulances, with one hospital and one medicine wagon to each brigade, together with one-half the intrenching tools, besides the pioneer tools, will be taken with you. Such of your pickets on the rear line as are necessary for the protection of your camps from guerrillas may be left; the remainder of the pickets belonging to the two divisions you take with you may be withdrawn. You will take with you two batteries of artillery. General Miles, remaining under your command, will still report directly to these headquarters anything of importance that may occur, independent of his report to you. You are taking position to support General Warren, and should anything occur to render it necessary for him to call upon you for re-enforcements you will furnish them. General Warren is notified of this.”
By 7:45 on the evening of February 4, the plan seemed to be final, but Grant wasn’t quite ready to let go of his hope that Gregg would attempt a move on Belfield. At 8:30, Grant asked Meade if Gregg might be able to go all the way to Belfield and destroy any supplies accumulated there. Meade sensibly replied that any supplies accumulated at this terminus of the Weldon Railroad would be stored south of the Meherrin River at Hicksford rather than Belfield to keep them protected. In addition, Rooney Lee’s cavalry division was reported to be at Belfield. He nonetheless ordered Gregg to move on Belfield “provided he finds on reaching Dinwiddie Court-House any confirmation of the contrabands report, or obtains any reliable intelligence leading him to believe he can effect anything there.”
The only thing left to do before the troops departed their camps was to inform the government, as Grant had promised Meade he would. In a dispatch to Secretary of War Stanton late on the evening of February 4, Grant explained what was about to happen so the cabinet wouldn’t be caught off guard when they began to hear word of the operation:
“I have ordered the cavalry to move down the Weldon road to-morrow for the purpose of breaking up the enemy’s wagon train as far as they can, which is being used to draw supplies from Belfield to Petersburg. A corps of infantry goes as far as Stony Creek in support. I telegraph this so that you may know the object of the movement when you hear of it.”
Grant’s original plan had been tweaked multiple times, but soon enough the final orders were given. How would the Eighth Offensive against Petersburg and Richmond play out? Stay tuned and check in tomorrow for more…
The Petersburg Campaign Volume II: The Western Front Battles September 1864-April 1865 by Ed Bearss, edited by Bryce Suderow, pages 165-240
In the Trenches at Petersburg: Field Fortifications & Confederate Defeat by Earl J. Hess, pages 229-235
The Last Citadel: Petersburg, June 1864-April 1865 by Noah Andre Trudeau, pages 315-327
The Final Battles of the Petersburg Campaign: Breaking the Backbone of the Rebellion by A. Wilson Greene
Review In Brief: History and Tour Guide of Five Forks, Hatcher’s Run and Namozine by Chris Calkins
America’s Civil War Magazine, Vol. 16, No. 1 (March 2003), Three-Day Tussle at Hatcher’s Run by Art Bergeron, pages 30-37
The Petersburg Campaign June 1864-April 1865 by John Horn, pages 199-207
Second Battle of Hatcher’s Run by Jim Epperson
February 8-11, 13, 1865 Philadelphia Inquirer
February 8-11, 13, 1865 New York Herald
“I am still in the land of the living.” The Medical Case of Civil War Veteran Edson D. Bemis
Mair Pointon of the 6th Wisconsin Infantry Recalls the Battle of Hatcher’s Run February 1865
865bb: Union Forces Battle of Hatcher’s Run (or Dabney’s Mill) 5-7 February 1865
Book Review: Allegany to Appomattox: The Life and Letters of Private William Whitlock of the 188th New York Volunteers
CT AG 64-65: Report of Colonel James Hubbard, 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery, of operations February 6, 1865
Map of Hatcher’s Run and Vicinity, Showing Operations of the Fifth Corps, From February 5 to 8, 1865: Official Records
MHSM Papers V5: The Siege of Petersburg after the Capture of the Weldon Railroad by Brevet Brigadier-General Francis A. Walker
NP: April 15, 1907 Charleston (SC) News and Courier: The Truth About the Battle of the Crater (64th GA)
NP: September 15, 1902 New Orleans Times-Picayune: Harris’ Mississippi Brigade at the Siege of Petersburg and Appomattox
NT: November 10, 1898 National Tribune: The Pennsylvania Reserves from Cold Harbor to Appomattox
The Battle of Hatcher’s Run CWPT Map
The Battle of Hatcher’s Run NPS Map: Aftermath
The Battle of Hatcher’s Run NPS Map: February 5, 1865
The Battle of Hatcher’s Run NPS Map: Prelude
The Battle of Hatcher’s Run: February 5-7, 1865
Tagged as: battle of hatcher's run, civil war sesquicentennial, february 4 1865, hatchers run 150
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Maryam Rajavi & MeK The Enemy of My Enemy Iran Is My Friend Says POTUS Trump.
Maryam Rajavi & MeK The Enemy of My Enemy Iran Is My Friend Says POTUS Trump. In July 2017 Prince Turki Bin Faisal, Newt Gingrich and Joe Lieberman were speaking on behalf of a group of Iranian exiles that was officially designated a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” by the United States government between 1997 and 2012? Iran hawks long ago fell head over heels for the Mojahedin-e Khalq, known as the MEK, and loudly and successfully lobbied for it to be removed from the State Department list of banned terror groups in 2012. US President Donald Trump appointed John Bolton as his national security adviser. The former US ambassador to the UN is a lobbyist for the group and its "government-in-exile", the Iran National Council of Resistance. These days, the organization — run by husband and wife Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, though the former’s whereabouts are unknown and he is rumored to be dead — claims to have renounced violence and sells itself to its new American friends as a 100 percent secular and democratic Iranian opposition group.
You might understand why a Saudi prince, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, or uber-hawk and former Bush administration official John Bolton — who all attended the Paris rally of Maryam Rajavi & MeK earlier this year might be willing to get behind such a weird collection of past terrorists, fanatics and ideologues as Maryam Rajavi and Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK), which means People's Holy Warriors. But what would make a liberal Democrat from Vermont such as Howard Dean — who has suggested Maryam Rajavi be recognized as the president of Iran in exile. Or Georgia congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis, who spoke out in favor of the MEK in 2010? Could it be because of the old, if amoral, adage that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”? Born Maryam Qajar-Azodanlu, DOB 12/04/1953, Maryam Rajavi appears to have apartments, safe houses, in Tirana Albania and Paris France. I am sure she hopes to get into the USA, most likely in Washington D.C. and New York City. Maryam Rajavi must have a contingent of bodyguards 24/7 to ward off assassination attempts by agents of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds Force who are involved in everything from arming the Taliban against the pro-US Karzai government in Afghanistan to an alleged assassination attempt against the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the US.
Washington DC 22 June 2019, Supporters of an Iranian exile group MeK and opposition President Maryam Rajavi with ties to some of US President Donald Trump’s top advisers rallied Friday for regime change in Iran, amid heightened tensions between the US and Iran. Clad in yellow vests emblazoned with the words “Free Iran,” more than 1,000 members of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq gathered outside the State Department to demand an end to Iran’s theocratic government. “We have and will continue to declare that what we seek is the regime’s overthrow, overthrow, overthrow,” the group’s Paris-based leader Maryam Rajavi said in a video message to the crowd, which also included current and former US lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties. The group has its headquarters outside Paris with several thousand members in Albania, extracted in a UN-brokered effort from Iraq.
Supporters are scattered elsewhere in the West as part of the Iranian diaspora with many wealthy first and second generation Iranians in the Tampa Bay Fl area. Subterfuge part of the game: Maryam Rajavi and Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK), which means People's Holy Warriors. MeK's thinly disguised presence in the U.S. has a raft of support groups with innocuous names, such as the National Convention for a Democratic, the Iran Policy Committee and the Secular Republic in Iran, the host of the Washington event. After a disastrous lunge into Iran in 1988, the MEK embarked on a more successful military venture. It helped Saddam Hussein crush an uprising by Kurds after Iraq's defeat by U.S. forces during the 1991 Gulf War, according to U.S. diplomats and the State Department's 2005 Country Reports on Terrorism. Increasingly seen in the West as an Iraqi stooge, Mr. Rajavi sent Ms. Rajavi back to France to drum up support.
Maryam Rajavi & MeK army Albania. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) website carries a glamorous advertising campaign for a Grand Gathering. Surrounded by glitzy pictures of flag-waving youth, the central focus of this gathering is ‘Our pledge: regime change’. The first port of call is to understand that the NCRI is just another name for the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) which was also known as the National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA). Back in 1994, MEK leader Massoud Rajavi tasked his wife Maryam to leave Iraq for America in order to regain political recognition of the Mojahedin Khalq as ‘the’ Iranian opposition which had been lost when he refused to abandon Saddam Hussein during the First Gulf war. Refused entry to the USA as the leader of a terrorist entity Maryam instead took up residence in France as a refugee. But instead of meeting politicians to talk about how the MEK could overthrow the Iranian regime, she discovered she could simply create the illusion of support by paying both audience and speakers. She discovered a talent for dressing up, holding fancy dinner parties and talking about her cult ideology.
Iran opposition PMOI/MEK network escalating activities in June/July 2019. Members of Resistance Unit 878 placing a large poster of Iranian opposition President Maryam Rajavi, head of the Iranian opposition coalition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), on a bridge. Members of other resistance units in the capital put up signs reading, “Democracy, Freedom, With Maryam Rajavi. Iran, July 24, 2019 Members and supporters of the Iranian opposition group People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) are expressing their support for the recent “Free Iran” rally in Ashraf 3. Members of resistance units and MEK supporters watched the event through TV stations or mobile phones. They showed their enthusiasm by insisting that victory will be achieved by the Iranian people. July 11, 2019 - On the eve of five-day events held by the Iranian opposition PMOI/MEK in Ashraf 3 in Albania, Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) summoned and arrested scores of families and supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran. In Tehran, Sediqeh Moradi, Mehdi Khavas, Hassan Atar, Valiyollah Gholam-Nejad and Dr. Hani Yazarloo and his son Houd were arrested. Alireza Nabavi was arrested in the Southeastern city of Semnon. A number of those arrested were former political prisoners and served time in the 80s and 90s.
The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, or the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), is an Iranian political-militant organization based on Islamic and socialist ideology, a mixture of Marxism and Islamism, see website https://english.mojahedin.org/ People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) Headquarters in Manëz, Durrës, Albania (2018–), Paris, France (1981–1986; 2003–), Tirana, Albania (2016–). MeK has supporters all over the USA including the Tampa Bay Fl area. Maryam Rajavi is MEK's principal leader; her husband, Massoud Rajavi, head up the group's military forces. Maryam Rajavi is President-elect of the parliament-in-exile National Council of Resistance of Iran (1993-present) Maryam Rajavi, born in 1953 to an upper-middle class Iranian family, joined MEK as a student in Tehran in the early 1970s. After relocating with the group to Paris in 1981, she was elected its joint leader and later became deputy commander-in-chief of its armed wing. People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) advocates overthrowing the Islamic Republic of Iran leadership and installing its own government. MeK was listed as terrorist group in US until 2012 – but its opposition to Tehran has attracted backing of John Bolton, Rudy Giuliani and others bent on regime change in Iran. The Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MeK), the extreme Iranian opposition group who was the target of a foiled bombing attack in France, was once a sworn enemy of the United States. NBC reported that Israel’s spy agency, the Mossad, relied on MEK operatives to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists during Iran and Israel’s secret dirty war between 2010 and 2012.
For most of its life in exile, the MEK was funded by Saddam. After his downfall, the group says it raised money from Iranian diaspora organizations and wealthy individual donors in the United States. The MEK has always denied it is financed by Saudi Arabia – but the former Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal, made waves when he attended the group’s 2016 rally in Paris and called for the fall of the Iranian regime. “The money definitely comes from Saudis,” says Ervand Abrahamian, a professor at the City University of New York and author of the definitive academic work on the group’s history, The Iranian Mojahedin. “There is no one else who could be subsidizing them with this level of finance.” According to one recent MEK defector, Hassan Heyrani, the group’s main work in Albania involves fighting online in an escalating information war between Iran and its rivals. Heyrani, who left the MEK last summer, says that he worked in a “troll farm” of 1,000 people inside the Albanian camp, posting pro-Rajavi and anti-Iran propaganda in English, Farsi and Arabic on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and newspaper comment sections. “We worked from morning to night with fake accounts,” he says. “We had orders daily that the commanders would read for us. ‘It is your duty to promote this senator, this politician, or journalist writing against Iran’ and we would say ‘Thank you, the Iranian people support you and Maryam Rajavi is the rightful leader’, but if there was a negative story on the MEK, we would post ‘You are the mercenaries of the Iranian regime, you are not the voice of the Iranian people, you don’t want freedom for Iran’.”
June 2019..Iran executes ‘defense ministry contractor’ over spying for CIA. State news agency says Jalal HajiZavar confessed to spying for US for money; ex-wife serving 15-year sentence for ‘involvement in espionage’. Iran’s state TV says authorities have executed a former staff member of the Defense Ministry who was convicted of spying for the CIA. The Saturday report says Jalal Hajizavar was hanged last week in a prison near Tehran. “The execution sentence was carried out for Jalal Haji Zavar, a contractor for the defense ministry’s aerospace organisation who spied for the CIA and the American government,” ISNA reported, quoting the Iranian military. He was identified as a spy by the defense ministry’s intelligence unit, ISNA said. During the investigation the suspect “explicitly confessed to spying for the CIA” in return for money, ISNA said, adding that “documents and espionage devices were found at his house.”
Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) is the largest and most militant group opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Also known as the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, MEK is led by husband and wife Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. The group's armed unit operated from camps in Iraq near the Iran border since 1986. During the Iraq war, US troops disarmed MEK and posted guards at its bases. In addition to its Paris-based members, MEK has a network of sympathizers in Europe, the United States, and Canada. The group's political arm, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, maintains offices in several capitals, including Washington, DC. Some officials from the Trump administration have received money from the anti-Iran Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) to deliver speeches in support of the group. Trump’s transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, received $50,000 in 2015 for a five-minute speech to the political wing of the MKO. In March 2016, Chao received another $17,500 for a speech that she gave to the Iranian-American Cultural Association of Missouri, which reportedly has ties with the MKO terrorist group. Chao is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Former mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, who is also likely to get a post in the Trump administration, has also acknowledged that he has been paid by the MKO for his appearances at the group’s events. During the 2003 Iraq war, U.S. forces cracked down on MEK's bases in Iraq, and in June 2003 French authorities raided an MEK compound outside Paris and arrested 160 people, including Maryam Rajavi.
Washington D.C, March 8, 2019 - On Friday, Iranians from more than 40 states across the U.S. gathered in Freedom Plaza, Washington D.C., to join the Iran Freedom March, a rally in support of popular protests in Iran. The demonstrators also voiced support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the main Iranian opposition coalition which has been calling for the toppling of the tyrannical regime of mullahs ruling Iran and the establishment of a secular and democratic state. In a televised message to the rally, NCRI President Mrs. Maryam Rajavi said I call on all women in the United States and around the world to support the fight of their sisters in Iran to overthrow the ruling regime. Ongoing protests in Iran and the continued activities of Iranian Resistance Units, networks of supporters of PMOI/MEK, have largely undermined the rule and power of the ruling regime, Mrs. Rajavi underlined. “The regime now faces one of the most difficult periods of its rule. The continued uprisings have destabilized the ruling structure. And there is no going back. Change in Iran is within reach more than any other time,” Mrs. Rajavi said.
Walid Phares, Ph.D., a foreign policy adviser to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Fox News, Oct. 18, 2017 - Now that President Trump has decertified the Iranian nuclear deal and asked Congress to decide if the U.S. should snap back economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic, he is faced with a critical decision on what future U.S. policy toward Iran should be. Walid Phares is a Lebanese-born American scholar and right-wing political pundit. He worked for the Republican presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney in 2012 and Donald Trump in 2016. He has also served as a commentator on terrorism and the Middle East for Fox News since 2007, and for NBC from 2003 to 2006. In the 1980s, the MEK served as a private militia fighting for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War.
Today, it has a different paymaster: the group is believed to be funded, in the millions of dollars, by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In Washington, D.C., as in Paris, France, the MEK pays tens of thousands of dollars in speaking fees to US officials. Bolton, in particular, is a long-time paid supporter of the MEK, reportedly receiving as much as $180,000 for his appearances at the group’s events. The MEK rejects all accusations of terrorism and abuse. The group is not a cult, its advocates insist, but Iran’s strongest democratic opposition group in exile, which seeks a free and democratic Iran. Even when the MEK was on the terrorist list, the group operated freely in Washington. Its office was in the National Press Club building, its Norooz receptions on Capitol Hill were well attended by lawmakers and Hill staff alike, and plenty of congressmen and women from both parties spoke up regularly in the MEK’s favor. In the early 2000s, in a move that defied both logic and irony, Fox News even hired a senior MEK lobbyist as an on-air terrorism commentator.
May 2019..Whereas, on July 10, 2018, a senior Department of State official said, “Iran uses embassies as cover to plot terrorist attacks” Thirty-nine bipartisan United States Members of Congress have jointly submitted a new resolution condemning the Iranian regime’s terrorist acts against U.S. citizens and supporters of the main democratic Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK). Condemning Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and expressing support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular, and non-nuclear republic of Iran. Whereas, on July 2, 2018, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced it had foiled a terrorist plot against the “Free Iran 2018 – the Alternative” gathering held on June 30, 2018, in support of the Iranian people’s struggle for freedom; Whereas Assadollah Assadi, a senior Iranian diplomat based in the Iranian embassy in Vienna, Austria, was arrested in Germany in connection with the planned terror plot in Paris; Whereas the Iranian diplomat has been charged in Belgium in connection with the Paris terror plot and in Germany with “activity as a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit murder”
The cult-like Iranian group MeK was responsible for the killing of six Americans in Iran in the 1970s; in 1979 it enthusiastically cheered the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran, when angry students held 52 American diplomats hostage for a period of 444 days. Its opposition to Tehran’s current rulers, however, has earned the group powerful allies in the west, particularly among Americans bent on regime change. Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, addressed an MeK rally in Paris calling for regime change in Tehran. Belgian authorities said four people, including a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in the Austrian capital Vienna, have been arrested after being accused of preparing a bomb attack in France targeted at a MeK rally.
Iran, which considers the group MeK as a terrorist organization, also has a history of mistreating MeK supporters. In the summer of 1988, thousands of leftists and MeK supporters were executed in a massacre of political prisoners. Believed to have between 5,000 to 13,000 members, the MeK was established in the 1960s to express a mixture of Marxism and Islamism. It launched bombing campaigns against the Shah, continuing after the 1979 Islamic revolution, against the Islamic Republic. In 1981, in a series of attacks, it killed 74 senior officials, including 27 MPs. Later that year, its bombings killed Iran’s president and prime minister. During the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the MeK, by then sheltered in camps in Iraq, fought against Iran alongside the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a turning point for the group, which sought to reinvent itself as a democratic force.
Labels: Maryam Rajavi & MeK The Enemy of My Enemy Iran Is My Friend Says POTUS Trump.
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Birmingham Architect Harry B. Wheelock, while visiting his brother in Denver, first heard of the growing-fast-as-wildfire movement "among men of good will" that had originated in Chicago by a man named Paul Harris who, with his primary emphasis, "he profits most who serves best," called his new organization "Rotary." It was destined to culminate as Rotary International with more than a million members in 164 countries. Wheelock became so enthused that he determined that Birmingham should have a Rotary Club. In correspondence between Wheelock and Harris in March 1912, Harris speaks of the responsibility that most people in a profession or business feel to spend a certain about of time in public work. He said, "it is the aim of Rotary to advance the individual interests of its members in proportion to the advance of the welfare of the communities in which we are established." This purpose is still a driving force today as the movement nears its centennial.
Wheelock called a meeting at the old Turn-Verein Hall of a half dozen friends and kindred spirits to discuss this new movement called "Rotary". At this meeting a carefully compiled list of business and professional men was made. They selected men whose lives and personal philosophies already manifested the Rotary spirit. They were invited to hear the Rotary story, told with the force of an evangelist. They, too, became enthused and "Rotary 56", The Rotary Club of Birmingham, was born. The incorporation papers forming it can be found in Vol. 10 of Incorporations at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham. These papers show the organization's "birth date" was February 6, 1913.
Excerpt from Ninety Years of "Service Above Self"
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